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sourabhdubey007 · 5 years ago

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The Beginner’s Guide to Using Elementor in WordPress 2020

A couple of decades ago, creating a website involved a lot of back and forth between developers, copywriters, and project managers. It took months just to get a few simple changes updated on your website.

Nowadays, knowing how to code isn’t necessary to build engaging websites. Page builders like Elementor make it super easy for non-coders to create any WordPress website they want.

In this guide, you’ll learn about Elementor and how it can help you build a stunning website.

What is Elementor?

Elementor is a drag-and-drop page builder for WordPress. This plugin helps you create beautiful pages using a visual editor. It’s designed for you to build dynamic websites quickly.

This WordPress plugin is an all-in-one solution—letting you control every part of your website design in a single platform. You can customize your website to fit your brand with motion effects, multiple fonts, and enhanced background images.

Why You Should Use Elementor

Elementor works for all types of professionals on your team. If you’re not tech savvy, the visual editor gives you the flexibility to drag any of the 90+ widgets to create content, like buttons, star ratings, and progress bars. For developers, it’s still a top-choice platform with script optimization, custom attributes, and rollback versions.

What Can You Build With Elementor?

Elementor is an effective tool for building everything from your entire website to specific landing pages. You can design sales pages, promotional pages, and even custom forms. If you can imagine it, this platform can help you design any page for your WordPress website.

Source: Steak Cattle and Roll

Then, there’s this landing page for a Canadian law firm.

Source: Vogel LLP

How to Install Elementor

Like other WordPress plugins, installing Elementor is quick and simple. There are two ways you can do it.

Installing via Elementor.com

Go to Elementor.com an click Free Download.

Enter your email address in the text box on the pop-up window.

Then, click Subscribe & Download.

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.

Click Upload Plugin, and choose the .zip file you’ve downloaded for Elementor.

Click Install Now, and then Activate Plugin.

Installing via WordPress Dashboard

From your dashboard, click Plugins > Add New.

In the search field, enter Elementor and locate Elementor Page Builder.

Click Install Now. After installation, click Activate.

How to Use Elementor in WordPress

With Elementor, you can take your design vision and turn into reality. Live editing makes the process painless by allowing you to view each element as you design it. Let’s explore the Elementor editor.

Quick Tour of the Elementor Editor

Elementor offers an intuitive design for users. So, you can learn the basics of the editor in a couple of minutes.

For starters, you can access the Elementor editor from the left side of your WordPress dashboard.

Or you can click Edit with Elementor when you create a new page or post.

Drag-and-drop features are located on the left side of the editor. You can search for specific widgets to customize your pages. Choose from basic elements, like a heading or image gallery, or explore more advanced elements, like animated headlines and testimonial carousels.

In the Style & Settings Configuration menu, you can set default colors and fonts for your pages. You also can configure global settings for your entire website on Elementor.

Source: Elementor

Elementor comes with a built-in Revision History section. Under the Actions tab, you can trace your changes, moving back and forth between each action. Under the Revisions tab, you can switch between your revisions and revert back to any previous version.

How to Build Your First Page in Elementor

Elementor stands out from its competitors because of its ease of use. Try it for yourself by building your first page in the platform—no coding skills required.

Go to your WordPress dashboard.

Click Pages, then Add New.

Click Edit with Elementor to enter the page builder.

Elementor will load to look like this:

The Elementor editor consists of three main building blocks: Sections, Columns, and Widgets. Sections are the largest building blocks. Within Sections, you can add groups of Columns, and Widgets are housed within Columns.

You control the Sections, Columns, and Widgets using the blue handle. Just right click the handle to edit the blocks.

Templates are pre-designed Pages and Blocks to help you design your WordPress website. Pages are full content layouts, while Blocks are sections with pre-built widgets, like footers, headers, and FAQs.

Elementor gives you a full license to use any of the templates for your business. There’s a field to search for specific templates by page type, template name, or tag. Plus, all templates are mobile responsive. You can insert them into any page with just one click.

From the main editing screen, click the white folder icon.

To preview a template, click the magnifying glass icon.

Click the green Insert button in the top right-hand corner to select your desired template.

When you’re finished designing your page, you can preview and then publish it.

Go to the bottom panel on the right side of the Elementor editor.

To preview your page, click the eye icon.

To publish, click the green Publish button.

How to Use Advanced Features in Elementor

Elementor’s pro version offers advanced features to take your WordPress website to the next level. You get access to more widgets, a theme builder, pop-up builder, and custom field capabilities.

How to Create a Popup in Elementor

Pop-up forms help you capture email addresses from leads. Elementor makes creating these forms easier with its pop-up builder. Follow these instructions to create your own popup.

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Templates > Popups > Add New.

Name your template and click Create Template.

Choose a template from the Library or create your own design.

Click Publish, then Save and Close.

Open a new page in Elementor (CTRL + E for PC users; Command + E for Mac users).

Drag in a button widget.

Under Layout, choose Link > Dynamic > Actions > Popup.

Go to Popup > Open Popup and select the popup you created.

Go to the live page.

Then, click on the button and see the popup appear.

Here’s how it might look:

Source: Elementor

How to Customize WooCommerce Product Page in Elementor

WooCommerce is a popular e-commerce platform to help you build an online store for your business. Together with Elementor, you create custom product pages to boost your sales.

Before you can customize your product page, you’ll need to install and activate WooCommerce and Elementor to your WordPress dashboard. You’ll also want to add a few products to your website. You can learn about WooCommerce setup here.

