editor, Author at Mediastreet

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Microsoft Teams on mobile wants to get rid of typos for good

February 23, 2022 No Comments

Stamp out mistakes with text predictions for Microsoft Teams mobile

Using Microsoft Teams when running between meetings or public transport may soon be less of a pain thanks to a new update for the service.

The collaboration and video conferencing platform will soon receive predictive text features to its mobile app, a new entry in the Microsoft product roadmap shows.

The new addition should make it harder to make spelling or grammatical errors when typing on the go, particularly as many workers embrace the new world of hybrid working, meaning they may be messaging on a train or bus, or just when rushing to a meeting.

Microsoft Teams mobile predictive text

The entry in the Microsoft 365 roadmap notes that the new feature uses “assistive AI” to predict a user’s answers and gives text suggestions so that, “you can finish phrases in one tap.”

The tool may use the same technology found in Microsoft Editor, which uses the company’s own in-house AI technology to cut out errors across Word and Outlook.

The company recently announced that predictive text would be coming to Microsoft Edge, giving users of its web browser a similar “text predictions” feature that uses Microsoft’s own in-house AI and ML technology to offer word suggestions to users.

Microsoft says the feature should roll out to all Teams users by March 2022. It will initially only be available to Android users, however given the huge popularity of Microsoft Teams (which recently topped 270 million monthly active users), it would be a surprise if an iOS version isn’t forthcoming soon.

The new feature is the latest in a series of recent updates to Microsoft Teams as the company looks to help keep its new and existing users productive and happy across the platform.

Also recently announced was the ability to combine business and consumer Teams accounts, hopefully putting an end to any unfortunate confusion between the two, and even the possibility of adding Microsoft’s Cortana voice-recognition software to the platform.

The company also recently confirmed the launch of its walkie talkie feature in Microsoft Teams, allowing customers to use their smartphone or tablet as a walkie talkie that can work over both a cellular or wireless connection.

Feature Image Credit: Shutterstock / Daniel Constante

By Mike Moore

Mike Moore is News & Features Editor across both TechRadar Pro and ITProPortal. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK’s leading national newspapers, and when he’s not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.

Sourced from Techradar.pro

In News

Where to Learn WordPress: The Best WordPress Blogs

February 23, 2022 No Comments

By David Munyaka

WordPress (WP) is one of the most popular content management systems on the Internet that allows you to build and host websites. According to WordPress’ official website, users publish over 70 million new posts every month using this blogging platform. In this article, we’ve highlighted some of the best WordPress blogs you can follow to help you stay informed.

WordPress is open source software that many people find easy to use to create a website and design it according to their preferences. These are good reasons for aspiring web developers, designers, and content creators to learn how to use WordPress.

A great way to learn is through WordPress blog posts and websites. Even if you are an advanced user, following a WordPress blog or bloggers who post amazing content is a great way to stay up to date with the latest WordPress trends. For the best WordPress blogs, keep reading.

How to Stay Informed About WordPress Updates

One of the best ways to stay informed is by constantly checking the WordPress releases category. This section features all the new and old releases with explanations of fixes and improvements. Manage these updates by setting up email notifications to alert you each time something new is released.

Another way to stay informed is to subscribe to a popular blog that reports on the latest trends, themes for blogs, SEO plugins, and developments. Online communities like Twitter and Facebook help with networking and checking out the latest trends in the web design space.

Success Lessons From the Top WordPress Blogs

Excelling in WordPress is relatively straightforward, especially when you incorporate lessons from the top bloggers. To help you, we’ve looked at top blogs with awesome content and listed ways to get you started with WordPress.

Content is King

Top WordPress blogs and bloggers thrive by creating great content and constantly finding interesting blog post ideas. If you want to transform your blog, strive to produce relevant, engaging, and marketable content.

You should also post quality blog images or compile detailed tutorials to help people find solutions to their problems. This will provide value to the reader, especially if your content is easy to read and skim through. Research suggests that many people skim through blogs instead of reading word for word.

Prioritize Responsive Web Design

Having a mobile responsive blog is a must because many people use smartphones and tablets to access the Internet. A recent survey found that 57 percent of all Internet traffic comes from mobile phones, so it makes sense to prioritize responsive web designs that cut across both computers and smartphones.

Encourage Reader Engagement

Encourage engagement by being engaging. When people comment, give them a friendly reply. You could improve your comment section by adding a comments plugin that is more user-friendly for your readers.

You could also encourage email subscribers to sign up for a regular newsletter. There are ways to get an email address to add to an email list that you can create over time. This will make regular engagement easier. Add your social icons too so that your readers begin engaging with you on more than one platform.

Best of the Blogosphere: Top Blogs About WordPress

Best WordPress Blogs: Where to Find WordPress Support and WordPress Tutorials

WPExplorer Blog

Great for: Learning the latest news about WordPress, plugin guides, and website themes.

This website was founded in 2010 to provide a detailed guide and tutorials for creating WordPress themes, plugin reviews, and a classic blog layout. Since then, the site has grown and provides helpful WordPress articles and guides. WPExplorer is a great tutorial site for both beginners and experts interested in themes and plugins.

