What Real Estate Agents Should Know About Blogging

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If you all think that real estate agents have nothing to do with blogging, then you better think again. Do you know that it is in the blogging where you can catch more attention to your potential clients? Well, if you don't know, then yes! Blogging helps you get more customers. And the good news is, you don't have to be an expert in blogging for you to blog, for as long as you know the basics of blogging, then you are off to go.

Basically, it doesn't matter if you are selling any real estate properties; you can definitely still do the blogging. When you engage in blogging, you will eventually realize that you can increase your real estate sales and establish a positive image both to your clients and to the other professionals. Of course, that if you also do and a have a guaranteed SEO.

However, just writing random things on your blog will not get you to your desired outcome. Well, if you are one of those real estate agents and is planning to have a blog, below are the things you should know about real estate blogging.

Pick a great platform

For those who are first timers in blogging, picking a great platform plays a big role in making your blog known to your target clients. Basically, a platform is where you can publish or post your articles about the property that you are selling. One of the most popular platform that you can choose for business blogging is the WordPress. You can definitely write and publish your articles in that platform for free.

WordPress gives you all the tools you need to write. Of course, not just about writing your content but also, you can add pictures or videos to your blog. With that, it gives your blog higher possibilities that your potential clients will be intrigued and interested in your posts. Moreover, WordPress is also a user-friendly platform. So, it is easy for you to use.

Write about topics that encourage both local and national interest

Again, writing contents just for the sake of writing will definitely get you to nowhere. Of course, you are writing about real estate, so you are basically writing about houses such as home improvements, how can one successfully achieve a desirable home, or things a home buyer should know before deciding to invest in a particular property. Don't just write something that is way far from your main focus.

Moreover, incorporating keywords to your contents is also a must! It is in your keyword that helps your potential client find your blog easily. Of course, you also have to choose keywords that are usually or commonly used whenever one searches on the search engine.

Answer questions that people are asking Google

If you have just notice, there are actually thousands of questions that are usually asked repeatedly. However, there are some of the questions that are not answered properly, or people don't even have answers at all. It's a sad thing though, especially when one is desperate enough to know the answers, yet enough Google can find the right answer to their questions. However, the cycle will definitely be broken if you just have a blog where you can answer their queries.

Moreover, when one notices that you have the answer, people will get interested in your blog and of course, in you as a real estate agent. Again, blogging can increase your presence online and can boost your image as a realtor.

Become a local expert

Basically, you cannot write something if you don't have any idea at all. If you want to increase your image as a real estate agent online and to boosts your sales, you can start locally. Of course, you definitely know a lot about your area, right? So, better start with giving information based on the area or field of expertise that you have. With that, you know by heart what you want to say to your potential clients.

Get familiar with social media marketing

When it gets down to blogging, it is not enough that you only know things about real estates. You also have the need to know and get familiar with social media marketing and how you can promote your business online. Of course, knowing and learning SEO is one of the things you should know for you to gain your presence online.

Rules in Holding Meetings Effectively

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Team huddles, weekly conferences, business rendezvous, and project consultations— holding a meeting takes on so many diverse monikers, but one thing is for sure whether you are working in a medical corporation or a digital marketing agency, holding meetings is pivotal to having a functional and efficient workforce. Holding meetings ensure that every single individual involved in a particular project is updated with whatever developments and breakthroughs the team has been making.

Additionally, it is also an effective way to keep tabs on your co-workers with regards to your designated project and be aware of every involved person’s contribution.  However, all these will be for naught when meetings are held ineffectively and apart from that, you will be wasting valuable company time.

More often than not, companies no longer hold meetings as frequently as they did before because they view this as something that would eat time that could be designated for something that would ensure productive results. In essence, some companies would view meetings as an avenue for small talk without establishing any real breakthroughs and advances by its resolution. The sentiments are admittedly true when certain objectives are not ascertained prior to the conference, but when you complement thorough meeting objectives with certain conference rules, your meetings will not only be effective, but it makes for more productivity.

If you are wondering what some of these rules are, take a look below and see if there are some rules you would like to establish during your meetings.

RULE NUMBER 1: RUN YOUR MEETINGS AS YOU WOULD HAVE OTHERS RUN THE MEETINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO ATTEND 

In essence, this rules talks about consideration. This is the Golden Rule of Meeting Management and is probably the most fundamental meeting rule above all. Be considerate of your meeting attendees as they have designated a fraction of their times just to convene with you. To illustrate, say you are running the meeting, imagine what it would be like for your meeting attendees had the roles been reversed and you were the one attending this particular meeting instead of conducting it. If there is something that you do not like (perhaps the way you dilly-dally on small topics) then maybe you should revamp your technique.

RULE NUMBER 2: CREATE A REALISTIC AGENDA 

No meeting should ever be held without an agenda or else, you and your co-workers would not establish anything by the end of your convention. One thing to consider is that if it is not important enough to create a written agenda, then perhaps it is not important enough to attend. Remember, you are interrupting people from doing valuable work for the company, so be ascertain that your agenda is something incredibly significant or important.
Contemplate about the various topics to be covered and have a timeframe of how the meeting should flow and as much as possible, stick to the agenda and to the time frame you have established.

RULE NUMBER 3: TAKE WRITTEN MINUTES

Regardless of the number of people attending—whether there would only be as few as two people attending the meeting or as many as a dozen, a person must be designated to take the meeting’s written minutes. This would provide the meeting attendees with context. Additionally, it would apprise those who were not able to attend of the meeting’s developments. Do not record every single thing said in the meeting, instead, list the crucial decisions and action items. This would ensure that should anyone have a disagreement later, or would refute some of the items agreed on the meeting, misunderstanding may be cleared through a thorough review of the minutes.

RULE NUMBER 4: STAY ON TOPIC 

Remember, you are holding a business meeting, you are not interrupting people for a simple office chit-chat. Although going off tangent is inevitable during meetings, everyone has the equal responsibility to stay on track. When something like this occurs in your meeting, someone should gently direct the meeting back to the agenda items.


These four simple rules can drastically change how your meetings will progress, and it would make your meetings more productive. Remember, improving the quality of your meetings takes work, but if you think a meeting overhaul should be made then do it. Meetings consume a lot of resources and interrupt the flow of work after all. The more efficient your meetings are, the better you return on investment will be.

Five Ways to Find More Blog/Content Ideas

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Content creation is undeniably difficult: whether you are writing for a major newspaper, crafting content for social media or simply creating posts for your designated online marketing agency.

Creating fresh and riveting content is not as easy as some people make it to be and does not exactly have a straightforward formula for success. With the Internet teeming with so much blog posts and ideas similar to your own, it can be rather taxing and challenging to come up with innovative and though-provoking novel posts. Sure, it may seem like a great idea to find a trending topic online, exploit it by writing something similar to it on your own. Well, this might come as a disappointment but using that recipe for content creation is going to guarantee you disastrous results—not because you have written something analogous but more on the fact that you will have a lot of difficulties generating viewership and readership as your page will be buried beneath posts similar to yours.

So, with this pressing dilemma at hand, just how do you find more content or blogging ideas for your posts?

1.)    MAKE A MENTAL INVENTORY OF CLIENTS’ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

Clients are inevitably going to ask you more and more questions as you continue to produce and generate more posts covering a wide array of topics. Some of their questions have a similar tone and in essence, share the same nature in the query. Once you have generated enough questions that are of the same trend, then capitalize on it by writing a blog post about it. If there is one way to guarantee you readership, this is it as your clients would want to be apprised of the answers to their queries. Start collating your clients’ frequently asked questions today and have an inventory of them so that when your idea well runs dry, you can pick it out from this hub of questions.

