Part II. – Draw in much more consumers strategically and smartly.

More consumers strategically … According to Forrester’s study, 63 % of acquisitions involve greater than four individuals – up from just 47 % in 2017. These customer teams usually consist of leads with differing degrees of authority and influence. Individuals you collaborate with when selling to a service can consist of gatekeepers, influencers, blockers, champs, individuals, decision manufacturers, and a range of other agents, who can make or damage your company. To overcome this challenge, thorough study and customization are crucial.

Part II. - Draw in much more consumers strategically and smartly., marketing, leadsgeneration, leads, inblurbs, inboundmarketing, revenuegeneration, SocialSelling, SocialCommerce, Videomarketing, Apps, Microstories, Mikroinfluencer, blogging, contentmarketing, Messaging, storytelling, FeaturedSnippets, EmailMarketing, contentisking, contentmarketing

You must be prepared to involve with every one of the sorts of contacts provided in the previous paragraph – a process that is a lot easier stated than done. Inevitably, these contacts are individuals, so they are normally responsive to a specific method. Research the potential customers you speak to – and get a feeling of their priorities, individual preferences, and seniority within your company.

Additionally, understand the common measure that joins you – the company you work for. Know the ins and outs. Recognize the market and find out where the business stands compared to the competition. Do you have a feeling of the pain factors and can you deal with every one of these aspects when talking to someone you engage with around this? Longer sales cycles In 2023, greater than a 3rd (35%) of customers intended to make fewer purchases due to a possible economic crisis – and we expect this pattern to continue into 2024. As purses tighten, sales cycles lengthen. Customers take more time to make acquiring decisions and tend to increase the arguments during the process.

Rather than spreading yourself throughout numerous leads, focus your energy on involving yourself with potential customers, who are most likely to convert. By raising your communications with these leads, you will certainly use your time better and boost your opportunities of closing a sale.

Furthermore, take into consideration using adaptable pricing plans. Amongst sales representatives who offer freemium choices, a staggering 90% state, it is „really reliable“ at converting potential customers right into paying customers. Offering a complimentary device or widget, item trial, appointment, or service list can boost your exposure early in the sales procedure.

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More consumers strategically … Brand Name Ambassador

Marketing-Experts have actually long thought that a good solution is the very best advertising and marketing.

A lot more especially: Faithful customers that share their favorable buying experience are a lot more relied on than advertisements. So why not utilize them to benefit your service? The secret to success is recognizing the most influential clients and turning them right into brand-name ambassadors. It indicates building a trusting relationship with your clients by not only guaranteeing an excellent level of service, yet also surpassing your expectations and providing included worth that fully fulfills your passions. It’s difficult, however it deserves it. Diese will absolutely result in an increased return on your advertising and marketing financial investments.

More consumers strategically … By creating your very own motivation program to urge the promotion of your brand name and offering multiple possibilities for such activities through social media sites and apps such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, your base of faithful clients will continuously expand without any unique initiative on your part. In the direction of a customer: First way of thinking Going forward, focusing on purchaser rate of interests will certainly have a greater effect on just how sales reps perform their sales efforts. When we think about the concept of „customer initially“, it redefines the paradigm. We need to take a closer consideration of just what buyers wish to purchase and how we decide to offer them what they want. It has to do with ending the old mindsets, especially the way we approach the customer to offer him the services or the product. The key to overcoming this obstacle is a more consultative, useful and compassionate strategy of selling. Steps such as energetic listening and discussions tailored to figure out the „why“ behind a purchase will certainly be essential in the future. Sales efforts can no longer go to the leading edge of a presentation.

You ought to prevent your possible Reach out to clients who wish to adapt to a buyer-first setting. Focus must be placed on elements such as thorough customer study and relationship building, to adjust to a globe where the customer has the power. Develop a connection with your customer first! „Be there before the sale!“ Acquaint on your own with concepts like customer-centric sales. Learn how to implement your sales efforts without pressing purchasers. Try to plan your initiatives around your prospects’ routines, not your own. Somehow, comprehend your purchasers’ special obstacles and put them first. Steps like those listed below supply them with the best opportunity to much better comprehend and adjust to a world in which the customer has disproportionate power. Brand names will certainly turn to micro-influencers Influencer Marketing has actually gotten on everybody’s lips for several years.

With the devices to develop their own audience, creators – YouTubers, bloggers, Instagrammers – have actually developed huge followings and achieved a condition on par with celebs from more conventional media like TV and Movie.

Part II. - Draw in much more consumers strategically and smartly., marketing, leadsgeneration, leads, inblurbs, inboundmarketing, revenuegeneration, SocialSelling, SocialCommerce, Videomarketing, Apps, Microstories, Mikroinfluencer, blogging, contentmarketing, Messaging, storytelling, FeaturedSnippets, EmailMarketing, contentisking, contentmarketing

More consumers strategically … Micro-influencers

Micro-influencers with around 100,000 fans or less are now being taken seriously by brand names. While big-name-Influencers charge upwards of $10,000 per blog post, micro-Influencers typically cost a lot less: a few hundred dollars to absolutely nothing more than a cost-free gift of their product.

Micro-influencers likewise tend to have actually an extra involved target market about their total number than bigger influencers. Often the average interaction rate of 5 % doubles for mega-influencers. In 2024, brand names will create lasting relationships with relevant micro-influencers as part of their influencer advertising, to build bigger areas and raise consumer counting and loyalty. Make the most of chances to connect with YouTubers and influencers.

Lay the foundation for an effective business year now, act, and demand your custom-made project strategy now.

Read also Part I. – Draw in much more consumers strategically and smartly.

A viral e-book as a sales magnet

Viral e-Book – If you’re looking for a great way to drive more traffic to your website, generate more leads, and increase your sales, then creating and distributing free eBooks is a great way to do it.

A viral e-book as a sales magnet, A viral e-book as a sales magnet -  to generate more leads

Viral e-Book…

E-books, or electronic books, are HTML or PDF-based files that are distributed and presented in a downloadable file. This file does not require any special software installation and will open on your reader’s desktop simply by clicking on it.

E-books are fully interactive and can contain almost anything that a standard web page can contain, e.g., links, graphics, forms, JavaScript, and videos.

Creating an e-book to use as a viral marketing tool is a smart way to increase traffic, leads, and sales!

Viral e-Book…
E-books are great marketing tools.

Offering a high-quality free e-book on your website is a great way to get your visitors coming back to your website, thereby also keeping your products and services in the spotlight of your future customers. So they can buy from you as soon as you are ready.

This can be achieved by including links to more information on your website in your e-book and, in the process, providing your readers with special offers (for e-book readers).

The key to publishing an effective free ebook is choosing a topic that will be of interest to your prospective customers. Include multiple links to your website and your products or services in your e-book.

E-books are great marketing tools.
A viral e-book as a sales magnet -  to generate more leads


Viral e-Book…
Increase the distribution of your e-book.

While giving your visitors your ebook for free to get repeat traffic is a good marketing strategy, it’s also a great strategy to allow your visitors to distribute your ebook.

