editor, Author at Mediastreet

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Want Engaged Customers? Ditch the Fads and Embrace the Audio Trend

August 10, 2022 No Comments

Use these three ways to help your business leverage audio-based communication events for better buyer engagement.

Technology enables brands to connect with consumers like never before, and changing strategies to best utilize tech is a necessity. Bynder’s 2021 State of Branding Report found more than one-quarter of those surveyed were most concerned with how to successfully reach their audiences in increasingly crowded digital channels.

This worry drives innovation, but just because a marketing strategy is new doesn’t mean it’s effective. Think of Google+ accounts. Keyword-stuffed blog posts. The marketing department junk drawer is filled to the brim with marketing trends that never stuck. Now, it’s time to add static, one-way content to the mix.

What’s the problem with this content? For one, it’s more of the same. How can marketers expect to rise above the noise if they’re only adding more of the same airwaves? There’s no pizzazz. Everything’s controlled. Consumers want magic and excitement, not a carefully planned brand marketing strategy parading as something more off-the-cuff — 80% of viewers prefer to engage with live content rather than pre-recorded pieces, after all.

Certainly, forums such as Instagram and Facebook Live are more interactive. Socialinsider analysed almost 4 million Facebook videos and found that audiences engaged much more readily with live videos: One successful broadcast can crush the engagement metrics of a social media video post. Yet the method is underutilized, as 88% of videos on the platform are pre-recorded. Marketers are already behind the curve on audience engagement, and consumers are moving on to a different kind of interaction: audio events.

Audio events to the rescue

Audio-based mediums such as Clubhouse have been having a heyday over the past few years. According to Influencer Marketing Hub research, about 700,000 Clubhouse rooms pop up every day and become part of the organically developing community. And this is Clubhouse on a bad day — at its height, the platform had almost 10 million monthly downloads.

While Clubhouse’s popularity has waned, other tech giants have risen up with their own iterations of audio spaces, such as Twitter’s Spaces. Launched in late 2020, Spaces claims to enhance the concept of tweeting via the inclusion of live voices. By mid-2021, Spotify had followed suit when its Greenroom hit center stage. Even LinkedIn is testing the waters of the audio scene.

This method is successful because audio streams still carry the weight of “presence” found at a live, in-person event. Users can jump into conversations or just take a backseat and listen in for the scoop. Usually structured freeform rather than with a set agenda, these audio events take on a serendipitous tone.

This isn’t just a trend. With the global health crisis, people have increasingly turned to audio to pass the time. A survey by Sortlist found more than three-quarters of people have increased their consumption of audio content over the past couple of years.

Audio is a new brand marketing strategy that can build thriving communities with everyone from hesitant prospects to raving fans, and companies would be amiss to let this opportunity pass them by.

Below are three ways for businesses to leverage audio-based communication events and get on the bandwagon before it gets anywhere near its zenith.

1. Host exclusive audio rooms

Everyone likes to be the first to know. Depending on what platform you use, audio rooms can limit admittance to select participants. Therefore, they can serve as invite-only experiences to nourish brand loyalty. Even without a video component, participants can get a sense that they’ve been given special access to information not yet available to others.

Community-driven exclusivity has seen huge success with some big brands. Nike brings engagement up by rewarding members using its SNKRS app with drops outside of scheduled releases. Even when using the app, exclusive access isn’t guaranteed, which adds to the thrill of getting a pop-up notification that there is a pair of Jordans with your name on it.

Translate this magic to the audio space with live launch announcements and chatroom giveaways, and you’ve got a formula for marketing success.

2. Promote user-generated audio events

Customers treat reviews from other customers as more valid than company-constructed content. Knowing this, you may want to encourage existing happy customers to moderate or co-organize audio discussions. Don’t assume that this will happen without your input. Tint’s 2022 State of User-Generated Content report found that 6 in 10 people willing to pull together user-generated content want brands to be specific in terms of type and related parameters.

User-generated events have multiple benefits for branding. For one, bringing others into the content creation process allows for greater output and scalability. Furthermore, it can make audiences feel a part of the process. Allowing more people to engage in the brand, especially in creative ways, gives them a sense of belonging. This practice of social brand engagement will increase your number of brand ambassadors — from influencers and hired content partners down through their fanbase (who will eventually become a fan of your brand as well).

3. Conduct Q&A research in audio chatrooms

A final way to get on this marketing trend is by using audio apps as a gathering ground for first-party information and research. Pop-up audio events can be effective environments for conducting focus groups. Customers don’t just want personalization; they expect it. Talking directly to your audience can be quicker and more effective than guessing why a certain tactic hasn’t met the expected ROI. Bringing target audience members into audio events can be a source of innovation.

HubSpot recommends targeting existing audiences for focus groups, as those are often the people already invested in the brand. They may be the first to test new products and initiatives, so why not capitalize on that? Including them in the conversation grows their emotional bond with a brand and allows marketers easy access to a valuable trove of feedback. Going the route of audio rooms can help speakers feel more comfortable. After all, no one knows you’re lounging in your favourite pair of sweatpants in an audio-only call.

But there’s a bigger benefit to audio-only focus groups than not worrying about fixing your hair: Recent research found that groups with only-audio cues communicate and problem-solve more effectively than those streaming video as well. Eliminating the distraction will lead to fewer interruptions and better insights for your brand.

No doubt about it: Audio-based events are having a moment. Just make sure you don’t come late to this party that’s showing so much promise.

By Brett Hyman

Sourced from Entrepreneur

In News

Boost Your Bottom Line With PR And SEO

August 10, 2022 No Comments

By Lis Anderson

Public relations is changing. The media landscape looks very different than it did just two years ago, and savvy PR leaders should be adapting to the modern world.

PR professionals know how to generate interest in a brand and develop trust. Part of this is achieved through writing excellent content that resonates with an audience and placing it on relevant websites.

Search engine optimization (SEO) professionals understand how good content helps a website shoot up the SERPs (search engine results pages) by using carefully planned keywords. Good research means good content that can secure quality backlinks from external outlets.

Combining PR and SEO achieves great and, most importantly, measurable results. Even Google’s John Mueller backs the power of digital PR.

We’ve seen the results for ourselves. We boosted our PR with SEO and have seen the change in the quality of sales leads coming through. So, how did we do it? Here are some of our lessons learned:

First, look at your website. While this is your shop window, it’s also so much more than that. It’s how you attract people to find out more about you, how to establish yourself as a thought leader and how to create trust.

It’s also what Google analyses and decides to place you in search results for keywords. This is where combining PR and SEO can really work. Content is one of the main links between PR and SEO. It is an essential part of SEO to ensure you are found on Google. The higher up the search results you are, the more likely you are to get in front of your target audience.

Well-written content is highly valued by Google. And so are backlinks to your website.

Deliver what your audience wants.

Find out what works for your target audiences by tracking their behavior. Then, create more of the content that is doing well. Some of our metrics include:

• Number of visits to a blog post or service page.

• Bounce rate.

• Time on page.

• Next page that visitors go.

Use Google Analytics to understand how your content is performing as well as the behaviors of your audiences. This is where your SEO team can help. The PR team can take the information and rework the content on-site to ensure it appeals to the audience.

Create copy that resonates.

Boosting the amount of content on-site will help bring in traffic. Google wants to see plenty of fresh content and defined fresh content as:

• Recent events or hot topics.

• Regularly recurring events.

• Frequent updates.

New blog posts are helpful but so are updates to previous blog posts. SEO professionals can review blog posts, analyze backlinks and make suggestions for updating keywords. Savvy PR writers can ensure blog posts are high-quality written content.

This can be done for clients’ websites and also with media outlets. Identify the keywords that drive traffic, review articles to see their traction, and then work with your PR team to create even stronger content.

Turn your website into an important source.

This is another area where the SEO and PR combination can make a real difference. Backlinks are a crucial part of improving the domain authority of a website and, therefore, increasing visibility in search results.

Backlinks come in two forms: dofollow and nofollow. SEO values dofollow links, as these tell Google that the website is happy to share its domain authority with the origin of the link. Nofollow links tell Google that the websites aren’t sharing domain authority. It doesn’t mean that websites with nofollow links should be ignored, however, as they often come from high DA media outlets. Use them to build brand awareness and trust in the brand and website.

Together, they are powerful. Your PR team can be strategic in securing backlinks in the right places for the right audiences.

Research effective content.

PR professionals have close relationships with journalists and editors and know what their contacts are looking for. Many outlets have their own engagement and reach/view targets to hit. PR professionals work with them to produce content that resonates with their audiences.

SEO teams can help research keywords and topics that have value to target audiences. The crossover between the two is the sweet spot and can enhance relationships with media outlets. Your content will bring them the hits and reach they need.

Get techy with your content.