2.)    DO RANDOM GOOGLE SEARCHES 

You can never go wrong with randomly searching for topics on the world’s largest search engine. Suppose you are given a set of keywords to produce content for, do no simply write those keywords in the search bar and expect stellar results. Brainstorm on the topics surrounding a given keyword and contemplate about the interesting posts you can potentially write. When you are done, do some random Google searches regarding the idea formulated in your head but do not just stop there, loiter on social media platforms and sniff around for trending topics that might relate to yours.

3.)    WRITE A SERIES 

Take advantage of your past successful posts by creating a series that speaks of only one theme. In this way, you can guarantee that readers will always come back for more content from you and would gladly anticipate the next post of your series. Piggyback subsequent posts on past successful posts and expand on your success.

4.)    INSERT INFOGRAPHICS IN CREATING YOUR POST 

This has been trending recently, and more and more blog posts have been utilizing this novel technique. Insert infographic into your posts instead of telling your readers about the information you have gathered. They are as equally informative as a blog enriched with verbal explanations, but the bonus is that it is easier to comprehend read and has visual aesthetic value.

5.)    TRY LISTING "ABC" PROMPTS 

Craft an expansive list that covers a multitude of topics utilizing all the letters of the alphabet as first letters to your topic prompt. This is extremely valuable as it allows you to have at least twenty-six posts you can work with. Commence your list with the letter “A” and proceed down the alphabet. It may be harder to look for topics for some of the letters but with a little creativity, it is possible. Do this for any subject, and then once you are done, simply repeat the process.

 

Four Essential Skills a Content Writer Must Possess

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People seemed to be under the misguided belief that all it takes to be a brilliantly skilled content writer is to possess an excellent command of the English language, a notable flair for writing with just the right touch of passion to top it off. Well, being a content writer takes a lot more than those three combined it seems.

Not that any of those three attributes are not exactly as imperative as they were before or that they are of diminutive value--it is just that it takes more than just decent composition skills and a passion for writing to be a successful content writer nowadays. The true nature of content writing has evolved over the years, and this is especially true for content writers who specialize in link building services.

It seems that writing decent posts alone is a skill that barely scratches the surface of what it takes to be successful in content marketing. Succinctly put, a concrete definition of content marketing is the strategic marketing approach that is mainly focused on creating and distributing content for the end-goal of marketing that is to drive profitable customer action.

Now, you might think that generating content may be relatively easy. However, the creation of compelling content is much more difficult than it was before owing to the fact of content explosion online. Now more than ever, there has been a vast proliferation of content that for a single post you make there are about a hundred more so posts similar to it. So with the genesis of content superfluity, what kind of skills should a content writer possess in order to compete?

IMPECCABLE WRITING SKILLS 

This much is obvious.

After all, you are not only representing your brand through your posts but you are also working for an industry where the advertisements of your product are conveyed through your writing.  Decent writing skills will not get you very far; you are writing to drive profitable customer action into your designated websites—not your everyday English assignment or term paper. Impeccable writing skills would include a vast array of skills such as unimpeachable grammatical, spelling and spelling skills. Complement these skills with advanced skills such as the ability to create easy-to-read contents, the capacity to make seamless writing transitions, etc.

REASONABLE AWARENESS OF USER EXPERIENCE 

Content writers should be empathetic towards their readers by considering how their posts are perceived through their end. These posts are not only conveyed through a computer screen— but they are also translated through a mobile device, within a blog template, Twitter, etc. Although, many might insist that content writers should know everything there is about SEO and optimization, this is not necessarily what it means to be aware of user experience. In essence, having an awareness of user experience means that a writer should have a reasonable knowledge of how the users interact with their websites. With this in mind, writers should craft their posts by using their designated keywords in a way that it would make sense based on the user, topic, the main focus of the blog and other relevant features.

CATCHY HEADLINE CREATIONS 

This bears no explanation as it seems rather apparent as to why catchy headline creations are necessary. However, to elaborate and drive the point home it is important to realize just how much competition you have online that having your posts read by users may seem like an impossibility if they have to sift through hundreds of posts similar to it. So with that in mind, just how are you going to herd potential readers into your post? To illustrate, say you have a post regarding interior decorating; if you title this as “Ways to Decorate Your Living Room,” you are sure to find a dozen or more so posts similar to it that yours will be buried under several pages in the search pages. Instead, think of a creative way to make your headlines—make it catchy, play with words, be creative.

MARKETING AWARENESS 

The writer should be aware of his or her unique and strategic position in writing posts for marketing. They should be aware of how to gauge their audience and base their writings from their respective receptions to their posts. This is because content writers are not just simply writers with the creative freedom to write as they please but rather they are constrained to the position wherein they write about topics that would sell their products the most. This compounded with excellent writing skills would make for compelling content.


The bar is not set impossibly high for content writers that it would seem unrealistic to be a successful one. However, it is a reality that content writing is now immensely different than what it was before, and content writers need to realize that and make the necessary changes, acquire the necessary skills and polish their existing one in order to make it in this industry. Keep polishing your skills and never stop improving and you will get far.

From the Experts: Tips to Find the Right Office Space For Your Startup

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If you think that starting up a business such as an SEO Company is just a piece of cake, then you better think again. And whether you agree with me on this or not, it is in starting up a business when everything you do needs to have an extra time, effort and money for you to achieve the right start up. Of course, you have to think about the where you should put up your business, and what kind of employees are you going to hire.

Before you can start a particular business, you need an office space to open it officially up. Without such, it is impossible for you to deliver effectively the right atmosphere where a working place should be. Well, if you are one of those people who are planning to put up his/her business, then below are some tips and ideas for you to be guided on what to do to find the right office space.

Know how much space you need

Before you can decide on what kind of office space you want to have, you also have the need to determine the size needed for your office space. If you think that you are going to hire a few employees for a starting, then you also have a smaller or enough office space for you to effectively and productively accomplish a particular task. Moreover, if you don't need to have a bigger space for your office, then better choose just enough space for you. That is for you to save a lot of money when it comes to monthly payments.

Be considerate of your employees

A productive employee would also mean a happy employee. And one of the factors that contribute to the fact that they are in the mood for work is because of their working place that is near to the place where they live. You don't want to see them arriving too tired early in the morning, right? For you to avoid this kind of situation, you should also choose an office space where it is convenient for each employee to travel to and fro on a regular basis. With that, they still have the energy to do their respective tasks.

Be open to subleasing an office

Most business, if not all, usually don't have enough profit yet. Before you can have a particular office space, you have the need to convince the bank or the landlord that you are going to sublease the place. Well, you can convince them that you are going to pay in a month to month basis, or more rarely by week to week basis. With that, they will know and feel that you are determined to put up your business, and for you to achieve that, you still need an office space.

Work with the people you trust

Before you decide to have a particular office space, one of the things you should and never forget is to be cautious with who you ask with when it comes to your inquiries on a particular office space. Of course, there are people who tend to know something about it, yet they don't have any authority to over the place at all. Considering people nowadays, asking a particular thing to a stranger should be avoided. Well, for you to prevent such unfortunate situation, you have to make sure that you ask the right person. You should ask a landlord or straight to the owner of the office space. With that, you know that you are in good hands when you decide to rent their office space.

