tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51621865615583498972024-02-24T02:31:16.207-08:00gizthebizMarketing and Business ConsultantChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.comBlogger347125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-12214715898417607082024-01-23T03:18:00.000-08:002024-01-23T03:18:07.725-08:00Social Media Marketing vs. Influencer Marketing: Choosing the Right Strategy for Your Business<p> </p>Social media marketing (SMM) and influencer marketing (IM) are two very different but equally effective strategies. Deciding which of the two is right for your business begins with understanding the objectives, functions, benefits and potential drawbacks of both.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQheoYyGd3cun2Mk6GCANp-qQRCgjgXlKaCJ2i7Tk8XjxcZq7V_IXnPgOoEkv0dN3v5zfN9_YXST8IkI4KtggxzD8KwLjr5hWE1DdHEcaczP7LX08HCPV0cjORyITpguXqDtp7eu24VmtyOBsPjuij5ii9Ionf9XIhWr1T_EwKEnYq_LQYYumTTuXGQBS9/s2667/trends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2667" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQheoYyGd3cun2Mk6GCANp-qQRCgjgXlKaCJ2i7Tk8XjxcZq7V_IXnPgOoEkv0dN3v5zfN9_YXST8IkI4KtggxzD8KwLjr5hWE1DdHEcaczP7LX08HCPV0cjORyITpguXqDtp7eu24VmtyOBsPjuij5ii9Ionf9XIhWr1T_EwKEnYq_LQYYumTTuXGQBS9/s320/trends.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><br /><b>Social Media Marketing (SMM) </b><br /><br />Objectives: <br /><br />Social media marketing revolves around leveraging social media platforms to achieve various objectives, which include increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic and engaging with the target audience. SMM is an excellent tool for building a community around your brand and fostering customer loyalty. <br /><br />Benefits: <br /><br />1. Broad Reach: SMM allows you to reach a wide audience. Social media platforms have billions of active users, making it easier to connect with potential customers. <br /><br />2. Cost-Effective: Compared to traditional advertising methods, SMM can be relatively cost-effective. You can choose to run paid ads or create organic content, giving you flexibility to fit your budget. <br /><br />3. Engagement: Interacting with your audience through social media allows for real-time engagement. You can respond to comments, answer questions and build a stronger brand-customer relationship. <br /><br />Drawbacks: <br /><br />1. Time-Consuming: Managing social media accounts and creating engaging content can put a major drain on your resources. <br /><br />2. Competition: Due to the popularity of SMM, there's intense competition for audience attention. Standing out from the crowd can be challenging. <br /><b><br />Influencer Marketing (IM) </b><br /><br />Objectives: <br /><br />Influencer Marketing involves partnering with individuals who have a significant and engaged following on social media. The primary goal is to leverage their influence to promote your brand or products. IM is particularly effective for reaching niche audiences and building trust through a credible source. <br /><br />Benefits: <br /><br />1. Trust and Authenticity: When an influencer promotes your product or service, it can feel like a personal recommendation. <br /><br />2. Targeted Audience: You can choose influencers whose followers align with your target audience, ensuring your message reaches the right people. <br /><br />3. Content Creation: Influencers often create high-quality, engaging content that showcases your products or services in a unique way, saving you time and effort. <br /><br />Drawbacks: <br /><br />1. Cost: Collaborating with influencers can be expensive, particularly if you're working with well-known influencers with large followings. <br /><br />2. Lack of Control: Once you hand over the reins to an influencer, you have limited control over how they present your brand. <br /><br /><b>Choosing the Right Strategy </b><br /><br />Now that we've explored the core aspects of both SMM and IM, how do you determine which one is right for your business, or if a combination is ideal? <br /><br />1. Know Your Goals: If you aim to build brand awareness and engage with a broad audience, SMM might be your go-to strategy. If you're targeting a specific niche and aiming for authentic endorsements, IM could be more effective. <br /><br />2. Budget Considerations: Evaluate your budget. SMM can be cost-effective if managed well, whereas IM often requires a significant investment. <br /><br />3. Audience Analysis: Understand your target audience. If they are highly active on social media and follow influencers within your niche, IM might be the way to go. However, if your audience is diverse and scattered across various demographics, SMM can help you reach a broader spectrum. <br /><br />4. Content Needs: Consider your content creation capabilities. If you struggle with producing engaging content, collaborating with influencers can alleviate that burden. On the other hand, if you have a creative team in place, SMM allows you to have more control over your content. <br /><br />5. Risk Tolerance: Assess your risk tolerance. IM involves entrusting your brand image to influencers, which can be risky. If you prefer to maintain greater control over your messaging, SMM might be a safer choice.</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-57025077411618398312023-11-09T05:19:00.003-08:002023-11-09T05:19:39.699-08:0010 Ways to Get Ahead on Your 2024 SEO Game, Right Now SEO remains the cornerstone of effective online marketing, as it has been for some time. But while the core fundamentals of SEO have proven consistent, each year brings new trends and shifts into play.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnJFtxHA-GhynW92Jnwk-i_DWQDtH8JjNK1ieXGcYZz7seSAkAgNe4tQFegEZKzfyVDCffOLyYsJylv1IBlodVLADzGev5dliTibp87cBbQ0Rme-HASM_RPCKqmMdO_aOGhxvx2rMV2rcj_VyXMR9whHYcpC51tyiQTAQi_tpMdnqWx0cliKnjWeZUIXj/s3000/seo8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="3000" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnJFtxHA-GhynW92Jnwk-i_DWQDtH8JjNK1ieXGcYZz7seSAkAgNe4tQFegEZKzfyVDCffOLyYsJylv1IBlodVLADzGev5dliTibp87cBbQ0Rme-HASM_RPCKqmMdO_aOGhxvx2rMV2rcj_VyXMR9whHYcpC51tyiQTAQi_tpMdnqWx0cliKnjWeZUIXj/s320/seo8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><br />Anticipating the SEO trends that will shape 2024, it is mostly a case of continuation of what we’re seeing right now. Hence, for anyone looking to get ahead on their 2024 SEO game, these are the 10 most crucial SEO trends/activities for the foreseeable future: <br /><br />1. Core Web Vitals and Page Experience Signals <br /><br />Google's continued emphasis on user experience means that Core Web Vitals and Page Experience Signals will remain critical in 2024. These metrics gauge how users perceive the speed, responsiveness and visual stability of your web pages. A fast-loading, smooth and mobile-friendly website is not only appreciated by users but also rewarded by search engines. <br /><br />What to do: Audit your website's performance, focusing on metrics like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID) and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). Identify and fix issues that hinder page experience. Prioritise mobile optimisation, as Google predominantly uses mobile-first indexing. <br /><br />2. Voice Search Optimisation <br /><br />Voice search is on the rise, thanks to the proliferation of smart devices and virtual assistants. Optimising your content for voice search is a trend that's here to stay. Users are asking questions conversationally, so your content should provide concise and relevant answers. <br /><br />What to do: Create content that answers common voice search queries. Use natural language and long-tail keywords. Structured data markup can also enhance your content's visibility in voice search results. <br /><br />3. Video SEO <br /><br />Video content continues to gain popularity across all platforms, including YouTube. As a UK business, utilising video can be a powerful way to engage your audience. Optimising your videos for SEO can boost your visibility in both search engine and video platform results. <br /><br />What to do: Focus on creating high-quality, engaging video content that resonates with your audience. Use keyword-rich titles, descriptions and tags. Pay attention to video thumbnails and encourage user interaction through comments and shares. <br /><br />4. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) <br /><br />Google's emphasis on E-A-T is not fading away. It's essential for your website to demonstrate expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness, especially in areas related to health, finance and news. <br /><br />What to do: Showcase your credentials and expertise on your website. Provide accurate and well-researched information. Earn high-quality backlinks from reputable sources to bolster your site's authority. <br /><br />5. Local SEO <br /><br />For UK businesses, local SEO remains a top priority. With more users searching for nearby products and services, optimising for local search is a proven way to increase visibility and attract local customers. <br /><br />What to do: Claim and optimise your Google My Business listing. Consistently update your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information across all online platforms. Encourage customer reviews and respond to them promptly. <br /><br />6. Content Quality and Relevance <br /><br />In 2024, content will continue to be king. However, the focus will shift towards content quality and relevance rather than quantity. Users expect content that genuinely addresses their needs and concerns. <br /><br />What to do: Conduct thorough keyword research to identify the topics your audience is interested in. Create in-depth, well-researched content that provides real value. Keep your content up-to-date and regularly refresh older posts to maintain relevance. <br /><br />7. AI and Machine Learning <br /><br />Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are becoming increasingly integrated into search algorithms. Google's algorithms are continually evolving to understand user intent better. <br /><br />What to do: Stay informed about AI-driven tools and technologies that can assist in keyword research, content optimisation and data analysis. Use AI to understand user behaviour and preferences, allowing you to tailor your content and marketing strategies accordingly. <br /><br />8. Privacy and Data Security <br /><br />With the world’s collective privacy concerns at an all-times high, user data protection is vital. Search engines are, unsurprisingly, prioritising websites that prioritise user data security. <br /><br />What to do: Ensure your website complies with GDPR and other data protection regulations. Use secure protocols (HTTPS) and communicate your commitment to data security through clear privacy policies. <br /><br />9. Mobile-First Approach <br /><br />Mobile users are a significant part of your audience and this trend will only grow. Optimising your website for mobile devices is no longer optional. <br /><br />What to do: Implement responsive design, ensuring your site looks and functions seamlessly on mobile devices. Test your website's mobile performance regularly to identify and fix issues promptly. <br /><br />10. User Intent and Semantics <br /><br />Understanding user intent and semantics is becoming more critical than ever. Search engines aim to provide results that match user intent accurately, and they’re getting better at it all the time. <br /><br />What to do: Invest in keyword research tools that help you uncover user intent and semantics related to your niche. Craft content that aligns with the user's search intent, providing valuable information and answers – not the kind of generic copy they can easily access elsewhere.</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-75763448482330491792023-10-20T03:33:00.004-07:002023-10-20T03:34:18.379-07:00Google Takes Aim at AI-Generated Reviews<p class="Body" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />In a recent announcement via its Merchant Centre, Google has made it clear: they're tightening their grip on AI-generated content. In this instance, by targeting reviews produced by artificial intelligence. <br /><br />Under the newly introduced section in Google's Product Ratings policies named "Automated Content," a statement reads, "We don't allow reviews that are primarily generated by an automated program or artificial intelligence application. If you have identified such content, it should be marked as spam in your feed using the <is_spam> attribute."