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More Brands Are Losing Touch With Their Customers. Do These 4 Things to Make Sure Yours Isn’t One of Them.

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By Pierre Raymond

Despite the growth of online marketing and digital sales tactics, more brands are struggling to connect with their customers and target audiences. To reunite with them, they need to do these things.

With the world becoming more hyperconnected following the mainstream adoption of the online ecosystem, more brands are struggling than ever before to connect with their customers. Changing economic conditions, a shifting consumer perspective and evolving technology have driven a wedge between brands and their target audience.

The multi-facet and blossoming digital landscape has allowed businesses and brands to have a plethora of information and consumer data at their disposal, allowing them to create more personalized online experiences and cater to a digitally-centric marketplace.

However, at the same time these technologies have brought more attention to the importance of customer preference, the same systems have simultaneously created a disconnect among brands and consumers.

The path to disconnection

The strategies that once helped marketers reach their audience are no longer working as effectively as they once did. Nearly 30% of marketers experience average-to-no returns on their online and digital marketing investments.

Even with seemingly limitless access to consumer information, different research shows that 68.6% of businesses have little understanding of how their customers think and how to cater to these evolving needs.

Although technology is at the crux of the disconnection crisis, other leading factors, including hybrid and remote working models, have also led to greater feelings of less engagement among teams and customers.

In a 2022 State of Remote Work Report, nearly 52% of employees that started working remotely due to the pandemic are feeling less connected with their coworkers. Efforts to get employees back into the office during recent years have been met with hostility, as the majority of workers now favor increased autonomy and flexibility in their day-to-day work lives.

The disconnection between brands and customers, as well as brands and technology, have fueled stagnant growth for online representation — shrinking the bottom line performance of businesses.

While multiple other challenges can present themselves to business owners and entrepreneurs, reconnecting with customers in a digitally-centered world has posed far greater problems than many would have imagined.

Reuniting the brand and the consumer

Managing several customer retention strategies over different platforms requires not only the know-how on how to manage all of these systems but also requires a large team of clued-up professionals that know how to efficiently execute these strategies without fail.

While this doesn’t seem impossible, seemingly out of reach for smaller business ventures and startups, leveraging key strategies that ensure ongoing brand development and message delivery can become an effective tool through which marketers can narrow the divide between brands and customers.

Meet customers where they are

An effective growth strategy starts by building awareness of where customers are and refocusing on the overall customer connection through these channels.

Often brands look at customers through the viewpoint of management, hoping to deliver a marketing message from every angle possible. Unfortunately, these strategies create a further breach between the two, making it harder for brands to see growing message engagement.

Overwhelming consumers with targeted ads, emails, blog posts and online content has led to an increase in digital fatigue. Start by focusing on a growth strategy that looks to enrich the customer’s online journey, and use these channels to foster more purposeful connections.

Have a data-driven approach

Paradoxically, data can be a key ingredient in the marketing growth strategy that can help bring the brand back into the peripheral view of the client.

Using data ensures that businesses have a clear understanding of where to find their target audience, and how to effectively deliver their branding message. Consider where customers often start their online journey, track their online activity, and what their preferences are in terms of social media platforms and other digital channels.

A report by BrightEdge Research found that 68% of online interaction starts through search engines. Using these metrics in combination with customer activity already starts creating a clear picture of how data can create a more proactive marketing approach, without having to overwhelm audiences.

Evolve beyond CRM technologies

Instead of managing customers through outdated CRM technologies, try to instead focus on how to structure a platform that can offer marketers better flexibility and scalability. Building a central, yet consistent customer experience requires businesses to migrate their data away from siloed databases.

Evolving beyond the familiar does however require substantial financial input, especially in the case of utilizing shared cloud-based data platforms.

Building more fluid connections between marketing techniques, sales and customer feedback ensures that brands can deliver high-quality messaging, but at the same time improve their overall customer engagement.

More consumers than ever before value things such as speed, convenience, knowledgeable help and on-demand customer service following a report that found 80% of American consumers now consider these important elements as part of a positive customer experience journey.

Adopting ways to break down different silos within the business, and integrating these efforts onto one advanced platform gives businesses the technological edge above their competitors.

Improve purchasing channels

Now more than ever, it’s important for brands to step up to the plate and create purchasing channels that cater to their target audience and help improve the overall online experience by improving backend sales systems such as fast, safe and reliable checkout features on ecommerce platforms.

Not only do online stores need to be more customer-oriented in terms of finalizing purchases and minimizing the possibility of cart abandonment, but there should be substantial efforts directed toward creating mobile-friendly experiences.

A growing number of internet users have reported using shopping applications on smartphones and/or tablets, with research showing that 69.4% of online consumers now prefer these methods as opposed to ordinary websites.

Taking the time to properly integrate these features into the digital marketing strategy might seem a bit far off during the early stages of business development. Yet, these are the consumer trends that are reshaping the way brands can connect with their audiences and further grow their digital impression.

Now is the time to stay connected

Building a marketing growth strategy that ensures the effective delivery of brand messages requires businesses to be more agile and adaptable in a fast-changing digital ecosystem.

With consumers constantly evolving and trends rapidly changing, being united with loyal customers means that brands need to have a better understanding of where to find their customers online, but also how to construct an online experience without overwhelming them at the same time.

Finding a balance means that businesses and marketing teams need to be more open to trying new methods, but at the same time, develop strategies that are unique to their clientele, brand and online presence.

By Pierre Raymond

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor, Founder of OTOS. Pierre Raymond is a bilingual project consultant/business analyst with over 20 years of experience in financial services and data management IT solutions.

Sourced from Entrepreneur

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The Future Of Generative AI Beyond ChatGPT

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By Bernard Marr

Generative tools like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion have got everyone talking about artificial intelligence (AI) – but where is it headed next?