Make sure you don't end up with an awful landlord

If you think that all landlords are good and considerate, then you better think again. There are a lot of landlords who don't have any considerations at all, even if you are still starting a business. Well, before you decide to have that particular space, if you have a gut feeling that that landlord is not that good, then you should not pursue the investments. When you do, you, your employees and even your business might compromise because of the landlord that is not that considerate regarding the monthly dues and other things that need discussion.

Starting a business can also be fun when you know and sure of the things that you need to do. Of course, business is a business. And you need to do all you can for you to be able to achieve your business growth successfully. Moreover, never practice deciding impulsively. You need to think twice or even thrice before decide with a particular thing.

5 Effective Ways to Get Through Your To-Do List

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Everybody struggles with the time management. Right? Who doesn't? We all have a lot of things to do. And sometimes, we can't even determine which of our tasks is the most important thing to prioritize, since our tasks are all important. I'm sure, a lot of us here can relate to this kind of situation. Like us, even marketers who are working in a digital marketing agency, they also struggle when it comes to the time management.

Some of you here have already found ways on how you can achieve the desired time management that you are aiming. Well, they usually go with the to-do list. Of course, having a to-do list can help you in prioritizing your tasks. But let's still admit! There are just times that we can't avoid not following the things that are in our to-do list. That is why, some of you here won't go for the to-do listings.

However, if you are a kind of person who is determined to have a change in his/her time management, then below are some effective ways on how you can get your to-do listings.

Prioritize the list

Before starting your work each day, you should give a minute to reflect and determine which of the tasks that you are working that needs to be on the top priority. If you think that the tasks you are working are all top priority, then you better think again and again. There will always be particular tasks that need your attention first rather than the others. Well, weighing that of your task is more important is one of the things that you should do to make sure that you are listing it for the to-do list properly.

Estimate how long each item on your list will take complete

One of the reasons why we don't usually finish our task is because we don't have a timeframe on what particular time should you stop and wrap things for a particular task. Well, if you want to make things faster, you should know if this kind of tasks needs an ample amount of time since it needs some deep thinking and all. However, if you think that a particular task can be done in just minutes, then don't waste your time doing other things. You have to focus to make things done easier and faster.

Use your calendar

Aside from the time frame that you have, you should also consider using a calendar. With that, you will know the deadline of a particular task, and when you should finish it. However, there is a caveat, though, if your calendar doesn't match with the items on your to-do list, and then there must be some mistakes on listing your top priority. Scheduling your task on when you should do it is one of the things you should highly consider. Of course, you don't want to have some panic whenever the deadline of your task is drawing near.

Don't pack your schedule

We all understand that we have a lot of things to think and do, but it doesn't mean that you are going to do and finish it within one day. Well, if that particular task is so simple, then you can move on to the next task that you have. However, if you think that all you have a lot of things to work on within a day, then don't add another task to your to-do list. Let's be honest here. We can't accomplish all of our tasks within a day. Of course, we also need to take a break from work to have enough energy to do another task.

Get help

Whether you like it or not, we need to have a helping hand from our colleague or workmate. We can't do the task alone, especially when the task involves some technical matters and you don't have any idea about it at all. Moreover, if you ask some help with them, it will make your task easier and faster and with lesser mistakes.

And one thing, for you to successfully achieve all the things you include in your to-do list, you should also have discipline and the right attitude towards your work. If you are a kind of person who is determined enough to finish the task, then you will achieve the right outcome.

The Top Predicted SEO Trends of 2015

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The year is almost coming to an end, and before we officially wrap up the year, it is time to take a look back and review one of the most overlooked marketing strategies in the web that is none other than search engine optimization. For companies looking to build their product or specializing in link building services, SEO is quite a crucial aspect in their marketing strategies and this current year, we will review some of the biggest trends that have made an impact on search engine optimization itself and the digital world.

It is worthy to note that SEO has rapidly been evolving in the past four years where algorithms frequently change making search engine optimization even more necessary to match the new standards set. As the strategy evolved, it became more holistic and integrated almost everyone involved in digital media to assist in achieving the same task that is to optimize a website appropriately.

So before 2015 draws to a close, let us take a look back at some of the predicted trends of search engine optimization.

MOBILE COMPATIBILITY 

Seeing as how most users surf the Internet through their phones, access social media apps on smartphones and are basically glued to their phones, it is only inevitable that Google makes the pivotal move of penalizing any webpages that do not provide sufficient optimization for mobile. Simply stated, this was the year where a mobile takeover happened and where mobile optimization was far more frequent than desktop ones. Essentially, as mobile usage constantly decreases, SEO strategies need to keep up to suit the needs, demands, and requirements of these consumers.
Additionally, mobile and desktop algorithms are inordinately different making it imperative to comprehend how each works to have a competitive advantage.

CONTENT OPTIMIZATION VIA VIDEOS 

A picture may paint a thousand words, but a video can definitely say a lot more. In fact, as research would have it, consumers tend to purchase a product or avail of a service after watching a video. The creativity and ingenuity in crafting and creating videos may not be as easy as it is in writing written content, but they do go a long way. Quality audiovisuals complemented with the appropriate descriptions and hashtags will do well for a brand, and if it goes viral, the odds of purchasing power are even higher.

MORE IMPORTANCE WILL BE PLACED ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK

Seeing as Google+ failed to generate that much-needed attention from users, Google is prompted to include other social media juggernauts such as Facebook and Twitter as determining factors of a company’s SEO strategy. With the integration of social media into SEO, it is not only essential but imperative to create content for various social media platforms rather than zeroing focus on one. Google is known to reward brands for this by pushing them at the very top of the search page.

BRAND MENTIONS

Brand mentions and citations have become as powerful as links. Fresh manuals from Google has shifted its focus towards recognizing brand mentions as more important seeing as that in the past link building was over exploited and utilized by brands. This year, it has become important to mention your brand in any content you post online whether it may be in social media, blogs or web content if you want it out there and recognized.

SEO FOCUSES MORE ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS RATHER THAN STRATEGY 

SEO campaigns are extremely varied. However, for this year, it has definitely been more rewarding to be more humanized. Building relationships with potential customers, users and consumers, internal clients, suppliers, influences and even the competition has become rather important. Considering that brand mentions are as big as links, it only makes sense that by building relationships, you can increase the frequency of mentions and your respective online performance.



2015 has introduced innovations in search optimization and from here on then; it only looks like SEO is going to progress even further in its evolution. Consider that SEO is a tool of constant change which is why it is essential to keep tabs on any information that might be useful in your marketing strategy. Always keep an ear out for any Google updates or anything that might be relevant to the progress of SEO and you will continue to stay on top of the game.

Blogging 101: Design Ideas to Make Your Blog Stand Out

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The Internet is teeming with blogs and for every topic you can think of, you can be assured that there are dozens if not hundreds alike to yours. So when competition is this stuff and with the online community inundated with millions of content each day, how does one compete? True enough, bloggers have all sung praises and lived by the proverbial adage of “content is king” and while having epic content is the crux of every blogger’s designated website, it is not necessarily sufficient.

The bitter truth is:  great content may give your blog that much needed meat that it needs, but it would fail to garner notice amidst the deluge of other blogs and write-ups similar to it. And if you want your blog to grab that much-needed attention from the online community, you are going to have to look a lot further than providing great content—you would also need to call their attention.