WPBeginner

Great for: Learning WP basics, especially as a beginner.

WPBeginner is one of the best blogs to learn about the fundamentals of WordPress. Founded in 2009 by Syed Balkhi, this site gives you valuable tips, advice, and tutorials to help you improve your websites.

WP Mayor

Great for: Learning WP basics, comparing SEO plugins, and building a WP website.

Launched by Jean Galea in 2010, this site has a lot of useful information to help beginners build WordPress websites while learning about additional features like plugins and themes. The site has awesome features like a beginners handbook for those who are new to WordPress. Information is constantly updated which is great for those who like to stay current with the latest WP trends.

WPMU Dev Blog

Great for: WordPress tutorials tips and guides.

WPMU Dev Blog describes itself as an all-in-one WP platform that features necessary tools for those who want to start and run their own WP business sites. The blog details step-by-step instructions on a wide range of WP concepts like popular page builder plugins, design skills, and custom headers.

CodeinWP

Great for: Learning about all things WordPress.

This blog has useful information to equip you with the skill you need to create the best WordPress website for personal and business blogs. CodeinWP is easy to understand with many tools to guide you in learning WordPress basics.

Kinsta Blog

Great for: WordPress hosting.

Kinsta is a premium WordPress hosting service powered by Google Cloud. The hosting provider features a WordPress blog designed to teach all aspects of WordPress. This includes how to create WP plugins and themes using code, how to master email marketing, and the best theme for bloggers.

WPShout

Great for: Tutorials for WordPress developers.

WordPress developers will find WPShout extremely useful with its comprehensive and helpful WordPress tutorials. Stay up-to-date with trend developments by following its blog posts and other resources.

WPLift

Great for: All things WordPress.

WPLift has a ton of monthly readers who use its blog section to learn more about themes and plugins. If you’re looking to advance your WP knowledge, then this blog is for you. Other features include host reviews, tutorials, WP updates, and project examples.

Elegant Themes

Great for: WordPress themes.

Elegant Themes is all about the visual aspect of your blogs. If you’re looking for specific blog themes, social plugins, templates, or custom designs for your blog, then this is the go-to. The Elegant Themes blog is filled with WordPress tutorials and tips and features prominent bloggers who offer expert advice.

Yoast Blog

Great for: Keeping up-to-date with the latest WP trends and SEO tips.

Yoast SEO is known for its top-of-the-line content and SEO analysis tools. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a valuable technique that incorporates the use of special keywords to ensure search engines pick up on content. Yoast features a WordPress Core section where you can learn more about how WordPress started and its open source community.

Where to Learn WordPress

What better way to learn WP than from those who developed it. The site features step-by-step tutorials that are great for beginners. YouTube is another channel with resources that will help you learn how to navigate WordPress.

Another option is to enroll in online WP courses. Platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, and edX are known for offering helpful online courses. Online coding bootcamps are equally as good as they are designed to equip learners with job-ready web development skills including WordPress.

Can You Learn WordPress in a Coding Bootcamp?

Yes, you can learn WordPress in a coding bootcamp. A coding bootcamp trains students on computer programming and coding over a few months. Coding bootcamps have risen in popularity because they are a shorter and cheaper alternative to colleges or universities.

You can learn JavaScript, data science, cyber security, software development, game development, and web development in a coding bootcamp. WP is a tool in web development and web design, so enrolling in a top web development course will allow you to master WP in a short period. You’ll also pick up many other skills to make you eligible to pursue a career as a web developer.

WordPress Support

WP blogs are a great way to build your WordPress knowledge, especially as a beginner. However, simple blogs might not be enough to help you master WP. If you are looking for other resources to help you develop a successful WordPress blog or website, consider the following:

WordPress Codex

WordPress codex is an online manual created by the developers of WordPress. This site features resources that detail every template and function that WordPress uses. It has all the basic information you will need as a beginner to create an appealing WP website. The site is divided into different sections that are classified according to the reader’s level of expertise.

WordPress Tv

WordPress Tv is an online resource that offers you useful video tutorials no matter your level of expertise. It also has tips on basic SEO implementation and designing high-quality websites.

WPSquare

WPSquare is a practical resource for beginners. It gives you guided instructions that help with the basics of changing fonts, creating custom backgrounds, formatting content, using different icons, working with custom widgets, adding menus, and creating banners.

What Should You Do Next to Advance Your WordPress Knowledge?

The best way to advance your WordPress knowledge is by enrolling in WordPress courses or programs. Platforms such as Udemy and Lynda offer courses in WP which can help to elevate your expertise and make you marketable as a web developer.

Extend your reading to related concepts like Google Analytics, Google Adsense, advanced features, design options, and email marketing. Experimenting and practicing on WP projects will advance your knowledge and problem-solving skills.

Best WordPress Blogs FAQ

How do WordPress blogs work?

WordPress blogs are the fastest way to start a free blog. All you need to start a WP blog is a custom domain name and a web hosting account or service provider. Then create your blog design template, write your first blog, customize the blog with plugins, add a contact form, set up Google Analytics, and optimize for search engines.

