editor, Author at Mediastreet

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A New Hierarchy Of Face-To-Face Meetings Is Emerging

December 13, 2021 No Comments

As the pandemic rages on yet offices begin opening back up, a new hierarchy is emerging. Like it or not, we’ve started prioritizing who we meet with when it comes to face-to-face or virtual meetings.

If you’re in sales, you already know what I’m referring to. You have existing clients and those that aren’t yet your customers. Some people refer to the latter as “new logos.” You want to meet with both types, and you’d certainly rather do so by meeting with people face-to-face. It’s what you’ve always done. You’ve mastered it.

Building “new logo” relationships can be quite tricky over Teams or Zoom when you’re not witnessing body language, or you’re unable to buy them a cocktail or lunch. It’s not like you can send a drink cart over to that person’s home as a way in which to break the ice about your product stack.

As people are slowly inching their way back into the office, many operate by working one, two or maybe three days a week. And with that reduction in office time, there is a corresponding decrease in the amount of available time to meet with people face-to-face.

And when there is less time to meet people face-to-face, it reasons to stand that office leaders and employees are prioritizing time differently than before the pandemic.

Some might even prioritize time with their peers over opportunities to be sold something by an account executive from a company they don’t know.

I attended my first face-to-face conference in 21 months this past week in Los Angeles. While it was great to finally meet people, swap stories, and have a few cocktails with live human beings, I made certain that almost every one of my conversations asked the question: how are you prioritizing your face-to-face time when in the office?

Those in sales—without any real difference in opinion—were feeling the difficulty of maintaining or building face-to-face relationships. “Nobody wants to meet me face-to-face because they think it’s easier to have meetings with me virtually,” said one account executive to me. “And what am I to do? Tell them they’re wrong?”

A couple of high-tech partners that I spoke to shared the same verdict. “We’ve conducted all of our meetings virtually for 20 months now,” said a leader, “and our clients see no reason to meet face-to-face.” She went on to say, “That’s their choice, not ours. But we’ve met this week face-to-face only because we’re both at this conference. And we have no future plans to meet face-to-face.”

Canvassing opinions from a group of practitioners and leaders, they unanimously stated that time in the office was being dedicated to brainstorming, creative thinking, training, one-on-one and team meetings, and other opportunities to bond. “We won’t have time to do anything else,” said one of the leaders I was speaking with.

Another was bold enough to tell me that there are certain internal meetings (and people) that are continuing to be virtual because they don’t want to waste their valuable face-to-face time on the “soul suckers of my time.” (Sidebar: I really liked that line.)

As we begin to sort out our hybrid working models, there are a few apparent elephants in the room to point out when it comes to conducting our time going forward:

How are you prioritizing time with members of your direct team?
What about team members on other teams or business units? Will you meet with them face-to-face, or is it a virtual-only mantra that you’re adopting?
And when it comes to people who do not directly work in your organization (sales, partners, suppliers, ambassadors, consultants, contractors, agencies, etc.), have you subliminally adopted a “they’re not worthy of my face-to-face time” ideology?

If I were you, I’d be spending some time crafting my own personal norms regarding how I want to be known when I’m in the office.

Don’t be that person who has instituted an invisible face-to-face meeting hierarchy. Instead, find an approach that is measured, balanced, and uses fairness when it comes to your time in the office.

You might be unknowingly ruining your reputation, let alone missing out on crucial opportunities that advance your understanding of how best to perform in your role.

Feature Image Credit: getty

By Dan Pontefract

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

CEO, Author, Keynote Speaker, Leadership Strategist, Poet

Check out my 4th book, “Lead. Care. Win. How to Become a Leader Who Matters.” Amy. C. Edmondson of Harvard Business School calls it “an invaluable roadmap.” There’s also a self-paced online leadership development masterclass available. Nearly 100 videos across nine practical leadership lessons.

Sourced from Forbes

In News

Abrdn releases first campaign after rebrand

December 13, 2021 No Comments

By John Glenday

Global investment firm Abrdn (formerly known as Standard Life Aberdeen) has unleashed its first campaign since consolidating its business under a single brand in July.

‘The Power of Investment’ seeks to reframe high finance as a force for good by highlighting the positive impact research, industrial and real estate investors make from the development of prosthetic limbs to financing your favorite football team and equipping hospitals.

Amid images of happy, smiling beneficiaries of capital investments, a narrator informs viewers that “… when your investments do good things, so can you. We are millions of people, we are billions of pounds and together we are changing our future.”

Developed by Iris Worldwide, the uplifting campaign builds on Abrdn research, which found that 54% of the public believe that investing not only secures their financial future but can have a positive impact on society.

