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.

EYES HERE: Google’s November 1 Update's Impact on Your Mobile Website

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Today’s time and age have us all perpetually connected to our phones.

From downloading the latest music, surveying various videos, browsing through recipes, updating Facebook statuses—everything is manageable with the click of a finger.

For such a small and nondescript electronic device, our phones hold so much potential and power.

And Google is well aware of this fact, which is why application updates have been made to accommodate this colossal evolution. However, as the digital world develops and advances, the terrain once navigated by websites transforms itself as well—leaving digital marketing agencies to struggle with constant upgrades.

Currently, websites are traversing the digital landscape wrought by search engine juggernaut Google through the adoption of these changes and by vying amongst each other for that ever coveted “mobile-friendly” banner. The failure and nonconformity of which results to a demotion in search rankings—a search engine optimization (SEO for brevity) company’s ignominious living nightmare.

In spite of this recent mobile revolution given the moniker "mobilegeddon" by Google itself, having a “mobile-friendly” banner just does not seem to cut it nowadays. So, android app and iPhone app developers look closely and eyes here as this imminent update may very well change the gameplay of how you develop your apps.

As recently announced by Google, it would henceforth decrease the rankings of any mobile sites found to be forcing visitors to install an application as prompted by a giant app install interstitial pop-up.

Though these ads never hurt anyone, it is only right that Google do so. 

Imagine a typical day of web surfing on your mobile phone and having your experience interrupted by enormous app install interstitial pop-ups whose sheer size is enough to cover whatever you might be reading about.

They block a significant amount of content from view, are typically obtrusive and are irksome in the least. To address this issue accordingly, Google recently posted an update stating in context that commencing November first of this year, sites that show app install ads which hide a considerable amount of content on the transition from the search result page to the next page will be penalized.

This pivotal move by Google ensures that end users and visitors are granted the unhampered mobile experience they should have. Though mobile sites greatly exploit interstitial ads as a way to get users to notice their native apps, users, on the other hand, see this as an obvious marketing attempt and ploy to get them to download those apps.

So what does this mean for your company? 

Well, in essence, it means your company has to adapt to this recent change. Having a website that is considered mobile friendly will no longer suffice; alternatively, you must also take this new update into consideration by implementing various changes to acclimatize Google’s recent announcement.

To begin incorporating these changes, a banner overhaul is needed. Having it occupy nearly all the window space might get it noticed but would inevitably cause you to be penalized. Redesign your banner in such a way that it would be fixed at the bottom of your screen or at the top.

A size reduction would be needed as well-- which can be easily done with an app install banner which is supported by Chrome and Safari or you can opt for a classic approach with CSS remodeling.

Google perspective is to promote unhindered and quality user experience and in accordance to this vision, the search engine demigod will compel the market to do away with app interstitials. Non-compliance would mean the revocation of the “mobile-friendly” tag.

In two months’ time, this update will be enforced which means that you would need to start making changes immediately. Any delays on your part will cost you valuable ranking points making it imperative that you start today.

For People Who Hate to Write yet Love to Blog

Is it really okay to blog without observing the right approach of writing? Good question!

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A lot of you here might ask the same question, and you too might wonder if it really is acceptable or not. Well technically, we all know how to write. Even if you are conscious about your writing style, you still know how to write – just plain writing though. But not all of us know the writing technique. Basically, you cannot blog when you know nothing about writing. There will always be writing involved. Fortunately, even if you are struggling with your write ups, you can still blog. But how?

Whether you agree with me on this or not, when we talk about blogging, it doesn't have to be strict since you are creating your own style of "Diary". If you have something that interests you, then it is your call to post it on your blog. Well that unless you seek help from SEO consulting services, then you can basically do blogging yourself. It doesn't have to be that hard, all you need to do is know the fundamentals of blogging, then you're off to go to the next step.

Create an outline

For non-writers, having an outline or draft is important. This will help guide you on what kind of content you are going to write. Basically, you have to brainstorm the things that you want to write for your topic, or if there is anything that caught your interest that is worth writing, then you can proceed with your first draft. Don't worry about how crappy it is, you will eventually have a good sentence – then, a paragraph.

Aside from the context that you want to have, the title is also important for you to consider. This is the time when you have to catch the attention of your potential readers, through your engaging title.  Moreover, in order for your readers to stay longer on your post, you have to make sure that you're working and focusing around your post. If you think that you are getting away with the context that you're supposed to have, then you have to go back to your topic on what is it really all about. Keep track on the content that you will be having.

Write about areas of interest

Basically, it is hard to write about something, especially when you don't have any idea at all. Even if you do some research, without a particular factor that grabs your interest on a specific topic, then it might be harder to write on your end. And I'll tell you, the struggle is real. However, if you start writing on the things that caught your interest, there will be a lot of ideas that you can think of.

When you like the topic, writing about it would be a lot of fun. You never know, you can write a good article after all. However, there's a caveat though, you also have to make sure that what interest you is also interesting for your potential readers. If not, then your potential audience might not be on your favor.

Use a variety of formats

When you blog, always remember that the reading span of your readers is just short. And within that span, you have to make sure that you already have grabbed their attention. Writing doesn't have to be monotonous; you can definitely use various formats. You can use a create lists, tell a story, give step-by-step instructions, design an infographic, or giving out tips for your readers. In fact, it is also one way you can grab your potential reader's curiosity and interest.

Moreover, the more you use various formats on your content, the more exciting it will be for you and for your readers. This is one way for you to be creative and innovative when it comes to blogging.

