by Nick Throlson | Dec 16, 2016 | Business, Marketing
Every time a new year comes around, it's essential to make sure your business is keeping up with the latest trends. Marketing trends are emerging all the time, and it's important to know what works and what no longer matters. In particular, digital marketing can be affected by changes to Google's algorithms and rules. Any business should keep up with what others are doing in the marketing industry. Although, of course, marketing firms especially need to know what's happening. As 2017 approaches, you can ensure that you're familiar with which trends are continuing and emerging in the new year.
Interactive Content MarketingContent marketing has been extremely important in the last few years. As it develops, many people are starting to take a more strategic approach to it. One of the trends that are beginning to grow is the use of Interactive Content Marketing. This can include a large range of content types that people can use. Interactive content might take the form of quizzes, lookbooks, ebooks, assessments, and calculators. They are elements that visitors to a website can get involved with, instead of simply reading or looking at it. Interactive items can also encourage sharing on many occasions, such as with quizzes.Mobile SEOSearch engine optimization will always be important for digital marketing. However, each year there can be different things to consider. Whenever Google makes any changes, it's essential for businesses to reassess their SEO strategies. Recent announcements about Google's mobile index mean that mobile SEO will need to be examined in 2017. Mobile searches are also growing and have overtaken desktop searches for the first time. Specialist search engine optimization services can help businesses to keep up with these changes. They can ensure that SEO strategies remain relevant in the long and short-term.
Using Big DataThe use of big data has become increasingly popular in many areas of business. However, many businesses have struggled to make use of it in the past. They can sometimes collect the data but fail to make the most of it. Collecting data from various channels is only the start of using it to improve marketing methods. It's also essential to know how to apply the information to change the way you target your market. It can help to create personalization on websites and other marketing methods. Email marketing can become more personalized using big data collected too.Automation
Marketing automation has also been a significant issue for the past few years. The concept involves automating marketing processes and tasks so that they don't need to be constantly monitored. It frees up time to analyze the success of marketing methods and do various other things. Many businesses have been using marketing automation for a while, but others don't know how to get started. They are starting to understand how they can begin automation and how it will benefit their business.2017 will be a year to watch the continuing development of some important marketing trends. There will also be some new issues to concentrate on for marketing success.
by Nick Throlson | Dec 15, 2016 | Business, Web Design
Behind every little facet of your marketing efforts, there?s the underlying energy of your brand. Think of any big company, and you?ll immediately associate it with a distinct personality and set of values. As the owner of your business, you probably have a pretty good idea of its brand, but do your customers? Here are some of my best tips for building up a brand through web design.Think About CharacterDoes your brand have character, or is it something of an empty husk? Injecting a little personality into your brand online can be a big help in defining what it stands for. In today?s increasingly consumerist society, more and more people are defining themselves by the products they own. You can leverage this by shaping your company?s unique character around something that your target market like to associate themselves with publicly. One method of injecting character into a brand that?s been proven to be highly effective time and time again is cutesy, cartoonish imagery. Twitter is a great example of this. Their little blue bird mascot has appeared in countless pieces of media and websites created by fans. There are a lot of variations of it, but it?s always instantly recognizable.Keep it Consistent
If you want your brand to be successful, then you need to do everything you can to make it memorable. What?s the best way to make people remember something? Repeating it of course! After pinning down the right personality for your brand and taking steps to evoke all the right emotions, your next step should be ensuring that your brand stays consistent throughout your website. Keep your colors, typography, visuals, as well as the tone of voice used in all of your written content part of the same distinct thread. All the most attractive (and in turn successful) company websites have a distinct uniform, which is instantly recognizable to any repeat customer. Flick through the portfolio for any online branding company like Flagship Digital, and you?ll see exactly what I mean. Probably the most well-known example I can give is Skype. This company is great at integrating consistent branding elements in all of their public materials. A blue-dominant color palette, 2D cartoon clouds, and distinctive, minimalist artwork around it all are their trademarks.Don?t Neglect your Value PropositionWhenever a new customer lands on your site, it?s going to take them a little while to properly orientate themselves. They?ll need to make sure they?re on the right site, whether or not they?re really interested in it, and swiftly figure out what it?s all about. To speed up this process for them, they need to provide a concise and clear proposition to the site visitor. A good value proposition, if you weren?t already aware, is a short statement in a big, visible location somewhere on the landing page. Ideally, you should keep it right next to your company logo, which will make it the natural follow-up to your customers reading your company name. It may seem like a small detail, but your value proposition is extremely important.
