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#The Cost of Poor Planning Reasons Your Digital Strategy May be Failing
gmatechnologi · 1 year
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The Cost of Poor Planning Reasons Your Digital Strategy May be Failing
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In today’s digital age, having a solid strategy is crucial for any business to succeed. However, many companies fail to recognize the importance of proper planning and end up with lackluster results. Whether it’s due to outdated tactics or underestimating the power of social media, there are countless reasons why your digital strategy may be falling short. In this blog post, we’ll explore the cost of poor planning and share actionable tips to help you turn things around and achieve success online. So buckle up and get ready to learn how you can take your digital game from mediocre to extraordinary!
Introduction
It’s no secret that poor planning can lead to disastrous results. But when it comes to your digital strategy, the consequences can be even more severe. Here are four reasons why your digital strategy may be failing:
You’re Not Defining Your Goals
Without a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve, it’s impossible to create an effective digital strategy. What are your business goals? How do you want to grow your online presence? What are your target markets? Without answers to these questions, you’ll never be able to develop a plan that leads to success.
You’re Not Identifying Your Audience
Who is your target audience? What are their needs and wants? What motivates them? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you’ll never be able to develop content or campaigns that resonates with them. As a result, your digital strategy will fail to meet its objectives.
You’re Not Leveraging Data
Data is one of your most powerful tools in developing a successful digital strategy. By analyzing website traffic data, social media engagement data, and other relevant metrics, you can gain insights into what’s working and what isn’t. Without this data-driven approach, your efforts are likely to be wasted on ineffective tactics that don’t produce results.
You’re Not Monitoring Your Progress
Finally, it’s important to continuously monitor your progress and adjust your digital strategy accordingly . This involves setting benchmarks and tracking your performance over time, as well as testing different tactics to find out what works best. Without this ongoing assessment, you won’t be able to adjust your strategy as needed in order to optimize results.
In conclusion, if you want your digital strategy to succeed, it’s important to take a comprehensive approach. Define your goals, identify your audience, leverage data, and monitor your progress regularly. By implementing these steps, you can ensure that your digital strategy is successful and leads to the intended results.
What Is A Digital Strategy?
If you’re not sure what a digital strategy is, you’re not alone. In fact, many businesses don’t have a clear or well-defined digital strategy. Without a digital strategy, businesses risk missing out on important opportunities to connect with their target audience and achieve their desired outcomes.
A digital strategy is an essential part of any business’s overall marketing plan. It’s a holistic approach to marketing that takes into account the ever-changing landscape of the internet and the role it plays in customer behavior. A successful digital strategy must be flexible and adaptable, as well as reactive to changes in the marketplace.
There are several key components to a strong digital strategy:
Define your goals and objectives. What do you want to achieve with your digital marketing efforts? Be specific and measurable.
Research your audience. Who are your customers and what do they want? What motivates them? What online channels do they use most often?
Develop targeted content. Once you know who your audience is and what they want, you can develop content that speaks to their needs and interests. This could include blog posts, articles, infographics, ebooks, webinars, etc.
Promote your content across multiple channels. Don’t just rely on one channel to get your message out there – diversify your efforts across social media, email marketing, paid advertising, etc.
Analyze and optimize your campaigns. Make sure you track your performance and adjust your strategy accordingly. Test different messages, calls-to-action, and other tactics to see what works best for your business.
By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful digital strategy for your business.
Common Mistakes That Lead To Poor Planning
When it comes to planning your digital strategy, there are a number of common mistakes that can lead to poor planning and ultimately, failure. Here are four of the most common mistakes:
Not Defining Your Goals
The first mistake is not defining your goals. What exactly do you want to achieve with your digital strategy? Without clear goals, it will be difficult to measure success and determine whether or not your strategy is working.
Not Researching Your Audience
The second mistake is not researching your audience. Who are you trying to reach with your digital strategy? What are their needs and wants? What kind of content will they engage with? Without a clear understanding of your target audience, it will be difficult to create a successful digital strategy.
Not Creating a Solid Plan
The third mistake is not creating a solid plan. A digital strategy is not something that can be thrown together last minute – it takes time and effort to develop a successful plan. Make sure you allocate the necessary resources upfront in order to create a comprehensive plan that will set you up for success.
Not Monitoring & Adjusting Your Strategy
The fourth mistake is not monitoring and adjusting your strategy as needed. Things change rapidly in the digital world, so it’s important to keep an eye on your strategy and make tweaks as necessary. Don’t be afraid to experiment – what works today might not work tomorrow, so always be prepared to adjust your strategy.
Not Having Clear Goals And Objectives
If you don’t have clear goals and objectives for your digital marketing strategy, it’s likely that your campaigns are not going to be as successful as they could be. Without a clear plan, it can be difficult to track progress and measure ROI, which can make it difficult to justify continued investment in digital marketing.
It’s important to set realistic goals and objectives for your digital marketing campaigns, and then create a plan for how you’re going to achieve those goals. Once you have a plan in place, you can start to implement tactics and track your progress. If you find that your campaigns aren’t meeting your goals, you can adjust your strategy accordingly.
If you’re not sure where to start, our team of digital marketing experts can help you develop a comprehensive digital marketing plan that will get you results. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
Setting Unrealistic Expectations
Your digital strategy may be failing for a number of reasons, but one common denominator is setting unrealistic expectations.
When you set out to create or revamp your digital presence, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve and what’s possible within the constraints of your budget, timeline, and resources. Too often, organizations set out with grandiose plans that are simply not achievable given their limitations. As a result, they end up disappointed and disenchanted with the whole process.
It’s important to be realistic about what you can achieve and to set achievable goals that will keep you moving forward. Otherwise, you run the risk of letting your digital strategy fall by the wayside.
Failing To Monitor Progress And Measure Results
If you’re not monitoring progress and measuring results, you’re probably not going to be very successful in achieving your digital marketing goals. Here are some specific ways in which failing to monitor progress and measure results can cost you:
You won’t know what’s working and what’s not.
If you’re not monitoring progress, you won’t have any way of knowing which aspects of your digital strategy are working and which ones aren’t. This can lead to wasted time and money spent on activities that aren’t effective, while valuable resources are diverted away from areas that could be more productive.
You’ll miss out on opportunities to improve.
Continuous monitoring allows you to identify areas where your digital strategy could be improved. Without this feedback loop, you’ll miss out on chances to make adjustments that could lead to better results down the line.
You’ll lose sight of your goals.
It’s easy to get sidetracked when you’re not keeping track of your progress towards specific goals. If you don’t have a clear picture of how well you’re doing, it will be difficult to stay focused on what’s important and continue making progress towards your objectives.
Allocating Too Little Resources
If you’re not allocating enough resources to your digital strategy, it’s likely that your initiatives will suffer as a result. Without adequate funding, your team won’t be able to execute their plans properly or effectively, which can lead to a number of issues down the line.
Some of the most common problems associated with insufficient resources include:
-Inadequate staffing levels: If you don’t have enough people working on your digital strategy, it’s going to be very difficult to get anything done. This can lead to projects falling behind schedule, deadlines being missed, and overall subpar results.
-Lack of quality control: When you’re stretched too thin, it’s hard to maintain the same level of quality control that you would if you had more resources. This can result in rushed or sloppy work, which reflects poorly on your brand.
-Inefficient processes: If you’re not investing in the right tools and technologies, your team will likely end up wasting a lot of time and energy on manual tasks that could be automated. This inefficiency can lead to frustration and even burnout among employees.
Ultimately, if you want your digital strategy to be successful, you need to make sure that you’re allocate adequate resources towards it. Otherwise, you’ll likely end up facing a number of challenges along the way.
Lack Of Communication Between Stakeholders
There are a number of reasons why communication between stakeholders can break down, leading to poor planning and execution of digital strategies.
One common reason is that different stakeholders have different objectives and priorities. For example, the marketing team may be focused on generating leads, while the sales team is focused on closing deals. Without clear communication and alignment between these teams, it’s easy for the digital strategy to become unbalanced and ineffective.
Another reason for poor communication is silos within organizations. Different departments or teams may be working in their own silos, without sharing information or collaborating with each other. This can lead to duplication of effort, wasted resources, and ultimately a lack of cohesive strategy.
Finally, inadequate communication can simply be the result of not taking the time to properly plan and coordinate between all stakeholders. In today’s fast-paced business world, it’s easy to overlook the importance of effective communication in planning a successful digital strategy.
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If you’re experiencing any of these problems with communication between stakeholders in your organization, it’s important to take action to rectify the situation. Proper alignment of objectives, more collaboration between teams, and better overall coordination will lead to a more successful digital strategy that meets the needs of all stakeholders involved.
Conclusion
Poor planning can be a costly mistake when it comes to your digital strategy. If you want to make sure that your digital strategy is successful, you must plan ahead and consider all the potential risks. Having an effective plan in place will ensure that your business is on track for success and that you are able to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise. With thoughtful consideration, dedication, and hard work, your digital strategy can be the key to a prosperous future for your business!
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garrysmith388 · 2 years
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Common Mistakes to Avoid with Custom Software Development
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52.7% of software projects are expected to cost 189% more than their initial estimates. This is because it takes a lot of work and often needs to produce the desired results.
Digitalization is an essential goal for all industries, including the enterprise mobile application development company. The first step in digitising an organisation's operation is custom software. It increases productivity, reduces workflow management costs, and connects all stakeholders seamlessly.
Software development solutions come with some risks. Software solution companies may believe they can write code and then their software is complete. However, they need to recognize that there are many challenges.
Software solutions require complex processes and detailed orientation. Problems and challenges can also arise from coding. Poor management, inefficient processes, or an uneven team size could all be reasons for problems and challenges. It is crucial to overcome these mistakes to create great software products.
7 Common Mistakes in Custom Software Development
It is common to make mistakes when developing custom software. However, companies can avoid costly mistakes by learning how to avoid them and fixing them quickly.
Software projects can fail for many reasons, both obvious and less noticeable. It is only possible to be 100% certain that a full-service company of software developers in Seattle Washington will succeed if inevitable mistakes are avoided.
Here are 7 top mistakes in custom software development that companies should avoid:
An incomplete strategy
Many companies start developing software with a strategy in place. Many stakeholders have a clear idea of the features they need and start the process of developing the application.
The strategy is a guideline for how to approach software development. Enterprises should outline the stages of development and provide a step-by-step plan for how to build the product.
Before developing a product, enterprises must answer all questions. What are their goals with the software? What benchmarks and best practices should they use? What would be the result? The strategy is the roadmap to success with the software.
2. Consider Cost over Value
When outsourcing software development services, companies make a huge mistake. They are more concerned with price than quality and value. Many companies regret making that decision if they are based only on the development cost.
Software solution companies should have relevant experience building the products that enterprises require. They must have a portfolio, and, most importantly, they should add value to the idea. Low-cost projects sometimes give the satisfaction the stakeholders desire.
The partnership will be successful if it focuses on skills and experiences. While development experts may be more expensive, they will still create better software.
3.Understanding the Requirement is Misunderstood
Software developers often miss critical steps due to needing to understand the requirements. Each project is unique so a poor understanding can lead to future mistakes.
Reading the software design documentation thoroughly and planning as often as possible is essential. The custom software development company must deliver when clients demand a unique outcome.
It is important to validate and verify the customer's requirements. Regular communication is essential at every stage of the development process to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page.
4. Vague Project Estimates
Incorrect and vague estimates are two of the most common mistakes in global custom-software development. Enterprise software development companies often give vague estimates about time and money. Enterprises must avoid making such mistakes.
The company may have unreasonable expectations about time and money, which can lead to them abandoning long-standing relationships. It is, therefore, essential to obtain accurate estimates from your development partner.
Software solutions companies must deliver the project within the estimated timeframe. Agile methodology can be a great way to complete projects on time and achieve efficiency.