</span></p><p class="Body" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="Body" style="margin-left: 36pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn_bk_TTBwHhbOjg_Y9TRMDLgxeKXdr8x1iM95hJoMseNcDRtXnmOMTbkoeHbWI8vpkZg2T29Nqwc2qn6OBMpysWODnC75pn1Itx2fAuxESnKvswoNOIqILF1h82TsQyUR6m88zYxblpBiXb6NqsmADxpre-nPYCEMb4LkQnpA97S1CS0DOQjXf5sHIGy/s2508/ai%20image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="2508" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn_bk_TTBwHhbOjg_Y9TRMDLgxeKXdr8x1iM95hJoMseNcDRtXnmOMTbkoeHbWI8vpkZg2T29Nqwc2qn6OBMpysWODnC75pn1Itx2fAuxESnKvswoNOIqILF1h82TsQyUR6m88zYxblpBiXb6NqsmADxpre-nPYCEMb4LkQnpA97S1CS0DOQjXf5sHIGy/s320/ai%20image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /><br />While this move emphasises the importance of authentic user-generated content, it also places a new responsibility on businesses and website owners to identify and flag AI-generated reviews. <br /><br />The catch? Google doesn't provide explicit guidelines on detecting AI-generated content. This lack of clarity is significant, considering that even the most advanced AI content detectors have their limitations. <br /><br />Understanding the Challenge <br /><br />Identifying AI-generated content can be tricky because AI algorithms are becoming increasingly capable of mimicking human language and behaviour. They can instantly create reviews that look and sound genuine at first glance. <br /><br />Google's decision to place the responsibility on website owners stems from the fact that AI-generated content can distort consumers' perceptions and trust in reviews, ultimately impacting purchasing decisions. <br /><br />The Challenge for Website Owners <br /><br />The absence of specific guidelines from Google means that website owners must rely on their judgment to spot AI-generated reviews. <br /><br />While there's no foolproof method, certain indicators can help you separate the genuine from the artificial: <br /><br />1. Check for Overly Positive or Negative Language: AI-generated reviews often exaggerate emotions. Look for extreme positivity or negativity that seems out of place. Genuine reviews tend to be more balanced. <br /><br />2. Language Quality: AI-generated content may contain subtle grammar errors or unnatural phrasing. Pay attention to the overall language quality of the review. <br /><br />3. Inconsistent Reviewer Profiles: If a reviewer has a suspiciously high number of reviews or if their profile is incomplete, it might be a red flag. Genuine reviewers typically have a more varied history. <br /><br />4. Duplicate Content: AI-generated reviews may appear across different products or websites with minor variations. Perform a quick search to see if the same review appears elsewhere. <br /><br />5. Review Timing: AI-generated reviews might be posted in quick succession or during non-peak hours when real users are less active. Look for unusual posting patterns. <br /><br />6. Review Length and Detail: Genuine reviews often provide specific details about the product or service. Beware of overly brief, vague, or overly detailed reviews that don't seem natural. <br /></span><br />7. Inconsistent Reviewer Behaviour: Watch for reviews that contradict a reviewer's previous sentiments or those that seem disconnected from their previous reviewing history. <br /><br />8. Engage with Reviewers: Responding to reviews can help you gauge their authenticity. AI-generated reviewers are unlikely to engage in meaningful conversations.<br /><br />Google's move to clamp down on AI-generated reviews reflects the world’s collective concerns about the authenticity and reliability of online content. Fake reviews are the firing line today, but it is entirely likely that a more extensive policy covering other types of AI-generated content will follow in the not-too-distant future.<br />
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-68791607450643861552023-09-14T07:31:00.003-07:002023-09-14T07:31:35.806-07:00The Seven Best Ways to Get More Authority Backlinks <p><br /></p><b>1. Create More Infographics </b><br /><br />Evidence suggests that posts with outstanding infographics attract far more backlinks than traditional textual posts. The same is also true for most types of posts that are predominantly visual in nature, just as long as the visuals in question are both unique and relevant to your brand. <br /><br />It’s not uncommon for a single infographic to earn dozens (even hundreds) of backlinks. If it provides a huge hit of useful information at a glance, it’s exactly what today’s web user wants. <br /><br />If running short on inspiration, take a look at your closest (and most successful) competitors to see how they present information in their posts. <br /><br /><br /><b>2. Tweak Your Outreach </b><br /><br />When pitching your posts to potential publishers, try not to focus too much on the post itself. Likewise, don’t spend too much time bragging about how fantastic your company is, or how wonderful your products are. <br /><br />Instead, base your pitch entirely on how their readers stand to benefit from your content. Talk about the questions your posts answer, the value they bring, and how those who read them stand to benefit from them. <br /><br />Make it not about you or your content, but about those who will (hopefully) be reading it. <br /><br />Importantly, make every pitch personal – templated guest post pitches can be spotted from a mile away, and will see you made part of the recipient’s spam filter. <br /><br /><b>3. Write Testimonials and Reviews <br /></b><br />This only works if you can remain 100% impartial and objective, while at the same time being kind and complementary. Hence, it’s only going to work if you target brands, for businesses and websites you genuinely appreciate. <br /><br />Businesses in general love social proof and user-generated content in all its forms. An extensive, in-depth and hugely positive write-up from a fully neutral party can therefore be pure gold. <br /><br />If it’s a viable option, it’s worth considering penning these reviews from time to time, and pitching them accordingly. If they like what they see, they’ll be more than happy to link to it. <br /><br />Or perhaps, publish it on their own website/blog and link back to your other pages. <br /><b><br />4. Sponsored Content </b><br /><br />Last up, there never has been nor will there ever be anything wrong with sponsored content. It’s the driving force behind the revenues of countless sites of authority, where money changes hands for exposure. <br /><br />Make no mistake about it – high-authority websites will not accept or published garbage for cash. Sponsored articles from quality websites still need to be of an appropriate quality standard. <br /><br />Contrary to popular belief, evidence suggests that the words ‘sponsored by...’ or ‘the following article is a sponsored post’ have no bearing on its perceived credibility or appeal. In addition, the placement of backlinks in such content can be just as beneficial from an SEO perspective as would be the case with a non-sponsored post. <br /><br />Hence, if doing so is within your means financially, considering a few sponsored posts here and there comes highly recommended.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOI83CAOuYPyhJu9ndyYOuwAfVTtyLah3qx39lwdKeJB59Y1uUU5E2M5YUkYijt4Sxi4yDlX9cQJdF3IUIvGH6ZHui28ZnLmC5izh6mbcFsRwnbUBAP1UqfTq_3Qz7ToD8_IwsIXrdjlm6WGEqLH5rKJdVyXNCrB5Iu2L4hZGTIWFw2N_zhbzM6FWBqNS/s1000/software1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1000" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOI83CAOuYPyhJu9ndyYOuwAfVTtyLah3qx39lwdKeJB59Y1uUU5E2M5YUkYijt4Sxi4yDlX9cQJdF3IUIvGH6ZHui28ZnLmC5izh6mbcFsRwnbUBAP1UqfTq_3Qz7ToD8_IwsIXrdjlm6WGEqLH5rKJdVyXNCrB5Iu2L4hZGTIWFw2N_zhbzM6FWBqNS/s320/software1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-84331889987173316122023-09-14T07:27:00.000-07:002023-09-14T07:27:02.501-07:00Marketing 101: The Danger of Desperation <p> There are certain rules which absolutely must be followed at all times when planning and implementing a marketing strategy. One of the most important of all is – ensure you never come across as desperate.</p><p class="Body">It’s one of the things far too many entrepreneurs seem to forget from time to time. Which is, that anything that comes across as desperate or needy comes across as extremely unappealing.</p><p class="Body"><br /></p><p class="Body"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2Hh6evC_uK0IFEAgpBHnhRKLS0zlOfQZcKWfzN7s0A62kLFkoSfUe4FWZdmPnXx0lEm4cxLfHSbufdd5m9VpFPaRAzJ8l6MYnaYMQze9umkH-WvkPzWPr3IE4n2t6_t5Zw6n8HjaVIx-FUOHWrR-3KfaKNOG7oSHWkYUh-wGacytcV6oxBbEiKuprChL/s450/MarketingStrategy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="450" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2Hh6evC_uK0IFEAgpBHnhRKLS0zlOfQZcKWfzN7s0A62kLFkoSfUe4FWZdmPnXx0lEm4cxLfHSbufdd5m9VpFPaRAzJ8l6MYnaYMQze9umkH-WvkPzWPr3IE4n2t6_t5Zw6n8HjaVIx-FUOHWrR-3KfaKNOG7oSHWkYUh-wGacytcV6oxBbEiKuprChL/s320/MarketingStrategy2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><br />You know the kind of marketing messages yourself – those where the company seems to be practically begging you to do business with them. Dignity goes out of the window and so does any focus on how you set to gain from any kind of purchase or transaction. Instead, they are practically on their knees and demonstrating the kind of desperation that comes across as woeful. <br /><br />Which begs the question – what can you do to ensure that you avoid coming across as desperate at all times? <br /><br />The answer – be particularly careful during times of financial stress, or when your business isn’t performing particularly well. It’s during these times that you are instinctively most likely to cross the line into desperation, usually without even realizing so. What’s more, it’s worth focusing on the kinds of measures that paint the exact opposite picture to that of desperation. <br /><br />The following represent a good place to start: <br /><br />1. Prove your expertise <br /><br />The simple fact of the matter is that if you are genuinely an expert in your field and offering something of true value, you shouldn’t have to beg people to use or buy it. This means you may need to consider how much time and effort you are investing in establishing and enhancing your authority and expertise. By getting people to recognise and trust you, it’s no longer necessary to desperately plead for their time and attention. Make no mistake about it – desperation is a surefire way of demonstrating your lack of expertise, authority and professionalism in the field. <br /><br />2. Make a solid and valid offer <br /><br />Make no mistake about it – attempting to sell something to a customer just because it’s cheap isn’t a good way of establishing authority or reputation. When you think about it, it’s not as if the most successful companies in the world sell the very best products in the world for low prices. Nor do they spend their time attempting to convince customers that they need to buy their products. If anything, they often make it clear and apparent that their products are designed for discerning audiences – not for everyone. Which is pretty much the exact opposite of desperation once again. It’s a case of showing your target audience your unique selling point, what it is about your products/services that holds value and why they are worth paying a fair price for. You are pushing the value and appeal of what it is you are selling, not just the fact that you are selling something cheaply. <br /><br />3. Have a strong marketing plan <br /><br />Last but not least, mistakes tend to be made in the marketing capacity when businesses stray from their marketing plans. That or have no marketing plans to speak of whatsoever to follow in the first place. Just a service you start making things up as you go along, chances are it will be pretty evident to your target audience that this is the case. Develop a strong marketing plan and feel free to tweak it along the way, but ensure you stick with its primary principles as <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">you progress.</span><p></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-43727992341600701362023-08-25T01:18:00.005-07:002023-08-25T01:18:43.657-07:00What Exactly is Black-Hat SEO ?You have no doubt heard of black-hat SEO, you know it is frowned upon and you most likely have no intention of using it. But do you actually understand what this term refers to? Or to put it this way, can you easily and quickly spot the evidence of black-hat SEO in a web marketing strategy? <br /><br />Research seems to suggest that while general awareness of black-hat SEO as a concept is indeed widespread, the fundamentals of it remain something of a mystery to most.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7bWaLJmz0fFdTnqgphj7x5DSyYs5cthm53F1KJwiNdaBYYkpjZHeMIPv1HuAPpcFiSK_pWpzNUMRzLoUkznQj-TyfNiyu814wACm0Ocy03EpFWz3nYHTLPkkoumZQvS5GyzLyW7cbL5SU0zXSHwkcOqQumemqx9-eXwxXY5PJ1LLjSy8r5BxDtn8b04N/s480/seo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7bWaLJmz0fFdTnqgphj7x5DSyYs5cthm53F1KJwiNdaBYYkpjZHeMIPv1HuAPpcFiSK_pWpzNUMRzLoUkznQj-TyfNiyu814wACm0Ocy03EpFWz3nYHTLPkkoumZQvS5GyzLyW7cbL5SU0zXSHwkcOqQumemqx9-eXwxXY5PJ1LLjSy8r5BxDtn8b04N/s320/seo2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><br />With this in mind, what follows is a short overview of some of the most common black-hat SEO examples: <br /><br /><b>Keyword Stuffing </b><br /><br />What is keyword stuffing? As far as Google and the major search engines are concerned, the use of keywords to manipulate the SERP rankings to any degree whatsoever. Therefore, all manners of keyword research and SEO-friendly website content would technically qualify as black-hat. The reason is that you were not attempting to influence the SERP rankings, you would not pay attention to your use of keywords. Nevertheless, there is a big difference between using a few keywords in your content and cramming literally dozens into your copy at the expense of its overall quality. Therefore, it is only the latter of the two that is really considered black-hat and dangerous. <br /><br /><b>‘Strategic’ Redirects <br /></b><br />We use the word ‘strategic’, but a more appropriate word would be ‘sneaky’. This is a technique similar to cloaking, though in this case the user is immediately diverted to a different page when clicking the link. The page has been engineered to curry favour with Google and climb the rankings, though when accessed by an Internet user redirects them elsewhere. All of the major search engines condemn such sneaky redirects and spare no expense to identify and punish the perpetrators. <br /><br /><b>Cloaking <br /></b><br />Cloaking is a technique whereby the search engine spider is shown a piece of content, though the user is shown something completely different. It is a common marketing process used to fool the major search engines into thinking the