Blog | inBlurbs Inbound Marketing Agency

April 25, 2013March 24, 2014

5 Tips for Content that Crosses Cultural and Linguistic Borders

When 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 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.

April 19, 2013March 24, 2014

Expert Video: How to Create Your Future Customer Engagement Strategy

Constellation Research CEO and Principal Analyst R “Ray” Wang visited the Software Advice offices during the 2013 South by Southwest Interactive Festival to talk about some research he released called “Building Your Interaction Strategy with the 9 C’s of Engagement.”

In today’s world, we face constant demands for our attention — from social media to news alerts and loyalty programs. Wang asserts that companies must find ways to cut through this clutter if they want to compete in the future. To do this, they need to create a true engagement strategy based on authentic, natural and trustworthy interactions.

A lot of organizations think they know what this means: sending a coupon on a customer’s birthday, or liking a post about you on Facebook. But most don’t look at the big picture, or they just end up coming off as “creepy” in their engagements.

Instead, he suggests following the “9 C’s of Engagement” when building your interaction strategy. These fall into one of three categories:

People Centric Values: Culture, Community, Credibility
Delivery and Communication Styles: Channel, Content and Cadence
Right Time Drivers: Context, Catalyst and Currencies

In this video, Wang describes how companies can use these three pillars to build an effective engagement strategy.

About the author:

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. LinkedIn – Twitter – Google +

April 12, 2013

5 Jobs for Tomorrow’s Customer Service Team

Last summer, I wrote an article for InBlurbs called “5 Jobs for Tomorrow’s Marketing Team” that explored how trends in marketing will affect recruiting and staffing in the future. The post received so much feedback, we decided to revisit the idea this year through the customer service lens.

I rallied some of the biggest names in staffing to help me come up with roles they see in emerging in the future support organization. Experts from Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, SimplyHired and other staffing sites chimed into the conversation. The biggest change affecting these roles they see involves the shift in how customers contact a company. Forrester released a report earlier this showing customers increasing usage of communities by as much as 25 percent, live chat by 24 percent and self-service by 12 percent. Additionally, customers are increasing their use of social customer service and mobile, which will require new talent and technologies.

So without further adieu, here’s five roles we see becoming part of the customer service team of the future:

Self-Service Content Strategist

The individual in this role would continually mine for popular topics in call center notes, as well as review Web analytics data to assess which articles in the self-service community garner the most traffic. At the same time, they would also moderate content created by the customer community and facilitate the sharing of this user-generated material. Their goals would be two-fold:

Deflect tickets from the call center by encouraging more customers to resolve problems on their own with self-service options; and,
Drive customer retention and return purchases by creating a loyal community of brand advocates.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) Developer

The person in this role would help ensure the right answer is found no matter how or where the question is asked–whether it’s typed in a search box on a webpage, in a chat session, or spoken to an interactive voice response (IVR) system. This requires sophisticated algorithms that can process natural language to find the answer.

While most companies will deploy off-the-shelf or open-source NLP technology, the NLP Developer will need to make substantial configurations to apply it to their company’s specific use cases and content. I see this role as important for making the most of your content. All the effort creating it is meaningless if the customer can’t find it–fast.

Social Service Success Coordinator

The Social Service Coordinator would ensure social customer service efficiency, while keeping an eye out for opportunities to market support interactions. In order to respond effectively, companies have to use social listening technology. This person would work to refine keyword identifiers that tell these systems what signals a customer service message.

If the contact center suddenly gets an influx of calls about a particular product, for example, the coordinator would want to start listening for combinations of that word and “help,” “broken,” “angry” and so on. If a Twitter user responded with a glowing “thank you, I will tell my friends!” that person might handoff the interaction to marketing for promotional uses.

Mobile Customer Service App Manager

The Mobile Customer Service App Manager would act much like a product manager exclusively for the customer service mobile application. They would work with internal or external developers to optimize the user experience for all of the company’s customers.

If analytics showed one feature is used more than another, for example, they might try featuring it more prominently on the app home screen. Or maybe they’d work with the NLP Developer to refine speech recognition for that function. Optimizing content in this way can increase customer satisfaction as much as 60 percent, one report showed.

Virtual Call Center Director

The individual in this role would oversee the virtual call center — a network of customer service agents that work off-site (typically from home). This person would decide when and how to interact with these individuals, monitor their performance, and adjust the size of the team as needed. During peak communication cycles, for example, the Virtual CSR Manager might increase the number of agents on duty.

The Virtual Call Center Director would also consistently comb through key performance metrics to identify weak spots. If they noticed one remote agent lagging behind their cohorts, they could start monitoring calls and provide additional training.

These are just a few of the potential job titles our experts see emerging in the future. What changes do you see? What’s missing from this list? Join the conversation by commenting here.

