Erik Qualman's Blog, page 479

5 Top Reasons Why You Need Social Media to Rank Higher on SEs

Photo by ThePridhamGroup

The world of internet demands you to be on your toes at all times. While you are competing with your biggest competitors in the market, new ones are entering the competition in great numbers every single day. In the past you as a business had to compete with other businesses only. Today, every person with a computer and internet connection at home is your competitor because a person sitting in the bedroom has the full potential to start a business on Internet in modern times. In this age and era your bigness is defined by the size of your presence on Internet.

The more serious you are with your internet marketing the better it will be for your business. There are literally hundreds of ways to market on the internet but only a handful of methods are most lucrative. Social media marketing is one of the most powerful methods of increasing your online presence and supporting your search engine optimization. You just need to approach your target audience the right way and devise a unique and consistent strategy to be famous on social media. Here are some ways social media can help you with your online presence:

1.      Creating Backlinks

Stuff you share on social media can be a great way to create indirect backlinks. The links you share on social media won’t really play much role in taking your ranking higher on Google but there are other things happening that could lead you to rank higher on SEs just because of what you share on social media. Indirect links will be created when you share something on social media and people reviewing products on the internet and other websites providing information to their visitors will use your content as a reference. Of course, you will have to write interesting content to be mentioned by other writers.

2.      Getting Into Search Pages

You are trying hard to get to the top pages of Google’s search results but the competition is so tough that it seems impossible to do so. You don’t have to keep on putting all your efforts in this if you have other methods available to you. Just create social networking profiles for your business or authority officials and you can reach the top of the search results. It is quite an amazing method where you spend absolutely no money to get on top of the search results.

The most important social networking profile in this case is Google Plus profile. While Google Plus has stopped being a social networking platform, the profile you create on it still appears on top if someone’s searching for something that is mentioned in your profile. Professional individuals often looking for companies can stumble upon you if you have a LinkedIn profile.

3.      Getting More Mentions

One of the best things you can do to get better ranking and more traffic on your website is guest blogging. Guest blogging is when you write a piece and ask another blogger to host it on their blog. The other blogger might ask you for some money or if he/she is generous enough your post will reach their blog without any costs. However, the most important thing here is to write an attractive and interesting piece. With this post there is a link included that guides the readers to your website. Thus, this helps you greatly in having backlinks created for you.

The idea here is to post your guest posts on blogs that have good authority. Do not overdo your guest blogging because this could be considered spam by Google. Furthermore, let others post on your blog as guest bloggers so you can have some interesting content for your target audience as well.

4.      Becoming A Brand

Social media marketing helps you greatly in becoming a brand. It is funny how you can become a brand today without spending anything on your marketing. If you are using social media properly, you will not need to spend any money for your marketing. The more you are mentioned in the online social networking websites, the more traffic you will receive on your website. You need more visitors on your website and more customers for your business. All of this can come if you use social media as your most effective reputation communications channel, exactly the way it is supposed to be used.

Instead of sharing latest news about your company and newly launched produced, take a different approach. Take the example of a company that sells blenders that ran a successful online trend of “can you blend it”. They would put weird stuff in their blenders and post videos of the whole thing. This thing became a huge meme on the internet too. Look for unique ways to get attention from people on social media. The more creative you are the more attention you will get.

5.      Becoming Trustable

Social media is the most important platform for businesses to gain trust of their target audience. There are many different ways of doing that. First, if you are interacting with people on social networking websites and giving replies to their queries, you are becoming a hero in the eyes of others looking at your interaction. For example, companies often respond to reviews left by their users on Amazon and if they are able to help the customers they get great praise from other reviewers on Amazon. You can also win trust by getting reviewed on social networking websites.

If you have been reviewed on a social networking websites, the rating stars appear right next to your ad on search results. This gives people a great idea of how much you are trusted by your customers. Of course, you will have to do hard work in order to get better ratings but once you have a rating of 4 or more, you can expect people to trust you without questioning. It also advisable that you submit your business and website for reviews on several reviewing websites that are built for the primary purpose of informing people about businesses and their ratings.

