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13 May, 2014
Using various channels for digital marketing
10:25 PM
Digital Marketing
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Off-Page Optimization
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On-Page Optimization
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SEO
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Many people are engaged
in digital marketing today, and it is an obvious fact, because online business
is greatly prospering now. It is one of the main sources of regular income for
majority. No doubt, many obstacles occur on the way to the success, and it is
main fact here not to skip any innovation, new updates in this field. You
should follow all new trends, which appear on the platforms in order to improve
the quality of your work and service. Every year prepares for us some new technologies
and it is important to follow them. Today Internet marketing professionals
offer some new strategies, which help to boost your online business. So it is
really worth to look through them and to distinguish the best ones for you.
Of course, in 2014 the
social media advertising takes leading position. It had a great success in the
previous year and it is still one of the best ways to increase your income.
Social media advertising lets you to target your business to the large
audience. It is generally necessary to complement your organic activity and it
helps to demonstrate profitability of investments. As we know, such social
media networks as Twitter, Facebook give a possibility to companies with big
budgets to advertise their products on the platforms of these networks. It
greatly increases the popularity of your products and helps to find customers,
who are really interested in your goods.
Also we should mention
about the significance of good design and interface. In 2014 flat user
interfaces are still preferred. They should be simplified, with simple color
schemes and white spaces. As for design, it is preferably elaborated for mobile
devices this year, because mobile appliances are widespread used now. It is
both comfortable for customers and sellers.
Conversion rate
optimisation is on its top in 2014. Many companies made it as a key block of
their businesses and CRO brought a success to them. It helps to drive good
quality traffic to your site, to attract more valuable visitors. For these aims
companies should improve their profitability of the investments on such digital
channels as Social, PPC, etc. In conversion rate optimization, personalisation
plays main role. When you know your customers' intents, interests, preferences,
you will set your competitors apart. Make your content engaging and relevant.
For CRO it is necessary to track main conversions, effective visitors, to
analyze accurately the data.
Email and social media
is still one of the best channels to attract customers. Different platforms
actively integrate with email. Ads, set in email, are very effective. Many
people use their smart phones for shopping now and it is a good way to deliver
engaging information to them through personal email. Now many departments and
teams are going to combine their work together in order to achieve quite
holistic approach. This technology will improve the service and in-store
experience, because it is not difficult to observe, that even prices for goods
are thoroughly checked by phone users while shopping. This technology will
almost completely satisfy consumers’ needs and wishes.
Video advertising is
too actual in 2014. It is much more effective, than other ways of promotion.
Anyway, it will increase your traffic, your regular income. Of course, it is
necessary to place video ads on the popular platforms, and it is worth to make
investments in it, because, no doubt, you will get good profit from it.
Suchlike advertisement saves consumer’s time and gives better and open access
to your products.
There are many other
digital marketing trends in 2014, and you should track all innovations, data,
etc. in order always to take leading positions. Essay writing services.
26 April, 2014
The Heartbleed Bug: what is it and how to protect yourself
The Heartbleed
bug was one of the most major IT security threats to have emerged in recent
times and it caught many large organisations and companies, not to mention
consumers, off guard. Described as ‘the biggest internet security threat the
world has ever seen’ the Heartbleed virus allowed hackers to snatch credit card
numbers, bank details, passwords and other valuable data. However, it is almost
impossible for companies or site owners to check whether information has been
stolen, so there are fears that hackers will hold onto the information before
exploiting it.
Huge websites
including Mumsnet fell prey to the bug, and online shoppers were warned to
change their passwords to reduce the risk of becoming victims. Mumsnet urged
all of its 1.2 million users to change their passwords, but the security of its
users who use the same password for sites such as banking and shopping is under
threat.
The Heartbleed
bug is a vulnerability in the OpenSSL certificate software which is used mainly
to protect banking and credit card details. The weakness leaves the software
vulnerable and lets anyone on the web read the memory of systems protected by
the software. Under normal circumstances the SSL/TLS encryption is secure -
SSL/TLS provides communication security and privacy over the Internet for many
different applications, but Heartbleed open up a computer's memory for anyone
to read - meaning that secret keys used to encrypt traffic, the names and
passwords of the users and the content are all up for grabs, allowing hackers
to steal data from service providers and users and impersonate both online.