PR can support SEO work on the wider website as well. Meta descriptions are such an important part of SEO. These are the descriptions under the URLs that appear on search engine results pages. They’re important because they can sway someone to click on your link over another one.

Getting the tone of voice right and choosing the right language to communicate key messages is where your PR professionals will excel.

Choosing the right image to illustrate the blog post is also something that PR professionals can help with. PR people are well versed in sourcing images, arranging photoshoots and more. Journalists and editors often expect images, videos, links, etc. from PR professionals as part of a pitch.

Choose a powerful combination that gets you results.

A combined PR and SEO strategy is a long-term strategy that can increase brand awareness and improve the number and quality of leads as a result. They complement each other perfectly and help boost the quality and success of each other’s work. While there is crossover in skills—used in different ways for different ends— they can absolutely support each other.

Feature Image Credit: getty

By Lis Anderson

Lis Anderson is founder and director at PR consultancy AMBITIOUS and an agency MD with over 20 years in the communications industry. Read Lis Anderson’s full executive profile here.

Sourced from Forbes

In News

Why brands are obsessed with building community

August 10, 2022 No Comments

By Terry Nguyen

Brands and creators want customers to be active, engaged fans — and to spend more money.

I can’t pinpoint when I first realized that “community” was morphing into a marketing buzzword. The phrase “building community,” it seemed, was being deployed more frequently by startup founders and their respective brands, rather than by actual members of one. For example, I am currently a member of four Discord “communities,” as they’re called, through paid subscriptions via Patreon and Substack. I contribute absolutely nothing to any of these groups, aside from lurking. I am still considered a member, though, simply because I paid the access fee.

Within such virtual spaces, “community” is a shorthand for interaction — not necessarily belonging. From a business standpoint, community is a means to harness customer loyalty. From fitness companies like Peloton to beauty and fashion brands like Glossier and Victoria’s Secret PINK, brand communities have become essential marketing mechanisms, especially in the direct-to-consumer world where companies rely on social media buzz or personal recommendations to reach new customers. Communities naturally drum up hype for a brand and its products; in some instances, members might even provide feedback for product development and are the first to test new samples.

Being a “Glossier girl,” as its brand ambassadors (and anyone who uses the hashtag) are called, connotes a sense of cool, low-maintenance beauty that can be achieved via a handful of cult products. Into the Gloss, Glossier’s beauty blog, used to function as a sort of community forum, where the team solicited opinions about customers’ ideal facial cleanser and general product feedback.

For a fitness membership service like Peloton, members become informal spokespeople for its lifestyle and slogan (“Motivation that moves you”). In addition to formal Peloton-run member pages and forums, there are hundreds of fan-run Facebook groups, Instagram pages, TikTok accounts, and even Etsy stores devoted to Peloton merch. Many members develop parasocial ties with their favourite instructors and cultivate relationships with members they frequently ride with.

Historically, the relationship between consumers and companies was more transactional and direct. You would seek out an item you needed in a store. You might be put on a mailing list and sent promotional catalogues or coupons every few months, but communication remained relatively sparse. Today, the age of passive consumerism seems to be over. The expectation is to keep patrons active, enthusiastic, and engaged beyond the parameters of the product that they’re offering. Brands want consumers to be fans and follow them on social media, tag them in posts, contribute to private chat channels, and attend in-person events.

In a saturated market where new direct-to-consumer start ups are popping up left and right, customers “want to feel that they’re getting something superior,” said Krystal Melissa Wu, who has worked as a community manager for various tech companies. “Community is not something you can replicate or cultivate overnight.” Digital ad prices are also on the rise, which might incentivize businesses to double down on their existing community of buyers, rather than seek out new ones.

Consumers, too, have become more aware of the mechanics of brand-building. As a result, companies are under pressure to simulate authenticity by leaning into more personalized forms of communication. Fast fashion retailers casually refer to me, a customer, as “babe.” A kitchenware brand texts me when its bestsellers are back in stock. At-home fitness services want me to attend in-person classes and other Manhattan-based community events.

The community model is currently being touted as “the golden child of marketing,” according to Wu. Thanks to social media, “community” has become a definable business metric. Before, marketers were still doing this work, Wu said, through less-publicized in-person events, forums, and chat groups. “It’s always been a way for businesses to reach new and old audiences,” she said. “If we took the spotlight away, communities would still exist. It’s just one of those things that seem more apparent now because of social media.”

We seem especially primed for it now. Once Covid-era restrictions began to be loosened and people started hosting gatherings again, many were restless after extended periods of isolation. Many wanted to socialize, meet new people, and be in community with others. The fervor toward branded community has yet to subside and is only ramping up, especially in spaces like Web3. The Walt Disney Company wants to take it one step further by building residential communities for superfans to reside in.

Still, it’s unrealistic for every brand or online influencer to expect community from customers. People have a limited amount of attention and time. The promise of community begins to feel disingenuous when what’s described is little more than a euphemism for a targeted demographic of interested consumers. Is there any other reason to facilitate community if not for a business to sell more products and accrue more members? Is it possible to find real community beyond the parameters of one’s consumerist interests?

Community, according to the clinical and community psychologist David McMillan, can be defined by four conditions: membership, influence, integration and fulfilment of needs, and shared emotional connection. In Vox reporter Allie Volpe’s piece on finding community, she writes that community members should “feel a sense of belonging (membership), feel like you make a difference to the group and that the group makes a difference to you (influence), feel like your needs will be met by other group members (integration and fulfilment of needs), and feel that you share history, similar experiences, time, and space together (shared emotional connection).”

This list of criteria isn’t always fulfilled in most branded communities, where members might not be invested in the needs of others or share any significant history or life experiences. So why do consumers still gravitate toward and participate in them?

Hugo Amsellem, vice president of community at Jellysmack, a company that works with video creators, believes that this is due to a pervasive lack of community in modern society. “We’re confused about what community should look like,” Amsellem told me. “The only places we find community are at work or at home.”

Over the past few decades, traditional institutions, like organized religion, neighbourhood associations, unions, or service organizations, have diminished in social relevance. Americans are working too much to devote time to community causes and activities beyond the realm of family and work. As a result, people are seeking out products and influencers to fill in this dwindling social gap. Brands, of course, welcome this interest, and many have positioned themselves as a sort of privatized third space to facilitate a sense of community.

Amsellem argues that virtual interactions are only a Band-Aid solution to our community-deficient lives. “Consumers are stuck on this fast loop of content consumption and creation, but they ultimately never find that sense of belonging,” he said. “I do believe that some people find comfort in online communities, but usually, those who are really online are those who feel the loneliest offline. It’s a self-selecting demographic. Being online does not necessarily solve their loneliness or make them feel like part of a group.”

On the internet, users are often driven to form micro-identities based on content or products they consume. As a result, a vague sense of camaraderie can be grown out of online fandoms, even though there’s often no formalized structure to ensure that members’ needs are being met.

“People want to attach themselves to something,” Wu said. “But there has to be an intention for community, rather than it just be a space for people to communicate.” Most fandoms don’t always develop into a community, according to Wu, although having an engaged fan base is a good foundation for brands or influencers. The grocery store Trader Joe’s, for example, has a large online fan base, but the company doesn’t seem interested in leveraging customer interest into a corporate-led community. “With fandoms, it’s more of a self-led space that might be more grassroots where anyone who’s expressed interest can join,” she added. “For community, there needs to be more of a purpose behind interactions or events.”

Wu’s philosophy is in line with the notion of “building community” that many founders and marketing experts emphasize. Still, intentionality doesn’t disguise the transactional nature of belonging that’s central to the existence of many branded communities. This is, in some ways, antithetical to the experience of community; there must be an element of reciprocity among members and an investment in their collective well-being. In some cases, consumers might have enough of an affinity for the brand that they’re unbothered by the economic basis of their belonging. The transaction — or the experience of owning, say, a Glossier product or a Peloton bike — leads them to feel like part of a specialized in-group. However, the conditions of membership remain contingent on the individual’s relationship with the brand, rather than other members.

When Anna Gát founded InterIntellect, a platform that hosts virtual salon-style conversations, she was determined to not focus on community just for the sake of accumulating more members.

“We started hosting events and salons first before we saw a community of interested members grow around these gatherings,” she told me. “I think it’s really important for every community, even if it’s led by a brand or platform, to have a telos or raison d’être. InterIntellect is a community because the people there want to share in cultural abundance, learning, pleasure with others without it being super expensive, inaccessible, or bound to geography.”

Most InterIntellect events (both in-person and virtual) are open to the public for a small fee; attendees don’t have to stay in touch or participate in the community any further than the event. For those who remain interested or keep showing up to events, they have the opportunity to pay a monthly or annual membership fee to join the InterIntellect Discord and receive discounted or free access to salons.

