14 Tips to Grow Followers and Engagement on your Instagram Business Account
Engagement and followers are a form of currency in the social media world. While there are a lot of social media platforms to promote your business, with over a million users Instagram remains the sweetheart of the social media world especially for B2C brands targeting youngsters(source: brandstatic.com)
In 2018, it was reported that about 35% of the world’s population is using Instagram(source:brandstatic). And 8 in 10 users follow a business account. So, businesses need to have their account on Instagram for better engagement and connection with the audience.
While creating an Instagram Business Account is easy, growing it isn’t(if you don’t know the right tricks). Wanna know how you can do that? Well, here are the tips to grow Instagram Business Account engagement and followers.
#1. Optimize your captions for search
Including keywords in your captions can help in increasing the visibility of your business account. Your captions should include relevant hashtags and a good line with keywords that describes your posts. Include a call to action line in your caption to drive a relevant action.
#2. Upload Reels
Instagram Reels is the easiest way to increase both engagement and followers.
You can create reels that describe your business or the latest products. Reels have the highest visibility on Instagram.
With reels, you can give a full description of your business to the audience, along with entertaining them.
#3. Engage with Instagram Stories and Use Story Stickers
Stories help a lot in driving engagement. Behind the scenes, an informal update and regular posts can be shared through stories to gain more eyeballs and engagement. Story stickers help further in interacting with your audience. You can start a poll or seek the audience’s opinion about any service or product. There are a ton of stickers that you can use. It creates a sense of conversation in the minds of the audience and they can connect more with your business.
#4. Hashtag strategy
Hashtags are the biggest tools for increasing followers and engagement. Adding relevant hashtags wherever possible makes your posts and content visible to a large audience.
Hashtags on Instagram are an identifier for the Instagram algorithm for placing your content in the right place. Hashtags give context to your post.
Before posting, do proper research about the trending hashtags that are relevant to your post and include them in the post, stories, reels, etc.
#5. Set up a profile for the first impression
When a user visits your profile, it should be a delight for him/her to see it. Organize all the content that’s there on the profile.
Add a proper highlights section, write a compelling keywords-rich bio that includes relevant hashtags. Set up a business profile picture for your Instagram Business Account.
#6. Create relatable and shareable memes
Memes work like magic. When users find relatable memes, they will most likely share them with someone with the same interest.
Relatable memes not only help you in engaging better with your audience, but they also get you free promotions when your audience shares them.
For creating memes, try to find the latest trends. Understand the sentiments of your target audience. A trending meme that balances your brand’s niche along with the target audience’s sentiments will help you in driving better engagements.
#7. Collaborate with influencers
Collaborating with like-minded influencers may get expensive as some influencers charge a lot but it is a win-win situation. You get a chance to place your business in front of a large audience of influencers.
Having exposure to such a large audience in one go can result in a high engagement and increased number of followers if done right. You can align with the influencer’s audience and grow your trust. Influencers give you the exposure that is otherwise hard to get.
#8. Savable graphics
Instagram users love to share quotes and informative graphics on their stories. Quotes, graphics, and repurposed tweets are perfect for driving engagement.
These aesthetically appealing graphics along with quotes help you in getting free shoutouts from your audience.
#9. Giveaways
Hosting a giveaway is one good way to engage better with your audience and drive in new audiences.
Host International giveaways enticing both your existing audience and target audience. With prizes like products, services, or experiences you’ll be getting a greater engagement and followers through these giveaways.
#10. Post on the right time
Tap the insights button on your Instagram Business account and observe the time when your audience is most active. Schedule your posts for that time.
Posting at the right time makes your content visible to your audience instantly when you’ve uploaded it. It’s fresh, relevant, and updated, all of this helps in creating better engagement.
#11. Post consistently
They say consistency is the key to success. This holds in this case as well. Post consistently from your Instagram Business Account. Schedule your posts and follow the schedule strictly.
According to tailwind, business accounts that post regularly see better growth than those that post less frequently.
#12. Learn how the Instagram algorithm works
Forget about how to beat the Instagram algorithm, instead try to use it to your advantage. The six factors that determine what shows up in a person’s timeline are relationship, timeliness, interest, frequency, following, and usage.
Following all these factors may sound like a complex task but when done right, they surely boost engagement. One simple way is to create high-quality content consistently.
#13. Use Instagram tools
There are a lot of tools that can help you in building a strategy for your Instagram Business Account. Here is the list of some good ones:
- Later:- this helps you schedule your Instagram post and automatically uploads them from your device. It makes sure all your posts get uploaded on time. It helps you maintain consistency with your posts.
- Iconosquare:- it gives insights about your info and analytics.
- Webstagram:- helps you find the best hashtags for your posts and people for sponsored posts.
#14. Analyze your results
Once you have done all this. Now try to figure out how your audience responds to the different strategies that you have implemented, take a look at Instagram insight from your profile. Observe the posts that get the maximum no. of views and likes and generate the maximum no. of followers.
References
- https://www.shopify.in/blog/14288561-how-to-build-a-massive-following-on-instagram
- https://later.com/blog/get-more-instagram-followers/
- https://buffer.com/library/instagram-growth/amp/
- https://brandastic.com/blog/how-to-grow-your-instagram-engagement/amp/
- https://later.com/blog/how-to-increase-instagram-engagement/
App Store Optimization – The Complete Guide
There are billions of mobile users globally. And this number is constantly increasing year by year.