Although a
massive breach of internet security, there are a number of things you can do
tighten up your site following Heartbleed. License management company License Dashboard advise the following:
- Make sure that you understand the risks of the Heartbleed bug. If your website server contains sensitive information then you need to update to at least OpenSSL version 1.0.1g to try to combat any breaches in security.
- Stay on top of your software. Software asset management can help you to gain an overall visibility of which versions of programmes you are running - meaning that at a glance you can see where you have potential weak links (where software is running on an old version). The latest versions of software stand the best chance of being robust enough to withstand attacks. If you are unsure which machines in your business may be at risk, a SAM programme can pinpoint exactly which machines have an older version of software and could save you money on upgrades by ensuring you only purchase the correct number of upgrades needed.
- Know which sites you use or run are affected - this means that you will be aware of which sites you need to change passwords on or update Open SSL.
- Inform your customers to change their passwords - but only after you have fixed the fixed the flaw in the security systems.
- Advise your customers to avoid using the same password on a number of different sites. Ask them to make their passwords complex password by using a mixture of upper and lowercase letters combined with numbers and to change them regularly.
- Offer an additional authentication service to visitors, such as a letters from a memorable word or text message authorisation.
- Implement checks for vulnerability in Open SSL and build this into your vulnerability management program. This can be done by using a number of scanning products and scripts.
- Review your network flow data and IDS logs. Since the flaws in OpenSSL have been present since March 2012, you may want to monitor incoming SSL sessions for odd activity.
- Review your emergency response plans and make sure that you are prepared for any emergency patching. Make sure you keep the site users up to date with what you have repaired and what is still at risk.
- Use time-sensitive two-factor authentication, as the information stolen will be useless by the time hackers want to use it. Reassure your customers by letting them know about this.
- Watch out for where you decide to place your trust in the future. Heartbleed broke down the security of the internet as a whole, and this may not be the last bug that has the ability to do this. Be on your guard when implementing IT security systems - there are always people looking for way to break down and disarm these systems, so keep yourself up to date with software developments, news and tests for new systems.
25 April, 2014
Top 6 Gadgets that Help with Education
Children in today’s world
are exposed to more technology than ever before and they know how to use it
better than their parents. And do you know the place where children experience
technology more than ever? Schools. Their schools are filled with the newest
gadgets and innovations to help them with learning and skill building.
Computers and the internet are a part of every aspect of life today and will
continue as your children mature so the exposure to these kind of technologies
will help them be competitive in college and the job market.
1. Amazon Kindle
While some would recommend
the iPad, the Kindle has more capabilities that pertain to school rather than
entertainment. The Amazon Kindle is cheaper than the iPad by about $100 and it
has a longer battery life than the iPad, which your student is going to need
for those long study sessions. Children’s bookbags have become so heavy with
books that they must carry on their backs and up stairs all day long. It gives
them low energy along with back and shoulder problems. The Kindle can hold all
of their textbooks all while weighing less than the iPad. In addition, the
Kindle has a dual screen and anti-glare features so that your kids can take it
anywhere and do a multitude of at once.
2. LeapPad Ultra
If your little student is a
bit too young to be reading textbooks and surfing the Internet, think about
getting them the LeapPad Ultra as their first exposure to educational
technology. Who knows, maybe this can be the start to a career in technology,
such as with a New Orleans web design company! Basically a toddler’s Kindle, the
LeapPad Ultra has a number of features that make it a favorite among children
and adults. It has a high-resolution screen that kids love to watch and Wi-Fi
available with kid safe Internet sites. The LeapPad Ultra also has a huge
library of fun and educational games, apps, puzzles and music. The best part
though is that the Ultra is kid-proof as it is wrapped in rubber and can stand
your little’s one rough treatment.
3. Livescribe Pulse
Smartpen
For the OCD student that
likes to write down everything the professor says and spends hours going over
notes, the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen is the perfect gift to help them never
miss a thing. With 2 GB of memory, the Smartpen remembers everything your
student writes and everything that is said at the time the student is writing.
