Almost Everything You Need to Know About Blogs

I’ve written a lot about blogging lately. How can a blog help you? If you refer to my previous posts, “Blogging for SEO” and “Turning Your Blog Into Money,” you’d learn that blogs are not only great for content, but they can be used as an a conversion asset and as an opportunity to increase your website’s SEO strategy.

Blogging can be easy if you know how to engage your audience and create compelling content. I’ve seen many different examples which establish a framework for blog writing. The following template from Content Rules 2010, is a great skeleton for any up and coming blogger.

Post Title

Tell the readers what they’re going to get by reading your post. Titles like, “How to _____,” and “10 Tips to _____,” are simple titles that work.

First Sentence

The first sentence is where you hook the reader. Ask a question or make a bold statement to trigger some interest with your audience. Your first sentence creates some dialogue about the blog’s topic. Keep this sentence simple and stick to one idea.

Next Paragraph

This paragraph investigates possible answers to the question you posed in the first sentence. Share why you’ve made your bold statement and find proof that supports your idea. This paragraph is where you back you up your ideas.

Bullets or Numbered Lists

 Lists are an easy way to organize your key points. Add a list with three or four points to reinforce the ideas you outlined above.

Add an Image

Pictures can say a thousand words. Infographics, pictures, and videos provide even more information and add visual interest to your blog.

Close with a Question

Encourage interaction by asking a question. This is your opportunity to give readers a reason to come back to your blog.

The above template is just an outline or framework for an effective blog. By adding your personal flare and tone, you’ll engage an audience and establish a following. Apply the following list of blogging guidelines to create truly compelling content:

1. Define your purpose.  Define your purpose by asking these questions questions – Who is your audience? What do you want to achieve?
2. Set a reliable schedule. Timing is everything. If you are going to post once a week, keep it on the same day of the week so your readers can know when to expect your posts.
3. Mix it up! Use different lengths of blogs, varying the content.
4. Move beyond the written word. Use images and videos to keep the readers interested.
5. Size matters. Don’t make your blog too short or too long. The length depends on the topic of your blog. Make every word count.
6. Learn to write killer headlines. Pique curiosity.
7. Design is important. Use a design that flows nicely and is functional. Incorporate a search bar so people can browse your blog. Invite people to follow you by using different types of widgets.
8. Create momentum. Add a call to action and incorporate fascination triggers.
9. Consider comment moderation. Moderate comments by removing spam or off-topic comments.
10. Categorize and tag everything. Categorizing and tagging your blog makes it easier for search engines to index your content.
11. Write the way you speak. Be conversational in your writing to encourage interaction.
12. Don’t overthink. Leave room for your readers to comment.

Alright, so we know have the tools to create amazing blogs, right? Both the template and guidelines should help you create engaging blog posts. Lets take a look at some popular bloggers and comment on their blogging style.

First, we have Seth Godin. When Seth talks, people listen. Seth is a great blogger and understands his audience. Seth sticks to a reliable schedule – posting daily. By posting daily, Seth sets an expectation for his readers and they know to check daily. I enjoy the varying sizes of Seth’s blog. He uses both long and short format blogs to get his point across. The blog has a simple design with different buttons for sharing. There is no question Seth can write, but his blog is more of a one-way communication. Seth doesn’t allow for commentary on his blog which I feel is a missed opportunity. His blog gets tons of traffic, so why not chat with his readers rather than chat at them? Also, Seth’s blog does not go beyond the written word by incorporating any photos or videos.

Next, Mitch Joel. Mitch uses simple headlines which tell the reader about the topic of each blog. Like Seth, Mitch posts blogs daily. His content is very informative and well-written. Mitch’s blogs have a functional and moderate in length. He breaks up his content by bolding sentences which highlight the key takeaways or subject changes. Mitch has conversations with his readers by allowing commentary.The design of his blog is great; however, his website design is a little crowded. He goes further than the written word by including both videos and images in most of his blog posts. Overall, I’d like to see Mitch pose more questions to really get his readers thinking.

