MD Internet Marketing Solutions http://feed.informer.com/digests/OLHZG1RYXQ/feeder MD Internet Marketing Solutions Respective post owners and feed distributors Fri, 04 Mar 2016 22:15:25 +0000 Feed Informer http://feed.informer.com/ Collaborating for Growth: WPLift’s Experience at the WordPress 20th Anniversary Event Hosted by UnlimitedWP https://wplift.com/collaborating-for-growth-wplifts-experience-at-the-wordpress-20th-anniversary-event-hosted-by-unlimitedwp WPLift urn:uuid:92df7c76-8af3-1127-8100-b227db089468 Mon, 10 Jul 2023 12:31:08 +0000 <p>If you’re a regular WPLift reader, you’ll know that there’s nothing we love more than talking about WordPress.&#160; Driven by an unwavering passion, we spend every day learning as much as possible about the latest developments across the platform’s rich ecosystem and sharing what we’ve learned about the best themes, the most useful plugins, and <span class="more-dots">[...]</span></p> <p><a class="btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link" href="https://wplift.com/collaborating-for-growth-wplifts-experience-at-the-wordpress-20th-anniversary-event-hosted-by-unlimitedwp">Read More...</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com/collaborating-for-growth-wplifts-experience-at-the-wordpress-20th-anniversary-event-hosted-by-unlimitedwp">Collaborating for Growth: WPLift&#8217;s Experience at the WordPress 20th Anniversary Event Hosted by UnlimitedWP</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com">Learn WordPress with WPLift</a>.</p> Event WordPress News WordPress Tips & Tutorials Wordpress Event Team WPLift How to Start a Blog in WordPress https://wplift.com/how-to-start-a-wordpress-blog WPLift urn:uuid:890a1d04-cf55-dafc-f656-34f7f677709f Thu, 06 Jul 2023 07:18:29 +0000 <p>Do you have something worthy on your mind to share with the world today? Absolutely the best way to go about it is to pen your thoughts in the right direction on the right platform that can help you reach out to the very people who would love to read your piece d’art! What better <span class="more-dots">[...]</span></p> <p><a class="btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link" href="https://wplift.com/how-to-start-a-wordpress-blog">Read More...</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com/how-to-start-a-wordpress-blog">How to Start a Blog in WordPress</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com">Learn WordPress with WPLift</a>.</p> Blogging WordPress Tips & Tutorials Tips & Tutorials Tutorials WordPress Team WPLift How to Add Hreflang Tags in Your WordPress Site https://wplift.com/how-to-add-hreflang-tags-in-your-wordpress-site WPLift urn:uuid:f63e2406-7133-7cd0-8ff4-0a79ebac96b3 Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:47:38 +0000 <p>Have you ever wondered whether your WordPress website is getting the attention it deserves from the target audience it was intended to be drawing in? Or, from search engines that showcase your website for your products &#38; services to your intended customers? It’s important that your website in WordPress speaks the same language as your <span class="more-dots">[...]</span></p> <p><a class="btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link" href="https://wplift.com/how-to-add-hreflang-tags-in-your-wordpress-site">Read More...</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com/how-to-add-hreflang-tags-in-your-wordpress-site">How to Add Hreflang Tags in Your WordPress Site</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com">Learn WordPress with WPLift</a>.</p> Technical WordPress Tips & Tutorials Team WPLift Weekly WordPress News and Updates: Now, Monetize Your WordPress Site for Free with WordPress.com’s New Features https://wplift.com/weekly-wordpress-news-and-updates-now-monetize-your-wordpress-site WPLift urn:uuid:cae2094a-45e0-b5cc-b534-71729b13dc55 Fri, 23 Jun 2023 13:52:33 +0000 <p>WordPress.com has made its monetization features available for free. This means that users on the Free plan can now use monetization features without upgrading.&#160;In the past, WordPress.com users who wanted to earn money on their websites by collecting donations, creating a newsletter, or selling items or subscriptions had to be on one of the paid <span class="more-dots">[...]</span></p> <p><a class="btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link" href="https://wplift.com/weekly-wordpress-news-and-updates-now-monetize-your-wordpress-site">Read More...</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com/weekly-wordpress-news-and-updates-now-monetize-your-wordpress-site">Weekly WordPress News and Updates: Now, Monetize Your WordPress Site for Free with WordPress.com’s New Features</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com">Learn WordPress with WPLift</a>.</p> WordPress Tips & Tutorials WordPress News Newsletter Team WPLift Is Your WordPress Hacked? Know The Cause & Solutions https://wplift.com/wordpress-hacked-know-the-cause-solutions WPLift urn:uuid:617fea05-96c9-614a-56b5-7bfac8e03ebd Thu, 22 Jun 2023 07:54:40 +0000 <p>Something’s going wrong with your website, but is your WordPress hacked or is there another reason why things aren’t working as they should? To help you determine the answer to that question, we’ve outlined ten common signs that a WordPress site has been compromised and what you can do to banish bad actors and restore <span class="more-dots">[...]</span></p> <p><a class="btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link" href="https://wplift.com/wordpress-hacked-know-the-cause-solutions">Read More...</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com/wordpress-hacked-know-the-cause-solutions">Is Your WordPress Hacked? Know The Cause &amp; Solutions</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com">Learn WordPress with WPLift</a>.</p> WordPress Tips & Tutorials Team WPLift 10 Best Free WordPress Hosting Service Providers [Key Features, Pros & Cons] https://wplift.com/best-free-wordpress-hosting-providers WPLift urn:uuid:f26f4c1e-3354-73be-25ea-93b05244374b Wed, 21 Jun 2023 07:56:38 +0000 <p>WordPress is one of the most well-known content management systems worldwide. Many small to big businesses, bloggers, and new-age entrepreneurs leverage this technology to create a website. So, if you want to create a website, you need to choose the right WordPress hosting provider. If you are not sure about investing in a premium hosting <span class="more-dots">[...]</span></p> <p><a class="btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link" href="https://wplift.com/best-free-wordpress-hosting-providers">Read More...</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com/best-free-wordpress-hosting-providers">10 Best Free WordPress Hosting Service Providers [Key Features, Pros &amp; Cons]</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com">Learn WordPress with WPLift</a>.</p> WordPress Hosting Team WPLift 5 Best WordPress Auction Plugins For Your Website https://wplift.com/best-auction-plugins-for-wordpress WPLift urn:uuid:4d358c0c-eb0d-76af-9fec-b4a22c7b3df7 Fri, 16 Jun 2023 04:43:16 +0000 <p>Selling online is easy with WordPress (especially when using a platform like WooCommerce). But what happens if you want to run auctions online? Naturally, it&#8217;s easy to think of eBay as being the only option for online selling. Luckily, you can integrate eBay with WordPress, so that&#8217;s not a problem! Don&#8217;t like eBay? You can <span class="more-dots">[...]</span></p> <p><a class="btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link" href="https://wplift.com/best-auction-plugins-for-wordpress">Read More...</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com/best-auction-plugins-for-wordpress">5 Best WordPress Auction Plugins For Your Website</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com">Learn WordPress with WPLift</a>.</p> WooCommerce Plugins WordPress Plugins Team WPLift CM Secure Login Review: Provide Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) On Your WordPress Site https://wplift.com/cm-secure-login-review WPLift urn:uuid:bb7c7103-c97b-2a18-3453-7e966e308a34 Wed, 14 Jun 2023 09:17:09 +0000 <p>Facebook and Google, those popular websites we all know and love, have cleverly hopped on the security bandwagon by offering two-factor authentication (2FA) to their users. Now, WordPress users can join the party too! With the nifty CM Secure Login plugin, you can fortify your WordPress site with an extra layer of protection, making it <span class="more-dots">[...]</span></p> <p><a class="btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link" href="https://wplift.com/cm-secure-login-review">Read More...</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com/cm-secure-login-review">CM Secure Login Review: Provide Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) On Your WordPress Site</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com">Learn WordPress with WPLift</a>.</p> WordPress Plugins Login Team WPLift How to Login on WordPress Admin: A Complete Guide https://wplift.com/how-to-login-on-wordpress-admin WPLift urn:uuid:6c2d9912-1fea-d4dc-7872-0480e35ef726 Tue, 13 Jun 2023 11:25:50 +0000 <p>If you’re unsure how to log in on WordPress admin, don’t worry, you’re not the only one. For many WordPress newcomers, the platform’s login page can be difficult to locate at first. The good news is that once you know where to look, it’s so easy to find that you’ll never have any problem logging <span class="more-dots">[...]</span></p> <p><a class="btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link" href="https://wplift.com/how-to-login-on-wordpress-admin">Read More...</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com/how-to-login-on-wordpress-admin">How to Login on WordPress Admin: A Complete Guide</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com">Learn WordPress with WPLift</a>.</p> Technical Team WPLift WordPress vs Joomla: Which One is Better? https://wplift.com/wordpress-vs-joomla WPLift urn:uuid:a932fa58-aecc-ed1b-0a78-df172f13f58e Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:58:40 +0000 <p>WordPress and Joomla are the two most popular Content Management Systems (CMS) on the web, but which one is better for building your new website? To help you answer that question, we pitted both platforms against one another in a head-to-head battle, comparing how each one stacks up in terms of the most important factors <span class="more-dots">[...]</span></p> <p><a class="btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link" href="https://wplift.com/wordpress-vs-joomla">Read More...</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com/wordpress-vs-joomla">WordPress vs Joomla: Which One is Better?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://wplift.com">Learn WordPress with WPLift</a>.</p> WordPress Tips & Tutorials Team WPLift Video Conferencing Platform Huddle01 Raises $2.8 Million https://50wheel.com/video-conferencing-platform-huddle01-raises-2-8-million/ Video Marketing Software and Strategy urn:uuid:f3a13244-b059-b91f-5b4a-1c57592bfe87 Sun, 30 Apr 2023 22:03:53 +0000 <p>Huddle01, a video meeting and real-time communication platform, has raised $2.8 million in a seed round led by Hivemind with participation from Superscrypt, M31 Capital, Protocol Labs, East Ventures, Longhash Ventures, Good News Ventures. In total Huddle01 has raised $4.5 million in funding, which includes a previously raised pre-seed round from Protocol Labs and Web3 [&#8230;]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/video-conferencing-platform-huddle01-raises-2-8-million/">Video Conferencing Platform Huddle01 Raises $2.8 Million</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://50wheel.com/huddle01/">Huddle01</a>, a video meeting and real-time communication platform, has raised $2.8 million in a seed round led by <a href="https://hivemind.capital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hivemind</a> with participation from <a href="https://www.superscrypt.xyz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Superscrypt</a>, <a href="https://www.m31.capital/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">M31 Capital</a>, <a href="https://protocol.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Protocol Labs</a>, <a href="https://east.vc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">East Ventures</a>, <a href="https://www.longhash.vc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Longhash Ventures</a>, <a href="https://www.goodnewsventures.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Good News Ventures</a>.</p> <p>In total Huddle01 has raised $4.5 million in funding, which includes a previously raised pre-seed round from <a href="https://protocol.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Protocol Labs</a> and Web3 angel investors. </p> <p>The company plans to use the capital raised to create massive infrastructure demand to ensure that when it launches it&#8217;s network with incentives, it becomes self-sustaining and self-propelling with better performance, privacy, and costs.</p> <p>To learn more about Huddle01 <a href="/huddle01">visit their profile in our software directory</a>.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/video-conferencing-platform-huddle01-raises-2-8-million/">Video Conferencing Platform Huddle01 Raises $2.8 Million</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> Funding & Acquisitions News Vendor News Funding fiftywheel Live Streaming & Audio Platform Video SDK Raises $1.2 Million https://50wheel.com/live-streaming-audio-platform-video-sdk-raises-1-2-million/ Video Marketing Software and Strategy urn:uuid:8d5da98a-add8-fa3e-f6dd-3cf4e8313145 Sun, 30 Apr 2023 20:31:04 +0000 <p>Video SDK, a company that specializes in live video infrastructure has announced that it has secured $1.2 million in seed funding in a round let by GVFL. The capital raised in this round will be used to build out feature sets such as generative AI, advanced video compression among other product roadmap items. Video SDK [&#8230;]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/live-streaming-audio-platform-video-sdk-raises-1-2-million/">Live Streaming &amp; Audio Platform Video SDK Raises $1.2 Million</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://50wheel.com/video-sdk/">Video SDK</a>, a company that specializes in live video infrastructure has announced that it has secured $1.2 million in seed funding in a round let by <a href="https://gvfl.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GVFL</a>. The capital raised in this round will be used to build out feature sets such as generative AI, advanced video compression among other product roadmap items.</p> <p>Video SDK is working to create a platform that supports robust and reliable audio and video infrastructure at scale using generative AI, compressing audio with neural encoder-decoders, and upscaling video resolution from lower resolution to higher resolution on the fly. </p> <p>To learn more about Video SDK <a href="/video-sdk">visit their profile</a> in our software directory.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/live-streaming-audio-platform-video-sdk-raises-1-2-million/">Live Streaming &amp; Audio Platform Video SDK Raises $1.2 Million</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> Funding & Acquisitions News Vendor News Funding fiftywheel vLive: End-To-End Video Streaming SaaS Suite by Mobiotics https://50wheel.com/vlive-end-to-end-video-streaming-saas-suite-by-mobiotics/ Video Marketing Software and Strategy urn:uuid:62f7c718-9038-88ca-30a9-b40d489e2cc8 Thu, 27 Apr 2023 01:07:49 +0000 <p>vLive is the ultimate choice for multi-bitrate video streaming on a global scale. This video showcases the exclusive Features of vLive.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/vlive-end-to-end-video-streaming-saas-suite-by-mobiotics/">vLive: End-To-End Video Streaming SaaS Suite by Mobiotics</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> <p>vLive is the ultimate choice for multi-bitrate video streaming on a global scale. This video showcases the exclusive Features of vLive.</p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@OTTMobiotics"></a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/vlive-end-to-end-video-streaming-saas-suite-by-mobiotics/">vLive: End-To-End Video Streaming SaaS Suite by Mobiotics</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> Uncategorized fiftywheel Translate.Video Video Translation Software Demo https://50wheel.com/translate-video-video-translation-software-demo/ Video Marketing Software and Strategy urn:uuid:26ee3004-7617-0ec7-b074-72fb1fb7ce41 Sun, 16 Apr 2023 02:16:01 +0000 <p>Watch this video to get a demo of Translate.Video and learn how to automatically transcribe video audio into multiple languages and formats.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/translate-video-video-translation-software-demo/">Translate.Video Video Translation Software Demo</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> <p>Watch this video to get a demo of Translate.Video and learn how to automatically transcribe video audio into multiple languages and formats.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/translate-video-video-translation-software-demo/">Translate.Video Video Translation Software Demo</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> Uncategorized fiftywheel How Education Companies Can Attract More Participants Through Video Reviews https://50wheel.com/how-education-companies-can-attract-more-participants-through-video-reviews/ Video Marketing Software and Strategy urn:uuid:dc28e20f-1bb1-a95b-ae5e-14332589678e Sat, 15 Apr 2023 18:27:54 +0000 <p>Education is an investment. Many people look for social proof and reviews before signing up. For organizations and companies in the education industry that want to build trust in order to grow and attract more participants, video review can be a powerful tool. Education companies need to find innovative ways to stand out from the [&#8230;]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/how-education-companies-can-attract-more-participants-through-video-reviews/">How Education Companies Can Attract More Participants Through Video Reviews</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> <p>Education is an investment. Many people look for social proof and reviews before signing up. For organizations and companies in the education industry that want to build trust in order to grow and attract more participants, video review can be a powerful tool.</p> <p>Education companies need to find innovative ways to stand out from the competition and attract new customers. One of the most effective methods of doing so is through video reviews or testimonials. Video reviews can be a powerful tool for education companies looking to increase their business. Let&#8217;s explore why education companies should use video reviews to promote their products or services.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Humanize the brand</h2> <p>Video reviews allow education companies to humanize their brand. By featuring real people and their experiences, education companies can create an emotional connection with their target audience. Customers are more likely to trust a brand that shows its human side rather than one that only relies on impersonal advertising or promotional messages. Video reviews give education companies the opportunity to showcase their values, beliefs, and mission through the eyes of their satisfied customers.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Authenticity</h2> <p>Authenticity is key when it comes to building trust with potential customers. Video reviews provide a powerful way for education companies to demonstrate their credibility and authenticity. When customers see real people sharing their experiences with a company, they are more likely to trust the company and its products or services. This will lead to increased conversions and sales.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Social proof</h2> <p>Social proof is a psychological phenomenon that refers to the tendency of people to follow the actions of others. Video reviews can be an excellent form of social proof for education companies. When potential customers see that others have had positive experiences with a company, they are more likely to trust that company and feel more comfortable making a purchase.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Increased engagement</h2> <p>Video reviews can also help education companies increase engagement with their target audience. By featuring real people and their experiences, video testimonials can be more engaging than traditional advertising methods. This can lead to increased time spent on a company&#8217;s website, increased social media engagement, and ultimately, increased conversions and sales.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. Cost-effective</h2> <p>Creating video reviews is a cost-effective marketing tool for education companies. Unlike traditional advertising methods, video reviews can be produced very quickly and at a low cost. This benefits both small and large companies as it is easy to create videos for a specific course and generate higher accuracy and a higher conversion rate.</p> <p>Video reviews can be a powerful tool for education companies looking to increase their business. By humanizing the brand, demonstrating authenticity, providing social proof, increasing engagement, and being cost-effective, video reviews can help education companies stand out from the competition and attract new customers. If you are an education company looking to boost your marketing efforts, video reviews are definitely worth considering.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Get started with video reviews today.</h3> <p>Empower your employees, clients and other stakeholders to start creating videos that will increase brand trust. It&#8217;s time to get Fayed!</p> <p>Create your free account below to get started.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.faye.io/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.faye.io</a></p> <p>Faye is a platform for recording and creating user generated video content to increase brand trust. Invite your employees, clients or other stakeholders to be part of your brand. Simple to use and get started!</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Record on the go</h3> <p>Invite your brand heroes. A link in their inbox will take them to a platform where answers can easily be recorded from any device.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Collect and edit</h3> <p>The recorded answers will be imported to your template. Generate name tags and subtitles and do quick edits or use as is.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Share with the world</h3> <p>A video is created, with your brand, look and feel. Export, save and share. It’s time to show the world the uniqueness of your brand!</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/how-education-companies-can-attract-more-participants-through-video-reviews/">How Education Companies Can Attract More Participants Through Video Reviews</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> News Video Collaboration Christian Bagge Video Software Platform Funding & Acquisitions: April 2023 https://50wheel.com/video-software-platform-funding-acquisitions-april-2023/ Video Marketing Software and Strategy urn:uuid:7399237f-78e4-e072-afac-165d61504781 Sat, 01 Apr 2023 16:23:43 +0000 <p>March was a slower month than February for video platform capital raises with three companies receiving venture funding for a total raised of nearly $17.2 million in funding. The trend of AI video generation platforms and content creation software tools is holding steady. When it comes to online video technology, AI video is the fasting growing category. [&#8230;]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/video-software-platform-funding-acquisitions-april-2023/">Video Software Platform Funding &#038; Acquisitions: April 2023</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> <p>March was a slower month than February for <a href="https://50wheel.com/category/vendor-news/funding-acquisitions/">video platform capital raises</a> with three companies receiving venture funding for a total raised of nearly <a href="https://50wheel.com/category/vendor-news/funding-acquisitions/">$17.2 million in funding</a>. The trend of <a href="https://50wheel.com/categories/auto-generated-video-creation/">AI video generation platforms</a> and <a href="https://50wheel.com/hubs/content-creation/">content creation software tools</a> is holding steady. When it comes to online video technology, AI video is the fasting growing category.</p> <p>The quarter wrapped with nearly <a href="https://50wheel.com/category/vendor-news/funding-acquisitions/">$127.5 million dollars</a> in online video software platform funding kicking off a great start to 2023. It will be interesting to see if funding keeps trending down or we see another class of video platforms that emerge to take advantage of the AI generation revolution.</p> <p>Let&#8217;s dive into this month&#8217;s video software platform funding &amp; acquisition update for the month of April 2023.</p> <h2><a href="https://50wheel.com/generative-ai-video-platform-tavus-raises-6-1-million-in-funding/">Generative AI Video Platform Tavus Raises $6.1 Million in Funding</a></h2> <p>AI-generated video company&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.tavus.io/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tavus</a></strong>, has announced that it has raised $6.1 million in a seed funding round led by Sequoia Capital, alongside REMUS Capital, Y Combinator, SV Angel, Liquid 2 Ventures, GTM Fund, Mantis Capital, Hack VC, Terra Nova, Accel, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Index Ventures, Soma Capital, and Zillionize.</p> <p>This seed round builds off of the funding they received as part of their participation in the Y Combinator accelerator in 2021. Tavus plans to use the raised capital to expand their team and further build out their AI video generation platform.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><a href="https://50wheel.com/generative-ai-video-platform-tavus-raises-6-1-million-in-funding/"><img decoding="async" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/tavus-funding-round-6.1m-1620x600.jpeg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-19011]" alt="Generative AI Video Platform Tavus Raises $6.1 Million in Funding"/></a></figure> <h2><a href="https://50wheel.com/ecommerce-video-platform-videowise-raises-3-million-in-funding/">eCommerce Video Platform Videowise Raises $3 Million in Funding</a></h2> <p>eCommerce&nbsp;video platform company Videowise has announced $3 million in a seed funding round led by&nbsp;<a href="https://slack.com/fund" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Slack Fund</a>, with participation from&nbsp;<a href="https://foundercollective.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FounderCollective</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://underline.vc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Underline Ventures</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.muventures.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MuVentures</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ratio.ventures/">Ratio Ventures</a>. This round of capital investment brings Videowise’s total capitalization to $4.1 million in venture-backed funds.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><a href="https://50wheel.com/ecommerce-video-platform-videowise-raises-3-million-in-funding/"><img decoding="async" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/videowise-raises-6-million-funding-1620x600.jpg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-19011]" alt="eCommerce Video Platform Videowise Raises $3 Million in Funding"/></a></figure> <h2><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/02/indent-raises-8-1m-funding-to-continue-developing-its-ai-powered-customer-video-review-tool/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI-Powered Customer Video Review Tool Indent Raises $8.1M In Funding</a></h2> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/02/indent-raises-8-1m-funding-to-continue-developing-its-ai-powered-customer-video-review-tool" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1389" height="1042" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/indent-raises-funding.jpg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-19011]" alt="" class="wp-image-19012" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/indent-raises-funding.jpg 1389w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/indent-raises-funding-768x576.jpg 768w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/indent-raises-funding-320x240.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 1389px) 100vw, 1389px" /></a></figure> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy wp-block-embed-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="z8FKHMkZSH"><a href="https://50wheel.com/video-software-platform-funding-acquisitions-march-2023/">Video Software Platform Funding &#038; Acquisitions: March 2023</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="&#8220;Video Software Platform Funding &#038; Acquisitions: March 2023&#8221; &#8212; 50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy" src="https://50wheel.com/video-software-platform-funding-acquisitions-march-2023/embed/#?secret=jpNFicdKyV#?secret=z8FKHMkZSH" data-secret="z8FKHMkZSH" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> </div></figure> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/video-software-platform-funding-acquisitions-april-2023/">Video Software Platform Funding &#038; Acquisitions: April 2023</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> Funding & Acquisitions News Funding fiftywheel The Top Video Marketing Strategy Blogs To Follow in 2023 https://50wheel.com/the-top-video-marketing-strategy-blogs-to-follow-in-2023/ Video Marketing Software and Strategy urn:uuid:c7a8105d-643e-6f07-71fa-ed03a9ee7196 Thu, 30 Mar 2023 02:26:34 +0000 <p>The video marketing landscape is constantly evolving, and it&#8217;s important for marketers to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices. We&#8217;ve assembled a list of the top video marketing strategy blogs from the vendors and industry experts that know video the most. These video marketing strategy blogs feature case studies, best practices, and [&#8230;]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/the-top-video-marketing-strategy-blogs-to-follow-in-2023/">The Top Video Marketing Strategy Blogs To Follow in 2023</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> <p>The video marketing landscape is constantly evolving, and it&#8217;s important for marketers to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices. We&#8217;ve assembled a list of the top video marketing strategy blogs from the vendors and industry experts that know video the most. </p> <p>These video marketing strategy blogs feature case studies, best practices, and success stories from other businesses that have effectively used video marketing. You&#8217;ll also find practical tips and advice on everything from how to create effective video content to how to promote it on social media. </p> <p>Access to resources and tools that can help marketers with their video marketing efforts, including templates for creating video scripts, guides to video production equipment, or recommendations for video editing software.</p> <p>Here are some of the top video marketing strategy blogs to follow in 2023 according to industry experts:</p> <h2>1. Wistia Blog </h2> <p><a href="https://wistia.com/learn">Wistia&#8217;s blog</a> offers a wealth of information on video marketing, including tips, tricks, and trends. They also cover topics such as video production, analytics, and optimization.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://wistia.com/learn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" width="1500" height="500" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/wistia-hero2.jpeg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18995]" alt="" class="wp-image-15605" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/wistia-hero2.jpeg 1500w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/wistia-hero2-300x100.jpeg 300w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/wistia-hero2-1024x341.jpeg 1024w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/wistia-hero2-768x256.jpeg 768w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/wistia-hero2-1320x440.jpeg 1320w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></a></figure> <h2>2. Vidyard Blog</h2> <p><a href="https://www.vidyard.com/blog/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vidyard&#8217;s blog</a> is an excellent resource for video marketers, providing insights on how to create, distribute, and measure the impact of video content.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://www.vidyard.com/blog" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1804" height="584" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/vidyard-govideo-hero.png" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18995]" alt="" class="wp-image-14164" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/vidyard-govideo-hero.png 1804w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/vidyard-govideo-hero-300x97.png 300w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/vidyard-govideo-hero-1024x331.png 1024w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/vidyard-govideo-hero-768x249.png 768w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/vidyard-govideo-hero-1536x497.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1804px) 100vw, 1804px" /></a></figure> <h2>3. HubSpot Video Marketing Blog </h2> <p><a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HubSpot&#8217;s blog</a> covers a range of marketing topics, including video marketing. They offer expert advice on how to create compelling video content that engages and converts.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="500" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/hubspot-hero.jpeg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18995]" alt="" class="wp-image-19007" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/hubspot-hero.jpeg 1500w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/hubspot-hero-768x256.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></a></figure> <h2>4. SproutVideo Blog</h2> <p><a href="https://sproutvideo.com/blog/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SproutVideo&#8217;s blog</a> is a great resource for video marketing tips and best practices. They cover topics such as video SEO, video analytics, and how to use video to generate leads.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://sproutvideo.com/blog" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="500" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/sproutvideo-hero2.jpeg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18995]" alt="" class="wp-image-16519" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/sproutvideo-hero2.jpeg 1500w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/sproutvideo-hero2-300x100.jpeg 300w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/sproutvideo-hero2-1024x341.jpeg 1024w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/sproutvideo-hero2-768x256.jpeg 768w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/sproutvideo-hero2-1320x440.jpeg 1320w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></a></figure> <h2>5. Brightcove Blog</h2> <p><a href="https://www.brightcove.com/en/resources/blog/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brightcove&#8217;s blog</a> is an excellent resource for video marketers looking to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices. They cover topics such as video advertising, live streaming, and video optimization.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/brightcove-hero3.jpeg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18995]" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="500" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/brightcove-hero3.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-18499" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/brightcove-hero3.jpeg 1500w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/brightcove-hero3-300x100.jpeg 300w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/brightcove-hero3-1024x341.jpeg 1024w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/brightcove-hero3-768x256.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></a></figure> <h2>6. Animoto Blog </h2> <p><a href="https://animoto.com/blog" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Animoto&#8217;s blog</a> provides valuable insights on how to create effective video content for social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. They also offer tips on how to use video to drive engagement and conversions.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://animoto.com/blog" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="500" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/animoto-hero2.jpeg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18995]" alt="" class="wp-image-16137" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/animoto-hero2.jpeg 1500w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/animoto-hero2-300x100.jpeg 300w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/animoto-hero2-1024x341.jpeg 1024w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/animoto-hero2-768x256.jpeg 768w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/animoto-hero2-1320x440.jpeg 1320w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></a></figure> <h2>7. Think with Google </h2> <p><a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Think with Google</a> is an excellent resource for video marketers looking to stay on top of the latest trends and insights. They offer data-driven insights on how consumers are using video and how brands can leverage video to reach their target audience.