What this means is that the market for the creation and purchasing of apps is also increasing.
With more than 2.6 million apps in Google Play Store and over 2 million apps in the Apple App Store which are used by more than 3 billion mobile users around the world(source: MobiLoud), strategic optimization of the app store is a must as it will help in better visibility of the app and increasing the no. of downloads.
To accelerate your app’s performance, here is a complete guide on App Store Optimization (ASO) which will cover:
- What is ASO?
- Why is it important?
- How is it done?
What is App Store Optimization?
It is the process of improving the app’s visibility on the app store. It includes applying the scientific method to increase:
- Visibility
- Downloads
- Engagement
- Reviews
Why is ASO important?
As you can probably guess, the higher your app gets listed in the app store, the more users and downloads you’ll get. With new apps coming daily, it has become quite a difficult task to rank high on the app store. You can’t just rely on a good app name to get listed higher.
ASO helps you in growing your app users organically and continuously. It is cost-efficient and provides steady growth.
How to optimize your App for App Store/Play Store?
Understanding target users and their needs
The first step is to understand who the target user is. Sit down with your team and analyze the target users. Try to understand:
- Who is currently using your app?
- Who might be interested in your app?
- What makes them interested in using your app?
- Why your app and not the competitor apps?
Discussing these questions and understanding the answers to these questions will help you in building expertise in further steps in ASO.
Keywords for ASO
If you’re familiar with search engine optimization, you already know how powerful keywords are. And in the case of app stores, they are even more powerful.
According to App radar, nearly 65-70% of downloads come directly from the search. And to rank high in search, the use of keywords wherever possible is necessary.
App name and title
App name is not only about branding, it is also considered as one important factor in ranking high on app stores. A unique app name sets your app apart from the competition and makes a good impression on the user.
The title of your app is also an important factor. Including keywords in the title helps in getting more downloads.
A unique app name along with a keyword-rich title will help in better listing of the app in search results.
Use high-quality screenshots and video previews.
Screenshots give an insight to the viewer. It educates them about what’s in there for them. High-quality screenshots that highlight the most important features of the app help in building a lasting impression on the viewer. It also gives the viewer a sense of professionalism.
The same goes for videos. A video that is high in quality guides the viewer about the main features in a more detailed way, pursuing the viewer to engage with the app more and possibly download it.
Pick out the right category
A large number of users browse apps by category. Choosing the right category for your app is thereby an important part of ASO. It becomes easier for the user to find the app when placed in the right category.
So, understand the categories on the app store and select the category that fits the best for what you are offering in your app.
App icon that stands out
The first element that the users see is the icon, so invest it. The app icon is something that the user is going to see every day if they have downloaded it.
A unique and high-quality app icon helps in creating a lasting impression. According to Udonis, app icons can boost conversion rates by up to 30%.
App description that intrigues users
The description of your app should include keywords but it should not be focused on search engines. The prime focus of the description should be to educate the viewer about what they are going to get in the app.
Write a description that highlights the main features and points out the new improvements you’ve done to the app.
Localize
The process of localization in ASO includes translating the app into different languages, adapting to the needs of users from different countries, customs, and habits of the user from different geo-locations.
A well-localized app creates a sense of familiarity in the minds of the users. The user feels more “at home” when using an app that has been localized according to him or his surroundings.
Get ratings and reviews
An app with a good rating becomes more trusted. A high rating and high no. of reviews influence the new user to download the app.
The fastest way to get reviews from the user is to ask them. Having a good rating creates a positive impression on new users checking the app page.
Updating app descriptions, screenshots, preview videos frequently
With trends changing overnight and brands giving a slew of updates to their apps, it’s important to keep updating your app page with the latest features and include the screenshots of the updated user interface.
This helps in keeping your app relevant and in line with the latest trends. You can also analyze the reviews and try to find out some interesting suggestions regarding the app and update accordingly.
Build backlinks
Link your app to the relevant websites and keep a check on Google’s algorithm standards. These backlinks help in better user engagement and help in giving a more descriptive answer to the question that arises in the minds of the app page viewers.
Drive traffic to your app store page using an SEO optimized website.
An SEO-optimized website that redirects the user to your app page will help in moving the web traffic to your app page.
This way you can rank your app on Google. It will directly send the user to your app page and will likely help in improving the conversion rate.
Conclusion
ASO is one of the most important marketing efforts that directly helps generate more downloads on your app. Get to know your user, place keywords wherever possible, educate the new user as much as possible in short points in the description. Keep up with the ongoing trends and update accordingly.
ASO is necessary if you want your app to grow. Run tests and make required changes to ASO strategy for constant growth and build a trusted user base.
References
6 Most Popular Website Trends of 2022
Technology is changing fast and so are the website trends. What used to be modern and innovative are now being called boring and tired. So it’s necessary to have an idea about the latest trends so that your website doesn’t look outdated and lacks critical website standards.
But as mentioned above, these trends keep changing. There are new trends every year. Not updating your website according to the latest trends may result in a low conversion rate. The business may take a toll. These constantly changing website trends often confuse web designers.
So, the question is what are the most popular website trends of 2021-22?
To answer this question, we have listed Six of the most popular website trends to follow in 2021-22.