Lastly, there is Bernadette Jiwa. I feel as though she nails all of the blogging guidelines that I have highlighted above. Bernadette captures her reader through her titles and keeps them engaged throughout the reading by telling a great story. Her posts vary in length, but are usually long. The images she uses fit with the topic of her blogs. She has a very clean design and incorporates social and other calls to action. Bernadette allows for commentary and obviously moderates the conversation. She asks questions and replies to posts. Of the three, I would have to say Bernadette is my favourite.

There you have it! You now have the tools to create a  compelling blog. I encourage you to take a look at the bloggers I have mentioned and share any of your thoughts.

Who is your favourite blogger?

 

 

How To Create Employee Advocates Online

What do you know about social media marketing? In his keynote, “Why You Need to Rethink Your Social Media Strategy,” during the Social Media Success Summit 2013, Jay Baer explored different social media marketing strategies. One of the strategies that resonated with me was his concept of empowering employees to contribute to a brand’s online presence.

Baer states, “the goal of social is not only to build social connections at the company level, but to empower your employees to be your biggest advocates.” He believes that by inviting your employees to contribute in social media, you will be successful with your strategy. I really liked how he put it, he says you need to “activate your employees on social.”

I believe that by encouraging your staff to utilize social media on your behalf, they will represent your brand in a positive way–after all, their job may be on the line. I think it is safe to say that consumers respond well to employee generated content as it gives an impression of authenticity and transparency.

Baer outlines a five-step process in which brands can create employee advocates and utilize them in their social strategy. The process is as follows:

1. Find out who is active online. People who love to be active online like to talk about “stuff” so why not make it about you? Chances are, these people already now how to use social and buy into the idea behind it.
2. Create different roles. Once you identify who is active online, you can assess who uses each channel most effectively. Look for people who can find content to curate, post pictures to Facebook and Pinterest, or comment on blogs and tweets.
3. Give people roles. Let the employee chose their role on social, this will create a sense of responsibility and ownership over the channel for the employee. Baer says that forcing an employee to act a specific way on social almost never works.
4. Train people. Because social media is constantly changing, it is important to train often. Set the expectation for online behaviour but encourage creative freedom.
5. Use social advocacy software. This can be any form of software that allows you to share content with an employee which allows them to then tweet or post on their behalf. Also, you can use this to assign particular things to different employees.

After attending Pivot Conference in New York last week, and hearing from leaders in the industry, I am noticing a trend in social media marketing which includes the creation of employee advocates. The steps above are very simple steps that anyone could follow in order to implement this strategy within any organization.

I’ve been doing some more research on employee advocacy for brands and found this picture which gives some food for thought. The image from PeopleWerx‘s blog, “Employees Are Your Best Advocates,” illustrates the maximum achievable social audience of an average Fortune Global 100 company to the maximum achievable social audience of its employee. The results speak for themselves.

Determining the ROI on Social Media Marketing

Alright, so I’m about to beat around the bush a little here. There are hundreds of statistics out there that outline the return on investment (ROI) on social media marketing, but people still struggle with the breaking it down into simple business terms. Answering the question, “how much money will a social media marketing campaign make my business?” has been a struggle for quite some time now. Can social media marketing make you money? The answer is… Yes.

I won’t bore you with all of the metrics, but rather, I will share some of the interesting facts I have found regarding this question.  In an article on Social Media Today, I’ve read that 90% of all purchases made are subject to social influence. Even further, recent studies prove that consumers spend 22% of time online on social channels which include Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Check out this infographic or the video below, created by Ignite Social Media, which provides more depth into the social media ROI:

I’ve been browsing for days looking for substantial figures that put a value on a like, a tweet, a share, a retweet… but the numbers always vary. Enter “10 Examples of Social Media ROI [INFOGRAPHIC]” which points out great examples of successful ROI achieved through social media:

• Jimmy Choo: Experienced a 33% increase in sneaker sales by using Twitter to help customers locate stores carrying those sneakers.
• Kraft/Toblerone: Increased candy sales in the Philippines by 132% through multiple social media channels and the company website.
• Blendtec: Grew company sales by 700% within one year through Twitter and comic YouTube “Will It Blend?” blender demonstration videos.
• Cadbury: Sold 40 million Wispa candy bars in 18 weeks though Facebook and Twitter, adding 30% to company profits.