Can I monetize free WordPress blogs?

Yes, you can monetize free WordPress blogs. WordPress announced their partnership with Federated Media, allowing bloggers to monetize their free, hosted blogs on WordPress.com with ads.

Is WordPress good for blogs?

Yes, WordPress is one of the best choices for free personal blogs and professional blogs. Most of the world’s top bloggers use WordPress as their content management system mainly because it is easy to use and comes with all the tools necessary to start and run a successful blog.

Can I learn WordPress on my own?

Yes, you can. Learning WordPress doesn’t require a lot of time or money. WordPress is fairly straightforward to use. There are many online resources to help you learn on your own. Free resources such as WordPress Blogs and YouTube are excellent options. You could also learn WordPress through online courses from Udemy and Coursera or enroll in a coding bootcamp offering related courses.

Sourced from Career Karma

Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.

In News

AI can predict risk of a heart attack in the next year from a routine eye scan

February 23, 2022 No Comments

By Jeanna Vazquez

An artificial intelligence system is capable of spotting whether someone will have a heart attack within the next year — through a routine eye scan.

A team from the University of Leeds believes this AI tool opens the door to a cheap and simple screening program for the world’s No. 1 killer. Their tests find the computer can predict patients at risk of a heart attack in the next 12 months with up to 80% accuracy. The breakthrough adds to evidence that our eyes are not just “windows to the soul,” but windows to overall health as well.

“Cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks, are the leading cause of early death worldwide and the second-largest killer in the UK. This causes chronic ill-health and misery worldwide,” project supervisor Professor Alex Frangi says in a university release.

“This technique opens-up the possibility of revolutionizing the screening of cardiac disease. Retinal scans are comparatively cheap and routinely used in many optician practices. As a result of automated screening, patients who are at high risk of becoming ill could be referred for specialist cardiac services,” Frangi adds.

Looking at the retina to discover red flags in the heart

The retina is a small membrane at the back of the eye containing light sensitive cells. Doctors have found that changes to the tiny blood vessels can hint at vascular disease, including heart problems.

Study authors used an advanced type of AI, known as deep learning, to teach the machine to automatically read more than 5,000 eye scans. The scans come from routine eye tests during visits to opticians or eye clinics. All of the participants are part of the UK Biobank, which tracks the health of half a million adults.

“The system could also be used to track early signs of heart disease.”

Deep learning is a complex series of algorithms that enable machines to make forecasts based on patterns in data. The technique, described in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence, could revolutionize heart therapy, according to the researchers.

“The AI system has the potential to identify individuals attending routine eye screening who are at higher future risk of cardiovascular disease, whereby preventative treatments could be started earlier to prevent premature cardiovascular disease,” says co-author Professor Chris Gale, a consultant cardiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The study identified associations between pathology in the retina and changes in the patient’s heart. Once the system learned each image pattern, the AI could estimate the size and pumping efficiency of the left ventricle from retinal scans alone.

This is one of the heart’s four chambers. An enlarged ventricle can increase the risk of heart disease. The computer combined the estimated size of the left ventricle and its pumping efficiency with data like age and sex.

The eyes are revealing a lot about disease and death

Currently, doctors determine this information using an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or echocardiography scans of the heart. The diagnostic tests are expensive and are often only available in a hospital. The tests can be inaccessible for many people in countries with lesser health care systems. They also increase health care costs and waiting times in wealthy nations.

“The AI system is an excellent tool for unravelling the complex patterns that exist in nature, and that is what we have found – the intricate pattern of changes in the retina linked to changes in the heart,” adds co-author Sven Plein of the British Heart Foundation.

A recent study discovered a similar link between biological aging of the retina and mortality. Those with a retina “older” than their actual age were up to 67% more likely to die over the next decade.

Feature Image: Their tests find the computer can predict patients at risk of a heart attack in the next 12 months with up to 80% accuracy. (CREDIT: Getty Images)

By Jeanna Vazquez

Sourced from Brighter Side of News

In News

Top Three Digital Marketing Strategies To Master When Starting An Online Business

February 22, 2022 No Comments

By Jeanette Dorazio

If you’re a new entrepreneur who’s thinking about starting an online business, your timing couldn’t be better.

Consumers are spending more time and money online, with an estimated 2.14 billion digital buyers in 2021, according to Statista. Plus, the costs associated with getting an online business up and running are relatively low, and thanks to an abundance of software as a service (SaaS) options and platforms, creating a professional online presence doesn’t require the same technical knowledge it used to.

That being said, it’s not as if you can just publish a website and expect customers to begin lining up at your digital storefront. You need to lay the foundation in order to build your credibility and make your business easy for people to discover.

What steps do you need to take when you’re starting an online business? Here are the top three strategies you should employ right from the beginning.

Optimize for SEO.

It’s no secret that the number one place consumers find businesses is Google, which is why you have to take steps to ensure your content conforms to SEO best practices. Even if you have no experience optimizing websites for search engines, there are a few simple things you can do to boost your online rankings.