After setup, you now can design your product page. Follow these steps.

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Elementor > My Templates.

Click on the Add New button.

Choose Single Product as your template type and click Create Template.

The Elementor Library will load.

Next, choose a pre-designed product page template, or build one from scratch.

Source: Elementor

In the template, add different product widgets to customize your page. You can find the complete list here.

Source: Elementor

When you’re ready to preview your page, click on the eye icon on the bottom left panel.

Click Settings, then choose the product you want to display.

It might look like this:

Source: Elementor

To publish your page, click the green Publish button on the bottom left panel.

Frequently Asked Questions About Elementor

Do you still have questions about Elementor? No problem. Here are a few frequently asked questions about the plugin along with the answers.

How much does Elementor cost?

Elementor is a free plugin for WordPress users. If you want to unlock additional features, you can get the pro version. You can find the prices here.

Does Elementor work with all themes?

Yes, it works with all themes that follow WordPress’ coding standards.

Does Elementor slow down your website?

Elementor is one of the fastest page builders. However, some websites can cause slow loading times. Here are common ways to fix the website speed issue.

Elementor is a WordPress plugin specifically built to help you design a custom website for your business. Its user-friendly interface makes it an effective platform for non-coders. If you want to attract and nurture more leads, install Elementor and HubSpot’s CRM plugin to increase your conversions.

The post The Beginner’s Guide to Using Elementor in WordPress 2020 appeared first on The Coding Bus.

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frankdcarterfl · 5 years ago

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How to Build a Digital Content Strategy that Delivers Results

Content marketing improves your SEO efforts in multiple ways. It helps you drive more organic traffic, increases your rankings, and earns top-notch links. Above all, it gives you the opportunity to position yourself as an industry authority and build trust with your target audience. Now, no matter if you’re just starting out with content creation or you’ve been investing in it for quite some time now, it’s always a good idea to build a digital content strategy that will back you up.

Build Reader Personas

(Sample Reader Persona - Source) Before you launch a blog, you need to know who you’re creating content for. Simply put, not knowing your audience, you won’t be able to choose relevant topics and set the tone of voice that resonates with them. Remember, gone are the days where you could write spam content for the sake of SEO. While SEO still matters (we’ll get back to it later), you now need to focus on creating user-centered content. Start by collecting customer data. Your goal is to get to know your target audiences, understand their hopes, goals, problems, fears, values, habits, and so forth. This will help you write content that brings value to them, helps them solve real-life problems, and encourages them to keep coming back to your website. That’s where you should create reader personas. Start by creating just one persona that depicts your most typical customers. Over time, as customer data keeps accumulating, you can segment your target audiences and create multiple personas for each segment. Now, your reader persona needs to answer the who, what, why, when, where, and how. For starters, collect your customers’ demographics data that tells you more about your customers’ age, location, race, gender, family status, education, employment status, etc. Then, dive deep into their psychographics to learn more about their goals, hobbies, lifestyles, interests, fears, insecurities, and so forth.

Establish your Brand Voice

(Brand Voice Chart - Source) Each online marketer needs to establish their brand’s tone of voice they will use consistently across all marketing channels, be it email, social networks, or blog posts. Just like brand colors, typography, or visual content, your voice is a critical part of your branding strategy. It makes you recognizable and unique. Namely, if your audiences cannot pick your voice out of all that online noise, maybe you’re not even worth listening to. Now, when choosing your brand voice, there are several factors to consider – your target audiences, your industry, and your brand’s traits and personality. Your tone of voice could be passionate, using power words to evoke emotions. It could also be quirky, challenging the status quo. Finally, you could also choose an authoritative tone of voice that tells customers that you take them seriously and helps you position yourself as an industry leader.

Set Clear Goals for your Content

(Smart Goals) Each type of content has a specific purpose and function. Precisely because of that, you need to set clear content marketing goals before you start blogging. According to CMI, 79% of online marketers create content to maximize brand awareness. Others use it to retain customers, generate leads, boost website traffic, increase leads, and grow industry credibility. Your goals dictate your digital content strategy. For example, if you want to boost brand awareness, you will use informative and helpful content like whitepapers, ebooks, checklists, infographics that will grab their attention. Those customers in the evaluation stage will want to know how you can solve their specific problems. That’s where FAW pages, product webinars, and case studies can help. Finally, to maximize sales, you will need to offer live demos, free trials, free quotes, etc. Another immensely important purpose of setting clear goals lies in the fact that they directly impact your choice of content marketing metrics. That’s why you need to resort to the famous SMART approach, meaning your goals should be: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timely

