5 Simple Marketing Tips for Improved Brand Visibility in 2018

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | 5 Simple Marketing Tips for Improved Brand Visibility in 2018 | Marketing and SalesFor some time now, having an online presence has been crucial in business. As more consumers turn to the internet to shop, search and even socialize, ranking #1 on Google can put you in front of your competitors and increase conversions. While the internet proves far more competition than ever before, this ease of virtual accessibility can be both a dream and a curse. While it expands reach, allowing companies to access a global market, the increase in opposition means it’s also far more difficult to engage your demographic. Plus, 2018 means new ways of marketing your business digitally, as our ever-increasing world becomes more dependent on technology.

However, even in an ever competitive space, there are many ways to give your brand the advantage, so that your company has a fighting chance. Here are five marketing tips to increase your brand’s visibility this year.

Maintain Your Blogging Schedule

In 2017, many companies tried their hand at blogging, incorporating a blog into their business’s website. By doing so, you’re allowing yourself, as an employer, to become a trusted and knowledgeable authority figure in your industry; writing and publishing content that caters to the needs of your audience, whether it’s for your customers or clients, improves your business’s reputation and makes your business seem more reliable. You’ll become a reliable and trusted source for certain areas of business, and if your posts are well-written, engaging and offer something of worth, people may share your blog posts, organically elongating your reach.

Throughout 2018, you should continue to maintain your blogging schedule (posting at least 2 or 3 times a week). According to Hubspot, companies that published 16+ blog posts per month got 3.5x more traffic than companies that published a mere 0-4 monthly posts; 53% of marketers also admitted that blog content creations are their top inbound marketing priority. Therefore, create a schedule where your team continues to blog regularly so that your business can continue to publish consistent posts.

Choose the Best Social Media Platforms

There are many social media networks up for grabs. However, you should only select the ones that relate to your audience and key demographic. Trying to tackle them all is hugely time-consuming and can cost unnecessary money. By selecting the key social media platforms for your business, you will generate true results from your marketing efforts.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are the go-to for many businesses, and they seem set to continue being popular throughout 2018, but if your business cannot thoroughly utilize them, you should look for alternatives. For instance, Instagram is a social media platform tailored for photography; this is ideal for fashion labels, artists and even website designers, but for SEO companies, it may not be so fruitful. Facebook and Twitter, on the other hand, can help most companies, and all businesses should set up profiles with both platforms. Both Facebook and Twitter are also ideal for sharing your blog posts with customers, helping to improve a brand’s visibility.

When looking for a social media platform that drives the best conversion rates, you should consider the following:

  • Facebook continues to be the most popular, with over 1.94 billion users and drives a conversion rate of 1.85%.
  • Instagram’s popularity is continuing to rise and is becoming the number social media platform for e-commerce businesses with a conversion rate of 1.08%.
  • YouTube produces a conversion rate of 1.16%, Twitter 0.77% and even Pinterest brings in a rate of 0.54%.

Also, there are various tools you can use to make your brand stand out through the above social media channels. Software such as Clickfunnels and Leadpages allow you to create beautiful landing pages that effectively advertise your products and services to consumers. These software tools include templates for you to quickly and easily create stunning pages that will excite your prospects and turn them into subscribers and customers.

Master Instagram Stories

It’s predicted that by the end of 2018, nearly half of all Instagram users will be fully utilizing Stories, meaning brands should grasp this particular practice and master the art of crafting and engaging and interesting Instagram Story. Stories are ideal for businesses to stay on top of people’s minds, create a digital community and publishing exclusive behind-the-scenes or launch footage. Instagram Stories is perfect for engaging with Gen Zers, who are 22 years old or below.

The Rise of Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR), has impacted mobile gaming with the likes of Pokémon Go. However, Apple announced that the iPhone 8 and X would incorporate a chip that allows the phones to provide the users with AR experiences that are likely to soon appear in social media. Although AR is still being developed and is a new feature, it’s likely to make headway. It’s conceivable that brands will soon be able to project their products into the homes of social media users.

Continue with SEO

Google is continuously releasing algorithms in the hopes of providing relevant and useful search results to their users. The latest algorithm was Google’s Fred, which saw the end of overtly ‘spammy’ websites, which profited from adverts rather than a user-friendly experience. If you’re wondering how to market your product on Google using SEO, then businesses are expected to cater to the user, rather than for profit, while incorporating the new SEO trends for 2018. For instance, long tail keywords are more effective than ‘caveman keywords’ due to the increased popularity of voice search through Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. It’s forecasted that in 2020, at least 50% of all searches are going to be through speech or images. How can you ready your business for this, then?