First and foremost, focus on delivering value. Google’s goal is to rank the best content at the top of its searches, so if you create something that’s truly better than everything else, then you’re already 75% of the way there. Great content is also more likely to be shared by your readers.

Next, focus on the right keywords. Do some research to learn what your audience is searching for and create educational content that addresses their most common queries.

Finally, you’ll need to consider the more technical side of things, including page load speed, mobile optimization, and URL structuring. One way to do this is to consider using a website builder that’s been designed with SEO in mind.

Get on (the right) social media channels.

One mistake I see many new entrepreneurs make is thinking they need to be everywhere. They jump on every new social media platform they discover, even if it doesn’t necessarily line up with their target audience.

Sure, TikTok is surging in popularity, but its user base is primarily between 18 and 24 years old. If you’re a B2B business whose ideal customer is between 46 and 55 years old, it probably doesn’t make sense for you to post there.

When it comes to social media, your best strategy is to focus on two to three platforms that you know your ideal customers are frequenting. Not only does this ensure you get the right eyes on your content, but it also means you won’t spread yourself too thin.

This is why you need a plan before you post your first tweet or story. Do your research to determine which channels your audience spends its time on. Then, start developing content that you know your audience will love.

Start an email list.

Once people start discovering your business, you need a way for them to enter your sales funnel. Most consumers aren’t ready to buy right away. They need a chance to learn more about you and your products before they decide to hand over their payment details.

When it comes to nurturing your leads, I believe nothing works better than email marketing.

Email might seem like old technology compared to all of the new ways we have to communicate these days, but it’s still as relevant as ever. In fact, email marketing generates an average ROI of 4,200%. That means for every $1 you invest in it, you can expect to make $42 back.

There are a few different ways to grow your email list, but the most tried and true method is with a lead magnet. Create something of value (an ebook, a mini-course, or a checklist are great examples) and give it away for free in exchange for an email address.

Ideally, your lead magnet is related to your product or service. That way, you know every email you collect is a qualified lead. From there, you can start sending them educational content until they’re ready to become a customer.

In the digital age, everyone can be an entrepreneur.

There are fewer barriers to entry for entrepreneurs than ever before. If you have a winning idea and master the strategies discussed here, there’s nothing stopping you from finding success — no matter what your background might be.

Feature Image Credit: getty

By Jeanette Dorazio

Jeanette is the CEO of Leadpages, a no-code website & landing page builder that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their business online. Read Jeanette Dorazio’s full executive profile here.

Sourced from Forbes

In News

Choosing Between an Influencer Marketing Agency and an Influencer Marketing Platform

February 22, 2022 No Comments

Sourced from Easy Reader

People believe in social media influencers as they have a connect with them. Word-of-mouth works today like never before because people prefer to listen to the subject matter experts rather than just actors. Now, considering the brand’s side; working with influencers is not easy because factors like choosing relevant influencers, segmenting the right target audience and executing the strategy. Hence, many companies trust influencer marketing agencies to yield optimized results, while some brands use powerful influencer marketing platforms to achieve success. So, now you would be wondering that is there a difference between an agency or a platform? And what would be your strategy to whether invest in a platform or trust an agency! We will answer all these questions here. Let’s get started!

What is right for you? Influencer Marketing Agency OR Influencer Marketing Platform

This contest is between human-led agencies and technology-driven platforms!

Yes you heard it right! The basic difference between these two is that an influencer marketing agency rely on manual selection of influencers with respect to their niche and target audience and then executing the campaign through them whereas an influencer marketing platform selects the influencers through a software application based on profiling and segmenting and then ultimately market the brands’ product/service.

Simply tying up with an influencer no more works. There needs to be more going into your influencer marketing strategy to make your brand trustworthy.

Brands are now today taking a step forward and employ in-house teams, tie-ups with influencer platforms to manage influencers and collaborators, however, the better option is to hand over the entire job to a trustworthy influencer marketing agency which is better and great at their job. The bottom line, either way, is to gain customer trust and enhance sales & revenues.

An agency offers end-to-end functionality, starting from ensuring in choosing right influencers till execution. An influencer platform, on the other hand, is a new-age tool or a software system. It is designed to assist marketers during the influencer marketing process. The systems can help shortlist the right influencers, help with influencer relationship management, and provide data for measuring Return on Investment.

Influence Marketing Agency versus Influencer Marketing Platform

The primary difference but of course, is about the former being human-based and the latter being software-based. Knowing what can be derived from either entity helps the brand decide to pick one or the other, and at times, both.

Now that your brand is in the final stages of deciding which way to go – agency, platform, or both – we are here to tell you things to assess and factors to consider before taking the final call.

It is time to evaluate the following for the final time:

What are your overall objectives and goals for the influencer marketing campaign?
Do you already have an in-house team specializing in managing influencer programs? Or, are you planning to hire a team with the necessary expertise?
Do you have the money to invest in sound influencer marketing tools to empower your internal team?
What is your business scale, and what are your ROI budgets from influencer marketing campaigns? In other words, you could be making a huge investment in influencer marketing and accordingly expecting huge returns. Or, yours could be a new business, and you wish to scale up the influencer marketing spectrum gradually.
Are your budgets constrained, yet you want to have a full-fledged streamlined influencer marketing campaign?

