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- 14 Jul
11 Big Changes Coming to Google Ads: What You Need to Know
- Jul 14, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Google, Google AdWords, Search Engine Marketing
by Allen Finn
Recently, at Google’s Marketing Live event a whole host of changes were announced. And any one of those changes can have a huge impact on your digital marketing efforts.
During the event, Google Senior VP of Ads, Sridhar Ramaswamy noted that today we operate in a world packed with more curious consumers. Those consumers are far more demanding. And they are way more impatient.
But, People Aren’t Stupid
And that means that today, our prospects expect us to deliver in our ads. They expect ads that offer personalized, hyper-relevant solutions, not generalizations. They want answers yesterday. And they want to save money. Put more eloquently Sridhar said that, “People don’t see value in advertising if they don’t feel valued by advertising.”
So, to see the 11 most interesting features and changes announced at Google Marketing Live, read the full article at WordStream.com
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- 13 Jul
What Brands Post on Social vs. What Consumers Want to See
by Ayaz Nanji
There is a significant disconnect between what marketers post to social media and what consumers want brands to post. This is the conclusions from new research recently released by Sprout Social.
Consumers are From Venus and Marketers are from Mars?
It seems that, for the most part, marketers seem to be missing opportunities to connect with their audiences. But, on social media, there are certain expectations of consumers. So, guess what, it isn’t about you. Its all about them.
However, consumers say the types of social content they value most from brands are posts about discounts/sales. And they appreciate posts that showcase new products and services. But they are not terribly enthusiastic about what marketers are currently posting.
To see how they are missing the market, what it is that they are posting wrong and more of the data, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
NOTE: A Free Registration pop-up opens on this site. Free Registration is required to read this article.
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- 12 Jul
Do People Share Good and Bad Customer Experiences?
- Jul 12, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- B2C Marketing, Brand Marketing, Loyalty Marketing
from Marketing Charts
People around the world say that customer experience is a competitive differentiator for brands. But do good or bad experiences reverberate beyond the customers themselves? As it stands, most people will tell someone about a very good or very bad experience. This according to new research from the Temkin Group.
Are Consumers More Likely to Complain or Brag?
In fact, only around one-quarter (27%) of US consumers surveyed in Q1 reported being silent about a recent very bad experience with a company. It turns out that respondents were more likely to have not shared a very good experience. Of that, one-third indicated they didn’t tell anyone about the experience. As such, the results suggest that people are slightly more likely to share a very bad than a very good experience.
To see more insights into how people are sharing their brand experiences, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 11 Jul
The Only Off-Page SEO Walkthrough You’ll Ever Need
- Jul 11, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Digital Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO
When it comes to SEO, there are two approaches you can take to increase the search rankings of your website. They are on- and off-page SEO. On-page deals with what you can do on your own site to increase your rankings. While off-page deals with what you can do outside your site (on other sites, hence, off-page) to raise your rankings.
Both are equally vital to making sure that your site gets found in search
Optimizing your site for off-page SEO means you’ll have to improve the way that both users and search engines see your site in terms of credibility, authority, popularity and relevance, just to name a few factors. A broad simplification of this is that other sites on the web (ideally, respectable ones) will link to your content to essentially promote or vouch for it. Which, circling back now, has major benefits for your site’s reputation.
But, how can you make it really work for you? And why should you worry about it? Find out by reading the entire article at WordStream.com
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- 10 Jul
22 Facebook Marketing Tips for Small Businesses on a Budget
- Jul 10, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Facebook Advertising, Facebook Marketing, Social Media
by Lisa Smith
As Facebook seeks to deliver the content its users will enjoy most and find most relevant, organic reach has been on the decline. In fact, some say it is downright dead. And, this presents a particular challenge for small businesses. After all, you don’t have the same budgets as bigger advertisers to pour into paid posts to compensate.
Bad News Alert! Bad News Alert!
“There is one harsh reality of Facebook today. And that is that only about 1 out of 50 people who are already fans of your page will see any single post you make on your Facebook business page,” said Sam Underwood, director of business strategy at digital agency Futurety. “Long gone are the days of posting and knowing that many, if not most, of your fans will see that content.”