The fee, Gát said, ensures a base level of engagement among community members: “I believe in thoughtful monetization, so that people can check themselves and their commitments before signing up for something.” The money also goes toward staffing and future events, she added, so it feels less like a patronage model where money goes toward “talent” and more like a pooling of resources to benefit the collective.

Communities can naturally form in all sorts of social circumstances, but they often need a formalized structure to expand and sustain. This is where the guidance of community managers might come in, according to Wu. Ten Little, for example, is a kids shoe retailer that also operates a private community forum where parents can connect with childcare experts and other parents. The forum provides added value to Ten Little and has become the basis for its community, with a mission of providing a “safe, judgment-free space for all things parenting.”

Meanwhile, Victoria’s Secret PINK recruits college-aged students to serve as campus reps, encouraging them to build an empowering campus community while promoting the brand’s apparel. Most of these students likely would not have been in community with one another, if not for their affinity for the brand. Still, the presence of campus reps, aided by PINK, allows them to establish a community-like structure through branded events, giveaways, and occasional community service.

More businesses have now recognized the benefits of community. It’s a worthwhile investment that can help maintain customer loyalty and interest. However, most people have limited bandwidth; many likely aren’t a part of more than one community while attending to work and family life. Amsellem, who oversees community at Jellysmack, warns of the potential for “community fatigue” with the proliferation of branded micro-groups, which aren’t always invested in members’ well-being.

“This is not just happening online,” he said. “If you think of the workplace as a community, the employment churn is a form of community fatigue. If you look at the rate of Americans moving to different cities or neighborhoods, that’s also community fatigue.”

Branded groups and fandoms might fulfill the social function of community, but they satisfy a fleeting need. Investment and time are required to establish a foundation for lasting community; members need to feel as if they have a shared emotional connection, not just an affinity toward a product or brand, but with each other. It’s rare to come across this collective third space that blends together the public and private, Gát said.

“You can’t think of community as a zero-sum game, even if people are paying for it,” she said. “I see a world where online and offline communities can coexist in a person’s life. We should encourage people to negotiate their time with the things they love, while also giving them space to explore in a healthy way.”

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images

By Terry Nguyen

Sourced from Vox

In News

4 surprising billboards to make you stop and stare

August 9, 2022 No Comments

By Amelia Bamsey

Here’s how to design a billboard.

Before the age of social media, the likes of billboards and posters dominated the advertising world. And while they’re not as popular as they once were, some clever print designs still pack an impactful punch, and the designs in this roundup are some of the best we’ve ever seen.

We’ve assembled the four most surprising billboard designs that’d be sure to make you stop and stare in the street. And if you can’t get enough of these designs, you’ll love our more extensive roundup of the best billboard advertising, and might also enjoy the spooky upside-down Stranger Things billboard.

01. Wee Billboard

Elvie billboard showing weightlifting woman appearing to pee — (Image credit: Elvie)

Yep, you read that correctly, this billboard actually urinates (well, not actually, it just secretes water). It’s safe to say we haven’t ever seen a billboard that wees before, so it should come as no surprise that we’ve added it to our list. This provocative design is promoting Elvie, the women’s health brand, which is trying to raise awareness for mild and minor incontinence.

At first glance, it looks like an unassuming ad but the closer you get, the more you realise that the billboard is making quite the splash. As the weightlifter in the design squats, it begins to leak from the groin area and onto the street below – yucky, but a genius way to capture people’s attention.

02. Adidas underwater billboard

Now, this might look like an underwater-themed billboard, but surprisingly enough, that’s actual water. Adidas set up the swimming pool-cum-billboard on a beach in Dubai to encourage women to get in and have a swim, as a way to help combat body confidence issues.

The billboard box is full of over 11,500 gallons of water and I don’t know about you, but the design kind of reminds me of a Damien Hirst design.

03. Specsavers billboard

The Specsavers billboard — These billboard were one big genius mistake (Image credit: The Agency/Specsavers)

You may think that this Specsavers billboard just looks like one big mistake – and you’d be correct. These genius designs may look like a big fat mishap, but of course, they’re part of Specsavers’ famous ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ campaign.

Some of the billboards in this collection look as though they’ve been printed the wrong way up, while others look as though they’ve accidentally plastered ladders into the design. If I’d seen these designs on the streets of London and Leeds, then I may have thought that street artist Banksy was responsible for them.

04. Bee Billboard

Now McDonald’s is renowned for some of its brilliant advertising campaigns, and this might just be my favourite. The fast food chain in Sweden released a number of billboards that weren’t just promoting Big Macs and Fries, but actually doubling up as a home for bees.

The billboards, aptly named the ‘McHives‘, were fully functioning beehives. The ads were made of big wooden panels with holes drilled into them, and were created to help support the Swedish wild bees that were under threat because of the lack of rest areas nearby – how cute.

By Amelia Bamsey

Sourced from CREATIVE BLOQ

In News

Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Website Traffic

August 9, 2022 No Comments

By Erik Emanuelli

Are you looking for ways to increase your website traffic? If so, you’re in the right place!

In this post, we will discuss tips that will help drive more visitors to your site.

Traffic is essential for any business – without it, your website won’t be able to generate sales or leads.

1. Have a Business Blog

A business blog is one of the best ways to generate traffic to your website.

By creating quality content relevant to your target audience, you will be able to attract readers interested in what you have to say.

Not only will this help you increase traffic, but it will also help you build relationships with potential customers.

Here are a few tips for creating a successful business blog:

Write quality content that is interesting and informative
Use keyword-rich titles that will help your posts rank in search engines
Promote your blog articles through social media and email marketing
Engage with your readers by responding to comments and questions

2. Create Engaging Visuals

People are visual creatures and are more likely to remember something if an image accompanies it.

When you create blog posts, include images, infographics, or videos to help your readers understand and remember your content.

In addition to using visuals in your blog posts, you can also use them in your email marketing and social media campaigns.

By creating engaging visuals, you will be able to increase traffic to your website as well as improve your conversion rate.

Here are a few tips for creating engaging visuals:

Use high-quality images that are relevant to your content
Make sure your visuals are attention-grabbing and easy to understand
Include a call-to-action with each visual
Test different visuals to see what works best for your audience
Use a mixture of visuals in your marketing campaigns

3. Leverage the Power of Video

Video is one of the most powerful tools you can use to generate traffic to your website.

People love watching videos and are likelier to watch a video than read a blog post or article.

In addition, videos are more likely to be shared on social media than other types of content.

If you want to increase traffic to your website, start creating videos that are relevant to your target audience.

Here are a few tips for creating successful videos:

Create videos that are informative and entertaining
Keep your videos short and to the point
Optimize your videos for search engines
Promote your videos through social media and email marketing
Post them on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo
Engage with your viewers by responding to comments and questions

4. Target Long-Tail Keywords

If you want to generate traffic from search engines, you need to target the right keywords.

Most businesses make the mistake of targeting short-tail keywords that are highly competitive.

While there is nothing wrong with targeting these keywords, you will have a much easier time ranking for long-tail keywords.

Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific, making them less competitive.

For example, if you sell shoes, a short-tail keyword would be “shoes.”

A long-tail keyword would be “women’s size 11 black dress shoes.”

Here are a few tips for targeting long-tail keywords:

Use keyword research tools like Google AdWords Keyword Planner and Moz Keyword Explorer
Identify what your target audience is searching for
Create content that is relevant to your target keywords
Include your target keywords in your title, meta tags, and header
Use keyword-rich titles that will help your posts rank in search engines

5. Build Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites to your website.

They are an essential ranking factor in search engines and can also help you generate traffic.

The more backlinks you have, the higher your website will rank in search results.

In addition, backlinks can help you build relationships with other webmasters and influencers.

Start building backlinks if you want to generate traffic and improve your search engine ranking.

Here are a few tips for building backlinks:

Identify websites that are relevant to your niche
Reach out to webmasters and ask for links
Create informative and engaging content that other webmasters will want to link to
Submit your website to directories and web listings
Participate in forums and discussion groups

6. Use Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a type of marketing that focuses on using influencers to promote your brand.

An influencer is someone with a large following on social media or another online platform.

They can help you generate traffic, leads, and sales.

To use influencer marketing, start by identifying relevant influencers in your industry.

Then reach out to them and ask if they would be interested in promoting your brand.

Here are a few tips for using influencer marketing:

Identify relevant influencers in your industry
Reach out to them and ask if they would be interested in promoting your brand
Create content that is shareable and relevant to their audience
Offer them something in return for promoting your brand
Monitor your results and adjust your strategy as needed

7. Build an Email List

Email marketing is a great way to generate traffic and leads.

Email marketing lets you stay in touch with your target audience and promote your brand.

In addition, email marketing can help you build relationships with your customers and prospects.

If you want to use email marketing to generate traffic, start by building an email list.

To build an email list, you must collect your target audience’s email addresses.