Reflecting a simplification of the Edinburgh-based firm, the campaign moves beyond cold pounds and pence to the societal benefits that accrue from efficient investment through real-world examples such as Sol and his dad Ben, who demonstrate how recent robotics advancements have enabled the mass production of prosthetic limbs.

Global investment firm Abrdn (formerly known as Standard Life Aberdeen) has unleashed its first campaign since consolidating its business under a single brand in July.

‘The Power of Investment’ seeks to reframe high finance as a force for good by highlighting the positive impact research, industrial and real estate investors make from the development of prosthetic limbs to financing your favourite football team and equipping hospitals.

Amid images of happy, smiling beneficiaries of capital investments, a narrator informs viewers that “… when your investments do good things, so can you. We are millions of people, we are billions of pounds and together we are changing our future.”

Developed by Iris Worldwide, the uplifting campaign builds on Abrdn research, which found that 54% of the public believe that investing not only secures their financial future but can have a positive impact on society.

Reflecting a simplification of the Edinburgh-based firm, the campaign moves beyond cold pounds and pence to the societal benefits that accrue from efficient investment through real-world examples such as Sol and his dad Ben, who demonstrate how recent robotics advancements have enabled the mass production of prosthetic limbs.

By John Glenday

Sourced from The Drum

In News

The Importance of Form and Content

December 10, 2021 No Comments

By Tess Wicksteed

When I first started in brand strategy, I was introduced to the ‘brand key’. One of many generic strategy models that ensures that all the right bits and pieces are in one place. I can remember thinking, “surely the key to a brand’s strategy should look and be different for each brand it unlocks, right?” I was such a greenhorn, I kept quiet, thinking that there was probably a good reason for it that I was too ignorant to understand. Some 25 years on and I’m not such a greenhorn and the same question still bothers me – strategy positions a brand, describing its relation to its competitors and to its consumers. It dictates the form of all that follows, so why is it formless itself?

After my early training in a pure brand strategy agency, I quickly moved into heading up the brand strategy in a design agency and have stayed in this realm ever since. It strikes me as the best place to create properly rigorous brand strategy because your work is always in conversation with reality – is this theory actionable? Can we create something from it or is it just clever-sounding hot air? Over time, another thing happened from being in a creative environment where things became real. I came to believe that, in order for it to inspire, a great activation strategy needs to be something more solid than a theory. It needs to practice what it preaches and establish a form to match its content.

I’ll give you two examples of what I mean. Allpress is an incredible quality coffee company from New Zealand. It has a B2B component selling bulk coffee to independent coffee shops and gorgeous branded retail hubs in NZ, Japan, and London. We repositioned the company for its next stage of growth – kicking off with global semiotics of coffee and a series of stakeholder interviews. The resulting positioning captured the soul of the company, the values of its founders, and added a healthy dose of aspiration for the future – when we were finished, it was a thorough and inspirational blueprint to unify all brand activity. Signed off by the management, the next step was to share it – to take that beautiful keynote/ppt and present the hell out of it. But here we were talking about independent thinkers in this utterly generic form – it just didn’t feel right. So we made a comic. The first strategic comic ever. The brand history, brand strategy, behavioural principles were all covered, and form and content were in harmony. The way we said it was half of the message.

The same was true of a very different brand – Farmacy, Camilla Fayed’s biodynamic gourmet restaurant. As a lifestyle brand, a flat document wasn’t going to cut it so we made a beautiful, moving, and evocative film that spoke the strategy through the head of its biodynamic garden – the source of its difference and its beliefs.

If we look to art and culture it has always been acknowledged that form and content must match, so why has strategy been allowed to become a neutral ‘theory’ that is then given form by a creative vision? A strong strategy will always have a form that can be brought to life creatively. Strategy needs to get off the fence, put a stake in the ground, and stand for something.

Feature Image Credit: jens schwan

By Tess Wicksteed

Sourced from Brandingmag

In News

The art of rhetoric: What you can learn from highly persuasive speakers

December 10, 2021 No Comments

Sourced from TED Masterclass

You can’t always get what you want, but there is a way to increase your chances of a “yes.” We’re talking: persuasion.

Also known as the art of rhetoric, it’s a centuries-old practice that is still relevant today. TED-Ed’s video about rhetoric, written by Camille Langston, shows that this practice is present in many well-known speeches, including those of powerful politicians, such as Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill, and activists like Martin Luther King Jr. While it takes a certain amount of chutzpah to convey our ideas — and persuade others of them — using rhetoric isn’t a skill or a secret reserved only for oratory luminaries. You can master the language of persuasion, too. And it’s not as complicated as you might think (we promise!).