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Facebook Releases Oculus Rift – Gaming Virtual Reality

It’s Game Time…

Many remember the Oculus Rift back in August 2012 when the gadget was just a kickstarter. Today, the virtual gaming headgear is being shipped to consumers. Oculus (owned by Facebook) is $600, not including $200 for the graphic card, updates, games and a new computer for Mac users, since the hardware doesn’t work on their PCs. The headset uses an Xbox controller to navigate the game, and your virtual reality pops up inside the headgear as you’re able to crouch and lean to get new perspectives within your virtual world. The Rift has state of the art displays and optics specifically designed for VR. It has a high refresh rate and a low-persistence display to provide a wide field of view. This is the first high-end virtual reality product to go on the market, next we’ll be on the lookout for HTC Vive and PlayStation VR. You can order the Oculus Rift here. Game on and remember to line your room with bubble wrap, and remove all hazardous objects. (Source: Mashable)



You Done Fudged Up

Yesterday, Facebook mistakenly sent out texts asking “Are you OK” to individuals not associated with the bombing in Lahore, Pakistan. Facebook’s safety checks are meant to connect with loved ones during a disaster. You can click “I’m safe” and it’ll let family and friends know you’re doing just fine. They rolled out with the feature in 2014 and activated it after the Paris terrorist attacks. Some individuals received Facebook notifications alarming them that they were affected by an explosion. Others simply received a text asking if they are affected by the explosion. Facebook apologized for the mishap and blamed it on a “bug” they are working on to fix. (Source: The Verge)

Term of the Day: “Google Dorking” 

‘Google Dorking’ is a type of hacking process that is commonly used by hackers to identify computer vulnerabilities throughout the U.S. Hamid Firoozi, an Iranian charged with hacking the computer system that controlled the Bowman Avenue dam in New York, used a readily available Google search process to do the job. He identified an unprotected computer with access to the dam’s sluice gates and other functions, then used other methods to hack into the system. “He was just trolling around, and Google-dorked his way onto the dam,” an individual familiar with the investigation said. Google dorking takes some digging on the web using advanced search techniques to find information not easily found during a normal search. If you’re the ultimate googler, you have definitely performed the dork. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

 

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Why retailers need to prepare for the imminent invasion of social commerce

Social media has already revolutionised the retail industry by fuelling the rise of e-commerce and transforming consumer behaviour, but now it is ready to take one step further. Google, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are all set to roll out facilities for users to purchase products directly from their websites in the next 12-18 months.

A recent Citi Retail Services survey found that more than 60% of social media users were open to purchasing products directly through their social channels. This will come as no surprise to the major social networks who have, for many years, flirted with the idea of adding commerce to their ever growing list of services.

Within two years, social media platforms will be the middlemen between customers and retailers. They will be able to take orders, process payments and send details directly to the seller. But how will this affect online retailers and will it spell the end of e-commerce?

Mobile will spearhead the rise of social commerce

Social media is already a fundamental aspect of retail marketing. Many retailers use their social channels to improve customer engagement. For retailers that want to compete in the heavily saturated online market, engaging audiences via social commerce will soon become paramount to their success.

Mobile is set to have the greatest influence on social commerce. Consumers are moving beyond the traditional e-commerce experience and, according to DigitasLBi’s Connected Commerce survey, mobile has become the most popular shopping method.

Mobile commerce already drives more sales than e-commerce. Luxury fashion brand Burberry reported that sales made via mobile search surpassed those made via desktop search in 2015. The trend was largely accredited to Burberry’s efforts to improve user experience for their substantial mobile consumer base.

However, while mobile search is an undoubtedly important channel of customer engagement, today’s consumers spend 85% of time on smartphones in apps such as Facebook and other social platforms. This further emphasises the importance of retailers developing social commerce strategies.