Like I’ve mentioned earlier, brand marketers are utilizing a combination of social strategy approaches in order to join in on the conversation, and are leveraging different platforms to do so. Because of their nature, these platforms are different than your traditional advertising methods. Pam Dyer, of SolutionsIQ says:

“It’s very easy to just start measuring your ROI by counting how many Twitter followers and Facebook friends you have. Or you could be a bit more advanced and measure retweets and likes. Although these are important components to track, a goal-based approach to ROI will help you better understand your results — your method of measurement must dovetail with the campaign goals you defined before embarking on a social media marketing program.”

As you can see there is not standard formula for determining the ROI of social media; however, it is evident that it has the potential to increase sales and encourage repeat purchasing. Social is all about going to where the people are and conversing with them. Take a look at another

Okay, so I may not have actually answered the question I put forward, but based on the information I’ve provided, I leave with this note on ROI for social–it really does depend on your objectives when determining if there is a return on investment.

If you have any questions or comments on the ROI for social, please feel free to comment below, I’d love to hear different perspectives!

Get Noticed on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is an important tool in building your online brand. It’s a place where professionals can showcase their education and experience in any given field. People connect with one another in hopes to network. We all know that connections matter, and they can often be the difference between landing a job or making a sale.

I’ve got some interesting facts for you. According to research done by Reachable, your connections can impact your ability to get a call back from a potential sales prospect. Take a look at the numbers, sales prospects are:

• 3x more likely if you contact a mutual acquaintance
• 4x more likely if the connection calls to make an introduction
• 11x more likely if they have an actual connection.

Those are some pretty convincing numbers; therefore, activity on LinkedIn is crucial. If you do it right, LinkedIn is very effective.

You can’t control who views your profile, so its important to ensure you have the best information that will give the best possible impression. I’ve put together a list of tips that will help you get the most out of your profile:

A great display picture. A picture says a thousand words, right? Your display picture should be a photo of just yourself. Look like a professional in your picture. Smiling shows viewers that you are approachable, so don’t be shy! Ensure the photo is a quality image so that people can actually see who you are. Investing in a few headshots with a photographer won’t break the bank and will give your profile that added touch (I got mine done through Anne Blanchard, with Wall Flower Media). Also, you can use those pictures on other social media platforms as well!

Use a specific job title. Your job title shows which industry you are in. If you are unemployed, a student, or have multiple jobs, use a title that describes your overall skills. Use keywords that will help employers or prospective customers find you easily. For example, at the moment, I have multiple part time jobs that are all in the marketing and sales industry; therefore, my title is “Marketing and Sales Professional.” From a business perspective, if you hope to generate sales leads through LinkedIn, use one word that describes your business. Another example, my coworker at Weehooey IT Services, has a job title that reads, “IT Systems Technician,” which identifies him as a systems technican in the information technology industry. Keep it simple.

Content. The content is one of the most important aspects of your profile. It starts with your Background Summary. In “How to Create an Effective LinkedIn Profile,” the author says:

Picture yourself answering the question at a networking event, and write down what you’d want to say: Repeat what you do, only with a touch more detail. Add a sentence or two that shows why you’re good (this could include a short anecdote, a list of companies you’ve worked with, or results you’ve achieved). Close with a sentence that makes you approachable. You just wrote your summary.

I couldn’t agree more. This is a great way to write the Background Summary section of your profile. This method can also be used in the Experience section. In this section, highlight something you did or learned that prepared you for your current position.

Ask for recommendations or to be introduced to others. Utilize your current network in order to build it. Asking for recommendations shows people that you value their opinions and adds authority to your profile. If people are happy with you or your the services you offer, they will be delighted to introduce you to others. Note: You don’t want to ask everyone for recommendations, that’s just tacky. Be strategic.

There is more to your LinkedIn profile, but paying specific attention to these areas is a sure fire way to make your page more effective. Here is a video from LinkedIn on YouTube that reinforces some of the tips I’ve written above:

 

Don’t forget, LinkedIn is a social platform, and although a professional environment, make sure that you are social – share content, post pictures, join groups, etc. If you have any questions about your profile, or need help with your written content, feel free to reach out. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Turning Your Blog Into Money

Let’s face it, there are hundreds of brands using blogs ineffectively. There are also many ways to different ways for businesses to make money online. Blogs are a great digital asset which can help convert readers into buyers. The bottom line in running a business is making money, right? A blog is one of the most reliable and effective platforms for publishing content online.