There are a few ways to do this:

Use sign-up forms on your website and blog
Include a call-to-action in your emails
Offer something of value in exchange for email addresses
Be sure to include a call-to-action in your emails so that your recipients know what you want them to do.
Make sure your emails are informative and engaging.

8. Use Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is great for generating website traffic, building relationships, and improving your search engine ranking.

When you guest blog, you write an article for another website in your industry.

This gives you exposure to their audience and can help you build relationships with other webmasters.

In addition, guest blogging can help you generate traffic and improve your search engine ranking.

Here are a few tips for using guest blogging:

Identify websites that accept guest blogs
Reach out to them and pitch your ideas
Write informative and engaging articles
Include a call-to-action in your bio

9. Use Social Media

Social media is great for generating traffic, building relationships, and improving your search engine ranking.

When you use social media, you can connect with your target audience and promote your brand.

In addition, social media can help you build relationships with other webmasters and influencers.

Here are a few tips for using social media:

Identify the social media platforms that are relevant to your niche
Create informative and engaging content
Engage with other users on the platform
Include links to your website in your profile
Monitor your results and adjust your strategy as needed
Use hashtags to reach a wider audience
Participate in groups and forums
Use social media ads

10. Track, Analyse, and Repeat

The most essential part of any traffic-building strategy is to track your results.

You need to know what is working and what is not.

Without tracking, you will not be able to improve your results.

There are a few things you should track:

website traffic
leads
sales
conversions

To track your results, you need to use web analytics tools.

Many web analytics tools are available, but Google Analytics is the most popular.

Once you have set up tracking, you need to analyse your results.

Look at your web traffic and see where it is coming from.

Then look at your leads and sales.

Finally, look at your conversion rate.

Once you have analysed your results, you need to adjust your strategy.

Make changes to your website, content, and marketing campaigns.

Then track your results again and repeat the process.

Final Words

Website traffic is essential if you want to succeed online.

There are many ways to get more visitors, but not all of them are effective.

To build traffic that converts, you need to focus on creating shareable content, building relationships, and tracking your results.

Following these tips can generate the traffic you need to succeed.

What are your favourite traffic-building strategies? Let us know in the comments below.

By Erik Emanuelli

Erik Emanuelli is an online marketer who has been blogging since 2010. Be sure to check his website for free SEO resources.

Sourced from readwrite

In News

Your LinkedIn profile has a hiring feature you’re probably not using

August 9, 2022 No Comments

Sourced from Syfter

After helping thousands of hiring managers fill thousands of roles, I know first hand how difficult it can be to hire. When it’s time to make your next critical hire, in this crazy market, you don’t want to leave any stone unturned or possibly lose your budget.

Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that can have the biggest impact. Social media platforms are constantly changing, and no one is there to take the time to walk you through them. (Until now…lol) I’m going to provide you a step-by-step guide on how to hire by simply using your LinkedIn profile…

1. Post your job on your personal LinkedIn profile.

Did you know that posting a job from your company’s page costs money, but posting it from your own profile is totally free? Let me show you how.

The first thing you need to do is go to your LinkedIn profile. Under your photo, you’ll see a blue button that says “Open To.” Click that blue button, and select the third option – “Hiring.”

Once you select “Hiring,” you can click the button that will appear: “Create a new job.”

Then, you’ll be taken to fill out the details of your job posting. You’ll need the job title; whether your job is onsite, remote, or hybrid; the job location; if it’s full-time, part-time, freelance, etc.; and the job description you want to post.

You’ll notice at the bottom here that once you post your job, you’ll automatically get that purple #Hiring frame for your profile picture

Once you’ve hit “Create and add to profile,” anyone who clicks on your profile will see this:

Once you create the job posting, you can share the post just like you would share any other post on Linkedin. Once you’ve done that, encourage your colleagues to share and like the post. In addition, go into your LinkedIn groups and spend more time posting and networking on topics relevant to the job that you posted. That way, anyone that is intrigued by your content can see the Hiring frame on your profile picture, and they’ll be able to click on your profile and apply directly to your job.

I hope this was helpful for you in trying to be innovative in making your next hire. If you want to take it a step further, here is some in-depth guidance on how to perfect your LinkedIn profile.

Sourced from Syfter

In News

Your internet life needs a Feeds Reboot — here’s how to do it

August 8, 2022 No Comments

By David Pierce

Once a year, spend some time taking back your algorithms

For the last few years, I’ve chosen one weekend day a year to undertake what I’ve come to call a Feeds Reboot. I try to systematically go through every subscription, every follow, every algorithmically or chronologically generated thing I see on social platforms, streaming services, and news apps, and reset or at least review the way it works. I can’t recommend this enough.

Every time I do a Feeds Reboot, I notice a huge uptick in how interesting and relevant I suddenly find the internet. Does it then spend the next 364 days slowly degrading back into a morass from which I will try and extricate myself next year? Yep! But I’m still making progress.

The point of a Feeds Reboot is to be more intentional about the internet. It’s not the same as a privacy audit, which is also a good thing to do every year; rather, it’s a way to change what you see online. Odds are, some of what’s in your feeds — the creators on YouTube, the out-there old friends on Facebook, the inescapable dance crazes on your TikTok For You page — is the result of something you commented on, liked, or just happened to watch many months or years ago. The reboot gives you a chance to start fresh, to declare to the internet that you are no longer the person you once were, and to take more control over the algorithms that run so much of your life.

My process has gotten more complicated over time and now includes three steps: the Following Audit, the Mass Archive, and a more complicated step I’ve come to call the Feeds Reboot Pro Max.

The Following Audit is tedious but really simple: just assess everything you follow everywhere. Go through your following list on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram, look at all the sources you follow on RSS, check all your Discord memberships, look at all the newsletters you get, scroll through your podcast subscriptions, and check all the bands you follow on Spotify to make sure you still care. Don’t worry about adding better stuff since that tends to happen naturally over time. Just delete everything you don’t want, and make sure you’re only signed up for stuff you actually care about.

The next step is the Mass Archive, which is exactly what it sounds like. Do you have a million emails in your inbox? Do you have a read-it-later app chock-full of stuff you haven’t gotten to yet? How many unviewed Snaps do you have in your list? There’s only one way forward: get rid of all of it. You can delete it all if you’re feeling chaotic or just make a folder called “Archive” and dump everything in. That way it’ll all still be there if you need it… but you won’t. That’s the point.

If you just do those two things, you’ll notice almost immediately that your online life feels more relevant and less overloaded. It always takes the longest the first time since you have a lifetime of feed choices to look at; every year after that is much quicker.

The Feeds Reboot Pro Max is the next step in taking control of your algorithms. It involves looking into how various social algorithms already understand what you like and care about and tweaking them whenever possible.

Not every app lets you do this — TikTok, for instance, won’t give you any control at all over what you see. But some apps do offer more fine-grained control over the algorithm. I’ve included the steps for their mobile apps, though you can sometimes get to the same information in a browser. (And, with YouTube and Facebook in particular, it’s much easier to do some bulk actions on a laptop.) Here they are, in no particular order:

YouTube

Go to your Library tab, then select View All above your watch history. Scroll back through everything you’ve watched, hit the three-dot button on the right side, and select Remove from watch history to also take it out of your recommendation pool.
Or go nuclear: go to Settings, then History & privacy, and just click Clear watch history to wipe the whole thing and start over.
You can also click on Manage all activity and tell YouTube (and other Google services) to purge all your activity after a certain period of time. I have mine set to 18 months, but you can also choose three months or three years of data for Google to keep around.

Instagram

Go to Settings, then Ads, and then Ad Topics to see a list of all the categories advertisers can use to reach you. If you see one you don’t want, tap on it and select See Less.
Go to your profile, tap on Following in the top right, and tap on the Least Interacted With category. Unfollow everything in there you don’t want anymore.

Facebook

Go to Settings & privacy > Settings and select Your Time on Facebook. Hit See Settings under Get More From Your Time, then tap News Feed Preferences, and either add or remove people from your Favourites and Unfollow lists to control how often they appear in your feed. (Unfollowing people without unfriending them remains an underrated tactic on Facebook.)
Go to Settings & privacy > Settings, look for Permissions, and select Ad preferences. Select Ad Topics at the top of the page, and you can see and edit all the topics Facebook tells advertisers you’re into. (This list mirrors the one on Instagram, by the way, so you should only need to tweak it in one place.)

Twitter

Go to Settings > Privacy and safety, select Content you see, and review both the Topics and the Interests Twitter has for you. Unfollow the ones you no longer want, and opt in to the suggested topics that sound most interesting.

Go to Settings & Privacy > Advertising data, then select Interest categories. You’ll be presented with everything LinkedIn thinks you care about and can turn off any you don’t.