by Nick Throlson | Dec 15, 2016 | Business, Social Media
Trade conventions are great marketing opportunities, allowing you to network with other businesses and promote your services to those who may be interested in your area of trade. But how do you stand out amongst all the other companies and stalls present? Failing to advertise yourself properly could make it a wasted trip. Here are some ways to make the most out of a convention.Check competitionBefore going to the event, you should receive some information detailing where your stall will be and which other businesses will be attending and located around your area. Research these businesses before going to a? convention. If their trade is similar to yours, they are your main competition! Find out what it is that makes your service stand out from theirs and make that your selling point at the convention public speaking tips. For example, if you're a health and fitness convention and the gym equipment your company sells is cheaper than your competition's? market your stall as? budget gym equipment that everyone can buy? or something along those lines. If your services are more expensive, market yourself as? luxury? or ?professional?.Creative signageDon't let your stall blend in with others. A great way to do this make?sure your signage creative. Invest in cardboard cutouts, creatively-shaped signs, and big colorful banners. And of course, your signage doesn't have to be static. Did you know that you can hire pedicabs for convention marketing? These mini vehicles are sure to stand out. Other ideas involve wearing branded t-shirts, hiring a mascot-like figure to carry a sign around and offering branded bags.Make a speechAll conventions will have an area for talks, whether it be a business convention or a trade convention. Talks can be educational, motivational, promotional or a blend of all three. Communicate with the organizers in advance about the opportunity of giving a speech. Public speaking can be daunting, but it?s the best way to stand out at a convention. Instead of having to give the same lengthy spiel to every passer-by, you can save it all for your talk and tell anyone that visits your stall in brief that you will be on at a certain time. Whilst you may want to shout about you and your business, the best talks commonly aren?t wholly promotional. Use it as a chance to inform people of your area of expertise, or to give advice to fellow businesses, on top of promoting.Tweet regularlyMany people at the convention will be using social media, whether they?re other businesses or members of public. Let people know of your presence by taking to Twitter. If you?re giving a talk, tell people what time it will be one. Take a picture of your stall so people know what it looks like. Shout about the convention well in advance so that people who follow you on Twitter already can come visit your stall. Keep on top of convention news and what things are trending and link your business in with this.
by Nick Throlson | Dec 14, 2016 | Business, SEO, WordPress
Have you noticed that most of your competitors seem to have blogs on their websites and are wondering whether you should follow suit? Research has shown that adding a blog to your website can increase the traffic that you?re getting by more than 50 percent - that?s a huge increase! There?s no doubt about it, when used effectively blogging can be a great way to boost your website?s traffic. Of course, the thing that a lot of business owners fail to understand is that it?s not just a case of writing any old post and it being effective. Oh no, there?s a lot more to making your site?s traffic soar than that. Want to know what it takes to use a blog to increase your website?s traffic and search engine ranking - then keep reading! Quality content is crucialIf you want your blog to boost your website?s traffic and improve its search engine ranking, it?s crucial that you only share quality content. Blog posts should be well thought out and researched, and should always focus on something that links to your business. So for instance, say you run a wedding cake business, your blog posts should link to weddings and wedding cakes. They could be tips posts, how-tos, or event industry specific posts - it all depends on who your target audience is. If the content that you provide isn?t of a high quality, then having a blog is pointless because no one will read the pieces that you?re posting, and so, your site?s traffic won?t increase and neither will its search engine ranking. It?s vital that you understand how to use SEO To give your website the best chance of increasing the amount of traffic that it?s getting, you need to boost where it ranks in search engines like Google. One of the best ways to do this is with the use of SEO - Search Engine Optimization. Most business owners have heard the term SEO before but don?t totally understand how SEO works, as such. When it comes to using SEO effectively, it?s important to understand that if you don?t use keywords in the right way, it can have a negative impact, as the Google Penguin Infographic shows. However, if you learn how to use keywords and other SEO tactics properly, you can significantly improve your site?s search engine rank, as well as the amount of traffic that it?s getting. Understand the best ways to promote it using social media marketing In order to increase the amount of traffic that your website is getting, it?s important to know how to promote your blog content effectively. One of the best methods of doing so is with the use of social media marketing - aka sharing your posts on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites. The key to success with this is the use of relevant hashtags. There you have it, a guide to using a business blog to make your site?s traffic soar and your search rank improve. Hopefully, everything that you need to know to do this has been covered above!
by Nick Throlson | Dec 13, 2016 | Business
When compared to any other industry, building an online presence as any kind of medical practice requires a slightly different sort of tools. People don?t need to be sold on your product, but how well and how exactly you deliver in. In this article, we?re going to look at how you use your online presence not only to attract consumers but to continue offering your medical expertise in new ways. With some good judgment, your professional opinion will be respected and sought after all over.