Instead of imputing broken sentences such as “best Italian restaurant New York,” people are more likely to speak in fuller sentences like “what’s the best Italian restaurant in New York City?” Therefore, the use of punctuation and more conversational language will be a game changer in the business of SEO.

Technology and digital trends tend to adapt and change frequently, and so businesses have also to adapt accordingly. It’s imperative that your business keeps tabs on the trends as they are as successful as they are fleeting. While many continue to prosper, 2018 could bring in many new digital marketing trends no one is prepared for, making others extinct. Remain knowledgeable, and your brand’s visibility will continue to increase.

4 Tips for Improving and Expanding Your Business

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As an entrepreneur, it is vital that you are always on the lookout for new ways to improve and expand your business. This will help you to increase your client base, compete with your competitors, establish a unique brand, and make a mark in your area of the industry. Even if your business is currently going from strength to strength, there is always more to be done, whether it’s to help you be the best in the business or to remain an industry leader. Below are four tips that will help you to get the most out of your business and to secure success as an entrepreneur.

Strategize

If you are going to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of your business, you will need to have a strong plan in place. You should be embracing every opportunity to strategize. One of the best ways for you to do this is by automating key elements of your operation. For instance, you could explore the benefits of accounts payable automation. This will streamline the process of approving invoices, validating tax forms, reconciling payments, and much more. Why waste valuable time and money, when you can search for simple solutions?

Invest in your human resources department

If you are going to have the manpower to grow your business, you will need to invest heavily in your human resources department. This will help you to find the right person for each job. Instead of being distracted by employee conflict or unimpressive workers, you should have a reliable team of people that are helping you to achieve your goals. You could even ask your human resources department to establish an internship program. This will give you the opportunity to receive extra support, without dipping into your company finances.


Secure useful business contacts

Another great idea is to secure useful business contacts. This will come in handy if you are determined to negotiate the best deals for your business. Perhaps you could establish a connection with a company that will offer you a mutually agreeable contract. For instance, you could find an events company that would be willing to promote your business in return for discounted services. Whatever the case, it is important that you are open-minded. It is also vital that you make the most of every networking event you are invited to. You should have your business cards on standby and should always be prepared with an engaging opening line.

Evaluate your company premises

Finally, you should evaluate your current company premises. You need to decide whether or not they are working well for your business. One option is to digitize your operation and encourage your employees to work from home. This is a great way to save money and to embrace the digital world. Another option is to invest in larger company premises. This will give your entrepreneurial endeavors the space they need to grow. It will also help you to impress potential clients, employees, and business contacts. If you are worried about your finances, why not share your space with other businesses? You could also consider renting out a room in a larger office block.

What Should You do if You Get Injured at Work

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For most employees, their workplace is a safe environment that is maintained to keep everyone safe. Even if you do have to do a dangerous job, there will be measures in place to keep you as safe as possible. However, for a few people, their workplace is not so safe, and this can lead to accidents and injuries at work. No-one likes to take action against their employer, but if you do get injured, then you need to get the support you need.

What is the First Thing You Should Do?

Having an accident in any situation is scary and a little disorientating. However, when it happens, you need to think clearly and report it to your manager. If you need any medical attention, then in the first instance the first aider should be called and a paramedic if needed. If there are others there with you, ask them to take pictures of the incident on their cell phones including what caused the accident and pictures of your injury.

See Your Doctor

When you first suffer the injury, you will usually be sent to a doctor that has been hired by your employee. They will assess your condition and write a report to the employer. It is important to give the doctor all the information about the accident that caused the injury and any subsequent action taken by a hospital. Your employer should be made fully aware of the injury you suffered and also advised about your current condition. Your employer should give you a form to request benefit help. If they don’t provide one, your doctor or the hospital will also have them.

Seeking Help and Advice

If you think that your accident at work could have been prevented, or if you are unsure of the process, then you need to speak to a specialized lawyer. There is a personal injury attorney in San Diego and other states that can look at your case and decide what course of action needs to be taken. It is important to choose a lawyer that has experience in this type of case because they will be in a better position to advise you.