1. 3D motion elements
(Source: wixblog)
This is an ongoing trend but experts believe that it has not reached its peak yet. 3D motion elements create a truly unusual effect. Having these on your website makes it look modern and well designed. The 3D motion element gives it a sense of realism.
2. Glass morphism
(Source: superdecresources.com)
A frosted glass effect added to the website is called glass morphism. It adds a subtle surprise to the website. It blends easily with what’s already there on the website giving it a unique look. This allows the web designers to highlight what they want to highlight and blur other elements.
Using this effect with colors adds a sophisticated dimension to the website. It is a versatile trend.
3. Chatbots
(Source:- theedigtital.com)
Chatbots are popular these days. They increase user engagement and customer support. They also help in monitoring consumer data to provide them a personalized experience which will make them feel more connected to the website as well as the business. It increases the engagement of target audience and enhances lead generation.
People prefer chatting over calling so integrating a chat bot to your business website is important.
4. Content personalized according to geolocation and browsing history
Most advanced websites track the user’s browsing history. This helps in delivering more relevant content to the user and increasing the chances of conversion. This is going to be a very important trend in the upcoming times for building a successful web presence.
5. Micro Animations
As the name suggests, these are small animations. These add an element of playfulness to your website. Using micro animations organically will keep the visitor engaged. Micro animations that are optimized according to the business helps in increasing customer interactions.
6. Comfortable Colors
(Source: Beauregard)
According to PR Newswire, 39% of web users are drawn to color more than any other element of the website. Colors give a distinct look and feel to the website. But if you use too many colors, it can be a minus point for the website. Soft color palettes are going to be in trend. These make the website look less jarring than pure black or white and give it a relaxed and calm feel.
Conclusion
Website trends are going to revolve around making the websites minimalistic yet elegant. Choosing the right colors and gradients will not only make your website look modern, but also it will increase the interactions. Micro animations will direct the visitor through the content and add a playful character to the website.
Following these will keep the website fresh and fun for a long time. A check on the ongoing trend is also necessary to make changes accordingly. It keeps the website relevant for a large audience.
References
- https://envato.com/blog/web-design-trends/
- https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/web-design-trends/amp/
- https://www.bluecompass.com/blog/web-design-trends-to-watch-for
- https://www.wix.com/blog/amp/2020/12/web-design-trends
- https://www.theedigital.com/blog/web-design-trends
- https://www.creativebloq.com/amp/features/web-design-trends-2022
- https://designmodo.com/web-design-trends-2021/
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dotcominfoway.com/blog/important-benefits-of-integrating-a-chatbot-with-your-business-website/
- https://www.beauregard.ch/
9 Ways to generate B2B leads
Leads can be very important for any business especially businesses targeting businesses. Generating leads can make or break any business. But generating B2B lead isn’t easy. With growing competition where all the companies promise to provide the most amount of benefits to B2B researchers, the business environment these days is highly dynamic. 61% of B2B markets say that generating quality leads is their greatest challenge(source: Marketing insider group).
Check out these 9 proven ways of generating B2B leads
#1. Optimize your website’s landing page
Landing pages must provide the exact solution that the person is looking for. Optimizing the landing pages according to SEO will help in higher rankings in SERPs.
The call to action button on the landing page is a must. It increases leads. CTA button can ask the visitor to leave their mail ID, contact no. which will help you in connecting to the person in a better way.
#2. Lead Generation using LinkedIn ads
Generating B2B leads on social media is different. You can do advertisements in various Lead gen forums on LinkedIn. Sponsored posts and sponsored InMails can also be done.
Data collected from these lead gen forums can be directly downloaded from your LinkedIn account.
#3. Google Ads and Facebook Ads
Google and Facebook ads can be economical alternative to Linkedin Ads for B2B leads. While there might be a compromise in quality of the leads that can be compensated with substantially lower cost per lead. Also if the campaigns are structured and optimized properly, the quality problem can be minimised.
#4. Emailing
Send emails to a database of businesses to convert them into leads. Customize the emails according to the business that you are targeting and personalize them with merge tags. Merge tags make your emails look professional as it gives you the option of replacing the first name or company name from the email. A personalized email that gives the business what it’s looking for is more likely to generate leads.
#5. Warm calling
Calling someone who hasn’t heard about your business isn’t going to generate any kind of leads. So before you call the prospect, make sure they know something about you or at least they have heard about you. Drop a mail, or target them by running ads. This will make the prospect business aware of you. After that, you can make warm calls and try converting them into leads.
#6. Live chat set up on the website
42% of visitors prefer chat support to get their questions answered(source: Happyfoxblog). Live chats allow you to interact with the visitor instantly. And if you can provide what the visitor is looking for, there are high chances that it gets converted into a lead.
#7. Generating lead through Webinars
According to Outgrow, 73% of B2B marketers say hosting webinars is an effective way of generating quality leads. Webinars allow B2B companies to position themselves as industry experts. It allows companies to educate the target audiences. Webinars make it easy for companies to demonstrate their services and engage with interested participants.
#8. Videos
According to Hubspot, nearly 75% of executives watch work-related videos at least once a week. A brief video that satisfies the B2B researcher question will lead them to continue interacting with your content. You can use testimonial videos to reassure the B2B researchers that you are the best choice. The videos can thus provide a good way of generating leads.