How should retailers tap into social commerce?

A social commerce strategy will enable retailers to reduce the amount of time they spend gathering customer insight as well as the amount of money spent on product marketing.

The first step to a successful strategy is to identify the networks your customer base engage with. This information can be attained with a simple online survey. The results of the survey can then be merged with sales data to discover which social channels have the potential to be the most profitable.

To tap into social commerce, each platform will have unique technical requirements that the retailer will need to meet. To use Facebook or Pinterest, having OpenGraph markup installed on your website will be essential. Google will require a regularly-updated live product feed, while Twitter has its own tagging system.

Social commerce will be pay-to-play, with platforms adopting a cost-per-click or commission based system. This takes the power away from the retailer and into the hands of the social networking giants. However it’s important to recognise that each network will allocate huge budgets to conversion optimisation. Once this has been perfected, retailers using social commerce stand to benefit from these optimised methods of encouraging purchases.

But will people want to shop on social media?

Many analysts still doubt that social commerce will challenge e-commerce and traditional shopping methods. History fails to add any optimism – Facebook’s first venture into commerce failed miserably in 2012 when many major brands closed their “Facebook stores” within months of opening them.

Online media analyst Sucharita Mulpuru believes Pinterest and Instagram will become the most popular social commerce platforms. She does not share the same optimism about Facebook and Twitter, claiming these platforms will rely heavily on impulse purchases as they do not give users the option to explore products in the same way that Pinterest and Instagram do.

However, Mulpuru believes there will be opportunities to sell items with short shelf lives and relatively low friction on Facebook, for instance cinema tickets. She also claims the ability to target posts in Facebook’s News Feed means the introduction of a purchase button could prove more successful than Facebook’s previous ventures into commerce.

The major social channels will need to fine-tune their commerce offerings before presenting a serious challenge to e-commerce, though it will undoubtedly become more ubiquitous with time. Retailers will always need an optimised website that prioritises user experience and engagement, but the social marketplace presents a feasible alternative to sales driven from organic search engine traffic.

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Have Your Social Habits Opened the Door to Criminals?

It doesn’t take much for cyber-criminals to instill fear and terror in the minds of consumers.

With cyber-crimes and other identity theft related instances taking place, what are you doing to protect your personal and financial identity? If the answer is you’re not quite sure, now is the time to take action before you potentially become the next victim.

So, how do you go about making sure that you’ve got the upper-hand on cyber-criminals and others looking to make your life miserable?

Keep the Locks on Crime

For starters, what you say and do on social media can go a long way in determining whether or not you are setting yourself and/or your family up for crime.

One of the biggest gaffes oftentimes made is blurting out personal information on social media.

From telling the world you are away from home and on vacation, to the likes of putting personal financial details in a post, it just takes one slip-up to ruin the day.

As news reports have shown in recent years, cyber-crimes and identity theft are a booming business not only in the United States, but many other countries as well.

While finding an identity theft protection program like a LifeLock or other such provider certainly can lessen the odds of being attacked, it is also a matter of commonsense to make yourself less vulnerable.

Take a moment and ask yourself if you’ve done any of the following below. If so, make sure not to repeat the same mistake twice.

Three of these include:

Posted vacation pictures while away from home – It sounds so innocent, but doing this is like putting out an open invitation or leaving your front door unlocked. Most criminals (despite how a pair were portrayed in the classic movie Home Alone) are not stupid. Criminals (both online and off) look for patterns, patterns that can tell them when is the best time to strike. If you’re telling the world on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. that you are away from home for an extended period of time, you are playing with fire. Wait until you return from your trip to showcase the fun you had, making sure that your residence is not unattended;
Posted financials such as tax refunds – Why would you post personal or business financial information on social media? That is a question many people ask, but too few times do they have a sound answer. Putting such personal data out there on social venues is once again opening the door to potential trouble. An example of this would be sharing or tweeting that you will be receiving a huge tax refund this year. While you likely did not put your direct deposit information in the post, letting cyber-criminals know that you will be getting a healthy sum back from the IRS gives them motivation to try and learn more about you. When they do that, they are one step closer to your personal or business financial world. You may go so far as to post a picture of your tax refund on one or more social pages. While that is not a smart idea, at least have the sense to cover up any bank account info, home address etc. if you feel the need for such a posting;
Posted collections inside your home – Many individuals have collections they are proud of. Ranging from stamps to sports memorabilia to hundreds of other specialties, you should take pride in assembling such collections. That said do not advertise them all over social media without plenty of precautions. While it is fine to show the collections to family and friends, posting pictures all over social networking sites opens the door to potential cyber-criminals. If a criminal is able to track down your home address, they then know there is a treasure-trove of goodies sitting inside your residence. One way to prevent this from happening is to know all the individuals following you on social media. For example, you can put a lock on your different social accounts, meaning only those you approve of are able to follow you. In doing so, you control which individuals and/or sites have access to your various social activities.

Following these tips and others won’t render you 100 percent safe from cyber-criminals and identity theft thieves, but it will put you much more in control of your social situation.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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The digital invasion already happened

Most of us realize that digital is here. It’s here to stay. Marketing should incorporate digital as a part of the plan at all times. It’s [digital] marketing in many senses of the word. Today it surrounds us.
Think of many of today’s largest or fastest growing brands.
Amazon
Uber
Drizly
Instacart
Spotify
Facebook
Google
What are they? They’re digital. They’re digital first even if they have a product. But mostly they offer digital services.
We have started to have affinities for digital services over products. Just think of how many people love Spotify. The love people have for their Amazon Prime service? The ease of Uber when you’re stranded?
Digital is not something that is an afterthought anymore. It permeates every part of a consumer’s day. It permeates their behavior.
Today’s consumer is digital. They are mobile. They are social. They are becoming one in the same.
Has your brand crossed those paths together? Is your brand treating your content and digital strategy in a way that transcends mobile devices and touches the social moments that matter to the consumer? When they are commuting to work and listening to their spotify app and may happen across an ad? Is that ad yours? Could it have been?
What would it take to get your brand there? It may not be overnight. But plan out the process to consider what it would take for your brand to be mobile. To reach your audience at the moments that matter to them. To distribute your content during those moments with a budget that can make a difference. Plan it out for 1 year. Then 3 years. Then 5 years.
Digital isn’t going anywhere. The players may change, but the game will remain.
 
Image sources: LA Times and Web Strategist
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10 Must-Haves for Your Startup Photography Studio

Image Source: Pixabay

 

So, you’re a part-time or hobbyist photographer who has just decided to turn your passion for people and pictures into a startup business specializing in portrait, portfolio, still life, fashion, advertising, or general studio photography. For some, making that all-important leap is the hardest step in the business process. For most of us, acquiring capital and knowing what studio equipment to invest in present pressing challenges in themselves.

Obviously, the two core elements to building your startup photography studio are having enough capital and selecting the right camera. Many professional photography sites helpfully share their insights into the statistical and logistical aspects of setting up a photography business; while hundreds of articles and bloggers offer their own expert opinions on the cameras, lenses, and other accessories that are best suited for studio or portrait photography.