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/thinkwithgoogle.jpeg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18995]"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1201" height="676" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/thinkwithgoogle.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-19008" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/thinkwithgoogle.jpeg 1201w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/thinkwithgoogle-768x432.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1201px) 100vw, 1201px" /></a></figure> <h2>8. Video Brewery Blog</h2> <p><a href="https://demoduck.com/blog/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Video Brewery</a> is a video production company that specializes in creating animated explainer videos. Their blog covers a variety of video production topics, including scriptwriting, storyboarding, and animation.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://demoduck.com/blog" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1320" height="740" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/video-brewery-video-production-blog.jpg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18995]" alt="" class="wp-image-19009" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/video-brewery-video-production-blog.jpg 1320w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/video-brewery-video-production-blog-768x430.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1320px) 100vw, 1320px" /></a></figure> <p>These are just a few of the top video marketing strategy blogs to follow in 2023. However, there are many other <a href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-successfully-monetize-your-online-videos/">great resources available</a> online that you can explore to stay up-to-date with the latest video marketing trends and best practices. To learn more about video marketing strategy follow us at <a href="/">50Wheel.com</a>.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/the-top-video-marketing-strategy-blogs-to-follow-in-2023/">The Top Video Marketing Strategy Blogs To Follow in 2023</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> News Video Marketing list fiftywheel How To Use Video Emails To Engage Prospects And Customers https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-video-emails-to-engage-prospects-and-customers/ Video Marketing Software and Strategy urn:uuid:c3eb2454-6a51-6a27-b629-f2a75d9bbdc3 Wed, 29 Mar 2023 03:35:45 +0000 <p>In today&#8217;s fast-paced and loud world, marketers are constantly searching for innovative ways to reach out to their prospects and customers. One of the most effective methods is video email, which allows businesses to create a personal and engaging message that stands out from traditional text-based emails. Video email is an excellent tool to engage [&#8230;]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-video-emails-to-engage-prospects-and-customers/">How To Use Video Emails To Engage Prospects And Customers</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> <p>In today&#8217;s fast-paced and loud world, marketers are constantly searching for innovative ways to reach out to their prospects and customers. One of the most effective methods is <a href="https://50wheel.com/choosing-a-video-platform-what-to-evaluate-for-video-email-marketing/">video email</a>, which allows businesses to create a personal and engaging message that stands out from traditional text-based emails. Video email is an excellent tool to engage prospects and customers and to build stronger relationships with them. </p> <h2>What is video email?</h2> <p>Video email is a marketing technique that involves using video to communicate a message to a recipient via email. Instead of traditional text-based emails, video email allows businesses to create a more engaging and personalized message that stands out from the competition. </p> <p>The video can be <a href="https://50wheel.com/choosing-a-video-platform-what-to-evaluate-for-video-email-marketing/">embedded directly into the email</a> or linked to an external <a href="https://50wheel.com/choosing-a-video-platform-what-to-evaluate-for-video-email-marketing/">video hosting platform</a>. Video email is an effective way to engage prospects and customers and to build stronger relationships with them. It allows businesses to showcase their products or services in action, provide valuable information or advice, and create a more human connection with their audience. Video email is a powerful tool that can help businesses increase their engagement rates, click-through rates, and ultimately, drive more conversions.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy wp-block-embed-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="OICHEDCsVl"><a href="https://50wheel.com/4-video-software-tools-for-sales-prospecting-and-service/">4 Video Software Tools For Sales, Prospecting and Service</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="&#8220;4 Video Software Tools For Sales, Prospecting and Service&#8221; &#8212; 50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy" src="https://50wheel.com/4-video-software-tools-for-sales-prospecting-and-service/embed/#?secret=q70yI29VX5#?secret=OICHEDCsVl" data-secret="OICHEDCsVl" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> </div></figure> <h2>Statistics that back up the value of video email</h2> <p>Video email is a powerful marketing tool that can help businesses to engage their prospects and customers more effectively. Here are some statistics and reasons why you should consider using video email to target your audience:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Video Email Increases Open Rates</strong>: According to <a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/reasons-brands-use-video-research" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HubSpot</a>, using the word &#8220;video&#8221; in an email subject line can increase open rates by 19%. This is because video is more engaging and interesting than plain text and can pique the recipient&#8217;s curiosity.</li> <li><strong>Video Email Boosts Click-Through Rates</strong>: Video email can also boost click-through rates. According to <a href="https://www.campaignmonitor.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Campaign Monitor</a>, video email generates a 300% higher click-through rate than traditional text-based emails.</li> <li><strong>Video Email Enhances Engagement</strong>: Video email is more engaging than text-based emails because it allows businesses to showcase their products or services in action, provide valuable information or advice, and create a more personal connection with their audience. This can help to enhance engagement and build stronger relationships with prospects and customers.</li> <li><strong>Video Email Helps to Increase Conversions</strong>: Video email can also help to increase conversions. According to <a href="/vidyard">Vidyard</a>, businesses that use video in their email campaigns see a 21% higher conversion rate than those that don&#8217;t.</li> <li><strong>Video Email Improves Retention</strong>: Video email can also improve retention rates. According to <a href="https://www.forbes.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forbes</a>, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to only 10% when reading it in text.</li> <li><strong>Video Email Increases Brand Awareness</strong>: Video email can also help to increase brand awareness. By using video to showcase your products or services, you can create a more memorable and impactful message that stands out from the competition.</li> </ul> <p>By leveraging the power of video emails, businesses can create more engaging, personalized, and memorable messages that resonate with their audience and drive results.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy wp-block-embed-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="8ljcrKeTgb"><a href="https://50wheel.com/script-video-emails-sales-engagement/">How To Script Video Emails For Sales Engagement</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="&#8220;How To Script Video Emails For Sales Engagement&#8221; &#8212; 50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy" src="https://50wheel.com/script-video-emails-sales-engagement/embed/#?secret=zRSH6R41W1#?secret=8ljcrKeTgb" data-secret="8ljcrKeTgb" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> </div></figure> <h2>Engaging prospects and customers with video emails</h2> <p>Video email is an excellent tool to engage prospects and customers and to build stronger relationships with them. Personalize your message, keep it short and sweet, focus on value, use engaging visuals, include a call-to-action, and test and optimize to improve your video email strategy&#8217;s effectiveness.</p> <h3>Personalize Your Video Email</h3> <p>One of the most significant <a href="https://50wheel.com/choosing-a-video-platform-what-to-evaluate-for-video-email-marketing/">advantages of video email</a> is that it allows you to personalize your message. Personalization makes your message more relevant and engaging for the recipient. Address the recipient by their first name and use a conversational tone that resonates with their needs and pain points. Make your video feel like a personal one-to-one message, even if you are sending it to a large group of recipients.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/personalize-video-emails.png" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18982]"><img decoding="async" width="770" height="485" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/personalize-video-emails.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18989" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/personalize-video-emails.png 770w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/personalize-video-emails-768x483.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px" /></a></figure> <h3>Keep It Short and Sweet</h3> <p>Attention spans are short, and people don&#8217;t have the patience to watch lengthy videos. Keep your <a href="https://50wheel.com/a-guide-to-video-lengths-in-a-time-based-economy/">video email short</a> and to the point. A <a href="https://50wheel.com/a-guide-to-video-lengths-in-a-time-based-economy/">30-second video</a> that delivers a clear message is more effective than a five-minute video that is rambling and unfocused. Be concise and focused on delivering a specific message or call-to-action.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/keep-the-video-short.jpg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18982]"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1067" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/keep-the-video-short.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-18997" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/keep-the-video-short.jpg 1920w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/keep-the-video-short-768x426.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></a></figure> <h3>Focus on Value</h3> <p>Your video email should focus on the value you offer to the prospect or customer. Identify their pain points, and show them how your product or service can solve their problems. Use real-life examples and case studies to demonstrate how your product or service has helped other customers.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cat-watching-video.jpg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18982]"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="4288" height="2416" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cat-watching-video.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-4273" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cat-watching-video.jpg 4288w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cat-watching-video-300x169.jpg 300w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cat-watching-video-1024x577.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 4288px) 100vw, 4288px" /></a></figure> <h3>Use Engaging Visuals</h3> <p>Visuals play a critical role in capturing the attention of your prospects and customers. Use engaging visuals to complement your message and make your video more compelling. Use high-quality images and videos that showcase your product or service in action. Make sure your visuals are relevant and support your message.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/engaging-visuals.jpg" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18982]"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="5184" height="3456" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/engaging-visuals.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-19000" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/engaging-visuals.jpg 5184w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/engaging-visuals-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 5184px) 100vw, 5184px" /></a></figure> <h3>Include a Call-to-Action</h3> <p>Your video email should include a clear call-to-action that tells the recipient what to do next. Do you want them to sign up for a free trial? Schedule a demo? Visit your website? Whatever the call-to-action may be, make sure it is clear, concise, and easy to follow.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/video-call-to-action.png" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18982]"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="588" height="564" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/video-call-to-action.png" alt="" class="wp-image-19002" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/video-call-to-action.png 588w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/video-call-to-action-768x736.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 588px) 100vw, 588px" /></a></figure> <h3>Test and Optimize</h3> <p>Like any other marketing strategy, video email requires testing and optimization to improve its effectiveness. Test different subject lines, video lengths, and call-to-action messages to see what resonates with your audience. Use analytics tools to track your video&#8217;s engagement rates, open rates, and click-through rates. Use this data to optimize your video email strategy continuously.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><a href="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/video-marketing-split-testing.png" data-rel="prettyPhoto[image-18982]"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="770" height="480" src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/video-marketing-split-testing.png" alt="" class="wp-image-5907" srcset="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/video-marketing-split-testing.png 770w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/video-marketing-split-testing-300x187.png 300w, https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/video-marketing-split-testing-768x479.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px" /></a></figure> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="Video Software Buyer&#039;s Guide: Video Software For Sales &amp; Prospecting" width="810" height="456" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wl_P-TRAR-Q?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <h2>The software needed to create and send video emails</h2> <p>There are <a href="https://50wheel.com/choosing-a-video-platform-what-to-evaluate-for-video-email-marketing/">several software options</a> available for <a href="https://50wheel.com/choosing-a-video-platform-what-to-evaluate-for-video-email-marketing/">creating</a> and <a href="https://50wheel.com/choosing-a-video-platform-what-to-evaluate-for-video-email-marketing/">sending video emails</a>, depending on your needs and budget. <a href="https://50wheel.com/choosing-a-video-platform-what-to-evaluate-for-video-email-marketing/">Choose a platform</a> that fits your needs and budget, and allows you to create personalized and engaging video messages that resonate with your audience. Here are some options:</p> <h3>Vidyard </h3> <p><a href="/vidyard">Vidyard</a> is a video marketing platform that allows you to create, host, and share video content, including video emails. You can create and customize video emails using Vidyard&#8217;s drag-and-drop editor and track engagement with detailed analytics.</p> <div id="gp_featured_wrapper_1" class="gp-featured-wrapper gp-vc-element gp-blog-standard "> <div class="gp-featured-title-overlay"></div> <div class="gp-bg-overlay-dark"></div> <div class="gp-inner-loop"> <section class="gp-post-item post-3358 page type-page status-publish has-post-thumbnail gp_hubs-video-hosting gp_hubs-video-marketing rating-enterprise developed-by-vidyard categories-video-analytics categories-video-content-management categories-video-lead-generation categories-integrates-map-and-crm categories-video-website-platforms ranking-best-enterprise-video-software-platforms-of-2020 ranking-best-video-email-marketing-software-of-2020 ranking-best-video-software-for-customer-support-in-2020 ranking-2020-top-25-video-software" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Blog"> <div class="gp-post-thumbnail gp-loop-featured"> <div class="gp-image-align-left"> <a href="https://50wheel.com/vidyard/" title="Vidyard"> <img src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/vidyard-logo-2-125x125.jpg" data-rel="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/vidyard-logo-2-250x250.jpg" width="125" height="125" alt="Vidyard" class="gp-post-image gp-large-image" /> <img src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/vidyard-logo-2-80x80.jpg" data-rel="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/vidyard-logo-2-160x160.jpg" width="80" height="80" alt="Vidyard" class="gp-post-image gp-mobile-image" /> </a> </div> </div> <div class="gp-rating-wrapper"> <div class="gp-site-rating-wrapper gp-large-rating gp-rating-gauge"> <div class="gp-rating-inner"> <div class="gp-score-clip gp-no-score-clip-1"> <div class="gp-score-spinner" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(259.2deg); transform: rotate(259.2deg);"></div> </div> <div class="gp-score-clip gp-no-score-clip-2"> <div class="gp-score-filler"></div> </div> <div class="gp-score-inner"> <div class="gp-score-table"> <div class="gp-score-cell"> 7.2 </div> </div> </div> </div> <h4 class="gp-rating-text">Good</h4> </div> <div class="gp-user-rating-wrapper gp-small-rating"> <div class="gp-average-rating-data"> <div class="gp-average-rating"> 7.2 </div> <div class="gp-user-average-text"> User Avg </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gp-loop-content gp-image-align-left"> <h2 class="gp-loop-title"> <a href="https://50wheel.com/vidyard/" title="Vidyard">Vidyard</a> </h2> <div class="gp-hub-awards"> <span class="gp-hub-award"><i class="fa fa-trophy"></i>2023 Top 25 Video Software</span> </div> <div class="gp-loop-text"> <p>Vidyard hosts your videos, analyzes their effectiveness, and transforms them into powerful marketing tools. Vidyard provides everything you need to manage your video collection and ensure the optimal viewing experience for your visitors. Vidyard's si...<a href="https://50wheel.com/vidyard/" class="gp-read-more" title="Vidyard">[Read More]</a></p> </div> <div class="gp-loop-meta"> <span class="gp-post-meta gp-meta-followers">1773 followers</span> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> <h3>BombBomb </h3> <p><a href="/bombbomb">BombBomb</a> is a video messaging platform that allows you to create and send video emails directly from your email client. You can record videos from your webcam or upload pre-recorded videos, and track engagement with detailed analytics.</p> <div id="gp_featured_wrapper_2" class="gp-featured-wrapper gp-vc-element gp-blog-standard "> <div class="gp-featured-title-overlay"></div> <div class="gp-bg-overlay-dark"></div> <div class="gp-inner-loop"> <section class="gp-post-item post-3902 page type-page status-publish has-post-thumbnail gp_hubs-video-collaboration gp_hubs-video-for-sales launch-date-54 type-enterprise type-medium-business developed-by-bombbomb categories-video-email-creation-and-distribution ranking-best-video-email-marketing-software-of-2020 ranking-best-video-software-for-customer-success-in-2020 ranking-best-video-software-for-customer-support-in-2020 ranking-the-best-video-for-sales-software-of-2021 ranking-2020-top-25-video-software" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Blog"> <div class="gp-post-thumbnail gp-loop-featured"> <div class="gp-image-align-left"> <a href="https://50wheel.com/bombbomb/" title="BombBomb"> <img src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bombbomb-logo2-125x125.jpeg" data-rel="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bombbomb-logo2-250x250.jpeg" width="125" height="125" alt="BombBomb" class="gp-post-image gp-large-image" /> <img src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bombbomb-logo2-80x80.jpeg" data-rel="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bombbomb-logo2-160x160.jpeg" width="80" height="80" alt="BombBomb" class="gp-post-image gp-mobile-image" /> </a> </div> </div> <div class="gp-rating-wrapper"> <div class="gp-site-rating-wrapper gp-large-rating gp-rating-gauge"> <div class="gp-rating-inner"> <div class="gp-score-clip gp-no-score-clip-1"> <div class="gp-score-spinner" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(342deg); transform: rotate(342deg);"></div> </div> <div class="gp-score-clip gp-no-score-clip-2"> <div class="gp-score-filler"></div> </div> <div class="gp-score-inner"> <div class="gp-score-table"> <div class="gp-score-cell"> 9.5 </div> </div> </div> </div> <h4 class="gp-rating-text">Amazing</h4> </div> <div class="gp-user-rating-wrapper gp-small-rating"> <div class="gp-average-rating-data"> <div class="gp-average-rating"> 8.1 </div> <div class="gp-user-average-text"> User Avg </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gp-loop-content gp-image-align-left"> <h2 class="gp-loop-title"> <a href="https://50wheel.com/bombbomb/" title="BombBomb">BombBomb</a> </h2> <div class="gp-hub-awards"> <span class="gp-hub-award"><i class="fa fa-trophy"></i>2023 Top 25 Video Software</span> </div> <div class="gp-loop-text"> <p>BombBomb helps sales professionals build trust, convert leads, and rehumanize your communication with simple video. Create, send, and track video emails in an easy-to-use email editor and get analytics on exactly who's opening your emails, clicking y...<a href="https://50wheel.com/bombbomb/" class="gp-read-more" title="BombBomb">[Read More]</a></p> </div> <div class="gp-loop-meta"> <span class="gp-post-meta gp-meta-followers">1483 followers</span> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy wp-block-embed-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="TtjbmK92Pt"><a href="https://50wheel.com/choosing-a-video-platform-what-to-evaluate-for-video-email-marketing/">Choosing a Video Platform: What To Evaluate For Video Email Marketing</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" s News Video For Sales fiftywheel eCommerce Video Platform Videowise Raises $3 Million in Funding https://50wheel.com/ecommerce-video-platform-videowise-raises-3-million-in-funding/ Video Marketing Software and Strategy urn:uuid:c0c2224c-4e0f-8d55-1951-26f123da02e8 Tue, 28 Mar 2023 22:14:33 +0000 <p>eCommerce video platform company Videowise has announced $3 million in a see funding round led by Slack Fund, with participation from FounderCollective, Underline Ventures, MuVentures and Ratio Ventures. This round of capital investment brings Videowise&#8217;s total capitalization to $4.1 million in venture-backed funds. Videowise considers itself to be a shoppable video platform, launching in 2022 as a video platform for [&#8230;]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/ecommerce-video-platform-videowise-raises-3-million-in-funding/">eCommerce Video Platform Videowise Raises $3 Million in Funding</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> <p>eCommerce video platform company Videowise has announced $3 million in a see funding round led by <a href="https://slack.com/fund" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Slack Fund</a>, with participation from <a href="https://foundercollective.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FounderCollective</a>, <a href="https://underline.vc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Underline Ventures</a>, <a href="https://www.muventures.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MuVentures</a> and <a href="https://www.ratio.ventures/">Ratio Ventures</a>. This round of capital investment brings Videowise&#8217;s total capitalization to $4.1 million in venture-backed funds. </p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy wp-block-embed-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="ouJR9F5IFX"><a href="https://50wheel.com/smart-video-platform-iriscx-announces-4-6-million-in-funding/">Smart Video Platform IrisCX Announces $4.6 Million in Funding</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="&#8220;Smart Video Platform IrisCX Announces $4.6 Million in Funding&#8221; &#8212; 50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy" src="https://50wheel.com/smart-video-platform-iriscx-announces-4-6-million-in-funding/embed/#?secret=stJoSzWAS4#?secret=ouJR9F5IFX" data-secret="ouJR9F5IFX" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> </div></figure> <p>Videowise considers itself to be a shoppable video platform, launching in 2022 as a video platform for web stores to manage and publish videos, at scale, on an unlimited number of product pages, collection pages or blogs, versus one video per page like other companies. </p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe title="Videowise - eCommerce Video Platform, Shoppable Video, Video Quiz, Shopify Video CommerceCloud Video" width="810" height="456" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3PmYahN_5Tc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p>Videowise is provides a modern video swipe-up experience, similar to what you would find with TikTok or Instagram. Videowise is packed with features such as video playlists, automation, advanced video analytics and much more. The company&#8217;s technology infrastructure delivers lightening fast loading times, up to 5x faster than traditional video players.</p> <p>Videowise integrates with the most popular web store software including Shopify, where you can find their technology powering video across more than 600 brands. </p> <p>To learn more about Videowise visit their profile in our software directory.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy wp-block-embed-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="xSQtE1Wxwd"><a href="https://50wheel.com/generative-ai-video-platform-tavus-raises-6-1-million-in-funding/">Generative AI Video Platform Tavus Raises $6.1 Million in Funding</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="&#8220;Generative AI Video Platform Tavus Raises $6.1 Million in Funding&#8221; &#8212; 50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy" src="https://50wheel.com/generative-ai-video-platform-tavus-raises-6-1-million-in-funding/embed/#?secret=qgi3zzx4LW#?secret=xSQtE1Wxwd" data-secret="xSQtE1Wxwd" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> </div></figure> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/ecommerce-video-platform-videowise-raises-3-million-in-funding/">eCommerce Video Platform Videowise Raises $3 Million in Funding</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> Funding & Acquisitions News Vendor News fiftywheel How To Successfully Produce a Virtual All Hands Meeting https://50wheel.com/how-to-successfully-produce-a-virtual-all-hands-meeting/ Video Marketing Software and Strategy urn:uuid:e4340dd6-110d-a9c5-82a5-25c963e6d384 Sun, 26 Mar 2023 15:38:58 +0000 <p>Virtual all hands meetings are an important tool for companies to communicate, connect, align, recognize, and develop their employees. They help to ensure that everyone is working toward the same goals and that employees feel engaged and supported in their work. All hands meetings provide an opportunity for company leadership to communicate important information, updates, [&#8230;]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-successfully-produce-a-virtual-all-hands-meeting/">How To Successfully Produce a Virtual All Hands Meeting</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://50wheel.com">50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy</a>.</p> <p>Virtual all hands meetings are an important tool for companies to <a href="https://50wheel.com/category/video-collaboration/">communicate</a>, <a href="https://50wheel.com/category/video-collaboration/">connect</a>, <a href="https://50wheel.com/category/video-collaboration/">align</a>, <a href="https://50wheel.com/category/video-collaboration/">recognize</a>, and <a href="https://50wheel.com/category/video-collaboration/">develop</a> their employees. They help to ensure that everyone is working toward the same goals and that employees feel engaged and supported in their work.</p> <p><a href="https://50wheel.com/category/video-collaboration/">All hands meetings</a> provide an opportunity for company leadership to communicate important information, updates, and changes to all employees at once. This can help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and has a clear understanding of the company&#8217;s goals and direction.</p> <p><a href="https://50wheel.com/category/video-collaboration/corporate-communications/">Pulling your company together virtually</a> on a regular basis can help to foster a sense of connection and community among employees, especially those who work remotely or in different locations. It provides an opportunity for employees to see and hear from their colleagues and leadership, ask questions, and share their own experiences and insights.</p> <p>When it comes to cross functional teams within your company, all hands meetings can help to align the efforts of different teams and departments toward common goals and recognize and celebrate employee achievements, milestones, and successes. This can help to boost morale and motivate employees to continue doing great work.</p> <p>Outside of company alignment, <a href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-zoom-webinars-for-corporate-town-hall-meetings/">Virtual all hands meetings</a> can also be used to provide training and development opportunities for employees, such as workshops or guest speakers, to help them grow and develop professionally.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy wp-block-embed-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="vSWl9BTInn"><a href="https://50wheel.com/use-video-internal-communications/">How To Use Video For Internal Communications</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="&#8220;How To Use Video For Internal Communications&#8221; &#8212; 50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy" src="https://50wheel.com/use-video-internal-communications/embed/#?secret=kMbZGkb9Nw#?secret=vSWl9BTInn" data-secret="vSWl9BTInn" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> </div></figure> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2>What makes an all hands meeting successful?</h2> <p>A successful all hands meeting should be informative, engaging, and inclusive, and should provide a clear path forward for the company and its employees. There are <a href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-zoom-webinars-for-corporate-town-hall-meetings/">several factors</a> that can make a company&#8217;s all hands meeting successful, including:</p> <ul> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-zoom-webinars-for-corporate-town-hall-meetings/">Clear communication</a></strong>: A successful all hands meeting should have clear and concise communication from the speakers to the attendees. The speakers should be able to effectively communicate the company&#8217;s goals, mission, and vision, as well as any updates or changes to the company.</li> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-zoom-webinars-for-corporate-town-hall-meetings/">Engaging content</a></strong>: The meeting should have engaging and interesting content that is relevant to all attendees. This could include updates on company initiatives, successes, and challenges, as well as opportunities for employees to ask questions or provide feedback.</li> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-zoom-webinars-for-corporate-town-hall-meetings/">Active participation</a></strong>: A successful all hands meeting should encourage active participation from all attendees. This could include opportunities for employees to ask questions, provide feedback, or share their own experiences and insights.</li> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-zoom-webinars-for-corporate-town-hall-meetings/">Inclusivity</a></strong>: A successful all hands meeting should be inclusive and welcoming to all employees, regardless of their role or level within the company. This could include providing translation services or accommodations for employees with disabilities.</li> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-zoom-webinars-for-corporate-town-hall-meetings/">Follow-up</a></strong>: A successful all hands meeting should be followed up with clear action items and next steps. This could include sending out meeting minutes, providing updates on action items, or scheduling follow-up meetings or workshops.</li> </ul> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy wp-block-embed-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="atbRbJhAVj"><a href="https://50wheel.com/the-best-view-settings-to-see-everyone-on-microsoft-teams/">The Best View Settings To See Everyone on Microsoft Teams</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="&#8220;The Best View Settings To See Everyone on Microsoft Teams&#8221; &#8212; 50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy" src="https://50wheel.com/the-best-view-settings-to-see-everyone-on-microsoft-teams/embed/#?secret=RS58tVOlvL#?secret=atbRbJhAVj" data-secret="atbRbJhAVj" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> </div></figure> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2>How to prepare and plan for your virtual all hands meetings</h2> <p>Preparing and planning for a <a href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-zoom-webinars-for-corporate-town-hall-meetings/">virtual all hands meeting</a> can ensure that the meeting runs smoothly and is effective. By preparing and planning in advance, you can ensure that your meeting is effective and engaging for all attendees. Here are some tips to consider:</p> <h3>1. Determine the goals and objectives of the meeting</h3> <p>Before planning the meeting, it is important to determine the goals and objectives. This will help to guide the content and structure of the meeting.</p> <h3>2. Choose a date and time that works for everyone </h3> <p>Consider time zones and availability when selecting a date and time for the meeting. Provide advance notice to employees to ensure attendance.</p> <h3>3. Choose the right platform</h3> <p>There are various virtual meeting platforms available such as<a href="/zoom"> Zoom</a>, <a href="/panopto">Panopto</a>, or <a href="/kaltura">Kaltura</a>. <a href="https://50wheel.com/5-video-streaming-platforms-for-corporate-communications/">Choose a platform</a> that works best for your company and has the features you need for the meeting.</p> <h3>4. Plan the meeting agenda</h3> <p><a href="https://ahaslides.com/blog/all-hands-meeting-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Create an agenda</a> that outlines the topics to be discussed and the amount of time allocated to each item. Share the agenda with attendees in advance to ensure they are prepared.</p> <h3>5. Assign roles and responsibilities</h3> <p>Determine who will be <a href="https://ahaslides.com/blog/all-hands-meeting-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">responsible for facilitating the meeting</a>, presenting content, and managing the technology. Make sure everyone knows their role and responsibilities in advance.</p> <h3>4. Test the technology</h3> <p>Test the virtual meeting platform and any necessary equipment in advance to ensure that everything is working properly.</p> <h3>5. Provide necessary materials and information </h3> <p>Provide attendees with any necessary materials, such as presentations or documents, in advance of the meeting. Provide clear instructions on how to access and use any necessary technology or tools.</p> <h3>6. Encourage engagement</h3> <p>Consider incorporating <a href="https://50wheel.com/what-are-interactive-video-quizzes/">interactive elements</a> such as polls or breakout rooms to encourage engagement and participation from attendees.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy wp-block-embed-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="qTltKWy9aL"><a href="https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-zoom-webinars-for-corporate-town-hall-meetings/">How to Use Zoom Webinars For Corporate Town Hall Meetings</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="&#8220;How to Use Zoom Webinars For Corporate Town Hall Meetings&#8221; &#8212; 50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy" src="https://50wheel.com/how-to-use-zoom-webinars-for-corporate-town-hall-meetings/embed/#?secret=7k8KqI9JSG#?secret=qTltKWy9aL" data-secret="qTltKWy9aL" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> </div></figure> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2>What equipment and software is needed to host a virtual all hands meeting?