Streaming services

Most streaming services have a feature — usually under some phrase like “Watch history” or in the menu where you manage your Continue Watching section — that lets you control what the service uses to inform your recommendations. I would do this on all your services more often than once a year.
In Netflix, for instance, it only works on the web: under your profile picture, go to your Account, look for your profile picture in Profile & Parental Controls, then select Viewing activity. Click on the Hide icon next to anything you’d rather not show up in your viewing history or inform your recommendations going forward.

Some folks I’ve talked to over the years recommend a more scorched-earth version of a Feeds Reboot. They say you should just periodically unfollow everyone everywhere and rebuild all your feeds naturally going forward. That feels like overkill to me, but the purpose is the same. Modern life is run by feeds and algorithms, and if you don’t tend to your inputs, you’ll eventually grow to hate the outputs.

The real onus here should be on the platforms themselves to make this process simpler and more transparent — to tell you more about what they know and let you change it. Facebook is probably the model here: a lot of its information is buried deep in settings menus, but you can see and edit everything from your search history to a detailed list of everything the platform thinks you care about.

Until then, there’s the Feeds Reboot. It’s an excellent weekend project for a long weekend like this one.

Feature Image Credit: Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

By David Pierce

Sourced from The Verge

In News

How To Build Your Content Marketing Strategy for the Future

August 8, 2022 No Comments

By Connor Cohen

The conversation around content creation and strategizing is trending, with many companies debating whether they need a content marketing strategy or whether it’s a waste of time, money, and resources. However, it is a relatively new concept, and older professionals in the marketing industry are still not convinced that it is just as vital as the other traditional forms of marketing.

If you don’t have a digital content marketing strategy in this day and age, you might be left behind. Whether your company is just starting or is already firmly established in the market, it needs a quality, consistent and relevant digital presence.

Why? Because now more than ever, people are using their phones and other devices as a tool to find information, solutions, and service providers. According to a February 2021 research study, nearly half of the respondents said they spent five to six hours per day on their phone, not including work-related cell phone use. Another 22% of respondents said they spent three to four hours per day on their phones on average.

The marketing transition

In the past, when people needed work done, they relied on referrals and yellow pages. However, today’s service bidders rely on referrals and word of mouth less frequently than recent years. In fact, referrals fell by over 16% in the last five years. It appears that, the holy grail of corporate development for aeons, is losing its clout as the business world unfolds.

Now that we know how critical your digital presence is, let us look at what a digital content strategy is and what it means for businesses.

What is a digital content strategy?

A content strategy is a framework that assists businesses in curating, managing, distributing, and promoting valuable digital content. It’s a way to ensure that the organization’s digital content is consistent with its overall goals and strategy.

People’s perception of an online presence usually starts and ends with a company website, but it is much more than that. Your digital presence includes a company website, social media platforms, eBooks, video interviews, podcasts, case studies and success stories, infographics, blog posts, webinars, emails, presentations, and whitepapers.

The digital content creation mistake

Some companies shy away from creating a digital content strategy because they don’t know where to begin or what it entails. That’s why they make the mistake of only sharing content when it’s available, for example, when they have a new product, service or upgrade available. The truth is, you are not harnessing your company’s true potential.

With competition increasing, you have to ensure that you stay on the radar of your potential buyers. How? By providing information and solutions outside of the services and products you provide. Your goal is to be the first brand that comes to mind when a business or consumer needs a service or product.

Before you sit down to create a strategy, you need to consider the following questions to grasp a rough idea of the direction you want your digital content to take.

Why am I designing this content strategy?

What are you trying to achieve by putting together a digital content strategy? You don’t need to have one hundred reasons before starting – two to five will do. For example, are you trying to increase brand awareness and generate leads or sales?

Who is my target audience?

It would help if you had a clear idea of whom you are curating this content for. Understanding who your target audience is can help with decision making and allows you to narrow down your choices. For example, knowing your target audience or buyer persona will determine the type of content you put out, the tone of your content, and what channels you use to distribute content.

What kind of content are they interested in?

As we mentioned earlier, there are different types of content available that you can use in your digital strategies, like blog posts, podcasts, videos, among others. Find out which type of content is most popular with your target audience and focus on that through market research. Keep in mind that you need more than one type. Even if you have one or two sure choices, try to have a mix.

If, for instance, you are a clothing brand targeting 16–25-year-olds, short videos and pictures are a great way to grab their audience. You can also write short blog posts about quick ways to style their outfits or color block.

Where do they usually search for this kind of content?

You might develop unique and valuable content, but if it’s on platforms your customers do not frequent, it is as good as useless. Carry out surveys and polls and let your customers fill out questionnaires ranking their most addictive and popular apps and platforms so you know where you should publish your content.

How often should I publish this content?

It is essential to strike a balance between being persuasive and not being irritating. You want your potential customers to always have your brand in mind, but you do not want them to find you annoying and too persistent.

For example, if you choose to connect to your clients through email marketing, do not send them emails every single day. Even if your content is valuable, they may unsubscribe from it as it could become a bit of a nuisance. So instead, let your clients consume your information in doses.

Who will be curating this content?

This is a critical decision because it will determine the type of content you put out. Just because you know everything there is to know about starting an eCommerce store, it does not automatically mean you have the skill to write blog posts or eBooks about it. But, if you do, that’s perfect.

If you do not know how to use this knowledge to produce insightful and valuable content, you can outsource it to different content creators like writers, influencers, and videographers. In addition, you can hand over this task if you have an in-house content creation team.

Why is good content important?

It asserts your company as a thought leader

If you googled ‘how to lose ten pounds in a month’ and found a simple program that worked, and then ‘how to grow your glutes’ a few weeks later, and it also worked, chances are, you will start to rely on that source for your fitness needs.

By putting out informative and valuable content, you show your target audience that you know what you are talking about. Good content makes it easy for you to stand out from the hundreds of companies providing the same product or service.

It is an SEO tool

If you are in the digital content creation business, you know a thing or two about SEO. Search engine optimization is a tool that boosts a website or web pages chances of showing up at the top of search engine results.

The more you publish your content and strategically place keywords that your audience usually searches for, the higher the chances that your brand will be noticed, hence creating new leads.

One way to do this is through publishing evergreen content, both written and video. Why? Because it’s timeless and is relevant all-year round.

Evergreen content examples

How To…
Tips & Tricks
Product reviews
Guides / Recipes
Top ten…
FAQ’s

It attracts new leads

Good content is a promotional tactic on its own. If you consistently put out quality content, you attract serious clients interested in your services or solutions. Your content will walk into recruitment meetings before you even go in for a pitch.

It increases brand awareness

Unless you build rockets or are Lewis Hamilton, chances are there are hundreds or thousands of people who can provide the services or products you do. So, if your goal is to be a class apart from the competition, you must publish well-thought-out content. The more you create helpful content and publish it across multiple platforms, the higher your chances are of growing a more prominent and broader following.

High-quality content has the potential to influence purchasing behavior

If you believe that advertisements influence buyers more than article content on the internet, you are mistaken.

In fact, 7 out of 10 buyers prefer to learn about a business or brand through articles rather than advertisements. This fact demonstrates that article-type content delivered via a company blog or other content marketing mediums is the preferred approach for customers to learn about products and services. Why? It allows you to have more of a voice, style or flair, and story than typical ‘professional’ web pages.

Why is good content distribution essential?

Content distribution is a tactical approach to delivering content to your target audience through various channels. It entails publishing, sharing, and promoting high-quality content in strategic locations where people can actively and successfully engage with it. There are three main distribution channels: owned, earned and paid.

Owned

These are the networks your business owns and has total control over, like your website, blog, email or newsletter, and social media accounts.

Earned

Earned channels encompass third parties who share or promote your content at no cost—for instance, social media mentions, reposts, shares, guest blogs, and product reviews.

Paid

Some channels are not freely accessible. You have to pay to distribute your content to a highly targeted and specific audience. For example, pay-per-click ads, sponsored content and paid influencer content or ads on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google, and Instagram.

In marketing, content is king and distribution is queen – they are part and parcel of any digital content creation strategy and need to be handled tactically. We’ve seen a rapid influx of content met with shrinking demand in recent years. We can only consume so much information with almost 4.5 million blog posts published every day. As a result of this content shock, your distribution plan should be strategic and well-thought-out if it’s to be effective.

The beauty of a digital content and distribution strategy is flexibility. You can adjust it as you go depending on the metrics and results. If you try one channel and it fails, try another one or a mix until it is just right.

Companies that tweak their distribution strategy until it’s perfect enjoy perks like increased brand awareness, recognition, lead generation, increased sales, and revenue. The starting point is to get people to talk about your brand, trust it and rely on it as an authority figure. Then, you can start leveraging these benefits to boost revenue and sales.