With those two major issues sorted out, all the other necessary equipment and photography essentials will be easier to prioritize as you see fit to your budget and needs. But with dozens of “options, goodies, and setups to choose from, “easier’ doesn’t necessarily mean a walk in the park! Below are 10 of our top suggestions to make your studio must-have shortlist:

1)    Studio space

Professional photographers choose to either set up studio in a room in their homes or lease out a separate space. Many of them do agree that you need at least a 12×12-foot space to adequately work in comfort with clients and lighting equipment. Other ideal studio space conditions include:

A decent ceiling height of at least 8 feet (if you deal primarily in headshots and sitting portraits) or 10 feet (if you use hair lights or do not want to capture the edges of your backdrops in full body shots)
At least 6 feet of space between you and your subject, and 6 feet between your subject and the wall (to avoid a shadow on the background without using a backlight)
A closet or a curtained-off area as a dressing and hair/makeup room (with a mirror and hooks to hang clothes)
White-painted walls
No flammable flooring materials (such as carpets and floor padding)

2)    Studio Lighting Kit

A good mid-range or high-end DSLR may be at the heart of a studio photographer’s arsenal, but a complete lighting kit is just as important—if not more so. Build a collection consisting of at least one of each of these studio lighting essentials:

Continuous lights
Strobe lights
Speedlights
Umbrellas or light boxes
Gels
Light meters
Reflectors
Lighting trusses

3)    Tripods

A tripod allows the photographer to focus attention on the subject and step away from the camera without breaking the shot. One tall and one short tripod are adequate enough to create just about any type of shooting angle. Consider tripods that are lightweight and allow full tilt, rotation, and height adjustment.

4)    Platforms

Also called stages, platforms are used for the subject to stand, lean, sit, or be placed on. They are best if they are flat, solidly-built, can take on a bit of weight, and are painted black with no visible seams or edges. Have a couple of platforms in a variety of heights, and consider making them do double duty as storage crates.

5)    White balance card (WBC)

Aim your camera at a WBC and, using its various shades of white, you can adjust your camera’s settings to the lighting, as well as adjust its proper focus settings.

6)    Remote triggers

Consider investing in a variety of remote controls that can automatically trigger multiple pieces of equipment when you need to operate them at the same time. Remote triggers make it possible for photographers to work on their own and are worth the cost of not having to hire assistants. Remotes include those for flashes and shutters, with wireless versions (using radio frequency) being the most ideal as they prevent you from straying too far and accidentally pulling your camera or light off its perch.

7)    Electrical gear

All your electrical photography equipment (especially power-hungry lights) will be drawing electricity from your studio, so make sure your space can carry the load with enough sockets rated for the appropriate amount of watts and amps to be used on them. If your studio does not have an ample power supply for all your equipment, you will likely need to invest in a separate battery backup or generator. Here are a few electrical gadgets you will need to keep your studio continuously powered and, more importantly, protected from equipment damage, shorts, and even fires.

Power strips. Purchase high-quality power strips for each of your equipment types (lights, fans, monitors, computers, etc.), make sure they feature fuses and surge protection, and do not plug one power strip into another.
Backup power supplies. These include lighting battery packs (sold as part of many portable lighting kits) and diesel-powered battery emergency generators.
Spare fuses. Keep some extra fuses in store since photo lights are very high draw—it is not uncommon for them to quickly blow out most household circuits.
Fans. With your studio likely blocking out all sources of natural light from windows, getting adequate ventilation and cooling for all your heat-generating lighting equipment will be a challenge. Consider installing an exhaust fan or two in the ceiling or placing a few electric fans in strategic areas of your studio (blowing away from your subject) to dissipate as much heat as possible.

8)    Backdrops

All photography studios worth their salt have a few solid-colored and textured backdrops to make their photos pop. Many specialty photography shops sell heavy-duty, light-tested backdrops in a variety of styles that can cost up to $300. The more resourceful—and budget-conscious—studio photographers, however, are able to do wonders with a few yards of paper, canvas, vinyl, or cotton fabric, plus a DIY pipe stand.

9)    Props and costumes

As a studio photographer trying to make your name in the market, you definitely don’t want your studio portraits to look like cookie-cutter clones of each other. Vary things up a bit by getting creative with costumes and props—which also have the bonus of loosening up your subjects and encouraging them to have fun and be spontaneous. They can be anything from interesting pieces of furniture, hats, sunglasses, wigs, and feather boas for the adults; and stuffed animals or princess outfits for the kids.