</h2> <p>The <a href="https://50wheel.com/hubs/video-learning/">software</a> and equipment needed for a virtual all hands meeting can vary depending on the platform and the specific needs of the meeting. However, here are some general recommendations:</p> <ul> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/hubs/video-conferencing-software/">Virtual meeting platform</a></strong>: Choose a virtual meeting platform that works best for your company&#8217;s needs. Popular options include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, WebEx, and GoToMeeting.</li> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/hubs/video-conferencing-software/">High-speed internet connection</a></strong>: A stable and high-speed internet connection is essential for virtual meetings, especially for video conferencing.</li> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/hubs/video-conferencing-software/">Webcam</a></strong>: A webcam is needed for video conferencing and allows attendees to see each other. Most laptops and desktop computers have built-in webcams, but external webcams can also be used for better video quality.</li> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/hubs/video-conferencing-software/">Microphone and Speakers</a></strong>: Good audio quality is also essential for virtual meetings. A good quality microphone and speakers can help to ensure clear audio and reduce background noise.</li> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/categories/screen-capture/">Headset</a></strong>: Headsets can be useful for attendees who want to reduce background noise and improve audio quality during the meeting.</li> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/categories/screen-capture/">Screen Sharing Software</a></strong>: Software that enables screen sharing can be useful for presenting slides, documents, and other visual aids during the meeting.</li> <li><strong><a href="https://50wheel.com/categories/screen-capture/">Document Sharing Software</a></strong>: Document sharing software, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, can be useful for sharing documents and other materials with attendees before or during the meeting.</li> </ul> <p>It is important to test the software and equipment before the meeting to ensure that everything is working properly. Additionally, consider providing instructions or training for attendees on how to use the software and equipment, especially if some attendees are not familiar with the platform.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy wp-block-embed-50-wheel-video-marketing-software-and-strategy"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="0i6y6zXamj"><a href="https://50wheel.com/5-video-streaming-platforms-for-corporate-communications/">5 Video Streaming Platforms For Corporate Communications</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="&#8220;5 Video Streaming Platforms For Corporate Communications&#8221; &#8212; 50Wheel Video Marketing Software and Strategy" src="https://50wheel.com/5-video-streaming-platforms-for-corporate-communications/embed/#?secret=20WUVN8s39#?secret=0i6y6zXamj" data-secret="0i6y6zXamj" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> </div></figure> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2>Which video software platforms should you use for your virtual all hands meeting?</h2> <p>When <a href="https://50wheel.com/category/video-collaboration/corporate-communications/">choosing a software platform</a> for your virtual all hands meeting, consider factors such as the number of attendees, the need for screen sharing or breakout rooms, and the cost of the platform. It is also important to test the platform in advance and provide instructions for attendees to ensure a smooth meeting experience. Here are a few suggested video platforms to host your next virtual all hands meeting:</p> <h3>Zoom</h3> <p>Zoom is a popular video conferencing software that offers a range of features, including screen sharing, breakout rooms, and virtual backgrounds. It is known for its ease of use and reliability.</p> <div id="gp_featured_wrapper_1" class="gp-featured-wrapper gp-vc-element gp-blog-standard "> <div class="gp-featured-title-overlay"></div> <div class="gp-bg-overlay-dark"></div> <div class="gp-inner-loop"> <section class="gp-post-item post-13936 page type-page status-publish has-post-thumbnail gp_hubs-video-conferencing-software launch-date-64 type-enterprise type-individuals type-medium-business type-small-business developed-by-zoom ranking-the-best-video-interviewing-software-of-2021" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Blog"> <div class="gp-post-thumbnail gp-loop-featured"> <div class="gp-image-align-left"> <a href="https://50wheel.com/zoom/" title="Zoom Meetings"> <img src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/zoom-meetings-logo-125x125.jpg" data-rel="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/zoom-meetings-logo-250x250.jpg" width="125" height="125" alt="Zoom Meetings" class="gp-post-image gp-large-image" /> <img src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/zoom-meetings-logo-80x80.jpg" data-rel="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/zoom-meetings-logo-160x160.jpg" width="80" height="80" alt="Zoom Meetings" class="gp-post-image gp-mobile-image" /> </a> </div> </div> <div class="gp-rating-wrapper"> <div class="gp-user-rating-wrapper gp-large-rating gp-rating-gauge"> <div class="gp-rating-inner"> <div class="gp-score-clip gp-no-score-clip-1"> <div class="gp-score-spinner" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(313.2deg); transform: rotate(313.2deg);"></div> </div> <div class="gp-score-clip gp-no-score-clip-2"> <div class="gp-score-filler"></div> </div> <div class="gp-score-inner"> <div class="gp-score-table"> <div class="gp-score-cell"> 8.7 </div> </div> </div> </div> <h4 class="gp-rating-text">User Avg</h4> </div> </div> <div class="gp-loop-content gp-image-align-left"> <h2 class="gp-loop-title"> <a href="https://50wheel.com/zoom/" title="Zoom Meetings">Zoom Meetings</a> </h2> <div class="gp-hub-awards"> <span class="gp-hub-award"><i class="fa fa-money"></i>Free Version Offered</span> </div> <div class="gp-loop-text"> <p>Zoom Meetings provides an easy and reliable cloud platform for video, phone, content sharing, and chat runs across mobile devices, desktops, telephones, and room systems. Zoom Meetings connects teams, friends and customers using online video.</p> </div> <div class="gp-loop-meta"> <span class="gp-post-meta gp-meta-followers">720 followers</span> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> <h3>Kaltura</h3> <p>Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform that includes video conferencing, chat, and document sharing features. It integrates well with other Microsoft products such as Outlook and OneDrive.</p> <div id="gp_featured_wrapper_2" class="gp-featured-wrapper gp-vc-element gp-blog-standard "> <div class="gp-featured-title-overlay"></div> <div class="gp-bg-overlay-dark"></div> <div class="gp-inner-loop"> <section class="gp-post-item post-3607 page type-page status-publish has-post-thumbnail gp_hubs-live-streaming gp_hubs-video-hosting gp_hubs-video-learning gp_hubs-video-marketing launch-date-54 type-enterprise developed-by-kaltura categories-secure-and-protected-video categories-video-content-management categories-video-presentations ranking-best-enterprise-video-software-platforms-of-2020 ranking-best-online-video-security-and-video-encryption-software-of-2020 ranking-best-video-live-streaming-software-of-2020 ranking-best-video-management-software-of-2020 ranking-best-video-training-and-learning-software-of-2020" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Blog"> <div class="gp-post-thumbnail gp-loop-featured"> <div class="gp-image-align-left"> <a href="https://50wheel.com/kaltura/" title="Kaltura"> <img src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/kaltura-logo2-125x125.jpeg" data-rel="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/kaltura-logo2-250x250.jpeg" width="125" height="125" alt="Kaltura" class="gp-post-image gp-large-image" /> <img src="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/kaltura-logo2-80x80.jpeg" data-rel="https://50wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/kaltura-logo2-160x160.jpeg" width="80" height="80" alt="Kaltura" class="gp-post-image gp-mobile-image" /> </a> </div> </div> <div class="gp-rating-wrapper"> <div class="gp-user-rating-wrapper gp-large-rating gp-rating-gauge"> <div class="gp-rating-inner"> <div class="gp-score-clip gp-no-score-clip-1"> <div class="gp-score-spinner" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(226.8deg); transform: rotate(226.8deg);"></div> </div> <div class="gp-score-clip gp-no-score-clip-2"> <div class="gp-score-filler"></div> </div> <div class="gp-score-inner"> <div class="gp-score-table"> <div class="gp-score-cell"> 6.3 </div> </div> </div> </div> <h4 class="gp-rating-text">User Avg</h4> </div> </div> <div class="gp-loop-content gp-image-align-left"> <h2 class="gp-loop-title"> <a href="https://50wheel.com/kaltura/" title="Kaltura">Kaltura</a> </h2> <div class="gp-hub-awards"> <span class="gp-hub-award"><i class="fa fa-trophy"></i>2023 Top 25 Video Software</span> </div> <div class="gp-loop-text"> <p>Kaltura provides an Open Source Online Video Platform that provides media companies advanced video management, publishing, and monetization tools that increase their reach and monetization and simplify their video operations. Enterprises use Kaltura'...<a href="https://50wheel.com/kaltura/" class="gp-read-more" title="Kaltura">[Read More]</a></p> </div> <div class="gp-loop-meta"> <span class="gp-post-meta gp-meta-followers">1097 followers</span> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> <h3>Panopto</h3> <p>Panopto is a video platform that is designed to help businesses and academic institutions create, manage, and share video content. The platform provides a range of features for recording, live streaming, and managing video content, as well as tools for video search, analytics, and integrations with third-party systems.</p> <div id="gp_featured_wrapper_3" class="gp-featured-wrapper gp-vc-element gp-blog-standard "> <div class="gp-featured-title-overlay"></div> <div class="gp-bg-overlay-dark"></div> <div class="gp-inner-loop"> <section class="gp-post-item post-6717 page type-page status-publish has-post-thumbnail gp_hubs-content-creation gp_hubs-live-streaming gp_hubs-video-collaboration gp_hubs-video-hosting gp_hubs-video-learning launch-date-154 type-enterprise developed-by-panopto categories-secure-and-protected-video c Corporate Communications News Online Meeting Software Video Collaboration fiftywheel Google Local Services Ads for Real Estate: 5 Reasons You Need Them Now https://blog.reachlocal.com/google-local-services-ads-for-real-estate-5-reasons-you-need-them-now ReachLocal Blog urn:uuid:87322a9b-777d-d4c1-60e6-8f565f12a366 Mon, 22 Feb 2021 12:30:15 +0000 <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/google-local-services-ads-for-real-estate-5-reasons-you-need-them-now"><img title="local services ads - multifamily and real estate" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/local-services-ads-multifamily-and-real-estate-300x200.png" alt="Google Local Services Ads for Real Estate: 5 Reasons You Need Them Now" width="300" height="200" /></a> </div> <p> You know the importance of search advertising when it comes to getting in front of new renters for your multifamily or real estate business. Over 60% of renters begin their search for an apartment on search engines, so if you’re not showing up at this critical step in the renter’s journey, you could be missing out. And, with Google’s Local Services ads, available for real estate and multifamily businesses, you can take your search advertising to the next level by</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/google-local-services-ads-for-real-estate-5-reasons-you-need-them-now">Google Local Services Ads for Real Estate: 5 Reasons You Need Them Now</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/google-local-services-ads-for-real-estate-5-reasons-you-need-them-now"><img title="local services ads - multifamily and real estate" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/local-services-ads-multifamily-and-real-estate-300x200.png" alt="Google Local Services Ads for Real Estate: 5 Reasons You Need Them Now" width="300" height="200" /></a> </div> <p>You know the importance of search advertising when it comes to getting in front of new renters for your multifamily or real estate business. Over <a href="https://www.rentecdirect.com/blog/top-rental-listing-sites/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">60%</a> of renters begin their search for an apartment on search engines, so if you’re not showing up at this critical step in the renter’s journey, you could be missing out.</p> <p>And, with Google’s Local Services ads, available for real estate and multifamily businesses, you can take your search advertising to the next level by establishing a baseline of trust and authority for your property that can’t be beaten in today’s reputation-focused world.</p> <p>In this post, we’ll explore</p> <ul><li>What Google Local Services ads are.</li><li>5 key benefits to running Google Local Services ads for real estate.</li><li>How to get started. </li></ul> <h2><strong>What Are Local Services Ads for Real Estate?</strong></h2> <p><a href="https://ads.google.com/local-services-ads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Google Local Services ads (opens in a new tab)">Google Local Services ads</a> (also known as LSAs) are a subset of Google Ads specifically for service-based businesses. The purpose of Local Services ads for real estate is to connect renters and homebuyers to a real estate agency or apartment community while providing them with enough information to reach out and contact the property or real estate agent directly from Google. </p> <p>For that reason, Local Services ads are not pay-per-click, but rather pay-per-lead. So, if a searcher clicks on your ad but doesn’t contact you, then you won’t pay for that click.</p> <p>Here’s an example of what Local Services ads look like vs. typical PPC ads:</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"></figure></div> <h2><strong>5 Key Benefits of Local Services Ads for Real Estate</strong></h2> <p>Let’s dive a little deeper into why Local Services ads are such a perfect addition to any real estate and <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/multifamily-marketing-partnership-with-reachlocal-helps-company-sign-more-leases" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="multifamily marketing (opens in a new tab)">multifamily marketing</a> strategy.</p> <h4><strong>1. With Local Services Ads You Only Pay for Leads</strong></h4> <p>We touched on this a bit above, but it’s worth mentioning again. With Local Services ads you don’t pay for clicks – you pay for leads. Real estate is a competitive industry, so if you’ve run Google Ads before, you know <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2016/02/29/google-adwords-industry-benchmarks" target="_blank">how costly some of your campaigns can get</a>.&nbsp; </p> <p>And, a click on your ad doesn’t necessarily translate into a lead. You may have to spend more to eventually convert that click into a lead. </p> <p>So, by paying only for leads, you can truly connect your ads to your leads (and signed leases), leading to a clearer picture of how your paid ads are contributing to ROI. Not to mention, you’re still getting the added benefit of building awareness with those who clicked your ad but didn’t convert. </p> <h4><strong>2. Local Services Ads Have Lower Budgets than Traditional PPC Campaigns</strong></h4> <p>Budget is an important factor in any <a href="https://localiq.com/blog/real-estate-social-media-marketing-ideas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="real estate and multifamily marketing strategy (opens in a new tab)">real estate and multifamily marketing strategy</a>, and Local Services ads historically have a lower cost than traditional PPC. For example, the <a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/what-are-local-service-ads/379918/#close">average monthly budget</a> for a typical click to call PPC campaign is $15,000 – while the average monthly budget for a Local Services ads campaign is only $5,000. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figcaption><a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/what-are-local-service-ads/379918/#close" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Image Source (opens in a new tab)">Image Source</a></figcaption></figure></div> <p>Of course, these factors may vary from business to business, but it makes sense that your budget would be lower because, again, you’re only paying for leads rather than clicks. The name of the game for LSAs is quality over quantity – you’re focusing your budget on targeting and converting renters who are ready to take a tour or apply to your property rather than those in the awareness stage of the renter’s journey. </p> <h4><strong>3. Local Services Ads Have Trust Built In</strong></h4> <p>Another notable benefit of <a href="https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2018/06/11/google-local-service-ads" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Local Services ads (opens in a new tab)">Local Services ads</a> is the addition of Google’s “support” for your business in the form of Google Screened or the Google Guarantee built directly into your ads. </p> <p>In order to run LSAs, you have to be Google Guaranteed or Google Screened. </p> <p><strong>Google Guarantee</strong></p> <p>To receive the <a href="https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7549288?hl=en&amp;ref_topic=6224863&amp;subid=us-en-ha-gls-sk-c-RLS!o3~CjwKCAiA65iBBhB-EiwAW253W6dOfF7OdH51bXCnvEK1YFV-gEyOvpfbDqtBmR8MQ8rRjiNr6oTVmhoCUlgQAvD_BwE~%7Badgroup%7D~kwd-991466977883~11479844815~475453443319">Google Guarantee</a>, you have to go through and pass a screening and qualification process. Google also offers to (in some cases) “reimburse the customer up to the amount paid for the initial service” for a business they contacted through an LSA.</p> <p><strong>Google Screened</strong></p> <p>Google suggests that real estate agencies and multifamily businesses become <a href="https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9379692?hl=en&amp;ref_topic=6224863&amp;subid=us-en-ha-gls-sk-c-RLS!o3~CjwKCAiA65iBBhB-EiwAW253W6dOfF7OdH51bXCnvEK1YFV-gEyOvpfbDqtBmR8MQ8rRjiNr6oTVmhoCUlgQAvD_BwE~%7Badgroup%7D~kwd-991466977883~11479844815~475453443319">Google Screened</a>, meaning you’ve gone through an even more extensive process that requires an authorized representative of your property to undergo a background check in addition to providing your licensing and insurance information.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"></figure></div> <p>Google does not offer reimbursements for customers who contact Google Screened businesses.</p> <p>Each of these badges signals to searchers that your business has not only been verified by Google but that your business is trusted by Google, which can help you more easily convert searchers into signed leases.</p> <h4><strong>4. Local Services Ads Provide a More Even Playing Field</strong></h4> <p>Unlike traditional PPC campaigns, Local Services ads provide an opportunity for you to be even more competitive in the real estate space. </p> <p>With traditional PPC, a variety of factors go into determining which ads to serve. With LSAs, the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/what-are-local-service-ads/379918/#close" target="_blank">top two ranking factors</a> are proximity and reviews, meaning your <a href="https://localiq.com/blog/why-good-online-reputation-is-important/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="online reputation (opens in a new tab)">online reputation</a> can help put you over the top and compete with properties that may have bigger budgets but fewer positive reviews than your properties. In fact, in order to qualify to run LSAs, you have to have a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://searchengineland.com/google-rolling-out-lsas-and-google-screened-to-select-professional-services-nationally-338354" target="_blank">3.0 star rating or above</a>. </p> <h4><strong>5. You Continue to Show Up for Relevant Searches (Only Better!)</strong></h4> <p>Just like with typical Google Ads, with Local Services ads you’re still getting in front of renters at a crucial moment in their search, and that power cannot be underestimated. But, to take it a step further, LSAs show up in a priority position on the search engine results page. </p> <figure class="wp-block-image"></figure> <p>This gives you a way to quickly capture searchers and get them to contact your business – which is made even easier through LSAs. Searchers have the opportunity to click to call, schedule a booking, and, in some cases, send a message directly from your Local Services ad. </p> <h2><strong>A Quick Note on Traditional PPC vs. Local Services Ads</strong></h2> <p>While Local Services ads are probably sounding better and better, there’s still something to be said about the effectiveness of traditional Google Ads. The best <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="search advertising strategy (opens in a new tab)" href="https://localiq.com/blog/what-is-paid-search/" target="_blank">search advertising strategy</a> encompasses both Google Ads and Local Services ads so you can continue targeting <a href="https://www.wordstream.com/keywords" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="relevant keywords that will drive action (opens in a new tab)">relevant keywords that will drive action</a> further down the line.</p> <h2><strong>How to Get Started with LSAs for Real Estate</strong></h2> <p>Once you’ve decided to run Local Services ads as part of your real estate and multifamily marketing strategy, there are a few simple(ish!) steps you need to follow. </p> <h4><strong>1. Create your business profile.</strong></h4> <p>This is separate from your <a href="https://localiq.com/blog/listings-management/how-do-i-set-my-business-google-and-other-questions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Google My Business profile (opens in a new tab)">Google My Business profile</a> and includes information like your business hours, service areas, job types, and weekly budget. The information in this profile is how Google determines when to show your ads.</p> <h4><strong>2. Add your license and insurance information for your background check.</strong></h4> <p>Within your profile, there’s a place for you to add the required information to become a Google Screened business. Once you’ve submitted your information, you will undergo your background check, which is completed at no cost to your property.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figcaption><em><a href="https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6226575#requirements&amp;zippy=%2Creal-estate-agents" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Requirements</a> to become Google Screened for real estate agents.</em></figcaption></figure></div> <h4><strong>3. Build up good reviews.</strong></h4> <p>In order to run LSAs, you need a 3.0 rating or above, and the higher your rating, the better chance you have of your ads showing. So, make <a href="https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2020/09/16/get-more-google-reviews" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="getting good reviews (opens in a new tab)">getting good reviews</a> a priority for your property.</p> <h4><strong>4. Start running your Local Services ads!</strong></h4> <p>Once you’ve passed your background check and completed your set up, you can start running your LSAs! Make sure to <a href="https://www.reachlocal.com/us/en/product/client-center-lead-engagement" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="respond promptly to any incoming leads (opens in a new tab)">respond promptly to any incoming leads</a>. </p> <h2><strong>Run Local Services Ads for Your Real Estate Business</strong></h2> <p>Local Services ads are a great addition to your <a href="https://www.reachlocal.com/us/en/industry/real-estate">real estate marketing strategy</a> and can help you quickly connect with renters looking for properties like yours right now. </p> <p>With LSAs as part of your search marketing strategy, you can set your properties apart by showing up in a priority location on search engine results pages, showing support from Google, and making it easy for prospective renters to get the information they need to convert. </p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/google-local-services-ads-for-real-estate-5-reasons-you-need-them-now">Google Local Services Ads for Real Estate: 5 Reasons You Need Them Now</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> Search Advertising Multifamily Featured Stephanie Heitman local-services-ads-vs-google-ads 3 Marketing Habits to Break in the New Year https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-marketing-habits-to-break-in-the-new-year ReachLocal Blog urn:uuid:c908b22c-a09d-5ee5-95cb-3107600ae0be Fri, 04 Dec 2020 12:48:51 +0000 <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-marketing-habits-to-break-in-the-new-year"><img title="digital marketing habits" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/digital-marketing-habits-300x179.png" alt="3 Marketing Habits to Break in the New Year" width="300" height="179" /></a> </div> <p> You know that your products and services are just what your target audience needs. You’ve shored up your operations to reduce costs. You may have even revamped your marketing. Everything about your business should be propelling you to a brighter future. So, why isn’t it? Businesses make mistakes every day that can lead to closure. This is painfully true when it comes to marketing, and especially this year. Here are three marketing habits you should break in the new year.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-marketing-habits-to-break-in-the-new-year">3 Marketing Habits to Break in the New Year</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-marketing-habits-to-break-in-the-new-year"><img title="digital marketing habits" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/digital-marketing-habits-300x179.png" alt="3 Marketing Habits to Break in the New Year" width="300" height="179" /></a> </div> <p>You know that your products and services are just what your <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/understanding-your-target-audience-smbs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">target audience</a> needs. You’ve shored up your operations to reduce costs. You may have even revamped your marketing. Everything about your business should be propelling you to a brighter future. So, why isn’t it?</p> <p>Businesses make mistakes every day that can lead to closure. This is painfully true when it comes to marketing, and especially this year. Here are three marketing habits you should break in the new year.</p> <h2>Relying Strictly on Unpaid Marketing Strategies</h2> <p>The SMB spectrum is huge. It contains anywhere from startups to companies with just under <a href="http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/SMB-small-and-medium-sized-business-or-small-and-midsized-business" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1,000 employees.</a> The reason an SMB could be relying strictly on unpaid marketing depends on its size and age.</p> <p>Relying on unpaid marketing strategies could be seen as a way to cut costs for new startups until the business really takes off. Unfortunately, DIY SEO strategies combined with constant social media updates aren’t enough to compete. Facebook continues to throttle organic reach for businesses seemingly more each year, currently allowing <a href="https://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/new-study-finds-facebook-page-reach-has-declined-20-2017" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">less than 5% of your followers see your posts,&nbsp;</a>which speaks to the importance of a <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/facebook-marketing-for-education-client-case-study" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paid + organic approach on social</a>. What about search? Making it to the coveted top-fold on Google search results is essentially a thing of the past for most organic results, with paid ads and maps dominating your view until scrolling to the bottom half.</p> <p>For larger, more seasoned businesses, a lack of familiarity with digital marketing could be why your company simply defaults to the unpaid category. You set up a website and have social media profiles that occasionally get updated. Unfortunately, this is just the starting line. Has your business ever considered how <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/seo-listings-the-superpower-your-web-presence-needs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">people are finding you online</a>? Do you even rank in search results? How large is your social presence? Are your only metrics for success the number of likes and comments you get per post?</p> <p>What business doesn’t love to cut costs? But those racing towards greater success understand paid advertising isn’t optional – it’s a must.</p> <h2>Spending Marketing Dollars Aimlessly</h2> <p>The opposite problem of relying strictly on unpaid marketing is spending your marketing dollars aimlessly and hoping something sticks. Few things are more dangerous to your business than this.</p> <p>There are some marketing channels every business must be on to thrive, right? Not exactly. Even if a platform makes complete sense for your business to have a presence on doesn’t mean you should be there. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-has-no-social-media-strategy-2016-12" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple was essentially a ghost on social media until 2016.</a></p> <p>Forget if you have the cash flow, do you have the ability to determine what’s working and what isn’t? The right reporting and focus on the right metrics can make all the difference. Are you able to <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/measuring-your-marketing-our-recipe-for-success" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">track what marketing is actually driving leads</a> to your business? Can you optimize your campaign performance based on data like conversions rather than just clicks? If that’s not something you have the time or resources to do, you may want to consider working with a <a href="https://www.reachlocal.com/us/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">digital marketing partner</a> that can do that for you.</p> <h2>Not Refining Your Marketing Plans</h2> <p>Business growth requires strategy. Spending money on all the latest trends or avoiding paid advertising altogether and hoping for the best are both fast-tracks to failure. Take time to regularly review what’s working for your business and what may not be. Think about <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/digital-marketing-trends-strategies-to-fall-for" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new strategies you can try</a> and existing strategies you can refine to be successful.</p> <p>So, what’s the next step you should take? Start with research. See what your <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/competitors-5-ways-to-stand-out-from-them-online" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">competitors are doing</a> and learn what resources are available. Then, pick strategies you know work for your industry. And if you don&#8217;t know, find someone who does.</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-marketing-habits-to-break-in-the-new-year">3 Marketing Habits to Break in the New Year</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> Business Tips Marketing Featured Tyler Mask How to Use Facebook Ads for Small Business Saturday https://blog.reachlocal.com/how-to-use-facebook-ads-for-small-business-saturday ReachLocal Blog urn:uuid:2fcad8be-31c7-9cb1-2e34-e2fe71f85412 Thu, 12 Nov 2020 15:52:16 +0000 <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/how-to-use-facebook-ads-for-small-business-saturday"><img title="Facebook Ads for Small Business Saturday" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/iStock-638778450-300x200.jpg" alt="How to Use Facebook Ads for Small Business Saturday" width="300" height="200" /></a> </div> <p> Small Business Saturday is on November 28 this year! Created by American Express, it’s a great opportunity to drive more customers to your local business (either in-person or online!). With the date just around the corner, you should take advantage of all the tools available to your small business, especially on Facebook. Here are some ways to use Facebook ads for Small Business Saturday: Target the Ideal Audience With Facebook advertising, you’re able to get really granular on the audience</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/how-to-use-facebook-ads-for-small-business-saturday">How to Use Facebook Ads for Small Business Saturday</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/how-to-use-facebook-ads-for-small-business-saturday"><img title="Facebook Ads for Small Business Saturday" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/iStock-638778450-300x200.jpg" alt="How to Use Facebook Ads for Small Business Saturday" width="300" height="200" /></a> </div> <p>Small Business Saturday is on November 28 this year! <a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Created by American Express</a>, it’s a great opportunity to drive more customers to your local business (either in-person or online!). With the date just around the corner, you should take advantage of all the tools available to your small business, especially on <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-tyson/why-small-businesses-shou_b_10046180.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook.</a></p> <p>Here are some ways to use Facebook ads for Small Business Saturday:</p> <h3><strong>Target the Ideal Audience</strong></h3> <p>With <a href="https://localiq.com/blog/facebook-ads-for-small-business/">Facebook advertising</a>, you’re able to get really granular on the audience you choose to target. You can target customers by age, gender, geography, and more. If you want to get even more <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/how-to-prepare-for-facebook-advertising" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">specialized with your targeting</a>, you can also go after customers based on interests, behavior, and demographics. </p> <p>But, keep in mind that the more focused your targeting is, the more expensive it can be. So, identify a few key features of your typical buyer to target. If you’re promoting in-store purchases, you can target local customers. For example, a daycare may target local households with mothers between the age of 25-45.</p> <h3><strong>Determine Your Call to Action</strong></h3> <p>You’ve decided who you want to target through Facebook. Next, you need to determine the <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/tips-for-an-effective-call-to-action-for-your-website" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">call to action</a> on your advertisement so you can identify the ideal next step for your customer to take. Whether it’s calling your business or clicking through to your website, you want your ad to drive an action. </p> <p>For example, a local dealership participating in Small Business Saturday may be looking to promote their holiday deals on their website, so their ideal call to action would be the “Learn More” button.</p> <h3><strong>Create a Unique Landing Page</strong></h3> <p>If you’re driving customers directly to your website from your advertisement, you’ll want to create a <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/how-to-create-landing-pages-search-engines-and-leads-will-love" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unique landing page</a> that highlights your <a href="https://localiq.com/blog/small-business-saturday-ideas/">promotions for Small Business Saturday</a>. Make sure to tailor the landing page to showcase the information you were promoting on the advertisement as well as any additional specials. </p> <p>Remember, they clicked through your advertisement because they were interested in what you were promoting. Don’t send them to your general homepage and make them dig for that information. Direct them straight to a landing page with relevant information.</p> <h3><strong>Retarget Website Visitors</strong></h3> <p>Convert more leads by <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/3-retargeting-tactics-to-enhance-your-digital-marketing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">retargeting customers</a> who visited your website with an ad about your Small Business Saturday involvement. Ever seen a pair of shoes you were just looking at reappear in your Facebook News Feed? Did that ad ever convince you to make a purchase? That’s the power of retargeting.</p> <p>This is a great supplement to any initial Facebook ad that directs customers to your website. It will help increase the overall success of your Small Business Saturday campaign.