The story of the “kidfluencer” phenomenon began humbly with a three-year-old boy named Ryan Kaji, who simply played with a Lego “choo-choo train.” His mother, Loann, uploaded the video to a newly created YouTube channel called “Ryan ToysReview.” Little did they know that this innocent recording would skyrocket them to stardom. Now 11 years old, Ryan, under the rebranded channel “Ryan’s World,” boasts an impressive 35 million subscribers, establishing himself as YouTube royalty.

Joining Ryan in leading the charge are other young influencers like nine-year-old “Like Nastya.” According to Forbes, Ryan earned a staggering $27 million in 2021, while “Like Nastya” made an impressive $28 million. These kidfluencers create content that directly appeals to their fellow youngsters, engaging in make-believe play, showcasing new toys, and even offering tutorials on various subjects. It comes as no surprise that a Pew Research Centre survey revealed that 81% of American parents allow their three to four-year-olds to watch YouTube.

Brands and marketers have taken notice of the lucrative potential of kidfluencers. Ad revenue from videos and brand partnerships have become significant income sources for these young stars. Companies are willing to pay substantial amounts to collaborate with these influencers and tap into a very young audience. For some families, this newfound revenue stream has become an opportunity for new experiences or funding their children’s education.

Initially, these kid-influenced accounts felt like family-run businesses, but now production companies are stepping in to seize the opportunity. For instance, Ryan’s World has partnered with pocket.watch, an entertainment studio collaborating with 45 top kid creators. This strategic alliance has allowed Ryan to land lucrative deals with brands like Nintendo and Mattel. Additionally, pocket.watch has expanded Ryan’s content to children’s television channels and streaming services, while also creating his own branded merchandise, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in sales worldwide.

Despite the thriving success of kidfluencers, regulatory concerns have surfaced. Watchdogs accuse some creators of not adequately disclosing sponsored content in toy videos. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cracked down on targeted advertisements on YouTube videos aimed at children and accused the platform of illegally collecting data from underage users. As a result, channels must now label content specifically for children. The FTC is also reviewing research on advertising disclosures, as current practices may not be effective for kids. Potential regulatory action could significantly impact kidfluencer marketing.

Some child influencers find themselves inheriting large followings from their “momfluencer” parents, who document their lives online. Families like the LaBrants have amassed millions of followers, even for their youngest children. Other mini influencers emerge, serving as ambassadors for clothing lines or represented by talent agencies traditionally working with actors. This shift in advertising is evident in the remarkable projected growth of influencer marketing, expected to reach $21.1 billion this year, up from $1.7 billion in 2016, according to Influencer Marketing Hub.

However, the landscape of social media is continually evolving, making it more challenging for new kidfluencer stars to rise rapidly. While the industry once believed anyone could become the next overnight sensation, experts like Greg Alkalay emphasize the increased difficulty. Critics also raise concerns about the potential exploitation of child influencers, who lack the legal protections afforded to child actors under the Coogan Law.

As kidfluencers grow older, their interests and aspirations may shift, leading to changes in their content. Families like Ryan’s prioritize their well-being and pivot into educational content and cartoons. Some kidfluencers seek transitions to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, exploring new opportunities. However, maintaining audience engagement during these changes can be challenging, as followers may have initially connected with them for different content. Moreover, some kidfluencers might eventually tire of creating videos and opt for a return to a more ordinary reality.

In conclusion, the world of kidfluencers is a rapidly evolving phenomenon. New stars are continually emerging, supported by their parents and partnering with production companies. Brands are keen to tap into the influence of these young social media stars, but regulatory concerns loom on the horizon. As the industry evolves, child influencers will continue to shape the marketing landscape, with their futures influenced by changing regulations and the ever-dynamic realm of social media.

FAQs

Q: Are there any regulations in place for kidfluencers? A: Yes, there are regulations in place to protect children involved in influencer marketing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires channels to label content specifically for children and is reviewing advertising disclosures to ensure they effectively work for kids.

Q: How do kidfluencers make money? A: Kidfluencers make money through ads on their videos and by partnering with brands. Brands see an opportunity to reach a young audience and are willing to pay for collaborations with these influencers.

Q: Are there concerns about the exploitation of kidfluencers? A: Yes, there are concerns about the exploitation of kidfluencers. Critics argue that child influencers lack the legal protections afforded to child actors, such as the Coogan Law.

Q: What is the future of kidfluencers? A: The future of kidfluencers is uncertain. As they grow up, their interests and aspirations may change, and they may transition to different platforms or pursue other careers. The impact of regulations and the ever-changing landscape of social media will shape the future of this industry.

First reported by The Economist.

The post Regulation and the Booming “Kidfluencer” Business: What Small Businesses Need to Know appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

OpenAI, a leading research laboratory in the field of artificial intelligence, has recently announced its plans to introduce an app store for AI software. This marketplace will allow developers to offer their own versions of generative AI, expanding the reach and availability of this cutting-edge technology. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, launched last year, has gained significant traction among tech experts. Now, companies can refine and personalize the technology by developing their own models and making them available through OpenAI’s app store. This strategic move not only widens OpenAI’s customer base but also provides developers and businesses with access to a diverse range of AI solutions tailored to their specific needs.

As a developer or someone in search of custom-developed AI solutions, OpenAI’s app store presents a promising opportunity. By leveraging the software offerings in the marketplace, you can enhance your business operations, improve efficiency, and unlock new possibilities. It’s essential to keep an eye on this development and explore how these AI applications can benefit your specific industry or business niche.

In a bid to revitalize its business, Twitter is undergoing significant changes under the leadership of CEO Linda Yaccarino and with the involvement of Elon Musk. The social media giant aims to strengthen its brand by focusing on video content and commerce. Yaccarino has been engaging with political and entertainment figures to stabilize and enhance the Twitter platform. These strategic efforts aim to attract more businesses to the platform, creating new opportunities for engagement and growth.

As a business owner, Twitter’s renewed focus on video and commerce can offer you valuable opportunities to connect with your audience, promote your products or services, and drive business growth. By leveraging the platform’s features, you can engage with potential clients, build brand awareness, and establish yourself as an industry authority. Keep an eye on Twitter’s updates and explore how you can leverage these changes to your advantage.

If you’re a WordPress user looking to streamline your content creation process, you’ll be delighted to know that WordPress.com has launched an AI assistant called Jetpack AI Assistant. This tool is designed to assist with various aspects of content creation, including post generation, headline creation, and translations. With its automation capabilities, Jetpack AI Assistant can help you expedite your content production, improve the structure of your blog posts, and even provide translations. Furthermore, the AI assistant features a chat function, allowing users to ask questions and receive prompt responses.

Maintaining an active blog is crucial for businesses to establish thought leadership, engage with their audience, and drive organic traffic to their website. With WordPress.com’s Jetpack AI Assistant, you can streamline your content creation process, save time, and ensure consistency in your posts. This tool can be a valuable asset for small businesses with limited resources, enabling them to produce high-quality content efficiently.

Humanly, a Seattle-based startup, has recently secured $12 million in Series A funding to fuel its AI-powered recruiting automation platform. This platform aims to assist companies in finding candidates with relevant experience by leveraging AI chatbots and analytics features. The funding will enable Humanly to further enhance its SMS chatbots, which help streamline the hiring process and ensure adherence to specific criteria. Additionally, the platform offers interactive exchanges during live calls, generating insights and sending follow-up emails.

Recruiting the right talent is a critical aspect of business growth and success. By leveraging AI-powered platforms like Humanly, businesses can automate and optimize their recruiting processes, saving time and resources. While these platforms have been primarily adopted by larger organizations, their increasing accessibility and decreasing costs make them viable options for small businesses as well. Keep an eye on the advancements in AI-powered recruiting automation to find the best solution for your hiring needs.

When you or your employees are on the go, accessing networks securely is of utmost importance. ZDNet has conducted extensive testing to identify the best travel VPNs that ensure safe browsing and streaming while traveling. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) protect personal data by encrypting your internet connection and hiding your public IP address. By using a travel VPN, you can safeguard sensitive business information and mitigate the risk of data breaches.

In an increasingly digital world, protecting your business’s data and ensuring online security is paramount. When traveling, connecting to public Wi-Fi networks can expose your sensitive information to potential threats. By using a reliable travel VPN, you can establish a secure and encrypted connection, mitigating the risks associated with public networks. Consider the VPNs recommended by ZDNet to protect your business’s data while on the move.

Staying abreast of the latest tech developments can give your small business a competitive edge. From OpenAI’s app store for AI software to Twitter’s focus on video and commerce, these advancements present opportunities for growth and innovation. By leveraging WordPress.com’s AI assistant and AI-powered recruiting automation platforms like Humanly, you can streamline your operations and enhance productivity. Additionally, ensuring secure browsing while traveling through the use of travel VPNs is crucial to safeguard your business’s sensitive data. Embrace these technological advancements and empower your business to thrive in the digital age.

The post Revolutionary Tech Update: The Ultimate AI App Store, Twitter’s Epic Business Transformation, and Mind-Blowing Innovations! appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Bringing these two aspects together isn’t always easy, but you can learn how in this article. You aim to please both your readers and Google. Find a good balance between the two, watch your content rank higher, and rake in more website visits.

There’s a sort of formula used to achieve this. A cheat sheet if you will. Let’s dive in and examine how to get the most out of your writing.

Important Pointer: Keyword Research

Keywords are the reason for your writing. Okay, your audience is, but you must adapt your content to what your audience looks for online. That’s the first way to ensure someone will read your blog posts. 

Keyword research will tell you what topics to focus on and the keywords to include in your writing. Choose wisely what you focus on! It will guide where the meat of your text goes and should be as extensive as possible.

So now you know what to write about and should get to the actual writing. Let’s see. What should it look like?

Here are 9 steps to an SEO-friendly blog post.

9 Tips on How to Write an SEO-Friendly Blog Post

Here you’ll learn how to churn out great content.

1. Think It Through

Stop! Don’t just dive in without direction!

What do you want to say? What angle would you like your post to take? Maybe there’s a question you would like to answer? Is there something specific you would like your readers to have achieved after reading your post? 

Some writers want their audience to complete a certain action at the end, so the writing must be compelling and convincing. 

Use your search terms or keywords to find the best possible direction for this. You can look at it as letting your readers guide you.

2. Structure Your Post

Order is essential in a blog post. A basic structure comprises:

• the introduction, where you introduce your topic and give a little teaser to your readers
• the body, where the main story goes
• The conclusion, where you draw a conclusion or give a short post recap.

Figure out what you want to say in every part and write it down briefly. It’ll help guide your train of thought along the way. You want your ideas to flow naturally into each other so your audience can easily follow.

3. Break It Down

Have you ever looked at prose that has no breaks? Or the opposite: content that is in single sentences like a kindergarten storybook. It can be annoying and tiring to read.

Paragraphs help to organize content neatly. Use a different paragraph for every idea, and always summarize your point. Lengthy paragraphs are quite the eyesore and could make your reader skim over your work instead of properly reading it.

Headings add to the structure of an article and will guide readers on what to expect next. Subheadings also add to your SEO ranking. Throw in a keyword in one or two, and it gets even better.

4. Utilize Related Keywords

Utilizing semantic keywords is the best tip on how to write an SEO-friendly blog post. Keywords are great, but using them too many times in a single post makes your work look unnatural. It’s known as keyword stuffing and could make your rankings tank. 

Instead, use synonyms and alternative related words. Google will analyze your content for these, thus understanding your subject matter better. It’s getting smarter and wants readers to enjoy their reading.   

5. Use Transitional Words and Phrases

These show a relationship between different sentences and paragraphs. Phrases like ‘read on’ tell them there’s more to expect. ‘In short’ or ‘in a nutshell’ tells the reader a conclusion is coming. 

Transitional words will help your audience scan through your content since they add structure.

6. Add Links To Existing Content

Have you written on the subject on your website before? Let people know by linking to those other posts. 

You want your audience to focus on you and your work. It makes you look like an authority on the subject and improves rankings. Link to other authority sites, but be sure not to link to your competition.

7. Mind the Length

Google prefers you do lengthy articles, but what do your readers think? Depending on your subject of choice, writing skills, and audience, try to make your posts at least 300 words.

Whether long or short, remember to ensure it’s an SEO-friendly blog post.

8. Utilize SEO Tools

SEO analysis can be tricky but is necessary for this domain. You want your content to have a high chance of ranking well for your chosen keywords.

This is where SEO tools and plugins come in. What difference will they make?

• SEO tools suggest related key phrases. 
• These tools tell you how many times you should add your keywords and where to add them.
• They check your text for readability.
• You can check for both internal and external links in your content.
• They tell you whether you’ve used the keyword on another page so that you don’t compete with yourself for ranking.

All these aspects improve the quality of content you’re putting out. Isn’t that what you’re ultimately aiming for?

9. Put Fresh Eyes on It

Sometimes we write and some mistakes make it past. If you have someone who can look at your work before publishing it, that’s a great asset. They may notice something you missed and improve the whole article. Getting an expert on the subject matter is a plus since they can help refine the content.

Communicating your message to your audience is a necessity in this business. Otherwise, why would you write? Look for opinions on readability and whether the message hits home.

Conclusion

Now you have what you need to create amazing articles for your website. Go ahead and publish as often as possible so that Google knows your website is alive and should rank you higher. Take it a notch higher and use it for business! 

The post How To Write An SEO-Friendly Blog Post  appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

If you stick with us, we are about to show you some useful advertising tips that you can start implementing right away. And guess what: the ones we will cover here today are free, and if not completely free, then budget-friendly. 

Let’s start with the tools you can use to advertise your business.

Cost-free Tools

In a nutshell, the common denominator for the majority of cost-free tools is content. You’ve probably heard the expression: “ Content is the king”. Good content is an absolute necessity. Why? Well, it helps you stand out among your competitors and it emphasizes your value proposition even more. Also, it makes you more visible.

Engage on Social Media

Speaking of free advertising, what better than social media. The major mistake people make is that they don’t engage with their audience or with other potential partners or influencers. Speak up, share your opinion on relevant matters and draw attention when starting a company. 

Promote your blogs, follow other influential people, take part in online conferences, and create polls. Regularly posting quality content, content that your audience will benefit from, is one of the best advertising strategies you can do. And it’s free. In reality, you can hardly make a mistake here. The only mistake you can make is being dormant and just lingering on social media without providing value for your business.

Email Campaigns

Although some people may complain that there are too many emails nowadays, the fact remains that most business communications come from emails themselves. With the help of email automation tools (many of them, like AWeber offer automation in their free plans), you can really keep your clients engaged by creating welcome emails, thank you emails, email newsletters. You just schedule them according to your business priorities and they pretty much do the work for you. They are a great time saver.

Blogging

The power of words, be it spoken or written is undeniable. It’s the strongest “weapon” because it hits directly into the heart. What better way to advertise starting a company than to write blogs? Use your expertise and make a blog easy to read. Make it entertaining while shedding some light on the hottest topics from your industry. 

Blogs are a great way to show your knowledge, engage with your audience and also do some networking. You can present your business, show what sets you apart from your competitors and where your value lies. There are educational platforms for entrepreneurs that post blogs and other educational material. These platforms could be a great place to share your wisdom and attract new customers or build powerful business relationships. 

Word-of-Mouth Advertising

It goes without saying that we live in a digital age, but word-of-mouth advertising should definitely not be underestimated. Why? The answer is very simple: people buy from companies they trust. You know yourself that trust is one of the most difficult things to build because it takes lots of time and patience. 

However, with word-of-mouth advertising that process goes much faster. Your loyal customers will spread the word to their friends, families, and colleagues. Those people would be more inclined to buy from you because someone they trust recommended you. You don’t need to go through hoops to earn their trust. 

You already got yourself a nice foundation on which you can continue to build your business relations. And although it isn’t directly linked to advertising, don’t forget to reward your loyal customers. Show them how much you appreciate them.

Partnership and Branding

When you are a small business, partnering with other respectable brands can make you more visible and attract more leads. At the same time, don’t forget about your own brand. Your brand is your ambassador. Thus, it needs to be in line with your business mission and value proposition. The key is consistency so that people can start connecting the brand with you. Consistency in this case equals trust and a sense of security. 

Moreover, it makes your business more memorable. In order to achieve consistency, make sure to use the same “voice,” the same visual branding across all social media channels. Emphasize your (key) value proposition so that the next time somebody sees your logo, for example, they immediately recognize it and know what to expect.

Internal Communication

All the advertising tools that we presented in the lines above are there to help you grow your business and connect more with your target audience. However, you should bear in mind that all these tools can’t compensate for the lack of internal communication in your company/team. It is essential that you nurture this type of communication in order to really create a high-quality working environment. 

This environment will further impact the work processes, and ultimately, the way you deliver your product. To think that the relations within the company/team don’t affect the relations with your customers would be a huge mistake. 

The statistics clearly show how important this aspect is and how often we neglect it. If you are unsure where to start from, check these internal communication examples from companies like Amazon, Netflix, Starbucks, etc. You can also check the statistics while you are at it. It will give you a great(er) insight into the importance of internal communication.

Try implementing some of these advertising tips for small businesses. They can set you apart from the competition without blowing your budget or your time.

The post Starting a Company: Tools for Advertising and Communication appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Tracking internet usage, desktops, and the times your workforce is at their desk are obsolete methods. Instead, transparency, empathy, and teamwork are essential for remote employees’ productivity and creativity.

1. Remote Work Monitoring Means Setting Task Deadlines

Definitely set deadlines. However, we suggest going one step farther. Consider your work as a process and a structure, not merely a series of tasks. Unless your team understands the complete scope of their actions, every monitoring activity will focus on one single outcome rather than directing your entire team towards a common goal. Therefore, a decent framework is the objective. Tasks with deadlines are the means.

2. Remote Work Monitoring Means Following Team Activity

You need transparency when working remotely. However, transparent workflow and goals are only the beginning. After you’ve put your end together, it’s time to include your team and show them the broader picture. That way, everyone on your team understands their role, what you expect of them, and what their deliverables are.

A team effort is a group of people working together striving to achieve a common goal. Including everyone in the evaluation process will elevate your team effort to a new level. If you actually want your team to work together, we recommend periodically checking in with everyone.

3. Do NOT Monitor Employee Internet Use

No. We won’t urge you to invade your team’s personal space when we’re seeing thousands upon thousands of teams go entirely remote, most often working from home. That’s not the way to go.

Crossing the line between transparency and Big Brother demotivates your staff and adds more strain and anxiety to an already stressful situation, https://neurofitnessfoundation.org/xanax-alprazolam/. Therefore, what else can you do? Achieve total transparency.

This means including your staff in every step of the planning process. Further, it means being available for questions, offering advice, and demonstrating your trust. It’s easier to avoid procrastinating or slacking off when every step of the process is out in the open.

4. Do NOT Monitor Employees at Their Desk

No way! Instead of stalking your employees, create a system of rules and processes that will help them better manage their time outside of factory hours. If all else fails, you can check to see if your remote crew is all seated. Objectively, it shouldn’t come to that.

For example, you may always plan for your team to be online at the same time to do multi-person tasks. This can include things like meetings, reviews, seminars, refinements, and brainstorming. Therefore, organise these events in the team time slot, and allow your team members to plan their own activities.

If your team isn’t meeting their daily targets, it’s time to consider a stricter work schedule. Before do that, however, chat with your team about their challenges and why they aren’t achieving their goals. There are clearly more compassionate approaches to reaching monitoring goals. We can thank transparency for that.
Bravo, transparency!

5. Supervising Remote Employees

Again, openness is the best form of monitoring. However, we’re not talking about the kind that requires a screenshot every thirty seconds. Or, heaven forbid, invasive tracking technology.

Again, this is a great opportunity to show your leadership skills. You do lead a team, right? Here’s how to make supervision more human: involve your whole team. Define a method that allows everyone on your team to validate and provide feedback.

A common aim is one of the cornerstones of every team. Therefore, after incorporating everyone in planning and tracking, why not involve them in the validation phase?

This is especially useful when your team is interdisciplinary and members may provide valuable input and analysis of other people’s work. If they can’t, it’s a terrific method to honor and spotlight each team member. Making concerns visible makes it much more satisfying when the results receive widespread recognition.

6. Daily Report Summary

Your team may lose sight of daily completion or goals when focusing on several assignments. However, your daily summary shouldn’t just be a list of the completion of tasks. It can be so much more.

Your daily report can also help you identify areas for improvement and prospective challenges. In addition, it can highlight the activities your team needs to take to achieve or overcome them.

Your daily summary can take any shape you like. However, a regular team meeting is a great method to ensure everyone is on track and every task is verified. That way, there are no misunderstandings.

Help Your Remote Employees: Simplify Productivity

The bottom line is that remote employees will focus on work better if they know what you expect of them, and they know you have their back. You can’t possibly supervise them personally every few minutes. The intrusiveness would be unbearable!

The greatest solution is to engage your staff transparently. In addition, hold them accountable for their work regardless of when or where it is done. So long as it’s done on time, it should be acceptable. This method saves money, time, and keeps your employees productive and happy.

Image Credit: Olia Danilevich; Pexels; Thank you!

The post 6 Ways to Handle Remote Work Monitoring appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Still, you should consider carefully before making accounts on several platforms just because you can.

1. Pro: You gain a channel of communication with your customers and leads.

Social media is the easiest way to connect with would-be customers these days. Nearly every customer who has worked with or purchased from you in the past likely has a social media account.

You can reach out to them to tell their friends about your new presence on social media. Also, you should have messages open so people can contact you with offers of collaboration or questions about your products and services. Open yourself up to conversation from people.

Publicly thanking consumers for their praise and admitting shortcomings in response to criticism can be an excellent way to showcase your strengths. It shows that your business listens to and cares about what consumers think of the brand. As 47% of customers find brands more favorable when they answer questions and respond to complaints via social media, you’ll simultaneously be positioning your brand in a more favorable light.

2. Con: You might rely on ads.

Of course, to find those aforementioned would-be customers, you have to grab their eyes on social media.

Word of mouth might be the most popular and effective advertising tool. However, if you can’t reach new groups of people through it, you’ll have to branch out.

Ads on social media often aren’t expensive, and they can draw plenty of people to you via demographic targeting. You may find ads worth the investment. But, if leads start to see your ads too much, it could backfire on your business quickly.

3. Pro: Your page can unite like-minded people.

By running a social media account for your business, you can draw your customers together in one place.

They all have something in common: a love for your business! People may be able to identify a support system full of people who understand their stage of life by simply interacting with them in the comments.

You can bring together new friends and create a community that adores your business and everything you offer.

4. Con: Social media is time-consuming.

There’s a reason why being a social media manager is its own job.

First of all, you have to choose someone who knows how to curate certain content for any kind of audience. You also have to have someone make graphics and content for your page.

You also have to have that person on standby to reply to any questions in the comment sections or direct messages. They should also research the latest trends or changes in the app and algorithms. You should start with one social media platform instead of all of them.

5. Pro: You can answer frequently asked questions.

Having information on your social media accounts can help you answer the hot questions your leads ask without taking it to direct messages right away.

Restaurants and food services can include their menus on their social media pages, thereby answering any questions on what they offer and the exact price a customer should expect to pay.

You can explain more about your business by linking your website to your social media. Highlights on Instagram can be great for FAQs, as you can save a permanent question sticker that allows people to go back and ask questions whenever they feel like it — and you can post the answers to your story when applicable and save them to the FAQ highlight.

Similarly, you can put more information about your company in a lengthy about section on Facebook, which also supports direct menu uploading for any business that provides food or beauty services.

6. Con: Social media requires extensive monitoring.

You shouldn’t allow a conversation in your comments to spiral out of control.

When someone has a legitimate criticism, it’s common for brands to reply to let them know their voice has been heard and thank them for the new perspective they brought.

You’ll also want to monitor the comment section for any arguments that break out. You don’t want to give off the impression that your business tolerates hate speech or other inflammatory and offensive things.

You should have a community moderator keeping an eye on your comment sections — or limit them so that only people who follow your account can make comments.

What’s the verdict?

As a business owner, whether your company chooses to use social media should be your decision alone.

If you decide to create accounts on social media, try to focus on the platforms that give you the most return on your investment rather than spreading yourself thin across multiple platforms.

When choosing the person who will run your social media accounts, make sure to pick someone who knows what they’re doing and understands the algorithms. The more you invest in your social media game, the more payoff you’re likely to see.

The post 6 Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media in Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Brands simply cannot put it at the bottom of the pile any longer. Social media has become the need of the hour.

Be it the provision of content to an audience or an engagement incremental, social media platforms come in handy. It could ultimately boost the online presence of any business.

Social Media Marketing and Brand Awareness

Social media is all about being loyal and real in your business while presenting your brand in front of an audience. The well-established “captivity” of social media has helped businesses place themselves in the light by which they wish to be seen.

What seemed like a struggling phase without the advantage of social media platforms has become a simplified and smooth process with socializing networks.

And now social media strategies and business marketing plans have become a critical part of digital brands.

When done correctly, your social media campaign can boost brand awareness and recognition globally. It enables your company to receive enhanced digital traffic and social media success.

Most importantly, social media platforms have allowed businesses to interact well with their audience. Brands can use all the various communication mediums to have interactive sessions with their targeted groups.

Below, I’ve jotted down the 4 S’s that can work wonders for your social media success. Use them to craft a flawless social media marketing strategy in the near future. Let’s begin!

1. Setting Goals

Hear me out. Any good marketing plan always begins by establishing goals.

Before designing social media strategy for your business’s growth, you need to understand the objectives of your business. Measure the end results and write down what you want to work for.

Set your goals first. After that, it will be easier to think about a strategic plan. This set of goals and curation of objectives for the core purpose of business helps in inspiring the targeted audience.

Plan to have your social media marketers use the appropriate resources to curate data and publish posts.

Further, social media analytics and tracking tools can be used to measure the performance of the implemented strategies. Key metrics of social media analysis can be used to track your performance so far!

A Few Tips:

The specified data on your posts could also indicate which of your strategies are working and which aren’t. Data must consist of:

• the popularity of your published posts;
• engagement of followers on certain posts; and
• the reactions of your audience.

Creating an objective outline and marking them off after completion would also help you see how far you have come…and what changes you should make now.

The Evaluation Process

Evaluating your goals is also a necessary step in your social media and digital marketing, including SEO, email marketing, blogger outreach, PPC, etc.

You need to stay updated and should make changes depending on your company’s growth. Social media goals further fall into several categories including:

• increased brand awareness;
• traffic increment;
• new leads generation;
• revenue growth;
• ideal research of your audience; and
• more press mentions.

Once the objectives of the brand are identified, it should become easier to achieve them with a strategic plan.

Most of the social media platforms have made it easier to track metrics. And you cannot afford to miss out on this golden opportunity.

By integrating your social media accounts, you can kick start your digital marketing of the business. You can also use the proper analytical tools for impressive growth.

2. Setting Up Profiles

Another important step of social media success includes the setup of profiles and this should be done perfectly.

Take a look and check that each of your information blocks is filled out on your social media profiles and that you have not missed out on any essential points.

Your profile should include the location of your company, contact information, website link, and proper description of your business and services.

With the help of a brief description, you can target your audience. You can provide them with the proper information about your business.

In this way, the targeted group of people can gain valuable insights about the brand impacting their buying decision. Furthermore, this ensures that potential customers would be able to find everything in one place.

Be it the LinkedIn marketing strategy or the Facebook community campaign, you need to set up your profile first to grab the targeted audience.

If you hope to win their trust, your business profile should be set up on each social media platform.

It might be easier for you to present the brand on the local and foreign levels. Once the profiles’ setup is complete, it would be convenient to design their related strategies.

The Benefit of Consistency

At this point, after completing the setup, you also need to make sure that all the information mentioned on the profiles is the same across every platform.

With the absolute same and optimized information across all social media channels, it would also be optimal to measure the SEO performance of your business’s profile and pages throughout the search engines.

Social media profiles can help you to build brand recognition and brand awareness. Keep all the elements the same across the social media platforms including the message and design elements. This would further include the logo, company name, color theme, and profile photo.

When businesses work over their branding techniques, it helps them to build stronger brand recognition in the minds of customers.

3. Strategic Planning

Let’s talk about the third S of social media success and that means strategic planning.

Designing a social media strategy for success is nothing nearly as complex as rocket science as there are several resources that could help you to research and learn from them. Having the right plan in your hand can enable you to maximize your social media efforts, indirectly producing huge efforts.

Be it Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or whatever, businesses have to show up with the strategic planning for their business.

Ensure that all your tactics and tips are simplified and maximized enough for your social media platforms. Reaching out to the audience from the social platforms is easy but keeping them engaged is a bigger problem.

A Few Tips:

First of all, you need to know your targeted audience and should understand what their needs are. Once you know their demands and tailor your business accordingly, it will be easier to come up with a plan.

Also, observe keenly which platforms your audience is spending more time on. Once that platform has been identified, get ready to craft some unique and engaging posts.

It’s quite evident that Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have become the hot favorite social media channels among iGen. And using them to promote your business is definitely a great idea.

You need to implement the ways in which your brand might gain recognition and worth in the customers’ eyes. Keep publishing the content that could grab the attention of these consumers.

In this way, you should also be able to get in touch with the influencers from your industry. If the influencers would mention you in their posts, your brand would get noticed in amazing ways.

Moreover, take the advantage of social media management tools to track the performance of your business’s social pages. This will also help you to get a bigger picture of how your posts are performing among the audience.

4. Scheduling

The last S in the list is scheduling, which is another most important component to keep your business on track and organized in an effective way.

With the help of a scheduler or scheduling tool, you can post consistently without having to remember to do so. Scheduling is a key factor in social media success. It helps brands to manage their content posting tasks easily.

There are several social media management tools available with the help of which, you can work upon content creation, distribution, and publishing. Schedulers make it easy for business to manage and post their content and social media posts on different platforms.

Be it the LinkedIn, Twitter, or even Instagram hacks of scheduling posts and recycling content, management tools have made it all easy.

Once you understand how social media scheduling tools work, you can easily design and edit the content for future use.

At this point, it is very important to use the right type of social management tool so that nothing could go wrong once you are done with the scheduling of your content.

Once all is done, you can enjoy the perks of sitting back and letting your automated scheduler handle the rest.

A Few Tips:

You can use all-in-one social media management tools such as Social Champ. These can make your life easier like never before. With an internet tool such as this, you are able to upload the content easily and can save the posts for years.

For busy marketers and social media managers, all-in-one automation has been a huge help. These tools also allow you to track the performance of your social media posts.

It’s all good to create a social media calendar and take the help of social platforms management tool. But while mapping out, keep some important tips in your mind. The real key is to share as much as you can rather than promotion.

Don’t forget to link the content to your brand’s website as well. Moreover, check out to post at the best time so the audience’s engagement on your posts is high enough to impress others.

Wrapping Up

Social media success is nothing like rocket science and could be achieved with the above-mentioned 4 S’s of social media.

What you need is a strategic and smart approach towards your business goals. Once everything has been defined, it will become easier for your brand to maintain its reputation in the market of digital businesses.

Consistency is the key to win the audience’s heart and attention, so get the best designers and writers on the board to hit your mark successfully.

The post The Four S’s of Social Media Success appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

One year ago, a top Facebook executive approached Mark Zuckerberg. He offered to add facial recognition to his products.

That executive’s name was Andrew Bosworth. Bosworth claimed that facial recognition technology could enable the company to identify individuals in virtual environments. It could also create labels that would appear right next to their bodies. This technology was in use for over a decade to tag and identify people in Facebook photos.

This is all according to an internal source. That person spoke under the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues.

According to the source, Zuckerberg would not agree to it. After years of scandal, the company wanted to take a new direction that prioritized encryption and privacy.

Already, U.S. cities and countries had adopted privacy laws to restrict facial recognition. Other company leaders believed that Facebook should be ahead of them.

The Growth of Facial ID

It took months to dismantle facial identification. It was a technology Facebook pioneered and was crucial in enabling it to grow virally.

Facebook then shocked the world by announcing it was closing the program. It was deleting more than one billion faces from its databases. This was due to public concern over unregulated technology.

The announcement came amid the worst public relations crisis of its 17-year history. The Facebook whistleblower revealed internal documents. The platform was shown to have awareness of societal harm.

Some observers and ex-insiders speculate that the timing was chosen to appease critics. They claim that the company doesn’t care about the safety of its users as it builds its products.

In fact, the decision had been in the making for almost a year before the current scandal.

The internal artificial intelligence team championed the proposal. Facebook policy professionals supported that team. They believe regulation of controversial technologies will come eventually, according to several people familiar with company thinking.

According to two sources, the proposal to make the change was presented to Mike Schroepfer, chief technology officer, and Bosworth, in June. It consisted of a 50-page policy document that outlined the pros and cons of getting rid of facial recognition in every division.

Changes to Facial Recognition Policy

Some critics and ex-insiders claim that executives believe they can change the company.

Paul Argenti, Dartmouth University professor of corporate communication, said that “This is a leadership issue — full stop.” Argenti went on to say that, “This attitude — we’re right and you’re wrong — is a part of the company’s DNA.”

Facebook referenced its blog post explaining the reasons behind shuttering the program in response to a comment request.

The motivations behind the sudden change are unclear. This follows a pattern of making big announcements in times of crisis.

For example, Instagram has stopped creating Instagram for children for several weeks, saying that it needed to “listen” and respond to parent concerns. It promised privacy and safety would be considered “from the beginning” when it launched a new suite for virtual reality plans last week.

Then it did what critics call the most significant deflection: Facebook changed its name to Meta.

The Constant Crisis

For the past four years, Facebook has been in constant crisis. After discovering that Russians had extensively abused their service, Facebook minimized the severity of the problem in 2017.

One year later, the company revealed that Cambridge Analytica — a Trump-affiliated political consulting firm — and a researcher had used the company’s loose data policy to improperly siphon user profile information from tens of millions of U.S. Facebook users.

Both times, Zuckerberg publicly apologized dramatically. The company made hurried announcements to make it seem proactive.

The Russian disgrace led to the CEO using his Facebook wall to apologize during the Jewish holiday of atonement called Yom Kippur. The company ran full-page ads in major newspapers after the scandal of Cambridge. These were Zuckerberg’s apology letters.

Frances Haugen, a product manager at the company’s division of civic integrity, made public a cache of tens to thousands of documents in October. These documents show how Facebook knew that its service led to political polarization. The use of misinformation harmed the mental well-being of teenage girls. In many cases, it even rescinded the steps it was proposing for reducing the harm.

Scandal

After so many crises, Facebook executives have a tried-and-true strategy. It’s simple:” “Flood the zone with good news to counter any bad.”

“They might not be able to predict how large a crisis will be, but they’ll look at the news and see what you can do to impact it.” Katie Harbath, former director of policy at Facebook, helped to manage many company scandals. Her work included the Cambridge Analytica privacy controversy. However, she claimed that she didn’t know about the facial recognition decision.

Facebook’s public relations department controls every aspect of product decisions. According to people and numerous documents obtained by The Washington Post, managers can concoct negative and positive headlines for any potential product announcement.

Sheryl Sandberg is the chief operating officer at Facebook. She is also the highest-ranking executive in charge of the company’s public relations strategies. She has named her private conference room “Only Good News” at Menlo Park headquarters. Zuckerberg’s foundational “Move quickly and break things” philosophy has since been removed from the Menlo Park Campus.

After the Russia scandal, the company employed thousands of content moderators. It also established a new division to combat “coordinated, inauthentic behavior.”

Facebook made significant changes to its data-sharing policies following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. These changes were partly motivated by legal actions against Facebook. They helped lay the foundation for the announcement of facial recognition ending this week.

FTC: No Facial Recognition

In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission filed charges against the company. It later settled for $5 billion — the largest privacy settlement ever made against any company.

This settlement allowed regulators to have greater oversight of the company’s data practices and facial recognition. The company will reorient the message platforms of Zuckerberg, which includes Messenger and WhatsApp. No one, including Facebook, will be able to access the messages afterward.

Apple’s 2020 decision to limit data that apps can collect on its platform is a significant blow to Facebook’s business model.

Argenti stated that the “playbook Facebook uses to manage its crises” is “classic wrong.” Argenti noted that any company trying to correct a mistake should admit it, explain how to fix it, and then assure everyone that it won’t happen again.

“This is not their DNA. He said, “And, yes. What I’m advocating for is more of a transformation in their business, how they lead and how they communicate.”

The post Facebook Decides Against Facial Recognition…For Now appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Blogs must not just function by your own will, but with a plan. Listed below are six simple business blogging guidelines that will help you create a great blog.  These will allow you to connect with customers and potential customers in a way that’s engaging and answers their questions.

1. Define your blogging goals.

Before you begin blogging, it’s essential to define the goals that you want your platform to accomplish. This will help you to develop a content strategy and show you where to focus your efforts. To define your website’s goals, you must answer the question, “Why are you blogging?”

• Driving foot traffic to your business?
• Increase sales or generate leads?
• Educating customers and prospects about your business guidelines?
• A behind-the-scenes look?
• Attracting potential customers from outside your area?
• Brand identity?

To be effective and focused, a blog content strategy should include at least two to three of these goals. It’s important to remember that your goals should be specific.

2. Keep it up.

Regularly updating your blog with new content is essential for your business and for it to appear active. This will help your website rank higher on search results.

There aren’t any clear guidelines on how often your blog should be updated. However, it depends on your goals. Here are some tips for business bloggers.

HubSpot states that if your main goal is to increase organic traffic, you should post regularly. This would translate into approximately 3-4 times per week for small businesses. If you want to increase awareness about your small business, then posting only once or twice per week is sufficient.

3. Do keyword research.

Although blogging about your business topics is a good idea, it’s important that your content targets the search terms people are using to maximize its reach. Keyword research can help you find these search terms.

The ideal key phrase is one that has high search volume, low competition, and is relevant for your business. Your blog will rank higher in search results and attract more traffic if you include these keywords in your title and body.

4. Try to write blog posts of the ideal length.

Although there are no guidelines, you should limit the length of a blog post to a certain word count. It is possible to create traffic to your website or generate leads by writing longer blog posts. According to most recent numbers, for search engine optimization, the ideal length of a post is between 2100-2400 words and for lead generation, it’s around 2500 words.

There are many types of blog posts and they all have different lengths. Blog posts answering questions should not exceed 1300 words and should be kept to under 1700 words. How-to posts should contain between 1700 and 2100 words.

These lengths will make your content more visible in search results. However, engaging content can be created that is higher quality, informative, and includes relevant keywords that are easy to find for your audience.

5. Include visual elements.

Images and videos make pages more interesting to visitors. They also help increase attention spans. Research shows that people retain 65% of information when it’s accompanied with visuals. Only 10% are retained if the information is not accompanied by visuals.

Infographics and charts can be used to increase the time users spend reading your blog posts and help them remember its content.

6. Create a blog content calendar.

Birdseye-view content calendars can help you avoid writer’s block by providing a structure to follow. It also makes consistent blogging easier by helping you visualize what you need to do.

Although all of these tips for business blogging may seem overwhelming, they will help you create a framework to your blog that ensures that your content is timely and reaches your target audience. You’ll be amazed at the positive impact they have on your business and blog.

Just think of your post as the friendly neighborhood bulletin board where people can post their ideas and comments. This gives customers the feeling of the personal touch, even with big companies.

These guidelines are meant to encourage the average small business owner. Blogging platforms such as WordPress are extremely user friendly today. Anyone with normal intelligence and a half hour to spend each day can put up a blog, one that will drive business your way. And don’t forget to constantly check out your competitor’s blogs! Chances are you’ll be able to pick up some good stuff there, too.

The post Guidelines for Beginners at Small Business Blogs appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

While every small business website is different, the race to get highly ranked on Google is the same for every SMB owner.  Fortunately, there are steps you can take to rank highly on Google, but it takes time and you’ve definitely got to keep up on your technology research.  So if you’re concerned about your Google rank, and struggling for more traffic, read further.  We’ll share tips about how Google ranks your website in search engine results and what you can do to improve your odds in the SEO game.

Why Is a High Google Search Rank Important?

Most SMB owners are urgently seeking ways to get their site seen online. The best way to do this is to get ranked on the top of the first page of a Google search.  Google is responsible for 90% of search results, and therefore it’s a big contender when getting your website found online and gaining traffic from visitors.

There are a variety of ways to get highly ranked on Google, and we’ll discuss that in a minute.  But first, the important thing to know is getting that coveted top-rank spot on Google is crucial.  In fact, according to search engine results page (SERP) reports, 32% of searchers click on the first page of Google results, whereas a meager 17% take the time to click on the 2nd page and a whopping 3% don’t even bother to push on to the 3rd page of results.  With these sobering statistics in mind, you can clearly see how a high Google rank for your SMB website is critical.

How SEO and Google Ranking Factors Work

Savvy search engine optimization is the best way to get ranked as highly as possible on Google search results pages. There are two different types of ranking strategies – organic and paid. Organic search results happen through SEO tactics that you, as an SMB website operator, render yourself through on-page tweaks and satisfying Google criteria.  The only investment you need to make in organic traffic and search results is your own hard work (or hiring an SEO expert). 

Paid search results, as the name implies, involve pay-per-click advertisements that you pay for in order to boost your traffic. The most common example is Google AdWords, in which you pay for a campaign for your website ad to be featured on other websites, and Google searches.

Both paid and organic rankings on Google are governed by their algorithms based on metrics and criteria Google deems important.  In all, there are over 200 Google ranking criteria and factors – and some SEO experts suspect there are more, but we may never know all the tricks up Google’s sleeve in terms of how they assess which sites are ranked higher than others.  But that’s no cause to lose hope in your SEO game.  Read further for how you can improve your Google search result ranking.

Top Criteria Google Looks At When Ranking Your SMB Website

If your website isn’t getting ranked on the first page of a Google search result page, then there’s room for improvement.  Here are the top criteria Google looks for that you can implement on your SMB site to boost your SEO and Google search rank.