If your ebook is good, here is an example of how powerful it can be:

10 of your visitors download your e-book.
These 10 visitors are giving away or distributing 3 e-books each, for a total of 30.
These 30 each give away/distribute three e-books – a total of 90
These 90 each give away/distribute three e-books, for a total of 270.
These 270 each give away/distribute three e-books – a total of 810
These 810 each give away/distribute three e-books – a total of 2430
7290 of these 2430 are giving away/distributing three e-books each.
     …

A viral e-book as a sales magnet -  to generate more leads

Ensure that your e-book can be freely distributed by your readers by telling them they are free to do so.

Here’s some sample text to include in your e-book to help its distribution go viral: “This e-book may be freely distributed, used as a free bonus that you may sell, included in membership sites and packages, and used as an incentive to attract new subscribers to your publication.”

The key to using this technique effectively is to create a quality e-book that contains information that will be of interest to your prospective customers—information that will absolutely delight your readers. Information that is of value to them, that they would even pay for, and that they absolutely want to get their hands on!

Please remember that you should not write a cheap little ebook of little or no value filled with ads and expect it to be successful. Your e-book MUST look good and professional, so good in fact that your readers would buy it, to be used as a viral marketing tool!

E-books can be powerful online tools for internet marketing and are predestined for viral marketing! By creating a small, high-quality e-book of in-demand information, you can create an ongoing promotional tool that will work for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for years to come. Your e-book can be viewed by millions of internet users simply by gifting it.

If you also want a viral e-book as a sales magnet for your company, then talk to us!

How Governments are Winning The War on Social Media and Content Marketing

content marketing, corporate blogging, whitepaper creation, ebook creation, social media content marketingWhen it comes to having an enormous amount of content online, local, State and US Federal Governments must rank high in the vast amount of information available on the world wide web. They even offer a website where you can assure yourself that social media sites advertising that they are from our government, are in fact, actually a part of the .gov family.

But these government agencies often struggle with social networking, similar to the medical and financial industries, they are bound by a completely different set of rules and regulations than the average business. Yet still, there are some notable successes when developing smart strategies for content marketing success.

Here are some examples of how our local, State and Federal governments are teaming up to keep us informed and well-educated, from sea to shining sea, during some very difficult times:

Major Construction Ordeal in San Francisco

Many years after repairs were made to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge following the devastating damage from the Loma Prieta Earthquake, a massive project was launched to replace a huge, unsafe section of the bridge. The eastern span replacement was the largest public works project in California history, with an estimated cost at over $6.4 billion dollars, it took over eleven years to complete, eventually making it the widest bridge in the world.

This “Bay” bridge carries one-third of traffic from all the California state owned bridges combined and the resulting gridlock, traffic jams, temporary closures and detours were challenging to say the least. Although the bridge re-opened in 2013, during the decade long construction and transition, the City of San Francisco teamed up with CalTrans, Bay Area Toll Authority, California Transportation Commission, local news services and social media to keep the public informed during this harrowing process. Although minor repairs continue, it is a beautiful site on the SF Bay, comparable to many other great bridges in our nation.

The First Lady’s Nationwide Campaign

Mrs. Michelle Obama has been very busy promoting her “Let’s Move” campaign against childhood obesity and endorsing her platform for a more active, health-conscious, future for our nation’s children. Initially, upon launch back in 2010, she was quoted as saying, “The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake.”

The First Lady has been effectively utilizing Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to promote a healthier, more active lifestyle for our children. Posting recipes, videos and pictures from her campaign across multiple channels, Mrs. Obama has also gained celebrity endorsements from famous chefs, comedians and actors across the nation.

Federal Assistance

Our federal government is often there to lend a helping hand, especially during times of tragedy, but there are also over 120 agencies listed on the fed’s website that show their connection to social media, everything from agriculture to The White House. Here our nation’s citizens and small businesses can get assistance from a variety of different branches of our government and see which social media platforms they are utilizing:

  • Consumer Financial Protection
  • Consumer Product Safety
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Federal Housing Financing
  • Medicare and Medicaid
  • Minority Business Development
  • Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Small Business Administration
  • Veterans Health and Benefits

 

While awards are commonly given for big government contracts, perhaps the City by the Bay and our First Lady are worthy of consideration for their achievements with a different kind of recognition. They have both overcome tremendous challenges using content marketing and social media to reach their important audience and ultimately their goals.

 

Megan RitterAuthors Bio:

Megan Ritter is a proud graduate of Marketing from The University of California. Since then she has been working at various Marketing agencies while always submitting informative articles on websites, drawing from her research and experience. Get in touch with Megan on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

 

 

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Conversion Case Study: How I Made $7115 From 85 Unique Visitors

using social media for marketing researchOver the years, I’ve created and sold several “how to” information products online, but none have been as successful as The Million Dollar Case Study. Within days of launching the site I made $7115 from the first 85 unique visitors.

Since then, the site has continued to grow steadily. And I’m still amazed at the conversion statistics. Currently, the squeeze page converts at 67% and the video sales letter at 8.2%.

If you’re struggling to convert browsers into buyers, here’s the exact strategy I’m using. It works in any niche, but it’s particularly effective in competitive, popular niches like weight loss, make money online and relationship advice.

First Off, Your Product And Market Are Everything

Without a doubt, the #1 factor in my success so far is the product and market. The reality is, people in the “make money online” niche are ready and willing to spend money on products they like. Case studies are generally popular in most markets, but especially so in the internet marketing sphere.

If you have lots of traffic but very few conversions, I would take a good long look at your niche and product or service. Ask yourself honestly, “Are there enough interested buyers around?”

If you’re not sure, I highly recommend paying a visit to the ClickBank marketplace to find out. Simply find the category you’re involved in and see if there’s lots of products with a decent gravity (more than 20-30). If there are, you’re in a good niche; if not, that’s your basic problem.

Ignore The Crowd

The single most important factor in improving your conversion rate is your sales letter. If it works, you have a license to print money. If not, again, you’re fighting a losing battle.

The good news is, it’s very easy to get a sales letter or video to convert, but the key is to go against the grain. Most internet marketers copy each other and that simply doesn’t work anymore.

This is the simple process I use that works very well:

First off, I interrupt the same old, same old. Most people expect to hear a long boring sales pitch or a hyped up motivational success story. So I do the exact opposite. I get straight to the point and reveal exactly what my product does, and more importantly, who it can help and who it can’t.

I’m honest about my intentions. I have no idea why most marketers “hide” the sale until later in the sales funnel, when all you have to do is let people know that you’re in business to make money. Everyone knows that anyway, and it makes it a lot easier to ask for the sale.

Authority, customer advocacy and hope are my most powerful weapons. I’m not afraid to assert myself as a leader, let people know that I have their best interests at heart (because I actually do) and inspire them to take action.

My product is unique, different and interesting. If you’re just another “me too”, it’s very difficult to stand out in today’s marketplace. That’s why I created a case study; instead of teaching people how to make money online, like most people do, I’m just showing what works.