It’s already clear that this exciting technology will have a big impact on the way we live and work. UK energy provider Octopus Energy has said that 44% of its customer service emails are now being answered by AI. And the CEO of software firm Freshworks has said that tasks that previously took eight to 10 weeks are now being completed in days as a consequence of adopting AI tools into its workflows.

But we’re still only at the beginning. In the coming weeks, months, and years we will see an acceleration in the pace of development of new forms of generative AI. These will be capable of carrying out an ever-growing number of tasks and augmenting our skills in all manner of ways. Some of them may seem as unbelievable to us today as the rise of ChatGPT and similar tools would have done just a few months back.

So, let’s take a look at some of the ways we can expect generative AI to evolve in the near future and some of the tasks it will be lending a hand with before too long:

Beyond ChatGPT

Text-based generative AI is already pretty impressive, particularly for research, creating first drafts, and planning. You might have had fun getting it to write stories or poems, too, but probably realized it isn’t quite Stephen King or Shakespeare yet, particularly when it comes to coming up with original ideas. Next-generation language models – beyond GPT-4 – will understand factors like psychology and the human creative process in more depth, enabling them to create written copy that’s deeper and more engaging. We will also see models iterating on the progress made by tools such as AutoGPT, which enable text-based generative AI applications to create their own prompts, allowing them to carry out more complex tasks.

As well as text, current generative AI technology is quite good at creating images based on natural language prompts, and there are even some tools that use it to generate video. However, they have some limitations due to the intensive nature of the required data processing. As this domain of generative AI becomes more advanced, it’s likely that it will become easy to create images and videos of just about anything, to the extent that it becomes difficult to distinguish generative AI content from reality. This could lead to issues such as deepfakes becoming problematic, resulting in the spread of fake news and disinformation.

Generative AI in the Metaverse

There are many predictions about how the way we interact with information and each other in the digital domain will involve. Many of these focus on immersive, 3D environments and experiences that can be explored through virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR). Generative AI will speed up the design and development of these environments, which is a time and resource-intensive process, and Meta (formerly Facebook) has indicated that this could play a part in the future of its 3D worlds platforms. Additionally, generative AI can be used to create more lifelike avatars that help to bring these environments to life, capable of more dynamic actions and interactions with other users.

Generative Audio, Music, and Voice AI

AI models are already impressively capable when it comes to generating music and mimicking human voices. In music, generative AI is likely to increasingly become an invaluable tool for songwriters and composers, creating novel compositions that can serve as inspiration or encourage musicians to approach their creative process in new ways. We are also likely to see it being used to create real-time, adaptive soundtracks – for example, in video games or even to accompany live footage of real-world events such as sports. AI voice synthesis will also improve, bringing computer-generated voices closer to the levels of expression, inflection, and emotion conveyed by a human voice. This will open new possibilities for real-time translation, audio dubbing, and automated, real-time voiceovers and narrations.

Generative Design

AI can be used by designers to assist in prototyping and creating new products of many shapes and sizes. Generative design is the term given for processes that use AI tools to do this. Tools are emerging that will allow designers to simply enter the details of the materials that will be used and the properties that the finished product must have, and the algorithms will create step-by-step instructions for engineering the finished item. Airbus engineers used tools like this to design interior partitions for the A320 passenger jet, resulting in a weight reduction of 45% over human-designed versions. In the future, we can expect many more designers to adopt these processes and AI to play a part in the creation of increasingly complex objects and systems.

Generative AI in Video Games

Generative AI has the potential to significantly impact the way video games are designed, built, and played. Designers can use it to help conceptualize and build the immersive environments that games use to challenge players. AI algorithms can be trained to generate landscapes, terrain, and architecture, freeing up time for designers to work on engaging stories, puzzles, and gameplay mechanics. It can also create dynamic content – such as non-player characters (NPCs) that behave in realistic ways and can communicate with players as if they are humans (or orcs or aliens) themselves, rather than being restricted to following scripts. Once game designers get to grips with implementing generative AI into their workflows, we can expect to see games and simulations that react to players’ interactions on the fly, with less need for scripted scenarios and challenges. This could potentially lead to games that are far more immersive and realistic than even the most advanced games available today.

Feature Image Credit: Adobe Stock

By Bernard Marr

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.

Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, blockchains, and the Internet of Things. Why don’t you connect with Bernard on Twitter (@bernardmarr), LinkedIn (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bernardmarr) or instagram (bernard.marr)?

Sourced from Forbes

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5 Mistakes Business-to-Business CEOs Make in Marketing

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By Samuel Thimothy

As an industry expert who’s had the privilege of advising hundreds, if not thousands, of B2B CEOs over my career, I often notice recurring misconceptions about marketing. There is a common belief among companies that their unique problems can’t be solved with conventional tactics. Some excuses are all too frequent and they’re simply not true.

It’s important to keep in mind that any business (big or small) today has access to powerful digital strategies, which can really give them the edge. In this article, I want to talk about the most frequent marketing mistakes in more detail so you know how best to utilize your resources for success and achieve the best return on your investment.

Mistake 1: Looking at Marketing as a Cost Centre Rather than a Profit Centre

One common mistake B2B CEOs make is investing in their marketing based on the allocated budget rather than the lifetime value of a customer. While it’s easy to estimate the profit from hiring another sales representative, you can’t estimate immediate ROI by trying a different marketing strategy. You need to monitor progress and tweak it all the time based on the reaction of your audience. Also, what works for your competitors will not necessarily work for you. And what worked for you once might get zero results the next time you do it. In a sense, marketing is a combination of creativity and psychology. That’s why adjusting your efforts to the budget reduces your chances for success. It should be the other way around.

