Posts

The Marketing Tools You Need to Succeed in 2021

/in /by

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, The Marketing Tools You Need to Succeed in 2021

Marketing is something of an art form, and its success often depends on the personnel involved and the toolkit that’s used. Your company might spend millions on a marketing campaign that doesn’t nearly reach your expected ROI. On the other hand a little honesty and savvy marketing know-how can accelerate your campaign beyond your wildest dreams. You will have to hire the best people for the job but you can narrow the chances of success by knowing the right tools to use as well. In this article we take a look at some of the marketing tools you need in 2021.

Buffer or Hootsuite

Both Buffer and Hootsuite give you more control and better data when managing your social media accounts. Your website host will probably allow you to schedule posts to social media but there are limitations and the data you receive back may not be sufficient. That’s why a third party software option like Buffer or Hootsuite is effective.

Buffer and Hootsuite allow you to schedule posts to multiple social media accounts at once and give you valuable response data, such as clicks, retweets, likes, favorites, mentions, and potential views. While the free version is limited to one social media account and 10 posts at any given time, a subscription can link you up with every major social media channel.

Social media was once a friendly platform for connecting with people around the world, it’s now a commercial enterprise integral to the success of brands and businesses. Around 3.8 billion people globally use social media everyday which means your business needs to engage with the medium effectively. Buffer and Hootsuite can help you make those important strategic decisions.

Wishpond

Is your website landing page looking dated or not achieving the results you expect? This might be the case with other aspects of your website as well, such as your mailing list or CRM system. Whatever the issue Wishpond can step in and help you out. It’s an affordable digital marketing suite with more than a dozen tools on offer that make your website sing like it should.

The aim of Wishpond is to help you grow your business online by making your website modern, functional, and attractive. Wishpond’s multiplicity of tools allows you to build and publish responsive web pages quickly and across all devices – you can also add various forms to the pages that popup when users visit a landing page. Wishpond will also integrate well with social media and allow you to set up promotions and contests.

If you want an all-in-one software solution that takes your online presence to the next level then consider Wishpond. It’s not only affordable but it provides you with essential software tools like departing employee computer forensics investigations, in a user-friendly format. These tools can be found in other places too but individually, and they are often more expensive.

Instagram

Are you a small business looking to gain a foothold in social media this year? If so then Instagram is your friend. Unlike the big hitters in social media, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit, Instagram has remained untouched by big business advertising. Major social media sites might be awash with established brands but Instagram manages to make space for smaller voices.

How is this possible? The answer lays in the way Instagram manages its advertising. It’s difficult for smaller businesses to gain traction on social media sites dominated by the loudest voices in the industry, and even if they do ‘get-in’ it’s next to impossible to maintain the progress. However, Instagram has an affiliate program that seems to cater more to these smaller voices.

There is nothing stopping corporate giants joining the affiliate network and proving products but for some reason they don’t gain the same traction or attention. Instead, small fashion lines, makeup brands, and esoteric products are more appealing to an Instagram audience. The Instagram audience is much more favorable to the personal connection with products rather than a slick corporate appeal.

Facebook Post Boost

Like Instagram, Facebook Post Boost is a way for smaller brands and companies to slip through the cracks of corporate advertising and gain effective traction at a lower cost. In the coming year the dominant trend for corporate social media advertising is to run high cost campaigns with long run times, this opens up possibilities.

Facebook Post Boost has been introduced to combat the decline in organic reach for businesses on the site. In recent years Facebook has moved more towards posts from friends and family. The result of this is more competition with bigger brands for reaching your target audience. With Facebook Post boost you have an alternative to big budget advertising that still reaches the people who matter.

Facebook Post Boost allows you to set up parameters for a promotion post to reach your audience. You can select a range of demographics along with your ad duration and budget. These ads are not as straightforward as scheduling a campaign with a long run time but they are just as effective at reaching your audience and helping smaller businesses compete with the big guns.

Twitter Explore

In recent times Twitter has become less favorable to marketers and many are moving away from it, opting for Facebook and Instagram instead. The platform is generally perceived as good for marketing if you have a few major influences, but is otherwise difficult to reach your target audience effectively. As more small and medium sized businesses seek conversions elsewhere it might be time to move against the tide.

The reason for this trend is fairly obvious. While it is not impossible to gain new followers on Twitter and benefits from retweets, the platform doesn’t lend itself well to conversions – getting people off Twitter and onto your website is not as slick as other platforms. Still, the site has much to offer, especially if more of your competition is making the shift.