</p> <h3><strong>Test Different Media Formats</strong></h3> <p>Maximize the effect of your ad by trying out multiple photos or videos. By selecting multiple photos or videos for your Facebook ad, they’ll determine your spend based on the media that is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/help/212024092255006" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">highest performing</a>.</p> <p>For Small Business Saturday, try testing out a few photos featuring your promos or videos featuring some new products or classes you may be offering. Remember, for Facebook videos, <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/how-to-make-videos-for-facebook-ads" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">keep them short and sweet.</a></p> <h3><strong>Supplement with Search Advertising</strong></h3> <p>Facebook and paid search make great advertising companions. In fact, when Facebook ads and PPC are paired, it often results in <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/facebook-advertising-ppc-3-stats-you-need-to-know-infographic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lower costs, improved PPC performance, and more clicks per combined campaign spend.</a></p> <p>As the holiday season ramps up, it’s an important time for you to maximize your marketing efforts to drive more qualified leads, and Small Business Saturday is the perfect lead in to your <a href="https://localiq.com/blog/2020-holiday-marketing-strategy-ideas/">holiday marketing</a>. </p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/how-to-use-facebook-ads-for-small-business-saturday">How to Use Facebook Ads for Small Business Saturday</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> Facebook Advertising Featured Hayley Carpenter The Secret Weapon Your Website is Missing (Hint: It’s Live Chat!) https://blog.reachlocal.com/the-secret-weapon-your-website-is-missing-hint-its-live-chat ReachLocal Blog urn:uuid:a24694fa-16d8-e7d0-d701-0ceb2ce49fab Tue, 06 Oct 2020 12:00:10 +0000 <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/the-secret-weapon-your-website-is-missing-hint-its-live-chat"><img title="live chat reachlocal blog" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/live-chat-reachlocal-blog-300x200.jpg" alt="The Secret Weapon Your Website is Missing (Hint: It’s Live Chat!)" width="300" height="200" /></a> </div> <p> Picture this: You go to a website to learn more about a potential new doctor. The office is closed, and there’s no way to get the additional information you need before choosing to visit this doctor. You leave the website and go to a competing doctor’s site. You can’t find exactly what you need on their site either, but you notice a chat pop up. You open the chat and get the answer to your question within five minutes. Which</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/the-secret-weapon-your-website-is-missing-hint-its-live-chat">The Secret Weapon Your Website is Missing (Hint: It’s Live Chat!)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/the-secret-weapon-your-website-is-missing-hint-its-live-chat"><img title="live chat reachlocal blog" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/live-chat-reachlocal-blog-300x200.jpg" alt="The Secret Weapon Your Website is Missing (Hint: It’s Live Chat!)" width="300" height="200" /></a> </div> <p>Picture this: You go to a website to learn more about a potential new doctor. The office is closed, and there’s no way to get the additional information you need before choosing to visit this doctor. You <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/win-back-your-site-visitors-a-quick-intro-to-retargeting" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">leave the website</a> and go to a competing doctor’s site. You can’t find exactly what you need on their site either, but you notice a chat pop up. You open the chat and get the answer to your question within five minutes.</p> <p>Which doctor are you going to visit? Probably the one that gave you the information you needed to know right away.</p> <p>The reality is this scenario plays out daily. And, if you don’t have a way to give web visitors the information they need when they need it, you may be <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/lead-management-your-4-step-plan-for-converting-leads-into-customers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">missing out on converting those visitors into patients (or customers)</a>.</p> <p>Here are three additional reasons <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/3-reasons-adding-live-chat-is-good-for-business" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">live chat</a> is the secret weapon your website is missing.</p> <h3><strong>1. Live Chat Makes You Available After Hours</strong></h3> <p>Think about when you’re usually searching for a business – it’s typically after work hours. The only downside to searching after your workday ends is you may not be able to reach the business because it’s after hours for them as well. </p> <p>Like in the scenario above, providing website visitors with the information they need when they need it is valuable in turning that visitor into a customer. With live chat, you’re able to extend your business hours so you have someone available to answer questions and give information even when your business is physically closed, which <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/competitors-5-ways-to-stand-out-from-them-online" target="_blank">gives you a leg up on your competitors</a>.</p> <h3><strong>2. Live Chat Captures Lead Information</strong></h3> <p>Another way live chat helps your business is by capturing lead information. When a live chat operator starts chatting with a website visitor, they typically ask for information like their name, email address, and phone number. </p> <p>This information can then be stored in a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://reachedge-software.reachlocal.com/" target="_blank">lead management system</a> so you can follow up with this lead the next day. As one <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.reachlocal.com/us/en/reviews/k-9-university" target="_blank">ReachLocal live chat client said</a>, “The leads that come in from live chat are hot leads – they’re ready to go.”</p> <h3><strong>3. Live Chat Encourages Repeat Web Visitors</strong></h3> <p>One survey found that <a href="https://www.emarketer.com/Article/How-Helpful-Live-Chat/1007235" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">63% of consumers were more likely to return to a website that offers live chat</a>. Giving website visitors a way to get more information about your business and engage with you quickly and easily shows a level of commitment to <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/the-real-value-of-customer-service-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">customer service</a> and can act as a positive first impression for your business.</p> <p>Learn more about the ways <a href="https://www.reachlocal.com/us/en/solutions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">live chat can help your business convert more web visitors on our website</a>.</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/the-secret-weapon-your-website-is-missing-hint-its-live-chat">The Secret Weapon Your Website is Missing (Hint: It’s Live Chat!)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> Customer Service Website Optimization Featured Stephanie Heitman Tips & Tricks for Turning a Caller Into a Customer https://blog.reachlocal.com/tips-tricks-for-turning-a-caller-into-a-customer ReachLocal Blog urn:uuid:e3d05d85-8e91-a056-fb74-acf9f78024ab Tue, 29 Sep 2020 12:26:40 +0000 <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/tips-tricks-for-turning-a-caller-into-a-customer"><img title="Update title" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/caller-into-customer-300x200.jpg" alt="Tips &#038; Tricks for Turning a Caller Into a Customer" width="300" height="200" /></a> </div> <p> The phone is one of the most powerful sales tools at your office. When a customer calls, they’re either ready to buy or are close to making a buying decision, so make sure your staff is prepared to set the appointment on every single call so no sales opportunities are slipping through the cracks. Here are some easy tips and tricks to implement at your business today to turn your callers into customers. Build Rapport Tone is easily conveyed through</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/tips-tricks-for-turning-a-caller-into-a-customer">Tips &#038; Tricks for Turning a Caller Into a Customer</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/tips-tricks-for-turning-a-caller-into-a-customer"><img title="Update title" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/caller-into-customer-300x200.jpg" alt="Tips &#038; Tricks for Turning a Caller Into a Customer" width="300" height="200" /></a> </div> <p>The phone is one of the most powerful sales tools at your office. When a customer calls, they’re either ready to buy or are close to making a buying decision, so make sure your staff is prepared to set the appointment on every single call so no sales opportunities are slipping through the cracks. Here are some easy tips and tricks to implement at your business <em>today</em> to <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/5-things-you-should-be-saying-to-prospects-when-they-call" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">turn your callers into customers</a>.</p> <h3><strong>Build Rapport</strong></h3> <p>Tone is easily conveyed through the phone, so smile while you dial! It sounds cheesy, but put yourself in the caller’s shoes. Would you prefer to work with someone upbeat and passionate or someone who sounds unenthused while they talk to you? </p> <p>Another easy way to build rapport is to repeat the caller’s name throughout the call. When you <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/5-things-you-should-never-say-to-someone-who-calls-your-business" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">answer the phone</a>, make sure to grab the customer’s name, and use it frequently to make the call more personal.</p> <h3><strong>Take the Next Step</strong></h3> <p>If you have a physical location, always, <em>always</em> invite inquiring callers into your business. Just remember, it’s much easier to nail down details and make the sale in person. Don’t let a customer calling with service or pricing inquiries hang up without requesting the appointment. It’s one of the biggest mistakes I consistently see when <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/how-can-call-tracking-benefit-your-small-business" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">listening to calls</a>.</p> <p>If you don’t have a physical location it’s still important to ask the caller if they’d like to setup an appointment. Remember, the end goal of every call should be to get them to do business with you!</p> <h3><strong>Work With The Caller’s Schedule</strong></h3> <p>You’ve invited the caller into your business, but now you need to make sure you set a firm appointment, or have a clear path for follow up. Luckily, there are some tricks behind how you ask a question to help lead the customer to setting an appointment.</p> <p>Instead of openly asking “when would you like to come in?” try asking “are you looking to come in this week or this weekend?” “Does morning or afternoon work best for you?”</p> <p>By giving the caller specific options instead of leaving it open-ended, they’re more likely to <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/6-ways-to-drive-in-person-visits-with-digital-marketing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">commit to a set time</a>. </p> <p>Keep in mind that setting a time for follow up that they may cancel is better than ending the call with no appointment scheduled.</p> <h3><strong>Gather Contact Information</strong></h3> <p>Always make sure to gather full contact information from each caller. This additional step will make them feel more connected to your business and more committed to their appointment. Gather their name, phone number, email address, and any other necessary information. If you already have their contact information in your <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/4-steps-to-powerful-lead-management-for-your-local-business" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lead management system</a>, confirm that it is still up to date.</p> <p>Key tip to build rapport: Ask their preferred method of contact and notate it in your lead management system.</p> <h3><strong>Set Expectations</strong></h3> <p>Give the caller directions to your business and parking instructions, so they know what to expect when they arrive. This too will <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/7-deadly-sins-of-customer-service-for-small-business" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">build rapport</a> and increase their commitment level. For example, “Great, Andy! I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at 2 p.m. We’re located at the corner of Dallas Boulevard and Turner Road right across from the Target. You can park anywhere up front. When you walk in, there will be a receptionist desk where you can check in.&#8221;</p> <p>If they’re a returning customer, confirm that they still know what to expect, and update them with any new information, such as construction or new paperwork required.</p> <p>These five tips and tricks may seem simple, but they’re often the first things forgotten when an employee answers the phone. For more information on call handling, <a href="https://www.reachlocal.com/us/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">check out our website</a>.</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/tips-tricks-for-turning-a-caller-into-a-customer">Tips &#038; Tricks for Turning a Caller Into a Customer</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> Customer Service Call Handling Featured Hayley Carpenter The Top Ideas for Your 2020 Holiday Marketing https://blog.reachlocal.com/the-top-ideas-for-your-2020-holiday-marketing ReachLocal Blog urn:uuid:84ffcd9c-5878-f346-985f-c88598dce76d Wed, 23 Sep 2020 20:19:06 +0000 <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/the-top-ideas-for-your-2020-holiday-marketing"><img title="Holiday marketing ideas" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2-300x194.png" alt="The Top Ideas for Your 2020 Holiday Marketing" width="300" height="194" /></a> </div> <p> Many of us think of Black Friday as essentially the kick-off date for the holiday shopping season, but did you know that consumers actually begin their shopping well before then? In fact, nearly 40% of consumers begin their shopping before Halloween. Almost a full month ahead of Black Friday! So, in order to capture these shoppers, you need to start thinking about your 2020 holiday marketing strategy right now. We know, it’s weird to think about the holidays when we</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/the-top-ideas-for-your-2020-holiday-marketing">The Top Ideas for Your 2020 Holiday Marketing</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/the-top-ideas-for-your-2020-holiday-marketing"><img title="Holiday marketing ideas" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2-300x194.png" alt="The Top Ideas for Your 2020 Holiday Marketing" width="300" height="194" /></a> </div> <p>Many of us think of Black Friday as essentially the kick-off date for the holiday shopping season, but did you know that consumers actually begin their shopping well before then? In fact, nearly <a href="https://nrf.com/insights/holiday-and-seasonal-trends/winter-holidays/winter-holiday-faqs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">40% of consumers</a> begin their shopping before Halloween. Almost a full month ahead of Black Friday!</p> <p><strong>So, in order to capture these shoppers, you need to start thinking about your 2020 holiday marketing strategy right now.</strong></p> <p>We know, it’s weird to think about the holidays when we don’t know what the world is going to look like in two weeks, let alone four months – but, the show – and the holidays – must go on. This means your marketing needs to get your business in front of consumers looking for products and services you offer when they’re ready to spend their money.</p> <p>What does the data say we can expect from the holidays this year? Here’s what we know so far to help you prepare your 2020 holiday marketing.</p> <h2><strong>Consumers will likely be looking for holiday deals.</strong></h2> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"></figure></div> <p>Right now, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/08/08/cities-with-the-worst-unemployment-since-the-pandemic-started/42187029/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the U.S. unemployment rate is still high</a>. While there are signs of improvement, it’s safe to say that a large majority of U.S. consumers have been impacted in some way by the coronavirus pandemic and the mass layoffs that followed the outbreak.</p> <p>This means that many consumers will have less to spend around the holidays. And while this isn’t what businesses looking to recoup lost revenue toward the end of the year want to hear, it does present an opportunity for you to consider as you plan your holiday marketing.</p> <p>Consumers already appreciate a good deal (<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/240237/coupon-use-in-the-united-states/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">93%</a> of shoppers report using coupons throughout the year), so they will likely find deals, specials, and offers very appealing around the holidays. If you can orient your marketing around these promotions, you can likely entice a good number of new customers to your business.</p> <h4><strong>How to incorporate deals into your 2020 holiday marketing:</strong></h4> <ul><li><strong>Create PPC ads for your deals.</strong> The majority of consumers begin their search for a business on search engines. Search engine marketing ads provide you a quick way to get in front of them for relevant searches. So, make sure you’re creating and running PPC ads that are specific to your holiday specials and deals.</li><li><strong>Promote your deals on social media.</strong> I’m a sucker for a great Instagram ad – I can’t even tell you how many items I’ve purchased directly from my app. You can run targeted social ads to reach consumers who may be interested in your products and services – and including a deal doesn’t hurt at all.</li><li><strong>Use email marketing.</strong> Consumers are used to receiving emails about deals and specials. In fact, <a href="https://www.convinceandconvert.com/digital-marketing/10-important-statistics-your-company-needs-to-know-about-providing-discounts/">75%</a> of consumers say they search their email inboxes just to find a relevant deal or discount code, so make sure they see yours this holiday season.</li></ul> <p><strong>Related:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/holiday-email-marketing-made-easy-9-emails-you-can-use" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="9 Holiday Email Marketing Tips (opens in a new tab)">9 Holiday Email Marketing Tips</a></p> <p>Deals and specials are usually a given around the holidays, and this season they may be more important than ever – so don’t miss the opportunity to incorporate promoting deals into your holiday marketing strategy.</p> <h2><strong>Online purchases will continue to be king this holiday season.</strong></h2> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"></figure></div> <p>According to Google, this year nearly <a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/pandemic-holiday-shopping/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">75%</a> of U.S. consumers surveyed said they planned to shop online for the holidays more this year than they did last year.</p> <p>We’ve said it before, but this means your online presence is more important now than ever. You’re going to want to get in front of consumers while they’re browsing online if you want to entice them to do business with you.</p> <h4><strong>Here are some tips to ramp up your online presence for your holiday marketing:</strong></h4> <ul><li><strong>Make sure your local listings are updated.</strong> Your local listings, like your <a href="https://localiq.com/blog/little-known-google-my-business-secrets-to-give-your-listing-a-boost/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google My Business listing</a>, provide consumers with an easy way to see your business’s hours, location, and phone number. But, you can also provide additional information that they’d find useful like whether or not you offer curbside service, any specials you’re running, and more to streamline their online experience with your business.</li><li><strong>Do a quick audit of your website.</strong> Does your website have the latest updates about what your business is doing to keep customers and employees safe? Do you have inventory information or current services information? Make sure your website contains all the information a consumer would want to know before becoming a customer.</li><li><strong>Get social.</strong> <a href="https://localiq.com/resources/what-happens-in-an-internet-minute/">People are spending a lot of time on social media right now</a>. So, make sure your business is using social media to your advantage. Share relevant information, photos, videos, and more about what your business is offering, any special deals, and anything else that would make a consumer want to choose you over the competition.</li></ul> <p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/5-ways-to-repair-your-online-presence-before-the-holidays" target="_blank">Get more tips to repair your online presence before the holidays here</a> and get your 2020 holiday marketing started on the right foot.</p> <h2><strong>Consumers are looking for ways to support local businesses during the holidays. </strong></h2> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"></figure></div> <p>In that same Google study, they found that <a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/pandemic-holiday-shopping/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">66%</a> of consumers are planning to shop more at local businesses this holiday season. But they will still do most of their browsing online.</p> <p>This means that not only do you need to get in front of consumers when they’re searching online, but you may need to adjust the way you offer your products and services to provide an additional incentive for them to do business with you.</p> <p>If you don’t already have curbside service for your retail or restaurant business or safety precautions for your service business, now is the time to figure out how to implement these services in time for the holidays.</p> <h4><strong>Here are some other ways you can highlight your local business for your 2020 holiday marketing:</strong></h4> <ul><li><strong>Partner with other local businesses on special offers.</strong> What’s better than supporting one local business? Supporting multiple at once! Partner with one or two other businesses in your area to bundle some products or services to provide local customers. If you’re a gym, you might partner with a vitamin supplement store on a health starter basket that includes a month gym membership for any time in 2021 with a few vitamins, minerals, or protein shakes.</li><li><strong>Set up a pop-up shop near a high-traffic area.</strong> We know that consumers are wary to visit retailers in person without a plan first. But, they’re still visiting the grocery store. Get permission from your local grocery store to set up a little pop-up outside to entice people to buy from you while they’re safely masked-up and outside.</li><li><strong>Give back to a local cause.</strong> Spread some goodwill during the holidays and give customers a way to support your local business and their community by partnering with a local charity or organization. For example, you could hold a canned food drive for the local food pantry – any customer that brings in or gives five cans of food receive a percentage off your products or services.</li></ul> <p>During this time, we’ve seen how small businesses have been hard-hit, so it’s encouraging to know that consumers are specifically thinking of ways to support their local businesses during the 2020 holiday season. Make sure to capitalize on this for your holiday marketing strategy!</p> <p>We know the holidays might be stressing you out already, which is why our experts are ready and willing to help you create a holiday marketing strategy that makes you merry. <a href="https://www.reachlocal.com/us/en/contact-reachlocal-company" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Reach out to us today to learn more</a>.</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/the-top-ideas-for-your-2020-holiday-marketing">The Top Ideas for Your 2020 Holiday Marketing</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> Marketing Featured Stephanie Heitman 3 Tips to Step Up Your Social Media Game https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-tips-to-step-up-your-social-media-game ReachLocal Blog urn:uuid:89806a6f-bad7-cfec-d135-82899865b4ad Tue, 15 Sep 2020 14:00:39 +0000 <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-tips-to-step-up-your-social-media-game"><img title="Step up your social media game" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/step-up-social-game-300x200.jpg" alt="3 Tips to Step Up Your Social Media Game" width="300" height="200" /></a> </div> <p> There are countless blogs about tips and tricks on Facebook and how to step up your marketing game. Some strategies are focused on conceptual knowledge that can be hard to implement whereas others are easily actionable. These tips are designed for the latter, so let&#8217;s jump right to the point. 1. Take Your Imagery More Seriously Not every photo is equal in terms of quality, and there&#8217;s no place this is more painfully true than Facebook and Instagram. There are</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-tips-to-step-up-your-social-media-game">3 Tips to Step Up Your Social Media Game</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-tips-to-step-up-your-social-media-game"><img title="Step up your social media game" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/step-up-social-game-300x200.jpg" alt="3 Tips to Step Up Your Social Media Game" width="300" height="200" /></a> </div> <p>There are countless blogs about tips and tricks on Facebook and how to step up your marketing game. Some strategies are focused on conceptual knowledge that can be hard to implement whereas others are easily actionable. These tips are designed for the latter, so let&#8217;s jump right to the point.</p> <h2>1. Take Your Imagery More Seriously</h2> <p>Not every photo is equal in terms of quality, and there&#8217;s no place this is more painfully true than Facebook and Instagram. There are content creators in nearly every vertical who work diligently to craft images that compel potential customers to act. What have you done lately to step up your game? Are you continuing to use the same stock images, or are you creating meaningful photos—and <a title="How to Make Videos for Facebook Ads" href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/how-to-make-videos-for-facebook-ads" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">videos</a>—that reflect the true awesomeness of your business?</p> <p>While stock photos can be more cost-effective, in-house content is more authentic and eliminates the possibility of using images your potential customers have already seen elsewhere.</p> <p>If your team doesn&#8217;t have the time or resources to commit to creating custom imagery just yet, spend a bit more time hunting for the right stock images to represent your brand. This means digging for images that might not appear on the first page of your search results. Or, you can use images your team takes on their cell phones – authentic images like this can help you stand out in a sea of stock photos.</p> <h2>2. Analyze &amp; Follow Your Competitors</h2> <p>Don&#8217;t reinvent the wheel without first investigating what others around you are doing. What you might perceive as trendy could be entirely out of date. Some tactics are good for months, even years, others die almost as soon as they get off the ground. Social strategy is about endless pivoting, and you can&#8217;t pivot if you stay in your own bubble.</p> <p>Tying back to the previous point, if <a title="How to Stand Out from Your Competitors Online [Video]" href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/how-to-stand-out-from-your-competitors-online-video" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">competitors in your vertical</a> are always generating original imagery but you’re not keeping pace, this could be one of the key reasons their business is booming. If your vertical is very niche, they alternatively could be using the same stock imagery you use for branding.</p> <p>Facebook gives you some powerful tools to help you keep up with the competition. So, hop over to the <a title="Facebook Insights" href="https://www.facebook.com/business/a/page/page-insights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Insights</a> tab, which is rich with data about your page, and start following your competition under the Pages to Watch section. While the data on competitors is limited, it enables you to keep up with their posting frequency, engagement, and total page likes. It also wouldn’t hurt to follow your competitors’ pages through your personal profile to keep up with their content regularly. Chances are high they are already following you.</p> <h2>3. Engage with Your Followers</h2> <p>Don&#8217;t drop content on a page and ghost your audience. This comes across as insincere. Customers love brands they feel connected to, and what better way to connect with them than through social media? Connecting with people is, after all, what the platform was designed for.</p> <p>From commenting on your posts and replying to messages in a timely manner to <a title="Reviews FAQs: How Do I Respond to Reviews?" href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/reviews-faqs-how-do-i-respond-to-reviews" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">responding to both positive and negative reviews</a>, there are countless ways you can show your audience you care and are listening.</p> <p>Strapped for time? Setting up <a title="Setting Up Automatic Replies" href="https://www.facebook.com/help/1615627532020480/?ref=u2u" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">automatic replies</a> in Messenger is a good place to start advancing your social communication strategies.</p> <p>Ready to take the next step with your <a title="Facebook Advertising from ReachLocal" href="https://www.reachlocal.com/us/en/product/reachsocial-ads" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook marketing</a>? ReachLocal has a variety of solutions to help your business achieve its goals, <a href="https://www.reachlocal.com/us/en/contact-reachlocal-company" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">contact us today</a>!</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-tips-to-step-up-your-social-media-game">3 Tips to Step Up Your Social Media Game</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> Business Tips Social Media Featured Tyler Mask 4 Steps to a Successful PPC Campaign https://blog.reachlocal.com/4-steps-to-a-successful-ppc-campaign ReachLocal Blog urn:uuid:82398870-66b5-f09a-4fd7-c85abf6e5b7c Fri, 11 Sep 2020 14:44:29 +0000 <div> <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/4-steps-to-a-successful-ppc-campaign"><img title="PPC Campaign Success Tips" src="http://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ppc-campaign-success-300x185.jpg" alt="4 Steps to a Successful PPC Campaign" width="300" height="185" /></a> </div> <p> Search engine marketing can sometimes feel like a waiting game, but taking a proactive approach to campaign management can drive long-term success for your digital advertising. Here are a few tips for measuring and ensuring success for your PPC campaign. 1. Define Your KPIs &#38; Set Realistic Benchmarks It’s difficult to assess your campaign’s performance if you have no standards to compare against your data. Setting key performance indicators that line up with your business goals will help you set</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/4-steps-to-a-successful-ppc-campaign">4 Steps to a Successful PPC Campaign</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> <div> <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/4-steps-to-a-successful-ppc-campaign"><img title="PPC Campaign Success Tips" src="http://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ppc-campaign-success-300x185.jpg" alt="4 Steps to a Successful PPC Campaign" width="300" height="185" /></a> </div> <p>Search engine marketing can sometimes feel like a waiting game, but taking a proactive approach to campaign management can drive long-term success for your digital advertising.</p> <h2>Here are a few tips for measuring and ensuring success for your PPC campaign.</h2> <h3>1. <strong>Define Your KPIs &amp; Set Realistic Benchmarks </strong></h3> <p>It’s difficult to assess your campaign’s performance if you have no standards to compare against your data. Setting key performance indicators that line up with your business goals will help you set a realistic baseline for performance and give context to changes you make. Defining KPIs makes it easier to diagnose any issues that could be causing a campaign to perform below the benchmark or give you insight into successful changes.</p> <p>KPIs should be specific, measurable, and attainable. In PPC campaigns, standard KPIs measure actions taken to <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/mastering-ppc-how-to-measure-your-roi">gain a lead</a> (such as cost per click, cost per call, or cost per conversion), clickthrough rate (CTR), or keyword performance. For example, if you know how much it usually costs to acquire a new customer, you can use this to determine your target cost per lead. It&#8217;s also important to consider <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/3-reasons-not-to-slow-your-digital-marketing-spend" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seasonal trends</a> when setting KPIs.</p> <h3><strong>2. Audit Ads &amp; Keywords</strong></h3> <p>Testing and optimization – trial and error – are major components of campaign management. Often, business owners fall into the trap of focusing on performance metrics without looking at the whole picture. Even the most expertly configured campaign relies on <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/mastering-ppc-3-tips-for-creating-compelling-text-ads" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">compelling ad copy</a> and <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/mastering-ppc-choosing-your-focus-keywords" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">appropriate keywords</a> to drive quality leads.</p> <p>Keywords are the vehicles for delivering your ads to the right consumer, meaning they do all the heavy lifting to determine when and where your ads will show. Ensure your keywords are <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/mastering-ppc-4-tips-for-targeting-the-right-location" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">driving the right kind of traffic</a> by reviewing the search terms report often. This information can be used to assess what keywords could be added, removed, or negated to help attract the right audience for your campaign. A keyword may look like it’s performing well but could be driving irrelevant traffic to your site.</p> <p>Ads should provide relevant and up-to-date information. Keywords might work to <a href="https://localiq.com/blog/search-marketing/7-google-ads-optimization-tips-to-maximize-your-roi/">get your ads in front of the customer</a>, but if the ads are unclear or outdated, you’ll lose out on clicks and conversions.</p> <h3>3. <strong>Track Conversions </strong></h3> <p>Traffic-based metrics can provide broad insight into the most basic aspects of campaign performance, but they don’t paint a full picture on their own. Business owners are sometimes hyper-focused on achieving the most attractive metrics to the detriment of overall performance. A low cost per click or a high CTR doesn’t matter if a campaign isn’t generating any ROI. That’s why it’s important to make sure your campaign is <a href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/im-doing-search-advertising-now-what-4-tips-for-success-beyond-ppc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">configured to track leads and conversions.</a></p> <h3>4. <strong>Follow Up on Leads</strong></h3> <p>A campaign can help generate and capture leads, but it’s up to the business owner to turn them into paying customers. Being prepared to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://blog.reachlocal.com/game-changing-lead-response-tips-tricks" target="_blank">manage leads as quickly as possible can prevent missed opportunities</a> and avoid wasted spend. Leveraging an automated lead management system is an effective way to make sure no customer interaction goes unanswered and can be used to quickly follow up with customers who were not yet ready to buy or who may want to buy from you again.</p> <p>Learn more about <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.reachlocal.com/us/en/solutions" target="_blank">successful PPC campaigns</a> on our website, and <a href="https://localiq.com/letstalk">contact us if you need help with PPC</a>.