#9. Add signature to your emails
Adding a signature to your emails makes it look professional. It gives the recipient an option of directly connecting with you. According to Komarketing.com, 82% of Email marketers use signatures to boost brand awareness. Increased brand awareness will help in generating more B2B leads.
Summing up
Generating B2B leads is tough but not impossible.
Discuss with your team your strategies and follow the above to generate maximum B2B leads. Personalize your offers and try to reach as many businesses as possible. More leads will give more business and more profit.
Reference
- https://www.unboundb2b.com/blog/lead-generation/techniques-to-generate-b2b-sales-leads/#
- https://outgrow.co/blog/statistics-on-webinars?amp
- https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/50-must-know-statistics-improve-lead-generation-strategy/
- https://www.rollworks.com/resources/blog/b2b-sales-leads-the-32-best-ways-to-generate-more-leads
- https://www.inc.com/ben-raffi/cold-calling-is-dead-heres-an-effective-new-approach.html
- https://blog.happyfox.com/live-chat-benefits/#Conversion
- https://www.leadfeeder.com/blog/18-ways-to-generate-more-b2b-sales-leads/
- https://www.linkedin.com/business/marketing/blog/linkedin-ads/linkedin-goes-all-in-on-b2b-video
- https://www.leadfeeder.com/blog/b2b-lead-generation-strategies-and-tactics/
- https://www.echobot.io/sales-blog/b2b-sales/b2b-lead-generation-strategies/
- https://belkins.io/blog/lead-generation-research/how-to-generate-b2b-leads
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/komarketing.com/industry-news/report-82-of-email-marketers-use-signature-to-boost-brand-awareness-4297/amp/
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.blendb2b.com/blog/videos-boost-b2b-lead-generation-the-most%3fhs_amp=true
- https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-video-marketing-new-data
8 tips for increasing engagement on LinkedIn for Businesses
Over 55 million companies and 740 million users are currently present on LinkedIn(source: kinsta.com). LinkedIn is the most preferred social platform for most B2B marketers. According to marketing charts, 86% of respondents say that they use LinkedIn more than any other social platform.
79% of the B2B marketers use LinkedIn to generate leads and about 94% of them distribute content using LinkedIn (source: LinkedIn). All these statistics show that LinkedIn is an essential platform for companies. Just being present on Linkedin is not enough, businesses need to drive engagement to be on top of the mind of their consumers. Moreover, high engagement shows that your consumers trust you as a brand and want to be associated with you.
So, here are 8 tips that will help you in increasing engagement on LinkedIn:
#1. Create and post a variety of content
Keeping in mind the interests of the audience, you should post a variety of strong content on the company’s LinkedIn page. Limit the promotional posts. Sharing industry updates will also increase engagement and will keep your page up to date with the industry trends. Keep a check on what the competitors are posting. Post images and infographics to make your posts more engaging. Asking questions can also help in getting a better engagement on the company page.
#2. Focus on growing your network
Having a large network on LinkedIn is necessary. A larger network means an increased number of likes and shares. Monitor interactions in industry-related groups. Add keywords to the page and update so that it starts ranking on SERPs.
#3. Proofread everything
As you know, LinkedIn is a platform for professionals. You can’t make silly mistakes while creating any form of content as it will harm the brand image. Grammatical mistakes in the text post make the post look unprofessional which leads to a downfall in engagement. And while you may be extremely good at proofreading, you should still use tools to check grammar and plagiarism.
#4. Optimize your profile for mobile users
According to omnicore, 80% of engagement comes from mobile users. This clearly shows that optimizing the content for the mobile user is necessary. Make use of photos and videos that look good on the mobile app.
In 2018, Google rolled out mobile-first indexing. This impacts your LinkedIn presence as both your articles and profile can rank in SERPs
#5. Adding link and Posting videos
According to LinkedIn, adding a link to your post doubles the engagement. Posting videos from YouTube increases the share rate by up to 75 percent. Also, keep in mind to engage with the users that are commenting. And also promote the posts that have important updates to reach connections outside your network.
#6. Engage with employees
According to LinkedIn, about 30% of the engagement comes from the employees. So make sure all the employees of the company connect with the company page and interact with it timely. Also, some of your selected members can invite their connections to the company page manually. Make your employees reshare the company page updates.
#7. Size of profile image and banner image
The size of the profile image should be correct and it should show the logo completely. The profile image is the same for all the platforms but you can have a customized banner for your LinkedIn page. Make sure both of them are rightly sized so that they appear professional on the page.
#8. Be consistent
Posting regularly is important to increase engagement on LinkedIn. Linkedin’s algorithm promotes business pages that post regularly. Most of the advisors and experts suggest 3-4 posts per day. According to Hubspot, the best days to post on LinkedIn are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
Summing up
LinkedIn is one of the most powerful professional tools. You can build and maintain your network with it. Following these tips will help in boosting your engagement on LinkedIn. Optimize your page for search results. Be consistent with the posts and keep a track of your success after implementing these tips.
References
- https://www.marketingcharts.com/industries/business-to-business-111025
- https://news.linkedin.com/about-us#statistics
- https://www.omnicoreagency.com/linkedin-statistics/
- https://www.postbeyond.com/blog/linkedin-company-pages-increase-engagement/
- https://www.socialsamosa.com/2017/09/boost-engagement-on-linkedin/
- https://wearesculpt.com/blog/grow-linkedin-company-page/
- https://www.linkedin.com/business/marketing/blog/linkedin-ads/get-proof-the-case-for-b2b-marketing-on-linkedin-infographic
- https://kinsta.com/blog/linkedin-statistics/
5 ways to write an SEO friendly blog
Writing a blog post that is well optimized for both reader and the search engine is a skill. It often gets time-consuming. Choosing the right topic for better engagement with the reader is an important part of writing an SEO blog. Use of the right set of SEO rules is important. It will help in getting higher rankings for the blog post.