Site Speed:  One of the factors involved with ranking high on Google search results is having adequate bandwidth so your site speed is optimal.  You can boost your website speed by obtaining the best managed WordPress hosting services, or dedicated hosts.  These services provide security, fast website speeds, and many more benefits that can meet the approval of Google standards for getting ranked.  When you bear in mind that 68% of web surfers click out of a website that is too slow to load, then you know site speed is vital to your SMB website success.

Get Backlinks:  One of the top ways Google determines your site is relevant is how many backlinks you have. Backlinks are links on other websites that direct back to your website.  The more links Google finds on other websites that link back into your website, the better your rank will be.  You can get backlinks by asking website owners related to your niche for a link placed on their site.  You might also inquire if you can be a guest author and have a blog post on other websites with a link back to your website.

Keyword Factors:  This is a huge aspect of SEO that Google takes into consideration.  To get the tricky business of keyword optimization right, you’ve got to research the keywords or phrases that are relevant to your SMB website’s genre.  For example, if you sell baseball bats, do a Google search on highly sought-after keywords related to baseball bats.  Ultimately, you want high-demand keywords that are in low supply on the internet.  Once you collect this essential keyword data, you can begin building quality blog posts around these keywords.  Be sure to include keywords into the title, the first paragraph, in your image descriptions and sprinkled throughout your article.

Consistent Content:  Most SMB websites die on the internet vine because they aren’t offering fresh, new content on a regular basis.  Google looks for websites that are consistently adding new content.  This is essential for getting traffic to your website.  A blog section on your SMB website is crucial for getting ranked online.  Keep your content evergreen so that Google is constantly scanning your site.  This one thing is a giant in terms of boosting your rank on Google search.

Get Responsive:  Make sure your SMB website is responsive. This means your site needs to be easily viewable on any device.  Google started penalizing websites around 2015 if they were not mobile-friendly by ranking them lower on search engines.  If you’re using a WordPress platform, then get a WP theme that is responsive and mobile-friendly.  Currently, almost 70% of internet users view websites on their mobile phones. Therefore, if your site isn’t viewable on mobile phones, tablets, and desktops, Google will ding you for that, and your site will rank lower in search results.

The Last Word on Getting Highly Ranked on Google

Whether you opt for paid or organic traffic or even hire an SEO expert to help you with optimizing your SMB website, boosting your presence online is pivotal to your SMB success.  So if you’re fed up with low traffic and substandard search engine rankings, employ these tactics to optimize your site and start getting the sales you deserve. 

The post How to Improve Your SMB Website Google Search Engine Ranking appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Whether you’re building a website for your small business or thinking of a site redesign, WordPress (WP) can be your best ally in achieving your online business goals.  So, read further about how this platform can work for you, and why your business should run on WordPress.

Why More Small Business Owners Are Turning to WordPress for Their Websites

According to the most recent WordPress statistics, there are over 60 million websites online today currently using WordPress, and over 400 million people search WP websites each month.  Furthermore, almost 700 WP websites go live every single day. 

These impressive statistics confirm that WordPress gets the popular vote in terms of a go-to content management system, but why?  What makes WP so appealing to SMBs around the world? Here are a few advantages to WordPress that small business owners are raving about.

Big Features Small Businesses Can Afford

Most small business owners are under the impression their budget can’t handle all the frills and features as seen on mega business websites.  This simply isn’t the case.  WordPress is a free content management system (CMS) that packs a lot of power when it comes to adding everything your SMB needs to have a cutting-edge yet affordable website.

What’s more, WordPress is open-source, which means developers can contribute to WPs software. Because WP is so versatile and popular, developers create tons of plugins, themes, and widgets to meet every SMB need.  As of 2021, there are over 50,000 plugins for WordPress, and that means lots of bells and whistles for you to create a fully functional website.

A Reputation for Security

While no SMB website is bulletproof from hackers, WordPress comes pretty close.  Because WP is the largest and most used CMS system to date, they are invested in providing the best, top-notch security measures.  WordPress accomplishes this by constantly updating and improving their CMS for maximum security.  You can also further safeguard your SMB website by easily connecting with a secure WordPress hosting service.  This will ensure your site has optimal protection from hackers and technical meltdowns.

Other content management systems often require users to manually check for updates. That’s not the case with WP.  They have instant updates and conduct regular performance maintenance so you can be confident your site’s security is always up to snuff.  WordPress is also compliant with the most current international security practices and policies, whereas other CMS platforms are left wanting for such proactive security measures.

Super User-Friendly

By far, one of the best advantages of having a WordPress business site is its ease of use.  Even the least tech-savvy business owner will find WP features convenient, user-friendly, and super simple.  Furthermore, because WP is such a popular CMS, if you run into trouble with your WordPress site design, answers are just a Google search away.  

Additionally, a slew of WP themes are available that allow you to easily get the dynamic design and functionality you want for your business site.  Between plugins and WPs easy-to-use features, you can build a website without any knowledge of HTML or CSS coding.

More Than Just a Blog

It’s a common misunderstanding that WordPress is exclusively for bloggers. WP might have started out as a blogging platform in 2003, but today, WordPress has completely innovated upon its CMS to cater to a variety of site owners’ needs.  That said, WP does deliver the capacity for your SMB to have a blog, which is crucial to driving organic traffic to your website. 

In addition to adding a blog on your WP small business website, you can also incorporate other features such as membership modules, shopping carts, portfolios, discussion forums, eLearning capability, auction features – you get the idea.  Your ability to expand and branch out into various different sales modules is almost endless with a WordPress site. 

It’s Geared for SEO

SEO (search engine optimization) is a huge deal in getting traffic to your website. Thankfully, WordPress has SEO built into the platform.   Out of the box, WP generates meta descriptions and title tags for your posts and pages.  This allows search engines to detect your online content, which can potentially rank your SMB website higher on search engine results. 

But that’s not all.  WP works seamlessly with certain online tools and plugins such as Yoast, which helps you optimize your content to the max.  These plugins are crucial to making sure your posts and pages get ranked well in search engines. Furthermore, there are other helpful plugins available that help you with repairing broken links, 404 redirects, and no-follow checks.  If you don’t know what that means, that’s okay, because WP makes it easy to fix issues that commonly thwart website rankings on search engines such as Google.

A Community of Loyal Users

WordPress has been around for almost two decades.  Over that span of time, WP has built a loyal following. That means there are tons of committed fans of WP, and loads of forums dedicated to WordPress users.  This puts you at an advantage for getting answers, gaining insight, and learning more about WP from legitimate, experienced WP users.  Furthermore, it should be noted that WordPress has a long history, and therefore, solutions for any kind of WP question are easy to find online. 

The Last Word on WordPress

With its legendary security features and overwhelming popularity with pros and newbies alike, it should be clear that WordPress is an ideal solution for your SMB website goals.  The fact that WP is so convenient to use as well as adaptable and scalable means you can also grow your business website with WP without having to suffer from major overhauls as your business grows.  Lastly, WP is the choice content management system when you want full control over your business website, because it gives you the power to publish a site that functions fabulously and looks stunning.

The post 6 Reasons To Have an SMB WordPress Website appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Do-It-Yourself

Gone are the days that you have to pay a professional website builder to create a website for your small business. They will typically charge you a lot for their expertise and pedigree. When you are starting or running a small business, it’s necessary to keep your overhead low. This is why you should build the website yourself. Luckily, there are plenty of tools to help you build an aesthetically pleasing, informative, and stylish website.

For example, using a wuality WordPress hosting service gives you all the tools you need to create a unique and effective site. You won’t just be able to create a site that has all the information consumers need about your business, it will also ensure that users receive a fast, secure, and reliable website experience. 

Furthermore, client management and billing tools allow you to expand your business with online sales and metrics. Whatever your brand, product, service, or business model, a do-it-yourself website will offer everything you need.

Costs To Pay Attention To

There are quite a few costs of building a website should you go a little further. The first cost that you need to think about is the domain. You want to have a unique website link that represents your business. It should be clear and concise. To purchase the perfect website domain, you will have to pay for it. The website infrastructure comes next. This is the money you pay a site like WordPress to provide the infrastructure you need to get started.

You can also pay professionals to build a custom site from the ground up, but it’s a lot cheaper to pay a company that enables you to do it yourself. Website builders are very helpful and affordable. If you plan on publishing a lot of content, you might also want to pay someone to come up with a content management system that best suits your needs.

Beyond the website infrastructure and domain, you should think about the associated art and design. While you can build the website on your own, professional and unique logos and graphics for your brand should be outsourced to a professional. Original and eye-catching graphics are important to creating a cohesive art style and business marketing strategy. Beyond art, graphic design, and logos, you can pay a photographer to take pictures for your website. Photos are a great way to get your business noticed.

Design templates are another item that you could pay for. Website builders have templates available to you for free, but if you want something custom you can pay extra for an original template. Finally, email templates offer readers, subscribers, and customers a way for them to contact you. While building a website with a company that provides the tools for you to create a unique and compelling site, there are plenty of ways to invest in your small business online. Depending on what you want and need for your website, putting in the extra money could pay off.

Website Content

Of course, when you are building your business’s website you will need content. You could write it yourself, but if you pay a professional copywriter who is skilled in SEO, then your site may really grow. One way to utilize digital marketing on your website is to publish a frequently updated blog that targets specific keywords, demographics, and links back to your products and services.

Website content should include all of the information about your business, products, and services. You can include a home page, an about page, an FAQ section, and other helpful information. A blog is another way to expand your audience by using keywords, hyperlinks, metadata, and informing people about what you are offering. You might think that website content is an ancillary part of building a site, but in fact, it is one of the most important parts of the process.

Plug-Ins

A website builder, extra art and design, as well as website content are enough to build a great site for your small business, but there are also plug-ins you can use to expand it. With plenty of tools to easily manage your promotion of a web store or blog, it’s possible to create exactly what you envision for your company’s site. Get in contact with your customers, promote deals, and make announcements with different plug-ins. You can also collaborate better and work towards improving the site.

Maintenance & Updates

Finally, the last step of building a website for your small business is to update it and maintain the platform. The costs will be less than building the website in the first place, but you will also have to renew your domain and pay for the website builder every month. 

One thing is for sure—every small business needs a website. It’s necessary to promote your brand, services, or product while using the digital space for marketing opportunities. You want your customers and loyal followers to have a central place to visit and a website to tell their friends about. It doesn’t matter whether you’re opening a restaurant or have big dreams of turning your start-up into the biggest tech company in the world, a website is a good place to start. Even if your business is just you and your talents, creating a beautiful and accessible site is pivotal to growth. 

The post Tips for Building a Small Business Website on a Budget appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Indeed, restrictive processes can have adverse effects on user experience, and this commonly causes misconceptions regarding DRM’s origin and purpose.

Here are four of these misconceptions detailed, explained, and examined.

1. DRM Technology Is Always Conceptually Separate From the Product Itself

Oftentimes, content owners will implement extraneous security services into their products to save time and money. One example could be a video game technology that identifies and punishes hackers for breaching conduct rules. This isn’t universal, however; DRM can also refer to owner-altered/added code within the product. This code, which changes how certain aspects of the product are presented, can be as simple as a user interface change. 

Further, DRM can be integral to the product in that its inherent design is often a linchpin of the product’s public presentation. Streaming services are a good example of this, particularly freemium platforms like Hulu (as it was originally conceived, anyhow). 

While other streaming platforms offered only paid plans, Hulu stood out by integrating DRM to provide a free plan with advertising support. Because Hulu created this uncommon offer at the time, the act positively influenced the public’s perception of the service. By lowering the barrier to entry (i.e., lack of a paywall), Hulu exemplified DRM’s structural importance to a product.

2. DRM Applies Only to the Prevention of Piracy

Digital rights management is often mentioned in relation to cases of breached copyright because piracy prevention is one of its most important applications. Without it, your product can be used, shared, and altered by anyone, anywhere — effectively revoking your ownership status. 

That said, you can use the technology for more than just preventing unauthorized access. DRM can also help you establish your audience. One common method is to allow access to content through a one-time or recurring payment. Without this payment, which helps to fund your content creation efforts, a consumer will not have the right to use the product. 

You can also employ tools to monitor your content’s usage and use the data to direct advertising integration. Video-based platforms like Aux Mode, which developed a SaaS revenue reporting software to make these calculations, can help streamline this monetization process.

3. DRM Methods Are Always Restrictive or Inconvenient

DRM allows you to control your product’s distribution, and as a result, it is often employed for just this reason. Consider a skit that contains imagery banned in a certain country. If you post it, it might get removed from a platform entirely. 

Using digital rights management, you can region-lock the video, protecting your revenue stream and ensuring your future ability to post permitted content. While the ban disadvantages users in certain regions, using DRM in this way ensures continued audience access to your content overall.

It is also important to evaluate the accessibility of alternative products and content sources when considering DRM methods. On a digital media store, for example, paying $5 to watch a movie may seem expensive. A number of streaming services offer many movies for free — and there’s an abundance of options for downloading films illegally. But the latter involves risk, both of potential legal action and the possibility of downloading viruses. If the film is not available anywhere else, paying $5 for security and instant access becomes much more attractive.

4. DRM Implementation Will Only Prevent Growth

Consumers certainly get frustrated when an app they’ve been curious about requires a prohibitive subscription even to try it out. Why should they pay for a month of use when they were never all that married to it in the first place? 

It’s true; this kind of digital rights management implementation can and often does push users away instead of locking them in. But DRM does not inherently repel consumers. If your product has value and uses DRM appropriately, the opposite is likely.

Imagine the same scenario but with the app offering a free 7-day trial. Upon testing it, the user realizes that it does everything they hoped for and more. Suddenly the price doesn’t seem so bad. These new elements (the free trial and benefits realization) are the draw, and the former actively promotes growth through DRM. As long as you employ a balance of restrictive and welcoming methods, your product will ultimately speak for itself.

DRM is a versatile and multifaceted system. Not only can it restrict unauthorized usage, but it also allows creators freedoms that can then benefit the user base. With the control it provides, creators can protect their content and continue to make more. 

Of course, DRM is not perfect. If it were, these misconceptions wouldn’t exist, nor would these important questions be asked. But it is the best defense for digital content owners, who will continue to embrace its advantages for the foreseeable future.

The post 4 Common Misconceptions About Digital Rights Management appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

What are Website Plugins?

One of the top ploys small business owners use to improve their websites is utilizing plugins. A plugin is a software add-on embedded in a website to help visitors with an array of different user-friendly features.  Many plugins may come standard with a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress or SquareSpace.  Other plugins can be downloaded, and their purpose is to enhance the function of a website. In either case, a plugin is ideally meant to enhance the user experience when visiting a small business website. These neat applications come in handy because they are easy to copy and paste into a website, which means no more complicated coding.

In the old days of website building, plugins were more about novelty than function. While these retro plugins offered entertainment value with moving fish, moon phases, or weather forecasts, they didn’t contribute much value to a website’s purpose or mission. 

Why and When Should Plugins be Used on a Website?

Today, a plugin is judged on its merit to work seamlessly within a website while giving the user superior ability to access important content. Plugins should also help visitors navigate the website and inform them about essential information pertinent to your business mission, offerings, and purpose. 

Resist the urge to embed cutsie or quirky plugins that do nothing but suck up your website’s hosting bandwidth. Plugins should be used exclusively with your business objective and website user in mind. When you’re using plugins, remember your motivation should be all about your client, customer, or the core functionality of your business. 

The most integral plugins are used to streamline customer inquiries, drive sales and build a better customer experience on a website. Examples of these helpful plugins include chat features, resources for product information, shopping cart applications, or marketing pop-ups to alert your visitor about current sales campaigns.

Top Plugins to Improve Your Website

As a small business owner, how you build a website is pivotal. There are many factors such as design, speed, and responsiveness across varying devices. The list of considerations may seem endless. Thankfully, choosing the right plugins doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are a few top plugins that can enhance almost every small business website.

Newsletters and Subscriptions

Your small business relies on keeping connected with your customers and clients. Many third-party newsletter management systems offer plugins you can embed in your website that assist you in managing your subscribers once they’ve opted into your newsletter. Furthermore, these plugins from email services such as MailChimp or ConstantContact offer convenient ways for users to sign up for your weekly or monthly mail-outs.

Testimonials and Reviews

No matter your small business, your success is contingent upon customer reviews. Now more than ever, testimonials are essential to providing potential customers reliable feedback about your product or service. Hence, they feel they can make the right choice by purchasing from you.  Depending upon your content management system (CMS), you may be able to download a Facebook plugin that publishes customer reviews from your FB page and mirrors the same testimonial on your website. Other plugins are independent bits of software that allow your customers to easily leave reviews directly on your site relating to specific products or services they’ve ordered from your business. Some resources to publish visible customer reviews on your website include Schema, WP Review Pro, or Customer Reviews for WooCommerce.

Mapping Feature

If your business relies heavily on local commerce, a handy plugin to consider is a map function. These plugins enable GPS capabilities that present a map to your potential customers. If your website visitor allows access, they can see the distance and directions to your physical location. Google Maps or WordPress Store Locator are two among the most popular map plugins.

Shopping Cart

This is perhaps the heart and soul of any small business website. After all, if your shopping cart plugin is buggy or malfunctioning, you’re ultimately losing a sale. What’s worse, you could damage your business reputation with faulty shopping cart software. Check which shopping cart plugins are best compatible with your CMS. For example, if your content management system operates on WordPress, then the WP shopping cart plugin may be your best, most reliable solution. Suppose you are using third-party e-commerce solutions such as Shopify or a drop-ship service such as Spocket, Printify, or AliExpress. In that case, these companies provide integrative shopping cart applications that may be compatible with your website.

Customer Service Features

Your small business brand, reputation, and livelihood is fueled by stellar customer service. No matter what type of business you run, the competition is brutal on the internet. Very often, companies that win the sale are the ones that provide superior (and fast) customer service. These days, users want instant responses to their questions about products or services purchased online. That’s why a chat plugin such as ZenDesk or Freshdesk allows you to communicate with your customer directly and immediately. While more users want options for chat, this doesn’t rule out traditional email contact forms. Using a simple email plugin such as OptinMonster or Ninja Forms can give your website visitors easy access to customer service via email inquiries.

In conclusion, the power of plugins is virtually endless when it comes to improving your website and establishing a user-friendly experience for your visitors. First, consider which plugins are most important for your small business’s success. Then check if these plugins are compatible with your content management system. Lastly, install and activate your plugins and watch how these neat add-ons can help simplify and enrich your website’s ability to gain and retain business.

The post Why Plugins Matter: The Top 5 Website Plugins for Your Small Businesses appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

More than 3.5 billion people — approximately half of the entire human population — are active on social media, with an average of three hours being spent per day per person on social networks. What’s more, 54% of social users use social media to research products and engage with brands.

There’s no shortage of tips and strategies you can use to leverage social media as a branding tool. Listed below are three of the most fundamental yet highly effective social media branding tips that you’ll want to implement as soon as possible.

1. Understand which social platforms you want to target.

First things first. How well do you know your target audience?

Got concrete answers to questions such as how old they are? What do they like/dislike? Which social media platforms do they hang out on most? What types of branded content do they engage with best? What motivates them to make a purchase?

The better you know your audience, the better you’ll know where to focus your efforts. You don’t necessarily need to have a loud presence on every platform for effective branding.

For example, when branding your local boutique, establishing a strong presence on Instagram and Facebook should do the trick. Conversely, as a budding B2B startup, focusing on LinkedIn makes more sense.

Simply put, to get the most audience engagement and ROI for the valuable content you create and post, you must pick the right social platforms.

Take the time to do your research. Survey your existing customers about their social network preferences. Learn what your competitors are doing.

Ultimately, you’ll use all of these facts and pieces of evidence to decide which social platforms are worth your effort.

2. For social media branding, focus on visual content.

At its core, effective branding — especially on social media — is all about the presentation of amazing visuals.

To have a consistent color scheme in all the graphics you create and pictures you post, chalk out a visual style guide that outlines your branded color palette. That way, you’ll make sure you have the same hues and fonts in all of your social content.

Over time, your audience will internalize a visual pattern associated with all of your content. They’ll then link those patterns with your brand without even looking at your social media handle.

Attaining this level of brand recognition is possible if you focus on posting visually strong and consistent content.

In fact, internal data from Twitter — a platform that isn’t usually considered visual-first —  proves that people are three times more likely to engage with Tweets that include visual content such as images, GIFs, and videos.

Source: Huckberry

Visual content such as GIFs and short video clips command audience attention as they scroll through a feed. Visual content encourages more engagement.

What if visual design isn’t an area of strength at my company?

Your content doesn’t always have to be elaborate or even particularly well-planned. For example, you could showcase your business using a behind-the-scenes video or promote company culture with an impromptu team photo or quick vlog-type walkthrough of your workspace. You could also show picture testimonials of happy customers or demonstrate your product in use.

Let’s say you decide to use a new video-creation tool with a ton of features to create professional-grade video content for your company. Your team may find it challenging to fully adopt the new tool and leverage all its advanced capabilities. In this case, consider leveraging a digital adoption platform (DAP). A DAP empowers your team to swiftly learn the new software by providing a comprehensive and interactive walk-through of the tool. With a DAP, you can train your team more effectively. They won’t lose productivity trying to make the most of the new software that’s meant to take your social content to the next level.

Long story short, to effectively leverage any social media platform for branding your small business, maintain a strong focus on visual content that’s consistent and engaging.

3. Effective social media branding requires that you engage with your followers.

The greatest benefit to using social media for branding your small business is that it allows you to show your brand’s “human side.” You can talk to your audience informally.

You accomplish this by publicly replying to comments and concerns on a first-name basis. Feel free to use emojis and slang to speak like an individual with a personality. This will make your brand more approachable and personable.

Spark more two-way engagement with your audience with calls to action. For instance, “Drop your favorite __ in the comments!” or “How do you go about ___?” in captions.

After all, 71% of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend that brand to friends and family. Creating positive, branded conversations on social media counts.

Use social media to speak, but also to listen.

In addition, customers are talking about your brand across the social web. This not only includes social media platforms such as Facebook but also Q&A platforms such as Quora. Business review sites such as Yelp and Trustpilot are also a crucial part of this social web conversation. You’ll want to use a brand monitoring tool to track who’s talking about your brand, on which platform, and whether it’s in a positive or negative light.

Apart from praise, you’re sure to receive criticism from time to time. Be proactive. Respond to both types of mentions in a tactful and timely manner. Be frank and friendly, assuring a better experience next time.

Show that you value your customers’ opinions. Use a CRM such as SuperOffice to store all your customer’s feedback and data. This ensures that you truly improve the customer experience moving forward. Knowing your customers as individuals is key to building better relationships.

Time for action!

Now it’s your turn. If you want to grow your customer base, put these three tips into practice to effectively leverage social media for branding your small business. Start small and build over time and, if you found this post useful, be sure to share it with your growing social network.

The post 3 Tips for Leveraging Social Media Branding for Your Small Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Instagram is primarily a photo-sharing platform packed with features that help businesses sell their products. According to statistics, more than 72% of users purchased a product they saw on Instagram. With the right marketing strategy, any size brand can increase its reach, find new customers, promote products, and generate more sales.

Whether you want to grow followers for your eCommerce brand or earn more clients for another company, there are several Instagram marketing tools that help you promote your products or services and generate more conversions. Here are 11 top picks.

Increase Your Reach With These Instagram Marketing Tools

Awario

Awario is a brand monitoring and social listening tool that serves up instantaneous brand mentions from the web and social media. It helps your company reach new audiences, create relevant content related to your product or service, and participate in discussions. With Awario, you can better understand your prospective customers and create results-oriented Instagram marketing campaigns.

Awario acts as a great Instagram marketing tool for small and mid-size companies to connect with their target audience. It helps you discover prospective customers by allowing you to provide immediate solutions to their problems. Awario also enables you to find industry influencers and develop beneficial relationships to market your products. You can identify industry trends, perform hashtag research, and delve into competitor analysis to create more engaging Instagram content.

Iconosquare

Iconosquare is a social media analytics tool that helps businesses make well-informed and data-backed decisions for Instagram. It helps you increase Instagram engagement by visualizing the important metrics and improving your content marketing strategy.

Iconosquare includes many useful features such as the best time to post, geolocation, user targeting, user tagging, and more. These features help you post content automatically and reach the right audience at the right time. You can also schedule your comment along with hashtags to increase engagement and reach. Iconosquare helps you keep a close eye on your competitors and share your performance report with your social media team.

Sked Social

Sked Social is a great tool for brands, enabling marketers to plan visually engaging posts for an Instagram feed. You create posts for your Instagram feed in advance and see how your feed will look. It lets you automatically publish posts to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can schedule Instagram posts along with relevant hashtags, location tags, and product tags to boost engagement and generate more sales. You can even schedule user-generated content.

Later

Later is an Instagram platform that helps marketers visually plan their posts. The tool allows you to automatically publish content and get useful insights to connect to the right audience. With Later, you can create a visually appealing feed for your Instagram audience using a drag-and-drop interface. Later helps you select the best time to post and also allows marketers to find on-brand content to create more engagement. Its in-depth analytics enable you to track exactly which posts are driving traffic and where your followers are converting.

Agorapulse

Agorapulse is a social media management tool that helps marketers stay organized. From publishing posts to reporting, social monitoring to getting insightful analytics, and team collaboration, Agorapulse is packed with useful tools. You can plan your Instagram feed in advance, giving you the freedom to create better strategies for your business and reach more clients.

Kicksta

Kicksta is a powerful Instagram growth tool that uses artificial intelligence technology to acquire authentic, organic followers. With this tool, you can find your competitors, industry influencers, and complementary brands. Kicksta lets you engage followers who follow profiles similar to yours. It will help you engage with a similar audience and increase the chances that they will follow you back. As a result, Kicksta helps you improve brand awareness and boost your follower growth.

Gleam

Gleam is a powerful tool designed for running Instagram giveaways and contests. It assists you in running campaigns that boost your audience engagement and business growth effortlessly. You can run hassle-free campaigns with features such as automatic entry validation and random or manual winner selection. Gleam also allows you to embed their mobile-friendly widget onto any webpage or create your contest on their free hosted landing pages. With Gleam, you can collect photo and video submissions from Instagram through hashtags, mentions, or manual selection. Additionally, Gleam integrates with all the email marketing tools and social networks you use. With its flexible design, you can drag and drop any of the supported actions into your campaign within seconds.

Picodash

Picodash is an Instagram marketing tool that helps marketers find the right audience and industry influencers for their brand. It provides useful data and helpful analytics to create your social media marketing strategy and outreach more efficiently. Picodash allows you to export your Instagram followers to a spreadsheet to filter for influencers by checking their followers and searching for relevant keywords. You can also filter users based on likes and comments received to find the right audience for your brand.

Hopper

Hopper is a scheduling tool that helps brands plan content for Instagram and drives maximum user engagement. With Hopper, you can create up to 50 posts and upload them with its bulk upload feature. You can then choose your favorite time to publish posts. Hopper’s planning and analytics feature allows you to drag-and-drop posts and create social media calendars. It also enables Instagram video scheduling with Hopper HQ.

Smartly.io

Smartly.io is an Instagram marketing tool that automates social advertising to improve audience reach. It combines media buying and creative automation to help brands succeed. The automation tools and templates help you develop creative copies, plan localized offers, and make different prize and copy variations. Smartly.io allows you to instantly publish ads on your Instagram account and update ads in real-time. It optimizes your targeting, budget, and bidding to make sure you achieve the maximum conversion rate.

Grum

Grum is an Instagram marketing tool that helps marketers schedule posts to automatically go live at the preferred time on multiple Instagram accounts. You can schedule video posts with Grum. One of the best parts about using Grum is that it allows you to upload content from your desktop, ultimately eliminating the need to use your phone to post content to Instagram.

Wordswag

Wordswag is an Instagram marketing tool that allows you to add captions to your posts. Its smart typing engine lets you create custom text layouts for Instagram posts. You can choose from hundreds of quotes, thoughts, and funny text to make your posts more creative and interactive. Wordswag helps Instagrammers create interesting content for their audience. In due time, this increases engagement and creates brand awareness.

All kinds of businesses, ranging from eCommerce brands to media, mobile app development companies to design agencies, healthcare organizations to travel businesses, are harnessing the power of Instagram. Whether your business is working to increase its reach, find new customers, promote products, or generate more sales, it’s the right time to use one or more of these tools to better promote your brand.

The post Top Instagram Marketing Tools to Supercharge Brand Growth appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Content marketing has evolved into a critical component of any digital marketing campaign for any company operating in the online world. Original content is essential for blogs, and yet many content authors ignore this guideline and continue to plagiarize. Since the internet is crammed full of content, “authors” grab what’s already available rather than generate new ideas.

Writing can be challenging, no doubt about it, especially when the topic is unfamiliar to the author. However, it doesn’t matter whether you’re an experienced writer or a novice. One thing is sure: we all face the task of preserving originality in the material we create.

First and foremost, if you want your content to shine — and trend on Google — you must focus on making it exclusive.

Search engines are scanning for plagiarism-free content.

If you don’t want Google to blacklist your website, publish original content. It’s that simple.

Google recently updated its algorithm to make it easier for them to detect imposters and plagiarizers. If you’re caught plagiarizing, you can count on your website being blocked. Depending on the seriousness of the issue, Google might even push your site down to obscurity on its search engine result pages (SERPs).

All authors and website admins must recognize the significance of plagiarism detection. Failing to underscore the seriousness of plagiarism is an invitation for your brand to take a serious hit in terms of credibility.

Why is it necessary to provide unique content for content marketing?

Plagiarism-free content will attract a wider audience.

The primary goal of marketing is to attract customers to your company and raise revenue. You must create original content if you expect potential customers to prefer you over your competitors. Plagiarized material undermines a website’s reputation and jeopardizes all of your content marketing activities, online or otherwise. If your company can’t be trusted not to plagiarize, what else can it not be trusted for?

It’s always better to post nothing at all than to post something damaging. If your content is being supplied by an outside writer, make sure you run everything through a plagiarism checker before you post. The stakes are too high and you’ll be held accountable even if you were unaware that the material was not original.

Plagiarism-free content gives a serious boost to your SEO efforts.

Content promotion is also essential for a site’s search engine optimization; its pages would not score highly on search engine result pages without it.

If the website’s content is of high quality, it can help to improve its search engine ranking. Originality is a core component of high-quality content, and search engines like blogs with content free of plagiarism.

High-authority sites will be quick to disown plagiarized content.

Backlinks are essential for increasing your search engine exposure because they represent the level of trust that others place in your content. If your company gets dinged for plagiarism, it typically creates a stampede of other sites removing their links to your material.

High-authority course, in particular, will be quick to disown content that is plagiarized and place that website on a blacklist. One of the ways that those sources earned their authority in the first place was by not directing their readers to spurious content.

If you have something of value to offer, offer it in your own words and trust that interested parties will respond by inviting others to see for themselves. As long as you are producing marketing content that is free of plagiarism, those backlinks will stay in place for a long time.

Consistently providing original content builds trust.

Well-executed content creation should aid in the development of a partnership of sorts between the company and its target audience. Great content connects with consumers and answers their questions. When you offer value, without asking much in return, your audience is more likely to trust your advice and recommendations.

Over time, as your messages hit the right spot at the right time for the right audience, you can reasonably expect that the reputation of your brand will grow. Potential customers are far more likely to come away with a favorable impression of any brand offering high-quality material.

Plagiarism-free content helps build a positive social media presence.

Social media networks are one of the most powerful ways to engage with your target audience. Social networking offers your company a venue to post videos, hold meetings, and get real-time feedback. Moreover, social media channels push new leads to your website. They are an effective platform for building genuine partnerships with your client base.

Much of the power of social media networks, however, is fueled by excellent content production. The immediacy of feedback allows you to dive deeper quickly and make adjustments to your message on the fly. You might only hit so many eyeballs with a Tweet or Facebook status update, but if your content is original and engaging, you’ll gain more views through link-sharing.

Publishing original content helps builds your brand.

Content marketing is one of the most effective ways to help you raise brand awareness, and you don’t want to do anything to detract from your efforts. Consistently publishing original content is a marketing approach that achieves more than just a first-page ranking for your blog.

Original content will be more visible to prospective consumers as they search the web for products and services that are of interest to them. This is why it’s so important to find out which questions your potential customers are asking. When you publish something that meets a genuine need, it’s a shot in the arm for sales, yes, but also a boost to the credibility of your brand.

What are some strategies for avoiding the temptation to plagiarize?

1. Modify existing content.

You shouldn’t plagiarize, obviously, but there’s no need to reinvent the wheel, either. Start by searching for content similar to what you are trying to write. If you’ve ever read something online and thought to yourself, “I could do better,” well, now’s your chance.

The hardest part of writing can be coming up with ideas. Reading existing material will help you clarify what it is you are trying to say and can be useful for developing a bulleted outline of the points you wish to address.

Coming up with marketing content that is plagiarism-free is much easier when you write to an outline. Read what others have said, make notes where you have something different to say, and focus on bringing your own unique perspective to the topic at hand.

Write to your own individual context. Don’t try to please everyone — that’s impossible — but do speak to your core constituency in a way that’s winsome and informative. If you can do so without denigrating your competitors in any way (or even mentioning them by name) so much the better.

2. Feel free to use quotes, as long as they are properly attributed.

There are times when any author — experienced or otherwise — can find it difficult to paraphrase a piece of material. This is where knowing how and when to quote comes in handy.

When you quote someone else, make sure you give proper attribution to the original source. You might need to link to another resource to demonstrate its validity. You might even need to provide footnotes if you use several sources in the same post. Whatever you do, make it obvious that you are treating the original source with respect and good intentions.

If someone else has said something perfectly, maybe you shouldn’t try to improve on it with your own paraphrase.

3. Consider using a paraphrasing tool to keep your content free of plagiarism.

If you’re still struggling to say something in your own words — it happens! — check out some of the paraphrasing tools now available. These online tools can be used to paraphrase content to help you create unique, plagiarism-free content for marketing.

Especially if you’re a relatively new writer, you may find this tip for producing original content helpful. Even if you need to tweak results from a paraphrasing tool, it can be much easier to edit something to your liking as opposed to coming up with all-new ideas.

Paraphrasing tools replace plagiarized words with synonyms, creating at least some difference between your writing and the source material. Some paraphrasing tools remove plagiarized content completely and replace it with unique content.

Parting Reminders

Content marketing is critical for companies of all sizes. Customers are using their smartphones to find you (or your competitors). You’ll want to leverage all of the advantages of online content marketing without shooting yourself in the foot by publishing plagiarized content.

Content marketing using original content can help you not only increase exposure but also strengthen partnerships with your leads and clients. Keep your communication efforts focused on originality, even if that means a reduction in your publication schedule.

The post Content Marketing Using Plagiarism Does More Harm Than Good appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Given that your website is often the first point of contact new customers will have with your brand, your website must establish your credibility enough that they feel safe in transacting with you.

A professionally designed, easy-to-navigate website reflects the effort you have put into creating a good browsing experience, which makes it likelier that your products and services have the same high quality. It is also a crucial step in building your brand community.

In this guide, we discuss in detail the three key UX elements that reflect your brand’s credibility — namely usability, the About Us section, and social proof:

Usability

1. Speed

If your website pages take more than two seconds to load, your customer is likely to become impatient and exit the window. Test your site design for loading speed and make adjustments (such as reducing image resolution) so that it loads rapidly across all devices, operating systems, and browsers.

2. Content

Website content that has not been updated in a long time, such as promotional offers from six months ago, does not reflect well on a site’s trustworthiness either for the customer or for a search engine bot.

Keep refreshing your content to reflect the latest news and statistics, company updates, and limited-period offers or product availability, and be sure to keep the language simple enough for a general audience.

Content freshness determines your domain authority — search engines rate updated website content for freshness higher than those websites where the content does not change. Hence, constantly optimize your ecommerce site for SERPs.

Content also includes other links that your pages lead to. Therefore, be sure that none of those links are broken or spammy. Besides, have clear calls-to-action wherever relevant and make sure your text is in a clear and legible font.

3. Navigation

Once your target audience reaches your homepage, they need to be able to get to the pages they are looking for easily.

Have a prominent search bar on every page and make sure that each page element is arranged in a sequence that makes sense. Drop-down menus should be comprehensive, and each item should be listed in clear, simple language.

4. Accessibility

The ADA requires all websites to be optimized for easy use by customers with physical and neurological disabilities. Run a quick test to see whether your site meets the ADA compliance requirements, and get a consultant’s help if necessary to make the adjustments.

Things like clearly legible text, video/audio subtitles, and alt tags for images will, in fact, improve the user experience for all individuals — differently-abled or not  — and also help your site rank higher in search results. Hence making accessibility one of the important UX elements for every website.

5. SSL

Most buyers nowadays will look for the HTTPS in the website address bar and the green lock. You get these from purchasing an SSL certificate, an absolute must for site security — and yes, Google also considers this parameter while assigning ranks.

Besides, it would be best if you had a firewall in place to block unauthorized traffic, a privacy policy that promises not to share customer information, and two-factor authentication.

Given how prolific cybercrime has become, especially on eCommerce sites, you can never do too much when it comes to site security. Get an SSL certificate today!

About Us Section

1. Contact Information

Your website should have a physical address, telephone number, and email address mentioned, either on a separate contact page or at the footer of your site. This assures your customers that you are a real business and also helps with your search engine rankings.

Having a phone number and email address also shows that you want to hear from your target audience, and you want to make it easy for them, which further establishes your site’s trustworthiness.

2. Brand Story

How did your brand come about? What is the story behind your product or service? What motivates you to do what you do?

Having a page that talks about these things helps build a connection with your customers, who see you as a genuine team of individuals rather than a faceless company.

The more customers can relate to the how and why of your brand, the likelier they are to want to buy from you.

Yellow Leaf Hammocks has a well-crafted “About us” page that shares the entire story of how the company used to be, their comfortable hand woven hammocks, and the original Thai weavers who bring the products to life.

Source: Yellow Leaf Hammock

3. Team Faces

Putting a face to the business you run allows customers to see exactly who they will be working with and adds that personal touch. This is particularly important if your business requires one-on-one calls, business meetings, or home visits.

Add brief bios for each member, including qualifications and experience and personal details like hobbies and family. People attract people.

Social Proof

1. Trust Badges

If customers transact on your website with their credit card information, having trust badges from reputed third-party authorities is critical.

These badges show that your website has been verified as a legitimate one and serves to reassure your customers, particularly now that hacking has become common. Some of the most reliable trust badges include McAfee, PayPal, Norton Secured, Verisign, and BBB.

2. Clear Buying Policies

You should highlight any guarantees or warranties you provide to your customers (such as a one-year product warranty or guarantee refunds on canceled orders) on your product pages or in the website footer.

This includes clear mention of any cases where the guarantees do not hold. Taking this step will clarify things for the customers and avoid any legal disputes for you later.

Moreover, one of the top reasons consumers abandon their carts during checkout is hidden shipping costs and tax charges.

Source: Captured from Pack & Send infographic

Such unforeseen costs frustrate consumers, which could tarnish your brand image in the long run. It might be worth including your delivery cost estimation on the product pages so that they do not get shocked at seeing the total costs at the last stage of the buying cycle.

You will appear as a genuine brand if you are up-front about your pricing. Hiding costs would not take your brand very far!

3. Awards

If you have won any significant awards by industry bodies or specific areas like customer service, mention those on your website. It would be best if you also highlighted any positive mentions in the press on the website.

4. Case Studies

These are detailed accounts of a challenge that your business helped a customer overcome. Typically, you would write these in collaboration with your customer so that their side of the story shines through and showcases you as the ultimate solutions provider for your target audience’s pain points.

5. Testimonials

Reviews and testimonials from happy customers go a long way in setting you up as a brand to trust. Therefore, encourage your customers to leave reviews for you online, particularly ones that describe the challenges you helped them overcome.

Wherever possible, ask your customers to share a photo or video of themselves with their testimonial for extra credibility. Professional reviews from high-authority websites or influencers in your domain can also boost your credibility.

Boost Your Site’s Trustworthiness

The above-mentioned UX elements (and their sub-elements) define the credibility of every website. How you approach the specifics is in your hands. However, the underlying principles remain valid. Try to incorporate them all into your website slowly, and you will witness a considerable boost in your website traffic (and conversions).

The post 3 UX Elements That Make or Break Your Business Website’s Trustworthiness appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Simply going with whichever provider is cheapest can harm your business down the road. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing your business’s internet service provider.

1. Location and Logistics

Before looking at the criteria that really set providers apart, you’ll need to determine whether your preferred provider is available in your location. Check the options in your area, and be sure to consider both local companies and the well-known names. While it’s great to “buy local,” you may need capabilities the bigger vendors are better able to provide.

After that, compare price points and packages. You’ll want to avoid bloated packages that offer things you don’t need, like phone lines. Your business also likely has a price range you can’t exceed, so only evaluate plans that fit that target budget.

Once you’ve narrowed down the options and created a list of plans that could make sense for you, the real work begins.

2. Speed

Probably the most important thing to consider when choosing high-speed internet is the speed that’s promised. The number of Mbps (megabits per second) delivered is an important factor when deciding whether an internet plan is right for your business. Look at both upload and download speeds to make sure you’re getting symmetry between the two — reducing lags and video call freezes. 

Most home networks have just 50-100 Mbps, but a business should aim much higher. You’ll want around 500-1,000 Mbps (1 Gig) or even more. The number of devices used in even a small office will tax slower plans, and you can’t risk a moment of lag time. A higher speed also allows you to keep the same plan as your business grows.

3. Bandwidth

Bandwidth is closely related to speed, but it’s not the same thing. If you imagine internet cables as a road, speed is how fast the cars are traveling. Bandwidth is how many lanes they’re able to travel down. More lanes mean easier travel.  

Bandwidth is also measured in Mbps, and a plan’s promised Mbps typically addresses both. Remember that the advertised Mbps is usually the highest limit of the range of bandwidth a plan offers, so aim high when choosing. Also, keep in mind that fiber almost always offers better bandwidth than cable.