5. Too much focus on design
Experts in custom software development services know that it is a mistake to focus too much on the design of the software. Although the design is important, functionality is the most important. Companies often need to remember about a fully-functional app in a rush to get initial customers.
It is essential to focus on the software's functionality and not its appearance. The appearance is secondary to the features. Creating user-friendly software with a good design and navigation system is crucial.
Good user experiences are based on utility. Clients are more interested in software that solves their problems than it is beautiful.
6. Skip Product Testing
Product testing can cause long-term problems. It is common for developers to skip critical testing components, leading to product failure. Software development is only complete with testing.
Intelligent testing systems should perform both load and unit testing. This gives you a good idea of the issues and errors that can occur even if the product has been developed precisely according to the developer's instructions.
Also, testing ensures that the product is delivered to the client in a fully functional state. Software issues can be easily avoided by not testing the product
7. Unsolicited Communication & Feedback
Every company knows that a lack of communication can prevent a project from failing. Full-cycle custom software development requires a lot of communication to ensure each component works properly.
Feedback is crucial for product improvement. The customised Software Development Partner must listen to the feedback and then work with it rather than arguing about why a feature works.
Software development takes work. The team must be able to use the feedback effectively in software development.
Conclusion
Companies must minimise errors when they hire software developers. Companies can achieve their desired software outcomes if they avoid errors in the software development process.  If you want to know more about software development tips and latest technology news then please visit: https://www.zazz.io/blog
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auxesisinfotech · 3 years
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Starting your Online Business? Avoid These Catastrophic Mistakes
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As compared to 2019, the volume of online business sales increased by about 74% in 2020. The online market is becoming more and more popular attracting new entrepreneurs to start their business on the digital platform. But more often than not, they fail to establish their business online owing to the severe web design and development mistakes they commit. 
Such mistakes can result in catastrophic situations causing you financial loss, goodwill loss, or you may have to shut down your business entirely. These web design and development mistakes aren’t only the design and development issues that a developer makes while creating it, but also are a result of the lack of planning on part of the entrepreneur. 
Your online business’s success depends primarily on three factors - 
Your offered products/ services 
web development and design strategy 
Marketing plan 
If there’s a lack of any of these strategies, your business could suffer significantly in that case. A website development company might help you to form intelligent development and design strategies that can make your website function efficiently and look attractive. Even so, the bottom line is for you to protect your online business by forming an overall powerful strategy. 
Which Mistakes to Avoid While Starting an Online Business? 
1. Offered products/services 
Don’t offer products or services that are out of demand. 
Don’t select narrow niche products/ services. 
It is best to not go with faulty or poor-quality products. 
Not considering the competition in your respective field. 
Not providing customers with something new that can improve their standard of living. 
Keeping the cost of product/service too high or too low keeping one at the disadvantageous end. 
Not determining and analyzing the target audience for your product. 
2. web development and design strategy 
If you can trust your products or services to steal the audience's interest, the next thing you have to focus on is your website. The web development and design strategy you choose can determine if your online business is venturing onto a path of success or failure. 
In this regard, make sure to not repeat the same web design and development mistakes that several other entrepreneurs are doing. It will help you improve your design and development strategy to its best. 
Making the navigation too complex 
If your navigation is too complex, your users may not be able to find the right product/ service or the right web page. This can result in site abandonment. Make the navigation simple so visitors can easily find everything on your site. 
Overdesigning or underdesigning 
Keeping your website designs too simple or going over the top with your site’s design can be a potential mistake you are making. Consider your target audience and get help from a website development company to design an intuitive and attractive website design. 
Technical requirements 
To ensure your website attracts audiences and retains them, you have to ensure you don’t commit any technical web development and design mistakes. Here are a few things to avoid - 
Not making your site unresponsive. 
Not making your site SEO compliant. 
Ignoring to optimize site speed. 
Not using quality content that is readable, grammatically correct, and well-composed. 
A website development company can help you take care of these technicalities and ensure your online business is a success. 
No proper CTAs
Adding too many or too few CTAs can be a potential problem for your website’s conversion rate. One of the severe web design and development mistakes is to not include an engaging and prominent CTA on your site. It can encourage users to take the next step and improve your conversion rate. It is one of the reasons why startups need a robust website. 
Doing everything yourself 
Another of the fatal web design and development mistakes you can make is trying to do everything on your own. It’s not possible for the entrepreneur to develop business plans, web development plans, and other things. 
Hence, acquiring help from a professional website development company can be of much help. Auxesis Infotech might help you do so. You can evade making such catastrophic mistakes and keep your online business up and running. The team is professionally skilled and can help you easily by helping design and develop intuitive, feature-rich, and futuristic websites. 
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seo22622 · 2 years
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Reasons to hire an Event Management Company
6 Reasons to hire an Event Management Company for your next event
Planning an event may seem easy, but definitely is not. There are a lot of factors that go into it, a lot of experts are involved in the planning and a lot of manpower is required for execution. Professionals in the event industry will vouch for this. Planning and executing events to perfection, takes time, effort, and most importantly expertise.
6 Reasons you need an Event Management Company to bring your vision to life:
1- Cost & Time saving
Most companies assume that managing their own event will cost them less money than hiring a professional Event Management Company. However, it’s never easy to stick to a certain budget and a timeline without guidance if you don’t have any prior experience. Having experts that run events repeatedly will save you a lot of time and money. Either from their reputable relationships with suppliers where they can avail special offers and discounts that your company won’t get, facilities that support your needs, and their general experience of knowing how to manage events. All you have to do is to choose a location and set a date and they will take care of the rest.
2- Creativity
Being in the industry, Event Management professionals are aware of the latest trends, and ways to attract attendees, promote, and market the event. Hiring a professional Event Management Company means bringing expertise and the right tools to apply to your event. New creative ideas, planning and execution knowledge, and tailor-made solutions especially for your event for it to be a seamless experience for everyone involved.
3- A weight off your shoulder
Your event is definitely a big day for you and that will surely result in so much stress, so it’s better to let a professional event manager take the load off your shoulders and turn your idea and the budget you want into a detailed master plan with a strict timeline. An experienced event planner can really tell how much to spend on what and get you the result you want on time.
4- Customization and flexibility
Companies usually think that having their event management outsourced means they won’t be involved and everything will be done according to what the organizers want and that is totally wrong. The main job of an events company is to convert your ideas into reality with your business identity and objectives in mind. On the other hand, it’s possible to be involved in every step or just let them do the job, it’s all up to you.
5- Promoting the event
You might have the best execution for your event and perfectly turn your idea into reality yet it all fails due to poor promotion of the event. Promoting the event isn’t a simple task, but for event management companies, it’s part of their job and they can draw up the entire marketing strategy and tie up all channels and mediums.
Are you looking to organize successful events? We would like to introduce entourage marketing & events as the leading advertising company in the region. We can support your digital marketing services in the MENA region; through our branches in Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
We are an all-inclusive, event management company focused on creating unique, iconic event experiences, we merge creativity with practical application to produce events that elevate brands.
Our team of strategists, marketers, event managers, and business developers integrate seamlessly with your business to execute A growth plan that generates new leads by building your brand identity in target markets, Through the services you provide
event management, corporate event services, event planner Dubai, digital marketing companies in Dubai, influencer marketing Dubai, pavilion management, exhibition stand Dubai, video production Dubai, media planning strategy, virtual event, SEO services, media planning, event internet, hybrid event, social media marketing, pr consulting
6- Measurability & Follow up
How can you tell if your event was successful or not, once finished? You’re right, through constructive feedback. Data is a very valuable tool that can be used for future events. Event management companies help you in getting feedback from attendees and analyze all the data points to create a holistic report with recommendations for your future events.
Hiring an event management company will surely allow you to have the event you want within your budget and on time, whether it’s virtual or hybrid which in return will maximize your ROI.
If this blog has intrigued your interest and you need more guidance regarding Events Management, or if you’re looking for a professional agency to organize your event just get in touch with us and one of our experts will answer all your concerns.
Contact us on our E-mail: [email protected]
About us:
entourage marketing & events is an independent live communications agency operating in the MENA region for the past 11 years with offices in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Jordan along with the main office in New York City. The strategy is at the heart of all the work we do, be it Advertising, Events Management, PR, Social, Digital Marketing, or Creative. Research is the cornerstone of all the strategies that are developed and entourage becomes the consultant, and brand custodian for all the brands it works with.
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gmatechnologi · 1 year
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The Cost of Poor Planning Reasons Your Digital Strategy May be Failing
In today’s digital age, having a solid strategy is crucial for any business to succeed. However, many companies fail to recognize the importance of proper planning and end up with lackluster results. Whether it’s due to outdated tactics or underestimating the power of social media, there are countless reasons why your digital strategy may be falling short. In this blog post, we’ll explore the cost of poor planning and share actionable tips to help you turn things around and achieve success online. So buckle up and get ready to learn how you can take your digital game from mediocre to extraordinary!
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Introduction
It’s no secret that poor planning can lead to disastrous results. But when it comes to your digital strategy, the consequences can be even more severe. Here are four reasons why your digital strategy may be failing:
1.You’re Not Defining Your Goals
Without a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve, it’s impossible to create an effective digital strategy. What are your business goals? How do you want to grow your online presence? What are your target markets? Without answers to these questions, you’ll never be able to develop a plan that leads to success.
2.You’re Not Identifying Your Audience
Who is your target audience? What are their needs and wants? What motivates them? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you’ll never be able to develop content or campaigns that resonates with them. As a result, your digital strategy will fail to meet its objectives.
3.You’re Not Leveraging Data
Data is one of your most powerful tools in developing a successful digital strategy. By analyzing website traffic data, social media engagement data, and other relevant metrics, you can gain insights into what’s working and what isn’t. Without this data-driven approach, your efforts are likely to be wasted on ineffective tactics that don’t produce results.
4. You’re Not Monitoring Your Progress
Finally, it’s important to continuously monitor your progress and adjust your digital strategy accordingly . This involves setting benchmarks and tracking your performance over time, as well as testing different tactics to find out what works best. Without this ongoing assessment, you won’t be able to adjust your strategy as needed in order to optimize results.
In conclusion, if you want your digital strategy to succeed, it’s important to take a comprehensive approach. Define your goals, identify your audience, leverage data, and monitor your progress regularly. By implementing these steps, you can ensure that your digital strategy is successful and leads to the intended results.
What Is A Digital Strategy?
If you’re not sure what a digital strategy is, you’re not alone. In fact, many businesses don’t have a clear or well-defined digital strategy. Without a digital strategy, businesses risk missing out on important opportunities to connect with their target audience and achieve their desired outcomes.
A digital strategy is an essential part of any business’s overall marketing plan. It’s a holistic approach to marketing that takes into account the ever-changing landscape of the internet and the role it plays in customer behavior. A successful digital strategy must be flexible and adaptable, as well as reactive to changes in the marketplace.
There are several key components to a strong digital strategy:
1.Define your goals and objectives. What do you want to achieve with your digital marketing efforts? Be specific and measurable.
2.Research your audience. Who are your customers and what do they want? What motivates them? What online channels do they use most often?
3.Develop targeted content. Once you know who your audience is and what they want, you can develop content that speaks to their needs and interests. This could include blog posts, articles, infographics, ebooks, webinars, etc.
4.Promote your content across multiple channels. Don’t just rely on one channel to get your message out there – diversify your efforts across social media, email marketing, paid advertising, etc.
5.Analyze and optimize your campaigns. Make sure you track your performance and adjust your strategy accordingly. Test different messages, calls-to-action, and other tactics to see what works best for your business. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful digital strategy for your business.
