4 Factors That Will Affect Marketing Automation In 2020 Posted on January 22, 2020January 21, 2020 by Allie Wolff Somewhere, most likely long ago, someone decided that chaining yourself to your desk and developing a workaholic lifestyle was something to be praised. So many of us are congratulated for our work ethic when, in reality, we’re working far too much. And when we find a simpler, easier way to do things, we feel bad about it. Why? Why do we assume that if something can be done more efficiently, that it automatically means we aren’t putting in as much effort? To combat this unreasonable expectation, and to allow myself some reprieve, I’ve made my New Year’s resolution to work smarter, not harder. Which is what makes marketing automation genuinely amazing. It makes our lives a whole lot easier by automating certain tasks so we can focus on our other important duties. But that’s not all. While the reasons for needing a marketing automation software are somewhat endless, here are the more compelling things it helps you with: Adding efficiency to your outreach and lead nurturing strategies Providing a more fast-tracked method for measuring your performance Understanding your customers better through accumulated behavior data Putting data-backed insights to use for marketing improvements Marketing automation platforms have come a long way, and not every software out there is created equally. Each offers its own benefits, which makes it essential to fully understand the software you’re using, considering using and the developing factors that will ultimately affect your capabilities. With that in mind, here are four major factors that will affect how you automate your marketing: 1. Chatbots Aren’t Going Anywhere It’s 2020; this list wouldn’t be legit unless chatbots were included. We’ve been talking about the coming of chatbots and what they can do for the customer experience for a while, but I think it’s safe to say that they’re here and they aren’t going anywhere. Along with being incredibly useful automation tools for brands, today’s chatbots are a lot more complex — and a lot more productive — than their predecessors. This includes being much better at communicating than in the past. On Facebook, live chat software has a 73% satisfaction rate when it comes to customers interacting with brands. And 80% of businesses report that they’ll be deploying brand customized, results-driven chatbots by 2020. Adding chatbots to your automation strategy could help you save a lot of money on customer service costs. It can also help you move the needle in terms of performance by giving you a chance to provide more real-time connections with your audience and connect prospects with the content they need to make more informed purchasing decisions. 2. There’s A Voice Search Revolution It’s predicted that this year, 50% of all searches are expected to be done on voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home. And that has significant implications for your brand’s content and SEO. And since content fuels your marketing, that in turn has significant implications for your marketing automation practices. It’s undeniable that the voice search revolution is well underway. This is why you must fuel your marketing automation with content that is optimized for voice search. This means you’ll need to: Optimize your content with long-tail, conversational keywords Amp up your locally-geared content Claim your business listings Aim for Google’s featured snippet position The old rules of the SEO game are still going to apply in 2020. But, make sure you’re reworking some of your existing content to better fit with voice searches, and make sure you’re using this content in your email marketing, social media, and any other tasks and areas you automate. 3. Social Media Isn’t Slowing Down While the major players in social media seem to be ever-changing, there’s no denying that a strong social presence is more crucial than ever. Fortunately, marketing automation has made managing your social media channels significantly easier and less time consuming, which means that you have more opportunity to work on some truly creative social content. In 2020, expect social media to become even more of a mainstay in how customers experience and engage with brands. The stakes are high, but the payoff potential is too, which is why automating your social media and building out a thorough strategy is critical. Keep in mind: 71% of consumers who have positive experiences with a brand on social media are then more likely to recommend that brand to their peers. So, do what you have to do to increase your social efforts. Maybe that’s hiring someone dedicated solely to managing your social media, exploring new social platforms, or looking for better social media automation tools. Whatever it is, you can’t afford to not maximize your use of social channels in the coming year, so start figuring out the next steps. 4. Revenue Will Always Count The digital age has turned the world of marketing metrics on its head. Ten years ago, open rates and click-through rates simply weren’t a thing that a lot of brands paid attention to. What they did pay attention to though — and what they’re always going to be paying attention to — is revenue. Lucky for us that embracing marketing automation is one of the quickest things you can do to boost your bottom line. Marketing automation spend is expected to reach $25 billion by 2023, thanks in large part to revenue growth potential. Businesses that use marketing automation say that the biggest benefits include lead generation and an increase in revenue. What’s more, email marketing automation alone drives 18x more revenue than standard email blasts. Revenue as a primary metric isn’t going to change, but the way you maximize it is. Invest now in marketing automation so that you don’t fall behind your competitors in the next decade. Tracking what’s to come in marketing automation is exciting, and seeing how these new developments change our automation and simplify our work will keep us on our toes. Be sure to follow along on our blog, where we’ll be tracking and talking about everything you need to know to excel with your marketing strategy in 2020 and beyond.
