Marketing Buzzwords You Should Know
Many marketers think of marketing buzzwords as some over-used, obnoxious industry jargon that means absolutely nothing. But maybe it is time we go back to the basics. Maybe it is time we re-educate ourselves on the true meaning of some marketing terms. So what are the marketing buzzwords we should be focusing on this year?
• Pragmatic TV marketing
It is a fact that most customers don’t wait to watch a TV episode when it first airs on TV, thanks to streaming servers that make it possible to watch shows on-demand at any time that is convenient to the viewers. For instance, if you miss marketing to people who watch “The legend of the Seeker” on ABC, you can still market to those who decide to watch it online on Hulu. Smart marketers are now using the guerrilla approach to reach customers on TV, YouTube, and other streaming channels. Companies Like Media Design Group uses that approach to design individual customer profiles using available data. This is what makes it possible for these kinds of businesses to reach millions of customers through personalized ads systems wherever they are.
• Local Search Marketing
Local search marketing refers to the process of optimizing your content for local search. In other words, you can target the local market by optimizing your digital properties to generate traffic from very specific locations/countries/towns/regions. Thus, it is safe to say Local search marketing is the foundational digital marketing strategy for local businesses. Your local customers can find you based on the information they get from search engines.
• Analytics
Analytics is a fancy word for analysis of data. Whoever you are running some marketing campaigns, it is important to look at the data, analyze it, and make conclusions.
Simply put, analytics is the marketing dashboard to help you track your numbers and find out what areas need improvement.
• Conversions
When a customer takes action such as making a subscription, opting into your marketing list, downloading, purchasing, or sharing your content, we say the customer has converted. Conversions can thus be viewed as some sort of interactions between the customer and your business.
• Influencer marketing
It has been found that nearly 84% of marketers have lined up at least one influencer campaign in the coming year. Influencer marketing involves the process of using influential members of society to market your products and services. For instance, you can find influential users on Social Media who can help deliver your marketing messages. Influential users can significantly influence consumers to trust your brand.
• User-generated content marketing
Smart marketers also understand the power of user-generated marketing. User-generated content is normally content that is generated by the users, and in most cases, it is not solicited or paid for by the company. Many consumers have come to trust user-generated content because it comes from other users who might share vital experiences. In other words, user-generated content seems more authentic because it is not coming from marketing experts. Another advantage of user-generated content is that there are no risks involved in terms of cost if it doesn’t produce the desired results. Mjrvisuals company has its own thoughts, engage your business marketing through video content with video production and design when you need it.
• Referral marketing
Did you know that people are four times more likely to make a purchase if a friend recommends the product or service? Referral marketing can also be called word-of-mouth marketing and utilizes the power of personal recommendations to build trust and bring in new businesses. The key to having referral marketing work is by having loyal customers who are willing to act as your brand ambassador.
Top 10 WordPress Plugins You Must Have
Why WordPress in the First Case?
Did you know that WordPress powers more than 60 million websites online? Generally, WordPress is a content management system that is rocking in the online world. As opposed to the traditional HTML websites that would require a lot of time and money to set up, WordPress has made work much easier for most bloggers and website owners. Perhaps this explains why a whopping 22% new websites launched are powered by WordPress in the USA. Apart from that, WordPress makes it convenient for your to manage your content, it is flexible, and it is SEO friendly.
The Role of Plugins
That being said, you also need cool plugins to go with your WordPress website. Having the right plugins can do a lot of things for you, which includes: improving your SEO and user experience, usability, and various conversions. The following WordPress Plugins are just what you might need. As a matter of fact, these are the plugins that have been given a vote of confidence by the online community; most of them are free.
1. All in One SEO Pack: This is exactly what any blogger or website owner would want. All in One SEO Pack has been downloaded over 15,000,000 times. What it does is that it automatically optimizes your blog for the search engines. It also generates Meta Tags automatically. All you need to do is just to download it and install it, and the rest of the things will work themselves out. If you are an advanced user, you are free to fine-tune its features. Another alternative to this plugin is the WordPress SEO by Yoast
- Contact Form 7: you will love Contact Form 7 if there is need for you to manage multiple contact forms. You have the option to customize the contact forms to suit your unique needs. There is a CAPTCHA integration option for you to help you fight spam. Contact Form 7 comes in over 50 languages. If you need to create a fancy Contact Us page, Contact Us Page - Contact People, is the plugin for you. There are actually very few websites whose contact us page is stunningly vibrant.
3. Clicky Web Analytics: You’ve got to love Clicky Web Analytics if you have a lot of Google data you are handling in Google Analytics. Unlike the Google Analytic tool which is so cumbersome, this plugin is so refreshing, and it provides a clean interface for you to view your data even if you are the type of person that likes checking your statistics more than once a day.