Many such related queries need to come out and be discussed for the last time before a call is taken. These questions and their answers are crucial. The outcomes will be – identifying gaps, understanding the pros and cons of each method, identifying the strengths vis-a-vis weaknesses of the existing marketing team, etc.

When to Choose a Top Influencer Marketing Platform?

Your in-house team has the necessary experience in influencer marketing. The team can then reliably use best influencer marketing platform in India that help them plan, execute, manage and measure campaigns.
When your campaign is small, time-limited, or one-off.
When it is a simple, easy-to-execute campaign without the need to align with any strict rules and regulations.
The final objective is not about user engagement but more about reaching out to the masses.

When to Choose an Influencer Marketing Agency?

If the campaign needs time, it is best to hire an expert.
When the campaign is long-drawn and involves intricate work, it has complicated steps and must comply with regulations.
When multiple steps need to be executed precisely, knowledge and experience are very important.
When finance is not a hurdle
The campaign expectations need to be measured time and again for frequent tweaking.

Most start-ups and small businesses use platforms, while bigger organizations hire agencies. But, there is no fixed rule, and variations can be there. What matters is which entity can give the required thrust to your influencer marketing campaign? And accordingly, take a call!

Choose The Best Influencer Marketing Agency in India

Although there is no dearth of influencer marketing agencies in India, only a few have carved a niche in this highly competitive space. Grynow is by far one of the leading influencer marketing agencies in the country today, with 5+ years of experience. The top management and the team are well-versed in this niche, having worked with brands from diversified industries.

One of its strengths is the versatile and huge influencer network of 1,50,000+ creators. The company ensures fair practices are adopted to create a win-win situation for brands and influencers. The agency has worked with brands and influencers based on the ‘Explore, Engage and Expand’ strategy. Having worked with premium publishers and content creators, the company has developed an exhaustive database of influencers across India, including local and regional ones. Today, it is involved in helping improve the digital footprint of brands that they work with.

The Best Influencer Marketing Platform in India

Grynow has also successfully emerged as one of India’s most impressive, impactful, and results-oriented influencer marketing platforms. With thousands of influencers associated with this platform, it has a rich database of YouTubers, celebrities, bloggers, Insta influencers, and even campus influencers. The platform facilitates brands to invite influencers to become a part of their campaigns, thereby shortening the distance between brands and collaborators. Backed with a rich network of content creators, this platform enables potential influencers to showcase their skills and work effectively with brands. Every content is well-curated and designed to strike a chord with the target audience. The result of such content has been exemplary, helping the brands enjoy a unique connect with their audience. This platform is in great demand for its amazing market knowledge and what’ works.’

Conclusion

The choice is finally yours whether you wish to use a powerful platform or hire a top agency!

Sourced from Easy Reader

In News

Great Brands Respect Their Customers: 3 Rules to Keeping it Authentic

February 22, 2022 No Comments

By Andrew Konya

Brands invest millions of dollars in creating an external identity that reflects their mission, values and product. A good brand identity is instantly recognizable, reliable and clear on what your company stands for. That doesn’t make it strong or lasting.

Having a strong, durable brand comes from brand authenticity. Today’s consumers view their spending cash almost like a psychological investment, and want to believe in what they consume. In fact, recent reports show that 90% of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support.

What It Takes to Create an Authentic Brand Identity

Creating a genuine and impactful brand goes beyond a visually appealing social media account, or a funny Super Bowl commercial. It’s about connecting with consumers on a deeper level and taking actions to live out your brand’s values or support issues that matter. Great brands now honour their customers.

We’ve seen brands do this well. Patagonia recently shared why it doesn’t use the word “sustainable” in its marketing. The decision stems from an awareness that, despite its best efforts, the company is still part of the climate change problem. Ben and Jerry’s is another example. Historically known for taking an unapologetic stance on social issues, its co-founders were arrested for activism work in 2016. By putting themselves on the line, leadership at Ben and Jerry’s showed their support of social issues is unwavering. These choices aren’t made for publicity — they’re the result of years of groundwork aimed at building a trusting, transparent relationship with consumers and honouring the issues that matter most to those who purchase their products. At the end of the day, consumers want to trust and be proud of the brands they support.

Cultivating an authentic brand identity doesn’t happen overnight — it requires time, consistency and empathy. Here are a few key takeaways and simple strategies for getting brand authenticity right.

Start With Your Internal Culture, Then Work Your Way Out

Brand authenticity starts with building a positive internal culture that’s rooted in transparency. Make sure all employees — whether they are in a corporate office, a store location or a distribution centre — feel supported, engaged and heard.

