by Francois Muscat | Dec 19, 2016 | Content Marketing
What are you using to read this blog right now? If the answer is “a mobile device”, you are in good company. Mobile users are increasing so quickly that their number world-wide has exceeded the total of global desktop users. Internet usage via mobile is also rapidly escalating. It, too, has surpassed desktop figures, with the average adult spending 2.8 hours per day surfing the Internet on their mobile phone. Mobile marketing needs to be high on your list of priorities in the year ahead.
Best practices for mobile optimization
Mobile device users are increasingly responsive to digital marketing. Recent research found that 70% of mobile searches lead to action on websites within one hour. Digital marketers need to be aware that mobile users are a substantial source of converters – it is just that they do it differently to non-mobile users. It is paramount, then, to be proficient in both traditional as well as mobile optimizations.
- Keep it simple so that navigation of your website on the go is easy. Typing with thumbs on a tiny screen absolutely must be accommodated without lots of uncomfortable zooming in and out.
- Keep it sleek – like the way an app is designed – to ensure that the download speed is fast. Otherwise, you risk losing an audience who wants quick results.
- Keep it straightforward so that there are no obstacles to hinder the flow of the mobile sales funnel.
- Keep it suitable for bite-sized chunks of entertainment. Ensure that your content marketing is engaging, shareable, and easy to consume when time is short, but mobile devices are in hand.
Whether you are a digital marketing newbie or purely want to boost your results, using innovative and assessable digital marketing solutions will enhance your exposure, brand awareness, leads, and sales. For more information on mobile marketing optimization, please contact the WSI team today.
by Marianna Muscat | Dec 6, 2016 | Content Marketing
Creating fresh new content for your website on a daily basis has its perks as it generates loads of traffic to your website and allows for your clients to be well informed. However, the downside of this is getting new fresh content to be featured on your site – you want your audience to be informed continuously regarding the latest sales, the latest products you are featuring – you certainly don’t want to lose the momentum you’ve established. Take a look at these easy content solutions:
- Hubspot’s blog content topic generator:
A convenient tool which enables you to enter three keywords. It will then create three topics around those keywords. The website allows you to come up with a week’s topics for your website.
- Gravity:
Gravity is an extremely powerful personalized engine which enables you to practice targeted advertising. It suggests content for each reader based on their personal preferences, location, and age. All these factors are to ensure your content can attract the right people.
- BeFunky
BeFunky is a multi-functional image editor, which allows you to produce beautiful visual content. Its functionality is not limited to just creating images: you can come up with striking collages and your very own custom graphic designs. What’s great is that is not software must be installed on your desktop – it’s browser-based which means you can access it anywhere and anytime.
- Ubersuggest:
For your website to grasp its potential you need to make sure that your content features some carefully selected keywords. Ubersuggest makes this process very simple: it allows you to submit a term and it will generate useful keywords for you.
- DJpod:
With podcasts taking over the Internet, it has become another powerful yet simple way of enhancing your web content. DJpod is a podcasting tool you can use to both create and host your podcast. It also enables you to share them throughout your social media handles and on iTunes.
For information on digital marketing and web design, contact us today.
by Marelise da Silva | Nov 17, 2016 | Content Marketing
Are you considering adding a blog to your organisation’s website, but wary that is sounds too much like “bog”? Then read on to discover how essential a blog webpage as a means to share your content marketing.
What is a blog anyway?
The dictionary defines a blog as a noun referring to “a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.” If that brings to your mind a fashionista strutting her stuff or an intrepid traveller on an adventure, you are on the right track. In the business of marketing, though, a blog is a simple and easy-to-use way to connect and share current information with customers.
- Communication
It gives your company a voice, and inspires two-way communication with customers, prospects and industry peers. By encouraging interaction, comments and feedback; and by using analytics to monitor click-throughs, popular topics, and so on, you will gain invaluable insight into your readers.
Being authentic and letting your brand’s personality shine communicates with customers that you are a reliable resource for information on your industry. Then they will come to you with their wallets open.
- Marketing
Think of your blog as the core of all of your content marketing efforts. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email newsletters, e-books, etc. all feed off it. Creating a blogging schedule and sticking to it keeps you focused on your content marketing strategy
Each post becomes a tangible, valuable tool with which to build brand awareness and promote your expertise, products and services. Discussing new offerings, current news topics and industry trends, and company initiatives sets you up as a subject expert. Journalists often interview bloggers as industry experts. This free PR and press makes blogs cost-effective marketing investments.
- Search Engine Optimisation
Search engines are fuelled by valuable content and will up your SEO rankings as a reward.
Blogging requires inspiration. By seeking out ideas all around you, newsworthy topics, and trends in your industry, you will keep your keywords relevant, but also ahead of the curve.
Instead of bombarding your audience with adverts, maybe it’s time to look towards sharing valuable content marketing via a blog. For assistance on this topic and more, get in touch with leading global Internet marketing franchise.
by Francois Muscat | Oct 20, 2016 | Content Marketing
These days, with sales, very few people make impulse purchases anymore, preferring rather to do a bit of research (window shopping). This is also referred to as the sales funnel – the different stages a customer will go through before they make a purchase. From visiting your website for the first time, to subscribing to your emails, to asking questions and finally making a purchase. At any one time, you’ll have customers who are at different points in their buying journey. This is where there’s an opportunity to give them more information to keep them moving through the funnel.