Blogs can be used for more than just sharing information and posting content, they can be used to create conversations and engage consumers. In her blog, “How to Convert Casual Blog Visitors Into Dedicated Subscribers,” Pamela Vaughan describes an approach to blogging called blog marketing. Blog marketing is defined as:

A marketing strategy to grow and scale the impact of your blog. In other words, marketing for your blog. There are three critical steps to blog marketing: 1) getting your blog discovered by new visitors, 2) converting those visitors into dedicated subscribers, and 3) leveraging your blog evangelists to share your content and attract brand new audiences.

Many businesses haven’t bought into the concept of blogging, never mind blog marketing; however, there is great value in the digital realm. I’ve addressed this issue before in my post, “Blogging for SEO,” but I’d like to dig a little deeper and talk about how you can utilize a blog to make money. In order to take a blog to the next level, and convert readers into consumers, you need to consider the following:

1. Blog’s worth. Is your blog providing readers with valuable information that they would pay for it? If it isn’t, it should be. By adding unique and valuable information to your brand’s blog, you will provide readers with another benefit of buying your products or services. Information like how tos, sneak previews, recipes, etc., all add value to your blog. According to an article found on Search Engine Watch, 61% of consumers say they feel better about, and are more likely to buy from, a company that delivers custom content.

2. Return readers. One of the major goals of blogging is to get the reader to subscribe or return in order to continue reading. A simple invite to return or a topic teaser is sure to keep the reader interested enough to come back and read your next post. People are still visiting blogs, in fact, Lisa Buyer, says social media sites and blogs account for 21% of all online activity.

3. Easy to browse. If your reader gets lost on your website or browsing unrelated sites, then you’ve lost that reader. Make it easy for people to find your blog once they are on your site by including a search button on navigational features that keep the user on your website rather than back to Google.

4. Simple design. It is important that people are able to access your blog and actually utilize it. Like your website, your blog should be accessible to everyone. Using black text on white backgrounds or vice-versa tend to work best. By incorporating too much colour, you may be compromising the functionality of your blog. Considering the accessibility for disabled viewers is also a factor to consider in the design.

5. Timing and frequency. The timing and frequency of your blog can make or break your relationship with your readers. If your blogs are valuable, users will subscribe to your blog and wait for your posts. Following a consistent schedule will encourage readers to follow your blog. A blog should be written based on the needs and wants of the readers.

6. Length. Avoid rhetoric in your blogs. Every sentence should hold value and keep the reader interested. The length of the blog isn’t a huge concern as long as every bit has a purpose.

7. Request action. How can expect your readers to do something if you don’t ask? By including sharing buttons and inviting people to share your blog, you can increase the traffic; therefore, increasing the number of impressions.

By utilizing the tips above, you will notice an increase in the conversion of readers into buyers. Overall, blogging is a powerful digital asset if used correctly.

Don’t forget to subscribe, comment or share! Next week I’ll be talking about different website tools and strategies that will demand action from internet browsers, so be sure to check in!

Get More From Online With Content Marketing

So you’re a marketer. You write blogs, Facebook posts, tweets, newsletters, the list goes on. What do you write about? What constitutes engaging posts, articles, or other types of copy that capture the attention of the intended audience? Consumers are beginning to ignore traditional advertising in mediums like television and print because they recognize them as just that…advertisements. Because marketers have identified that traditional marketing is becoming less and less effective, a new strategy is being utilized—Content Marketing.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing is defined as:

“…a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

What I take from this is that content marketing is a means in which brands create and share valuable content to attract strangers, convert them into customers, and then into repeat buyers. With content marketing, it’s important to provide additional value by linking written content with the product you sell. When educating people on your products and services, you are proving yourself as a reliable brand and people will know, like, and trust enough to do business with you.