The pen can even transcribe notes on a Mac or PC for maximum sharing
capabilities. All these features in a pen no bigger than a Sharpie make for an
excellent tool for education.
4. Brita Portable Filtered
Water Bottle
Kids spend their days in
school running around to classes, sneaking snacks wherever they can and trying
to absorb as much knowledge as possible. In order to avoid the mid-afternoon
slump and hunger pains, however, make sure your child goes to school with
plenty of water. With a Brita Portable Water Bottle, your student can fill up
and filter water from anywhere such as bathroom sinks and water fountains while
still maintaining hygiene. Keeping students hydrated with water is key to
helping fighting lethargy and childhood obesity.
5. Smartphone
10 years ago, seeing a 10
year old with a cellphone was considered ridiculous, but now that more parents
than ever are in the work field, they need a steady way to stay in touch with
their children. Now most pre-adolescent kids have smartphones, but you can make
sure that your child is using it for education as well. Make sure the safety
features for the phone are kid-friendly in terms of Wi-Fi and that GPS is on at
all times. In addition, give your student an Otterbox for their smartphone.
Otterboxes are waterproof, smash proof cases that will help keep your child’s
smartphone alive.
6. Noise-Cancelling
Headphones
For many students and
adults alike, trying to do things like read or study can be difficult if you
are easily distracted. Unfortunately, some kids don’t have quiet places to do
their schoolwork so be sure to get them some noise cancelling headphones. They
allow students to be fully absorbed in their schoolwork and the rhythm helps
them to stay on track as well. Music is also a great relaxation technique for
stressed students, so let kids listen to their music before and after school as
a way to decompress the day.
This post was written by M.G. Bachemin, a
marketing specialist and content creator for Online Optimism.
23 April, 2014
Steps to Creating a Brand in Digital Marketing
Branding is not just
another form of marketing. It should be the underlying goal and overall effect
of your marketing strategy. When you are attempting to brand your company or
your image, you want to be something that people will recognize as a
representation of your mission, values and goals. You want to make your brand
into something that consumers and fans can trust and rely. Read through to find
out the most important steps you need to know in order to brand yourself
properly and see the ROI on your brand sooner.
1. Originality
When you begin branding you
will want to go over your goals and mission. If you have a clear idea about who
you are going to be, it will be easier for consumers to recognize your brand
and it will help you to stay true to yourself. When deciding on an image or
logo, make sure it is original. When consumers see someone trying to rip off
someone else’s brand, it puts a bad taste in their mouth. Be authentic and
original so that you can stand apart from the rest and come out on top.
2. Content
With any branding strategy,
what you stand for is going to be the focus. That means that your content has
to be a reflection of your brand. Content marketing is a sector of the digital
marketing world that is always changing thanks to search engine algorithms.
Search engines want to see valuable, informative content that the searcher can
actually use. Backlinking, guest blogging and image saturated content is no
longer an option if you want to appear on the first page of results. Be sure
that your content is well written, contains keywords throughout (not just in a
signature line) and aims to help the searcher that has stumbled upon your site.
3. Social Media
Social media is going to be
the best place to verify your brand. You can use your handles and avatars as a
branding vehicle. Make your own hashtags and calendar days so that your
followers can participate with your brand. For example, if you are a clothing
retailer, you could start a hashtag such as #savingsundays or #topstuesdays and
ask your followers to showcase their fashions. Use other platforms like
Facebook, Google +, Quora, and Pinterest as well so that no matter where a
potential customer is searching, they keep running into you.
4. SEO
The best way to solidify
your brand’s presence is by performing great SEO techniques. Be sure that
keywords are on several parts of your website. Make sure that your website
doesn’t contain broken or bad links. Make sure that the site links that appear
underneath your web results are the most visited or most search aspects of your
company so that users can quickly recognize the link as you and click where
they want to go quickly. Get in touch with a New Orleans SEO company today to explore your options.