website in question contains content they never really present to the actual web user. Spam websites often use this technique, in order to pull in traffic and avoid being punished for publishing spam content The only problem is that in this day and age, actually getting away with cloaking is borderline impossible. <br /><br /><b>Paid Links </b><br /><br />Google rewards high-quality backlinks as they are both indicators of quality and difficult to establish. That is, unless you just buy your way into backlinks. The point of backlinks is that they are provided in cases where websites of high quality deem the source in question to be worthy. If you buy backlinks, you cannot say you have earned them - you may not even deserve them. Therefore, even if you think you are buying quality links of value, you are still indulging in the dark side of search engine optimisation and could land in a world of trouble. <br /><br /><b>Substandard Content </b><br /><br />If you try to produce quality content and come out with substandard, that is fine…kind of. By contrast, attempting to pack a website with filler content of zero value simply for SEO purposes is a big no-no Most of Google’s recent algorithm updates have been geared towards assessing the quality of website copy, not simply the quantity thereof. While it is still relatively easy to get away with substandard copy to a degree, it is nonetheless getting harder all the time. </div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-80481694681520305852023-04-17T06:28:00.002-07:002023-04-17T06:28:09.200-07:00Key Questions to Consider Before Joining a Social NetworkFor small and large businesses alike, the limitless potential social media holds can be a double-edged sword. Billions of people from all backgrounds glued to their social accounts on a 24/7 basis, just waiting to be engaged and influenced by brands like yours. <br /><br />All well and good, but where on Earth do you even start? <br /><br />No business can realistically afford to spread itself with even effectiveness across all social networks. There are just too many of them, and the whole thing would be far too time-consuming.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEive6OJsOMsmJ5ewKBoTfy2TLzqDaaLhe5M7cNg30W3jBSZwHACSCbhST4oLWTMiQa-iMrb4GV24O6Pkk5JVHY_OZMY4WuZcBTqV-UoexmlSh03pvVUCHZiJ7EJFAEE7oHLgODVYcyq7a7FrEy4tWNDdQYF3KnwMGJVdRWi09vcFOvSUq7rJCdZMLpEjA/s450/bloggingimage7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEive6OJsOMsmJ5ewKBoTfy2TLzqDaaLhe5M7cNg30W3jBSZwHACSCbhST4oLWTMiQa-iMrb4GV24O6Pkk5JVHY_OZMY4WuZcBTqV-UoexmlSh03pvVUCHZiJ7EJFAEE7oHLgODVYcyq7a7FrEy4tWNDdQYF3KnwMGJVdRWi09vcFOvSUq7rJCdZMLpEjA/s320/bloggingimage7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><br />Instead, therefore, it is a case of considering which social networks are likely to work best for your business. Something that can be surprisingly simple to figure out, after considering the following five questions: <br /><br /><b>1. What is your main motivation for choosing this platform? </b><br /><br />This will instantly help you narrow things down, as you need to consider your motivations carefully. Are you considering joining a social network because it is popular, trendy and has a massive global audience? Or are you doing so because the platform could genuinely support the mission and objectives of your business? Be where the temptation to bandwagon-hop where social networking is concerned, as it often paves the way for wasted time and money. <br /><br /><b>2. Do you have the resources? </b><br /><br />You also need to consider carefully whether you have the resources you will need to run a viable campaign on the platform in question. It’s important to remember that the content creation process on platforms like TikTok is completely different to that of Facebook or Twitter. You may have your needs covered comfortably for your current social requirements, but do you have the resources to branch out into new territory? <br /><br /><b>3. Are your customers using this platform? </b><br /><br />A little research is all it takes to discover exactly who is using which platforms, and for what reasons. Depending on the age, location, preferences and even income level of those you are targeting, some platforms could be entirely more suitable than others. For a good indication of where your audience is, take a look at the platforms your biggest (and most successful) competitors are focusing their efforts on. <br /><br /><b>4. Who will oversee the project? </b><br /><br />Two options here – one being to handle things in-house, the other being to outsource. Of course, you’ll need to be involved in your own social media efforts to at least some extent, due to the nature of the beast. They want to see you, talk to you, hear about you and connect with you – not with an unrelated third party. Even so, outsourcing at least some of your social media marketing activities could help you get the most out of your project. <br /><br /><b>5. What are our specific goals for this initiative? </b><br /><br />Last up, a social network selection should be based primarily on your brand’s broader goals and objectives. Are you looking to generate leads, get new customers on board, boost your brand image and reputation, sell more products, diversify into new markets, or simply build better customer relationships? Some platforms are better than others at helping businesses achieve these and other goals, so consider your selection wisely.</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-26636485297620087962022-11-07T03:01:00.000-08:002022-11-07T03:01:00.488-08:00Having Trouble Keeping Up With Your Favourite Blogs?If you own and operate a blog of any kind and for any purpose, chances are you also love reading other people’s blogs. Along with being insightful and entertaining, reading blogs is also critically important for gaining inspiration and direction for your own blog.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXMcKpFE3Netk_QXgZe6NkbsKKglQvqAFBoq8XDGlxCWRvbVXmEOK0ekUlrnfdSW5oQt5BApSev0YsQ3a4xjpQpCkmxDoJd6haWF4L0LG_Cj_JgSDeKTBzXgF-_Bd9maV2bfMScKjmznk3HGzjHMXDL6AzS3I_HVXTFT8AUlapJQPUjEpe3ACHrglbg/s800/bloggingimage6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="800" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXMcKpFE3Netk_QXgZe6NkbsKKglQvqAFBoq8XDGlxCWRvbVXmEOK0ekUlrnfdSW5oQt5BApSev0YsQ3a4xjpQpCkmxDoJd6haWF4L0LG_Cj_JgSDeKTBzXgF-_Bd9maV2bfMScKjmznk3HGzjHMXDL6AzS3I_HVXTFT8AUlapJQPUjEpe3ACHrglbg/s320/bloggingimage6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><br />Unfortunately, there never seems to be sufficient time in the average day to keep up with the blogs you love. Particularly when you find yourself coming across new blogs all the time which instantly make it to your must-read list. <br /><br />So if there simply aren’t enough hours in the day, how can you ensure you successfully keep up with your favourite blogs? <br /><br />1: Edit Your Reading List <br /><br />Well, the first thing you need to do is revisit your e-mail and RSS subscriptions. Assuming you have a reading list that is growing all the time, it is inevitable that you are going to need to make room by eliminating any blogs you can live without. Be as brutal as necessary to get rid of those that are not quite up there with the rest. <br /><br />2: Get an RSS Reader For Your Tablet/Smartphone <br /><br />You might also want to think about grabbing yourself a decent app to help you keep up with your favourite blogs on the go. There are plenty of paid and free mobile apps available, which are designed to collect, manage and read RSS feeds on just about any mobile device <br /><br />3: Turn Blogs Into eBooks <br /><br />It might sound like a strange course of action to take, but converting the blogs you read into files that can then be ported to your e-reader can be surprisingly effective. Particularly if you tend to go long periods of time without catching up with your favourite blogs, only then to find yourself with more updated content then you know what to do with. And of course, reading from the screen of an e-reader can be so much easier on the eyes than reading from a smartphone or tablet PC. <br /><br />4: Look for Podcasts <br /><br />If you can get yourself into the kinds of blogs that also feature podcasts, you’ll find it so much easier to keep up with your favourite bloggers. Particularly if you spend a lot of time behind the wheel – podcasts are a great way of passing the time during short and long journeys alike, while at the same time accessing the information and insights you need. <br /><br />5: Skip Irrelevant Posts <br /><br />Last but not least, regardless of how insightful or entertaining your favourite bloggers may be, this doesn’t mean that each and every post they publish will be 100% relevant to you personally. In fact, they may publish quite a lot that’s of no value to you whatsoever. As such, it’s worth getting yourself out of the mindset whereby you cannot bear the thought of missing a single word they publish. If the headline and/or first sentence doesn’t appeal to you instantly, skip the post entirely and move on.</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-40192998611691869222022-10-04T00:56:00.004-07:002022-10-04T00:56:28.401-07:005 Ways to Encourage Blog Comments<p> Consider this everyday scenario for a moment. You’re searching for information on a subject you’re interested in, and in doing so you check out a blog. The content is decent enough, but not a single person has bothered to share their thoughts, feedback or opinions in the comments section below.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AzCtZBIZSn-qIVzjiaOkeCSOS4q1vT0CweD0cj3XNr3xpUTFY1qX8lorDpYUzkkALiKtXtafaWQrM3Gw5HcJGDgqWwegvAuVoWCuAGBut_3-F9tXoo-4HjuxV3MVfweB3iOU34UEzFyMG5SvObMtVmr5Pgqpaq1xdu7C0DtIMYaZ7_VJAjr1FUtQsQ/s1000/bloggingimage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AzCtZBIZSn-qIVzjiaOkeCSOS4q1vT0CweD0cj3XNr3xpUTFY1qX8lorDpYUzkkALiKtXtafaWQrM3Gw5HcJGDgqWwegvAuVoWCuAGBut_3-F9tXoo-4HjuxV3MVfweB3iOU34UEzFyMG5SvObMtVmr5Pgqpaq1xdu7C0DtIMYaZ7_VJAjr1FUtQsQ/s320/bloggingimage2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><br />Now, consider the same scenario, only in this instance, the comments section is alive with debate and discussion. <br /><br />Which of the two would immediately hit home as the most prominent, appealing and authoritative post? Which of the blogs would you assume to be more popular and worth keeping an eye on? <br /><br />Blog comments aren’t just about collecting feedback and suggestions from a target audience. They’re among the most important signs of engagement – they can even be a hugely powerful SEO ranking factor. <br /><br />In which case, what can you do to encourage more blog comments? If you’re posting on a regular basis but seldom see anyone taking the time to join the discussion, how can you turn things around? <br /><br />1. Target conversation-worthy content <br /><br />For one thing, you could start by targeting the kind of conversation-worthy content that’s guaranteed to stir debate. This means keeping a close eye on current events that are relevant to your niche, and prioritising those your readers are most likely to feel strongly about. Don’t be afraid to stir a little controversy – anything that sparks debate is pure dynamite for engagement. <br /><br />2. Start the conversation yourself <br /><br />Not literally, but there’s no reason why you can’t ask your colleagues, your friends, your family members or even your employees to set the wheels in motion. It’s a simple case of getting the ‘snowball effect’ up and running, which can be as easy as manually starting their discussion. Just as long as the comments are valid, original and in some way meaningful, it doesn’t really matter who they come from. <br /><br />3. Respond to comments <br /><br />More importantly, still, you need to ensure that every comment you receive is responded to. Even if it’s as simple as a “couldn’t agree more, thanks for getting in touch!” or something similar, you need to show your audience that you are listening to and appreciating their feedback. If there’s scope for doing so, feel free to get as deep into the debate as you like and keep the ball rolling. <br /><br />4. Make commenting on your posts easy <br /><br />You also need to make it as easy as possible for people to leave comments on your posts. It should be as simple as entering text in the box below and hitting the bottom. No need to submit personal details, no requirement to open an account and no lengthy verification checks to go through. Comments are almost always left on the spur of the moment – make it quick and easy to comment or they simply will not bother. <br /><br />5. Don’t forget the CTA <br /><br />Lastly, slipping a gentle reminder into the mix can make all the difference. If you want people to comment on your posts, tell them. Don’t just give them the opportunity to comment – make use of calls to action and invite them to join the conversation. And don’t forget to express your appreciation, making sure they know their thoughts and opinions are important to you.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-6641363544798603682022-05-31T01:31:00.007-07:002022-05-31T01:31:38.916-07:00Is Keyword Stuffing Really a Big Deal?Keyword stuffing has been one of the biggest grey areas of SEO for some time. If not, the dictionary definition of a black-hat tactic to avoid at all costs. <br /><br />But when considering the endless complexities of SEO from a 2022 perspective, is keyword stuffing really such a big deal? Does the overuse of keywords have any negative effects, or does it simply result in the keywords you use being ignored by Google?