So how is this achievable? Well, a few tweaks and design innovations are essential to draw attention, and when you have adequately done this, you need to find a way to maintain it. Your online followers, fickle as they are, can get easily sidetracked, distracted and bored so if you have a tedious design, chances are they would not be sticking around. If you are looking for ideas on how to go about this, read on as this article provides you with different design tips you can utilize on your blog website.

ALLURING AND ATTRACTIVE WEBSITE NAVIGATION

Having great website navigation, one that is equally alluring and user-friendly plays a pivotal role in making online readers stay on your blog. Blogs that have clunky navigation often confuse potential readers and turn off visitors making them less likely ever to visit your blog again. So tweak your navigation design, a great way to start is to base this on the overall theme of your blog. In this way, it will feel more personalized and will make more of an impact on your audience.

INCORPORATE ATTENTION GRABBING FOOTERS 

Most bloggers make the vast oversight of neglecting to spruce up their footers with the mistaken notion that readers hardly ever notice it. But the reality is, many people actually do take a look at footers. Find a fantastic way to end your blog and spice it up to give it a nice touch.

DEDICATE A SPACE THAT TALKS ABOUT YOU 

People who would be reading your blogs would most likely want to get to know the author behind those posts. Essentially, having an “about the author” section in your blog gives them an insider view of the purveyor of the interesting posts they have read. After all, it is comparatively more practical to tell them about the author than just having your name written at the end of your post. Add a small avatar as well to make things look personal.

DESIGNATE A BREAKING NEWS FEATURE 

Designating space for a breaking news feature allows your readers to direct their attention to the current events, issues and things that are happening which are in relation to the theme of your blog.  It gives your content a certain urgency and importance that would update your readers regarding current developments.

A SEARCH BAR 

Most blogs typically do not incorporate this feature to their blogs but what they have failed to factor in is the fact that recurring readers would not want to be encumbered with scouring through all your content just to find a particular post. Integrate this feature into your blog and give your returning readers an ease of access to the previous posts they want to read.

UTILIZE A COLLAGE FOR YOUR BACKGROUND 

Collage style backgrounds are trendy and are pleasing to the eyes. Additionally, this is a surefire way to make your website stand out and will give your blog that much needed visual aesthetics. Realistically, your audience is there for your content but it helps if you provide them with great imagery. So with that in mind, use a collage as a backdrop but do not go overboard lest it detracts your readers attention away from your content.


Keeping your blog interesting, up to date and relevant does not have to be hard as shown above. However, a word of caution: Although, blog customization allows for a more personal feel and would make a more striking and impacting impression on your audience, make sure you customize with moderation. Do not go too overboard and introduce all of the customizations you can think of into your blog as it will leave it looking unprofessional and clunky. Strike a balance and your blog should definitely stand out.

Why Joining an SEO Training Program is a Great Idea

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Achieving a guaranteed SEO is not that easy as you think it is. Agree? For some people, especially for starters, making a blog or website rank higher on the search engine is going to be a struggle on their part. And I'll tell you, the struggle is real! If you want your target audience to notice your blog, you'll be doing SEO strategies for you to achieve the desired traffic. Well, if you are one of those people who are still struggling, then joining SEO training Philippines would come in handy.

Some of you here might not agree when it comes to spending time and effort in joining such programs, since perhaps, all the information they need to know can already found online. So why bother spending, right? However, do you know that there will be a lot of advantages when you learn about SEO? To give you some idea of how it can be to your benefit, below are some examples of advantages you can get when you do such.

Increase motivation and engagement

An SEO training program will not be complete when there are no activities where aspiring marketers can get involve. Of course, it is where you can actively engage in the things you have just learned. And for you to fully understand what you have learned, it is best for you to volunteer and joined workshops. With that, you will be motivated to engage more in the activities they have for you.

Moreover, the feeling that you have the knowledge of doing SEO is going to be one of your fulfillments in your career. Who would not want to that, right? And mind you, when you are motivated to do SEO, the more SEO engagements you do.

Improve knowledge and skill set

When we talk about SEO Training Program, its main purpose is to improve the knowledge and skill set of an aspiring marketer. They will teach on how to enhance your communication skills, the importance of listening to the customer, problem-solving approaches and the need to organize. Of course, it doesn't just end up regarding customer services. They will also guide you on the basic SEO strategies to effectively and successfully rank your blog and website on the search engine.

If you think that you still don't understand on a particular strategy, you have all the rights to raise a question or any concerns that you have. With that, they will answer and let you clearly understand that particular strategy. Well, that is the perks of joining an SEO training program.

Boost confidence and morale

When you enter the world where doing SEO is a must, you better also get ready to enter a competitive world. For you to be on the move, you should also be competitive any many ways. And of course, it is impossible for you to rank above them if you don't have any knowledge and confidence that you can be on the top rank in the search engine. However, joining an SEO training program can help boost your confidence and morale, since you already know and understand how a particular SEO strategy works.

Boosts your audience's satisfaction

If you have an SEO knowledge, you will most likely pass it down to your audience regarding your blogs posts, on how you treat and value their opinions, and through giving and satisfying them with the information or interesting topics for a good read. Of course, you can't successfully and effectively do those things if you don't have the right knowledge on how to grab your audience's attention. It is also your duty to make their read worthwhile.

Improves your reputation and standing

When your target audience like you as a marketer or even as an individual, they will most likely recommend your blog to their families and friends. Some of them will even share your blog post on their social media accounts. With that, your reputation and standing as a marketer will gradually improve. Moreover, the more people who will notice your blog, the more people will most likely follow you. Well, it's real to your benefit.

For Marketers: You Need To Stop Doing These 4 Time-Wasting Habits

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Procrastination is the number one enemy of productivity. This is the time where we tend to unconsciously and consciously do things that hinder being productive.  Although we all know that doing things that are not in line with our work is not a good idea, we still continue to do these things since perhaps, it's just simply a temptation.  Sad to say, even marketers who are working in a digital marketing agency Philippines, they also can't escape procrastination sometimes. And I'll tell you, it is still ongoing.

As a marketer, we always have to know that the amount of time we have every single day is very limited. We don't have the luxury of time, especially when we are aiming for a high-quality traffic on our blog posts or websites. However, there are things that keep us from doing the right thing to do – and that's being productive.

Well, if you are one of those people who are struggling and wondering why things aren't getting done on time, then you might be procrastinating whether you realized it or not. For you to know the things that keep you busy without being productive, then below are some examples of those.

1. Trying to do everything yourself

If you are not a believer in the statement ‘no man is an island', then this time, you better do. As a marketer, it is a normal thing for you to have a lot of things to think of and do. And that includes on how you are going to manage and divide your time for you to accomplish the things that need to accomplish. However, there are just times that you need a helping hand to make the work easier and faster. It is in those helping hands where you can do a lot without worry about forgetting important matters.

2. Saying ‘Yes' to everything

Saying yes might be a good thing to do. It is also in the 'Yes' where we can find good opportunities to try. However, it is also in the 'Yes' where we can find our downfall. Of course, saying yes to everything is a dangerous thing to do. And as a marketer, you have to be very careful on to what and who are you going to give your yeses. Moreover, saying yes without knowing a specific plan or the overall idea on a particular matter will lead you to disappointments, anxieties, uncertainties and stress. And I'll tell you, experiencing these kinds of disturbance is not healthy physically and mentally.