4. Reliability

With the basic requirements of speed and bandwidth addressed, it’s time to investigate reliability. Does the provider consistently deliver the high-speed internet they promise? Customer reviews and online ratings can give you an idea of who has a reputation for outages versus a reputation for reliability.

Online publications can give you a good overview of which provider performs best in different areas. Review and compare these resources, and you’ll soon discover who has the best reputation for reliability and customer satisfaction.

5. Low Equipment and Installation Costs

Some providers try to slip unreasonably high equipment or installation costs into your deal. Keep an eye out for those costs so you’re not caught off guard.

These one-time costs won’t matter quite as much as your long-term monthly rates, but they’re still worth considering. This is especially true if other providers offer similar service but cheaper installation costs. As you work to get your business off the ground, you’ll want to minimize your up-front investments.

6. Fiber Optic Internet

Delivering internet over cable is tried and true, and if that’s all that’s available in your location, you likely won’t suffer for it. But fiber optic internet is the best bet across the board. It’s faster and more reliable than cable by a large measure.

Fiber optic cables can deliver data faster than even the most efficient cable can. Fiber internet also sends data on a dedicated line that’s not shared with your neighbors, so their internet usage won’t impact yours. Downtime is also much less likely because fiber is less susceptible to things like power outages and temperature fluctuations.

7. No Data Caps

One of the most frustrating things internet providers do is put caps on the amount of data you can consume. They may technically offer high speed internet, but they’ll limit the amount of data that can be used at any one time. This causes your streams or calls to suddenly stall or slow for no apparent reason. Some providers even charge extra when you go above data caps.

This is obviously a bad deal, especially for a business, so try to avoid data caps whenever possible. You may need to read the fine print carefully to figure out whether your provider enforces data caps. The best providers will make it known that they never do.

8. Good Customer Support

No internet service is perfect all the time. If something does happen, you want to make sure you have a provider dedicated to fixing the problem. Great customer support is key for any provider your business may use, and internet providers are certainly no exception.

Research the companies known for great customer support, and pay attention to how customer-focused the sales reps you talk to are. Before signing on to an internet plan, investigate the customer support options that will be available to you.

9. Robust Security

Cybercriminals are everywhere these days, so you’ll want to be sure that your Wi-Fi provider has taken that into consideration. Criminals can spy on Wi-Fi networks or hack routers if they’re not fully secure.

Ask providers whether they offer 24/7 threat monitoring. Do they block IP address spoofing in order to prevent distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks? You can change easy-to-hack default passwords on the hardware you’re purchasing, but your ISP should take the lead in securing your connection.

A good internet plan is an important investment for any business, and doubly so for one that’s digital-first. This list will help you start vetting internet plans so you can choose the best one for your business.

The post 9 Things to Look for in Your Business’s Internet Plan appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

That makes social media marketing a key part of every business’s marketing strategy. This article discusses the top reasons why social media presence is still important for small businesses. 

Social Media Presence is Important

Social media marketing is ubiquitous, cost-effective, and highly profitable for businesses of all kinds.  

According to a study by The CMO Survey, marketing budgets for social media are expected to more than double (from 11% to 24%) in the next five years. Statistics also show that almost 95% of young adults follow a brand through at least one social media network.  

That establishes the fact that social media presence is still important and essential for small businesses that need stronger engagement and greater reach. 

Why is a Social Media Presence Important for Small Businesses?

1. It helps you better understand your customers.

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can be great resources to collect and aggregate data. Hence, you can get a clear understanding of your customers and your target market. Having a social media presence is key to finding potential leads and reaching your target audience. 

2. It increases customer reach.

On average, internet users generally have 7.6 social media accounts. The number of internet users in the world is 4.2 billion, and the number is constantly growing. This makes social media a very effective tool to reach a wider audience. Fifty-two percent of millennials have said that social media advertisements influence their purchase decision of a certain product or service. 

Along with that, communicating with your customer base is very important. Multiple contact channels increase reliability and brand reputation. Helping customers reach your business through social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram can be very profitable in the long-run. Real-time and consistent engagement with your customers can lead to the effective growth of your business. 

3. It establishes brand presence.

It is undeniable that social media channels are the best way to establish your brand’s presence; however, that doesn’t mean you have to be on every single one. With the proper social media marketing strategies, you can express the voice of your brand and establish its presence and recognition in your target marketplace. 

Over 30% of millennials and Generation X members regularly interact with brands on a monthly basis. This calls for the need of increasing visibility, which is effectively accomplished when you have a strong social media presence.

We are living in a digitally-savvy generation, and consumers are more inclined to buy from a business that offers a positive social media experience. Brand engagement builds trust with Twitter users. In fact, when brands engage with their consumers’ Tweets, 77% of them feel more confident in the brand.

Having active social media profiles and a strong presence will also effectively enhance your visibility on search engine result pages. That will help you obtain potential leads and connect with potential customers interested in your products or services. 

4. It leads to better and greater brand loyalty.

Brand loyalty matters in today’s world. Most major brands as well as small businesses try to improve brand loyalty through their marketing plans and strategies. 

Social media marketing is definitely a key element in building brand loyalty for all kinds and sizes of businesses. It is a known saying that, “It’s five times more expensive to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one.”

In today’s market, customers have a plethora of options and brands to buy the products or services they need. This means that your business needs to be consistent and efficient to retain a customer and build brand loyalty.

Brand loyalty is a two-way street. Customers expect businesses to offer them something in return for their loyalty towards the brand. Having a strong social media presence is a great way to build brand loyalty for your business. 

Chatbots on Social Media Platforms are Cost-effective and Very Useful

Chatbots are a great way to enhance social media presence. It can be a great way to offer quick and effective customer service. They enable automatic replies to frequently asked questions and concerns of your customers. It can also offer on-demand information without having to check your messages all the time. 

Chatbots are an important part of any social media marketing plan. We can effectively increase engagement, impress your existing customers. Also, it helps you acquire some new customers in the market.

Social Media to Ensure Success

If you were in doubt about social media marketing for your small business and if it would be a profitable investment, then we hope we have made the reasons amply clear to you. 

With the rapid increase in the popularity of social media networks, social media presence is not merely an option for your small business anymore. It has become a necessity in 2021! 

Make sure you hire the right professionals and adopt the right strategies for social media marketing, which can serve the needs and purposes of your business and ensure sustainability and long-term success. 

The post 5 Reasons Why Small Businesses Need Social Media Presence appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Instagram also offers brands extensive reach and scale, allowing businesses to connect with people and discover new marketing avenues. The platform also makes it easier for brand interaction with customers through stories, posts, and ads.

Here are the prime reasons why brands continue to favor Instagram over other social media platforms:

1. Easy to Target and Retarget Your Audience

Instagram marketing helps you reach the core audience of your market seamlessly. It helps businesses target prospects based on their demographics, purchasing behavior, gender, language, affiliations, and more. Leveraging the knowledge of their customers, businesses can quickly attract potential customers. Instagram will help by putting your business’s content in front of your target audience.

2. Instagram has Better Discovery Options

Brands are always on the lookout for new marketing tactics to gain organic reach for company posts. Compared with other social sharing and social media platforms, the Instagram newsfeed algorithm makes the brand-user coexistence much better overall. Brands get to share their content with the hashtag system and innovative features. Racing to be at the top, Instagram launched a search bar to help users find new content and accounts to follow. Location and hashtag stories play a critical role in which accounts and posts users will see.

3. Build Trust with User-Friendly Content

The user-generated content is vital to building trust with audiences for your brand and products. Most businesses thrive on building brand visual content to reach users. Instagram is a gold mine of user-generated content, which helps brands promote user-friendly content for their loyal customers regularly. Businesses get to engage their followers and can help to grow their Instagram followers. Better engagement is one of the most compelling reasons brands are moving from other social media platforms to Instagram. Thus, it makes it easier for them to connect with and attract new followers and share stories to build a vast network.

4. Frequent Updates on Marketing Features

Instagram has incorporated a number of great tools and features that brands can leverage to sell more products and in turn, raise brand awareness across varied demographics. They are impromptu in understanding audience goals, and with a marketing strategy, this platform gives you the tools to accomplish them and target them successfully. It knows its users well and understands their transactions well enough. Brands can use the platform to publicize and advertise their offerings without obstructing the process itself.

With Instagram stories, you can add links and product tag widows that are tailored toward businesses to showcase their products. Thus, it is tapping the world of product tags wherein a brand can attach links with CTAs to encourage shoppers to leave their feed and shop.

5. Driving Engagement Across Demographics

Nearly 500 million people leverage the Instagram platform on a daily basis. That is a staggering number, isn’t it? But it is not about the sheer number of people who opt for the platform. The platform can actually generate incredible engagement rates on its posts. 2,500 Micro-influencers revealed in a survey by Bloglovin’, that nearly 60% of them find the platform perfect for engaging audiences. Engagement rate is quite useful in choosing influencers for diverse marketing campaigns. Instagram has also witnessed a marked rise in several unscrupulous practices with companies luring businesses for mass followers for specific prices. Paid followers are usually not genuine and are combined with fake bots.

Instagram influencers also work for increasing their follower count, but one needs to check engagement rates before deciding if they indeed are authentic enough. Chances are, higher engagement rates mean that the influencer is consistently genuine in their posts and authentic in their content. For businesses, relevant influencers with high engagement rates and reach can help in driving their brands to the roof. They need to track and measure their post campaigns effectively and tweak them for maximum success in real-time.

Locowise revealed that Instagram marketing generates a staggering 70% higher engagement rate than Facebook. It is a no-show for Twitter with Instagram boasting 669% higher engagement rates than the micro-blogging platform.

6. Boost Conversions Effectively

Irrespective of the business you run, the main priority remains boosting conversions through the marketing channels efficiently. Although social media channels help drive conversions effectively, Instagram rules the roost here.

A Shopify study revealed recently that the conversion rate of ecommerce firms on an average through the Instagram platform is 1.08%, with an average order value of referrals at a brilliant $65! The most popular social media platforms cannot touch these statistics in any way!

Also, Influencer marketing through Instagram continues to enjoy higher reach compared to its traditional counterparts like TV. Influencer marketing is known to generate a whopping 11 times higher ROI than other marketing channels.

Brands are keen to spend almost 13.4 billion euros on Instagram influencer campaigns by the year 2022. Almost 80% of marketers continue to uphold instagram marketing over other social media platforms. And the success does not apply to only businesses with large followings but even the ‘niche’ brands who are keen to target their intended business prospects who are part of specific, engaged communities.

The post 6 Reasons Why Brands Favor Instagram Over Other Platforms appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

With this in mind, there are certain proven, on-trend web design techniques you can use to improve your customer’s shopping experience. Here is a list of the top six user-first web design trends to follow and implement, with a more detailed explanation of each one below.

Combine Photography With Graphics

Users spend 5.94 seconds looking at a website’s main image. You can use that time to interest them, entertain them, or say something about your brand. Don’t waste those five seconds with a “filler” image. Eye-tracking studies found that users actually ignore generic stock imagery.

Try out a mixed media photo as the main image on your website to engage customers and deliver an on-brand message.

Create a Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is all about designing your website so that people instinctively know what to do and where to look on your webpages.

Follow user-first web design best practices to meet your customers’ expectations. For example, the majority of users click on the logo to return to the homepage, so make yours easy to find at all times. Likewise, 64% of users want to see contact details on the homepage, so don’t hide them away.

Place your menu at the top of your page, and always make headings larger than paragraph text. Many small business sites don’t have a call to action on their homepage. Not only is this bad for business, but it’s bad for customers wondering how to take action on your site!

Other ways to use visual hierarchy include drawing attention using size, space, and color. People naturally look at bigger, brighter things first. Direct their gaze to your most important content using design. A bright call to action or bold heading are great examples of this.

Personalize and Localize Content

In a survey, over half of the users surveyed stated that they preferred personalized website experiences over generic ones, as their needs feel more catered to. It also helps build customer loyalty, with just under half stating they’d buy again from brands that provide a personalized purchasing journey.

For those selling globally, an important feature is to localize the checkout stage. Fifty-five percent of users would cancel their order if their favored payment method was unavailable. Most consumers would prefer to purchase products from ecommerce stores that use their own language. Always localize your currency too – 33% of consumers will likely abandon their purchase if prices are only in US dollars.

Finally, reward customers with instant gratification. Many customers would like real-time offers when browsing products online. Try using on-site pop-ups or applying discounts to checkouts automatically for your customers.

Prioritize Mobile-Focused Ecommerce

Forty-five percent of consumers say they’re shopping on their phone more since March 2020, and 70% of mobile searches lead to action within one hour.

Not investing in your mobile design will have a negative effect on your customer experience.

To keep customers happy on mobile, ensure your design is clutter-free and strip content back to the essentials. Use plenty of white space. This helps to avoid a cluttered feel and serves the practical purpose of making buttons easier to click with a thumb or finger.

Improve Website Load Speeds

Even if you apply every design innovation listed above, the harsh truth is that if your site loads too slowly, many customers will never even see your beautifully designed website. Modern users will wait no longer than three seconds before abandoning a site. Tough crowd!

The easiest way to start boosting your site speed is to compress your images. Twenty-five percent of web pages could save over 250KB just by compressing images. Not only is it easy, it’s also highly effective.

You can use a free online compressing tool such as Kraken.io or Optimizilla to reduce your images’ file sizes. Simply upload your images, let the tool compress them, and then download the new, lighter versions.

Make sure to test your site speed regularly. There are free tools to do this, too – popular ones include Pingdom and Google’s PageSpeed Insights. Enter your URL to find out how quickly your site loads, along with tips on how to improve your loading speeds.

User-First Web Design Ideas: The Wrap-Up

User-first web design should always be about the visitor. But with user experience set to become more important than ever this year, it’s the perfect time to redesign your site and boost customer experience simultaneously.

These ideas are easy ways to improve customer journeys, convey your brand, and encourage a greater number of happy customers on your site!

The post 6 User-First Web Design Ideas to Implement appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

What does that mean for you as a startup or small company? Your presence on YouTube matters. In fact, it matters quite a bit from a marketing and sales perspective. According to the site’s own statistics, viewers collectively watch more than a billion video hours daily. These are people hungry for information about a variety of topics, including those related to your products, services, and industry.

To sate the appetite of watchers and seekers on YouTube, you’ll need more than a business-focused channel. You’ll also need a plan to attract eyes and potentially become a top performer in your niche. Fortunately, getting an initial promotional bump shouldn’t take more than a few months if you follow these strategies.

1. Stay brand-true.

When first-time visitors land on your YouTube channel and videos, they deserve a taste of your brand. Be sure that everything from your thumbnail logo to your Canva-created banner to your graphics are brand-consistent. Delivering an unmistakable brand concept from the get-go helps you appeal to your target audience. It also differentiates you in whatever categories you belong.

2. Budget for YouTube advertising.

It’s tempting to reduce costs by trying to beef up your views and subscribers organically, particularly if you’re bootstrapping a corporate venture. Nonetheless, don’t discount the value and ROI of YouTube ads. As AdOutreach’s Aleric Heck notes, you’re best served putting your budget towards the advertising itself as opposed to fancy equipment. He recommends simplifying your ad videography and putting your dollars into highly targeted YouTube ad campaigns. You’ll get a lift and make your budget stretch much further by investing in what can produce real results.

3. Develop a welcoming intro trailer.

Never miss an opportunity to make an impression on your viewers, right down to the intro trailer on your brand channel. The best trailers are short and sweet. They’re meant to educate the viewer on your company, giving a 30,000-foot viewpoint. Save the nitty-gritty stuff for your video content. Users only need a palate-pleasing taste of what you do from your trailer, not the full-fledged buffet.

4. Brainstorm simplified content based on customer FAQs.

You know the biggest questions your customers ask. “How does this work?” “Can I do this at home?” “Is this a good fit for my family’s needs?” Use those FAQs as springboards to create content for your initial videos. Don’t worry whether or not the topic seems too basic. A straightforward 30-second “how to” video shot with your smartphone could drive far more interest than a clever, but unnecessarily convoluted, commercial.

5. Lay out a content management calendar.

Ideally, you’ll want to populate your YouTube channel with as much video content as possible. But the reality is that you might find it hard to film some weeks. To ensure your videos drop on a regular basis, construct a content calendar. Then, shoot numerous videos ahead of time. For instance, you could take a Wednesday afternoon, film 10 videos, and call it a day. They’ll be ready for you to use (after a round of editing, of course.)

6. Remember all that SEO 101 stuff.

Guess what? SEO isn’t just for your website. It’s also vital to getting visitors to your YouTube channel. Tag your videos, use keyword-rich descriptions, enable transcriptions, and take advantage of any opportunities to construct unique content. Double check the way you name your videos, too. Each video needs to be keyword specific so bots and humans know how to categorize it.

7. Make your voice heard.

If you allow viewers to comment on your videos, set aside time every few days to respond to their feedback. This type of monitoring isn’t just good manners. It’s also a way to communicate with users. Even if someone writes a negative comment, answer it with compassion, humor, or—at the very least—professionalism. 

8. Remind viewers to become subscribers.

How many times have you enjoyed a YouTube video only to click out without subscribing to the channel? It happens frequently. Yet it doesn’t have to be inevitable. Instead of allowing users to just go on their merry way, remind them to subscribe with a YouTube card or other effective device. Asking for them to support your channel will boost subscription rates, which will in turn increase your brand authority.

9. Leverage the power of playlists. 

As you begin to amass plenty of videos, you’ll want to organize them into groups. Those groups are essentially playlists that viewers can use to navigate your channel. It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch every video in a playlist devoted to a special topic. Over time, you may want to rearrange your playlists to stay up with trends.

10. Link to your videos obsessively.

Want viewership to skyrocket? Here are two words to keep in mind: embed and spread. Embed videos on relevant pages throughout your website, such as within a blog post or on a product page. You may also want to embed your latest YouTube content in a MailChimp email as part of a messaging blast. In addition, plan to spread the word on all your social channels whenever you release another video.

Now’s not the time to get camera shy or think you need to go to filmmaking school to own a piece of the YouTube pie. Any small business can build a brand presence fast on YouTube. The sooner you hit “record,” the sooner you’ll reap the rewards.

The post Break Into YouTube: 10 First Steps for Small Businesses appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

However, there’s no point in making a video just for the sake of it. Here are six common video marketing mistakes to avoid when exploring this opportunity.

Lack of Quality or Professionalism

One of the benefits of modern technology is that almost anyone can create a great looking piece of video content. However, it’s important not to make the mistake of sacrificing quality for simplicity.

Ensure that your video has the basic professional qualities: good lighting, decent sound, and decent editing. You can create great corporate promo video ads with pre-set templates and simple editing software. While businesses no longer have to spend thousands of dollars to create great videos, they should still look professionally made.

Lack of Brand Alignment

Every piece of content produced by your business should be in congruence with your brand. While hopping aboard viral trends is an effective way to expand your reach and build engagement, there’s no point in doing so if it doesn’t appeal to your target audience. Having a follower base of more than one million people doesn’t matter if none of them are interested in your products.

Ensure that each video you publish is in alignment with your brand. This approach will give you a better return on investment when creating video content.

Start by taking some time to understand your target demographic’s expectations from your brand. For example, Budweiser customers expect to see something comedic and engaging when they view a Budweiser ad. The advertisements are crafted to appeal to a specific demographic: men aged 45 and over that make less than $65,000 per year. Does this segmentation mean their video marketing doesn’t appeal to anyone else? No, but it makes it more likely that the content resonates with the people they’ve determined are most likely to consume their product.

Don’t be afraid to niche down and segment your larger customer base to create videos that appeal to subgroups as well. This exercise helps identify the potential for market expansion (as Budweiser has since attempted to do with Millennial-centric offerings). Outline the customer journey to determine how they learn about your product and how you can use a video to navigate them to a conversion.

Creating a Long Video

Long videos have a time and place in your business’ marketing plan. Video webinars and live information sessions are fantastic ways to connect with warm leads and mid-funnel prospects. However, long, drawn-out advertisements and clips aren’t practical for daily marketing efforts.

When creating a video advertisement, the quicker you can get your message across, the better. Facebook recommends videos of five to 15 seconds in length for in-stream ads and 15 seconds maximum for stand-alone promotional videos. Aim to cap your videos at 15 seconds when looking for shareability and audience reach. 

Considering the video length often leads to another question: how short is too short? If you’ve spent time scrolling through YouTube or other social media platforms, you’ve likely seen quick car advertisements that last under five seconds. These quick spots are relatively new.

The “Get a Load of Milk” campaign of 2009 revolutionized commercial length during an era where air time was still paid for in 15-second, 30-second, and 60-second segments. These ads were designed to span a mere five seconds, with eye-catching visuals and a clear, concise message. This allowed the Dairy Farmers of Canada marketing team to triple their number of video advertisements on television without tripling the cost.

There’s no clear answer for how short your video should be. Some companies may be capable of conveying an effective message in three seconds, while others need five. The key is finding the balance between duration and message quality.

Keep in mind that longer one-minute videos are a great way to showcase visually compelling product profiles and behind-the-scenes looks at your business. However, it can be a fine line between an exciting video and an infomercial. Walk that line carefully. 

Convoluting the Messaging

Keep your messaging short and precise. Know what you’re trying to convey in the limited time available, and say it clearly. Many businesses will erroneously try to pack too much information into one clip. This approach leads to information overload and leaves viewers feeling confused and overwhelmed. 

Keep in mind that a piece of video content will rarely lead to a sales conversion; they’re meant to build awareness and attract people into the sales funnel. Create a quick video that makes people want to learn more, then provide information in a more appropriate setting, such as a webinar or landing page.

Forgetting the CTA

Don’t forget to tell your audience what to do at the end of the video; otherwise, the next clip will load, and you’ll be lost in the noise. A CTA (call to action) closes the clip and tells viewers what they should do next. 

The CTA could invite them to “buy now” or “click to learn more” or “follow us on Instagram.” The message ultimately depends on your goals with the content. The important part is clarifying and communicating that goal effectively at the end of your video. Remember to make the action as simple as possible. Include a live link or button to take your viewers to the goal destination.

Not Adding a Hook

Finally, don’t forget to add a hook at the start of your video. You have two seconds to stop someone from scrolling and convince them that you’re worthy of their time. A hook could be a visually compelling opening or thumbnail or a brief preview of what’s to come later in the video. Think of this as your live-action headline. 

Learn from the mistakes of other companies who have forayed into video marketing. Avoiding these mistakes will save your business time and money.

The post 6 Common Video Marketing Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

You might be asking yourself why you should write on someone else’s website. The answer is because guest posting offers huge benefits for you and your company. You can follow cherryscustomframing for guide to be  the productive blogger. A few of the top benefits are listed below.

Immediate Exposure to Your Targeted Audience

By writing for well-known websites, you will have the opportunity to add a link to your website, lending credibility to what you say and the services you provide. Because of this, you will be able to better reach your target audience. If you have written a good quality post, you can receive a huge amount of traffic back to your site.

Gaining website traffic to your online business or a blog is really important for sales to increase. And doing something as simple as guest posting shouldn’t be seen as a time-consuming activity if you get amazing results for your company in return.

Builds Trust of Your Brand in the Industry

If you want to build your expertise in your industry, guest blogging will allow you to reach more people, which in turn will help them learn about and trust in your brand. Sharing what you know on a topic with valuable facts strengthens how others see your content.

For example, millennials don’t trust in brand ads anymore. In order to target that audience, you can write great content, thus building authority and trust in your company.

Helps In Building Relevant Backlinks

The importance of guest posting services also comes back to your website’s presence on Google. The more you guest blog, the more links you get back to your website, and the more easily people will find you.

It would help if you also make sure that you are specific with your information to have relevant backlinks. Context plays an important role in your writing, so ensure that your guest blogging is straightforward and sensible for you and the site owner.

Brings Awareness To Your Brand

Another great benefit that guest posting can bring you is producing an awareness of your brand. After all, people put money on something that is visible to them online. With so much completion out there on the internet today, it is highly important to have guest blogging on your side so your brand can reach out to as many people as possible.

You can start by writing for a few websites to create a name of yourself and stay relevant, so no one forgets your name, thus impacting your brand awareness.

Offers Constructive Feedback from the Community

When writing a blog post on other sites, you can be exposed to comments and feedback people leave. That is a great benefit for you because it can help you build strategies and ideas according to what the audience likes or dislikes.

People online often share their views and experiences in the comments section of a well-written post. This actually means that you have access to unbiased, constructive feedback. Get more info at millsriversdaschool .

Gets Your Brand On Social Media

The use of social media is a great additional benefit of guest blogging. You want your brand to reach as many people online as possible and social media places a huge part. One thing that helps you is signing an agreement with the blog you are writing for that you will share their website on your social media account if they do the same in return. 

Also, people sharing your content on the website like Twitter and Facebook can create a great chance of gaining new followers and visitors on your post, leading them to your website.

Each advantage that was shared with you today works in the benefits for you and your brand, so why not look for guest posting to increase the awareness of your brand or company. 

The post Top Benefits of Guest Blogging appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

However, Facebook is also one of the biggest advertising opportunities for businesses today. More than 1 billion of its users log in daily, making Facebook too big for businesses to ignore. And as organic reach — posting updates on a group/page — reaches its success limit, more and more businesses are turning to Facebook ads to increase their exposure and traffic.

But are Facebook ads the right investment for you? Here are some benefits to advertising on the world’s biggest social media platform.

1. Your audience is on Facebook

As mentioned, more than 2 billion people actively use Facebook. Using Facebook ads allows you to not only reach current customers, but new customers whose interests or beliefs align closely with your brand.

The audience present on Facebook also spans across many demographics. Users aged 18-34 take up a bulk of the audience, at 56%. However, older audiences are quickly increasing with almost half (46%) of 65+ year olds using the platform. No matter who your target audience is, you should be able to find them on Facebook.

2. Access to fine-tuned targeting tools

Facebook ads use a variety of advanced targeting tools to reach your audience. They factor in the basics, such as age, gender, and location, but they also look at lifestyle characteristics such as interests, hobbies, and even recent buying behavior to expand your potential customers. Such targeted forms of advertising are hugely beneficial to any business.

One tool that Facebook provides is the ability to reach Lookalike Audiences: people similar to those that already engage with your company. This tool is just one of many that can increase your reach, and ultimately, your brand success. Facebook shows your ads to the people who are most likely to buy, providing the best results for your campaign. 

 3. Budget-friendly advertising 

A big budget isn’t necessary for a big outcome. Using Facebook ads is one of the cheapest methods of advertising in today’s marketplace. 

Other forms of advertising that were more popular in the past, such as radio ads, commercials, and billboards, are far more costly than Facebook Ads, and the same desired results are achievable.

Less than $10 in Facebook ads can easily lead to a reach of 1000+ people if you strategize and plan well.  And you can even set daily or lifetime budget limits — that you can change at any time — to ensure that you’re only spending as much as you want or can on your advertising. 

4. Ease of use

You don’t need to be an expert to figure out how to use Facebook advertising to your business’ benefit. With easily customizable ads that allow you to choose your type of ad, your target audience, and your budget, Facebook ads are for any business owner — tech-wizard or not.

Marketing goals are also easily factored in. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Post engagement? Likes or clicks on your page? Reach a wider audience? From sponsored stories to video ads to carousel ads, Facebook ads will have a way to get the results you want for your company.

5. Free analytics 

Building on its budget-friendly rep, Facebook ads also provide free analytics for your campaign. You’ll get real-time results to see what is and isn’t working. This allows you to easily adjust your ads to increase their performance.

Facebook provides reports with metrics such as weekly reach, page likes, and engagement. You can easily see which posts are effective and which aren’t doing so well, then fine-tune your ads in a way that makes them more successful. Such flexibility isn’t possible with forms of traditional marketing. 

With an ad such as a tv commercial, it’s difficult to measure effectiveness while the commercial is still being run. Usually, a business has to wait for reactions from the public, or movement towards or against their marketing goals to gauge the success of the commercial. Facebook, on the other hand, provides reports for your campaign as soon as possible, giving you the best results for your investment.

6. Remarketing

Remarketing is an advertising approach that Facebook makes easy. Say someone visits your website but does not make a purchase. Facebook is able to track this visitor and show them an ad for your company at a future time, while they’re scrolling through their feed. Re-engaging customers this way can lead to more website visits and better conversions.

This tactic can also be used to drive repeat business: purchases by customers who have bought from you in the past. You can directly import past customer emails into your Facebook ad campaign. This means your ads will be shown to people who are already engaged and are willing to buy.

7. Referrals

When you advertise on Facebook, your audience can help you expand your reach. Customers that are already engaged with your brand can easily tag their own friends and family on your ads. And because they have a connection with the people they are tagging, those people are more likely to trust the quality of your product or service.

Plus, there’s always the potential to go viral on a social media platform. Take Squatty Potty for example. They posted a video ad in 2015 that went viral with over 1 million shares and thousands of comments. Users tagged friends and family with comments like “You need this!”. One ad led to a massive increase in brand awareness, website visits, and sales. 

8. Facebook is mobile 

Almost 80% of Facebook users only view the platform on their phone. During their work breaks, while traveling to and from work, or when bored, people are likely to use their phone and browse through Facebook. Using Facebook ads allows you to catch these people during their down time, when they may be more likely to buy.

9. Facebook is fast

Facebook gives you the option to add a call-to-action (CTA) to your ad. This is a button that gives the customer a direct action. It might be downloading your app, subscribing to your emails, or booking an appointment. This provides a sense of urgency for the ad viewer and encourages them to click on your ad. With this method, you’ll reach your marketing goals fast.

Using Facebook ads has countless benefits for any brand. Strategizing, knowing your audience and recognizing your company’s goals are all you need to get started. For more information on advertising with Facebook, you can also check out their Business Centre.

The post Why You Should Be Using Facebook To Advertise appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

1. Bold and Oversized Typography and Visual Elements to Convert

If you want to build a new website or revamp your current site, go for oversized typography and bold visual elements. We are talking about striking typography, eye-catching call-to-action buttons, menu buttons, images, and videos. The great advantage of such “bigger, better” elements on a web page or a landing page is that it makes it clear for the visitor what your business is about right off the bat. 

Think about it this way: pre-click optimization takes the lion’s share when it comes to digital marketing strategies. On the other hand, more than 90% of ad clicks do not convert, and that is because the post-click landing page features poor design and poor optimization. If you dedicate time, effort, and resources to improving the post-click experience of your users on your website or landing page, you might gain those conversions you want so much. 

Creating a contemporary, bold, and striking post-click landing page is easier than it has ever been. Most businesses do not even know that they can create UX-friendly, award-worthy websites, or pages for free. For instance, you can start with website templates by Ucraft or other reputable website builders and optimize every single element to meet your business purposes. A modern, fresh site template attracts visitors, is SEO friendly, and converts into everything you want, from product sales to newsletter subscribers or poll answering. The advantages of the up-to-date website or landing page templates are that they are 100% mobile responsive and even allow you to introduce custom plugins. 

Keep in mind that minimalism and “less is more” are still evergreen concepts in web design trends this year. By choosing bold typography and large graphics or buttons, you should not overstuff the page. However, those essential elements – including high-converting CTA buttons – should speak volumes about who you are as a business and what you want your online customers to do. 

2. Use 3D Technology to Offer Immersive Experiences on Your Website

When it comes to leveraging new technologies to boost your marketing strategies, nothing works better than 3D design for enhanced user experience. Back in the day, the 3D graphics integration was for the champions who had the money to invest in such hi-tech ideas. Now, technology is in a place of availability. Businesses do not need to use NASA-powered equipment to create immersive user experiences on their websites to keep visitors there for as much as possible. 

Designing a web page with 3D tech immersion and user interaction in mind brings the best of both worlds: outstanding UX practices and exquisite business storytelling as a part of your upgraded marketing plan. Using 3D graphics and creating a small universe breaking the boundaries between reality and the digital world is what UX/UI web designers and digital marketers have been dreaming for years. 

The beauty of 3D in web design is that it is appealing by nature, so it is more likely to convert, no matter what your line of business is. Moreover, you can apply it to boost your marketing strategy across a bevy of industries. From creating a 3D experience to demonstrate how a product works to highlighting the users’ benefits should they choose your services, the sky is the limit. 

3. User-Triggered Animations to Promote Interaction

We all have to admit, 2020 was a game-changer when it cajame to how people interacted with websites. For many years, animations were huge in web design; they still are. Nevertheless, they turn users into passive witnesses of other people’s creativity. Website animations, as fun, engaging and converting as they are, make us feel like we are watching TV.

So, user-triggered animations are the new kids on the block when it comes to both trendy web design and new marketing settings worth exploring. The animation that users themselves can trigger by some type of input/action (letters move around with the cursors on a screen, for instance) is far more engaging than animation we just look at with no passion and no intellectual involvement. 

User-triggered animation solves plenty of problems when it comes to web design meeting marketing halfway:

• It engages the users with the website, snapping them out of the regular internet stupor and forcing them to pay attention;
• Challenges users to figure out what to do, where to press, when to scroll, and how to move the cursor to engage with the animation fully; in turn, it slows users down (increasing the time spent on the page), prompts them to use cognitive skills, and offers them a reward;
• Transforms them into mindful, active parts of the experience they share with you in real-time; it is hard to get better business storytelling or marketing than this. 

Just like 3D design, user-triggered animation offers an immersive experience to your users, who will feel more open to listening to what you have to say. Recent reports show that scroll-triggered animation, for instance, is an effective method to animate text, graphics, photos, and video elements on a website. If the users are bringing such features to life as they scroll down a page, they are more likely to engage with that page and, subsequently, the business. 

Bottom Line

Keeping an eye on the latest web design trends to integrate them into your marketing strategy is the wisest thing to do in our fast-paced world. The best news is that you do not even have to buy Tony Stark’s equipment to build an engaging and converting website or landing page. You also don’t have to put aside a rocket-sized budget for graphic designers. With the right tools (many free of charge) and the right creative people, you can make your site look worthy of a million bucks and finally reach those conversion goals you need so much for your business.

The post 3 Web Design Trends to Consider for an Upgraded Marketing Strategy appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

This goes to show that your online presence, particularly your website, is doing more than half the work for you when it comes to lead acquisition.

When you’re starting your company, all you want to do is get a website off the ground and get the word out as quickly as possible.

However, it is easy to make mistakes during the early stages of this process that could end up costing your brand in the long run, especially if you never address those errors later on.

You may already be doing most things right when it comes to your site, but it can only take a few key mistakes to drive prospective customers into the open arms of your competition.

Here are four potential risks to avoid if you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your website:

Ignoring Mobile

By 2021, there will be an estimated 3.8 billion smartphone users worldwide. This means an increasing number of people will be using their mobile phones to browse the internet.

This requires having a website that is compatible with different screen sizes and mobile operating systems.

If you only make your website accessible on desktop, you are running the risk of alienating a massive portion of potential customers.

Incorporating Corporate Speak

It is easy to fall into the trap of using lots of corporate jargon on your website. You might have the best intentions, however, if your website is crammed with industry jargon, potential customers might be tempted to look elsewhere. Even though you’re marketing to businesses, rather than clients, your website is still going to be looked at by people who want to understand what they are reading, so you may need help from a web design company.

We’re not saying you should dumb things down to a preschool level, but try to make sure you’re using clear and easily comprehensible language.

Focus on making your content understandable to your audience rather than yourself, and have a clear content marketing strategy for the future. If you must use any terms that aren’t considered common knowledge, explain them or provide links with additional information.

Lacking Updates

If you’re a business owner, chances are that you’re leading a hectic life. There are likely multiple roles you have to play within your company, leaving you with not much time or energy at the end of the day.

Updating your website is probably the last thing you want to do, but if you fail to do so, you run the risk of letting it look dated and neglected. That is not a good look when you’re trying to attract new customers.

In case you really don’t have the time to update your site regularly, at least hire an expert like The Web Shop design services to do the design for you.

Adding some content from time to time shows your visitors that you’re actively maintaining the website, which in turn shows that you’re up-to-date on current trends.

Even if you keep the general image of your website the same for a while, and even if you don’t add any significant content, it would be a good idea to update your customer stories on a regular basis.

Adding little notes from satisfied customers from time to time will give your website an extra degree of authenticity.

Failing to Secure the Website Properly

When you’re in a rush to get your business off the ground, you may neglect some website elements that don’t seem major, like your website’s security, but that’s a mistake.

The number of cyberattacks increases every year as technology advances. Just last year there was a 17% increase in data breaches compared to 2018. Not securing your B2B website can put your customers’ data at risk. Not to mention it makes you seem unreliable and unprofessional.

It is imperative that you protect any customer information collected by installing firewalls and encryption technology. It might be tempting to procrastinate on this, but if anything goes wrong, it could cost you dearly.

Make sure to seek the advice of cybersecurity professionals and comply with the latest regulations.

Taking shortcuts when it comes to developing a B2B website can prove costly. It is important to consider all the potential risks involved so that you avoid any problems later on.

The above is by no means an exhaustive list of all the problems you may encounter along the way, but these are a few places to start.

The post Four Risks To Avoid During B2B Web Development appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Some agencies are faring better than others. In a recent survey among marketing agencies around the globe, 16% of participants experienced an increase in revenues.

What sets these agencies apart is their ability to adapt to change. For digital marketing agencies to survive, it’s essential to play the long game—especially since it’s not known when the pandemic will end. This includes being creative, adaptive, and being able to craft as well as implement the right strategies. Here are a few tips to help you keep your agency running at its best:

Understand the Pandemic’s Effects on Individual Clients

COVID-19 has impacted all businesses, but some more than others. Certain industries are hard-hit, while others seem to be adapting well to the change wrought by the pandemic.

No matter how many clients you have, it’s good to assess the impact of COVID-19 on each one. By doing so, you can identify which clients in which industries are in danger of jumping ship. Catching warning signs early allows you more time to formulate and implement retention strategies.

Measuring the pandemic’s impact on your clients also allows you to determine which of them is doing well. Focusing your attention on these customers could be even more beneficial than offering incentives to clients who are considering churning. These types of clients may be more receptive to offers of added services and solutions.

Having a better understanding of your clients’ situations is also helpful in improving your relationship with them. Adding value for your clients and going the extra mile for them will go a long way toward making your relationship last beyond these challenging times.

Analyze your Ongoing Burn-Rate in Both Normal and Barebones Scenarios

Many organizations run with too many excesses—however, you don’t have to be one of them. Many expenses are avoidable, so you will want to go over your spending and figure out what’s essential and what you can do away with. Doing so can help you control overspending and get a leg up on the competition.

Identify areas where added effort and time allows you to reduce spending. Tailor your reductions to your business goals. Typically, you won’t be able to optimize your burn rate with just one significant change. Multiple incremental changes across departments can better help you trim low-value activities with minimal organizational disruption. 

Focus on what maximizes the return on money, time, and effort. The goal is to be as efficient and lean as possible without sacrificing the quality of service you provide to your clients. 

In a Changed Business Environment, Dare to Think Out of the Box

Across all industries, businesses are making major changes to the way they do business to survive in the new normal. Some companies are doing more than just survive. One example is Evil Genius, a brewery known for its cleverly named craft beers and popular bar and retail location in Philadelphia.

Having previously relied on sales to bars and restaurants for about two-thirds of their sales, Evil Genius faced a dilemma when these distribution channels closed off due to the lockdown. According to co-founder Hayward, the closure of bars reduced their business by about 60%.

Employing out-of-the-box thinking, Evil Genius focused on offering carry out service at their retail location and taking online orders for pick-up and delivery. They also introduced new products—a risky move that ultimately paid off when one of them, a beer referencing the wildly popular Netflix series Tiger King, became a hit.

A whiz at staying topical, the company also offered a free roll of toilet paper with a purchase of “The Gang Gets Quarantined,” a beer referencing both the lockdown situation and the popular TV show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Their unique approach to marketing their products have helped them rise above today’s cluttered advertising environment. Their innovations in marketing helped make Evil Genius an online talking point when the news and social media outlets are heavily saturated with both bad news and a slew of competitors eager to capitalize on the public’s increased social media usage.

Evil Genius is an example of how traditional marketing approaches need to be innovative and adaptive. Creativity has always been the lifeblood of marketing, and it is even more so now. Your clients are facing significant changes in the way they market their products and services, and your success in helping them meet their goals rides on how quickly and creatively you can respond to these changes.

Be Flexible and Open to Adjustments

Small- to medium-sized digital agencies have the advantage of being more flexible than their larger counterparts. Since smaller agencies don’t have substantial overhead costs to worry about, they can typically afford to offer competitive pricing. This is especially true for agencies that work with businesses or organizations that are experiencing layoffs.

While the cost of retaining your services is lower than that of hiring an employee or employing their in-house marketing department, your clients must be fully aware of this fact. You would also want to show your clients that the value you deliver to their business far exceeds the cost of having you onboard.

You can achieve this by being more flexible in terms of pricing. At the same time, lowering your rates is an act that conveys your understanding of the current situation’s difficulties. It shows that you value your relationship and that you have integrity.

Flexibility can mean:

• Delaying Invoice Scheduling. If you have the financial capacity to do so, delaying invoices can be beneficial to both you and the client. Deferring payments allows your client more time to meet their obligations, and you also get to keep your clients at the same rate they paid pre-lockdown.
  
• Restructuring Contracts to Reduce Pricing. According to a survey by Upplers, 58% of agencies became more flexible in client terms, and 28% reduced their fees. The reality of the pandemic situation is that many businesses cannot or will not justify marketing spend in these uncertain times. 

To retain clients, consider restructuring your clients’ contracts to accommodate their needs while reducing their marketing spend. This shows that your relationship with your clients is essential to your agency, and at the same time, it’s a move that drives long-term instead of short-term value.