About the author:

March 13, 2013March 24, 2014

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

Have 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 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.

March 8, 2013March 22, 2013

5 Smart Ways to Build a Content Machine and Increase Revenue by up to 40%

Did you asked yourself what future customers will find when they research your industry for products and services you also have to offer, will they find you or your competitor?

Millions of businesses competing for paying customers and it have become a difficult task for most of them to stand out of the crowd and to make future customers aware about their offers.

Content and social media have become successful ways to get attention from future buyers.

On the web you are what you publish… What are you?

–David Meerman Scott

Original content builds you trust, customer loyalty and can position your business as trusted experts in your field.

Content marketing has established as a powerful way to engage customers. An increasing number of B2C and B2B marketer are faced with the challenge to produce and publish buyer persona oriented interesting and remarkable content to attract customers to their products and services.

There is no question content is king! And Remarkable and helpful content brings customers and business direct to your front door the smart and cost effective way, this is for sure!

New studies show that companies utilizing the content marketing strategy in a serious manor report an up to 2,000% lift in blog traffic and 40% boost in revenue!

Infographic: A Brief History of Content Marketing

Moreover remarkable and helpful content is also a great way to build trust and customer loyalty. It offers the so called value ad for customers.

An open minded communication culture and authenticity mixed with credibility beats any old school – yesteryear nonsense marketing and saves your business a truckload of marketing cash!

The great success of content marketing is the result of giving away valuable information – remarkable content for free to attract the RIGHT people to your business like a magnet in an ongoing and steady growing stream.

Content marketing works 100% for any industry and business!

Content marketing can also work for you to attract new customers to your business like a magnet is you are willing to do it right!

The best way to start content marketing for business is to start a corporate blog.

But how and where to get the ideas to write remarkable blog articles who drive visitors to your business?

Here are five ways you should use to get blog content ideas:

1. Set up Google Alerts with your industry keywords
2. Search Blog Directories for your industries topics
3. Subscribe to other industry related blogs and on articles there
4. Go through your customers email communication, especially service, product and support questions
5. Participate in industry related social media groups and forums

These five points will bring you a ton of content ides to write helpful articles for your recent and future customers.

And yes, this is additional work but it is worth every minute you invest in your content marketing.

By taking this challenge you can expect these advantages for your business:

– Blogging companies get up to 55% more Traffic
– Blogging companies get up to 97% more Inbound Links
– Blogging companies get up to 434% more indexed pages in search engines
– Blogging companies get up to 25x times more business leads

…and more LEADS mean more revenue! It’s up on you.

February 19, 2013February 20, 2013

My prospects aren’t using social media, so I don’t need to be there!

WRONG!

Increasingly prospects shift from traditional to the digital media.

They research about products and services on search engines, forums, and blogs and in social media to get the best products and services for their money!

To get found online when future prospects are looking for products is one of the major challenges businesses are facing today.

Millions of businesses competing for paying customers and it have become a difficult task for most of them to stand out of the crowd and to make future customers aware about their offers.

Trust is a major factor when it comes to get new customers acquired.

Companies need to understand that they need be there before they ask for a sale. They need to establish themselves as an authority and trusted source in their industry.

Social media platforms are today serving as a great inbound marketing tool for building credibility, brand awareness as well as community of people with same interests. These people than become aware of the businesses products and services and can become paying customers.

The most popular channel to share content is social media, the advantages of platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for business and to win customer loyalty are known. About 76% of marketers say they used a social network as the main channel for content distribution.

Successful companies use every possible communication channel to get in touch with their target audience. They are interested in what their recent and future customers are thinking and communicating about them.

In a recent survey conducted, 72% of the marketing consultants have agreed that they are using social media marketing for their businesses online.

This tells the importance of social media marketing tactics and inbound market solutions for businesses online.

A new research of Pew Research Center shows that 69% of adults use social media!

What do you think how are the chances that none of your prospects are included in that majority of adults using social media?

If you still have doubts that your prospects are active in social media feel free to try the advertising targeting platforms of any of those social networks. There you can segment your target audience at no cost. Then you will see by yourself.

Social media is a powerful communication channel to get and to stay in touch with prospects, future and current customers and to build relationships with industry influencers. You can also connect with reporters who are looking for industry experts on upcoming stories like you to interview them. This could improve your credibility and bring you additional free exposure, prospects, leads and customers for your business!

As simple as that!

Infographic: Lead Generation

What do you think about social media for business? Let me know your toughts in the comment section below!

Read also these related articles:

February 9, 2013

Lead Generation with Inbound Marketing and PPC Advertising done right!

In the past years Pay per click marketing has been a quick and easy solution for businesses to generate leads. But to do paid advertisements is no long-lasting and holistic marketing strategy to depend on!

