by Francois Muscat | Jan 2, 2019 | Digital Media Marketing
Digital marketing is forever changing – that’s the name of the game. If you are to keep your business at the top with the best of them, it is up to you to keep up with the trends! In an effort to make this a bit easier for you, here’s our take on what to expect from the digital marketing world in 2019:
Artificial intelligence definitely isn’t new, but it is set to continue dominating the realm of digital marketing for the foreseeable future. If your business has yet to embrace it, now would be a great time to do so.
Content marketing takes up a lot of time and effort. The results are worthwhile, there’s no doubt. But the latest trend is to focus more on the creation of evergreen content, rather than content that needs to be constantly updated. You can do this by focusing more on tutorials, how-to’s, etc. that will never get old or become irrelevant.
According to research, people are going to start using voice search a lot more frequently. A third of all Google searches are now voice searches. This calls for a change in the way we write our content. Voice searches tend to be longer and more in-depth than regular searches. So, long tail keywords, questions and phrases are becoming more common. Account for this when creating content, and you are sure to see an improvement in your SEO rankings.
Do you need assistance when it comes to perfecting your digital marketing strategy for 2019 and beyond? Then you need WSI OMS. Contact us now for more information about social media marketing, search engine optimisation, website design, link building and more.
by Francois Muscat | Dec 20, 2018 | Website Design
It is undeniable that Christmas time is peak retail season. So, what better time to up your digital marketing efforts, review your online strategy and update your web design? These are the 4 secrets to getting more website traffic – and more conversions – over peak retail season and beyond:
Embrace E-Commerce
If you have yet to transform your website into an e-commerce site, you are missing out on thousands of rands’ worth of conversions. The good news is that changing over to an e-commerce web design isn’t as costly or as complicated as you expect it to be. If you consult with the right company, you’ll be able to get this done at an affordable price, and fast!
Get Active On Social Media
People are on holiday over the festive season, which means they are probably spending more time than ever on social media. Now’s your time to strike! Create some new festive season related pieces as per your content marketing strategy and promote them on all of the social media platforms.
Tweak Your Design
A fully functional e-commerce web design is a must – but so is a Christmas-y look and feel. A simple tweak to your website colour or logo (think a cute Santa hat or some reindeer horns) can make all the difference when it comes to encouraging people to buy… and spread the word!
Use Holiday Hashtags
This will make it easier for people to find your posts on social media. Popular holiday hashtags include #ChristmasCheer, #ChristmasCountdown, #TisTheSeason, etc.
Allow the WSI OMS team to help you maximise your web design and digital marketing efforts over the holidays. We are online marketing and SEO/search engine optimisation experts that you can count on to generate the attention that your brand deserves. Contact us now to learn more.
by Francois Muscat | Dec 20, 2018 | Social Media Marketing
An increasing number of direct-to-consumer marketers are moving a portion of their Facebook and Instagram ad spend to Snapchat. With Snapchat launching Pixel in June, direct-to-consumer marketers are reporting seeing up to a 50% lower cost-per-acquisition.
What makes Pixel more attractive to marketers is the ability to bid on conversions instead of swipes, which empowers marketers to target ads to people who are more likely to convert instead of simply swipe. This, in turn, is driving their cost-per-acquisition rate down. Another aspect of Pixel that is beneficial to brands is its ability to let companies retarget Snapchat users when they visit their websites.
Bidding on swipes isn’t without merit. This is a great tool for brands that are focused on boosting awareness of their brand on social platforms. The ability to bid on conversions that happen on your own website, however, is something that can make a significant impact on your bottom line.
This is only one of the ways that Snapchat continues to tailor its offering to marketers. In September, it launched a pilot of self-serve shoppable ads called Collection Ads. Guess, eBay and Wish were part of the Collection Ads pilot and eBay saw a five-time higher engagement rate with Collection Ads compared to standard Snap Ads for the same products. Wish reported a 17-times increase.
For many business owners and marketers, Snapchat is still seen as the new kid on the block, but the powerful advertising features they are launching, combined with the platforms’ popularity among the youth, make it something that marketers can no longer ignore.