<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjAWMeuDATtK6cBIlAw2hN1lbdd3FDGE09RlAY_Gj3DuZrlA37euIYLn1RJwPAU7DiyMP2DQnF-6OSuIXz9Uvg2UtGef4IPz06gBjgMVGuf1KWpZK4wymulDEBD0BwdJzsL0a-rJT8UDePXk75aUcltHrafQtoPR758prcqVXGLpGL0iVYFmZwwzZxw/s3000/seo8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="3000" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjAWMeuDATtK6cBIlAw2hN1lbdd3FDGE09RlAY_Gj3DuZrlA37euIYLn1RJwPAU7DiyMP2DQnF-6OSuIXz9Uvg2UtGef4IPz06gBjgMVGuf1KWpZK4wymulDEBD0BwdJzsL0a-rJT8UDePXk75aUcltHrafQtoPR758prcqVXGLpGL0iVYFmZwwzZxw/s320/seo8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><br /><b>What is Keyword Stuffing? <br /></b><br />Putting an exact definition to keyword stuffing isn’t easy. This is because depending on what it is you are writing about, it may be absolutely necessary to include a specific keyword or term throughout your copy. <br /><br />Keyword stuffing refers to the deliberate overuse of a specific target term, with the goal of tricking the major search engines into handing out higher rankings. Irrespective of whether these keywords are visible or concealed, any signs of deliberate overuse will be picked up and acted upon by Google. <br /><br /><b>What’s the Problem with Keyword Stuffing? </b><br /><br />Google’s job is to recommend websites and pages that deliver the best possible user experience. Where keywords are deliberately overused for SEO purposes, it has a major impact on the quality of the copy in question. <br /><br />Consequently, these are exactly the types of pages Google does not want to recommend. Keyword stuffing is a sign of desperation on the part of the publisher - not an indicator of quality or relevance. <br /><br />Increasingly, Google’s crawlers are scrutinising the overall UX of a website with remarkable sophistication when handing out rankings. If there is clear evidence of the overuse of keywords, it indicates a substandard user experience. <br /><br />In which case, the efforts of the publisher to get ahead through the excessive use of keywords will almost certainly backfire. <br /><br /><b>Are There Any Real Consequences to Keyword Stuffing? </b><br /><br />Attempting to take these kinds of shortcuts almost always proves counterproductive. Where Google makes clear its attitude and approach to a low-road tactic, it makes sense to listen. <br /><br /><i>“Filling pages with keywords or numbers results in a negative user experience, and can harm your site’s ranking. Focus on creating useful, information-rich content that uses keywords appropriately and in context,” as spelled out in clear terms by Google. </i><br /><br />In practice, keyword stuffing can (and often does) result in a major fall in the rankings. Take things too far and you could even run the risk of your pages being delisted entirely. <br /><br />Of course, this only applies in instances where keywords have clearly been used excessively without justification. If there’s no alternative but to use the same terms dozens of times - such as in a technical post or academic piece - Google will pick up on this and you won’t be punished. <br /><br />In all other instances, it’s a case of following a few basic guidelines to get your keyword game in order: <br /><br />1. Always ensure your keywords are included in your copy naturally <br /><br />2. Focus on one primary keyword and several secondary keywords <br /><br />3. Write content in a way that prioritises the user experience <br /><br />4. Optimise in other ways and don’t rely too heavily on keywords</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-54081102750237193262022-05-10T00:15:00.003-07:002022-05-10T00:16:00.722-07:00How One Page Websites Can Achieve High Rankings, Google Confirms <p> In a recent Google Search Central SEO office-hours hangout, John Mueller was questioned on the hotly-debated topic of website authority. Specifically, Mr Mueller sought to address the age-old question of whether a website needs to become an authority in its niche to rank well.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CAiko03E9IFzr3B0G-0eP4qGEf9BiTIeelwA2LsyO8P9Tg6PEQlujUM-DXDf9X06S0UmjtfKmas5rx5LyLgZ5az8PwL72PebyR2Ki0C15RQu_aZv6Bcw7Cg8Gw2HWtbYj1fXHh0cLRzw38P3u0YYZSu0C9-SZqQ9TgngIYc2uDDqP9g2PkY72xnSfg/s800/SEOTools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CAiko03E9IFzr3B0G-0eP4qGEf9BiTIeelwA2LsyO8P9Tg6PEQlujUM-DXDf9X06S0UmjtfKmas5rx5LyLgZ5az8PwL72PebyR2Ki0C15RQu_aZv6Bcw7Cg8Gw2HWtbYj1fXHh0cLRzw38P3u0YYZSu0C9-SZqQ9TgngIYc2uDDqP9g2PkY72xnSfg/s320/SEOTools.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><br />The short answer is, apparently, no - it doesn’t. <br /><br />But what was even more interesting is how Mr Mueller confirmed that even a one-page website can climb the rankings to prominence. Meaning that not only does a site not have to be packed with thousands of pages of content to rank well, but also doesn’t necessarily need to be an authority site. <br /><br />Here’s what Mueller said in response to a post on Reddit: <br /><br />“I think you can make good one-page sites. So from that point of view I’m not too worried about that.” <br /><br />“I think the Reddit post, as far as I remember, was something along the lines: ‘I created 30 blog posts, and they’re really good, and therefore my website should be authoritative.” <br /><br />“And from my point of view, you going off and creating 30 blog posts does not automatically make your website authoritative.” <br /><br />“And especially for the higher or the more critical topics, it’s something where you can’t just create 30 blog posts on a medical topic and then say: ‘I am a doctor I’ve written 30 articles.’ So that was the direction I was headed there.” <br /><br />He went on to emphasise how smaller businesses need not concern themselves with becoming a market-leading authority, simply to rank well and pull in traffic from their main target audience: <br /><br />“For a lot of websites, it’s not that you need to be seen as an authority. You essentially put your content out there. If you’re a small business you’re selling something. You don’t need to be an authority.” <br /><br />“And especially things where like one page websites they’re often very focused on this one thing and you don’t need to be an authority to do that one thing.” <br /><br />“To sell, I don’t know, an ebook, or to give information about opening hours for a business. It’s like, it’s just information.” <br /><br />“So from that point of view, having a one page website, I think it’s perfectly fine.” <br /><br />Of course, Mr Mueller was keen to highlight the point that while a one-page website can be fine, it’s better to use it as a basis to grow and develop a deeper site: <br /><br />“With regards to starting out with a one-page website, I think that’s fine, but I would think about where do you want to go from there at some point. <br /><br />Maybe you do want to create more pages and try to find a way that you don’t paint yourself into a corner by saying, well, I have to put everything on one page all the time. But rather expand when you see that it fits.” <br /><br />Still, confirmation that a quality site with just a single page has every potential to climb the rankings and pull in a ton of qualified traffic.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-91545055929399646372022-03-11T01:45:00.005-08:002022-03-11T01:45:52.877-08:00Reciprocal Linking is Not Necessarily Bad<p>Quite some time ago, Google made its thoughts on unnatural link exchange schemes perfectly clear. The long and short of it being that swapping links for reciprocal benefit was not conducive with quality SEO.</p>A stance which stands to reason, as reciprocal linking paves the way for black-hat SEO. Where two or more sites agree to link to each other for mutual SEO benefit, they do so without having technically earned these backlinks. <br /> <img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXViqPXC4OYpN21gGzMb1YCjsduwzlgw521QeBv8hljTtq_EVyhKrfBMaE3YaC0ViqKmLwGgTXgChBXGMlJHcq7q3lEydiP7nxRA7iIqI_61CKDsfLEZ8RAI_HUkK8Gv7Tot85-SNI7DqYG2zRKigtMXV2eGBxQgAwbmA1Q1-Ol2W1XWDYEluR_5UpFw=s320" width="320" /><br /><br /><br /><br />Backlinks which could be placed on sites of no direct relevance to the other sites included in the exchange scheme. <br /><br />More grey-hat than black-hat SEO, Google has nonetheless made it clear that backlinks earned through merit are really the only backlinks worth bothering with. <br /><br />But what about reciprocal linking that takes place following the placement of a link earned through merit? If a relevant business within your niche posts a link to your website, can you return the favour without fear of reprisal? <br /><br /><b>When Reciprocal Links Are Perfectly Justifiable </b><br /><br />Somewhat backtracking on the whole issue, the latest comments direct from Google suggest that reciprocal linking is not always a bad thing. In fact, it is perfectly natural to host a link to a site that links to yours, if the original link was indeed relevant and credible. <br /><br />Google’s John Mueller took the opportunity to set the record straight last week, during a recent Google Search Central SEO office hours hangout. <br /><br />Mueller was quizzed by an SEO on Google’s approach to this type of link exchange, and whether it was best avoided to preserve backlink value. Or to put it another way - is it ok to link back to a site that links to you, or is it better for your SEO profile to leave things be? <br /><br />In response, Mr Mueller offered the following advice: <br /><br />“That’s perfectly fine. It’s also kind of natural. Especially if you’re a local business, you link to your neighbors. Or if you’re mentioned in the news somewhere you kind of mention that on your website like ‘I was featured here in the news’ and essentially you’re kind of linking back and forth.” <br /><br />It all comes down to the way in which Google’s crawlers are sophisticated enough to decipher between a synthetic link exchange scheme and natural linking. Which in turn means that if reciprocal linking activities are justified and valid, they are perfectly fine. <br /><br />“It’s kind of a reciprocal link essentially, but it’s a natural kind of link. It’s not something that’s there because you’re doing some kind of crazy link scheme. So from that point of view, I think it’s easy to overthink it. And if you’re doing something naturally, if you’re not kind of making weird deals, behind the scenes, then I really wouldn’t worry about it.” <br /><br />In a nutshell - reciprocal links do not always contravene Google’s webmaster guidelines. <br /><br />It is entirely down to their relevance and value - the natural, 100% organic exchange of relevant backlinks is permitted.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br />Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-58965383473384115952022-01-07T00:08:00.003-08:002022-01-07T00:08:56.350-08:00How to Turbocharge Your TikTok Strategy <p> By early 2019, TikTok had already chalked up more than a billion downloads from the world’s two biggest app stores. Today, it’s the number-one social media app on both by a clear margin.</p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKmAwIrJXaxBO0UDE1dd_Gm98fuQ1NyxrcyACjRARu_ROQMO-zdCCV5_jlPk50ysoP62v9onCdjE5jWxILCVWWb4w9JlRhZclf_-QO_j9eedBXtv8j452KgfiO0AnMh2ll7NJW_UjjYKcS8ei9fIU9UQ9qdkLP8aCU82O7kZP0jqFFEfJhcPq_VB5dtQ=s2365" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1774" data-original-width="2365" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKmAwIrJXaxBO0UDE1dd_Gm98fuQ1NyxrcyACjRARu_ROQMO-zdCCV5_jlPk50ysoP62v9onCdjE5jWxILCVWWb4w9JlRhZclf_-QO_j9eedBXtv8j452KgfiO0AnMh2ll7NJW_UjjYKcS8ei9fIU9UQ9qdkLP8aCU82O7kZP0jqFFEfJhcPq_VB5dtQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><br />TikTok is renowned for its viral marketing potential, attracting the attention of small and large businesses from all over the world. But with such a frenzy of competition from all corners, running a successful TikTok strategy is far from a cakewalk. <br /><br />Ultimately, it is the quality and relevance of the content you publish that will determine the outcome. Other than this, the following tips and guidelines could help you take your TikTok strategy to the next level: <br /><br />#1 Use the Right Hashtags <br /><br />The hashtags you attach to your videos will play a major role in determining which viewers are sent your way. Your job is to find the right hashtags to represent your content - i.e. those that are both relevant and trending at the time. Avoid the temptation to overuse hashtags, or use those of questionable relevance to your content. Tactics like these will only ever prove counterproductive. <br /><br />#2 Research Your Audience Continuously <br /><br />The key word here is ‘continuously’, given how the preferences and habits of all social media audiences are constantly shifting. Irrespective of who you are targeting on TikTok, you need to develop the deepest possible understanding of them. Never view audience research as a one-time-only task, but as a continuous and cyclical process. <br /><br />#3 Keep it Casual <br /><br />TikTok is not the platform people head to for anything too serious. Instead, it’s with a head for cheap laughs and casual entertainment. Keeping things casual and light-hearted is therefore the way to go. Unless, of course, doing so would be inappropriate for the topic/video in question. <br /><br />#4 Keep it Concise <br /><br />Likewise, TikTok is also not the kind of place people go for long-form content. Instead, it is where they head with instant gratification in mind. The most engaging and shareable videos on TikTok are those that get the job done in a matter of seconds. The quicker you can get your point across and hook the viewer, the better. <br /><br />#5 Prioritise Authenticity <br /><br />Avoid the temptation to jump on every bandwagon that comes along, simply because it is trending at the time. Everything you share on TikTok needs to be authentic for your brand and relevant to your audience. Or in other words, be true to the genuine voice and personality of your brand, rather than putting on a façade in hope of influencing TikTok audiences. <br /><br />#6 Reach Out to Influencers <br /><br />Last up, even a brief mention from an established influencer can be all it takes to hit the big time. However, influencers are not in the habit of chasing down potential partners to recommend and represent. If you want to get influencers on board - which you should - you need to do the legwork and outreach.