When you do PPC than you generate leads as long as you pay. When you stop your PPC campaign then you will not generate leads anymore! As simple as that!

Nevertheless PPC are still a great vehicle to get the word out but only when they are incorporated within a smart and holistic marketing strategy.

The 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?

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

Inbound marketing includes Blogging, Social Media, 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

Example: The backbone of successful inbound marketing is the content creation strategy. To create outstanding in a corporate blog improves the trust, visibility and traffic to a business online. Published articles once done are literally online forever, are indexed through search engines and can be found from future customers.

The more articles you publish the more „digital outposts“which you build for your business and you get an increasing stream of future customers to your offers.

Businesses brand them self by creating and publishing original content. Businesses that create and publish remarkable content on the web and in social media:

• Establish thought leadership
• Elevate brand visibility and buzz
• Boosts SEO

Blogging has great advantages and here are the most important:

Blogging companies get up to…

1. …55% more Traffic
2. …97% more Inbound Links
3. …434% more indexed pages in search engines
4. …25x times more business leads

A seriously executed content marketing strategy can be responsible for 25x times more business leads and boosts your revenue by up to 40%!

Infographic: The Rise Of Content Marketing

PCC can’t deliver such results!

But you can incorporate Pay per Click Marketing into your Inbound Marketing Strategy.

Some thought how you could use PPC to increase your visibility:

PPC drives you quick results and you can use it to bridge over the time until your content marketing starts to show effect.

To get a better idea of what your audience is looking for before they hit your website and to adjust you’re SEO, you could start a PPC campaign. Look at the initial keyword data in your Google AdWords account and see which keywords have the highest click through rate (CTR). So you get the most popular keywords and custom tailor your content and your next PPC advertising.

You should bid on your own corporate terms, for example your business name or the names of your products. So when a interested person is researching online for your business, products and services the chances are good even if you are not in the top five Google Search result they will find you through your PPC ads.

Especially for local businesses PPC is a great way to get a targeted location based positioning to attract locals to the business front door. Local businesses can do advertising for a very specific location and do bidding on keywords related to this location. So they get laser targeted traffic from people who are maybe living around the corner in the next street.

There is not only Google AdWords where PPC campaigns can be done to reach the buyer persona in a great way.

Businesses can also do PPC ads on Twitter, Facebook and for B2B on LinkedIn.

One more thing to keep in mind when doing paid adverting!

You should direct your traffic to dedicated landing pages to convert those prospects into leads.

Take care to prepare a great offer on your landing page to motivate those prospects to leave their contact to follow up with them later and to get them into the lead nurturing process to convert them to sales.

January 30, 2013February 4, 2013

Why Everybody Loves Infographics

What exactly are infographics?

Infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly.

Infographics can improve cognition by utilizing graphics to enhance the human visual system’s ability to see patterns and trends and this is what made them a powerful marketing tool for businesses.

Infographics are shared on the web, Twitter and Facebook more often than other content online.

Infographics are easy to understand, to consume and to share. On Twitter, LinkedIn und StumbleUpon Infographics get more retweets than other content.

Marketers love Infographics because they offer an easy and powerful viral marketing tool to spread the word about the company’s products and services.

B2C and B2B also love infographics as they explain sophisticated facts in a very easy understandable way.

“A picture is worth a thousand words”

The most popular Infographics are about business with about 12.7%, technology with about 10% and social media with about 9%.

As infographics are able to explain sophisticated topics in an easy way they are very popular for technology.

Infographic: The State of Infographics

What are your experiences with infographics? Tell me in the comment box below.

December 18, 2012

The REAL ESTATE market + VIDEO

Global Purveyors + Marketers in the Real Estate realm are plentiful on the Internet. They market avidly on the Internet + on the Social Media sites

So what sets them apart ?

I would say the key factor in attracting Buyers on the Internet, is in the Marketing Techniques + Strategies they use + implement. Being one step ahead of the pack is key, as well as being up to speed with all that Technology has to offer

In addition, they should also be aware of where things are headed

And where are things headed ? VIDEO + MOBILE – It’s that simple !

Facts :

· Google loves Video !
· Cisco predict there will be a 10 fold increase in the use of Video over the next 5 years
· Internet Video traffic is now 40% of consumer internet
· People retain 10% of what they hear, but 50% of what they see
· Video is the single, most effective form of Communication
· Additional creative marketing platforms are constantly being sought
· ‘Old school’ marketing is no longer effective

Let’s look at two effective marketing tools the Real Estate market would do well to consider implementing in their marketing mix –

A VIDEO CONFERENCING / WEBINARS :

What is a Video Conference / Webinar ?