Through content marketing, this process has become easier, but it’s still tricky to ensure you get the right content in front of the right people at the right time, for it to be effective. It’s vital to understand your audience, so you can come up with a content marketing strategy that addresses the varying needs through the buying cycle.
The buying process is three-phase:
- Top of the funnel – when people are looking for options, answers, opinions, insights
- Middle of the funnel – when people are determining if your product or service is a good fit
- Bottom of the funnel – deciding whether or not to become a customer
Price, obviously is a big factor. The higher the price, the more time it takes for people to get to the bottom of the funnel. Creating content for each stage is a strategic way to engage your followers and help them in their journey. Here are some examples of the type of content you could develop for each stage:
Top stage: blog posts, eBooks, white papers, reports, videos, educational content
Middle stage: expert guides, webinars, live interactions, white papers, competitor comparisons
Bottom stage: case studies, trial offers, demos, product information, testimonials
Every business should have their own unique sales funnel, designed around their ideal customer’s journey. Having it laid down in a formal content marketing strategy helps to keep the focus on creating relevant content for each stage.
If you’d like to formulate a content marketing strategy specifically geared at your customers’ buying cycle, contact us. We have loads of experience in this field and many other online areas, so together we can craft a solution that works for your business.
by Marianna Muscat | Oct 19, 2016 | Content Marketing
Blogging is such an important part of building your brand and increasing your business visibility. It allows, along the way, for you to become an expert in your niche, which is important when you’re starting out. But the day will come when you feel like you have exhausted your ability to blog anymore on your chosen field of expertise, when you’ve recycled your content enough, so what now?
There are a number of good reasons to create content outside of your niche.
- You’ll reach a bigger audience.
Going off-topic expands the reach of your content, introducing you to a far wider audience. Although your articles may not relate specifically to your field or your business, the added volume will make up for this.
- You can influence future customers.
When you create content, it’s usually aimed at a specific group – your customers. When you go off-topic and attract a bigger and slightly different audience, you have the opportunity to introduce them to your brand. These are the customers who don’t know they need your products or services yet, so establishing a relationship through your content increases the odds of them converting at a later stage.
- Increase social media engagement.
If your content is posted on a site with many social media followers, your content will get a lot more views. If you can get onto a well-known site as a guest blogger, do it, but for those without the connections, publishing on Medium is a great platform for your non-niche content. You’ll have access to new readers, as well as the chance of being noticed by a bigger publication with an even bigger audience.
- You have more creative licence.
When you write off-topic, you have more opportunity to express yourself and your opinions. Using the right tone for your content is important, as is the wording, but not having to remain true to a company brand gives you the chance to be a bit more personable. Add some humour or images that appeal to you.
Before you go mad writing about content that in no way relates back to your core business, do some research. Think about how your content is going to advance your career and the benefits (or disadvantages) of having a bigger and more diverse audience. If you’re looking for inspiration, use Twitter to test topics. BuzzSumo can also help you discover hot topics across many industries.
For more on crafting a content marketing strategy for your business, contact us.
by Marianna Muscat | Oct 11, 2016 | Content Marketing
When creating content there’s a certain arrogance that accompanies the process – you’re writing what you want to, because you believe it serves a purpose or because you have something to say. While you may think you are fulfilling a genuine need, you could be off the mark. Understanding what your audience wants to read about and tailoring your content accordingly, could be a big step towards higher levels of engagement.
When thinking of the topics for your content, listen to your audience’s problems – recognise their needs and try to make your piece useful. Using audience input helps to give focus to your content, so you can highlight the aspects of your products or services that will solve their problem.
While you may think that specific content geared towards solving a particular problem could stifle your creativity, it doesn’t – it’s merely a guide that you can use to share your knowledge in the best way. As a digital product or service provider, you can use your content to show your customers how you can help them, increasing their loyalty to your brand.
Knowing your audience determines the tone of your content – you might find you have to adopt different tones in your content, to address different audiences. In business, a formal or technical tone is often the most appropriate, especially when tackling a specific product or service related question. A discussion about a solution using personal experience or that of a customer, could be less formal, more conversational, appealing more to the emotive side of your audience.
Adapting content to suit the varying stages of a buying cycle is another good example. Since most people start the process of a purchase online, you need to gear your website content to suit their needs. The ‘awareness’ stage is when new visitors to your site are first getting to know you and your brand, so your content should share your background, your business ethos and why your company is the one they should stick with. The next phase is ‘interest’ – this is where your content should inform on your products or services – an ideal time to get visitors to subscribe to your mailing list. When a visitor finally gets to the ‘purchase’ phase, your content can focus on product videos, or description and feature lists.
Converting your visitors to customers is demonstrated by content that targets specific needs. Rather than writing on a whim to say what you think needs saying, align your content creation to a strategy that will bring more results. For more on content marketing and how adapting your content can significantly change the way you do business, contact us.
