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4 surprising billboards to make you stop and stare

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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

Adidas

Does this remind anyone else of a Damien Hirst? (Image credit: Adidas)

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

The McHive

Of course McDonald’s named its bee billboards, the ‘McHive’ (Image credit: NORD DDB / McDonald’s)

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.

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Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Website Traffic

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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

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

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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

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

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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.
You can control the data YouTube stores about you or delete it after the fact.
Image: YouTube/David Pierce

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.)
Facebook offers more content control than most — and some of it applies to Instagram, too.
Image: Facebook/David Pierce

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.

LinkedIn

  • 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

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How To Build Your Content Marketing Strategy for the Future

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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.

  1. 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?

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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?

  1. 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.

  1. 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
  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

Other social media content examples

  • Written posts, blogs and articles
  • Images
  • Videos and video stories
  • Infographics
  • Links to external content
  • Testimonials and reviews
  • Lives

This article cannot entirely cover everything there is to know about developing a digital content marketing strategy, but it is a good start.

If you found this piece helpful and would like to learn more about creating a digital content strategy that works, visit our content marketing hub, where you can find more news and information about content marketing.

By Connor Cohen

Sourced from The Drum

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

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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

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Who has more power in marketing: brands or influencers?

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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

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Why Small Business Owners Should Start Their Own Blog

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Marketing on a budget remains a challenge for many small businesses. This article explains the benefits of blogging and how to create a successful business blog.

Research shows that 20% of startup businesses close up in their first year of operation. The businesses that do survive that first year find it difficult to stay afloat, and 65% end up shutting down within 10 years. One of the main reasons cited was poor marketing. With few resources available, it can be a challenge for small business owners to effectively promote their brands.

Blogging is a very cost-effective tool used in marketing. So, if you are not sure if your small business should own a blog, I would say yes, because of its marketing advantages. There are currently 5 billion internet users worldwide, and 60 percent of consumers claimed to read blogs on a regular basis, which represents a huge prospective market to reach through blogging.

How can blogging help your business?

There are great benefits your business can enjoy from blogging, including:

  • Establish customer relationships: There are new businesses emerging every day, and that has made it quite difficult to maintain customer loyalty. However, with high-quality blog posts about your business and products, you can keep your visitors engaged and build strong relationships with them. You can interact with your blog visitors by answering questions or responding to their comments. In the long run, this will help you build trust with your audience.
  • Thought leadership: People often look for solutions online whenever they encounter a problem. Invest time in SEO so that your business shows up in the search results. By sharing your knowledge and experience, you can become the expert they will turn to whenever they need advice.
  • Create a sales lead: Blogging is a great way to generate traffic for your business. Make sure you research your target audience to understand their needs so that you can carve a niche for yourself. The use of SEO-based content can generate traffic to your website, which may turn into sales leads for your business.

Starting a new blog for your business may seem like an intimidating task. So, here are a few tips to help you create a successful blog:

1. Provide value

One of the main reasons people read blogs is because they want to learn something new. Blog posts with how-to guides, tutorials and tips are very popular, and they can help you achieve a vast amount of traffic. For example, Nepal Hiking Team has a comprehensive blog that shares information on everything you need to know about Nepal, from things to do and local Nepalese foods to transportation and souvenir guides. They offer a valuable resource for anyone looking for information about Nepal or planning to visit.

2. Allow guest posting

People love to share their ideas and experiences. Allowing them to guest-post on your blog gives them the opportunity to do that as well as interact with you and other visitors. Guest-posts are also great for helping you understand who your readers are and what they are interested in. A great example is Hackernoon, the online platform where anyone can publish and share anything related to technology.

3. Make it interactive and allow comments

A blog that allows its visitors to comment and ask questions on related topics draws more attention than those that do not. Create a user-friendly platform where guests can post their comments and ask questions. Making your blog interactive is very important for building good customer service and better understanding your customers, which may eventually generate more sales leads.

4. Monitor and analyse your blog traffic

According to Hubspot, many people prefer blog posts that are informative, entertaining and teach new things. It is important to track your blog traffic to determine which of your blog posts are performing best and find out what interests your readers. You can capitalize on that to grow more traffic and leads for your business.

5. Get external links to your blog

The “web” is literally a web of networks. By attracting external links from other online sources for your blog, you can considerably increase your Google ranking and get more traffic for your site. Consider launching a press release campaign or guest-posting on other, more authoritative sites for this.

With commitment, creativity and effort, blogging can be a very effective marketing tool for your small business. Blogging is a low-cost marketing strategy with great benefits if utilized properly.

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The ‘Big Idea’: Five Keys To The Future Of Brand Marketing

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By Tracey Santilli

In a data-driven world, measurement and performance reign supreme. And that shouldn’t change. But in an increasingly fragmented communications landscape where it’s harder and harder for brands to break through the clutter, the “big idea” is more important than ever.

