by Marelise da Silva | Dec 21, 2019 | Digital Media Marketing
Staying up to date with the latest technology can help to keep your business ahead of the curve and on top of your competitors. As 2019 slowly comes to a close, you may be wondering what to expect from tech trends in 2020. Here is a quick breakdown of what we expect to be amongst the top 6 trends to help you prepare.
Hyper-Automation
This could be bad news for certain jobs, but good news for productivity. Hyper-automation is taking centre stage. This essentially means that there will be a trend to automate absolutely everything in a business that it is possible to automate.
Transparency and Traceability
Over the next few years, the focus will shift to maximising the reduction of brand and reputational risk. This will be accomplished with the help of artificial intelligence specialists who will focus their attention on allowing for maximum transparency and traceability when it comes to potential cyber risks.
AI Security
According to experts, a sizeable portion of cyber attacks will leverage training data poisoning, AI model theft or adversarial samples by the time 2022 rolls around. Artificial intelligence can aid in boosting cyber security machine learning. In particular, it has proven to be extremely useful when it comes to detecting cyber threats. This is based on a machine’s ability to analyse data and identify a threat before it exploits a vulnerability in information systems.
Human Augmentation
Nowadays, businesses design for humans. However, over the course of the next few years, tech trends are anticipated to revolve around architecting humans themselves by adopting human augmentation technologies and methodologies. Human augmentation technologies are essentially devices that contribute to advanced sensory capabilities, such as glasses for viewing augmented visual content.
Multi-Experience
As we all know, customer experience is the key to business success. Next year, organisations need to focus not only on providing their customers with the best possible experience, but also providing them with every experience possible. This includes from a web, mobile and conversational to an augmented reality perspective.
Empowered Edge
Come 2023, over half of enterprise-generated data will be created and processed outside the data centre or cloud.
Here at WSI OMS, we are constantly hot on the heels of the latest tech trends. And, we are happy to help your business do the same. Contact us today to learn more about our digital marketing services.
by Francois Muscat | Dec 14, 2019 | Blogging, Digital Media Marketing
Blogging might be an integral part of digital marketing but, unfortunately, not everyone is a born blogger. We’ve created a guide that will help you to not only write better blogs and target the correct audience, but that will also help you to stay on-trend and improve your reputation as an authoritative source in your industry.
Digital Marketing Guide to Being a Better Blogger:
Topics and Targeting
If you know who you are writing for and you pick topics that will speak to them, you have half the battle won. Take some time to find your audience, research them and brainstorm topics they will be interested in. Once you’ve determined your audience, you can alter your tone of voice and address pain points they might be experiencing. By speaking to the correct people in the correct way and providing answers to their questions, you’re paving the way to becoming a “go-to” source for issues they experience.
When brainstorming topics suited to your audience, be sure to maintain a balance between evergreen content and trending topics:
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- Evergreen content will rarely become outdated and can easily be updated with minor changes. It includes topics that will drive traffic to your blog, long after being published (nothing time-sensitive goes in this category).
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- Trending topics may have a shorter life span, but if the topic is relevant for a short time, it can drive a surge of traffic to your blog, especially if the content has an edge of exclusivity to it. However, don’t rely exclusively on trends to drive the majority of traffic to your blog. If you do, you’re setting yourself up for a large time investment in creating new trendy content all the time.
Writing
Here are a few valuable tips to keep in mind when you are writing:
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- Start with an outline for your post (that will guide your writing) and if this outline can be valuable to your audience, incorporate it into your post. You don’t need an outline for every post, but the more complex your post, the more valuable this roadmap becomes to your audience.
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- Keep your writing concise, but don’t under explain topics. Add just enough information so your post is clear but easy to digest.
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- Keep SEO principles in mind when writing. Also, remember to incorporate keywords into every part of your post, including the title, descriptions, headers and captions. Earn links from other sites by incorporating (and citing) authoritative data and quotes from industry experts.
- Schedule time to go through old posts and update outdated information, maintain links and improve on existing content.
Content
Blogging and content creation is not only about the written word. You can experiment with different types of content to keep your audience engaged. Try using video and images to liven up your posts and if possible, display statistics in a visual format like an infographic.