- Secure WP: this plugin gives you thorough security check and makes a number of changes in your WordPress installation so as to make it as secure as possible. For instance, it hides your WordPress number version.
5. Buddy Press: BuddyPress lets you build a community from your visitors by enabling users to create profiles, send messages to one another, and interact through chat. It is a kind of creating a social network in a box.
6. Feedweb: Every website owner needs to get feedback from the audience on how they getting on with the content. This plugin will allow you to receive feedback from your visitors on how they are experiencing your services or who they feel you can improve on the content.
7. Members: Members is a plugin that contributes to making WordPress one of the coolest Content management systems for web sites. It extends your control a little further by letting you control the roles of members of your blog. It allows you to create, edit, or delete the roles played by various members. It gives you powers to control permissions of the members as well.
8. Social Gallery Lite: This is a great way for you to boost your social network for your blog. The Social Gallery Lite is your Ultimate Social Lightbox Plugin which is a good substitute to vanilla image lightboxes.
- Tumblr Importer:Tumblr importer helps you to import blog posts from a Tumblr blog. This is the ultimate Tumblr Importer that will maintain the format of the blogs, as well as the backgrounds. It can also import drafts and pages.
- Hotfix: Hotfix will fix common WordPress without having to wait for next WordPress core release. In other words, you’ll fix bugs quickly even if you have not updated your WordPress.
There are actually countless plugins floating in the online sea. The type of plugin you need depends on your specific needs. However, there is no need to install every other plugin you meet as this can slow down your WordPress site.
Are you Utilizing the Power of YouTube Marketing
If you have been ignoring the impact of YouTube marketing, then you have been committing a cardinal marketing sin. There are some shocking statistics that will show you just why YouTube marketing has become a big hit. Nielsen report shows that in the year 2011, internet video streaming views increased by 35% compared to only 0.2% increase in television views in America. Mobile video viewing also increased by 20%; therefore, it is clear that internet video marketing (like YouTube) is now more popular, cheaper, and result oriented than the traditional TV marketing. As a matter of fact, the number of people who visit YouTube for entertainment, research, and education is alarming. YouTube is now the second most search engine by volume.
However, something else you should know is that about 35 hours of videos are being uploaded in YouTube every minute, meaning if you take 10 minutes to read this article, you will meet about 350 hours of newly uploaded YouTube videos. So what? So, it means that if you are thinking of using YouTube to advertise your products, then you should bear in mind that competition is extremely high; so, you need to approach it with some plan if you hope to achieve positive results. In other words, just uploading a video does not necessarily mean that you'll automatically get YouTube hits.
The following are two suggestions to get you started on how to get positive YouTube performance:
1. Just like a website, content is king, and good quality is paramount. Please invest some time to create a quality and compelling video before you upload. Potentials customers should find your videos useful, engaging, and attractive to view. If you let them feel like they have wasted their precious moment viewing you video, be sure that the video will never go viral, or worse still, they wont come back. The rule of the thumb is this: the video should address the needs of the viewers. Anything else is thrash. Therefore, invest some time in researching on what the customer needs and create something relevant. For instance, it doesn't help uploading a video that talks about meditation, yet you are selling cars. In that case, you would want to talk about 'how to maintain a car'.
2. Since it is Google that owns YouTube, you have to play by Google Search optimization rules to get an edge. For instance, in order for the video to be findable, it must have a title, good descriptions, and tags, among others. Also, you should create a brand if you want to attract and retain customers. This doesn't have to be done with massive investment; all you need is to be consistent with your content, create a similar backgrounds, create a playlist for the most popular videos, and choose an appropriate layout.
All in all, taking your business online is not an option in this internet age if you are to stay profitable, and relevant. YouTube presents you with one of the best channel of informing the online users about your presence; hence you should take advantage.
More Difficulties for Businesses to Reach Followers on Instagram
Did you know that Instagram is about to change in a massive way? Instagram has announced that they will be ditching the traditional reverse chronological feed for new algorithm-based personalized feeds.
Posts will no longer appear in a chronological order and instead, followers will see posts based on what they are interested in and their relationship with the person posting, similar to what Facebook does.
This means that Instagram is likely to place videos and photos it thinks you will most want to see from people you are following on top of your feeds, disregarding the time those pictures and videos were posted. For instance, if your friend posted a photo of her new pet 8 hours ago while you were in a meeting, Instagram might make that photo the first thing you see when you open the app. This will be based on your history of interactions with the friend.
Announcing the changes on March 5th via its blog, Instagram said its growing popularity triggered the move. Most users miss on average 70% of their feeds, and this has made it harder for people to keep up with all the content people share on a minute-by-minute basis. This has meant that people keep seeing images they don't care about most of the time.