3. Waiting for perfection

To those people who are waiting for perfection, you better stop waiting for perfection doesn't exist if you wait for it. It is in committing mistakes you can achieve perfection. It might not be that perfect but at least, it is close to perfection. Moreover, waiting for perfection is one of the many excuses marketers tend to have when they are not motivated enough to do and try a particular strategy. If they think that a particular strategy won't work out, they just sit and do nothing, rather than trying and making it work. These kinds of people who wait for perfection will not succeed unless they change their attitude and approach towards their goal.

4. Allowing distractions to constantly interrupt your day

I believe, we are all guilty of this! Of course, who would not be tempted to open his/her phone with expectations that there are messages in their inbox? Or tries to open their social media accounts if there are any interesting and engaging topics that are in trend? Or even secretly conversing with their friends, crush or boyfriends/girlfriends on messenger? Well, I couldn't agree more since I too sometimes tend to do those things. But do you know that allowing these distractions interrupt our work contributes to being a procrastinator?

Yes, this might sound harsh but we are already procrastinating in such a way that we can't focus and give our one hundred percent attention to our work. And sometimes, due to our negligence, this can lead to a poor quality of our work. And I'm sure you don't want them to name you as a procrastinator. Right?

What Top Bloggers Do Differently to Succeed

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You stare in frustration and mild consternation at your screen as you watch your blog linger away in insignificance.  How is it that some blogs gain so much readership and success while yours is rotting in some obscure part of the net? What are these writers and bloggers doing differently that you have failed to pick up on?

Is there a secret technique to have your blog read more widely?

Bloggers who do it for fun do not seem to care so much. But if you are doing this because you are associated with link building services or are perhaps garnering pecuniary support from advertisers, then you need to switch it up.  Success in blogging is converted to a loyal following and higher readership rate.  The crucial things to think about is not to think whether or not your blog stands a chance of being read or being ranked; you should believe your blog to be already that instead.

So what sets these top bloggers and writers apart? What makes their blogs truly successful? Read on and find out.

PICK A BLOG TOPIC CAREFULLY 

There is an endless stream of content on the net and every single day, it gets inundate with an avalanche of more blogs and write-ups. So how do you compete? Well, your initial course of action is to meticulously pick a topic—one you think is of high caliber. Additionally, you should consider that for every topic you select and write about, a hundred—if not a thousand more similar to yours already exist. A great tip would be to scour the net for top blogs and content sources, weight them and assess them for you to determine whether or not there is an applicable gap where you could fill in. Take advantage of that and exploit that and utilize that in your blog.

HAVE OBJECTIVES

Like any undertaking, you should set long-term, and short-term goals as these will help you track your overall progress.  This is all the more imperative if you are working for a company and as it is, your goals should be parallel to the voice or the message your company wants to convey. Create, define and employ specific goals for your blog and align them with your objectives.

COME UP WITH A DEFINITIVE PLAN FOR CONTENT CREATION

Blogging does not only require you to get behind a computer and start typing away whenever the urge to write consumes you. It requires you to create a plan for your blog—one that will make your readers more receptive to reading from you again and again. Develop a calendar where you can cover core and key topics weekly that would meet the needs of your readers and followers adequately. Publish them regularly as well to make sure you stay relevant.

HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR READERS AND THEIR NEEDS

Who is the primary audience of your blog? Who makes it relevant? What are their needs? These are key questions you must answer before you can truly comprehend what your readers want you to write about. Consider that your blog is for your audience’s benefit and consumption. It should encompass more than your primary market and extend itself beyond prospects and customers. Semantics aside, your blog should be inclusive of the needs of your prospective readers which may differ from what you occasionally write about. Appreciate comments and feedbacks, apart from it being free market research, it propels you to the right path in your content creation.

QUALITY CONTENT, NOT QUANTITY IS KEY 

A significant aphorism that most bloggers are acquainted with is “Content is King”. The truth in this statement still resonates until today. There is no better way to build a good following and a loyal base of readership than creating quality content—ones that make an impact and are relevant. Do not write content for the sake of writing content and meeting up a weekly quota lest you sound like a redundant content provider. Instead, provide the actionable information that you audience actively seeks—product information, customer FAQs, how-to lists, reviews—the list is endless. Take note, a top blogger consciously creates better information, not more information.

The logistics of being a top blogger may not always be straightforward, and the reality is, other blogs—especially ones written by seasoned bloggers get to read more than the obscure ones written by writers new to the industry. But taking these tips is a start, and it might just be the five failsafe ways to get your blog out there and read.

Essential Features a Blog Should Have

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Blogging has now become a rather commonplace feature on the web.

At almost every nook and cranny of the Internet, you can find a write up about almost any topic you can think of.  In this modern age of digital evolution where everyone seems to be going paperless, blogging has become one of the conduits for a successful content marketing.  A smart digital marketing agency would massively exploit this and use this modern avenue of writing for launching various products or services. 

However, launching a successful blog is not as straightforward as bloggers would want it to be. There are some blog posts that inexplicably get neglected and unread while there are some of the more effective ones that get more views by the day. You might ask what the secret is, a simple, direct answer would be: Fresh, great and riveting content. Without this imperative factor, all of the effort you have put into crafting your blog post will be all for naught. Assuming you already have the appropriate, interesting content, you find yourself inadequate in terms of readership. Well, the reality is, no matter how amazing your content is if you have not covered all the necessities and essential features a blog should have, your readership would largely be insufficient.

So what are these lesser known features that your blog should have? Read on and let this article walk you through the often overlooked facets a successful blog should have.

LINKS TO SOCIAL PROFILES

People online have stalked someone over social media at some point. Though not necessarily a priority for every blog, your readers would thank you if you gave them links to your public profiles on either of the many social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Etc. The simple reason is that your readers would want to know the person behind the articles and perhaps, they would want to discover and unearth for themselves the other articles you may have written which you might consistently feature on these social media websites. 

A NOTICEABLE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON

And while on the subject of readers wanting to read more of your content, it would only make sense if they desired to be notified should you update your blog or post something new. Assumingly, you would want the same thing as you invested the time to create a blog and write posts that you would want read. If this were to be the case, then your readers need to know that you have released new content, and the easiest way to achieve this is to have them—no, rather encourage them to subscribe to your blog employing a noticeable subscribe button. Make it stand out and conspicuous enough that your readers would not hesitate to click on it. 

Do not hide it underneath a block of text—make it easier for your readers to find you again should they want to read more from you.

Additionally, you should give your readers the option to subscribe via email.

CATEGORY PAGES

Your readers, potential subscribers and visitors would not want to scour your entire blog page just to find that single blog post their friend told them about or had recommended to them by word of mouth. Moreover, a majority of your readers are interested in several topics you may have written about but do not necessarily want to go over each and every blog post you have written. Organize your blog posts into categories and help your readers find the post they want to read best. Do not simply lump them together and give them a rather taxing time trying to find that one post—you will lose readership this way.

SOCIAL SHARING ICONS IN BLOG POSTS

The more your blog gets read, the better. And what better way would there be than to have it shared multiple times on social media? Sure, this is something you can easily do yourself by sharing it multiple times on Facebook and flooding Twitter. But let us face it, that would be shameless self-promotion, and your friends and followers would waste no time hiding your future posts. Give this avenue of sharing to your readers instead and feature a button that allows them to share your blog posts on popular social media websites.