According to techjury, nearly 82% of marketers notice a rise in SEO effectiveness in blogs. Optimizing your blog according to SEO rules is as important as writing high-quality content for it. A well-optimized blog with high-quality content will rank higher. Content quality should never be compromised.
But, the question is how to make an SEO-friendly blog?
Well, to answer that, we have these 5 ways to write an SEO-friendly blog.
Think first
Think thoroughly about the topic that you have selected before you start writing. Read several articles about digital marketing and search engine optimization.
Do a detailed analysis about how you are going to write the blog and what topics you’re going to cover. Understanding the goal of that particular blog post is also important.
Structure your blog
A well-structured blog makes the reader engaged. A structured blog will make the reader curious to read it fully. It also makes writing easier.
A well-structured blog should have:
- An introduction
- A body
- A conclusion
Adding these three sections to the blog makes it neat. The introduction guides the reader about what’s going to be there in the blog and engages the reader. The body has the main content and the conclusion sums up the entire topic. Structure helps in getting a higher rank in the search results.
Decide a title for the blog that’s SEO friendly
The title of your blog should include the keyphrase. Adding a key phrase to the title makes it rank high. The title should describe the whole content accurately. Use long-tail keywords in the titles. According to Seth Winterer from Digital Logic, about 50% of the search queries are of four or more words. Hence, long-tail keywords can make the page rank high in results.
The character limit should be 50-60 so that it appears without breaks in the SERPS. Make it intriguing enough to make the readers click.
Use headings, subheadings and keep the paragraphs short
Headings and subheadings make the blog well structured. But make sure you use them correctly as they are important for SEO purposes as well as readability. These headings and subheadings help Google in understanding the main topics of the blog. A report from Digitalducats says that the use of numbers in the heading can increase the clickthrough rate by up to 36%. It also doubles your social shares.
Subheadings create a pathway for the readers to go through the blog. It makes it easier for the reader to understand what’s written. Also, use some keywords in the subheadings.
Keep your paragraphs short. Longer paragraphs are tiring to read. A large number of people will read the blogs on mobile so it will be easier for them to read them. Also, short paragraphs give a sufficient amount of white space to the blog.
White spaces help the reader to navigate through the blogs. It also gives rest to the eyes of the readers. A short paragraph will help in better engagement with the reader.
Use keywords
Keywords play a very important role in getting a higher rank in the search results. A blog with sufficient keywords has a better possibility of ranking high. According to Advanced web rankings, 67% of all the clicks are gone to the top five links. So it’s important to make a blog rank high.
Search for keywords around your topic. Some writers do this before they start writing and keep them in mind while writing. And some prefer writing the blog first and then inserting the keyword where it fits perfectly. Use the Google keyword tool to search for your main keyword.
Don’t add keywords just for the sake of it, use them only when they appear natural. Also, avoid keyword stuffing. You should add keywords to the title, headings, subheadings, and conclusion.
Summing up
Search engine optimization is not that complicated. As discussed above, give yourself some time to think and structure your blog post. Add the right keywords and keep a grammar check. The headings, subheadings, and titles along with the keywords will help the blog post rank high and get a large number of views. So, go ahead and add these to your blog and create a blog worth reading.
References
- https://openvine.com/small-business-internet-blog/6-ways-to-optimize-your-blog-posts-for-seo/
- https://eternitymarketing.com/blog/how-to-write-seo-friendly-blogs
- https://yoast.com/seo-friendly-blog-post/
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.demandjump.com/blog/how-to-write-seo-friendly-blog-posts-a-step-by-step-guide%3fhs_amp=true
- https://www.plezi.co/en/10-tips-writing-seo-friendly-blog-post/
- https://optinmonster.com/seo-statistics/
- https://coschedule.com/blog/catchy-blog-titles
- https://www.digitallogic.co/blog/50-search-queries-four-words-longer-organic-search-digital-logic/
- https://techjury.net/blog/seo-statistics/#gref
- https://www.zerolimitweb.com/organic-vs-ppc-2021-ctr-results-best-practices/
- https://digitalducats.com/headline-strategies-improve-ctr/
5 Essential Elements of a Website that converts visitors into customers
Attracting people to your website is an easy task but that’s just the beginning. Once they are on your website, you need to engage and encourage them to explore it, ultimately turning them into customers.
So, let’s discuss the five essential elements of a website that converts visitors into customers.
Adding these five elements to your website will help you build a strong relationship with visitors.
Attractive and compelling web design
- When you are designing a website, you want to focus on the user. An attractive and compelling web design will help you in creating a good impression of your business.
- Focus on designing the website for the user first. It should be easy for the visitors to explore your website and engage in it. While designing, you should focus on giving the best experience to the visitor.
- Choose colors that align with your business.
Every color has its meaning. It’s important to understand the meaning of every color and the impact they are going to make on the visitors.
- Adding visual elements like videos, photos will make your visitors more engaged.