In 2021 it’s more than worth the effort to investigate your potential reach on Twitter. With less competition in your industry and some concerted effort promoting your brand with retweets, lists, and relevant connections, you might see some Twitter ROIs you have for some time relinquished.

People Per Hour

People Per Hour is an excellent freelancer website that connects talented freelancers with businesses and brands. There is so much on offer through this website that it would be silly to ignore the possibilities in 2021. For instance, you could hire influencers to visit your YouTube channel to build subscribers or have product reviews written.

Building a brand online is not always easy or straightforward. There are a concert of things to consider, everything from how to post content, where to post content, and what content to include. You might want written material or something more sophisticated like graphic or photographs. Whatever it is you ‘need’ to take your business forward online PPH has the freelancers to help.

Using freelancers might not be your first solution. It’s tempting to learn the tricks yourself and save the investment for other areas of the business. But realistically, a freelancer who spends all their time doing what you need done will turn around an effective product for you far more quickly. This saves you time and most likely money as well.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console might not be the most sophisticated analytics software on the market, but it is free and extremely useful – especially for small and medium sized businesses that need to know the vital stats for website traffic. The software does have its flaws – it is not quite as accurate as similar products – but it’s extremely user-friendly.

With Google Search Console you can analyse, maintain and improve your website’s position in SERPs, all from the convenience of a free easy to use software system. The Google Search Console allows you to confirm that Google can locate and crawl your website, fix any indexing problems you may have, analyse Google search traffic for your website, and much more.

There are some drawbacks to the Google Search Console. It works on a verified setting which means that only some activity is recorded. If someone searches for your website with a VPN or third party app it may not register. Still, it’s a small price to pay for a range of free features to help your business succeed.

Sprout Social

If you’ve already done the groundwork with your social media presence and need something to take your brand to the next level, Sprout Social is the tool to use in 2021. Sprout Social collects information from all your social media channels and helps you manage and engage with it efficiently – integrate your social media enterprise and forget about the hassle of sporadic emails.

When you’re running a social media enterprise you need to have updated responses to new messages and schedule content across your channels. Without a social media manager like Sprout Social you will be all fingers and thumbs. Needless to say this software is for the more advanced social media users. In order to collect data Sprout Social will need access to several channels and many followers.

6 Strategies for Improving Employee Productivity

/in /by

The more productive your employees, the better for your business. But it can be hard to get employees to actually be productive. There are always a few gems who will go above and beyond, who complete their work early and wonderfully… but those are rare. Most employees won’t do more than what’s expected of them, because what’s the point? However, unproductive employees could do severe damage to your business’s reputation, since you may be behind on certain orders or have unsatisfied clients. While you are the boss and it’s your job to delegate, you need to know that your employees will do their work even if they aren’t being supervised 24/7. Keep reading to find out what you can do to improve employee productivity.

Training

Training will equip your employees with a lot of skills that can help them be more productive. You can even send them for training on how to maintain motivation, since productivity can’t exist without motivation. They may even feel grateful for the opportunity to have received the training and decide to show their appreciation by being extra productive. Either way, training will definitely improve productivity in the workplace. Training during Covid-19 is still possible in most places, as long as it complies with regulations and you take the necessary safety precautions.

Give them proper technology

While a lack of productivity often comes directly from the employees themselves, it can also be possible that working with old or outdated technology is slowing down their work. It can be incredibly frustrating to work with equipment and have it be a constant struggle, and if the technology they’re given is slow, their productivity will be negatively affected, no matter how motivated they are. You can’t expect modern results and productivity without giving them modern equipment. You might not be able to afford new technology right now, but see if there are any updates that you can run. If not, you need to accept the fact that your employees will never reach their full potential for productivity.

Incentives

If all else fails, bribe them. Okay, to be fair, incentives aren’t exactly bribery; more like rewards for good behavior. If you’re struggling to get your employees motivated and productive, your best bet is going to be to offer them incentives. Very few employees will go out of their way to be productive if there’s nothing in it for them. That being said, they’re more than likely to do it for money. Incentives are simple: the better their work, the more money they’ll get. There are various ways of designing employee incentive programs, so you should easily find a program that works for you as well as your employees.

Monitor

While you may not be able to watch your employees every second of their working day, there are ways of lighting a fire under them. If you pop into their office every now and then at random, they’ll never know when to expect you, and therefore always be on their best behavior. There are also ways of managing remote workers. There are apps that can tell you what time they logged on and off their computer, so that you can monitor how much time they’re putting in and ensure that they are working as many hours as they should.