Common Mistakes That Lead To Poor Planning
When it comes to planning your digital strategy, there are a number of common mistakes that can lead to poor planning and ultimately, failure. Here are four of the most common mistakes:
1.Not Defining Your Goals
The first mistake is not defining your goals. What exactly do you want to achieve with your digital strategy? Without clear goals, it will be difficult to measure success and determine whether or not your strategy is working.
2.Not Researching Your Audience
The second mistake is not researching your audience. Who are you trying to reach with your digital strategy? What are their needs and wants? What kind of content will they engage with? Without a clear understanding of your target audience, it will be difficult to create a successful digital strategy.
3.Not Creating a Solid Plan
The third mistake is not creating a solid plan. A digital strategy is not something that can be thrown together last minute – it takes time and effort to develop a successful plan. Make sure you allocate the necessary resources upfront in order to create a comprehensive plan that will set you up for success.
4.Not Monitoring & Adjusting Your Strategy
The fourth mistake is not monitoring and adjusting your strategy as needed. Things change rapidly in the digital world, so it’s important to keep an eye on your strategy and make tweaks as necessary. Don’t be afraid to experiment – what works today might not work tomorrow, so always be prepared to adjust your strategy.
Not Having Clear Goals And Objectives
If you don’t have clear goals and objectives for your digital marketing strategy, it’s likely that your campaigns are not going to be as successful as they could be. Without a clear plan, it can be difficult to track progress and measure ROI, which can make it difficult to justify continued investment in digital marketing.
It’s important to set realistic goals and objectives for your digital marketing campaigns, and then create a plan for how you’re going to achieve those goals. Once you have a plan in place, you can start to implement tactics and track your progress. If you find that your campaigns aren’t meeting your goals, you can adjust your strategy accordingly.
If you’re not sure where to start, our team of digital marketing experts can help you develop a comprehensive digital marketing plan that will get you results. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
Setting Unrealistic Expectations
Your digital strategy may be failing for a number of reasons, but one common denominator is setting unrealistic expectations.
When you set out to create or revamp your digital presence, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve and what’s possible within the constraints of your budget, timeline, and resources. Too often, organizations set out with grandiose plans that are simply not achievable given their limitations. As a result, they end up disappointed and disenchanted with the whole process.
It’s important to be realistic about what you can achieve and to set achievable goals that will keep you moving forward. Otherwise, you run the risk of letting your digital strategy fall by the wayside.
Failing To Monitor Progress And Measure Results
If you’re not monitoring progress and measuring results, you’re probably not going to be very successful in achieving your digital marketing goals. Here are some specific ways in which failing to monitor progress and measure results can cost you:
1.You won’t know what’s working and what’s not.
If you’re not monitoring progress, you won’t have any way of knowing which aspects of your digital strategy are working and which ones aren’t. This can lead to wasted time and money spent on activities that aren’t effective, while valuable resources are diverted away from areas that could be more productive.
2.You’ll miss out on opportunities to improve.
Continuous monitoring allows you to identify areas where your digital strategy could be improved. Without this feedback loop, you’ll miss out on chances to make adjustments that could lead to better results down the line.
3.You’ll lose sight of your goals.
It’s easy to get sidetracked when you’re not keeping track of your progress towards specific goals. If you don’t have a clear picture of how well you’re doing, it will be difficult to stay focused on what’s important and continue making progress towards your objectives.
Allocating Too Little Resources
If you’re not allocating enough resources to your digital strategy, it’s likely that your initiatives will suffer as a result. Without adequate funding, your team won’t be able to execute their plans properly or effectively, which can lead to a number of issues down the line.
Some of the most common problems associated with insufficient resources include:
–Inadequate staffing levels: If you don’t have enough people working on your digital strategy, it’s going to be very difficult to get anything done. This can lead to projects falling behind schedule, deadlines being missed, and overall subpar results.
-Lack of quality control: When you’re stretched too thin, it’s hard to maintain the same level of quality control that you would if you had more resources. This can result in rushed or sloppy work, which reflects poorly on your brand.
–Inefficient processes: If you’re not investing in the right tools and technologies, your team will likely end up wasting a lot of time and energy on manual tasks that could be automated. This inefficiency can lead to frustration and even burnout among employees.
Ultimately, if you want your digital strategy to be successful, you need to make sure that you’re allocate adequate resources towards it. Otherwise, you’ll likely end up facing a number of challenges along the way.
Lack Of Communication Between Stakeholders
There are a number of reasons why communication between stakeholders can break down, leading to poor planning and execution of digital strategies.
One common reason is that different stakeholders have different objectives and priorities. For example, the marketing team may be focused on generating leads, while the sales team is focused on closing deals. Without clear communication and alignment between these teams, it’s easy for the digital strategy to become unbalanced and ineffective.
Another reason for poor communication is silos within organizations. Different departments or teams may be working in their own silos, without sharing information or collaborating with each other. This can lead to duplication of effort, wasted resources, and ultimately a lack of cohesive strategy.
Finally, inadequate communication can simply be the result of not taking the time to properly plan and coordinate between all stakeholders. In today’s fast-paced business world, it’s easy to overlook the importance of effective communication in planning a successful digital strategy.
If you’re experiencing any of these problems with communication between stakeholders in your organization, it’s important to take action to rectify the situation. Proper alignment of objectives, more collaboration between teams, and better overall coordination will lead to a more successful digital strategy that meets the needs of all stakeholders involved.
Conclusion
Poor planning can be a costly mistake when it comes to your digital strategy. If you want to make sure that your digital strategy is successful, you must plan ahead and consider all the potential risks. Having an effective plan in place will ensure that your business is on track for success and that you are able to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise. With thoughtful consideration, dedication, and hard work, your digital strategy can be the key to a prosperous future for your business!
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7 Common SEO Mistakes To Avoid In 2019 | SEO Ninja Softwares
If you’re a small business owner, you may know that optimizing your website for search engines is a proven method through which you can improve your site’s ranking in search engine results. Implementing the best SEO practices on your website can help increase brand visibility and improve organic traffic to your website. However, the reverse of this is also true: if you have implemented redundant SEO practices then it could result in issues like a higher bounce rate, low click-through-rate, and decrease in ranking. There are many attributes that an SEO must have in order to be successful, but one of the most important ones is being willing to improve all the time. Improvement doesn’t always come from making things right. In fact, the only way you’ll really improve is by failing, over and over again. Avoid these common SEO mistakes if you want to improve the search presence of your website:
#1 Improper Keyword Research
Most e-retailers focus on researching and using keywords that are more similar and related to the products that they sell. They miss considering the phrases or words that targeted audience will actually think and use to search for such products. Using generic keywords like laptops, shoes, bags etc. will fail to bring in the exact target users who can become buyers. You have to be specific like Dell Inspiron Laptops, Brown leather shoes, black laptop backpack bags, etc.
#2 Having Duplicate Contents
Duplicate content is content that appears in more than one place on the Internet. Having duplicate content on your website is bad for SEO and could get your content excluded from search results entirely. Search engines rarely show duplicate content, and when it appears, they must determine the original source of the piece. As a rule of thumb, be sure that all your content is unique and original; don’t reuse the same content on different areas of your website.
#3 Forgetting Mobile Users
Whether you’re a B2C or B2B brand, much of your audience is likely using a mobile device to find good content. If your content isn’t mobile friendly, the user experience will be negatively impacted. Take steps to ensure that your website and its content is mobile friendly and responsive. Also, focus on creating content for users that would typically use a mobile device.
#4 No Content Strategy
What is your content strategy? What’s that? You don’t know? If you can’t answer that question right off the bat then the answer is you have no content strategy and that is also the biggest SEO mistakes to avoid. The fact is that SEO and content are inseparable.
You need to have an active and responsive blog, indexed with targeted keywords and maximum visibility or your website will suffer. It’s like that question about a tree falling in the forest with no one around. If your website is in existence but has no plan of attack, how are you supposed to be successful?
#5 Lack of Social Media Presence
Social media activity is one of the many signals that Google uses to rank businesses. Promoting your blogs or webpages through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms is a great opportunity to create more exposure and buzz about your business.
#6 Not Optimizing Images and Videos
Remember our discussion on slow load times? One significant factor that may be contributing to your website loading slowly are unoptimized images and videos. Optimizing digital media improves load times and improves overall SEO ranking. To do this, format raster images as .jpg files and vector images as .png files. When writing alt text for images, include keywords so they contribute to your SEO.
When working with videos, you also need to think about optimizing them for SEO. Start by hosting all your video files in the same, single folder. Then, create a video site map that will assist search engines in indexing your videos. And as with images and their alt text, use strategic keywords in video meta descriptions. Consider also inserting a call to action.
#7 Missing or Poor Sitemaps​​​​​​
One of the common issues faced by new websites is that they have no sitemaps. They have a lot of loosely connected web pages, but no real structure connecting them. A sitemap tells search engines, like Google, how your site is arranged, and the best way to navigate through your website. If there is no sitemap, and different web pages aren’t linked together, a search engine may miss a webpage with the most relevant information, and you’ll miss out on traffic.
Start Fixing Your Website
When it comes to SEO, e-commerce sellers make endless varieties of mistakes. But, these 7 mistakes are the grievous ones that can stunt your store’s growth – both financially and reputation wise. So avoid them at any cost to grow your online store’s SEO presence. A regular site audit is an easy way of detecting such glaring gaps in your SEO and fixing them ASAP. If you haven’t been doing site audits so far, get into the habit now. Your site and its search visibility will thank you for it. If your company is small or new and it doesn’t have a designated internet marketing professional, SEO Ninja Softwares can help. With more than 5000+ satisfied clients and over 2000+ raving fans, our search engine optimization skills have been proven to help businesses just like yours find success online. We offer Premium Local SEO, E-Commerce SEO, and global SEO from startups to Corporate businesses. Our pricing is reasonable, high-retentionable and offer #1 Ranking on Google. Feel free for any queries or questions you may have to our 24/7 customer support. So if you don’t see results, we’ll give you your money back. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about our SEO pricing plans or any other queries, or the methods we use to improve your site’s visibility in search engines such as Google. Feel free to contact us at any time!
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palmbreak · 7 years
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Learn How Digital Marketing Will Finally Grow Your Online MLM Fast With Little Time and Less Cash
A marketing technique is the backbone of any organization. It creates the needed awareness about your product and services amongst consumers. A great marketing technique must correlate well with the long-term marketing plans and objectives of the business. You can go to this if you are curious how digital marketing really works. Due to a range of factors, services tend to go for flashy strategies or out-of-date ones to market their products. This can negatively affect the sales in addition to track record of overall organization. Let us learn where companies go wrong in picking their marketing strategy correctly. Absence of marketing know-how A marketing plan devised for a business must be arranged in a manner, such that it complements the objectives and resources of the company. However many businesses end up being over ambitious and choose extreme marketing campaigns that are not essential for their business type. This leads to deficiency of funds, which can be utilized for other purposes. Lack direction A marketing program will be futile if it stops working in targeting the preferred audience. Many marketing experts try to impress the management instead of working on consumer preferences and options. Marketing strategies created in such manner will have little impact on clients acquiring decision and might cause poor sales. Disregarding Internet marketing A study by Nielsen online and web visible has actually revealed that 44% of the small companies in United States are not having websites. This is a very high number thinking about the extent of Internet penetration in the nation. Even if they have a site, a number of them are unable to utilize the advantages used by Web. Here are some factors for it: Do not update sites frequently Lots of services do not upgrade their websites regularly. Customers are exposed to info that is 2 or three years old, and in some cases the material they show stays out-of-date. This causes a loss of possible customers who browse their website for the current items in the market. Overlook SEO Some companies assume that setting up a website completes their Online marketing strategy. They disregard techniques like SEO and Pay Per Click campaigns, which are vital in targeting their consumers and increasing traffic to the site. Without making use of SEO methods, an organization fails to bring in those clients who may really be interested in its items. Perceive it to be costly Web marketing is low-cost compared to standard marketing strategies, many services view it to be costly and beyond their monetary reach (generally due lack of knowledge). If used efficiently, a website likewise provides a platform for services to sell online. Poor customer care Companies can utilize client service as an excellent marketing technique. Thrilling consumers will produce a favorable impression in their minds and motivate them for repeat purchases. This would even encourage word of mouth advertising for your service. A company does well even during testing times when the consumers are served politely, professionally and in a reasonable way. A good marketing method guides an organization in taking their items closer to the consumers. Organizations should focus their marketing efforts in such a way that clients can easily relate the product or service to their requirements.