Finally, I use an ultimatum. This strategy is controversial, but it works. I force people to make a decision by giving them a deadline to buy. If they remain indecisive or on the fence when the time limit expires, I simply take them off my list.

The Real Money Is Made On The Back End

Membership sales have steadily grown since launching The Million Dollar Case Study, and it’s nice to have a regular, passive income, but the real profits come from coaching fees.

The truth is, your front end offer very rarely makes much money, especially if you’re paying for traffic. So the key is to offer a high ticket product or service on the back end to make up the difference.

As long as you’re providing genuine value to your customers, and you’re being open, upfront and honest about your expertise and how you can help them, it’s a fantastic way to earn a living.

One Other Thing – I’m Passionate About My Niche

I’m a firm believer in selling products and services you care about, that you’d personally buy yourself. If you’re not successful online, that’s something you should definitely think about.

In the past I’ve sold products in the weight loss and search engine optimization niches. They sold well, but it was always difficult to motivate myself during the tough times.

Once I started doing what I loved, and selling products and services I believed in, it made my job a lot easier. And besides, your customers can pick up on your enthusiasm, so I believe this is one of the most important factors in determining your conversion rate.

And That’s It

As you can see, it’s not hard. If target the right market and sell what people buy, that’s 90% of the battle. Of course, split testing different elements on your page is important (headline, sub headline, benefits, testimonials, the call to action button and so on), but at the end of the day, if no one wants your products or services, you’re fighting a losing battle.

 

About the author:

Marcus MacleanMarcus Maclean is the founder & CEO of The Million Dollar Case Study, a live, video case study detailing exactly how he’s building a brand new million dollar membership website from scratch. To watch the case study unfold.

He is also a professional launch jacker. Connect with Marcus Maclean on FacebookLinkedIn and Google Plus.

 

 

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How To Make It in the Blogging World

content marketing, corporate blogging, whitepaper creation, ebook creation, social media content marketingBlogging has become far more than just a passing hobby.

The functionality and relevancy of the blogging platform has grown to the point where it is so closely interconnected with internet retail and affiliate marketing, that it’s entirely possible for a well-built and maintained blog to become a full-time job, or even a company.

Darren Rowse of Problogger and Brian Clarke of Copyblogger are two excellent examples, as they’ve taken their websites and developed them into massively successful and influential blogs.

How did they do it?

If you find anyone who tells you that getting into blogging full-time is easy or fast, they’re absolutely lying to you. Blogging is a slow burn, requiring that you have the means to support yourself while you build your base of content.

We’re talking years, not months, and guys like Brian and Darren are testaments to that, having started their journeys over a decade ago before blogging was really even heard of or widely regarded as it is today. That’s not to say that it can’t be done or shouldn’t be attempted; but it does take work and consistency. Yet those who are able to support themselves while building a valuable base of content and designing a website without getting bored and giving up, have a tremendously rewarding light waiting for them at the end of their tunnel.

Let’s put it in simpler terms. Problogger and Copyblogger have seen success with a fairly basic formula that includes the following strategies:

  • Write high-quality and valuable content.

  • Be genuinely interested and devoted to your writing (don’t just do it to get something posted).

  • Take the time to design a clean and easily navigated website.

  • Be consistent and dedicated to your blog like you would a 9 to 5 job.

These are come of the primary ways that bloggers, Darren and Brian, made a name for themselves through media content.

You, on the other hand, might be wondering what you can do on a more practical level to take your blog from hobby status, to a genuine profit-turner, worthy of a 9 to 5 schedule.

How can I make it?

First, let’s look at a broad truth about professional blogging. You’ll have an extremely difficult time making it in the blogging world if you’re always focused on making money. The internet simply presents too many shortcuts and too many ways to quickly produce content to fight that temptation. Instead, you need to be interested in the topic you’re writing about and genuinely concerned with providing knowledge, you deem valuable, to people. So do your best to keep the dollar signs out of your eyes and focus your energy on writing helpful material. Once you’ve got that mindset down, the following areas are proven techniques for building both your site’s reputation and your own reputation as a writer and expert within your niche.

Image courtesy of Shuttershock.com

Social Media Presence

More than just posting your articles on a bunch of social media accounts, this needs to be an area where you’re active and engaged; not just with your followers, but with other professionals in your area of expertise as well.

If you’re impatient and looking to gain more traffic immediately, there is always the option of boosting your posts online.

Guest Blogging

Aside from writing and publishing on your own site, try to network with other bloggers in your field of interest and pitch guest posts to them. This is a great way to get traffic and gain exposure for your material with an established audience.

Forums, Commenting and Reviewing

This is a tedious, though effective strategy.

Simply go to the places online where people who are interested in your topic like to hang out. Forums and other online communities are great places to answer (or ask) questions and even do research on what people are interested in learning or hearing about.

Stay Focused and Don’t Lose Sight

The most likely cause of your downfall as a blogger will be a simple loss of focus and interest in what you’re doing. If you can stay focused and fight the boredom with writing so often and on such a regular basis, you stand a far better chance of succeeding than most of the people who start blogs now a days.

So don’t fret, you have variety of options to gain exposure for the world to hear your voice!

CamilleCamille McClane is a blogger and web entrepreneur who enjoys writing on social media, online marketing and blogging trends. She hopes you enjoy this article and wishes you nothing but success in your online business endeavors! Connect with Camille  here on Google+ or Facebook.

 

 

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The Perfect Photo Will Get Your Blog Shared

Two photo editors working on a computer in their officeFacebook posts with pictures receive 10 percent more engagement than posts without a photo, according to the marketing team at Webliquid. That’s a big difference in audience response. Are you sharing important visual cues with your audience?

Take the time to choose a photo

Whatever you do, don’t skip the photo. Ever go on to a dating site or craigslist to look for some furniture? Odds are you will only click on those posts that have a photo. You want to know what you’re in for. The same goes for blogging. Readers want to know what they are going to read, and your photo will do that for them, if chosen correctly.

Make it relevant

A picture of a cute dog might elicit interest, but if your article is about Internet security, then you lost your audience. Those interested in dogs will make a note to never read your blog, and internet security people will shake their head and wonder why they should read your blog at all.

If your goal is to get your blog read and shared, you need to have a professional and accurate representation of your subject. Consider photos not as decoration, but as visual aids to increase your audiences understanding. The University of Alabama at Birmingham reveals that visual aids, “help you to reach your objectives by providing emphasis to whatever is being said.”

Here are some tips and pointers to find and use the right photo that works for you and will get you more shares:

  1. Does it look professional? (not blurry or out of focus)
  2. Does it appear well composed? (there is balance in the photo)
  3. Does it directly relate to your article? (I.e. a picture of a beach with a blog about a beach vacation)
  4. Does the photo enhance your blog? If you are writing steps to complete a project, do you have photos of each step? Does it capture reader interest?

Finding a photo that works for your blog

  1. Search through Creative Commons. These photos generally require you to note the name of the photographer.
  2. Utilize high volume resources like iStockphoto.
  3. Consider reading photography articles and learning more about what’s out there, and how to use images.
  4. Use a photo of your own that can be used without too much editing.