Guide to the 6 Best Project Management Tools for SMB Entrepreneurs Posted on January 21, 2020January 16, 2020 by Jonathan Herrick As an entrepreneur, you have to keep a lot of balls in the air. You have your hands in almost everything that’s happening at your company, which means being effective at delegating as well as having excellent time management skills is a major plus. But let’s be honest. Not many entrepreneurs and small business owners shine in those areas, which is why project management tools can be an entrepreneur’s best friend. The benefits of project management tools are vast. They can help entrepreneurs delegate tasks with ease and organize their to-do lists so that projects get completed and stay on schedule. But, every system offers something a little different and should be chosen based on your particular needs. To make the search for the perfect project management tool a little simpler, here are six that every SMB entrepreneur should consider using: Basecamp One of the first project management tools to hit the scene, Basecamp is an excellent PM site for beginners. The interface provides a centralized location for every task you need to accomplish within a team structure. This not only includes tasks and projects but all forms of communication. So, rather than a long chain of emails, everyone involved can post to a centralized board, and users can be given different permissions depending on the role they play. There is also a “to-do” section where administrators can assign additional tasks with due dates. Important files can be attached to these assignments, and a calendar is available to schedule meetings and set deadlines. Price: $99/month all-inclusive with no user fees Asana Asana is a program that allows a team to use existing templates to add new workflows to the system. Additional functions include the ability to: Create tasks Manage communication Break projects into subtasks Comment on projects Automatic Notifications Asana will email any updates you need to track and stay on top of everyone’s work. This is ideal when a team must start another project before completing the first. Management can check the status easily without needing to open the app or contact additional team members. Or, if they choose to log in, there is an analytics section for more detailed insights. Price: Starts at $10.99/month, billed annually, or $13.49/month if billed monthly Trello Trello is based on the Kanban-style of project management. The program functions off of Gantt charts, which are bar-type charts that illustrate a project’s schedule and progress. Trello is designed to take traditional concepts of project management (the ones you see in manufacturing) and make them simple for the everyday office. Trello is intuitive and highly visual. This makes it an ideal platform for a non-project manager. The card-based design is user-friendly and easy to understand. Just like the Kanban-style of old assembly lines, each card has a list of tasks that can be moved according to project evolution and shifting priorities. Cards can also be updated via email, so there is no need to log-in for simple changes. Price: Free or $9.99/month for Business Class. Additional plans are available. Todolist Todolist is heavily focused on communication. They cover the basics like task assignments, automated notifications, and scope management. What sets this platform apart is the flexibility. Todolist functions on ten different platforms. That means everyone in a project can easily collaborate, regardless of their device or operating system. This leads to much faster adoption across the board. Price: Free or $3/month for Premium. Additional plans are available. Pivotal Tracker If you’ve been using one of the best project management tools and are ready to take it to the next level, you may want to consider Pivotal Tracker. This style of project management focuses on the agile structure. It’s a story-based system with an easy drag-and-drop interface. If you prefer to manage people through mobile apps, Pivotal Tracker has an excellent selection. This platform is perfect for people managing multiple projects (and tasks within them). Because the system is focused on agile PM, it comes with an extensive analytics tool to measure your efficiency between projects. Price: Starts at $12.50/month billed annually, or $29.17/month billed monthly. Monday This is a status-focused project management tool with easy onboarding. Workflows can be quickly managed and customized. Build dashboards to gain important insights and track progress at a glance. Monday is a simplified system for beginners. It provides updates with ease and is an action-oriented platform. In addition to extreme customization, Monday also offers a variety of premade templates. If you already have systems in place, the program is great for integrations like: Dropbox Google Drive Zapier Monday also has a lot of options for automation. Turn on your auto-pilot and easily mechanize a workflow until finished. Price: Starts at $39/month billed annually. Additional plans are available. Before you decide on the best site for your brand, consider your top three needs, in addition to budget. Is it communication? Does your business need to grow? Once you establish what’s required, it will be easy to choose the best project management tool to provide value.