But fear not, small businesses. There is hope. And to learn the 22 tips for how to find the right audience and offer up content and experiences they’ll value, even with a limited budget, read the full article at WordStream.com
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- 09 Jul
How Small Business & Agency Owners Can Find New Customers via Social Media
- Jul 09, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Selling
by Disha Dinesh
According to an Ambassador study, 71% consumers who have a great brand experience on social media tend to recommend the brand to friends and relatives. That means that social media is ripe with opportunity to grow your business. And if you’re a small business or agency owner, you can find new customers via social media. Plus, you can save a lot of money otherwise spent on advertising or sales. How?
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
We asked small business and agency owners and digital marketers how they found new customers via social media. And here’s what they had to say. They told us that there is a lot of value in organic content. And they said that a reliable social media management tool and smartly targeted social media ads can bring you new customers.
To see what they all had to say, read the full article at DrumUp
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- 07 Jul
The Case Against SKAGs
- Jul 07, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Google AdWords, Lead Generation, Website Conversion Strategies
As summer is heating up, let’s talk about another HOT and controversial paid search strategy. Let’s dive into SKAGs!
Single Keyword Ad Groups [SKAG] have been a hot topic among the PPC community for a while. Some argue that this form of account organization allows you to create extremely targeted AdWords campaigns. And who wouldn’t want to keep everything tightly wound together. After all, then your money is only spent on those searching for the EXACT keyword that speaks directly to your products or services?
In a Bifurcated World, Even AdWord Strategies are Controversial
While some PPC people love SKAGs, they’re not right for everybody. And after some careful review, it is clear that there’s a case to be made against using SKAGs in your paid search accounts. So, to learn more about how SKAGs work, and why you might want to consider other keyword grouping strategies, read the full article at WordStream.com
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- 06 Jul
5 Simply Awesome Email Automation Funnels To Build Today
- Jul 06, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Conversion Strategies, Email Marketing, Loyalty Marketing
by Aaron Agius
How much importance do you place on leveraging your email list? A little? A lot? Do you send out a monthly news round-up? Notify your contacts when you release new products or roll out updates? Or wish your subscribers a happy birthday?
While there’s nothing wrong with any of these, you could be making your email list work a lot harder for you. How? By creating email marketing automation funnels.
Email automation funnels use triggers to send out emails when a particular action or series of actions occur. The complexity of creating these funnels can vary. They can range from the simple “welcome” email to an email that targets visitors after they’ve completed a very specific set of actions that deems them “ready” to convert.
So, if you are you ready to get started, then here’s five simple email marketing automation funnels you can build today in this article on Jeffbullas’s Blog.
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- 05 Jul
Goodbye, AdWords. Hello Google Ads
- Jul 05, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Google, Google AdWords, Search Engine Marketing
by Allen Finn
Google has made the executive decision. They are going to consolidate its overwhelming abundance of ad products under three brand new umbrellas. this will include their Google Ads, Google Marketing Platform, and Google Ads Manager. And, in fact, in the process, we are saying goodbye to the digital marketing world’s favorite: AdWords.
You Didn’t Misread That
Google is in fact sunsetting AdWords, but in name alone. This and a slew of other shakeups (more consolidation! Smart Campaigns!) were announced by Google’s Senior VP of Ads and Commerce, Sridhar Ramaswamy.
If you are wonder what this all means and why this rebrand is happening now. Or if you would like to understand what Google Ads means for the future of keywords, then read the full article at WordStream.com
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- 02 Jul
The Easy Guide to Optimizing Your Google My Business Listing
- Jul 02, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Lead Generation, Marketing for Small Business, SEO
It’s always been a challenge to see any real success of local SEO. From link building to on-page and technical SEO, you still have to get the fundamentals of SEO absolutely right.
Google My Business – The Linchpin of Local SEO Success
One area to pay extra-close attention to is Google My Business. Without a well-optimized GMB listing you won’t get noticed. In fact, your chances of appearing in Google features like the Local Pack and Maps are going to be slim. With 97% of consumers looking online for local businesses in 2017, you need to do everything you can to be as visible as possible in front of this local audience.