Mistake 2: Treating Your Website as a Brochure with Texts and Images

We’re way past the times when people only visit your website for pretty pictures and location. Your website is a digital storefront of your business. And as your customers explore their options, they research the alternatives from cover to cover. Make no mistake: They will check your website, directories and social media. Based on their findings, they will make their buying decision, and you won’t even know. Remember that by the time your prospects reach out to our sales team, they have already completed most of their buyer’s journey.

Mistake 3: Making Future Strategic Decisions Based on the Failed Attempts

It’s smart to learn from your mistakes. However, when it comes to digital marketing, people often generalize and find faults in the wrong things. Let’s say you tried blogging for a couple of months but only wrote 300-word-long blogs while Google requires 500 to 3,000 words to have a blog ranked for keywords, would you consider blogging a mistake? Or if you started a podcast and gave up after 10 episodes, would you say podcasting doesn’t work? When you implement a strategy and it doesn’t work, make sure you identify the real reason behind the failure before you move on to something else.

Mistake 4: Being Unwilling to Share Your Knowledge With Your Customers

This is a very common concern among our B2B clients and I can understand why. When advised to share their insider information with a wider audience, many B2B CEOs and marketing leaders take it literally. They don’t want to share their insights or business processes for fear that their competitors will use them or that their prospects will solve their problems on their own. While this is a valid concern and you certainly don’t have to reveal trade secrets, we always advise looking at it from a different perspective. Your customers are trying to solve their problems. Will they find advice from you or from your competitors?

Mistake 5: Undervaluing the Brand Equity

Many business leaders underestimate the value of a brand and hardly ever consider it as a measuring rod for why they should invest in digital marketing. However, even if you don’t get enough leads in the process, you’re still building your brand. With a well-established brand name, you can create long-term customer relationships as well as higher profits and ROI over time. Once your brand is really known for something positive, it can stand out in a crowded marketplace and differentiate itself from the competition.

When it comes to B2B digital marketing, some misconceptions can damage your success if not addressed correctly. It is crucial to take a more thoughtful approach, utilizing powerful digital strategies and avoiding common mistakes. With a strategic approach and understanding of the target audience, your company can find success in the digital world.

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images

By Samuel Thimothy

VP at OneIMS.com, an inbound marketing agency, and co-founder of Clickx.io, the digital marketing intelligence platform.

Sourced from Inc.

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The Ultimate Guide To Building And Implementing An Effective Digital Branding Strategy

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By Vikas Agrawal

Branding can be a complex and confusing process if you don’t have clear guidelines and examples.

Have you wondered how leading brands have gained exponential popularity and become household names? It’s no secret that businesses apply various branding techniques to connect with the audience and build a positive image, but what do the industry giants do differently?

The answer is strategic digital branding. After all, with over 4.57 billion active internet users worldwide, the digital medium offers unparalleled opportunities for brands to reach a wider audience compared to traditional methods. And businesses that have leveraged digital mediums with a clever strategic approach have found great success with branding.

Sounds interesting? Keep reading to learn how to create and implement the proven digital branding strategies that have earned top brands their place as industry behemoths.

The importance of a digital branding strategy

A digital branding strategy is the process of communicating your brand’s identity to consumers online, with the ultimate goal of increasing customer loyalty and sales. A company without a brand is akin to a person lacking a personality — dull and uninspiring. Unsurprisingly, people tend to avoid such entities.

In contrast, a well-executed digital branding strategy can help you foster trust, which is crucial given that 81% of consumers say trust is the leading factor in their purchasing decisions. A strong digital branding strategy can also increase company value, boost sales, heighten perceived brand quality and reduce employee turnover.

How to implement your digital branding strategy

Let’s discuss the steps to make and use a powerful digital branding strategy that will take your brand image and popularity to the next level.

1. Assess your brand identity

Before diving into your digital branding strategy, take the time to define and assess your brand identity. This involves determining your brand’s mission, vision and unique selling proposition (USP). Your brand identity should convey who you are, what you stand for and what you aim to achieve. By clearly understanding your brand identity, you can ensure that all aspects of your digital branding strategy are consistent and aligned with your core values.

2. Understand your target audience

An in-depth understanding of your target audience is critical to the success of your digital branding strategy. Conduct thorough research to analyze their demographics, interests and preferences, and use this information to create detailed buyer personas. By having a clear picture of your target audience, you can develop content and messaging that resonates with them, increasing engagement and conversions.

3. Creating a unique value proposition

Your unique value proposition (UVP) is the reason customers should choose your brand over competitors. It highlights the benefits and features of your products or services that make you stand out. To create a powerful UVP, focus on the aspects of your offerings that differentiate you from others and communicate this message clearly, concisely and compellingly. A strong UVP not only attracts customers but also helps build brand loyalty.

4. Choose the right platforms for your brand

Selecting the appropriate platforms for your brand is pivotal in reaching your target audience. Investigate the social media platforms, websites and other digital channels that your audience frequents, and concentrate on establishing a strong presence there. You can connect with your audience, increase brand visibility and foster long-lasting relationships by being active on the right platforms.

5. Crafting compelling content

Content is the cornerstone of your digital branding strategy. To craft compelling content, focus on developing engaging, informative and relevant pieces for your target audience. Utilize storytelling to build emotional connections with your audience, making your brand more relatable and memorable.

Also, consider diversifying your content types, such as blog posts, videos, podcasts and social media posts, to cater to different preferences and consumption habits. Videos are particularly effective, as about 86% of businesses use them effectively as a marketing medium.

6. Monitor and analyse performance

Continuously tracking the performance of your digital branding strategy is crucial for its success. Monitor relevant metrics like engagement, conversion rates and website traffic to gauge the effectiveness of your strategy. Analysing this data will help you identify areas for improvement and optimize your approach for better results. Regularly assessing your digital branding strategy ensures that it remains relevant and impactful over time.