• Offering Limited Services. If your client’s marketing budget is tight or if they don’t need as much work done on their account, consider reworking your contract to include limited services. For instance, your client may no longer need assistance with content creation but could use some help in social media. You can rework your contract to include only the services they need and reduce your rates accordingly.

This strategy results in cost savings for them and allows you to retain their business on an as-needed basis until the overall situation improves.

Learn From Your Competition

The pandemic has affected all businesses, but some are doing better than others. Assess your direct and indirect competitors and identify which ones seem to be toughing out the crisis better than most. Knowing your competitors and how they’re positioning themselves for success can help you identify strategies that allow your agency to succeed.

For example, many small to medium-sized agencies are currently outsourcing or planning to in the future. Outsourcing provides agencies with on-demand access to talent at less than the cost of taking on new team members.

You can use knowledge gleaned from observing your competitors to take advantage of their weaknesses. At the same time, you can improve your agency’s performance. Identify which of their strategies seem to be working and apply them, making adjustments to tailor-fit them to your needs and goals. This also positions you well for when the crisis is over, and your agency resumes normal operations.

Leverage Social Media Effectively and Creatively

Consumers are more active on social media than they used to be in pre-lockdown days. More people are at home and rely on social media channels to connect with their loved ones and get news and updates. Agencies that typically focus on other channels can leverage this uptick in social media usage to increase their clients’ reach, boost engagement, and ultimately improve conversion rate.

Doing so requires more than a little bit of creativity. Making memes, videos, contests, and the like a part of your clients’ social media campaigns allow their products or services to stand out. The key is to stay on-trend and keep content engaging and relevant.    

Deliver Added Value to Your Clients

COVID-19 has not only transformed the way that agencies do business with their clients but also the way their clients do business with their customers. Changing attitudes to what’s essential and what’s not can lead to decreased revenue for your clients and, in turn, reduced marketing spending.

One way to keep your clients is to find places where you can add more value, especially for those businesses and organizations that are at high risk of churning. Determine whether there are additional services you can pitch to your clients. For example, you may be skilled at data analytics or content creation. You can offer these services at reduced or zero cost. This allows your clients to obtain services all from one place while minimizing their expenses.

What if you and your team don’t have additional skills that you can turn into add-on services? It’s best to be proactive and identify the areas with which your clients need the most help. Learn and refine skills in these areas to provide more value to your clients even after the crisis is over. 

Assess Your Clients for Opportunities

As previously mentioned, the pandemic has affected different clients in different ways. For example, while clients in industries like tourism and hospitality are among the hardest hit, clients in the medical and personal care sectors are likely experiencing steady or increased volume.

When rebuilding your agency’s client portfolio, target businesses and organizations that are doing well. Even if they’re not usually the type of clients you take on, getting their business can keep your agency afloat.

E-commerce businesses are also faring well. For instance, if you typically handle local companies’ accounts, it may be worth your while to broaden your scope and pitch your services to online businesses.  

Don’t Forego Strategic Planning

This crisis is rapidly evolving—as societal changes and their effects trickle down to marketing, agencies should be well-poised to plan for and adapt to them. This may mean having to re-strategize your accounts.

One strategy is to incorporate COVID-19 messaging in the ad copy. Doing so shows consumers that businesses are aware of the situation and keeps them relevant. It also allows brands to communicate how they’re helping consumers during the crisis.

Some brands are further adjusting their marketing to show messages of support or information on how they’re helping communities during these trying times. As evidenced by a spike in Love reactions on ads posted on Facebook, this is a strategy that seems to be working as far as brand engagement is concerned.

A good relationship with your clients comes in useful here. You can more easily communicate with them why and how any changes need to be made, from minor updates to ad copy to a complete pivot from traditional to social media marketing campaigns.

Plan for You and Your Clients’ Post-Crisis Recovery

While it’s not known when the current crisis will end and its impact further down the line, agencies should plan ahead. This may involve defining best- and worst-case scenarios, listening for changes in consumer attitudes, and adapting marketing plans on an as-needed basis.

While you may not have the expenses that larger agencies have to contend with, it is still wise to cut costs where possible without sacrificing quality. Keep in mind that all agencies, no matter their size, are going through the same major upheaval to their operations, and the key to surviving lies in resilience and your ability to adapt. 

Making no adjustments and simply hoping to ride out the wave of change can result in your agency sinking. Staying afloat requires being open to change and prioritizing innovation to adapt to the new normal. Lastly, employing a COVID 19 Business Sanitization Services will help sanitize every corner of your office, eliminating the risk of catching the virus.

The post Staying Resilient in a Pandemic: Strategies for Digital Agencies appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Older people shop on social media, too, but not as much as younger buyers. While 88% of people aged 18 to 29 use social media channels, that number drops to 64% for consumers between the ages of 50 and 64. The older the demographic, the less likely its users are to buy on social media.

“Today, people don’t shop the way they used to,” says Ryan Napierski, president of opportunity platform Nu Skin. “They want the full experience: social proof, brand engagement, entertaining content, and shopping options. Social media provides those experiences better than any other channel.”

If your brand doesn’t have a social media sales plan, use TikTok likes service to get social proof and tens of thousands of likes in a matter of days and consider the following reasons to get started today:

1. Everyone loves an influencer.

Even people who claim to be immune from advertising can’t help but listen to their favorite influencers from their Community Engagement Platform. Good social media influencers create authentic, entertaining content that captivates audiences without an agenda. Brands can join those conversations to benefit influencers and audiences alike.

According to research from influencer marketing agency Mediakix, 89% of marketers say influencer marketing ROI matches or beats the ROI of other channels. The survey also found that 17% of companies plan to spend more than half their marketing budgets on influencers this year, which suggests that influencer marketing works in both small and large doses.

2. Consumers trust their friends and families.

When influencers don’t do the trick, friends and families make the difference. Kantar Media reports that 78% of consumers trust the recommendations of people in their social circles, while just 33% trust advertisements.

Those social circles gather on social media to talk about everything from politics to hair gel preferences. If your brand doesn’t use social channels to influence the narrative, unhappy customers could tell your story for you. Do a little social listening to keep tabs on what people say about your business and products. Answer questions and complaints on your page quickly. For more sensitive issues, invite users to send a private message toVPNtag to continue the discussion.

3. Buyers can check authenticity at a glance.

Modern consumers like it when brands share their values. Companies can no longer stand on the sidelines on political and social issues. By using social media to promote your brand and sell your products, you can make it easy for consumers to verify your brand’s stances on important topics. Even companies like Los Angeles Social Media Agency are using social media to connect clients and businesses.

For example, if you offer an Earth Day sale, audiences will want to know whether you walk the walk. A few recent posts about environmentalist issues can show audiences you mean what you say. When audiences can see your ad, confirm your authenticity, and buy your products in one place, you can reduce friction in the purchasing process and up your odds of making more sales.

4. Videos create immediate sales opportunities.

The online world has taught consumers to expect brands to be available 24/7. Not all companies can afford ’round-the-clock customer service teams, though. Solve the issue by investing in videos to respond to messages at all hours and handle basic concerns without the need for human intervention.

Videos on social media make it easy for customers to get closer to your brand. Increase your video views on Instagram with social media marketing services by Buzzvoice. People can learn about products and make purchases by watching videos, but to get the most from these powerful tools, don’t replace your human teams.

5. Engaging content blends in with the environment.

Online consumers crave content in every form. Native ads — ads that look like the rest of the content on the page — work well because they don’t interrupt the scrolling experience. Native ads aren’t the only successful content strategy on social media, however.

Live videos have become one of the most effective tools for brands on social channels over the past year. Companies use live streams to answer audience questions, promote or host events, and pull back the curtain to reveal the team behind the magic. Provide special flash sales, discount codes, and referral bonuses to viewers to encourage participation.

As social media’s sales importance continues to grow, think about how your brand could blend multiple tactics. A live video that answers questions submitted through messages and comments could help new audiences get familiar with your products. Some brands have even discovered how to sell from Instagram using live streaming to provide more authentic and personalized experiences for targeted audiences. Businesses can throw a private party, set up a group influencer event or host a fundraising activity as a way to get the right people interacting with your brand, https://www.childinjuryfirm.com/strattera-atomoxetine.

Whether your brand lives on social media or only posts once a year, don’t sleep on the social b2b marketplace of tomorrow. Audiences want to engage with your company on their turf, and today’s buyers are ready and willing to purchase products through social channels. Find your footing now so you can ride the trend as it rises over the next few years.

The post 5 Reasons Social Media Is the Marketplace of the Future appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

In order for businesses to thrive, staying relevant in the online space is a necessity. Boring sites with straightforward features aren’t cutting it anymore, so if you’re noticing a downward trend in analytics across the board, here are 10 indicators that a redesign could mean a boon in your business:

1. The Proof is In the Data

It’s easy to get swept up in the hopes of success, but one indicator that never lies about your progress is the data behind it. Your user data and analytics show you precisely where your business stands in the eyes of customers, and quite often, it lends insight into where improvements can be made.

For example, researching your site metrics may reveal that sales have reduced, conversions are stagnant, bounce rates are too quick, and overall site views are diminishing regularly. Of course, there’s always the possibility that your products and services aren’t performing well to a targeted audience, but in most cases, consumers are turned off by some flaw in your site’s experience. Keep in mind, recognizing a drop-off doesn’t necessarily mean rearranging your entire look, but it sets a priority of finding design flaws and reshaping the way you interact with visitors.

2. Your Site Rankings are Low

Search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t just a tool for promoting blog posts or articles. Your website copy, landing pages, pillar pages, and overall design play a pivotal role in determining your site’s search rankings, so if you’re not appearing on the first or second page of a Google search, something’s wrong.

Even if it’s not the overall look of your website, aspects of it must be tailored to provide a fluid layout with optimized SEO descriptions that boost search results. Not to mention, websites that perform the best have a combination of qualities that search engines recognize, such as speedy loading times, high quality content, optimized images, blogs, external links, and infographics. It’s a combination of design strategies that contribute to a positive ranking, and since 93% of online user activities begin with a search engine, developing a high ranking is a direct lead to greater conversions.

3. It’s Unfriendly to Mobile Devices

Research shows that consumers spend 60% of their time on mobile devices compared to 40% on desktops, which means that if your site isn’t mobile friendly, you’re instantly cutting off 20% of a potential customer base. Additional stats from CIODive in 2018 claim that nearly 70% of all web traffic happens on mobile devices, and since smartphones have become the new connectivity norm to a wide range of demographics, your business can’t afford to miss out on traffic because of a clunky design.

Creating a mobile friendly version of your site is quite simple in comparison to developing the main platform. Depending on what host service you use, default and custom templates automatically allow for easy customization for mobile devices, like optimization for different screen sizes, accessibility of photos and videos, dropdown menus for quick links, and buttons to prompt the user to navigate to the full website. Hiring an outside developer to do this for you may be a bit trickier and costly, but someone experienced should have no problem designing an interface that’s both desktop and mobile ready.

4. You’re Past the 3-Year Mark

Consumer habits and trends change at the drop of a hat, and what’s popular or standard one day is sure to become a legacy strategy the next. With that mind, the design of your website is just as susceptible to change at a blazing speed.

Industry norms call for a website redesign every three years. Doing this ensures a competitive edge with fresh startups and major companies that have dedicated teams to consistently update content and features on a regular basis. In most cases, sites that are low-performing do so because their experience is out of touch with mainstream directions. E-commerce abilities are always being updated, SEO keywords are being developed and put to use, and technology itself is dictated by a cyclical time frame that you have no choice but to keep pace with. Altogether, the three year mark is a good place to assess the relevancy of your site and make any necessary changes.

5. The Site is Debt-ridden

Much like how an old appliance needs constant repair to stay in operation, at some point your website becomes too much of a liability with outstanding debts and too many band-aids to replace. At the end of the day, performing minor repairs on a daily or weekly basis comes with exorbitant costs, and rather than keeping a developer on retainer, it’s more practical to scrap the original and start fresh with a new design.

In many ways, performing a complete relaunch of your website is liberating and makes the most financial sense. Sure, you could tackle small problems and chip away at debt-ridden fixes and patches to your tech and UX features, but starting over from scratch allows you to take all the mistakes from your first pass and develop them into long-term strategies that drive profits. In addition, a redesign allows for the implementation of new SEO practices, seamless navigation, minimalism for landing pages and a refocusing of primary drivers, as opposed to pages that are only adding to bounce rates.

6. Downtime and Glitches are Rampant

Have you ever visited a webpage only to see the dreaded “404” error page pop up? Well, when customers see this on your site, it’s a major disservice to your brand. In your defense, it’s not something you plan to happen, but when it does, it represents a critical design flaw or issue in your site that needs to be addressed.

Your site’s credibility is at stake when downtime and glitches run rampant in your UX. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as unscheduled server maintenance, issues with coding, corrupted packets and files, DDOS attacks, or bandwidth limitations that cause slower load times. No matter what the interruption may be, customers are quick to deem your site as unreliable, which means less traffic and less conversions. To make matters worse, studies show that even 5 extra seconds of load time (let alone broken page links) increase bounce rates by 20%, so a redesign could be just the thing you need to straighten out the misconnections.

7. Your Current Design is Out of Touch

Customers have an expectation in mind when they visit a company’s site. An experience that’s modern, fluid, and captivating is what reels them in, so you can imagine how off-putting a site can be with a design that’s out of touch with current trends. Website design trends for 2019 call for minimal interfaces, homepage background videos, black and white color palettes, and glitch art.

A great way to assess your site’s relevancy is to compare it with popular brands who produce tons of regular traffic. For instance, check out Apple’s layout and take note of how well it engages users with quality images and simple navigation bars. Products are displayed in crisp images and bold price points. The rule-of-thirds concept is put to use with wide graphics clean copy. Even Amazon conveys a strategic layout despite selling thousands of products and services. Their homepage displays a limited amount of items in large, clickable photos and copy is restricted to one or two-word labels. Bombarding the homescreen with too many pages and clutter is a byproduct of outdated design strategies, so investigate how you can clean up your UX and get consumers to the heart of your brand.

8. Social Media isn’t Incorporated

Your website serves as a foundation for users to take advantage of direct resources, but relying on it as a primary driver means that your cutting out an enormous pool of potential customers who spend their time surfing various social platforms.

Reports from Brandwatch show that over 3 billion people are active on social media, averaging over 5 accounts for each person. Each day, users spend roughly 116 minutes checking Facebook, posting on Instagram, researching Pinterest recipes, or tweeting about the latest current event. Needless to say, businesses need to market other platforms from their site and encourage visitors to follow them in order to generate growth. Diversifying content creates opportunities for interactive campaigns and building brand culture and awareness. However, some sites don’t carry the latest functionality to promote social channels to a wider audience, which is a mistake. A redesign that incorporates social icons to other platforms and allows visitors to share content to their platform of choice is a necessity that’s well worth the investment.

9. You Don’t Have Access to Your Site’s Design

Although you may not have the wherewithal to relaunch a site from head to toe, having the ability to make quick changes or updates is essential to knowing your brand and maintaining consistent viewership. With that in mind, if you’re kept in the dark about your site’s progress by the hands of a developer, it may be time to rethink your overall design.

Every business, to some degree, should have access to their site’s backend functionality. Whether it’s yourself or a dedicated team member who monitors site activity, having the ability to log in and know the basic inner workings of your design elements reinforces your efficiency to communicate with consumers in a timely manner. It gives you better access to track what changes should be made, offers insights into valuable user metrics compiled by the service provider, and helps you create ideas for what can be developed in the future. A quality developer includes you in the design process and gives you the tools to be in the driver’s seat, rather than you sitting in the back, unable to choose the destination.

10. Your Brand Identity has Changed

Nothing affects a company more than time itself, and after years of trial and error, your brand may take on a new identity that’s not represented by your current web design. Anytime a shift happens in your overall business model, it’s important to share that transformation with users. Whether it’s new packaging design or a new feature, get the message out there as soon as possible.

You don’t want your website to cause confusion about what your primary goals are, especially if you’re adapting to new models and new demands. By aligning the ways your brand identity has evolved, you can express those changes with a brand designer and launch a fresh web design that showcases your main drivers. In the end, you’ll maintain existing clientele with engaging innovations and convert new visitors to dedicated customers.

Change is a Good Thing

Although it may seem a bit overwhelming, adopting a new design is a way for your business to stay competitive in a shifting market.

As consumers gain more information and generate expectations for certain products and services, providing them with a UX that piques their interest and promotes their lifestyle is what leads to higher conversions. Maintaining outdated designs do the opposite.

The post 10 Indicators a Redesign Could Mean a Boon in Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Hitting your online sales goals is one key performance indicator, of course. But what if you want to really get into the details and observe exactly how your visitors are interacting on your site? The answer is to use a heat map.

Heat maps is a graphical demonstration of how website users and visitor interact and resonate with your website.

In other words, what works and what’s not.

With visitor data that’s presented in an immediately-understandable visualization, you get facts about your visitors’ activity rather than relying on hunches. This information enables your team to level-up your website and give your visitors the experience they want. Which buttons are they clicking, their cursor movement, their eyes focus and more.

But because heat maps are seemingly easy to use and understand, many marketing teams formulate quick hunches at first glance without taking time to think about best practices. Avoiding the following common mistakes can make the difference between stagnate and stellar.

Not Using Other Analytics Tools Along with Heat Maps

Whether you’re working on a car, building a home or improving a website, numerous tools should be used to complete the job correctly. While you can certainly gain instant and accurate insights using heat maps, other tools (such as Google Analytics) should be used with them to confirm speculations and hunches or to cross reference data.

Perhaps one reason why some marketers use heat maps in isolation is that the graphical representation is easy to present to managers and colleagues. Simple visualizations are indeed a refreshing change from dull and complex Google Analytics reports. But supporting heatmap-driven epiphanies using other tools will keep you from taking the wrong actions.

When presenting the data, it’s always good to use heat maps. Everyone appreciates quick and intuitive visualizations, especially those who aren’t keen on spreadsheets and other traditional analytics

tools. Then, if someone wants more details about the data, break out the Google analytics information you’ve already uncovered. As always, the more preparation, the better.

Not Taking Sample Size or Time-Periods into Consideration

Heat maps are excellent for visual simplicity.

They remove the complexities and numbers that are found in spreadsheet data. But It can be dangerous to make decisions about your website (or even make website changes) when you forget that heat maps aren’t showing you the size of your data set. Are the colors representing 1,000 visitors to your site, or 50,000 visitors? Adjust the settings of your heat map tool to make sure your sample size is representative of your audience.

The sample time-period is also important. If you’ve set your heat map tool to collect data on the first 2,000 visitors, and that number was reached within the first 24 or 48 hours, how can you observe weekday vs. weekend behavior trends?

What about visitor behavior during the beginning of the month vs. the end of the month? Bottomline, you need a lot of data to reach the right conclusion.

Not Segmenting by New Visitors vs Returning VisitorsI

t’s a common mistake to lump all visitors together in the same heat map without differentiating the new from the returning. Returning customers and new visitors behave differently on websites.

Knowing the differences can be very important for seasonal marketing campaigns, special offers, and being aware of how often visitors are coming back to use your site.

You’ll want to see data for each segment because the two heat maps will look significantly different. You also want the ability to know what kinds of information both segments seek, and how they interact differently with your site.

Not Pairing your Heat Map Tool with Visitor Feedback

Once you’ve used a heat map to gain insight into your visitors’ behaviors, it’s time to go a step further by gaining context.

Heat maps give you a big-picture view that tells you what your visitors are doing. But customer feedback enables you to zoom in and learn the specific why’s behind your visitors’ activities.

When you discover roadblocks and drop-offs, feedback can tell you if the problems are related to product pricing, complicated website functionality, a lack of information on your site, or something altogether different. A couple popular website-feedback elements include:

Popup surveys – These are popup windows that ask one or two quick questions about your visitors’ experience. They should be used as a visitor is exiting your site. A popup window could ask something like, “What is your primary concern about making a purchase on our site?” A couple of choices are then given for the visitor to select

Feedback widgets – A feedback widget appears as a button housed at the side of a web page. When a visitor clicks the button, the widget enables them to highlight specific parts of the web page and provide feedback about what’s highlighted.

On-page surveys – This type of feedback survey appears as a small, unobtrusive window at the bottom of the web page. It’s similar in appearance to a chatbot text window.

Not Recording Visitors’ Activity

Heat maps are great for seeing the overall picture of how hundreds or thousands of visitors are interacting with your website. But the best heat-map technology on the market also gives you the ability to record your visitors’ activities at the individual level.

By recording your visitor’s website activity, you get deep insights that shed light on previously unanswered questions. Learn, for example, the pages that are leading to conversions (or falling flat,) how much time specific visitors are spending on different pages, and whether they’re using mobile devices or desktops. You might even be able to ascertain reasons why a large percentage of your visitors are quickly abandoning certain pages.

The more knowledge you have about individual visitor journeys, the easier it will be to turn your website into a well-oiled conversion machine.

Not Blocking IPs

For new web pages that receive very little traffic, you don’t want your heat map to reflect the activity of people from your own company.

If most of the traffic is coming from a company’s representatives (like marketers and web developers,) the heat map won’t be useful. The fix is to set the heat map tool to exclude your company’s IPs, including the IPs of your remote employees.

Best Practices + The Right Tool = Success

It’s key that you don’t let a heat map’s ease-of-use dull your vigilance.

Also remember that not all heat map tools are created equal. Look for one that enables you to record user activity and offers visitor-feedback options. The ability to differentiate between new and returning visitors is important as well.

The bottom line is simple: the right tool combined with the above best practices will enable you to fine tune your site for optimal results.

The post Are You Making These 6 Heat Map Mistakes? appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Conversely, one terrible review can cost you valuable business and damage your brand’s credibility.

In light of this, we’ve got some surefire advice on how to handle any negative reviews published about your company.

Let’s dive in!

Respond Publicly to Bad Reviews

First and foremost, you need to be monitoring your company online for any reviews that customer publish. Tools like PowerReviews, allow you to automate the monitoring and collecting of your reviews online.

If you receive a poor review, you need to respond publicly.

As you construct a response, ensure you address the issue in a way that remains professional. Ideally, you want to provide a resolution so that other prospects can see how effectively you handle customer complaints. Needless to say, keeping your cool always creates a better impression than losing your temper.

If you feel the comment was particularly unjust, take an hour or so to cool off, and then compose a friendly response. Trust us; you’ll be thankful you did. Fighting fire with fire when it comes to customer relations never pays off.

You should also provide an email address or phone number so that if the customer wants to discuss the issue further, they have the option of doing so offline.

Top Tip: Publish your response as quickly as possible- the online world never sleeps, so a quick acknowledgment is expected. Plus, a speedy reply helps to ensure the situation doesn’t spiral as more and more prospects read the unsavory review.

Lastly, if your company was at fault, be sure to apologize. Do NOT shirk responsibility or try and blame the customer. This never comes across well. Instead, show you take responsibility and that you’re keen to make things right. Consumers appreciate this and are far more likely to respect your brand because of it.

If you’re unsure how to respond, here’s a quick template you can edit:

“Hello [insert the name of the customer],

Thank you so much for your feedback. Here at [insert the name of your business], we take customer complaints extremely seriously. We’re sorry about [insert their complaint] To try and make things right we would like to [insert resolution]. Would you mind contacting us on [insert contact details] so we can find out a little more about how things went wrong?

Best Wishes,
[Insert the name of your company]”

Make Necessary Improvements

If the same negative comments are surfacing time and again, then you need to make a change.

Go through your reviews and compile a list of all the negative comments you’ve received. Then call a team meeting to discuss how as a brand you can tackle these issues. This is essential for ensuring the same problem doesn’t repeat itself.

Not to mention, when you make the necessary improvements you show customers you care about their concerns and want to provide a premium user experience. This is imperative for rebuilding trust with disgruntled customers.

Follow Up

Now you’ve addressed their complaint; you need to follow up with them and find out whether they’re satisfied with the way things were resolved.

Shoot over a private message, and if possible offer a discount or freebie to try and smooth things over. This highlights that their opinion is valued and that you’ve taken their feedback seriously.

Showing genuine concern in your follow up message increases the likelihood of the customer giving your brand another try. Who knows? Perhaps they’ll even delete or update the negative review they published?

Top Tip: If you’ve apologized and rectified the issue, there’s nothing wrong with asking the customer to erase their negative comments. On the whole, people don’t usually mind doing this once there query is resolved.

Stay Vigilant

The best course of action is to avoid negative reviews in the first place. To do this, businesses need to meet and exceed customer expectations. One of the biggest pet peeves of most customers is when a business doesn’t keep their word.

For a service based business this could be as small as not showing up on time or as big as not living up to the agreed upon work. Whether you’re a web design firm or a home service business, exceeding customer expectations can lead from a first time customers to repeat business and referrals.

To help businesses execute this goal they turn to technology. For example, home service software companies, like ServiceTitan, help create a seamless customer experience by communicating with customers at every step of the process. From automatically rerouting the closest technicians for on-time appointments to texting customers ahead of time with the name, picture and bio of the technician doing the work.

Top Tip: Stay ahead of the online review curve by heading off potentially negative review before they happen. Using your customer service or field representatives as your front lines is a great way to deal with reviews.

Final Thoughts

Receiving negative reviews about your brand can be heartbreaking. It can be tough to handle when you spend so much of your time and effort building growing your business. So much so, that some business owners forget these reviews aren’t personal attacks.

Instead, it’s important to try and see them as opportunities to improve business operations and to learn more about what your customers really want.

If you follow the above advice and respond appropriately by committing to solving the customers’ concerns, there’s a good chance you’ll rekindle the relationship while demonstrating to prospects how professionally you handle customer complaints- win-win!

The post How Your Business Can Deal with Negative Online Reviews appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs.

1. Google Alerts

Our social media team has certain keywords that they are sent alerts for. This keeps them up to date on any new rules, updates or news put out by different social platforms. – Dave Nevogt, Hubstaff.com

2. Podcasts

You can find a podcast about just about any topic these days, and they’re an easy way to keep up on new trends as you’re walking, driving or working out. I’m all about learning while I’m doing the things that I would be doing anyway. – Allie Siarto, Allie Siarto & Co. Photography

3. Compliance Officer

As a leading digital agency, it’s our job to be up on these things, so we have a compliance officer. Most sizeable companies should have one, and if it doesn’t quite make sense, then add that as a dual role for someone in your company. Have them update your marketing team and even execs via email, and if need be on a monthly in-person basis just to ensure they are on top of things. – Scott Levy, Fuel Online

4. The Platform’s Own Training Modules

Social media platforms have their own training outlets. For example, Facebook has a platform called ‘Facebook Blueprint’ that contains training modules. You can subscribe to the newsletter and receive monthly content consisting of highlights, updates and new courses. Twitter has a platform called ‘Twitter Flight School’ which has a resource library and online courses to keep you up to date. – Nick Friedman, College Hunks Hauling Junk

5. RSS Feeds

It might seem old-fashioned to use RSS to follow social media news, but it is effective. Most of the big social networks have news blogs, like Facebook Business News. We subscribe via RSS to many of the most important social media news sources, which helps our team to keep on top of changing rules and updates. – Vik Patel, Future Hosting

6. Log In and Check

The simplest way to stay abreast of any changes is to log in to your social media regularly. For most platforms, you will get a prompt the first time you log on after a change has been made. Also, it is not a bad idea to subscribe to some of the more popular platforms’ blogs, such as Pinterest, LinkedIn and Twitter. They will have posts about site changes and updates. – Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker

7. Social Media Publications

There are a few social media publications you can subscribe to that will keep you updated on all of the latest changes. One is called Social Media Today and another is Social Media Examiner. – Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

8. Paid Information

There are entire businesses built around educating entrepreneurs on platform changes and strategy. They typically have private Facebook groups where they post live videos, have paid for online courses and even coaching. They not only walk through changes, but also how to best implement them for your business. It’s been invaluable what my company has received from groups like this to stay competitive. – Bryan Citrin, Chiropractic Advertising

9. Tech Sites

When social media platforms make ad changes, it is almost always reported on by the major tech websites like Tech Crunch, Mashable, Recode, etc. Even if you aren’t in that industry, it’s important to stay current with the tech news that may affect your business. – Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR

10. Updates

I always read everything that pops up or that comes as an update. Social media sites have had to be more transparent in their changes and policies, so when it pops up, I stop and read it or save the link if I can’t read it right then. – John Rampton, Calendar

11. Pay Attention

Don’t just click ‘OK.’ We can’t demand transparency if we then don’t take the time to ingest the information that is readily available to us. Many of these companies are constantly updating us, but we lack the patience to go through and understand the ‘why’ and ‘how.’ Keeping up with blogs, news and podcasts can also be a good way to stay informed on this quickly changing facet of social media. – Justin Lefkovitch, Mirrored Media

The post 11 Ways to Stay Up-to-Date on Social Media Platform Changes appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC has also launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

1. Guest Post for Others

One of the best ways to build your audience and increase engagement on Facebook is to partner with a complementary brand. Find a noncompeting brand that has an existing audience that overlaps with your ideal target demographic and vice versa. Both brands can mutually benefit from an occasional guest post on each other’s Facebook pages. – Duran Inci, Optimum7

The post 14 Cost-Effective Ways to Engage Facebook Followers appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

There are lots of ways how a business can hire, but finding the right candidate can be a challenge.

LinkedIn recently introduced a new tool, Recommended Matches, which helps you zero in on the right candidates for your needs and gets more intuitive and smarter based on your guidance. It uses machine learning to help you not just find 347 candidate but to help you find the 3 or 4 that are best suited for your needs.

Liz Maples, product marketing at LinkedIn shared that LinkedIn’s latest feature for business Recommended Matches is part of a newly redesigned LinkedIn Job Posts that was crafted specifically with small business owners in mind.

To use Recommended Matches you simply post the position to LinkedIn, being sure to include specific skills, years of experience, and whatever else you look for in an ideal candidate. The more specific your post is, the more relevant your candidates will be. A stream of profiles will show up, and with a click of a few buttons you can either reject them, schedule a meeting, or add them to a list of candidates you would like to look at later. You can even share potential candidates with your entire team and work together on the hiring process.

What’s nice about Recommended Matches is that you now have a “partner”, albeit a digital one, to help you narrow down your list of candidates.

Many small business owners tend to shy away from online platforms not realizing that small business is “hot market” right now. In fact, Liz’s team researched and discovered that 87% of LinkedIn professionals are looking to work at “smaller or medium-sized businesses.”

Many candidates, the majority of which are millenials, are looking for more opportunities to grow and further their experience, and small businesses offer such golden opportunities. When looking to hire millenials, Liz advised that employers should “have upfront conversations with them about how they want to grow.”

While larger companies, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, Amazon and hundreds of others “brand” names get the media’s attention, there’s a great opportunity for your business to find great candidates by touting that you ARE a small business. Being small means a candidate can probably have more opportunities to learn more at your company than a bigger one.

One part of hiring that you should pay attention to is your website and any other “hiring” areas. Be sure it’s welcoming, has your core values, even photos and videos that give candidates a peek inside your company. Remember, hiring is a two way street. YOU the business owner/manager must choose the candidate but the candidate must also choose you.

The post LinkedIn’s Newest Hiring Services Help Smaller Businesses Hire Smarter appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Video is a VERY powerful way to personalize and humanize your brand. (Check out video courses here).

While you might not have the budget to create a personal video for EVERY customer, you can use video to enhance your brand, increase engagement and drive customers further along the buying cycle.

You can use your smartphone to create simple video, hire someone to edit it a bit, or do it yourself using Adobe Premier  or right from your mobile phone use an app like Magisto. I also use Rev.com for captions.

Why do you think Instagram is moving to longer form video?

The post Hilton Hotel Uses Personalized Video To Greet Guests Before They Arrive appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

• Instagram’s engagement rates are around 15 times higher than Facebook and 20 times higher than Twitter.
• 86% of the top brands use Instagram.
• Companies with over 100k followers on Instagram have grown by 163% over two years.

If you want to succeed at your online marketing efforts, you must have Buying an Instagram account from kickstagram helps your Instagram game is on point. The social media company has recently made new features available that make it easier for entrepreneurs to improve their online presence. These features include adding hashtags, clickable links, and scheduled posts.  This article will help you understand how these three features can help you gain more exposure using Instagram. Here are stimsocial alternatives which provides you a best traffic boosting services for Instagram platform.

Why Are These Features Important?

Instagram’s new features can give you a head start when it comes to marketing on Instagram. While many companies use the platform, the vast majority have not yet discovered its true potential. Using the new features, your business can become more discoverable, more relatable, and generate engagement and interest among new and existing prospects.

How Do Bio Hashtags Work?

Instagram now allows you to include clickable hashtags on your bio. This means that when you type a @ or # before text, it will become a live link when people view your profile. When your visitors click on the hashtag, they will be able to view other profiles or look at other posts using the same hashtag.

Hashtags provide a lucrative branding opportunity for your business. You can mix it up by using carefully-research hashtags that already exist or creating new ones that directly relate to your business. By clicking or searching for the hashtags you use, visitors can learn more about your company and see your latest posts.

You can maximize this even further by using hashtags in your posts. This is a helpful technique for reaching more people and attracting more followers. Target hashtags that have between 100k-900k posts. These are popular topics that people are searching for, but they leave enough room for you to stand out. Each post can include 30 different hashtags at most, so make sure you choose these wisely.

Why You Should Add Clickable Links to Your Profile

Previously, you could not include clickable links in your profile. A visitor to your Instagram page would have to copy and paste a link from your bio. However, this has recently changed thanks to popular demand. Instagram now allows you to put clickable links in your profile, making it much easier to direct visitors where you want them to go.

It’s also a great opportunity to highlight a link to your audience temporarily. One effective strategy is to update the link in your bio every few days and point followers towards this via daily posts. When you next post, you can rinse and repeat this strategy to keep any links in the bio fresh and exciting, and direct followers to new products or services.

If you’re running a special online promotion, you can include a link to the contest to make it simple for visitors to participate. You could also include a permanent link to your business website or direct your audience to a new product or service. Providing a clickable link is convenient for visitors and will drive engagement with your Instagram page and business.

Scheduling Your Posts

Every social media manager knows that the ability to schedule posts is essential to the success of an online marketing effort. Managing your posting schedule manually is nearly impossible in this day and age. That’s why certain social media apps allow you to schedule posts in advance. Using these tools, you can set the date and time that you want a piece of content to be posted. These apps can also schedule your posts automatically. This helps you ensure that your content is being published at times when there is high traffic.

Previously, Instagram didn’t allow scheduled posts, but developers have been busy making behind-the-scenes update which make this feature possible. They have enabled social media tools like HootSuite, Sprout Social, and SocialFlow to schedule social media posts on their platform. Ryan Holmes, CEO of HootSuite, stated that scheduled posts have been the “number one request for our 16 million customers.”

Instagram’s Role In Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is an essential part of growing your business. While a lot of companies have embraced Twitter and Facebook as their primary social media platforms, many are excited about the opportunities that Instagram offers and are moving their main social media activities to this platform. If you’re serious about connecting with your audience, you should include Instagram on your company’s social media list. As the statistics show, Instagram can generate a lot of business for your company － you can try the tips provided in this article, to see how Instagram can become an invaluable tool in garnering more online business.

Zach Benson is the CEO and founder of Assistagram – an innovative Instagram management agency specialising in growth of accounts and creating Instagram campaigns that reach millions.

As a full-time entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, social-media trainer for international brands such as The Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton and ViceRoy, he encourages others to reach their full potential through the arts and social media. He uses his successful social media presence and impressive network of followers to travel around the world teaching others how to grow their Instagram accounts.

Zach is also an award-winning dancer and was a finalist on FOX TV’s popular show ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. He combines his passion for teaching, entrepreneurship, dance and travel to mentor people all over the world and help them grow, dance and improve their companies.

The post Three Powerful New Instagram Features and How To Use Them appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC has also launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

1. Accessibility 

If your website provides a good experience for people with visual impairments and other disabilities, it will almost certainly provide a good experience for everyone else. A focus on accessible navigation, typography, color choices and screen-reader compatibility, will help you create a website that is intuitive and pleasant to use for everyone. – Vik Patel, Future Hosting

2. A Clear, Guided Experience

Effective user experience needs to evoke a feeling; it needs to guide the user; it needs to communicate. UX/UI have become synonymous because brands need to move, communicate and adapt to the user at all times. Being able to understand what part of the customer journey they’re in and where they need to be guided will yield the best results. – Michael Cleary, Huemor

3. Fast Site Performance

Even the best designed and most visually appealing website will fail to engage visitors if it is slow. It should load fast, be responsive to input in fractions of a second, and not leave visitors twiddling their thumbs. With modern web technologies, there is no reason for even a complex site to be slow and unresponsive. – Justin Blanchard, ServerMania Inc.

4. Infinite Scrolling

Many websites have adopted this design strategy to great success by putting their own clever twist on it. Something that not everyone realizes with modern web pages is that you essentially have an unlimited amount of vertical space to work with. Using bucket brigades, interactive elements and other engagement strategies, you can keep your viewers scrolling or swiping down as far as you like. – Bryce Welker, CPA Exam Guy

5. Easy Navigation to Your Most Important Pages

Most websites have one or two main places that the majority of users are driven towards. That space could be the login or it could be the pricing information. Either way, focus on getting people to those places with the least amount of friction possible. – Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now

6. Good SEO

SEO is an overlooked aspect when it comes to UX, but it is the most effective way to engage visitors. While SEO isn’t what visitors engage with on your website, it is something that helps you match your visitor’s search intent to your website pages. A successful SEO strategy allows you to direct visitors to the relevant pages they wanted. By doing this, your visitors engage more. – Alexander Mistakidis, Gamelynx

7. An Immediate Understanding of Your Value Proposition

If I go to your page, within five seconds I should know exactly what you offer and why I should be here. If not, I’m going somewhere else. Immediately show your value and give visitors a reason to be engaged and interested. Think well-made explainer videos, visually entertaining GIFs or even good old-fashioned bold words. Intrusive popups can have the opposite effect. – Troy Osinoff, JUICE

8. A Clean and Simple Design

Less is more these days when it comes to UX/UI on websites. The smallest details usually make the biggest differences. In a world of instant gratification, people respond well to information that is familiar. A clean, simple, intuitive design is more likely to resonate with the audience of today. Adding something subtle, visually appealing and novel can also charm the toughest critics. – Steven Fleisher, Two Degrees

9. A Pop-Up Chat Box

A pop-up chat box floating on the page that allows customers to chat with you or call a customer service representative is a must. This gives them the instant satisfaction of resolving their problem in real time, which is somewhat expected by customers these days. – Andy Karuza, FenSens

10. A Great FAQ Page

This is UX/UI in its best form: self-serve, straightforward and expected. Make it easy for your website visitors to get their questions answered immediately without having to send an email or talk to a chatbot. Spend a little extra time testing and developing your FAQ page instead of treating it as a throwaway page and make sure it’s helpful, comprehensive and clear. – Roger Lee, Human Interest

11. Intuitive, Responsive Design

Companies must determine what device visitors are using and be able to deliver the website that works on that screen quickly so that the user can see everything they want rather than having to struggle. – Serenity Gibbons, Calendar

12. A Call to Action

Many websites miss this key element: a call to action. In today’s world where the average user has an attention span of less than five seconds, it’s important to tell users what to do when they are on your site. This is especially true if you plan on acquiring leads or actual business from your site. Displaying powerful calls to action on your site is the best way to engage your users. – Michael Hsu, DeepSky

13. Video Content

A picture is worth a thousand words. Furthermore, video is worth a thousand pictures. Hi-res photos are able to convey an idea much faster than words. String 30 pictures together every second, accompanied with immersive sound, and you’re on the fast track of information transfer. Put a video library in your website’s menu and add video wherever it’s relevant. Your message will be loud and clear. – Christopher Tedder, Clinger Holsters

The post 13 UX Elements Your Website Needs to Engage Visitors appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Advancements in Big Data – or the analysis of customer behaviors online and off – and automation technology are making it easier than ever before for marketers to connect and engage with their audiences. By following the customer journey more closely, and in real-time, marketers can deliver better options that are personalized and relevant. Understand the basics of a customer profile is just the starting point; marketers must understand the nuances of that customer during the buying journey.

To accomplish this, marketing teams need to leverage a variety of technology solutions along with streamlined workflow management. Speed is the name of the game and the strategies below will help you get there.

Chatbots

Offering Insurance Carrier Automation Solutions to customers is important but often costly when it comes to manpower. Using chatbot technology, though, cuts costs while helping customers find quick answers.

Chatbot technology analyzes patterns and word choices of consumers to help find immediate solutions. Chatbots can provide links, give answers to frequently asked questions and even file support tickets if more action is needed. Instead of consumers searching for an email address, then waiting a day or two for a response, chatbots can give immediate answers to common questions.

Consumers like transparency, so when chatbots are implemented, it’s best to let people know that they are interacting with an automated system right off the bat. Chatbot software like SecondEgo communicates with website visitors in real-time. The software uses artificial intelligence to get smarter over time based on data you provide and how people interact with it.

Real-Time Decision Making

Marketers are always looking for ways to speed up the data analysis time so decisions can be made quickly. Data analysis is only part of the picture. Streamlining communication and automating workflows free up team members to focus on optimizing campaigns. The faster marketing teams can make adjustments to campaigns the more revenue they can generate with lower expenses.

Project management solutions like Wrike allow marketing teams to create systematic workflows that speed up communications between team members on specific tasks and create a shared knowledge base for quickly accessing information. Wrike even uses artificial intelligence to automate repeatable tasks that intelligently suggest next steps and notify managers if there’s a possible project delay.

Suggested Items

Having brands suggest items you may like is nothing new – consider the “you may also like” product suggestions that Amazon has been offering post-sale for over a decade. What’s changing is the ability to suggest items across several sites and channels through secure computer software platforms. The right tracking and AI platform can follow customers from one online location to another, and remind them of what they liked on your brand’s site or social media platform. This type of tracking and marketing can also tell you what people are doing after they leave your site, like heading to competitor sites or looking up reviews on your brand.