Your content should cover a variety of topics that range from the following:
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- Tips and resources (to teach your audience and alleviate pain points),
- Information on your products and services (where you can include discount codes or special offers), and
- More personal posts such as success stories and insights into your business.
Use your network
Part of being a better blogger is to understand how to leverage your network. Promoting your content on every possible medium is a start, but you can reach a wider audience by partnering up with contacts in your network and giving them exposure to your followers in return. Invite contributors to help you with the content workload, and offer to be a part of their content creation plan in return. The principle is to create a community that is mutually beneficial for all members instead of ruthlessly competing with other content creators.
Becoming a better blogger should be on your priority list for an improved digital strategy, and once you’ve incorporated these essential principles, blogging will become a much simpler task to take on. Click here to find more of our resources on blogging and digital marketing.
by Marelise da Silva | Dec 13, 2019 | Digital Media Marketing
Does your digital marketing strategy include a Wikipedia page for your business? If not, you might be missing out on great exposure and an ongoing source of leads. A Wikipedia page can help to not only manage your business’ online reputation, but also to lend credibility when prospective clients look into your business. A Wikipedia page needs to be part of your digital marketing strategy because although it is relatively easy to create a Wikipedia page, it does take some work to keep the page relevant and updated. Here is how to go about it.
Digital Marketing Guide to Creating a Wikipedia Page for Your Business
While these steps are relatively simple, you’ll need to be patient and make an effort to keep your page updated. Think of your business’ Wikipedia page in the same way as your business website; you don’t merely stop at website design, you need to constantly use it as a way to stay top of mind for your audience.
- Step 1: Create Your Account
Visit Wikipedia’s home page, and click on “create account” in the top right corner. Follow the prompts given to finish creating an account. Don’t close any pop-ups from Wikipedia (more on this in the next step).
- Step 2: “Help Improve Wikipedia”
Before creating a page on Wikipedia, you’ll need to become an auto-confirmed user. The easiest way to do this is by editing an article suggested by Wikipedia. You’ll need to make a few edits (according to Wikipedia you’ll need to make at least 10 edits and your account has to be older than 4 days)
If you want to pick a page to edit, stick with something you know and can easily cite information sources. To edit a page, simply click on the section you want to edit and publish changes once you are done. The visual editor is the simplest view for quickly editing information.
Here is the most difficult part of the process, not because it is technical or complicated, but because Wikipedia has certain guidelines for business pages. For a business page to be accepted, the business needs to be “notable” – read these guidelines before attempting to create a page.
Next, go to the Article Wizard where you can either create a draft article in the “sandbox” or click “next” to proceed with creating your page. Wikipedia will direct you through the process of creating an article, and you will have to disclose that you are writing about a subject you are connected to.
In structuring your page, it is a good idea to review other company pages to understand the layout and decide how much information you might want to add to the page.
- Step 4: Cite Your Resources and Submit
This step refers to the notability guideline mentioned in step 3. Here you will have to add sources that have mentioned your business. These need to be legitimate third party resources with a record of fact checking. They can include newspapers, online journals, magazines and other websites that backlink to your website as a source.
If you have cited resources and you’ve entered all the information on your page, you can submit the page for review.
- Step 5: Keep It Updated and Relevant
If Wikipedia publishes your page, the real work starts in keeping it updated and relevant. Remember to add information about new products and services. Also, check existing information regularly to ensure you have the latest information available.
Need help with your digital marketing or content marketing? Then contact WSI OMS today.
by Marianna Muscat | Dec 12, 2019 | Digital Media Marketing
Digital marketing is a wonderful medium for showcasing fashion and new insights from Facebook paint a picture of how online marketing is shaping how consumers find and purchase products. According to a survey done with 1 729 participants in the US, consumers want a personal touch, they are convinced by individualised engagements with brands both online and in-store, and they seek authentic interactions.
How Digital Marketing Is Shaping the Shopping Experience
Targeting specific audiences with tailored content is the way to earn loyalty when it comes to the fashion-conscious buyer. 72% of US fashion shoppers say that some form of personalisation in the process increases their chance of purchasing an item. 43% of 18 to 34-year olds react positively when brands speak to consumers through similar values and morals.
In societies that encourage self-expression, shoppers want to feel like individuals, and they will reward brands who oblige them in this search.
