Brian Meert's Blog, page 70

TikTok Advertising: Here’s What the Self-Serve Ad Platform Looks Like

MAY 22, 2020

Aaron Weiss / Unsplash

As TikTok grows into popularity, so does its potential for advertising. After all, the more users, the bigger the audience for ads. The social media app is following behind the footsteps of its competitors by developing a self-serve ad platform, reminiscent of Facebook’s Ads Manager. 

This week TikTok has been granting access to its self-serve advertising platform. In an email invitation to AdvertiseMint, TikTok announced that the platform is currently opening to select advertisers in the United States. 

The platform, called TikTok Ads, looks and functions similarly to many social media advertising dashboards. If you’re experienced in Facebook, Snapchat, or LinkedIn advertising, you can easily master TikTok Ads. Like its competitors, the platform contains a campaign, library, and reporting tab. It also has tabs for billing and payments. 

If you’re interested in running TikTok ads, you can sign up here. 

TikTok Advertising Dashboard

TikTok’s dashboard contains a summary of your campaigns’ performance. You’ll see charts on trends, placements, spend, among other insights. The dashboard gives you a broad view of your overall campaign performance while the reporting page (more on that later) shows you specific metrics from specific campaigns. 

TikTok Advertising Objectives

TikTok currently only has three objectives: traffic, conversions, and app installs. This list pales in comparison to Facebook’s impressive repertoire, but since TikTok is new to advertising, it’s safe to assume the social media company will roll out more objectives in the future as its platform develops. 

TikTok Advertising Buying Options

Much like Facebook, TikTok advertising is an auction, where you bid for a spot on the app. You can set your budget to either lifetime or daily (the minimum amount is $50). Alternatively, you can click “No Limit.” 

TikTok Advertising Levels

TikTok campaigns are organized in three levels: campaign, ad group, and ad. It appears as though “ad group” is equivalent to “ad sets” in Facebook Ads Manager. You can create and edit ads directly from each level.

TikTok Advertising Reports

You can analyze the performance of your ads by going to the “Reporting” tab. There, you can view metrics related to video play, in-app events, attribution, page events, and cost per clicks. 

TikTok Advertising Library

TikTok’s library contains creative and ad assets. There, you will find your audience uploaded to the system, app pixels, and creatives (images and videos). 

There may not be much on TikTok’s self-serve ad platform, but keep in mind that TikTok advertising is new. The company will roll out more tools and features in the future as it develops its service. 

As aforementioned, not everyone has access to the platform, but if you’re interested, you can apply for a reservation now.

By Anne Felicitas

The post TikTok Advertising: Here’s What the Self-Serve Ad Platform Looks Like appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Dos and Don’ts of Marketing During the COVID-19 Pandemic

MAY 20, 2020

Will Francis / Unsplash

There isn’t any area of life that the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t impacted, and marketing is no exception. Some advertisers and social media platforms have specifically “outlawed” coronavirus-related content, causing brands to scramble if they originally planned to write about, report on, or otherwise share COVID-19 information. An example of this is Facebook’s recent ban of certain coronavirus ads and posts.

There are some new marketing techniques that have emerged due to the pandemic, and you may want to adopt them for the time being — or even for good. This article goes over a number of dos and don’ts of marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Do Be Aggressive with Digital Marketing

It’s common for brick-and-mortar stores to combine digital marketing with old-school, in-person marketing tactics. Now that many businesses are shut down temporarily, they’ve had to shift most everything online. The limited digital marketing strategies employed up until now won’t cut it — you need to do more than you ever had to if you want to maintain online sales and compete with all the other businesses doing the same thing. Amp up your social media marketing, ad budget, or blog.

Don’t Make False Claims About COVID-19

Social media outlets, Facebook in particular, have had a rocky relationship with fake news for the past few years. Assume that any content that makes false claims or spreads conspiracy theories will be banned. Facebook is handling misinformation by working with fact-checkers and limiting distribution of false news.

Do Be Clear About What You’re Currently Offering

Your customers want to know how they can access your business even if your doors are currently closed to the public. Update your social media profiles, website, and business listings (like Google My Business) with the latest information. Make sure your hours of operation are accurate; let people know if they can shop online; announce that your restaurant is offering delivery or pickup — don’t leave any question unanswered.

Don’t Post Listings for Face Masks (or Other Virus-Related Products)

You may assume that any face mask promotion is a positive thing — after all, people are scrambling to get face masks so they can stay safe in public. However, due to price gouging (raising the cost of an item to an abnormal level when in demand) on e-commerce sites such as Amazon and eBay, listings for face masks are no longer considered reputable on certain platforms.

Face masks aren’t the only product type getting this treatment. Facebook has banned ads and listings for various coronavirus-related products, like disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, and virus testing kits. Toilet paper can’t even make an appearance on some platforms because advertisers are concerned about price gouging.

Do Plan Online Events

If you had any type of event planned for 2020, consider holding it online instead of canceling or postponing. Some online events have an entry fee while others that were originally selling tickets are now free for anyone who wants to attend. Online events can do a lot more than open an income stream — they’re also a great way to promote your business, connect with customers, learn what your audience wants, and increase brand awareness. In a lot of cases, it’s better to hold a scheduled event now rather than hope that you can do it live at some point in the future, especially if the event is timely or won’t have as much of an impact later.