Noticeable and Contextual Call To Actions (CTAs)
CTAs or call to action buttons are designed to prompt immediate response. All high scoring websites make use of CTAs. CTA guides the visitors about what you want them to do. CTAs guide more leads towards conversion.
Example of some good CTAs are
- Login
- Sign up
- Get started
- Explore
- Learn more
Designing the CTA button
There is no specific color for CTA buttons. A high contrast CTA button will immediately guide the visitor where to click. There is no specific font.
Exit-intent pop-ups
According to Venture Harbour, Exit-intent pop-ups increase conversion by up to 5 to 10 percent. It is a popular lead generation tool.
These pop-ups engage the visitors when they are about to leave the website.
These pop ups make the visitors give some form of information. This information can be used later to convert the visitors into leads.
Also, you can offer some exclusive content in exchange for some information through these pop-ups.
Campaign specific Landing Pages
A landing page, as you can probably guess by the name, is the page that the visitor lands on. It is the first page that visitors see, so it has to be good. If you are running an ad campaign, you can decide where your ad sends the people. This is important because you are running paid ad campaigns so you want to send your leads to the most compelling page
Landing pages are highly unique and highly customized as they are designed keeping your target audience in mind. The landing page holds the audience by giving them the information that they are looking for. According to Search Engine Land, about 80% of the search traffic goes to the top 10% of the landing pages.
Quick loading pages
The loading speed of web pages matters a lot in converting visitors to customers.
Everyone wants to access all their required information quickly.
Faster pages are more user-friendly. It makes the experience of the visitor much smoother.
A recent report by Google shows that if a page is taking longer than three seconds to load,most of the users will close it and shift to another page or website. In 2010, Google announced that page speed will also be considered as one of the ranking factors for their search index. In 2017, Google announced that it will give more importance to page speed in its rankings.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the goal of adding the right elements to your website is to convert the visitors into customers. Adding these elements does not mean that the result will be instant. You need to test how these elements are converting. You might need to make some changes according to the response that you are getting.
You need to constantly monitor the performance of your website and make changes according to it.
You will need to make various changes in the design of the website, try various landing pages, make changes to the CTAs to be successful in converting the maximum number of leads into customers.
References
1.https://www.webfx.com/blog/web-design/examples-of-websites-that-convert/
2.https://www.leadfeeder.com/blog/how-to-convert-website-visitors-into-customers/
3.https://www.webfx.com/blog/web-design/beautiful-websites/
4.https://cxl.com/blog/call-to-action/
5 reasons why content marketing should be a part of any startup’s digital marketing strategy
In this era of ever rising competition in business it’s really necessary to market your business well. But traditional marketing techniques are expensive and may not be the best fit for your startup.
In order to sustain in the market you need to use modern techniques which are more economical on side and more impactful on the other
Digital marketing is the new trend. But not everyone gets it right. To make your digital marketing strategy successful, you should implement content marketing techniques.
Now you might be wondering what content marketing actually is.
Well, let’s find out
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is a strategy used to approach and attract an audience by creating relevant blogs, posts, videos, podcasts etc.
This approach makes the customer well aware of the brand and boosts your business when it’s the right time for the customer to buy what you are selling.
Getting started with Content Marketing
Follow these steps to implement a successful content marketing strategy.
- Identify Your Audience
Target audience should be the central point for your content. You should do a thorough research and make a content that is relevant to the reader. You should know about the priorities of the customers and their preferences as well.
- Choose the right format
You should choose the right format depending upon the business you are in and your audience. Ultimate aim is to provide value to your audience. For example if you want to explain a process, animated explainer video would be a good format. If it’s a niche your business is in, you might want to go for blogs.
- Make a team and assign tasks
Decide who is going to be in the team. Assign tasks to all the members. The tasks may include creating the content, proofreading and publishing. The team should be aware and responsible for the tasks they need to accomplish.
- Identify ways through which your content will reach the audience.
Determine how you will deliver content to the audience. For example you might want to deliver your content through emails, social media platforms or by just publishing on the website. If you choose social media platforms you need to think through which platforms are suitable for your business.
- Choosing a suitable schedule
Once you get all the above points right, you need to choose a suitable schedule to deliver the right content at the right time. The schedule should not be very hectic as it might be difficult to be consistent with it and at the same time it should not be very far fetched that audience leave the touch.
Not when we know how we need to go about content marketing, let’s understand why it is important for any business or startup to focus on it.
Here are Five reasons why content marketing should be a part of your digital marketing strategy
1. Builds trust and strong relationship with your target audience
A constant implementation of content marketing strategies helps you build a strong relationship with your existing and prospective customers.
When a customer gets some useful information and expert guidance from your source, they’re more likely to buy your products.
2. Competitive Advantage
Content marketing has always proven to work. It is the go-to technique for digital marketing.
It gives you a competitive advantage.
Content marketing helps you grow close to 30% more than the businesses not using it. (Source: Mailchimp) It helps you lead the charts and keeps you ahead of competition.
3. Makes your business more visible through SEO
By content marketing you create great content for your business which helps in ranking your website through SEO. This leads to higher visibility of your business leading to higher traffic to your website
4. Builds engagement leading to leads and sales
Content marketing increases engagement with the customer. It builds trust in the minds of a customer. Also the customer feels mentally connected to your content when they can relate to the issue highlighted. So when they are actually looking for the product they are likely to contact you as they know you. According to a recent study, businesses with blogs get upto 67% more leads. (Source: Mailchimp). Hence content marketing is likely to result in leads and conversions.