Communicate

Miscommunications or misunderstandings can lead to work being done in the incorrect way. Of course, this means that that work will need to be redone and all the time spent on it was wasted. It’s your responsibility to communicate any instructions and deadlines very clearly to your employees, and it’s their responsibility to ask you for clarification if thy don’t understand you clearly. Being able to communicate effectively will help make your entire business run smoother. Employees are more likely to be productive if they know exactly what they need to do.

Remote work

If you have nay employees who you know are responsible enough to work from home, you should consider letting them. This will allow you to spend more time focusing on less-productive employees and you may even be able to pinpoint what is causing them to be unproductive, and work form there to fix it. Some employees may even be more productive while working from home, without the distractions of their coworkers. As mentioned, there are still ways to monitor remote workers, so that doesn’t need to be a worry. If there are less people in the office, the distractions will be less and your employees may be able to concentrate on their work. You may even like it so much that you decide to run your entire business with remote workers.

4 Guidelines for Starting Your Own Business

/in /by

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | 4 Guidelines for Starting Your Own BusinessStarting your own business is a complex process that requires careful planning and important financial decisions. Here are a few steps to guide you through your journey and help get your business off the ground.

Reanalyze Your Idea

If you’re interested in starting your own business, you probably already have an idea of what you want to market. However, you’ll need to reanalyze your idea to ensure that it’ll offer something original to the public. Asking yourself questions such as, “Is there a need for this product?” and “Is this product innovative?” will help you determine whether your idea has the capacity to succeed.

Create a Business Plan

Once you’ve decided that your idea has what it takes, you’ll need to draft a business plan to take your business to the next level. Your business plan serves as a roadmap that details the various stages of development, ranging from start-up to eventual advancement. Mapping out your business plan can be a complicated process, so don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you need it. A business coach near me can identify your business’ strengths and weaknesses, instill a sense of professional confidence and ultimately help you reach your goals.

Create a Financial Plan

Starting a business requires an initial investment before you can make a profit. Some of the costs you’ll have to cover include insurance, licenses, rent and utilities. One of the main reasons why small businesses fail early on is because they run out of money before earning a profit. Therefore, creating a financial plan can help you map out how much money you’ll need to launch your business and ensure that you have enough to keep things running smoothly for at least the first year.

Choose a Business Structure

There are four main types of business structures: sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation and limited liability company. A sole proprietorship is the most popular structure, in which you are the only person who owns and runs your business. In contrast, a partnership consists of two or more individuals. A corporation is owned by its shareholders, not individuals, and you won’t be personally held liable for your business’ debts. A limited liability company is similar to a corporation in terms of its protections, but it allows for similar tax benefits as a partnership. It’s important to educate yourself on the various business structures to ensure that you choose the best one for your business.

If your business doesn’t achieve success as quickly as you’d like, don’t be disheartened. Although starting your own business can seem overwhelming at first, following these steps will help you on the path to success.

What Are The Benefits Of 3D Printing?

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | What Are The Benefits Of 3D Printing?

These days, more businesses across a huge assortment of industries are embracing the process of 3D printing. This is because of the many different advantages that it possesses. With that being said, in this blog post, we are going to explore all of the benefits in further depth to help you get a better understanding.

3D printing is rapid

There is only one place to begin when it comes to the benefits that are associated with 3D printing, and this is the fact that it is rapid. Rapid prototyping provides you with the ability to design, test, and manufactured a customized part in a small amount of time. Plus, if required, you can modify the design without the speed of the manufacturing process being adversely impacted.

Great flexibility

Not only does 3D printing deliver rapid speed, but it is also incredibly flexible as well. You can create virtually anything with a 3D printer. On the flip side, if you were to use a traditional manufacturing process, every new part of every change within a part design would demand a new jig, die, mould, or tool to be manufactured for the creation of the new part.

Sustainability

In addition to the points so far, with 3D printing, you do not need to outsource as many parts for outsourcing. This means that the environmental impact is lower because fewer things are being sent around the world and there is not any requirement for an energy-consuming factory to be maintained.

Reduce risk

By switching to 3D printing, you are also going to be able to lower the risk involved with the manufacturing process as well. This is because product designers are going to be able to verify product prototypes before they begin making significant investments in manufacturing that can be disastrous.

High levels of quality

Aside from the benefits that have been discussed so far, you can also expect high levels of quality when it comes to 3D printing. Poor designs can arise through traditional approaches to manufacturing. However, the way that 3D printing works mean that the assembly is a step-by-step process, which ensures the design is improved and that you benefit from an exceptional level of quality.