When marketers better understand consumer behavior, they can better deliver personalized messaging that results in higher return. Big Data and AI benefit both brands and customers by providing custom information.

The post How Big Data and Automation are Giving Marketers Real-Time Solutions appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Why? Zuckerberg explains that “recently we’ve gotten feedback from our community that public content is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other.” Zuckerberg wants to fight this trend and facilitate more meaningful online interactions. He cites research which suggests that social media is only good for a user’s wellbeing if they use it to connect with the people they care about. This follows a post in November of last year which claimed that too much “passive” social media use, such as watching videos and reading articles, could be harmful.

What does this mean for businesses? At face value, it might seem pretty bad. Businesses have had their organic reach falling for some time now, and it can be tempting to see this algorithm change as the nail in the coffin. This, however, would be too hasty. All the new algorithm really does is weigh posts which generate genuine interactions such as shares and comments (the longer the better!) more heavily than those which generate simple likes and reactions. It is perfectly possible for businesses to keep up a wide organic reach by producing well-timed, engaging, high quality content that encourages their audience to interact. Sound like a challenge? Here are some tips to help get you started:

1. Know your audience

If you want your audience to engage with your posts, you need to know what makes them tick. Facebook Audience Insights is a tool designed to help marketeers learn more about their target audience, providing aggregated and anonymised data on the age, gender, lifestyle, interests, and educational background of existing and potential customers. Insights also provides information on where, when, and how people access Facebook. Once you know the composition of your audience, you’ll be able to tailor and target your content in order to make it as relevant and engaging as possible – you can even time your posts to coincide when your target audience is most active on Facebook.

2. Encourage meaningful engagement

You might think that you can get around the new algorithm by simply prompting your audience to comment on your post. However, posts with headlines like ‘Comment if you like chocolate!’ or ‘Tag a friend who would eat this’ hardly promote genuine interactions. In fact, posting this kind of content is known as ‘engagement baiting’ and Facebook has made it clear that they “will continue to demote these posts in News Feeds”.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can encourage meaningful engagement. One great way to engage your audience is to ask for their advice and / or stories about the products or services they use. If you’re a delivery company, for example, you could ask for people’s best and worst delivery experiences. If you’re a pet store, you could ask what people do to keep their pets warm in winter.

Another great way to engage people with your content is to have them feature directly in that content. Celebrate your customer’s stories (with their permission, of course) and you’ll find that they not only share your post themselves, but that their friends and family do too. If, for instance, someone’s been coming into your café every week for the last ten years, you can see if they’re up for a photoshoot and telling the world a little bit about why they keep on coming back.

3. Build a following

After the algorithm change, users will still have the ability to make sure they always see content from their favourite brands by following their page and selecting the ‘See First’ option. You can encourage your customers to follow your own page by keeping it up to date and using it as an exclusive platform for announcing important information such as discounts and sales. The more dedicated followers you have, the wider and more sustainable your reach.

4. Go Live

Zuckerberg noted in his own announcement that live videos tended to generate far more interaction than pre-recorded footage. As Miguel Lantigua, social media strategist at EMSI Public Relations puts it, “for brands that haven’t done this yet, this is the signal to get on board the live video train.” Some of the most popular live videos go behind the scenes to explore how the product is made or involve demonstrating and launching a new product. Simple Q&A sessions with customers are also a big hit.

5. Make a group

Facebook have stated explicitly that content from groups will be prioritised, and so it would be foolish not to form your own for your dedicated fanbase. In July of last year, Facebook launched ‘Groups for Pages’, which allows you to link groups to your pages. So, you can form a group, link to your page, and direct your followers to join. Once they’re members, you can interact with them more directly and facilitate discussion between them on a regular basis.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that Facebook may change their algorithm again, and indeed that any social media site may change their algorithm in the future. You can minimise the impact of these changes by having a strong presence on multiple sites – Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – but also by having a successful platform that you control. It’s therefore important not to neglect your own website and mailing list. As Aly Jamison, owner of Jamison PR says, “Invest in social media, but know that at any point you could lose that reach and traffic channel.”

Oliver Hurcum writes for Inspiring Interns, which specialises in sourcing candidates for internships and graduate jobs.

The post How the Recent Facebook Algorithm Change May Affect Your Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

What’s one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a web host for your company site?

These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC has also launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

1. Your Business’s Needs

Before you begin looking at options, consider the type of site you are building, whether you need any special features, as well as your anticipated site traffic volume. Don’t pigeonhole yourself into what your site should look like now. Think about what you want it to be next year. Starting with a good foundation makes it easier to update and expand later down the pike. – Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker

The post 11 Important Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Web Host appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

However, marketers are having difficulty integrating their social media and email marketing campaigns. Polls have found that 95 percent of marketers recognize the importance of multi-channel marketing, but 51 percent admit they lack the tools and expertise to set up these campaigns.

If you need direction on combining social media and email marketing, you should follow these tips.

Use influencer marketing to earn trust

Email subscriber rates have collapsed in recent years. The biggest reason is that unscrupulous marketers have abused email to spam potential customers. They are very cautious about subscribing to email lists of brands that they do not trust.

Many black hat marketers use spam tactics to try building their email lists with social media. This has hurt the credibility of legitimate marketers trying to earn email subscribers. You need to earn their trust before driving them to your opt-in page.

One of the best ways to gain the trust of potential subscribers is by using social media influencers. Find social media users in your niche that people trust. People will be far more likely to join your email list if you have the endorsement of one of these experts.

Intertwine all channels

The primary focus of many marketers is to use their social media traffic to promote their email lists. Don’t limit yourself this way. Social media doesn’t lose its value as soon as your followers subscribe to your mailing list.

You should also try promoting your social media platforms with your email campaigns. Fruit of the Loom incorporates their major social media profiles into most of their emails, which has helped them expand their reach on social media.

Test both similar and custom opt in pages with your social media traffic

Facebook and other social media platforms offer a wide range of targeting options to reach new audiences. Many marketers have trouble figuring out how do you build their campaign funnels around different audiences.

Should you target eight different types of customers and reach them with the same ads and landing pages? Or should you build custom funnels for each of them? Both approaches have their merits, so you may need to improvise for each campaign.

In some verticals, different demographics respond very differently to certain marketing messages. Marketers in other industries find that there is a little distinction with the demographics that actually convert. Testing different ads and landing pages to optimize your results.

For example, you can create multiple landing pages for each demographic group you are advertising to and A/B test them to find what works best. Landing page software, like Wishpond, makes creating and testing landing pages simple while also integrating with third party email platforms.

Once a social media visitor is converted into a subscriber, use email marketing platforms like Campaign Monitor to create personalized email content based on the landing page message that got them to convert. If the landing page offered an ebook about a specific topic then your email copy should offer additional value on the same topic.

Use multimedia content and pinned posts to reach potential subscribers on Twitter

For many marketers, the term “social media marketing” is synonymous with “Facebook marketing.” Too many marketers overlook the potential of other social media platforms, such as Twitter.

Twitter can be an excellent site to build your email list. However, you need to work hard to make sure that your tweets stand out from all of the noise.

Kajabi has a lot of experience promoting campaigns on Twitter. They have found that using multimedia content and pinned tweet is a great way to build an email list.

Use social data to estimate demand for various lead magnets

Using a lead magnet is one of the most effective ways to build your email list. However, it is easy to invest a lot of time and resources building a lead magnet that appeals to a very small group of people. You must measure interest before investing in it.

You can use social media to identify lead magnet angles that appeal to a large base of potential subscribers. Try tweaking the targeting options with Facebook ads to see the size of different audiences. You probably don’t want to create a product that will resonate with 5000 people on the network.

Twitter doesn’t have the same audience estimates that Facebook does, but there are ways to test engagement for different ideas. Try running sponsored tweets for blog post that will be similar to your lead magnet page. You can use the number of retreats, likes and clicks to gauge interest in a particular topic.

The post Integrate Email and Social Media Marketing to 10X Results appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

1. Tell Your Story 

If you are just starting out, tell the story of how your company came to be and where it is headed next. Regular updates on your progress will cause customers to care more about you and check in more regularly. It gives a company a personality and makes it easy to connect with.

– Colbey Pfund, LFNT Distribution 

2. Leverage SaaS Tools 

These days, there are many tools in the price range of $10 to $20 a month, that can help you leverage digital media in a more optimal manner. For example, CrowdfireApp helps brands quickly engage on Twitter and manage the right mix of followers. You can also use design tools like Canva to design branded content. And Google Analytics is a free tool to understand the outcomes of your digital marketing.

– Shilpi Sharma, Kvantum Inc. 

3. Build an Email List 

An email list is a valuable resource that increases your brand’s value over time. Creating a large and responsive one isn’t necessarily easy, but you can do it without investing much. While paid ads help you build a list more quickly, you can also do it cheaply with SEO and social media marketing. Make sure you provide helpful content to your subscribers and your list will keep growing.

– Shawn Porat, Scorely 

4. Calculate SEO Value of Organic Keywords

Each organic keyword has SEO value. The SEO value is what you would expect to pay Google AdWords if you were paying for each click. By analyzing the collective SEO value of the clicks your website organically brings, you can establish an ROI to SEO efforts and bring a number to your digital brand value. Want to know what your SEO value is now? Check out Spyfu.

The post 13 Low-Cost Ways for Small Businesses to Increase Digital Brand Value appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Over the past 5 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to launch three small business websites, two of which have grown into thriving businesses. Although technology has made it easier to build websites, I’m constantly surprised by the numerous hidden costs that, if unchecked, can quickly snowball into large expenses and eat into your revenue.

Here are 5 hidden costs that can hurt your small business website even before it takes off.

1. Website Infrastructure

This is perhaps the most important factor that determines how much you’ll spend on running your website. Today, there are plenty of options when it comes to building your website. However, if you don’t make the right choice it can prove to be costly down the line, as you’ll see below. Here are the different ways you can setup your website:

• Build a custom website from ground up – This means you need to hire professional developers and designers company like Web designers in Stockport to build your entire website and this can cost you thousands of dollars just to get started. Not many do this anymore, unless you’re an enterprise business with custom site requirements.
• Use a content management system – You can also use free content management systems like WordPress that provide you all the tools required to build your site. However, you will need to hire professionals to setup and customize your site. This costs about $500-1000 every year which includes the developer costs & hosting fees.
• Use a website builder – There are many fully automated website builders like Wix, Squarespace and Weebly that allow you to quickly build your website using a drag & drop interface. In this case, you don’t need a team of developers to build or run your website. You can get your site up & running for as little as $5 per month. All you need to do is spend a couple of hours on YouTube, learning how to use one of these website builders and you should be good to go. This is undoubtedly the most recommended option.

2. Design

If you want to attract website visitors and turn them into paying customers, you have to make your site looks good and for this you may need to get help from professionals like the ones found at the Spicy Broccoli Media website design Agency. It’s funny how ‘design’ creeps into almost everything you put on your small business website these days. Here are 4 design-related costs that you need to watch out for when launching your site.

• Logos & graphics – If you don’t have prior design experience, you can get your logos & graphics designed for as low as $5, at Fiverr or UpWork. If you enjoy designing stuff, then you can try free online design tools like Canva or LogoMakr. I’ve used LogoMakr a couple of times and found it really easy to use.
• Images – Unless you have the luxury of hiring professionals to edit images, you can use free stock images from sites such as Unsplash or Pixabay. Some of them might require you to credit the photographer while using their images.
• Website Design Templates – This is one of the biggest costs while building a website. You can get paid wordpress templates starting from $35 on sites like ThemeForest. Then also consider getting the professionals to design your web site as many are very cheap now and provide amazing web sites so well worth using. If you hire a designer to customize your paid template, it can cost upwards of $300. However, if you want to build your website from ground up, then it will cost at least $5,000.On the other hand, all hosted website builders like Wix, SquareSpace and Weebly provide a huge library of free design templates. Most of them are as good as paid templates. Even if you hire a designer like Calgary web design to style your site, it will cost you less than $100, since they’ll be using the drag & drop UI, instead of coding it themselves.
• Email templates – If you want your blog subscribers and customers to read your emails, then you need to make them look good. However, when you’re just starting, don’t go for paid email templates (cost – $15 onwards). You can sign up for email marketing platforms like MailChimp & Aweber, that offer tons of beautifully designed, professional-looking email templates, absolutely free.

3. Contentbusin

Once your website is designed, you’ll need to populate it with content, so that your site visitors can understand your business, see your products and read your blog posts. Typically, there are 2 types of content you’ll need to launch your website:

1. Web content – It consists of all the textual content present on various pages of your website – whether it’s your home page, ‘about us’ page, or product pages. It includes every piece of text on your site – your tagline, sub headings, product features, benefits, FAQs, and more. It involves a fair bit of creative skill to write a persuasive copy.So if you have a small website of 3-5 pages, you can hire a professional to create web content for you. They charge about $250-300 for at least three pages, with a cheaper rate for additional pages. However, examine their prior work to see if their quality and style of writing matches your requirements.
2. Blog Content – It can be very costly to outsource your blog content, starting from $25 per blog post, especially if you’re starting and don’t know what your audience likes to read. So you might want to invite guest posting on your blog. This will help you get tons of content for free while you find out what topics resonate with your readers.

4. Automation Tools & Plugins

There are plenty of automation tools & plugins that make it easy to manage & promote your website, once it is built. However, technology has become so seamless that you might not be aware how they’re adding costs to your business.

Make a list of all the paid tools & plugins you use to manage your business – from collaboration tools & services like Slack, to email marketing solutions like MailChimp to social media management tools like HootSuite. Even note your laptops’ operating systems. All these tools add costs to your small business. Find out if they have any good open source alternatives. Is there any open source alternative for Slack? How about replacing Windows with Ubuntu?

In fact, our technology costs dropped by 32% when we replaced most of our paid software with their open source alternatives. When it comes to business success, companies will consider return on investment when choosing a web designer. Effectively, web design packages often deliver good value for Australian organizations. Streamlined web solutions can also help you utilize some of the latest technologies suited for specific industries.

5. Maintenance & updates

Once your website is up & running, you’ll have to periodically run maintenance & upgrades on it. They can be in the form of software updates & security patches, or even a new website design. You’ll also need professional help every time your site breaks down. If you don’t factor in these costs, they can quickly swell up your operating expenses.

If you choose to build a custom site from scratch then you can get in real trouble. What happens if the developers who built your site leave, or can’t be reached? Your new developers may have a hard time understanding & fixing your website, and may charge you extra fees for it.

Take control of HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript in a completely visual canvas and let KC Vision Media translate your design into clean, semantic code that’s ready to publish to the web, or hand off to developers.

If you have built your site using WordPress, then you’ll need to hire a developer to fix your site every time it breaks down, or whenever you need to make any updates. A good developer can cost between $80 and $180 per hour.

Given the accessibility of the WordPress platform, many businesses owners initially set up their website themselves or with the help of a colleague. One of the strengths of WordPress web design is that it empowers businesses owners and reduces reliance on programmers.

Fully-hosted website builders like Wix allow you to install updates with just one-click, and have a dedicated, 24×7 support team to help you with troubleshooting. That’s why they’re a great option for people who don’t have much technical knowledge, or who are new to building websites.

If you keep an eye on the above hidden costs, you’ll be able to launch your business smoothly and use the saved funds on other important areas such as marketing & hiring.

The post Building A Website? Watch Out For These 5 Hidden Costs appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Not only has it helped a good number of webpreneurs or business owners with bringing in more clients, but even the podcast listeners themselves are getting tons of value out of it.

This business-building strategy has proven itself to be so effective, that the speed of which the marketing method is gaining traction is nothing short of a miracle.

If you’re still thinking twice about whether or not you should use podcasts, then you can check out some of the main reasons why businesses should start it.

1. Branding

There are a plethora of ways podcasts can help you with establishing your brand.

For one thing, having a podcast will make you even more accessible to your audience. The fact is, while written content is great, having a podcast has its advantages.

For example, your audience won’t be able to read your articles when they’re driving or going for a jog.

When you have a podcast, on the other hand, they can consume your content even when they’re on the road or while preparing their meals.

Influencers are all too aware of the power of podcasts that several of them are consistently publishing their podcast episodes on iTunes and other platforms. Tai Lopez is one such influencer.

Through his podcasts, he managed to help countless people by helping them better themselves. The messages he shares on his episodes are so powerful, that he’s managed to garner close to a 5-star rating, with over 5,000 people rating his podcasts.

Of course, Tai is just one of the many influencers who is using podcasts to further their business. And you can bet your family jewels that they’re getting amazing results out of their endeavor.

2. Trust

Because podcasters open themselves to a higher level of transparency to their audience — compared to them publishing articles — it becomes easier for them to establish trust.

That right there is crucial. Because when trust is built between business entities and their audience, sales, leads, and business growth (among other things) is bound to happen next.

Riling up audience engagement is also a lot easier to pull off when there is trust between the business owners and their audience.

Because of the trust that’s been built, the audience won’t worry about sharing their struggles; they know all too well that the podcaster won’t judge them.

More than knowing that they won’t be judged, they’re even expecting the podcaster to share their insights on how they can solve their problems. This compels them (and others) to share even more.
The win-win situation is a perfect recipe for business growth.

It breeds trust, a deeper level of relationship, and it makes you — the business owner — the go-to-guy of your audience when they’ll experience challenges.

When you’ve managed to establish a meaningful relationship with your audience, it becomes almost impossible for your competitors to snatch them from you.

What’s even better is your audience will refer you to their circle of influence via word of mouth, which is arguably one of the best marketing methods a business can ever have going for them.

3. It is perfect for networking.

Here’s a question: How would you feel if someone reached out to you then asked if they can feature you in their podcast?

You’d be stoked, wouldn’t you?

And if you’re being honest, you’d probably give the person a big warm hug for the opportunity.

I don’t blame you.

After all, you can use the opportunity as a springboard to grow your business.

Once you’ve been featured, it becomes highly likely that someone from the audience will reach out to you and inquire about your services, or you can use it to establish strategic relationships.

TL;DR: Podcasts are perfect networking tools.

Of course, networking is just the tip of the iceberg.

Once you’ve built a network of like-minded individuals, you’d have access to all sorts of opportunities.

Starting a mentorship business is a good example.

While it is true that starting a mentorship business isn’t exactly easy, there are several action steps or marketing strategies that you can use to help you succeed — of course, having a podcast series is one of those.

The good news is, it’s not even that hard to start one. You just need to make sure that you have the crucial elements in place, and you’d be able to start churning up your podcast episodes.

4. Lead generation

Podcasting and generating leads are a match made in heaven.

Let me explain why I’m saying that…

As I’ve mentioned, when you have a podcast series, it becomes easier for you to establish trust with your audience, right?

Not only that, but you’ll find it a lot easier to network with other influencers since you can feature them in your podcasts.

Now, here’s where podcasts can work its magic when it comes to helping you generate leads…

• Freebies

You can tell your audience during one of your podcast episodes that you’ll give away a freebie if they’ll sign up to your opt-in form.

• Access to the beta version of your products for those who will signup

As you run your podcast series like you normally would, you’ll mention several times in your episode that you’re giving away access to the beta version of can you buy real phentermine online your new product to those who will opt into your updates.

• Influencer marketing

Here’s the deal, should you decide to run your very own podcast series in the future, try to feature influencers (those with a decent number of followers), over those who do not have an established brand visibility.

After all, when you have influencers sharing your content with their audience, or them spreading the news about your business, your likelihood of growing your followers increases because the influencers themselves already have followers (they number by the thousands, in most cases).

The post 4 Main Reasons Why Your Business Should Use Podcasts appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Increase website security

Many small business owners don’t know that a website, no matter how secure it seems, isn’t as secure as you think. The reason why is that when the site is placed on an unsecure server with various websites, there is a chance of one being hacked. It’s frustrating to know that no matter how secure your site is, it’s not fully protected and poor security can destroy your business. A minecraft server hosting will take preventative measures to reduce risks of privacy violations with the help of firewalls and other electric barriers between a site and those trying to access it with malicious intent. If your site is compromised due to a hosting issue with a well-known company and you chose a low tier plan, the chance of a speedy solution is slim. Business owners sometimes fail to realize the importance of knowing the types of web hosting available and choosing the most reputable providers. Both decisions have a direct influence on the success of your business. We are an IT support services company in Houston that constantly strives to provide dynamic, innovative, and practical consultative design and IT services that will save you a lot of time, reduce costs, and improve the key deliverables for all information technology teams. 

Receive better customer service

When your small business site goes down, you’ll get to know the customer service team of your hosting platform. The difference between good and bad hosts is the speed at which the issue is resolved. A good host offers knowledgeable representatives who will assist you with your problems and answer your questions, whether by phone or chat. Clients with a more profitable account will likely take priority and earn immediate attention. If you went cheap on hosting, you’ll probably be faced with longer wait times, less than stellar assistance, and a fix to your issue that won’t last long. Many small business owners wouldn’t associate customer service with a hosting platform, but it is something you need to think about since it actively affects the experience.

Offer your customers reliability

Your business website often makes the first impression – you want to make sure your customers see a website that runs well and best represents your brand. Visitors may not notice that your website is good when they’re browsing around, but they will notice  if your site is consistently down or isn’t user-friendly. There is always a possibility a website will crash, it’s far less likely if you have a good host. Good hosts are consistently backing up data and cloning sites to ensure they can always provide a fast solution to get your website back and running online so you can sell more products. Less expensive hosting often leads to a slow website – a frustration for many users. There is never a guarantee your website will consistently run without a glitch, but better hosts provides better care to their clients and more efficient web speeds with enhanced security. Reliable hosts minimize many risks involved with your site, which means you’ll have less of a headache if the site experiences any problems.

Small business owners don’t always realize how much hosting matters. There are various options available to everyone who launches a website so make sure you educate yourself before you select your host. A reliable host is the key to overall functionality of a website leading to happier customers and more sales.

The post 3 Reasons Hosting Matters appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

People lose this part of themselves when livestreaming for the first time. If you are naturally energetic, be energetic! If you are naturally informative, share insightful information. There are many types of people doing livestreams and they all have their own style. Highlight your strengths from the start and then work on masking your weaknesses later on. 

– Lawrence Watkins, Great Black Speakers 


2. Watch Other Livestreams 

Watch as many livestreams as possible first to see what you like and don’t like so that you can either incorporate them into what you do or avoid certain things. This benchmarking can vastly improve your delivery. 

– Angela Ruth, Due 


3. Consider the Impact of Background Noises 

Setting is huge. One thing I underestimated was the amount and intensity of the sounds you can tune out in a normal office that suddenly come through like wasps in a recording. Grinding road sounds and construction can ruin a whole take. You need to be somewhere as silent as possible when you begin. 

– Adam Steele, The Magistrate 


4. Script It and Practice It 

You don’t need a full Shakespearean monologue, but you should have a well-rehearsed outline of what you want to communicate. Practice a few times with your video camera in front of you to get a good feel for what you look like and how you are conveying your message. Remember, 80% is how you say something rather than what you are actually saying. 

– Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now 


5. Create an Outline 

If you’re going to livestream for the first time, it’s very important that you’re fully prepared. Have a set outline with key talking points that you’d like to address to stay on topic. There’s a lot of things that could go wrong when livestreaming, but being prepared will likely lead to a successful stream and help prevent any potential issues. 

– Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS 


6. Don’t Skimp on Technology 

Just because livestreaming removes the need for post-production editing and inherently communicates a more immediate, laidback method of communicating to an audience, don’t try to cut costs by using low-cost equipment. Professional cameras and high-quality audio equipment will easily increase the professionalism of your livestream, check this speakers to have a good sound trough all the video. 

– Diego Orjuela, Cables & Sensors 


7. Plan for a Longer Video 

We’ve learned that if you’re only livestreaming for five to 10 minutes, you are not likely to get a large chunk of your audience. We recommend doing content that spans from 20 to 30 minutes, as people regularly check streams in intervals and you’re more likely to catch someone in the middle of your stream (especially for those just checking their Facebook). If your content is good, they’ll rewatch it. 

– Kenny Nguyen, Big Fish Presentations 


8. Invest in a Camera or Phone Stand 

Invest in a stand for the camera or phone for a steady video recording. Second to bad audio quality is shaky, fuzzy video, which gives the viewer a headache. Also, know which format you’re streaming in and position your camera for horizontal or vertical streams appropriately. For example, Facebook Live videos are horizontal but Snap Stories and Facebook Stories tend to be vertical. 

– Adelyn Zhou, TOPBOTS 


9. Keep Practicing 

If you haven’t done it before, being on camera might feel awkward. It’s OK, you’ll figure it out. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and you’ll find out what works and what doesn’t. 

– Karl Kangur, MRR Media 


10. Go Through Some Basic Media Training 

Before livestreaming, invest some time and money into media training. Hire a professional or watch tutorials on YouTube. You want to have some idea of what you are doing before broadcasting yourself to the world! 

– Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR 


11. Make Sure Everything Is Working Beforehand 

Test your sound and your camera. Ensure you have a reliable internet connection. Avoid making last-minute adjustments, and set everything up how you want it in advance of starting. That will help you get down to business. 

– Erik Bullen, MageMail 


12. Use the Right Lighting 

A camera, any camera (not just an SRL or mirrorless camera) needs light in order to create vivid images. Just by playing around with lights, you can change the mood of a video, which is even more pertinent in a livestream. Most livestreams look dingy and miserable (with yellow undertones), and while I stick around because the content is interesting, it’s irritating. Invest in three-point lighting. 

– Cody McLain, SupportNinja 


13. Think of It As a Conversation 

Make it fun and throw yourself into it so you come across as natural as possible. It’s easy to get nervous, but you will appear so stiff. Go with it and remind yourself that you are just having a conversation with someone you know well. 

– Cynthia Johnson, Ipseity Media 


14. Have Fun 

No one likes watching someone who is rigid and clearly reading a message. Get on camera, have fun and be yourself. People like seeing real-life, authentic faces — it allows them to relate to you even more and can inspire them in their lives. 

– Abhilash Patel, Recovery Brands 

The post 14 Important Things to Remember Before Your First Livestream appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Watch my interview (below) with the President of Wix.

Wix has always been a robust platform. RamonRay.com is built on it.

First enabling an easy to use web site editor. Then enabling easy to use applications from Wix (such as Wix bookings) and the Wix app store for 3rd party developers to hook their apps onto a Wix web site.

However, until now, there’s not been a way for a Wix web site to bring in external data via an API call to a data set outside of Wix. Or for a Wix web site to include an almost infinite possibility of features through programming via Javascript.

That’s all changed with Wix Code – which enables any Wix user (or their developer) to build highly customized, intelligent and smart websites – easily.

What might take several weeks to code in a non-Wix website can now be done in hours (or days) with Wix Code.

A startup could in fact use Wix as a testing ground for an idea and have the front end and backend done faster than ever before.

What’s even better is that you don’t have to worry about hosting, storage, security and other details. Since your web application is hosted by Wix – they take care of all the messy details. You just build a beautiful and now more intelligent and customized website.

Wix Code means more professionals can build more functionality into their websites, increasing customer engagement, increasing sales and providing better customer service and a rich user experience.

The post Why Wix Code Is a Game Changer for Businesses appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

1. Think About How You Can Pull People In 

If you’re wanting to connect with your customers, then I would stay away from anything that is one directional. Instead of thinking about what messages to push out, think about how you can pull people in. Be vulnerable. Take on a listening posture. Show that you care about them and that you want to help them succeed. You can also try to outsource this task to some good social media agency, who can plan a proper strategy to engage with your target audience. Social media after all is a great way to get your name out there and known. You can even get likes on instagram free this Christmas, which will give you a boost to your visibility; a great way to get started.

– David Jay, Agree.com 

2. Ask Relevant and Engaging Questions 

One of the most efficient ways to engage a live audience is to ask relevant and thoughtful questions, and online social audiences are not much different. By asking a question, taking a poll or inviting folks to share experiences, we can promote bi-directional conversations of significantly more depth. The increased engagement will also keep the post higher in news feeds, thus fueling more attention.

– Joe Beccalori, Interact Marketing 

3. Hold a Giveaway With Sharing Incentives 

This method combines two of my favorite cost-saving measures: First, in giving something away, you are capitalizing on the perceived value of your product versus its actual cost. Second, you utilize the exponential power of making mini-evangelists, who will share with their networks to reap the reward. Together, there is a double layer of cost-effectiveness and, when done right, exceptional results.

– Benjamin Berman, Optimize For Growth 

4. Always Ask for Follows, ‘Likes’ and Reviews 

Small businesses should make asking for engagement a priority in interactions with customers. The restaurant that promotes servers asking for reviews and follows, the chiropractor that passes out reminder cards and encourages reviews, the local shop that includes the request in their email signatures — low-cost actions that, if performed consistently over time, grow social engagement.

– Shawn Schulze, AllAreaCodes.com 

5. Use Video Content

Tape yourself as much as possible. Thirty-second videos that go over various elements of your product or service and related subject matter gain followers and sustain exposure. Keep the content and location varied, however, and make sure that your branding is never lost in the production. Invest in having a certain element of the video displaying your branding, such as a logo on the bottom right or left.

– Matthew Capala, Search Decoder 

6. Encourage Social Media Engagement When Customers Visit a Physical Location 

For small businesses with a physical location: When customers visit you, encourage them to post to your social media hashtags. Rather than relying on your employees or printed collateral to encourage social media posting, add a TV screen that displays real-time posts to your hashtags. People love seeing themselves on the big screen!

– Nanxi Liu, Enplug 

7. Take the Time to Nurture People

One of Facebook’s biggest goals and one Mark Zuckerberg is continually reminding us about, is that Facebook seeks to enable the growth of communities. The majority of their updates, products and offerings to businesses, both big and small, are centered around community. Follow the standards of what it takes to grow a community. Take the time to nurture people and their comments.

– Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now 

8. Remember That Different Audiences Require Different Approaches

Giveaways are like Groupons: They only really work once to attract deal hunters. For B2C, use Facebook and Instagram. Visual engagement and customer experience are key here. For example, Seven Lions, a restaurant in Chicago, created a $15 dessert designed for Instagram, with great results. For B2B, LinkedIn and Twitter are best. Focus on content, preferably blog posts written from your domain knowledge in the space.

– Steve Blentlinger, Payline Data Services, LLC 

9. Tap Into Facebook Advertising 

Boosting your Facebook content on your company page is very affordable and can provide your brand a wide reach when targeting your demographic. Engagement activities, such as a ‘like’ or a share, can cost as low as $0.01 each. The targeting capabilities of Facebook allow for a very flexible and highly targeted marketing strategy.

– Fares Elsabbagh, Ottawa General Contractors

10. Outsource Communications 

Being an insider who is entrenched in every aspect of your business may deter you from communicating your ideas to your audience in a way that they understand and appreciate fully. By hiring a social media freelancer who is experienced in this field, you are ensuring better quality content for your social feeds. This, in turn, encourages higher engagement rates from your community.

– Dave Nevogt, Hubstaff.com 

11. Ask Yourself, ‘Would You Read You?’ 

If you want your audience to engage with your content, your content must engage with your audience. There’s a reason funny memes go viral so often: They’re engaging and they aren’t difficult to create. First, work hard to understand your audience. Really put yourself in their shoes. Now take a look at your social media posts. Are they laughing? Are they interested enough to stop scrolling?

– Scott Baxter, PlayYourCourt

A message from our partner, BuyerZone

The post 11 Cost-Effective Ways to Increase Engagement on Social Media appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

A recent study from Career Builder revealed that 52 percent of employers are now using social media in some aspect of the recruiting process. Moreover, a staggering 35 percent of employers admitted that they are less likely to interview someone if they cannot find them online. This upward trend in social recruitment (it’s up 13 percent in just two years), signifies a major change in how human resource departments and those tasked with hiring employees will operate in the future and what knowledge, skills and strategies they’ll need to succeed.

So, which social platforms does someone looking to recruit new talent start with? While some social media sites, such as LinkedIn, are built specifically to help recruiters find new talent, not all others are. Here’s a breakdown of what social platforms many recruiters are turning to.

It’s not surprising to see that LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter round out the top three, and for good reason. LinkedIn is a business-oriented social network with a number of tools available to recruiters to assist them in finding great talent. While initially, you wouldn’t think Facebook would be the best place to start when looking for a new hire, the sheer volume of users on the platform makes it hard to ignore. And because Facebook is a more ‘personal’ social networking site, it allows employers to connect on a different level with potential candidates. Twitter, the place of 140 characters, holds a top spot for finding candidates with more progressive skills. With specialized hashtags that make searching for jobs easy, this platform is a great place to start the recruiting process for free.

But that’s the social media recruiting landscape today. What will it look like 6 months from now or even 6 years from now?

Thankfully, just as quickly as the social media and business landscape changes, many colleges and universities are also making the necessary changes in their programs to ensure that their graduates are prepared to succeed. Take, for instance, Concordia University Texas. Teaching students today’s best practices in recruiting and hiring is a major focus of their online Bachelor of Arts in Human Resource Management program. As stated on their website, “Graduates of our program understand the “why of business,” so they are prepared to succeed not just now, but also in the constantly changing future.”

“Graduates of our program understand the “why of business,” so they are prepared to succeed not just now, but also in the constantly changing future.” – Concordia University Texas

If the last ten years in business, since the introduction of social media, is an indicator of the type of change we will continue to see, then those entering the field will need a much deeper knowledge and skill set than ever before. It’s good to know that there are programs that will prepare them for success.

There are many different ways to make your product popular thanks to the easy access to the internet. But the most popular way should be growing your tiktok account and talking about the product you would like to sell. Talk with marketing experts about a fun and interactive way to attract more customers.

This article is written in partnership with Concordia University Texas. Their affordable online programs help you take the next step in the journey to becoming a skilled and knowledgeable professional.

The post Social Media’s Impact on Business Recruiting Continues to Rise appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Building a successful channel does take time and effort but following these rules of thumb will help you maximise the appeal and subscriber base of your channel, as well as the wider reach of your YouTube content in general.

Video Optimisation

YouTube operates like a search engine, and a properly considered search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy is vital if you are to increase the reach of your channel, as well as the videos you host on it.

The first thing to do is to research the types of video content likely to go viral within your niche or sector and ask yourself if you have incorporated any of those elements within your video. This will ensure that you will have a captive audience but your content needs to get found, so it’s important to ensure you also use relevant keywords in your video titles, as well as throughout your channel description.

Successful implementation of keywords in video titles and description boxes will ensure YouTube ranks your content appropriately, and will provide users with an understanding of what to expect. There are many tools for keyword research with Google’s Keyword Planner one of the most popular (partly because it’s free). Tools like SE Ranking, SEM Rush, Moz’s Keyword Explorer are also all excellent, but do require you paying for a subscription.

Top Tip: always avoid keyword stuffing and instead, make sure you maintain a natural tone throughout, incorporating 3 or 4 hyper-relevant keywords, with the first present within the first 20 words.

Thumbnails

When constructing your thumbnail, your core aim must be to create an image that will attract attention and entice your audience to click through to watch your video. We’ve laid out some simple do’s and don’ts for thumbnails, which will form the visual candy for your YouTube channel.

Do:

• Include the title or a few words to provide context for that section of your audience who just look at thumbnails when scrolling through their subscriptions.
• Make sure your design is eye-catching and relevant to the video and your brand.
• Ensure it’s visually interesting, but avoid excessive clickbait techniques, don’t forget that you also buy real YouTube views in order to gain more popularity.

Don’t:

• Settle for a generic aesthetic – you need to stand out from the crowd.
• Become too repetitive, but do try to establish a signature style, so your audience instantly knows it’s a video from you.
• Be afraid to switch your thumbnail for something else, if it isn’t working as well as expected.

Monitoring and Tracking your YouTube Channel

Keeping track of your analytics data is one of the most important elements of any digital strategy as it allows you to identify what works and what doesn’t and to focus budget where it’s best served. Picking the perfect metric or KPI to do this with video marketing isn’t easy and YouTube is no exception. Here are some key considerations when it comes to YouTube metrics.

• Views are excellent, as they demonstrate the reach of your channel and effectiveness of your optimisation strategy.
• Average viewing time will allow you to keep an eye how long people are watching your content. Are viewers getting to the end of your videos, for example? If not you might want to think about making shorter or more attention grabbing videos.
• Another important metric is how often your audience is sharing your content across other platforms. This is extremely important if engagement is key to your campaign or CTA.

Alongside your website and wider smm panel presence, YouTube should be an essential pillar of your video marketing strategy. With so many well known brands failing to establish a convincing YouTube presence with a properly organised YouTube channel, the opportunity to really make an impact is there for taking.

Adopting these techniques to your YouTube channel will help you create the best possible platform for your burgeoning video campaign and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.

Channel Structure

YouTube traditionally isn’t the best platform for driving referral traffic but it is an incredibly powerful brand building tool. In this sense, it might help to think of your YouTube channel as being like the homepage of your video content; a hub that should effectively communicate who you are, what you do, and what you have to offer through your videos.

Below are three golden rules when it comes to actually constructing your YouTube channel.

1. Separate your Consumer and Commercial Content

Understanding how your audience wants to engage with your videos will help you to correctly segment your video content. When creating each video, you should always have a clear idea of who your message is for. Presenting a consumer with content intended for a more corporate audience won’t go down very well, which is why taking the time to understand your audience is key.

Top Tip: understand exactly what you want your channel to help you achieve, and think about how each decision you make will push you closer to your goals.

2. Don’t Order Your Content by Popularity

Wanting to demonstrate how many views one of your older videos achieved is natural, but don’t give into temptation. Instead, focus on promoting the content that effectively reflects your current message. Ensuring that you still have something relevant to say will encourage your audience to keep coming back to your channel regularly. There are many ways you can learn how to get more views on youtube channel or videos.

Top Tip: you never want to look or feel stagnant. Recognise when you need to switch things up and act quickly.

3. Keep Creating Consistently

Consistency is integral to every strategy and its importance here cannot be overstated. Whether you’re going to upload every day or once a week, your audience need to know when they can expect to see something new from you. Establish a schedule and stick to it.

Top Tip: check in with your analytics data and see when your target audience is most likely to want to watch some new content. Tailor your upload schedule to the most popular times and days of the week, to ensure your message reaches as many people as possible.

The post How to Build a Powerful YouTube Channel appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

As a freelance digital marketer consultant and Facebook ads specialist, this is THE most frequently asked question I hear.

It’s a really bad question (I’ll explain why) and also impossible to answer with a specific monetary value.

When it comes to advertising on Facebook, or even social media in general, it seems like many business owners and entrepreneurs have heard too many stories about ‘going viral’ or some other miracle.

In reality, advertising on Facebook is just plain old business. Forget about digital marketing metrics like reach or virality or impressions—money spent on advertising is supposed to create revenue for you. If the ROI on your Facebook advertising campaign is good, you’ll spend as much money as you need to.

But to figure out the ROI of your Facebook ads, you’ll need a few things:

1. A quantifiable goal (or goals)
2. A digital marketing funnel
3. A hypothesis to test

With those three things in hand, you don’t have to ask me how much money to spend on Facebook ads—you can know and spend according.

And I’ll show you how, right now.

How to set a business goal for Facebook ads

One of the great things about Facebook advertising is that you don’t need an ecommerce store, or even a way to accept payments online, to have success. You can generate business results offline, too.

To make it interesting, let’s use lead generation as your business goal—you want an email address or a phone number to follow up personally and close a deal.

Before you launch your first Facebook campaign, come up with a goal for lead generation by asking yourself these questions:

1. How many leads do you currently generate in a month?
2. How many leads does it take to close a customer?
3. How many leads can you realistically handle?

If you currently generate ten leads per month and close one of those into a customer, but you can handle four more paying customers, your goal for Facebook ads is to generate 40 leads per month with Facebook ads.

10 organic leads + 40 leads from Facebook ads = 50 leads

50 leads x 10% conversion rate = 5 customers

Too easy. Now for the tricky part.

Setting up your digital marketing funnel with Facebook ads

Web visitors aren’t exactly begging to become leads, especially if your website isn’t optimized for conversions. Think about your own online behavior—do you fill out a form any time somebody asks? Probably not, or your inbox would never see the light of day.

So if you want somebody to become a lead, you have to nurture them through a marketing funnel.

Start by using Facebook ads to send paid traffic to an awareness-level blog post. By “awareness-level,” I mean a blog post (or other content, like video) that helps them clarify their problem or need.

Once that person has read your blog post, you can retarget them to a more conversion oriented asset, like a landing page or better yet, a Facebook Lead Ad.

Because you’ve already introduced your brand and provided value for free with the awareness-level content, these retargeted visitors are far more likely to convert than if you had sent them straight to your landing page.

Note: In order to use retargeting and conversion tracking, you’ll need to have your Facebook Pixel properly installed and configured.

With either landing pages or Facebook Lead Ads, you can set what information you get from your lead—email, phone number, etc. If you’re taking in a large volume of leads, you can add additional qualifications to help you prioritize.

Digital marketing funnels are not as complex as they seem, and you can start with a simple one like the example above to test the viability of Facebook ads for your business.

Now to create and test your hypothesis…

How to create and test your hypothesis

You should never invest a significant amount of money into ANY advertising channel without testing it first. Here’s how you would test the viability of Facebook advertising; we’ll continue to use the same example from above.

Let’s say the average lifetime value (LTV) of a customer for your business is $1,000.

You create Facebook ads, drive traffic to a landing page, and measure conversions.

Your budget is $500 and your cost-per-click (CPC) is .50¢—this means you drove 1,000 visits to your landing page.

200 people (of the 1,000 visits) filled out your form, so your conversion rate from landing page visitor to lead is 20%. (Which would be incredible!)

Of those 200 people, 5 of them become customers (10%, again, very good).

Using your LTV, you’ve just made $5,000 of a $500 investment in Facebook ads.

That’s a 900% ROI.