Speaking to the New York Times, Instagram co-founder, Kevin Systrom, said the new changes will ensure that the 30% of what you care is what is give priority. However, Systrom was quick to point out that the changes will not be abrupt. The Instagram community will wake up one morning and find a different Instagram. Instagram users should expect to see the changes in the coming months.
Not everyone is happy though
Marketing experts claim that these changes are a precursor to what they call Instagram’s content monetization strategy’. You know that Facebook owns Instagram, and this is exactly what Facebook did in 2009 before it began to monetize. In essence, they are trying to limit organic reach, and many brands fear they will have to pay for what was once free to get noticed.
Currently, a post to say 50,000 followers reaches 50,000 feeds. But with the new algorithm, things will be more difficult. That means the number of followers you have will be of little consequence; instead, what will be more important is the level of engagement your content generates.
As a result, more than 190,000 people have signed a change.org appeal to maintain the status quo. With many of those opposed to the new algorithm-based feeds being small business owners, they fear they will no longer be able to reach their followers. It is very unlikely that Instagram will reverse its decision. Similar opposition reactions of “Change Facebook back to normal!!” was witnessed when Facebook changed its algorithm. Twitter also recently faced similar resistance when it tried to move to algorithm based feeds.
Therefore, brands should start bracing themselves up for the new model instead of hoping that the proposed changes will flop. Apart from increasing their Instagram marketing budget, brands should find ways of creating a more engaging content. Simply put, customer acquisition via Instagram is about to get expensive.
With millennial changes such as Instagram personalized feeds, Mjrvisuals can help you increase your reach out of that content in your website through our expertise. We run the gambit of visual imagination including video production, digital marketing, video editing, print design, advertising, graphic design, graphic animation, motion graphic and media design. Be part of our portfolio of clients and let us tell your story to the world. Click here to visit our website: mjrvisuals.com/
Importance of Website Mobile Responsiveness to Search Engine Ranking
According to Pew internet report, more than 31% of Americans own a tablet computer. Further, the USA phone market represents about 58% of smartphones owned.
Mobile search will surpass desktop search by 2020
It has also been established that users are surfing the internet several times a day using their mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Here is the big one! If the current trends are anything to go by, it is predicted that by the year 2020, there will be more internet searches through mobile devices than through laptop or desktop computers.
At the moment, laptop/desktop computers and mobile devices share the searches equally, that is, 50-50. What does this tell us? It simply means that mobile-friendly websites are increasingly becoming popular and if you are a marketer, you should ensure that your web site is mobile responsive. For now, let us focus on why it is important for marketers and small business owners to focus a lot of their efforts in developing mobile responsive site.
What is the rave about mobile optimized sites?
Clearly, the issue of having a mobile responsive site is no longer a choice, but a necessity. If your web site is not mobile optimized yet, the question therefore should be, “when are you going to do it?” Rather than, “are you going to do it?”
Mobile optimization improves navigation across multiple devices:
With a true mobile optimized website, a person accessing the website using either a tablet or a mobile phone will be able to view and navigate the web site easily because the web site will load as it was meant to be seen on that particular mobile device. Thus, you’ll not see skewed pages that don’t fit on a page, for example. Please note that if your mobile visitors are not able to scroll and navigate through the pages as smooth as they would like, they will swiftly go to your competitor.
Mobile optimization improves the overall design of your website across multiple devices:
Apart from the fact that a mobile responsive site is easy to browse on a mobile device, it also makes your site look great. This in turn ensures that users are having great time browsing the site since the content and images do not get distorted. Because a mobile site is designed to load and respond within the small screen boundaries of a mobile device, it makes it easier for contents to maintain their design within the boundaries of a mobile screen.
Mobile Optimization is ultimately a big factor when it comes to search engine rankings:
Consequently, you’d experience lower bounce rates if visitors are coming to your mobile optimized site using their mobile devices than if they were to visit a site that is not mobile optimized. So, what does this tell you? It means that a mobile optimized web site will have better search engine rankings than a corresponding site that is not mobile optimized.
Remember that high bounce rates negatively affect your search engine performance. Also, if you lock out traffic from mobile phones, then you are digging your own grave in the online world. Visitors like convenience; they prefer to have a site that they can browse anywhere without difficulty. Therefore, a mobile responsive site is very critical if you want to reach as many people as possible.
4 Clever Advertising Techniques You Should Be Using Today
4 Clever Advertising Techniques You Should Be Using Today
Companies are spending thousands of dollars every year on advertising. The big boys even spend hundreds of thousands or millions in print and paid click advertisements. Unfortunately, that also means we get to be bombarded with endless amount ads that lie, that are lazily designed or misplaced. So how do you stay clear of lousy advertising?
Here are there techniques you can use to create amazing ads that resonate with people.