5. Make you more Organized
Content marketing requires a proper schedule with content ready in advance. This makes your entire marketing scheduled and organized. And a well organized and scheduled campaign is likely be successful
Summing up
Content marketing will help you reach the right customer at the right time and it will help build a brand image in the minds of the customers. They will be more likely to choose your products as your content has guided them to understand their needs. The trust build between the business and the customer over a period of time is likely to result in conversions when the customer is looking for the product you sell
Reference
5 Best Places to Advertise Online (2021)
Which platforms are the best to advertise online for your business in 2021?
The online advertising industry is evolving dynamically and becoming competitive every day. There are now a large number of platforms for advertising digitally. Companies are now aware of the online competitive market and are looking to digital advertising to attract more customers. It is also important to understand the various platforms, their pros and cons in order to choose which one works best to promote your business.
Image source: bigcommerce.com
Below is a list of the best places to advertise online in 2021.
#1. Google Search Ads
Image source: paubox.com
Google Ads is a set of paid advertisements, which appear in search results google.com, allows you to create online ads to reach audiences through the Display Network and Google Adsense program. It runs on the PPC model and lets you pay every time a visitor clicks your ad.
Pros
- It improves the visibility of the brand in the online market.
- Google Display Network provides more targeting options
- Provides control over your budget by allowing you to choose how much you want to spend per day, and per ad and paying only when someone clicks your ad.
- Cost per click is low as compared to other ad platforms
- You can measure the results of your success and track the information regarding someone clicking your ad, purchasing the product, etc.
- Since Search Ads are shown only to people who show an intent to buy by searching for the relevant keywords the chances of conversion are higher
Cons
- The main disadvantage of paid listings is that you have to pay. It can be very expensive to use the right keywords. As an alternate SEO is an organic way of ranking you on top for relevant keywords
- You might fail to target the right audience if the keywords are not used properly.
- Google Ads provide many features but they are very complex for a novice.
- The audience might get irritated because of unnecessary ads.
#2. Facebook Ads
Image source: allstarsdigital.com
Facebook ads are paid advertising that businesses place on Facebook with its broader audience network and it’s additional applications like Instagram and Whatsapp.
This platform gives the flexibility to express your voice and write your own.
Pros
- Facebook has one of the largest users – As of July 2020, according to Statista, Facebook had more than 2.6 billion users worldwide. (1)
- It can help to find the exact audience easily and help to grow organically.
- It is the cheapest form of advertising.
- It is the fastest form of advertising. It drives immediate results, drives traffic faster.
- It increases brand awareness with faster revenue, sales, and leads.
- It is measurable. You can track impressions, clicks, and conversions that you received.
Cons
- Some companies and websites are prohibited from advertising on Facebook. This is to ensure that people using Facebook enjoy a safe and secure user experience. Before ads appear on Facebook, they have to go through a series of processes which may take more than 24 hours which is very time consuming.
- Facebook will not accept the ad if it is filled with text more than 20 percent.
- Since more businesses are using Facebook ads, the chances of catching people’s attention and having your ad stand out will be challenging and expensive.
- The audience who see the ad may not have an intent to buy so ads might not give conversions.
#3. Instagram Ads
Image source: yellowheads.com
Instagram ads are paid advertisements that allow you to put paid content on the Instagram platform in order to reach a more specific audience. Since Instagram is a visual platform, you will need an image or a set of images, or video accompanied by text to reach your audience.
Pros
- There are over 1 billion Instagram users who are active on the platform at least once a day. (2)
- It has access to the most advanced social media advertising capabilities and targeting options available.
- Sales and leads are trackable and clear ROI can be seen.
- If you are targeting the college and school going youth, instagram ads are a must
Cons
- Instagram has a limited number of audience.
- It takes time and risk to find the right influencer.
- It is time-consuming.
- Instagram ad features are less advanced than Facebook.
- It is expensive than Facebook
#4. YouTube Ads
Image source: cxl.com
YouTube ads are a way of advertising your video content on YouTube or in search results on particular interests to increase reach and drive traffic.
Pros
- YouTube alone has over 2 billion users, and each day those users watch a billion hours of video, generating billions of views. (3)
- Increases brand awareness through videos.
- Influencers can help in advertising on Youtube which can lead to more engagement, and access to high level audiences.
- It is cost effective as it gives the advantage of starting low with YouTube ads to target the perfect audience.
- Advantage of skipping a video ad for the users can skip after five seconds of watch time.
Cons
- YouTube ads suffer from really poor sales conversion rates. Users mostly tend to skip advertisements feeling irritated.
- There is no control in YouTube advertising. Users no longer have the right to select the videos nor there’s guarantee that the ads will be shown related to the videos.
- YouTube targeting is not completely perfect. There will be difficulty in targeting YouTube advertising, if the users selected are different from the videos uploaded.
#5. LinkedIn ads
LinkedIn Ads are paid ads shared in LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the right medium to achieve more traffic. LinkedIn Ads can be very crucial for reaching a professional target audience.
Pros
- LinkedIn gives you higher conversion rates because it can place your ads directly in front of decision makers in the industry.