Bad CRM Data: The Silent Killer of Your Business Posted on January 16, 2020January 22, 2021 by Allie Wolff When it comes to your customer relationship management (CRM) data, having bad data might be just as problematic, or more, as having no data at all. Your CRM is integral to managing your clients effectively and for your marketing team to do their job effectively. So if that data is lacking in some way (perhaps it’s out of date or poorly organized), then it’s not going to be of much use. Successful marketing is targeted and opportunistic. It’s about engaging with your prospects by using the right content at the right time. To get there, you have to be utilizing your customer data correctly. And while CRM data isn’t all you should be using to make more informed marketing decisions, its value is undeniable. Knowing that bad data is bad for business is one thing — knowing why it’s bad is another. Here are three ways that bad CRM data can negatively impact your business. 1. It Lets Potential Customers Slip Through the Cracks A CRM does more than just aid sales. But, if it’s working efficiently, it can do a lot for your lead generation efforts. By looking at your CRM data, you can form a better, more complete picture of who your customers are, what their pain points are, and what they’re looking for in a product or service solution. In turn, you can work backward from this information so that it helps you better approach new prospects and market to them. If your CRM isn’t giving you the correct data on your prospects, there’s going to be a massive disconnect between that data informing your nurture and outreach to new leads. You won’t be able to zero in on the right people, and you certainly won’t be able to reach them in a way that speaks to them. Bad CRM data leads to missed opportunities for new customers, and it could create issues for your sales cycle. 2. You’ll Send the Wrong Emails In addition to losing out on crucial information that can guide your content strategy, it can also cause you to make some easily avoidable missteps that result in non-conversion-friendly emails. There are a lot of dimensions to email marketing, and a lot riding on doing it right. We’ve come a long way from the “throw a bunch of things at the wall and see what sticks” method, and we know that the more targeted messages are — both in terms of content and timing — the more effective they are. But if you’re working with bad CRM data, then you’re not really targeting at all. You aren’t able to accurately capture where your prospects are in the buyer’s journey and what sort of actions they’re taking on your site, both of which play a huge part in how you nurture them in your emails. The result? Emails that fail to convert and that ultimately fail to bring you closer to a sale. 3. It Will Waste Time Time is one of the most valuable resources that you have in marketing. And to make the most of it, you want to be sure that you’re not wasting time with dead-end leads. If you have bad CRM data, you’re probably going to be expending a lot of effort and resources on leads that, for one reason or another, simply aren’t interested in making a purchase. That’s not good for your reputation, your bottom line, or your sanity. Managing your sales pipeline can be complicated, but if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that a lead who doesn’t want what you’re selling is not a lead worth pursuing. Optimized CRM data can help you avoid reaching out to these leads, in turn, leaving you with a lot more time to engage with the leads who are more likely to convert. Tips for Better CRM Data Don’t worry; bad data is avoidable. I have some tips that will help you ensure the data you’re using is valid and up-to-date. Even if you swear by the data you’re currently getting, it doesn’t hurt to instill these practices. You’ll save yourself a lot of headache in the end. Update as you go. The longer you wait to update CRM data, the more likely it is that you’ll miss something important. Update the information on your prospects as soon as you’re privy to it. That way, you’ll know your data is as accurate as possible. Integrate your CRM with other systems. Ensuring good CRM data doesn’t have to be a huge ordeal. If you integrate your CRM with other systems, you’ll get automatic input that can bolster your data and keep it strong. Perform an audit. If you haven’t audited your CRM data recently, then now is the time. Better yet, get on a regular auditing schedule and weed out bad data as often as you can. Track as much as you can. A lack of data is just as harmful as incorrect data. Track as much customer data as you can because you never know what you’ll need later. Don’t let bad CRM data slowly kill your sales, your marketing efforts, your ability to nurture your prospects, and, ultimately, your business. By following the tips above, you’ll manage to stay ahead of the issue and spot inconsistencies before they become a bigger issue.
How to Make it into Google’s Prized Featured Snippet Position Posted on January 15, 2020January 13, 2020 by Jessica Lunk Whether you call it the featured snippet, the answer box, or position zero, nailing that top spot on the search page is pure SEO gold. Getting a post in the featured snippet position allows you to steal clicks away from the coveted first organic position on a results page. And if you’re able to snag both position zero and position one, you’ll gain 31% more traffic than you would if you just had the first position alone. In addition to increases in traffic, you’ll also receive more brand awareness, conversions, and authority. Not a bad situation, if you ask me. How do you get there, though? It’s going to take some work, but fortunately, there are tried and true methods for making it into position zero — and getting all of the SEO benefits that come along with it. Understand the Types of Featured Snippets Let’s first touch base on the various types of featured snippets, which will help you understand how your content can win that prized position. There are three main types to be aware of when creating and optimizing your content: Paragraphs These kinds of snippets are just what the name describes – details and information in the form of a paragraph. This makes the most sense for a search that results in more detailed information. Tables Instead of sourcing a table and including it for the snippet, Google actually puts the tables together based on the information it finds. This works well for when you’re looking to compare numbers or percentages over a specific period of time. Lists Numbered Pretty self-explanatory, but numbered lists make the most sense when you’re looking for a list of “the best of,” “the worst of,” or a set of steps needed to complete a certain task, etc. Bulleted For bulleted lists snippets, Google pulls the main points from listicles so you can see a more condensed version, which helps you quickly review what you’re looking for. While their formats differ, the purpose of each is the same: serve as the definitive answer for a search query. The type of snippet you try to create then comes down to the keyphrase you’re aiming for. A query like “how does a flu shot work?” for example, would warrant a paragraph snippet, whereas “health benefits of almonds” would probably warrant a list. Keep structure in mind when formatting your content for the featured snippet position. The goal is to provide a concise response to a query in a way that can be translated into a short and easily digestible blurb. So if you write a post on the health benefits of almonds, but you do it in paragraph form, that’s not going to be as quick and accessible for search as a post that separates the various benefits into bullet points. Voice Search and Featured Snippets Since voice assistants always pull their results from