The three components of rhetoric

Langston simplifies the art of persuasion to three main components which are present in all persuasive endeavours: ethos, pathos, and logos. While ethos is important in presenting yourself as an authority of the point you wish to convey, pathos and logos centre around the audience. Pathos works to tug at your audience’s heartstrings, whereas logos appeals to the analytical left side of the brain. This isn’t to say, though, that you should resort to smoke and mirrors to play with others’ emotions. Too often, people equate rhetoric to manipulation, which isn’t the aim of the craft.

In any rhetorical situation, it’s important to stick to the truth, even when you want to state an unpopular opinion. While this leaves your ideas at the whims of your audience’s different backgrounds and thought processes, using rhetoric can help you make a good case for your argument and perhaps convince others to see things in a new light. And if you aren’t successful, what might arise is an opportunity for conversation, in which you and your audience can arrive at an understanding.

Putting rhetoric into practice

All that said, how can you actually use rhetoric? Here are five tips on ways you can apply rhetoric, verbally or in writing, to level up your skills. With practice, you can present your point successfully and, maybe even get what you want.

Introduce yourself. It’s crucial that your audience know why you are sharing your viewpoint. Are you a respected authority with the credentials to prove it? Or if you’re unable to quantify your experience, you can share personal stories, struggles or insights that contextualize why you arrived at your idea. This will not only lend you an air of expertise, but also show your audience that you’ve taken careful consideration of the matter at hand.

Unlearn your prejudices. Whether you’re just beginning the process of preparing a presentation or applying the finishing touches, keep in mind that there are always multiple sides to a story. Try to pinpoint any blind spots you might have. It helps to put yourself in the shoes of people who might have opposing viewpoints and think about why they might believe something different as truth. You might also want to conduct research, or consult someone who can give you another perspective.

Make your audience a top priority. The main intention of persuasion may be to get what you want, but it should never be at the expense of anyone else. While it might be difficult to please everyone, it’s important to consider how your viewpoint might affect your audience. Could your viewpoint give rise to any unwanted consequences? Or even convince people to believe that something harmful is true? Alternatively, ask yourself what’s in it for your audience when stating your opinion.

Support your statement. There are many nuances to what might be considered as fact. But, in any case, ensure you have the data to support your claims. Use reliable statistics, figures, or charts, and avoid any jargon that might muddle your statement. Remember, your audience is a top priority, so you want to present your points with the utmost clarity. Otherwise, this might alienate your audience’s views from your own — which doesn’t make a good case for what you’re trying to say either.

Leave room for compromise. Not all disagreements are bad, and if any arise from your statement, that’s okay. There’s always room for healthy discourse. That said, it’s important to create an atmosphere of safety, where your audience can air out concerns or questions that might’ve arised. And if you’re open to hearing other perspectives, even if they don’t necessarily conform to your own, you may actually come to a better conclusion in the end.

Whether you’re looking to persuade your colleagues, friends, or family, rhetoric will come in handy. Like any skill, though, it requires time and practice to master.

If you want to learn more, visit TED Masterclass. There, you can learn all the most important information about the art of rhetoric, among other communication tips.

Sourced from TED Masterclass

In News

Why You Need A Digital Strategy To Get Ahead Of The Game

December 9, 2021 No Comments

By John Hall

The world is wired—heck, it’s even wireless. Consumer reliance on technology to find businesses, learn about them and buy their products and services had long been gaining speed. Then a global pandemic pushed the accelerator to the floor.

If your business hasn’t left a digital footprint at all yet, you are lagging behind, but you’re not alone. More than one in four small businesses in the U.S. don’t have a website. Of those that do, one-fifth complain about low traffic rates that may make them question the investment.

Having a basic digital presence is better than none at all, but it can’t improve your bottom line in and of itself. Businesses need to take advantage of all the online tools available and have an intentional strategy for optimizing them.

To get ahead of the game in the 21st century, you need a digital strategy. Here are three reasons why.

1. The Pandemic Made Everyone Digital

In case you missed the news, Millennials have overtaken the Baby Boomers as the largest generation. These 25- to 40-year-old consumers are virtually all on the internet. The oldest members of the next generation, Gen Z, are leaving college. They were born and raised with the internet and social media. These generations may not know they need to punch in a 1 to make a long-distance call on a landline, but they do know how to find almost anything on their smartphones.

If you think you’re OK without a digital strategy because your business caters to an older demographic, think again. According to a Pew Research study, two-thirds of those ages 75 and older and 54% of those ages 65 to 74 have little confidence in their ability to use tech devices or need help setting them up. Nonetheless, 82% of these tech-hesitant folk said the internet was important to them during the pandemic. Old dogs were willing to learn new tricks if they could see kids and grandkids without risking exposure to a deadly virus.