- LinkedIn makes it easy to promote the products directly to the targeted market.
- You can track profile visits.
- Very large community for networking
- Target professionals and industry leaders directly
- Provides LinkedIn learning platform
- Perfect platform for businesses who sell to businesses (B2B)
Cons
- Requires a lot of time to achieve the goals
- Interactivity and engagement is less compared to other platforms
- It is expensive
Given below is a table of comparison between the ad platforms with the factors responsible:
Sl No. | Factors | Google Ads | Facebook Ads | Instagram Ads | YouTube Ads | LinkedIn Ads |
1. | Community | 4.39 billion people uses Google | 2.6 billion people uses Facebook | 1 billion people uses instagram | 2.29 billion people uses YouTube | 740 million people uses LinkedIn |
2. | Kind of business | Both B2B and B2C | Primarily B2C | Younger B2C audience | Both B2B and B2C | Primarily B2B |
2. | Brand awareness | Primarily help in leads | Very helpful | Very helpful | Very helpful | Helpful |
3. | Targeting | Precise | Precise | Average | Average | Very precise |
4 | Conversions | Better as intent to buy is there | Average | Average | Average | Average |
5. | Cost | Low | Lower than Google ads | Expensive | Expensive | Very expensive |
6. | Advanced features | High level | High level | Less than Facebook | High level | High level |
7. | Tracking of results | Can be done | Can be done | Can be done | Can be done | Can be done |
Final Words
To conclude, the right platform is where you want to advertise your business, depending on the goals and the budget for your campaign. You have to ensure your target customers and your advertising priorities to decide which online advertising platform is best for your business and also ensure your budget doesn’t go very far. With an appropriate combination, if your budget permits, will allow the success for your business through the platform which suits the best.
References
- https://www.searchenginejournal.com/facebook-marketing-advantages/229849/
- https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/benefits-instagram/
- https://wearegrow.com/8-massive-benefits-of-using-youtube-for-business/
- https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6123875?hl=en
- https://www.digitalvidya.com/blog/benefits-of-google-adwords/
- https://www.webfx.com/social-media/benefits-of-youtube-advertising.html
- https://www.cyberclick.net/advertising/linkedin-ads
5 Next Big Trends in Social Media Marketing (2021)
Do you want to know what’s going on in the world of social media and stay updated about it?
In a short period of time, social media has managed to become a vital part of our lives. What began as a way for friends and family to remain in touch quickly evolved into a way for brands and companies to interact with their target audience through social media.
There are always upcoming and ongoing trends which can be seen on social media every year.
With Each year, social media trends keep on evolving as social media sites add new features and update their algorithms. The social media market is growing faster than every day, and we must be aware of the latest trends to stay updated and above competition.
Some of 5 social media marketing trends to incorporate in 2021 are given below:
#1. Influencer marketing
Social media today is dominated by influencers and will continue to do so for years to come. Humans prefer to buy products which are recommended by their known circle. Influencers have large social media following and when they recommend a product their followers tend to buy it. It is comparatively more economical to invest in influencers than running ad campaigns. Moreover it delivers good results. These are the reasons why influencer marketing is becoming more popular these days.
Companies are now working with a whole network of micro and niche influencers. These kinds of influencers get much higher engagement and don’t cost much. Companies are preferring this strategy over going for a single celebrity and spending too much money.
Influencer Marketing can be a very good strategy for Instagram.
#2. Employee Advocacy
Employee advocacy means the promotion and awareness of an organization or by it’s staff members. (1)
Employee Advocacy is about transforming your engaged staff and creating more promotion and sales. It gives better market efforts by creating better content.
Employee advocacy gives better engagement, more productivity and an increase in sales. A good advocacy will generate more leads, customer retention and brand exposure.
Employee advocacy helps in increasing the reach and is an effective tool on Linkedin
#3. Use of groups on social media
Social media groups are communities of professionals from different niches who come together to share their knowledge on social media platforms. These are mainly private groups for like-minded people with similar likes and interests.
Brands can learn a lot about their audience’s interests and behaviors and get feedback about their products in the group. These interactions can help build brand trust and loyalty and drive engagement. The group can help brands create better content for their social media pages. Having conversations with their customers will make them feel seen, heard and respected.
Groups can be a powerful tool on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.
#4. Stories
Stories of social media were first invented by Snapchat and then copied and amplified by Instagram and Facebook and recently by Linkedin and Youtube. Stories are the next best way to communicate on social media.
These virtual stories last for 24 hours and give people many opportunities to create different types of content which are recent in nature and let them express their thoughts in a creative way. They are more casual as compared to posts on the feed and hence give you a place to experiment.
The main advantage is that they are very short to watch which makes it easy for people to watch them on the go. Examples of stories can be behind the scenes, opinion pieces, editorials, podcasts and more.
#5. Direct interaction
Direct messaging allows individuals to connect instantly. It allows companies to connect with their customers directly by messaging. Messaging allows you to connect with the people you need digitally without meeting them in real life.
Businesses can communicate through direct messaging for order and product questions, feedback and queries. This helps your business to stand out from others by creating a more positive and meaningful customer experience.
Instagram and Linkedin are the platforms which give the option of direct messaging.
Conclusion
Above given trends are dominating social media in 2021 and will dominate beyond. Businesses need to adopt the trending features to have an engaging and effective social media strategy so that they can remain ahead of their competition.
References