the content in the featured snippet position, earning this spot will make your content the go-to resource for voice searches. And with an estimated 50% of all searches being done through voice, it makes landing this position even more beneficial. It’s important also to note how voice searches differ from online searches. With voice search, obviously, searches are being phrased. This means search phrases are more complete questions rather than an amalgamation of terms. Let’s say you’re a consumer interested in buying new running shoes. If you’re talking to Alexa, you’re going to say “what are the best running shoes,” and not just “best running shoes.” This change in syntax might not seem like much, but it’s important when it comes to keywords. To get the featured snippet, you have to be responding to exactly what a searcher wants to know. And since more searches are happening in complete and direct questions, it pays to create content that answers those questions. Increase your chances even more by answering the question right away — ideally in the very first sentence or paragraph of your content. This is a good indicator to Google that your post is about the exact phrase being searched. Focus on the Right Opportunities If there’s already a highly-authoritative site ranking in position zero for a certain search query, then you’re going to have a tough time nudging them out of the spot. There’s a lot of featured snippet real estate to be had though, so instead of trying to out-compete your strongest competitors look for opportunities that will be easier to achieve. The best conditions for getting in Google’s featured snippet position are those that feature low-competition keywords that are also highly relevant to your brand. As an example, let’s say that you want to write a post about saving energy. Search “how to save energy,” and you’ll see an authoritative site already occupies that position zero and thus might not be worth competing against. So instead, scroll down to “People also ask” and look at the related questions. You might have better luck with “how can you save energy outside?” or “how can we use less electricity?”. Remember: you’ll get the most value out of featured snippets where you also have position one on the page. Look through your analytics to see which post you’re at position one for, and then compete directly for those featured snippets — you’ve already got a big leg up. Good luck on your race to the top!
The Value of Pillar Posts Posted on January 14, 2020January 10, 2020 by Natalie Slyman Pillar posts can do wonders for your content and SEO strategies. And if you’re creating content, then you’re already halfway there. What’s puzzling is most marketers aren’t investing much energy into pillar pages. In fact, most content marketers have fewer than five pillar pages, if any. Marketers who aren’t making pillar posts apart of their content strategy are missing out on a big opportunity to increase their authority, relevancy, and ranking of their site. Luckily, there’s no better time than now to adopt a pillar page strategy and enjoy all of the benefits that come along with it. I’ll cover everything you need to know to get started with pillar pages, including why they’re important and how to create and use them. So, buckle up. What is a Pillar Page? Before we dive headfirst into what your strategy should look like, let’s address the elephant in the room. What exactly is a pillar page? A pillar page is a page on your website which provides a deep dive into a specific area or topic. Think of it like a site index detailing everything that someone would want to know about a topic, with no stone left unturned. Typically, these pages are longer than your standard blog post and very in-depth. They are meant to be linked to heavily by your other content, which in turn drives more traffic to them and increases their search visibility over time (but more on that later). The result is a comprehensive overview of the information that matters to your audience and a strongly entrenched link network that helps search engines better scan and categorize your site. Why Pillar Pages Are So Important I’ve alluded to this already, but let’s dive into some specifics on why having pillar pages is a must for your content marketing strategy. They help with your SEO strategy. Pillar pages are built around specific keywords or phrases that you’re already trying to rank for. When search engines are indexing for those terms, they’ll see that your site clearly has authority on the topic, and thus deserves a higher place in the rankings. They inspire other pieces of content. Pillar pages are built around broad topics and ideas. And by default, these big-picture focuses offer a wealth of inspiration for shorter posts. For example, you could create a pillar page on marketing automation and then build that out into a collection of smaller blog posts on related topics that fall under that umbrella, such as email marketing or landing pages. They allow you to build a linking strategy. Pillar posts are essentially your go-to for your internal link building strategy. Using the same example of the marketing automation pillar page, any time you use the words “marketing automation” in other posts, link back to the pillar page. This brings organization and utility to your linking strategy and identifies the most critical pieces of content to internally link to for certain terms. It also serves as a potential resource for inbound links from other sites. How to Create Pillar Pages If the idea of creating such comprehensive pieces of content sounds overwhelming, don’t fret. Creating pillar pages is a lot easier than you might think. Follow the steps below to get started. Step One: Put Together Your Keyword List Your keyword list should include both focus words and phrases that you know you want your brand to rank for. These terms should reflect the bread and butter of what your company does, as well as what your audience is using to search online. Step Two: Select The Most Important Keyword to Create Your First Pillar Page Create your pillar pages in order of priority, starting with your most important keywords. Keyword by keyword and page by page, list out the various areas within that keyword that you want to cover. Each pillar page will end up having a lot of sub-keywords since the page is a one-stop-shop for everything your audience needs to know regarding the topic you’re covering. Step Three: Write the Page The next step is content creation. As you put together your post, make sure your keywords and phrases are included not just in the main body copy but in the subheads too. Link to other valuable content within your pillar page, and format the page using bullet points, numbered lists, etc. so it’s easy for readers to digest. Use images and videos where applicable to better convey ideas and increase the page’s SEO. Remember, this page should be thorough. Step Four: Review Have other team members or an editor review the page for clarity, scope, grammar, and flow. Getting more eyes on the page ensures there are no are major gaps and also allows you to ensure it’s as high quality as possible. If you have someone who is an SEO expert, make sure he or she takes a look as well. Step Five: Publish Publish your pillar page and distribute it effectively among your network. Once it’s live, you can start creating other pieces of content that fall under the same umbrella and adding links back to the page. Over time, the page will increase in ranking for its specific search terms and keywords. As a final tip, track the performance of your pillar page regularly to make sure it’s still ranking, and tweak it if necessary. And don’t forget to link to your pillar page when writing guest posts for other websites, which will also work to increase your SEO.