Make a welcoming front deskNowadays, there?s a large number of people who will go online first to check out any business, even those in medical fields. Having an amateur site doesn?t just speak to your poor web design capabilities. It builds an image of unprofessionalism that can stick to the whole practice. When you?re designing your website, make sure you?re using designs specific to your industry, whether it?s dental websites, private therapy sites or any other kind. Use your site to do more than give information about the business, too. One of the ways you can start building trust is by publishing articles that give tips on helping people manage their health. Consider creating a news and advice blog for your practice areas. Producing relevant content is one of the most effective ways of not only becoming more visible but keeping your visitors returning to a valuable source of information.Be available onlineBeing able to talk with your patients online is important, too. Get your practice as active on social media as you can, answering patient and potential client queries as best as you can. Depending on what kind of practice you run, you might be able to offer even more availability online. For instance, nowadays, a lot of practices are using virtual clinic software. Using a webcam and sometimes telecare technology, people are able to inspect and diagnose people online. Not only will make your practice more efficient. It can remove the barriers of treatment from some people who might not be able to make the journey to you physical location easily.Become aware of word-of-mouthYour reputation is always going to play a big role in how people perceive your practice. Nowadays, it?s not just people recommending a doctor to their friends. They?re recommending them to the community at large through online doctor rating sites. Managing your reputation is all about ensuring that your positive ratings are more visible than any negative ones you might have. For those who appreciate and value your practice, consider asking them to leave a positive review on one of the sites with the most visibility. Consider using any testimonials as a bit of extra marketing power on your website and social media channels as well.Make yourself easy to reach. Provide expert information and tip that keeps people coming back to you. Offer more health care options online. Pay attention to your online reputation. These are the steps of making your private practice much more visible and much more effective online.
by Nick Throlson | Dec 12, 2016 | Business
Are you wondering whether your business is going to be a success or not? When you first come up with a business idea, it can be all too easy to get swept away and think that it?s going to be the most revolutionary idea since the wheel. However, this isn?t always the case. These sure signs will confirm whether your business will be a success:You Know You Make A Difference To Customer?s LivesIf you are confident that your business makes a real difference to your customer?s lives, chances are, you?re onto a winner. Having the customer at the forefront of your business and considering them in everything you do is a must if you want to be a success. As time has gone on, people have realized that putting more of a focus on customers is crucial. Make sure you are really helping them and making a difference. 
Your Business Can Make Money While You Sleep If your business can make money even while you?re sleeping or on vacation, this is a great sign! This can be one of the biggest and best signs that you?re on your way to financial freedom, which is surely what most entrepreneurs aim for. You Have A Strong Online PresenceHaving a strong online presence will do many things for you, including increase your exposure and get you more conversions. As more and more people are shopping online and using the internet to research products/services, having a strong online presence is a must. Your Customers Give You Great FeedbackDo your customers give you great feedback? This is a brilliant sign that you?re on the right track. You may get the odd piece of feedback that isn?t as pleasing to you, but that?s just life. If you are pleasing the majority of your customers and they?re telling you so, you should be proud and know you?re doing well. There?s a good chance that they're giving you word of mouth reviews too, which can be extremely valuable. Show off your feedback and testimonials online if you can, as they?ll make the world of difference! You?re Getting Attention In The PressGetting attention in the press is a wonderful sign too. Whether this is online or in print, you should take this as a sign that your business will be big. You Have A Business PlanA business plan helps you to see things from a bird?s eye perspective. You can avoid big mistakes these way and stay focused on your goals. Not only that, it can help if you?re trying to secure a business loan or some kind of funding. You Know Your NumbersKnowing your numbers is important too. You own this business, so you need to make sure you have a handle of the numbers too. Some find this boring, but it?ll only contribute to your success in the long run. You Learn From Your Mistakes It?s normal to make some mistakes, but learning from them is so important. Don?t let setbacks get you down for too long! 
Interactive Content MarketingContent marketing has been extremely important in the last few years. As it develops, many people are starting to take a more strategic approach to it. One of the trends that are beginning to grow is the use of Interactive Content Marketing. This can include a large range of content types that people can use. Interactive content might take the form of quizzes, lookbooks, ebooks, assessments, and calculators. They are elements that visitors to a website can get involved with, instead of simply reading or looking at it. Interactive items can also encourage sharing on many occasions, such as with quizzes.Mobile SEOSearch engine optimization will always be important for digital marketing. However, each year there can be different things to consider. Whenever Google makes any changes, it's essential for businesses to reassess their SEO strategies. Recent announcements about Google's mobile index mean that mobile SEO will need to be examined in 2017. Mobile searches are also growing and have overtaken desktop searches for the first time. Specialist search engine optimization services can help businesses to keep up with these changes. They can ensure that SEO strategies remain relevant in the long and short-term.
Using Big DataThe use of big data has become increasingly popular in many areas of business. However, many businesses have struggled to make use of it in the past. They can sometimes collect the data but fail to make the most of it. Collecting data from various channels is only the start of using it to improve marketing methods. It's also essential to know how to apply the information to change the way you target your market. It can help to create personalization on websites and other marketing methods. Email marketing can become more personalized using big data collected too.Automation
Marketing automation has also been a significant issue for the past few years. The concept involves automating marketing processes and tasks so that they don't need to be constantly monitored. It frees up time to analyze the success of marketing methods and do various other things. Many businesses have been using marketing automation for a while, but others don't know how to get started. They are starting to understand how they can begin automation and how it will benefit their business.2017 will be a year to watch the continuing development of some important marketing trends. There will also be some new issues to concentrate on for marketing success.
