Archive for September 2016
Tips for Making a Success of Your Company's Blog
Quality content is the key to success within the digital realm - and what better way in which to provide your clients, and potential clients, with high quality content than by starting a company blog? Here are some tips that are sure to assist you in making a success of this new venture, and in fully embracing the hype that is content marketing.
Post Consistently
The aim is to keep your readers engaged, so regular, consistent posting is essential. Make use of Google Analytics to discover on which days people visit and read your blog the most. With this knowledge in mind, you can create a schedule for yourself and ensure the highest possible number of reads and levels of engagement as a result.
Promote All New Blog Posts on Social Media
What’s the point of writing amazing content if nobody is aware of its existence? Make use of the tools available to you and promote all of your new blog posts on your company’s social media platforms. Encourage your staff members to share them on their personal pages as well, and should you receive any likes, questions or comments, be sure to respond timeously.
Ensure a Healthy Balance between Text and Visual Elements
No matter how incredible your blog may be, people are often put off when they see copious amounts of text on the page. Knowing this, you can reduce your bounce rate by creating a healthy balance between text and visual elements, like images, infographics and videos. This will assist in maintaining the reader’s attention and increasing their chances of actively engaging with your posts.
Keep an Eye on Your Competitors’ Efforts
While we’re certainly not suggesting stealing any of your competitors’ ideas, a comprehensive competitor analysis is sure to provide you with some insight into what’s working and what isn’t. It might even spark a few ideas in terms of new approaches to try.
For more information about blogging, or for professional content creation, be sure to get in touch with Decimal Agency.
Post Consistently
The aim is to keep your readers engaged, so regular, consistent posting is essential. Make use of Google Analytics to discover on which days people visit and read your blog the most. With this knowledge in mind, you can create a schedule for yourself and ensure the highest possible number of reads and levels of engagement as a result.
Promote All New Blog Posts on Social Media
What’s the point of writing amazing content if nobody is aware of its existence? Make use of the tools available to you and promote all of your new blog posts on your company’s social media platforms. Encourage your staff members to share them on their personal pages as well, and should you receive any likes, questions or comments, be sure to respond timeously.
Ensure a Healthy Balance between Text and Visual Elements
No matter how incredible your blog may be, people are often put off when they see copious amounts of text on the page. Knowing this, you can reduce your bounce rate by creating a healthy balance between text and visual elements, like images, infographics and videos. This will assist in maintaining the reader’s attention and increasing their chances of actively engaging with your posts.
Keep an Eye on Your Competitors’ Efforts
While we’re certainly not suggesting stealing any of your competitors’ ideas, a comprehensive competitor analysis is sure to provide you with some insight into what’s working and what isn’t. It might even spark a few ideas in terms of new approaches to try.
For more information about blogging, or for professional content creation, be sure to get in touch with Decimal Agency.
3 Reasons Why Your Digital Strategy isn't Quite Cutting it
Without a solid digital strategy in place, your brand will be missing out on a world of opportunity - and the potential to land countless new clients. For those who have attempted to embrace the World Wide Web, but with little to show for it, here are three reasons as to why your digital strategy isn’t quite cutting it.
Reason #1: You Have Neglected to Use Social Media to Your Advantage
What is the point of putting in all of that effort if you don’t promote it on social media? Considering the fact that all of your clients and potential clients spend a large portion of their time on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, you should be doing the same. Create profiles / pages for your business, link them back to your website and post relevant articles, links to blogs, questions and polls. The goal is to drive interaction and engagement. Remember, a small boost in the form of paid advertising also couldn’t hurt when it comes to extending your reach and building your following.
Reason #2: You Haven’t Done Enough Target Market Research
It is easy to establish who your target market is in terms of demographics. However, knowing that these people want to buy your product / service simply isn’t enough - you need to understand the reasons why they want or need to buy your product / service. Understanding these reasons will make it easier to produce content and create campaigns that your target market will be able to relate to on a much deeper level, thus increasing the chances of them engaging with your brand and actually taking the steps necessary in order to make a conversion… if not now, then sometime in the near future.
Reason #3: Your Staff Members Simply Aren’t Aligned
Is your sales department promoting the same thing as that of your digital campaign? Is your marketing department’s marketing strategy in line with your digital strategy? If not, the results of your efforts are sure to be far less profitable. Chat to your staff about the company’s goals and main areas of focus and ensure that everyone is on the same page before proceeding with your digital efforts. Ultimately, coming together as a unified team is essential for company growth and long-term success.
Do you have any questions? Perhaps you are looking for assistance in creating a fool-proof digital strategy for your brand? If so, be sure to get in touch with Decimal Agency.
Reason #1: You Have Neglected to Use Social Media to Your Advantage
What is the point of putting in all of that effort if you don’t promote it on social media? Considering the fact that all of your clients and potential clients spend a large portion of their time on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, you should be doing the same. Create profiles / pages for your business, link them back to your website and post relevant articles, links to blogs, questions and polls. The goal is to drive interaction and engagement. Remember, a small boost in the form of paid advertising also couldn’t hurt when it comes to extending your reach and building your following.
