Running a Successful Marketing Campaign

Every good product, service and business have returning customers. Returning customers spell business success and are vital to the continued good health of the company. Every business needs to develop matrices to calculate the number of returning customers v/s first-time customers.

Why are returning customers so vital and what do they have to do with marketing campaigns?
If the number of returning customers is minuscule (under 15%), it means that the marketing campaign is successful but the product or service does not meet quality expectations. This results in more and more funds being diverted to marketing campaigns. Stop the marketing campaign and business will have to fold up. Obviously, this is not a healthy situation.

You might have noticed that there are a number of businesses that are doing very well despite spending insignificant amounts on marketing.  A good example is BOSH from Germany. When was the last time you saw a BOSH advertisement? And yet, their products are used in most automobiles around the World.

Assuming your product or service is excellent and you have a significant number of returning customers, you probably (unlike BOSH), will still have to spend some money on marketing campaigns.  But these marketing campaigns would have to be split into two types – a marketing campaign for the new customer and a marketing campaign for the returning customers.

Yup! From time to time returning customers need to be rewarded for buying your product or service. Technically, this is called inbound marketing.

Running a successful Inbound Marketing Campaign – Create attractive, meaningful content
Remember an inbound customer already has significant knowledge of your product or service. He or she does not need a sales pitch.  What they need is a reward pitch, a kind of “thank you for continuing to shop with us, here’s your reward” kind of marketing campaign.

Maximize use of the social networks to percolate the message. Nothing catches on like a discount or some form of discount e.g. “Buy 1 and get 1 FREE”.

Create landing pages that specifically cater to the content in your marketing campaign.
If your advertisement claims to offer a “Buy 1 get 1Free” make sure the link from the advertisement takes the customer to the specific page that provides details to that offer.  The other day I happened to click on a link that claimed to offer Nike sneakers at under $35 a pair and landed up on a page that was offering Nike sneakers starting at $250. I gave the site 10 seconds worth of my time by scrolling down to see if there were any $35 sneakers and found none. Close site, back to Facebook! Meanwhile the advertiser would have had to pay for the click that brought me to his site but generated no revenue.

Make good use of Facebook Leads
Facebook displays adverts primarily based on user comments and messages. Facebook continuously searches for keywords specified in all live advertisements. So if the keyword is shoes or sneakers and a user is discussing or mentions shoes or sneakers, the user will be shown any active advert for shoes or sneakers for the user’s age, gender and demographic group. Facebook’s inbuilt system of identifying qualified leads is quite effective – make good use of it.

Use several formats
In advertising, there is no guaranteed success. Keep several advertisements ready. If you find that one does not work, you will merely have to switch to another without having to waste time developing a new one.

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Tips to Marketing Success on Facebook