Increasing transparency can take several forms, one of which is having frequent, open conversations with employees. By creating this space, you’re not only giving room for people to express their concerns and values, you’re also building community among your staff. Another way to positively impact internal culture is by incorporating employee feedback into your overall mission, asking your employees questions like: What social issues matter most to you? Are there any organizations you wish we were supporting? Incorporate this feedback into your overall mission and day to day activities, and your employees will feel more empowered and supported by your brand. They are your best advocates, and shape your brand every day through their actions.

To take this a step further, identify and acknowledge the weak spots in your company culture. Employees who feel overworked and burnt out won’t be putting their best foot forward. Likewise, companies lacking policies to foster connection among remote employees may find their staff disengaged and unmotivated. It’s important to remember that employees are a brand’s number one asset, and that they are people first and workers second. Address the pain points and make an active effort to increase everyone’s sense of belonging within the organization. By empowering employees, they’ll organically spread your message to potential customers, driving business value for the company as a whole.

Talk Less, Act More

According to consumers, brand authenticity is less about overt messaging, and more about communicating through mission and action. Today’s consumers are spending consciously and increasingly seeking out brands that actively support causes that align with their own personal values.

Evaluate your corporate spending to ensure the organizations and causes you support align with your brand’s values. Don’t assume people won’t notice where your corporate dollars are being spent. The past two years we’ve seen people hold businesses more accountable than ever. Don’t just attach your name to every trending movement or cause, and stay out of conversations where your brand is irrelevant. Instead, facilitate open conversations with your consumers to eliminate the guessing from your efforts, and find opportunities to leverage your brand’s resources within your community.

There’s ways to do this well — for example, during a disaster in 2017, Budweiser began canning water instead of beer to aid hurricane victims, using its resources in a moment of need. It’s since continued this practice, developing a partnership with the Red Cross to provide support when it’s needed.

Integrity Counts, in Good Times and Bad

Make sure your brand voice is clear, genuine and consistent 100% of the time. Customers are increasingly sensitive to inauthentic branding, so avoid using emotional manipulation techniques in your marketing.

Similarly, own your mistakes. It’s almost guaranteed that your brand will not get it right every single time — no one does. Consumers will take notice of these moments, but they’ll likely be paying even closer attention to how you respond, and whether you learn. We recognize authenticity in humans through traits like honesty and humility. By owning any missteps and learning from them, people will recognize the authenticity in your brand, too. Of course, do your best to keep these moments far and few in between. And be sure to make things right with individual customers when needed. After all, how you correct a problem or mistake is just as important (if not more important) than the issue itself.

These three strategies are a stepping stone to creating an authentic brand consumers know and love. Having a strong, genuine identity builds trust and loyalty, which ultimately drives repeat purchases and leads to lifelong customer relationships. Authenticity is not created overnight — it takes years of consistency to establish yourself as a reliable, reputable, household favourite. But once you put in the time and effort, you’ll create a strong customer base of fierce brand advocates who align with your mission and spread goodwill alongside your brand.

Feature Image Credit: Eduardo Soares | unsplash

By Andrew Konya

Andrew Konya is the CEO and co-founder of Remesh, an agile market research platform that sparks meaningful conversations between decision-makers and the populations they serve, transforming the way organizations operate and driving more informed, empathetic choices. He began his career as a theoretical physicist at Kent State University, applying machine learning and supercomputing to understand emergent phenomena in complex systems.

Sourced from CMS Wire

In News

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Digital Ads In 2022

February 21, 2022 No Comments

By Jia Wertz

As an e-commerce operation in 2022, chances are the bulk of your advertising budget is earmarked for digital advertising. With a forecast of $524.3 billion this year, the sector spans video, social media, mobile, search, display ads, native ads and email. Given the number of channels, the quickly evolving landscape, and the difficulty of tracking channel-specific ROI, the digital ad landscape can be complex for marketers to navigate and with so much of our ad budgets focused on digital ads, the stakes have never been higher.

When you add in ad fatigue of users, privacy concerns, an adoption of ad blockers, and rampant digital advertising fraud, building your digital ad strategy can be downright daunting.

Fortunately, there are best practices that can help you maximize your return on investment while protecting your brand’s reputation with consumers. Here’s how to get the most out of your digital ads in 2022.

Make Sure Your Ads Are Going To A Quality Audience

Most advertisers don’t realize how rampant digital advertising fraud actually is. Ensuring that you’re buying traffic from a reputable source is essential in getting the most from your ad dollars. Moreover, nefarious practices by some traffic providers, such as ad injection fraud or domain spoofing, can be bad for your brand’s reputation and potentially even result in legal fees.

Ensuring your traffic partner has first party data and is fully compliant with the regulatory landscape is essential – not only for the integrity of your advertising budget, but also for the integrity of your brand.

Connect With Consumers At The Right Moment

The timing and placement of digital ads, and the context in which they’re received by the consumer, should factor into your overarching strategy.

Gone are the days of bombarding consumers with ads that are disjointed from their purchase path or even their mood. To be effective in today’s advertising ecosystem, you need to reach consumers when it adds genuine value to their purchase journey, or to strengthen your brand by enhancing and sharing in the moment or mindset they’re in.