Choose the Right Content Formats

Your target audience has different preferences. While some of them prefer textual content, others are visual learners. Some people even focus on audio content they can consume on the go. Therefore, to appeal to wider audience groups and maximize your content results, you should diversify your digital content strategy and experiment with different types of content. Here are a few content types to get you started. Blog posts Blog posts are the most popular content format. However, to get the most out of them, you first need to publish them consistently. Never spam your articles with a bunch of keywords or promotional links. While this worked a while ago, today, both users and search engines expect you to deliver high-quality articles. Create in-depth and data-backed articles that provide your readers with actionable tips and valuable information. It is also recommended that blog posts be somewhere 1,000 and 3,000 words in length, as longer content delivers greater value to readers and performs better on Google. Above all, make blog articles readable. Break them up into smaller paragraphs, use headings, and insert images to make textual content easier to read. Infographics Visual content stays one of the key digital content trends in 2020. And, that’s where infographics dominate. Online users love them because they visualize a bunch of data in a more engaging and compelling way. Strong visuals and colors help them memorize data faster. For you, this is a great opportunity to create a highly shareable and linkable content format everyone will love. Just like with any other content format, infographics need to be packed with valuable tips and up-to-date facts. Keep the sentences short and clear. Choose legible fonts and font sizes. Add lots of white space to make it easier to track. Colors should be pleasant to the eye, typography legible, and sentences short and clear. Focus on key information and make sure information flows logically logical. Use lots of white space to make the content easier to follow. Ebooks Ebooks are one of the most powerful lead magnets – a kind of content customers can download for free in exchange for their email address. They educate readers about the latest industry trends and let you boost your industry credibility. Ebooks should deliver value to your target audience. They need to provide relevant statistics, insights, ideas, and advice. They should also contain high-quality illustrations, photos, charts, depending on your industry. Similar to fiction works, your ebook needs to be properly formatted and easy to follow, while information needs to flow organically. Case studies Case studies are a form of customer testimonials, where you can tell your customers’ stories and show how they solved particular problems by working with you. Now, case studies can be in different forms, from blog posts and infographics to downloadable files in PDF. For example, you could write a research-based case study that tells a single client’s story and pack it with relevant data, charts, statistics, and customer testimonials. Videos Did you know that 51% of marketing professionals say video content delivers the best ROI? That’s not surprising at all, given that 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Moreover, video content is highly attention-grabbing and engaging. It evokes emotions and inspires users to share it online with their friends. Above all, it helps users retain the information and memorize your brand. Podcasts Some of your users would rather listen to you than read your lengthy case study, whitepaper, or article. They want to consume your content on their mobile devices, wherever they are, be it a coffee shop, a gym, or a bank. Studies say that there are over 700,000 podcasts and half of the population has already listened to them. You just need to choose hot topics to discuss, invite authoritative guests, invest in quality internet connections and microphone and you’re all set. Sure, this post is to short for me to list and explain every type of content out there. If you want to experiment with some additional forms of content, here are a few additional ideas that may serve as your sold starting point: Comprehensive guides Interviews Press releases Quizzes Email newsletters In-house research Timelines Whitepapers Resources Vlogs

Optimize for Search Engines

(My SEO Results in 2019) Content marketing and SEO go hand in hand. Without SEO, your content would be invisible in search engines. However, optimizing content for Google doesn’t mean spamming it with a bunch of keywords. This would only harm user experiences and even get you penalized by Google. For starters, research the right keywords. Those should be the phrases your readers are searching on Google. Now, there are several kinds of keywords. Exact-match ones have a greater search volume, but they are highly competitive. On the other hand, long-tail keywords have a lower search volume, but they’re less competitive, meaning you will be able to rank higher in the SERPs. When optimizing for keywords, focus on identifying search intent – the reason why users are conducting searches. Now, there are several types of search intent. Informational one means that users are looking for certain facts and data. Users conducting navigational searches want to know exactly what site they want to visit, while those with the commercial intent are looking for products to purchase. When choosing keywords for your blog posts, opt for conversational and natural keywords that don’t compromise user experiences. Question-based keywords are also valuable for voice searches that have been gaining momentum over the past few years. Apart from traditional keyword research tools, like SEMrush, Moz Keyword Explorer, KWFinder, you could also use tools like Google’s People Also Ask, Answer the Public, and Google Trends to identify valuable long-tail keywords.

Build a Content Calendar

(Sample Content Calendar) To maximize your content performance, you need to increase its consistency. You should plan your content every month. That’s where a detailed content calendar will help you. It needs to emphasize what kind of content you will create, what your audiences are for each piece of content, as well as to set strict deadlines, publishing dates, and so forth. By planning your content creation and promotion strategy reasonably, you will increase your blog’s consistency, eliminate any ambiguities, and boost user experiences.

Promote your Content

Now that your piece of content is live, you need to promote it. There are numerous places where you should promote your content. Start by promoting it organically on social networks. Sharing your posts on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn will definitely increase its visibility and reach and maximize its traffic. To make the most out of social networks, you could also create a Facebook or LinkedIn group. Building and nurturing an engaged community is an amazing way to promote your content and yet, deliver value to your target audiences. Email marketing is still one of the most powerful ways to promote content. It grabs people’s attention and encourages them to go to your blog post by building stronger relationships with them. However, the way you use email marketing has changed. Your subject line needs to be strong, while your email body should be personalized and clear, emphasizing the benefits of your content for readers. You could also segment email lists to provide them with relevant content only. Link building lets you boost your site’s authority, market to wider audiences, and increase your website traffic. Start by publishing high-quality articles on authoritative blogs in your industry. Apart from guest blogging, there are many alternative ways of link building, such as: broken link building link reclamation contributing to HARO (Help A Reporter Out) commenting on relevant sites registering on industry-specific business directories

Measure Outcomes

Finally, you need to track the performance of your content marketing strategy. Like I’ve mentioned above, the choice of metrics depends on the goals you’ve set. For example, if you want to increase brand awareness, you will focus on metrics like website traffic, content downloads, referral links, page views, etc. On the other hand, for measuring engagement, track your blog comments, social likes and shares, and backlinks. If your goal is to generate leads, focus on email subscription rates, conversion rates, form completions. You can measure the majority of these KPIs directly from Google Analytics.