A FEATURE BOX

Designate a place or a box where you feature your most read posts, your most popular post or perhaps, your most recent post. Feature a blog post in there to direct your new readers somewhere. In that way, they will get the natural feel of your blog and would know what to look for the next time they visit.

Blogging is a hit or miss, and as previously stated, the most imperative characteristic a blog post should have is great content. For a failsafe way to succeed in blogging and gain more readership, compound your riveting posts with these features and let your readership grow.

Marketer's Anxieties: 8 Things You Probably Don't Know That Stress Them Out

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Do you know that being a marketer is also stressful? Even if most marketers are working in a prestigious digital marketing agency, they still can't escape situations that makes them anxious and stressed out. Although some situations are considered minor for some people, but for marketers, these minor things can already make a great impact on their career if not taken care of immediately. Like any other jobs, working as a marketer is not a joke.

Whether you like it or not, marketer's role is not for everybody. There are certain qualifications that make up a good marketer – which sometimes leads to marketer's physical or mental pressure. And if you can't take serious pressures, then you probably are not fit for the position.

Marketers also worry. Of course, it is a normal thing to experience even if you are not a marketer. However, there are certain things you probably don't know about what makes a marketer stressed out. Well, you'll find out below:

1. Access to capital

We all do know money is very important. You cannot do business when you don't have enough money for your capital. And it's not all the times that marketers can keep the cash flow to pay their bills and workers. There are even times they seek help from loans just to keep their business going. And this is one of their financial concerns.

2. Pending promises

The promises made by the marketers are very vital. It Can make or destroy their career. If they lie on a particular promise, or even if it is a simple or minor situation that marketers was not able to manage the said promise, this might not be a good idea to retain a good reputation of their company. Of course, they are the face of their respective companies.

3. Making decisions

Like committing to promises, making decisions are also vital to marketers. Even making the smallest decision, it can change their entire career. Whether their business will grow or a failure, it will all depend on the decision making of the marketer. And mind you, overthinking can also cause some fatigue and can negatively interfere with your mental health.

4. Staying strong as leader

Being a leader can sometimes give you a satisfying feeling, but with the sense of responsibility. As a marketer, you should not show your weakness to your co-workers or employees. Yes, it is normal for you to feel that way since being a leader can also mean pressure. But if they see you weak, they will labelled you incompetent and not fit for being a leader. If there are anything that troubles you, it is also your duty to remain calm, positive and contained when it comes to the decision that you are going to make.

5. Clients

One of the reasons why marketing business is going strong is because of the clients. Without any clients at all, it is impossible for the business to grow and continue. And we all know that not every day clients are on its way to conduct some marketing transaction on your business. It is also one of the many things most marketers tend to think about how they are going to make and engage more clients on their business.

6. Nailing a presentation

As a marketer, you have so many things that you need to think of aside from having the presentation. And it is their struggle to organize a messy situation.  The presentation conducted by the marketer can close a deal. Of course, if it's clearly and properly presented. If not, then say goodbye to your clients.

7. Retaining great talent

Marketers know that they cannot do business on their own; they need someone or a team for them to boast a business. And let's admit, choosing the right person with the right capability is hard to find. And with hundreds to thousands of people who are willing to work with you, only a few are worthy of your trust. Not to mention marketer's competitor who is also willing to get what you have, it is also their responsibility to build a good tandem between the marketer and the employee, to avoid any departures or resignations.

8. The unknown

Doing business also means taking a risk. Even if you are not a marketer, doing business will take some of your time, effort, and money. And if you are not careful in handling situations that can ruin your career, then doing business might end up in failure. Facing these unknown or unexpected situations that might come on their way is also a challenge. That is why, marketers also have their back on up plan whenever something is going to be out of its place.

When you enter the world of marketing, you have to expect that all things are not permanent. You have to know that business will eventually make a bang when it comes to its sales. And you also have to know that there are also times a business will become slow and might reach rock bottom. However, it will always depend on how you are going to handle situations that can change everything in your career.

6 Techniques to Blog When You Don't Have Time

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It is a fact that not all bloggers have their luxury of time to do blogging. Some of us here are freelancers who depend on their spare time to update and promote their latest posts while others are full timers who are working in an internet marketing agency. Well, it's a good thing if you are a full-time blogger since you can devote your focus on your work. However, for some, blogging during their free time might not even be enough to create a good blog post.

When you are a blogger, there will always be a time to spare. But how are you going to manage it for you to have a great blog post, considering the fact that there are also so many things for you to attend to? And how sure are you that you can pull that off? This might be an easy task for some bloggers, but if you are one of those bloggers who are still struggling, then this post is definitely for you.
At the end of the day, you will eventually realize that it will all start on how you manage your time. But the real question is – HOW?

1. Schedule your time

Yes, this might sound cliché but it is definitely helpful for freelancers. Scheduling is also a form of managing your time. For instance, if you are morning writer who tends to write with a cup of coffee, then you might want to use that particular time. Instead of drinking your coffee alone, why not pair it with writing your first draft? With that, you are maximizing your time.

Aside from optimizing your free time, you can also make a post calendar. This will help you guide on what and when you are going to do the writing, editing, posting and marketing.

2. Reduce how often you post – or reduce your post lengths

Blogging must be timely. And having a daily blog post is definitely a good way to stay visible on social media, but it doesn't mean that is a compulsory for you to do such. Most bloggers, especially freelancers, do their publishing twice or thrice a week. It is not a bad thing at all. In fact, this helps them have an ample time to think of another interesting and engaging topic for their audience. With this method, you can create posts that are both concise and search engine friendly.

Moreover, if you are too concern of your word count, then you better stop worrying about it! When you do, you will be more focused on how many words have you made already than on the topic and/or content that you are writing. And sometimes, this will lead you to a messy and crappy content.

3. Don't ignore your ideas

Have you ever notice or experience that whatever we do, and wherever we go, there will always be an idea that will suddenly pop up on our mind? Or even reading some interesting posts online, then suddenly you came up with an interesting topic? Jot it down immediately – that for you not to forget. Of course, every idea that you have is important. Well, just make sure that you know which of your ideas are worth writing and posting. And if you don't want to waste your effort in blogging, then make sure to have a quality and engaging topic for your audience.

4. Maintain your momentum

When you are in the mood to write, you definitely got to stay away from the temptations and distractions. Diverting your attention to any other things is definitely easy, but going back to your writings again, focusing might be hard on your end. And I'll tell you, you definitely don't want to mess your mind up. Keep the momentum. With that, it will be easier for you to focus on your content and the things that need to be done.

5. Understand your audience

Have you ever experience that you have a hard time thinking on what to write for you audience? Perhaps, it is because you don't know your audience at all. Who are they? Are they kids, teenagers, young adults, adults? When you know who your audience are, you will also know what kind of topic you are going to have. Knowing them will help you focus on a specific topic for a specific group of target audience. With that, you are not wasting your time thinking about the things that you are not sure of.

6. Set social media to auto-post

One of the convenient ways to promote your blog post, especially when you don't have a spare time, is to incorporate media plugins and tools to automatically update your social media. There are actually a lot of tools that you can use. If you are using Facebook, then you can use the Networked Blogs application. Or you can also use TwitterFeed.com to feed you blog's RSS to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Using this kind of method help keep you be more productive.