</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/4-steps-to-a-successful-ppc-campaign">4 Steps to a Successful PPC Campaign</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> Search Advertising Featured Amanda Duncil 3 Types of Businesses That Should Run Instagram Ads https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-types-of-businesses-that-should-run-instagram-ads ReachLocal Blog urn:uuid:2db370d2-fd69-fcb4-6e08-62b3e7fcd78b Wed, 02 Sep 2020 15:00:30 +0000 <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-types-of-businesses-that-should-run-instagram-ads"><img title="3 Types of Businesses That Should Run Instagram Ads" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/iStock_000073662685_Small-710x434-300x183.jpg" alt="3 Types of Businesses That Should Run Instagram Ads" width="300" height="183" /></a> </div> <p> The widely-known mobile sharing network of Instagram has grown rapidly since its launch in 2010. It started off as a simple photo sharing app and grew to include a 24-hour story feature, IGTV, engagement tools such as polls and swipe up links, and so much more. According to Statista, there are currently 1 billion active Instagram users (and it’s only going up from there). So, are you taking advantage of putting your ads on this rapidly growing platform? There are</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-types-of-businesses-that-should-run-instagram-ads">3 Types of Businesses That Should Run Instagram Ads</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> <div> <a href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-types-of-businesses-that-should-run-instagram-ads"><img title="3 Types of Businesses That Should Run Instagram Ads" src="https://blog.reachlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/iStock_000073662685_Small-710x434-300x183.jpg" alt="3 Types of Businesses That Should Run Instagram Ads" width="300" height="183" /></a> </div> <p>The widely-known mobile sharing network of Instagram has grown rapidly since its launch in 2010. It started off as a simple photo sharing app and grew to include a 24-hour story feature, IGTV, engagement tools such as polls and swipe up links, and so much more. According to Statista, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/253577/number-of-monthly-active-instagram-users/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">there are currently 1 billion active Instagram users</a> (and it’s only going up from there). So, are you taking advantage of putting your ads on this rapidly growing platform? There are a wide variety of businesses that should run ads on Instagram, which we will get into later, but first&#8230;<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <h4><b>What is an Instagram </b><b>A</b><b>d?</b><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></h4> <p>You can <a href="https://localiq.com/blog/social-media/everything-you-wanted-know-about-instagram-ads/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">advertise on Instagram</a> in a number of different ways: Using photos, videos, a carousel of content, or through Instagram stories. Instagram ads are unique because you’re not simply typing a message for consumers to read, instead, you choose the visual content and the way you want to deliver your message to your preferred audience.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p>To advertise on Instagram, you must first have a business account. Since Instagram is owned by Facebook, you will set up your ad through the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/help/200000840044554" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook Ads Manager</a>. Here you will pick your marketing objective, set up your target audience, determine how much you want to spend, and how long it will run for.</p> <p><strong>So, what type of businesses should take advantage of advertising on Instagram?</strong></p> <h4>1. You Provide a Service<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}"> </span></h4> <p>Instagram is the perfect platform to market the products and services that your business provides. One feature a service-based business should take advantage of is posting multiple photos and videos (up to 10!) in a carousel advertisement to highlight what they offer. Before putting together the ad, make sure your target audience is part of the demographic that uses Instagram. According to Sprout Social, <a href="https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/#instagram" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">59% of users are 18 to 29 years old, 33% are 30 to 49 years old, 18% are 50 to 64 years old, and 8% are 65 and over.</a>  <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <h4><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">2. </span>You’re Starting from the Bottom <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}"> </span></h4> <p>If you’re building your online presence from the ground up, advertising on Instagram is a great way to gain an audience while growing your business. Capture Instagram users by telling a story through your ads that other people will want to follow along with. Let’s say you’re a healthy convenience store coming to the Dallas area in 2019. Advertise to your target audience through Stories and share behind the scene planning of the healthy food options, store location, and vendors you’re working with. On-the-go, busy millennials are always hunting for new healthy spots like yours, so why not advertise to that target audience while they’re skipping through their Instagram Stories?</p> <h4><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">3. </span>You’re Adding Talent to your Team<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}"> </span></h4> <p>So, your business is looking to expand it team with a creative set of eyes? You want someone who is familiar with your business and the work you do. Your audience is already invested in your brand, keeping up with your business growth, and engaging with your posts, so why not run Instagram ads to share your new opening with them? Choose a photo or video that will announce your business is hiring and customize it through Ads Manager to only be shown in front of people in your area. If <a href="https://localiq.com/recruitment/lead-generation/social-media-marketing/">your business is looking for new talent</a>, Instagram is the perfect platform to run ads and receive interested applicants. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p>Advertising through video and photo content is a creative way to capture your target audience, and with over 800 million Instagram users, it’s worth taking advantage of. Whether your business is building its brand, celebrating its 50<span data-fontsize="11">th</span> anniversary, or expanding its team, your consumers are using the app. Create visually appealing content and put it in front of them. You won’t regret it. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com/3-types-of-businesses-that-should-run-instagram-ads">3 Types of Businesses That Should Run Instagram Ads</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blog.reachlocal.com">ReachLocal Blog</a>.</p> Business Tips Marketing Social Media Featured Amanda Asad Our Internet Marketing Services https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/164225364476 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:31adebb9-f861-c8a2-08a3-48f1ac08012d Tue, 15 Aug 2017 20:06:20 +0000 <h2 style="text-align: center;">Grow Your Business With Our Internet Marketing Services</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Are you looking for the best Internet Marketing services to get your business found across all of the internet? Tired of SEO companies making promises and nothing happens? Then check out our video:</span></p> <p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xx_E8HzrMjQ?rel=0?ecver=1" width="350" height="250" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Learn more about our Internet Marketing Services at <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" target="_blank">MD Internet Marketing Solutions</a></span></p> <p>The following article <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/digital-marketing/internet-services/" target="_blank">Our Internet Marketing Services</a> Find more on: <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" target="_blank">MDIMS</a></p> Don’t Forget The Basics https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/163805073246 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:7c9832c4-6d06-735a-395f-5aa192ef3579 Fri, 04 Aug 2017 21:40:24 +0000 <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sometimes we all forget the basics. This is especially true when it comes to SEO. Search engine optimization is such a volatile and ever changing landscape that even the pros sometimes forget, or over look the basics. We get wrapped up in dissecting the newest Algorithm change and adapting to them that we sometimes overlook the obvious.  Let&rsquo;s touch base on a couple that we see happen often when business owners attempt SEO on their own.</span></p> <h2><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2450 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Keywords-For-Local-SEO.jpg" alt="Don't forget keywords for SEO" width="512" height="384"/></h2> <h2>Keywords</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Yes, keywords are still very important to on page and off page SEO. While <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/local-seo/googles-most-important-ranking-factors-right-now/" target="_blank">Rank Brain</a> is learning away, we do see that with some of our clients sites that they rank for words and terms that are NOT on their site, and are synonyms or LSI keywords. Still, it&rsquo;s very important to have as many sprinkled throughout your content AND in your backlink profile, (use sparingly for backlinks).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/109964734254519687160" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gabriel Shaoolian</a> recently published an article on <a href="http://www.sitepronews.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SiteProNews.com</a> that touches on a few key elements of keywords:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Failing to do keyword research.</h4> <p>Nailing a keyword list is going to be the bread and butter for your site’s SEO. In fact, you can think of every keyword as a breadcrumb, trailing users to your site. But in order to create a successful list, you need to not only think of the most basic words to identify your brand. These are the words that consumers are going to be using to start their search. But you also need to consider your competitors.</p> <p>If, for example, you’re a locally-based eCommerce site for specialty foods, such as gourmet cheese, the terms “specialty foods” and “gourmet cheese” are probably first going to come to mind. But how many other sites out there are already using these words? Probably millions. So, you need to take things one step further by creating a long tail keyword. This would be something along the lines of “best gourmet cheese in Denver.” And here’s where our third what-not-to-do comes into play.</p> <h4>Forgetting to localize.</h4> <p>In the above example, choosing to feature one of your specialty foods—cheese—was a smart move in narrowing down the search competition. But smarter yet was the choice to incorporate the name of your city. This step localizes your search terms, an extremely important SEO step, especially for retail brands with physical locations. In fact, 50 percent of Smartphone shoppers, who search locally on Google, end up visiting physical stores on the same day.</p> <p>If your brand is failing to optimize itself for local searches, you are going to miss out on an entire pool of customers. Most importantly, given their close physical proximity to your brand, these customers are the ones you should be converting into brand loyalists. When creating your target keyword lists, be sure to include local search terms.</p> <p><a href="http://www.sitepronews.com/2017/08/02/10-seo-mistakes-your-brand-could-be-making/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Finish Reading The Full Article Here</a></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That&rsquo;s good content from Gabriel, especially about not forgetting to add Geo modifiers to your keywords. Local is important for most businesses as they don&rsquo;t serve the entire US but only their local city or county. As Google gets smarter it picks up on users location and will direct them to businesses that solves their search query. In fact, with most searches now when you search for something you will see in Google suggests the &ldquo;near me&rdquo; appended to your search term. So don&rsquo;t forget to localize!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We recommend you check out Gabriel&rsquo;s article because of his next point being speaking like a human, which kind of ties in with keywords and <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/local-seo/should-you-optimize-your-site-for-voice-search/" target="_blank">voice search</a>.</span></p> <h3><img class="size-full wp-image-2451 aligncenter" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/URL-Sturcture-And-SEO.jpg" alt="Lack of proper URL structure will effect SEO and rankings" width="500" height="318"/></h3> <h3>Website Structure</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This can be a huge pain in the rear. If you get this wrong in the beginning and don&rsquo;t address it, it will snow ball. This was covered in an article done by <a href="https://twitter.com/DholakiyaPratik" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pratik Dholakiya</a> on <a href="http://marketingland.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MarketingLand.com</a>:</span></p> <blockquote><p>Poor URL architecture</p> <p>URL architecture can be a difficult thing to fix without breaking other aspects of your SEO, so we don’t recommend rushing into this, or you might do more harm than good.</p> <p>That said, one of the most frequent issues I come across is a lack of solid URL architecture. In particular, folder organization is often spotty.</p> <p>A few common issues:</p> <ul><li>Blog posts listed in multiple categories, resulting in blog posts listed in multiple folders, creating duplicate content issues as a result.</li> <li>URLs with no folders other than the parent domain. While this is precisely the form your most important pages should take, pages further down the hierarchy should be listed in folders to categorize them.</li> <li>URLs with folders that are, themselves, 404 pages. If a URL is listed under a folder, many users expect that folder to be an operational page. From an architecture perspective, it’s semantically confusing, and from an internal link perspective, it’s ideal to have links to these pages from a parent folder.</li> <li>Junk URLs full of numbers and letters. These days, these are primarily reserved for search result pages and database queries that aren’t intended to be indexed and found in search engines. Your URLs should contain useful information intelligible to a human if you want them to contribute positively to your performance in the search engines.</li> </ul><p>In addressing these issues, there are two complications you want to avoid: creating 404 pages and losing existing link authority. When you change your URL architecture, you need to make sure that the old pages 301 to the new ones. Ideally, any internal links to the old pages should also be updated, since PageRank is reduced by the damping factor every time it passes through a link or 301.</p> <p>As an exception, if blog posts are listed in multiple categories, a 301 isn’t always necessary, but in its place you should canonicalize to the preferable page.</p> <p><a href="http://marketingland.com/16-common-site-seo-mistakes-might-making-right-now-220977" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read Pratik&rsquo;s full article here</a></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">His first point is one that we see all to often. A blog post that is listed in several categories resulting in duplicate content penalties. It&rsquo;s important to note that in every test we have ever done on duplicate content, the only time it ever results in a penalty is when it is duplicate content on the SAME site.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">His last point is also another one that can&rsquo;t be overlooked, not properly setting permalink structure. We do run across this from time to time. We have seen that through updates that sometimes the permalink structure gets changed for whatever reason and must be reset.</span></p> <h4>Summing It Up</h4> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Don&rsquo;t forget about the basics, they still work. Keywords in your content and backlinks as well as keyword rich titles and descriptions, H1 and H2 tags with LSI&rsquo;s. Lastly, make sure your permalink structure is correct and hasn&rsquo;t changed or been altered by mistake.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As always, if you need help with your Local SEO for your small business, visit us at </span><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/local-seo/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">MD Internet Marketing Solutions</span></a></p> <p>The following article <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/local-seo/dont-forget-the-basics/" target="_blank">Don’t Forget The Basics</a> Find more on: <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MD Internet Marketing Solutions Digital Marketing</a></p> Digital Marketing Agency Atlanta from MD Internet Marketing... https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/163368687336 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:54629136-907f-2809-33f4-295c4b8e0b7f Mon, 24 Jul 2017 14:57:35 +0000 <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/226747308?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" title="Digital Marketing Agency Atlanta" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><a href="https://vimeo.com/226747308" target="_blank">Digital Marketing Agency Atlanta from </a><a href="https://vimeo.com/user49564855" target="_blank">MD Internet Marketing Solutions</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com" target="_blank">Vimeo</a>.</p><blockquote><p class="first">Atlanta’s Best Digital Marketing Company For Small Business <br/><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">mdimsolutions.com</a><br/> If your business is suffering from a lack of leads, calls and new customers, contact us. We get your business more visibility across all of the web with internet marketing. We can get your company in front of more people when they search the web for your services through local search engine optimization & search engine marketing (adwords), Video Marketing, Reputation Management and proper Web Design.</p> <p>Follow us on the web - <br/><a href="https://plus.google.com/+MDIMSMarketing/posts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">plus.google.com/+MDIMSMarketing/posts</a><br/><a href="https://twitter.com/mdimsmarketing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">twitter.com/mdimsmarketing</a><br/><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/kenmandich" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">pinterest.com/kenmandich</a><br/><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MDIMSolutions" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">facebook.com/MDIMSolutions</a><br/><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenmandich" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">linkedin.com/in/kenmandich</a></p></blockquote> Atlanta Corporate Video Production & Video Marketing from MD... https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/163216336831 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:401a3072-9030-a817-c285-bfd6ea441e1d Thu, 20 Jul 2017 16:03:54 +0000 <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/226319505?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" title="Atlanta Corporate Video Production & Video Marketing" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><a href="https://vimeo.com/226319505" target="_blank">Atlanta Corporate Video Production & Video Marketing from </a><a href="https://vimeo.com/user49564855" target="_blank">MD Internet Marketing Solutions</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com" target="_blank">Vimeo</a>.</p><blockquote><p class="first">Get More Business Through Video Marketing<br/><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/video-marketing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">mdimsolutions.com/video-marketing</a></p> <p>Video is a fantastic way to get more customers and clients for your business. We produce high quality HD corporate videos for all types of small businesses. Contact us to learn how we can help grow your business through the power of video!</p> <p>Follow us on the web - <br/><a href="https://plus.google.com/+MDIMSMarketing/posts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">plus.google.com/+MDIMSMarketing/posts</a><br/><a href="https://twitter.com/mdimsmarketing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">twitter.com/mdimsmarketing</a><br/><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/kenmandich" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">pinterest.com/kenmandich</a><br/><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MDIMSolutions" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">facebook.com/MDIMSolutions</a><br/><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenmandich" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">linkedin.com/in/kenmandich</a></p></blockquote> Getting Optimum Performance Out Of Your WordPress Site https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/163178969381 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:37fb75ce-2c85-a425-5a74-c1492d861acd Wed, 19 Jul 2017 17:02:55 +0000 <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Your website is ground zero for all of your online marketing. Whether you are using video, social media, adwords - you name it, everything points back to your website to convert visitors into customers. However, if your site isn&rsquo;t performing at it&rsquo;s peak, then you maybe losing sales. Here are some great tips to make sure you are getting the maximum potential out of your WordPress site.</span></p> <h2><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2423 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Optimize-Your-WordPress-Website.jpg" alt="How To Optimize Your WordPress Website" width="500" height="360"/></h2> <h2>Optimizing Your WordPress Site</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There are a lot of factors that come into play when optimizing your site not only for search engines, but customers as well. As search engines become smarter, it does get a little easier to combine your optimization efforts to please both.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you have followed any of our posts on Web Design, you know that we have been mentioning for awhile that your site needs to load fast. If your site doesn&rsquo;t load in just a couple of seconds, users will hit the back button to go to another site. Site load speed is also a ranking factor in search engines. So making sure your site loads fast is probably one of the biggest factors in getting the most out of your site. To learn more about how to make your site load faster, see our post &ldquo;<a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/speed-up-your-site-for-better-rankings-and-ux/" target="_blank">Speed Up Your Site For Better Rankings And UX</a>&rdquo;.</span></p> <h3>Website Hosting</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The next thing that must be mentioned is hosting. If you have your site on subpar host, then your site will be lacking. In fact it can hurt not only your site load speed, but user engagement as well. &ldquo;How&rdquo; you may ask? Well this was just covered in an article by <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisgarrett" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chris Garret</a> on CopyBlogger and his tenth point:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Hosting with a company that prevents or punishes your success</h4> <p>This last one will catch you by surprise at the worst moment.</p> <p>You get your 15 minutes (or 15,000 visitors) of fame, only for your host to tell you … nope! Not on their watch.</p> <p>They shut you down.</p> <p>There it is, in the fine print of your hosting contract … you’re only allowed a certain number of visitors or so much bandwidth … which means all your new prospects land on a page that says your website is down.</p> <p>It’s smart to keep your costs manageable when you’re starting out, but losing potential customers because of penny-pinching isn’t so smart.</p> <p>If you currently have cheap “hobby” hosting, you need to ask yourself:</p> <p>How many clients or customers can I afford to lose to a bad web experience?</p> <p>Read Chris&rsquo; full article &ldquo;<a href="http://www.copyblogger.com/business-website-mistakes/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">10 Often Overlooked Website Mistakes that May Harm Your Business</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It&rsquo;s a great point from Chris. We like how he makes the connection between cheap hosting and &ldquo;hobby&rdquo; hosting. It&rsquo;s true. You need to stop and ask yourself if it&rsquo;s worth saving a few hundred dollars a year on hosting costs that could literally be costing your business tens of thousands of dollars in sales due to a slow loading site or not loading because of exceeding your monthly bandwidth. <strong>Are you running a business, or is it just a hobby??</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Next we move onto more things on your WordPress site itself. We have covered about how important it is to keep your site&rsquo;s themes and plugins updated. &ldquo;<a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/is-your-website-at-risk-of-being-hacked/" target="_blank"><span class="current_crumb">Is Your Website At Risk Of Being Hacked</span></a>&rdquo; explains how important these updates are in keeping your site secure. Sometimes these updates can also lead to how well your site performs, or doesn&rsquo;t.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But what about your site&rsquo;s database and links? One of our favorite writers, <a href="https://twitter.com/colinnewcomer" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colin Newcomer</a>, just made a post on WPKube that covers this:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Clean and Optimize Your Database</h4> <p>When you first install WordPress, your database starts off so clean and tiny. But as you start “living” in your site, your database starts picking up all kinds of junk. It’s like dust in your house. You didn’t do anything to “cause” the dust…but it still accumulates and makes everything look dirty.</p> <p>Posts revisions, transients, table overhead, spam comments, and more do that to your database. Each individual database entry isn’t a big deal…but combined (like those specks of dust), they can make your site a big sluggish.</p> <p>Thankfully, they’re easy to clean up. All you need to do is run a plugin like WP-Sweep. Nothing to configure – just install, head to Tools → Sweep and clean up your various tables:</p> <p>You can also Sweep All at the bottom of the page – though I don’t recommend it because you might wipe out your drafts. It’s usually better to go through each category individually to ensure you don’t remove important information.</p> <h4>Check for Broken Internal and External Links</h4> <p>Broken links are bad for user experience and, to a lesser extent, SEO. They make it harder for humans to use your site and robots to crawl your site. They’re difficult to find manually…but with the right tool (Broken Link Checker), you can instantly sniff out every single broken link on your WordPress site.</p> <p>While the plugin does have some advanced settings, for most sites, you can just install it and head to Tools → Broken Links:</p> <p>You can hover over each link to quickly edit it or remove the link.</p> <p>Because some people say that Broken Link Checker can slow down the wp-admin dashboard, I recommend only enabling the plugin specifically when you want to check for broken links.</p> <p>Read Colin&rsquo;s Full Article &ldquo;<a href="https://www.wpkube.com/wordpress-maintenance-tips/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">9 WordPress Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Site Running Smoothly</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Those are some really good tips. However, before adding any plugins to your site, make sure you back it up first as they may conflict with others and cause the dreaded &ldquo;white screen of death&rdquo;. We would also advise that with both of these plugins you deactivate them when not in use as Colin points out with Broken Link Checker. This brings us to our last point -</span></p> <h3><img class="size-full wp-image-2425 aligncenter" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/WordPress-Plugins.jpg" alt="wordpress plugins" width="400" height="304"/></h3> <h3>Plugins</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One of the greatest things about WordPress are the plugins. There are thousands of them. What you must remember is that &ldquo;the more the better&rdquo; rule<strong> DOES NOT</strong> apply here. Too many plugins will slow down your site, while some plugins are hogs and can really slow things down. As a general rule, we try and stay away from &ldquo;Swiss Army Knife&rdquo; plugins that do &ldquo;everything&rdquo; for you as they tend to be the worst. Also, the more plugins you are running the greater your chances of having a conflict resulting in again the &ldquo;white screen of death&rdquo; or the site not functioning properly leading to poor user experience.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Try and use the minimum amount of plugins as possible to get your needs done. It&rsquo;s a good idea to regularly check your plugins and if you are not using them, deactivate and uninstall to keep from slowing down your site and minimize the risk of plugin conflict.</span></p> <h4><strong>Summing It Up</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Getting optimum performance from your website really starts with your hosting. With a low cost hosting provider you may be saving a few bucks, but losing thousands in lost revenue due to customers leaving your site before they even see it. Try and use the plugins that Colin recommends to clean up your database and links. Cleaning your database will mostly only benefit your load times, but broken links can not only impact rankings, but user experience as well. Just these few things can have a real impact on how well your site performs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you need help with optimizing your website, need a website rebuild, or just need a web design service, visit us at </span><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">MD Internet Marketing Solutions</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/getting-optimum-performance-out-of-your-wordpress-site/" target="_blank">Getting Optimum Performance Out Of Your WordPress Site</a> Find more on: <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" target="_blank">http://www.MDIMSolutions.com</a></p> Is Your Website At Risk Of Being Hacked? https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/163100012771 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:95b3ecf0-3a6f-59e4-d8ae-208ddda59b69 Mon, 17 Jul 2017 17:10:38 +0000 <h2 style="text-align: center;">How Secure Is Your Website?</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">You may be the owner of a small business with a small website and think your website isn&rsquo;t a target for hackers. After all, what would a hacker want with your website? Your website might be just about your services that doesn&rsquo;t contain any customer information. Why would a hacker even bother with your &ldquo;little&rdquo; site? You might be surprised about what hackers can do with your site once they infiltrate it and what they can do</span>.</p> <p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2415 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Is-Your-Website-At-Risk-Of-Being-Hacked.jpg" alt="Is your website at risk of being hacked?" width="550" height="412"/></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We are sticklers about website security. We have also taken on customers that have had their site hacked. It&rsquo;s no fun. Every site that we have dealt with that has been hacked did not have any person&rsquo;s personal information whatsoever. So why did the hackers bother with these sites?</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you are using our favorite CMS - WordPress, it&rsquo;s really very simple. It&rsquo;s all about the numbers. As of last year (2016), WordPress websites accounted for around 26% of the websites on the web. So with over a Billion sites on the web that equates to around 250 million of them being on WordPress. It&rsquo;s a numbers game for hackers, why not create one bot that can have the most effect and best chances of succeeding.</span></p> <h3>What Will Hackers Do With Your Site?</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What does a hacker want with your site? Install malware to try and infect visitors computers, try and spread their political views, try and gain access to the server your site is hosted on, and probably sometimes, some geek with too much time on their hands.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So how do these hackers get into your site in the first place? A rather large list was made on WPMUDEV.org recently that has some of the most used techniques:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>How Hackers Compromise Websites</h4> <p>When writing code, it’s near impossible to not create any security holes whatsoever. When hackers find these vulnerabilities, they exploit them and you’re left with a compromised site.</p> <p>There are are also other ways a site could be vulnerable including human error such as using passwords that are easy to guess as well as insecure or unreliable hosting.</p> <p>There are a number of commonly exploited and potential WordPress vulnerabilities including:</p> <ul><li>SQL Injection (SQLI) – Occurs when SQL queries and statements can be entered and executed from a site’s URL</li> <li>Cross-site Scripting (XSS) – A hacker can inject code into a site, typically through an input field</li> <li>File Upload – A file with malicious code is uploaded to a server without restriction</li> <li>Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) – Code or strings are entered and executed from a site’s URL</li> <li>Brute Force – Constantly trying to log in by guessing the admin’s account username and password</li> <li>Denial of Service (DoS) – When a site goes down due to a steady stream of traffic coming from a hackbot</li> <li>Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) – Similar to a DoS attack, except the hackbot is sending traffic from multiple sources such as infected computers or routers</li> <li>Open Redirect – Occurs due to a vulnerability and it’s a site’s page that’s redirected to a different one that’s set by a hacker and is often spam or a phishing site</li> <li>Phishing (Identity Theft) – A site or page created by a hacker that looks like a well-known, commonly trusted site, but is used to collect login credentials by tricking a user to input their details</li> <li>Malware – A malicious script or program with a purpose to infect a site or system<br/> Local File Inclusion (LFI) – An attacker is able to control what file is executed at a scheduled time that was set up by the CMS or web app</li> <li>Authentication Bypass – A security hole that enables a hacker to circumvent the login form and gain access to the site</li> <li>Full Path Disclosure (FPD) – When the path to a site’s webroot is exposed such as when the directory listing, errors or warnings are visible</li> <li>User Enumeration – Being able to determine a valid username to later use for brute force attacks by adding a string to the end of a WordPress site’s URL to request a user ID which may return an author’s profile with the valid username</li> <li>XML External Entity (XXE) – An XML input that references an external entity and is processed poorly by improperly set up XML parser and can lead to confidential information disclosure</li> </ul><p>Read The Full Article &ldquo;<a href="https://premium.wpmudev.org/blog/ultimate-guide-wordpress-security/?utm_expid=3606929-108.O6f5ypXuTg-XPCV9sY1yrw.0" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Ultimate Guide to WordPress Security</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That&rsquo;s not even the entire list from the post, nor is the post every way that a site can be hacked. As time goes on, hackers get more sophisticated and develop new ways to get into sites to use them as they wish.</span></p> <h3><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2416 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-To-Keep-Your-WordPress-Site-Secure.