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seo22622 · 2 years
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6 Reasons to hire an Event Management Company for your next event
6 Reasons to hire an Event Management Company for your next event
Planning an event may seem easy, but definitely is not. There are a lot of factors that go into it, a lot of experts are involved in the planning and a lot of manpower is required for execution. Professionals in the event industry will vouch for this. Planning and executing events to perfection, takes time, effort, and most importantly expertise.
6 Reasons you need an Event Management Company to bring your vision to life:
1- Cost & Time saving
Most companies assume that managing their own event will cost them less money than hiring a professional Event Management Company. However, it’s never easy to stick to a certain budget and a timeline without guidance if you don’t have any prior experience. Having experts that run events repeatedly will save you a lot of time and money. Either from their reputable relationships with suppliers where they can avail special offers and discounts that your company won’t get, facilities that support your needs, and their general experience of knowing how to manage events. All you have to do is to choose a location and set a date and they will take care of the rest.
2- Creativity
Being in the industry, Event Management professionals are aware of the latest trends, and ways to attract attendees, promote, and market the event. Hiring a professional Event Management Company means bringing expertise and the right tools to apply to your event. New creative ideas, planning and execution knowledge, and tailor-made solutions especially for your event for it to be a seamless experience for everyone involved.
3- A weight off your shoulder
Your event is definitely a big day for you and that will surely result in so much stress, so it’s better to let a professional event manager take the load off your shoulders and turn your idea and the budget you want into a detailed master plan with a strict timeline. An experienced event planner can really tell how much to spend on what and get you the result you want on time.
4- Customization and flexibility
Companies usually think that having their event management outsourced means they won’t be involved and everything will be done according to what the organizers want and that is totally wrong. The main job of an events company is to convert your ideas into reality with your business identity and objectives in mind. On the other hand, it’s possible to be involved in every step or just let them do the job, it’s all up to you.
5- Promoting the event
You might have the best execution for your event and perfectly turn your idea into reality yet it all fails due to poor promotion of the event. Promoting the event isn’t a simple task, but for event management companies, it’s part of their job and they can draw up the entire marketing strategy and tie up all channels and mediums.
Are you looking to organize successful events? We would like to introduce entourage marketing & events as the leading advertising company in the region. We can support your digital marketing services in the MENA region; through our branches in Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
We are an all-inclusive, event management company focused on creating unique, iconic event experiences, we merge creativity with practical application to produce events that elevate brands.
Our team of strategists, marketers, event managers, and business developers integrate seamlessly with your business to execute A growth plan that generates new leads by building your brand identity in target markets, Through the services you provide
event management, corporate event services, event planner Dubai, digital marketing companies in Dubai, influencer marketing Dubai, pavilion management, exhibition stand Dubai, video production Dubai, media planning strategy, virtual event, SEO services, media planning, event internet, hybrid event, social media marketing, pr consulting
6- Measurability & Follow up
How can you tell if your event was successful or not, once finished? You’re right, through constructive feedback. Data is a very valuable tool that can be used for future events. Event management companies help you in getting feedback from attendees and analyze all the data points to create a holistic report with recommendations for your future events.
Hiring an event management company will surely allow you to have the event you want within your budget and on time, whether it’s virtual or hybrid which in return will maximize your ROI.
If this blog has intrigued your interest and you need more guidance regarding Events Management, or if you’re looking for a professional agency to organize your event just get in touch with us and one of our experts will answer all your concerns.
Contact us on our E-mail: [email protected]
About us:
entourage marketing & events is an independent live communications agency operating in the MENA region for the past 11 years with offices in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Jordan along with the main office in New York City. The strategy is at the heart of all the work we do, be it Advertising, Events Management, PR, Social, Digital Marketing, or Creative. Research is the cornerstone of all the strategies that are developed and entourage becomes the consultant, and brand custodian for all the brands it works with.
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anthonykrierion · 4 years
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How To Start A Blog And Make Money
Are you excited to start your own blog? Starting a blog is one of the best ways to make money, literally from anywhere. The internet has afforded us the freedom to be digital nomads and make an income from anywhere we choose to be in the world. The real truth is that anyone can start a blog in less than 30 minutes, by just buying hosting and installing WordPress. But here lies the actual challenge!
For starters, most people that start a blog may not fathom the amount of work that’s waiting for them. It’s a steep learning curve that will require you to grasp a tremendous amount of information both on the technical side of blogging as well as your creative approach. Today, things are much more sophisticated and not the same as how people made money from blogging years ago. Fortunately, with this sophistication, lies an even higher potential for making money. From choosing a blog niche to a blogging platform and looking at ways to monetize your blog, there are a couple of things you’ll need to understand.
How to Start a Blog
Decide on a Niche and Target Market
Your blog’s niche refers to the general topic of interest that you’ll be focusing your content on. These include topics like fashion, lifestyle, technology, food, travel, etc. For whichever blog niche that you are thinking about, come up with 5 to 10 keyword phrases that you could write about.
Making your blog stand out online and make money requires you to grab the attention of your audience. You obviously can’t do that if in the first place you aren’t aware whose attention you want to grab or what even interests them. Put aside buying a domain name and hosting, if you don’t know who you want to serve then you’ll end up starting a business that serves no one, and this won’t do you any good. Niche choosing with a target market is predominantly one of the crucial reasons why blogs fail.
Some important questions to ask when choosing a niche include;
What are you passionate in?
What do you currently do?
What do other people say you are good at?
Are there others doing the same thing?
How strong is the competition?
Do you have expertise in the niche?
How will you monetize it?
How much time and effort would it take to achieve your end goal or make money out of it?
Choose a Reliable Webhost
To get your blog online, you’ll need a blogging platform and a web hosting plan. For instance, if you’re just starting a new blog, you could use a WordPress blog hosted by Bluehost. WordPress is a user-friendly, free and powerful blogging software designed with usability and flexibility in mind.
Your hosting is an integral building block for your blog. It’s kind of like the display rack that’s used in a retail store to showcase products. If your hosting goes down, even temporarily, or it’s not as fast or doesn’t do what you want it to do, then you stand to lose money as well as your audience. It’s important to choose the best hosting service for your blog with security, reliability, speed, flexibility and cost in mind. Alternative blog hosting platforms to consider include, Geekstorage, Siteground, HostGator, Dreamhost and Lyrical host.
When buying hosting, make sure you buy your domain name separately so you can have the control needed to run your site without the interference of your webhost.
Pick a Domain Name
Domain name and web hosting are inseparable. Without a domain name, your blog won’t have an address. Securing your domain name further helps you focus and makes blogging feel all the more real. Take time to think through your domain name and especially aim to use a keyword that represents what your blog is about. Top qualities of a good domain usually are;
Brandable
Straightforward
Easy to pronounce
Easy to spell
Not restrictive
Design Your Blog with a WordPress Theme
Design is so important when it comes to your blog. Even if you don’t care for it, your readers will shift their behavior based on the features of your blog layout. In the world of blogging, WordPress designs are called themes. You can always use free themes to design your blog but for extra variety, go for paid themes.
Now you are ready to take on the adventure. Create an about me page to introduce yourself to readers, and most importantly publish your first blog post!
Content is King
Content alone can make or break your blog. If your audience clicks over to your blog post and finds poor, low-quality content, then they won’t be reading, sharing, clicking through links and definitely won’t return to your site. Key to note here is that you have to write about things that your audience is actively searching for and not just the things you love. This you will know by getting to understand what your readers want by reading comments and knowing what they need. Solving a reader’s problem can eventually give tremendous returning traffic. As you consistently create engaging content, your tribe will continue to flock to you. A majority of your blog posts will be born out of your personal experiences, successes, failures, passions and new lessons.
Tip: When looking for clever blog post ideas, consider doing the following;
Checking out forums like Reddit or Quora for fresh ideas
Signing up for Google Trends to get top trending news about your niche
Chatting with bloggers in your space and brainstorming fresh ideas
Talking about various lessons you have learned
Reflecting on common blogging mistakes in your niche and tactics that work
Having a simple editorial calendar that provides a roadmap to always knowing what you are writing next is a smart way to prepare for what to publish. A serious blogger needs to prioritize consistency by all means without compromise. Creating content only when it’s convenient can lead you down a dangerous road. Think about it. If you have scheduled a doctor’s appointment in your calendar or even a business meeting with a client, you are going to honor it. If not, you will reschedule for the next available time-slot. The same applies to editorial calendars. Its purpose is to keep you organized and help you reach your end goals more easily in small micro-steps.
Optimize Your Blog for Leads and Sales
How is your blog set up and optimized for search engines? Optimizing your blog for SEO should never be ignored. The main intent of a search engine is to provide value to its users by presenting them with top quality websites that are easy to navigate and with good content. While your blogging platform, especially if it’s WordPress is by default SEO friendly, there are still a number of things to check and change to make it better. These include;
Blog structure
URL structure
Optimizing your category and tag pages
Website Speed
Mobile responsiveness
Webmaster tools SEO
ML Sitemap optimization
Use of Schema Markups
As part of your SEO efforts, you should create engaging content for your audience and make this content more visible to search engines. To get your on-page SEO working, you’ll need to do things like;
Optimizing titles and description
Use videos, audio or images within your content
Use proper headings and post formatting
Apply the best internal linking practices for maximum SEO
You can customize and optimize your blog through the use of plugins that can maximize on your blog’s functionality. For instance, you can use plugins to add contact forms, forums or sliders.
Drive Traffic to Your Blog to Make Money
To make money from your blog, you’ll need organic traffic. It’s, however not all about driving traffic to your site but converting what traffic you get into subscribers, buyers and followers. Well, considering you have made it this far, now is time to promote your content heavily and bring in new readers. Below are some strategies on how to create successful blogs that get you in front of new readers.
Link Building – Link building is an extremely important aspect of getting more traffic from search engines. By having external links from other websites pointing to your website’s pages, you will get to rank higher in the SERPS. The most popular link building methods include;
Guest posting on relevant and more authoritative sites
Contacting other bloggers and introducing your website and content
Linking to other websites from your content and contacting them to let them know. If they find your website useful, they may opt to do the same for you.
Use social media for your blog promotion – From Facebook to Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, etc., there are a myriad of social media platforms to explore. However, don’t be pressured to promote your blog posts on every social media platform. The key insight here is to experiment yes, but determine the platforms that deliver the best returns/engagement. Pinterest has been mentioned by many bloggers as an effective platform to build a blog. You can create a cohesive profile with branded pin images, and people can get a sneak peek of who you are before going into your blog.
Guest blogging on relevant sites like Quora or LinkedIn – Guest blogging in other authoritative sites in your niche is a sure way to connect with an already established network. So, look for places where your audience is and make your presence felt there, whether it’s on other blogs, communities or social platforms.
Engage in forums and message boards for bloggers – Look for more targeted forums and online communities that relate to your niche on Facebook, LinkedIn or Reddit. Remember the critical thing here is to provide meaningful value before asking for anything in return, so engage and build relationships.