6 Ways Successful Marketers Overcome Uncertainties

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Whether you like it or not, being uncertain is one of the common feelings we, marketers usually experience. Of course, there are just times that we don't feel confident, especially when it comes to the things that are not on our line of expertise. And doing such might be hard on our end, which leads us to deal with different uncertainties on our work.  Basically, if you are a professional marketer and is working in a digital marketing company in the Philippines, being uncertain with your own work is definitely a no-no!

Yes, being uncertain is a normal emotion we usually feel, but we definitely can avoid these kinds of feelings which hinder the productivity of our work. Avoiding these is not that hard as you think it is, for as long as you have the right discipline when it comes to your approach on the circumstances that you face, then being uncertain has no place on our mind.

However, if you are one of those marketers who are still struggling when dealing their certainties on their work, below are some ways most successful marketers do to overcome it. And yes, it is definitely doable on your end.

1. They replace expectations with plans

One of the reasons why we are uncertain on the particular thing is that, we don't know what will be the outcome of our work. Basically, if you don't have any plans on the things that you need to do, there is nothing to expect at all. Of course, things might become difficult to deal with later on. If you want to be certain of the things that you want to do, then come up with a good and effective plan. That is for you to be certain of the outcome that you want to have.

2. They stay positive

Yes, you already have a good and effective plan, it is just normal for you to think about the unwanted possibilities that might come your way. However, if you are just positive about it and think that it will turn out to be a good and successful plan, then you will also feel positive vibes that you will definitely get the outcome that you want to have.

3. They are prepared for different possibilities

One of the most difficult parts, when you face uncertainties, is that you don't have anything that backs you up. With that, dealing with unwanted situations is definitely be one of your worst nightmares of your career. Yes, you might feel uncertain with the things that you do, but if you have prepared something that can save your plan, then you'll definitely be ok.


4. They focus only on what matters

Multitasking can be helpful on marketer's end. However, there are also times that doing multitask is not going to be applicable on your work since you need to focus on one particular thing, and that alone in order for you to effectively and successful work out your plan. If you focus on one thing, there will be least of uncertainties that might come your way since you carefully plan in advance on the things you need to do when this and/or that happens.

5. They don't seek perfection

Even if they are already successful in the field of marketing, they all know that they still have the need to learn more every single day. Of course, every day is a learning experience. That is why, they don't ignore every change that they have just to have a knowledge on that particular matter. And if they think that there is someone who is better and/or knowledgeable than them, they don't feel insecure about it, instead, they also want to learn something from that particular person.

6. They don't dwell on problems

Marketers definitely know that one way or another, they will eventually experience problems in the process of doing marketing. However, they also know that in every problem that they might face, there will also be a solution that they can apply to a specific problem. Of course, they don't stick or dwell with it. Instead, they try to solve it and move on to the next phase of their marketing career.

SEO 101: Optimizing For “Other” Search Engines

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Despite what the naysayers may say search engine optimization is still very much alive. And today, it remains as one of the many Internet processes that drive the most traffic to particular websites. Additionally, with the recent web developments modern technology has made and with the different updates that have been made for SEO, it has showed no signs of slowing down so far.

However, with so much SEO companies specializing in link building services, competition remains stiff and relentless. In order to keep up with the steady competition, various SEO companies would need to think of ingenious ways to revamp and update their SEO strategies. They keep up with Google’s updates and constantly come up with fresh techniques that would keep them relevant and on Google’s good list. But, this is a vast oversight most SEO companies make.

By focusing on search engine juggernaut Google, most SEO companies neglect to polish and optimize their sites for other search engines and this could be a fatal and erroneous move. Google may be the biggest search engine there is, but this is also where 99% of SEO companies focus their attention on.  Apart from adding diversity into your optimization techniques (and coming up with SEO tactics for search engines where SEO is virtually nonexistent), you would be taking advantage of ranking for these lesser known search engines—the ones on social media sites.

As SEO presence is rather sparse on these websites, it would mean that you would have less competition making it much easier to overpower amateurs who are accidentally just ranking for terms than it is professional SEOs. Rankings would also be relatively simpler as most people are manipulating algorithms and search results elsewhere.
To fully exploit this rare SEO advantage, here are a few of the things you should do:

SEARCH IS VISIBLY PROMINENT IN FACEBOOK’S FEATURES, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT

That nondescript and neglected search bar on Facebook is more powerful than you give it credit for. Though Facebook is all about making connections, this is not to say that converting Facebook’s search traffic into traffic for your business cannot be done. Consider the fact that most local businesses need to be on Facebook, couple that with a significant portion of its daily searches used to find these businesses and you have an opportunity for rankings.

Being discovered in Facebook’s search results guarantees you immediate business and in addition to this, you can often get that searcher to like your page which could potentially mean this follower can market your business in the future. Facebook’s present algorithm understands that when a user types in a particular product (i.e. burger), the searcher is not necessarily looking for people, groups or photos so the results it will show are pages or places.  Likely ranking factors are likes, reviews and having the exact search phrase in your title and they do count if only for a bit. The benefit of having more of this would yield diminishing results so make sure to get a lot of reviews and likes and you might just have the desired effect you have on your rankings.

What is imperative when it comes to local business is the location but this is not as easy to change as we want it to be. However, if you have a business with a flexible address, change the address of Facebook and see if there is a significant difference in the way your business shows up in the results. Apart from this, you can utilize long tailed keywords which might be an easier keyword to target but would get a good search volume regardless.

TWITTER SEARCH IS A SUCCESS

Twitter is not simply a social media platform for micro-blogging. Over the years, the usage of Twitter has evolved from connecting with other people but rather it has used to garner more followers and has been massively exploited as a source of traffic to many websites. In fact, Twitter is the largest purveyor of trending topics online and it has a section specifically designated for it. This is so users who are curious about trending topics would just click the hashtag or search for it. The main benefit of this is that when a user searches a particular topic, they will see all of the tweets about it even from those who do not have an impressive follower count. This is a great opportunity to get in front of an audience right away.

Exploiting this opportunity requires you to tweet about things that include any of those trends and relate them to your business or niche. Though this is not necessarily practical for all hashtags, you can rest easy knowing that if a lot of people would see your tweet, at least a few of them will be interested in your niche and could follow you later on.
Complement this with a good social media strategy and you have a workable technique to drive more traffic to your website.

DO NOT NEGLECT LINKEDIN 

LinkedIn’s search engine mainly has two purposes: To find people to connect with and for people to find potential companies and persons to hire. This is why good optimization for LinkedIn can lead to potentially high paying clients making it so valuable. Keywords play a great part in SEO and these are massive in LinkedIn but there is not so much of an advantage in having the exact phrase, but you are guaranteed to show up in the search results anyhow. Additionally, should you click any of the results; LinkedIn would highlight all the keywords in that person’s profile page.  So start by optimizing your profile and have the right keywords in the right place. This would mean your keywords should be in three pivotal areas (job description, current job title, and past job titles). Couple this with including commonly searched words and edit your professional description and you are good to go.

Connect with more people so that you can get more profile views and try to accept all requests even if you do not necessarily know them as this will up your chances in showing up in other people’s networks and lastly, look for opportunities to connect with people with a lot of followers.  A more tactical approach is to target and connect with people who have certain job descriptions.



There is so much potential in ranking highly on social media networks and to top that off, it is much easier to accomplish that than it is to rank for searches on Google and it would still produce worthy results. Find the network that is most suited and appropriate to your business and build on that. Create a social media marketing plan which would direct you to which networks to target. From there, you can begin optimizing your posts and profiles and you will get faster and better results.