1. This online technology is often misunderstood by ‘newbies’ to technology, as it is called by many names – a Video Conference, a Web Conference, an Online Video Meeting or a Webinar – The are all the same thing

2. Simply put, it is an highly effective, browser based, simple to use virtual Video Meeting Room, where, at the click of a button with a link, you are able to host large or small online meetings with people locally or globally, to connect, communicate and collaborate

3. Many have not yet fully embraced the power of this technology, perhaps for fear of losing ‘the personal’ touch or the ‘face to face’ meeting scenario. However, we cannot stop progress and this is where things are headed if you want to see it

The Benefits of using Video Conferencing

1. This technology could be perceived as an adjunct marketing platform, or an additional marketing tool to what is already in place

2. The marketplace has become global and this technology enables purveyors to go global with ease

3. ‘Going green’ is what the world is advocating + what better way to save on time, energy, airfares, hotel accommodation, increase productivity and ultimately save money, than by hosting meetings, trainings, launches etc online

4. Access to Online Video Meetings is now available on most ‘smart phones’, Pads + Iphones, so meetings + negotiations can conveniently be held from a coffee shop, the beach – What a bonus !

5. Some are saying it is the ‘new’ Business Card

General features of Video Conferencing :

1. Showcase, Attract + drive more people to your business
2. Share Powerpoint presentations, Ideas, Videos, Photos, your Desktop
3. Show Websites
4. Review Contracts or Documents in a safe and secure environment
5. Use the White boarding feature, with interactive tools, like drawing + highlighting, to make it simpler for your attendees to collaborate with you

Creative Uses of Video Conferencing

1. Webinar Series
Develop a series of Webinars pertinent to your industry over a number of weeks, with content relevant to your clients or prospects. In this space, you can educate and demonstrate the value of your products or services. Specialist Guest Speakers always add value

2.Announcements, New Mandates or Property Developments
Using this technology as a broadcasting platform, invite your contacts, industry analysts, clients + prospects. Elevate the level of conversation by inviting specialists in your audience to answer questions + provide input

3.Guest Speakers
People perceive you differently when they know where you are coming from – let’s look at one example

o Reducing your carbon footprint

Attract people by hosting a Video Conference, selecting a relevant + current ’green’ subject matter, with the added attraction of a Guest Speaker, who should be a well-known expert or specialist in that particular field. Your Guest Speaker will – in their own right add value + easily attract a large audience – Everyone benefits

Now let us look at the second effective OnLine Marketing Tool

B Vmail – The new Email

Extraordinary results can be achieved using this technology. Video Email can change the world + the way we communicate Vmail by Vmail

1. People retain 10% of what they hear, but 50% of what they see
2. Video is the single, most effective form of communication
3. Additional creative marketing platforms are constantly being sought
4. ‘Old school’ marketing is no longer effective
5. People spend 8 seconds reading a static text email, but retain 85% of what they see in a Video
6. Static text emails are easy to ignore, and at their best give a customer only the vaguest notion of what your business really values
7. People simply don’t have the time today to read screeds of text and barely get past the third line, before deleting, without ever grasping the gist of the message that is trying to be conveyed

So what is a Vmail ?

· It is simple to use, online, browser based technology, which enables you to create your own personal Vmails
· Most technology platforms allow 20 minutes of talktime, which is more than adequate to impart your message
· Additional videos may also be uploaded into the Vmail
· No software downloads are necessary
· VMail opens on the Internet at the click of a button
· Most Vmail purveyors allow full integration with the social networks to share on YouTube, Facebook, etc

Creative uses of Vmail

1. Develop professional VIDEOS on virtual tours of all your mandates + developments – Make this ongoing – It’s powerful
2. Prospects get to see + get a feel of what you have on offer
3. Integrate your various Videos into Vmails + include your virtual tours + send to your select niche markets – This will give you the edge

Why use Video Email ?

VMail –
1. Is the new Email !
2. Is the future + where things are headed
3. Goes hand in hand with Online Video Meetings
4. Is Different, more Powerful, Personal, Effective +Creative
5. Has more Impact + grabs the Customer’s Attention
6. Enables you to literally look into your contact’s eyes + develop a relationship with that person, engaging them on a level that is simply not possible with a static text email
7. Enables voice resonance on a subliminal level
8. Can replace static text emails, which are easy to ignore and, at their best, give a customer only the vaguest notion of what your business or craft really values

Vmail USES are endless :
Vmail can be used for – All aspects of Business, Product launches, Company Profiles, Product or Service info, Invitations, Responses, Announcements, Special Occasions

Creating a Vmail is simple+ great fun !
1. Using a Webcam or Video Camera, record your message
2. Incorporate your own marketing Videos or appropriate Video content from YouTube or other
3. Use the Template feature available in most Vmail systems –
o Most Vmail systems will allow you to create your own personal template, using your own art or photos, or
o Choose a template from 100’s of designs available with most systems
4. Most VMail systems will automatically add your contact information
5. You can also add images or hyperlinks to other websites
6. Use a Contact Manager, available in most Vmail systems, to manage all your Contacts –
o Import all your contacts from your phone, email and PC into one spot
o Organize your Contacts alphabetically or in Groups
o Select + send to any number of your contacts using a Contact Manager
7. Use the campaign scheduling feature, if available in your selected system, to send right away, or schedule for a time + date in the future

The future is here – Embrace it !