Content marketing has been adapted by the world’s leading advertisers, including: Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft. By utilizing this approach, brands are able to identify what makes their business unique. Content marketing allows brands to tell stories about their organization and what they stand for as well as what they can bring to the table. The following videos, Coca-Cola Content 2020, are videos that lay out Coca-Cola‘s strategic vision for content marketing. If you are still unsure of what content marketing is, these videos are a must see.

Now that we know what content marketing is, how do we utilize it for our businesses? I have compiled information from different sources which provide insight into how you can put content marketing to work for you.

In their book, Managing Content Marketing, Robert Rose and Joe Pulizzi describe an approach to content marketing that includes four stages. The four stages are:

1. Create and Manage. In this stage, you are to create a compelling story with compelling content. In order to create this content, you will need to assemble a team, develop a workflow which will establish guidelines, and agree to follow them.
2. Optimize, Aggregate, and Curate. This step puts the team you’ve assembled in the previous stage to work. The content process should create a balance between creativity, technology, engagement, communication, persuasiveness, measurement, and finance. The team won’t always buy into content marketing strategy; therefore, it is important to ensure that each person is motivated enough to contribute great content. The mantra here is to Always Be Communicating.
3. Converse and Listen. In this stage, your focus is on what you say and what others are saying back to you and about you. Pulizzi says “if you build it they will come,” but I’d argue that they don’t always come, and sometimes you need to go to them through other channels like social. You want content with a shareability factor; therefore, you must listen and respond to people in order to follow the story.
   
4. Measure and Learn. Like all other marketing, data and metrics are important. In this stage, you will see what content is working, what channel is the best, and what areas are able to be improved upon.

Next, we have Kare Anderson, CEO of Say It Better, and Mike Volpe, Chief Marketing Officer at HubSpot, focus their content marketing strategy on the consumer. In their article on Salesforce.com, they’ve also broken this down into four steps:

1. Understand your buyer. Where are your buyers spending their time? Are they on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter? By knowing this, you will know where your customers are searching for you when they are ready to buy. Talk to your customers or do a short survey to get information. While you have them engaged, ask them another question which will give you more insights on their behaviour.
2. Offer helpful tips that pull in prospects. Don’t fill your content with sales-pitches, instead, fill your website or blog with information that your prospects you can use. For example, answer FAQ’s related to what you sell, offer How Tos, etc. This will be measurable based on the number of shares and comments you receive. Content is about quality not quantity. Infographics are a great way to provide information and are easily shared. In order to think of great topics, review that last couple of questions you received from customers and answer them in the form of a blog, titling them with the customer’s initial question.
3. Engage perspective buyers. This fits in with the social strategy. Engage prospects online by publishing links to your articles on your different social channels. Be active on social by following different brands for content that relates to your own product or service. Join the conversation to give your brand an authoritative voice. It’s easy to lose track of time on social, so be sure to limit your time and stay focused.
4. Encourage your advocates. It’s important to thank your brand evangelists for their feedback and social comments. The message seems less forced and “salesy” if it’s coming from an outside source; therefore, providing credibility to your brand. Encourage them to join relevant groups in which they can comment on your products and services. Incorporate your advocates in your communications to ensure they feel apart of your brand’s success, and, in turn, they will promote you.

In clsoing, the Content Marketing Institute says, “marketing is impossible without great content,” and that quality content is a part of all forms of marketing:

• Social media marketing: Content strategy comes before your social media strategy.
• SEO: Search engines reward businesses that publish quality, consistent content.
• PR: Successful PR strategies address issues readers care about, not their business.
• PPC: For PPC to work, you need great content behind it.
• Inbound marketing: Content is key to driving inbound traffic and leads.

Remember, in content marketing, the user is at the heart of everything you create. If you have any questions about content marketing, as always, feel free to comment.

How To Build a Successful Google AdWords Campaign

Creating a Google AdWords Campaign can help you reach new customers and grow your business. AdWords is Google’s online advertising platform that drives interested people to your website. You create ads to your business and chose when you want them to appear on Google, above or next to relevant search results based on a bid. If you are still unsure about what Google AdWords are, check out this video by Learning with Google:

In my Interactive Web Marketing course, I was assigned the task of creating a mock Google AdWords campaign for Farm Girl Food. Below I will outline how I worked through Google’s Guide to Building a Successful AdWords Campaign using examples. Try not to be too judgemental, this is my first time!