5. Be an Expert
When you are branding
yourself, a great strategy to keep in mind is that you want to be an expert in
whatever industry you work within. Becoming an expert means not only being
knowledgeable in your field, but also being the opinion that others seek. By
using social media monitoring for Reddit, Twitter and Facebook, you can find
people with questions and assist them with answers. Even if they don’t buy your
product or service, your help will be remembered and you will have gained a
fan, all by answering questions or directing someone to the place they are
looking for.
This post was written
by M.G. Bachemin, a marketing specialist and content creator for Online
Optimism.
22 April, 2014
Effective strategies that make your content ‘bigger’
‘Big content’ is a 2014
buzzword – but what does it mean? And can it really help you engage users
better, using the same budget and resources?
Making your content
offering ‘bigger’ – producing an ebook instead of an
article, making your blog post into a whole series – is a great way to make
your content resources work harder.
You’ll be making the
most of your in-house subject matter experts, your writers – however many you
have – and you’ll save time commissioning and signing off on content, too.
‘Big content’ can include
things like:
- Ebooks
- White papers
- Long-form thought leadership articles
- Reports
- Blog series
Here some effective
strategies for making your content bigger, while keeping every piece engaging,
relevant and insightful.
Make good content ideas work harder
Producing longer,
more in-depth content means you can commission greater volumes of content all
at once – saving time in the process.
So, when you nail a
good content idea, make the most of it. Is this really a blog post, or is it a
whole series? What questions do your audiences have on this subject, and how
best can you address those questions? Would a data visualisation be useful?
Once you’ve decided
on an angle and a format that everyone’s happy with, your content producers can
get on with the job at hand.
And if you put your agreed
brief down in writing, you’ll all have one central reference point – this will
be handy tool when you come to sign the content off, too.
Make the most of your in-house experts
If you’re researching
a white paper or putting together a report, you’ll need some credible, expert
input. Before you look externally, ask whether anyone inside the business has
the knowledge you need. Look to sales teams, those speaking to customers all the
time – or product owners, or customer service professionals. These people can
be a mine of information on what your users are really interested in.
Anthologise existing content using a new format
Are there any clever
ways you can use your existing content in a new way? For example, you could
combine flowcharts, articles and video, and publish these together as an eBook.
14 April, 2014
Is LinkedIn More Valuable than Facebook?
If you’re around the young frequently, you know about the exodus from Facebook. By the young, I mean “those under 20”, and by “exodus from”, I mean general disdain for. The platform which started as a private place for college students just isn’t that appealing to their demographic anymore. Twitter’s brevity is the generic social platform of their youth.
Back when I was a 20-something, Facebook was just catching on with my peers, and it was being projected as the next business platform. Email would be dead, and business networks would begin to mingle with personal networks…Facebook was the way of the future.
Clearly, that was not a completely accurate projection. But thinking of Twitter as the business platform of the future has its up sides and its down sides. There are meetings I definitely feel could be reduced to 140 characters, saving us all time. On the other hand, if I hear one more hashtag pronouncement, I may #explode.
Fortunately, we will probably not have to explore that realm. LinkedIn, once the beleaguered stepchild of the social networking world, has become a real platform for grown-ups, and has a definite place to play in a social networking strategy. Here are a few things you want to take into consideration when you’re building your company or brand social profile.
1. Don’t neglect LinkedIn, even if you are in a creative discipline. There’s a myth afoot in the creative community that LinkedIn is for office jocks seeking new jobs. The truth of the matter is that LinkedIn is a form for people who have work (hence have paychecks), are looking for work (and might have talent to contribute to your endeavors), and know people. Who know people. The sales world has figured out how to mine LinkedIn connections for fun and profit – look to their tactics to help your business or brand make connections and contacts you need to grow and take root.
2. Don’t discount LinkedIn just because you don’t need work. Even if you’re not between gigs, LinkedIn offers a wealth of valuable knowledge. How else would you find and connect with business leaders and thought leaders in varied regions and disciplines?
3. Don’t be shy. If you have a valid question, thought or consideration, you should put yourself out there. If you’re hesitant about contacting an individual directly, join a group and ask a broader cross-section for advice. Just as in real life, though, there’s not much that compares to direct one-on-one correspondence. Stay within the bounds of professionalism and the golden rule, and make some new friends!