Gather Your Evidence

From the beginning, it is vital that you start to gather all of the evidence you can about the incident and the correspondence. Keep all your letters, medical reports and emails about your accident or your time off work so that your lawyer can see them. It also helps if your employer denies that something happened, or that an area wasn’t safe. It is also a good idea to keep the receipts of any medical procedures or drugs that you have been prescribed. It will help with finding a settlement figure later.

Many people successfully claim for compensations from their employer for an injury at work, and they have still employed them the same company afterwards. It is important that you know the procedure and who to seek help from at the time.

How to Get a Work-Life Balance When Working at Home

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Although there are many advantages to working from home, there can also be problems associated with trying to work in the same place you live. Not only do you need to make sure you get all your work completed, but you also want to spend time with your family. Here are some of the ways you can try to achieve a better work/life balance.

Set Yourself a Schedule

When you are working from home, it can be easy to just pop into the office room and answer a few emails. However, if you do that, you will find yourself doing it more often, with opening a couple of emails to replying to them and then working a few extra hours – just because. It is important that you stick to a schedule, so create one that sets out your day carefully and includes an end to your work. Allow yourself time to work, but also make sure that you only spend set hours in the office. If you are working for someone else, then it is important that you are honest and clear about the hours you work from the beginning of your employment.

Give Yourself Space You Need

While you can set up your office area anywhere in your house, it can make a lot of difference if you need peace and quiet. Ideally, you need a room to yourself that you can use as an office, then you can close the door, and the others in the house will know you’re working. Alternatively, you can always look at mobile offices that you can set up in the garden. It will give you a dedicated space, and it won’t take up a room in your home.

Work Smarter Not Harder

There are some that believe you have to work all the hours you can to be successful. While you need to put in the hours to do a good job, you don’t have to spend the whole day and night in the office. By doing the things you need to do efficiently, you can get far more work completed in less time. If you have a lot of jobs to do, consider taking on a virtual assistant that can help you with the routine tasks.

Learn to Say No

It can be easy just to continue to do a thing for your clients or your boss without thinking about what it means to your family. You are not obliged to work 24 hours a day, so you should learn to say no when they are asking things that are unreasonable. If you have set hours of work, then it makes it easier to say you are not available. If you have a mobile phone for your work, then you need to make sure you turn it off when you are not available. People can leave you a message, and you can get back to them later.

There are many people who love working from home and still manage to fit both home and work life into their day. All you need is a little planning and to learn to say no when you aren’t available.

How To Better Engage Your Employees

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Engaging your employees benefits everyone; your staff is happier, and the business experiences more success. It’s worth your time and energy to find ways that help build a collaborative environment. It’s no longer acceptable to hire people and let them figure it all out on their own.

Guide your employees and make them feel like part of a team. They’ll work hard and be more satisfied overall. Leadership has to step up and take the initiative if you want to experience real change. You’ll be glad to know that there are many practical ways for increasing engagement and creating a culture that encourages involvement and new ideas.

 

Ask for their Feedback

You don’t know what your employees want or what motivates them unless you ask. Be vocal and ask your staff to speak up when they have opinions or grievances to share. Include them in meetings and hold brainstorming sessions to get their input on important initiatives. Have a spot where they can go to share ideas and suggestions on a daily basis. This will not only engage them, but build a deeper connection between each other and different levels of employees.

Innovate Mundane Tasks

Take a look around and dive deep into getting a better idea of what your employees do all day. For example, if you have a call center, try sprucing it up by implementing call center gamification. It’s fun, it’s exciting, and it creates a better work experience. Upgrade your technology, innovate repetitive tasks and always be thinking about how to make your environment more engaging for your staff. This will keep them interested in their work and make them want to be loyal to the company for taking such good care of them.

Collaborate with Departments

Silos make it difficult for anyone to feel excited about their job. It makes you feel like you’re the only one doing any work and you never get the bigger picture of how the business works. Engage your employees by having them work together, no matter which department they’re assigned to. Create a company culture that’s informative of what others do on a daily basis, and that knows how to build relationships with each other, no matter their job or title. Set a goal to bring everyone together once a month or quarter and notice how much better everyone starts working together.

Assign Coaches or Mentors

Hold your employees accountable for the work they do. Push and encourage them to work harder by assigning each person a mentor or coach. These meetings will help make sure that your staff members are getting the attention they deserve and progressing along nicely. Your employees will be focused on getting involved in their work and performing better, since they know someone’s watching.

Conclusion

It’s always a good idea to invest in your employees. Keep them around longer by engaging them on a daily basis. Be open about your initiative and seek additional ideas from staff and leadership members.