Over to You

Content marketing is a great way to boost industry authority, engage customers, and build stronger relationships with them. However, to achieve the desired goals, you need to plan your content strategically, from targeting the right audiences to choosing content promotion channels. And, I hope these tips will help you. How do you create online content? We’d like to hear from you! Read the full article from Lorenzo Gutierrez https://lorenzo-gutierrez-seo.tumblr.com/post/190058442487

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lorenzo-gutierrez-seo · 5 years ago

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How to Build a Digital Content Strategy that Delivers Results

Build Reader Personas

Establish your Brand Voice

Set Clear Goals for your Content

Choose the Right Content Formats

Optimize for Search Engines

Build a Content Calendar

Promote your Content

Measure Outcomes

Over to You

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essaywriting011-blog · 7 years ago

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The Lost Cause narrative of the South effectively sabotaged and influenced racial policy in the US for most of the post-Civil War period.

New Post has been published on https://essays-writing.us/the-lost-cause-narrative-of-the-south-effectively-sabotaged-and-influenced-racial-policy-in-the-us-for-most-of-the-post-civil-war-period/

The Lost Cause narrative of the South effectively sabotaged and influenced racial policy in the US for most of the post-Civil War period.

After the Civil War, the United States had to recover from war, handle western expansion, and grapple with very new economic forms. However, its greatest issues would revolve around the legacies of slavery and increasing diversity in the decades after the Civil War. Reconstruction was partly a period of military occupation of the south by the northern victors. Former slaves now had freedom and new opportunities but faced old prejudices and rapidly forming new barriers. Immigrants from Europe and Asia came in large numbers but then faced political and social restrictions. Women continued to seek rights. Yet, on the whole, America became increasingly diverse by the 1920s. Consider developments, policies, and laws in that period from 1865 to the 1920s. Take one of the positions as suggested below, draw from the sources listed, and present a paper with specific examples and arguments to demonstrate the validity of your position.

Possible position—in each case you can take the pro or con position:

The Lost Cause narrative of the South effectively sabotaged and influenced racial policy in the US for most of the post-Civil War period. (or you can take the position that it did not)

Political policies in the decades after the Civil War generally promoted diversity and “the melting pot” despite the strong prejudices of a few. (or you can take the position that political policies did not)

Reform movements between 1865 and 1930, like the Progressives and the agrarian populists, generally led the way to increased democracy. (or you can take the position that these movements did not)

After giving general consideration to your readings so far and any general research, select one of the positions above as your position—your thesis. (Sometimes after doing more thorough research, you might choose the reverse position. This happens with critical thinking and inquiry. Your final paper might end up taking a different position than you originally envisioned.). Organize your paper as follows, handling these issues:

The position you choose (from the list above)—or something close to it—will be the thesis statement in your opening paragraph.

To support your position, use three specific examples from different decades between 1865 and 1930. You may narrowly focus on race or gender or immigrant status, or you may use examples relevant to all categories.

Explain why the opposing view is weak in comparison to yours.

Consider your life today: In what way does the history you have shown shape or impact issues in your workplace or desired profession?

Length: The paper should be 500-to-750 words in length. This normally means 3-to-4 pages for the body of the paper. (The title page and Sources page do not count in these calculations.) Double-space between lines. Format instructions are below.

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Research and References: You must use a MINIMUM of three sources; the Schultz textbook must be one of them. Your other two sources should be drawn from the list provided below. This is guided research, not open-ended Googling. You will have a list of Sources at the end, using SWS format. You will have short, SWS-style in-text citations to those sources appropriately placed in the body of the paper. Except as your instructor might direct, don’t use other sources for your paper than those listed here. (Of course, for “starter research” you can read many sources.)

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Source List for Assignment 1: Be sure to use the Schultz text as a source. Use at least two of the other sources listed here. Some sources are “primary” sources from the time period being studied. Some sources below can be accessed via direct link or through the primary sources links on Blackboard. Each week has a different list of primary sources. For others, they are accessible through the permalink to the source in our online library: Sources below having libdatab.strayer.edu as part of the URL have a permalink to that source in our university’s online library.

SWS Form for the textbook: Kevin M. Schultz. 2018. HIST: Volume 2: U.S. History since 1865. 5th ed.

Choose sources relevant to the topic and position you are taking:

Y. Abu-Laban & V. Lamont. 1997. Crossing borders: Interdisciplinary, Immigration and the Melting Pot in the American Cultural Imaginary. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=392542&site=eds-live&scope=site

Black Testimony on the Aftermath of Enslavement. 1866. Report of the Joint Committee on Reconstruction. http://college.cengage.com/history/wadsworth_9781133309888/unprotected/ps/black_testimony.htm

Chinese Exclusion Act. 1882. http://college.cengage.com/history/wadsworth_9781133309888/unprotected/ps/chinese_exclusion_act.htm

Civil War Journeys. n.d. The Lost Cause. http://civil-war-journeys.org/the_lost_cause.htm

J. C. Bancroft Davis. 1896. Plessy vs. Ferguson.http://college.cengage.com/history/wadsworth_9781133309888/unprotected/ps/plessy_ferguson_1896.htm

Fitzgerald, M. W. January, 2018. Terrorism and Racial Coexistence in Alabama’s Reconstruction. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=127269628&site=eds-live&scope=site

G. M. Foster. Feb. 24, 2002. The Lost Cause. http://www.civilwarhome.com/lostcause.html

S. S. Harjo. 1996. Now and Then: Native Peoples in the United States. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=507507152&site=eds-live&scope=site