For brands, the big idea can unify and become the roadmap for more powerful storytelling and consumer engagement. And when executed well, the big idea can help a brand cut through the clutter, engage consumers and inspire brand loyalty. So, while performance media, AI, and other data will continue to be important in helping brand marketing teams show how they are driving results, they should also double down on the big idea. But where does the big idea come from, and what makes it successful? Here are five qualities your idea should have to achieve success.

1. Connected To Culture

According to a 2019 Magna and Twitter study, “The Impact of Culture,” a brand’s cultural involvement makes up a full 25% of a consumer’s purchase decision. So for any consumer brand, it’s ideal if the big idea is connected to culture. Think about Major League Baseball’s Field of Dream’s game inspired by the film or how the movie Black Panther ignited conversations about Black culture and heroes. On the business side, consider REI’s decision to close stores on Black Friday to encourage consumers to #OptOutside. Culturally relevant brands are likely to be more relevant to consumers, and the big idea is how you inspire and engage them.

2. Committed To Doing Good

While I’ve found that quality products and quality of service remain key drivers of consumer satisfaction, the impact of “doing good” as a brand cannot be understated. According to an IBM study (via The Chronicle of Philanthropy—registration required), 71% of U.S customers believe “corporations have a responsibility to prioritize their employees, the environment, and their community as much as shareholder returns.” Think about powerful consumer brands like Patagonia or Tom’s, whose products are inextricably linked to their brand mission of doing good in the world around them, or Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and his wife’s $5 million commitment to help Philadelphia students close the digital divide during the pandemic. (Full disclosure: Comcast is a Tierney client.)

3. Authentic To The Brand

Of course, when you look at those brands, you can see that the big idea is successful and connects with consumers because it is rooted in brand purpose and authentic to who they are as organizations. In a Gartner survey, 62% of consumers say brands should only express support for issues that are consistent with the company’s values, and 45% of consumers say brands should only take a stand on issues directly related to their business, products or services.

4. Grounded In Strong Brand Messaging:

If the big idea is authentic to the brand, then it should be easy to develop strong brand messaging or a brand narrative. This isn’t traditional corporate messaging or talking points about the business. Brand messaging today is cantered around powerful storytelling, and it should aid a brand in differentiating itself from competitors. It should also be understandable, inclusive, accessible and easy for anyone who touches the brand or talks about it—be it the CEO, a customer service rep or a TikTok creator. The development of a strong brand narrative should involve internal, and whenever possible, external stakeholders and brands should tap their agencies, strategists, internal and external communicators, channel experts and creative voices from across the organization.

5. Fully Integrated

Once the brand narrative is established and fully embraced across an organization, marketers should then thread it throughout all channels to reach consumers at every touch point in an integrated and interconnected way. On average, 2020 data from Doubleverify (via Forbes) found that consumers spent seven hours a day consuming content (compared to about three hours pre-pandemic), and brands are challenged to feed that content machine meaningfully empathetically—every day. I’ve seen them turning away from expensive campaigns and polished productions and increasingly sharing content that feels more real and authentic to consumers. Brands and agencies can create that content via in-house content studios to meet the 24/7 nature of content marketing today more quickly and efficiently. They can also turn to influencers.

Marketing teams shouldn’t be intimidated by trying to find the big idea that will break through the clutter and fully engage consumers. Embrace the opportunity that comes with the big idea. Connect it to culture or doing good. And most importantly, make it authentic to the brand, grounded in strong messaging and fully integrated across all channels.

Feature Image Credit: getty

By Tracey Santilli

Tracey Santilli is President at Tierney, a full-service marketing communications agency. Read Tracey Santilli’s full executive profile here.

Sourced from Forbes
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11 Steps to Help You Start Your Blogging Career

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Are you interested in starting a blogging career and making money from it? Here are the steps you need to take.

Have you wanted to build a profitable blog, but don’t have a clue where to start? There’s no need to search tirelessly for tutorials.

With the right steps in mind, you can be on your way to having a blog that will showcase not only your online presence, but work effectively as an additional income stream.

1. Choose a Niche

This can feel like the most difficult part of the blogging process, but it’s important to establish a niche. It’s common to think that specializing in many things can be more appealing to others, but that’s not always the case. Focusing on a smaller space will draw in audiences who seek specific services.

Do you know everything about building computers? Use that as your niche. For example, an e-commerce copywriter writes for online stores, so this makes them experts in their field. You could have a technology niche such as reviewing computer graphics cards, Chromebooks, or Apple iPhones.

Think carefully about your primary focus; it can determine how many people want to find you, what brands will reach out to you, and how much you can make overall.

2. Research a Reliable Platform

What platforms are best for blogging? When publishing your blog, you want to use a reliable platform with a system that is easy to use, works well with the type of blog you want, and is in line with your budget. If you’re looking for great levels of customization, WordPress is perfect for your needs. There are hundreds of website templates you can play around with.