Reason #2: You Haven’t Done Enough Target Market Research
It is easy to establish who your target market is in terms of demographics. However, knowing that these people want to buy your product / service simply isn’t enough - you need to understand the reasons why they want or need to buy your product / service. Understanding these reasons will make it easier to produce content and create campaigns that your target market will be able to relate to on a much deeper level, thus increasing the chances of them engaging with your brand and actually taking the steps necessary in order to make a conversion… if not now, then sometime in the near future.
Reason #3: Your Staff Members Simply Aren’t Aligned
Is your sales department promoting the same thing as that of your digital campaign? Is your marketing department’s marketing strategy in line with your digital strategy? If not, the results of your efforts are sure to be far less profitable. Chat to your staff about the company’s goals and main areas of focus and ensure that everyone is on the same page before proceeding with your digital efforts. Ultimately, coming together as a unified team is essential for company growth and long-term success.
Do you have any questions? Perhaps you are looking for assistance in creating a fool-proof digital strategy for your brand? If so, be sure to get in touch with Decimal Agency.
Finding the Opportunity - Raff's Financial Mail Interview
Our MD, Raffaele McCreadie, recently did an interview for Financial Mail - 'Finding the Opportunity' - providing insight into how Decimal adores its clients, how the team always comes together to do deliver more than promised, and how the agency has managed to achieve great success despite the industry's current operating climate. You can check it out here: http://www.financialmail.co.za/redzone/2016/09/15/finding-the-opportunity
5 Social Media Marketing Hacks Guaranteed to Make Your Life Easier
A comprehensive social media marketing plan of action is the heart of any successful digital marketing strategy. However, the world of social media can be quite a complex one, with many obstacles that might hinder one’s progress along the way. Knowing this, we have put together five helpful social media marketing hacks that are guaranteed to make your life easier - and boost the success of your campaign.
Social Media Marketing Hack #1
One of the most time-consuming aspects of social media is that of community management. How do you keep spam and rude trollers under control on your company’s Facebook page? By adjusting your page moderation settings, that’s how! Did you know that you have the power to block comments and visitor posts that contain specific words? Simply enter the words that you wish to be blocked from your page, separate them by commas and click ‘save’. Once you have done this, any posts or comments that contain these words will be automatically blocked from appearing on the page - to you and the rest of your followers.
Social Media Marketing Hack #2
Before, Hootsuite was used predominantly for scheduling posts for Facebook, Twitter and Google +. However, what many marketers don’t know is that the handy programme now allows for Instagram post scheduling, too. Make use of this helpful feature to save time and ensure smooth-sailing on all of your company profiles.
Social Media Marketing Hack #3
Use hashtags - but in the right places. Twitter and Instagram are the ideal social media portals on which to put strategic hashtags to good use. However, contrary to popular belief, hashtags aren’t always welcome on Facebook. Studies have shown that the presence of too many hashtags on Facebook can actually do more harm than good - often annoying your followers and causing them to scroll past your post without a second glance.
Social Media Marketing Hack #4
In order to track your progress and increase the levels of engagement on your company’s social profiles, do some research on the tools that are currently available to assist you in this regard. The great news is that many of them are free and are certain to give you the upper hand over your competitors. We recommend looking into Sprinklr (customer experience management) and Buffer (for easy sharing and page management).
Social Media Marketing Hack #5
Don’t forget about YouTube! Considering the fact that videos are the second most popular type of online content consumed around the world, it would be crazy not to use them to your advantage. Create your own videos - whether they are product demonstrations, interviews with your staff members, or even your already-existing ads - and draw attention to them with the help of your other social profiles. The key to ensuring success in this regard is creating videos that either inform or educate, or that people can relate to on an emotional level.
For assistance with your social media efforts or community management, be sure to get in touch with Decimal Agency.
Social Media Marketing Hack #1
One of the most time-consuming aspects of social media is that of community management. How do you keep spam and rude trollers under control on your company’s Facebook page? By adjusting your page moderation settings, that’s how! Did you know that you have the power to block comments and visitor posts that contain specific words? Simply enter the words that you wish to be blocked from your page, separate them by commas and click ‘save’. Once you have done this, any posts or comments that contain these words will be automatically blocked from appearing on the page - to you and the rest of your followers.
Social Media Marketing Hack #2
Before, Hootsuite was used predominantly for scheduling posts for Facebook, Twitter and Google +. However, what many marketers don’t know is that the handy programme now allows for Instagram post scheduling, too. Make use of this helpful feature to save time and ensure smooth-sailing on all of your company profiles.