You might say digital technology was a trial by fire for a lot of people who never used it that much before they had to. Even those who did rely on tech pre-pandemic have developed online habits they may never break. From this point on, fewer people will actually be walking the aisles of stores to get their essentials. Now that nearly everyone has entered the digital age, your business needs to embrace it as well.

2. Consumers Just Aren’t Going to Work That Hard

Like me, you have probably experienced the online search let down countless times. That’s when you Google something like “landscapers near me.” A map comes up with a list with business addresses and directions, but several entries lack links to a website.

No matter how many times this happens to me, the same question goes through my mind: What business doesn’t even have a website? Like the vast majority of consumers, I want to research my options online before I decide where I’m going to spend my money. The ability to learn about businesses online makes our consumer lives easier. If you have a digital presence, I’ll look at you. If you don’t, I won’t do the heavy lifting to find you.

If you do have a well-designed, easy to navigate and mobile-friendly website, that’s a good first step. But if you aren’t engaging your audience on more than one digital platform, that’s a missed opportunity. To establish your business as the go-to for whatever you sell, you need to expand engaging content across multiple platforms to reach as many people as possible. You will also be getting a bigger bang for your content buck when you do.

Savvy digital marketing practices have created convenience-oriented consumers but not complacent ones. A digital strategy that comes at them from multiple angles will get you noticed. Then content, links and shares will help instil the trust they demand so you can close the sale.

3. Digital Strategies Aren’t Built in a Day—and They Don’t Need to Be

If you could afford to hire an agency to design and implement an omnichannel digital strategy for your business in a few weeks, that would be great. Of course, not all businesses—especially small ones—have the resources to do that. But that doesn’t mean you don’t make an attempt.

Digital marketing strategies are highly conducive to incremental development. Businesses can layer one platform onto another then another until a full-blown strategy is up and running. Many of those layers can be handled by even novice internal employees capable of using a drag-and-drop website builder or setting up a social media account for the business.

The proliferation of DIY digital marketing tools makes establishing an online presence easy and affordable. That’s particularly encouraging news for start-ups and small businesses. Fittingly, it’s the digital age itself that has made the secrets of digital marketing readily accessible and budget-friendly.

Just don’t forget that a basic presence will require an upgrade if you want to compete at a higher level in your industry by, say, increasing website traffic with shrewd SEO. You may need to hire in-house talent to create engaging SEO content, adjust content for specific platforms and keep it fresh and on schedule. Or you may decide it’s worth the investment to work with an agency that has a successful digital marketing track record. Don’t worry if you need to pace yourself; at least you’ll be in the race.

Online platforms are the great equalizer among businesses of all sizes. They are how brick-and-mortar stores can be profitable despite the huge shadow cast by e-commerce behemoths. But your business needs to be in multiple places with the right content to make your online presence count. That can only happen if you execute a smart digital strategy. Do it well, and you’ll find your business on the winning side of the scoreboard.

Feature Image Credit: Getty

By John Hall

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.

John Hall is the co-founder and president of Calendar, a scheduling and time management app. He’s also the strategic adviser for Relevance, a company that helps brands differentiate themselves and lead their industry online. You can book him as a keynote speaker here and you can check out his best-selling book “Top of Mind.” Sign up for Calendar here.

Sourced from Forbes

In News

How LinkedIn Has Transformed The Businesses of These 3 Entrepreneurs

December 9, 2021 No Comments

By Hailley Griffis

I sat down with a few founders to learn more about how LinkedIn has transformed their businesses. Read on to hear their stories, see their results, and learn the strategies you can start implementing today.

People often think of LinkedIn as the place to go for personal career growth but it can also be an incredible resource for growing your company. Especially if you’re a small business owner whose personal brand is closely linked to your company mission, LinkedIn shouldn’t be ignored as part of your social media strategy.

I sat down with a few founders to learn more about how LinkedIn has transformed their businesses. Read on to hear their stories, see their results, and learn the strategies you can start implementing today.

Quick note: Before you get started with these strategies I recommend you audit your LinkedIn profile to ensure it’s accurate and compelling. It won’t take much time and it can go a long way!

Building Thought Leadership

While other social channels are typically reserved for building your company’s brand, LinkedIn provides a unique opportunity for you to grow a personal following—that can, in turn, support your brand’s recognition. This is especially true when your individual thought leadership aligns closely with the mission of your company.

When Sherrell Dorsey started the digital news and insights platform The Plug, she knew she wanted it to be seen as the leading voice in the Black innovation economy—and she wanted her voice to be in the mix as well. She turned to LinkedIn to share the work she was doing and lessons she was learning a couple of times per week.