Props and costumes don’t even have to cost a dime if you collect them from flea markets, garage sales, or even your grandma’s attic!

10) Laptop, editing software, and photo printer

Sure, you may have the mad pinup photography skills of an Annie Leibovitz or a Mario Testino, but even picture-perfect subjects benefit from a little post-processing touch up here and there. As a studio photographer, not only is having your Photoshop and Lightroom-loaded laptop in studio great for working on the go and right off the bat. By tethering it to your camera, you can also use it as a preview monitor for your subjects or to show them the various filters or effects that can be added into the final photo during editing. Meanwhile, adding a photo printer to your setup to print out samples or souvenirs of your subject’s studio experience is a welcome perk that many clients appreciate.

Building up your own photography studio from scratch doesn’t mean you have to lease a 2,000-square feet loft, buy lighting kits that can illuminate a whole town, or invest in all-new equipment. Take stock of the space and gear you already own. Chances are, you already have a few items stashed at home that you can repurpose or upcycle. Together with your trusty DSLR, a good eye for lighting, a relaxed attitude with your subjects, and maybe a few square feet borrowed from your house garage; you can turn your photography hobby into a full-fledged business in no time.

 

 

 

 

 

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Snapchat Buys Bitmoji for $100 Million

Snapchat Buys Bitmoji for $100 Million

Bitmoji’s took over a few months ago and provided people with much entertainment. People loved to use the cartoon versions of themselves to show others how they felt. While the Facebook posts of bitmojis has died down, Snapchat doesn’t think so. Snapchat has acquired Bitstrips, the geniuses behind bitmoji. We currently know no details except that Snapchat dropped $100 million on the new company (Source: Mashable)

You Can Be A Professional Photographer Too

Google wants to help you be a professional photographer. They have just made their Nik Collection photo editing software free to users. The Nik Collection contains 7 plugins which help you create stunning photos. Previously, the software would cost you $149. Don’t worry if you have bought it this calendar year, Google will refund you. (Source: TechCrunch)

Vevo Record Broken by Justin Bieber

10 billion people have watched Justin Bieber’s music videos. What do you mean? Bieber is the first artist to reach 10 billion artist views on Vevo. With some of his music videos being in the billion view count, it’s not really a shock to Vevo watchers. Quick reminder that Vevo is a video hosting service owned and operated by a joint venture of Universal Music Group (UMG), Google, Sony Music Entertainment (SME), and Abu Dhabi Media. (Source: Time)

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Why Organizational Structure Matters In the Social Media Era

It is absolutely impossible to enjoy any real or consistent success in business today without taking advantage of everything that social media has to offer.

We live in the middle of the most competitive business environment in human history. Not only that, but the old barriers to opening a business have fallen by the wayside – and tools and technology (not to mention marketing methods) that used to exist solely in the domain of major corporations are now available to anyone and everyone with even the smallest marketing budget.

We’re talking about a historic amount of change here.

Even still, you are going to want to make sure that you take care to leverage everything that organizational structure has to offer – especially as far as business hierarchy and clarity is concerned – if you are to enjoy consistent success in business right now.

Your social media marketing department needs to understand exactly how important and valuable they are

One of the most important reasons to take advantage of organizational chart software and organizational structure in the first place is so that you are able to clearly define the social media marketing department, all of the moving parts contained within that department, and illustrate to the marketers in the rest of the company just how important they are.

There’s a reason why the rank structure and hierarchy in the military is so clearly outlined and why everyone is indoctrinated into this hierarchy right from the first moment that they join the service.

With a clear understanding of organizational structure missions are completed more effectively, objectives are secured more efficiently, and everyone knows exactly where they fall in the “chain of command”.

Your marketers – especially because of the fluid nature of social media marketing – are always going to feel like they are in limbo unless they know EXACTLY where they stand in the company. The right organizational chart software will help make this effortless, and a top-tier and intelligently designed organizational structure will give them the leverage they need to get the job done in the fast-paced and always changing world of social media.