Organize Your Account

Step 1: Design your advertising plan by answering some questions about your business needs.

What do you offer? Farm Girl offers classic comfort food for lunch and dinner with a gourmet twist and a seasonal flair, to be catered or served roadside.

Who do you want to target? This campaign will target students and young professionals who live in Kingston’s downtown core, sustainable food advocates, and the media.

What’s your budget? The Google AdWords budget is $6 per day, $42 a week, or $168 per month.

Step 2: List your campaign goal, which you can use as your campaign name.

Campaign goal: The campaign goal is to increase the number of catering gigs.

Step 3: Create at least three ad groups for your campaign (or, skip this step if you’d prefer making ad groups out of keywords in the next section).

Pick the Right Keywords

Step 1: Expand your ideas by listing keywords that relate to your specific type of business and that link back to your campaign goal. Get help building your keyword list with Google’s Keyword planner.

Kingston, Catering, Gourmet, Dinner, Lunch, Food Porn, Food Truck, Comfort Food, Lunch Time, Seasonal, Local Food, Fresh Food, Farm Girl, Seasonal Food, Downtown Kingston, Homemade Food, Cheap Lunch, Gourmet Food Truck, Kingston Catering, Kingston Menu, Kingston Lunch, Kingston Local, Kingston Dinner, & High Quality Food.

Step 2: Group keywords into separate ad groups where they are most relevant (three ad groups works nicely).

Kingston Theme:
– Kingston
– Downtown Kingston
– Kingston Catering
– Kingston Menu
– Kingston Local
– Kingston Lunch
– Kingston Dinner

Food Theme:
– Food Porn
– Food Truck
– Comfort Food
– Local Food
– Fresh Food
– Seasonal Food
– Homemade Food
– Gourmet Food Truck
– High Quality Food.

Restaurant Theme:
– Catering
– Gourmet
– Dinner
– Lunch
– Lunch Time
– Seasonal
– Farm Girl
– Cheap Lunch

Step 3: Refine your keyword list, meaning, cut out any words or phrases that are too generic, irrelevant, or obscure.

They keywords chosen for this campaign will be evident in the next few steps.

Writing Targeted Ads

Step 1: Create your headline (25 Characters or less).

Step 2: Develop your description text (2 lines of 35 characters).

Step 3: Designate display and destination URLs (35 character URL – linked to desired page).

See below for sample targeted ads for the Farm Girl campaign using the principles above.

Example #1:

Gourmet Kingston Catering
Cater your event with classic comfort
food for lunch and dinner. Call now.
www.farmgirlfood.ca

Example #2:

Downtown Kingston Catering
Serve high quality & local food at
your next business luncheon. Book now.
www.farmgirlfood.ca

Example #3:

Kingston Comfort Food
Seasonal, homemade, & fresh food to
impress your guests. Call us today!
www.farmgirlfood.ca

Creating a Google AdWords Campaign is as simple as that! Okay, maybe not so simple, but by following the step-by-step guide, you can’t go wrong. I am still learning how to create AdWords, so please feel free to comment or offer any suggestions!

Whoops! I Didn’t Mean to Write That…

How embarassing are typos? Be it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest, posting typos almost always makes you feel stupid. Because these platforms are now being taken mobile, people are posting statuses, tweeting, and commenting on the go. Most mobile applications have autocorrect which can turn those typos into nightmares.

I happen to use Facebook and Twitter quite often for personal use and for the businesses I work for. Because I post a lot, there is the potential to make more spelling mistakes. Stupid mistakes not only make me look bad, but they can reflect on the businesses I work for. Luckily, Facebook recognized this as a major issue and in June 2012, they enabled a feature that allowed you to edit your own comments. Unfortunately, this feature was not available on the mobile apps.

Yesterday, September 26th, 2013, according to TechCrunch article, Facebook did an update for web and Android allowing users to edit their posts. In the past, you had to delete your post to make any changes which meant you lost all your likes and comments. I for one, am going to love this feature, as I often catch small mistakes after I post things. The update has not been released for iOS yet, but soon you’ll be able to click the option arrow on Facebook, from any device, and adjust any mistakes made.