Social Media Marketing Hack #3
Use hashtags - but in the right places. Twitter and Instagram are the ideal social media portals on which to put strategic hashtags to good use. However, contrary to popular belief, hashtags aren’t always welcome on Facebook. Studies have shown that the presence of too many hashtags on Facebook can actually do more harm than good - often annoying your followers and causing them to scroll past your post without a second glance.
Social Media Marketing Hack #4
In order to track your progress and increase the levels of engagement on your company’s social profiles, do some research on the tools that are currently available to assist you in this regard. The great news is that many of them are free and are certain to give you the upper hand over your competitors. We recommend looking into Sprinklr (customer experience management) and Buffer (for easy sharing and page management).
Social Media Marketing Hack #5
Don’t forget about YouTube! Considering the fact that videos are the second most popular type of online content consumed around the world, it would be crazy not to use them to your advantage. Create your own videos - whether they are product demonstrations, interviews with your staff members, or even your already-existing ads - and draw attention to them with the help of your other social profiles. The key to ensuring success in this regard is creating videos that either inform or educate, or that people can relate to on an emotional level.
For assistance with your social media efforts or community management, be sure to get in touch with Decimal Agency.
Wordpress Plugins Every e-Commerce Site Needs
If your aim is to optimise your e-commerce site, or any website in general, there are a few Wordpress plugins that can help to make your life easier. Below, we suggest five Wordpress plugins that every e-commerce site needs.
Wordpress SEO by Yoast
This plugin will make it simple for you to see to it that your site remains in Google’s good books. It provides you with guidelines, ensuring that your website complies with SEO best practice, thus increasing your chances of improving your rankings as a result. The best news is that it’s also completely FREE.
Download it here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-seo/
Social Coupon for Wordpress
Want to maintain your already-existing customers and draw in a few new ones? Then the Social Coupon for Wordpress plugin is ideal. The plugin makes it possible for you to reward your customers with tailored coupons and discounts when they share your products on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. It’s also really affordable, costing just $23 for a regular license.
Download it here: http://www.wpexplorer.com/out/social-coupon-plugin
Product Countdown Wordpress Plugin
Launching a new, exciting product? Generate hype with the help of the Product Countdown Wordpress Plugin. Customise it with the official release date and time of said product and watch as it counts down… ah, the suspense!
Another benefit of this particular plugin is the fact that you can also use it to generate a sense of urgency in your potential clients by programming the countdown timer to count down how much longer a specific, ‘limited edition’ product will be available. In other words, act fast or miss out! Get it now for just $16.
Download it here: https://codecanyon.net/item/product-countdown-wordpress-plugin/4929462?ref=WPExplorer
Yotpo Reviews for Wordpress
There is nothing quite like a good review to encourage a potential customer to go ahead and make a conversion. This is where Yotpo Reviews for Wordpress comes in. The plugin makes it possible for you to generate customer content in the form of reviews, Q&As etc. thus boosting your brand’s trustworthiness and reputation.
Other benefits include full social integration and the ability to make product recommendations to those most likely to buy.
Download it here: https://wordpress.org/plugins/yotpo-social-reviews-for-wp-e-commerce/
If you would like further assistance in terms of improving your e-commerce site, be sure to get in touch with Decimal Agency.
Wordpress SEO by Yoast
This plugin will make it simple for you to see to it that your site remains in Google’s good books. It provides you with guidelines, ensuring that your website complies with SEO best practice, thus increasing your chances of improving your rankings as a result. The best news is that it’s also completely FREE.
Download it here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-seo/
Social Coupon for Wordpress
Want to maintain your already-existing customers and draw in a few new ones? Then the Social Coupon for Wordpress plugin is ideal. The plugin makes it possible for you to reward your customers with tailored coupons and discounts when they share your products on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. It’s also really affordable, costing just $23 for a regular license.
Download it here: http://www.wpexplorer.com/out/social-coupon-plugin
Product Countdown Wordpress Plugin
Launching a new, exciting product? Generate hype with the help of the Product Countdown Wordpress Plugin. Customise it with the official release date and time of said product and watch as it counts down… ah, the suspense!
Another benefit of this particular plugin is the fact that you can also use it to generate a sense of urgency in your potential clients by programming the countdown timer to count down how much longer a specific, ‘limited edition’ product will be available. In other words, act fast or miss out! Get it now for just $16.
Download it here: https://codecanyon.net/item/product-countdown-wordpress-plugin/4929462?ref=WPExplorer
Yotpo Reviews for Wordpress
There is nothing quite like a good review to encourage a potential customer to go ahead and make a conversion. This is where Yotpo Reviews for Wordpress comes in. The plugin makes it possible for you to generate customer content in the form of reviews, Q&As etc. thus boosting your brand’s trustworthiness and reputation.
Other benefits include full social integration and the ability to make product recommendations to those most likely to buy.
Download it here: https://wordpress.org/plugins/yotpo-social-reviews-for-wp-e-commerce/
If you would like further assistance in terms of improving your e-commerce site, be sure to get in touch with Decimal Agency.