EVERYONE is a marketer – but your marketers are in charge of the marketing push

It’s absolutely impossible and unreasonable to think that you are going to be able to compete in today’s world without having EVERYONE in your company on board with your marketing efforts.

There’s just too much competition out there command thanks to the power and reach of the Internet, you always have to worry about competitors diving in and doing everything they can to steal your customers and your market share.

At the same time, you need to make sure that your marketers completely understand their value to the company and their role in leading the overall marketing push. This will help them to better initiate different marketing plans and processes, and will allow them to clearly communicate the overall marketing “push” that your company is utilizing to convert customers prospects into paying customers.

With an organizational structure outlined, especially one that all of your other employees understand, communication will be streamlined, closer relationships with other departments will be fostered, and gaining access to decision makers in the company becomes effortless.

There are a tremendous amount of significant advantages that you will are going to be able to leverage when you unlock everything that organizational chart software has to offer. These tools make it possible to create in-depth organizational charts with no real effort whatsoever, but also allow you to fluidly transform these charts as necessary as well.

It really doesn’t get any better than this!

At the end of the day, you’d have to be a little bit foolish as an otherwise smart and savvy business owner known to make sure that your business leverages organizational charts. It may seem like a minor detail and one that won’t be used all that often, but provides a line of clarity to all involved.

There’s just too much that can go wrong if you choose not to utilize this simple and straightforward management tool. Clearly outlined organizational charts open up a lot of potential for your social media marketing department, and make sure that the entire marketing department is anything but handicapped.

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7 Innovative Hacks to Adding New Email Subscribers

Are you unhappy with the existing email subscription rates? It’s time to stop worrying and focus on the best options to bump up the same in a positive direction. Even if you aren’t checking the rates— I would urge you to look in immediately as finally there are ways to skyrocket the email subscriptions without even going overboard with the budget.

There are times when a website hits a pretty rough patch— lowering down the number of email subscribers. However, this is more of a lean phase and will certainly get sorted out in the long run— provided a list of potential subscribers is carefully built.

Things have taken a better turn with newer and more prudent techniques coming up— mainly for saving the day for these websites. The techniques which I would be mentioning— start off with simple steps and refrain from getting too complicated. Following these— most websites can get hold of more subscribers without having to halt the usual activities.

Using ‘Exit-Intent’ Pop-Ups

Pop-ups are sacred when it comes to creating a business-oriented website and lending those final touches. While the exit pop-ups rely heavily on the cursor movement, setting up the same isn’t a difficult job. Now we also have normal pop-ups— working better than the ones mentioned in this segment. However, Exit-Intent options win it for both site-owners and users alike by showing up something lucrative— precisely during the exit. This can be a lingering offer or potential discount— usable on adding the email id into the list. Some of the plugins with resourceful caveats include Thrive Leads, SumoME and many more.

Proper Formatting is the Key

In one word— formatting is the key to better conversion rates. So for starters it’s always advisable to format the in-depth posts— before putting them up on the website. This way we can generate more comments and a plethora of social shares. Pieces of content are obsolete without formatting— leading to lower ranks, reduced tractions and literally no leads.

Some of the core-essentials to formatting include:

Proofreading the content before publishing is a tried and tested rule. Be it the grammar or spellings involved— everything needs to be checked— at least thrice.

Bucketing brigades are usually the shorter phrases— enticing and fun to read. For instance we are planning to put up a post on travel. Besides checking for errors we need to pack in a few short sentences— exactly picturizing the place in lesser words. The reader will then be engrossed and even captivated to read more.

Do include content builders for perfectly framing the posts. One can use featured plugins like ‘Thrive Content Builder’ and several others for achieving the same.