How to Put Together an Editorial Calendar: A Step-by-Step Guide Posted on January 9, 2020December 23, 2019 by Natalie Slyman If you’re a marketer, it goes without saying that your content marketing is a huge part of your strategy. Putting together an editorial calendar to help you track, manage, and coordinate your efforts with your team is an absolute must. Honestly, I don’t think you can be serious about content marketing if you don’t have one. Aside from keeping everyone aligned, your editorial calendar ensures you meet deadlines, think proactively about how to make your content more compelling, and provides a bird’s eye view of what piece of content is in which stage. But how do you actually go about putting one together? Where do you even start? There are quite a few steps to creating an effective and helpful editorial calendar, and some of them start long before you begin planning your content. Here’s how to get started: 1. Identify Your Target Audience Before you plan out the content, you need to know who you’re planning your content for. For this reason, you must start the editorial calendar process by first fully defining your audience — their interests, their needs, their biggest pain points, etc. Begin this process by creating customer personas for the various people you’re going to be targeting with your content. Be specific, honing in on the people who are most likely to purchase and utilize your product or service and the characteristics and behaviors that they share in common, as well as the characteristics and behaviors that set each type of customer apart. If you need some help in this area, talk to your sales team. They speak and engage with your potential customers all day, so they’re a great resource here. 2. Review the Stages of the Buyer’s Journey Each stage of the buyer’s journey requires distinct types of content. To help you understand what kinds of content you need to create, it’s beneficial to start by reviewing the three stages of the buyer’s journey, or the “sales funnel,” and decide the specifics of what will benefit your audience and spur them on to the next stage. In the beginning stages, prospects are just becoming aware of what it is you do and who you are. So plan to create plenty of content that explains your area of expertise and your product or service offering. When prospects reach the middle of the funnel, they’re often evaluating your company against competitors, so you need to have plenty of content focused on differentiating your brand from others. Lastly, you’ll want to create content that will compel the bottom of the funnel prospects to become customers. You’ll need case studies, testimonials, and client feedback to give a real indication of what it is you can do for future clients. 3. Establish Which Types of Content to Create You may be thinking, didn’t we already cover this in the previous point? But what I mean here is to outline the forms of content you’ll want to create. Diversifying your content means that you have more diverse options for what it can achieve. Here are just a few types of content to consider: Blog posts Whitepapers and other gated resources Landing pages Guest-contributed articles Videos Infographics Social media Case studies Customer testimonials Note that some forms of content will serve multiple purposes — for example, guest posts on other sites will build brand awareness, help strengthen your brand authority, and can contribute to your SEO efforts. 4. Designate Your Team Members How you designate the various roles of content planning largely depends on the size of your team, your content capacity, and your budget. Many businesses and/or marketing teams assign one person to multiple roles, which is fine, so long as the team members themselves can take on the extra work. You can also designate multiple people for one role, though if you do this, try to assign a lead as well — too many cooks in the content creation kitchen aren’t always good for productivity. Roles to consider assigning include your strategist, your project manager, your writer(s) and editor(s), and your team member in charge of distribution. But ultimately, you just need team members that contribute to an efficient process. 5. Confirm a Content Creation Process Nailing your content creation process is the best way to ensure you stick to your editorial calendar. Figuring out the best way your team works together is maybe the most important piece of the puzzle, and it’s essential that whatever it looks like, the focus is on maintaining quality, strategic content. As a general rule of thumb, your content planning process should look something like this: When you’re brainstorming, make sure you identify any keywords that will be used in the piece of content. Break down each step, if necessary, but if you stick to a flow like this, you’ll keep your content moving and your team accountable. 6. Decide How Much Content You Want to Create Each Month The quality of your content is of the utmost importance. So, be realistic when determining your team’s capacity. More content isn’t better if it means that the quality suffers. If you have a team of three people, for example, don’t decide to create 25 pieces of content each month. Discuss as a team what you can realistically achieve. It may be that you only focus on creating one blog post a week and go from there. Plan on adjusting your content expectations as you go, taking on more or less as possible. 7. Put Together a Tracking Document Decide how and where you’re going to organize your editorial calendar. Excel docs and Google spreadsheets are both great free options, though if you have the budget, you might want to spring for a workflow platform like Airtable or Asana. Regardless of where you track, be sure your document indicates which stage each piece of content is in, who’s responsible for that stage, the date the piece should be published, and anything else that you deem necessary. 8. Figure Out a Distribution Plan Your editorial calendar should also cover the distribution process, including how you’re going to use each piece of content and how you’re going to share it. Keep the buyer’s journey in mind again during this part of the planning, considering where people at each stage are most likely to come across your content, so you’re distributing to the right people at the right time. Incorporate your content into your email marketing, which will help you personalize your nurture. Share it on social media, and send it to clients and prospects that you think could benefit from it. Make sure you decide how often you want to update your editorial calendar. Many marketing teams choose to go month by month, but you can also plan to organize your calendar by quarter or even by year. Do what works best for you and your team.