Of all the businesses undertaking an AdWords campaign (PPC campaign), less than 10% even have a budget for undertaking an AdWords campaign on Facebook. My own investigation reveals that all the campaign managers not only are aware of Facebook but actually have Facebook accounts themselves. When I drilled deeper, half sheepishly inform me that Facebook skipped their mind and the other half say they are skeptical that Facebook could deliver.
Frankly, I’m amazed. Facebook is not only a great inventive tool, it is perhaps one of the greatest success stories of modern times. There are millions of unique customers from all parts of the globe converging each day on Facebook. There are young, old, rich and not-so-rich customers.
As of today, Facebook is displaying targeted ads based on content generated by the user i.e. a user discussing (say) ladies handbags will be shown any available ad for ladies handbags that targets that demography; meaning, adverts targeting the age group, gender and geographic location. Even the all powerful Google Adwords campaign manager cannot provide us with this degree of filtering. So wake up folks. If you are even contemplating a PPC campaign, ensure at least 25% of the budget is set aside for Facebook.
For those of you who have undertaken ad campaigns on Facebook but have not been rewarded with success, here are my tips to marketing success on Facebook. I personally use each one of these and guarantee they work.
Tip # 1 Make use of the EdgeRank System
Some of you may know of it, but most don’t. Facebook uses something they call the EdgeRank system. The EdgeRank system uses the Facebook users own content to determine where and how your advertisement shows up in a user’s news feed. So my first tip is to create an advert or post that makes the best use of the EdgeRank criteria you can maximize its potential (and your ROI).
Tip # 2 Maximize advert potential by increased activity on your part
Post regularly around the same time as the ad campaign. The posts must all be entertaining and relevant. Include photos, videos and relevant links in your posts. Create polls, invite audience participation. The secret of Facebook is “Engage” – the more engaging you are with your target audience, the longer they stay in the news feed.
Tip # 3 Relevant content is the Kingpin of success
Too many businesses only post content pertaining to their company or product or service. It is very little in terms of engaging entertainment. Your content on products or services needs to be interspaced with jokes, funny pictures, polls, funny stories and so on. On Facebook, business content must revolve around entertainment. Was there a funny incident at your factory today? Post it! You will be amazed as to how much response you will receive.
Tip # 4 Start small and test the waters before you leap
Facebook encourages you to start small. You can run an ad campaign on Facebook with as little as $5. Seriously, no other media with such a phenomenal reach allows you to start so small. Formulate an ad and run it for $5 worth. Study the matrices carefully. Study the results carefully. Depending on the number of genuine (not bought) Likes you already have, even a $5 campaign has the potential of reaching out to thousands. Succeeded beyond your wildest imagination? Well, then develop another campaign along the same lines but different content and engage Facebook services for $10 and so on getting bigger with each new campaign.

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How to Search Engine Optimize your LinkedIn Profile

Linkedin is a combination of a social networking and marketing tool for individuals and organizations alike. In fact, it is one of the best and most powerful tool for the individual which is why it is vital to get it right on LinkedIn. Here are tips on how to search engine optimize (SEO) your Linkedin profile.

Open Sesame
The purpose of this blog is not to teach you to create a profile – you will have to learn that elsewhere. The purpose is to teach you how to market your profile. So, assuming you know how to create your profile, the next thing you need to do is click on your privacy settings and set it to ‘public’. Unless you set your profile to public, the search engines will not find your profile and if they don’t then neither will prospective customers or employers or any of your target audience.

Customize your LinkedIn URL
By default, LinkedIn assigns each profile a generic url. This url is not search engine optimized. You should customize your assigned url and make it market-friendly. Here are a few tips to Search Engine Optimizing your LinkedIn url.

If you are looking for job: [Name] – [Designation]. So this might look something like James Ricardo – Robotics Programmer or K Allen – Radiographer or Ambuja Cement – Cement Manufacturers India. When you look at these examples, you can see how it will help prospective customers or employers or employees locate you.

Content is King
When you search engine optimize your Linkedin profile, you need to understand that Search engines thrive on content. The more the content, the more the search engines can figure where to place your profile, i.e. the page ranking. It is therefore a good idea to always fill in the details. Be descriptive without the fluff (after all your profile will be read by humans too). If you have blogged with some degree of success, or have a website, you should include a url to your blogs or website as well. Cross promotion always helps provided of course, the blog is authored in your own name and the website promotes you or your organization. Unless you’ve kept them official, avoid linking to your Facebook, Twitter or other social networking profiles.

You cannot search engine optimize your Linkedin profile without keywords. In the examples mentioned above, the keywords for James Ricardo would be the current designation and designation sought, the various post-grad qualifications, year of experience and so on. The keywords are words that will be used by prospective employers to search for prospective recruits. Although I’ve said that your name should be a part of your LinkedIn url, prospective employers will not be searching for prospective new recruits by name so your name is not a keyword. Its use in the Linkedin url is to make it easier for prospective employers to identify individual urls.

Finally, remember that keywords become keywords only when they are used three or four times in your profile content.