Sherrell Dorsey, Founder and CEO of The Plug

The results were shocking: “Just a few months later, the kind of engagement I received was insane. And then just a few months after that, I was named a LinkedIn Top Voice in Technology.”

This recognition has helped give Dorsey and her company more leverage when it comes to PR outreach and speaking opportunities. “There’s a little street cred to it. I think folks come across my profile and they see that I’m a LinkedIn Top Voice, so I must be legit,” she says.

She’s continued to double down on her LinkedIn strategy—adding LinkedIn Live conversations into the mix—because she’s noticed how demonstrating her passion ultimately boosts her company’s brand, too. “It’s been a way for people to see me, see the work, see the authenticity, and then make a decision that they want to engage with this brand based off of what they’ve seen me post or share on LinkedIn,” she says.

Connecting With Industry Leaders They May Otherwise Have Never Met

Social media is great for connecting with new people, regardless of where they’re based. But many entrepreneurs share that LinkedIn has been especially valuable in this respect. In a post-COVID world where conferences and gatherings are less common, LinkedIn is a powerful platform for finding peers to serve as sounding boards, mentors to learn from, and even future customers from afar.

Sheena Russell, founder and CEO of Made With Local, loves the fact that her company operates out of the relatively remote city of Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada. However, she shares, “In certain circumstances, it can feel isolating to not be where the action is.”

Thanks to a strategy of sharing some behind-the-scenes action and reflections on her life as a CPG (consumer packaged goods) entrepreneur on LinkedIn, Russell has grown her network far beyond what would be possible locally. “With LinkedIn, I am personally connected to huge CPG founders and people who are running brands I really admire,” she says.

Beyond helping Russell and her team feel more connected and giving them the chance to learn from the best in the business, Russell expects these far-reaching connections will prove valuable as Made With Local sets its sights on expanding into the U.S. and beyond.

“It’s a really great way for us to start building a name for ourselves in the international CPG and natural food and beverage community that will serve us down the line when it’s time for us to finally start selling into those markets,” she says. “By that point, I will hopefully have shown up on the feeds of lots of other CPG founders and people from the States, so they’ll be somewhat familiar with the brand.”

Meeting Clients

Many social media platforms seem like a fun diversion—but do they actually help small businesses make money? The answer for LinkedIn—especially for companies in B2B or career-related industries—is a resounding yes. According to the Content Marketing Institute, LinkedIn is the top paid and organic channel for B2B businesses.

Latesha Byrd, CEO of talent development agency Perfeqta, has seen this firsthand. Back in 2015, before founding her company and while she was still working a full-time job, she started using LinkedIn Profinder (now called LinkedIn Services Marketplace) to advertise her career coaching services and find her early clients. “That essentially tripled the amount of revenue I was bringing in for my business, and in about six months I was able to leave corporate America,” she says.

Latesha Byrd, CEO of Perfeqta

Even today, as Perfeqta has established itself on other platforms, LinkedIn continues to be a powerful driver of clients. “One of my current retainer clients—a tech startup that we created a talent acquisition framework and did some diversity and inclusion roadmapping for—found me on LinkedIn and reached out,” Byrd notes.

Although not every new connection will lead to an immediate sale, putting yourself out there on LinkedIn can be a powerful way to build a pipeline of potential clients. “After my last LinkedIn Live, someone who works in diversity recruiting at a really great company reached out to ask for the inclusive recruitment guide I mentioned,” Byrd says. That LinkedIn Live has since been viewed almost 30,000 times.

The best part is that all of these business owners agree that LinkedIn requires less intense curation and content creation than many other social platforms. Post consistently a few times per week, engage with people in your world, and don’t hesitate to share your story authentically. With those three steps, you’re well on your way to building a strong LinkedIn strategy—and growing your business in all kinds of incredible new ways.

By Hailley Griffis

Sourced from Buffer

In News

5 Simple Practices That Will Boost Your Online Presence

December 9, 2021 No Comments

By Hillel Fuld

The best strategy to maximize social media is to be human.

Whether you’re running social media for your company or as an individual, remember that there are two components here: The media part, which everyone seems to already understand, and the social part, which is often ignored.

To get the most out of social media, you need to address both social and media. That said, here are five easy ways to maximize the human aspect of social media and make sure you’re being social.

1. Don’t start an email or post with, “Dear all.”

This is such a pet peeve of mine. If you’re sending me an email or a message on any platform, then talk to me directly–not me and 100 other people. This is true for mass tagging on your posts and it is true for starting a message with, “Hey all.”