Examples of an effective digital branding strategy

Here are three examples of brands that have successfully crafted and implemented a digital branding strategy to grow their popularity and reach-

Apple’s “Share Your Gifts”

Apple stands as an excellent example of a brand that has mastered the art of storytelling. Through digital content such as videos, podcasts and social media posts, Apple’s branding experts communicate passion, creativity and relationship-building. Their popular video, “Share Your Gifts,” has garnered over 25 million views on YouTube and demonstrates their ability to prioritize storytelling instead of merely showcasing their products.

In the video, Apple evokes emotions and builds connections with viewers without explicitly promoting its products. This approach helps the audience relate to the brand personally, enhancing brand recall and loyalty.

IKEA’s “Oddly IKEA”

IKEA, a furniture store with affordable pricing, is growing alongside its customer base. This brand is popular among younger demographics and is known for its fun and quirky personality. IKEA’s branding strategists realized the need to stay connected with their buyer personas. They created personalized campaigns using digital content channels such as social media, YouTube and art installations, such as the Oddly IKEA campaign.

Researchers noticed a trend of ASMR videos among younger demographics, particularly college students. They produced a 25-minute ASMR video featuring IKEA merchandise such as comforters, pillows and sheets to appeal to this trend. The team thought outside the box and used innovative methods to engage with their target audience.

By thoroughly understanding your brand identity, knowing your target audience, crafting a unique value proposition, choosing the right platforms, creating compelling content and regularly monitoring performance, you can develop a digital branding strategy to help your brand thrive.

If this sounds complicated, you can always take the support of a competent digital branding agency. So, start working with an experienced digital branding agency to build and implement a proven branding strategy to drive your brand’s growth. All the best!

By Vikas Agrawal

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor. CEO of Infobrandz.com. Vikas Agrawal is a co-founder of the full-service agency Infobrandz.com, He is a strategic marketing consultant. Vikas advises and plans the visual marketing & branding & investor funding campaigns of small to mid-size companies.

Sourced from Entrepreneur

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6 Tips To Grow Your Followers Organically On Instagram

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By Vasid Qureshi

Do you plan to grow your Instagram followers organically? Well, who does not want to, but most of you are not as skilled as it requires. You need to follow various tips and tricks to get more Instagram followers and expand your Instagram platform.

In the near-decade that this digital media handle has been everywhere, it keeps modifying its algorithms and offering new features, meaning brands require constant profile growth.

Well, how do businesses adapt? By incorporating and trying out novel growth planes. Indeed some services can boost growth via offering paid followers and likes, but organic followers are best than things. It is best for the startups and newbies to buy these followers count but beware of the bots. If you are afraid of such scams, then look for the means to earn organic followers.

What describes Instagram Growth?

Instagram is the key element when you discuss the growth of your business. But how can you describe the development of these social media channels? It begins with the followers’ count you gain and have.

But to have these novel followers, you will require improving interaction with your profile business exposure and making a compelling post. Otherwise, why else would anyone follow you? If your Instagram growth is static and likes to add a little spark into your plan, suggest testing these tips.

Tip #1. Research

Whether you discuss this photo-sharing application or other online handles, the main key to the success path would be RESEARCH. In Instagram cases, you have to research your focused people. It is useless to run after the users who are not curious about your things. Via research, you might target a specific group of individuals who like to know about your services.

Here are the top tips to help on learning your focused audience:

Categorization: Begin categorizing your focused people based on multiple factors like:

  • location
  • age groups
  • main interests

Besides that, you are also required to explore that kind of post that shall draw their attention.

Communicate: Remember, communication is a magic potion to every brand’s growth. Thus, we would suggest you interact with your followers. Talking to the focused people would never be feasible. Hence you can make it happen via indirect means like feeds and stories. Via, these Instagram stories, you may ask them regarding their disinterest and interests.

Competitors’ analysis: You must always be conscious of your competitor’s activity. Assure that your business is going through your rival posting plan regularly. Also, study other factors too, like:

  • comment on the post
  • primary content

Increase Instagram followers: Buying Instagram likes and followers are famous these days. Many users go to get Instagram followers UK to mark their presence.

Tip #2. Planning:

After identifying your target people, you have to begin working on the content plan. Remember never to post anything randomly just for posting purposes. It would never help you in this manner, but in the end, it decreases your credibility. Hence, it will be it that you schedule your e post well before uploading it finally.

Tip #3. Support Similar Profile:

You must always follow a similar profile which is the same as yours. It’s a suitable means to keep some exposure. View and like on their content and show your presence. Take out time from the routine and interact with a similar profile.

Tip #4. Hashtag

Usage of #tags has been a suitable plan to have more followers. Using 30 tags is not necessary but use the relevant ones. In Instagram, it is the game of quality and not quantity. Remember the hashtag show the true image of your content in front of the target users.

Tip #5. Use other Mediums:

It would help if you always boosted your official profile on other social media handles. These may be Facebook, LinkedIn, and Tumblr. You can try out incorporating the widget to the official FB profile that can implant your Instagram information in the Facebook profile. Also, add the noteworthy Instagram profile to your Instagram account whenever you send an email.

Tip #6. Geolocation Tagging

If you upload the content from any Instagramable area, assure you use geotags effectively. If you are reposting any post or using the images, you must mention the concerned owners in the caption. Chances are more that your page will earn the same recognition. You must perform with joint interests; hence, you both get benefits.

Wrap it up:

Having fewer Instagram boosts although many activities on this channel shall offer you a bad feeling. But never hope because these tips will help you expand your Instagram profile effectively. All you require is patience.