J. Meacham. 2017. Our Historical Ambivalence about Immigrants is a Great American Paradox. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=121093561&site=eds-live&scope=site

Mississippi Black Code. n.d. http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/122/recon/code.html

W. G. Moody. 1883. Bonanza Farming and Its Impact. http://college.cengage.com/history/wadsworth_9781133309888/unprotected/ps/bonanza_farming_impact.htm

E. F. Parsons. Feb., 2011. Klan Skepticism and Denial in Reconstruction-Era Public Discourse. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=57671212&site=eds-live&scope=site

Populist Party Platform. 1896. http://college.cengage.com/history/wadsworth_9781133309888/unprotected/ps/populist_partyplatform_1896.htm

Kevin M. Schultz. 2018. HIST: Volume 2: U.S. History since 1865. 5th ed.

Upton Sinclair. 1906. Attack on the Meatpackers.http://college.cengage.com/history/wadsworth_9781133309888/unprotected/ps/attack_meatpackers.htm

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

This course requires use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.

Be typed, double spaced between lines, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow SWS format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The paper must be submitted (uploaded and attached) in the course shell provided online.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Identify and discuss the different ways that the heritage of slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and segregation have shaped America’s history.

Specify ways that women and minorities have responded to challenges and made contributions to American culture.

Summarize and discuss the ways that formal policies of government have influenced the direction of historical and social development in the United States.

Recognize the major turning points in American history since the Civil War.

Use technology and information resources to research issues in contemporary U.S. history.

Write clearly and concisely about contemporary U.S. history using proper writing mechanics.

Posted: 30 Minutes Ago

Due: 07/11/2018

Budget: $7

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slidely · 7 years ago

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Why Video Marketing Works So Well For Small Businesses

Video marketing used to be for the big brands, giving an advantage to corporations and big budget operations over the mom and pop shops to grab attention and get noticed. But that uneven distribution of advertising potential is on its way out the window. Now with tools like Promo, every company can create commercials of the highest quality to show what their small business is all about.

If you’re still asking yourself, “why would I want to invest in video marketing,” the day has come to answer that inquiry. The short and long of it is because, frankly, people watch video. Companies advertise with video. You want to keep up.

Think about this: in 2005 YouTube didn’t exist. In 2018, YouTube has 1.3 billion users uploading 300 hours of video every single minute. On top of that, 3.25 billion hours of video are watched every single month just on YouTube. Sprinkle in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, emails, websites (we could go on and on) and that’s a ton of video watching. You may have even viewed a video clip already today.

So now that we can all agree that watching video is an activity becoming more frequent and accessible, let’s break down why creating those videos for your small business is a must.

vimeo

Minimal Barrier To Entry

A few short years ago, to create a high-quality videos you would have needed to hire an entire production company (big $$), scout a location, get some talent willing to show off your goods, storyboard a genius idea … the list goes on. The development alone would limit you, even with loads of resources, to creating a handful of videos each year, maximum. Good news – The barrier of entry has completely vanished with online video marketing tools.

Now, you can enter an online platform, choose your ideal bit(s) of footage, add your own text, place fully licensed music on top of it and you’re ready to go. If that sounds like too much, it gets even easier with Promo Collections, which are template videos for various industries and holidays. You can even follow our guide to ensuring you’re creating the right video size for each online publishing channel.

Not only has the process of creating your video changed from a week-long ordeal to a matter of minutes, the flood of social media channels that now get even more viewership than the television has also evened the playing field. Gone are the days of buying late night ad time on your local tv station or publishing in the yellow pages. Advertising, including top-notch commercials, are all online. This means that small businesses have NO disadvantage when it comes to finding your relevant customers.

Professionalism

Even though videos are everywhere and everyone can make them, using high-quality footage in your video marketing efforts will make you appear seriously professional. Yes, we all can snag a decent clip with our cell phones, but placing dynamic text over filmed footage will surely set you apart.

Most viewers would never even guess that a small business, certainly a business of 1, could possibly create something so exceptional without being a very serious business. And no matter what you’re selling, that’s exactly how you want to appear. You take your company seriously, you are professional, you are high-brow and you are deserving of people’s time and money. This is your image after all, and the first way any new clients will discover you.

Brand Loyalty

Yes, videos are proven to build trust and brand loyalty. Certainly, for those making purchases online with a new business, videos include the elements that set someone apart from only perusing your site or Facebook page and clicking the purchase button. One of those reasons is professionalism, as mentioned above. Another is that you’re really able to share a story. You can include more meaningful information and better communicate who you are with a video than with text or a still image. A large part of that is by sharing emotional content. And by emotional, we mean it can be funny, exciting, inspirational and more. The feeling you provide with your video content will stay with a viewer long after the ad has left the screen.

Distribution Opportunities

The distribution opportunities may seem intimidating at first, but the potential ROI is 4x that of non-video ads. That’s high enough to warrant increasing your skill set in the world of online advertising campaign management. And it’s getting easier and easier with platforms like Facebook and Instagram. So, small business owners need not worry, you could master this marketing must in a matter of days and spend as little as $10 per day doing so.

Your first step is to open accounts on a few social media channels if you haven’t already. Our recommendations are to start with: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest (if you’re eCommerce). Let’s even say to get the hang of two of those channels from that list first. Then you’ll want to begin posting your video content regularly and setting up campaigns.