By using the process described in this blog post, the question “How much should I spend on Facebook ads” now seems like a really, really dumb question. The answer is obvious:

If you’re seeing a 900% ROI on an advertising channel, you spend every penny you can get your hands on.

Now here’s the fun part—by breaking your digital marketing funnel down into individual pieces and looking at the metrics associated with each piece, you can improve on them one at a time with A/B testing:

• CPC too high? Try different ad creative or different targeting.
• Coverversion rate too low? Spruce up your landing page with better images, more compelling copy, fewer form fields.
• Leads not converting into sales? Try adding another qualifying step in your marketing funnel to not waste time on bad leads.

Start seeing ROI on your Facebook advertising campaigns by asking the right questions.

The post How Much Should I Spend On Facebook Ads? appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Social Media giants like Facebook, twitter and instagram have not only reduced distanced but provided an opportunity to entrepreneurs to connect with real audience.

Social media is not just an opportunity to market your brand but a game changer for your online business. You will find many entrepreneurs like you, who have built a huge audience and run a successful business. You can also follow tips of aboriginalbluemountains to become a successful businessmen

The trick is to learn from their success and use social media to drive your own online business.

This article aims to help those entrepreneurs hunting to understand the behavior of social media traffic and measure the success of their social media campaigns through google analytics.

Getting Started With Google Analytics

The internet is full of guides on how to install google analytics, so I am not going into the very basics. I would rather outline the important prospects to get started with google analytics. Below are the few simple steps to to follow which will direct your website traffic to google analytics.

1. Create a google account
2. Sign in to google analytics
3. Fill your website information
4. Get the analytics tracking code
5. Paste the code on your website
6. Verify setup

Once you complete the above steps, you should be able to see the real traffic coming to your website.

Why Every Website Owner Should use Google Analytics

Google analytics is a free traffic analysis tool and is used by millions of website owners to segment and analyze user behavior. Below are few most important reasons why every website owners should use google analytics:

1. You can measure your website’s objectives by defining goals
2. You can track specific actions on your website like pdf downloads or video plays
3. The user interface is very simple and easy to navigate between different reports
4. You can track your ecommerce transactions
5. You can track your social media campaigns and see the most engaging social channel
6. Measure how users interact with your site content
7. You can see the geographic location of your audience
8. You can create your own customizable reports
9. You can use your google analytics data for remarketing in adwords

There are several more important things you can do in google analytics according to the type of your online business. All you need is to get along well with metrics and dimensions.

Tracking Social Media Campaigns

Social media campaigns play a vital role in driving valuable customers to your business. The crucial point is to figure out which social media campaign performs exceptionally and which doesn’t.

Tracking social media campaigns is a painless and straightforward process in google analytics. The only requirement is that you should be tracking your website traffic with google analytics.

UTM tags in google analytics come handy when you are tracking any custom campaign. It consists of three very important parameters which send visitor information to google analytics. These tags are embedded at the end of the campaign, beginning with a question mark(?) and separated by ampersand(&).

http://example.com?utm_source=social&utm_campaign=winter_sale&utm_medium=facebook

The parameters utm_source, utm_medium and utm campaign builder are required for every custom url and the order in which they are placed doesn’t matter. While tracking your custom campaigns, it is recommended to use a url builder tool.

One of my favorite url builder tool is utm.io, because it is more user friendly and easy to shorten urls once you tag them.

Using a tool doesn’t only embed utm tags but also shortens long customized urls. When you start your social media campaigns, you can then view campaign reports in google analytics by navigating to Acquisition >> Campaigns >> All Campaigns.

Understanding the Analytics Reports for Social Media Marketers

For a social media marketer, it is important to be able to understand the google analytics social media reports. It contains data related to traffic coming from all social media channels and how different social media channels contribute towards a conversion.

Segment Social Media Traffic

The social media reports are already included within the channel reports(Acquisition>All Traffic>Channels), but to get a better understanding of your social traffic you can create a segment to isolate all of the traffic originating from social sites.

Identify Top Social Media Channels

One of the biggest challenge would be to determine the top social media channels which drive more conversions. The Google analytics social media reports feature is useful in determining which social channel to focus on and which to say good bye to.

As you can see in the above picture, YouTube is driving a huge chunk of traffic as compared to other channels. But, when we look at the avg. session duration and pages/session it is clear that youtube visitors don’t interact much with the content.

Although Facebook, reddit and google groups have less sessions their users have a higher interaction percentage with the site content. From the above data, we can assume that our potential customers are coming from channels with more website interactions. We would tend to focus more on these channels to drive more traffic and hence conversions.

To verify which social channel drives most conversions navigate to Acquisition >> Social >> Conversions.

Understand behavior of Social Media Visitors

A catchy title and a picture is enough to drive traffic from social media channels but understanding what this group of visitors do on your website is a bit difficult.

Luckily, user flow report in google analytics displays the journey of social media traffic on your website. What was the landing page for the particular session, where they navigate next and finally the exit page.

You can access user flow reports in google analytics by navigating to Acquisition >> Social >> Users Flow.

This chart displays the social media channels which are driving traffic and the behavior of each channel’s visitors across your website.

From the social network drop down menu you can change the dimension to set ‘Campaigns’ and see which campaign is more engaging. In the essence, you can determine which channel works out for you and which one is only consuming your valuable resources.

You can further explore user flow reports to build funnel for any page and understand which set of pages a user views to achieve a specific goal.

The post How to Measure the Impact of Social Media on Your Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Nearly 70% of small business consumers say the most important factor in a positive website experience is up-to-date and accurate content, suggesting a quick “spring cleaning” could bring big benefits for business owners. That’s according to The Small Business Consumer Expectations Report from Vistaprint Digital, launching today. Based on the results of a March 2017 survey of 1,800 U.S. consumers who have visited a small business website, the report focuses in on preferences for content, design and frequency of updates – and, most critically, what factors leave customers with a bad impression.

Nearly 70% of small business consumers say the most important factor in a positive website experience is up-to-date and accurate content, suggesting a quick “spring cleaning” could bring big benefits for business owners. That’s according to The Small Business Consumer Expectations Report from Vistaprint Digital, launching today. Based on the results of a March 2017 survey of 1,800 U.S. consumers who have visited a small business website, the report focuses in on preferences for content, design and frequency of updates – and, most critically, what factors leave customers with a bad impression.

Consumer expectations of small business websites are high, with 42% reporting that they are not very likely to visit or purchase something from a small business if it has a poorly designed or unprofessional website – and 21% are not likely at all. Digging more deeply into what drives bad impressions, the results reveal that the nuts-and-bolts elements are significant: the top reasons consumers leave a small business website with a bad impression are outdated contact information (nearly 50%) and lack of address/directions/business hours (42%). What is the real impact? Nearly 60% of respondents say they would be less likely to purchase from a small business if they had a bad impression of the website – only 7.5% said it would have no impact at all.

“Based on a recent poll of our customers, we know that lack of time and limited resources are the top challenges for micro business owners as they look to grow their businesses. This latest consumer data arms these business owners with the insights to strategically prioritize their marketing tactics – specifically as it relates to their core digital presence,” said D. Scott Bowen, vice president and general manager of Vistaprint Digital. “With 68% of consumers saying that up-to-date and accurate website content is most important when it comes to having a positive experience with a small business site, allocating time to regular site updates is critically important to putting your best foot forward.”

The post NEWS: Neglecting Website Basics Can Significantly Impact Sales appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Social media automation comes at a cost, even if you stick with basic software. Is it worth it?

Email automation comes with a monthly cost; does it earn enough to justify the cost?

Where should your marketing dollars go? Is email dead as a dodo? The crowd says social media, and especially Facebook, but have you checked for yourself?

Marketing decisions are always about choosing the most efficient channels for conversion into customers. When you look at your typical customer profile, the decision may appear obvious; Facebook if your customer profile is less than 30, and email if he is over 30. But is that an over-simplification?

Comparing Reach

Facebook follower numbers are high, but that means nothing because communicating with them is nigh on impossible. Facebook’s filtering mechanisms. Brian Boland from Facebook in the UK wrote about why organic reach is headed for zero.

Sharing helps to increase your reach and to put your brand in front of new faces, but the increase is from such a small base that it is always going to be a low number.

It takes more effort to acquire email subscribers, but every subscriber will see your email, though it might be in the promotions tab.

The Facebook Process

Someone is interested in you and clicks a link to follow your Facebook Page. You hope they will see some of your content in their feeds.

In reality, your organic reach to Facebook followers is very low for two reasons:

• Facebook limits organic reach because they want you to pay for ads
• There are so many possible items that can be shown in users’ feeds

If someone follows you, even then they don’t see your page in their feed.

Your page is hidden away behind the Pages link as highlighted above. Only if the individual shrinks the page or scrolls down will he or she see more than the top few pages they have followed.

The chance of one of your followers going through this process to see what is happening in your business is effectively zero.

The Email Process

Someone has to go to a bit more trouble to sign up to your email list.

You can make your signup page attractive and outline all the benefits people will get by clicking that button.

A subscriber needs to go to a bit of trouble to sign up, but there is nothing unexpected, and it just means a few clicks if he is using an autofill app.

You can then direct the subscriber to any page you choose. You have his attention, so use it to good effect.

From here on the subscriber sees every message you send. Yes, you need to work hard to make them interesting enough that they are worth opening, but the same can be said for a Facebook Page post. At least with email, you know people will see your marketing messages.

Advantage Gmail

Email has one other advantage. If you are using a gmail account you can personalize your signature. You can do this using the Settings link in your account, but the email signature you get is boring and does nothing for your marketing.

What would you give to have an email signature like one of the above? WiseStamp is a gmail signature app that will let you design the email signoff of your dreams.

Facebook Automation vs. Email Automation

Facebook automation possibilities are limited. Yes, you can use Hootsuite to upload a series of posts, but remember only 7% of your followers will see your post unless you pay to promote it.

Personalization is not possible with Facebook posts, further limiting their conversion rate.

Email automation possibilities are endless. The smart autoresponder from GetResponse allows you to build multiple lists and to divide each list into segments so you can target particular groups more easily.

You can also send unlimited personalized emails and develop automated workflows you can use time and again.

Check out this SmallBiz Technology post for further advice on choosing a marketing automation provider.

Your Takeaway

Customer acquisition is a combination of reach and engagement. One without the other is worthless. If your message reaches one million people, but no-one clicks on the link, then all that reach was wasted. Facebook has too many distractions to be an effective final stage marketing vehicle. Its best use is to persuade Facebook users to subscribe to your email list.

Build your email list, and use an autoresponder to send multiple messages to your subscribers. Be open and be yourself because people buy from people they trust. Emails and the blog posts they link to are excellent tools in the trust-building process that must precede any sale.

The post Battle of the Giants – Facebook vs. Email appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Facebook Ads

One of the best options offered by Facebook Adds has to be audience targeting. Facebook currently has over 1.86 billion active monthly users and over the years, it has collected a massive amount of data about them. Google targets its users based on keywords and topics, but Facebook has gone a step further than that. Third ad system targets people based on their beliefs, behaviors, habits, demographics, ideologies and particular set of values they uphold. Facebook interest targeting allows for a very precise audience targeting based on a number of different characteristics.

Another strong point of Facebook Ads is the social engagement aspect. The platform itself encourages potential customers to interact with, comment on and share numerous types of interest based content. With this information in mind, advertisers can create entire campaigns focused on generating more comments, likes, and shares. This makes the Facebook platform rather effective when it comes to not only company branding but also interacting and engaging with current customers, as well as potential ones.

Although Google has a lot of potential when it comes to local marketing strategies, Facebook has specific ad types such as Lead Ads and Local Awareness which offer some exclusive opportunities for marketing which aren’t easy to replicate with Google AdWords. Furthermore, Facebook Ads have a far lower cost per click (CPC) when compared to Google AdWords, with the average CPC rarely costing more than $2. Granted, AdWords do have a somewhat higher conversion rate, but it is possible to regulate a decent conversion rate using Facebook, especially due to cheaper clicks.

Facebook Ads Pros

To summarize, the pros of Facebook Ads include:

• Easy setup
• Capability to reach users early in the buying process
• Cheap cost-per-click
• Easy to track campaigns
• Excellent control over maximum CPC and daily budgets
• Instant traffic influx
• Immediate ROI
• Numerous targeting options
• Use of graphic and video Ads in order to pique the interest of the target audience

Cons

• It can be far more expensive than Google AdWords if not setup and maintained properly
• Lower conversion rates due to reaching customers so early in the buying process
• No option for Ad timing (times of day, week, month)
• Only really applicable for B2C companies

Google AdWords

Keyword targeting is one of the main points separating Google from Facebook. Being the biggest search engine on the internet, Google also has the most available users. This allows for targeting customers which are looking for your service or product specifically and those with high intent for purchasing. With AdWords, you can create ad groups and campaigns which revolve around a certain keyword and produce ads relevant to the search queries users actually make.

And that is exactly the main difference between Google AdWords and Facebook Ads. Facebook helps customers find you, while AdWords helps you find potential customers. And locating potential customers is fairly easy for Google, as its Display Network currently covers over 2 million individual websites. Potential audiences can see the Ads in mobile apps while browsing their emails and while watching videos on YouTube.

Creating video ads is simple with Facebook, but the one feature which distinguishes Google from it is, of course, YouTube. It currently has around 1 billion active users and AdWords allow you to create specific marketing campaigns based on interests, demographics, particular ad placements, specific keywords people use, etc. Not only are video ads excellent four generating brand awareness, but they can also allow users to interact with them in numerous ways. Although Google AdWords allows for better reach and higher conversion rates, some of the keywords you target can be rather expensive when compared to Facebook Ads.

Google AdWords Pros

• Enormous potential audience
• Easy-to-track campaigns
• Excellent control over daily budgets and maximum CPC
• Instant traffic influx
• Immediate ROI
• Better conversion rates
• Different targeting options such as time of the day, week, specific regions and websites
• Numerous advertising options

Cons

• Very costly if not set up correctly
• Time-consuming setup and maintenance
• Limited ad space
• Depending on the industry in question, very high CPC

Remarketing and Retargeting options

Google AdWords remarketing allows advertisers to display their ads to users which have already visited their website. It’s a powerful marketing technique which ensures that advertisers stay connected to their target audience even after they leave the website. With Google’s vast network, marketers can present ads to potential customers even when they’re browsing different parts of the internet, which further improves brand exposure and increasing trust in your product or service. With the cost per click being lower for remarketing than it is for normal marketing campaigns, Google remarketing is an excellent tool to further increase the conversion rates.

Facebook also has a remarketing solution called Facebook Custom Audiences. Similar to Google, the Custom Audiences platform represents a lists of users who have already interacted with your brand. These include past buyers, current customers, high-value customers, etc. The biggest strength of Facebook Custom Audiences is the narrowness with which potential customers can be targeted, allowing for carefully created ads to be displayed to a number of selected individuals.

Both of these advertising platforms have their strengths and weaknesses. Picking one over the other can be quite difficult, as both offer unique results which mostly depend on your specific advertising goals. Facebook allows for very narrow targeting options, but Google’s keyword targeting is hard to beat when it comes to offering your products and services to a much broader audience. Instead of choosing one specific platform, it is best to use them in a complementary way. The best advertising strategy is one which uses all available assets in order to produce the best results.

The post Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads and Remarketing appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Point being: You need to have a great website made by the best Dallas web design company or anywhere else where you prefer. But building a website can be a costly, difficult process if you don’t know what you’re doing, and it’s very easy to wind up with a design you’re unhappy with.

That’s why we’ve put together this simple outline of the basic steps of getting your website off and running. Here are some thing you’ll need to take care of, in the rough order that you’ll probably need to do them.

Finding a domain name

This can be the easiest part of creating the website, or one of the hardest, depending on whether or not the name you’re looking for has already been taken, and whether it has any solid variants.  If neither of those things are an issue, then the process is no more complicated that picking a domain name provider that works for you–from GoDaddy.com to NameCheap.com–and buying it. Usually you can choose to re-up your purchase once every year or every two years.

If many of the names you wanted are taken however, there is another track you can take. The first is to not get a “.com”, but to get something like a “.biz” or a “.org”. Many organizations do this to get the domain name they wanted while only having to change the last portion of the url, and it’s likely to be the most effective way to deal with this issue. Beyond that, you’ll simply have to get creative with your domain until you find one that fits.

Finding a web host

What exactly is a web host? Many people confuse a domain provider with a web host, and while they sometimes overlap, that’s usually not the case.

It’s probably best to explain it like this: The domain name is the name of your storefront. Your online storefront is your website, and the web host is the plot of land your storefront sits on. If this is all sounding confusing, don’t worry. Many web-building platforms now offer to host your site on their servers, or will have an easy way to have your site hosted on someone else’s.

Since you’ll most likely be going this route (it’s the most affordable/easiest for small business), let’s talk about some standard website building platforms.

Choosing a web-building platform

This is arguably the most important part of the process. There are many different platforms available for building a website, and many more people willing to make one for you. How do you pick the best one for your needs?

Well, first things first. No matter whether or not you have someone build your website or you take care of it from scratch, you should be able to easily change basic features on your website without involving someone else. Too often small business owners have someone build their website, only to realize they need to call the programmer every time they want to make a small change because the back-end is a mess, or they just don’t have the basic web skills to make it happen.

If you choose to have someone build your website, don’t be tempted to pick someone who designs decent websites mainly because they are cheap. Many “decent” sites can be a nightmare behind the scenes, and the second most important thing besides an attractive storefront is making sure the back is easy to navigate.

Designing the Website

Once you have your platform picked, now comes the hard work of designing an attractive storefront. This means taking care of everything to the basic design and visual aspects of the site, to how the pages layout, to even creating your logo. Depending on the complexity and how you’re creating the website, it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months to get it in a position where it’s user-friendly and ready to go. With the increase in popularity of websites nowadays, more and more businesses are striving to find that expert Website Design Agency that will be able to provide them with a professional-looking website that is sure to catch the attention of clients both old and new. There are lots of different websites popping up the internet and with the demand steadily increasing; competition among all the website design agencies is fierce.

Driving Traffic to the Website

After you’ve done the hard work of getting your website is up and running, it’s time to get people to actually SEE it. There are plenty of ways to do this but the general version is that you’ll be using either organic or paid means to drive traffic.

Some good, low-cost options for driving traffic include advertising/growing social communities, using the google ad network, doing content marketing (i.e. creating your own blogs or other content and promoting it) as well as networking/linking with other complimentary businesses (for instance, if you run a motel, do a cross promotion with a local eatery to encourage your guests to go to and vice versa). You should design a traffic plan that matches the needs of your business, as not all methods will have success depending on what you are.

After all of this, your small business website should be ready for prime-time. If you’re looking for more information on how to drive traffic, take a look at some of our other articles specifically on driving your website traffic.

The post Building a Website from Scratch – 5 Things You Should Know appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

If you’re the owner of an SMB, you’re used to wearing many, many hats, and you know how fierce the competition is. SMB’s often have little to no room for error, and productivity depends on hyper-smart time management and budget-friendly choices.

Inefficiency is the enemy of a small business and it can sink a ship shortly after setting sail.

The good news is the digital space constantly offers an ocean of tactics and tools developed for business owners who seek automated assistance. The bad news is you have to keep up on what’s out there, or your competitors will beat you to it.

Let’s take a look at some of the most recent advancements and how they can increase your brand’s effectiveness in 2017.

Better, Smarter, Faster Invoicing

The success of virtually any business relies on generating sales, earning revenue, and getting that money in the bank on time. But we’re all used to delayed or missing payments, and chasing down our clients for timely payments is not an efficient use of any manager’s time.

The best way to ensure prompt payments is to employ a digital invoicing system. Be aware that many of today’s solutions are clunky and inefficient, adding to complexity and stress rather than alleviating it.

That’s where services like Sighted become a lifesaver.

Sighted is a customizable invoicing software that allows business owners to streamline their expenses and revenue. The system enables users to tailor invoices to meet the needs of a project through product or service details, per hour, project, or product pricing, and various other personalized features.

The service also makes receiving payments a synch with integrated online payment options, a kaleidoscope of supported currencies, and even provides financial reporting information to help you understand where your money is allocated. With a top tier price of $9.00 per month, Sighted is a highly affordable option for SMBs.

Alternatively, if you would like an invoicing service that integrates checkout options, there’s MoonClerk.

MoonClerk also allows merchants to set up one-time or recurring payment invoices for clients, but this technology also enables SMB owners to link to checkout pages from nearly anywhere, including emails and Facebook.

MoonCleark even allows users to brand their checkout page with logos, fonts, colors, and more to ensure a consistent experience for consumers.

Greater Outreach and Relationship-Building Strategies

Contrary to what some people believe, email is still one of the most effective channels for generating leads and sales; email drove 25% of all sales on Black Friday 2015.

This year, approximately 225 billion emails will be sent each day; a 5% increase over 2016.

Part of the reason email is such a strong focus for business owners is that 72% of consumers state that email is their preferred method of communication with companies.

This means that there is massive potential for growth and failure among increasingly cluttered inboxes. To break through the noise, you’re going to need a stellar email solution. Enter: Mailshake.

This email provider helps to bolster a brand’s outreach and relationship-building efforts through customizable email templates that cater to efforts involving lead acquisition, link building, content promotion, and other business-centered tasks.

Mailshake also allows users to established automated follow up emails based on actions (or lack thereof) of recipients and also supports drip campaigns, real-time email alterations, and robust analytics so that you know how your efforts are performing.

Email is not the only avenue to build relationships or conduct outreach through, however, as content marketing plays a major role in both of these departments.

Despite its overabundance online, content is still one of the most effective ways to educate consumers, build trust, drive sales, increase SEO rankings, and reach other digital goals. But as a small business owner, you likely don’t have the time to create unique content on a regular basis.

To help streamline and amplify your content marketing efforts, there’s ClearVoice.

ClearVoice helps SMB operators to acquire unique and compelling content by simply uploading the details of the required materials and assigning it to a team member.

If you don’t have employees to handle content creation, it can be outsourced to one of 2,500 different freelance writers that ClearVoice matches with your content needs, creating a perfect pairing.

The ClearVoice marketplace can be leveraged to create anything from articles to infographics and freelancers can be paid through the system too.

The system also provides a bevy of content management tools such as collaborative editing features, publishing options, and a curated list of trending topics and stories so that you are never short on inspiration.

Amplified Social Media Engagement

Social media has become an essential marketing and communications tool for businesses of all sizes. The content that companies share helps to reach new audiences and build awareness. But as an SMB, there is a good chance that you don’t have the funds to generate unique materials for every social share. That’s where DrumUp saves the day.

DrumUp allows SMBs to access and schedule social shares from a curated list of the most relevant content. These effective creations can be posted across various social networks to help maintain consistency and engagement.

The service delivers content directly to a user’s dashboard based on the keywords entered and new feeds can be integrated so that you are sharing content from your favorite reputable sources.

DrumUp also suggests relevant hashtags to include in scheduled posts so that your updates reach the highest number of applicable readers.

In addition to content curation and social scheduling, DrumUp also features employee advocacy and gamification features like contests and leaderboards to help transform staff members into powerful conversion drivers.

SMB owners often have a hard time balancing all of the necessary management, marketing, and growth tasks needed to build a prosperous business. Let technology do the heavy lifting and boost your business’s efficiency and productivity by employing these proven, effective, and reliable tools.

The post How To Amp Up Your SMB’s Performance and Productivity appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Plan

The first thing you need to do is plan your move. Is the new domain you want actually available and can you also secure corresponding social media accounts? Are you going to move the entire website over to your new domain, keeping the site structure intact, or will you make changes? Are you going to stick with your current hosting service?

In addition, you need to consider the key objectives behind your move. For a start, you should be aiming to minimize both the loss of traffic to your website and the impact on your search rankings. You may also want to establish your new brand, improve security, or improve the layout of the site itself.

Many оf уоu muѕt be having thе іdеа аbоut how tо optimize thе websites tо mаkе it frіеndlу to thе search engine, but mоѕt оf thе questions thаt gеnеrаllу rіѕе іn уоur mind rеmаіn unаnѕwеrеd. Onе of thе frequently оbѕеrvеd ԛuеѕtіоnѕ іѕ hоw tо іnсrеаѕе thе number оf internal lіnkѕ tо іnсrеаѕе thе frіеndlіnеѕѕ of the ѕеаrсh еngіnе.

Intеrnаl links аrе thе links thаt are placed іn thе website оr in the blog оr іn ѕоmе other соntеnt thаt help tо соnnесt with some оthеr pages for reference оr fоr getting ѕоmе additional іnfоrmаtіоn. Thеѕе internal links for seo helps іn іnсrеаѕіng thе раgе views аnd еnсоurаgеѕ thе viewers to ѕtау іn thе website fоr a lоngеr period of time. At thе ѕаmе tіmе, as stated earlier іt hеlрѕ greatly improving thе ranking of the page іn the search engine.

Thе content оf your wеbѕіtе іѕ crucial fоr rаnkіng, thuѕ, іt has tо bе unіԛuе and tо thе роіnt, but bеfоrе іt gоеѕ viral аnd rаnkѕ hіghеr, іt nееdѕ links thаt Gооglе crawls and come tо know аbоut your content. Thеѕе lіnkѕ give an іdеа of thе ѕtruсturе оf your website, ѕо, Gооglе will аnаlуzе іt, whеthеr іt has all the fасtоrѕ thаt іt needs tо rаnk оr nоt. Nоw thе question іѕ why it is іmроrtаnt fоr SEO аnd why уоu nееd tо fосuѕ on іt fоr better rаnkіng. If уоu dоn’t know, ѕо, hеrе wе аrе tо hеlр уоu оut. Sсrоll down tо knоw іtѕ іmроrtаnсе.

Prepare

Next, you need to take some crucial steps to prepare for the move itself. A key element of this part of the process will be collecting data from your existing domain, because this can be invaluable in the event that things go wrong. To help you out with the preparation phase, you can follow the checklist below:

• Make a list of all of the URLs on your current website, as well as internal linking structures.
• Separately note down the URLs that are currently being used in your pay-per-click advertising campaigns.
• Run an audit over your website content, paying attention to how specific types of content performed.
• Identify which content should stay and which should be removed (if any).
• Map out all of the redirects you will need, trying to keep it as close to like-for-like as possible.
• Create a complete list of URLs for the new domain.
• Password protect the new domain and block search engine crawlers in the robots.txt file.

• Check media links are up to date, or if you are re-branding, you should make sure your accounts have been updated or moved to reflect the change of name, logo, colour scheme, etc.

Execute

With the planning and preparation complete, you are now ready to shift your website across to your new domain. This part of the process will vary from one site to another, depending on the extent of the changes being made. Once the content has been published, you need to check that all the pages are there and all internal links work.

Assuming all is well, you should implement your redirects at page level and test them, disable the password protection and alter the robots.txt file to remove the disallow command for search engine crawlers. Through the Google Search Console you should also use the “change of address” option and also submit a new sitemap.

Finish

Finally, you need to put the finishing touches to your migration. During this phase, you should make sure all of your social media links are up to date, or if you are re-branding, you should make sure your accounts have been updated or moved to reflect the change of name, logo, color scheme, etc.

Generally speaking, any migration will result in a slightly drop off of traffic, at least in the short term. Nevertheless, it makes sense to utilize Google Analytics and check if any specific parts of the site are experiencing a bigger drop off than others. However, by making use of redirections, and keeping visitors informed through a combination of your website content and social media pages, you should be able to minimize any problems.

The post Changing Domain Names? Here’s 4 Things You Need To Know appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

The thing about selling content online, is that not only do you need the best way to upload your content, but you also need to consider a host of other stuff, like search engine optimization, marketing, presentation, delivery methods, payment and so on.

In addition, there are methods that cater for the small business, and others for larger companies who already have hundreds of courses.

Methods of selling content

Before you take the plunge and decide on a platform for your online courses, be diligent about doing your homework. The reason for this is that once you’ve loaded your content onto one platform, it’s going to be a mission to move it someplace else. FastSpring’s easy-to-use, full-service ecommerce platform includes everything you need to successfully sell digital downloads globally.

What you need to consider:

• Hosting for reliability and speed – you want to make sure your learners don’t get frustrated with the backend of your platform.
• Payment options – it is best to provide as many payment options as possible, or you may lose business.
• How easy it is to upload stuff like digital downloads and videos – you don’t want to battle when uploading digital downloads, videos, etc.
• Help with marketing the courses – does the platform make marketing your courses easier? For instance, does the platform provide a landing page builder?
• Course content delivery – how does the content need to be delivered? I.e., you may want to drip feed it by email. If so, how will it work.
• Integration with other third party services – understand exactly what else you’ll need to make everything work, and find out if those functions are easily integrated.
• Whether the platform is mobile responsive or not – drop it like a hotcake if it is not.
• Whether the platform is search engine friendly – Is the platform built to provide search engines with what they need, so that you get more traffic?

As you go through the options below, you’ll need to find out the answers to the above questions. And only then should you make your decision.

Oh, and one last thing: avoid making your decision based on price, as this could bite you in the butt at a later stage.

Types of platforms for small businesses

Branded Learning Management Systems website business

Think of this platform as purchasing a full-on online business. All you need to do is change the templates and add the content. It’s probably the easiest way to set up an online training business.

If we were to use Kajabi as an example of a branded LMS website business – and be aware that all of these types of platforms vary in what they offer – you get your own customizable website, landing page templates you can use to direct traffic to in order to get higher conversions, and you can email right from the system, so drip feeding is a piece of cake and you don’t need to pay extra for an email marketing software facility. All the tools you need are provided.

Pricing for a system like Kajabi is $103 per month as a starter, but you save costs by not having to fork out for a landing page builder and email marketing software.

This option is the superior choice because it has everything in one tool, is easiest to setup and use, and consists of everything you’ll need for marketing purposes.

WordPress websites membership plugins

If you’re already on WordPress, you may want to install a membership plugin. There are free options which is great because if your budget does not allow for any other paid option, it’s nice to know that there are ways to create an online course business using free tools.

But as with all tools, check that the plugin of your choice can do what you need it to do, and that it works well and integrates with any other services you may need to add, like an email software platform and payment gateways.

It’s not suggested you choose this option if you are a WordPress newbie, because you may face some serious struggles.

Membership websites are perfect for getting a community together: sharing media, tutorials, or ideas for the selected ones who join your secret club. However, managing such a platform may seem a very messy thing. Handling payments, subscriptions, permissions, and many more services can sound very intimidating. This is where the right membership website builder can make your life easier. With superior ease of use and great design, they can help create a great experience for both you and your visitors.

WordPress websites Learning Management System plugins

While membership plugins are made specifically for control access of content, LMS plugins are developed specifically for online courses and are best in terms of structure and creating a course that flows in a specific order, providing a complete learning path.

They also tend to provide course-rich features, like quizzes, assignments, progress tracking and certificates.

An example of an LMS plugin is LearnDash. Prices vary, but you’re looking at about $160 for a single website.

Marketplace websites

Choosing to go the marketplace route for your online courses is good from the point of view that those sites already boast a good amount of traffic, and usually have good search engine rankings. What this means for you, is that you don’t need to work so hard at getting people to the location of your course. Having said that, it does not mean your course stands a better chance of getting sales either, depending on your niche.

Because on the flip side of the coin, you will probably have a lot of competition on marketplace sites. So if you choose to go this route, you will need to make your course stand out from the rest of the crowd, and how you do that will depend on the marketplace website.

The main con of using sites like Udemy, is that you don’t own the list of subscribers and you can’t control your price. They set the standards and the manner in which you present and deliver your course, so it will have to be according to their standards, not yours.

Summary

The best option – if your budget allows it – is to go with the branded LMS option. The second best options are between the LMS WordPress plugin and marketplace sites. The last option you should consider, specifically for online course management, is the membership plugin.

The logic for this conclusion is that the membership plugin:

1. a) is not as easy to set up and make everything work as the other options, and/or
2. b) it may not be the best option from an SEO point of view, and that would be detrimental to your success.

The post The 4 Methods Of Selling Your Content Online appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Regardless of your occupation, understanding why the use of video is becoming a powerful communication tool is crucial. While entertainment videos are still leading the ranks when it comes to the type of video being watched, instructional and informational videos are not far behind.

I’ve asked Matt Pierce, customer support manager at TechSmith Corp, to share his insights with us.

In fact, according to TechSmith’s Video Viewer Study, 78 percent of those surveyed in the United States said they watch informational videos and 77 percent watch instructional videos. These stats are close to entertainment videos (where 81 percent of respondents in the U.S. indicated they are watching). This further proves video is becoming more accepted as a means to inform.

With easy access to video creation tools, you don’t need to be a professional videographer to make an impactful video. Learning some best practices for video creation is the first step in harnessing that power for your communication initiatives.

Getting started: Preparation is key

• Learn about your audience and design your video with them in mind, taking into account their needs, concerns and questions.
• Write a script or at minimum, a solid outline before recording. This will ensure the language is concise and clear.
• Create a storyboard and plan exactly what you will record to ensure your framework makes sense, and you’re meeting your objectives.
• Get feedback from multiple people, and the more critical, the better. Even tear it apart yourself to refine and ultimately, deliver the best product.

Once you have a plan in place, recording the actual video is your next step. There are several pieces of advice you should have in mind when shooting that will optimize the quality of the video and the message you are trying to convey.

Shooting the video: The essentials for making it powerful

• To avoid clutter and distractions, conceal wires and lapel mics under clothes or tape in a hidden spot.
• Use lights to remove shadows and help with the quality of video.
• Record ample amount of b-roll (supplemental, alternative footage) to help with transitions between cuts.
• Keep clips short. A lot of time spent on the same clip can be dull, so mix it up!
• Use on-screen text sparingly. Watching, listening and reading at the same time is tough.
• Add captions for SEO and accessibility.

Next, you will need to edit your video – this is where simple and easy-to-use tools come into play, such as TechSmith’s Camtasia. Video editing tools can take you to new lengths: adding in sound effects, transitions, screen grabs and removing anything you don’t want heard will perfect your video.

Editing best practices: Finalize your masterpiece

• Keep it simple and focused. Doing too much will complicate the creation process and distract from getting your video finished.
• As you make cuts, consider transitions. They can help viewers get from one clip to the next. Use transitions sparingly though, and remember to use wacky transitions with purpose, not because they’re cool.
• Check your audio levels through both speakers and earphones and adjust accordingly.
• If you decide to use music, ensure it is appropriate for the tone of your video. Make sure your music isn’t overly loud as to where it would be hard to understand what is being said.
• At the end of the video, include a specific call to action. Ask yourself, what do you want your viewers to do at the end of the video?

As informational and instructional videos continue to be a way of learning for most, the investment in a tool to help educate is something to consider. You will not only catch and keep the attention of your viewers, but save time and resources.

The post Video Humanizes Your Brand: 3 Tips To Use It For Your Business. appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Bots can help you do this.

Cnet writes, “In April, Facebook unveiled a big bet on bots, which are software powered by artificial intelligence that can perform simple tasks, like routine customer service queries. Facebook‘s bot army is mostly focused on its Messenger app.” Chatbot enables user interaction through a conversational interface via spoken or transcription .Additionally, Facebook is that the most generally used social media network with many accounts across the world . We at DeveloperonRent have a well-equipped team which may assist you manage different facebook accounts, connected together with your business, by developing suitable chatbots.

Artificial Intelligence has caught the imagination of 1 and every one together of the foremost potent offerings of technology. There has been a radical change within the way data security is assumed about lately, by implementing AI . However, it’s not only Security which had been influenced by AI. Automation too has had its share of upward swing through the utilization of Robotics and AI. And this is often what Chabot Technology is all about. Chatbots, a shorter sort of Chat Robots, have grown as a preferred platform and became the new sensation, as far as users are concerned. This had led to the emergence of more companies stepping into Chatbot Development and successively , hiring chatbot developer. At DeveloperOnRent, we offer a talented and dedicated pool of Chatbot developers for you to rent and meet your application requirements. once you hire Chatbot developers from us, you’ll get a robust product built with less room for complexity. Our Chatbot developers have delicately developed and deployed a spread of Chatbots, which have ensured convenient and straightforward interactions with a product, thereby delivering an entire user experience. Our eminent Chatbot developers are ready to demonstrate the facility of conversational interfaces. Delivering flexible, scalable and secured Chatbots has been our core area of focus. As a Chatbot Development Company of repute and promise, we use leading edge technology in delivering quality rich chatbot applications. Our Chatbot developers have the power to develop bots which are either AI based that use dynamic learning and regularly upgrade themselves through human interactions or Fixed bots, where the opportunities to upscale are limited.Our aim is to be recognized amongst the formidable companies sourcing Chatbot developers. Hiring dedicated Chatbot developers from DeveloperonRent, gives you complete freedom to figure in tandem with our established team.

Chatbots still gain immense popularity amongst developers globally thanks to its potential to supply fast and powerful solutions to user’s development oriented queries. Ever imagined how technology could influence human behaviour? Chatbot has done just that. Chatbot may be a software program which may replicate intelligent interactions with humans with the assistance of AI.

If you have customers who are very engaged social, speak to a local (or national) digital marketing consultant that has developed bots for others. Beyond knowing the costs to develop a bot for your particular needs, understand the best practices in using one for your business. Also be sure to TEST it out with a subset of customers to be sure it’s meeting their needs.

The post Social Bots: Should You Use Them for Customer Service? appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Although effective content marketing is the key to web traffic, that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Are you producing high-quality content that for some reason isn’t getting results? Have you been pulling your hair out trying to discover what’s wrong with your content?

If you feel your content truly is valuable to your audience, perhaps you don’t have a content problem. Instead, you might have a distribution or a viewability problem.

Many marketers don’t think about the importance of effective content distribution. The reality is that good distribution is just as important as the quality and value of your content. After all, if no one discovers your award-worthy content, few people will visit your website, become leads, or convert to paying customers.

Content Distribution Methods to Invest In

Here are a few content distribution methods and platforms that have been proven effective.

1. Content Distribution Platforms

If you’ve never used a content distribution platform, your content might not be getting the attention it deserves. How do these platforms distribute your content? They partner with large media outlets such as Time and CNN, and then place your content on such sites in the form of native ads.

You’ve probably visited highly-trafficked sites and stumbled upon content sections titled “Recommended for You,” or “From Around the Web,” or “You May Also Like.” The articles and videos in these sections look like editorial features, but they’re actually promoted content from a content distribution platform.

And the best part? The readers who come across your promoted content are already interested in what you’re offering. It’s all thanks to sophisticated algorithms used by the content distribution platform.

The rise of content discovery is significantly impacting the online-search industry, and its growth will most likely continue well into the future.

2. Facebook Ads

Facebook has over 1.4 billion monthly users. And of the 50 million small-business Facebook Pages, 2.5 million of them are Facebook advertisers. Is your business one of them?

Facebook advertising is a highly-effective way to distribute your content to a large audience who will find your offerings relevant. The pay-per-click format offered by Facebook is very controllable. Even low amounts like $100 or even $50 can attract attention to your content.

Facebook’s Ad Manager offers some of the best targeting on the planet. With the ability to target almost any kind of audience, you’re able to focus on those who are most likely to view and share your content.

Tips to consider:

• Besides creating Facebook Ads, another cost-effective way to reach more people is to boost Facebook posts that contain your content.
• Join relevant Facebook Groups, and share any content you’ve published and advertised.
• For extra momentum, create Instant Articles on Facebook to promote your content.
• Pin your best content to the top of your brand’s Page.

3. Twitter Ads

With 320 million monthly active users, Twitter offers marketers significant content-distribution opportunities. And like Facebook ads, Twitter advertising can be effective without spending an exorbitant amount of money. Several Twitter ad campaign types are available, including:

• Website clicks campaigns
• Followers campaigns
• Engagement campaigns
• App campaigns

In your Twitter campaigns, shoot for running five or six promoted tweets simultaneously. And to keep your campaign relevant and fresh, add some new tweets to the campaign every week.

Other tips to consider:

• In your content, encourage your audience to follow you on Twitter.
• As with other platforms, adding images and video makes your content more engaging on Twitter.
• When your audience shares your content on Twitter, retweet them!
• If your content included names or thoughts from any influencers, mention them on Twitter. With any luck, they’ll retweet the content.
• Keep your tweeted content pinned to the top of your tweets.

4. Email Marketing

Yes, this traditional method of content distribution is still effective and dependable. When done right, email marketing (such as newsletters) delivers excellent ROI and helps you maintain a strong connection with your audience. It’s also an effective way to regularly spotlight your brand, products and services. And as an important bonus, email marketing is known for being highly shareable.

When using email marketing to distribute your content, remember that traditional methods like “batching and blasting” aren’t effect today. (This is the tactic of blasting your entire email list with the same content regardless of your audience’s past web-browsing behavior or purchase history.) Instead, it’s far more effective to incorporate tactics like email segmentation, and geo-targeting.

Other tips to consider:

• In your emails’ signature line, add a link to more content you’d like to promote that week. Include a message like (“Check out my recent article on…”)
• Try to sponsor an email newsletter within your industry so you can feature some of your content in it.
• Ask an influencer with a large email audience if they’d share a piece of your valuable content with their audience. Their audience will benefit, and it could lead to more traffic to your website.

5. LinkedIn Direct Sponsored Content

According to a report from the Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs, 94% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute content. While LinkedIn’s popularity for marketers is well known, many people don’t realize that only around 20 percent of your followers see your LinkedIn posts. Direct Sponsored Content is a good solution.

Direct Sponsored Content allows a brand to distribute content to larger audiences on LinkedIn, while also targeting audiences by LinkedIn groups, skills, location, age and gender.

Also, unlike regular Sponsored Content, “Direct” Sponsored Content does not show up on a company’s LinkedIn Page. This allows brands to distribute as much content as they want without cluttering their Company Page.

Other tips to consider:

• Create status updates about your content.
• If you included the names or ideas of any influencers in your content, tag them in your LinkedIn status updates.
• Share your content in your LinkedIn groups who’d find the content valuable.
• Write a post on LinkedIn Pulse with a link to your content.