By Vasid Qureshi

Sourced from INFLUENCIVE

 

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Twitter Announces To Get Paid For Each Article

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By Teena Jose

Musk revealed that Twitter will take a 10% cut on content subscriptions after the first year, noting that the company will not take a cut for the first 12 months

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has announced that Twitter will allow media publishers to charge users for individual articles they post on the website. The feature is rolling out next month.

“Rolling out next month, this platform will allow media publishers to charge users on a per article basis with one click. This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article. Should be a major win-win for both media organizations and the public,” Musk Tweeted.

According to reports, this move is seen as Twitter’s attempt to find a sustainable business model as advertising revenue continues to fluctuate. Moreover, Musk also revealed that Twitter will take a 10% cut on content subscriptions after the first year, noting that the company will not take a cut for the first 12 months. These subscriptions include long-form text and hours-long videos.

The per-article payment feature could benefit media organizations struggling to make ends meet, especially as advertising revenue continues to be unpredictable.

Meanwhile, Twitter has also applied ‘Community Notes’ to ads which aims to create a better informed world by empowering people on Twitter to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading Tweets. The feature allows the contributors to leave notes on any Tweet and if enough contributors from different points of view rate that note as helpful, the note will be publicly shown on a Tweet

Earlier this week, the micro-blogging site removed the legacy verified blue tick from verified accounts where several celebrities have lost their verified blue ticks from their Twitter accounts. This comes months after the company’s CEO Elon Musk announced the date to press users to sign up for Twitter Blue, its paid subscription service.

Feature Image Credit: Freepik

By Teena Jose

Teena is a post graduate in financial journalism. She has an avid interest in content creation, digital media and fashion.

Sourced from Entrepreneur India

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The power of Facebook – can it really be on the wane, asks media expert John Jewell

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By John Jewell

Remaining relevant will be key as other platforms such as TikTok surge in popularity…

I doubt whether this will come as much of a surprise to anyone, but the ubiquity of Facebook continues, seemingly unbound. At the beginning of this year the company, since 2021 rebranded under the name of Meta, released figures which placed it’s number of monthly active users at 2.8 billion worldwide. This figure is made all the more remarkable by the fact that it doesn’t include users for either WhatsApp or Instagram, which are also owned by Facebook.

In global terms, India has the biggest overall number of users with 351 million. Which, as online statistics company Statista says, if India’s Facebook audience were a country then it would be ranked third in terms of largest population worldwide. In the US, 71.43% of the country spend time on Facebook, in the UK the number is 66%. In terms of time spent using the platform, the average user will spend is 33 minutes a day on it, three hours 15 minutes a week and 16 hours 30 minutes a month.

The impact of Facebook upon the lives of those who engage with it is remarkable. It is, in fact, a massive database of information which collects vast quantities of personal material. Facebook records everything that’s done. Everything that’s favoured, every single page visited, every profile. Think of what is personally volunteered when someone signs up: name, age, marital status, city of residence, employment and education, all these details are harvested and stored. This information can then be used.

It’s not sold on to advertisers as such, Facebook says. It states on the online help desk: “We don’t sell your information. Instead, based on the information that we have, advertisers and other partners pay us to show you personalised ads on the Facebook family of apps and technologies.”

However, as the New York Times reported in 2018: “Facebook can learn almost anything about you by using artificial intelligence to analyse your behaviour,” said Peter Eckersley, the chief computer scientist for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights non-profit organisation in the US. “That knowledge turns out to be perfect both for advertising and propaganda.”

Over the years the company has found itself at the centre of major scandals involving what it does with user data. The most high profile of these occurred in 2018 when the Observer newspaper revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a UK-based consultancy firm, had used the personal data of millions of US Facebook subscribers to build profiles of potential voters for the successful presidential campaign of Donald Trump in 2016.

And just a matter of days ago, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, which acts for the European Union, announced that it had fined the company 1.2 billion euros for transferring information from its European users to its US servers. In one of the biggest fines of its kind ever delivered, the ruling, according to the Columbian Journalism Review, calls into question “not just Facebook’s data-collection apparatus—and the multi-billion-dollar business model that it supports—but the similar data-handling and monetisation practices of almost every other global social network and online service”.

So, despite the mind-bending usage figures quoted at the beginning of this article, and the fact the net worth of Facebook is around $320 billion in 2023, there are signs that it is in decline. Indeed, in 2018 it lost around one million users in Europe and, in the US, it’s market share among social networks dropped to 50.8% from 54.3% in 2019.

In the UK, usage has been steadily dwindling for some years. The Daily Telegraph reported in July 2019 that “the number of online interactions made on Facebook’s mobile app in the UK plummeted by 38 percent between June 2018 and June 2019”.

So, why are Briton’s leaving the platform? There are a number of reasons, some of them explored by Mark Whitehead of Aberystwyth University. He has found that the public scandals Facebook has been involved in, contrary to his own assumptions, are rarely the “primary reasons for leaving the network”. Some explanations are relatable and perhaps speak of a growing distrust of social media in general. People are asking: Why am I spending time and so much energy constantly comparing my life with others?

Amongst the younger generations the issue is choice. Teenagers, who let’s remember have grown up with the online world as a constant companion, see Facebook as outdated and the area where their parents gather. Instagram, also owned by Facebook’s parent company, is clearly much more geared toward younger users. It has a basic, understandable design which focusses on imagery rather than self-involved narrative.

Then there is the Chinese-owned phenomenon of TikTok. TikTok allows its aficionados to make and broadcast short videos. It is unbelievably popular with 18-to-24 age range. Forty percent of its users are in that age bracket and it is now the most downloaded of all the apps – more than three billion times, in fact.