Design Clever ads
There is a whole lot of difference between funny advertisements and effective ads that accomplish their jobs. When designing your ad, make sure that it is able to clearly deliver its message and make people enjoy it at the same time. It should not just be funny for the sake of it. In fact, you do not design an ad so that it is funny. You design an ad that people will be able to connect with.
Insightful
Your ad’s potential impact will be determined by how insightful it is. Does it make the audience think about their beliefs and actions? Does it result in that Eureka Moment? If you achieve this, you will do much better than your competition.
Feeling
Try to connect with your audience emotionally. As Maya Angelou once said, people will forget what you did or said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. You may spend a lot of time convincing your prospects to buy from you; you may even offer very competitive prices, but if you are not connecting with them emotionally, you are not going to create much impact. The fact of the matter is that people are not always rational when making buying decisions. Their emotions usually get the better of them.
Trustworthiness
People buy from companies they like. People will like you if they also trust in you. You see, it is impossible for people to like you if they don’t trust you. Every character you select to appear in your ad should sound and look trustworthy. Every message you deliver should be factual.
Whatever your advertisement goal is, whichever industry you are and now matter your size, it is important to advertise wisely. If you need help, seek the advice or services of a professional advertising agency.
MJRvisuals is a Creative Agency specializing in visual imagery and digital marketing.
MJRvisuals - Imagination Defined
4 Super Tips for Successful Video Marketing
4 Super Tips for Successful Video Marketing
For marketers who want to be competitive, a comprehensive inbound marketing strategy is an absolute must.
If you didn’t already know, it is estimated that 80% of online content will be video by 2019. And according to Digital Marketing Institute, video marketing will help to increase website traffic by 69%.
Accordingly, mobile video adverts will also increase five-folds compared to desktop. A study by Business2Community also found that it is 50 times easier to hit Google’s top ranks with a video than via text. Landing pages that contain explainer videos are 800% more successful than text-only pages.
Well, if that is the case, then it best for you to get to grips with the best video marketing strategies.
Video marketing is essentially both the present and the future of digital marketing. Video marketing brings engagement to a completely new level. Moreover, videos stay online forever, potentially bringing you new customers forever. In addition, it is very easy for videos to go viral because video and social media go hand in hand. In short, video benefits are countless and if you use the right strategy to make and market your videos, you can reap the immense fruits. Here are 5 tips for successful video marketing.
Tip 1. Make your title count
Think about it. The title is the first thing your viewers will see and it will help them to decide whether to watch your video or not. In other words, a great title can make all the difference between your video becoming viral and becoming a big failure. The title you choose is critical when it comes to standing out both in social media and in search engines.
Focus on optimizing your titles for search engines. At the same time, make your titles attractive and compelling to encourage people to watch and share them. Bear in mind that it is possible to do both. Here are some tips to help you create better titles for videos.
Understand how your title will influence your audience’ behavior as well as where they are likely to see it.
Focus on the main messages on the video. The title should explicitly mention the benefits of watching the video. Think of specific benefits and value the viewer will derive from watching the video.
Include keywords that searchers are likely to use when looking for that particular video content.
If a well-known person appears on that video, it is advisable to include the name of that particular person on the title. Learn from other viral video headlines. What pattern can you spot? Try CAPS, some dots, stars, italics, etc to grab attention.
Tip 2. Keep your videos short, informative and interactive
It goes without saying that your readers’ attention span is shrinking by the day. Do not expect them to watch a 2-hour boring lecture. Instead, keep your videos short, interactive and informative. Although it all depends on what message you are trying to pass, you should ensure that your story is not only short, but also fun.
Interactive videos provide a perfect opportunity for people to share and get some useful user behavior in the process. Remove the sales clutter and focus on telling the story that will appeal to your customer’s emotions and desires.
The easiest way to waste your time, energy and money is to create a very boring video that is full of marketing puff. Focus, instead, on what your viewers are interested in. no one wants to sit through 45 minutes of pure sales pitch. People want to laugh and have fun. So if you are too serious, you risk losing the interest of your fans. Make them like your videos, because that is the only way to get into their hearts.
Tip 3. Add a call-to-action button at the bottom of the video
At the end of the day, you want your viewers to take some action after viewing your video. You are not just creating videos for your audience for the sake of it. Conversion is the ultimate goal of any marketer. Putting a call-to-action button at the end of the video can greatly increase your chances of gaining more subscribers, buyers, likes and shares.
Tip 4: Publish your video in multiple places
There could be a problem if you aren’t publishing your video at the right place. It is one thing to create a world-class video and it is quite another to avail it at the right time and to the right audience. For example, it makes no sense to publish your video on your LinkedIn page if most of your audience can be found on Facebook. Some of the places you can publish your videos include: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, blog or your landing page. Where you publish your video depends on where your target audience is likely to be found.
MJRvisuals is a creative agency that provides visual imagery production and digital marketing services.
MJRvisuals - Imagination Defined.