Google My Business Now Offers a Whole New Slate of Features
With a whole host of new features for you to take advantage of, there’s plenty you can do to ensure this linchpin of local SEO is fully optimized. Not only that, it’ll encourage users to get in touch with you and convert, right from the listing itself. So, let’s take a look at some of the most useful features, and how you can use them to boost your local SEO on WordStream.com
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- 30 Jun
The 5 Critical Components of Fantastic Lead-Capture Forms
- Jun 30, 2018
- admin
- 0
- Digital Marketing, Lead Generation, Website Conversion Strategies
The lead-capture form is, and should be, the main focus of a lead-capture page. Perhaps better known as a landing page, it is an essential part of your business success. And, the ultimate goal of this page is to get your visitors to fill it out with contact information. And in exchange they will receive something of value, like a piece of content that has value to them.
It’s Impossible to Generate Leads Without a Fantastic Lead-Capture Form – Duh!
But, if you don’t have a form, or that form simply works against your goals, then your efforts and content will be wasted. And because the formatting and design of your lead-capture form has a direct impact on your conversion rates, it’s absolutely critical that you approach them wisely.
There are really only five main components that you need to master in order to have success. So, to learn all of The Five Components of a Lead-Capture Form, read the full article at HubSpot.com
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- 29 Jun
The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing
- Jun 29, 2018
- admin
- 0
- Digital Marketing, Email Marketing, Loyalty Marketing
Can you imagine it? The first marketing email was sent in 1978. And, surprisingly to the senders, it resulted in $13 million in sales. It was that email that kicked off what has become one of the most highly used marketing channels even to this day. But, given its early beginnings, email isn’t as shiny as some newer channels like messaging and social. But it is an effective way to build an owned audience that gets results.
And, no, email isn’t dead. And, email marketing isn’t spam.
Even to this day, email remains one of the few marketing channels we can use to build an authentic connection with the humans that keep our businesses alive. It is a tool. And like any tool, if used properly, its and asset to your business. You need to use this tool to build upon an existing relationship with every person on your list by providing relevant, valuable information that will help them take action on their goals.
But, email marketing isn’t just about you, or your company. It’s about your customer. So, to see why email marketing is still one of the most important elements of your marketing strategy and how you can use it responsibly and effectively read the full article at HubSpot.com
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- 28 Jun
How to Launch a New Brand: Five Tips for an Unforgettable Debut
- Jun 28, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- #Startup Marketing, Brand Marketing, Product Launch Strategies
As a startup, you need to be marketing. And you need to be building your brand in the market. That’s because building a brand for your company is one of the most important things you can do as a marketer.
But, What is “brand” And Why Should I Care?
A brand – your brand – can allow you to differentiate yourself from industry competitors with a unique image, a memorable voice, and an identity that resonates with your target customers. But establishing and launching your own brand from scratch can be difficult.
This is particularly true when you’re a startup with limited resources
It can be tempting to rush through the process of market entry and start selling products as quickly as possible. But the way you introduce your company to your customers could have a huge impact on your potential for future sales. After all, you really do have only one chance to make a first impression.
And to see some simple suggestions to help you create a memorable and effective brand that will help your company stand out from the competition, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
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- 27 Jun
Selling on Instagram: How to Use Instagram’s Shoppable Posts
- Jun 27, 2018
- admin
- 0
- Instagram, Social Media, Social Selling
by Matt Smith
Selling on Instagram just got a lot easier with the launch of Instagram’s shoppable posts feature. Now, in the past, the only way to connect your followers with your products was through the link in your bio. Or you could use links in Instagram Stories. However, this new feature provides a seamless experience for people to shop products directly from your posts.
This is No Small Matter
Of course, with more than half a billion monthly active users and over half a million advertisers, it was only a matter of time before users could start buying products right from the app!
Ready to get started with selling on Instagram? Want to learn why Your Business Should Be Using Instagram Shoppable Posts? Or how to get started? Here’s everything you need to know about how to create shoppable posts at HubSpot.com
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- 26 Jun
What Should You Post on Social Media for Your Startup?
- Jun 26, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- #Startup Marketing, Social Media, Social Media Marketing
by Disha Dinesh
The best news about starting-up in today’s digital landscape is that you grow at practically little or no cost. All you need is the right idea, at the right time. And to be at the right place at the right time, of course.
Today’s army of social media bloggers and micro-bloggers are constantly looking for exciting things to post. And you can be the subject of their social media conversations. But the first things you should think about are employing a social media management tool and building a smart social media marketing strategy.
But, as a startup, where to start?