So, whilst some may say that the age of social media is in entering its death throes, the popularity of the newer forms, with an evolving audience, suggests otherwise. And maybe Facebook will find a way to stay relevant. After all, its global range and presence is startling. It also offers so many things that its younger competitors don’t. It still appeals to people of all ages – and we all grow up, unfortunately.

 

Feature Image Credit: Western Mail

By John Jewell

Sourced from WalesOnline

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News Publishers Looking for Traffic Can Probably Ignore Twitter

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By Marco Marcelline

Twitter was never a major traffic driver for publishers, but it’s driving fewer clicks than ever, Chartbeat says, especially for small news outlets.

Twitter’s role as a source of traffic to news publishers has been diminishing for years, according to data published by content analytics firm Chartbeat.

In April 2018, 1.9% of all traffic to news publishing sites came from Twitter, but in April 2023, the traffic amounted to 1.2%, and hit a low of 1.1% in February.

Small news publishers in particular have seen their Twitter referral traffic drop significantly. In April 2018, 486 small publishers (those with less than 10,000 daily page views) received 10.1 million page views from Twitter referrals. But last month, they received a paltry 186,930 views, a decline of 98%.

Meanwhile, as Press Gazette notes, medium-sized publishers saw their traffic decline by 40% over the same period, with 3.7 million views in April 2023 compared to 6.1 million five years earlier. Page referrals for medium-sized publishers hit a brief peak in March 2020, when many nations locked down due to the pandemic, with 8.6 million views.

Facebook is still a larger source of referral traffic. News sites relied on the social media site for 12.68% of their total traffic last year. This compares to 11.96% in 2021 and 13.01% in 2020.

The statistics show that Twitter’s page referrals have been declining for some time, well before Elon Musk took over the platform in October 2022.

According to Press Gazzette, the news sites that have seen the largest drops in traffic from Twitter include the Kyiv Independent, falling 61% between September 2022 and April this year, while Buzzfeed.com saw a 60% drop since April 2021, and The Independent saw a drop of 56%.

Meanwhile, bucking the declining trend, British tabloid The Sun saw a 23% increase in page views since Musk took over Twitter and Fox News has seen a 54% increase since 2021.

Sourced from PC

 

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Reach Solutions showcases RSVP relaunch!

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Last week, Ireland’s largest commercial news publisher, Reach hosted a RSVP brand relaunch party to celebrate and showcase the new revitalised look and feel of the brand in both print and digital.

Over 50 clients from 10+ ad agencies and numerous direct clients in Ireland packed into Zozimus in St. Annes Lane, Dublin for an exclusive evening of entertainment including live music by Rory from DJ and Sax, spot prizes, canapes, cocktails and craic!

RSVP, Ireland’s leading women’s magazine, plays an important role in bringing lifestyle content to their community of loyal readers. With over twelve successful years in print circulation, the team felt the brand needed to evolve, bridging the gap between the physical magazine and a younger online platform. The challenge was to create a revitalised brand, designed to engage beyond the core demographic while retaining a loyal readership and expanding opportunities for advertising.

Speaking at the event, Marketing Director of Reach Ireland, Joanne Friel said:

“The RSVP brand refresh was a project borne out of reader research. Over 1,200 of our readers took part in a comprehensive research study over several months, comprising of surveys and focus groups across Ireland. We were keen to explore all elements of the brand – from our print and digital content, to our visual brand assets, and our readers helped us explore it all in great depth.

The result is a clearly defined content proposition around four key areas – Celebrity, Lifestyle, Health & Happiness, as well as a new logo and a graphic design architecture that works across our various print, online, and social platforms.”

Commenting on the success of the event, Group Sales Director of Reach Solutions in Ireland, Hugh Crowther said:

“We were thrilled by the overwhelming response and great turnout at our RSVP brand relaunch. Seeing so many of our valued agency clients speaks volumes about their trust in our vision and the impact our work has had on their businesses.

The evening was an incredible success, filled with excitement, creativity, and meaningful connections. We are very grateful for the support of our clients and look forward to continuing our journey of innovation and excellence together.”

Reach Solutions team in Ireland enjoying RSVP Relaunch event Pictured L-R Holly Mullane, Account Manager; Tegan McCluskey, Agency Account Manager; Aimee Rourke, Business Communications Manager, Grainne McDonald, Head of Direct Advertising & Events and Aisling Macnamara, Head of Client Services.

Laura Hennessy from Reach Solutions pictured with Ger Killoran from Mindshare at the RSVP Relaunch event last week.

View video and pictures from the night here.

Feature Image Credit: Hugh Crowthers, Group Sales Director of Reach Solutions pictured with Marketing Director of Reach Ireland Joanne Friel at the RSVP Rebrand event last week.

Media Enquiries: Aimee Rourke (email: [email protected]) 

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The Complete Guide to Building Backlinks for SEO Success

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Sourced from SHAREINGER

Building backlinks are links that direct from one website to another. They are also known as inbound links or incoming links. Backlinks are important in search engine optimization (SEO) because they can help increase a website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Contents

Search engines like Google use backlinks as a way to determine the relevance and authority of a website. When one website links to another, it’s essentially giving a vote of confidence or endorsement for that site. The more high-quality, relevant backlinks a website has pointing to it, the more likely it is to rank well in search engine results pages.

Backlinks can be acquired in a variety of ways, such as through guest blogging, broken link building, or creating shareable content that others will naturally want to link to. It’s important to note that not all backlinks are created equal, and search engines prioritize quality over quantity. A backlink from a highly authoritative website in the same niche as yours will carry more weight than multiple low-quality links from irrelevant sites.

Backlinks are a crucial factor in search engine optimization (SEO). Here are some of the reasons why:

They signal authority and relevance

Search engines like Google use backlinks as a way to determine the authority and relevance of a website. When one website links to another, it’s essentially giving a vote of confidence or endorsement for that site. The more high-quality, relevant backlinks a website has, the more likely it is to rank well in search engine results pages.