No matter what you think about the future of Facebook or Twitter, don’t neglect LinkedIn. Take advantage of the opportunity to connect your brand with leaders and maximize your exposure, no matter what line of business you are in!
11 April, 2014
Google+ Marketing: Four (4) Ways To Market Your Brand
Google+ is a great tool employed by
many businesses not just to boost search engine rankings but also to introduce
and promote their brands as well. The platform has several competitive features
that guarantee higher brand visibility and improved brand awareness to
customers.
How To Market Your Brand Through
Google+
Learn which avenues to use to further
market your business. Here are four (4) of them.
1. Google+ Page. Google+
Business Pages work similarly like Facebook Pages. The former has its list of
followers whereas the latter has its own fans. With Google+, the layout of the
page is cleaner and more focused giving it a slighter edge against its
competitor. It provides better opportunity to engage with its users due to
neater discussion threads and varied topics of interest. It also has an upper
hand in terms of integration with other Google products. Promoting videos has
never been easier with its integration to Youtube, the most popular
video-sharing website today. Boosting up your posts and increasing your
credibility has never been simpler with Google+ authorship.
2. Google+ Hangouts. A hangout is a good way to connect with people in real time
via “conferences”. It can be private with a certain group of users
participating in or it can be made public and live in front of a global
audience in a form of Hangouts On Air. You can launch product demos, do how-to
videos or conduct trainings online with less preparation and effort. You can
invite influencers and host a Q&A gathering to highlight the most-talked-about
industry news and trends. You can also record webinars for free compared to
having to pay a monthly subscription fee!
3. Google+ Events.
Events provide an excellent opportunity to schedule and share different types
of occasions for your company. There is its integration with Google Calendar
which makes it relatively effortless for the interested parties to respond to
your invitations. Then there is real-time photo stream where guests can
contribute photos collectively. Additionally, there is Events On Air that
allows your event to go public. Finally, there’s the chance to incorporate
Hangouts On Air so that once the live broadcast has started, you can simply
copy and paste the embed link to your Google+ Event invite for all the
attendees to see and click.
4. Google+ Communities. This is a good technique to build your reputation as a
leader in your niche. For instance, if you are a digital marketing agency in Manila,
let this be a hub to encourage participation from various digital marketing
agencies in the Philippines as well as enthusiasts and advocates around the
globe. Use this to share, interact and develop your authority in your field.
07 April, 2014
SEO and Google Authorship Explained
With social media being at the forefront of mainstream
acceptability and awareness, many niche bloggers and website owners are quick
to adopt a variety of such platforms. Utilising social media networks and
applications can certainly help grow connections and engagement. However, the
average content creator is frequently found to be uneducated with knowledge of
additional strategies. Whilst a wealth of Content Management Systems contain
plugins to increase SERP rankings, there is a whole universe of untapped
resources at your fingertips.
In order to gain a wider online presence, it is
valuable to become educated in the world of digital marketing. Within itself,
digital marketing has many fields and subfields, each comprising of dedicated,
specialised knowledge and skills. One such field is Search Engine Optimization.
The world of SEO is vast, sprawling plain that encompasses a multitude of
techniques and methods. Many individuals who are serious about their blogging often
employ the services of an SEO agency. However, if you feel this is a step too far right now, there are plenty
of SEO-based practices that beginners can undertake. One such tool that every
blogger and website owner should utilise is Google Authorship. Please note that
this article does not detail the steps needed to take in order to setup Google
Authorship.
Rich Snippets
The most aesthetic of the SEO differences when
utilising Authorship is the appearance of the rich snippet. For those in the
dark, rich snippets are an advanced version of the description found underneath
hyperlinks in a search engine results page. Whilst there are many forms of rich
snippets, such as stars for reviews or calendar dates for events, Authorship
employs its version. By connecting to your Google+ profile, Authorship utilises
your profile name, photo and number of circles you are in amongst the rich
snippet. It has been found that the mere appearance of a rich snippet can
increase your click through rate dramatically, setting it apart from other
standard results. Let’s say that a translations and voice over agency
has a low CTR on organic search results: a surefire way to improve click
through rate would be to add the author attribute or a rich snippet with
reviews from clients.