For more help on breaking into video marketing on Facebook, check out the following articles:

Facebook Video Ads Best Practices

How (and why) To Use The Facebook Pixel

How To Use Conversion Optimization On Facebook

Increased SEO

You can also add your exciting new video content to your website. This will keep your visitors on your page longer thus signaling to Google that you have a quality website. The more Google thinks you rock (one way to gauge that is by tracking Time On Page), the higher you will rank in Search Engine Optimization. Meaning, adding those videos to your website will get you new clients just from searching relevant terms and seeing your site show up at the top. Turns out if you put a video on your homepage and you are around 50x more likely to be indexed.

Another way to grow your SEO with video is by adding those videos to YouTube. It’s free, for starters, and, because it’s a Google platform, it will also increase your visibility as a Google search result.

Access To Customers On Mobile

Since we all have the attention span of an ant and are married to our mobile phones, getting in the pocket of your future clients is a competitive task to accomplish. With great video content, you can. Short video ads are the perfect content item to get viewers to watch and remember amidst so many other distractions. And yes, we all wish we could snag intentional attention, but grabbing someone during a passive moment of scrolling on their handheld device is pretty great for business, too.

Community Development

Videos are a conversation starter. Period. When you showcase your creativity and have some fun with videos you can really entice people to begin a dialogue. Maybe you ask a question, or showcase a current user, or run a fun contest all with your videos. These already feel more personal than an image and allow for a more comfortable communication to begin. Give it a try by posting a video asking your community to tag a friend it reminds them of, or share your special event with someone who needs it (etc etc) and see what comes up. Then make sure to engage with them to keep it going and get the most out of your posting.

Ready to create your own videos? Try Promo today!

Why Video Marketing Works So Well For Small Businesses was originally published on Promo by Slidely - Video ads and Marketing

#marketing #small business #Video Marketing

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gardencityvegans · 8 years ago

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Emilie Raffa’s Everyday Sourdough & Spicy White Bean Arugula Dip

https://www.thefullhelping.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Emilie-Raffa-white-bean-arugula-dip-3.jpg

I haven’t consciously marked many milestones in my life as a home cook. My learning curve has unfurled slowly and gradually: a day comes when something I used to struggle with suddenly feels like habit, or I realize that a process I used to dread is no longer a big deal. Many of these moments have had to do with baking, simply because it’s more technical and less intuitive (for me) than cooking always has been.

2017 has been the year of bread. I started making my own bread regularly for the first time in my life, inspired by Alexandra Stafford’s amazing Bread, Toast, Crumbs, and then spurred on by The New Laurel’s Kitchen (which is full of good instruction). I’d feared homemade bread-baking for years, intimidated by overly technical advice and anxieties about whether I’d have the right sense of timing and intuition.

This year, I’ve learned that, to quote Julia Turshen, “yeast is just an ingredient,” and there’s nothing so scary about kneading or shaping dough. I’ve come to love the feel of dough in my hands. I love sitting back and watching it do its thing: resting, rising, and turning a deep golden shade in the oven.

Bread baking found me at the right time. I started cooking from Ali’s book just as I was processing the loss of a long-term relationship. I was bereft, and baking kept me company. It gave me something to do, and it presented me with a constant series of new challenges, each satisfying yet incremental enough enough to be manageable.

Most of all, it gave me bread. Loaf after tender, fragrant loaf. I can’t think of too many things that I cam as consistently happy to eat than bread or toast, and all of the things you can serve with them (dip, soup, etc.).

Through all of this, I’ve told myself that yeasted breads are within my reach, but sourdough isn’t for me. Sourdough is for serious bread bakers, those who know the ins and outs of autolysing and levains and scoring and hydration. I follow countless sourdough Instagrammers, but to some extent that has only made me more intimidated, rather than less.

Still, I haven’t been able to shake the itch to give sourdough a whirl, and the work of many women—Cheri Litchfield and Sarah C. Owens among them—has given me the ongoing encouragement I need. It was Cheri who reminded me that, no matter how technical sourdough-making can be, it’s also a time-honored method that home cooks have been practicing for hundreds of years.

I’ve known this for a while, but I needed someone to walk me through it—a warm, friendly, accessible guide. Enter Emilie Raffa.

You might know Emilie as the author of the Clever Carrot blog, where she shares wholesome and hearty comfort food recipes. She’s also an accomplished bread maker, and her new book, Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, is a loving tribute to the ins and outs of bread making. It is the most accessible, down-to-earth resource I’ve ever seen about sourdough (having purchased and left dormant a number of much more technical books).

I have Emilie to thank for the fact that, as of last week, I’ve been baking fresh sourdough every other morning, tearing it into hunks and dipping it in soup, using it for toast, slicing it up for sandwiches, and sharing gleefully it with my neighbors and friends.

It’s hard for me to say how gratifying it has been—not just the amazement I felt when I realized that I could do it, but also the sensation of empowerment that baking one’s own bread can bestow. It’s so gratifying to create a staple food from nothing but flour, water, and salt. I see more than ever why the process becomes so intoxicating over time. And I see that sourdough isn’t a project for master bakers. It really can be simple, intuitive, and fun.

I’ll be sharing Emilie’s foundational recipe for everyday sourdough in this post, along with a tasty dip to dunk your slices into. But I want to emphasize that the whole book is invaluable, especially if you’re new to sourdough. Emilie walks you through every step of the process, including creation of a starter, with simple instructions and useful cues. If you want to start baking regularly, you’ll want to read everything she has to say.