Heather de Wit considers herself to be an ‘out of the box’ thinker and is happy to share her knowledge on the merits of utilising Video Email and Conferencing/Webinars. Her experience as a sole Entrepreneur for over 20 years spans marketing, advertising and PR. She enjoys creative writing, singing at functions and is a self-taught artist.

Get in touch with heather :

Facebook
LinkedIn
SKYPE : heather.de.wit
Mobile +27824907143
Website
EMail: heather@boundless-activities.net

December 5, 2012

On the web you are what you publish… What are you?

Content and social media have become successful ways to get attention from future buyers.

Content creation, marketing and content distribution in social media are proven ways to make interested people aware of your business.

Millions of businesses competing for paying customers and it have become a difficult task for most of them to stand out of the crowd and to make future customers aware about their offers.

When people want to buy products and services they turn to the web, to search engines like Google, Yahoo, social media and their friends and relatives to get information and recommendations about products and services.

Original content builds you trust, customer loyalty and can position your business as trusted experts in your field. It offers the so called value ad for customers

By publishing interesting and remarkable content other blogs, news sites and content curators will link to you which increases your Page Rank and improves your search engine visibility also!

So when you publish expert content on the web you will be recognized as an expert in your field.

On the web you are what you publish… Think a minute what do you publish on the web and in social media? … Exactly! That’s what you are on the web!

If you miss the opportunity which content marketing offers to you, your business will vanish in the dust.

The best way to start content marketing for business is to start a corporate blog.

Recent and future customers can interact this way with your business. You show expertise and offer valuable information to solve your audience’s problems. This gains trust.

Blogging has great advantages and here are the most important:

1. Blogging companies get up to 55% more Traffic
2. Blogging companies get up to 97% more Inbound Links
3. Blogging companies get up to 434% more indexed pages in search engines
4. Blogging companies get up to 25x times more business leads

A seriously executed content marketing strategy can be responsible for 25x times more business leads and boosts your revenue by up to 40%!

November 22, 2012March 24, 2014

HEALING online with VIDEO

There are millions of Healing Practitioners around the globe, with much to offer the world in terms of healing, training + moving forward, but many are struggling to put food on the table in these economic climes.

Most Medical Aid Funds do not support, nor include most of the Wellness industry in their Medical Aid Cover, so these costs need to be born directly by Patients / Clients / Students – Really tough for most in these tough economic climes !

They would do well to seek other marketing tools + platforms to get themselves into the world globally

So what should Practitioners consider in this economic climate ?

1. I believe it is to seek out alternative + additional marketing tools + platforms + really embrace the Internet + Online Technology + all it has to offer !

2. VIDEO + MOBILE is the future, which opens up huge possibilities for Healing Practitioners, to use these tools as an adjunct to their one on one healing sessions, face to face workshops + trainings/healings they facilitate

3. Embracing the future + what is, would be something to consider, to grow their business + go Global with ease ! Millions globally have access to the Internet + many have Mobile smartphones today

4. Many Practitioners in the Healing fraternity industry are still resisting Online technology as an adjunct vehicle, to do their work Online, as HEALERS / TRAINERS / MEDIUMS / DOCTORS, etc – aside from using their therapy rooms, clinics or outside venues

5. The big move into technology, the Internet + Mobile is hugely daunting

6. However, those willing to take the leap would be well advised to start with the energy of Desire

7. They should be open + receptive to change, followed by a Mindset shift + the ability + willingness to embrace the power of it all, a new language, new knowledge, do the work to achieve new learning – to really embrace the Internet + all it has to offer to assist them in marketing their Brand, their Products, Healing Modalities, Psychic Readings + Training modalities, etc

8. Now is the perfect time for folk to solicit the services of Wellness Practitioners, who have much to offer, but at the right price of course !

9. Having said that, Wellness Practioners need to take a long hard look at their marketing etc costs + how best to serve their target audience in the most cost effective way ?

Where are things headed ?

· MOBILE
· VIDEO and
· Marketing on the Internet + Social Media sites

1. Practitioners are assured that, as long as eye to eye contact + voice resonance is achieved, Online meetings / healings / readings / trainings are totally feasible !