Keep it simple

And, as a final note: Make sure to post your photos in a size appropriate for your blog. If you don’t compress your photo, it can take a long time for a large photo to load. This will cause readers to get impatient if they have to wait to read your blog and see your photos. Peer 1 Hosting reports that the “optimal load time for a web page was four seconds before users started moving on.

 

About the author:

RichardJohnson How Your Web Host Affects Search Engine OptimizationRichard Johnson is a veteran with over 8 years of service and multiple combat tours. He has multiple degrees in business and marketing from Arizona State University. Currently he is taking some time away from work to raise his kids and enjoy the outdoors.

 

 

 

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5 Things you must know before Buying a Web Content Management System

web cms, WCM, WCM solution, content management system, open source cmsBefore talking about how to buy a web content management system, let’s take a quick look at two important questions.

First question:

What is a WCM solution and how does it differ from a CMS? A WCM is a solution that makes it easy for your employees to make changes to your website, while offering templates and other features to maintain consistency.

 

 

There are fine points of difference between a WCM and CMS, but most solution providers offer a combination of both: every CMS has most of the features that you’d find in any WCM product.

Another important question: do you really need a WCM? Let’s take a quick look at the features and facilities offered by most WCM solutions to try and answer this question.

  • WYSIWYG editor
  • Drag-and-drop editing
  • Authoring templates
  • Collaboration capability
  • Scheduled publishing
  • Security and workflow controls
  • Site navigation and URL customization
  • Previewing and pre-rendering
  • Staging for separating content locally
  • Access control and permission for different users

 

Digital marketing and web analytics features

web cms, WCM, WCM solution, content management system, open source cmsIf you feel that these features will help you better manage your ecommerce store or business website, you need a WCM solution. The core function of a web CMS is to enable users with little technical knowledge to administer websites. Most WCM products have templates that simplify this task.

 

For example, Microsoft’s Sitecore or Sitefinity CMS come equipped with all the features that you’d find in a WCM solutions and a CMS.

Now, let’s take a look at what points you must consider while shopping for a WCMS (web content management system).

# 1. Central Features and Functionality

Let the choice of the WCMS be dictated by your wants. For instance, if you have a nice ecommerce website selling only a dozen types of products, you may not require too much customization with text or images. In such a case, a simple WordPress solution may be more than enough for your needs.

On the other hand, if you are managing a website with thousands of service or product pages – where you have different structure for different kinds of pages – you may have to invest in a high-end WCMS that offers more features. Other features like digital marketing, versioning, multi-website support and support for different languages also come into play in case of complex websites.

# 2. Communication and Collaboration

For large business organizations that have a large number of stakeholders, the following questions are significant:

  • Will your employees use the WCMS to collaborate and create documents?
  • Do you need a feature that enables a number of people to work on a document at the same time or at different times?
  • Do your sales people need a feature that allows them to communicate with different departments, employees and customers?
  • Will you be using it for email marketing? Do you need a feature that allows you to segment recoupments?

If you need all these facilities, you will have to shop for a system that provides modules for in-depth collaboration and communication.

# 3. Asset Management

While most web CMSes will have fantastic features of editing information, many of them do not offer enough facility for managing assets. If you are running a website that has a large number of images and other files, you need powerful asset management features. If the system is not designed to handle large quantity of web assets, it can lead to a lot of time waste and heartburn. Check what features a web CMS has for managing and displaying PDFs, images and other kinds of files.

#4. Access Control, Roles and Permissions

For smaller business, where just a couple of people are in charge of implementing web changes, there is no need for access control, but if dozens of people contribute to the website and make changes, you need to set up clear roles and permissions. So, it becomes imperative to choose a web content management system that simplifies the process of assigning roles and permissions to different sets of users.

#5. What kind of web content management system do I need?

The answer to this question will be clear after you have found an answer to the above questions. The most popular open-source systems –WordPress, Joomla, Drupal – pack a lot of punch, and these are good enough for most small business. However, if you are running a large ecommerce website, or require an enterprise-level solution, you may need to give it a little more thought.

You have two broad options 1) customize an open-source software and make sure that it is capable of fulfilling all your needs, or 2) Choose a propriety solutions that is most suitable to your existing website and your specific requirements (you may need customization here too). For instance, if you have an ASP.NET website and most of your employees are conversant only with MS tools and technologies, you might choose to go for Sitecore or Sitefinity CMS that offer a gentler learning curve.

Bottom Line

As you can see by looking at the above points, your choice of web CMS will be dictated by what your website and your employees need. If you are unsure of what is the right choice, it may be a good idea to consult your IT manager, or take advice from a friend whose business is already using a WCMS. After you have all the information in hand, it will be easier for your decide whether you want a simple a proprietary off-the-shelf web CMS, an open-source solution or a customized solution.

 

About the author:

928ecdb4d6de8d7d04a40d0a4bce19baKinjal is working as a digital marketer and blogger with 5 years of experience. She is full time employee with Cygnet Infotech expert in delivering complete ecommerce solution. She is always happy to share her passion for ecommerce and mobile technologies. Follow Kinjal on Twitter @adeshara_kinjal or connect with her on Google+, Facebook or Linkedin
 

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SEO in 2050: The Future is…

content marketing, corporate blogging, whitepaper creation, ebook creation, social media content marketing

Photo credits: Thos Ballantyne

Search engine optimization has been around since the very early days of the world wide web. Having said that, it’s gone through many changes over the years. In fact, SEO in 2014 may be unlike anything that has come before. While the basics still apply – like quality over quantity – there are a lot of other things that are necessary in order to compete. Rather than another boring 2014 predictions post, we thought we’d get out the time machine and make some long range predictions for the SEO industry.

SEO in 2050

This is not your grandfather’s SEO by any means. Here’s a peek at some of what might be happening in the SEO world in 2050 and beyond.

  • SEO Robots – While ‘bots exist online now, in the future Google and other companies will likely let real life robots loose into the world. Whether it’s their car that drives itself or something else they invent with all the robotics companies they’re buying up quickly, there’s a good chance that Google’s index will start to invade the “real world” before 2050.

  • Real Names – Anonymity on the web – truly being anonymous – is becoming more difficult with each passing year. By 2050, there’s a good chance that the only SEO that will work will be tied to a verifiable human. Perhaps Google’s army of robots will actually come to your house to make sure you are who you say you are online – and then rank you appropriately.

  • SEO Hobbyists – In the very early days of search engine optimization, it was easy for anyone who spent a little time studying to be able to see results on their own. That has changed over the years, however. Today, many SEO professionals have concentrated on one single area. The era of a jack of all trades SEO approach is over as it takes a team of dedicated people to get anything done.

  • Search Engine Wars – By 2050, there’s a good chance that the search engine wars will finally be over, with one company – probably Google – being the sole survivor. By this time, Google may have swallowed Microsoft and other companies to become a massive monopoly on a scale never before seen on the planet. Sound crazy? Wait and see what happens. Remember Demolition Man.