Plagiarism
As the title suggests, any content you create is
attributes you as the author. This greatly impairs chances of your work being
plagiarised. Additionally, if your work is plagiarised, Google recognises that
you are the creator and thus ranks your page higher than those who have copied
you. Also, Google can impose penalties and decrease traffic to duplicate sites.
Indexing
As you post content, your associated social media
profiles are updated in real time. However, indexing doesn't work in such a
timely manner. The best way to quicken this process is to utilise Authorship.
By having your content indexed quicker, you allow for the chance of higher
rankings due to a stronger SEO effort.
AuthorRank
Despite not being officially confirmed as to directly
affect higher search rankings, AuthorRank is generally seen as to play a large
role in future SEO practices. Verified Authorship profiles have been officially
noted to directly affect posts to rank higher. However, AuthorRank is more of
an enigma. Based around the singular, AuthorRank essentially provides a ranking
to an individual. Whilst it isn't entirely known what metrics are at play, it
has been seen that the more circles you are in, number of +1s, shares and
comments, level of interactivity and communities you follow seemingly impact
AuthorRank. Those with a higher AuthorRank are deemed to have a stronger
authoritative role, thus increasing their posts attached to Authorship in
search engine results rankings.
It has been mentioned and debated by Mozblog that besides Page Authority, Google +1's are potentially correlated to higher search rankings. Whilst this topic is still controversial, having someone +1 your post frequently means that is also shared amongst Google+. Such actions are seen to definitely impact your SEO as shared links are backlinks, essentially producing organic link building.
27 March, 2014
Is Facebook really falling?
Every time we speak about social media, two
sites are ubiquitously mentioned: Facebook and Twitter. The runner up is, hands
down, Google Plus, but it is still way behind the first two. Every online
marketing plan includes interaction on Facebook and Twitter, and it is not rare
to see heads banging when Facebook makes a move and, say, changes the image
sizes of the social network. Community managers usually growl for a while when
that happens.
If you have worked at a digital agency for
a while, you know it.
What would you say, however, if I told you
that, based on a suggestion by George Aguayo, one of the SEO guys at InTechCenter, Facebook glorious days might
be counted? Yes, I am serious. See for yourself.
Despite the fact the picture is from Google
Trends, which is not an official web counter for Facebook, the giant social
media site appears to be showing a decline in its use. As you know many users
do not type www.facebook.com on their web browsers directly. They prefer to
open up Google and search for Facebook so they can just click through to their
site. The graph might not be too inaccurate.
Why is this happening? Thisarticle on Time gives some more light about the phenomenon and why it could
be happening. The extremely short version, for those who won't click-through
and read, is that Facebook is a fashion, and, like every fashion, it will
eventually fade away.
Yet what affects users will eventually
affect us, marketers, too. Have you asked yourself what would you do if
suddenly Facebook stops being the social media vehicle you could use for
marketing your site or business? If you haven't, then maybe it is time to start
building your plan B.
Some companies and blogs seem to begin
taking measures about this situation. LifeHackeris already on Diaspora*, for example. There is also an evident raise on the
use of Google Plus company pages.
It is too soon to tell yet, but, as George
commented, it could be a great idea to start diversifying your social media
locomotives.
26 March, 2014
Tips to Learn 3D Animation Quickly
Willing to learn 3D animation and find a
lucrative job in the field? If yes, then the following post offers some
important tips to learn 3D animation quickly and easily. Read on...
With
the emergence of new technologies, the role of three dimensional graphics and
animation has increased. As a result, there is no dearth of lucrative animation
jobs. 3D animations and graphics find application in gaming, cartoon and movie
industry depending on the different types of software used. This software may
be programmed to design various living creatures or non-living creatures like
buildings, and vehicles.
Steps to find a career in animation
- Focus on a Particular Discipline
- Take note of your learning experience at every stage
- Build your network
- Get and give feedback
- Focus on setting and meeting your goals
- Avoid any distractions
- Seek out for a mentor