When ads are perceived as disruptive it can have a net negative impact on the brand. Moreover, marketers should consider ways to provide value through ads rather than simply monetizing consumer attention. Remember that putting your ad out into the world is only the first step. It’s crucial to consider how and when ads will be received by consumers, and their potential impact.

Measure Your Results

It’s likely that your digital advertising budget will be spread across multiple channels – from social media, to display ads, search, email marketing and more. Take the time to create infrastructures for tracking channel-specific results.

The first step is understanding exactly what you want to accomplish with your ads. Many brands are good at tracking ROI from sales, but neglect to measure other key performance indicators (KPI) like increased brand awareness, brand sentiment or the discovery of the brand by new audiences.

Once you understand what’s important to you, identify how you’re going to measure success in those areas. This is also a good time to communicate what success looks like with your team, and get their buy-in on big picture brand goals.

Optimize Based On Data

When you have channel-specific data, take action on it. Often, advertisers will go to great lengths to track results, but stop short of taking the critical step of making the data actionable.

In addition to understanding which channels are performing the best for your key performance indicators, you’ll also want to optimize based on what you’re learning from your audience and their experience.

Is your message resonating better with a key demographic? Is a particular ad driving more purchases, while others are driving more engagement? Are you having more success in particular geographical areas? There’s so much to learn from your data, it’s important make room for continual optimization.

With so much competition in the digital advertising ecosystem, it’s important to be intentional about your strategy. Aligning with reputable traffic sources and taking a data-driven approach to optimization are good best practices to follow. Even more important is remembering how you like to be treated as a consumer. To stand out in a crowded landscape, go beyond your KPIs and practice the golden rule.

Feature Image Credit: getty

By Jia Wertz

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

I am a documentary filmmaker and the Founder of Studio 15, a socially responsible fashion brand. After leaving behind a 15-year career in the corporate fashion world, I started a company that focuses on doing good and supporting women. It’s Studio 15’s mission to promote and collaborate with other female-owned businesses and to support female entrepreneurs in developing countries through a partnership with Kleos MFG, a non-profit organization.

Sourced from Forbes

In News

Here’s What Your Company Culture Looks Like to an Outsider. Your team is tired.

February 21, 2022 No Comments

By David Finkel

The majority of business owners I talk to are tired. They are working 60, 70, even 80 hours a week and still feel like they aren’t making any progress in their business. Their friends and family barely see them and they wonder how long they can keep this up before they reach critical burnout.

Now imagine having that same feeling of helplessness, as an employee. Imagine working for a company where it is ingrained in the company culture to never leave before your boss does. Imagine having to answer emails, texts, and phone calls all hours of the day and night because it is expected that you too keep up the pace of your overworked, burnt-out employer.

This scenario happens all the time, and it may very well be happening within your own company.

An Outsider’s Look at Your Company Culture

If you were to look at your company culture from the outside, what would you find? Would you find employees who are expected to work overtime or stay late most nights? Would you find team members who carry their phone with them 24/7, for fear of missing an email or a text from their manager and having to suffer the repercussions of a fire drill in the middle of the night? While there are some jobs that require such hours, the majority of them do not. The customer can wait until the morning. That sales call can happen when you are in the office. That email will still be there at 8 a.m.

Give Yourself (and Your Team) Some Grace

It’s really easy to create a company culture of urgency and overwork. It requires more deliberate action to create one of grace and work life balance. Begin by working on your own behaviours. Make it a point to leave the office at 5. Stop yourself before sending out that “urgent” email or text after hours. Try turning off your phone in the evening and avoiding your email all together when not in the office. These actions not only will help you find some peace and avoid burnout, but will save your team from having to field all those “urgent” calls and emails from you.

Once you have started to establish better work habits, make it known throughout the company that you expect similar responses from your team. Tell them that you never expect a response to an email after 6 p.m. Tell them that that phone call can wait until tomorrow. After all, they were staying late and working overtime only because that was what was expected of them. So publicly denouncing those behaviours will go a long way to helping everyone reduce their stress levels and prevent burnout.

Company culture takes time to develop, and there will still be the occasional phone call or late night email. But the better you are about monitoring your own habits and behaviours, the better your team will get at learning that it’s OK to make a hard stop at 5 and prioritizing their mental and physical well-being.

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images

By David Finkel

Author, ‘The Freedom Formula: How to Succeed in Business Without Sacrificing Your Family, Health, or Life’@DavidFinkel

Sourced from Inc.

In News

Coca-Cola’s new packaging design is a total mess

February 21, 2022 No Comments

By Daniel Piper

How many colours is too many colours?

It’s one of the most ubiquitous and recognisable brands on the planet, and there can’t be many people who’d struggle to identify a can of Coke in a line-up of soft drinks. But The Coca-Cola Company’s new packaging design almost seems designed to get lost in the crowd.

The company has revealed brand new packaging across the entire range of Coca-Cola drinks, along with a brand new flavour, Mocha (which we’ll be giving a hard pass). Coke says the redesign is designed to make the flavours easier to differentiate – but judging by the reaction online, it’s only making things more complicated.