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The Quality of Your Ratings

Ratings are just as effective as the keyword research that informs your web-site’s information structures. You may present some perfect ranks for a level of catchy keywords but it’ll imply little or nothing at all for your business if those keywords haven’t any potential for change.

Because of this rankings should be looked at in the platform of keyword value. Why is an essential keyword is the main topic of a whole lot of dialogue and research and should get an totally individual blog, but we can format the broad concerns here: An excellent keyword hits a balance between wide-ranging and specific (think “moustache polish” alternatively than “wax”) and weighs in at transactional purpose with high search size (expect “buy car or truck” on the other hand than “car”).

Additionally it is rigorously examined for framework and opportunity. Most of us can get a good notion exhibiting how Yahoo will translate keywords by looking at the entries for this term. We might for case start away thinking we’ve found a great keyword for just one of the main element service websites of any client’s site. However when a search uncovers so it must be the name associated with an school course and web page one is monopolised by Wikipedia results and prospectus information from a few of the planet’s most important universities, really back again to the sketching plank.

If it’s extremely difficult to remain competitive for space on webpage one or if the serp’s for an integral phrase aren’t directly related to your products, those keywords will have little value.

If they’re doing their research well, it is extremely likely that your Seo services will help you on ditching certain keywords towards others. This is necessary when clients have been recently previously been encouraged to simply follow high quantity keywords without analyzing keyword opportunity first. Once readjusting the keyword emphasis, search rankings usually experience a slump before recovering. Nevertheless the final result is a far more focused campaign.

 

 

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8 Free Google Extensions for Time-Poor Designers

To comprehend the benefit for time-saving website development tools, you only need to think about the to-do set of an UX designer.

Customer experience designers pull a host of visual elements together into a perfect blend of simplicity and functionality. Using colour, typography and other visual elements, they communicate brand mother nature and guide visitors by using a website.

Taking care of this delicate balance can take care. Matching a particular color or identifying the perfect font can be the small challenge that destroys your flow and triggers projects to blow away.

 

But don’t worry, designers. We have great news!

There are some fantastic web design tools available in the Chrome Web Store to help busy designers to find inspiration, analyse other designs and collaborate with their team. Even better, many of them are free! These extensions help you save time and improve efficiency, and are worth their weight in gold to a busy designer.

Whether you need inspiration to choose the right colour palette or to identify a specific font quickly, there are free web design tools available to help creativity flow and make your work day a breeze.

We asked one of our experienced UX designers to show us some of his favourite free Google extensions. Of course, in true designer style, he’s prepared the list in the form of a colourful infographic.

Take a look at our 8 favourite Google extensions to help you improve your workflow.

 

Add the extensions to Chrome through these links to the Chrome Web Store:

  1. Font Face Ninja
  2. Nimbus Screenshot & Screen Video Recorder
  3. Page Ruler
  4. ColorZilla
  5. Window Resizer
  6. Muzli
  7. Lorem Ipsum Generator
  8. Image Downloader

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GDPR- WHAT ARE THE DO’S AND DON’TS IN SENDING MARKETING E-MAILS?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (GDPR) has become effective in the countries under Euro Union from May twenty fifth, 2018 onwards. It has put an end to the days of mass marketing e-mails in which the consumers once used to obtain e-mails from unknown senders. Only as the old stating experience it, “it’s better to be safe than sorry”, we need to keep in mind the do’s and don’ts under GDPR.

You can will no longer hide away from the fact of having consents from the targeted customers before sending away e-mail/e-mails. The new GDPR is not going to simply let you add new addresses to your email lists or send non-targeted communications to everyone in your information.

So, before attempting the next shots of emails, it’s a good plan to really know what will and what will not be allowed under the new legislation. If you are in charge of your company’s marketing and sales communications or are tasked with sending away company’s monthly e-mails, then, this guide is for you.

This guide addresses the key areas of Info Regulation and the do’s and don’ts in email marketing. These rules also help you in guaranteeing your entire processes are GDPR compliant.