Don’t Post Exploitative Content

Since it’s so difficult to monitor ads and posts for exploitative content, some advertisers and platforms are banning anything with the words “coronavirus” or “COVID-19.” Some may even veer away from content with related words and phrases, like “quarantine” or “social distancing.” The concern is some of this content may be inciting urgency for financial gain, such as claiming that a product can prevent catching the virus or that an item is about to sell out for good.

Do Make it a Point to Improve the Customer Experience

At a time when your company may be losing business and revenue, it seems counterintuitive to offer discounts and freebies. However, doing so shows that you’re completely in tune with what your audience (and society in general) needs right now: a break. Income is dropping all over the country, and consumers have less money to spend. Giving discounts, slashing prices, and offering deals such as free shipping or a free month of subscription goes a long way. You may attract new customers when the price tag is low and retain them when life goes back to normal, whatever the new normal will be.

Don’t Forget to Add a Disclaimer to a Political Ad

Although political ads are allowed on Facebook even if they relate to COVID-19, they have to include a disclaimer. Public service announcements (PSAs), on the other hand, don’t usually require a disclaimer. However, there’s a list of elements that would still require a PSA to include a disclaimer. You can see the full list here to make sure you’re meeting the requirements.

Final Thoughts

Every business has had to redefine its strategy for the foreseeable future. From setting up employees to work from home to determining the best way to market to consumers in a time when everyone is quarantined, brands have a lot on their plate. Knowing what marketing strategies to utilize — and which ones to avoid — will pay off. Also, keep in mind that strategies established now may continue even once the pandemic has passed. A lot of companies are finding new ways to connect with customers that will work in the future, whether or not the threat of COVID-19 is present.

By Lindsay Pietroluongo

The post Dos and Don’ts of Marketing During the COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

How to Sell Products on Facebook and Instagram Shops

MAY 20, 2020

Photo courtesy of Facebook Business

Facebook launched two new features that allow retailers to sell their products: Facebook Shops and Instagram Shops. 

Facebook Shops, also available on Instagram, is a place where retailers can create an online store for free and where customers can purchase from their product collections. Each collection contains a name, description, cover media, and 6 to 30 products, which can be organized according to themes. Customers can view product photos full screen and shop for items without leaving the Facebook or Instagram app.

Retailers can answer questions and offer support through WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram Direct. They may also be able to integrate their e-commerce platforms to the Shop, since Facebook is currently working with sites such as Shopify and BigCommerce to help retailers sell their products. Facebook is also planning to add more features to Shops, including live shopping and loyalty programs. 

Facebook is slowly rolling out Facebook and Instagram shops, which are not yet available to all users. Eligible retailers — businesses with linked Facebook page shop and Instagram profile — will receive an email or notification letting them know Shops is now available to them. 

Customers can access Shops from Facebook pages, Instagram profiles, and Instagram Stories. 

To create a Facebook or Instagram shop, users must have a Commerce Manager account and a collection of products. 

What Is Commerce Manager

Commerce Manager is a platform that allows you to sell products, manage inventory, and fulfill orders. To use this feature, you must have a store on Shopify, BigCommerce, Channel Advisor, CommerceHub, Freedonomics, ShipStation, Quipt, or Zentail. With Commerce Manager, you can also do the following:

Upload inventory Sell products with purchase protectionGet customer insightsGet tips on growing your salesView all past, pending, and shipped itemsView payment balanceContact support

To create a Commerce Manager account, you must have the following documents:

A Federal Tax Identification NumberA State Tax Registration NumberYour bank account informationYour physical business address and email addressBusiness category, type, and nameA business representative name, SSN, and DOBShipping options, return policy, and customer service email



How to Create a Collection in Commerce Manager

You can create your shops in Commerce Manager. If you’re setting up a shop on Facebook, you must meet the following requirements:

You must be an admin of the page connected to your existing Facebook page shop.You must be a Business Manager admin.You must manage your Facebook page and catalog in the same Business Manager account.

If you’re setting up a shop on Instagram, you must meet the following requirements:

You must be a page admin for the Facebook page connected to your Instagram Business profile.You must be an admin of the Business Manager where you manage your Instagram Business Profile and Facebook page.

To create a collection in Commerce Manager, follow these steps. 

Step 1: From Commerce Manager, click “Create Collection.”

Step 2: Add your products and product details, including name, description, and cover media. 

Name: The name can contain up to 20 characters, which can include emojis. 

Description: The description is optional and can include a maximum of 200 characters. 

Cover media: The cover media must have a ratio of 4:3 and a pixel size of 800 x 600. 

Step 3: Click “Create Another Collection” to add a new collection or “Customize Your Shop” to add to an existing collection. 

Facebook will review your collection to ensure it is compliant to its commerce policies. The review process takes up to 24 hours. Customers can see your collection after approval. 

How to Customize Your Shop in Commerce Manager

You can customize your shop layout and style from the Shops tab in Commerce Manager using the Shop Builder tool. This tool allows you to do the following:

Preview changesAdd, remove, and arrange collectionsChoose collection to feature in your shopChange text size and button colorsAutosave changes

Step 1: In Commerce Manager click “Shops.” 