2. By moving away from hosting live ‘face to face’ Workshops/Training/Coaching at specific venues + hosting meetings online, Practitioners can, using this technology, save fortunes doing the ‘green thing’, reach a bigger audience, growing their business + consider passing on their savings to their Clients / Patients / Students

3. The ‘GOING GREEN’ here would be to consider integrating a Video Communications suite, into their marketing mix, such as –

· Video Email and
· Video Conferencing/Webinars

Using Video Conferencing / Webinars

· With the advent of web conferencing, coaching/teaching/readings etc can now be done 100% online from the ‘home office’ to easily reach a worldwide audience of potential + existing clients

· Going this route, they save on time, energy, airfares, venues, hotel accommodation – ultimately saving money themselves, which they can pass on to their clients

Using Vmail – the new Email

Practitioners would do well to market using Vmail – Extraordinary results can be achieved using this technology

· People spend 8 seconds reading a static text email, but retain 85% of what they see in a Video
· Static text emails are easy to ignore – and at their best – give a customer only the vaguest notion of what your business really values. People simply don’t have the time today to read screeds of text + barely get past the third line, before deleting, without ever grasping the gist of the message that is trying to be conveyed
· Video Email is simple to use, online, browser based technology, which enables you to create your own personal Vmails
· Most technology platforms allow 20 minutes of talk time, which is more than adequate to impart your message
· Additional videos may also be uploaded into the Vmail
· No software downloads are necessary
· Bandwidth is not compromised, as the VMail opens on the Internet, for folk with Internet + Bandwidth challenges
· Most Vmail purveyors allow full integration with your social networks to share on Youtube or Facebook, etc.

This is highly recommended + both Video Conferencing + VMail can be accessed on most Pads, Android + select Smartphones

More tips for Wellness Practitioners –

1. Consider coming into the future + really upping their game in terms of the marketing tools they use to attract, capture + maintain new Clients / Patients / Students etc
2. Have Hope for a successful Career + Business, to enable Thriving + Surviving in this global economy
3. Explore all other positive cost cutting possibilities for themselves + their Business + to pass this on to their Clients / Students etc
4. Get really Specific in their marketing approach
5. Think hard about speaking Generically to everyone, as trying to appeal to everyone doesn’t cut it anymore
6. Be highly Targeted in their marketing to people with problems

Facts to consider :

· Google loves Video !
· Cisco predict there will be a 10 fold increase in the use of Video over the next 5 years
· Internet Video traffic is now 40% of consumer internet
· People retain 10% of what they hear, but 50% of what they see
· Video is the single, most effective form of communication
· Additional creative marketing platforms are constantly being sought
· ‘Old school’ marketing is no longer effective

Get in touch with heather :

Facebook
LinkedIn
SKYPE : heather.de.wit
Mobile +27824907143+27824907143
EMail: heather@boundless-activities.net

November 16, 2012March 24, 2014

RECRUITERS, JOB SEEKERS + VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS

Times are tough globally, so Recruiters need to up their game in terms of the marketing tools they use to attract quality Job Seeking candidates via the Internet

In turn, Job Seekers would do well to present their credentials on the Internet with up to the minute creative marketing tools

Some interesting FACTS :

· Using Video Communications, you are making eye contact + experiencing voice resonance + seeing body language – This is hugely powerful + not possible to achieve in an audio interview

· Using a Video Conferencing suite, erases geographical boundaries + lowers costs. More + more companies are using this technology today, immediately eliminating hard costs

· Companies not utilising this technology right now, will find themselves at a huge competitive disadvantage down the line

· The future is MOBILE + VIDEO – it’s that simple !

Video Conferencing has become a popular choice for Recruiters enabling them to recruit globally with ease

1. RECRUITERS can up their game entirely using a Video Communications suite, such as Video Email + Video Conferencing

1.1 RECRUITERS showcasing in a Video Conference/Webinar :

· Recruiters can easily showcase their Business + Specialities globally reaching a huge + targeted audience in a Video Conference, using Power Point + Videos.