Although Google+ has had this feature for a long time, Facebook is the first of the other social media giants to make the change. Platforms like Twitter, can make spelling mistakes and funny autocorrects last forever if you don’t catch them right away (ask my good friend Hollie, a frequent victim of the iPhone’s autocorrect).

Needless to say, this update should make typos a lot less frequent and save people a lot of embarassment from grammar snobs like me. Okay, I’m not that great at grammar, but I am that guy who loves to point out other peoples’ typos or spelling mistakes.

Be Better With Higher Ad Ranks

The concept of hierarchies can be applied to almost everything, from levels of government and military, to lions and wolves in the wild. With all of these different applications, it’s no wonder that it can also be relevant to the world of search engine optimization. SEO is all about being the popular kid on campus. The more popular you are, the higher your rank.

Ad Ranking refers to the position of a pay-per-click ad on a search engine results page (SERP). A specific ad rank determines your ad position, which is where you ad shows on the page in relation to other ads. Ad rank is calculated by using your bid amount and quality score. The bid is the maximum amount of money you’d be willing to pay, every time somebody clicks on your ad. The quality score is established by the quality of your ads, keywords, and website. Because ad rank has both components, bids and quality score, even if your competition has higher bids than yours, you can still win a higher position at a lower price by using highly relevant keywords and ads.

Ad rank is established in real-time, which means it is constantly changing. The ad rank is recalculated each time your ad is eligible to appear, so depending on the level of competition, the ad rank can fluctuate.  In short, higher your ad rank, the better your ad position.

Still lost? I’ve found an awesome video from the Learn With Google YouTube Channel. This video takes a look specifically with Google; however, ad rank is prevalent on other search engine sites as well. Take a look at the video below:

Picture Perfect

With over 130 million users and counting, Instragram is one of the fastest growing social networks. Instagram is an easy-to-navigate visual social platform, where users capture, customize and share photos and videos. Instragram gained popularity because it gives users the ability to add professional filters to their photos. It’s simple interface makes it easy for everyone to use.

Like other social platforms, Instagram is becoming a key player in a brand’s digital strategy. Brands are sharing and liking photos to engage users online, and they are getting a great response. I personally love Instagram and share images quite frequently (follow @JoshuaHartson to see my all of my selfies among other pictures).

Because I am a student in Advertising and Interactive Marketing Communications, with a particular interest in digital strategies, I’ve done research on how Instagram can be used for businesses. I’ve read numerous articles, and here are the five most common ways to be an effective Instagram marketer:

1. Optimize your profile, so in other words step it up. Ensure that your profile is fully completed and visible to the public. Ensure your profile fits with your brand, including use of your logo, a brief description of who you are, and a link to your website (which can also help the SEO for your site).
2. Get familiar with Instagram. Even though Instagram is very user friendly, if you’re going to use it, do it right. If you think you have something to learn, check out Instagram’s “Instagram for Business” blog. It is a fairly new platform; therefore, it is constantly changing. By frequently visiting the blog, you can stay updated on any changes made that may affect your strategy.
3. Build a following. Be sure to connect your other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to your Instagram, so that your existing audience can follow you there too. Under this point, it’s important to mention that by being social on social media you will build a following. An example of a business I follow who does a great job at engaging me on Instagram is Asian Rim Sushi Company. The person behind this brand, has likely found my account by searching for the #Sushi hashtag, then views, comments, and tags me in photos.
4. Use Instagram with other social media strategies. If you are running a Facebook contest, make this contest available to your Instagram audience by creating hashtags and promo pieces designed specifically with Insta in mind.
5. Take advantage of videos! Instagram has recently incorporated video. If pictures can say one thousand words, what does that mean for video. According to Social Media Today, 37.7 billion content videos were viewed in the month of August alone, if that number doesn’t put dollar signs in your head, I don’t know what will. The point is, people are watching video, so a short 10-second video with interesting content can help boost your brand.

Overall, there is opportunity to use Instagram for Business to build an online presence, but it’s a matter of using it correctly. By following the five steps above, you should be able to engage the community and raise awareness of your brand.