6. SlideShare

Smart content marketers convert their content into SlideShare presentations. Why? With millions of content-hungry users on SlideShare, it’s the most well-known slide presentation platform in the world. Consider these staggering facts:

• 70 million people around the globe are active on SlideShare.
• It’s a trusted source. Users know that many respected authorities and influencers, in several industries worldwide, are found on SlideShare.
• SlideShare can be used for lead generation.
• With a domain authority of 95 and page authority of 79, SlideShare offers excellent SEO.

Tips to consider:

• When re-purposing your content, create a single slide to feature your content’s main point. Use subsequent slides to further develop the main point.
• Make sure your images are attractive.
• Don’t be afraid to use as many slides as needed to make your presentation valuable.
• Add calls to action at the presentation’s close.

7. Quora

Your brand creates knowledgeable content that addresses many questions people in your industry have. If only there were a platform that enables you to find these questions! Of course, such a platform exists.

Quora is a popular question-and-answer platform with 1.3 million visitors each month in the U.S. When users type questions into Quora, they see search results for their questions that have already been asked by others – as well as answers from experts. If their question has never been asked on Quora, they can submit the question themselves.

One excellent way to use Quora for content distribution is to search for questions that your content answers. When you find the right question, you can then repurpose your content into a clear answer and provide a link to it in your response.

Other tips to consider:

• For effective branding, write a Quora bio that conveys your knowledge and experience. Your readers will see your bio every time they read your answers.
• Follow any Quora topic you have expertise in. You’ll receive email updates when new questions have been asked within those topics.
• Perhaps this should go without saying, but make sure your answers are always useful and never spammy.

Although this is not an exhaustive list, it covers many of the proven distribution methods that get results. If other platforms have worked for you, don’t stop using them! The more distribution methods you use, the better. The goal, of course, is getting your content into the hands of as many relevant audiences as possible.

If all these distribution methods seem like a lot of work, that’s because content distribution is a lot of work! But its importance can’t be overstated. In fact, it has been said that content is no longer king. Distribution is.

Like everything else in business, there are no shortcuts in content marketing or distribution. It takes consistent effort, research, and creativity. But the good news is that those who make content and distribution a priority will be rewarded with a loyal audience and a healthy ROI.

If it all starts to feel exhausting, think of the end results. When your hard work has earned you an audience and high web traffic, you’ll be thankful you put in the time and effort.

The post 7 Content Distribution Methods That Boost Web Traffic appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

How do you know which experts are worth following? I’m glad you asked, because you’re about to be introduced to some of the world’s most trustworthy online marketers.
The following influencers are trusted and well known by many brands across the world. So whether you’re a seasoned marketer wanting to keep up with the latest trends, or you’re just starting out and looking for advice, you can learn from these gurus.

In no particular order, here are some online influencers to remember:

1. Neil Patel

Neil Patel is the well-known online marketer behind such popular resources as Kissmetrics, Quick Sprout, Crazy Egg, and Hello Bar. His current focus is on Kissmetrics, a tool that tracks and analyzes customer behavior on clients’ websites.

Many of the most renown companies in the world have sought his expertise, including HP, Amazon, GM, Viacom, and NBC.

Notable recognitions for Neil include being called a top influencer on the web by The Wall Street Journal, and one of the top 10 online marketers by Forbes. Even more notably, President Obama recognized him as a Top 100 Entrepreneur Under 30. He was also awarded Congressional Recognition from the House of Representatives.

How to follow Neil:

Neil’s Podcast: Marketing School. “Marketing School brings you 10 minutes of actionable marketing advice every single day. Get the right tips to take your business to the next level.”

Twitter

Neil’s blog

2. Ann Handley

Regarded as the world’s first Chief Content Officer, Ann is the head of content for MarketingProfs – a training and education company with the largest community of marketers in its category. She’s also known as a pioneer in digital marketing. She co-founded ClickZ, one of the original sources of interactive marketing news.

Ann has been recognized by Forbes as the most influential woman in Social Media. She’s also been called one of the top 20 women bloggers by ForbesWoman. She frequently contributes to the LinkedIn Influencer program and Entrepreneur magazine.

Ann is the author of Everybody Writes, which is “your go-to guide to creating ridiculously good content that attracts and retains customers.” She also co-authored the best-selling book, Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business.

How to follow Ann:

• Twitter
• Ann’s blog
• Ann’s contributions to Entrepreneur

3. Christoph Cemper

Christoph is an SEO guru and a top online marketer. Often speaking an SEO and Digital Marketing conventions, Christoph has earned himself a name as a.founder LinkResearchTools, LinkDetox and Impactana to help SEO professionals and online marketers get better results.

You can find Christoph valuable advice frequently on MarketingLand, SearchEngineJournal and SearchEngineWatch where he shares his insight on the latest happenings in SEO and Online Marketing.

How to follow Chris:

• Twitter
• Christophs’s blog

4. Sujan Patel

Sujan is a high-energy growth marketer and a digital-marketing influencer with a “passion to help people and solve problems.” He has over 13 years of internet marketing experience.

Sujan is the co-founder of Web Profits, a growth marketing agency that helps companies leverage the latest marketing strategies to fuel their businesses. Web Profits has offices in the US, Australia, Singapore and Romania. They also employ over 20 design and development experts, and over 30 copywriters.

Sujan has led the digital marketing strategy for companies such as Mint, Sales Force, Intuit, and many other world renown brands. He’s also a prolific blogger, writing six blog posts a week. He blogs for publications like Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Inc.

He’s also a partner in software companies such as ContentMarketer.io, Narrow, Quuu, and Mailshake.

How to follow Sujan:

• Twitter
• io blog
• Web Profits blog

5. Rebecca Lieb

A content strategist, content marketer, and digital marketing innovator, Rebecca Lieb has been at the forefront of digital advertising and media since it all began. She’s been a corporate trainer to companies such as Facebook, Pinterest, DuPont, Adobe, Nestlé, Fidelity, Home Depot, Cisco, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Save The Children, and more.
Rebecca is also respected for publishing a substantial amount of original research. Some of the research includes a significant body of work on the topics of content marketing, content strategy and converged media.

In 2011, she authored Content Marketing: Think Like a Publisher – How to Use Content to Market Online and in Social Media. It was one of the first books on the subject of content marketing. She’s also the author of The Truth About Search Engine Optimization, which became an instant Amazon bestseller.

How to follow Rebecca:

• Twitter
• Rebecca’s blog

6. Matthew Toren

A specialist in strategic marketing and advertising, Matthew has many other areas of expertise as well: Business development, business growth techniques, entrepreneurial emergence, entrepreneurial strategy management, innovation and new venture creation.

He’s the owner of iSmallBusiness.com, and describes it like this: “iSmallBusiness.com is small business with a mission: to make the important stuff for your small business front and center.” The site posts valuable information that inspires and assists entrepreneurs in starting, managing, and growing a small business.

An innovative author, Matthew is also well known for an award-winning book for kids that he and his brother, Adam, wrote together. Titled Kidpreneurs, the book won the Gold award for kids’ books from NAPPA (National Association of Parenting Publications.)

He also co-authored Small Business Big Vision with his brother. The book won the Small Business Book Awards in 2012.

Among other projects, Matthew also co-founded Blogtrepreneur.com, the #1 rated small business blog on the web.

How to follow Matthew:

• Twitter
• Matthew on Entrepreneur
• Matthew on com

7. Aaron Orendorff

An independent content strategist and copywriter, Aaron helps both emerging and established businesses produce clear, compelling content. He specializes in advertising copy, including banner copy, Facebook ad content, LinkedIn copy and Google AdWords. He also focuses on website copy and editing, mottos and taglines, branding development, product descriptions, long-form articles, email content, and newsletters.

Aaron also serves as a full-time faculty member in Klamath Community College’s Arts and Communication department in Klamath Falls, OR. He teaches several writing, communication, public speaking and philosophy courses that train students for higher education.

He’s a contributor at Lifehacker, Fast Company, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Inc., Business Insider, The Next Web, Content Marketing Institute, Success Magazine, Copyblogger, MarketingProfs, and others.

How to follow Aaron:

• Twitter
• iconiContent blog

8. Avinash Kaushik

Avinash is a web analytics specialist and the Digital Marketing Evangelist for Google. Known for putting a common-sense framework around the complex environment of web analytics, he helps marketers leverage data to reinvent their digital existence. He’s the creator of the popular blog Occam’s Razor, and he’s written two bestselling books – Web Analytics 2.0, and Web Analytics: An Hour a Day.

Avinash is the Chief Education Officer and co-founder of Market Motive Inc., a resource that teaches digital marketing from Silicon-Valley based industry experts. He has worked with world-renown brands such as Time Warner, Dell, Unilever, Porsche, IBM, and Vanguard. He’s also lectured at universities like University of California – Los Angeles, University of Virginia, Stanford University, and University of Utah.

How to follow Avinash:

• Twitter
• Occam’s Razor blog

9. Ian Cleary

Ian is the founder of RazorSocial, the world leading site on social media tools. It’s “dedicated to helping others become insanely productive and efficient in online marketing through the use of online tech and tools – so no entrepreneur gets left behind.” RazorSocial’s training programs teach businesses and marketers how to create a digital marketing engine that builds a consistent stream of profitable leads.

With 20 years in technology and digital marketing, Ian was listed as the 8th most influential person in social media globally by Onalytica. He’s also been the winner of the annual “Best Social Media Blog” award by Social Media Examiner for the past four years.

Ian has been Published in MarketingProfs, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, VentureBeat, Social Media Examiner, and many more. He’s also a professional speaker at marketing events such as Social Media Marketing World and Content Marketing World.

How to follow Ian:

• RazorSocial blog
• Twitter

10. Diane Rayfield

One of the first 40 people worldwide to become certified in social-media marketing, Diane is a true social media pioneer. She’s the founder of Harp Social, and she believes that behind every visible brand is an expertly-engineered and executed social media strategy. Her focus is on helping businesses implement a sound social media marketing strategy through social-media best practices.

To quote Diane: “Today most clients have social media but have no idea how to optimize it, how to benefit from it and really, don’t have the proper resources to maintain and grow their social presence. That’s where I come in with a strategy, content plan and community management plan based on each client’s goals and budget.”

Diane also provides customized social-media training. From training on optimizing LinkedIn profiles to instructing on how to leverage social media platforms, Facebook marketing, Twitter, or Google+, all of her classes are interactive.

How to follow Diane:

• Twitter
• Harp Social blog

11. Amber Naslund

Seasoned marketing executive Amber Naslund has a deep understanding of how social media and digital communication impacts organizational culture and operations. Amber says, “I believe social media is a catalyst for change – not the solution in itself – and that marketing has an unprecedented opportunity today to drive change within our businesses.”

She’s presently the SVP of Marketing for social intelligence platform Sysomos. Her role is to create value for customers and community through content development, customer success and engagement programs, employee engagement initiatives, social strategy, and industry thought leadership.

Throughout her 15+ years of marketing expertise, she’s served as the president of SideraWorks and VP of Social Strategy for Salesforce Radian6. She’s advised such Fortune 500 companies as Coca-Cola, American Express, L’Oreal, Dell, AMD, Kraft Foods, CDW, Avaya, and others.

Amber is the co-author of The Now Revolution. This bestselling social-business book is used by companies and universities to teach a strong foundation for social strategy. She also delivers keynote speeches on corporate culture, social business, and communication at industry conferences and private events every year.

How to follow Amber:

• Twitter
• Amber’s blog

12. Vanessa Fox

An influential blogger, SEO consultant and author, Vanessa Fox says “I’m particularly interested in the intersection and evolution of how we interact with the world offline and online.”

She’s the CEO Keylime Toolbox, a fresh approach to understanding SEO. The resource includes a comprehensive reference library and tutorials. It features important SEO metrics and actionable insights for improving qualified traffic from unpaid search.

Vanessa is also a part time lecturer at University of Washington. She teaches an undergraduate class at the iSchool about search engine optimization, searcher behavior, and the search engine industry. She’s also on the University’s Informatics Advisory Board.

She authored Marketing in the Age of Google: Your Online Strategy IS Your Business Strategy. The book has been called the “first must-read-to-survive business book of the twenty-first century”.

How to follow Vanessa:

Vanessa’s blog

Twitter

13. Ehsan Jahandarpour

Ehsan Jahandarpour is a globally recognized growth hacker, and influencer marketing strategist. Forbes listed him as top 20 growth hackers in 2016.

Ehsan is known for his innovative approach towards growth hacking, and earned-media strategies. He helps companies like Microsoft, PETRONAS, BBDO, etc. to scale their business and grow faster.

If you want to learn about influencer marketing, and growth hacking, Ehsan has been sharing his actionable strategies on his blog, his growth hacking webinar, and authoritative magazines such as Entrepreneur magazine, Inc, Huffington post, business2community, business.com, socialmediatoday, etc.

How to follow Ehsan:

Twitter

Ehsan’s site

14. Pam Moore

Pam is a passionate marketing, social media, and branding enthusiast. With over 15 years of experience building brands and communities, she’s been included in Forbes Top 5 Social Media Women Influencers, Forbes Top 10 Social Media Power Influencers, and Forbes Top 50 Social Media Influencers.
She founded Marketing Nutz, a full-service social media, digital marketing, experiential branding agency.  Her services include marketing & strategy, social and digital quick-start consultation, social-media services, branding and creative services, and training workshops.
Pam is also a dynamic keynote speaker at worldwide events, as well as a trainer, best-selling author, consultant, and a strategist who “has the guts to tell you what you may not want to hear but must hear to drive results.”

She co-authored a book titled Relationship Age: The World’s Leading Experts Teach You Proven Strategies for Creating Profitable Relationships in the World of Social Media.

How to follow Pam:

• Twitter
• Pam’s blog

15. Krishna De

Krishna is an influencer in the fields of marketing, social media, personal branding, and online reputation. She’s a mobile brand journalist, a keynote speaker, mentor, live-stream strategist, and a mom to three girls on top of it all.

In her digital marketing mentoring, she works with client agencies behind the scenes to help them understand how to integrate their inbound marketing. In her social media consulting, she helps clients communicate social media policies and frameworks, and helps deliver social media communications programs.

Krishna also helps her clients with mobile and micro content creation, as well as live stream strategy and training.

Besides helping her clients boost their marketing and social business success, she also leverages her experience by speaking at industry conferences across Europe.

How to follow Krishna:

• Twitter
• Snapchat

The post 15 Top Online Influencers You’ll Want to Start Following Today appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Facebook is constantly evolving its platform. Recently it upgraded the capabilities and integrations of Facebook Pages to enable you to do more and better engage with your customers.

These upgrades include better integrations with multiple service providers such as:

• Start Order – Accept orders with delivery.com or Slice.
• Book Now – Book appointments with HomeAdvisor, MyTime and other services.
• Buy Tickets – Sell tickets with Ticketmaster.
• See Showtimes – Provide show schedules and sell tickets with Fandango.

Other updates include managing bookings and inquiries, easier ways for customers to refer and recommend your business and more.

Facebook is an important part of your marketing, be sure your Facebook page is fined tuned to perform as best as it can.

The post Facebook Business Pages – Why You Should Constantly Tweak Your Facebook Page appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Slack has the BRAIN SHARE of collaboration amongst so many. Other tools include Jive and of course Google Apps and Microsoft’s Office 365.

You can get the full details about Facebook Workplace here.

Facebook Workplace appears to be quite robust. Integrating Live Video, Chat, Search and an overall News Feed – it’s a way for teams to keep in touch and updated.

I like that Facebook offers it free for 3 months – plenty of time for every company to try out.

At only $3 a month per user – it’s pretty darn cheap.

The post Facebook Workplace: Now Collaborate With Your CoWorkers Using Facebook appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Why?

Her social profile is hyper focused on home school moms. HYPER FOCUSED. Because of this focus her community, her tribe, her fans are highly engaged.

Let’s say that she wanted to sell something and started selling ebooks for home school moms, webinars and even had events for them. She would probably get an equal number of high interest – sales – for the products or services.

While having lots of followers is great – it does indicate that you have a base of interest in some degree or another, when converting those followers to buyers their level of engagement is more important.

So focus on going NARROW, GOING NICHE, being HYPER FOCUSED in your overall marketing and especially as you work on social content.

The post High Engagement or High Follower Count: Home School Mom Blogger Tip appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Better Business Networking

Networking is a vital part of small business success because you never know where a new connection will lead you. As guest contributor, Jen Slaw, says, “Our connections will become our clients, team members, strategic partners, mentors, and advisors.” By networking, you can form relationships that will better your business. If networking isn’t your thing, take a look at this article. Jen Slaw is sharing five things you can do to immediately expand your business network.

Click to read 5 Steps to Form & Nurture Business Relationships

Relationships with Contractors

No matter how hard you try, you can’t do it all yourself, small business owner; you will occasionally come across tasks that are better handled by an expert rather than using a DIY approach. One such example is app development. More and more small businesses are understanding the benefits of creating their own app, but lacking knowledge of coding and design requires them to hire out. This article can help you form a better relationship with your app developer so you can clearly communicate your needs and help to create a stunning end product.

Click to read 5 Tips for Working with an App Developer as a Small Business Owner

Social Media Relationships

Social media is an ideal place to cultivate your relationships with your customers, and no one knows more about this subject than Ted Rubin, the Chief Marketing Officer of Brand Innovators and creator of the concept “return on relationships.” In this article, Ted offers tips to help you make better digital connections using social media.

Click to read Ted Rubin’s Advice on Building Personal Relationships through Social Media

Bonus Article: Workplace & Employee Relationships

Forming strong relationships with employees involves creating a culture within your small business where team members know they are valued and love to come to work. To create a better workplace environment, check out this article by guest author Randy Stocklin, the founder of One Click which was named one of Inc. Magazine’s 50 Places to work in 2016. Randy is sharing four tips that will help you build stronger relationships and culture in your business.

Click to read How to Build a Rock Solid Company Culture

So how are you doing on relationship management in your small business? Check out the articles above to get help in these specific areas! You can also get more advice at SmartHustle.com – or spark up new relationships with your business peers by joining the Smart Hustle Community.

The post Smart Hustle Recap: Tips for Stronger Small Business Relationships appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

As I travel cross the country, I’m amazed at the number of business owners who are still relatively new to the power of using content and “social media” to engage with their customers. Part of this rise is fostered and enabled by CRM companies integrating social dynamics into their platform.

Today Nimble announces a slew of new and updated integrations (Office 366 and Google Apps) into its software. In addition it’s enriching it’s social connections and business contact information.

You can use Nimble to not only keep in touch with your customers and other contacts but also build and save profiles based on a variety of business information – such as industry size and location.

The power of CRM is a) everyone in your company can get the same snapshot of one customer b) everyone on your team can better collaborate about customers (or others)  c) you can glean public insights on each contact in your database d) you can segment customers and better market to them.

The post CRM Plus Social Plus Business Information Is A Winning Combination: Nimble Upgrades appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

New Business Has Slowed? Here’s Why

The key to business growth is acquiring new customers, so if you’ve noticed that things have slowed down, it’s time to take notice. While slow business growth can happen for reasons like an economic downturn, there are often business missteps that are to blame. In this article, sales guru Adrian Miller is sharing five reasons why you might not be seeing the new business you’d like. Figure out which are applicable to your situation, then use her advice to fix it.

Click to read 5 Reasons Why You Might Not Be Winning New Business

Connecting with Customers via Facebook Live

Video marketing is a hot trend right now, but do you know what is even hotter? Live video. The thought of appearing live and unscripted on camera in front of your customers might sound daunting. However, when you understand the benefits of live video (and the fact that your fears are largely exaggerated!), you’ll be ready to take the first step into this promising area of marketing. In this Smart Hustle interview, social media expert Kim Garst shares the benefits of Facebook Live and five tips that will calm your fears and get you prepared for your first live video.

Click to read 5 Tips for Using Facebook Live to Get Closer to Your Customers

Enhance Your IT Security Today

A sobering statistic for you: in a recent survey of 500 IT professionals, 30 percent said they believe there is nothing they can do to protect the security of their company. If you’ve ever felt the same way, it’s time to eradicate that self-defeating thought and take charge because you definitely CAN improve IT security at your business! In this article, cloud service LogMeIn is sharing four simple things you can do to greatly enhance the security of your company.

Click to read How to Improve IT Security in Four Simple Steps

So what is troubling you these days? Winning new business and sales? Forming better relationships with your customers? The security of your business data? These articles are sure to help, and for more tips and advice, catch new content over at SmartHustle.com.

The post Smart Hustle Recap: Winning New Business, Facebook Live & IT Security appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Businesses large and small love free marketing, where customers are willing and eager to sing your praises based on the positive experiences they’ve had with your company. But besides just providing great products and services, how do you drum up word-of-mouth marketing? This article explores five actionable things you can do to get more people talking about your business.

Click to read 5 Ways to Get People to Talk about Your Business

Instagram for Business

As a newer social media platform, Instagram still has many business owners scratching their heads. How exactly do you use a platform that focuses on pictures and hashtags to grow customers and awareness? The launch of “Instagram Stories” is actually opening up new marketing potential for small businesses, provided you know how to use it. This article explains what Instagram Stories is and how you can leverage it for your biz.

Click to read How to Market Your Business with Instagram Stories

Small Business Video Marketing Ideas

If you follow marketing tips, advice and news, then chances are that you run into the subject of video marketing all the time. Unfortunately, many small businesses aren’t sure where to get started. We’ve covered basic tips in other articles, but this one gives you specific videos you could create to promote your business, including new product teasers, customer feedback, and more. It is sure to give you some great ideas to help create your first marketing video.

Click to read 6 Engaging Video Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Bonus Article: Must-Have Financial Roles

As promised, we also wanted to share an informative article for business owners who feel like they already have control over their marketing – and who couldn’t use a finance lesson now and again? This article, written by finance expert Jonathan Ankney, covers the three financial roles that you must have for your small business – and what happens if one of these crucial roles is missing.

Click to read 3 Financial Roles Every Business Needs to Maximize Success

Smart Hustle readers asked for more marketing articles, and we have been happy to deliver pieces on word-of-mouth marketing, Instagram, videos and more. What other topics would you like to see us cover on Smart Hustle? See what’s available on SmartHustle.com then share your opinion over at the Smart Hustle Community.

The post Smart Hustle Recap: Marketing via Word-Of-Mouth, Instagram Stories, and Videos appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Jeremy Howie is a Facebook Marketing expert, and gives his insight in this article. He’s a member of the Facebook 2016 SMB Council, digital marketing thought leader, and CEO of Enlightened Marketing LLC. You can connect with him on Facebook via www.f acebook.com/jeremy.howie .

#1 Use Video

Facebook is a platform that is uniquely optimized for video. With more than one billion hours of video watched every day, the reason to use video is self-explanatory. Videos should be kept short, grab attention in the first few seconds, tell a story and provide value to the potential customer. Facebook founder/CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that Facebook will be “mostly video” by 2019.

#2 Think Mobile First

In 2015 mobile-only Internet users surpassed desktop-only Internet users. The number is higher specific to Facebook, where 80% of users access the platform using their mobile device. Facebook is designed with a mobile-first mentality, because (and alarmingly) 40% of small businesses say that their websites are not optimized for mobile. Everything that you are doing on Facebook should have a mobile-first mentality. This means visuals should be easy to view on a smaller device. It is also important for business owners to have a mobile-optimized website. The great news is Facebook Pages already are!

#3 Provide Value

Facebook, or any other type of marketing, should provide value. People buy from those they know, like and trust. Leading with answers to most commonly asked customer questions, then following up for the sale later, is a great way to market. Value can also come in the form of humor, inspiration or entertainment. Being a business of value is a great way to stand out from competitors.

#4 Engage Consistently

Businesses should aim to post at least once per day on their Facebook Page, as long as they are providing value (see tip #3). The best performing posts include a video or an image, are short, and elicit a response. The more people engage (like/react/comment/share), the bigger the opportunity for businesses to reach new potential customers in News Feed. Facebook also helps businesses manage their Pages on their own time through tools like scheduling posts in advance. By consistently looking at Page Insights, business owners can learn more about their audience(s) and understand what content works best.

#5 Develop a Content Strategy

Instead of targeting prospective buyers with sales or consultation offers, businesses should consider providing relevant content based on FAQs. This content can have a central theme and be leveraged across multiple types of media. For example, a short “How To Do XYZ” video can be shared as a Facebook post, used as part of a blog post and embedded in an email to a subscriber list. Over time, analytics should be reviewed to see what content and which distribution channels are most effective.

#6 Test Different Ad Objectives

Facebook gives its advertisers multiple ways to connect with their ideal customers. Many businesses start with boosting posts on their Page, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. In Facebook’s Ads Manager there are multiple ad objectives to choose from, including website traffic, website conversions, post engagement, video views, local awareness, lead generation and app installs. The local awareness objective helps brick and mortar businesses reach potential customers who are within a given radius of their store with targeted ads in News Feed. Businesses can also select a call to action button for their Local Awareness Ads, such as Call Now or Get Directions. When people click Get Directions, they get a map with directions straight to the business’ front door. For only a few dollars in ad spend, thousands of potential customers can be reached.

#7 Split Test Everything

Finding out what works best is crucial to getting the most out of any advertising budget. Split testing – aka A/B testing – simply compares multiple versions of an ad to see which one converts to a click, lead and/or sale most effectively. For example, within one ad campaign, businesses can test four ads with the same headline but each with a different image. Once the best performing image is discovered, businesses can use it to test different headline options. Over time, businesses can identify their highest performing “super ads”.  Since you can leverage Facebook’s powerful targeting across Instagram as well, businesses should consider testing on both platforms.

#8 Use Reports, Data, and Settings

When businesses tell me they aren’t having success with Facebook marketing, it is usually because they don’t realize the true magic in numbers. There are endless reporting options that help advertisers understand exactly how their ads are performing and how people are responding to them. For example, advertisers can see information on how long their videos are being watched, or how many people are converting to a lead. One of the best targeting tools on Facebook is Custom Audiences – businesses can use an existing customer list (e.g., frequent, seasonal or one-time buyers) to create an audience and target ads across Facebook, Instagram and Audience Network. Facebook can also help businesses create a larger “Lookalike” audience of people most similar to each Custom Audience.

#9 Use Retargeting

Showing an ad to someone who has already expressed interest in a product or service – aka retargeting – is the highest converting form of marketing that exists. Facebook allows advertisers to do this using the Facebook Pixel. The Facebook Pixel is a piece of code businesses can create in Ads Manager (there is only one per ad account) and install on their website. It enables businesses to reach people on Facebook who have already visited specific pages on their website (custom audience), and can also be used to find new customers that look most like existing website visitors (lookalike audience). Retargeting an interested buyer with a branded video, testimonial or special offer can lead to a significant increase in conversions.

#10 Leverage New Features (Paid and Free)

Businesses can now video chat, send voice messages, broadcast real time with Facebook Live, create events and much more. Although the best way to be successful with Facebook marketing is to invest in facebook advertising in Singapore, businesses can still leverage Facebook’s free tools, starting with creating a Page and publishing engaging content. Connecting with other businesses on Facebook (liking, commenting, re-sharing) as your own business can also be an effective way to build community and reciprocity with other businesses, as well as reach potential buyers in other places they are spending time.

Bonus Tip

Facebook offers excellent free marketing training for businesses in the form of 50 eLearning modules at Facebook Blueprint.

Facebook is constantly evolving and giving businesses new ways to connect with their audience.  Because of its immense user base, data and targeting options, it can be considered the most powerful marketing platform in the world.

The post 10 Important Facebook Marketing Tips Every Business Owner Needs To Know appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Using Google Analytics to Track Social Campaigns

Even though there are several social media management tools, the richness of Google Analytics reports make it ideal for tracking your social campaigns. Did you know that you can use Google Analytics to track network referrals, conversions, landing pages, and social plugins? This article tells you how to get started with Google Analytics, set up goals, and five top Google Analytics reports to look at to understand how your social media campaigns are going.

Click to read How to Track Social Media Analytics with Google Analytics

Recovering from a Sales Slump

Unfortunately, everyone will experience a sales slump at some point in his or her career. Biz expert Adrian Miller says the first important thing is to understand why the slump happened so you can address the cause! However, if you find yourself in a slump, there are plenty of things you can do to recover. Adrian reviews four of the best things you can do to get the sales ball rolling again.

Click to read How to Revamp Your Business in a “Sales Slump”

Small Biz Owner: Don’t Focus on Going Viral

The gold standard in content marketing is a phenomenon known as “going viral” – when your content (whether it is a blog post, video, social media message, or something else) gets the attention of mass audiences who flood to your site and “discover” your company, making you an overnight sensation. While going viral is definitely a good thing, there are many reasons why small business owners should not focus on going viral. This article explores the reasons and what small business owners should do instead to make sure their content is a hit among the target market.

Click to read Content Marketing 2016: Why Small Businesses Shouldn’t Focus on Going Viral

Smart Hustle Magazine is committed to helping small business owners through all the twists and turns of running a business – the high points (like going viral), the low points (like experiencing a sales slump), and all of the experimentation that goes on in between (including tracking campaign analytics on platforms like Google Analytics). For more advice – no matter what stage of the game you’re at – check out SmartHustle.com or join the discussion in the Smart Hustle Community.

The post Smart Hustle Recap: Google Analytics How-To, Recovering from a Sales Slump, and More! appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Why You Need Video

You should be using video to get more customers, but what makes it different from other marketing approaches? Customers get more information in a shorter amount of time by viewing one well-made video. Videos give your customers an impression of you and your business. It’s more personal than an email or blog post. Video is used in marketing in many ways today. Short videos posted to Vine and Instagram are short and easily shared. Tutorials and vlogs on your website or YouTube are a bit longer and more informative. Whether you film it yourself or hire a professional, video is one marketing tool you need.

DIY Video

Small businesses often take the DIY approach to save money where possible. Apps such as Vine and Instagram make it possible to create short videos. They’re free and simple to use. You can make new videos quickly, edit clips, and reach all your followers instantly. This option is excellent for things like contests, previewing new products, and even speaking directly to your followers, such as Q&A videos. Doing it yourself isn’t without pitfalls, however. While apps make it seem easy, they can’t make a poorly shot video look good. Take a few steps to make your DIY videos look their best.

Storyboard. Use paper or software to plot out each scene for your video and the dialogue or narrative that goes with it. Come up with a few versions, then narrow it down to the best one.

Lighting. Poorly lit videos look awful. Make sure you have at least one bright light source. Whether it’s sunlight through a window or a floor lamp aimed at your product, be sure the thing you’re filming is brightly lit.

Script. Stumbling over your words makes you sound like a novice and increases editing time. It helps to practice speaking a few times before shooting, even if it’s only a few second clip for social media. The script is even more important when filming a longer video, such as a tutorial for YouTube.

Sound. Tiny smartphone microphones aren’t the best at capturing clear sound in your film production. Be sure there is silence when you’re filming (unless background noise is intentional). Try using the earbuds with mic that came with your phone for clarity. You can also purchase a microphone that plugs into the 3.5 mm jack on your phone or a clip-on mic.

Stability. Don’t make your customers nauseous with shaky video. Invest in a tripod before shooting videos for your business. Choose a full size tripod or a little Gorillapod^® depending on what and where you’ll be filming. Some lower end tripods can droop or slowly move while filming, so look out for that while testing it out.

Image licensing. Avoid getting sued by only using commercially licensed images and video clips. You’ll either need to purchase a license, get permission from the creator, or use Creative Commons (CC) images. Be aware “free to use” and CC works are not always commercially licensed. Read the fine print to be sure you’re allowed to use the image.

Professional Video

Even if you’re able to film a decent video yourself, you may not realize just how labor intensive video editing is. It can be a lengthy and complex process to get to the final, polished version of your video. While you may be capable of doing the editing yourself, it may make more sense as a business owner to pay a professional to spend hours creating a great video for you while you focus on other responsibilities.

Hiring professionals to create your video will ensure a polished final product. The obvious difference in quality gives the impression that your business is trustworthy. When it comes to video ads, tutorials, help videos for your product, and any video featured prominently on your website you’ll want to consider investing in a professional to create your videos. The impact it has on your customers is invaluable.

The post Video Production Tips for Small Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Do You Need a College Degree to Start a Business?

Instead of going to college, Charles Bonfiglio went to work for a franchised automotive company right after high school. He worked his way up to becoming the top performer, then became a franchisee himself. After decades of experience in the franchise, he left to start his own company in 2007. So can experience alone set you out on the path to success or do you need a college degree? Join the discussion by checking out this article.

Click to read Do Entrepreneurs Need a College Degree? An Interview with Entrepreneur and Franchisee Charles Bonfiglio

How to Grow Through Clever Use of Content

Is content a tool for every business, or does it only work in certain industries and areas? In this interview with Julie Tupler of Diastasis Rechab, she argues that everyone, regardless of industry, can use content to grow. Julie is a nurse who focuses on one specific ailment – diastasis recti. Using a combination of books, DVDs, guides and more, she has created a booming business in this specific niche. The article explores how you too can use content to grow, even if you don’t consider yourself a writer or a videographer.

Click to read Boosting Your Biz through Content: An Interview with Julie Tupler of Diastasis Rehab

Your PR Cheat Sheet

Every business owner wants media coverage, but getting the attention of PR is another thing entirely. If you’ve ever tried to navigate the scary world of PR, this article for you. This cheat sheet covers all the basics of how to get your business in the spotlight, including developing a story, finding media contacts, writing a pitch and following up.

Click to read The Power of PR: Your Cheat Sheet to Getting Media Coverage

So what do you think? Do you need to go to college to start and run a successful business? Is content a good strategy, no matter what industry you’re in? Could adopting the right approach help you get the media coverage you’re looking for? Come contemplate these issues with us by reading the fore-mentioned SmartHustle.com articles – and if you have a comment to share, join the discussion in the Smart Hustle Community.

The post Smart Hustle Recap: Do You Need a College Degree? Plus Content and PR Tips appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

This article is brought to you in partnership with Verisign, the global leader in domain names and internet security

Many small businesses find a website to be instrumental to their growth as a business. However, many small business owners aren’t sure where to start or are intimidated by the process of building a website. Our friends at Verisign, the registry operator for .com and .net, have provided a checklist to help guide you, whether you’re building a website on your own with a DIY website builder or outsourcing to a professional.

Determine the Purpose of Your Website

Every website has a purpose, whether it’s simply to serve as a brochure or to sell products. Decide what your website’s purpose is going to be before you begin, then plan your content around it. To get started, it’s often best to determine the elements that are critical as you launch your website, knowing that you can always expand your website later. For an e-commerce site, for instance, you could put some of your most popular items online as you get familiar with the fulfillment process, then gradually add more items as your business grows.

Choose and Register a Domain Name

One of the most important things you’ll do as you build a new website is choose a domain name. Dot com (.com) and .net are among the most popular domains for businesses that want to reach their customers online.  Since your domain name, or web address, will be used on your promotional materials, it should be memorable, but it should also contain your business’s most essential search terms. Internet search users are likely to click on a keyword-rich domain name that includes at least one of their search terms, compared to a domain name that does not contain any of the keywords.

Plan Your Website

Before taking the next step, carefully map out your website, deciding what pages you’ll have and how they’ll connect to each other. This will give you an idea of the scope of your site, including what services you’ll need. Once you’ve mapped your site, you’ll be able to decide whether you want to hire a provider to design your site or use one of the many DIY tools available. With your plan in place, you’ll know exactly which elements you need to include. Check out a good option for you to create your business website and get more customers.

Locate Web Hosting

In addition to your domain name and website developer, you’ll also need a service to host your site. Some web hosting providers include website builders as part of their services, so you may want to search for this before you make any final decisions about your website’s creation. You can use a service like WordPress that offers hosting for free, but you’ll need to forward your domain name to the WordPress site. This will ensure that when someone enters the domain name you’ve created, they’re immediately directed to your content.

Promote Your Website

Even the best-designed website will be useless unless customers can find it. You’ll need to put effort into getting the word out about your website, including filling it with content that will make it rank well in web searches. In addition to quality content creation, you can also experiment with paid search engine placement, which will give your site visibility to your target audience. Make sure you also promote your site on your existing channels, including using signage in your store, adding it to your print materials, and linking to it on various social media platforms.

A website is the first step toward getting the word out about your business. When you take the right steps from the start, you set up a basic site that you can build on as your business grows. With the right domain name and publicity, your site will help you compete with others in your industry who already have great websites.

This article was written in partnership with Verisign, the global leader in domain names and internet security. All opinions and experiences expressed are my own.

The post Building a Website for Your Small Business? This Checklist Will Help appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

There’s a lot of places to host and share your videos. As a business owner, you want to create videos as it is the most engaging you to bring your brand to your audience, increase their engagement and make your brand more personal.

Facebook is adding more and more features to Facebook Live, SnapChat is growing and of course YouTube is the “original” video network.

Twitter has been behind, but is releasing an app to help you create and share videos on Twitter.

The Wall Street Journal writes: “Video is becoming increasingly central to the real-time conversations happening on Twitter,” said Twitter CEO and co-founderJack Dorsey, in a statement. ”We’re investing heavily in videos and creators. We want to be the best place for creators and influencers to build an audience and make it easier for creators to make money on Twitter, and soon, Vine.”

If you’re just starting out, overall, it really doesn’t matter where you host your video. What’s MOST important is that your video is informative, engaging and useful to your audience. Having said that, do take some time to know about your audience and where your AUDIENCE lives is where you should host your video.

The post Where Will You Host Your Videos? Twitter? Facebook? Snapchat? YouTube? appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Overall, the power of social media is so important for all businesses to understand and do more of. I’ve asked Kati McGee, SMB Brand Development for Instagram to share her tips on how to get the most out of Instagram.

Small businesses around the world turn to Instagram to capture and share the moments, products, and services that matter most to their business. The community on Instagram is over 500 million strong, more than 300 million of whom use Instagram every single day. Small businesses have always been an important part of this community, using Instagram to turn their passions into livelihoods. Take Janine, a woodworker that turned her hobby into a well-run business of selling custom-made art and furniture creations, or Stance Socks, which breathed new life into a traditionally unremarkable category by dedicating its brand to art and self-expression, posting playful imagery to its Instagram account.

With nearly 50 percent of people following businesses on Instagram and 60 percent of people learning about a product or service on the platform, Instagram is a natural place to introduce people to your business, connect with your community and acquire new customers. It’s never been easier to get started — Just recently Instagram announced a new set of business tools that will help you develop more meaningful relationships with your followers, better understand how content performs and find new customers on mobile

As we introduce these new tools in the coming months, we want to share 10 tips for how to use Instagram to help your business be successful. From creative content to community mentors, we encourage you to experiment and learn in order to identify strategies that work for you and your business.

1. Showcase your passion — Think of Instagram as your virtual shop window where you can demonstrate what makes your business unique. A picture, after all, is worth a thousand words. It’s the perfect place to showcase your passion and inspire existing and future customers.
2. Engage your community — Play an active role with your community. Engage with comments and questions on your own posts and use hashtags, location tags and view content your business is tagged in to discover and join the conversation on other community members’ posts. A lot of great small business accounts feature content posted by followers, which helps strengthen the relationship between a business and its most enthusiastic customers.
3. Establish your voice — Instagram is where people connect around their passions so be authentic and create a visual voice that reflects that of your business or band.
4. Take your customers behind-the-scenes — People come to Instagram to get a behind-the-scenes look. Use Instagram to tell the world how your business operates, the team that makes it all happen and the effort that it takes to bring your product or service to market.
5. Get creative with video —The total time people spent watching video on Instagram has increased 150% over the last six months.  That said, lots of people aren’t able to consume sound when on mobile so ensure your video will be engaging with or without sound.  And don’t forget to try out our new video tools like Hyperlapse and Boomerang to create simple and engaging videos.
6. Choose quality over quantity — Instagram is where people go to connect around their passions and interests. Developing content that is authentic and well crafted will help businesses stand out by fitting in.
7. Experiment with advertising — To find new customers, consider experimenting with advertising on the platform. Instagram introduced ads to businesses of all sizes in September, and offers all of the same targeting capabilities as Facebook while utilizing the same simple ad buying interfaces. We also offer many ad formats – landscape, up to sixty-second video and multi-image or videos for example. When our new business tools roll out soon, you’ll also be able to promote a post directly from the Instagram app.
8. Search for inspiration — Businesses have been a part of the Instagram community from the beginning. Follow your business partners, advocates, and influencers in the community whose content may relate to your business or inspire you. What do they do well that you can learn from?
9. Seek advice and feedback — Your community of fellow entrepreneurs on Instagram domestic and abroad is one of the best resources you can go to for advice.
10. Keep your eyes peeled for Instagram Business Tools — These tools will give small businesses like yours the support they need to grow. Profiles with a contact button, insights on your posts and audience, and the ability to promote a post from your account on Instagram will make it easier than ever for your business to find new customers.

With these 10 tips in mind, you’ll be able to continue to build your business on Instagram, which is a place to turn your passion into livelihood.

The post 10 Ways Instagram Can Help Your Business Find New Customers appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Snapchat Announces a New Advertising Option

If millennials are your target market, you probably know about Snapchat by now. This social media platform is a hit among 18-34-year-olds, who use the platform to share pictures and videos. Snapchat has offered various advertising options for a while now, but on June 13^th, they announced a brand new option that shows promise for reaching the millennial market. This article explains your new Snapchat advertising option, and also presents an infographic full of tips on how you can use Snapchat to market your business (both organically and paid).

Click to read New Snapchat Advertising: Target Millennials with Video Ads

Pitching the Media

Another way to market your business is to get coverage in the media. Although small business owners typically don’t have the budget to hire a PR person, the DIY strategy can work when executed properly. This article shares tips on how to pitch the media, including where to pitch as well as the length and timing of your pitch.