Coca-Cola packaging design

How many colours is too many colours? (Image credit: Coca-Cola/Future owns)

Designed to “modernise and simplify” the brand’s packaging, Coca-Cola’s new cans and bottles feature full colours to “designate single flavours” and stacked colours to communicate “dual flavours” such as cherry vanilla (again, hard pass). But as if throwing a bunch of colours into the mix (at the expense of that instantly recognisable red) wasn’t enough, the company has also seen fit to mess with its iconic logo.

“We wanted to modernise and simplify the look of our packaging to help consumers find the flavour they’re looking for on the shelf through a colourful but clean packaging design,” said Natalia Suarez, senior brand manager of Coke Choice Portfolio, Coca‑Cola’s North America Operating Unit.

Coca-Cola packaging design — Good luck reading these from a distance (Image credit: Coca-Cola )

To denote either full-sugar or zero-sugar, the logo is rendered in either white or black script. That’s all well and good, and indeed a pretty smart way of communicating the two variations. But as plenty of internet users have already pointed out, this blanket approach has led to some legibility issues.

Cherry Coke, for example, features a black logo on a dark purple background. And vanilla Coke is white-on-gold. It’s enough to make you long for the halcyon days of simple white-on-red.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Coca-Cola update its packaging design in recent months. Just last April, it unveiled a bold and minimal new look for its core two flavours. But while this week’s new designs are consistent in terms of the placement of the logo, the choice of colours is anything but minimal. Indeed, what’s the use of one of the best logos of all time if you can hardly read it?

By Daniel Piper

Sourced from Creative BLOQ

In News

4 Marketing Strategies That Will Turn Your Customers Into Billboards for Your Business

February 18, 2022 No Comments

By Brian Buffini

Learn how to create lifelong relationships with your customers today so they become passionate champions for your business tomorrow.

People love to talk about great experiences. After all, when you really enjoy something, it’s human nature to want to tell others all about it! As a business owner, your aim should always be to give your customers such a great experience that they become walking, talking billboards for the service you provide. You need to do everything in your power to turn your clients into enthusiastic advocates who will send you referral after referral, helping you to build a solid business as well as a fortune.

Here’s how you can start creating lifelong relationships with your customers today so that they will become passionate champions for your business tomorrow.

1. Stay top of mind

If you want your clients to automatically associate you with a great experience and first-class service, you need to consistently stay in contact, provide exemplary care and create a strong sense of community. A really effective way to do this is to provide items of value that they might find beneficial, such as informative market updates, educational e-reports or simply helpful tips for living the good life. When you’re consistent with the high-quality service and value you provide, you’ll stay top of mind, be considered an expert in your field and become your clients’ trusted adviser.

2. Surprise and delight

Even in this technologically advanced world, there’s a human element to business that can never be underestimated. People crave true connection now more than ever, and, in our hectic and often impersonal society, a powerful way to really connect with someone is to surprise and delight him or her. A personal note is an enjoyable and effective way of reaching out and brightening someone’s day — after all, who doesn’t love getting a piece of personalized post in the mail instead of a bill? You could follow up a handwritten note by making a call to say hi or dropping by to deliver a small gift. All of these gestures are designed to show your top clients that you’re thinking of them, but they should never feel burdensome or fake. Keep it simple; keep it quick. And make sure you’re absolutely authentic in each communication.

3. Celebrate your clients

Your database isn’t just a list of names, phone numbers and addresses: It’s a treasure chest of relationships that need to be nurtured. A fun way to make your clients feel valued and part of a larger community is to bring them together to celebrate at a party. It doesn’t have to be a complicated or expensive affair; just getting your top customers together to say thank you and enjoy each other’s company will go a long way towards strengthening the bonds and deepening the relationship between you. Even if you can’t meet in person, there are a lot of fun ways you can connect online and create a community of like-minded people.

4. Ask for referrals

If you serve your clients at the highest levels, they’ll eagerly tell others in their circle. Word will spread, the referrals will pour in, and you’ll become known as the go-to person to do business with! However, it’s also important to remember that you shouldn’t be afraid to remind your clients that you’re never too busy for their referrals. When you go above and beyond to exceed customers’ expectations, you earn the right to ask that they consider recommending you to others. Working by referral this way means that not only will you always have a steady stream of high-quality leads and a business that lasts, but you’ll also get to work with quality clients you like. It’s a win-win!

The more you consistently demonstrate the high level of care you provide, the more your clients will associate your name with exceptional service. When you prove that you’re reliable, trustworthy and excellent at what you do, your customers become megaphones for you in the marketplace, eager to tell other people about the positive experiences they’ve had with you. As a result, they’ll enthusiastically and happily refer you, which means that the reach of your brand will increase, your business will grow, and you’ll be on your way to living the good life.

By Brian Buffini

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor

Brian Buffini is the founder and chairman of Buffini & Company, the largest training and coaching company in North America. Based in Carlsbad, California, Buffini & Company has trained more than 3 million business professionals in 41 countries and has coached more than 25,000 business people.

Sourced from Entrepreneur Europe