And reading it won’t overwhelm you. This book is neither dense nor dry. Emilie is happy to leave out certain techniques or terms, assuring readers that they don’t need to know everything about sourdough in order to get started. She gives you exactly as much information as is necessary for beginners. I don’t doubt that I’ll keep wanting to learn about this process, but as a novice I felt so grateful that Emilie was able to help me separate the essentials from the graduate level stuff.

Along with the book, Emilie shared with me a package of her dried starter, which is named Dylan, after her son. Dylan is the offspring of Priscilla, a robust starter that Emilie’s friend Celia shipped to her all the way from Australia years ago. Starter, she says, is meant to be shared. Using Emilie’s dried starter means that I didn’t need to grow my own from scratch; within 3 days, I had a jar that was well-fed, bubbly and ready to go.

At the end of today’s post, after the recipe, I’ll be offering a chance for a US or Canadian reader to win a copy of the book and a package of Emilie’s dried starter. Together, they’re everything you need to get started with your own loaves. For now, though, I want to share Emilie’s incredible, practically no-knead everyday sourdough recipe, along with her zippy, garlicky, oh-so-simple recipe for white bean arugula dip!

Emilie Raffa's Everyday Sourdough

Recipe type: side

Cuisine: vegan, no oil, soy free, tree nut free

Author: Emilie Raffa

Serves: 1 loaf

Every baker needs an all-purpose, go-to loaf in their repertoire. And if you’re new to sourdough, this is the perfect place to start. Simply make the dough, let it rise overnight, and bake in the morning. It requires very little effort with big reward. The crust is golden and crunchy, and the velvety crumb is perfect for sandwiches and toast. Try a few thick-cut slices with creamy avocado and tomato or the most delicious grilled cheese sandwich you will ever sink your teeth into. This is my family’s favorite loaf.

Ingredients

Baker’s Schedule:

Thursday–Saturday: Feed your starter until bubbly and active.

Saturday Evening: Make the dough, and let rise overnight.

Sunday Morning: Shape the dough, let rise again, score, and bake.

Ingredients

50 g (1⁄4 cup) bubbly, active starter

350 g (11⁄3 cups plus 2 tbsp) warm water

500 g (4 cups plus 2 tbsp) bread flour 9 g (11⁄2 tsp) fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the Dough: In the evening, whisk the starter and water together in a large bowl with a fork. Add the flour and salt. Combine until a stiff dough forms, then finish mixing by hand to fully incorporate the flour. The dough will feel dense and shaggy, and it will stick to your fingers as you go. Scrape off as much as you can. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Replenish your starter with fresh flour and water, and store according to preference.

After the dough has rested, work the mass into a fairly smooth ball. To do this, grab a portion of the dough and fold it over, pressing your fingertips into the center. Repeat, working your way around the dough until it begins to tighten, about 15 seconds.

Bulk rise: Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise overnight at room temperature. This will take about 8 to 10 hours at 70°F (21°C). The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense and has doubled in size.

Shape: In the morning, coax the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. To shape it into a round, start at the top and fold the dough over toward the center. Turn the dough slightly and fold over the next section of dough. Repeat until you have come full circle. Flip the dough over and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line an 8-inch (20-cm) bowl with a towel and dust with flour. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you in a circular motion to tighten its shape. Using a bench scraper, place the dough into the bowl, seam side up.

Second rise: Cover the bowl and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The dough is ready when it looks puffy and has risen slightly but has not yet doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit the size of your baking pot, leaving enough excess around the sides to remove the bread.

Score: Place the parchment over the dough and invert the bowl to release. Sprinkle the dough with flour and gently rub the surface with your hands. Using the tip of a small, serrated knife or a razor blade, score the dough with the cross-cut pattern on page 195, or any way you’d like. Use the parchment to transfer the dough to the baking pot.

Bake: Bake the dough on the center rack for 20 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, and continue to bake for 30 minutes. Then, carefully remove the loaf from the pot and bake directly on the oven rack for the last 10 minutes to crisp the crust. When finished, transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 1 hour before slicing.

Sourdough is best consumed on the same day it is baked. To maximize freshness, cool completely and store at room temperature in a plastic bag for up to 1 day.

Notes

About the Dough: Because this dough rises while you’re asleep, you won’t be tempted to rush the process or check on it every five seconds to see if it’s ready. Have a look at the baker’s schedule, then make adjustments to suit your own schedule. The overnight method can be applied to most of the recipes in this book.

3.5.3226

Emilie Raffa's Spicy White Bean Arugula Dip

Recipe type: dip, spread, starter

Cuisine: vegan, gluten free, soy free, tree nut free

Author: Emilie Raffa

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 2 cups

This creamy white bean dip with baby arugula is the perfect destination for a slice of artisan sourdough. It’s not only healthy, but it’s incredibly simple to make—just pulse a few times in the blender and you’re done.

Ingredients

11⁄2 cups (375 g) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 small handful of baby arugula

1⁄4 cup (60 ml) olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1⁄2 garlic clove, chopped

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Zest of 1 lemon, juice reserved

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Add the beans, arugula, olive oil, garlic, red pepper, zest, and juice of half the lemon to a blender. Season generously with salt and pepper. Pulse a few times to combine. The texture should be creamy and rustic. Taste the dip and adjust with more lemon juice or salt and pepper if needed.

Transfer the dip to a small bowl and drizzle with extra olive oil and red pepper flakes. Arrange your sourdough slices on the side, to serve for dipping.