No one can know the future for certain, but it’s a lot of fun to make predictions – especially so far into the future. We’d like to get your input as well – something that will be very important for SEO in 2050. So leave your thoughts below and share your predictions with the rest of us. Depending on how old you are currently, you may be around long enough to come back in 36 years to see if we were correct or not.

When it comes to SEO, business professionals like Leonard Albanese are constantly learning about new methods and techniques. This helps him and others make sure their professional image online isn’t tarnished at all.

About the author:

 5 Things you must know About BloggingAdam Prattler is a consultant for search engine optimization ny and has been working since the last 6 years. With a degree in engineering and a graduation in design, he believes he has the ability to look at from every aspect, be it technology, content or design. You can connect with Adam on LinkedIn, Google Plus, Facebook  and Twitter.

 

inbound marketing assessment us 5 Things you must know About Blogging

5 Things you must know About Blogging

corporate blog, blogging success, aspects of blogging, content creation, quality blog content, remarkable content

Photo Credits: webseoanalytics

Blogging is the latest tool these days that has added certain benefits to the business and brand promotions when it comes to make large audience and promote a brand, blogging is used in different styles and forms. Professional business blogs to small micro blogs are used to attract users to a business. If you have started a business and created a company, then you must start with your own blog. Either you can start blogging yourself or you can hire a professional. In both cases a blogger should know few things before he starts. Check below these core aspects of blogging that can boost your business.

Things to remember for a successful blog:

When you plan to start a blog, focus on these points for making a large user engaging audience and make your internet presence possible.

  • The first thing is to focus on your audience. Keeping in mind the right audience, is very important for bloggers. You can’t write a post for all the internet users. You have to focus on your niche. For example if you own a company of Automotives, then you should focus on the audience that has an interest in buying these Automotives and they like to listen news and offers from your company. Keep you content enriched with the latest updates about your company offers in your blogs.

  • corporate blog, blogging success, aspects of blogging, content creation, quality blog content, remarkable content

Photo Credits : davidhallsocailmedia

  • The second core factor of blogging is to write meaningful content with a high quality. No need to write long articles that are of no use. Only write user engaging content for a targeted audience. Content is the key to success in every internet marketing strategy and blogging is a good strategy that can lead your business successful.

  • A third factor is to eliminate all types of jargon from the blogs. Experts follow the same rule to promote their business. The CEO of Albanese company “Leonard Albanese” followed the same rule when he started blogging. He focused on audience and wrote useful content, free from jargon and users started following their updates and become their loyal customers.

  • Keep your mind active and charged while writing content for blogging. If is not good to write in a bad mood or a down situation that will leave a bad impact on the audience. Do not write blogs when you are in hard mind state. Relax first and then start your writing.corporate blog, blogging success, aspects of blogging, content creation, quality blog content, remarkable content

Photo Credits: thesparksleagency

  • Updating a blog regularly is a key for blogging success and those blogs that are not updated, do not make a large interactive audience. You can only attract people when you post regular updates on your blogs and it is also suggested by the experts that 2 to 3 times blogging in a week is good, otherwise you will overcrowd your blogs with too many posts.

These are simple facts that every blogger should know. Apart from this, there are tips and strategies that are written for the specific blogs. You can follow these tips for your particular blog style.

About the author:

adam prattlerAdam Prattler is a consultant for search engine optimization ny and has been working since the last 6 years. With a degree in engineering and a graduation in design, he believes he has the ability to look at from every aspect, be it technology, content or design. You can connect with Adam on LinkedIn, Google Plus, Facebook  and Twitter.

 

inbound marketing assessment us Primary Research: An Effective Content Strategy for Building Brand Authority

Primary Research: An Effective Content Strategy for Building Brand Authority

content marketingContent marketing professionals are continually trying to find the most effective strategies for reaching their target audiences, building brand authority and establishing a strong presence on the Web.

Many digital marketers rely on tactics like search engine optimization (SEO), traditional blog posts, articles, case-studies, videos and Podcasts to disseminate their messaging and earn the attention of their potential customers. The purpose of these tactics is to provide your audience with useful information that they could not find elsewhere.

However, with so many organizations turning to content marketing, it has been increasingly difficult to stay ahead of the curve and keep the attention of your target audiences.

One creative way to avoid this growing problem is to conduct your own high-quality primary research. This strategy takes effort and time, but it could be the determining factor that raises your brand’s authority over that of your competitor. By conducting original market research, you have a way to provide unique information that is relevant to your customers and is not available elsewhere. This primary research not only has the potential to earn social shares and links, it also holds the promise of building your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness within your market.

Janna Finch, Managing Editor at Software Advice, a company that researches marketing software applications and trends, recently published an article that provides four quality examples of companies who have successfully implemented this strategy. Here is a short summary of Finch’s report:

“2013 Email Marketing Metrics Benchmark Study”

Silverpop is one of the premier marketing automation platforms on the market. It helps marketers personalize their mobile, email and social interactions with their customers. Silverpop is already considered one of the most authoritative and trustworthy brands in its market, but its “2013 Email Marketing Metrics Benchmark Study” helped solidify its leadership. This report analyzed all the email correspondence sent by 2,787 brands in 40 countries. The report looks at important email marketing metrics like click-through rates, open rates, message sizes and list churn metrics.

Silverpop not only calculated the averages, their team also included mean, median and quartile states by industry and region. This breakdown of their data made it easy for marketers to benchmark their own performance. By publishing an in-depth study on key marketing metrics, Silverpop is providing a clear signal to their customers that its brand is an authority in the market, and that it can be trusted. The company’s report also earned a great detail of social and Web exposure. The report was linked to 206 times on 48 different domains.

“2013 Search Engine Ranking Factors Survey”

For over a decade, Moz.com has been an authority on all things SEO. Their customers have come to expect high-quality research and content on a regular basis. Moz recently undertook a primary research project to help maintain its reputation and leadership in the SEO community. The team at Moz surveyed more than 120 search marketers and collected their responses on more than 80 search engine ranking factors. This survey helped build a comprehensive picture of what characteristics were most likely (or not likely) to affect the ranking of a URL on a search engine results page.

Moz presented its findings in easy-to-read graphs with filtering features that help digital marketers easily digest their research, and share their findings. They also provided easy-to-understand written summaries to further make the survey easily accessible. Moz’s report was well-executed and provides digital marketers with content they could not easily find on their own. This made it an extremely popular report that was shared extensively over the Web and social media. The Moz report earned 693 links from 199 different root domains, and more than 3,000 social shares. This level of coverage helped reinforce Moz’s authority with search marketers, and helped keep the brand at the top of its market.

“2013 Digital Marketing Optimization Survey Results”

Adobe helps digital marketers measure and optimize their content at every step of the process. It is essential that its brand distinguish itself as a leader in the marketing industry. Adobe’s report “2013 Digital Marketing Optimization Survey Results” is a great example of how their team used primary research to build their brand’s authority.