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-58426922156122709152021-11-11T05:05:00.007-08:002021-11-11T05:05:39.856-08:00Email Marketing FAQs: Key Questions Answered<p> An effective email marketing strategy has the potential to deliver an ROI that goes beyond any social media marketing campaign.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17rlGexkq_tDXzozjC3PmV4_0bgXIKvhjoMYPPIG5zPL5iaaW6KFBBNm6YiZ-4o7TSTqtV5PEHeo-JnBakqOYTDrf4eHpPtOYrnzBGzAbxqXsGAtHDkry5ukuakO_SAV3IRB4FhhY6DvA/s2048/emailmarketing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="2048" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17rlGexkq_tDXzozjC3PmV4_0bgXIKvhjoMYPPIG5zPL5iaaW6KFBBNm6YiZ-4o7TSTqtV5PEHeo-JnBakqOYTDrf4eHpPtOYrnzBGzAbxqXsGAtHDkry5ukuakO_SAV3IRB4FhhY6DvA/s320/emailmarketing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>In this post, we’ll be taking a look at a series of frequently asked questions on the subject of email marketing, which may prove particularly helpful for smaller businesses starting out for the first time: <br /><br />Q1. What rules do I need to be aware of regarding the legality of my subscription list? <br /><br />Different rules apply in different parts of the world, so you need to ensure you comply with the corresponding regulations accordingly. A few examples of which include: <br /><br />• United States: CAN-SPAM Act <br /><br />• Canada: CASL <br /><br />• European Union: GDPR <br /><br />• Australia: Spam Act 2003 <br /><br />Q2. How often should I review my email marketing list? <br /><br />Ideally, it is advisable to conduct an email ‘scrubbing’ exercise at least once every six months. During which, you should take steps to identify inactive subscribers in your list, found out why they disengaged with your brand and attempt to re-engage them. Those that cannot be brought back should subsequently be deleted. <br /><br />Q3. What do I need to do to ensure maximum engagement with my emails? <br /><br />A strong and appealing subject line plays the biggest role in determining whether or not your emails will be opened by the recipient. After which, dynamic content of genuine value that feels personal to the reader is essential. Keeping things brief is also advisable, as an email with too much content is more likely to be ignored than a concise communication. <br /><br />Q4. Is it a good idea to send attachments? <br /><br />The short answer is no, for the simple reason that they are commonly associated with malware and viruses. In addition, emails with attachments are often automatically blocked, or sent to spam folders. Where possible, attachments should be avoided. <br /><br />Q5. How about including a video clip in an e-mail? <br /><br />This can be a much more effective strategy. Estimates vary, but some studies have shown that video content can reduce unsubscribe rates by as much as 75%, generate 96% higher click-through rates and significantly boost the amount of time a person spends viewing the content of an e-mail. <br /><br />Q6. Is email automation a good idea? <br /><br />To a degree, but it is essential to ensure that automation does not completely erase the human aspect from your strategy. Every mail needs to be interpreted as personal, relevant and of some kind of value to the recipient – not something automated, generic or bot-generated. <br /><br />Q7. Should I bother with an unsubscribe message? <br /><br />Yes, but not necessarily for the purpose of attempting to convince the subscriber in question to stick around. The biggest benefits of an unsubscribe message is the way in which it offers invaluable insights into why people are choosing to leave your email list in the first place. <br /><br />Q8. Is it worth buying a mailing list from an email scraping service? <br /><br />In a word, no. The use of harvesting bots not only tends to produce epic lists of spam email addresses of no value, but email scraping is actually against the law in some countries. Making use of such services could therefore pose a risk to your business that really isn’t worth taking.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-88548012812051487382021-08-25T01:18:00.005-07:002021-08-25T01:18:59.572-07:00Ecommerce Operators in the UK Bear the Brunt of Brexit<br />It was never in any doubt that Brexit would bring devastating economic consequences for many businesses across the UK. Cross-channel export and import complications are already hitting merchants hard, and experts believe the worst is yet to come. <br /><br />One of the hardest-hit sectors of all is ecommerce, with a full 94% of online brands in Britain saying that Brexit has cost them customers in the EU. This suggests that since the transition period ended on December 31 last year, at least nine out of 10 UK ecommerce businesses have seen a fall in sales.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb7vRD2YRlq7iHME8E6pdddCOcgAgqUi4VbKVOSwXEdE4iU8EbV7KHJnaOH8Gk45GvdxDplJQWF7pcGeWWVvBg8WUP9kp3B9II2lQT5W3Foji5pf2d_bXvMpmDTpudW8k4dqQ8gPtCZEP/s1687/UnionJackPub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="1687" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb7vRD2YRlq7iHME8E6pdddCOcgAgqUi4VbKVOSwXEdE4iU8EbV7KHJnaOH8Gk45GvdxDplJQWF7pcGeWWVvBg8WUP9kp3B9II2lQT5W3Foji5pf2d_bXvMpmDTpudW8k4dqQ8gPtCZEP/s320/UnionJackPub.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><br />Ecommerce platform ChannelAdvisor junction with research firm CensusWide reached out to more than 300 UK businesses selling products online. The aim was to assess the extent to which Brexit had disrupted cross-border sales and customer relations, along with potential issues regarding additional tax obligations and shipping delays. <br /><br />The overwhelming majority (94%) said that they had lost some customers in the EU, while 66% said that EU customer numbers had fallen ‘significantly’ due to Brexit. <br /><br /><b>An Uptick in Domestic Ecommerce </b><br /><br />The UK High Street was devastated by three consecutive lockdowns, resulting in thousands of stores and established chains closing down permanently. Meanwhile, ecommerce operators thrived during the COVID-19 crisis, as the UK public was given little option but to shop predominantly online. <br /><br />Consequently, 92% of the businesses surveyed said that customer numbers had increased significantly since the Coronavirus pandemic hit. In addition, 82% said that overall sales are currently higher than they were before the pandemic, with 27% reporting a ‘significant’ increase in sales volumes. <br /><br />Conversely, only 16% of the retailers surveyed said current sales were the same as those early last year. <br /><br />Reassuringly, 93% of the CMOs polled said that they are more confident in their brand’s future today than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. But while the domestic picture is predominantly reassuring, Brexit has had a dramatic effect on the ability of UK ecommerce brands to do business overseas. <br /><br /><b>A Significant Drop in International Sales </b><br /><br />When quizzed on the effects of Brexit, 68% said that they had experienced a fall in international sales. Meanwhile, a further 22% said that international sales had fallen significantly, as a direct result of Brexit. <br /><br />Only 15% indicated that international sales volumes had improved since Brexit, with 17% saying there had been no specific change in either direction. <br /><br />Issues shipping items to shoppers overseas were the most commonly encountered problem among UK ecommerce operators (73%). Around a third also said that complications at the border had significantly extended delivery times and affected their operations. <br /><br />“UK brands are enjoying a phenomenal period of growth and will no doubt play an integral role in the country’s post-COVID recovery. However, the last few months of Brexit disruption have caused a significant headache for the vast majority of these firms, thanks to delays and complications at UK-EU customs. Brands rarely become e-commerce giants without strong international sales and finding a solution to this border disruption will benefit all sides,” commented Vladi Shlesman on behalf of ChannelAdvisor. <br /><br />“Leveraging expertise like a third-party logistics provider can overcome fulfilment challenges, or looking to new sources of demand could help plug the gap in demand. In the meantime, it’s inspiring to see that brands are enthused and confident about the coming year. After such a transformative time in the industry, I hope they continue to reap the rewards of e-commerce.”</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-34456135977217720622021-07-09T08:25:00.008-07:002021-07-09T08:25:48.378-07:00Five Ways You Could Be Stopping Journalists to Publish Your Stories Whether planning an outreach campaign or already in the midst of a PR distribution strategy, here are five more mistakes to avoid when reaching out to journalists: <br /><br /><br /><b>1. Thinking You Have Creative Control </b><br /><br />The moment your press release lands in the journo’s mailbox, it technically becomes their property. Not in the sense that they can alter the facts or general subject of the PR, but they’ve full creative control with regard to how the information is subsequently presented. This is where outreach campaigns often go wrong – those behind them attempting to take full creative control. Avoid the temptation to tell journalists how to do their job – trust them instead to do their thing. <br /><br /><b>2. Bugging Them with Reminders </b><br /><br />Do journalists and publishers lose and/or forget about PRs on a regular basis? Of course they do. Does this mean bugging them with reminders is a good idea? No way. If it’s a time-critical story/announcement and the deadline is fast approaching, there’s justification for giving them a gentle ‘nudge’ at the right time. If there’s no real hurry and it’s only been a day or two, hold off a little longer. It could simply be that your PR is at the bottom of their list of priorities – reminding them it exists won’t suddenly inspire them to prioritise it. <br /><br /><b>3. Creating a False Sense of Urgency </b><br /><br />Most experienced journalists know every trick in the book and aren’t in the habit of falling for them. In this instance, we’re talking the classic “I’ve also pitched this suggestion to X and Y outlets who are very interested, but I wanted to give you first refusal” or something along similar lines. You’re basically saying “take my fantastic story before somebody else beats you to the punch.” And it’s a tactic that doesn’t work – it simply screams of desperation and won’t work in your favour. <br /><b><br />4. Failing to Refuse Rejection </b><br /><br />Where a media outlet refuses to publish your story or content, it’s for a valid and obvious reason in their minds. In which case, attempting to persuade them otherwise is a waste of time. It’s also likely to cast aspersions on your credibility, while at the same time making it unlikely they’ll consider your future requests. Where faced with a rejection, it’s best to thank them for their time, walk away and approach them at a later date with something more relevant. <br /><br /><b>5. Going for the Hard Sell </b><br /><br />Last but not least, any press release or piece of outreach content that smacks of pure promotion for your products, your services or your business isn’t going to work. Press releases are supposed to be informative in nature and in some way relevant/valuable to the recipient. They don’t exist simply as a means by which to sell your products and services without paying for conventional advertising space. If you want all future requests to find their way straight in to the trash, try pitching a post that’s all about the hard sell.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJa6QSN4mV0nBFQTHyzfwViTfaPyDD8b_qNdXC7-4SwNwlGk_goEJNLc3-Of1RD5K-v2UKA_uAmo5FWET-4fIN6qPHX967vQvHd0nnTRylTo-pZBy5dSpmXWVuL_cMWaLXkVRtBv7M1cK/s480/NewsPaperNewsletters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJa6QSN4mV0nBFQTHyzfwViTfaPyDD8b_qNdXC7-4SwNwlGk_goEJNLc3-Of1RD5K-v2UKA_uAmo5FWET-4fIN6qPHX967vQvHd0nnTRylTo-pZBy5dSpmXWVuL_cMWaLXkVRtBv7M1cK/s320/NewsPaperNewsletters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-48598150550185388402021-05-25T02:34:00.004-07:002021-05-25T02:35:45.110-07:00Is Influencer Marketing Still a Worthwhile Investment? <p> The more widespread a marketing tactic becomes, the lower its subsequent influence on its target market. Consumers these days are savvy to the attempts of businesses to convince them to act on the basis of marketing messages and associated materials.