Use an email newsletter to grow your audience further – An email newsletter is a proven and effective way to keep readers engaged and excited about what you do. It’s also a good driver of growth and revenue for any blog. Therefore, begin by building your email list by simply adding a signup form within your posts and across critical pages of your site so that your audience can get updates whenever you post new blog posts or have a resource to share. Consider signing up to an email marketing platform like ConvertKit, Aweber, MailChimp, or InfusionSoft to grow your email list.
While at this, make sure that you are not just collecting emails without nurturing and adding value. Develop a small sequence of emails to keep your audience interest by sending them valuable information. Once they are settled in, send them an offer to a product. This is what marketers refer to as a sales funnel.
Further, other key and creative ways to promote your blog include;
Interviewing people in your niche
Networking with other relevant bloggers or mentioning their blogs
Talking to people about what you’re doing
Learning from other top bloggers, looking at what works for them and figuring how to use or apply the knowledge.
Blog Monetization
Ultimately, you are out to make money with your blogging. But make no mistake, while this is your eventual goal when getting started, monetization shouldn’t be your number one focus. Building relationships and forming a community around your blog while delivering value should be your priority and starting kicker.
Even still, it’s good to have an idea of how to make money while blogging. When you become well-versed on how to monetize your blog, you end up giving yourself the freedom to blog for the joy of it and the connections and networks come more organically. Let’s dive right in.
Freelancing
If you are looking to generate some income from your blog right away, freelancing is going to be the easiest option by far. To land your first freelancing gig, you’ll need to come up with a strong pitch, build out your key pages (About, Contact, Hire Me) and showcase your work through published posts. So, you may want to get started on creating those sample articles or other deliverables and host them on your blog. Once you get starting attention from brands, it’s important to know your worth. There are so many skills you could sell as a service, whether it’s in writing, design, social media management, photography, virtual assistance, SEO, paid advertising campaigns and more. What are your strengths? Do people struggle with it? Don’t hesitate to market your skills as people will always pay for the service if it means they won’t have to put in the work.
Join Affiliate Marketing Programs
Affiliate marketing is the most passive way to make money with a blog. You get to sell other people’s products (digital or physical) for a commission. With affiliate marketing, you are not only selling but helping people by including links to a product you love/use. Even as a new blogger, you can join affiliate marketing to gain access to top brands across different niches. As your blog grows, so does your potential for income. Here is how the process works;
Determine the products you would want to promote
Enroll in their affiliate marketing program to get a unique link and banners to use
Add the links/banners in your blog
Whenever someone clicks on the links, they will be automatically directed to the provider’s website where they can make a purchase for you to get the agreed commission. There are many affiliate networks that connect bloggers with multiple companies that advertise via affiliate marketing. Among them include;
Amazon Associates
FlexOffers
CJ
ShareAsale
ImpactRadius
If you can’t find your product on these networks, shoot the company an email and ask them which affiliate program you could find them.
Ask Your Audience
Another way to make money through blogging is to ask your audience. You can ask your audience to send some feedback at the end of your blog posts or send email blasts with a survey, using Google Forms, to gain valuable information on what your target audience needs. Your audience will most likely give you honest feedback that you can then use to develop a product or service to sell. E.g. a workout plan with targeted topics and routines they would be willing to pay for. Examples of digital products bloggers can create include; e-courses, online classes or workshops, Ebooks, premium content, photos, membership sites, audio or video, apps, plugins and themes, etc.
Sell advertising Space
Literally anyone can put an ad on their blog using Google Adsense. However, good money comes from selling ad spots on your website to corporations or what is commonly known as ad placement. If you build a high traffic blog, you can make a full-time income from this as advertisers will be willing to work with you to get exposure to your audience.
Find Relevant Products and Freebies to Promote/ Sponsored Posts
Here, companies will give a free product and hopefully monetary compensation, and you’ll be expected to highlight that product on your blog.
With so many income stream options in blogging, it’s essential to plan your future revenue-driving strategy with the right forms of monetization techniques. More importantly, note that monetizing a blog takes time and relies on you having some traffic.
And Finally
Start a Blog with the End in Mind
When you choose to invest in a business, you do it with an end in mind. Even when you go to college, you do it with a goal in mind. The same principle applies to blogging. You decide what you want from your blogging business and everything you do between now and your end goal must align with what you are aiming for. Most new bloggers make the mistake of trying random things in the hope they will find one that sticks, only to find themselves burnout before anything actually sticks.
Create and Understand Your Sales Funnel
Understanding your sales funnel is crucial as it helps you find the holes or places where your prospects fall off and never convert. Salesforce reports that a whopping 79% of marketing leads are never converted to sales mainly because 68% of businesses don’t have a clear sales funnel.
Take, for example, a visitor lands on your blog through a Google search or social link. He/she may check out your blog posts or browse your product listings. As a prospect, you may offer him/her a chance to sign up for your email list. If the visitor fills out the form, he/she can be considered as a lead that could potentially return to your site when you contact them with special offers, information about new blog posts, or other intriguing resources. At this point, you will have turned them from casual visitors to someone who is actively engaging with your brand, making it a lot easier to make money from them.
Key to note here is that your customers are on a journey that starts with learning about your business (awareness) and ends with them becoming clients or referring your blog or products to other people in their network.
Have Multiple Streams of Income
If your eventual goal is to make it big moneywise, then consider having multiple streams of income. This means that even if one strategy fails, then you have another to pick up the slack.
Be Adaptable
Successful bloggers continue to educate and update themselves as the world around them evolves. What’s popular and working now may not work in the future. Things change fast online. You, therefore, have to listen to your audience, track your statistics and figure out new ways to grow your blog even when it seems like everything is going wrong.
Conclusion
Starting a blog is incredibly easy. Creating a successful one that makes money requires a smarter approach that includes, hard work, dedication, SEO mastery and consistency. If you are a beginner and not sure how to start your blog, this article can be instrumental in pointing you in the right direction when it comes to creating a profitable blog.
How To Start A Blog And Make Money was originally posted by Video And Blog Marketing
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samuelpboswell · 4 years
Text
How To Start A Blog And Make Money
Are you excited to start your own blog? Starting a blog is one of the best ways to make money, literally from anywhere. The internet has afforded us the freedom to be digital nomads and make an income from anywhere we choose to be in the world. The real truth is that anyone can start a blog in less than 30 minutes, by just buying hosting and installing WordPress. But here lies the actual challenge!
For starters, most people that start a blog may not fathom the amount of work that’s waiting for them. It’s a steep learning curve that will require you to grasp a tremendous amount of information both on the technical side of blogging as well as your creative approach. Today, things are much more sophisticated and not the same as how people made money from blogging years ago. Fortunately, with this sophistication, lies an even higher potential for making money. From choosing a blog niche to a blogging platform and looking at ways to monetize your blog, there are a couple of things you’ll need to understand.
How to Start a Blog
Decide on a Niche and Target Market
Your blog’s niche refers to the general topic of interest that you’ll be focusing your content on. These include topics like fashion, lifestyle, technology, food, travel, etc. For whichever blog niche that you are thinking about, come up with 5 to 10 keyword phrases that you could write about.
Making your blog stand out online and make money requires you to grab the attention of your audience. You obviously can’t do that if in the first place you aren’t aware whose attention you want to grab or what even interests them. Put aside buying a domain name and hosting, if you don’t know who you want to serve then you’ll end up starting a business that serves no one, and this won’t do you any good. Niche choosing with a target market is predominantly one of the crucial reasons why blogs fail.
Some important questions to ask when choosing a niche include;
What are you passionate in?
What do you currently do?
What do other people say you are good at?
Are there others doing the same thing?
How strong is the competition?
Do you have expertise in the niche?
How will you monetize it?
How much time and effort would it take to achieve your end goal or make money out of it?
Choose a Reliable Webhost
To get your blog online, you’ll need a blogging platform and a web hosting plan. For instance, if you’re just starting a new blog, you could use a WordPress blog hosted by Bluehost. WordPress is a user-friendly, free and powerful blogging software designed with usability and flexibility in mind.
Your hosting is an integral building block for your blog. It’s kind of like the display rack that’s used in a retail store to showcase products. If your hosting goes down, even temporarily, or it’s not as fast or doesn’t do what you want it to do, then you stand to lose money as well as your audience. It’s important to choose the best hosting service for your blog with security, reliability, speed, flexibility and cost in mind. Alternative blog hosting platforms to consider include, Geekstorage, Siteground, HostGator, Dreamhost and Lyrical host.
When buying hosting, make sure you buy your domain name separately so you can have the control needed to run your site without the interference of your webhost.
Pick a Domain Name
Domain name and web hosting are inseparable. Without a domain name, your blog won’t have an address. Securing your domain name further helps you focus and makes blogging feel all the more real. Take time to think through your domain name and especially aim to use a keyword that represents what your blog is about. Top qualities of a good domain usually are;
Brandable
Straightforward
Easy to pronounce
Easy to spell
Not restrictive
Design Your Blog with a WordPress Theme
Design is so important when it comes to your blog. Even if you don’t care for it, your readers will shift their behavior based on the features of your blog layout. In the world of blogging, WordPress designs are called themes. You can always use free themes to design your blog but for extra variety, go for paid themes.
Now you are ready to take on the adventure. Create an about me page to introduce yourself to readers, and most importantly publish your first blog post!
Content is King
Content alone can make or break your blog. If your audience clicks over to your blog post and finds poor, low-quality content, then they won’t be reading, sharing, clicking through links and definitely won’t return to your site. Key to note here is that you have to write about things that your audience is actively searching for and not just the things you love. This you will know by getting to understand what your readers want by reading comments and knowing what they need. Solving a reader’s problem can eventually give tremendous returning traffic. As you consistently create engaging content, your tribe will continue to flock to you. A majority of your blog posts will be born out of your personal experiences, successes, failures, passions and new lessons.
Tip: When looking for clever blog post ideas, consider doing the following;
Checking out forums like Reddit or Quora for fresh ideas
Signing up for Google Trends to get top trending news about your niche
Chatting with bloggers in your space and brainstorming fresh ideas
Talking about various lessons you have learned
Reflecting on common blogging mistakes in your niche and tactics that work
Having a simple editorial calendar that provides a roadmap to always knowing what you are writing next is a smart way to prepare for what to publish. A serious blogger needs to prioritize consistency by all means without compromise. Creating content only when it’s convenient can lead you down a dangerous road. Think about it. If you have scheduled a doctor’s appointment in your calendar or even a business meeting with a client, you are going to honor it. If not, you will reschedule for the next available time-slot. The same applies to editorial calendars. Its purpose is to keep you organized and help you reach your end goals more easily in small micro-steps.
Optimize Your Blog for Leads and Sales
How is your blog set up and optimized for search engines? Optimizing your blog for SEO should never be ignored. The main intent of a search engine is to provide value to its users by presenting them with top quality websites that are easy to navigate and with good content. While your blogging platform, especially if it’s WordPress is by default SEO friendly, there are still a number of things to check and change to make it better. These include;
Blog structure
URL structure
Optimizing your category and tag pages
Website Speed
Mobile responsiveness
Webmaster tools SEO
ML Sitemap optimization
Use of Schema Markups
As part of your SEO efforts, you should create engaging content for your audience and make this content more visible to search engines. To get your on-page SEO working, you’ll need to do things like;
Optimizing titles and description
Use videos, audio or images within your content
Use proper headings and post formatting
Apply the best internal linking practices for maximum SEO
You can customize and optimize your blog through the use of plugins that can maximize on your blog’s functionality. For instance, you can use plugins to add contact forms, forums or sliders.
Drive Traffic to Your Blog to Make Money
To make money from your blog, you’ll need organic traffic. It’s, however not all about driving traffic to your site but converting what traffic you get into subscribers, buyers and followers. Well, considering you have made it this far, now is time to promote your content heavily and bring in new readers. Below are some strategies on how to create successful blogs that get you in front of new readers.