You can reduce expenses with 3D printing

In addition to the suggestions that have been discussed so far, 3D printing is also great for those who are looking to lower their costs when it comes to production. 3D printing is deemed one of the most cost-efficient manufacturing options. Injection moulding and CNC machining, which are more traditional approaches, demand a big number of costly machines, and the labour expenses tend to be a lot higher as well. Therefore, you can expect to save a considerable amount of money by making the switch to 3D printing.

So there you have it: an insight into some of the different benefits that are associated with 3D printing. We hope that this has helped you to get a better understanding of why 3D printing is so beneficial and how you can make the most of it in your business.

Start Your Own Business Online

/in /by

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Start Your Own Business Online

To be or not to be is not a question anymore.

Either you “be” on digital platforms or prepare for the closure of your venture.

Running an online business is the need of the hour. Given how a pandemic could shake the entire corporate world’s roots, we can no longer be sure of what comes next. Online business is the safest option to ensure financial security.

The best part?

It gives you the freedom to make money from anywhere in the world. It doesn’t always have to be a tangible product. You can even sell your skills, talent, and educational expertise online. According to Fundera statistics, global ecommerce sales might hit $4.8 trillion by 2021. As for providing services over the Internet, those numbers are on the rise too.

Don’t fret if you are one of the noobs. You can follow a proven set of steps to ensure success when initiating in the online business world.

Here is how it goes:

Find a need and fulfill it

Most people start by looking at a product they are strong at. Instead of analyzing the market, their aim is to come up with a flawless product structure.

Remember, you need to solve a specific problem faced by the people. Plus, ensure there are potential customers for it. Look at how your idea could help people differently.

For example, Google improved the online search process. Netflix provides on-demand streaming media, and Uber is trying to improve the on-demand car service. Although your product or service may not be a must-have, you could still find a way to repurpose it and resolve a dire need.

The Dropbox co-founder Drew Houston speaks highly of such entrepreneurs when he says that the happiest and most successful people he knows don’t just love what they do; they’re obsessed with solving a significant problem, something that matters to them.

Passion, coupled with innovative problem-solving, could beat all obstacles blocking your digital journey!

Write a stellar copy

It doesn’t matter if you have a food business, a construction company, or even a photography studio. Every venture needs and compelling copy to make the desired mark upon its prospects. A good composition will motivate, encourage, and convince your audience to interact with your business.

Essentially, a copy refers to the marketing text found on leaflets, flyers, and billboards. In the case of an online business, it is the content found on your website aiming to understand the emotional impetus behind any purchase. There is also smaller stuff like social media posts and product descriptions, which require incredible copywriting.

Hence, it is imperative to invest in a good copywriter to improve your overall brand image. Your customers won’t consider the magnitude of your operations when going through your website. It is how you string your professional insight into compelling words that can leave a lasting impact on them.

This is one reason why 64% of the B2B marketers outsource their demanding copy needs.

Unlike other paid marketing campaigns, a good copy will continue to promote your online business for a prolonged time.

Use search engines to drive traffic

Online visitors today are using search engines more than ever before. According to the Internet Live Stats, Google processes 40 000 search queries every second on average. This translates to 3.5 million searches per day.

Considering the intense competition online, new business owners must implement a scalable search engine strategy.

Working on SEO and SEM could be your best shot. SEO is a powerful way to drive evergreen traffic atop the funnel. Meanwhile, SEM refers to using paid advertisements that pop up on the search engine results page. Advertisers bid on the keywords entered by the users of Bing or Google when looking for a specific product/service.

Ideally, seeking assistance from local SEO specialists could be your first step when starting your online business covering a certain vicinity. For example, you could get help from a Seattle SEO expert to devise your online marketing campaign if you are a startup in Seattle.

They could help you gain insight into optimizing your website or starting a pay-per-click advertising campaign. The former involves attracting organic traffic to your portal. Meanwhile, the latter (PPC) consists of showing ads instantly on the search engine’s first page. Besides getting you an instant traffic flow, PPC ads will allow you to discover your best and highest converting keywords.

Verdict – Stay in the information loop to maintain relevance

One of the main ingredients to ensure your success in virtual paradigms is – constant upgrading.

If you are planning to kickstart an online business, make sure it fits the current trends. From website design to customer satisfaction – everything has to fall in line with the industrial standards. Each time you feel like you’re drawing apart from the prevalent ideas, work hard to up your game.

We hope you’ll sneak up the search grid and stay there!

About the Author

Evie Harrison is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences and express herself through her blogs.

Find her on Twitter:@iamevieharrison. Learn more about Evie at about.me/iamevieharrison.