The Shops tab is only functional if you have existing collections. 

Step 2: Click “Edit” on the shop you want to customize. 

Step 3: Go to “Layout” to add collections on the top of your shop or at the bottom of your shop as a carousel. 

Step 4: Go to “Style” to edit text size and link and button color. 

Step 5: Click “Create Collection” to add another collection. 

Step 6: Preview shop and publish. 

How to Add a Collection to Your Instagram Profile Shop

If you use Instagram Checkout, you can also add collections from the Instagram app. However, if you haven’t yet created a collection for your shop, you would need to create your first one in Commerce Manager. To add a collection to your Instagram profile shop, follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to your Instagram profile. 

Step 2: Click “Edit Shop.”

Step 3: Click “Collections” then “Add.”

Collections on Instagram automatically appear on top of your shop. 

Step 4: Click “Done.”

You can unpublish collections from your profile by clicking “Edit Shop” then “Collections” and selecting the collection you want to hide. You can re-publish hidden collections at any time.

The post How to Sell Products on Facebook and Instagram Shops appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

How to Keep Your Online Customers During The COVID-19 Pandemic

MAY 19, 2020

Photo courtesy of BigSpy

Everyone, both buyers and sellers, is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies across various industries are experiencing one of the most unprecedented situations while economies are being impacted worldwide. 

In light of all this, how can you maintain your client base? By acting on the right strategies, your business can experience some level of success. You can get through this challenging time while retaining your customers. Before delving into the plan of action, you need to re-evaluate the current market.

Business Unusual: The Economic Landscape During COVID-19

Since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, not only have people’s lifestyles changed, but markets and businesses have seen a turn of events. While some are going through a slump, other enterprises are dealing with a significant rise in demand. For example, more consumers are turning to online shops to get their supplies in a bid to minimize movement. As a result, online retailers are experiencing a rise in traffic. On the flip side, industries like travel and tourism have noted a marked drop in online visits.

However, not all online retailers have increased sales. As expected in a crisis, most purchases are for essentials, such as groceries and household supplies. Supermarkets are even stocking up on such staples in order to meet increasing demand. A different picture is noted among retailers in the clothing industry and outdoor entertainment as they report a fall in demand.

All in all, it’s safe to say that online businesses have more potential during this pandemic. Especially with lockdowns, restricted movements, and caution against close contacts, brick-and-mortar stores are more likely to suffer.

Image courtesy of Statista

Check out some of the recent statistics on consumer behavior in the US:

74.6% of consumers are avoiding shopping in malls and shopping centers.22% of consumers are likely to avoid supermarket visits.55% of consumers are likely to avoid shopping mall trips.

You may be wondering, what’s the fate of your business in terms of customer retention? The good news is you can still take action to reduce the negative impact of this pandemic while keeping your customers.

How to Keep Your Online Customers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Maintaining your customers now can help save your bottom line and set you up for success after things return to normal. Although the rules and strategies during a crisis may change a bit, one thing remains true: A happy customer is a loyal customer. You must keep this in mind as you reach out to your existing audience. 

How can you ensure your customers are happy or at least less anxious during a global pandemic? Here are a few tips to start you off on the right foot.

1. Communicate with Customers

The COVID-19 outbreak has brought uncertainty and unrest. Many are anxious about their health, safety, or job stability. One of the things you can do is frequently communicate the measures your company has put in place to mitigate the impact of the virus. For example, inform customers that you are disinfecting packages for deliveries or offering no-contact drop-offs to ensure their safety. A professor at Harvard Business School explains that the more customers know what’s happening at the back end of your company, the more satisfied they’ll be with your product or services. This is one of the ways to build customers’ trust and loyalty.

Even when business is slow, remain in touch with your customers. Send shout-outs on social media; pass your greetings via email; or use direct messaging to express well wishes for those directly or indirectly impacted by the virus. It’s all about maintaining the relationship.

Apart from empathizing with your clients, your business can serve as a channel through which people get pertinent information. According to a study by communications firm Edelman, businesses are more trusted than governments or the media. Take advantage of this trust by sending your customers updates on current issues the world is facing. There’s a feeling of empowerment that comes with being informed. Your customers will be grateful when you keep them updated. 

2. Always Sell Quality

Your situation may vary depending on various factors, such as your niche. Either way, if you are going to sell anything at all, do your best to always sell quality. Most consumers sympathize with brands going through a rough time during this crisis, but that is no excuse to slack off. You cannot be less concerned about the quality of your product or service while still expecting to retain customers. Every buyer still desires to get value for their money.

So what can your business do when faced with challenges like unstable or disrupted supply chains? This is the time to have operations aggressively look for and identify alternative suppliers. If you can do this early enough and avoid being caught off guard, the better for you. Such measures can enable you to deliver the same high-quality products you have always provided for your customers. More to that, you can even end up attracting new customers who may be looking for quality when it becomes harder to find.

Another area to ensure excellence is customer service. Granted, the crisis may result in disruptions even in the productivity and efficiency of your staff, but as soon as you get some form of stability, pursue quality. Exemplary customer care will mean, for example, following up on customers’ requests, responding to queries on time, or enabling smooth cancelations. Whenever the situation allows, meeting deadlines should be prioritized. These are some of the seemingly small things that can set you apart from your competition and help retain customers. 