Click to read 3 Ways to Pitch Your Small Business to the Media

Improve Your Sales with Negotiation Skills Training

Sales are the most important aspect of building a successful business. Think about it – no matter how great your marketing is, you won’t get very far if your sales team can’t seal the deal. In the days of fierce competition, your sales team must be able to build a strong argument for your product and service, but they also must be prepared to negotiate the final terms and price. This article presents six reasons why you should provide negotiation skills training to your sales team to set them up for success.

Click to read Negotiation Skills Training: Why Startups Need It

Growth Hacks to Try in Your Small Biz

Growth hacking refers to a wide range of activities spread across marketing, sales, programming, and design that help a business grow FAST. Taking examples from successful startups like Apple, Google, Dropbox, Pinterest and more, this article shows you how you can also use growth hacks like referrals, email signatures, communities, piggybacking and more in your small business.

Click to read 9 Growth Hacks from Your Favorite Startups (And How to Use Them)

What do you say – are you ready to market your business and bring your sales to the next level? Get guidance in the articles above and for more ideas and inspiration visit SmartHustle.com.

The post SH Recap – Market Your Business, Improve Your Sales, and GROW! appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

The Reasons Behind the Deal

The purchase of LinkedIn was the first acquisition for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. In an email, he explained the move, saying:

“With the new growth in our Office commercial and Dynamics businesses, this deal is key to our bold ambition to reinvent productivity and business processes. Think about it: How people find jobs, build skills, sell, market, and get work done and ultimately find success requires a connected professional world. It requires a vibrant network that brings together a professional’s information in LinkedIn’s public network with the information in Office 365 and Dynamics.”

Others say that Microsoft sees LinkedIn as a way to access a professional network of over 433 million members, and if they can leverage that platform then they can drive usage for their many business apps and programs. Some say that this is part of a broader shift that has been taking place for a while but had gone relatively unnoticed by consumers – a shift away from PC software to online services for business owners.

The Future of LinkedIn and Microsoft

Although LinkedIn will operate as “a full independent entity within Microsoft” we are sure to see integrations in the months and years to come. However, experts say that these integrations will likely roll out slowly, for fear of alienating LinkedIn users.

Many of the possible integrations were outlined in a presentation to investors. This includes:

• Gathering data to create complete professional profiles, which you can call up using Microsoft products like Outlook or Cortana.
• Creating a more intelligent newsfeed so professionals can stay connected with what is happening in their network, industry, and profession – and integrating the LinkedIn newsfeed with Office 365.
• Connecting the LinkedIn Sales Navigator with Microsoft’s Dynamics CRM to improve social selling.
• Providing insights about your employees and team members to better understand their capability and productivity.
• Integrating LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com) with Office to provide educational experiences and on-demand courses.

What The Microsoft LinkedIn Deal Means for Businesses

First and foremost, the acquisition demonstrates Microsoft’s shift away from the consumer market and toward business customers. It reaffirms that Microsoft is putting businesses first in product creation, so we should see even more online and cloud-based services that improve productivity, efficiency, and connection.

While those who don’t like Microsoft products may find the acquisition annoying, many experts say that the move will be good for businesses. For example, Lee Odden, the CEO of TopRank, says,

“I think the combination of Microsoft, especially Office 365 and Dynamics, with LinkedIn’s network will create opportunities for companies and marketers on several levels. Empowering individuals with customized news, learning and access to relevant professionals, to increased advertising options and sales through Dynamics CRM and LinkedIn Sales Navigator, are a great start.”

The Wall Street Journal echoes this sentiment, saying, “We now work by toggling between our productivity software and our social networks. But why should the two be separate?”

When announcing the acquisition, the presentation to investors pointed out that Microsoft and LinkedIn share a common mission of empowering people and organizations. If the acquisition plays out correctly, it should create several products, services and features that empower small businesses and improve business operations.

The post What the Microsoft LinkedIn Deal Means for Businesses appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

This article was written in partnership with GoDaddy, a company that offers domain name registration as well as hosting and ecommerce services to help you develop your online presence.

The phrase rings out on websites all over the Internet – if you’re a business, “you HAVE to be online!” Although most small business owners will recognize the importance of an online presence, many have held back for fear that setting up and running a website is a complex process that they can’t possibly understand or manage. It’s not true! As small business owner Fred Magnanimi said in a recent Smart Hustle interview, technology is a lot more accessible than many people assume. He set up his website and e-commerce store all by himself and with the tools available today (like GoDaddy hosting and e-commerce services), so can you.

I recently had the chance to review GoDaddy hosting and e-commerce options. My conclusion? These are the sort of tools that empower small business owners to take control of their online presence and reach a larger market. They are affordable, simple to use, and include everything a small business owner needs for success.

Want to know what I think about GoDaddy hosting & e-commerce services? Check out my personal review by clicking play on the video below, plus read on to learn more.

The Importance of Hosting and E-commerce

Before I cover the GoDaddy services and features, let’s talk about why you would need them in the first place.

Hosting (or web hosting) refers to a service where a company (in this case GoDaddy) provides access to, and storage space for, a website. It’s a lot like renting your space. Just like you pay to rent your physical location, you pay a web hosting service to rent your online location. The host gives you a certain amount of storage space (for pages, website content, files, pictures, etc.) and they store your information on a server. When someone wants to view your website, they type in your address, their computer connects to the host’s server, and your website is displayed in their browser.

There are some sites that offer free hosting, but that comes with downsides that aren’t ideal for business. For a few bucks a month (as low as $3.99 with GoDaddy hosting) self-hosting gives you perks:

• Choose your own domain name (you want to be timsbakery.com not timsbakery.wordpress.com!)
• Fully customize the design of your website
• Use plugins – tools that extend and improve the functionality of your website
• Add Google Analytics to learn about your website visitors

It’s clear that any person who is serious about their business should choose a self-hosted site over a free site. And why do you need a website? Because it’s where your customers are and where people will go to find you! Even if you are a local business, your customers (and prospective customers) will want to go online to find your location, phone number, business hours, contact information, menu, and so on.

If you have a product you could potentially sell online, having a website gets even more important. That’s where e-commerce comes in. E-commerce refers to the selling and purchasing of goods online. It takes your website to the next level – not only do you have a site that gives information about your business and your physical location, but you also have the ability to sell your products. This expands your reach and opens you up to millions of potential customers. E-commerce is a natural progression for any local product-based business that wants to expand.

GoDaddy Hosting

GoDaddy offers WordPress hosting services for small businesses who know it’s time they set up a website. WordPress is the most popular website building tool because it’s completely customizable and user-friendly. If you don’t feel comfortable setting up your own site, there are also plenty of WordPress experts out there who can help you get set up. The GoDaddy plans allow you to choose the hosting that is right for your business:

• Basic Plan – As low as $3.99/month and $7.99/month when you renew, you’ll get hosting for one WordPress site with a capacity for 25,000 monthly visitors and 10GB SSD storage.
• Deluxe Plan – As low as $4.49/month and $9.99/month when you renew, you’ll get hosting for one WordPress website with a capacity for 100K monthly visitors and 15GB SSD storage, plus extra perks like an SEO plugin.
• Ultimate Plan – For as low as $7.99/month and $14.99/month when you renew, you’ll get hosting for two WordPress sites with a capacity of 400K monthly visitors and 30GB SSD storage, plus extra perks like malware scan and removal.
• Developer Plan – For as low as $13.99/month and $24.99/month when you renew, you’ll get hosting for five WordPress sites with a capacity of 800K monthly visitors and 50GB SSD storage, plus extra perks like a free one-year SSL certificate.

If you purchase an annual plan, you’ll also get a free domain (your chosen URL). All plans include free daily backups and one-click restore so you won’t lose your data, plus free 24/7 support for questions and issues.

GoDaddy E-commerce

If you want to sell products online, you can choose GoDaddy’s e-commerce service which includes your website, hosting, and shopping cart. Currently, you can try it for free for the first month then get a discount of $19.99/month for the first year (after that, the normal price is $29.99/month). With GoDaddy e-commerce you can:

• Easily set up your store, choosing from many customizable themes that allow you to drag and drop product images and add descriptions.
• Take payments online, with the ability to accept all major credit cards and PayPal. You are only charged a fee when you make a sale, which is 2.9 percent plus $0.30 per transaction.
• Sales are automatically transferred to your bank account.
• Enjoy 24/7 support for advice and answers to all your questions.

My Experience with GoDaddy Hosting & E-commerce

There are several things to look for when considering an e-commerce solution for your business. Of course, the specific needs of your business and your goals are most important. But in general, I look for simplicity and the ability to easily add products online. Other things, such as security and integration with other apps, are important as well.

I explored GoDaddy’s e-commerce solution by making a test store of my own.

In my experience, GoDaddy’s e-commerce was fast and easy to use, allowing just about any business to get up and running quickly to sell online. You can sell through QuickBooks or Stripe, for starters.

GoDaddy’s hosting solution is pretty seamless as well. When I tried out GoDaddy hosting, I wanted to see how easy it was to migrate SmallBizTechnology.com over to GoDaddy. After entering a few bits of information, GoDaddy’s migration tool took over the rest and began to automatically migrate my managed WordPress site to the GoDaddy platform. From my experience, it will be easy for anyone who currently has a website to switch from their current host to GoDaddy hosting. Doing so will allow you to lock in the low prices and features I mentioned above.

Also, if you don’t have a website yet, I’m sure you’re now amazed at how easy and affordable it is to set up your online site and store. GoDaddy hosting and e-commerce services are perfect for small business owners who are ready to embrace technology and all the perks that come with it – more leads, customers, sales, and profits. The online world is your oyster, small business owner!  It’s time to set up your website or e-commerce store today.

GoDaddy is the world’s largest domain registrar, with over 14 million users worldwide. Their services also include website creation, hosting, design, ecommerce for small business, security, marketing services, bookkeeping, and productivity tools. GoDaddy has 62 million domains currently under management and is committed to empowering small business owners to successfully start, grow and run their businesses.

The post GoDaddy Hosting & Ecommerce Helps SmallBiz Owners Set Up an Online Presence appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

I was reading the Wall Street Journals article about how designer Michelle Smith, sketched a dress “Selena” and after seeing the interest on social media, decided to accelerate it’s manufacturing.

The Journal writes, “Over several weeks following Milly’s September show, the Selena dress garnered more than the usual attention on social media, particularly vogue.com, which showed how often people were sharing photos of it. Ms. Smith posted photos of the Selena alongside other dresses from her collection on Sept. 18 and Oct. 20. Both times, interest in the Selena was strongest. “Dat red sleeve flounce doh,” wrote an Instagram follower whose handle is QueenDemakos. Others asked to buy it immediately.

“That’s the beauty of social media for a retail business. You can gauge people jones-ing for something,” Ms. Smith says.”

This story goes to reinforce and echo the power of social media for big and small brands.

Build a minimal viable product, test it online, gauge the reaction, then sell it appropriately.

The post Make It, Ship It, Test It on Social Media, Then Sell It To Your Fans. The Power of MVP Creation. appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

This article is brought to you in partnership with Verisign, the global leader in domain names and internet security

When today’s customer wants to learn more about a business, the first place they usually turn is the Internet. This has made an online presence essential to a brand’s success. Setting up both a website and social media accounts means when customers enter search terms in Google, information about your company will appear.

But merely having an online presence isn’t enough. Studies have shown that businesses that actively engage customers can expect to grow 40 percent faster than they would if they didn’t have an online presence at all. The first step is to online success is choosing a domain name, but the work only begins there. Here are a few steps you should take to build and maintain an active online presence.

Putting Your Domain Name to Work

Once you’ve registered a domain name, you’ll likely begin immediately working to publish a winning website. But there are several different ways you can use this domain name to build your business’s online presence. Building and launching a new website that shows off your products or services is one of the most common ways. But there’s another option.

Instead of building a new website, you can actually redirect your domain to an existing website. This could be an existing platform for your business, like a WordPress or Blogger blog. However, you can also redirect a new domain name to a social media site, which can act as your business’s temporary landing page. While having both a website and social media presence that work together is ideal, sometimes new businesses can’t realistically do both in their early, more formative days.

Starting on Social Media

For any new business, social media is a great way to set up on an online presence at no cost whatsoever. Social media sites come with a built-in base of potential customers, making them the perfect outlet for testing the online waters. However, unlike your own website, you won’t have the level of control you’ll have with your own website. By registering your business’s web address and directing it to point to one of your social media accounts, you’ll be able to set up your online identity, build your brand, and market your business with a professional web address that customers can easily remember.

Of course, social media is at its best when it’s being used as a marketing tool. As soon as possible, though, brands should begin working on developing and deploying a website, which will give a brand optimum control. With so many drag-and-drop-based website development tools, businesses can create their own websites without even calling upon a design professional to help. Once a website is in place, a brand will have the benefit of a scalable online presence that can be updated as needed.

Once designed, your business’s website should serve as your central hub, providing a place for customers to go when they need information. All of your other marketing efforts should drive customers to that website to engage, learn, and, hopefully, buy. Over time, your website and social media presences will serve to complement each other, offering similar information but in different ways; At https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2019/01/how-to-create-a-customer-centric-experience.html you can learn how to take advantage of it to provide a good customer centric experience.
Your business should use its website alongside its social networking efforts to connect with customers and get the word out about the great work you’re doing.

This article was written in partnership with Verisign, the global leader in domain names and internet security. All opinions and experiences expressed are my own.

The post Social Media and Websites: How Businesses Can Get it Right appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

In today’s Internet-driven marketplace, before a business can open its doors, an online presence is a must. Just as a storefront with an “open” sign once let communities know a business was ready for customers, a website lets today’s customers know that a business is open. Whether a business is online, local, or a combination of both, the vast majority of customers will search for information online before making a decision.

The advantages of being online are immeasurable. Not only can an online presence help a business get off the ground, but it also helps a company thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Today’s customers would rather Google a company than pick up the phone to call, even for small details like operating hours or directions. When a business doesn’t have that information online, it risks losing customers to competitors.

But in order to be found online, a company must first be online. There are three major options to get started on building a strong online presence for your brand. Eventually, you should consider a combination of all three, but to get started, focus on one and add the others later.

1. Social Networks and Ecommerce

More than a billion people interact with social networks, as well as sites like Amazon, Etsy, and Yelp. The good news for brands is that it’s fairly simple to set up a page on each of these sites, at which point you’ll have access to a built-in base of existing customers. However, even if you choose to set up a comprehensive presence on one preferred social media or e-commerce site, you should still invest in a domain name that points to that site. External websites can change, but your URL will always be a site where customers can find you.

2. Company-Branded Email

If you’re using an email through a third-party site like Gmail or Yahoo, you may be scaring customers away. A full 90 percent of people surveyed say they feel more comfortable working with a small business that has a branded email. When your email address reads yourname@yourbusiness.com, you add a layer of trust you’ll find you need as a new business. Securing a domain name is fairly easy and inexpensive and you can still use your favorite email client to get your email.

3. Company Website

Like a domain email address, you need a website URL to serve as your online business card. As important as social media and e-commerce are to your online presence, your own domain name gives you the most in terms of control and flexibility. Once you have a domain name you can point it to your social media page or e-commerce store or set up a basic WordPress site to serve as your web page. If you want something more comprehensive, a service like Wix or Weebly can help.

Before you can decide on your business’s online branding, you must first set up the basics. Your domain name is the single most important choice you’ll make as you build an online presence. For about the price of one lunch, you’ll be able to brand your business while also creating an online home that makes it easy for customers to find you. There are multiple extensions available, but for best results choose either a .com or .net address and try to find a name that will make it easy for customers to find you. As a small business, the right domain name can make a big difference in being seen by your customers as legitimate and professional.

This article was written in partnership with Verisign, the global leader in domain names and internet security. All opinions and experiences expressed are my own.

The post 3 Tips for Building a Solid Online Presence appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Absolutely, social media is on FIRE and “everyone” is using Facebook, Snapchat, Instragram, Twitter or some other social network. For sure, EVERY business must be using social media. However, it’s also important to build your own list of email addresses and other contact information (cell, physical mailing address) so you have direct contact with your customers.

When (not if) social networks or search engines change their algorithms. You could be affected.

The WSJ reports that Cheetah Mobile experienced this very problem.

When Facebook changed it’s advertising algorithm it drastically affected the advertising revenue Cheetah Mobile received.

WSJ writes, “Why the miss? Facebook changed an ad-sales algorithm. Cheetah makes most of its income from selling advertising space on its popular apps. Though based in China, half its revenue comes from outside, and much of that by serving as a third-party advertising platform for Facebook, which channels ads to Cheetah apps. To a lesser extent, Cheetah sells ads for advertising customers on the social network. Credit Suisse estimates ads from Facebook account for 25% to 30% of Cheetah’s advertising revenue.”

Be careful putting your entire revenue in the hands of someone else!

The post Danger of Relying On Social Followers: When Social Algorithms Change, You Lose. appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

• There has never been a better time for e-commerce.
• It has never been easier to set up an online storefront.

But as simple as it is to set up an e-commerce presence, it’s important to know how to build and market your store before you get started. With the right tools in place, you can build a winning website and draw customers in. Once you’ve set up your e-commerce shop, you’ll need to know how to leverage it to get the best results.

How to Leverage an Ecommerce Platform

As beneficial as an online store can be to your business’s success, it isn’t the only option. If you aren’t quite ready to set up your own online store, consider leveraging one of the many existing platforms for reaching customers online. Marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon, and eBay will let you set up a store and reach their already robust customer bases. Angi (formerly Angie’s List) and Thumbtack will help you connect with local customers who are looking for services like yours. The best thing about these resources is that you’ll be able to enjoy quick setup without a huge financial commitment.

If you decide to use a site like Etsy or Amazon as your sole selling platform, you should buy the domain name that best relates to your business and point that domain to your online store. This will give you a single address on the web, whether that address is connected to your Amazon seller account, your Etsy shop, or your own dedicated website. This will give you one online address, as well as the benefit of an easily-remembered address that promotes your own brand up front. It will also give you a company-branded email address.

How to Build Your Own Online Store

Once you’re ready to build your dedicated online store, getting started is easy. Useful website builders like Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix let you build an online store using drag-and-drop tools. These sites offer features like shopping carts, site hosting, and search engine optimization, making sure your online store is easy to use, has a professional look, and ranks well when customers are searching for certain products or services.

While these services generally aren’t free, businesses usually find they’re budget friendly. Generally do-it-yourself site builders cost less than $75 a year and may even be free if shop owners are willing to allow third-party ads on their sites. Best of all, these tools come with customer support to provide technical help when needed.

3 Tips to Guide You

1. Identify your website needs – Your online store can be simple and streamlined or a sophisticated multimedia marketing and sales hub. Determine your requirements before you begin building. If you decide you want a lot of bells and whistles on your site, you may want to consider a professional web developer to help.
   2. Pick a domain name – Your domain name will be your virtual address, as well as your online identity, on the web. Even if some solutions offer to host your site on their domains, you should put your website on your owndomain name to have a consistent, branded web address for your customers to remember. It will also give you an attractive, professional web address to use in your marketing.
   3. Select the right website builder – You can find an array of solutions by doing an Internet search for ‘e-commerce website builder.’ Take time to research and compare two to three options. Make sure they have an e-commerce option and that they will not only meet your needs for today but in the future as well.

With so many great resources, entrepreneurs can easily set up an online store and begin promoting it immediately. Before choosing your site’s platform, make sure you carefully research all of the available options and choose the one that’s best for your own business.

This article was written in partnership with Verisign; however, all opinions and experiences expressed are my own.

The post Tips to Help Your Business Build a Winning Ecommerce Store appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

The Quest of an Unlikely Entrepreneur

This first interview tells the inspirational story of Fred Magnanimi, the owner of the jewelry company Luca + Danni. As we learn in the audio, Fred went on a quest to save the family business after his brother died from cancer – even though Fred had previously sworn off the family business and took a career in investment banking. In addition to inspiration, you’ll learn some tips and strategies for how you can transform a business that uses dated methods into one that is capitalizing on the latest trends and technology.

Click to read Reinventing the Family Business to Find Success in a New Era

The Importance of Online Reviews

In our next interview, we take a trip to SXSW 2016 where Ramon learned about a new company that can help small businesses manage their online reviews. ReviewTrackers is a software platform that gathers customer reviews from all the major review websites into one dashboard, where you can monitor what people are saying, respond to comments, track analytics, and encourage more reviews. Founder Chris Campbell also shares two tips for managing customer reviews that every small business owner needs to hear.

Click to read Why ReviewTrackers Says Asking for Customer Review Is Critical

Building the Best Small Business Team

In our final interview, Ramon has a chat with Erin Walter of Nuphoriq, a Chicago-based marketing company that focuses exclusively on catering companies. As Erin explains, Nuphoriq is a company that was first and foremost built around its team, and after years in business, Erin still attributes the success of the company to her team. In the audio interview, Erin explains why having a great team is essential, and from her experience, we extrapolate 3 team-building tips for small business owners.

Click to read 3 Team-Building Tips to Create an Active and Innovative Team

This selection of recently published Smart Hustle interviews demonstrates how we can lean on other small business owners for both inspiration and information. To join forces with other small business owners around the country, make sure to join the Smart Hustle Community and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed about the latest Smart Hustle interviews and articles.

The post Smart Hustle Recap: 3 Informational and Inspirational Smart Hustle Interviews appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

LinkedIn made an interesting acquisition recently. It purchased a company Run Hop, which helps companies provide more relevant content to their users.

According to the WSJ, “Run Hop, founded in 2014 and based in San Francisco, developed services designed to show users articles, videos and other content tailored to their interests. Its services weren’t widely released.”

Expect, in the coming weeks (or months) for LinkedIn to continue to serve as a base for not only finding your next job or making one to one connections but always as foundation to publish CONTENT to your network.

The post LinkedIn Expands Content Options. So Much More Than Jobs and Networking. appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

You know that live video is exploding – from teens doing silly videos to local consultants sharing their expertise. Dear business owner, live video is what’s hot and will be “the thing” for years to come. Get used to it and learn to do live video right.

1. Hold your camera the right way – vertical in most cases
2. Be cognizant of those around you – don’t capture innocent people in your live shot
3. Have good audio – don’t do a live shot with lots of noise (if you can help it)
4. Be prepared, Daymond John does a weekly Facebook Live chat and is well prepared for what he’ll share
5. Have fun and learn.

The WSJ”s Jaonna Stern writes, “Rule No. 1 of live streaming: Have a purpose. Show us a concert, a breathtaking view, a ride on your electric scooter, your new Wi-Fi connected juicer—it’s all about sharing something cool or unique. I maintained 50 live viewers on a horse and buggy ride through Central Park. But making kale salad? My viewership fell to low single digits.”

You can read more about Facebook’s Live video updates here.

The post Live Video. It’s Not A Fad. It’s A Serious Business Tool. appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Small Business Week Events

Small Business Week is an initiative of the SBA so they are running a special series of Small Business Week events which includes live events (with live streaming online) and webinars to educate small business owners. However, many other companies are joining in on the fun with their own events, including contests, promotions, training, and dedicated content. This article covers all the main events so you can participate.

Click to read Small Business Week 2016 Events.

The Importance of Follow-Up

In this interview with SCOTTeVEST founder Scott Jordan, he tells us about what he says is the “one reason for my success” – following up on every opportunity that comes his way. He explains how follow-up is important in nearly every aspect of your business, whether it is customer and advertising inquiries or daily business operations. The informative audio interview is bolstered with a list of Scott’s top 6 tips for successful follow-up.

Click to read Follow-Up: The Most Powerful Tool for Your Small Business Success.

New Tool to Generate PR Buzz

As it stands right now, the PR process is pretty messy. Businesses want media coverage, but reporters often feel ‘spammed’ by PR teams who fill up their inboxes with pitches. At SXSW 2016, Ramon learned about a new tool called Babbler that is aimed at improving the process. Babbler works like a social media site and helps to connect business marketers with right reporters who are looking to cover stories on that topic. The result – reporters get content they need to make great stories, and businesses get the media coverage they are looking for.

Click to read How Babbler Can Help You Generate Buzz about Your Business.

It’s Time to Grow Your Business

In this video interview, Ramon gets the opportunity to chat with Amanda Holmes, CEO of the business growth company Chet Holmes International. The video full of tips on how to take your business to the next level. In the article, we’ve also pulled out some of Amanda’s tips as the must-follow rules for business growth. This article is sure to put you on the path to success.

Click to read 5 Rules of Business Growth from CEO of Chet Holmes International.

What Small Business Week events will you be participating in? Which interview are you going to check out first?  Let us know in the comments and check out SmartHustle.com for help on your other small business questions.

The post Smart Hustle Recap: Small Business Week Events + 3 Amazing Interviews appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

There’s 4 big pillars of advertising – print (newspapers, magazines), radio, TV and Facebook. End of story. It’s not …and social media…it’s “and Facebook”.

Facebook’s $5.2 billion of advertising revenue in the first quarter, 1.7 billion users, profit of $1.5 billion continue to make Facebook a POWERFUL contender far beyond it’s rivals such as Twitter or Snapchat.

Dear business owner ensure your business is getting all you can out of Facebook organic posts and paid advertising. Hire a consultant or agency who can help you navigate the best way to use Facebook.

Sure, depending on your audience, definitely look into other digital advertising options, but Facebook is the frontier everyone’s playing in. If you’re not there – you’re making a mistake.

Read the WSJ’s coverage of Facebook’s earnings here.

The post For Small Businesses, Facebook Is the Dominant Media Pillar appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Smart Hustle Small Business Community Launched

Smart Hustle is proud to serve the small business community by providing informational articles and inspiring stories. Earlier this year, we conducted a survey to find out what other things our readers would like to see, and an overwhelming majority relayed their interest in more community activities. This week, Smart Hustle answered the call by launching a small business community on Facebook. Everyone is invited to join this group, where you can ask questions, give advice, discuss small business topics, participate in live video chats, and even win prizes!

Click here to join Smart Hustle’s Small Business Community

Peter Shankman Joins Smart Hustle

Peter Shankman is the epitome of a smart hustler. As a successful entrepreneur, Peter created HARO (Help a Reporter Out), a service that helps journalists connect with small business owners (who can then benefit from free marketing). He is also an author, speaker, consultant, and an entrepreneurial investor whose projects include SCOTTeVEST.  This week, Smart Hustle announced that Peter will be joining the Smart Hustle team as an advisor and contributing expert. Stay tuned for great things – Peter Shankman and Smart Hustle will be an unbeatable team!

Click to read Celebrity Author & Entrepreneur Peter Shankman Joins Smart Hustle Magazine as Contributing Editor & Advisor

The Little Steps that Lead to Success

Have you ever given up on a dream because you were intimidated by the journey you would have to take to reach that dream? It’s true: our biggest goals are the hardest to reach, taking countless days, months and even years of our blood, sweat, and tears. That shouldn’t stop you, though. In this interview with Chris Capehart, you’ll learn about his new book that breaks down the ‘proverbial mile’ to your goal into smaller, achievable steps. As Chris explains, if you focus on the small steps instead of the long journey, you can reach any goal you have.

Click to read Pursuing Your Dreams One Small Step at a Time – An Interview with Chris Capehart

Team Collaboration with Intraboom

Today’s technology has made it easier than ever to collaborate with your small business team members. The problem is that there are so many collaboration tools to choose from that it can be difficult to know which will work best for your business. In this article (and video interview) we learn about a new collaboration tool called Intraboom which offers features such as messaging, calendars, file sharing, a main dashboard and more.

Click to read SXSW 2016 Interview: How Intraboom Is Changing the Way Teams Communicate

As I mentioned, it was a very busy week for the Smart Hustle team! In addition to the articles and announcements listed here, there were several other articles and interviews, including what you need to know before starting a business, how to create a positive work environment, Kevin O’Leary’s 3 rules for giving a perfect business pitch, and so much more! Check out the Smart Hustle website to catch up on these and other stories.

The post Smart Hustle Recap: Small Business Community Launched, Peter Shankman Joins the Team & More! appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

If you’re still looking for marketing ideas to try (and master) then this is the Smart Hustle Recap for you! Today we will be featuring a number of marketing strategies that work for small business owners, including developing a return on relationships, designing personalized products, creating a stunning business logo, and using hashtags to your benefit.

Marketing Strategies that Work #1: Return on Relationships

You have likely heard of ROI, or return on investment, but what about ROR? ROR stands for return on relationships, and in this Smart Hustle interview, Ted Rubin (who coined the phrase) will tell you what it is, how you can grow ROR through social media, and how ROR will impact your bottom line.

Click to read Ted Rubin on How to Maximize Your Return on Relationships (ROR)

Marketing Strategies that Work #2: Personalized Products

In this second Smart Hustle interview, we hear from Gustav Reyes, who has found success creating wooden rings. In addition to inspiration, the article will teach you about the benefit of creating your own niche, including personalizing the customer experience with customizable, intimate gifts that are sure to draw the customers in.

Click to read How to Pursue Your Business Dreams – An Interview with Gustav Reyes

Marketing Strategies that Work #3: Business Logo

Your business logo gives your company a visual identity. It sends a message about what your business is about, and it helps customers recognize your brand when they see it. Certain elements of the business logo, (like meaning, color, representation, design contrast, and a timeless appearance) should be planned out in advance to get the biggest impact. If you’re just starting out (or looking to rebrand with a new logo), this article has the essential design information you need.

Click to read 5 Essential Elements of an Eye-Catching and Memorable Business Logo

Marketing Strategies that Work #4: Hashtags

Hashtags were made popular on Twitter almost a decade ago, but now they are a staple of all social media sites. Used correctly, hashtags can help categorize and publicize your social media messages to reach a wider audience, but if done wrong, they can scare your followers away. If you’re still struggling with hashtags in your small business, this article offers 3 simple ways to use them effectively.

Click to read Hashtags Can Help Your Small Business Be One of the Big Guys

Marketing will always be somewhat of a mystery because it is not an exact science, but if you take the time to do your research, you can create a solid marketing plan for your small business. Explore the above articles to learn about these marketing strategies that work, and for help with other marketing and business questions, check out the Smart Hustle homepage.

The post Smart Hustle Recap: Marketing Strategies That Work Including Return on Relationships, Hashtags, Logos & More appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

A few weeks ago, my wife held her first Periscope live stream chat. On Thursday, I held my first Facebook Live chat after Social Media Tulsa. Of course zillions of people have been doing live streams on social media way before me and my wife did our first journey into live stream. Let’s also not forget about Google Hangouts  and webinars – these are live streams – but never before has “social” and “live” connected us like Periscope and Facebook have.

The NY Times writes that although Facebook live stream is annoying for some – it’s sure growing.

Why is live streaming so hot? Well we humans, like “live” – this is why reality TV is so much more attractive than traditional TV.

Live iptv streaming gives you that “in the moment” – right now – feeling. Why do you think people stand in line for hours to buy the latest Apple gadget or Nike shoe?

For sure, small business owners must think like PUBLISHERS and NOT SALESMEN.

Best iptv live stream is a big part of the equation of building a TRIBE. Once you build a tribe, filled with fans and followers who know, like and trust you, you can take them anywhere.

The key to a successful live stream – is to do it consistently and regularly. I’ll be doing a regular live stream on Smart Hustle’s Facebook page. Stay tuned.

• Live stream gives you a deeper connection to your audience
• Live stream makes your “brand” move human.
• Live stream helps you quickly and efficiently engage your audience (customers, prospects, etc)
• Live streams can be archived and turned into other content
• Live stream forces you to not be perfect

So, when are you going to do your first live stream?

The post 5 Reasons Every Business Owner Should Live Stream. Educate, Don’t Sell. appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

All small business owners MUST learn Facebook and consider HIRING Facebook marketing experts to help them use it more.

Facebook recently announced a new upgrade to their advertising platform – lead ads. Check it out here.

Here’s a snippet about it here:

Whether businesses want to encourage people to sign up for their newsletter, an offer, an event or more information about their product, lead ads simplify the mobile signup process, helping businesses hear from people interested in their business.

When someone clicks on your lead ad, a form opens with the person’s contact information automatically populated, based on the information they share with Facebook, like their name and email address. Automatically populating the contact information that people share with Facebook makes filling in the form as fast as two taps: one click on the ad to open the form and another to submit the autofilled form. Like all of our ad types, lead ads were built with privacy in mind. People can edit their contact information before submitting the form, and this information isn’t sent to the business until a person clicks “submit.”

The post Are You Ready To Take Facebook To Another Level With Lead Generation Advertising appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

An artist has a tough life. They have a passion to CREATE their art – be it painting, singing, piano or tap dancing. Yet it’s tough to get people to PAY for their art and/or to make a living from it. To know more about the art and artist, check this out blog.

Crains NY writes about this dilemma here.

However, out of the artists profiled the ones who focus on leveraging social media marketing and building content – are winning. To some degree.

“Dina Brodsky, 34, is the rare artist who is making a living from her art while working outside the gallery system. She has built a sustainable business using Instagram, Etsy and, when she took care of her newborn, renting out her studio on Airbnb. “I can control my own career rather than relying on a gallery,” she said. “No one cares about your work as much as you do.””

Instead of just sitting by and waiting for an art gallery to sell her work – she’s using Etsy and Instagram to build a tribe and sell her work directly.

This is a lesson not only for artists – but for small businesses overall.

Social media – is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to build your brand. Leverage it. It’s not easy and it’s not free – it takes your time and most likely buying some advertising – but it can be done. Download my “Social Media 101” presentation here.

The post The Tough Life Of Artists – Can Technology Help More of Them? appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

When a customer Tweets you – are you ready to help them and service their needs.

Social sharing tool Buffer has launched a new service (acquired through an acquisition) Respond by Buffer.

You can check the full product out on your own. But what’s nice is that your TEAM can help ensure that your customers are taken care of – through social media.

The post Review: Ready For Social Customer Service? @Buffer New Tool, Respond by Buffer Helps appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

But editing is where things get tough.

You can edit video with various mobile editing tools or purchase a computer based video editing tool like Adobe Premier and Final Cut. Your computer comes built in with Windows Video Editor and Mac’s come with iMovie.

I recently saw a new tool, actually a platform, Advids.co and it looks pretty good.

What I like is that there’s a curated list of video editors you can pick from.

While I love UpWork,  Fivver and other platforms for freelance professionals – it’s great to use a platform dedicated to one task. For writers, Writer Acces is like that as well.

How does it work?

1. Create a budget for your video project
2. Build a creative brief to outline your target audience and objectives
3. You’ll get a video producer to help bring your “video team” together
4. Pay
5. Track the progress
6. and your video is done.

One of my favorite video producers is Jimmy Newson and you might have a look (or remote) person to work with. If not, you now have another solution to consider – Advids.co

The post Review: Video Editing Is Tough – Advids.co Makes It Easier appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Video is an essential engagement tool for the social world we live in. Video brings you closer to your audience, helps explain topics better and so much more. There are three ways to shoot great video – with your phone, with a professional camera or with a pro-sumer camera. Of course ensure your audio and lighting are good and that what you’re saying or video taping is relevant to your anticipated audience.

Once you’ve recorded video, the next step and what’s most challenging for people is editing it. To edit video, you can use an app on your phone, use

To edit video, you can use an app on your phone, use Apple iMovie, Microsoft Movie Maker, Adobe Premier or one of a number of other video editing tools.

Magisto is an app that I used a few months ago, which works on your smart phone. They’ve recently launched Magisto for business.

The secret sauce of Magisto is that once you upload your video (or videos), select your music and select the TYPE of video you want to be created.Magisto’s artificial intelligence automatically creates a master piece – edited video – for you.

Magisto’s artificial intelligence automatically creates a master piece – edited video – for you.

Sure, you can edit your own video or hire someone to do it for you – but if neither of these are options – give Magisto a try and you might be pleasantly surprised.

The post Magisto for Business: Easy Way To Create Good Videos With Minimal Effort appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

SmallBizTechnology has a long history of promoting technology use among small business owners. In the years since our launch, we’ve covered small biz tech tools for just about every aspect of businesses, and we love to spread the message that leveraging technology can help you pull ahead of the competition.

Okay, you read the news everyday and follow how things are going on around the world. You go on holiday and see some beautiful hotels in other countries. But, most likely you haven’t experienced other parts of the world like Digital Nomads do. As the experience of living somewhere is very different than taking a vacation in the same place.

Luckily, all that changes when you become a digital nomad blog. You travel to any part of the world to feel how living in other countries feels like. Once you do that, you either confirm some of the many things you may have heard about a country and its people, or totally realise that all that you heard (or maybe most) are rarely true. You are given the opportunity to learn a lot of languages and live with a lot of people that will reshape how you see the world. Indeed, the Digital Nomad Lifestyle really opens your eyes to a bigger world outside the places that you already know.

Yes, we Digital Nomads work, and often work hard, sometimes harder than in an office job. But on our days off we don’t have to visit every birthday party, mow the loan, clean our houses and fix the long waiting tasks. We go and climb mountains, volcanoes, see one of the world wonders. We go and explore new cities, in my case I go and look for abandoned houses to explore. There’s a whole new world in front of your doorstep, a world which needs to be explored.

In this week’s Smart Hustle Recap we have an amazing article covering the top 50 small biz tech tools available – no more searching and wasting time trying to find out what works, this list has taken the guess work out of the equation so you can dive right into the technology that will help grow your business. Our other stories feature creative marketing ideas and tips for using market segmentation to grow your business. Check out our top Smart Hustle stories below.

50 Small Biz Tech Tools

Stop wasting time on dead ends – this list provides the ultimate small biz tech tools that have proven effective for small business owners like you. The list is broken down into:

• Productivity Tools
• Collaboration Tools
• Project and Task Management Tools
• CRM & Email Marketing Tools
• Financial Tools
• Website Design Tools
• Social Media Sharing & Management Tools
• Webinar Tools
• Video Creation & Sharing Tools
• Travel Tools
• Hiring & Outsourced Help Tools

Just choose the area you most need help with to learn about the best tools that will help you reach your goals.

Is there a ‘Right’ Kind of Marketing?

Our next story will have you rethinking the type of marketing you think is ‘right’ for your business. Each business may rely on its own type of marketing, but sometimes when you expand beyond your comfort zone you can achieve bigger results. This article has three examples from the Business Circle solutions that will jumpstart new ideas on how you can market your small business.

Market Segmentation Can Help You Grow Your Business

Segmenting your market involves looking at all the different types of customers you serve and trying to find other ways to reach them and drum up extra business. This article will give you tips on developing a strategy so you can understand your market segments and use that information to grow your business.

So which article will you explore first this week? Get more information via the links above, and for other current stories visit Smart Hustle here.

The post Smart Hustle Recap: 50 Small Biz Tech Tools & Other Hot Stories appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Your customers are already pinging you through social networks to get your attention. They do this because your inboxes are full (and taking too long to respond) , snail mail is not practical and your telephone lines take too long to be answered.

Customers know that when they send you a message on Twiter, you’re gonna reply because you don’t want to be publicly shamed.

Facebook has done a nice job evolving how companies can use FB Messenger as a customer service tool, as reported by Techchruch. What’s not so great, but expected, is that those companies will now start to flood your messenger inbox with advertising – sigh.

If your customer service is just via a telephone bank or email, you must consider new ways to better serve your customers. Social customer service is one way and don’t forget about live chat as well.

The post Are You Ready To Use Facebook Messenger for Customer Service? appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

The survey involved gathering opinions from more than 1,000 small business owners from across the United States. The ten-question survey asked about small business marketing in 2016, including goals, priorities, challenges and tactics.

Results show just how tough small business marketing is. Some of the interesting findings include:

• Nearly 47 percent of small business owners handle marketing on their own. That’s a big duty for someone who already wears so many hats.
• Nearly one in five small business owners don’t plan on using digital marketing in 2016. Digital marketing includes things such as websites, social media, digital advertising and email marketing – techniques that are popular among larger businesses but harder for some small businesses to manage.
• Over 20 percent of small business owners don’t store customer and lead information at all and only 24 percent use a customer relationship management (CRM) tool.
• Small business owners are challenged with measuring the results of their marketing campaigns. Almost half aren’t sure if their efforts are effective, and 13.9 percent know for sure that they aren’t.

Despite these statistics, small business owners are well aware of the potential benefits of a good marketing strategy. About half will be using digital marketing in 2016 to drive sales and brand awareness, and about one in three will focus on goals such as collecting leads and retaining customers. There are many one of the top agencies in legal firm marketing that specialize in working.

The survey clearly shows how difficult small business marketing is. One potential reason is demonstrated in the following finding: “Most small businesses are still using a fairly unsophisticated digital marketing stack.” Fourty-one percent use only one or two software applications, and another 26 percent use three or four.

However, there are plenty of tech tools available for small business marketing, including tools to help manage customers and leads, tools to help measure marketing results, and tools that make specific strategies (like blogs, social media, and emails) easier to implement. Small business marketing is definitely one of the biggest challenges your company will face – it’s time to embrace the technology that will make it simpler and more effective.

The post Overwhelmed by Marketing? New Survey Shows Just How Tough Small Business Marketing Is appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

It’s GREAT that me, you and millions of others can now Tweet more stuff. It’s great that we can expand from “micro blogging” with 140 characters to “full blogging” with thousands more characters.

However, here’s what’s not so great.

Having a LIMIT on what you can write in Twitter has forced all of us to THINK and be better writers. Snap Chat and Instagram’s SHORT videos force us all to be brief and succinct and be focused on our message.

Snap Chat and Instagram’s SHORT videos force us all to be brief and succinct and be focused on our message.

140 character limit stimulates our creative writing. We think in “hash tags” sound bites.If you only have 140 characters then you need to really be creative about how you’re going to deliver your message.

If you only have 140 characters then you need to really be creative about how you’re going to deliver your message.

So, when you get the chance to write 10,000 characters on Twitter, force yourself to THINK like 140 characters and you’re writing will be better.

There’s room for long form writing, of course. But there’s also a beauty in short writing that has a strong message. Seth Godin does both of these quite well.

The post Twitter Says Good Bye To 140 Character Limit. Here’s Why It’s Both Bad and Good. appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.