Best Practices for Landing Page SEO Posted on January 8, 2020December 1, 2022 by Jessica Lunk Landing pages that are created for long-term campaigns are the ones that best benefit from implementing an SEO strategy. If your page is going to be active for six months or more, and even if your primary audience is intended to come from ads, it won’t hurt to bring in some extra traffic. Search engine optimization is a long process, and results are rarely instantaneous. But, with a little planning, know-how, and some realistic long-term expectations, you can create landing pages that land you visitors and sales through organic searches. No need to outsource. Optimize Landing Page Content With Keywords and Proper Markup The words and markup that you choose to present on your page are not only what your users are looking for — but what Google and other search engines are looking for, too. Your content should be not only clearly presented but marked-up with proper tags to inform the search engine bots of your page’s structure. So, first, let’s talk about keywords. Each landing page should have a specific audience and a specific intent. For instance, a health and wellness center might have a landing page targeted toward people interested in receiving massage therapy, and another landing page targeted toward people looking to become a certified yoga instructor. Once you’ve nailed down the intent of your landing page and the targeted action you want visitors to take on that page, it’s time to do some keyword research. Type your main keywords into Google to see what some related searches may have been. Check out Google Trends or use Google Ads Keyword Planner to find high volume keywords you might not have thought of. You can also utilize tools like SEMRush to view insights on who’s ranking for the keywords you’re targeting. Once you have your keywords, it’s time to incorporate them into your content organically. Avoid “stuffing” your content with keywords — it’s obvious to everyone (including Google and Bing) that you’re fishing for traffic when you do that. You’ll want to naturally add the keywords into the mix, using synonyms of some of the main keywords as well. You want your keywords to hold weight, so make sure you include your main keywords in your headlines as well as in the body of your landing page copy. Once your content is complete, it’s time for the page markup. Your main headline should always be marked up with <H1>, and subsequent headings can follow with <H2>, <H3>, <H4>, etc. This establishes a hierarchy that Google will understand, and it also helps with your page’s readability. Search engines have gotten pretty good at figuring out the intent of your content, so just focus on crafting quality content that human readers want to read and share, and you’ll be golden! Create Impactful Meta-Data The page title, URL, and the meta-description that you define will show up in your page’s search results on Google. Basically, your meta-data will determine if a person is enticed to click on your page or not. So, make it relevant and compelling! Your page title should be descriptive. It should be short, yet clearly indicate what your page is about, and include your most important keyword. For your URL, it’s essential to keep the name of the page similar to the title of the landing page. This enhances SEO and aligns with the actual page, which assures users they’re going to the right site. If you’re using WordPress as your website CMS, like much of the internet, check out the Yoast SEO plugin to help you keep your meta-data on point. Make Sure Your Landing Page is Mobile-Friendly More than 50% of all searches are done on a mobile device. We’ve all used a frustratingly cumbersome website on mobile before. Think back to that experience. Were you in the buying mood after all of that pinching, zooming, and scrolling? Of course not. In Google’s eyes, mobile users are critical enough that optimizing for them will give you an advantage over competitors who don’t take the time to do so. To be mobile-friendly, you’ll want a layout that is simple to navigate. Keep your relevant information near the top and be considerate when it comes to image size. While scrolling is much easier on mobile, avoid having your users scroll to find your headline or form. And speaking of image size, you’ll also want to optimize your images to be as small and compressed as possible. One metric that is often overlooked for mobile-friendliness is load time. Though mobile speeds have gotten faster, those seconds matter. Mobile users can often be impatient and bounce quickly before your page loads. Because of this, Google weighs your page load speed while determining if your page is truly mobile-friendly. If you aren’t sure what to optimize for load time, try Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to get an instant report on some aspects you can improve on. Focus on SEO for Long-Term Campaigns Finally, let’s talk about those “short-term” campaigns. Google weighs a lot of aspects of a page when determining which one is the most “relevant.” One aspect is how long the page has existed. Many landing pages have a relatively short shelf-life, but some can be left up all the time and continue to get traffic for you all year. So, what kind of pages would work best for generating SEO traffic? Any page that contains evergreen content that you plan to make it available for as long as it’s relevant. Leave the page up throughout the year (or years), and it will likely climb in the search engine ranks. These are just a few ideas to get you started on the road of search engine optimization. There’s a lot to consider with your page, but like all SEO projects, it just takes time and monitoring to start reaping the benefits of increased traffic to your landing pages.