Need help with your social media marketing strategy? Then contact WSI OMS today.
by Francois Muscat | Dec 17, 2018 | SEO
What is the point of going to the trouble of perfecting your website’s SEO if you are not going to monitor its performance thereafter? There are countless SEO and digital marketing tools available out there to help you do this, the vast majority of which don’t have to cost you a fortune. Here is our round-up of the top ones to try:
These tools have been designed and created by the SEO big-wigs themselves, so it makes sense to use them to your advantage! What is more is that they are completely free as well. The FetchAsGoogle tool and PageSpeed Insights are two of the most popular – and are really easy to use. The former will provide tips on how to improve web page SEO and the latter will provide insight into how well a page follows common performance best practices.
This tool makes it possible for you to keep an eye on your website’s individual keyword rankings. It gives you a good general idea of what specific search terms your web pages are currently ranking for and why.
This is another free tool that works great for auditing your website and finding areas that require improvement. The tool does more than just analyse the quality of SEO, though. It also investigates whether or not your security is up to par and just how mobile-friendly the website is overall. The tool works quickly and will provide you with a score of between 1 and 100 in just a few seconds. If you are keen to make massive improvements, Hubspot also offers a host of high quality paid SEO tools to choose from.
It pays to consult the experts when it comes to updating your website’s SEO. Here at WSI OMS, we specialise not only in SEO, but also in content marketing, digital marketing and social media marketing, thus offering you an all-in-one solution to your online needs. Contact us today to learn more.
by Francois Muscat | Dec 12, 2018 | Instagram, Social Media Marketing
The more aesthetically pleasing your Instagram feed is, the more likely you are to attract followers. But it is not always easy to build a following on Instagram. With the increasing number of users and brands on the platform, having unique content is just as important as ‘looking pretty’ if you want to stand out. With these tips, you will be able to strike a balance and create a stunning Instagram feed:
- Know Your Target Audience
If you know who you are speaking to, then you will know what to say. Making sure your content is relevant is vital to not only attract followers, but to keep them. One way to help organise the types of content for your target audience is using “content buckets”. Content buckets (or content pillars) are defined topics and/or themes that identify the types of posts your audience would love to see.
Content pillars are also a great tool to streamline your brand’s message on Instagram by focusing on key themes and topics that resonate with your target audience. For example, a business can establish a few core themes for their content such as products and services, company culture and customer activation. Under these main themes, they can include topics like ‘store locations’, ‘service offerings’ and ‘product features’ under Products and Services. From there they can decide the specific types of content to feature, whether it is video, GIFS, still images, etc.
- Choose An Overarching Instagram Aesthetic
Five seconds is all you have to convert users into followers, so first impressions count. That is why having an appropriate and consistent aesthetic for your feed is important. Depending on your brand personality, you might go for something dark and sultry, sleek and minimalist or bright with lots of natural lighting. Whatever it is, make sure it is aligned with your brand.
- Rope In A Graphic Designer
Great design is important, so it is worth it to get a graphic designer involved when establishing your Instagram aesthetic. They can ensure your feed is on-brand by giving your posts visual consistency.
Designers can look at the nitty-gritty of whether you have the correct colours or fonts and if your posts are easy to read.
- Promote Your Products Like A Pro
Used the right way, Instagram can act as a trendy catalogue for your products. Here are a few examples of how you can get creative with your product posts:
These highlight the product on its own. For these, it is great to use a simple mono-coloured background.
These are close-ups of things that you want to draw attention to. They create focus and attention to detail. Micro shots are perfect to communicate what your product is all about.
These place your product in a broader context and create associations about where and when it can be used. For example, a pair of hiking boots in a forest.
- Flatlays:
- These are photos taken from a top-down angle. They showcase a carefully styled setting like an office table or food.
- Instructionals:
These can be short ‘how-to’ videos on how your products should be used.
If you want to get the best out of your Instagram marketing strategy, contact WSI OMS today and request our social media services.