Link Building – Link building is an extremely important aspect of getting more traffic from search engines. By having external links from other websites pointing to your website’s pages, you will get to rank higher in the SERPS. The most popular link building methods include;
Guest posting on relevant and more authoritative sites
Contacting other bloggers and introducing your website and content
Linking to other websites from your content and contacting them to let them know. If they find your website useful, they may opt to do the same for you.
Use social media for your blog promotion – From Facebook to Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, etc., there are a myriad of social media platforms to explore. However, don’t be pressured to promote your blog posts on every social media platform. The key insight here is to experiment yes, but determine the platforms that deliver the best returns/engagement. Pinterest has been mentioned by many bloggers as an effective platform to build a blog. You can create a cohesive profile with branded pin images, and people can get a sneak peek of who you are before going into your blog.
Guest blogging on relevant sites like Quora or LinkedIn – Guest blogging in other authoritative sites in your niche is a sure way to connect with an already established network. So, look for places where your audience is and make your presence felt there, whether it’s on other blogs, communities or social platforms.
Engage in forums and message boards for bloggers – Look for more targeted forums and online communities that relate to your niche on Facebook, LinkedIn or Reddit. Remember the critical thing here is to provide meaningful value before asking for anything in return, so engage and build relationships.
Use an email newsletter to grow your audience further – An email newsletter is a proven and effective way to keep readers engaged and excited about what you do. It’s also a good driver of growth and revenue for any blog. Therefore, begin by building your email list by simply adding a signup form within your posts and across critical pages of your site so that your audience can get updates whenever you post new blog posts or have a resource to share. Consider signing up to an email marketing platform like ConvertKit, Aweber, MailChimp, or InfusionSoft to grow your email list.
While at this, make sure that you are not just collecting emails without nurturing and adding value. Develop a small sequence of emails to keep your audience interest by sending them valuable information. Once they are settled in, send them an offer to a product. This is what marketers refer to as a sales funnel.
Further, other key and creative ways to promote your blog include;
Interviewing people in your niche
Networking with other relevant bloggers or mentioning their blogs
Talking to people about what you’re doing
Learning from other top bloggers, looking at what works for them and figuring how to use or apply the knowledge.
Blog Monetization
Ultimately, you are out to make money with your blogging. But make no mistake, while this is your eventual goal when getting started, monetization shouldn’t be your number one focus. Building relationships and forming a community around your blog while delivering value should be your priority and starting kicker.
Even still, it’s good to have an idea of how to make money while blogging. When you become well-versed on how to monetize your blog, you end up giving yourself the freedom to blog for the joy of it and the connections and networks come more organically. Let’s dive right in.
Freelancing
If you are looking to generate some income from your blog right away, freelancing is going to be the easiest option by far. To land your first freelancing gig, you’ll need to come up with a strong pitch, build out your key pages (About, Contact, Hire Me) and showcase your work through published posts. So, you may want to get started on creating those sample articles or other deliverables and host them on your blog. Once you get starting attention from brands, it’s important to know your worth. There are so many skills you could sell as a service, whether it’s in writing, design, social media management, photography, virtual assistance, SEO, paid advertising campaigns and more. What are your strengths? Do people struggle with it? Don’t hesitate to market your skills as people will always pay for the service if it means they won’t have to put in the work.
Join Affiliate Marketing Programs
Affiliate marketing is the most passive way to make money with a blog. You get to sell other people’s products (digital or physical) for a commission. With affiliate marketing, you are not only selling but helping people by including links to a product you love/use. Even as a new blogger, you can join affiliate marketing to gain access to top brands across different niches. As your blog grows, so does your potential for income. Here is how the process works;
Determine the products you would want to promote
Enroll in their affiliate marketing program to get a unique link and banners to use
Add the links/banners in your blog
Whenever someone clicks on the links, they will be automatically directed to the provider’s website where they can make a purchase for you to get the agreed commission. There are many affiliate networks that connect bloggers with multiple companies that advertise via affiliate marketing. Among them include;
Amazon Associates
FlexOffers
CJ
ShareAsale
ImpactRadius
If you can’t find your product on these networks, shoot the company an email and ask them which affiliate program you could find them.
Ask Your Audience
Another way to make money through blogging is to ask your audience. You can ask your audience to send some feedback at the end of your blog posts or send email blasts with a survey, using Google Forms, to gain valuable information on what your target audience needs. Your audience will most likely give you honest feedback that you can then use to develop a product or service to sell. E.g. a workout plan with targeted topics and routines they would be willing to pay for. Examples of digital products bloggers can create include; e-courses, online classes or workshops, Ebooks, premium content, photos, membership sites, audio or video, apps, plugins and themes, etc.
Sell advertising Space
Literally anyone can put an ad on their blog using Google Adsense. However, good money comes from selling ad spots on your website to corporations or what is commonly known as ad placement. If you build a high traffic blog, you can make a full-time income from this as advertisers will be willing to work with you to get exposure to your audience.
Find Relevant Products and Freebies to Promote/ Sponsored Posts
Here, companies will give a free product and hopefully monetary compensation, and you’ll be expected to highlight that product on your blog.
With so many income stream options in blogging, it’s essential to plan your future revenue-driving strategy with the right forms of monetization techniques. More importantly, note that monetizing a blog takes time and relies on you having some traffic.
And Finally
Start a Blog with the End in Mind
When you choose to invest in a business, you do it with an end in mind. Even when you go to college, you do it with a goal in mind. The same principle applies to blogging. You decide what you want from your blogging business and everything you do between now and your end goal must align with what you are aiming for. Most new bloggers make the mistake of trying random things in the hope they will find one that sticks, only to find themselves burnout before anything actually sticks.
Create and Understand Your Sales Funnel
Understanding your sales funnel is crucial as it helps you find the holes or places where your prospects fall off and never convert. Salesforce reports that a whopping 79% of marketing leads are never converted to sales mainly because 68% of businesses don’t have a clear sales funnel.
Take, for example, a visitor lands on your blog through a Google search or social link. He/she may check out your blog posts or browse your product listings. As a prospect, you may offer him/her a chance to sign up for your email list. If the visitor fills out the form, he/she can be considered as a lead that could potentially return to your site when you contact them with special offers, information about new blog posts, or other intriguing resources. At this point, you will have turned them from casual visitors to someone who is actively engaging with your brand, making it a lot easier to make money from them.
Key to note here is that your customers are on a journey that starts with learning about your business (awareness) and ends with them becoming clients or referring your blog or products to other people in their network.
Have Multiple Streams of Income
If your eventual goal is to make it big moneywise, then consider having multiple streams of income. This means that even if one strategy fails, then you have another to pick up the slack.
Be Adaptable
Successful bloggers continue to educate and update themselves as the world around them evolves. What’s popular and working now may not work in the future. Things change fast online. You, therefore, have to listen to your audience, track your statistics and figure out new ways to grow your blog even when it seems like everything is going wrong.
Conclusion
Starting a blog is incredibly easy. Creating a successful one that makes money requires a smarter approach that includes, hard work, dedication, SEO mastery and consistency. If you are a beginner and not sure how to start your blog, this article can be instrumental in pointing you in the right direction when it comes to creating a profitable blog.
The post How To Start A Blog And Make Money appeared first on HigherVisibility.
from The SEO Advantages https://www.highervisibility.com/blog/how-to-start-a-blog-and-make-money/
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syntaxxxblogs · 5 years
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7 Content Optimization Tactics to Avoid Common SEO Mistakes
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can help to attract more traffic to your site. SEO has proven to be more effective over time, and the stats bear this out. At least 70% of marketers prefer to use SEO than Pay-Per-Click (PPC) strategies. However, for you to attract more users every other day, you need to ensure that you are using the proper optimization strategies. With digital content increasing every other day, ranking on top search results is becoming complicated by the day. Other sites are deploying efficient strategies in a bid to get an edge in search results. There is a good chance that proper optimization strategies will give you an edge, given the fact that at least 15% of the billions of searches daily are new. Therefore, taking action well in advance could be the secret to getting more clicks, visits, and traffic to your site. Implementing key optimization strategies can help you to attract more visitors, but avoiding mistakes is the only thing that can keep you on an upward trajectory. There are some SEO tactics that you can use that will help you steer away from common pitfalls. Some of the tactics to use include: Using internal linksUsing keywordsTracking progress over timeUsing subheadingsWorking on your bounce rateUse relevant visualsLook for gaps
1. Using Internal Links
Internal links are those that point visitors and readers to other content within your site. When creating your content, you must add links that lead visitors to more information related to the topic. This is also an organic way to improve your ranking on search results. A fundamental mistake occurs when you use external links while you have related content on your site that you can link to. Internal linking means that visitors will click these links and visit other pages within your site. Search engines like Google are also able to pick up the relevance of the article, which helps to enhance your site’s ranking in search results. Using internal links or back-linking to other webpages on your website also works to reduce your bounce rate. It is worth noting that at least 91% of all pages do not get Google’s organic traffic for the primary reason that they do not have any backlinks. In all respects, not using internal links is a losing strategy when it comes to SEO. A comprehensive internal linking strategy steers you away from mistakes like external linking. You should also do moderate linking to avoid cluttering the content.
2. Using Keywords
One of the main aspects that determine rankings in search results in search engines is keywords. Traffic to your site will depend on the keywords you have used. Keywords help to improve the visibility of your content to search engines. This makes it possible for your site to rank when people search for specific keywords that may relate to your website and its content. Source: https://www.cminds.com/seo-competitor-analysis/ When you do not use keywords and phrases in your site, it becomes difficult for search engines to familiarize themselves with the content on your website. The process by which Google and other search engines rank results depends on a process of searching for relevant terms and phrases, and return results based on their occurrence and count. By using keywords appropriately on your site, you avoid churning out flat content that might not get picked up by search engines.
3. Tracking Progress Over Time
It is essential to measure and track the results of the tactics that you apply as far as your SEO strategies go. Tracking progress helps you determine what works and what doesn’t. This presents you with a unique opportunity to rectify faltering parts of your optimization strategy. The digital world is fast-changing. This means that what was relevant yesterday might be obsolete today. This is the case with SEO strategies. You need to ensure that you track the progress of strategies you have put in place, so you do not become obsolete. This will also allow you to improve. A sizeable portion of website and content managers do not actively track the progress of their SEO efforts. This blinds them to what is happening. When you routinely monitor results, it becomes easier for you to know where to work on and where to be comfortable with.
4. Using Subheadings
Web crawlers parse content on the web, and for the process to be easier, the organization of content is key. These crawlers easily sift through broken down content, especially content that has subheadings, short sentences, and paragraphs. Organized content is also easy to read through. This means that more readers will be inclined to read such content, thus improving its visibility on search engines and improving the ranking of your site on search results. When the organization of your content is in a block format, it becomes hard for crawlers to sift through it and readers to read it as well. This works to your disadvantage. Renowned writing services at GrabMyEssay and Studicus also advise on content organization for easier and seamless readability.
5. Working on Your Bounce Rate
You need to create incentives for readers to visit other areas of your site apart from the page that brought them there. The bounce rate assesses the number of users that visit one page on your website vis-a-vis those who visit other pages on your site. Improving your bounce rate is a key organic way of improving your site’s ranking on search engines. Source: https://neilpatel.com/blog/13-ways-to-reduce-bounce-rate-and-increase-your-conversions/ More traffic to your site works to your advantage. It improves your ranking on search engines, and this becomes a plus to your SEO efforts. When the readership on your site increases, it becomes easier for search engines to pick it up and list it at the top of search engine results. Low bounce rates mean that readers cannot get a reason to be enthused with other pages on your site. It could also be a sign of low or no calls to action. These are some pitfalls that can cost you massively as far as SEO goes. Statistics show that the top four ranking factors in search are website visits, time on site, pages per session, and the bounce rate. With these numbers in mind, you might want to relook your bounce rate issues. You need to take proper action regarding calls to action and other elements that could help you improve your site’s bounce rate.