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="342"/></h3> <h3></h3> <h3>How To Keep Your Site Secure</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Before you get into a full on panic, there are things you can do to help make sure your site doesn&rsquo;t fall victim to hackers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The first thing you can do is make sure you use strong usernames and passwords. Never, and we mean never, use the default &ldquo;Admin&rdquo;. Use very long passwords, maybe a snippet from your favorite song and add a few punctuation marks and numbers before and after.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The second thing and probably the most effective is&hellip;&hellip;. KEEP YOUR SITE UPDATED! Whenever there is a new release of WordPress, make sure you install it right away. Whenever you receive an email that an update is available, get it done. But it doesn&rsquo;t stop there, you also need to make sure that your Themes and Plugins are also kept up to date because they can be just as vulnerable. A classic example of this is the vulnerability in the Revolution Slider back in 2014 where as many as 100 thousand sites were hacked. You won&rsquo;t receive email notifications for these types of updates, so we suggest checking at least weekly that everything is up to date.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/+GailGardner?rel=author" class="external" target="_blank">Gail Gardner</a> just posted an article today on another one of our top priorities of keeping your site secure with the importance of choosing a good server or hosting provider:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Choose a Secure Web Host</h4> <p>Web hosts vary greatly in how secure they are. Shared Web hosting is the most affordable option, since you’re sharing server space with countless other websites. But, that affordability comes at the cost of security in many cases.</p> <p>Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is a middle-ground option where you’re still technically sharing a server with other websites, but you’re each given flexibility as if you were all running on a dedicated server. Dedicated hosting means that you’re the only website on the server, so it of course it comes at a premium.</p> <p>To provide more security, but still keep costs relatively manageable, many web hosts are now offering managed WordPress hosting, which is similar to shared hosting. But by having them manage the WordPress installation itself, they can help avoid security breaches.</p> <p>Read Gail&rsquo;s full post &ldquo;<a href="http://www.sitepronews.com/2017/07/17/web-security-more-important-now-than-ever/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Web Security More Important Now Than Ever</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Gail also makes some good points in her article about you company&rsquo;s security policy with employees that have access to your site.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Lastly, we want to point out that you should be making backups regularly. Why? Because if your site does get hacked, restoring your site to it&rsquo;s previous condition will be a whole lot easier.</span></p> <h4><strong>Wrap Up</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">While you might consider your site not large enough, or have important data that hackers may want, it&rsquo;s still a target. The most important and effective ways of keeping hackers out is to choose a good host, and keeping your site up date to help minimize the risks of your site falling prey. And in case it does fall victim, make sure you have backups!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">To learn more about how we help keep our customers sites secure, as well as our web design services, visit our site </span><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">MD Internet Marketing Solutions</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/is-your-website-at-risk-of-being-hacked/" target="_blank">Is Your Website At Risk Of Being Hacked?</a> was<br/> first published on <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.MDIMSolutions.com</a></p> Local SEO And Local SEM Services In Atlanta from MD Internet... https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162995192586 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:33342dda-778f-fc3b-8f1b-7712bc8dfb69 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 23:17:37 +0000 <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/225602240?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" title="Local SEO And Local SEM Services In Atlanta" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><a href="https://vimeo.com/225602240" target="_blank">Local SEO And Local SEM Services In Atlanta from </a><a href="https://vimeo.com/user49564855" target="_blank">MD Internet Marketing Solutions</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com" target="_blank">Vimeo</a>.</p><blockquote><p class="first">Atlanta’s Best Local SEO & SEM Company<br/><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/local-seo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">mdimsolutions.com/local-seo</a></p> <p>Is your company nowhere to be found on the web? Then you found the right company to correct that! We get your company more leads and customers through inbound marketing across all of the web.</p> <p>Our company gets your business high rankings in search results for keywords and phrases consumers are using to search the web to find your business services and products. We get you rankings in organic search, maps listings and adwords, and we don’t stop there. We also make use of social media and get your company a dominate presence on all of the platforms like FaceBook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and a whole lot more. To learn more, just visit our website.</p> <p>Follow Us - <br/><a href="https://twitter.com/mdimsmarketing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">twitter.com/mdimsmarketing</a><br/><a href="https://plus.google.com/+MDIMSMarketing/posts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">plus.google.com/+MDIMSMarketing/posts</a><br/><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MDIMSolutions" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">facebook.com/MDIMSolutions</a><br/><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/kenmandich" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">pinterest.com/kenmandich</a><br/><a href="http://mdims.strikingly.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">mdims.strikingly.com</a><br/><a href="https://wiseintro.co/mdims" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">wiseintro.co/mdims</a></p></blockquote> Atlanta’s Best Website Design Company from Ken Mandich on... https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162991485736 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:367111ba-d576-6972-0b8d-e9462214e438 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 21:20:06 +0000 <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/225603787?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" title="Atlanta's Best Website Design Company" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><a href="https://vimeo.com/225603787" target="_blank">Atlanta’s Best Website Design Company from </a><a href="https://vimeo.com/user49564855" target="_blank">Ken Mandich</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com" target="_blank">Vimeo</a>.</p><blockquote><p class="first">Atlanta’s Premiere Website Design & Development Firm<br/><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">mdimsolutions.com/web-design</a></p> <p>Need a new website? Does your website need a makeover? Then you found the right place! We build custom websites that are highly optimized for search, mobile friendly, fast loading, and most importantly, built to convert visitors into customers.</p> <p>Follow Us All Over The Web-<br/><a href="https://plus.google.com/+MDIMSMarketing/posts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">plus.google.com/+MDIMSMarketing/posts</a><br/><a href="https://twitter.com/mdimsmarketing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">twitter.com/mdimsmarketing</a><br/><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/kenmandich" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">pinterest.com/kenmandich</a><br/><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MDIMSolutions" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">facebook.com/MDIMSolutions</a><br/><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenmandich" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">linkedin.com/in/kenmandich</a></p></blockquote> Reputation Management & Reputation Marketing In Atlanta from... https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162989951966 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:06299e30-bc2d-e2f8-b949-7b531cefe354 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 20:29:51 +0000 <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/225600363?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" title="Reputation Management & Reputation Marketing In Atlanta" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><a href="https://vimeo.com/225600363" target="_blank">Reputation Management & Reputation Marketing In Atlanta from </a><a href="https://vimeo.com/user49564855" target="_blank">Ken Mandich</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com" target="_blank">Vimeo</a>.</p><blockquote><p class="first">Atlanta’s Best Reputation Management And Marketing Company<br/><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/reputation-management" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">mdimsolutions.com/reputation-management</a></p> <p>Our company helps get, protect and maintain your businesses online presence. Consumers are researching companies online more often than not before choosing to do business with someone. If your company has a 1 to 3 star rating, you are failing to convert almost 90% of the consumers that research your business. Also, lacking reviews on sites can be just as detrimental as having bad reviews.</p> <p>We can help either establish your Brand on the web with good reviews, or if you have negative reviews, help get new good reviews to suppress the bad ones. To learn more, visit our site at <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">mdimsolutions.com</a></p> <p>Follow Us All Over The Web!<br/><a href="https://plus.google.com/+MDIMSMarketing/posts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">plus.google.com/+MDIMSMarketing/posts</a><br/><a href="https://twitter.com/mdimsmarketing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">twitter.com/mdimsmarketing</a><br/><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MDIMSolutions" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">facebook.com/MDIMSolutions</a><br/><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenmandich" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">linkedin.com/in/kenmandich</a></p></blockquote> Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Videos https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162869260216 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:c76fb1a0-a623-1b17-d47f-592dffcb04eb Tue, 11 Jul 2017 17:26:32 +0000 <h2 style="text-align: center;">The Do&rsquo;s And Don'ts Of Video Marketing</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Video is one of our favorite ways of marketing our clients to the public. We like video because of the engagement factor over text. However,  some companies do struggle sometimes to get views and get their target audience to engage with their video content and take action. In this short article we will cover what to avoid and what must be done to make sure you are creating engaging video content that converts.</span></p> <p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2359 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Tips-To-Get-The-Most-Out-Of-Your-Marketing-Videos.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="316"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">You may have attempted video marketing on your own, with lack luster results. It can be disheartening. It happens. not every video you create will go viral or be the next dollar shave commercial. Not every video you create is going to be a home run. The important thing to do is learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward with more video content. The good news is that with some careful planning, you can give your videos a lot better chance of being the conversion tool you are looking for.</span></p> <h3>Two Things To Avoid In Your Video Marketing</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Yes, there are some things that you must avoid when making your videos. There are 2 things that we see continually among newbie video creators. One thing that is a must to avoid is making the video entirely too long. This was covered in one of our favorite blogs, Hubspot, where <a href="https://twitter.com/amanda_zw" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amanda Zantal-Wiener</a> just wrote about yesterday:</span></p> <blockquote><p>It seems like we’re past the point of requiring evidence that supports the dwindling human attention span, but just in case &ndash; studies say it’s about eight seconds. On top of that, roughly two-thirds of consumers prefer video under one minute, so in sum: Keep it short.</p> <p>I’ll never forget what HubSpot’s CEO, Brian Halligan, said to me during a chat about content creation: “You’re asking to borrow someone’s brain.” When you ask someone to borrow anything, the considerate thing to do is to be respectful of that person’s time, and when they might need it back. Generally, we need our brains &ndash; so when you create something like video content, remember that you have your viewer’s brain on loan.</p> <p>That’s not to say that your video needs to be limited to eight seconds &ndash; after all, how much could you possibly say in that amount of time? But when you create it, make sure those first few seconds are highly engaging, as that’s when you’ll need to grab the viewer’s attention to maintain it.</p> <p>Read Amanda&rsquo;s Full Article &ldquo;<a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/why-no-one-watches-your-videos" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">7 Reasons Why No One is Watching Your Video Content</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">She has some good points throughout her article. However when it comes to video length, it can be really hard to get everything you need to say in under a minute. We tend to make our videos between 1 and 2 minutes. Another point that she makes is about not promoting your video on other channels. There is a lot of controversy about this. Some video experts say to create different videos for different platforms. We tend to agree with Amanda and say go ahead and promote every video you create on every social media platform available to you.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The second thing to avoid and that we see as a problem for a lot of &ldquo;do it yourself&rdquo; videos is going on and on about how great their company is, or how many awards they have won, or just continually talking about themselves or the company. What people care about is how YOUR company can help solve THEIR problem. It&rsquo;s okay to tell your viewers about your companies achievements, but keep it very short and to the point. Remember that your marketing videos are to get conversions, so the more you tell them about how using your product or service will simplify or make their lives easier increases your chances of turning viewers into customers.</span></p> <h3><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2361 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/What-to-do-in-video-marketing.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="433"/></h3> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <h3>The Do&rsquo;s In Your Video Marketing</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Now on to what is important with your video marketing campaigns. We actually found an article that covers the 2 things that we think are among the most important from <a href="https://twitter.com/colinnewcomer" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colin Newcomer</a> in an article he has on Elegant Themes blog:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Remember That It’s Not Just About View Counts</h4> <p>Many marketers obsess over view counts. Views are the most important measure of a video’s success, right?</p> <p>Eh, maybe.</p> <p>There certainly is something to be said for tracking the raw number of views that your videos get. But it’s far from the only metric that matters.</p> <p>Why’s that? Because you probably want people to actually pay attention to your videos. So to find out how engaged they are, you’ll also want to measure data like:</p> <ul><li>Drop-off rates. That is, how many people watch a video to the end? And if they don’t make it to the end, at what point do they stop watching?</li> <li>Social shares. Shares are a good metric for how valuable viewers found your content.</li> </ul><p>So yes, pay attention to view counts. But pay attention to the other stuff, too.</p> <h4>End With a CTA</h4> <p>Fading to black is great for movies…it’s not so great for video marketing.</p> <p>You would never create a landing page without a CTA, right? Well, it’s the same for your videos. You always want to close by pushing your viewers to complete an action.</p> <p>So what should you tell them to do? That depends on the goals you set out at the beginning (remember – you should have specific success metrics!).</p> <p>If you want to primarily boost brand engagement, you might push them to watch other videos by asking them to subscribe and suggesting some videos to watch next.</p> <p>On the other hand, if you want more email opt-ins, the end of your video is a great time to push them towards your squeeze page or your sales team:</p> <p>Read Colin&rsquo;s Full Article &ldquo;<a href="https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/tips-tricks/8-key-elements-your-video-marketing-strategy-needs" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">8 Key Elements Your Video Marketing Strategy Needs</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Good article from Colin. Kind of funny that we found it on Elegant Themes site. If you read his full article you also notice that one of his factors is also video length.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We included his article because we find that these things are often overlooked by people producing videos. Many people put too much emphasis on views and don&rsquo;t pay any attention to other metrics, such as drop off rates. While you video may be getting views, viewers maybe leaving the video at 30 seconds in before they get to a call to action.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Then all to often we see videos with no clear call to action. If you don&rsquo;t tell viewers to take action, they won&rsquo;t. Most videos that do have a call to action usually have them at the end of the video. This can be a problem when viewers aren&rsquo;t watching the video to the end, and why paying attention to the drop off rate is important. This can sometimes be avoided on YouTube with the use of Cards. You can have Cards open up with teaser text and calls to action right inside the video and put them towards the beginning of the video to help increase conversions. The problem with YouTube Cards is that they do not work on every device, so if your drop off rate is before your CTA, your video isn&rsquo;t converting.</span></p> <h4><strong>Summing It Up</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Keep you videos short and to the point. It&rsquo;s okay to tell your viewers about your company, but keep it short and remember to tell them how YOU can help THEM. While views are important, don&rsquo;t forget about drop off rates as this can effect your CTA and your video may not convert as much as you would like. To help avoid drop off before your CTA, and if you are hosting your videos on YouTube, make use of Cards.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you or your company needs help with video production, just visit our site <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/video-marketing/" target="_blank">www.mdimsolutions.com</a> for all of your video marketing needs.</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/video-marketing/tips-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-videos/" target="_blank">Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Videos</a> See more on: <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MD Internet Marketing Solutions SEO Service</a></p> 15 Video Tools Every Marketer Needs http://www.videobrewery.com/blog/15-video-tools-every-marketer-needs Video Brewery urn:uuid:779ddc0c-244f-c23f-edea-03264310e91e Tue, 11 Jul 2017 06:00:00 +0000 Video production may seem a bit intimidating to a video marketing rookie, especially in a world where video marketing is crucial. We've put together a list of every video tool you'll need to make this process a little easier. Should You Optimize Your Site For Voice Search? https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162711562181 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:0450673e-18dd-50f8-f9e4-3201e7e4df91 Fri, 07 Jul 2017 16:19:39 +0000 <h2 style="text-align: center;"> Can Optimizing For Voice Search Be Beneficial?</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Voice search from Google has been around for a few years now and more people are adapting to it because of the ease of use over typing, especially on smaller devices. The accuracy of voice search has also increased significantly as of late, making it more appealing to more people. Is it really that important to make adjustments on your site and content for voice search? That&rsquo;s what we will be answering here.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2353 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Should-You-Optimize-Your-Site-For-Voice-Search.jpg" alt="Should you optimize your site for voice search" width="550" height="367"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">According to Google, 20 percent of searches on its mobile app and on Android devices are voice searches. As with almost anything in technology, this number is sure to increase in the coming years. And with &ldquo;personal assistant&rdquo; tools like Alexa and Google Home purchases on the rise, it&rsquo;s a sure sign people like the ability to just speak instead of type.</span></p> <h3>Why Do People Use Voice Search</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Why do people use voice search? Simple answer - it&rsquo;s easier, especially on mobile devices. Almost every person can speak faster than they type, and not get aggravated trying to type on small screens on their phones. Research does indicate that these are the top reasons, and more, that people prefer voice search which was covered by <a href="https://twitter.com/seonate" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nate Dame</a> on Search Engine Land:</span></p> <blockquote><p>While familiarity with personal assistant technology will encourage more people to try voice search, it is convenience that will really drive adoption. The top reasons people use voice search are almost all related to improved user experience.</p> <p>People use voice search because it’s faster, simpler and more user-friendly. It simplifies searching for individuals who struggle to type on small devices, and it helps searchers avoid navigating confusing site menus. It’s also faster than searching by text, guided by improved accuracy in the technology.</p> <p>And that’s not just people’s perception: Google’s voice recognition technology is now 95 percent accurate — improved nearly 20 percent since 2013. On average, humans can speak more than three times as many words per minute as they can type. If voice recognition is just as accurate as typing, the speed of voice search provides a compelling justification for adoption.</p> <p>Voice search provides a better user experience, particularly on mobile devices. Given that 90 percent of executives use mobile devices to conduct research before making a purchase, it’s not hard to imagine that those executives will transition to voice search — not to mention the next generation of B2B buyers who are growing up with the technology as second nature.</p> <p>Read The Full Article &ldquo;<a href="http://searchengineland.com/voice-search-and-seo-why-b2b-marketers-need-to-pay-attention-now-277459" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Voice search and SEO: Why B2B marketers need to pay attention now</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Good points from Nate. It&rsquo;s important that you the reader take note of his last paragraph about executives, that 90% of execs use mobile before making a purchase and that they too will soon start using voice search. For that reason alone you should want to ensure your site is ready for voice search.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So how will this affect businesses and search? This is a really good question, and if you stop and think about the possibilities, it could possibly change the entire landscape of search marketing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This was actually covered in a post by <a href="https://twitter.com/mahannay" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Megan Hannay</a> in <a href="http://searchengineland.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Search Engine Land</a> just a few months ago:</span></p> <blockquote><p>Most who do believe in a voice-dominated future are in a love/hate relationship with the idea. Some predict we’ll lose all local organic space to ads. Others foresee a future in which anything less than the No. 1 rank is worthless. I see both conclusions as an incomplete picture.</p> <p>A recent Moz study demonstrated that only 3.4 percent of Google local searches result in ad clicks. While it’s possible to anticipate a future in which voice search results are entirely paid ads, the fact that consumers seem to largely prefer organic suggests that Google would have a hard time retaining customers with such a model.</p> <p>Imagine if Google’s “I’m feeling lucky” search were a paid ad spot — who would click that button? Replacing the organic “best” option with the highest bidder changes our perception of the result. For businesses, this is further encouragement to tap into the power of organic local reach via accurate data and local knowledge sharing.</p> <p>Additionally, I think it’s a fallacy to assume that instant answers will beget a world where only the lucky top-ranked result wins. Rather, as I’ll show in this post, voice will make filtering for exactly what a consumer wants a much simpler process. So instead of a single No. 1 rank for a given local keyword (e.g., “divorce lawyer Los Angeles”), there will be dozens of No. 1 pages based on the other parameters a searcher indicates in her query (“a female divorce lawyer within a 20-minute drive from my office in Los Angeles who has experience in custody cases and pre-nups, with at least a 4.5-star rating and who can meet during my lunch break this week”).</p> <p><a href="http://searchengineland.com/preparing-local-reach-post-rank-world-get-data-row-271753" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read Megan&rsquo;s Full Post Here&hellip;</a></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That&rsquo;s a good read from Megan. When we at the office started brain storming about the possibilities of voice search, we have to admit that we did think that it could really wreck organic search results. However, Megan makes a strong case for multiple page 1 results based on the searcher&rsquo;s query. In any case, voice search is another trend that must be addressed for local businesses.</span></p> <h3><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2354 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/how-to-optimize-for-voice-search.jpg" alt="how to optimize for voice search" width="450" height="300"/></h3> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <h3>How To Optimize For Voice Search</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Chances are you have been optimizing your site for regular search. 2, 3 maybe 4 keywords together. For a longtime we have been big fans of optimizing for <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/local-seo/why-long-tail-keywords-are-so-important-to-your-seo/" target="_blank">long tail keywords</a> to target more queries. If you have been following our advice, you are ahead of the game.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Seth Nickerson just made a great video about how to actually start optimizing for voice search that includes using long tails and more:</span></p> <div align="center"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KXhx-8czgnE?rel=0" width="350" height="250" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <div style="text-align: left;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Great video with good actionable tips that you can start using now to get a jump on your competition. For the point he makes about using Schema, we will devote an entire article to that subject soon.</span></div> <h4 style="text-align: left;" align="center"><strong>Summing It Up</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Now is the time to start optimizing for voice search. There is plenty of evidence that this trend is going to grow, and if you don&rsquo;t optimize for it, your competition that does will beat you to the punch :o</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you are to busy to implement this or any other Local SEO tactics, contact us at <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/local-seo/" target="_blank">www.MDIMSolutions.com</a> for a free consultation.</span></p> <p>The blog post <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/local-seo/should-you-optimize-your-site-for-voice-search/" target="_blank">Should You Optimize Your Site For Voice Search?</a> is republished from <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MD Internet Marketing Solutions Digital Marketing Blog</a></p> Speed Up Your Site For Better Rankings And UX https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162639546926 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:c2f46f36-20de-fc3d-d5f8-5b86766df770 Wed, 05 Jul 2017 19:56:19 +0000 <h2 style="text-align: center;">Site Speed Effects UX And Rankings</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For quite some time Google has been informing the public that site load speed is a ranking factor. The problem is a lot of site owners have no clue how to speed up their site. In this short article we&rsquo;ll cover a few actionable tips to get your site up to speed and better rankings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2335 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Speed-Up-Your-Site-For-Better-Rankings-And-UX.jpg" alt="Speed Up Your Site For Better Rankings And UX " width="512" height="375"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In our last post under the web design topic, we wrote about how using a <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/what-is-a-cdn-and-why-you-should-use-one/" target="_blank">CDN can help speed up your site</a>. Because site speed is so important to both rankings and UX, we thought we would expand further on site speed. Honestly, we could have put this post under the local seo blog because of the ranking factor, but since it&rsquo;s a little more technical, we opted to place it under <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/" target="_blank">the website building, design and development category</a>.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">First up, lets just cover the FACT that site speed IS a ranking factor to Google. They actually made this public statement about site speed and rankings:</span></p> <blockquote><p>You may have heard that here at Google we&rsquo;re obsessed with speed, in our products and on the web. As part of that effort, today we&rsquo;re including a new signal in our search ranking algorithms: site speed. Site speed reflects how quickly a website responds to web requests.</p> <p>Speeding up websites is important — not just to site owners, but to all Internet users. Faster sites create happy users and we&rsquo;ve seen in our internal studies that when a site responds slowly, visitors spend less time there. But faster sites don&rsquo;t just improve user experience; recent data shows that improving site speed also reduces operating costs. Like us, our users place a lot of value in speed — that&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;ve decided to take site speed into account in our search rankings. We use a variety of sources to determine the speed of a site relative to other sites.</p> <p>Read The Full Article &ldquo;<a href="https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2010/04/using-site-speed-in-web-search-ranking.html" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Using site speed in web search ranking</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That article is straight from Google&rsquo;s Webmaster Central Blog - all the way back in April of 2010, over 7 years ago! Now that can put to rest any doubt about site speed and it&rsquo;s effect on rankings :)</span></p> <h3>UX Site Speed And Bounce Rate</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A lot of people don&rsquo;t realize how site speed and UX tie together for rankings. If someone clicks a link to your site and it takes more than a few seconds to load, most people just hit the back button to look elsewhere for the information they are hunting. This actually counts against you twice.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The first is obvious, you have lost a customer to someone else. The second is that to the search engines, you are giving a negative bounce signal, which means the person performing the search wasn&rsquo;t given the info they were searching for on your site and decided to search elsewhere. That negative bounce signal can be increased if you are using Google Analytics on your site.</span></p> <h3>How Do You Speed Up Your Site?</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There are a lot of things that come into play when it comes to how fast your website loads. The first that we have mentioned before is where your website is hosted. Where your website is hosted alone can make a HUGE difference in page load time. Cheap shared hosting just won&rsquo;t cut it. We feel that hosting is such a big issue we will cover it more in depth in an up coming post.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There&rsquo;s a whole slew of things in the backend of your website to help improve performance. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-manng-a6641984" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Manng</a> just wrote a post today that gives great info about how to get more speed out of your site and a few of the techniques that we also use for our customers site&rsquo;s:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Optimize every single image</h4> <p>A common warning you’ll see when you test your site is that your images are not properly formatted. Maybe you’re using high resolution images when you don’t need to, increasing the page-load time needed to download your images. Compressing and resizing your images to fit your web page can reduce the file size without noticeable quality loss.</p> <p>The type of image matters as well. It’s recommended to use a JPG for photographs and PNG for everything else. As modern sites become more image heavy, this recommendation becomes more critical. One tool we’d recommend to compress individual images is Optimizilla. If you want to do a crawl for large images on your site, try Screaming Frog.</p> <h4>Leverage Browser Caching</h4> <p>Every time a user visits your site, they are requesting files from the server. If they are revisiting, you should allow them to reuse the local files that are stored in their browser. This will reduce the amount of downloads and make one less request to the server, resulting in a faster page load time. You can do this by marking files to update at different times. For example, a logo is unlikely to change so you can mark that to update less regularly.</p> <h4>Minify HTML, CSS, and JavaScript</h4> <p>Minifying one of these resources is the process of removing unnecessary data without affecting how the page loads in the browser. By compacting the code, you save data and speed up downloading time.</p> <p>Read David&rsquo;s full article &ldquo;<a href="http://www.verticalmeasures.com/search-optimization/how-to-improve-page-load-speed-performance/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Improve Page Load Speed Performance</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">David gives a lot of great tips in the article. One of the biggest speed factors that we see for clients that come to us with an existing website is the point he makes about images. We would add that proper image size is also important, especially if your are using WordPress. Many times we see on site pages an image that is 400x400 pixels, but then when the media library is inspected the image is a whopping 1500x1500. Now WordPress is being slowed down by having to resize these images while loading.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In David&rsquo;s article he also recommends GTMetrix and Google&rsquo;s tool for checking site speed. We found another speed tool that we like - </span><a href="https://tools.pingdom.