The report analyzed the responses from over 1,858 digital markets from North America, Asia and Europe. Their report highlights what digital markets think are essential to achieving success in their field. Adobe’s findings were consolidated into easy-to-read graphs and narrative summaries.

This survey was spread extensively on the Web and social media, which helped promote the brand’s authority and trustworthiness. According to a LinkedIn case study, Adobe’s report had a profound impact on its reputation with marketers. The case study found that after reviewing the report, marketing professionals were “50 percent more likely to agree that Adobe is shaping the future of digital marketing.” This case study provides great evidence that primary research can be an effective branding tool, and can help raise your company’s market leadership above the competition.

These three examples help showcase how primary research is an effective content marketing and branding tool at the disposal of marketing professionals. Undertaking a high-quality primary research project is not an easy task, but it could be what separates your brand from the rest of the pack.

Have you ever used primary research to build your brand’s authority and trustworthiness? Please leave a comment below and share your experience with us.

 

inbound marketing assessment us The Best SEO Tools For Keyword Research

3 Most Common Mistakes People Make When Optimizing Their Sites


In the online world search engines are gods and we merely follow the rules they set for us, mortal beings. No matter how visited your site is, if it were to suddenly disappear from all search engines, that would strike a mortal wound in the heart of your success and your online prosperity will become a thing of the past.

The same is true for the other way around – if your site appears on the first page of a search engine, then you will definitely start getting more visitors and consequently your chance of improving your financial state will grow exponentially.

That’s why many people try to optimize their sites according the requirements of search engines. This process is known as SEO (search engine optimization) and is becoming significantly more complex as search algorithms develop and become more complicated. However, performing SEO means walking on a thin ice.

Search engines want to display only relevant and organic content and they hate it when people try to deceive them. You can easily bury your site if you get too many black points. There are three popular mistakes people tend to make when looking for a shortcut to the first page and we will explore them below.

#3. Spinning Articles

Article spinning is the process of writing the same article over and over again, but using different words. It’s an SEO technique that used to be more successful in the past but with the last few updates, search engines have started catching up to the deception. Realistically speaking, spinning articles means you are betting on quantity instead of quality. None of the articles are truly unique and original.

The problem is that search engines want to present new and fresh content and they abhor the use recycled texts. Of course, you can still hope to run a popular website and bet on quantity instead of quality but you can be sure that your hopes will never become reality.

What you need to do is use truly unique and original content. The more diverse it is, the better. After all, how much time readers spend on your site matters as well, and you can be sure that nobody would spend more than a few minutes on a site that has 500 almost identical articles.

#2. Keyword Bloating

The only thing worse than a poorly written, spun article, is a poorly written, spun article bloated with keywords. You can’t use the same word over and over again in the hopes that your site will rank better, because it won’t. If your content is bad, no matter how much you try to artificially inflate it won’t be beneficial. You’re hurting your site more than you are helping it rank. Keywords need to be used organically, naturally.

#1. Irrelevant Anchor Texts

It’s honestly surprising to me how people can get this one wrong but it happens more often than not. Using a good anchor text is crucial for your links. Anchor text is the name you give the clickable hyperlink text on your website. I’m sure you’ve read different texts on a variety of topics and you’ve seen “click here” on numerous occasions. “Click here” is your anchor text in this case and it’s a terrible one.

If you want to make people browse your site some more, you always need to create smart, original and engaging anchor texts. You want people to stay on your site as much as possible, not bore them to death and make them leave. Even if they like the content they’ve just read “click here for more” is hardly attractive, so the person is very likely to leave.

Those are the three most common ways in which people unintentionally deviate from the established rules. If you manage to avoid those mistakes, then you will be well on your way to the first page of search engines. Keep in mind that SEO is dynamic field what is true today might not be accurate tomorrow so don’t forget to keep an eye on changes and new updates.

Guest BloggerAuthor Bio: Rose Finchley is keen on business, marketing and technology. 

You can connect with Rose on LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google+

 

 

 

inbound marketing assessment us 42 Profitable Reasons to Consider Inbound Marketing Strategy for Business

Is Content Marketing the New Home for PR Professionals?

content marketing, corporate blogging, whitepaper creation, ebook creation, social media content marketingThe rapid growth of content marketing is increasing demand for PR professionals. As a result, many are asking what skills they need to capitalize on this industry trend.

For those of you that are unfamiliar, content marketing is the process of generating high-quality online content with the goal of building trust and community among your brand’s target audience, and to establish your brand as an industry thought leader.

A content marketer combines the investigative and content production skills traditionally held by journalists with the outreach skills and promotion skills of PR professionals. This is what Holly Regan of Software Advice recently referred to as the convergence of PR and journalism. This convergence is forcing PR specialists to expand their skill sets and implement new tactics.

In years past, PR professionals relied heavily on producing a press release, developing a pitch, and reaching out to big media outlets. However, the growth of digital content and content marketing has revolutionized how a PR professional can promote a product or brand. Nowadays, shares, tweets, “likes,” links and blog posts can actually be more effective than pitching a big media reporter. Using these digital media strategies allows PR professionals and content marketers directly reach their target audience.

Matt Braun, Director of Public Relations at Hanson Dodge Creative, says: “Organizations now use Twitter to break news versus a press release…and it’s forced people like me to use tools like Facebook, Twitter and blogs as vehicles by which we can get others to publicize products and clients.”

As more companies develop content marketing strategies, they will also need PR professionals who can do more than plan an event and pitch a reporter. These companies will need people who can effectively use search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, social media networks, Google Analytics, and email outreach to reach their target audiences.

Is the Growth in Content Marketing Driving Demand for PR Specialists?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of PR specialist and manager jobs rose by nearly 63 percent between 2000 and 2010, and is expected to rise another 21 percent between 2010 and 2020.

However, we wanted to find out how the growth in PR jobs compared to the rising trend of content marketing. To develop a more accurate picture we decided to search through New York City’s Craiglist page and look for the most common job titles in PR and content marketing. Here’s what we found:

Clearly demand for content marketers is growing. The question you should be asking yourself is how can a PR professional capitalize on this growing trend?

Five Tips for PR Specialists in the Age of Content Marketing

Here are five tips for PR specialists who are looking to capitalize on the growth of content marketing:

  1. Reach your audience directly. The days of rocking out a press release, pitching a bid media report, and calling it a job well done are over. PR specialists must now learn how to directly speak to their target audience from digital platforms like blogs and social media networks.
  2. Develop new skills. Nowadays, PR professionals need to know more than how plan an event and send out a press release. It is imperative that you diversify your arsenal by developing skills in disciplines like: SEO, graphic design and digital marketing.
  3. Sing your own song. PR professionals are usually good storytellers. It is time for you to start using your expertise and skills to develop your own content strategies, such as social profiles and blogs.
  4. Be ready for anything and everything. Real-time digital platforms like Twitter and Facebook, have forced PR professionals to be ready for anything at all times. That means you should have “post ready” materials ready to go before you reach out.
  5. Think beyond the press release. In the past, many PR professionals relied on sending out a press release and pitching a big media reporter to generate high-quality coverage. With the rise of digital marketing, you now need to figure out new ways to engage your audience like, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or blog.

