brand Archives - Page 7 of 10

What is Your SEO Strategy in 2016 and Beyond?

February 25, 2016 by Thomas

Taking your brand to the next level requires myriad of time and effort, along with making the right decisions along the way.

With that being the case, where do you see your brand headed this year and down the road?

Many companies are saddled with a fixed budget on how much marketing and advertising they can do, therefore tying their hands at putting 100 percent behind their brands. Others, meantime, have the means to promote it, but go about it in the wrong manner.

One way you can get your brand’s face out there without bankrupting the company is by properly using search engine optimization (SEO) as part of a broader strategy involving content marketing and social networking.

First Step is Having a Strategy

In order to give your brand the attention it needs and deserves, having a comprehensive strategy to promote it should always be at the top of your marketing list.

Having a strategy of combining SEO, content marketing and social media allows you the best of all worlds, especially if your budget is on the tight side.

Start with the SEO component and go from there.

First, do you know the advantages of using SEO to give your brand a push?

Among the benefits:

Authority – When your brand stands out from others in the respective industry as an authority, you are more likely to ring-up sales. Consumers are more likely to buy from those they trust, so use SEO to set yourself up as knowledgeable and trustworthy in your niche;
Professionalism – Brands that have their act together will certainly better position themselves than those who look like a fish out of water. While money might be tight at times, spending some of it on bringing in a professional SEO consultant can be some of the best funds you will ever invest. He or she can make your brand look more professional in a number of ways, including what your content says about your business and industry in general, selecting the right keywords (especially long-tail keywords) inside your blog posts to better rank on search engines, and moving you forward on mobile SEO if you have not already incorporated it into your plans;
Ranking – With a sound SEO strategy, your brand rises to the top of search engine rankings. Being on page one of Google or other search engine rankings in your respective industry as opposed to pages three or four can make the difference between getting and not getting a sale. This is yet another reason why you need to be consulting on SEO strategy for your business;
Socializing – Part of your SEO strategy needs to incorporate social media. How your brand’s social profiles rank of course helps or hurts your ability to land new business. If your company’s Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and other such profiles are noteworthy; your brand will show up higher in search listings as they relate to brand names. This is yet another reason while social interaction (providing details about your products and/or services, answering consumer questions, solving consumer issues as they relate to your brand or industry etc.) is something that should be looked at as a necessity and not a choice.

Defining your SEO strategy in 2016 and beyond should be one of the most important decisions you do for your brand.

Are you ready to take the challenge?

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and marketing topics on the web.

Your Company’s Data Can’t Be Breached

February 6, 2016 by Thomas

You’ve likely seen the stories in the news in recent years about company’s having their personal and customer data breached.

Whether it is major players like Sony and Target or smaller businesses that you have never heard of before, the financial damages have been staggering at times. Worse yet, a company’s trust with consumers can be severely crippled, leading it to have to try and win back many of those customers.

So, have you taken a look at your Internet security procedures, reviewing where you are strongest and where you need to do some work?

If not, think about how just one data security breach against your company could impact how you go about doing business in 2016 and hopefully beyond.

Security System Reviews

In order to lower the odds of your brand falling victim to a data breach, remember these key tidbits:

Security protection – First and foremost, do you have the proper security system in place to better thwart identity theft thieves? If not, look to see what is available on the market that will best suit your needs. Just as consumers can turn to an ITP Bureau or other such providers who can offer them critical information to protect against identity theft, business owners must do likewise, especially those who run online stores etc. Such a provider has a rating system in place to assess important factors that individuals would take into account when looking for a service to signal warning signs and ultimately thwart identity theft attacks;
Employee awareness – Given the fact those you employ (consider yourself the employee if you run a one-person small business) are your first line of defense against identity theft thieves, it is crucial that those on the frontlines stand guard against any data breach attempts. Yes, identity theft thieves are some of the smartest criminals on the lot, but they can be thwarted with the right security plan. Employees must be aware of and report any suspicious attempts to hack company computers. From questionable emails asking to download attachments to leaving company and customer data exposed in public places when employees might be working in a library, café or while on the road traveling for work, there are myriad of options for hackers to try and break-in to a company’s computer system. It is important that you have the same rigid standards regarding data protection in place for your mobile employees, including those you outsource work to. Whenever any of those employees leave your employ, make sure you change-up username and password entries into your system. While most of those who leave your employ are not ones to worry about, remember, just one identity theft thief can do a world of damage, including those who once might have been on your payroll. Lastly, properly assign customer and company data, so that not all employees have access to the most sensitive items. For example, there is no reason for someone on your marketing team to need access to customer financials, log-ins to customer sites etc. Be sure only those with a need for such data have access to it, along with making sure they do not share it with others in the company;
Are your providers truly secure? – Never overlook the importance of partnering with secure web hosting providers and others in the technology chain of your business. Any third parties you do business with should be required to sign a form indicating they have necessary security in place to oversee your company’s pertinent data. Also look at data encryption, including the idea of encrypting your company’s email when sensitive information is being passed around;
Review and remove – Finally, it is imperative that your company reviews its security procedures and those you do business with on a regular basis. Just like you should be reviewing your company culture from time to time, the same holds true for your company’s security procedures. Search for cracks in the armor, with the plan to fix such holes. Also remove any online data that is no longer of use to your business. This also means properly discarding any and all paper trails as it relates to company and customer data.