3. Create Attractive Offers

Keep your customers during the pandemic by creating offers. You can win the hearts of your customers, build brand awareness, and promote your products or services by offering something of value at a discounted price or even free of charge. Free trials, online courses, bonuses on purchasing a product, and free subscriptions are some common examples. 

This strategy may call for innovation because some offers are not necessarily related to your regular product. For example, companies can give tips and strategies for customers to cope with the challenges brought by COVID-19. You can send emails or post on your social media pages some tips for working at home so your customers can adjust better during lockdown.

4. Invest in Marketing 

Marketing your product or service at this time needs to be very strategic. First, focus on existing customers. It’s not only easier but also cheaper. Second, since movement is restricted, use digital platforms like social media. Because consumers will most likely be on social media platforms more often as they pass their days indoors, seize the opportunity to promote your product or service online. 

When advertising on social media platforms, make sure to use creatives that grab the attention of your target audience as they browse.  Be deliberate in coming up with ad copy that’s ideal for this season. Be compassionate. Avoid exaggerated focus on scarcity, which may add to the stress levels people are already experiencing. We are, after all, in this together.

To come up with brilliant ideas, use BigSpy to find ad creatives for your marketing campaigns. This tool is an advanced search system that allows you to look for ads according to specific keywords, language, country, and several other filters. For example, by searching for ads under the keyword “COVID-19,” you can get relevant creatives that are great for marketing campaigns at this time. 

Photo courtesy of BigSpy

In the example above, Kristine Herman Photography has created a catchy Pinterest ad to promote her website. The ad copy is very relevant. She also uses a title that captures the current situation of photographers in the face of the health crisis and offers a solution in the form of 20 tips. 

Final Thoughts

When you take prompt action on the right strategies, your business can still retain customers during COVID-19. In summary, these are the tips you can begin implementing:

Communicate with your existing clients. Aim for quality at all costs. Surprise your customers with offers and discounts. Don’t hesitate to market your business. 

There you have it, actionable points for retaining online customers during the COVID-19 crisis. Stay safe.

The post How to Keep Your Online Customers During The COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Increase YouTube Subscribers with These 9 Easy Tricks

MAY 4, 2020

NorWood Themes / YouTube

With more than 2 billion users, YouTube is the most popular video platform and second most prevalent search engine. People watch an estimated one billion hours of YouTube videos each day, generating billions of views. Businesses and individuals create YouTube channels to leverage these statistics. The most basic way of harnessing the power of YouTube is to increase your subscribers.  

Increasing YouTube subscribers is an excellent way to maximize organic reach, make money, and reach new audiences. However, many channels struggle to attract subscribers, hindering them from achieving their goals. This article comes in handy to outline the nine easy tricks to increase YouTube subscribers.        

1.  Ask Viewers to Subscribe

At times, you just need to remind your audience to subscribe to your channel. At the end of your video, ask them to hit the big red “subscribe” button after watching. Also, encourage them to turn on notifications for new videos. This way, new subscribers can keep up with your content, increasing your views and subscriptions.

Jimmy Kimmel does it well. After each of his YouTube videos, the LA-based talkshow host asks viewers to subscribe to his channel.

2.  Promote Your Next Video

Someone who recently found one of your videos will want more reasons to watch others in the future. Therefore, it is best practice to end your current video by mentioning the next project you are working on. Give your audience a reason they should not miss what’s coming next.

Promoting your next video is a great way to encourage people to subscribe to your channel so they don’t miss out. To succeed in this trick, ensure you work on your content schedule so that you know which video to promote. 

3.  Partner with Influencers

You can increase YouTube subscribers by partnering with influencers. This is a great strategy because you can reach the influencer’s fanbase, which is likely much larger than yours. Partnering with an influencer means either being featured in that influencer’s video or featuring that influencer in your own. If the influencer is posting the video, make sure to ask to be tagged so followers can easily access your account.

4.  Create a Detailed Channel Description

A vague channel description will not get you any subscribers. A detailed and accurate channel description, on the other hand, contributes significantly to YouTube SEO and subscriptions. A good description should explain what your channel is about and provide a strong call to action to subscribe.  You can find the channel description by clicking the “About” tab of your YouTube profile.

The channel description is located on the “About” tab of your YouTube profile.



5.  Publish Long Videos

This trick may seem to go against conventional wisdom, but it is research-backed. In its YouTube ranking factors research, Backlinko analyzed 1.3 million YouTube videos to determine the primary factors that help videos rank for YouTube’s search engine. The study found something surprising: Longer videos outdo shorter videos in YouTube search results.

With that in mind, you should aim to publish long videos on your channel to attract viewers and subscribers. The average length should be 14 minutes, 50 seconds, according to the research by Backlinko. Any video length above 10 minutes is ideal.  

6.  Prioritize Quality Over Quantity

I’m sure you have come across this piece of advice, “if you want to grow your YouTube channel, publish videos regularly.” Although the advice is offered in good faith, it can be detrimental when you are not cautious. Uploading many videos to your YouTube channel does not guarantee many subscribers. Quality is king, not quantity. Rather than uploading many videos with no views, focus on quality. 