· In the Meeting Room, they could present short videos featuring tours of their company, interviews with executives, open chats with employees + day-in-the-life scenarios of what people in particular positions do all day

· They could also include videos about the local area or videos that have been made by news or other agencies about their company

1.2 RECRUITERS showcasing using Video Email/Vmail :

Recruiters can generate personally or pre-recorded Video Emails/VMaiils on :
· Different facets / specialities of their business
· Separate Vmails on specific Jobs available

All Vmails can easily be integrated into the Social Media

1.3 RECRUITERS recruiting in a Video Meeting Room :

Communicating with + interviewing Job seekers worldwide in a Video Conference meeting room, enables Recruiters to gain a deeper perspective on a candidate in a shorter space of time

1.4 BENEFITS of VIDEO Interviews :

· Greater consistency is allowed in Video interviews by the use of a pre-determined script + format, where all candidates are asked the same set of questions
· Video captures the moment permanently, as videos can be replayed reviewed, compared + rated online
· Recruiters can better remember their candidates having the visual material at hand – especially true when compared with audio interviews
· Video interviews provide a more personal touch
· Time is money. This is always a factor for most Recruiters. Video Conferencing allows a large number of interviews to be carried out in a short space of time + right across the globe

JOB SEEKERS need to be ahead of the pack in their online marketing techniques + Video is highly recommended

2. Some creative ideas integrating VIDEO for JOB SEEKERS :

2.1 CV integration into Video Email/VMail :

2.1.1 Job Seekers would do well to create a Video Email/Vmail of themselves to add impact to their CV’s + credentials. Here again, making eye contact + voice resonance registering on the subliminal + body language is key

2.1.2 Recruiters have a far better insight into the quality + capabilities of their prospective candidates when viewing them on their Vmails, as they can see + hear their them

2.2 Advantages of using VIDEO Interviews

2.2.1 Time is money. Job Seekers can save a fortune using Online Video interviews. There is no need to stress about being late for interviews because of traffic + no need to travel to another city/country, as it all happens online

2.2.2 A job interview can be a lot less stressful if conducted from your own home

2.2.3 Job Seekers can prepare for Video interviews, by recording themselves answering typical interview questions, so they are prepared + confidant on the day

2.2.4 Ideal for Job Seekers already employed, but looking to move elsewhere. They don’t have to take days off, but can be interviewed in the privacy of their own homes after hours

The age of VIDEO is here – Embrace it !

According to Gartner, Inc, the world’s leading information technology research + advisory company, more than 25% of the content that workers view each day, will be dominated by pictures, video or audio by 2013

Get in touch with heather :

Facebook
LinkedIn
SKYPE : heather.de.wit
Mobile +27824907143+27824907143
EMail: heather@boundless-activities.net

November 6, 2012March 24, 2014

Can LIFE + BUSINESS COACHES survive in these economic climes ?

Life + Business Coaches are a dime a dozen on the Internet. Times are tough globally. The economic meltdown is a reality for many.

Many companies are tightening their belts + Coaches are a luxury to maintain + engage. Many organizations are in ‘rethink’ mode

I wonder –

· How many Life + Business Coaches are really bringing in the business + putting food on the table in the present economic climate ?
· Are people as likely to solicit the services of a Life or Business Coach at this time ?
· Are Life + Business Coaches an essential service in these economic times ?

Choosing NOT to be a preacher of doom + gloom is a tough act to follow right now –

· We are living in a fragile world
· No one knows what’s around the next corner – war, strikes, killings, violence, business closures, job losses, home foreclosures, a time of uncertainty + fear ?
· What are the answers really – where does one run to in a time of strife, chaos + not knowing ?

I would say this is the perfect time for People + Business to solicit the service of Life + Business Coaches, but at the right price of course !

Having said that, Coaches need to take a long hard look at their marketing etc costs + how best to serve their Clients in the most cost effective way ?

So what are the answers ?

1. ‘GOING GREEN’ – Moving away from hosting live ‘face to face’ Workshops/Training/Coaching at specific venues + hosting meetings online
· With the advent of web conferencing, coaching can now be done 100% online from the ‘home office’ to easily reach a worldwide audience of potential + existing clients
· Going this route, they save on time, energy, airfares, venues, hotel accommodation – ultimately saving money themselves, which they can pass on to their clients

Life + Business Coaches need to –

2. Really up their game in terms of the marketing tools they use to attract, capture + maintain new Clients ?
3. Have Hope for a successful Career + Business, to enable Thriving + Surviving in this global economy
4. Explore all other positive cost cutting possibilities for themselves + their Business + to pass this on to their Clients
5. Get really Specific in their marketing approach
6. Think hard about speaking Generically to everyone, as trying to appeal to everyone doesn’t cut it anymore
7. Be highly Targeted in their marketing to people with problems

So where are things headed ?
· MOBILE + VIDEO + Marketing on the Social networking sites – It’s that simple !