Squarespace is useful for visual blogs, such as photography, art, or design niches. LinkedIn is another alternative if you want to go the professional route and connect with people in your desired industry. However, if you’re a complete beginner when it comes to blogging or general website building, Wix may be a better choice. Here’s how to build a unique website without coding using Wix.

3. Customize Your Website

Although basic coding knowledge is really helpful, it’s not necessary for building a blog. After signing up for a website builder, choose a template you feel comfortable starting with. You can use a variety of pre-made templates to change existing features and make them your own.

Customize your blog by adding a homepage or an “About You” page with a photo of yourself, a contact page, so people can reach out to you, and of course, a homepage to start blogging. It doesn’t need to be perfect! What matters is that you’ve started piecing it together. However, if you’re struggling with this process, feel free to reach out to a website designer.

4. Publish Your First Post

Writing a blog post for the first time may seem intimidating, but the most important thing is to just get started. Think about what kind of blog topics would work well for your blog; would you like to write guides, written tutorials, recipes, lists, reviews, industry news, current events related to your niche, or just anything you find interesting?

How do you write your blog once you’ve come up with an awesome idea? First, consider what kind of heading will entice someone to read your blog; will it be witty, serious, or state a useful statistic? Secondly, write the way you would talk. Putting your voice and personality into a blog post will not only make it more genuine to readers, but will feel more natural to you.

Thirdly, keep in mind the way you’re laying out your piece; what kind of fonts do you want to use, and are you sticking to the standard US spelling style? Depending on your audience, the formatting will be very different.

5. Create High-Quality Images

Do you click on a YouTube video simply due to the colorful image alone? With blogs, visuals are very important to catching interest. A good quality image can decide whether somebody wants to read through a piece, so you want to make sure it’s high quality.

Think about the standard sizing for your feature images, as well as the photos you’ll use in a blog post. These should be clear, stretched to a pleasing size, and not blurry. Canva is always a great option here. If you’re feeling creative, you can use GIFs too.

6. Maintain Your Website

Have you ever clicked away from a website due to an unexpected page error? Keeping tabs on how your blog is running will determine how many people are viewing or staying on your site. Your site should be running effectively, have no broken links, be updated accordingly, and always be user-friendly.

If you aren’t very tech-savvy, make sure you hire someone who can do the technical work for you. An optimized website is something that always needs to be checked.

7. Take Advantage of SEO

Blog posts may be the main attraction of your website, but incorporating SEO is the main reason behind how you gain clicks, readers, and potential followers. Research the most-used keywords on Google with an SEO tool such as SurferSEO, the latest and popular trends related to your topic, and compare your posts to other blogs that rank higher on Google.

These SEO strategies, over time, can place you higher in search engines. Still confused? Check out some tools that will help you write the best blog titles.

8. Always Network

Networking with professionals within your niche is another useful resource as it can be the main driving force for your blog. Grow your online presence by joining relevant Facebook groups or blogging networks, attending courses to expand on your skills, and connecting with people on LinkedIn who share similar values.

Take note of how to network like a pro. This can be the key to you finding the next follower, or having people refer their audience to your site. It’s a win-win scenario, and it works.

9. Build an Email List

Using an email marketing platform such as MailerLite can do a lot for your blog. An email list is a collection of contact information from people who have signed up and opted to receive emails from you. However, building a reliable email list of clients and followers can take time. It isn’t about the quantity of data added to your list, but the amount of loyalty you have. You don’t want to spam inboxes!

How often are your emails being opened? Are people scanning, or clicking links to your blog pages? Are people sharing your blogs? By tracking these analytics, researching, and being a bit more creative, your email list will be one to rely on. If you’re new to email marketing, have a look at the ways HubSpot can benefit your marketing career. Using this program is a great way to get started.

10. Learn Affiliate Marketing

With affiliate marketing, businesses pay you if your blog refers people to their website or products, so having ads on the sides of your blog isn’t always a bad thing if it benefits both parties.

Not only is affiliate marketing helpful in getting brands and companies to notice you, but you can easily make a few cents per click. If you’re not really sure where to begin this process, there are a range of online resources.

11. Keep Track of Analytics Data

With any blog or website, keeping track of your analytics data is incredibly important to help you become profitable over time. Checking analytics daily will help you figure out where your viewers are coming from geographically, whether you’re being found organically or through social media, information on what keywords are being used on Google in relevance to your blog, and more. This will ultimately boost your traffic.

Start Your Blogging Journey Today

If you’ve been considering starting up a blog, now is the best time to start. Online spaces such as blogging are only growing more and more, and experts in their niche of choice are always appreciated. Creating a successful site definitely takes patience and dedication, but always trust the blogging process. Now you can start your first draft!

By Saffrom Clacy

Sourced from MUO

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