They help with indexing

Backlinks can help search engines discover new pages on your website and index them more quickly. When a search engine crawls a website, it follows the links on that site to find other pages. If there are no links to a page, it may take longer for the search engine to discover it.

They increase traffic

Backlinks from high-quality, relevant websites can drive traffic to your site. When someone clicks on a link to your website from another site, they’re essentially being referred to your site, which can lead to increased traffic.

They improve domain authority

Domain authority is a measure of how well a website is likely to rank in search engine results pages. Backlinks are one of the most important factors that affect domain authority. If your website has a lot of high-quality, relevant backlinks, it’s likely to have a higher domain authority than a site with fewer backlinks.

They can be a competitive advantage

Backlinks can be a competitive advantage because they’re not easy to acquire. If your website has a lot of high-quality, relevant backlinks, it’s likely to rank higher in search engine results pages than a site with fewer backlinks. This can give you an edge over your competitors who may not have as many backlinks.

DoFollow

DoFollow is a term used to describe a type of backlink that passes link equity or link juice from one website to another. When a website links to another website with a DoFollow link, it is essentially telling search engines that it endorses the content on the linked site and that the linked site is a valuable resource for its audience.

DoFollow links are important for search engine optimization (SEO) because they can help improve a website’s search engine rankings by increasing its domain authority and page authority. When search engines see that a website has a lot of high-quality DoFollow backlinks from authoritative websites, they are more likely to rank that website higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

It’s important to note that not all backlinks are DoFollow. Some links are marked with the rel=”nofollow” attribute, which tells search engines not to follow or pass link equity to the linked site. This is typically done to prevent spammy or low-quality links from influencing search engine rankings. However, even NoFollow links can still drive traffic to a site and provide some SEO benefits.

NoFollow

NoFollow is a term used to describe a type of backlink that does not pass link equity or link juice from one website to another. When a website links to another website with a NoFollow link, it is essentially telling search engines not to follow the link and not to count it as a vote or endorsement for the linked site.

NoFollow links were introduced by Google in 2005 as a way to combat spammy or low-quality links. Websites could add the rel=”nofollow” attribute to links to prevent them from being seen as manipulative or spammy by search engines. Since then, NoFollow links have been used for a variety of purposes, including:

User-generated content

Websites that allow user-generated content, such as comments or forum posts, may use NoFollow links to prevent spammy or low-quality links from being added to their site.

Paid links

Websites that sell or buy links may use NoFollow links to avoid being penalized by search engines for buying or selling links.

Sponsored content

Websites that publish sponsored content or advertorials may use NoFollow links to disclose that the content is sponsored and to avoid being penalized by search engines for not disclosing sponsored content.

While NoFollow links do not pass link equity, they can still drive traffic to a site and provide some SEO benefits. In addition, a mix of DoFollow and NoFollow links can appear more natural to search engines and can help prevent a site from being penalized for having too many manipulative or spammy links.

The quality of backlinks is an important factor in search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google use various metrics to determine the quality of a backlink, including the following:

Relevance

The relevance of the linking website to the content on the linked website is a key factor in determining the quality of a backlink. A link from a website that is relevant to the content on the linked website is generally considered to be a high-quality backlink.

Authority

The authority of the linking website is another important factor in determining the quality of a backlink. A link from a high-authority website, such as a government or educational website, is generally considered to be a high-quality backlink.

Trust

The trustworthiness of the linking website is also important in determining the quality of a backlink. A link from a trusted website, such as a well-known news organization or industry association, is generally considered to be a high-quality backlink.

Anchor text

The anchor text, or the text that is used to create the hyperlink, is also important in determining the quality of a backlink. A link with relevant and descriptive anchor text is generally considered to be a high-quality backlink.

Diversity

The diversity of backlinks is also important in determining the quality of a backlink profile. A backlink profile with a diverse range of high-quality backlinks is generally considered to be more valuable than a profile with a large number of low-quality backlinks.

Overall, high-quality backlinks are those that come from relevant, authoritative, and trustworthy websites with descriptive and diverse anchor text. These types of backlinks can significantly Improve Your Website Visibility in Search Results and drive more traffic to a site.

Building high-quality backlinks is an important part of search engine optimization (SEO) and can help improve a website’s search engine rankings and drive more traffic to a site. Here are some strategies for building backlinks:

Create high-quality content

One of the best ways to build backlinks is to create high-quality content that other websites will want to link to. This could include original research, in-depth guides, or valuable resources that are relevant to your target audience.

Guest blogging

Guest blogging involves writing content for another website in exchange for a link back to your own website. Look for websites in your industry that accept guest blog posts and pitch them on a topic that would be relevant to their audience.

Broken link building

Broken link building involves finding broken links on other websites and reaching out to the website owner to suggest a replacement link (which would be to your own website). There are tools available, like Check My Links, that can help you find broken links on other sites.

Skyscraper technique

The Skyscraper technique involves finding high-performing content in your industry and creating an even better version of that content. You can then reach out to websites that have linked to the original content and suggest that they link to your improved version.

Link reclamation

Link reclamation involves finding instances where your website has been mentioned but not linked to and reaching out to the website owner to ask for a link. You can use tools like Google Alerts or Mention to track mentions of your brand or website online.

Participate in industry forums and communities

Participating in online forums and communities in your industry can help you build relationships with other website owners and potentially lead to opportunities for backlinks.

Remember that building high-quality backlinks takes time and effort. It’s important to focus on creating valuable content and building relationships with other website owners in your industry. Avoid spammy tactics like buying links or participating in link schemes, as these can result in penalties from search engines.