Doing the ‘green thing’ + integrating a Video communications suite, such as Video Email and Video Conferencing/Webinars is highly recommended + can be accessed on most Pads, Android + select Smartphones

Facts :
· Google loves Video !
· Cisco predict there will be a 10 fold increase in the use of Video over the next 5 years
· Internet Video traffic is now 40% of consumer internet
· People retain 10% of what they hear, but 50% of what they see
· Video is the single, most effective form of communication
· Additional creative marketing platforms are constantly being sought
· ‘Old school’ marketing is no longer effective

Get in touch with heather :

Facebook
LinkedIn
SKYPE : heather.de.wit
Mobile +27824907143+27824907143
EMail: heather@boundless-activities.net

October 25, 2012March 24, 2014

The Medical fraternity + Video Conferencing

Video/Web Conferencing can significantly affect the quality + availablity of Healthcare globally, enabling many positive outcomes.

More + more institutions worldwide are realizing + embracing the value of utilizing this technology, which is now becoming more easily accessible as Mobile + access to the Internet continues to grow across the globe.

Timing + the effectiveness of the initial response is crucial in assuring a positive outcome for patients.

Video Conferencing is playing a major role today :

SAVING LIVES + Money :

Where Specialists are in short supply, they can be tapped into remotely, administering a diagnosis + recommending emergency, life-saving treatment at significant cost savings

Emergency Medical Personnel in ambulances with access to the internet in their vehicles, can use this technology while on the road to communicate with specialists/doctors/their destination hospital or other facility, giving them prior warning as to the prognosis + status quo

Healthcare institutions can provide patients with access to Global Specialists, enabling an improved level of care + patient outcome, by for example, creating a central monitoring station to link up with all other institutions in their network

Rural areas with access to the internet, can also use this technology for diagnostic + other purposes, saving lives + making more efficient use of health care money, where funding is limited

Reduce the need to transfer patients + thus retaining revenue for that institution

TRAINING :

It has always been a logistical nightmare to train staff in this industry, as most work different shifts + there exists the crucial need to keep stations staffed at all times. Web Conferencing is proving an ideal solution for staff to receive ongoing training without leaving their posts –

Recruiting top Physicians + Specialists. Web Conferencing, has proven to be an important element in recruiting Physicians + Specialists globally

Recruiting + Training Nurses. Video conferencing helps address the nursing shortage in many hospitals by enabling them to recruit globally

General Staff training in the medical fraternity. New employees can be trained across multiple locations. In addition, new information can be presented to several locations in a single session

Emergency Medical Personnel – can also be trained across multiple locations

Reduction of meeting overload. Conducting regular scheduled management + staff meetings makes it easier for staff to attend, saving time, reducing travel costs + thereby increasing patient care + staff productivity

‘Going Green’ Reducing the amount of travel, cost of accommodation, etc saves time + ultimately money, increasing staff productivity + thereby addresses the associated carbon footprint

FEEDBACK from Doctors/Specialists :

Doctors/Specialists can host live Video feedback sessions, sharing final x-rays + conduct Q + A sessions, so that nurses + paramedics can see the diagnoses + outcomes of the patients under their care + learn lessons for future responses, especially bone fractures, spinal injuries + trauma.

MOBILE :

Most Web Conferences can now also be accessed on Pads, Android + select Smartphones

Infographic: Mobile Cloud

Get in touch with heather :

Facebook
LinkedIn
SKYPE : heather.de.wit
Mobile +27824907143+27824907143
EMail: heather@boundless-activities.net

October 16, 2012

The Debate Results: Will Technology Kill the Call Center?

Last month, I told you about an upcoming online debate called: “Will Technology Kill the Call Center?”

Research firm Software Advice moderated the event earlier this month with a panel of call center and customer service technology experts from IntelliResponse, Drumbi, Avaya Inc. and Etech Global Services.

The 45-minute discussion was hosted in a Google+ Hangout where the panel answered a list of scripted questions before fielding queries from the digital audience of 40. The group talked about trends in customer contact channel utilization, technology and the future call center.

The speakers offered advice for consumer contact strategy and ways companies can prepare for the future.

The speakers agreed first of all that customer contact channel utilization for non-traditional channels – such as virtual agents – is growing. This is primarily the result of better technology that can finally deliver on the promises from six years ago. So customers are now empowered with a choice of how they want to contact you. But this doesn’t mean they are using these contact avenues instead of phone – it just means by the time they get there they are likely at a critical point.

“The company needs to be smarter when they get there,” Avaya Director of Customer Experience Management Laura Basset said. This means knowing whether the customer interacted with self service, and what they looked at. Did they ask a question to a virtual agent? Did they log into their online account?

Ultimately, the debate ended with the agreement that the call center won’t disappear because of technology – it’s already gone. The reborn contact center is a different environment where agents are increasingly expected to handle interactions from myriad channels. This will continue to change the skill set and expectations from these facilities. Watch for more changes to come, they warned.

Click here to watch the entire recording.

About the author:

Ashley Furness 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 Ashleyfurness[@]softwareadvice.com, or by calling 512-582-2314. LinkedIn – Twitter – Google +