Social media content strategy

Social media is the perfect marketing tool right now. With new and popular apps popping up every other day, brands have an excellent opportunity to capitalize on the frenzy to grow their businesses and brand awareness. For example, Instagram and TikTok have emerged as two of the most addictive content creation and sharing apps, with YouTube retaining its power and influence.

Video content should form at least part of your content distribution strategy because it is one of the best ways to truly show potential customers your core values, purpose, goals and objectives. In addition, videos are an excellent way to tell your story and inspire an emotional and psychological connection with your customers.

Furthermore, you can combine your YouTube content strategy with a case study to accurately depict your business solutions and services.

YouTube is the most profitable video sharing and viewing platform, with 2.3 billion people accessing it each month. If you can invest in a good videographer and content development team, you can leverage your social media platforms to boost the subscription and viewership for your YouTube channel.

By Connor Cohen

Sourced from The Drum

In News

How to Make Money on Pinterest Without a Blog: 8 Eye-Opening Ways

August 8, 2022 No Comments

By Trevor Sinclair

Pinterest has taken the internet by storm over the years. The visual search engine, which allows users to “pin” images and ideas onto virtual boards, is a go-to source of inspiration for millions of people around the world. It’s no wonder people want to know how to make money on Pinterest without a blog!

And it’s not just a passing fad – Pinterest is here to stay. In fact, it looks like it’s only going to get bigger and more popular.

This is good news for anyone looking to make money on Pinterest. As the old marketing saying goes, “Where attention goes, money flows.” Whether you’re selling physical products or promoting your services as a freelancer or small business owner, there’s a way to tap into this goldmine of traffic and customers.

So, if you’re looking to cash in on the Pinterest craze, read on for some tips on how to make money on Pinterest without a blog!

Why Use Pinterest To Make Money?

The key to making money on Pinterest lies in understanding the platform’s demographics.

It’s a place where people go to discover

Unlike other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, where users go to catch up with friends and family or consume news, Pinterest is all about inspiration. People come to the site when they are in the mood to be creative, try new things, or research a purchase.

As a result, Pinterest has become an invaluable tool for businesses. In fact, 97% of the top searches on Pinterest are unbranded, meaning people are open to discovering new products and services.

This presents a massive opportunity for businesses to reach a vast audience of potential customers. In addition, the visual nature of Pinterest makes it ideal for promoting products and services.

People who use Pinterest are avid shoppers

As any marketer knows, avid shoppers are the key to a successful business. And no group of shoppers is more passionate than those who use Pinterest. For people who use Pinterest, shopping is a lifestyle.

They’re always on the lookout for new products, and they’re quick to jump on trends. In Pinterest’s Feed Optimization Playbook, data company Dynata conducted a poll and discovered that 75% of weekly Pinterest users say they’re constantly shopping.

Moreover, they’re not afraid to spend money – they see shopping as an investment, not a luxury.

As a result, Pinterest is a marketer’s dream. Not only does it provide a captive audience of shoppers, but it also gives businesses a direct way to reach them.

With its powerful search engine and easy-to-use tools, Pinterest is the perfect platform for marketers who want to tap into the power of social shopping.

High-earning demographic

Pinterest may be a place to find recipes and DIY projects, but it’s also a hot spot for high-earning social users. According to data from Hootsuite, 45% of social users with a household income over $100K are active on Pinterest.

That makes it a not-so-hidden gem for advertisers who want to put their products and services in front of people who can afford them. So, why is Pinterest such a popular platform for high earners?

For one, it’s a visual platform that allows users to quickly browse and discover new products and ideas. In addition, Pinterest has a strong focus on lifestyle content, which is particularly appealing to users with high disposable incomes. So, if you’re looking to reach an affluent audience, Pinterest is worth considering.

How To Make Money On Pinterest Without A Blog: 8 Ridiculously Useful Ways

Now can you see how powerful Pinterest is as a tool for making money? If you don’t have a blog, don’t worry – there are plenty of ways to make money on Pinterest.

Here are some of the best ways to make money on Pinterest without a blog:

Sell Physical Products

One of the simplest and most effective ways to make money on Pinterest is to sell physical products. If you have a product that you think would appeal to Pinterest users, all you need to do is set up a shop and start promoting your products.

Examples of products are:

Clothes
Jewellery
Artwork
Home decor
Furniture

You can direct users to an Etsy store, Amazon, or Shopify store, or even your simple landing page with PayPal checkout. It is essential to make it easy for users to buy your products.

To get started, you’ll need to create high-quality pins that show off your products in all their glory. Remember, Pinterest is a visual platform, so your pins must be eye-catching and visually appealing.

In addition, you’ll need to create compelling descriptions of your products and include relevant keywords to ensure that your pins are easy to find.

If you want to take things a step further, you can create product videos and include them in your pins. Video is a powerful marketing tool that can help you reach a broader audience on Pinterest.

Print on Demand: Highly Recommended Method To Sell Physical Products

Print on demand (POD) is a printing technology that allows you to print products only when you receive an order, without carrying inventory. This is in contrast to traditional methods where you would print products in bulk and then hope to sell them all.

It also allows you to create customized products (in low competition niches), which can be a significant selling point. For example, you could create a custom mug with someone’s name or favorite quote.

In short, POD is a strong business because it eliminates a lot of risk!

First, it eliminates the need to invest in inventory, which can tie up a lot of capital.

Second, it reduces the risk of being stuck with unsold products.

Third, it allows businesses to respond quickly to changes in customer demand. For example, if a Pinterest user sees a shirt they like and wants to buy it, a print-on-demand company can print and ship it within a few days.

This flexibility and responsiveness are some of the main reasons why print on demand is such a robust business model.

In addition, print-on-demand companies often have no minimum order requirement so that businesses can test out new product designs with very little upfront investment.

When someone orders a product from your shop, you simply send the order to your POD provider, who will print and ship the product to the customer. With POD, you only pay for the ordered products, so there is very little overhead cost. This makes it an extremely efficient way to earn an online income.

Many people have found Printful to be a very user-friendly POD service.

Try Printful Here

Sell Digital Products

If you don’t have any physical products, don’t worry – you can still make money on Pinterest by selling digital products.

Digital products are perfect for Pinterest because they can be delivered instantly, which means there’s no shipping or waiting involved.

Some examples of digital products that you could sell on Pinterest include:

Ebooks
Online courses
Printables
Graphics and templates

To get started, all you need to do is create a pin that promotes your digital product. Include a compelling description and an eye-catching image, and be sure to include a link to where users can buy your product. If you’re wondering how to make money on Pinterest without a blog, this is one of the most effective methods.

Pinterest Affiliate Marketing

One of the best ways to monetize Pinterest is through affiliate marketing. Pinterest affiliate marketing is the process of earning a commission by promoting another person’s product.

Here are some reasons why you should monetize Pinterest using affiliate marketing:

Commission structures can be very generous
There is a wide range of products to choose from
You don’t need your product
It’s a low-risk way to start your business
You don’t need to fulfil orders
You don’t need to provide any post-sale service

All you need to do is find products that appeal to your target audience and create pins that promote those products. Then, when someone clicks on your pin, they will proceed to your affiliate link and buy the product.

It’s a win-win – the advertiser gets more sales, and you get to earn some money for promoting their product.

To start with Pinterest affiliate marketing, you’ll need to sign up for an affiliate program within a particular niche. Once you’re approved, you’ll be given a unique affiliate link that you can use to promote products.

When someone clicks on your affiliate link and buys a product, you’ll earn money (as a percentage of the sale). It’s that simple! Just be sure to promote products that are relevant to your audience and that you believe in. Otherwise, you run the risk of alienating your followers.

Choose a Niche For Your Pinterest Account

When it comes to affiliate marketing, choosing the right niche is essential. Not only will this help you focus your efforts and find potential customers, but it will also ensure that you’re able to stand out from the competition. So, how do you select the perfect niche for your affiliate marketing business?

Here are a few tips:

1. Start by brainstorming a list of potential niches. What interests you? What are you passionate about? What do you have experience in?

2. Once you have a list of potential niches, research each one to see if a market exists. For example, are people searching for information on this topic (particularly on Pinterest)? Are there already a lot of affiliate marketers working in this space?

3. Take a look at the competition. How crowded is the niche you’re considering? Are there already a lot of big players in the space?

If so, you may want to consider choosing a different niche. Alternatively, if the niche is fairly new or lightly populated, that could be an opportunity for you to get in early and become a leading voice in the space.

Competition isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it proves that a market already exists. However, if the market is saturated already, it may be difficult for you to make a name for yourself.

4. Narrow down your list to a handful of promising niches, and then dive into each one. Learn as much as you can about the ins and outs of the niche. This will help you determine if it’s something you’re genuinely passionate about and if there’s enough demand to justify launching an affiliate marketing business in this space.