Importance of Anchor Text

Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink that directs users to another page on the internet. Anchor text is important for both users and search engines because it provides context about the content on the linked page. Here are some reasons why anchor text is important:

Improves usability

Anchor text can help improve the usability of a website by providing users with a clear idea of what they will find when they click on a link. For example, if the anchor text of a link says “click here,” users may not know what they will find when they click on the link.

Provides context

Anchor text provides context about the content on the linked page. Search engines use anchor text to help determine the topic of the linked page, which can help improve search engine rankings for relevant keywords.

Builds relevance

Relevant anchor text can help build relevance for the linked page. For example, if a website selling running shoes has a link with anchor text “best running shoes,” this can help improve relevance for the keyword “running shoes” and improve search engine rankings for that keyword.

Increases credibility

Anchor text can increase the credibility of a website by providing context and information about the linked page. Websites that use descriptive and relevant anchor text are more likely to be viewed as credible and trustworthy by both users and search engines.

Overall, anchor text is an important factor in search engine optimization (SEO) and can help improve search engine rankings, usability, relevance, and credibility for a website. It’s important to use descriptive and relevant anchor text that accurately reflects the content on the linked page. Avoid using spammy or manipulative anchor text, as this can result in penalties from search engines.

Monitoring backlinks is an important part of search engine optimization (SEO) as it helps website owners track their link building efforts and ensure that their website is not being negatively impacted by low-quality or spammy backlinks. Here are some reasons why monitoring backlinks is important:

Identifying low-quality backlinks

Low-quality or spammy backlinks can harm a website’s search engine rankings and lead to penalties from search engines. Monitoring backlinks allows website owners to identify these low-quality links and take action to remove them.

Evaluating link building efforts

Monitoring backlinks allows website owners to evaluate their link building efforts and determine which strategies are working and which are not. This information can help guide future link building efforts and improve overall SEO strategy.

Protecting against negative SEO

Negative SEO involves intentionally building low-quality backlinks to a competitor’s website in order to harm their search engine rankings. Monitoring backlinks allows website owners to identify and disavow these harmful links before they can cause damage.

Building relationships with other website owners

Monitoring backlinks can also help website owners build relationships with other website owners in their industry. By reaching out to websites that have linked to their content, website owners can thank them and potentially open up opportunities for future collaborations or backlinks.

Overall, monitoring backlinks is an important aspect of SEO and can help website owners ensure that their link building efforts are having a positive impact on their search engine rankings. It’s important to regularly review and analyze backlinks to identify and address any potential issues.

Tools for Monitoring Backlinks

There are many tools available for monitoring backlinks, ranging from free to paid options. Here are some popular tools for monitoring backlinks:

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that allows website owners to monitor their website’s performance in search results. It also provides information about the websites that link to your website, allowing you to evaluate your backlink profile.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a paid tool that provides comprehensive backlink analysis, including information about the quality and quantity of backlinks, as well as the anchor text used. It also allows you to track your backlink profile over time and monitor any changes.

Moz Pro

Moz Pro is another paid tool that provides backlink analysis and monitoring, as well as other SEO metrics such as keyword rankings and site audits.

SEMrush

SEMrush is a comprehensive SEO tool that includes backlink analysis and monitoring. It also provides information about your website’s organic search traffic, keyword rankings, and other SEO metrics.

Majestic SEO

Majestic SEO is a paid tool that specializes in backlink analysis, providing information about the quality and quantity of backlinks, as well as the anchor text used. It also includes features such as backlink tracking and competitor analysis.

These are just a few examples of the many tools available for monitoring backlinks. It’s important to choose a tool that meets your specific needs and budget, and to regularly review and analyze your backlink profile to ensure that it is helping, rather than harming, your search engine rankings.

Benefits of Monitoring Backlinks

There are several benefits of monitoring backlinks as a part of search engine optimization (SEO) strategy:

Identifying and resolving issues

By monitoring backlinks, you can identify any low-quality or spammy links that could be harming your website’s search engine rankings. This allows you to take corrective action, such as removing the links or disavowing them in Google Search Console.

Tracking your link building efforts

Monitoring backlinks allows you to track the success of your link building efforts and make necessary adjustments. You can see which types of content are attracting the most backlinks, which websites are linking to you, and what keywords they are using as anchor text.

Improving search engine rankings

Backlinks are a key factor in search engine rankings. By monitoring your backlink profile and ensuring that you have high-quality, relevant links, you can improve your website’s search engine rankings and visibility.

Staying ahead of competitors

By monitoring your competitors’ backlink profiles, you can identify their strengths and weaknesses and adjust your own strategy accordingly. You can also find opportunities to acquire new backlinks by reaching out to websites that link to your competitors.

Building relationships with other website owners

Monitoring backlinks allows you to identify websites that link to your content and reach out to them to build relationships. This can lead to future collaborations, guest posting opportunities, and other benefits.

Overall, monitoring backlinks is an important part of an effective SEO strategy. By regularly reviewing and analyzing your backlink profile, you can identify and address issues, track your progress, and improve your website’s search engine rankings and visibility.

Conclusion

In conclusion, backlinks are an important part of search engine optimization (SEO), as they signal to search engines the authority and relevance of a website. However, not all backlinks are created equal, and it’s important to focus on building high-quality, relevant backlinks from authoritative sources.

Monitoring backlinks is also an important aspect of SEO, as it allows website owners to identify and address issues with their backlink profile, track their progress, and stay ahead of competitors. There are many tools available for monitoring backlinks, ranging from free to paid options, and it’s important to choose a tool that meets your specific needs and budget.

Overall, building and monitoring backlinks is a critical component of a successful SEO strategy, and website owners should prioritize this aspect of their online presence to improve their search engine rankings and visibility.

Sourced from SHAREINGER

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