</p>When any given approach to marketing is more or less done to death, it becomes ineffective and loses its appeal. <br /><br /><br />In which case, is influencer marketing still a worthwhile investment in 2021? With approximately 80% of companies now investing in influencer marketing, does it still have the same impact and appeal it had in previous years? <br /><br /><b>The Mechanics of Influencer Marketing </b><br /><br />In terms of logistics, the basics of influencer marketing have not changed over the years. It is a simple yet effective strategy that involves hiring (or convincing) an influential individual to speak to a targeted audience on your behalf. <br /><br />Rather than attempting to sell your products and services directly to customers, you do so via a proxy. One that has significantly more influence over your target audience than you do, and is therefore more likely to be heard. <br /><br />Increasingly, consumers are expressing near-total distrust for the brands and businesses they come into contact with online. Guilty until proven innocent, you can expect everything you say to be scrutinised or ignored entirely - unless your claims are verified by someone your audience trusts. <br /><br />This is where the power of influencer marketing lies - more than 90% of all consumers act upon the suggestions and recommendations of those they consider trustworthy. <br /><br /><b>The Influencer Marketing Landscape in 2021 </b><br /><br />On one hand, you could argue that yes - consumers are not oblivious to the fact that businesses are using influencers to target them. Nevertheless, this is having no bearing whatsoever on the potential value and impact of an effective influencer marketing strategy. <br /><br />In fact, the influencer marketing landscape is only set to continue growing and diversifying indefinitely. <br /><br />For one thing, influencer marketing almost always leverages the reach and popularity of social media. During 2020, estimates suggest that the total number of social network users worldwide once again increased by more than 10%. <br /><br />This equates to another 375 million people becoming active on social media, on top of the 4 billion already hooked. <br /><br />As a result, nine out of 10 marketers said that influencers were brought into their marketing strategies and will continue to play an important role in their activities going forwards. More importantly, around two thirds of businesses (65%) have indicated their intention to spend even more on influencer marketing throughout the course of this year. <br /><br />All of which suggests that not only is influencer marketing still a worthwhile investment in 2021, but that its relevance and appeal are both at an all-time high.<br /><br /><br />With popularity and appeal at an all-time high, more businesses than ever before are planning to increase their influencer marketing spend in 2021. <br /><br />But what are the major influencer marketing trends set to dominate the landscape over the next months? If planning a new influencer marketing venture or intending to diversify your existing strategy, where should you be allocating more of your money for the best possible ROI? <br /><br /><b>Trend 1. Micro Influencers </b><br /><br />Increasingly, major influencers with enormous audiences are losing their impact and influence over their followers. The most obvious example of which being a major celebrity, who can most likely be persuaded to say anything and promote anything - if paid the right price. <br /><br />This is why celebrity endorsements are heavily scrutinised and often interpreted as unrealistic, inauthentic and impossible to take seriously. By contrast, micro influencers with much smaller audiences are far more likely to curate trust among their followers. <br /><br />The bigger the audience, the lower the overall engagement rate - influencers with fewer than 5,000 often achieve the highest engagement rates of all. As an obvious added bonus, working with micro influencers typically tends to be exponentially less expensive than bringing major influencers or celebrities on board. <br /><br /><b>Trend 2. Forging and Maintaining Long-Term Partnerships </b><br /><br />Joining forces with an influencer for a one-time-only promotional campaign can certainly have the desired effect. However, these one-off promos are nowhere near as effective or lucrative as long-term partnerships. <br /><br />To develop and maintain long-term relationships with influencers is to effectively boost the appeal of your business with an influential brand ambassador. The longer and deeper the relationship, the less it looks like you are simply paying an influencer to say what you want them to say. <br /><br />Particularly with smaller-scale influencers, building and maintaining long-term relationships is more about earning their interest and respect than paying them for their services. You’ll undoubtedly still be expected to pay a fair price, but they are only likely to support and represent a brand long-term if they genuinely believe in it. <br /><br /><b>Trend 3. Short Video Clips </b><br /><br />The third biggest trend set to dominate the landscape in 2021 is the use of short video clips to send powerful marketing messages. Video content has been growing in popularity and influence for some time, though has really come into its own in the age of TikTok. <br /><br />Instant gratification culture has taken over the world, resulting in a new generation of consumers that expect to be entertained and engaged in seconds. Whereas a five-minute product review video would once have done the trick, you now need to pack the same message into a 30-second clip to have the desired effect. <br /><br />Short, punchy and impactful video clips from relevant influencers can be more appealing and effective than anything you could create and publish in-house. They can also be comparatively cost-effective, given the relative simplicity of producing them.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8PVcxMkeYyh5138ZXPQUwgwOhCoYric24sdYHiEzloWNXKVRCXpdRepAtytECj7xAjaEoAPPvhHGU3jp2VBp4C2VpnlXWRp7cWJeDLZw0kwja5fyrGRz-nnilWcF__T99vx4Pw07YCud/s936/influencer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="936" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8PVcxMkeYyh5138ZXPQUwgwOhCoYric24sdYHiEzloWNXKVRCXpdRepAtytECj7xAjaEoAPPvhHGU3jp2VBp4C2VpnlXWRp7cWJeDLZw0kwja5fyrGRz-nnilWcF__T99vx4Pw07YCud/s320/influencer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-89272688400296744612021-03-12T03:02:00.002-08:002021-05-04T05:10:17.062-07:00Some eCommerce Promotion Ideas to Boost Your Online Sales<p> For reasons we don’t need to go into, it’s a pretty mixed bag right now for ecommerce businesses worldwide. Online retail in general is booming, but we’re slap-bang in the middle of a period where people are hesitant to spend their money.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbptaJAgQMc-uKJNpObnNYtqRA2Marfzh8s0f3bczsewt36fELv5kGNfVVS-JcBjTTrQsgTwdizA6AqI98H-Uzu5HkBUnQUwAJqniIOMVZNePeZP3x5U3-gOr3qu516XrK8EX3feGojQE/s1882/ecommerce4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbptaJAgQMc-uKJNpObnNYtqRA2Marfzh8s0f3bczsewt36fELv5kGNfVVS-JcBjTTrQsgTwdizA6AqI98H-Uzu5HkBUnQUwAJqniIOMVZNePeZP3x5U3-gOr3qu516XrK8EX3feGojQE/s320/ecommerce4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><br />Hence, anything you can do to boost and <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.jenkinsonassoc.co.uk/">market online sales</a> during this difficult time is something you probably should be doing. <br /><br />For those willing to do what it takes to weather the storm, here’s a brief rundown of just a few ecommerce promotion ideas that are guaranteed to boost your online sales: <br /><br />1. Contests and giveaways <br /><br />We’re all powerless against a freebie - especially in times of financial turbulence. Organising a contest can be a great way of nurturing engagement, boosting interest in your products and attracting new customers. Even if the prize isn’t particularly lucrative, contests and giveaways never fail. <br /><br />2. Flash sales <br /><br />This is where you host a strictly time-limited sale with the kinds of major deals and discounts you wouldn’t normally offer. Perhaps for one day or even just a couple of hours, you make limited quantities of certain items available at seriously low prices. Again, a great way of pulling in the punters and attracting new customers to your store. <br /><br />3. Free samples <br /><br />If anything you sell is perishable and is at risk of expiring in the near future, it’s far better to give it away than to allow it to go to waste. This can be made an ongoing element of your sales and marketing strategy, offering free samples on a first-come, first-served basis to the customers in your mailing list. <br /><br />4. Introduce multi-purchase deals <br /><br />One of the most effective ways of maximising the size and value of every sale is to incentivise heavier spending. More specifically, through the introduction of multi-purchase deals - ideally on a long-term basis. You buy three products, you get a fourth item for free - a tried, tested and trusted approach to boosting sales. <br /><br />5. Stop charging for shipping <br /><br />With more online retailers than ever before offering free shipping as standard, you cannot afford to continue charging for shipping in the current climate. Feel free to impose a modest minimum spend to qualify for free shipping, but make sure free delivery is one of your online store’s key selling points. <br /><br />6. Assemble product packs or bundles <br /><br />This is more or less the same as a multi-purchase deal, only in this instance you decide what goes in the package. You group a bunch of similar or relevant items together, you package them in an attractive bundle and you sell them at a lower price than the combined individual product costs. <br /><br />7. Improve your loyalty scheme <br /><br />More importantly, think about introducing a loyalty scheme if you don’t already have one up and running. And don’t make the mistake of offering lame or low-value incentives in return for loyalty - make sure repeat business is rewarded fairly and generously. <br /><br />8. Leverage user-generated-content (UGC) <br /><br />Last up, now could also be the perfect time to begin leveraging the value and appeal of user-generated-content. Along with being more impactful, influential and memorable than any brand-created content, it’s also 100% free of charge! Ask your customers to submit content you can publish (perhaps on the basis of a modest incentive) and they’ll usually be more than happy to do so.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-48142783110896519242021-02-17T07:38:00.003-08:002021-02-17T07:38:25.667-08:00Key Video Marketing Trends to Watch For in 2021<p>In terms of popularity, impact and appeal, video continues to go from strength to strength. It’s been the most influential marketing and promotional medium for some time, and is expected to continue its meteoric rise throughout 2021 and beyond.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4_nbWDVpvUqs9xsDhjMud_FeHT60ivDm5nrc3w7A3Ujjkj25eMs5GXONxmSXB99-aHlSL_YtoF1CuXsJceFmB5ZHuMram3aNGA0R7aGf5roEDd6ehsa9QZX1Zir5vhWRAKKoss3btgBx/s800/PenGraphCalculator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4_nbWDVpvUqs9xsDhjMud_FeHT60ivDm5nrc3w7A3Ujjkj25eMs5GXONxmSXB99-aHlSL_YtoF1CuXsJceFmB5ZHuMram3aNGA0R7aGf5roEDd6ehsa9QZX1Zir5vhWRAKKoss3btgBx/s320/PenGraphCalculator.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><br />According to a recent poll, content creators who concentrate on YouTube are seeing up to 30% more views right now than a year ago. More broadly, research suggests that around 56% more people are watching video on social media today than during the same period in 2019. <br /><br />Live streaming in particular has seen a stellar spike in popularity last year – up as much as 70% on platforms like Instagram. <br /><br />It’s therefore clear at a glance that video marketing is set for another incredible year in 2021. As for the most notable trends to watch for, the following are widely predicted to rule the roost over the coming 12 months: <br /><br /><b>1. More Interest in Webinars </b><br /><br />It’s taken a while, but Webinars are finally beginning to hit their stride in terms of popularity and influence. Simple yet effective, these ‘web seminars’ are essentially enhanced and extended tutorials, which can be published for a variety of purposes. Education, industry insights, basic entertainment – a webinar can be anything you want it to be. It can also be a seriously powerful and impactful marketing tool, when engineered and distributed strategically. <br /><br /><b>2. Greater Emphasis from Google </b><br /><br />Roughly translated – Google is showing preference to websites and publishers that include high-quality video in their content strategies. Traditionally, video hasn’t had a huge impact on SEO as its content cannot be crawled and assessed by search engines like Google. Today, increasingly sophisticated algorithms are giving video content the respect and consideration it deserves. Of course, the fact that Google owns YouTube also plays a major role in its preference for quality video content on web pages and sites. <br /><b><br />3. Live Mobile Video Streaming Growth </b><br /><br />Sophisticated mobile technology combined with 4G and 5G networks is making live HD mobile streaming more popular and accessible than ever before. Some of the world’s most popular social platforms now make live streaming literally as easy as touching a button. All of which has spurred meteoric growth in the popularity of live mobile streaming – both with publishers and consumers alike. Live streaming is often considered to have more appeal than conventional and video content, in that it’s unfiltered, unedited and ultimately more ‘real’ by design. <br /><br /><b>4. Multichannel Video Content Distribution</b><p></p><p> Last up, it’s becoming increasingly rare for publishers to dedicate themselves exclusively to just a couple of channels. These days, you’ll usually find out when a video has performed well on Facebook, it’s also been published on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and elsewhere. The fact that so many social platforms have such massive global audiences makes the whole omnichannel distribution thing something of a no brainer. Even if your audience is primarily on Twitter, there’s no harm in promoting your content to audiences elsewh<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">ere</span></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-15320624062067295112021-01-08T01:27:00.006-08:002021-01-08T01:27:59.301-08:00How to Survive (and Win) the Post-Christmas Lull<p> There’s always a sting in the tail with the annual Christmas ecommerce frenzy. Things are just about as peachy and positive as it gets for a couple of months, after which comes the inevitable lull. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpMVB51weSEgbebMzG2vbOceoDrWeRy8BSN4MX4KhjPzsq9k3rcx6AQtQrGiZ1ONLcD-eWRqbU0K6XM72A5CQGUIES24h_16Ome2pi9GD-GiQXoMGtZHff9FpLdW7jmk23XadeMKE70gk/s2048/ecommerce15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpMVB51weSEgbebMzG2vbOceoDrWeRy8BSN4MX4KhjPzsq9k3rcx6AQtQrGiZ1ONLcD-eWRqbU0K6XM72A5CQGUIES24h_16Ome2pi9GD-GiQXoMGtZHff9FpLdW7jmk23XadeMKE70gk/s320/ecommerce15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><br />One of the biggest (and most common mistakes) made by smaller businesses is focusing too heavily on leveraging shoppers’ appetite to spend over the festive period. And in doing so, losing sight of the importance of compensating for what happens next. <br /><br />Consumer spending always dips massively in January and February – a fact and a reality there’s nothing you can do about. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty you can do to survive and even thrive during this post-Christmas lull. <br /><br />A few suggestions on how to make January and February slightly less painful for your online business: <br /><br /><b>1. Launch a Sale <br /></b><br />It’s a pretty old-fashioned concept in this day and age, but consumers still cannot resist the prospect of the classic ‘January Sale’. They’ve already overspent during November and December, yet are attracted to January discounts like moths to flames. Don’t forget that your closest competitors are probably planning major January sales of their own, so it’s worth doing likewise. <br /><br /><b>2. Leverage the New Year Attitude <br /></b><br />New year, new start, new opportunities etc. – the New Year attitude that temporarily motivates the masses. At the very beginning of the year, people become determined to improve their personal productivity, clean and sanitise their homes, improve their health, do something charitable and generally become ‘better’ people. All of which can and should be leveraged in your sales and marketing strategy for the New Year. <br /><br /><b>3. Launch Something New </b><br /><br />Most businesses time their new product and service debuts for the spring and summer. They instinctively avoid times of diminished spending, for reasons rooted in logic. However, this also means there’s a glaring gap in anything new and interesting hitting the market at the start of the New Year. If you’ve been sitting on something you think your audience will get a kick out of, why not take advantage while your competitors are hibernating? <br /><br /><b>4. Get Serious with Email Marketing</b> <br /><br />Ideally, every single sale you made over Christmas will have resulted in another email address making it onto your list. In which case, there’s no better time than right after Christmas to start working on a serious (and appropriately segmented) email marketing strategy. Too soon to start bugging those who only recently shopped with you? Not at all – it’s always best to reach out to satisfied customers while they remember why they shopped with you in the first place! <br /><br /><b>5. Stay Active and Communicative </b><br /><br />Last up, don’t make the mistake of going quiet and temporarily vanishing into thin air. Due to a combination of fatigue and the fact that business is slow, countless brands go dormant and largely inactive after Christmas. In doing so, they overlook (or are oblivious to) the fact that social media use skyrockets during the darker and gloomier months of the year. Hence, there’s really no better time to engage your audience and take your social media marketing strategy a step further.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-90173856510794210422020-11-06T03:00:00.002-08:002020-11-06T03:00:11.111-08:00October 2020 Latest Digital Marketing Statistics<p>The time has come for us to once again share a few interesting and important facts and figures regarding the world of digital marketing. This time, there are snippets in their regarding livestreaming, personalisation, the travel industry and more. </p><br />So we’d like to think, something for everyone…with a bit of luck! <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghzekm0e67cQvXiC2B1ibuQVS6txBqnaGR8J1fmaHj5fgtaR75kzwdodjfCAPYqtpXJsUkwRISNt-yP95gyvYnsJgYyVhwbV9ZtxRNOklr8cNlrxnXxYNgcxmqiiSI_cmnVW_QrInhPao/s2048/statistics3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghzekm0e67cQvXiC2B1ibuQVS6txBqnaGR8J1fmaHj5fgtaR75kzwdodjfCAPYqtpXJsUkwRISNt-yP95gyvYnsJgYyVhwbV9ZtxRNOklr8cNlrxnXxYNgcxmqiiSI_cmnVW_QrInhPao/s320/statistics3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><br />Here’s how things are looking right now in a few key areas of digital marketing: <br /><br /><b>Live streaming is growing in popularity </b><br /><br />First and foremost, new research suggests that live streaming engagement is in the midst of something of a meteoric rise. Compared to the same period last year, the number of social media users engaging with live streaming content has jumped by around 8%. More than ¼ Internet users stated that they have now engaged in at least one live stream on social media. <br /><br /><b>72% of consumers turn to Amazon to research products </b><br /><br />Despite the fact that it may not be used for quite as many purchases, evidence suggests that Amazon has become the number one resource for researching products. In fact, almost ¾ (72%) of people stated that they use Amazon to research products before purchasing them. While 51% stated that they use Amazon to compare prices, around 26% use the information available to compare similar products, read reviews and so on. <br /><br /><b>Personalisation generates 50% higher email open rates </b><br /><br />Once again, there’s strong evidence to support the importance of personalisation when it comes to marketing emails. Even when something as simple as the subject line is personalised, click-to-open rates have been found to increase by a full 58%. Which would seem to suggest that those who are not using personalised e-mail marketing could be letting significant amount of time and money go to waste. <br /><br /><b>Live TV is on the decline <br /></b><br />While the issue itself is far from a new development, it’s becoming clear that live television is experiencing an even faster decline than before. The CTA reports that more than half of all millennials are now watching recorded or streaming television services rather than standard live TV. For over 35s, around 35% prefer this time-shifted content. <br /><br /><b>Millennials respond better to sales outreach via social media </b><br /><br />A study carried out by Bambu found that a growing proportion of millennials respond better to sales tactics in general that are performed using social media. A 35% stated that they would be more likely to make a purchase when product information or industry news are shared by representatives via social media – the total percentage preferring this kind of outreach having increased to 45%. <br /><br /><b>Only 9% of people use high-street travel agents </b><br /><br />Last but not least, it would appear that the long-predicted and somewhat inevitable death of the traditional travel agent has taken a significant step towards becoming a reality. According to a recent study carried out on UK consumers, just 9% of those actively planning and booking holidays now visit traditional travel agents in any way, shape or form. As far as younger audiences go, the figure falls to an even lower 4%. Nevertheless, the same study found that if traditional travel agents were to fully embrace modern technology like virtual reality, close to half (48%) said that they would be more likely to revisit them once again.</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-25946137908502896252020-10-23T06:25:00.004-07:002020-10-23T06:25:40.752-07:00The Rise and Rise of mCommerce <p> Once again, the extraordinary value and importance of mCommerce has been illustrated in the numbers alone. As of right now, approximately 1.6 billion people are known to be using mobile devices to make purchases online. Or to put it another way, that’s more than 25% of the entire population of the world. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj4Lf_Y16ETM4kiPhLL4RTGtCnZPMlH3FknwLU59Kr9g-Orn4h5S3NfEJGINoCzzD0MH8C-t9fJSnYxZckbUL43MvTUah0L_tUowi2vHUzOY2502eqLD0OlviwhLAWQ8BQznM2nUGNOO0/s450/ecommerce9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj4Lf_Y16ETM4kiPhLL4RTGtCnZPMlH3FknwLU59Kr9g-Orn4h5S3NfEJGINoCzzD0MH8C-t9fJSnYxZckbUL43MvTUah0L_tUowi2vHUzOY2502eqLD0OlviwhLAWQ8BQznM2nUGNOO0/s320/ecommerce9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><br />Not only this, but as the popularity of mCommerce continues to grow worldwide, traditional eCommerce by way of desktop and laptop computers is seeing something of a decline. Nothing particularly dramatic, but a 15% in 2019, compared to the year before. During the same period, transactions originating from smartphones doubled. <br /><br />Quote these figures to the average business owner and chances are they’ll be anything but surprised. After all, mCommerce didn’t exactly come out of nowhere and nor is it a secret that the modern world is addicted to mobile. But what is interesting is the way in which so many business owners still seem entirely unsure as to how to adapt and engineer their content for success in the mCommerce era. <br /><br /><b>Smooth and Simple </b><br /><br />As a rule of thumb, the key to success when it comes to mCommerce is to deliver a smooth, simple and seamless experience for every customer. Easier said than done, but nonetheless essential. <br /><br />Speed and simplicity are the two most important attributes demanded by today’s consumer. For example, approximately 65% of mCommerce shoppers are unwilling to wait more than 4 seconds for any given webpage to load. If it takes longer than this, they’ll head elsewhere. When they do, close to 70% stated that they’d be far more likely to go through with a purchase, if the mobile experience as a whole was on-par. <br /><br />By the end of 2020, total mCommerce value in the United Kingdom alone is expected to hit an incredible £42 billion. What’s more, mCommerce will also account for at least 45% of all online sales – its highest figure to date. <br /><br />So it’s abundantly clear that mCommerce isn’t going anywhere but skywards for the foreseeable future. Hence, now really is the time to invest as heavily as necessary in creating a premier mobile experience, built in accordance with the following key principles: <br /><br />• Creativity. However you choose to go about it, your mobile website needs to stand out from the crowd, delivering a strong and true reflection of your brand. It shouldn’t be a generic, watered-down version of your primary desktop website. <br /><br />• Visuals. Most mobile shoppers expect the kinds of high-quality visuals that make it quick and easy to see what it is that’s on offer and whether or not they want it. Creative imagery having much greater impact than standard stock photography. <br /><br />• Adaptability. It’s no good to provide a mobile experience that’s outstanding on the customer’s Samsung smartphone and pure garbage on their iPad. Quality mobile web design means ensuring your content and layout can adapt to all devices, without exception. <br /><br />• Simplification. Ideally, the customer should be able to find whatever they’re looking for and complete the entire purchase process in just a few touches. The slower and more complicated the conversion process, the less likely it is to happen. <br /><br />• Speed. Last up, capitalising on the value of impulse purchases and generally maintaining the attention of modern audiences means providing a lightning-fast mobile experience at all times. When mobile site speed isn’t up to scratch, it’s game-over. <br /><br /> Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-52074645609191461982020-10-23T06:19:00.002-07:002020-10-23T06:19:08.742-07:00Still Focused Exclusively on Search Engine Rankings? <p> For much of recent history, it’s been the norm to focus on SERP rankings above and beyond everything else. Which of course makes sense, given the way in which a high position in Google or Bing can result in the most enormous traffic boost for any website. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7SXN074yEPcaIfh6F7vRegw7PtvQAgrIZHKT2QrrOvKsFHWgIpne7PtJGNkBGwhNv4gUUF6Di-PyZhhHB2JlXwoUTs26fxEgpeZeTDNsHU6uAtmLpjb9OMYd5U3MbMtfnynEK3n775aj/s2048/IncomeGrowthArrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7SXN074yEPcaIfh6F7vRegw7PtvQAgrIZHKT2QrrOvKsFHWgIpne7PtJGNkBGwhNv4gUUF6Di-PyZhhHB2JlXwoUTs26fxEgpeZeTDNsHU6uAtmLpjb9OMYd5U3MbMtfnynEK3n775aj/s320/IncomeGrowthArrow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><br />But here’s the thing – rankings never have been the be and end all of things. <br /><br />What’s important to acknowledge is the way in which your current position in any search engine doesn’t accurately indicate the success of your wider campaign. There are three primary reasons why an unhealthy fixation on rankings is exactly that – detrimental to your business and your marketing strategy: <br /><br /><b>SEARCH RESULTS ARE PERSONALISED </b><br /><br />First up, it’s becoming extremely difficult – impossible even – to accurately measure your own SERP performance. The reason being that search results have never been more meticulously personalised. From location to browser to device to language to personal preferences and so on, thousands of different search results are delivered by the hour for the exact same search terms. You cannot look how you perform for one or two specific terms and interpret this as a constant for all searchers across the board. It might show one thing for you, but could show something totally different for someone else. Particularly in the case of local businesses and local search, personalisation has never had a greater influence on both exposure and performance. <br /><br /><b>RANK FLUCTUATION </b><br /><br />No matter what you do and how much you do it, you’re never going to hold onto the same ranking indefinitely. It just doesn’t happen. One day you’re third, the next you’re second, then you fall to page 5 and jump back to the first page once again. Why? For any number of reasons – being outperformed by competitors, algorithm changes at Google, flaws in your own SEO strategy etc. In any case, your position is always going to change on a fairly regular basis. As such, and given the fact that there’s often nothing you can do about it, you cannot gauge your overall performance by rankings alone. There are so many external influences that can affect your ranking – it isn’t all nearly as within your control as you might think. <br /><br /><b>RANK DOESN’T ALWAYS CORRELATE TO SUCCESS </b><br /><br />Last but not least, traffic represents just one contributory element to wider success in business. Without exception, a solid Google ranking for a competitive keyword is going to win you a lot of traffic. But what then? What if just 5% of these arrivals stick around and less than 1% convert? You’d perhaps have been better-off with a tenth-place position and greater focus on improving conversion rates. If you focus all your time and attention on rankings, you cannot focus sufficiently on the quality of your website. Even a number-one ranking is all but useless if it isn’t backed-up by an outstanding user-experience. The problem being that far too many businesses seem unable to strike the ideal balance between the two, in terms of their own efforts and investment. <br /><br />So if you are still focusing somewhat obsessively on rankings above all else, it’s worth asking: <br /><br />What might you be allowing to suffer in the background?Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-76998567230541853482020-10-08T08:22:00.003-07:002020-10-08T08:22:36.749-07:00Are You Overspending on Social Media? <p> Just to clarify one important point, there is technically no such thing as spending too much money on social media marketing. Assuming that every penny you invest is put to valuable and strategic use, investing heavily in social can be highly beneficial. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO3JhgSt7kwn52tHBCFnMHtYU8c03Hi_aAOQKKsOHUhUKlohXg57t-VzzMwW4P4iiVbNXspv9viyB7VTH75dhdMtFHPJZaIv3gJgzM3qKLHdH43jNd5qH11ZxW4oAscx869sgZN1YGE7k/s450/socialmediamarketing2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO3JhgSt7kwn52tHBCFnMHtYU8c03Hi_aAOQKKsOHUhUKlohXg57t-VzzMwW4P4iiVbNXspv9viyB7VTH75dhdMtFHPJZaIv3gJgzM3qKLHdH43jNd5qH11ZxW4oAscx869sgZN1YGE7k/s320/socialmediamarketing2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>That said, there is definitely such a thing as spending too much money on social media marketing efforts that bring you little to nothing in return. <br /><br />Which is precisely why not every social media marketing budget delivers the same results – even if the initial budget limitations are the same. Five different companies may all decide to invest £10,000 in social media marketing for any given period of time, but chances are that all five will produce entirely different results. <br /><br />Why is this the case? It’s simple really – while some common social media expenses are essential and advisable, others are quite the opposite. Which is why we’ve decided to dedicate two posts to a few of the common bad habits that could lead to unnecessary overspending. <br /><br />So if any of the following rings a bell with you or your business, you might want to take a step back and consider investing your money elsewhere: <br /><br /><b>1. Buying fake followers </b><br /><br />First and foremost, the fact that social media is essentially a popularity contest leads many to focus on nothing but the numbers. Quite a lot of businesses believe that the secret to success lies in the numbers – the size of their audience, the number of ‘likes’ they earn and so on. But in reality, quantity is nothing without quality. Which is precisely why it can be so dangerous to buy fake followers to bump up the numbers. Along with bringing little to no actual value to your profile, purchased followers give entirely the wrong impression to your target audience and can also land you in hot water with the platform itself. A prime example of an investment that rarely delivers any kind of returns. <br /><br /><b>2. Hiring low-grade social media companies </b><br /><br />When two competing social media marketing agencies offer the same package for two very different prices, it’s usually for a very good reason. Now, it’s not to say that overspending is necessary, in order to access outstanding social media services. But at the same time, when you come across companies giving their services away for practically nothing, guaranteeing “instant results” or in any way making promises they clearly cannot keep, you’d be better off hanging on to your money. <br /><br /><b>3. Spending without setting goals </b><br /><br />In order to make any kind of headway with social media marketing, you first need to have an established set of goals and targets. If not, you are essentially grasping for proverbial straws in the dark with one or both of your hands tied behind your back. Social media can be used for just about anything – increasing sales, expanding your audience, building your reputation and so on. But in order to achieve any of these kinds of things, you first need to decide what exactly it is you intend to target. If not, you could essentially be wasting money on a social media campaign that has you going around in circles. <br /><br /><b>4. Unpopular contests and competitions</b> <br /><br />Contests in general can be a great way of promoting your business and generate engagement. After all, comparatively few people can resist the prospect of taking something home free of charge. But at the same time, contests and competitions can prove costly if what you get out of them is less than you are forced to invest. Always be strategic, realistic and as frugal as necessary when it comes to social media contests and competitions. <br /><br /><b>5. Hiring in-house staff </b><br /><br />Given that it’s not as if your own in-house staff will happily handle your social media accounts free of charge, you’ll still be paying for the required manpower. In which case, wouldn’t it make sense to spend the same social media staffing budget on the kinds of experienced and qualified professionals who can get the job done quicker, better and perhaps even for a lower price? Paying for the services of under-qualified or inexperienced social media staff is never advisable. <br /><br /><b>6. Paying for reviews and ratings </b><br /><br />While it may be a strategy followed by businesses all over the world at all levels, there technically should be no reason why you should have to pay for reviews and ratings. The reason being that given the social nature of the platform – the clue being in the title – you can simply ask your fans, followers and customers directly to provide you with their own independent feedback. And if it turns out that your rating leaves a lot to be desired, you should probably focus on overhauling whatever it is you do, before investing any further in social media marketing. <br /><br /><b>7. Paying for ads that have poor performance </b><br /><br />There’s absolutely nothing to gain by shelling out good money for social media ads that perform poorly. The problem being that far too many businesses simply throw together ad campaigns with the presumption that they essentially cannot fail to deliver a decent ROI. Without extensive planning, careful execution and ongoing analysis/optimisation, any investment in social media ads can end up being a wasted investment. <br /><br /><b>8. Failing to incorporate wider SEO </b><br /><br />Your social media marketing campaign can be an immensely powerful tool for boosting your overall SEO profile. Rather than seeing your social campaign as something of a separate entity, you should be working to incorporate it into your wider SEO and marketing efforts in general. If not, you are throwing money down the drain. <br /><br /><b>9. Focusing on the wrong platforms </b><br /><br />When it comes to platform selection, there are two important things to remember. One being that you don’t have to use every social media platform in the world, the other being that certain platforms will suit your business, your audience and your goals better than others. While Twitter and Facebook will always be the first options that spring to mind, some businesses get far better value for money from their investments in Instagram or LinkedIn. <br /><br /><b>10. Automating updates and duplicating content </b><br /><br />Last but not least, while it’s true to say that automation of updates and duplication of content can technically save time and money, the damage you do to your profiles and professional image could prove costly. Every penny and second invested in these kinds of efforts represents time and money wasted, which could have been used to actively engage with and nurture your audience. You’ll simply be interpreted as lazy and disingenuous – a heavy price to pay. <br /><br /> Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-68544132265818731012020-09-03T00:54:00.002-07:002020-09-03T00:54:11.828-07:00Aiming for the Top-Spot On Search Engines? Time for a Rethink <br />If your business is involved in SEO, chances are you share the same goal as everyone else. That being, to climb right to the top of the rankings to the number-one position. <br /><br />It’s no secret that the higher the ranking, the more likely you are to win the lion’s share of traffic. With three-quarters of web users now refusing to look beyond the first page, this really is the place to be. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcJPFZE8XB-ZEJCZaMHY1sXYfxXIaCxJjVXzxQvzBmG77dbSHhXBkvjz24tXTeviNyrEXyaIayiTH_wH3LMPCRbjvH44r7ccKIwCH-guunDKycEzqtvCV3eK_Mg-6Q6OVoD7Smh9A4exC/s3000/seo8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="3000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcJPFZE8XB-ZEJCZaMHY1sXYfxXIaCxJjVXzxQvzBmG77dbSHhXBkvjz24tXTeviNyrEXyaIayiTH_wH3LMPCRbjvH44r7ccKIwCH-guunDKycEzqtvCV3eK_Mg-6Q6OVoD7Smh9A4exC/s320/seo8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><br />But what if we were to tell you that fighting tooth and nail for the top-spot isn’t always the best way to go? What could be more important than doing whatever it takes to claw all the way to that prestigious number-one spot? <br /><br />Particularly if this is the main goal of your SEO strategy, it could be time for a rethink…and here’s why: <br /><br /><b>It Might Be Impossible </b><br /><br />First and foremost, actually getting yourself to the number-one position could be impossible. There’s every chance that whatever your niche and specialist area, you’ll always be outperformed by a bigger rival. If their SEO spend is literally 100X yours, you can’t expect all the strategy in the world to give you the upper hand. You could throw every penny you have at your SERP performance, but it might not be enough. Painful as it may be, it’s sometimes necessary to accept the top-spot for certain key words is completely out of reach. <br /><br /><b>SEO is Unpredictable </b><br /><br />A strategic SEO campaign should be all about solid performance and measurable improvements. The SEO landscape is just too unpredictable to have such a stubborn and specific goal in mind. You spend more than you can afford boosting your SEO strategy, you finally hit the top-spot and you’re happy. Only then to watch Google alter its algorithm and drop back to your prior fifth position. If you can reach a strong position and hold onto it, you’re golden. <br /><br /><b>Position Zero is Better</b> <br /><br />The interesting thing about position-zero is that not only is it better, it’s also more achievable. Check out a few position-zero pages and you’ll see how comparatively few come from the biggest brands and businesses out there. If you can offer something that perfectly answers the question being asked, you’ve every chance of hitting this prestigious beyond-top-spot. Lists, top-tens, detailed snippets – all great for attracting Google’s attention. If planning on campaigning for the top-spot, try campaigning for position-zero instead. <br /><br /><b>Hedge Your Bets </b><br /><br />Last up, campaigning to hit the top-spot for one particular search term means investing heavily in this one term. In the meantime, search terms and keywords of enormous value could be denied your time, effort and attention. You may dominate the rankings with this key term of interest, but what about the rest? What if you end up on page two or three for a bunch of other major keywords and search terms? Rather than attempting to rule the roost with just one or two terms, think about hedging your bets with a more widespread approach to your SEO strategy.</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0