Even if you are sending a mass email, you don’t have to rub it in my face that you don’t consider me important enough to send me a personal email. Besides, when you send a message to a group of people, everyone assumes the next person will deal with it and most people will automatically delete the email. I know I do.

2. Become acquainted before pitching an idea.

It is mind-boggling to me that in 2021, this even needs to be said. Not a single day goes by in which someone doesn’t add me on LinkedIn and upon accepting their request, they instantly begin pitching me. Most of the time, it’s a pitch for something that is completely irrelevant to me, but that person skipped the five minutes of looking at my profile to determine whether their product is something I need or not.

Just like you would not walk up to a total stranger offline and start selling them on something without establishing any trust, don’t do it online.

Whether it’s on LinkedIn or any other platform, try sending that initial message by saying hi and that you’d love to hear what that person is working on. You’ll find that to be a great ice breaker because people like to talk about their work.

3. Use a real profile picture.

I know this might seem trivial, but I assure you, it is not. People like to do business with people. People do not like to do business with a logo or a picture of a nice landscape. Now don’t get me wrong, I am all for beautiful landscape photography, but not to be used as your profile picture.

When I see someone who has no profile picture, or they have a picture of a view, I think to myself, “If this person couldn’t be bothered to have a normal profile picture, I can’t be bothered to do business with them.”

Putting a face to your company is super important, and even if you’re just an individual and not a company, people want to know who they’re talking to.

4. Reply to all comments or tweets.

Again, why does this even need to be said? If someone took the time and effort to consume your content and comment or share it, don’t they deserve your recognition? You don’t have to write a whole essay on every comment, but a quick like or thank you would be nice.

Now, you don’t owe anyone anything, and just because that person commented on your post does not mean that you must like their comment. It’s not a question of obligation, it’s a question of decency and etiquette.

5. Highlight others.

I deeply believe in giving others the spotlight. No one wants to engage with a company or a person who spends all day self-promoting. However, a person who highlights others and gives others the stage? That is someone I find worth following.

Besides, highlighting others is a fantastic marketing strategy. You strengthen the relationship with the person you’re highlighting, you get their followers to consume your content after that person shares it, and you elevate your own brand by associating with thought leaders who you are featuring.

In summary, don’t be like most people and only focus on the media part of social media. Be social, be human, and then you’ll truly see how powerful these platforms can be.

Feature Image Credit: Photo: Getty Images. Illustration: Reagan Allen

By Hillel Fuld

Tech marketer and start-up adviser @hilzfuld

Sourced from Inc.

In News

New Gmail Security Threat Arises! Outlook and Other Popular Email Services Targeted as Well

December 8, 2021 No Comments

By Griffin Davis

A new Gmail security threat is currently targeting email users. Experts claimed that the new malicious campaign also affects other popular email services, such as Outlook.

is why they are urging consumers to avoid clicking messages from unknown contacts or verify the source before accessing the links provided in the message.

Currently, hackers and other cybercriminals are targeting email services and applications. Gmail has already fallen to online attackers for the past few months.

Now, Gmail and Outlook users are facing another security threat, which specifically tricks users into telling them to purchase high-value products. Tickets are included in these sold items.

New Gmail Security Threat

According to Express UK‘s latest report, the new malicious email message claims that if users want to purchase the expensive items being offered, they need to call the customer service number stated in the message.

(Photo : Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Students work on their laptop computers at St. Joseph Catholic School in La Puente, California on November 16, 2020, where pre-kindergarten to Second Grade students in need of special services returned to the classroom today for in-person instruction. – The campus is the second Catholic school in Los Angeles County to receive a waiver approval to reopen as the coronavirus pandemic rages on.

However, the number would direct you to one of the involved cybercriminals. This online attacker would then ask for your personal details to steal your money.

On the other hand, they would also force their victims to install malicious apps and other files into their PC or smartphones. Right now, this is just one of the security issues that Gmail and other online services are suffering from.

Recently, we reported that 4th Gen Intel CPUs have a new vulnerability, which is claimed to be caused by the DirectX 12. On the other hand, a new PS5 hack was also discovered, exploiting the console’s kernel and root keys.

Protecting Your Gmail Account

Security experts explained that the best thing you can do to avoid the new malicious email is to avoid clicking any link or calling any number provided by an unknown message.

But, the Google Account Help website also provided some tips so that you can protect your Gmail account. Here are some of them:

Always customize your Gmail settings.
Don’t forget to update your email application.
Choose a strong password, which can’t be easily identified by your friends and relatives as well.
If you are receiving spams, phishing messages, and scams, always report it to Gmail’s customer service.