7.  Interact with Your Audience

Do not expect your viewers to interact with your channel – even subscribe to it – if you don’t interact with them. Establish a relationship with your audience. It can be as simple as responding to their comments or following their channels.

Notably, a correlation exists between replying to comments and earning subscribers. Replying to comments encourages audience participation, which leads to an increase in fanbase. The majority of YouTubers do not respond to comments. When you develop a habit of replying to comments, you stand out from the crowd.  

Interacting with your audience will earn you not only new subscribers, but also free content ideas for your next video. (Ask people what they want to see next in the comments section.) You get plenty of ideas on what to include in your next video that will appeal to your followers. 

8.  Create a Channel Tagline

In 2019 YouTube had 31 million channels. Why should someone choose yours and not the thousands of others specializing in your niche? The answer is to find ways to stand out from the others. You can do this by simply creating a tagline, which makes it easier for audiences to find your account.

When creating a tagline, start by determining the one thing that makes your channel unique. It should be different from the taglines of competitors in your niche. A tagline like “I help businesses grow” is too common and blends with thousands of other YouTube channels.      

9.  Promote Your Channel on Other Social Media Platforms

You can increase YouTube subscribers by cross-promoting your channel on other social media networks. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram can be good platforms to cross-promote as long as you have an established community of fans. Requesting your Facebook friends and followers to check out your YouTube channel can be a good place to start.     

Getting more YouTube subscribers is every YouTuber’s goal. More subscribers mean reaching more people and generating more money. You don’t have to struggle to get new subscribers for your YouTube channel anymore. With the above nine simple tips to increase YouTube subscribers, you are set to go.

The post Increase YouTube Subscribers with These 9 Easy Tricks appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

5 Simple Steps to Creating a Successful Brand-Building Campaign

MAY 7, 2020

Pixabay

Creating a solid brand strategy is not easy. Almost every iconic company has had a bumpy ride. Founders of Tesla, Apple, and Amazon have likely gone through a fair share of struggle when it comes to branding. Yet, failure is a harsh reality that you can’t shrug off. Even if you have a perfect plan in place, you may fail to structure your brand as per your desires.

It’s highly likely for an innovative and well-researched product to fall flat in the market. According to Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, each year more than 30,000 new consumer products are launched with 95 percent of them failing. Constant product failure leads to termination of the brand.

What Is a Brand?

Customers’ overall perception of your business is called brand identity. Jeff Bezos says it even better: “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

Building a brand is a process. Brands do not become famous overnight. It is a steady journey of innovative projects, gradual lead enhancement, and word-of-mouth referrals.

How to Make a Successful Brand-Building Campaign

Trial and error eventually lead to reward. The key is to improve every time a branding campaign fails. This article highlights the five simple steps you can take to ace your branding game. 

Define Your Target Market

Appealing to everyone while expecting maximum conversion rate in very little time is one of the biggest mistakes people make when building a brand. Stepping into the market with this mindset brings nothing but failure. A smart move is to identify your target audience. This step helps you solidify your message and craft a sound marketing strategy.

Photo courtesy of Oberlo

You have to evaluate the demographics, likes, dislikes, pain points, expectations, and behavior of your target audience, which you can ascertain by asking the following questions:

What is the location of your target audience?What is your target audience’s perception of your brand?How do you want to change your target audience’s perceptions?Who else is competing for the loyalty of this audience segment?Do you offer any special features?





Determine Your Brand’s Mission

Your brand needs a mission statement, which defines the purpose of your brand’s existence. You can’t build your brand without telling people what it’s about. This statement will guide your brand-building process across all channels. It should be authentic, reliable, and proven. For instance, Apple has aspired “to bringing the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services.”

Your mission statement must also be clear, focused, specific, and simple. The visual elements of the brand should reflect your mission statement. From the logo to the tagline to the digital flyers, everything must fall in line with the original mission.

In case you lack expertise in designing a logo, it is always better to seek professional help. You can hire a logo design company to revamp the visuals elements of your brand so that they reflect your mission statement.

Research Your Competition

Next, you have to figure out how to look better than the rest. Think about your unique selling point. You have to outline all of the qualities and benefits of your brand compared to competitors. There are four primary reasons to study competitors:

It gives you a better understanding of customers’ expectations.It allows you to understand your shortcomings.It gives you a chance to improve your unique selling proposition.It will enable you to learn from competitors’ successes and failures.

Integrate the information you find into your marketing plan. Tell your customers what they are missing by choosing your competitor’s products or services. You can tweak your product in light of these findings.

Spot Your Value Propositions

A value proposition is a promise of value to be delivered by your products or services. It lets customers know why they should purchase from you, not from your competitors. If you are ineffective in declaring our value proposition, you will end up losing a significant number of customers. In fact, value propositions are so important that 69 percent of businesses-to-business firms have them. 

It is extremely challenging to outline your distinct qualities in a concise statement. Your value proposition should be user-centric, engaging, and factual. Some benefits of having a value proposition are the following:

It improves customer engagement and understanding.It attracts the right prospects and increases the quality of leads.It helps potential customers understand what your company offers.It creates a substantial difference between you and your competitors.It provides a clear message.

Come up with an exciting value proposition and watch your conversions grow.