While building a social media strategy, there are some questions that you should ask yourself. And after answering those questions you should have a good idea of who you’re targeting. And you will know exactly what to post. So to see the 12 types of content that you should post on social media for your startup read the full article at DrumUp
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- 25 Jun
SEO for Startups: How to Grow Your Organic Traffic Fast
by Lee Wilson
Search engine optimisation is tricky for any business. And in the world of business today, it is a critical component of your success. But you’ve got a real challenge on your hands as a startup.
It Ain’t Easy Being . . . a Start-up
As a startup you have some unique challenges. You need to make an impact fast. You need to get things moving and start building traction. All before those limited funds run out. Which is probably why a lot of startups take shortcuts with SEO, hoping to cut a few corners and speed their way to search ranking glory. And, sadly, Google has a fairly brutal history of proving it doesn’t tolerate corner cutting.
To learn how startups can approach SEO to get fast results that last. And, then, how to supercharge your search strategy with automation, read the full article at WordStream.com
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- 23 Jun
The Art & Science of Social Media Marketing for Small Business
- Jun 23, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Marketing for Small Business, Social Media Marketing
from Deluxe Small Business Resource Center
Here’s a surprising statistic. Today, 94 percent of small businesses are using social media for marketing purposes. Now, it’s likely that you’ve already begun to utilize some form of social media. But are you making the most of the platforms you’re using? Because it’s so easy to dive into social media, many entrepreneurs skip past the strategizing that’s necessary to fully experience the benefits of platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
From managing the company Facebook page to fielding customer questions on Twitter, most small businesses are already utilizing some form of social media to generate awareness for their products, services or brand online. But is social media actually helping you reach your goals?
You can become a social media power user
It is possible for you to publish content that better supports marketing goals and drives engagement. All by following established best practices and optimization techniques. And to learn what they are and how to best use them, read the full article at the Deluxe Small Business Resource Center
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- 22 Jun
Sender Reputations Have A Strong Impact on Email Performance and Here’s How
- Jun 22, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Email Marketing, Lead Generation, Marketing Strategies
from Marketing Charts
Email providers are increasingly making life more difficult for spammers. But still not impossible. It seems that just one-quarter of emails in 2017 came from the least reputable senders. And that’s down from 60% of messages in 2012.
Send Score, Scores Again . . .
This according to Return Path, which has released its latest benchmark report on the state of email reputation. Each year, they run an evaluation based upon their Send Score system. Sender Score is Return Path’s free reputation calculation service. Send Score ranks senders reputation on a scale of 0-100 rating.
To arrive at its conclusions, Return Path analyzed more than 6 trillion emails. The study focused on those sent last year from IP addresses whose Sender Score was calculated, and whose subscriber engagement and inbox placement data were available for analysis. To see more of the data and access the original benchmark report, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 21 Jun
The Best Marketing Strategies to Get More Out of Existing Customers
- Jun 21, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Account Based Marketing, B2B Marketing, Loyalty Marketing
from Marketing Charts
When you need to know the marketing strategies that are working best, it is a good idea to ask the people finding success. And, that is exactly what the CMO Council and Sendwithus decided to do.
It Never Hurts to Ask, Now Does It?
They wanted to uncover some of the best ideas finding the most success when it comes to getting more out of their existing customers. So, they asked 179 senior marketing leaders, primarily at B2B and hybrid B2B and B2C companies, what works for them. In particular, they delved into the strategies respondents are using to realize greater revenue and profitability from existing customers.
To see what they discovered, and to download the original report, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 20 Jun
Upselling Can Help Stem Churn and Increase Retention: Study
- Jun 20, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- B2B Marketing, Loyalty Marketing, Retention Marketing
Churn. It is a word that strikes fear into the hears of every SaaS and subscription based business leader. And yet, it is a reality of life for them. Some will see year-over-year subscriber increase, only to have customers leave unexpectedly. That is called churn and it can make the difference between success and failure for a tech startup in that space.
So, How Can the Churn Issue Be Solve?
To answer this question, Vendasta conducted a study [original report]. They looked 100,000 SMB client accounts and uncovered some surprising conclusions. The most surprising is that selling those at-risk customers more, can be key to reducing customer churn. As it turned out, upselling customers within the first three months of their contract can help companies stem churn and increase retention by 30 percent.
To see more of the conclusions from this report and to learn the three key strategies for better customer retention read the full article at ChiefMarketer.com