Notes

You can also use fresh parsley or cilantro leaves in place of the arugula.

3.5.3226

Clearly, I’m over the moon about Emilie’s bread—not just the signature Everyday Sourdough, but the many other incredible loaves in this book, including Seeded Pumpkin Cranberry, Roasted Garlic and Rosemary, and Danish Rye Bread.

But it’s worth saying how awesome this dip is, too. It’s the kind of thing you can whip up in mere minutes if you’ve got a can of beans and a handful of bitter greens or herbs, certain that your friends or whoever’s coming over will polish it off. The creaminess of the beans and olive oil are offset by the bite of garlic and pepper, and the dip is so much more complex than its simple preparation would suggest.

If you’ve thought about sourdough but haven’t known where to begin, this is the book for you. And even if you’ve never made bread before, it’ll give you all the tools you need to understand the process. What Emilie teaches you will serve you with any type of bread-making, and her assortment of recipes (which span not only breads, but also crackers, rolls, desserts, and savory meals) will give you plenty of ideas about what to do with all of the marvelous loaves you’re making.

Enter below to win a copy for yourself. I’ll pick a winner two weeks from today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As I said, bread making has found me at the right time, and I’m so excited to continue learning and sharing about the process. Perhaps Emilie’s work will inspire you to consider making sourdough at home, as it has inspired me—and if not, I hope it’ll encourage you to pick up a loaf of bread from your local baker and slathering it with some creamy white bean dip.

Enjoy the recipes, and see you this weekend for the roundup!

[Read More ...] https://www.thefullhelping.com/emilie-raffas-everyday-sourdough-white-bean-arugula-spread/

#infrared #health

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frankdcarterfl · 5 years ago

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How to Build a Digital Content Strategy that Delivers Results

Build Reader Personas

Establish your Brand Voice

Set Clear Goals for your Content

Choose the Right Content Formats

Optimize for Search Engines

Build a Content Calendar

Promote your Content

Measure Outcomes

Over to You

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lorenzo-gutierrez-seo · 5 years ago

Text

How to Build a Digital Content Strategy that Delivers Results

Build Reader Personas

Establish your Brand Voice

Set Clear Goals for your Content

Choose the Right Content Formats

Your target audience has different preferences. While some of them prefer textual content, others are visual learners. Some people even focus on audio content they can consume on the go. Therefore, to appeal to wider audience groups and maximize your content results, you should diversify your digital content strategy and experiment with different types of content. Here are a few content types to get you started. Blog posts Blog posts are the most popular content format. However, to get the most out of them, you first need to publish them consistently. Never spam your articles with a bunch of keywords or promotional links. While this worked a while ago, today, both users and search engines expect you to deliver high-quality articles. Create in-depth and data-backed articles that provide your readers with actionable tips and valuable information. It is also recommended that blog posts be somewhere 1,000 and 3,000 words in length, as longer content delivers greater value to readers and performs better on Google. Above all, make blog articles readable. Break them up into smaller paragraphs, use headings, and insert images to make textual content easier to read. Infographics Visual content stays one of the key digital content trends in 2020. And, that’s where infographics dominate. Online users love them because they visualize a bunch of data in a more engaging and compelling way. Strong visuals and colors help them memorize data faster. For you, this is a great opportunity to create a highly shareable and linkable content format everyone will love. Just like with any other content format, infographics need to be packed with valuable tips and up-to-date facts. Keep the sentences short and clear. Choose legible fonts and font sizes. Add lots of white space to make it easier to track. Colors should be pleasant to the eye, typography legible, and sentences short and clear. Focus on key information and make sure information flows logically logical. Use lots of white space to make the content easier to follow. Ebooks Ebooks are one of the most powerful lead magnets �� a kind of content customers can download for free in exchange for their email address. They educate readers about the latest industry trends and let you boost your industry credibility. Ebooks should deliver value to your target audience. They need to provide relevant statistics, insights, ideas, and advice. They should also contain high-quality illustrations, photos, charts, depending on your industry. Similar to fiction works, your ebook needs to be properly formatted and easy to follow, while information needs to flow organically. Case studies Case studies are a form of customer testimonials, where you can tell your customers’ stories and show how they solved particular problems by working with you. Now, case studies can be in different forms, from blog posts and infographics to downloadable files in PDF. For example, you could write a research-based case study that tells a single client’s story and pack it with relevant data, charts, statistics, and customer testimonials. Videos Did you know that 51% of marketing professionals say video content delivers the best ROI? That’s not surprising at all, given that 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Moreover, video content is highly attention-grabbing and engaging. It evokes emotions and inspires users to share it online with their friends. Above all, it helps users retain the information and memorize your brand. Podcasts Some of your users would rather listen to you than read your lengthy case study, whitepaper, or article. They want to consume your content on their mobile devices, wherever they are, be it a coffee shop, a gym, or a bank. Studies say that there are over 700,000 podcasts and half of the population has already listened to them. You just need to choose hot topics to discuss, invite authoritative guests, invest in quality internet connections and microphone and you’re all set. Sure, this post is to short for me to list and explain every type of content out there. If you want to experiment with some additional forms of content, here are a few additional ideas that may serve as your sold starting point: Comprehensive guides Interviews Press releases Quizzes Email newsletters In-house research Timelines Whitepapers Resources Vlogs

Optimize for Search Engines

Build a Content Calendar

Promote your Content

Measure Outcomes

Over to You

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