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://tools.pingdom.com" target="_blank">https://tools.pingdom.com</a></span></a></p> <h3><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2336 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Speed-up-your-WordPress-Site.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="271"/></h3> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <h3></h3> <h3>Good News For WordPress Users!</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A lot of David&rsquo;s tips from above can be difficult to achieve for newbies. We actually ran across an article from <a href="https://premium.wpmudev.org" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WPMUDEV</a> about the new release of a plugin that can help with solving site speed problems:</span></p> <blockquote><p>Got a serious need for speed? Satisfy it – for free! – with Hummingbird. We’re excited to announce today that our speed optimization plugin is now available to download at WordPress.org.</p> <p>Hummingbird is the ultimate performance optimization plugin for WordPress. Once activated, it scans your site for potential speed improvements and provides fine-tuned controls for file compression, minification and browser caching. Not only does Hummingbird make your site faster, it also helps you improve your Google PageSpeed Insights score!</p> <p>Fast AND Free!? Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming</p> <p>You may have noticed we’ve been looking for ways to give back to the WordPress community and what better way to spread the love than by sharing some of our favorite tools!</p> <p>Well, everyone’s making a big deal over pagespeed because it is a BIG DEAL. Slow pages have visitors bouncing faster than a rabbit in heat and if your site isn’t optimized to load lightning fast you can kiss your dreams of ranking on the front page of Google goodbye.</p> <p><a href="https://premium.wpmudev.org/blog/hummingbird-now-available-wordpress-org/?ptm=b&amp;utm_expid=3606929-108.O6f5ypXuTg-XPCV9sY1yrw.1&amp;utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fpremium.wpmudev.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fptm%3Db" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read Their Full Article And Download The Plugin Here</a></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This looks really promising, while we will have to do some testing on a few of our own sites to make sure it does what it says it will and doesn&rsquo;t break sites. We do have to admit that we were a little confused by the name &ldquo;Hummingbird&rdquo;, thinking that it was going to be something that talked too, or tickled Google&rsquo;s Hummingbird update.</span></p> <h4>Summing It Up</h4> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you have been ignoring how fast your site loads, you better start giving it some thought now and taking action. Even if you aren&rsquo;t driving traffic from Google, but social media or other avenues, visitors to your site will not tolerate slow loading sites. We&rsquo;ve given you a few actionable tips through a couple of trusted sources to help get the job done. <em>One word of caution, before making any changes to your site</em> - <strong>MAKE A BACKUP </strong>of your site, just in case things go wrong.</span></p> <p>Follow Us On <a href="https://twitter.com/mdimsmarketing" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/speed-up-your-site-for-better-rankings-and-ux/" target="_blank">Speed Up Your Site For Better Rankings And UX</a> was<br/> first published on <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" target="_blank">MDIMS Digital Marketing Blog</a></p> What Is A CDN And Why You Should Use One https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162557839946 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:93056e25-cd87-1e48-a848-e1acf8bd84d3 Mon, 03 Jul 2017 18:16:46 +0000 <h2 style="text-align: center;">What And Why Your Company Website Needs A CDN</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">You may or may not have heard of CDNs before. There are a lot of important parts to your website, especially if it&rsquo;s the life blood of your business. However, a CDN can be considered an important <em>external</em> part of your site. In this short article we will cover more on what and why you should be using one.</span></p> <h3><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2320 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/What-Is-A-CDN-And-Why-You-Should-Use-One.jpg" alt="What is a CDN and why your company website needs one" width="512" height="419"/></h3> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <h3></h3> <h3>What is a CDN</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">CDN - it stands for Content Delivery Network. What it actually amounts to is other servers across the web that contain your website and deliver your site content to a user remotely closer to the user that your website is hosted on. That was a little confusing :) Here is a better definition from <a href="http://www.webopedia.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Webopedia</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/AuroraGG" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vangie Beal</a>:</span></p> <blockquote><p>A content delivery network (CDN) is a system of distributed servers (network) that deliver webpages and other Web content to a user based on the geographic locations of the user, the origin of the webpage and a content delivery server.</p> <p>This service is effective in speeding the delivery of content of websites with high traffic and websites that have global reach. The closer the CDN server is to the user geographically, the faster the content will be delivered to the user. CDNs also provide protection from large surges in traffic.</p> <p><a href="http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/CDN.html" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read The Full Definition Here</a></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Her first sentence explains it better than we did, with less words. We wanted to include the second paragraph as well because this is another great advantage of using a CDN - and that is speed and security.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">By now you should now that how fast your website loads is not only a ranking factor, but better for the end user also. Your customers will not wait 7 to 10 seconds for your website to load. While proper construction of your website has the biggest effect on site speed, a CDN will help improve speed even more.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Smart Insights did an article that goes more indepth about CDNs and the impact of site speed:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Speed</h4> <p>Remember, if you ignore speed, you will be ignored&hellip; Speed is a ranking factor for Google.</p> <p>If it takes time for Google to crawl your content, you need to re-work on the speed. Speed makes a huge difference when it comes to page loads. If you are slow, users will engage less with you.</p> <p>Statistics from recent studies indicate that one in four people discontinue browsing a web page if it takes more than three seconds to load&hellip;<br/> Seriously, this is something to be worked on.</p> <p>Content that loads more slowly will get fewer visits.</p> <p>Reports indicate that mobile devices lag behind in customer engagement metrics due to low speed. Nearly 53% of mobile site visits are abandoned if pages stretch beyond 3 seconds to load. Wait time not only affects performance metrics, but it can be costly for the companies too.</p> <p>Amazon recently revealed that an extra second in loading its content page will cost the company close to 1.6 billion in sales. With more than 244 million active users, Amazon constantly tries to optimise its presence with a special focus to reduce the load time of its content.</p> <p>Be it games, software, advertisements, mobile or website content, ecommerce etc., the speed of delivery marks success. CDNs play a huge role in achieving this.</p> <p>Read The Full Article &ldquo;<a href="http://www.smartinsights.com/user-experience/website-performance-availability/use-cdns-increase-site-speed-200/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to use CDNs to increase your site speed by 200%</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We wanted to give you that snippet just in case you didn&rsquo;t believe us about how important speed is to your site. Those are crazy numbers from Amazon and how much just ONE second of extra load time cost the company 1.6 BILLION! Granted, you are probably not running a site as large as Amazon, but you should take into consideration the same things they do for a successful online presence.</span></p> <h3><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2323 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CDN-For-Website-Security.jpg" alt="CDNs help with Website Security" width="400" height="400"/></h3> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <h3>CDNs For Website Security</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This is a subject that we are adamant about, <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/website-security/" target="_blank">Site security</a>. Hackers can do a lot of damage whether they are gaining access to your site or DDoS attacks.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">How it helps with security. <a href="https://twitter.com/dartcreations" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Attard</a> wrote on <a href="https://www.sitepoint.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SitePoint</a> about some statistics and how your site will be safer by using a CDN:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Your Website Will be Safer with a CDN</h4> <p>The next reason why a CDN is essential for your website is security.</p> <p>Did you know that more than 51% of the web’s traffic actually comes from bots rather than humans?</p> <p>When I first saw this report, I was completely taken aback: (See Info Graphic)</p> <p>The even scarier statistic from the above is that 29% of web traffic comes from malicious bots.</p> <p>That means your website is constantly under a deluge of bad bot traffic. If you’ve ever taken a look at analytics data, or used a security plugin like WordFence, you’re already aware of this fact.</p> <p>These bots are constantly probing your site for vulnerabilities. If you slip slightly in your security efforts, if you have not chosen a good WordPress host, or if you miss a WordPress security update or a plugin update, rest assured your site will soon be suffering the consequences.</p> <p>Most CDNs are able to identify and block bad bots rapidly, making your site safer when plugged into a CDN. The collective knowledge gained by the network can be used to prevent attacks on your own sites.</p> <p>Read &ldquo;<a href="https://www.sitepoint.com/4-reasons-cdn-for-wordpress/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">4 Reasons to Use a CDN for WordPress</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Good article from David. He also gives the same reason earlier in his article that it helps increase speed. He also goes on to talk more about DDoS attacks. DDoS stands for &ldquo;distributed denial of service&rdquo;.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The way we like to explain DDoS goes like this. Let&rsquo;s say you actually have a brick and mortar store. Then you have a competitor that doesn&rsquo;t like you. This competitor pays a bunch of people to stand outside in front of the door, not allowing customers to get in. This is the basic premise of a DDoS attack. A bunch of computers or servers all going to your site at once. Then your regular customers can&rsquo;t access your site because your hosting server is overwhelmed by the DDoS attack. A CDN will help eliminate this threat.</span></p> <h4>Summing It Up</h4> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you didn&rsquo;t know what a CDN is, you do now, as well as why you should be using one. Speed and security are the 2 biggest in our opinion. You can either setup a free account with someone like CloudFlare, or get a paid account with someone such as Amazon CloudFront, or a host of others. We have everyone of our clients on a CDN.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For more on how we build and design websites, <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/" target="_blank">visit our site</a>. Until next time :)</span></p> <p><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/web-design/what-is-a-cdn-and-why-you-should-use-one/" target="_blank">What Is A CDN And Why You Should Use One</a> was<br/> originally published to <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MD Internet Marketing Solutions<br/> Blog</a></p> Search Engine Optimization Tips For Small Businesses https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162480813021 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:2c6fd084-d25b-f12e-8e12-25209d8fea4c Sat, 01 Jul 2017 18:47:14 +0000 <h2 style="text-align: center;">What Does It Take To Rank In 2017?</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We get this question all the time. In reality, there are a lot of variables that come into play, and what it will take to get your site highly visible in search results will vary depending on your location and niche. However, there are a few things that you MUST do to establish a foot print on the web and give your site an edge.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2312 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Search-Engine-Optimization-Tips-For-Small-Businesses.jpg" alt="How To Get Good Rankings With Local SEO" width="512" height="419"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">SEO has been around a long time, and what SEO involves has changed dramatically over the years. It is still one of the best ways to get more traffic to your site, and ultimately grow your business.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When most people think of SEO, the first thing that comes to mind is backlinks. While backlinks are still the driving force of the web, there are a lot of other factors the search engine bots take into consideration now as well. They are looking at engagement on your posts, dwell time on your site, page load time and many other factors.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AntonyMesser" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tony Messer</a> wrote an article on <a href="https://www.pickaweb.co.uk" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pickaweb</a> last week where he explains and gives an exhaustive list of what it takes to get started with small business local seo:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Local Listings – How To Setup and Optimise</h4> <p>Before you do anything, you need to set up your main local listings. These are Google My Business, Bing Place for Business and Yahoo Local.</p> <p>These are really important and you don’t need any special skills to do this. The only thing you need to do is to make sure you optimise your listing – filling all the details available, not just the basics like address and map. Include a full description using keywords that people are likely to search on.</p> <p>Also add photos and videos – nothing flash, you just need to put in a little more effort than your competitors.</p> <h4>Start Getting Local Reviews</h4> <p>We recently did some analysis of top performing local websites and one of the key differences between the Best in Class and the Industry Average was the number of Google Reviews.</p> <p>Check the local search results and you’ll see what I mean. The top sites get more reviews. It’s as simple as that.</p> <p>And even simpler is getting reviews. You just need to ask and direct people to your Google listing. Even better is that you probably have loads of customers who would be happy to leave a 5 star review for you.</p> <p>But don’t go crazy getting 100 reviews in a week – that looks unnatural and risks getting your site penalized by Google.</p> <p>Steady as she goes is the way to think. Just get in the habit of getting reviews and if you add several each month then you will be absolutely fine.</p> <h4>Name, Address And Phone (NAP) Citations</h4> <p>There are loads of reputable local listing websites that you can list your website in. Google trusts these sites and getting listed is super easy.</p> <p>They allow you to list your business with your Name, Address and Phone (hence NAP) details. The majority offer a free listing and there will usually be an enhanced, chargeable service. The main thing is to get listed and get a link back to your site.</p> <p>As with reviews, nice and steady. Just pick up a few NAP Citations each month – 10 or 20 will be fine and you’ll see your rankings improve.</p> <p>Read Tony&rsquo;s Full Article &ldquo;<a href="https://www.pickaweb.co.uk/blog/the-definitive-guide-to-local-seo/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Definitive Guide To Local SEO</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Tony gives a ton of great information in that article. We really love his infographic that he has on the page and highly suggest that if you are attempting SEO on  your own that you check it out and follow it! Everything he recommends in his post, we recommend, and implement for everyone of our customers as well. Mr. Messer, if you see this - well done on the article!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We must add that depending on your niche and location, a lot more may be required to get, and maintain good rankings in search results. If your business is located in a major city, or very competitive, there will be a lot more involved. In this case one of the best things you can do is really dive deep into your site as to how it functions and is structured. This can be very &ldquo;geeky&rdquo; and too technical for some business owners.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img class="alignnone wp-image-2314 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Search-Optimization-With-Schema.jpg" alt="Using Schema On Your Website" width="480" height="317"/></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <h3>Search Optimization With Schema</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One of the components that we see gaining strength in search results is the use of Schema, or Structured Data. <a href="https://plus.google.com/+AleydaSolis" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aleyda Solis</a> wrote an article on <a href="http://searchengineland.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Search Engine Land</a> that give a good explanation of why your company should be using Schema:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Structured data usage &amp; optimization</h4> <p>Google SERPs haven’t been the traditional “10 blue links” for a long time, thanks to universal search results’ images, videos and local packs; however, the evolution took the next step with the launch and ongoing expansion of features like rich snippets, rich cards, knowledge panels and answer boxes. These features, according to SERP monitors like Mozcast and RankRanger, are now included in a non-trivial percentage of search results.</p> <p>This shift means that attracting more clicks and visits through SEO efforts is now achieved not only through ranking well in organic listings but also by maximizing your site’s page visibility through these SERP features. In many cases, obtaining these display enhancements is a matter of correctly implementing structured data, as well as formatting and targeting your content to answer queries, where even modifiers can generate a change.</p> <p>It has become critical to understand which of your popular and relevant queries can provide you more visibility through these various SERP features. By understanding which content has the opportunity to gain an enhanced display in SERPs, you can optimize that content accordingly with structured data and relevant formatting. You can identify these opportunities with search competition and keywords tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs and the Moz Keyword Explorer.</p> <p>Once you identify which of your content you should format and optimize with structured data, you can use Google’s search gallery examples as a reference to do it and verify its implementation with the Structured Data Testing tool (as well as the Google Search Console’s Structured Data and Rich Cards reports).</p> <p>Continue Reading Aleyda&rsquo;s Article &ldquo;<a href="http://searchengineland.com/5-must-technical-seo-audits-validations-2017-273207" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5 must-do technical SEO audit items in 2017</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">She produced a great article with a lot of technical information that will make most people&rsquo;s head spin that aren&rsquo;t in the industry. However, she does give good reasons why your site should be using Schema. We would like to add that in our tests, adding Schema and structured data in the form of JSON-LD to your site can make a significant difference in how well your site ranks in search. This is because you are talking directly to the bot and telling it what your site is about without the bot having to try and figure out your site by the page content.</span></p> <h4>Summing It Up</h4> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">SEO, rankings and getting visitors to your site has changed over the years, and continues to evolve. It is doable for some small business&rsquo; to take on their own search engine optimization, but will take a considerable amount of time from their daily schedule that could be spent instead focusing on daily operations. It will also involve a bit of a learning curve as well. Don&rsquo;t let it scare you if you don&rsquo;t have the budget to hire an outside firm. It is important to start creating a &ldquo;foot print&rdquo; on the web for your brand to compete in today&rsquo;s online landscape.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As usual, if it&rsquo;s too much for you to handle, or you don&rsquo;t have the time, you can always contact us to handle your local seo at <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/local-seo/" target="_blank">MDIMSolutions</a>. You can also connect with our CEO on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenmandich" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/local-seo/search-engine-optimization-tips-for-small-businesses/" target="_blank">Search Engine Optimization Tips For Small Businesses</a> Read more on: <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" target="_blank">MD Internet Marketing Solutions<br/> Blog</a></p> 2 Easy Ways To Help Improve Brand Reputation https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162413183781 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:4392bcf8-2cf5-0365-edc4-52c2430d0d20 Thu, 29 Jun 2017 23:17:10 +0000 <h2 style="text-align: center;">2 Cost Effective Ways To Establish Or Improve Your Brand Reputation</h2> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Your company&rsquo;s brand reputation is extremely important to it&rsquo;s success. In our last article we covered <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/reputation-management/what-is-the-meaning-of-brand-reputation/" target="_blank">what Brand Reputation is</a>. Here is something to think about - <em>the lack of having any comments or reviews about your services or products can be just as detrimental as having bad reviews</em>. In this short article we will give you 2 easy ways to start building a good reputation for your brand online.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2301 aligncenter" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2-Easy-Ways-To-Help-Improve-Brand-Reputation-300x246.jpg" alt="2 Easy Ways To Help Improve Brand Reputation" width="300" height="246"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/man-reading-touchscreen-blog-791049/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <h3>Blogging</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Probably the easiest way to start building or improving your Brand is with one of the most over looked marketing strategies by small business owners. If you have a website you should most definitely be utilizing the power of the blog, writing articles for your potential customers and prospects to read. You can be your own sounding bullhorn for your services and/or products.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Best part of blogging is that it&rsquo;s <em>almost</em> free. The only thing it will cost you, or someone on your team, is time. (Nobody has enough time in the day!)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.reputationdefenderblog.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ReputationDefenderBlog.com</a> recently wrote a post that covers a few more good reasons that you should be using blog content:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Here are 6 ways a blog can help your company:</h4> <ul><li>Be Your Customers’ Best Resource – Some people visiting your website know exactly what they want and are prepared to purchase right away. Others have questions. Maybe they already bought the product and want to know more about it. Maybe they have a future purchase in mind and want to educate themselves before they make a decision. If customers know they can find answers on your blog, it will keep them coming back to your site.</li> <li>Boost Rankings – More people visiting your site will generate more traffic and this will improve your rankings with Google and other search engines. Getting your website at the top of the search result page for your brand is the goal of any ORM campaign and blogging will help accomplish this.</li> <li>Increase Revenue – Every time someone clicks on your website is another chance to gain a new customer. New customers who keep coming back to read your blog are likely to turn into long term clients. This all adds up to a sustained increase in profits.</li> </ul><p>Continue reading &ldquo;<a href="https://www.reputationdefenderblog.com/6-ways-blog-improve-company-reputation/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">6 Ways A Blog Can Improve Your Company’s Reputation</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Good advice from them, especially their point of creating sharable content. It&rsquo;s a great idea to take your content and share it across as many Social Media platforms that your company has. Don&rsquo;t forget, Google isn&rsquo;t the only place you can reach your target audience.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So how do you go about setting up a blog? If you are using WordPress as your CMS (Content Management System), it&rsquo;s super easy. Right inside the admin panel you can ad posts. A lot of other CMS platforms have this feature as well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But what if you have an HTML site or something else that it&rsquo;s not so easy to make posts on? Our suggestion is go ahead and set up either a free or paid WordPress.com site, or a BlogSpot site that you can get free as well with Google. With either of these options you can link back to your main website inside the posts, or direct them where to go or whatever call to action you want.</span></p> <h3>Video</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2303 aligncenter" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Video-marketing-helps-with-brand-management-300x240.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="240"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canstockphoto.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Yup, video. If you have read any of our posts about video, you know how much we love video marketing. It&rsquo;s our go to source for content marketing and engaging people not only on the web, but also on your site. (Ya, we know, there are no videos on our new updated site, but trust us - THEY ARE COMING!)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There are two great different ways of using video that we like, and have been using for awhile, to help in brand management. The first video you can make is what is known as an &ldquo;Explainer&rdquo; video, that does just that - explain your services or products. The second type of video we have been using is &ldquo;testimonial videos&rdquo;. These can be a little more difficult to produce, but if you have really good persuasive powers, you can talk a past client into being in a video for you.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.smartinsights.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SmartInsights.com</a> actually wrote about this, and we weren&rsquo;t surprised at all when they recommended these 2 methods in their post. Here&rsquo;s a snippet from their article where they wrote about another type:</span></p> <blockquote> <h4>Company Story Videos</h4> <p>Telling your brand’s story will help you create a strong connection with your viewers.</p> <p>Behind every great brand there’s a great story, and your prospects want to know it. They want to know and understand your values as a company, and showing this with video is the best way to do it.</p> <p>The trick here is to be authentic. Your customers won’t believe staged scenarios, or conversations that look scripted; and it’s incredibly important that you don’t tell made-up stories! Because your customers will find out, and it will shatter your credibility.</p> <p>So, authenticity is the key. Share that unique, inspiring story of your brand, and show your prospects that you and your team share their values.</p> <p>Read The Full Article &ldquo;<a href="http://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-platforms/video-marketing/generating-brand-trust-video-content/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Generating Brand Trust with Video Content</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We totally agree with the writer that you must be authentic when creating this type  of video. We would add that one of the biggest problems we see when companies create this type of video is over promoting, or bragging. If you start going on and on about how great your company is, or how many awards it has won is a problem. Most customers really don&rsquo;t care about that and will quickly click off your video. What new customers want to know is how you have helped someone in the past, <strong>and how you can help them!</strong></span></p> <h4>Summing It Up</h4> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There you have it. Whether or not there is nothing on the web about your Brand, or if you Brand is a little tarnished, you can start making it sparkle with these 2, relatively inexpensive ways to managing and promoting your Brand.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And as always, contact us at <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/reputation-management" target="_blank">https://www.mdimsolutions.com/reputation-management</a> for Brand Management services that your company needs :)</span></p> <p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/mdimsmarketing" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter </a></p> <p><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/reputation-management/2-easy-ways-to-help-improve-brand-reputation/" target="_blank">2 Easy Ways To Help Improve Brand Reputation</a> Find more on: <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" target="_blank">MD Internet Marketing Solutions<br/> LLC</a></p> Why Your Business Needs To Hop On The Video Marketing Band Wagon https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162301316806 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:adfb91e8-3d6a-e9f5-33f4-df043c8a5f7e Tue, 27 Jun 2017 02:47:10 +0000 <h2 style="text-align: center;">Is Your Company Utilizing Video To Market To The Masses?</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Video is one of our favorite forms for bringing in new customers and keeping existing customers engaged. There are all kinds of crazy estimates about the percentages of which video will be the main platform of internet consumption by the year 2020. In this write up we will cover the reasons your company has to be using video NOW to keep up with demand and continue to grow your business.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2262 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Why-Your-Business-Needs-To-Hop-On-The-Video-Marketing-Band-Wagon.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="450"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/clapper-hollywood-cinema-board-2140602/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We have been firm believers in the power of video for years. 7 to be exact. While ranking factors and the process of getting videos ranked and viewed has changed, the fact that video consumption has not, and is continually growing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/JordanKasteler" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jordan Kasteler</a> recently wrote a post on one of our favorite blogs - <a href="http://marketingland.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MarketingLand.com</a>. We like what he made the title of the article - &ldquo;It&rsquo;s time for SMBs to go all in on social and mobile video&rdquo;. We couldn&rsquo;t agree more. In his article he writes:</span></p> <blockquote> <h3>Why video marketing is now a ‘must-do’</h3> <p>Sure, most of the marketing sphere is already well aware of the power associated with video content. Consumption and creation are at an all-time high, and according to an April Google-commissioned Nielsen study, YouTube reaches more adults 18+ during prime time than any cable network does.</p> <p>But if Cisco’s projection that 82 percent of all consumer web traffic will be video-based by 2021 comes to fruition, it’s crystal-clear that the adoption of video has to be a matter of “when” and not “if” for SMBs.</p> <p>We constantly hear the cry that the barrier of entry to video content is lower than ever for small businesses, which is indeed true. The wealth of video creation apps available continues to widen, while the popularity of live broadcasts, with their lower standards for production value, make it easier for scrappy SMB marketers to feel comfortable experimenting.</p> <p>By now, we’re all familiar with the top channels available to both produce and distribute video. Through YouTube alone, there are plenty of opportunities for first-timers to test the waters, right? Then why are 39 percent of businesses still sleeping on video, despite visual content being heralded as the be-all, end-all of modern marketing?</p> <p><a href="http://marketingland.com/time-smbs-go-video-social-mobile-217925" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue Reading His Article Here&hellip;</a></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jordan makes a lot of great points in his article. One of the most staggering statistics he gives is that on Mobile devices alone, YouTube reaches more Adults 18+ during prime time than any cable network does! That alone should be enough reason for some larger companies to stop putting so much money into TV ads and start making more use of online video.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We also agree with him that there is no reason that any company needs to be overly concerned or overwhelmed with just the though of making a video. It is extremely easy for any company to put out a quality video now. If your company is smaller and doesn&rsquo;t have the budget to hire a professional video production company, there&rsquo;s no reason you can&rsquo;t do it yourself. There are plenty of online editing sites where you can edit your own video and make it look very professional.</span></p> <h3><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2264 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Components-Of-A-Good-Marketing-Video.png" alt="" width="400" height="400"/></h3> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/film-entertainment-media-movie-162086/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <h3>What Are The Components Of A Good Marketing Video?</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Before you just &ldquo;wing it&rdquo; making your own video, you need to put in just a little thought first to make sure you are conveying the proper message and reaching or connecting with your target audience.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/EricSchu_Ras" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen</a> wrote an article last Thursday on <a href="http://www.onlinevideo.net" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OnlineVideo.net</a> that gives some good tips about the fundamentals of selling with video:</span></p> <blockquote> <ol><li>Understand the video sales formula: Present a hook in the first 2 to 5 seconds, reveal the problem your product solves in the first 20 to 30 seconds, reveal the solution to the problem, introduce the solution for the first time, present solution benefits, and then offer credibility and a call-to-action—and use emotional triggers like shock or humor throughout the video. Conventional wisdom says you have 5 to 10 seconds to grab the audience’s attention, but Vest believes you have 1 or 2. He pointed to the Squatty Potty viral video that grabbed audience attention from the very first frame: a unicorn pooping rainbow ice cream.