6. Use Relevant Visuals
In today’s digital world, where most folks grapple with information overload daily, many users prefer some visuals to enhance their reading experience. Images help to improve the overall quality of the content. The numbers indicate that people like to read content with visuals compared to that without. Using informative visuals especially helps to improve the quality and the appeal of the article to the readers. For a long while, many users have had a preference for content with visuals. This means increased readership. Increased readership makes search engines to pick up on it and rank it highly in search results. Using light images that do not lead to lags when loading makes the experience even more seamless. Failure to use visuals comes with its costs. Content that doesn’t have visuals gets little readership. It also does not rank highly in search engine results, and if it does, it is the exception rather than the norm. Further, it is worth noting that Google Images relies on images from articles on the same topic. If you are not using visuals, then you are making a grave mistake. This is so because you deny your site the opportunity for more traffic. The numbers show that images are returned for at least 22% of search queries on Google. This means that in this age, you are seriously under-strategizing if you are not giving images a fair level of attention when it comes to SEO.
7. Look for Gaps
The digital field is crowded today. There are probably dozens of articles that relate to what you are planning to write. Some of these articles could already be high on search engine results, and out-competing them would be an exercise in futility. In this regard, looking for niches can be a good move. You might want to explore areas that are not well catered for. This way, the chances of your content ranking highly on search results are high. There are alternative avenues that are arising as far as content promotion and SEO goes. Social media can come in handy here. You can leverage social media platforms as a launching pad. Posting content and links on social media that direct to content on your website can help improve traffic, which can help improve your site’s ranking on search results. The numbers indicate that slightly over 50% of visits from social media sites come from Facebook. In this regard, it might also be a good idea to leverage Facebook in the scheme of things, since the content you share on Facebook could be a pivot towards traffic on your website. Source: https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/social-media-marketing-statistics/ In summary, deploying proper SEO strategies can be the game-changer for your website. It all boils down to the traffic. When you set out to create content and share it on the web, you intend to get wide readership and viewership as possible. Therefore, you need to ensure that you use SEO strategies that will help you to outmaneuver other sites’ strategies. Using SEO strategies that have the double effect of improving your SEO rankings and guiding you past pitfalls can also help you immensely in getting the ranking results that you want. Many websites fail on their SEO strategies, and this becomes the key reason that contributes to low readership and viewership, thus poor overall performance. Some websites get their SEO strategies right but end up making SEO-related mistakes that end up costing them big time. Deploying the right mix of SEO strategies depends on carefully choosing strategies based on the content that you write. Read the full article
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darkammarketing · 5 years
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Agile Marketing | Overview and 8 Reasons to Adopt It in 2020
Marketing responsibilities and methodologies have changed drastically in the past decade.  
It’s no longer logical or affordable for brands to create 12-month marketing plans to be reviewed annually. In the ever-changing digital space, a single Google update can pull the carpet right out from under your feet. While traditional marketing places the producers and their sales cycle at the center of the business, agile marketing prioritizes the customers and their buying process instead.  
Agile marketing is quickly gaining momentum, as 98% of organizations report experiencing success with agile projects. 
Understanding agile marketing 
Inspired by the term agile software development, agile marketing is a marketing strategy wherein teams work collectively and collaboratively to accomplish projects within a short, definitive time period. Team members track the results of their efforts, and continuously strive to iterate and improve over time. Agile marketing values:
Responding to change over following a plan  
Rapid iterations over long-term campaigns  
Testing and data over assumptions and opinions  
Numerous small experiments over standalone bets  
Collaboration and transparency over silos and hierarchy
Features of agile marketing 
The most commonly known aspects of agile marketing include:  
Sprints – time given to the team for project completion. Generally, it ranges from fifteen days to six weeks; however larger projects are often grouped into several achievable sprints that can be easily managed. 
Stand-up meetings – 15-minute check-ins with the whole team to briefly discuss work from the previous day, in addition to plans for that day. Any hiccups are addressed and resolved as quickly as possible to ensure timely project completion. 
Project progress tracker – project management tools, like ActiveCollab and Trello, to help efficiently maintain a record of each sprint. Not a fan of using software? A whiteboard with sticky notes will also suffice.
Teamwork – a well-oiled team improves project completion rate and time. In closed teams, personal wins become collaborative successes, while also allowing individuals to improve and learn new skills.
Traditional vs. agile marketing 
Traditional marketing often fails to adapt quickly enough to the rapid evolution of marketing trends and constant change in customer needs. And when you witness a poor click-through rate, experience customer backlash, or communicate a product recall- every second counts. Agile marketing aims to increase campaign transparency, speed, and adaptability in an age of buyer-persona based marketing. This necessity for a quick response time is where agile marketing proves king.  
Benefits of agile marketing
Below are ways in which agile marketing increases employee productivity, conversions, and ultimately sales. Check out 8 reasons why you should adopt it in 2020:
Enables Better Internal Communication 
One of the biggest reasons businesses should opt for agile marketing is because it transforms communication within the marketing team. Daily scrum meetings ensure every team member knows what the other is working on, and any challenges that may arise are immediately resolved.
Enhances Productivity 
Marketers who choose agile marketing experience increased productivity. The term ‘productivity’ refers to projects and user stories completed, points scored, and results. As every marketing task warrants a different level of effort, teams assign value points according to the level of work required to complete each story. Visitors to a site, return visitors, bounce rate, trials, and sales are all metrics to be considered. No matter what you measure, the objective should always be enhanced productivity and velocity of the marketing team. 
Imparts Competitive Boost 
Improving the productivity of marketing and adopting a customer-centric method boosts the overall competitiveness of the business and increases customer satisfaction. Timely delivery of projects results in faster time-to-market, which in turn drives better ROI and explosive business growth.
Mitigates Marketing Costs 
Agile marketing is a cost-effective solution that helps businesses yield long-term results from their marketing efforts. It enables companies to efficiently and effectively increase their reach to a larger audience without any exorbitant investment in multiple solutions. 
Ensures Employee Satisfaction 
Happy marketers exhibit better productivity. According to a survey, agile marketers are more satisfied with their work management approach when compared to others.  
This is because agile marketers have a better ability to prioritize their tasks and accelerate the delivery of projects. When visibility, communication, and coordination improves amongst teams, morale does too. It’s, therefore, no surprise that an increase in the quality of work and employee satisfaction go hand in hand. 
Facilitates Transparency
Agile marketing provides clear insights into projects being delivered by the marketing department. Sprint review meetings allow management to give constructive feedback, which subsequently leads to better results. It also affords team members the opportunity to bring up tangible contributions they’ve made, and be acknowledged for their hard work. Transparency, however, is not simply limited to team members, but also requires marketing to work closely with their customers to provide honest services to them.
Allows Measurement of Results 
Measurement and accountability are the fundamentals of agile marketing. Agile marketing teams typically execute small tests to measure results. Based on these findings, they invest more time into strategies that prove to be working, and less time into those that don’t. Additionally, it enables marketers to effectively communicate their contributions to management using data and metrics
Makes work fun
Agile marketing provides an open atmosphere to discuss projects, challenges and achievements, as well as an opportunity to better know your teammates. Daily standup meetings mean you’re always looped in on what others are working on, which in turn leads to a more cohesive, empathetic, and accountable team environment. One of the biggest assets of agile teams is the inherent nature of collaboration and self-management. 
Wrapping Up 
Agile marketing methodologies enable teams to stay up to date with trends and understand what customers want in real-time. It allows marketing teams to get an idea or product in front of customers in a short amount of time, with a smaller budget and less risk. Success in today’s ever-evolving digital space depends on getting the right message in front of the right audience at exactly the right time, a feat made possible with agile marketing. 
The post Agile Marketing | Overview and 8 Reasons to Adopt It in 2020 appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.
from https://adobe.ly/2qUNMQw via IFTTT via Blogger http://bit.ly/2qWpWnk
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digitalmark18-blog · 6 years
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Top 7 Essential Questions to Ask When Hiring an SEO Company… And 3 Costly Pitfalls to Avoid
New Post has been published on https://britishdigitalmarketingnews.com/top-7-essential-questions-to-ask-when-hiring-an-seo-company-and-3-costly-pitfalls-to-avoid/
Top 7 Essential Questions to Ask When Hiring an SEO Company… And 3 Costly Pitfalls to Avoid
Hiring the right SEO company can rank among one of the top business decisions you’ll make. The right SEO company can help your business dominate search engine rankings and drive an ongoing stream of highly targeted traffic to your website at zero cost per click.
Hiring the wrong SEO company however, can cost you severely. In addition to the fees you’ll pay them, poor SEO tactics can cause your business to suffer from lost revenue opportunities and can severely damage your company’s brand, not to mention bruise your professional reputation.
What are the key credentials you should look for in an SEO company? What questions should you ask to help you determine if they have the industry experience, talent, and technology needed to grow your business? How can you be sure their tactics won’t put your business on Google’s blacklist?
Below are the top seven questions to help you hire the right SEO company and avoid some costly pitfalls.
#1: Who will be my designated contact?
It’s unlikely that the person selling you will also perform your SEO work or serve as your day-to-day point of contact.
A professional SEO company will assign you at least one designated contact who will be available to you by phone, email, or in person. You may find it helpful to have a designated contact in or near your time zone. Ask to be introduced to your designated contact and their location up-front to make sure you’ll be able to work well together.
Blog post ideas. Questions about a PPC campaign. Reverse-engineering a competitor’s SEO strategy. New products or services to add to the website. These are just a few of the topics your service experts should routinely discuss with you.
#2: How long will it take for SEO to produce results?
Achieving top organic search engine rankings for highly competitive keywords takes time, technical experience, cutting-edge tools, hard work, and often out-of-the box creative thinking.
To avoid disappointment, the smart move is to work with an SEO company that’s willing to perform an up-front technical analysis of your website along with competitive keyword research. Then provide you an honest assessment with reasonable goals and a clear action plan.
Beware of any SEO company that guarantees page #1 Google rankings.
Google clearly states that no company can guarantee a #1 ranking on their search engine. Any company that makes such a promise is either intentionally trying to mislead you or is simply incompetent. Either way, they’re setting themselves (and you) up to fail.
Get an honest assessment about the competitive nature of your target keywords and the amount of time and work required to achieve top organic search engine rankings.
#3: Can you show me case studies of real clients in a related industry?
Ask the SEO company to share real-life performance results they’ve achieved for businesses similar to yours. If all their case studies are about dentists and you run a contracting business, they may not be a good match for you.
Check out the results and stats of those case studies. Google page #1 rankings are a great start, but also look for increases in site traffic, leads, and quality conversions.
More than just a star-rating, you should also be able to read feedback from actual clients, whether found on the company’s website, on Google, or through Clutch.co, the leading review site for verified agencies. Read the feedback their clients have shared about what it’s like to work with the company.
#4: What’s included in my proposal?
Before you sign a contract, you should be able to receive a proposal that outlines the current state of your website and a clear SEO strategy the company plans to implement.
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The first step in this proposal is a technical SEO audit, which reveals technical errors that may prevent your site from achieving top SEO rankings. Their SEO experts will correct these errors and tune your website to top performance.
From there they should identify the primary keywords that will not only deliver site traffic but also conversions.
#5: How familiar is the SEO company with your industry?
Your SEO company should be able to understand your business’s unique demographics and needs in the digital marketing space. If you’re a local B2C business in a small town, for example, your SEO strategy should focus on Google Maps results for keywords related to your products or services. If you’re receiving traffic without conversions or unqualified leads, you may need to reevaluate your partnership.
On the other hand, if you’re a large, national B2B corporation, you’ll need a different strategy. The SEO company you’re interviewing should be able to provide insight into what marketing tactics will work best for your business.