Market Your Brand

Marketing is a tool used to create and maintain demand, relevance, reputation, and competition. You can’t launch a top-notch product and expect it to soar in the market without adequate promotion. It is vital to display your brand on as many channels as possible.

Photo courtesy of We Are Social

Digital media offers massive scope for marketing, and you must take advantage of all the opportunities it brings. You have to be creative with the marketing of your brand to expand its presence and reach. For example, you can sell merchandise for your brand by stating its exclusivity or by giving freebies to loyal customers.

Most business owners falsely assume that they will always remain a customer’s favorite because he or she never complains. This is the wrong mindset. You need to find ways to stay at the top of consumers’ minds. Even if you own an established brand, you must prioritize the needs and demands of your customers.

Final Thoughts

Brand-building is a continual process. You can’t design and leave it on its own to work well. Instead, it needs constant monitoring. The first few steps are always hard, but if you learn how to do it right, you will fall in love with the process.

By Evie Harrison

The post 5 Simple Steps to Creating a Successful Brand-Building Campaign appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

4 Smart SEO Strategies to Rank Higher in YouTube Search Results

MAY 5, 2020

Norwood Themes / Unsplash

The verdict on inbound marketing is in.  Unequivocally, inbound marketing is more effective — and more cost effective — than traditional outbound marketing approaches. 

For example, businesses that have active blogs are 13 times more likely to see a positive return on investment (ROI) compared to those that don’t, according to a HubSpot report. And content marketing on average generates three times more leads than traditional advertising. 

Of course, some inbound marketers are more successful than others. Those who succeed in inbound marketing effectively leverage the full slate of inbound strategies, including SEO, paid search, content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and of course, video marketing.

The Power of Youtube Marketing

Why is YouTube important?  For one thing, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, getting more traffic than any other search website except Google. But it’s more than that.

YouTube is a marketing juggernaut because it combines two highly effective inbound marketing powerhouses: social media marketing and video.  With more than 85 percent of consumers watching online videos every month and more than 90 percent of consumers between the ages of 18 and 44 watching videos on YouTube, the social media giant can be a game changer for businesses that effectively leverage it. 

Consider for example these YouTube marketing metrics from HubSpot:

YouTube boasts almost 2 billion monthly active users.Almost 70 percent of users watched a YouTube video to help them make a purchasing decision.Approximately 80 percent of YouTube users who make purchasing decisions watch a company’s video at the beginning of the shopping process.The number of small- and mid-size businesses advertising on YouTube has more than doubled in the past four years.YouTube’s users are three times more likely to watch a YouTube product video than to read a product description.

As HubSpot correctly notes, YouTube is a lot more than funny cat videos:

“YouTube has always been a source of entertaining content, but it’s also staking its claim as an essential tool for marketers. In fact, nearly half of all marketers (48%) plan to add YouTube to their marketing strategy over the next 12 months. One-third of total time online is spent watching videos, and YouTube has more than a billion active users. The platform is so extensive that it can be accessed in 76 different languages, accounting for 95% of the world’s population.

The Best Ways to Increase Ranking on Youtube

Optimizing YouTube videos is important to the success of your content marketing campaigns, but it can also be complicated and confusing. Your best bet is to partner with an experienced digital marketing agency that can give you the guidance and advice you need to succeed.

That said, some YouTube SEO strategies tend to work better than others, including the following four:

1.  Use Keywords Strategically

Keyword research for your YouTube videos isn’t that different from the research you would do for other content.  If you’re unsure of the nuances of keyword research for YouTube, try using SEO tools, such as Ahrefs.

Once you’ve identified the target keyword for your video, you need to insert it in the right places.  The two primary ones are your video file and video title.  For example, if the best keywords are “landscape tricks,” add them to those two locations.

The title is located under the video.

When creating your video title, make sure your keywords integrate naturally with the copy.  It’s also important that your title accurately describes what your target audience is looking for. This will increase clicks. Also, try to keep your title relatively short. The best practice is 60 characters at the maximum.

2.  Front-Load Important Information in Your Video Description

Because YouTube gives you up to 1,000 characters for your video description, it’s important that you place the most important information (certainly including calls to action and important links) in the first 100 characters or so.  

The video description is located under the title.

Remember that prospective viewers only see the first couple of sentences of your description in search results. They need to click on “show more” to see the rest.  You also need to be aware that YouTube users may have their volume turned off as they play videos. For this reason, it’s helpful to include a transcript with your video.

3.  Choose the Right Categories

You can categorize your video in the “details” step of the video-uploading process on YouTube.  When you choose a category, you increase your reach and the possibility of appearing first on search results.  You’ll want to ensure that you choose the right category, of course, and that will require a little research.  For example, find out whether content creators in that category have businesses and marketing goals like yours. You’ll also want to ensure their target audience is roughly similar to yours.

Categories appear in the first step of the video-uploading process.



4.  Use a Custom Thumbnail Image

The thumbnail image is the picture prospective viewers see in search results.  You know from your own YouTube experience that this image often spells the difference between a video you watch and one you scroll past. It’s important to choose an image that resonates with viewers and gets them to click on your video.

The thumbnail image is the picture viewers see in search results.