5. This is an important one – think about how you will monetize the niche! What types of products or services are people in this niche buying? How can you promote those products or services and earn a commission?

This is an essential piece of the puzzle, and it’s one that many people overlook. If you can’t think of a way to monetize the niche, then it’s probably not worth pursuing.

6. Make your final decision and get started! The most important thing is to choose a niche you’re passionate about and believe there’s a market for. Once you’ve done that, the rest will fall into place.

Set up your Pinterest Account profile

No matter what you’re promoting on Pinterest- whether it’s a digital product, physical product, your product, or an affiliate product – you’re going to set up your Pinterest profile similarly.

Here’s how it would work: first, you would choose a niche – let’s say pets. Then you would set up a profile all about pets, including boards filled with pins on the latest training methods, healthy pet treats, and the best chew toys.

This example is a quality example!

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Choose a catchy name and profile photo for your Pinterest business account. Make sure your name is easy to remember and pronounce and that your photo represents the type of products you’ll be promoting.

2. Create Pinterest boards that showcase your style. Organize your pins into Pinterest boards that reflect your taste and the types of products you’ll be featuring.

For example, you might have a Pinterest board for pet food, one for bedding, one for puppy training, and another for protection training. More on this later!

Here’s an example of a quality Pinterest board on homemade dog treats!

3. Start pinning! Find high-quality images of the products you want to promote and upload them to your boards. Be sure to include affiliate links in the descriptions so that people can purchase the items you’re featuring.

4. Engage with other users. For your profile to be successful, you need to be active on Pinterest. That means pinning regularly, commenting on other users’ pins, and joining group boards.

5. Promote your profile. Once you have a solid following, start promoting your profile on other social media platforms and in forums related to your niche. You can also run ads on Pinterest to get more exposure for your profile.

Market Your Own Services

You can market your services on Pinterest if you have a skill or service to sell.

Say you’re a freelance writer. You want to use Pinterest to promote your writing services, but you’re not sure how. Have no fear! Here are three easy ways to get started:

1. Create an optical freebie. This could be a PDF guide to writing killer blog posts or a cheat sheet for nailing that elusive perfect pitch. Of course, this might depend on the niches that you focus on. Then, create pins that link back to the freebie’s download page. Use attractive visuals and compelling copy to make your pins stand out.

2. Give the freebie away in exchange for an email. Offer a freebie in exchange for an email address, and then use that list to promote your writing services. You can create a simple landing page using a service like LeadPages or Unbounce, or you can code one from scratch if you’re feeling fancy.

If you’re going to work to get Pinterest traffic, then you want to ensure you’re getting the most out of that traffic by collecting emails.

3. Drive Pinterest traffic to your Facebook business page and start a conversation! If you don’t have a blog, don’t fear. It’s very easy to set up a Facebook business page. This should also help legitimize your business!

Use Pinterest to drive Pinterest traffic to your Facebook business page, and then use that page to promote your writing services. It’s a great way to get more eyes on your business, and it’s a great way to take advantage of the power of social media.

Brand Partnership & Creator Rewards Program

If you’re an aspiring influencer with a carefully curated Pinterest board, you may be eligible for the Pinterest Creator program. The program is designed to help people turn their passion for pinning into a source of income.

What if you could be rewarded for your creativity? That’s the idea behind Pinterest’s new Creator Rewards program. The social media site has launched this innovative way to financially empower creators, who will now have an opportunity to make money by posting quality content and engaging with the audience every month!

Pinterest will create monthly reward goals for each creator based on their performance, and those who hit their targets will receive a share of the revenue generated from ads served on their content.

To be eligible for the program, you’ll need to be over 18, be based in the United States, and have a specific amount of views and followers. If you’re accepted into the program, you’ll receive access to exclusive resources and opportunities to help you grow your online presence.

Brand Partnerships

Brand partnerships are strategic relationships between two brands that create mutual value.

There are many different types of brand partnerships, but one of the most common is when a brand partners with an influencer or social media profile on Pinterest. This type of partnership can be beneficial for both brands and influencers.

For brands, partnering with an influencer on Pinterest can help them tap into the power of creators’ audiences.

By partnering with an influencer with a large and engaged following, brands can reach a new audience and promote their products or services more authentically.

In addition, brand partnerships can help brands build trust and credibility with consumers. For example, when consumers see that a brand is endorsed by an influencer they trust, they are more likely to trust the brand.

For creators, partnering with a brand can provide several benefits.

First, it can help them build their brand and expand their reach.

Second, it can provide them with an additional source of income.

And finally, it can give them access to exclusive products or experiences they can share with their followers. Brand partnerships can be a win-win for brands and influencers if they are strategic and well-executed.

Check out our guide on how to become an influencer for more on this!

How To Approach Brands For Sponsorships

So you want to be a sponsored Pinterest user? Great, because brands always look for influencers to help promote their products or services. But before you start emailing companies out of the blue, there are a few things you need to do first.

Step one: Make sure your account is in tip-top shape. That means creating high-quality content consistent with your brand voice and aesthetic.

Step two: Grow your following. The more engaged followers you have, the more attractive you will be to brands.

Step three: Create a media kit. This document should include information about your accounts, such as your follower count, engagement rate, and the type of content you produce.

Step four: Start reaching out to companies you think would be a good fit for your brand. Again, be professional and polite, and don’t forget to include your media kit! Following these steps will increase your chances of landing a sponsorship deal. Good luck!

Support Other People Growing On Pinterest

There’s gold in them thar hills! And by hills, we mean Pinterest. This social media platform is a gold rush for creators and businesses looking to make money online.

And like any gold rush, there are two types of people who stand to make a profit: those who find the gold and sell the picks and shovels.

Pinterest has a lot of untapped potential, and creators are just now starting to realize it.

As more and more people look to cash in on this social media gold rush, there will be an increasing demand for services that help them get the most out of Pinterest.

That’s where you come in. By offering Pinterest manager, Pinterest virtual assistant, or graphic design services, you can help creators make stunning pins that are sure to stand out from the crowd.

For example, are you really good at Canva? If you’re good with Canva and have an eye for design, you can make a killing selling Pinterest templates.

People are always looking for ways to save time and create beautiful graphics, and Canva is a great tool. By creating templates that people can use over and over, you can make a lot of money (passively) – just put your designs on Etsy or even Pinterest itself!

Try Canva Here

So, if you’re looking to make money on Pinterest, consider selling the picks and shovels instead of chasing after the gold.

Understanding Pinterest SEO: Key Factor In How To Make Money on Pinterest Without a Blog

So, if you’re selling anything online – physical goods, digital products, or even blog content – you need to be on Pinterest, and you need to rank high in Pinterest search results. And that’s where Pinterest SEO comes in.

Like with Google SEO, the goal of Pinterest SEO is to get your pins to rank high in the search results so that people will see them and click through to your website. But there are key differences between how Google and Pinterest rank content.

First, Google relies heavily on text-based signals like keyword density and meta tags. But since Pinterest is a visual platform, the Pinterest algorithm relies more on image quality, pin descriptions, and board titles.

To rank high in Pinterest search, you need to make sure your pins are high quality and relevant to the keywords people are searching. You also need to have descriptive pin titles and descriptions, as well as board titles that accurately reflect the topic of your board.

And finally, you need to be active on Pinterest. The algorithm looks at how often you pin, how many people repin your pins, and how much engagement your pins get. So, the more active you are on Pinterest, the higher your pins will rank in the search results.

Pinterest Keyword Research

Keyword research is essential for anyone who wants to get the most out of Pinterest. Fortunately, it’s not nearly as difficult as it sounds. Here’s a step-by-step guide to conducting keyword research on Pinterest:

1. The first step is to develop a list of relevant keywords. To do this, consider the topics your target audience is interested in. For example, if you’re targeting millennials, some relevant keywords might be “fashion,” “travel,” or “food.”

2. Once you have your list of keywords, it’s time to start searching for them on Pinterest. The best way to do this is by using the search bar at the top of the page.

Then, simply type in each keyword one at a time and hit enter. For example, if you’re in the fashion industry, you might search for “women’s fashion” or “spring trends.”

As you type, Pinterest will suggest similar phrases and keywords that other users have searched for in the past. By looking at these suggested keywords, you can get an idea of which ones are most popular with users.

3. After you’ve conducted your searches, look at the results and note any viral pins. You’ll want to target these pins with your content.

4. Finally, once you understand which keywords are most popular on Pinterest, you can start incorporating them into your pin descriptions and boards. This will help ensure that as many people see your content as possible.

Can I Use Pinterest Without A Blog?

Yes. While blogs are great for content marketing, they’re not required to make money on Pinterest. You can send people to a simple opt-in page, advertorial, or sales page.

You can even use direct linking to affiliate offers, although some affiliate networks do not allow this, and this is not a powerful method.