With all the different avenues that data breaches can come from, it may seem at times a tad overwhelming for you and your business to stay one step ahead of hackers.

Given all you and your brand stand to lose if a data breach is successfully committed against your business, make sure you’re prepared to stop hackers in their tracks.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and technology topics on the web.

Is Multi-Channel Marketing the Right Call?

December 30, 2015 by Thomas

Are you using multi-channel marketing to promote your brand?

When it comes to business success, getting the right message in front of the right people is the name of the game. Multi-channel marketing is an effective tool for doing just that.

So just what is multi-channel marketing and why do you need it in your business?

What Is Multi Channel Marketing?

Multi-channel marketing is, quite simply, a marketing effort that encompasses more than one channel.

These channels might include:

Your website;

Social media profiles;

Email campaigns;

An SMS marketing list;

A physical premises;

Printed materials such as flyers and brochures;

A TV or radio campaign.

While you won’t necessarily use every channel all the time (and some channels won’t fit your business or specific campaign), incorporating more than one channel into your marketing efforts is a good idea.

Multi-Channel Marketing Creates Choice

At its heart, multi-channel marketing works because it creates choice for your customers.

Each of your customers has a preferred way, or combination of ways, or connecting with your business.

For example, they might prefer to find all the information they need online, but then hop on a call for further info.

Some will be happy to make enquiries by email, but would like to receive a printed brochure, or talk to someone face to face when they’re ready to purchase. Some will almost exclusively use mobile, and so on.

When you use multi-channel marketing, you give your customers the choice to connect with your business in the way that best suits them. That means more customers will reach out to you and ultimately buy from you.

Multi-Channel Marketing Gives You A Broader Reach

Your customers are in different places at different times. Some are browsing the web, some are specifically using social media to find brands, and some are out and about on their mobiles.

As the article “Spread the Word: Best Practices for an Effective Multichannel Marketing Effort” says, one of the best advantages of multi-channel marketing is that it ensures that your business is in a place where your customers are.

Multi-channel marketing means that wherever your customers go looking for businesses like yours, or looking to connect with your business, there you are.

For example, you might have customers on social media who haven’t found your website. Or your brochure might get picked up by someone who hasn’t found you on social media yet.

This broader reach means your brand and message will be seen by more customers.

Using Channels to Strengthen Each Other

When you use multi-channel marketing, you can use each channel to bolster the others.

Say you’re running a special offer for SMS subscribers. With multi-channel marketing, you can reach out to your followers on social media and promote the offer there, too. When they sign up, your SMS subscriber list will get a valuable boost.

Or perhaps you want to get more social media followers.

You can add QR codes to printed materials, links into SMS messages, or special announcements in email blasts, to show your customers what they’ll gain from liking and following you on social media.

If you want to reach as many customers as possible and empower them to connect with your business in the way that best suits them, multi-channel marketing is the way to go.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Tristan Anwyn writes on a variety of topics including social media, how to build customer relationships, content marketing and how to use multi-channel marketing in your business

Swing for the Fences with Gated Content

December 9, 2015 by Thomas

Funneling gated content into your websites is the lifeblood of your business.

When you have a sufficient stream of content flowing through your company’s site, you could have a guaranteed steady flow of customers.

If you want that circulation to continue, you must keep a steady stream of content behind the gates.

Uber active websites with daily and hourly content will build a devoted viewership base that will grow exponentially, while websites with dribbles of articles will plateau at a certain level and eventually wither away.

Here are some top tips on how to get more relevant content centered on your business:

Recruit a Few Dedicated Writers for Your WebsiteYou don’t have to hire a full-time staff writer for 40 hours a week. You don’t even have to find writers and hire them directly. One of the best ways to keep gated content streaming on your website is to hire a marketing agency. Marketing agencies hire freelance writers for you, come up with the topics for them to write about, and bundle it all up in a neat little package that you don’t even have to publish yourself. With a marketing agency and dedicated writers behind you, your pool of gated content will overflow. As the following article looks at, here are 3 more of the4 simple ways to increase your amount of gated content.
Center Content on Customers’ DesiresYour customers always know what they want. To build content and keep your customers happy, center content on their desires. Of course, to do that, you have to actually find out what they want. You can do this with surveys, opinion panels, behavior tracking and analysis and more. Their desires and wants are a wealth of information on what type of content should be published. Emails and comments that they give you either directly or on your business social media pages are clues telling you what your customers want. You can learn what they aren’t getting or understanding, what needs to be better iterated, and what they are interested in getting from your company.
Watch What Other Websites Are Doing

Pay attention and observe what other popular websites are doing. What are they publishing, which pages are getting more comments, what’s making them gain page views and comments, and what premium content are they selling? If a website is getting attention while yours is not, spot the key differences and make the change. Grab your market share.