Although YouTube automatically generates thumbnail images for uploaded videos, there’s no guarantee that the image will accurately represent the video’s content. There’s a good chance it won’t work as well as a custom image you choose and upload.  According to YouTube’s Creator Academy, 9 out of 10 of the site’s top performing videos include custom thumbnail images. Of course, the best performing videos have images that immediately capture viewers’ attention, so it’s a good idea to test the quality of your image for optimal results.

Final Thoughts

Inbound marketing can be remarkably effective, helping the companies that use it achieve their top marketing goals.  Video marketing, specifically marketing on YouTube, is arguably among the most effective of inbound strategies. Ensuring that your YouTube videos are optimized for maximum viewership can be a game changer for your business.

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When Will COVID-19 Business Closures End?

MAY 5, 2020

Tim Mossholder / Unsplash

As days turn into a full month, business owners can’t help but wonder if the COVID-19 closures will ever come to an end. Although Governor Newsom first planned to slowly reopen California sometime in May, that date has once again been moved to mid June.

When will these business closures come to an end? The future may be uncertain at the moment, but the governor does have a tentative timeline in place for reopening the economy, a plan vetted by medical epidemiologist and infectious disease expert Dr. Robert Kim-Farley. Here’s what’s in store for California in the coming months. 

The Plan to Reopen California

Stay at Home Order: The stay-at-home order remains active today and will continue to remain active until the end of May or mid June. During this time only essential businesses — such as restaurants, factories, and grocery stores — will remain open.

Reopening of Lower Risk Workplaces: Lower-risk workplaces, such as retail with curbside pickup, modified schools, childcare centers, offices that require on-site workers, and some public spaces will be opened sometime in mid June through July. 

Reopening of Higher Risk Workplaces: Personal care businesses, such as gyms, movie theaters, churches, and hair salons, and personal gatherings, such as weddings and church services, will be reopened in August or September. If not, sometime in the late summer or early fall.

Full Reopening: Other high-risk businesses, such as concerts, conventions, and sports events, will be reopened in the middle or latter part of 2021. 

How Bad Are the COVID-19 Cases in California?

Although Californians are understandably frustrated by the stay-at-home order and the statewide shutdown of businesses, exercising caution while reopening the economy is needed in curbing the spread of COVID-19. From April 19 to 25, 11,777 new cases were recorded in California, says a report by the Los Angeles Times, bringing the total to 56,306 confirmed cases as of May 5. Total deaths reached 1,260. 

What to Do in the Meantime

There are several measures you can take to protect your livelihood during the COVID-19 closures. 

Apply for a disaster loan: The Small Business Administration Disaster Loan offers California businesses loans related to economic damage from the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications are open now. 

Apply for the Small Business Finance Loan: The Small Business Finance Center offers loans to small California businesses affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Qualified businesses must have 1 to 750 employees. 

Avoid layoffs with the Rapid Response Program: The Rapid Response Program helps business owners discuss needs to prevent layoffs. The program provides guidance with unemployment benefits, Trade Adjustment Assistance Act benefits, COBRA benefits, and re-employment services. 

See if you are eligible for non-traditional loans: You can work with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation to see if you can qualify for non-traditional loans. 

Apply for the Upwork Grant: If you often hire Upwork freelancers for projects, you may be eligible to apply for the Upwork grant, awarded to businesses working on ways to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on individuals and communities. Approved applicants can receive up to $25,000. 

Sell and Advertise on Google for free: Google is allowing merchants to sell products on its Google Shopping page for free. It is also offering businesses that have advertised on its platform for a year free advertising. 

Apply to Facebook’s Small Business Grants Program: Facebook is giving each eligible small business a total of $4,000 in cash and ad credits (the latter optional). Applications close May 6, 2020 at 11:59 p.m., EDT.

Apply to the Paycheck Protection Program: The Paycheck Protection Program offers assistance to businesses looking to prevent layoffs. The program offers loans of up to $10 million, partial loan forgiveness, and payment deferment. 

Advertise on Yelp for Free: If you own a nightlife or restaurant business, you can advertise on Yelp’s platform for free.

Apply for Facebook’s newsroom grant: Facebook is giving away a total of $100 million to local and international newsrooms that cover information about COVID-19.

By Anne Felicitas

The post When Will COVID-19 Business Closures End? appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

New Facebook Video Features: Messenger Rooms, Paid Online Events, and More

APR. 30, 2020

Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels

Recently Mark Zuckerberg went live on Facebook to announce several changes to the company’s video features. He discussed the company’s three major video product categories: video calling, video rooms, and live video. Here are the products coming soon to Facebook’s family of apps.

AR Experiences on Messenger

Messenger, which will now be available for video calling in more than 70 countries and territories, has undergone several AI-based changes to make calls more enjoyable and effective. Instead of static backgrounds, you can set a 360-degree immersive virtual background that moves with you as you move. There are also new AR experiences surrounding activities and special occasions, like birthdays. You can set AI-powered mood lighting, too, to create a better atmosphere for your video call, whether you’re getting together with family or are going on a first date.

Moreover, there are a number of benefits to using the new Messenger app:

If you only use Messenger on your phone, you can now make group calls on a larger screen, which is better for engaging with everyone you’re chatting with.The same Messenger features you’re used to will be available in the app, including Dark Mode and GIFs.You can connect with contacts via Messenger without needing to know their email addresses or phone numbers.You can get notifications for new messages, and you can also mute or snooze notifications to avoid interruptions.