The Do’s of GDPR for E-mail Marketing

  • DO seek consents from the recipients and get affirmative permission to contact them via email. It is the most secure process under GDPR and E-Privacy legislation.
  • Do segment your mailing list by understanding the difference between B2B and B2C communications. B2B emails should be targeted at a person’s role within a business. B2C communications, on the other hand, are directed at the persons themselves. They must have provided explicit consent prior to you contacting them.
  • Do ask them if they are happy to be added to a particular mailing list, in order to be contacted either with information relevant to their industry/role or with news/updates on the services/products you have previously discussed.
  • DO follow B2C rules when dealing with small partnerships, sole traders or one-person operations. An explicit opt-in consent must be given before you can email them.
  • DO inform your customers if you’re monitoring the e-mail open rates and changing the content sent to them based on what they do/don’t read-which means you monitor their behaviour. Always give them the option to opt-out/unsubscribe.

The Don’ts of GDPR for E-mail Marketing

  • DON’T email anyone who has asked not to be contacted, unsubscribed from a list, or opted-out in any other way.
  • DON’T add someone whom you have collected a business card to every mailing list your company uses. Instead, write them an email in the usual manner, explaining that you thought they might be interested in finding out more about the services/products your business offers.
  • DON’T add anyone into the mailing list unless they explicitly say that they would like to be included.
  • DON’T send e-mails to people assuming that they will be interested in your service. It is fine to send e-mails to customers or clients who may have purchased from you or have enquired about your products or service in the past. But, it is essential that all your future e-mails should be relevant to what they have expressed interest in.
  • DON’T be too rigid with your communication when it comes to marketing your services/products to new contacts. Instead, provide multiple types of content including news and events, general updates, white papers and in various other formats too. This will not only leave you with the choice to deliver great content your customers are interested but also increase the likelihood of interaction.

Give your customers the choice to opt-in via their preferred medium whether it’s email, newsletter, phone call, or text.  It will aid you in your flexibility, freedom and compliance in driving engagement with your customers. You can also update your Privacy Policy specifying all these and give them the option to opt-out or opt-in if they wanted to receive your marketing communications.

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HOW CAN YOU SECURE YOUR PERSONAL DATA ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

With all the uproar over Facebook Incorporation. for mishandling user data when Cambridge Analytica, an information firm with connections to US president Jesse Trump’s 2016 presidential selection campaign and improperly being able to access data of tens of millions of Facebook users raise doubts and controversy over how well the world’s most significant social support systems protect its trove of customer data.

You may think you’re being careful with your web data. You may feel hopeful for taking all the advised precautions by carefully setting up your privacy settings on Facebook, go by a pseudonym on Twitter, and only hook up with people you’ve actually met in person on LinkedIn. On the other hand are you sure that your computer data are safe from stalkers, hackers and identity robbers?

You understand, even an each day Internet user armed with some basic Google search skills can piece in concert information about who you are. Here are a few questions to examine your web security.

  1. Have you ever used the same username or pseudonym at more than one website?
  2. How many online accounts and profiles have you abandoned are still online, giving out information about you?
  3. Did you ever delete that old MySpace profile?
  4. Do you have any email accounts that are not in use?

Using only a few basic online search techniques, any interested party can put together a lot of revealing information about you and the details of your life.

What are the several methods a hacker can utilise your data?

  • It can be used to file false worker’s compensation claims
  • Steal your Social Security benefits
  • Get fake passports
  • Put their medical bills in your name
  • Give your information for their speeding, tickets or crimes
  • Steal money from your bank accounts.
  • Get the details of your shopping accounts or even have banking information
  • Gain access to the corporate networks if your social media is linked to your work email
  • It can be used to register on another site
  • Sometimes to harass you

These types of thefts can be much harder to spot than you’d imagine.

How can you protect yourself while still taking good thing about the great things about social media and modern technology?

The several social mass media platforms have security features that you should take advantage of.