5 Hobbies That Will Make You a Better Entrepreneur Posted on January 7, 2020December 23, 2019 by Jonathan Herrick The life of a leader is an exhausting one. Your days are filled with judgment calls, pep-talks, and hours of overtime. It’s easy to scoff at picking up a hobby when your days are packed to the brim, but while your work ethic is commendable, it’s important to find ways to decompress before you burn out. Burnout isn’t just feeling tired. It’s exhaustion that takes weeks or months to recover from and typically cannot be remedied with a little weekend trip away. It can also lead to company culture issues that could take months to fix. Needless to say, when you’re burnt out, you aren’t doing your company, your staff, or yourself any favors. You’re a better entrepreneur and overall leader when you’re present, engaged, and doing your part to make your company operate. And a great way to avoid burnout so you can maintain the necessary level of engagement required for your company to succeed is to develop some hobbies outside of work. Hobbies? Really? You may be scratching your head right now. Or maybe you already have some hobbies and aren’t sure if they’re helping with any burnout you’re experiencing. Chances are, your hobbies are taking a backseat to all your other life demands, and it’s time for that to stop. When you engage in something outside of work and the other tasks and duties of being a functioning adult in today’s world, you’re able to get your mind off of so many things that drive stress and anxiety. You’re ready to give your brain a break and engage in something you enjoy, with no strings attached. Here are a few hobbies you should look into exploring that could help reduce burnout and make you a better entrepreneur: 1. Learn a New Language It’s funny how learning a new language in high school felt like slow torture, but as an adult, the idea of it is very appealing. There are so many apps and online platforms out there dedicated to helping people learn languages in a fun and easy way and at their own pace (without any quizzes or tests to possibly flunk). Some even offer tutors from around the world, making any language in reach. Learning a new language can also make you more cognizant of your primary language, and inspire you to think more about what you’re saying. Taking time to think about how you communicate will only improve the way you do so. You’ll also sharpen your decision-making abilities because instead of making quick judgment calls, you’ll slow down and sit with your thoughts before making a decision. 2. Martial Arts Martial arts like karate, judo, and jiu-jitsu are great for increasing your awareness and mental stamina. While it may seem like they’re all about punches, kicks, and defending yourself against an opponent, martial arts center mostly on step-by-step movements that are repeated time and time again. It can be both relaxing and transformative. When you take time to control your movements, slowly and deliberately, it can make you think more about how you’re setting and developing goals in other areas of your life. And as you improve, you’ll strengthen your ability to focus, which is essential for any busy entrepreneur. 3. Play In A Band Disclaimer: you may have to learn an instrument first. Learning to play music requires dedication and discipline, and while entrepreneurs may have the dedication down pat, sometimes the discipline is severely lacking. We tend to be doers, not learners, so learning to play an instrument can teach us wondrous things about patience. If you decide to join a band (which can be just a bunch of your friends getting together from time-to-time to jam or play a few cords), you’ll immediately discover a different kind of team experience. The team-based music-making process is a little different than most team environments because when you’re in a band, there’s a certain level of vulnerability that comes with it. It’s vital that everyone trusts one another and lets the creativity flow instead of hinder it over their own selfish ideas and direction. After grooving with your buddies, your ability to listen to your employees will improve, as well as how you operate within a team. 4. Volunteer Volunteering gets you in touch with members of your community that you may not regularly interact with, bolstering a feeling of connection. It also opens up a way for you to learn more about others, our world, and can even change your perspective. When we put others first, we find our compassion, which is necessary for entrepreneurs, who can become extremely consumed in their work (occupational hazard). Also, volunteering gets you out of your comfort zone, which can awaken newfound confidence in the workplace as well. You don’t have to volunteer alone. Get your office involved and make it an ongoing team activity. These types of team-building experiences can not only provide regular assistance to people and non-profit organizations in need, but it helps foster strong working relationships that will follow your staff back to the office. 5. Engage In Some DIY Even if you don’t consider yourself a creative person, do it yourself projects are a fun way to spruce up your home and get a little relaxation in at the same time. From small projects, like painting an old chair, to large projects like building furniture, the internet is full of tutorials you can try. Do it yourself projects enhance your focus, ability, and can involve your whole family in some productive fun. Nothing teaches patience like trying to wrangle craft supplies for the first time. That patience will serve you well at your next morning meeting or product launch. You never know, tackling a DIY project could uncover a creative side you never knew you had, which can be an additional skill you can bring to the table at work. Being an entrepreneur is tough. Our society says that time is money and that you aren’t accomplishing anything if there aren’t dollars attached to it. While it’s true that you should use your time wisely, following that mentality will only lead to stress, anxiety, and ultimately burnout. It’s essential to find ways to get away from the office, recharge, and tap into an area that inspires creativity and personal growth. So cut loose from time-to-time and decompress with an enjoyable hobby. You could gain valuable skills that will benefit you come Monday morning.