The best way to use Pinterest for business is to link to your website or Facebook page so people can learn more about your products or services.

How To Make Money On Pinterest Without a Blog (As a Beginner)

For those just getting started with making money on Pinterest, the most important thing to understand is how to leverage the platform to gain traffic. And there are a few key ways to do this.

First, creating high-quality pins that are eye-catching and relevant to your target audience is important. In addition, strategic use of keywords can help potential customers more easily find your pins.

Once you’ve built up a steady stream of traffic, you can start sending that traffic to an offer. Whether it’s a product you’re selling or an affiliate offer, if you can convert your visitors into buyers, you’ll start making money on Pinterest.

Remember to focus on creating quality content, promoting your pins widely, and driving traffic to an offer. If you do those things, you’ll be well on your way to success.

How Many Followers On Pinterest Do You Need To Make Money? (Monetize Pinterest)

You don’t need a lot of followers. You can start making money with as few as 20 followers.

Of course, the more followers you have, the more potential customers you’ll reach, but you don’t need a huge following to start earning an income from Pinterest.

So, if you’re thinking about starting a side hustle on Pinterest, don’t let a lack of followers hold you back. You can start small and grow your following over time. Who knows? You could even turn your Pinterest side hustle into a full-time business with a little hard work.

Conclusion

And that’s a wrap! By now, you should have a pretty good idea of how to make money on Pinterest without a blog. As we’ve seen, this social media platform is incredibly powerful and can be a great way to earn some extra cash.

But, of course, there are some important steps that you’ll need to take in order to be successful. And who knows? With enough hard work, you might even be able to quit your day job and become a full-time Pinterest pinning pro.

By Trevor Sinclair

Sourced from NICHEPURSUITS

In News

Who has more power in marketing: brands or influencers?

August 5, 2022 No Comments

By Simone Morris

For decades, brands have held the power and had their say over the creative direction of their advertising. But with the rise of influencer marketing, is the tide turning? Simone Morris of GottaBe Marketing considers this phenomenon, and looks at how brands can make successful work using influencers.

Have you ever wondered who has the power when you are putting together a campaign? Some might say the brand does; others might say it rests with those who have the purchasing power. Either way, it’s time to break down this complex relationship. Within this post we will discuss whether brands are representing or assuming, why brands must make the change, and why it is beneficial to recognize minority ethnic influencers.

GottaBe! consider the usefulness of influencers today and why brands need to reprioritise diverse representation in campaigns.

GottaBe Marketing considers why brands need to reprioritize diverse representation in campaigns

Are brands representing or assuming?

Millennials and gen Z are the reason for the rise and demand of influencer marketing. Influencers have the power to help consumers decide whether to buy a product. As we mentioned in The power of ethnic influencers for brands, influencers are key to a successful campaign.

It is imperative that you consider the ethnicities of your brand’s audience and how you can market to each one. If your audience is predominately white, ask yourself what you need to do to attract others, as your brand will only attract those it represents. Gone are the days of ‘one size fits all’ marketing; campaigns need to be tailored to break through and reach cross-sections of society.

At GottaBe Marketing our goal is to create campaigns that fill these gaps. So, no matter whether you are trying to bridge the gap between South East Asians, Muslims, Africans, Christians, English speakers or other groups, we can help create a campaign that breaks these ‘traditional’ barriers.

Power brands must make the change

As the field of marketing has changed, there is more inclusion of different backgrounds, and there is a need for this to be reflected within all marketing campaigns. Eric Toda, former marketing executive at Gap Inc, Airbnb and Nike, mentioned in Diversity In Influencer Marketing: Why Representation Matters: “As marketers we continue to be one of the only industries in the world that can influence large masses of people; we can do that in the effort of good, or we can choose the other route. We need to put value-driven messages out there, show real life versus a sterilized mirage, and instil purpose.”

To overcome these obstacles, it is important to think about the target demographic and bring into the campaign a diverse mix of influences and cultures. Select influencers from all backgrounds who will champion the brand and the values that your brand represents.

The content that you produce and your relationship with influencers should be authentic. Arthur Altounian, vice-president of Inca’s APAC, said in a recent article: “Many consumers, particularly those in the younger generation, expect more from brands and won’t engage with content that they deem as ‘too polished’ or ‘too fake.’”

Having this authenticity allows influencers to have some creative freedom as they know their audience best and will be able to tell your brand’s story in a way that will connect with their followers.

The other key aspect to being successful is representation. As mentioned by Sonia Thompson in her article: “Representation in marketing matters now more than ever, and to some groups more than others.”

In her research, she found that 74% of consumers say representation in marketing is important to them and determines which brands they engage with and buy from. When Thompson asked the question, ‘What do you wish more brands knew about representation?’ to consumers, the responses show how crucial it is. They included:

‘The damage they do by underrepresentation’
‘How much it can affect someone and their feelings about themselves when they never see themselves represented. Like they are not important’
‘Representation doesn’t hurt anyone. It only helps’

Those responses from consumers are why it is key to include minority ethnic influencers in your marketing campaigns. Very few products or services are created for one race, gender or viewpoint, therefore your marketing should not be aimed at one single sector of consumers.

Why is it beneficial to recognize minority ethnic influencers?

Having your audience feel represented by your company’s campaign has an impact on the revenue as it increases factors such as brand purpose. Studies have been done in the US that show the power consumers have if they feel the brand is representative of them – or if the brand is not. In Why diversity in ads is more important than ever for revenue [2020] it details this effect, saying: “Not only do minority groups have huge spending power, but these tightly-knit communities” have a huge impact on pop culture and mainstream media.

A 2016 report by Nielson said that African-American millennials are 25% more likely than all millennials to say they are among the first of their friends/colleagues to try new products, echoing the fact that minorities are pivotal in creating trends and ultimately influencing purchase decisions. These are big word-of-mouth opportunities, and the most powerful marketing tool for raising brand awareness and loyalty.

This power can have a massive impact on the success of not just the campaign or product, but the brand as well. We all want to see ourselves reflected in the brand that we are supporting; we are buying into that brand as well as buying the product. And millennials and gen Z aren’t afraid to use their voice in regard to brands.

These generations appreciate and want transparency from companies. They want to see campaigns that feature influencers with whom they associate and will hold brands accountable as they make changes.

By Simone Morris

Sourced from The Drum

editor

Use these three ways to help your business leverage audio-based communication events for better buyer engagement.

Audio events to the rescue

1. Host exclusive audio rooms

2. Promote user-generated audio events

3. Conduct Q&A research in audio chatrooms

By Brett Hyman

Sourced from Entrepreneur

By Lis Anderson

Sourced from Forbes

Brands and creators want customers to be active, engaged fans — and to spend more money.

By Terry Nguyen

Sourced from Vox

Here’s how to design a billboard.

01. Wee Billboard

03. Specsavers billboard

04. Bee Billboard

By Amelia Bamsey

Sourced from CREATIVE BLOQ

Are you looking for ways to increase your website traffic? If so, you’re in the right place!

1. Have a Business Blog

2. Create Engaging Visuals

3. Leverage the Power of Video

4. Target Long-Tail Keywords

5. Build Backlinks

6. Use Influencer Marketing

7. Build an Email List

8. Use Guest Blogging

9. Use Social Media

10. Track, Analyse, and Repeat

Final Words

By Erik Emanuelli

Sourced from readwrite

1. Post your job on your personal LinkedIn profile.

Sourced from Syfter

Once a year, spend some time taking back your algorithms

YouTube

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Streaming services

By David Pierce

Sourced from The Verge

The marketing transition

What is a digital content strategy?

The digital content creation mistake

Why is good content important?

Evergreen content examples

Why is good content distribution essential?

Social media content strategy

Other social media content examples

By Connor Cohen

Sourced from The Drum

Why Use Pinterest To Make Money?

It’s a place where people go to discover

People who use Pinterest are avid shoppers

High-earning demographic

How To Make Money On Pinterest Without A Blog: 8 Ridiculously Useful Ways

Sell Physical Products

Print on Demand: Highly Recommended Method To Sell Physical Products

Sell Digital Products

Pinterest Affiliate Marketing

Choose a Niche For Your Pinterest Account

Set up your Pinterest Account profile

Market Your Own Services

Brand Partnership & Creator Rewards Program

Brand Partnerships

How To Approach Brands For Sponsorships

Support Other People Growing On Pinterest

Understanding Pinterest SEO: Key Factor In How To Make Money on Pinterest Without a Blog

Pinterest Keyword Research

Can I Use Pinterest Without A Blog?

How To Make Money On Pinterest Without a Blog (As a Beginner)

How Many Followers On Pinterest Do You Need To Make Money? (Monetize Pinterest)

Conclusion

By Trevor Sinclair

Sourced from NICHEPURSUITS

Are brands representing or assuming?

Power brands must make the change