Feature Image Credit: Photo by LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

By Griffin Davis

Sourced from Tech Times

In News

The Ultimate Guide to Landing Pages, Best Practices from Industry Leaders

December 8, 2021 No Comments

Sourced from in Touch

As you browse the internet, you’ll undoubtedly come into contact with a wide variety of landing pages. Whether you arrive there after clicking on a social media ad, an email link, or by manually typing in a URL, a landing page will typically be your first experience with a brand. First impressions are crucial, and the best landing pages will not only make a great first impression, they will convert casual browsers into devoted customers.

Landing pages are a powerful component of your digital marketing strategy. They should always serve a specific purpose – whether that purpose is to convert visitors into leads, or to inspire them to take a particular action. While many companies simply use their homepage as their landing page, a successful website will feature a standalone page that has a single request. A good landing page can significantly boost your conversion rates, so take a moment to learn how to successfully use this tool from top industry leaders.

Call to Action

“Your landing page should feature some call to action – you can use your landing page to collect email addresses or other relevant information, in exchange for a great discount or more information about your products. This is not the place to feature lots of detail or in-depth information; that’s what the rest of your website is for. Your landing page should simply get the ball rolling and establish a connection between your visitor and your brand.” – Fred Gerantabee, Chief Experience Officer of Readers.com

Eliminate Distraction

“When you design your landing page, make sure to keep it as simple as possible. Only ask for essential information, and make your ask clear. One of the benefits of a good landing page is that it eliminates distracting information, like other links, testimonials, or an abundance of images. A streamlined landing page should only ask for one or two pieces of information. Visual cues help keep things simple too: use bold fonts and limit how many images you feature.” – Kashish Gupta, Founder and CEO of Hightouch

Segment Your Customer Base

“One great feature of landing pages is that they can be customized to your audience. Customers may have very different needs, depending on your company and the product you’re offering, and they may benefit from different information and offers. Whether your landing page segments automatically based on things like geographic location, or if it asks people to segment themselves based on their interests, designing a tailored experience for your users can ensure that they find what they’re looking for.” – Jordan Duran, Founder and Designer of 6 Ice

Follow Up With a Thank You

“If your landing page successfully captures user data, even if it’s just their name and email address, you should make sure you send a follow up email thanking the visitor for their interest. The email can be simple, just confirming that their information was received and welcoming them to your brand. This is a good way to ensure you’re making a positive first impression on the visitor, and is the first step in nurturing a good customer relationship.” – Jared Hines, Head of Operations of Acre Gold

Integrate Your Channels

“Your landing page should have a clear call to action, but you can also follow that up by connecting them to your other channels. Once they’ve signed up to receive emails from you, for example, maybe your next step is to direct them to your Instagram or Facebook page, or to a specific product page. Make sure your landing page directs your customers through a quick and easy process, so they don’t get lost trying to navigate around on their own.” – Nicholas Vasiliou, CEO of BioHealth Nutrition

Keep it Simple

“Don’t go overboard when designing your landing page. If customers are overwhelmed with options and testimonials, they will probably just exit out and you will have wasted your time and theirs. Focus on one task only, and keep the design streamlined and visually appealing. It’s also important to make sure your landing page has a similar design to the rest of your website, so people don’t feel duped, or think they’ve landed in the wrong place. Your landing page should be an extension of your brand.” – Isaiah Henry, CEO of Seabreeze Management

Set a Goal

“Be clear about what you want your landing page to accomplish. Your landing page should be part of your overall marketing strategy, and just like any other marketing campaign, the expectations should be outlined from the start. Maybe your goal is to convert leads to sales, or maybe it’s to get people to sign up for a free trial. Once you have clear goals, you can measure the success of different designs or layouts to make sure you’re on the right track.” – Lindsay McCormick, Founder and CEO of Bite

Test Your Landing Page

“When you design your landing page, it’s helpful to do some A/B testing so that you can try out different designs and formats. Use different images or language to see what works best for your users. If you’re worried your landing page is too cluttered, try eliminating some form options to see if that leads to higher conversion rates. When doing A/B testing, make sure you only adjust one factor at a time so you can determine the true impact of each component.” – Anish Patel, Founder of Tinto Amorio

Make Them An Offer They Can’t Refuse

“If your landing page requests something from your visitors, make sure you offer them something in return. Your landing page can be the place you offer a new customer discount, or a special subscriber-only perk. If your company hosts events, maybe your landing page offers access to an invite-only event in exchange for customer information. People expect to come into contact with landing pages, and they also expect to get a decent deal in exchange for personal information. Make sure your landing page upholds your end of the bargain, or your visitors might just click away.” – Derin Oyekan, Co-Founder of Reel