Virtual Dates

The new Virtual Dates is a combination of Facebook Dating and Messenger. You can invite matches to a video chat where you’ll go on a virtual date. The chat is privacy-protected so that you can’t see each other’s last names. Also, to connect for a second time after the first meeting, you’ll have to accept a new invite – that way, you can’t get roped into a second virtual date with someone you’re not interested in.

Facebook Dating / Facebook



WhatsApp

WhatsApp has doubled the number of people who can participate in a group call from four to eight. The service is available around the globe and on all major mobile platforms, and it’s the only end-to-end encrypted audio and video calling service.

WhatsApp / Facebook



Video Rooms 

Video rooms, officially called Messenger Rooms, are different from video calling because you’ll set up the room ahead of time and then invite people to join using a link. Rooms are best for coordinating large group video calls, and anyone can join, even if they don’t have a login for any Facebook service. Rooms will be natively hosted in Messenger, but you can create and invite people to rooms in WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, too. 

Messenger Rooms / Facebook

Unlike a Zoom meeting where everyone is expected to show up at the designated time, Messenger Rooms are more casual. You can send out a link and let people know when the room will be open, but attendees can drop in and out whenever they want. After you create a room and invite who you’d like, users will be able to see a tray at the top of their News Feed that includes active rooms that they can join.

Rooms can be private, meaning they require a link to join, or they can be open to friends or people from a community. However, Facebook works behind the scenes to ensure that even more public rooms are open to only people you’re likely to want to connect with. They’ll select who to show the room to based on people you’ve interacted with or have shown interest in interacting with somewhat recently. That way, distant connections won’t be able to join the room.

For more privacy and security, you have the ability to kick someone out of a room or to lock a room to prevent more people from joining.

Live Video

Facebook Live lets you broadcast what you’re doing in the moment and interact with viewers in real time. Live With, an Instagram feature that will now be launched with Facebook as part of Facebook Live, lets two people go live together even if they’re not in the same place.

Live With / Facebook

Instagram Live will also now be available on your desktop instead of just in the mobile app. With more people staying home during the pandemic, desktop computers and larger screens are being used more than before.

Online Events

Events that would normally be held in public and with crowds are now being held online. Messenger Rooms and Facebook Live can now be combined with Facebook Events to plan and hold online events. Smaller events may fare better in Messenger Rooms while larger events are ideal for Live. Hosts can charge a fee to attend the event, too. Charging a fee helps creators and small businesses, and viewers will be able to attend a quality event like a class, conference, or creative performance.

Facebook Events / Facebook



Final Thoughts

Video products let you feel connected to people even when you can’t be in the same room with them. From secure, encrypted use for businesses to AI-powered fun and dating, video calling has a broad range of uses. The technology may be the same, but the way people use it – and what they’re able to get out of it – is varied and personal.

By Lindsay Pietroluongo

The post New Facebook Video Features: Messenger Rooms, Paid Online Events, and More appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Upwork Is Giving Away $1M in Business Grants. Application Open Now

APR. 29, 2020

Manny Pantoja / Unsplash

Upwork is giving away $1 million in its Work Together Talent Grants. Businesses in the U.S. can apply now. 

To help businesses continue their projects in the fight against COVID-19, global freelancing platform Upwork is giving away a total of $1 million in Upwork credits. According to the company announcement, the grant was created to help businesses hire Upwork talent for projects that mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on individuals and communities. 

“Upwork’s mission is to create economic opportunity so people have better lives, and Work Together is one of the most important ways we’ve ever done it. For businesses. For talent. For communities around the world,”  says President and CEO Hayden Brown in the Work Together Talent Grants page. 

Upwork will award up to $25,000 in credit to eligible businesses. The amount awarded depends on the size of the business’s project. The credit received will not have to be repaid. 

Once selected, Upwork will match the business to freelancers with the skills needed to complete its project. Only U.S. businesses and organizations (non-profit or for profit) working on projects that help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 can apply.

Applicants can apply now on Upwork’s application page. The following required information must be provided:

Business name and locationTax ID or EINBusiness websiteApplicant’s contact informationBusiness industry typeDiversity certification (if any)

Applicants will also be asked to write three 500-word essays describing how they are responding to COVID-19, how they will use the Upwork credit to respond to COVID-19, and how their projects will make an impact.

Other Companies Offering Grants

Upwork is the latest to join a list of companies offering financial aid to businesses affected by COVID-19. Facebook is also currently accepting applications for its Small Business Grants Program, which is giving away a total of $100 million in cash and ad credits to eligible small businesses. Open to 30,000 businesses in more than 30 countries, the program gives $4,000 in cash and ad credit to each approved applicant. Facebook’s second grant program gives away a total of $100 million in cash to local and international newsrooms covering COVID-19. 

Google, too, is doing its part in helping struggling businesses by allowing retailers to advertise on its “Shopping” page for free and allocating a total of $340 million in ad credits to advertisers. Yelp has also created a similar grant program, offering waived fees and free advertising, services, and products to businesses in the restaurant and nightlife industries. 

By Anne Felicitas

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