 

Include the Mouth-Watering Coupon Section

Usually the visitors abandon the website on encountering a coupon field— during checkout. To save these blushes— sites need to create a coupon area— mainly for giving out the fabled coupon codes in exchange of email IDs. Taxonomies and Custom Post Types can be used for creating this section— right after the page is drafted and descriptions are added. Users are advised to create coupon generating section with any Exit-Intent Pop-Up.

Content Upgraded and the Associated Plugins

The concept of Content Upgrades wasn’t an old one and it really fetched me great results. This technique usually targets the users who haven’t subscribed to your page or are on the verge of leaving. Here are the popular plugins that can make a difference:

LeadPages: This is much more than a usual upgrade plugin— as it captures phone numbers for SMS marketing and even emails. Other attributes include single click prompts for subscriptions and webinars.

Thrive Leads: One can make use of this plugin for exposing the entire repertoire of content upgrades.

 

Lending Complete Control to the User

The real reason behind the sign-up scepticism is the uncontrollable influx of inundated messages. While the content quality is top-notch— the junk mails often kill the interest in your website that was once subscribed for. Users often click on the unsubscribe tab— owing to the irrelevancy of emails and the uncontrollable frequency of the same. Therefore, it is often advisable to render complete user control— allowing them to zero in on the mail quality and even frequency. They can also select the nature of posts— pertaining to the given website.

Do go for the alternative option of subscribing— instead of asking about the experience over a feedback form.

Sign-up Form should come after the Content

Take advantage of an active blog and make it visible to the readers. The idea here is to ask for subscriptions once they are done reading the content. Select a WordPress theme with a widget right underneath the post. The most potent option would be Optin Forms.

An Interactive Bar always Works

I might be contradicting the previous point but the sign-up form might still be ignored. What works best is the Interactive Bar— right at the top, with a quick line on the usability of the subscription and the associated perks. There are numerous top bar plugins available— allowing seamless customizations. Some notable services include ViperBar, ManyContacts and Hello Bar— helping with the subscription rates and even page ranks.

Conclusion

The journey from an Exit-Intent popup to the fabled interactive bar is pretty simple and will certainly go a long away in adding to the existing list of email subscribers. These are mostly short term solutions and keep watching this space for more resourceful hacks and innovative insights.

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YouTube Explores Live Streaming

Thou Shalt Stream

If the rumors are true, then we feel like a high school girl with a crush. YouTube might be making it even easier and faster to watch our favorite stars. The video sharing service is venturing into the live streaming scene. According to VentureBeat, the app will be called YouTube Connect and will directly compete with the likes of Facebook, Periscope, Meerkat and other streaming platforms.

All you need to do is sign into your Google account, which will allow you to immediately start live streaming from your mobile device. A Google spokesman denied to comment stating, “We don’t comment on rumor or speculation.” The live streaming battles are heating up between YouTube (Google), Periscope (Twitter), and Facebook. (Source Mashable)

Donald Trump Loves Tinder

Trump just announced he spends four hours swiping on Tinder everyday. Just Kidding. Seriously though Tinder is making a shift and incorporating their services into the U.S.  presidential campaign. The dating app released a feature on Wednesday called “Swipe the Vote” which asks people questions about candidates and their political stances.

Some of the questions the feature asks are: “Should we keep same-sex marriage legal?”  “Should we drill for oil and gas in the US?.” Tinder partnered with the nonprofit group Rock the Vote whose mission is to get young American voters more politically engaged. Tinder wrote in its blog, “Once you’ve swiped through ten of the hottest issues, you’ll be matched with the candidate who best matches your views.” Thank us for holding off on a Monica Lewinsky – Clinton Tinder reference.  (Source MSN)

Acts of Kindness

If you’re in need of some soul food then look no further. At a Washington based coffee shop employees stopped everything they were doing to comfort and pray for a grieving woman. Waiting in the drive-thru line a witness snapped a picture of the RAK (random acts of kindness) See pic below. Pass along the happiness by sharing the daily Skinny & remember live with kindness. (Source Mashable)

 

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