PR professionals, if you plan to ride this wave of content marketing opportunity, make sure you skills and tactics are up-to-date.

About the author:

Ashley Furness Expert Video: How to Create Your Future Customer Engagement Strategy Ashley Verrill is a Market Analyst for research firm Software Advice. Her professional experience spans journalism, sales, advertising and SEO marketing. She’s a seasoned writer having produced copy for business journals, a sports magazine, daily deals advertising and industry blogs. She can be contacted at ashleyverrill[@]softwareadvice.com, or by calling 512-582-2314512-582-2314. LinkedInTwitterGoogle +
inbound marketing assessment us Expert Video: How to Create Your Future Customer Engagement Strategy

42 Profitable Reasons to Consider Inbound Marketing Strategy for Business

inbound marketing lead generation, Socialsphere, twitter marketing for business, social media for business, inbound marketing for business,grow backlinks,how to increase website backlinks,how to attract customers online ,how to increase backlinks for a website ,how do i increase back links ,top 10 keyword research tools ,increase back links ,how to incease good backlinks of a website ,increase backlinks, Inbound Marketing infographicThe proven and successful inbound marketing strategy is a great way to generate high quality leads.

Therefore inbound marketing is known as the “riskless” marketing strategy because of the activities done which are long lasting and bring an increasing stream of future customers to your offers.

Why is this inbound marketing such a great way to generate leads?

Inbound marketing offers you a strategic and smart approach to be and to stay several steps ahead of your competition.

Inbound marketing is the marketing strategy that focuses on getting found by customers when they research online for products and services your business also has to offer.

With inbound marketing businesses “earn” their way to the customer and his loyalty, by publishing helpful information on a blog, in social media and forums.

Inbound marketing includes: Content creation like blogging, video, photo, whitepapers, eBooks, podcasts, press releases, comments in social media and other blogs and forums, Social media two way communication, lead generation, lead conversion, lead nurturing and closed-loop analysis.

How can Inbound Marketing help you?

A. It saves you up to 62% of your marketing budget
B. Makes you stand out of your competition
C. Helps to generate a massive amount of leads
D. Gets you up to 55% higher lead conversion rates
E. Increases your customers and sales

 

Infographic: Inbound Marketing Rising

Socialsphere, twitter marketing for business, social media for business, inbound marketing for business,grow backlinks,how to increase website backlinks,how to attract customers online ,how to increase backlinks for a website ,how do i increase back links ,top 10 keyword research tools ,increase back links ,how to incease good backlinks of a website ,increase backlinks, Inbound Marketing infographic

TOP 42 Reasons to Jumstart your Inbound Marketing NOW!

1. 60% of companies will execute an inbound marketing strategy in 2013.

2. Marketers dedicate 34% of their department budgets to inbound tactics, but only 11% to outbound.

3. 48% of marketers will increase spend on inbound marketing in 2013.

4. 34% of all leads generated in 2013 come from inbound marketing sources.

5. Inbound practices produce 54% more leads than traditional outbound leads.

6. 17% of marketers say traditional advertising and direct mail are less important than they were 6 months ago.

7. Traditional advertising and PPC deliver the least leads of any form of marketing.

8. Only 6% of marketing leads originate from advertising or PPC campaigns.

9. 34% of businesses cannot or don’t calculate overall inbound ROI in 2013.

10. Adopting a marketing/sales agreement saves companies with more than 200 employees $195.84 per new customer.

11. Only 24% of companies have a formal process for marketing/sales handoffs.

12. Companies who test are 75% more likely to show ROI for inbound marketing.

13. Inbound marketers double the average site conversion rate, from 6% to 12% total.

14. The average website conversion rate is 10%.

15. 81% of companies integrate inbound marketing with larger marketing goals.

16. Marketers spend 55% more of their time than their money on blogging.

17. 82% of marketers who blog on a daily basis have acquired a customer through blog content.

18. 57% of marketers who only blog once a month have acquired a customer through blogging.

19. Inbound marketers plan to hire an average of 9.3 people this year.

20. Only 18% of marketers are purely focused on developing quality content in 2013.

21. 25% of marketers cite reaching the right audience as their top priority for 2013.

22. Only 5% of marketers have no integration between inbound marketing and overall marketing goals.

23. 50% of marketers consider their companies primarily customer-focused.

24. 17% of sales teams and 11% of executives fully support inbound marketing efforts.

25. 73% of marketing agencies are implementing inbound strategies.

26. Only 41% of nonprofits report adopting inbound tactics for 2013.

27. Just 21% of enterprises assimilate inbound marketing with their overall marketing strategy.

28. 47% of CEOs and CMOs ignore formal marketing/sales agreement development.

29. Marketing is 125% more likely than sales to provide inbound resources.

30. Increasing total lead volume is the top priority for 21% of marketers.

31. Customers average a total of 9,100 leads after 1.5 years of inbound marketing.

32. 67% of marketers produced a blog last year.

33. Only 20% of marketers without a blog reported a positive ROI for 2012.

34. 27% of marketers report that both social media and email marketing produce the lowest total average lead costs.

35. 15% of marketers say SEO leads have the highest sales conversions.

36. Social media delivers 14% of all leads and 13% of all customers.

37. 52% of all marketers have found a customer via Facebook.

38. 43% of marketers have found a customer on LinkedIn.

39. 36% of marketers have found a customer on Twitter.

40. 41% of marketers have adjusted their budget due to the success of inbound marketing.

41. 41% of CEOs report inbound delivered measurable ROI.

42. Marketers with more than 15 blog posts per month average 1,200 leads per month.

Source:

 

inbound marketing assessment us 5 Tips for Content that Crosses Cultural and Linguistic Borders

5 Tips for Content that Crosses Cultural and Linguistic Borders

Whcontent marketingen creating content, it pays to think big. Publishing online gives us access to a readership that’s almost too large to imagine. Do it right and your words could be read by people in places you might never even have heard of.

While a global readership might seem like something most of us dream of, with a little know-how it’s something that you too can achieve.

Decide Who You Are Talking To

When you write for the web, you aren’t just pushing out content at random. You are engaging with others, convincing them to buy into your idea or product. With this in mind, it helps to know who you are trying to reach and which parts of the world you want to expand to.

For example, your ideal reader could be a female entrepreneur, or you might want to address a young music lover. Going global makes your pool of readers much larger, so your female entrepreneurs might include women in Brazil, and your music loving youth could be reading in East Asia.

Keeping a tight focus on your target demographic as you go global will let you reach more of the kind of people that interest you. It also helps your budget go further. Are you looking to connect with female entrepreneurs in South America but less so with similar women in China? Then make your content culturally and linguistically suited to the South American readers, instead of spending time and money trying to reach everyone.

Embrace the Multilingual Web

Forget the idea that everyone online speaks English. Although English is often used in the corporate world as a linguistic go-between, internet users are a far more diverse crowd. The web is also more informal and driven by social connections.