Here are some tips for keeping your accounts secure:

  • Close the social media accounts that you no longer use. Hackers can leverage these and access other accounts linked to it, like your email.
  • Check what apps are connected to your social media. Do you use Facebook or Google to sign in for any other applications? Assess if this type of access is necessary.
  • Practice good password habits. Use different passwords for your social media accounts, and also make sure each password is complex and unusual.
  • Enabling 2FA or “Two Factor Authentication” for all your accounts can prevent unauthorised parties from accessing your accounts.
  • Keep your mobile apps updated. Make sure you have the latest version of the platform you’re using to protect you from the newest security threats.
  • Use a unique email only for your social media accounts if possible so that hackers won’t have access to any of your valuable information.
  • Make sure you know the people you add to social media.
  • You should never, ever post details like your Social Security and driver’s license numbers and your specific location.
  • Make it a practice to log out if you’re using a public computer, but log out of private devices from time to time as well.
  • When selecting passwords use a combination of words, numbers, upper- and lowercase letters, and special characters that are easy for you to remember, but tough for other people to guess.
  • Skip common password elements like birthdates, anniversaries, and the names of your children or pets.
  • Keep passwords private by memorising them and never write them on the device itself.
  • Try to understand and become a master of all your social media accounts privacy settings.
  • Always enable the passcode lock on your phone, and set it to time out at no more than a few minutes if your phone accidentally ends up in the hands of a stranger, giving access to your social accounts and more.

Hope these tips help you to not to compromise with a hacker in any way. If you can follow these tips and more effective security solutions, then it can help you enjoy your digital life safely.

securely.

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WHY DOES IT MATTER HAVING A SECURE HTTPS WEBSITE?

You may be an individual or a business owner that has a website. Is your website secure or have you managed to get secure? If the answer is yes, then, you’ve done the best job. Making your website secure or better say rendering it HTTPS from HTTP is something almost all of all of us neglect convinced that all the websites once made live is secure. You aren’t gone wrong!

While some of you may well be aware that their website is not secure and hold a misconception that it is not so important. Once again, you’re wrong. There is also another myth growing across that having a secure (HTTPS encrypted) website isn’t important for SEO. While all these myths undertake a gamble, we need to learn the true reasons behind. Let’s dig profound.

What is HTTPS?

You may have pointed out that some URLs start with http:// while others start with https://. The excess “s” is required when you are browsing websites that requires you to enter delicate information, like while you are paying bills online.

HTTPS or Hyper Text Transfer Process Secure is the secure version of HTTP, the protocol over which data is sent between your browser and the website that you are linked to. The ‘S’ by the end of HTTPS stands for ‘Secure‘. It means all communications relating to the browser and the website are protected. To put it simply, the extra “s” means your connection to that website is encrypted so hackers can’t intercept any data. The technology that powers that little “s” is called SSL.

What is SSL?

SSL stands upright for Secure Sockets Level. It is the standard security technology for creating an encrypted link between an online server and a browser. This link ensures that all data handed between the web machine and browser remains private.

Why should you get SSL?

In August 2014, Google declared that it had started using HTTPS as a signal in their ranking algorithms. In the same time, this meant that if your website still relied on standard HTTP, your search positions could suffer as a result.
Then, in August of 2017, Google released a new version with their popular Chrome web browser, version 62, which now indicates that a web page is not secure if it contains an app, but does not have SSL-enabled.
From an SEO perspective, Google has openly explained that two websites that happen to be otherwise equal in search results, if one has SSL enabled it may receive a a bit rank boost to surpass the other.
Not to mention, up to 85% of folks explained that they may not continue browsing when a site is not secure, relating to a recent review report.
There is a clear SEO benefit to enabling-SSL on your website, and across your content.

Want to get an SSL for your website?

Visit out our website to learn more about an SSL. Depending on your security needs, you can permit SSL across all of your hosted content – such as website, landing pages, and blog. To find out more, contact our technical support team to get going.

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