#6: Can I meet the team?
In addition to the salesperson, it’s helpful to meet members of the team who’ll be working on your account. From technical SEO, to content development, to link-building, to performance analysis and reporting, getting SEO right requires a multitude of skillsets. Get to know their experts’ professional backgrounds. See how long they’ve been with the company. Are they certified in Google Analytics? If you’re using PPC, are they certified in Google AdWords?
You’ll also want to know the day-to-day activities of the team working on your account. What is each person’s role? Do they specialize in one thing, or do they work on multiple areas at the same time? Ideally, each person will be a specialist in one particular area. That way you’re getting the best content, the best optimization, and the best PPC management.
#7: How long has the SEO company been in business?
Working with a startup has its risks. You can’t be sure that company will still be around a year from now. A professional SEO company will be able to demonstrate a strong track record of success.
Have they worked with web design/development teams?
Have they developed long-term, successful digital marketing strategies?
Are they experienced with SEO, PPC management and social media marketing?
Do they have the capability to create high-quality content that converts visitors into sales?
Do they understand how to leverage the power of social media to boost search rankings?
If the SEO company you’re vetting can’t answer all of these questions without hesitation and to your satisfaction, keep looking. Remember, you’re looking for an SEO company that will work as an extension to your team and a true partner to your business.
BONUS: 3 Costly Pitfalls to Avoid When Hiring an SEO Company
Still wondering if you’ve made the right decision? How can you be certain you’ve selected the best SEO company for your business? See the most common mistakes businesses make when hiring their SEO company.
#1 Opting for the quick fix
It’s easy to be tempted by an SEO company that promises fast results and offers cheap rates. The truth is, no matter how good an SEO company might be, nobody can guarantee top organic SEO results in the first month or two. Web crawlers of primary search engines don’t work that fast. Attracting quality traffic – visitors that actually convert into customers – takes a concerted effort over time.
In contrast, an agency that knows SEO will be laying the groundwork for significant improvement during that first 30 days that will come to fruition over time. The payoff won’t be instantaneous but will be genuine in terms of gaining loyal customers.
#2 Hiring an SEO company inexperienced in your industry
Hiring an SEO company with little/no experience in your industry means you’ll likely end up frustrated as you spend your valuable time and a good portion of your SEO budget educating them. They’ll be learning on your dime and may end up making mistakes that embarrass you and your company.
Although SEO basics span all industries, the strategy and execution behind industry-specific keyword research, backlinking, and analytics is best left to experts with prior experience in a field related to yours.
Conversely, hiring an SEO company with prior experience in your industry means they’ll not only be able to hit the ground running, they’ll be able to bring you fresh, actionable ideas to propel business growth.
#3 Not asking about analytics
Your ability to meet your business goals is in part directly related to your ability to measure SEO effectiveness over time. Ask prospective SEO agencies how, when, and what they provide in terms of performance reports. Ask to see examples.
A professional SEO company will be able to deliver statistics beyond Google rankings and website traffic. They’ll also track your site’s effectiveness at attracting new viewers, how many visitors return for more information, how many complete forms or call in, and most importantly: how many convert to customers.
You might be shocked at how many SEO companies don’t provide their clients direct access to their analytics and effectively keep them in the dark about the performance of their SEO program.
Have you been through the SEO company hiring process? If so, would asking these questions have influenced your purchase decision?
Author: Sam Saidman
Sam Saidman is a Client Success Manager at AIS Media, a leading digital marketing and SEO agency helping clients increase search rankings, web traffic, and conversion rates. AIS Media was recently recognized with a 2018 Search Engine Land Award and Clutch Top Digital Marketing Agency Award. With over five years… View full profile ›
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Source: https://www.business2community.com/seo/top-7-essential-questions-to-ask-when-hiring-an-seo-company-and-3-costly-pitfalls-to-avoid-02096816
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tammienorthrup-blog · 7 years
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Best Online Poker: Get It On
Make plans now to play in the mega satellite next Saturday, or show up at the casino at one of th scheduled times above to play a one-table satellite.Either way, it's a tournament you don't want to miss. With an $1100 buy-in and what is normally full-capacity participation there will be a big prize pool.
There's more to each of us then what we do as a career, and this holds true for the athlete. While we view the player out on the field or in the news, we may forget that they have personal issues and can suffer from self doubt and discouragement just like the rest of us. In a nutshell, they're human. Although some make it much longer, the average career span of a professional football player is three and a half seasons, according to the NFLPA. That alone may be cause for consternation, not to mention a good reason to plan and seek guidance. Today, there are a lot of information and tips on game gaple. By doing a search on Google, you can find lots of information about it. Other than the Internet, you can also go down to your local library to look out for books on poker. Books cover a wide range of subjects, from poker tells to the various strategies in detail. Buying wooden Dominoes online is an easy task. You will have to just surf the net for information on websites who would offer wooden Dominoes on sale. You can purchase them by clicking on them and paying for them. The payment gateways for such a purchase are also very easy. You can pay with the help of your credit card also. This is the most convenient way to get a game of dominoes for you. Do check out the cost of the product properly. There may be mentioned about the shipping costs and other costs involved. But if Valentine fails to generate 2 million unique hits on his site, he will still face off against his childhood pal in a heads up online poker match, but this time he'll be playing for his right index finger. If he wins, he gets to keep all his digits. If he loses, it's off with his finger - and Valentine vies for the title of World's Dumbest Amputee. Conversely if you are one of the first to act and have poor hole cards you may be better to fold and get out of there to save your chips for better opportunities. As the main judi online progresses to the later stages and players are eliminated then the reverse can come in to play with a strong bet from the early position player enough to scare off the others. Knowing how and when to bluff is a skill you must develop but can only do so by playing and looking for weakness in your opponents. Skip the law-school track. Lawyers are the most depressed of all professionals. Stress itself does not make a job bad, says Alan Kreuger, economist at Princeton University. Not having control over one's work does make a bad job, though, and lawyers are always acting on behalf of someone else. Suicide is among the leading causes of premature death among lawyers.
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opticien2-0 · 7 years
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GUEST COMMENT From brand to retailer: key considerations for your D2C strategy
More and more brands are trying their hand at selling direct-to-consumer (D2C). The opportunities are great, but so are the risks as high-profile brands like Diageo have shown. So what’s at stake for brands and manufacturers looking to bypass the retail ‘middleman’ and what should they consider?
Why brands are attracted to the D2C model
A diverse range of businesses are proving that where a brand can provide a compelling reason to shop from them directly, the consumers will come.
In the case of Dollar Shave Club, the draw was value and convenience, while Caspar in the US has differentiated itself through simplicity (it sells just one product) and convenience (its mattress is compressed and shipped in a box).
Nike, on the other hand, offers exclusive member benefits, personalisation, and unique brand experiences to ‘serve athletes in every phase of their life, from the gym onto the court, and into the street’ – a strategy that’s clearly paying off with D2C driving 70% of the company’s growth.
Owning the customer experience
In addition to higher margins, selling D2C allows those brands that can successfully create a relationship with their end-customer base to benefit from cost efficiencies and owning all the data insight gained from sales.
Selling directly to the consumer within an organisation’s own brand environment gives optimum control over the customer experience and allows the business to collect real-time data, not just on what’s driving engagement and revenue, but across the whole customer journey. Using the knowledge gained, D2C sellers are able to refine experiences in-line with customer expectations and in turn drive retention and growth.
In this way, D2C, brands are able to use tactics they wouldn’t otherwise be able to employ, such as promotional codes and abandoned-basket emails. It’s a strategy that’s ripe with opportunities for building customer retention and loyalty.
Key considerations for your D2C strategy
Online has lowered entry barriers to launching a D2C business, but launching a D2C proposition is not without significant risk. Over 50% of internet purchase starts with a search on Amazon, for example, and so it’s crucial to consider your marketplace and have clearly-defined business objectives and an airtight strategy for how your D2C channel will serve and be measured against those goals.
Here’s what you’ll need to consider:
Why are you doing this?
What’s the value to you in a D2C model?
What benefit will your domain give customers that other channels can’t? Simplicity? Convenience? Value? Different product?
How can you service your customers more effectively and profitably through D2C?
How will you communicate that value proposition to the customer?
These are crucial questions when trying to crack the D2C opportunity. Fail to consider these, and you could land yourself in hot water, as was the case with alcohol behemoth Diageo (Gordon’s gin). As Charles Ireland, Diageo‘s general manager for Great Britain, Ireland and France, has highlighted, people are generally time poor and will not seek out products on dedicated websites unless they have a very strong incentive.
Typically the incentive needs to be stronger the less of an affinity a customer has with a brand. Where customers have a strong brand loyalty, they may, for example, ignore the lure of cheaper sourced alternatives. However, price alone will not ensure success.
D2Cs should look to carefully balance their customer proposition based on a combination of price, product/proposition uniqueness, and convenience. Ultimately, brands should consider if they can provide the customer with a better overall experience if they shop with them directly.
If you can’t differentiate via a D2C offering, consider where your customers are already spending their time online. What strategic channels could you explore to reach your target audience and sell in a way that’s more convenient to them?
Nike, for example, which plans to grow its direct-to-consumer sales to $16bn in 2020, also sells via Amazon and Instagram. Yes, this means a loss of ownership when it comes to customer insight, but Nike clearly thinks the traffic and reach these channels provide is worth investing in.
Meanwhile ‘grocery ecosystem’ INS (piloting in 2018) has signed-up brands including Mars and Unilever in its bid to drive down prices for consumers, and costs for manufacturers. The aim is to create a peer-to-peer marketplace that allows brands to engage directly with their customer base and build a relationship that’s typically not possible through traditional marketplaces.
What approach will you take?
Fast experimentation and iteration is far more valuable than going to market with a fully-formed solution; it enables you to quickly learn whether your digital initiative is delivering against your business goals.
Before you invest in developing a D2C product, consider how experimentation can validate customer appetite for it. This ensures your decision-making is informed by evidence from the outset, rather than assumptions.
For example, could you add a simple button to your site that allows you to track consumer interest in being able to buy directly from your site, even if that ecommerce functionality isn’t available yet?
Healthy snack company Graze.com used customer feedback to establish that there was an appetite for an alternative to their subscription model. As a result, Graze wanted to try out a D2C model that would give users the freedom and choice to purchase a wider range of individual products online without the need for a subscription.
With the help of Inviqa and Elastera, Graze launched an online shop which quickly proved the viability of a direct online order business model. A barebones ‘MVP’ version of which was developed and launched alongside its main website, allowing Graze to test, learn, and iterate without betting the business.
Contrary to any fears that an online retail shop would cannibalise Graze’s existing subscription proposition, data shows that it appeals to a new demographic and that it’s driving incremental revenue.
D2C is not a silver bullet
D2C is not a silver bullet for brands looking to get closer to their customers; D2C strategies often fail. What’s more, by engaging directly with customers, you risk causing damage to the relationships you have with your existing retail outlets, so going it alone needs to be carefully considered before cutting ties with retailers whose business model is purely based on selling a product to customers.
For businesses considering a D2C strategy, it’s key to confirm demand in target markets and act quickly to establish themselves, but only if they’re able to bring a proposition to the customer that’s more attractive than what’s already available through traditional retailers.
Expectation set by ecommerce giants like Amazon [IRDX RAMZ] and ASOS can be hard for less retail-experienced businesses to meet. Owning the end-to-end experience has many pitfalls for the retail novice, but for those who make a success of stepping into the D2C arena, the rewards are vast.
As brands chase the holy grail of customer data, we can expect to see more experiments in this area. Ultimately though, the success of those experiments will come down to whether those brands are able to identify and solve a clear consumer problem.
  Brett Lawrence is a senior consultant at web and software development company Inviqa.
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