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A Simple Step by Step Guide to SEO
Some businesses feel put off by the sheer amount of SEO information and guidance on the web. Don’t let information overload dissuade you: this KISSMetrics guide boils SEO down to simple tips that anyone with a website can use. The author covers WordPress plugins which are particularly useful for bloggers as they allow each page to be analysed before the content is even published. Don’t forget quality content: it’s not just about blogging, but a range of different types of useful content can really help with SEO. Don’t know your blackhats from your whitehats? This excellent blog explains it all. Click here to read more. -
13 Things to Check Before Hitting ‘Send’ on Your Next Marketing Email
Don’t waste a golden marketing opportunity by being careless. It’s all too easy to send out a mass mail to clients containing a crucial mistake, like a missing link or a spelling error. The golden rule is to check, check and check again, perhaps involving someone else to be absolutely sure your email will be sent with pristine formatting and content. Considering things like background colours and subject lines can make the difference between a good return and a client sending your email straight to spam without a second thought. Also make sure you follow stringent anti-spam guidelines to avoid being blacklisted. Click here to read more. -
Why Purchasing Email Lists Is Always a Bad Idea
When creating marketing mailouts, it can be very tempting to take a short-cut and purchase a list. This excellent blog from HubSpot explains why list purchasing is rarely the amazing time-saver you think it is. Here’s the killer: “There’s no such thing as a good email list that’s for sale.” When creating email marketing, it’s all about quality over quantity - and purchasing lists can get you in trouble for spamming. Many email marketing providers won’t let you use lists you’ve purchased, so think carefully before parting with any money. Would you respond to an unsolicited emails from companies you don’t know? Click here to read more. -
The 5-Step Guide to Executing an Outstanding Inbound Marketing Campaign
Inbound marketing is a great way to attract new clients, but putting your marketing plan into practice can be a complex undertaking requiring time and effort. This blog post provides ideas on creating your own DIY marketing campaign - something every startup and SME will eventually need to do. Set aside some time to work through the comprehensive resources in this post and you’ll be able to analyse your metrics to create a marketing campaign that really works. Don’t forget to close the campaign, measure the responses, time-limit your offers and make a note of the results for future reference. Click here to read more. -
The Customer Lifecycle: How Following-Up Can Increase Your Conversions
Customers might visit a website several times before signing up to anything. They may actively follow you on social media without you ever knowing they’re ready to make a purchase. They may sign up for a trial, like the trial, then disappear. How do you cope with ‘silent’ customers, or people who are just waiting to become conversions but never reach out? The KISSMetrics blog is goldmine of useful information, and in this blog, they’ve turned their attention to SaaS. If you’ve never considered a CRM to follow up leads and enquiries, now might be a good time to investigate. Click here to read more. -
6 Ways to Grow YouTube Subscribers and Your Exposure
Without video marketing, many companies are missing out on massive exposure to a near untapped audience of potential clients. YouTube is the second biggest search engine on the web, and for many businesses, it’s unexplored and under-utilised. Creating a great YouTube channel is all about engagement and promotion, and this blog post contains some handy tips on both. There are particular features on YouTube videos that can be used to call people to action, netting the channel more subscribers in the process, and you can embed YouTube widgets and videos in your blogs and web pages to increase interaction. Click here to read more. -
6 Tips for Using Pinterest for Business
Pinterest has changed over the last few months. Up until recently, the site was chock-full of fashion, home wares, photography and travel snaps. In recent months, social media marketing gurus have begun to experiment with the platform. But is there any real use for Pinterest in business - other than posting infographics and hoping for the best? This blog post contains a number of useful tips from experienced Pinterest users on the best way to influence trends on the site. Using boards for portfolio pieces, special offers and follower collaboration are just three of the interesting points made in this useful guide. Click here to read more. -
How to get more likes on Facebook
Online marketing is big business, and some companies will go to extreme lengths to trigger sharing and retweets from punters. If you’re ever been irritated by mountains of social sharing buttons on an interesting blog, have a look at this great blog from The Oatmeal. If you’ve had your Facebook account for some time, you’ve probably been pestered into clicking Like on something you don’t care about, or you may have endured some awful social marketing tactics from your contacts and followers. Sssh: The secret to creating real, genuine social likes and interaction is at the bottom of the page. Click here to read more. -
How to Craft an Offer That Can’t Be Refused
Getting your content right is just one stage of the marketing process. Defining your customer, and figuring out what they really need, is the secret recipe for marketing success. This blog by Chris Guillebeau gives content writers valuable tips on analysing the wants and needs of the audience. Phrasing and tone can help you to figure out the best way to approach the customer without alienating them, and constructing your offer from the ground up ensures you’ve identified any objections they might have before they can even ask. This is a great piece by the author of the best-selling book ‘The $100 Startup’. Click here to read more. -
The 10 Greatest Marketing Campaigns of All Time
Creating a memorable marketing campaign pays dividends for years to come. This entertaining blog from Lauren Sorenson touches on ten of the best marketing campaigns ever created, and the reasons why they succeeded in getting their message across. Indeed, some of these campaigns have a timeless quality, and they have arguably promoted the brand far beyond their original scope. Most of these ads are from the US, although some have international reach, but all capture a central concept which has come to define the brand: ‘Diamonds are Forever’, ‘Just Do It’ and ‘Get a Mac’ are just three you’ll recognise. Click here to read more.