4. Share the Load

Your premium content doesn’t all have to be from you. Consider partnering with a non-competing website. Offer to link-back to their site in return for content that doesn’t require a lot of man hours; video interviews, podcasts, and such. This media rich environment for premium content will give your readers value and give you a much needed break from content creation.

In the end, your gated content has to deliver on your promise to your customers.

Make sure your content enhances your reputation by following these tips.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Kate Supino writes extensively about marketing and best business practices.

Give Your Mobile Subscribers What They Desire

December 2, 2015 by Thomas

Much of what consumers do electronically these days is done on their mobile devices.

People have grown accustomed to the ease and convenience of communicating and getting information without having to sit in front of a computer. Mobile devices are easy, convenient, efficient, and well, mobile.

As a business owner, it’s up to you to deliver great mobile marketing to keep your customers happy and engaged, while reaching out to new ones at the same time.

If nothing else spurs you on to develop great mobile marketing, these two facts from Forbes should:

Ninety-one percent of adults keep their smartphones within arm’s reach. (Source: Morgan Stanley).
Even more important to entrepreneurs: nine out of 10 mobile searches lead to action. More than half lead to sales. (Source: SearchEngineLand).

Yeah – mobile marketing is pretty important.

As the article, “Do You Know What Your Mobile Subscribers Want from Your Business?” looks at, it’s important to know what your subscribers want.

You don’t want to send them the wrong information, or content with no personal value, that’s a waste of everyone’s time.

Know Your Audience

One of the biggest keys to mobile marketing is to know your audience.

Lots of data is compiled to find target audiences, whether through surveys or digital or print campaigns, now use that information to create a target base.

Keep in mind:

Shareable, valuable content

Once you have your target audience, deliver what they want. The more valuable the content you give them is the better chance your audience will act upon it. And that isn’t just purchasing a good or service; it’s also sharing the information to extend your customer base. One of the marvels of mobile marketing is that it’s so easy to share content, for your customers to reach out and share your great business.

Good mobility

Another thing you can do is work the mobility factor. A great website that works well on a mobile device is vital. Even if you have a stunning, easy to navigate, informative website from a desktop, if it isn’t mobile friendly, you’re hurting yourself. Think about how many times you’ve looked up something on your mobile device that doesn’t read well – you usually find something else. Don’t’ let that happen to your business.

Besides your website, make sure you have the right social media and it’s easy to follow.

You also want it easy for your customers to subscribe to any SMS or email services you offer.

These are great ways to engage customers and keep them abreast of anything new going on with you.

You can also send out deals and promotions to your subscribers. If they receive it on a mobile device, they are much more prone to act on it.

Trust that the time and effort you put into your mobile campaigns will pay off.

Just like social media, it may take some extra time, but through the marketing pay out, you’ll be glad you did.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Heather Legg is an independent writer who covers topics related small business, social media, and working from home.

Know the Merits of Guest Posting

November 25, 2015 by Thomas

What takes up the majority of your time running a business?

Some business owners will point out the task of keeping customers happy. Others will note overseeing employees takes up a fair amount of their work week. Meantime, some will state that marketing and advertising their brand constitutes countless hours weekly.

One of those aspects of marketing is content marketing. More specifically; having an authoritative and popular blog on your website grows by the importance each day.

So, what happens when you don’t have the time and/or resources to field a noteworthy blog? What happens when you’d like to contribute to other relevant blogs, yet time and resources are again issues?

Is it too late to change course or can you make your blog worthwhile, along with contributing to others in order to drive more business and revenue your way?

Your Content is Critical

With 2016 knocking on the door, it is more important than ever that you don’t lose focus on the importance of content marketing for your brand, material that oftentimes will be displayed on your website.

Among the ways to make your content marketing stand out:

Hiring the right talent to write copy – If you find that you’re too busy yourself (and also your staff) to do the content marketing writing, look to guest posting services. By using such a service, you eliminate the need for you and/or your staff to research and write the copy. As long as you hire a service provider that knows their stuff, has a feel for your industry and can provide that necessary voice (see more below), and promotes your brand in a variety of ways, you can stand out in the content marketing arena, By doing so, you increase the odds of landing more business;
Talk to your audience – All too often, companies will try and tell the consumer what the business owner wants them to hear, something that is not necessarily always what the consumer in turns wants to hear. When using a guest posting service, make sure they properly represent your brand, something which will receive a better response from many consumers. The copy should be informative, yet not too heavy on the sales side. If the voice is one of simply a salesperson, you may very well push the consumer/s in the direction of your competitors. Talking to your audience also means being a social butterfly (see more below), so don’t be shy about talking-up your brand;
Socializing is where it is at – Finally, properly using social media to promote your content marketing initiatives is very important. You can have the best content/writers in the world, but what if no one or few people are reading it? Use various social media vehicles (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc.) to promote your brand. Yes, YouTube has become more and more popular with companies looking to market their products and services. Having a small amount of worthwhile content with the video/slides etc. you want to show can go a long way in converting a potential client into a delivered client.

If you’re finding that you don’t have the time and/or expertise for properly doing content marketing now and down the road, a guest posting service could be just the right call.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers marketing topics on the web.