7 Digital Marketing Trends We’re Looking Forward to in 2020 Posted on December 19, 2019December 15, 2022 by Jessica Lunk There’s no doubt that marketing is an exciting field to be in right now. The digital revolution has led to rapid changes and developments, with major implications for the way that brands strategize campaigns and engage with their customers. And if we’ve learned anything, it’s that it’s hard to predict exactly where we’re going. 2019 is in our rearview mirror, and we’re fastening our seatbelts as we head forward towards the roaring ‘20s. But we wouldn’t be very good marketers if we weren’t at least on the lookout for various roadblocks and shortcuts that could be changing what we do, how we do it, and what it will all mean for our consumers. Which is why we need a quick gut check on the state of digital marketing and what’s just around the bend. Here are seven digital marketing trends your marketing team should be prepared for while on interstate 2020. 1. Augmented and Virtual Reality You might associate augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) with video games more than marketing, but that’s geared up to change as AR and VR enter the realm of commerce. Both types of technologies lend themselves to more immersive marketing, with shoppers able to experience what products and services might look like and/or do in their own lives before making a purchase. That means more interactive content and more opportunity to produce effective short-form campaigns. 2. Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to transform almost every single industry on the planet, marketing included. In 2020 and beyond, expect to see AI disruptions at all stages of the buyer’s journey, from ultra-personalized product and service recommendations to unbelievable improvements in the data-driven marketing automated platforms we’re already using today. The best way to embrace it? Look at all of the ways that AI robots can help your team do their jobs better, instead of the ways they might replace certain functions. 3. Voice Search and Position Zero Already, 65% of consumers aged 25 to 49 are using voice-enabled devices to conduct searches every single day. That number is expected to grow exponentially in the early years of the coming decade. For brands, that necessitates a new, more personable approach to SEO that prioritizes conversational marketing, which includes optimizing their content for voice search. And now is the time to act: it’s estimated that in 2020, 50% of all searches will be voice searches. What’s more, since voice search devices pull their answers from position zero (or the “featured snippet,” a term you may be more familiar with), obtaining that ever-coveted search results spot is becoming more relevant to marketers than ever before. What was once a race to the first organic spot on the search results page is now a race to the spot above that. 4. Segmented Data Analysis Analytics has become a mainstay in marketing over the past decade, and that’s not going to change as we move forward. They’re crucial, as they help us examine which initiatives are working, and which could use a little help. They help identify benchmarks, milestones, and goals we should be striving to accomplish. That aside, the way we look at and interpret data will change. As technological advances set in, we’ll be able to access highly segmented data sets, AI-backed analytics capabilities, and better real-time data dashboards. These functions will help brands tackle their data faster, easier, and more efficiently for more insightful (and more effective) marketing. 5. Chatbot Takeover What was once a nifty widget to add to your website is quickly on its way to becoming an absolute necessity for optimized customer service. Chatbots are increasingly becoming key intermediaries on the buyer’s journey, pushing consumers further along the cycle without the need for human intervention. 63% of people are already willing to communicate with brands through chatbots, a number that will likely grow as technology advances and chatbots inch closer and closer to a totally enhanced conversational experience. That’s good news for both marketing and sales teams, as well as their customers. 6. Interactivity Yes, consumers want to read your content, but more importantly, they want to engage with it. Expect to see a huge surge in the proliferation of interactive content that both entertains and keeps people on the page longer. Games, quizzes, and choose-your-own-adventure type marketing experiences are more fun than many traditional content formats, and they’re also inherently more shareable. As you solidify your 2020 content calendar, be sure to play around with interactivity and give visitors a reason to stick around. 7. Influencer Growth Think the rise of influencers is a mere trend? Think again. When it comes to trust, 92% of consumers put more weight on peer recommendations than direct advertising, meaning you’d be wise to increase your influencer spending in the year to come. It’s estimated that, as a whole, brand spending on influencer marketing could reach up to $10 billion in 2020, thanks in part to the growing merger of this type of marketing with artificial intelligence and personalization. So if you’re resisting the influencer surge, it might be time to rethink your focus. Some of these digital marketing trends already have their foot on the gas pedal, while others are just starting to gain traction in the industry. Make sure you stay on top of these evolutions and continue to check out our blog for the best practices for working with these trends in your marketing efforts.