On Negative Criticisms: 6 Ways to Handle it like a Pro

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If you are into blogging, one of the things that you will definitely encounter is having rude remarks from your readers. Well, that unless if you disable the comments, then reading negative criticisms is inevitable. And let's be honest, sometimes reading these kinds of comments can make us feel insecure, discourage, and of course, hurt. Who wouldn't feel that way? We all do since we are human beings and it is normal for us to feel that way.

However, when you are a marketer and working in an online marketing agency, these kinds of comments will definitely not get into you. Yes, you may feel a little of insecurities and discouragements but you should not consider these as your weakness. Instead, treat it as one of your stepping stones to growing and be on the next level.

It is given that not all of us can handle such criticisms. Sometimes, bloggers also throw negative comments to their readers, which is totally foul. If you just know how to handle it like a pro, the reader who gives you a negative comment might eventually be one of your followers. Who knows, right? Well, to give you some idea on how are you going to handle it, below are some effective tips that you can definitely apply when you encounter one.

1. Prove that you are listening

Always remember that readers will definitely leave a comment when they feel that they want to praise you for coming up a great article, or the opposite, which they don't appreciate the content that you have included. One way or another, they see or notice something that seems off. That means, asking and knowing what concerns them the most is an ideal step for you to make.  And with that, they will eventually realize that you respect and value their opinion and you're willing to take a change when needed.

2. Speak to your experience

One of the most common misunderstandings between a blogger and a reader is that, one would directly disagree with the idea the other have. Of course, the situation experienced by the blogger is way too different with the situation experienced from the reader. Moreover, there is no right or wrong with what you have experience since you are in the situation first hand and you can't directly disagree with that. Instead, you might also give your own personal experience for one can know what others don't know. Instead of criticizing, cite your own.

3. Be inquisitive

There are just times that we encounter comments that are hard to answer, or perhaps, you are still not sure on what kind of answers do they want from you. With that, why don't you try asking them a question instead? For instance," Could you tell me more about the problems you're seeing on your end?", or " Can you explain your perspective a bit more?". Well, there is nothing wrong with a little bit of a conversation. With that, you will have a clearer view on the concerns your audience have.

4. Convey kindness

One of the biggest concerns most people have is the way we communication. And the problem with the internet nowadays is that the vast majority of communication on it is text-based. People will definitely not know on how you convey your body language, the tone of your voice, and your facial expressions. That means, it is a challenge for you on how you are going to make yourself a pleasant person to your audience. For instance, instead of just saying "Fine", you change it to ‘That's fine with me!", or "Sorry to hear that", change it to "I'm so sorry to hear that, Hope." Or you can even add some emoji to perfectly convey your emotions. With this way, misunderstandings between you and your audience can be avoided.

5. Take their side

Considering the brighter side, negative comments can also help us in many ways. If you receive a negative criticism, that means, it might be the best chance for you to change what is needed in order for you to improve for the better. And remember, the audience will definitely not leave negative criticism when they think that you have a great article. But if they do, then there must be something off that you need to verify and change. Be thankful for it.

6. Apologize

We are all human beings. And as a blogger, there are just times that we don't notice that our content is already a little bit off. When you experience such, you have to gracefully apologize to your audience that you are wrong, and you'll do it right next time. No worries, your audience will definitely understand you. Apologizing to your audience is not a bad thing after all.

12 Effective Techniques to Build Credibility and Earn Trust on the Web

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If you think credibility and trust can be earned easily, then you better think again! Yes, there are actually a lot of digital marketing agencies in the Philippines, but not all of them are successful when it comes to influencing their target audience. Well perhaps, they have missed an important factor that makes them an influencer – and building credibility and trust with their target audience is one thing that you need to learn and achieve.

One of the most commonly asked questions from entrepreneurs and/or marketers is how can they become an effective influencer. When your target client believes that you are an expert on the things that you are promoting or selling, they will most likely influence and become one of your customers. There are actually thousands of ways on how you can effectively grab your target audience attention. However, let's just break it down into these 12 simple yet effective tips for you to follow.

1. Have your own domain

It is definitely not a bad thing at all if all you can afford right now is your free hosting through Wordpress.com or Blogger. Even if you do, publishing it with your business name such as "digitalstrategistph.blogspot.com", for example, can already make your business a legitimate one. No worries, most marketers used these platforms since it is affordable and user-friendly.

2. Have a quality logo/profile photo

The logo is one of the things that you need to consider. Without it, your target audience will not recognize your business. Moreover, having a logo yet it's not quality made; it is still not as effective as it is since people will know that you are not serious in doing your business. In order for you to grab their interest, then you better start with your logo and make it known to the public.

3. Skip boasting your cheesy awards and badges

Well, it is true that having these things can add a plus factor to your clients. However, if you are focusing on boasting your awards to them instead of the products that you want to promote, then you better stop it now! Remember, your target audience is not after with your awards, they are after with the products and/or services that you might want to offer to them.

4. Commit to a consistent visual theme

Consistency with your theme is also an important factor to grab your potential audience. You definitely have to make sure that from the colors, fonts and font sizes on your wall will match with your theme. Also, don't forget about the pictures. The sizes and the style of your pictures that you want to post on your blog should be consistent too.

5. Avoid popups

Popups is one of the things clients hate most. Having a popup box and/or ads can disrupt their website experience. Also, it is definitely annoying when you got to search for the "X" button in order for you to close the popup box. And I'm sure you definitely don't want to irritate your audience, right?

6. Blog in detail about what you know

Sharing your personal experience on a particular thing is definitely a plus factor. The more you talk about your expertise, more people are willing to engage with your business since they know that you are trustworthy enough when it comes to those things. Don't be afraid to include it on your blog post, you'll definitely invite guest and potential clients.

7. Avoid jargon

Always remember that not all of your target audience knows about the secret language that you are talking about. If you do such, how will they understand the things that you are selling and/or promoting? As much as possible, you have to make your words simple and understandable enough for you audience. However, if there is really a need for you to use a particular jargon, then you have to make sure that you have explained the meaning to them.

8. Always proofread

When you are a marketer and/or an entrepreneur, you always have to make sure that all of your spelling is correct. Misspelling words is a sign of sloppiness. And if you want to be trusted, then you better be keen with the spelling and grammar of your content. Leaving it as it is will definitely be a downfall of your career.

9. Learn from the experts

When you are a marketer, you also have to remember that there are a lot of other marketers out there who are willing to give and share their insights when it comes to marketing. And learning from them is definitely an advantage on your part. Grab the chance. And as much as possible, ask something regarding with the concerns that you have. With that, you will definitely gain knowledge out from it.

10. Post/update regularly

Updating your blog regularly is one of the many ways you can boost your media presence. And I'm sure you definitely don't want to make your blog look abandoned, right? Also, an update is also a sign that you are an active marketer with an active blog.

11. Make use of other social media platforms

Social media is a powerful tool when it comes to the growth of your business. Without the use of social media platforms, it is definitely impossible for your target audience to notice your business. When you have Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and/or any other social media platforms, sharing and promoting your business worldwide is already possible in a faster and guaranteed way.

12. Don't be secretive when it comes to your contact and emails

One way or another, your potential customer will definitely look for you contact or your email, especially when they have some inquiries that they want to clarify. Moreover, giving them your contact and email is a sign that you are not a scam, and you are willing to give them the products and/or the services that they want to have.