Don’t Make Them Scroll

“Just like newspapers, landing pages should feature their most important messages above the fold. In other words, your most compelling information should be immediately accessible to users when they click over to your website. Feature your lead form clearly near the top of the page so visitors don’t have to scroll down to access it. Many users may not realize they need to scroll and will simply exit the screen if they can’t figure out how to proceed.” – Tri Nguyen, Co-Founder and CEO of Network Capital

Stand Out From the Crowd

“Not only does it need to look attractive on first sight, but it also needs to be accessible, and functional, while displaying a degree of originality to stand out from the crowd. Of course, the contents of your landing page will differ depending on the product or service you offer, but there are elements that can commonly be found on successful landing pages. They could include anything from a video that demonstrates the value your company can offer, to a contact form that clearly explains the benefits of signing up to your mailing list, to awards that show off your past success.” – Desire Athow, Managing Editor of TechRadar Pro

Identify Their Pain Points

“Remember that someone with a nagging problem or challenge will look for solutions, one way or another. Be there when your ideal customers need you most – with your relevant, well-designed landing page geared towards a positive user experience. If your landing page is relevant both in web design, call to action, and content – you’ll become the go-to expert to somebody who’s been looking for a solution and you will increase conversion.” – Neil Patel, Co-Founder of Neil Patel Digital

Feature Image Credit: Unsplash

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In News

Hosting a Social Media Giveaway? Here’s What to Know First

December 8, 2021 No Comments

By Emily Heaslip

Social media giveaways can be a great way to boost engagement and increase brand awareness, but pay attention when designing your incentives.

Social media giveaways can serve many purposes. You can use a giveaway to boost engagement, increase your email list, add more followers and gain visibility for your brand through cross-promotion. When designing a social media giveaway, it’s important to know your goal and create incentives that will help you be successful. Otherwise, you’re just handing out free stuff.

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when hosting a giveaway on social media.

Set your goal from the beginning

There are many reasons why you might host a giveaway on social media. Your ultimate goal will help determine the format of the giveaway and the social media channel you’re going to use. Here are some examples:

Increase follower count.
Grow your email list.
Improve brand awareness.
Increase engagement.
Promote a new product.
Recruit brand ambassadors.

Giveaways can often satisfy more than one of these goals, but pick your primary purpose and build your campaign toward that outcome. Your goal will help you determine the prize, the mechanics of the campaign, and even the social media channel on which you host the giveaway.

Most of the rules for hosting a giveaway are relatively straightforward, but if you don’t follow the rules, it’s likely that the platform will delete your campaign.

Choose your channel wisely

With your goal in mind, decide which social media channel — or channels — you will use to host your giveaway. The channel you decide to use will also be determined by the format of your giveaway, where you have the most active audience, and each platform’s giveaway terms and conditions.

“If you want to increase your following, request entrants to follow your page or profile to enter. This is especially popular on Instagram,” wrote SproutSocial. “If you want to generate more leads and increase your email list, you can request that people sign up or enter their email before entering. These can be done on a landing page and linked from any platform, or you can create a Facebook tab specifically for your contest.”

Follow the platform rules

Keep in mind that Twitter, Instagram and Facebook all have different rules for running contests. Read those carefully before you get too far into planning. Most of the rules for hosting a giveaway are relatively straightforward, but if you don’t follow the rules, it’s likely that the platform will delete your campaign. You could also risk being banned or having future posts penalized by the algorithm.

Partner with other brands

Team up with a like-minded brand to cross-promote your giveaway and raise the stakes. For example, Klean Kanteen, a water bottle brand, worked with Biolite headlamps, Public bikes, and Forsake footwear to create a bike kit giveaway worth $1500. The brands benefitted from promoting the giveaway to each other’s followers, increasing their reach and engaging with new customers in the process.

Look for other merchants whose products and services complement yours. A bookstore might partner with a café, or an event photographer might partner with a caterer. Think about which brands might have similar audiences and put together an incentive that showcases the best of both brands.

Match the reward to the effort

The goal of your giveaway is to incentivize your audience to do something: share your story, join your email list, follow your account. The prize you’re offering needs to match the relative effort you want your followers to make on your behalf. Offering a free coffee if someone posts, comments, shares and likes your page is probably asking too much. Offering a chance to win a month of free coffee, however, might be more enticing.

Likewise, you’ll want to make sure that your giveaway is exciting and meets your customers’ needs. For example, if you are hoping to generate buzz around a product launch, the giveaway should probably be the product you are launching. The prize of your giveaway should be relevant to your brand. Otherwise, you risk attracting entrants who are not going to be customers.

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images/YakobchukOlena

By Emily Heaslip

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