Although many shoppers still make purchases in-store, their mobile devices are always at the ready, inspiring and informing their choices. 23% of surveyed shoppers compare products using their mobile devices, and 28% of shoppers use their devices to look for discount codes. The key take-away for marketers should be to use digital marketing to create a seamless experience that starts with showcasing a product and ends with purchasing of said product. To get ahead, retailers should fast-track online purchasing processes to meet shoppers when they are ready to make a purchase.
The age of the influencer is here and according to the survey, almost one in three people are influenced by people they follow on social media. These interactions need to be authentic, and influencers need to be relatable to earn trust. Over half of the surveyed shoppers who follow influencers say they have made purchases based on the recommendation of an influencer.
The important part of authentic interactions is the give and take of the exchange. Consumers follow influencers not only for their recommendations on purchases, but also because they are entertaining, they teach their followers tips and tricks as well as inspire their followers.
The future use of digital marketing in the fashion industry seems secure, but marketers need to understand that the impact of social media, influencers and quality content cannot be underestimated. Shoppers are seeking a deeper, more integrated experience that translates from ‘want’ to ‘have’ seamlessly and digital marketing can facilitate this process as long as the individual shopper is kept front of mind.
by Marelise da Silva | Dec 7, 2019 | Digital Media Marketing
Advertisers use specific tools to gain the attention of their target audiences. Whether it is towards a specific age group, race, sex or religion, these tools have proven to engage people’s minds and to trigger specific emotions. By strategically combining these elements, advertisers create sales, clicks or votes in smart, unique ways.
We’ve listed five common techniques used by advertisers to consider including in your next advertising brief:
The Bandwagon Appeal
This technique attempts to persuade consumers into feeling that a product or an idea is a need when it is usually a want. Due to its popularity and social status, the intention is to make consumers feel as if they would miss out or fall behind if they don’t join this trend’s wave. Use words and phrases which imply scarcity and evoke a sense of urgency such as ‘exclusive offer’ or ‘limited availability’.
Celebrity Association or Testimonials
By using a celebrity or a public figure to promote a product, advertisers reach millions of fans around the world. Their endorsement or even a mention creates a ripple effect with consumers grappling to purchase the product. Research your target audience to pinpoint what will ultimately appeal to them. The likes of Meryl Streep may not appeal to a group of millennials, for example.
Emotional Appeal
Advertisers appeal to the masses through emotions such as fear, sadness, excitement and happiness. This technique explicitly draws on these emotions to get consumers to buy into the idea of a product or to follow a certain trend. Advertisers concentrate on sentiments that every consumer can relate to.
Humor
This type of advertising highlights or showcases a certain viewpoint which makes consumers laugh. Cartoons, sketches or a comic undertone is used. Through the information of the product or the message, change your consumers’ minds, positively influencing them to buy into the product. A clever, witty advert is more likely to stick in your consumers’ minds.
Product Comparison
This technique focuses on presenting two or more products with various specifications. Each product is put up against one another with the negative characteristics highlighted. Promote the benefits of the product and backup your product’s claim by including research and the basis for your product’s uniqueness.
Whichever technique speaks to you, make sure that you know your target audience to effectively execute a product’s marketing strategy.
Contact us for more information on how to effectively market your product, knocking your competitors out of the park.
by Marelise da Silva | Dec 5, 2019 | Digital Media Marketing
WSI are immensely proud to announce that Francois Muscat recently won the WSI Nick Lattanzio Lifetime Achievement Award at the WSI Global Convention, which was held in Cancun in October. For the first time, Francois was rendered speechless.
This award isn’t something that digital marketing consultants can enter themselves for. The Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to people based on their contribution to the WSI Network over an extended period of time.
Francois Muscat is a WSI Training Coach and Certified Mentor who advises other Internet marketing consultants around the world on business strategies and internet marketing programmes. Sixteen years ago, Francois made the leap from the corporate life and started his own business. Francois bought a WSI Internet franchise and said that it has been such a ride. He’s had many highlights, but the Lifetime Achievement Award is a personal highlight that tops them all. Francois advised that is was an unbelievable honour, and he want to thank everyone who has worked with him, his team and his wife Marianna.