</li> <li>The product or service must connect to the audience and seem useful: Be sure to provide viewers with a clear answer to the question “Why should I buy this product?” Also, give your customers a compelling, easy-to-navigate experience around the video in the landing page, the mobile version, and the purchasing process.</li> <li>Broaden distribution and discoverability: Besides ads, how are people going to find your content? Are there fan pages for the product or company? Can you send your product to hundreds of influencers? Vest says VidPow typically contacts 100 publishers for each product it creates videos for, looking for as broad distribution as possible.</li> </ol><p>Continue Reading &ldquo;<a href="http://www.onlinevideo.net/2017/06/7-fundamentals-help-brands-maximize-selling-video/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">7 Fundamentals to Help Brands Maximize Selling With Video</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">He gives some great advice for businesses that want to jump into video. At the end of his article we like the fact he stated that if you are not ready to implement all 7 factors, just start with what you can and then basically fill in the blanks later!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Something else that we feel we should add is that you don&rsquo;t have to try and make a video go viral from the start, referring to Eric&rsquo;s first point of a video that went viral because of a unicorn pooping rainbow ice cream. To get started you can just make a video with pictures of your work with before and after shots if you have a service type business, or multiple pictures of your products, and then voice over with a description about how your services or products can help solve your customers problems. <em>Do not drone on about how great you are or how many awards you have received</em>.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Take Action!</em></span></strong></span></h4> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We briefly covered why your business needs to be using video, as well as covered a few points about how to structure your video. So get to it, don&rsquo;t let your competition get ahead of you by getting on the video band wagon before you!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you would like to learn more about our video marketing services, please feel free to <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/video-marketing/" target="_blank">visit our site</a> to find out more :)</span></p> <p><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/video-marketing/why-your-business-needs-to-hop-on-the-video-marketing-band-wagon/" target="_blank">Why Your Business Needs To Hop On The Video Marketing Band Wagon</a> was<br/> first published to <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MD Internet Marketing Solutions SEO Blog</a></p> What Are The Types Of Online Marketing? https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162176892716 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:dbfe0d71-d881-a491-31a2-d34382ee0e25 Fri, 23 Jun 2017 22:16:24 +0000 <h2 style="text-align: center;"><em>The Different Types Of Internet Marketing</em></h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Digital marketing, online marketing, internet marketing. Ask 10 different people what it is and what it involves and you will get 10 varied answers. Still, it&rsquo;s probably the most cost effective way with the best ROI for reaching the masses. There are multiple platforms for companies to reach their prospective audience across the web. In this short article we will cover a few of the most popular methods, along with our favorites.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2249 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/What-Are-The-Types-Of-Onlne-Marketing.png" alt="" width="656" height="369"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/digital-marketing-internet-marketing-1944491/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Which type of marketing is best for you will totally depend on your field of expertise and niche.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The main types, and our favorites that give our clients the best ROI include:</span></p> <ul><li><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>PPC - Pay Per Click:</strong></span><br/><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> These are the very first results that are available when performing a search. When searching in Google you will be able to identify these results because they have a green box with &ldquo;Ad&rdquo; in it before the URL of the website. PPC can also be done on other search engines as well as social media.</span></li> <li><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>SEO - Search Engine Optimization:</strong></span><br/><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> This is where you or a digital marketing company works to get your website to the top of the organic searches. For instance, when performing a search for a service, the ads come first and then the &ldquo;organic&rdquo; or &ldquo;natural&rdquo; results. When searching in Google and Bing, this also includes the &ldquo;Map Pack&rdquo;. It&rsquo;s important to note that the maps do not always appear and depend on the search query.</span></li> <li><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>SSM - Social Media Marketing:</strong></span><br/><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Yes you can not only advertise on most social media platforms with paid ads, but also posting information about your company and services. It&rsquo;s everything from Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat and many others and includes of course one of our favorites for our customers - YouTube.</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Content Marketing:</span></strong></span><br/><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> This is a big one. By just having a blog on your website and producing quality content that is helpful and informational for your audience speaks volumes. This content can also be shared across your social media platforms to help keep up engagement. Then you can also combine content with SEO to get your posts found in the search engines to gain even more exposure.</span></li> <li><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Email Marketing:</strong></span><br/><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> This form has been around for quite some time. While it has become harder to &ldquo;cold email&rdquo; people because of spam defenders, we do find that this is a great way to market to your existing customers for upcoming sales or new products, etc.</span></li> </ul><p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">These five are our favorites. But like we said in the beginning, there are a lot more opinions out there about the different types of internet marketing and what they involve. In fact some marketers actually consider Tv and radio to be forms of digital marketing.</span></p> <h3>Other Forms Of Marketing Online</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There are a few other methods to get your marketing message across. Another somewhat popular form is Affiliate marketing. <a href="https://twitter.com/dreckbaerfrau" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Susanna Gebauer</a> wrote an article that gives a good description of affiliate marketing:</span></p> <blockquote><p>Affiliate marketing is a performance-based type of digital marketing. In contrast to PPC advertising with affiliate marketing, the advertiser does not pay for traffic but rather for conversions. The rates are usually higher but the risk on the side of the advertiser are limited since he only pays for conversions.</p> <p>Affiliate marketing is popular with bloggers and high-traffic website owners who make money from selling other people’s products to their audience.</p> <p>Continue Reading &ldquo;<a href="https://blog.thesocialms.com/types-of-digital-marketing-consider-strategy/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">10 Types Of Digital Marketing You Should Know – And Consider For Your Marketing Strategy</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We couldn&rsquo;t have said it better. For most of our clientele, affiliate marketing really is viable. Susanna also backs up our point for email marketing and that it has to be for someone that is already on your list and not cold emails.  She also is a marketer that subscribes to Tv and Radio as methods of digital marketing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2252 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Viral-Marketing.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="362"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/tree-structure-networks-internet-200795/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Another term and form that is gaining popularity is what is known as &ldquo;Viral marketing&rdquo;. It&rsquo;s a bit more complex and requires a little more work, but can have excellent results and involves using video. Viral marketing is when your create a marketing campaign that is hilarious, about a &ldquo;trending topic&rdquo; or perhaps even weird, and then gets shared - and shared a lot! It usually causes a big spike in website traffic in a very short period of time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ivan Ivanov recently wrote on <a href="http://www.business2community.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Business2Community</a> about what makes up a viral campaign are current events, emotional uptick, the ‘WoW’-Factor, tackling a societal issue and using the correct social media platform.  He also goes on to ad:</span></p> <blockquote><p>When it comes down to the basics, every marketing campaign has the purpose of making an impression. This is especially true for viral stunts. The mistake marketing specialist often make is to think that to achieve viral success you need to go big or go home, but this is not always the case. Each successful viral marketing campaign shines in one of five categories. Some ads successfully tackle the latest current events, while others rely on the randomness of the ‘wow’ factor.</p> <p>However, to dive deeper into the five pillars of viral marketing, we’ll take a look at some of the most recent viral marketing stunts that went completely astray. Without further adieu, here’s what you need to avoid when doing viral marketing stunts, as these five companies learned the hard way.</p> <p>Finish Reading &ldquo;<a href="http://www.business2community.com/marketing/avoid-viral-marketing-stunts-5-brands-learned-hard-way-01856153#iIy8P2Lbc0EutDQ9.99" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What to Avoid When Doing Viral Marketing Stunts As These 5 Brands Learned The Hard Way</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That&rsquo;s a good read. We especially like his advice about before launching your attempt at a viral campaign to look at other company&rsquo;s failures and triumphs.  It is important to note that your attempts to make a marketing campaign go viral isn&rsquo;t always possible.</span></p> <h3>Summing It All Up</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So there you have 7 types of online marketing. If you dig around the web you will find more explanations and types, but for the best bang for your marketing dollars, the first 5 we listed are tried and true methods for all businesses.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">To learn more about our internet marketing services, visit us @ </span><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">MDIMSolutions.com</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/digital-marketing/what-are-the-types-of-online-marketing/" target="_blank">What Are The Types Of Online Marketing?</a> is republished from <a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://mdimsolutions.com</a></p> What Is The Meaning Of Brand Reputation? https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162099845631 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:81f37f47-e35d-4ee5-9409-3734b1ecd6d1 Wed, 21 Jun 2017 22:17:05 +0000 <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><em><span style="font-family: impact,sans-serif;">Brand Reputation</span></em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Your Brand reputation? Just what does this term mean and how does it apply to your business or company? That is exactly what we will cover in this short article.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What brand reputation really boils down to is how your company is perceived by customers or clients online, and offline. It&rsquo;s also involves the emotions and ideas the customers associate with your brand. It revolves around everything your company does, again not only online, but offline as well. The main components that can have the biggest effect on your brand reputation involve public relations, promotions and advertising and customer service.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2229 aligncenter" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/What-Is-Brand-Reputation-300x246.png" alt="" width="300" height="246"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/thumbs-up-thumbs-down-right-wrong-1198238/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This can be as simple as someone typing into Google search your company name + &ldquo;reviews&rdquo; and what shows up in Google My Business reviews and also reviews left on Yelp and YP.com. It can also involve what people are saying about your company on social networks and talking about your product or services.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">With some careful thought and planning, you can actually use the theory of brand reputation as a great tool for marketing. If your product is used by millennials, then making your marketing campaigns stand out and geared towards them is a must. This would be done by making sure your site, product pages or service pages are mobile friendly and making use of the latest social media platforms. Then portray the image that your product or services are the coolest around, and everyone that is cool is using it.</span></p> <h2>How Is Your Business&rsquo; Brand Reputation?</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There are some important things to remember when it comes to your brand reputation management. Not all of your marketing campaigns will be interpreted the way you intended, or you may have a problem with a product, or for whatever reason, things go wrong.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Amanda Marie wrote a great article on <a href="http://www.business2community.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Business2Community.com</a> about do&rsquo;s and don'ts when it comes to your brand&rsquo;s reputation:</span></p> <blockquote><p>Before Al Gore invented the Internet, there were fewer avenues of perception that brands had to pay heed to. It was simple, there was TV, newspaper, and radio.Through a combination of good service and well-intentioned, well-designed advertisements, brands could effectively shape their image to the one that promised them the most success. Now it’s TV, newspaper, radio, and a hundred online variations as well. In truth, there are thousands – but the average brand only needs to focus on those relevant to it’s customers and industry.</p> <p>The playing field is larger, the competition is fiercer, and there are significantly more angles to consider. Brand reputation management, once a subset of a business’s marketing plan, is now the driving force behind it.</p> <p>There are several key facets of online brand reputation management, each of them equally important.</p> <h4>Don’t Spam Search Results</h4> <p>If you create a large number of web profiles in an effort to overwhelm Google, you’re digging a hole for yourself. There are a lot of reputation management companies that offer to build a lot of social media profiles, press releases, and other garbage web content. It’s both cheap and ineffective. Google and Bing are smarter today, and they don’t fall for this technique anymore.</p> <h4>Do Work to Improve Your Search Ranking</h4> <p>The view from the top of the search engine rankings is pretty great. A study from online ad network Chitika found that the first organic listing on any given Google search page (that is, the first listing that is not a sponsored ad), receives 32.5% of the traffic. The second listing receives 17.6%, the third listing just 11.4%. “Position zero” search results, like Google’s “Featured Snippet” and “People Also Ask” boxes may garner even more attention.</p> <p>Your brand reputation management strategy should put particular importance on getting your listing to the top of the search page, and making sure it stays there. That means providing varied, quality content, and doing the proper SEO legwork to make sure you stand out.</p> <p>Continue Reading &ldquo;<a href="http://www.business2community.com/branding/dos-donts-brand-reputation-management-01860606#68kyUB9bt6VYpLQD.97" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Some Do’s and Don’ts for Brand Reputation Management</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Amanda wrote a really good article. However, there is one point that she makes that we don&rsquo;t totally agree with. She says that you shouldn&rsquo;t spam search results with social media profiles and press releases. We do agree that you shouldn&rsquo;t just build a lot of profiles and abandon them.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We take the approach of building these properties and then pushing quality content to them. This can be extremely helpful when your company has received some bad publicity and push that bad content farther back in the searches. By building these other properties and maintaining them, you will also be able to leverage one of her other points of improving search ranking results.</span></p> <h3>How Do You Begin Working On Your Brand&rsquo;s Reputation?</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2231 aligncenter" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Getting-Started-With-Brand-Reputaion-Management-300x212.jpg" alt="Getting Started With Brand Reputaion Management" width="300" height="212"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/magnifying-glass-viewing-larger-view-562570/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Some companies let this first step overwhelm them. It&rsquo;s really not that difficult for local businesses. Angely Grecia wrote a good article on <a href="https://www.meltwater.com" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MeltWater.com</a> that gives some great advice on taking the first steps:</span></p> <blockquote><p>Online content adds a dimension to your brand – and ultimately your reputation – because the same brand can be perceived differently by online and offline audiences. The best way to manage brand reputation is to tell a cohesive story – to a receptive audience. While controlling the message in an age of social media is no longer an option, you can still steer the dialogue.</p> <p>Here’s how:</p> <h4>1) Make a Good First Impression</h4> <p>What first impression do you want your brand to portray? … Time’s up. It takes less than 50 milliseconds to form a first impression. First impressions are so important because they give way to a ‘halo effect.’ Consider how visual design and the colors you use impact the way people feel about your website open the first view, that assessment is often transferred to its functionality.</p> <h4>2) Own and Embrace Who You Are</h4> <p>Your brand is derived from a mix of who you are (your executives and colleagues), who you want to be (your brand values), and who people perceive you to be (the user experience and branding). In a perfect world, your reputation follows the brand. Help this along by making your brand present across the customer touch points in the business: how employees answer phones, what employees and salespeople wear, what language they use when describing your services or products, e-mail signatures, social media presence and how they engage online, everything one can think of. The brand is every employee’s responsibility–not only the communications team’s. As a PR pro, you can ensure the whole company understands the corporate mission, vision, values, and goals so you can all believe, live, and breathe this.</p> <p>Continue Reading &ldquo;<a href="https://www.meltwater.com/blog/5-steps-to-brand-reputation-management/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5 Steps to Brand Reputation Management</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Great article from Angely. We especially like that her first point about making a good first impression. That ties into what we were talking about earlier about how your brand reputation can be tied in, and to your marketing.</span></p> <h3>Summing It All Up</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">How your brand is perceived is extremely important to your companies survival. It can make the difference in spectacular sells, or your business going under. By managing your reviews in search, what is being said on social media, as well as &ldquo;buzz&rdquo; about your business, you can take your company to new heights.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">To learn more, or take control of your company&rsquo;s brand reputation and management, visit our site @ </span><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/reputation-management/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">MDIMSolutions.com</span></a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/reputation-management/what-is-the-meaning-of-brand-reputation/" target="_blank">What Is The Meaning Of Brand Reputation?</a> Read more on: <a href="http://www.mdimsolutions.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ken Mandich&rsquo;s MDIMS Blog</a></p> What Is Reputation Management? https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/162008913036 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:17a1ba0a-ca5c-c192-3661-2d34de5dc5c6 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 15:46:22 +0000 <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What exactly is reputation management, and how can it effect your business? In this brief article we will cover what it is and why your company needs to monitor it&rsquo;s online presence and what your customers are saying about you and your services.</span></p> <p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2210 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/What-Is-Reputation-Management.png" alt="What is reputation management?" width="606" height="419"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/feedback-review-opinion-1978036/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Online reputation is becoming more important for businesses of all sizes that do and don&rsquo;t have an online presence. Just because your company doesn&rsquo;t have a website, which in this day and age is ludicrous, or doesn&rsquo;t have a Facebook page, or Twitter account, doesn&rsquo;t mean that these platforms aren&rsquo;t important or relevant to your company.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Not only do you have to be concerned with what&rsquo;s being said on social media, but also the countless directories online like Yelp, Manta, Kudzu, YP.com and a host of others.</span></p> <h2>The Affect Of Your Online Reputation On Your Business</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So down to the nitty gritty - let&rsquo;s first look at some statistics about online reviews and how they are perceived by the public.  In an article done by Kent Campbell on <a href="https://www.reputationx.com/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reputatoinx.com</a> blog, he shares some brutal statistics:</span></p> <blockquote> <h3 style="text-align: center;">Eight Reputation Statistics That Affect How You&rsquo;re Seen Online</h3> <p>91% of North American consumers read online reviews to learn about a business.</p> <p>For better or for worse, most consumers are checking out Google Reviews, Yelp, and other customer feedback systems to get more information on businesses, says the most recent BrightLocal Consumer Review survey. Consumers often take into account what other people write about a brand, product, or service to determine if it’s a “good” business or not.</p> <p>60% of consumers: Negative reviews turned them away</p> <p>If reviews are overwhelmingly positive, the survey reports that 74% of consumers have greater trust in the organization. On the other hand, 60% of respondents said that negative reviews made them not want to use a business. Those with mostly 1- or 2-star reviews fail to convert 86% of prospective customers –– a major loss, especially for startups, who need the initial momentum to get going.</p> <p>Recent reviews taken more seriously</p> <p>The report also shows that consumers are getting better at sorting the real reviews from the fake, and they’re more likely to take a recent review seriously than an older one. Consumers will catch on when businesses hire people to write fake reviews, or resort to other automated, non-organic means of cultivating a positive reputation. Only authentic reviews will do.</p> <p><a href="https://blog.reputationx.com/online-reputation-management-statistics" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue Reading Kent&rsquo;s Full Article Here&hellip;</a></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Good information from Kent that simply can&rsquo;t be ignored. He also stated in his article that businesses with mostly 1 star and 2 star reviews fail to convert about 90% of new potential clients!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In Kent&rsquo;s article,  that was mostly about what is happening with what can be found in Google search. But what about social media?</span></p> <h3><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2216 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Monitoring-Your-Social-Media-Reputation.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="320"/></h3> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/mobile-phone-smartphone-keyboard-1917737/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <h3>Monitor Your Social Media Reputation</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Usually with social media your reviews are in the form of comments. Now there are more platforms that you need to be concerned about. The two major sites that you must monitor are of course Facebook and Twitter. Fortunately, it&rsquo;s easy to respond to these comments, but you must respond to these comments calmly, intelligently and most importantly - RESPECTFULLY. Get this wrong and it can cost your company thousands, if not millions in lost revenue!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Kissmetrics wrote an article with some great examples of &ldquo;getting it wrong&rdquo; or &ldquo;reputation management failures&rdquo; as they call it:</span></p> <blockquote><p>Here are three famous cases of reputation management failure in the digital era:</p> <ul><li>Dark Horse Café received a tweet criticizing their lack of electrical outlets for laptops. Their response was something like: “We are in the coffee business, not the office business. We have plenty of outlets to do what we need.” Needless to say, this kind of defensive/aggressive behavior doesn’t work in the online world. Many blogs reported the fact as a negative public relations case.</li> <li>Nestlé received negative comments about their environmental practices a few years ago, and they did not address them. People started becoming aggressive and posted altered versions of the Nestlé logo, forcing the company to close their public page. Takeaway? Do not pretend people are not talking, and address criticism as soon as possible.</li> <li>Amy’s Baking Company fought fire with fire against a one-star internet review. Their insults against the reviewer eventually were picked up by the local news. It is obvious that negative attention is not good publicity.</li> </ul><p>What are people saying about you? Good online reputation management is not only about reacting well to what people say about you, your brand, or your products and services, but also about whether to react at all and, if so, when. Sometimes a reaction is not necessary, and sometimes a reaction that is too late can cost you millions.</p> <p>A proactive approach to the matter consists of monitoring your public reputation on a regular basis, and not just when you come to know about a specific event to deal with. How do you do this? The magic tools invented to solve this problem fall under the name of “social media monitoring.”</p> <p>Read The Full Article &ldquo;<a href="https://blog.kissmetrics.com/guide-to-reputation-management/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Definitive Guide to Online Reputation Management</a>&rdquo;</p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Great article for <a href="https://www.kissmetrics.com/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kissmetrics</a>. There is a lot of good information there. How you respond to unsatisfied customers and reviews for social media also needs to be applied to Google reviews and other review sites like Yelp as well.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Summing It All Up</span></h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Reputation management consists of just what it says, managing what customers are saying about your company online and giving a proper response, if required.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">All to often it&rsquo;s something that companies and businesses think about after it&rsquo;s too late. Bad reviews and negative comments are on multiple platforms and sales are plummeting.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Our company prefers the avenue of &ldquo;reputation marketing&rdquo;, which is something we will get into in later posts. So stay tuned to our site for more on how you can protect your online presence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you would like a free consultation about your company&rsquo;s online reputation, visit our site at </span><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com" target="_blank">https://www.mdimsolutions.com</a></span></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/reputation-management/what-is-reputation-management/" target="_blank">What Is Reputation Management?</a> was<br/> originally published to <a href="http://www.mdimsolutions.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MDIMS Digital Marketing Blog</a></p> Why Your Company Should Use Digital Marketing https://mdims.tumblr.com/post/161934622681 MD Internet Marketing Solutions urn:uuid:7db4825e-2d5d-384b-b56a-28ef1002ae0c Sat, 17 Jun 2017 17:50:17 +0000 <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Why should your business be using digital marketing? In this short article we will give you some examples of how the internet can help grow your business by increasing traffic by reaching customers where they are spending their time, and most importantly, how you are able to measure your ROI.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2204 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Why-Your-Business-Should-Use-Digital-Marketing.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="419"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/smartphone-phone-mobile-technology-593348/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you pay any attention at all to your surroundings in your daily life, it&rsquo;s easy to see why you should be using digital marketing to reach new customers. When you are at the mall, walking down the street, or even at a restaurant, people are on some type of device. That alone should be reason enough. For you naysayers, we will give you more.</span></p> <h2>Top Reasons You Need To Be Using Digital Marketing</h2> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We started to write out a long description, but found this article by Eleana Stylianou that she wrote on CareerAddict.com that gives 10 reasons you should be using digital marketing:</span></p> <blockquote><p>1. More Cost Effective</p> <p>It is more cost-effective than traditional marketing. This is especially important for small businesses as they don’t have many resources or a lot of capital. New media can provide you with a cheaper and more effective advertising channel.</p> <p>2. Use Content to Connect with Customers</p> <p>Using digital content either sponsored or free allows you to connect with consumers much more effectively than billboards, direct mail or PR campaigns. The strength of your online presence now directly linked to the success of your business.</p> <p>3. Cater to the Mobile Consumer</p> <p>Technology has evolved so much that mobile gadgets are no longer considered mere alternatives to personal computers or laptops. 91% of adults in the US alone always have their mobile devices within reaching distance and regularly use them to browse the internet. The largest group of consumers is using their mobile devices daily, so it’s essential that you use a marketing solution that targets these devices properly.</p> <p>4. Realise Higher ROI and Revenue</p> <p>By increasing your digital outreach, you can increase your revenue. The more data that you can extract from your outreach campaigns, the better your predictions and subsequently ROI will be.</p> <p>5. Track Your Customer’s Journey</p> <p>Using analytics services like Google analytics, you will be able to monitor all your customer’s actions, preferences and get a better insight into their behaviour. Analytics allow you to build the persona of your customer so that you can offer them the perfect experience.</p> <p><a href="http://www.careeraddict.com/why-digital-marketing-is-important-for-business" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Finish Reading Her Full Article Here&hellip;</a></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It&rsquo;s important to note her point 3. Everyone has a smart phone now! You need to finish reading her full article to find out more, especially points 9 and 10.</span></p> <h3>Measuring Your ROI</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">At the end of our last article - &ldquo;<span class="current_crumb"><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/digital-marketing/digital-marketing-consist/" target="_blank">What Is Digital Marketing And What Does It Consist Of?</a>&rdquo;, we briefly touched on the advantage of digital marketing for measuring your marketing dollars ROI. One of the best ways to check and monitor your ROI is by using Google Analytics.<br/></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2203 size-full" src="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/digital-marketing-and-google-analytics.jpg" alt="digital marketing and google analytics" width="448" height="229"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/digital-marketing-emarketing-1725340/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Image Credit</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you have never used the Analytics tool before, you may be a little overwhelmed at first, but after digging around for a little while, you will come to realize just how powerful this tool can be. This tool can give you a wealth of information.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We found a post on ValueWalk.com which gives a quick overview of what is available with this awesome tool and backs up our claim of how powerful it is, as well as pointing out other uses besides measuring ROI and traffic:</span></p> <blockquote> <h3 style="text-align: center;">Learn the tricks to master Google Analytics</h3> <p>Google Analytics, a powerful tool for web analytics and a master key to a successful digital presence. It is extremely important for a website manager to know the type of visitor it receives, data on the type of resources they access and other relevant factors; in order to improve their website performance and to cater to a larger number of audience.</p> <p>Most Google Analytics account holders have been observed to be looking at the top layer of this powerful tool, and this includes looking at numbers which signify the number of views and visitors, but there is much more to this free yet amazing analytics tool. Features that can provide you an insight of visitors, they activities and demands; and thus enabling the webmaster to enhance their website experience. Here are a few handy tips and tricks that would allow you to get the most out of Google Analytics tools.</p> <p><a href="http://www.valuewalk.com/2017/05/google-analytics/" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read the full article here&hellip;</a></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Two key take aways from the article is the ability to measure site speed as well as mobile device reports.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">However there are some things that you need to do to be able to use this tool to it&rsquo;s maximum potential. As part of our internet marketing series of posts, we will cover this more indepth in upcoming articles. So be sure check back to learn more about Digital Marketing @ </span><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">MDIMSolutions.com</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.mdimsolutions.com/digital-marketing/why-your-company-should-use-digital-marketing/" target="_blank">Why Your Company Should Use Digital Marketing</a> is republished from <a href="http://www.mdimsolutions.com/" target="_blank">http://mdimsolutions.com</a></p>