Even people in countries who have strong English skills as a second language will prefer to engage with others in their native tongue. In fact, a 2011 survey by the European Commission found that although 48% of non-English speaking Europeans occasionally read English-language content, 9 out of 10 users preferred to visit sites in their own language.

This makes translation of your content a priority. Make good use of your budget by first figuring out which languages need to be top of your list. In our South American example, Spanish and Portuguese would be essential for getting your message across. If Europe is your key market, you’re likely to find German or French better languages to start with.

Take Languages Seriously

If you don’t get serious about translation, your foreign-language readers won’t get serious about your content. They will be too busy laughing at your language slips, if they stick around at all.

We all know of corporate giants who managed to offend or became a laughing stock thanks to poorly-translated slogans. The rest of us needn’t think we will do any better. Unless you are genuinely bilingual and up to date with current usage, you will miss hidden meanings. It’s also easy to opt for what seems the right word choice, when in fact it means something entirely different (for example, in German the word Gift means poison).

Native speaker knowledge will make sure you don’t sound out of touch or leave readers confused. Accurate linguistic choices will also help your SEO by keeping your keywords relevant. Cutting corners here, on the other hand, could leave search engines as confused as your foreign-language readers.

Understand Cultural Differences

The 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that while people worldwide are becoming less trusting of what they read, ‘a person like yourself’ has become the most trusted source of information. Your job is to be that trusted person to your reader, no matter where in the world he or she is.

Localization is an essential part of becoming ‘one of us’ in another culture. Using words and expressions that local people use makes your content more accessible. Being in touch with important cultural events or hot topics can be useful too. Of course, offending people is never a good idea and cultural knowledge also can guide us around dangerous topics or inappropriate language.

Show You Care

Now that you’ve opened up your content to overseas readers, make them feel welcome. Avoid anything that places your English speaking crowd above foreign-language speakers. For example, aim to respond to all comments, not just those in English. If you offer a way for people to contact you, make sure it doesn’t exclude certain time zones or languages. Showing you care about all your readers helps you to build a good online reputation.

Write with other cultures and languages in mind and you’ll be saying Wilkommen, bienvenido and yōkoso to international readers in no time!

About the author:

Christian Arno the founder of Lingo24, Inc.Christian Arno is the founder of Lingo24, Inc., one of the world’s fastest growing translation services. Launched in 2001, Lingo24, Inc. now has over 180 employees spanning three continents and clients in over sixty countries. In the past twelve months, they have translated over 60 million words for businesses in every industry sector, including the likes of MTV, World Bank and American Express. Follow Lingo24, Inc. on Twitter: @Lingo24. Cont@ct Christian here.

 

 

inbound marketing assessment us Expert Video: How to Create Your Future Customer Engagement Strategy

How to Effectively Launch Your Business or Product in a Foreign Market

Business To Business, Launch Business in Foreign Market, Launch Product in Foreign Market, translation of campaign, business translation, get found, buyer persona analysisHave you set your sights on expanding your brand to overseas markets? In today’s global economy, going international is a smart move.

It’s also one that needs some careful planning to get the best return on your investment. Foreign markets involve not only different languages but different cultures. That sure-fire strategy for your home market won’t always win customers overseas. In fact, in this world of social media, getting it wrong can be a business disaster.

Let’s take a look at some things you can do to make your international launch a success – and what went wrong when others failed to pay them enough attention.

Look Before You Leap

There’s no such thing as too much research for an overseas marketing campaign. Your target demographic in a foreign market might appear similar to your home one, but could have very different buying habits. For example, in Russia 65% of consumer electronics were bought at a physical store, according to a 2012 Accenture study. Japan and China showed a similar preference. On the other hand, in Germany only 36% were purchased in this way.

The more research you can do into the habits and mindset of consumers in a particular country, the better informed you will be. On the other hand, even the best ideas can fall flat if the marketing campaign doesn’t appeal to your potential clients or customers. British supermarket giant Tesco discovered this when launching as ‘Fresh & Easy’ in the US. The supermarket spared no expense on a social media campaign, but failed to take into account the importance of TV, radio and print advertising. From the design of its stores, to its self-pay checkouts, the stores failed to meet American shoppers’ expectations.

Language Matters

Tesco’s example shows the difficulties that exist even with markets that share a common language. Bring a foreign language into the equation and overseas marketing can turn into a minefield.

The more care you give to the translation of your campaign, the better your chance of avoiding the dangers. Pay attention not only to translating the actual words but to phrasing them in ways that make sense to native speakers. Professional translators can help you to use appropriate idioms as well as find the right tone. Just as importantly, they can help you to sidestep slang or crude terms that wouldn’t be immediately obvious to an outsider.

Fail to spot these and you can end up with the same problem that Mazda had with the Laputa. The minivan’s name sounds like a term for a prostitute to speakers of Latin languages and had to be renamed in Chile. Clairol also ended up creating the wrong impression when launching its hair curling iron, the Mist Stick, in Germany. Not only does Mist mean manure, but when used with stick sounds like the insult “Miststück” (similar to ‘bitch’ and definitely not the best choice for a women’s product).

Cross the Cultural Divide

Culture is more than religion or festivals, it’s a whole way of living. It can influence everything from product branding to the formality of language used in marketing. The greater the cultural differences between your target country and your home country, the more carefully you will need to adapt your campaign. Those who neglect to do this risk coming across as insensitive or ignorant. It only takes a single cultural faux pas to undo months of good work, destroying trust in your business.

Most of us know that certain animals hold religious taboos, or that some hand gestures change their meaning from one country to another. Other cultural symbolism can be less obvious, such as the associations with certain numbers or colors. Take time to find these out beforehand if you don’t want a marketing disaster on your hands. This is exactly what happened to Pepsi in Southeast Asia when they rebranded their dark blue vending machines. The pale blue they chose was associated in the region with death, with the unfortunate result that their regional sales died too.

A Tourism Australia campaign is a good example illustrating the fine line between what’s culturally acceptable and what isn’t. Its tagline, ‘Where the bloody hell are you?’ combined with beer references hit the wrong note in several countries. The down-to-earth Australian hospitality they thought they were offering to overseas tourists came over as boorish and hard drinking.

There’s simply no substitute for local knowledge when launching in a foreign market. Even though some of the biggest companies have found this out the hard way, you don’t have to follow in their footsteps. Instead, arm yourself with the benefit of research and insider knowledge and you’ll be well-prepared to win friends and customers worldwide.

About the author:

Christian_lingo24Christian Arno is the founder of Lingo24, Inc., one of the world’s fastest growing translation services. Launched in 2001, Lingo24 now has over 180 employees spanning four continents and clients in over sixty countries. In the past twelve months, they have translated over 60 million words for businesses in every industry sector, including the likes of MTV, World Bank and American Express. Follow Christian on Twitter: @l24ca. Cont@ct Christian here.

 

 

inbound marketing assessment us 5 Smart Ways to Build a Content Machine and Increase Revenue by up to 40%

 

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