Make use of videos

Whether you like it or not, there are just times pictures are not enough to grab your reader's attention. You have to think of another alternative for you to let your readers engage on your post. And aside from the pictures that you have, why not try including some videos on your blog? Technically speaking, do you know that videos can help you explain the things that you can't express it yourself?

Moreover, including videos on your blog post can help you minimize your writing mistakes. If you are not sure about your writings style, then make use and take advantage of videos.

Seek help from a professional writer

If you really have the urge to blog, yet you don't have any confident on your writing style, why don't you try looking for an editor? There are actually a lot of people who cater blogger who wants to proofread their work. Of course, there is nothing impossible with our technology nowadays. With just an email away, then you can already have an edited work and ready for publishing.

For the meantime, if you are planning to self-edit your work, then there are also a lot of grammar and spelling editing software that you can use. Well, all you have to do is create your own account, and then you're ready for editing.

How do NonMobile Friendly Websites Fare with Google?

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Checking out the latest news?

Trying to find the best Italian restaurant in your proximity?

Have an interesting post to share?

Approximately decades ago, these feats would not be possible without us having direct access to a personal computer that is wired to the Internet.But with the evolution of modern technology, this is easily achievable and manageable.

Today’s time and age have us all perpetually connected to the internet with a simple yet powerful device that can roughly fit into anyone’s pocket. And it comes with its certain perks as well as its pitfalls. So what could this potentially mean?

Well, in essence, this would be a great boon for users while being a constant bane for non-mobile friendly businesses.

Could my business potentially be at risk? 

Today, link building services are offered and are invariably utilized by companies seeking to market and promote their services, products, and goods online. This is where SEO consulting services come into play. However, with the relentless development of web evolution, many online marketing agencies struggle to keep up. And of course, Google adapts to this evolution by issuing complex updates every now and then to which SEO experts struggle to keep up with.

Google may not be as straightforward as digital marketing agencies and SEO consultants would want them to be with their updates; however, if one thing can be gleaned from this, then it is the subtle inference that Google is putting mobile users first.

Consider it this way, with the high influx of traffic coming from mobile users (given the term “mobilegeddon” by Google); it would only make sense that the world’s largest search engine would put them in the front line when it comes to search rankings. So to put it simply: Yes, your business is at a precarious position wherein your nonconformity to this modern era of searching could result to a demotion in rankings.

So, what would this mean for my business? 

Just to put it out there, if your business is not adaptable to mobile users, in other words, your website is clunky when users access it from their mobiles, improperly configured to be viewed on multiple device types and irresponsive to different screen sizes then Google might slam you with a penalty. All your efforts in polishing your website for search engine optimization (SEO for brevity) would be for naught if your site is not accessible on a mobile device.

Why?

When more and more users are accessing the Internet through their mobile phones, it is critical that business websites keep up. With this pivotal move, Google is transforming and shaping the digital terrain.

Can I do anything about it?

Of course, you can!

Your first step would be to survey if your website is mobile friendly. To do this, you would need to run two tests. First, you would need to check your website’s SERP appearances: If a mobile friendly tag appears in Google search results and if it appears there, then your website is safe.
The next test would be to run your site through Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and let the application do the rest.


Of course, it does not stop there. Should your website fail the two mobile friendly tests then you would have to do something in order to keep up with Google. Make the necessary plans for a site upgrade--this is a crucial move as this ensures that your website is in Google’s good pages. The exact consequences and repercussions may still be unknown, but the risk is glaringly obvious and is already there. Any further delay on your part will cost you. Besides, if your business is truly at stake, can you really wait?

Marketing + Pinterest: Getting More Followers and Pinners

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If you're thinking about promoting your business through social media, one thing that you need to think about is where and what kind of social media platform are you going to use. Agree? And even if you are working in an online marketing agency, the very first thing you need to do before you can effectively promote your business is choosing the right platform. What else? Generally, the growth of your business also depends on the right platform you have chosen.

This might sound a little bit of a bias, but if you are a visual person, Pinterest is an ideal platform for you to use. Pinterest has been used for storing and sharing images whether if it's for entertainment value or advertising campaigns. And when we talk about promoting your business through the use of Pinterest, then it won't be too difficult to get your business around.

Of course, before anything else, you cannot start using this kind of platform when you know nothing about it. Basically, you have to know how to use it and what you need to do in order for you to have a lot of followers and pinners. Fret not! It's not that hard as you think it is. You can have your own Pinterest account any time of the day – Even now!

 Upload a profile photo 

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Your profile photo is very important for you to have. Without it, there is no way your potential customers are going to recognize your business. Of course, it is a human instinct not to trust a user, especially when you see a mysterious red pin as their profile photo – following them might be the end of your career (exaggerating!). That is why, if you don't want to be one of those people who are not trustworthy enough to follow, then uploading a profile photo is the best move you're going to make. Aside from your face, you can also put your business logo as your profile picture.

Add keywords to your profile name

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Keywords are the key to success. Indeed, it is! If you have just noticed, one of the natures of a follower and a pinner is they usually search in random. If they have anything that caught their interests, then there is a high possibility that they will pin it, and if you are lucky, follow you. For instance," Honey Rowland - homeschool", with the keyword "homeschool" it will be easier for your potential audience to find you. Adding a keyword to your profile name is going to be a convenient way to promote your business.

Add a clever profile description

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Aside from your profile name, having a profile description is another factor for you to consider. In writing your profile description, you have to focus on telling your audience what your business is all about? Who is your target audience? and so on. With 160 characters, you have to make sure that you already have included the most important information about your business. Cut the flowery words, get straight to the point.

Give your board covers a consistent visual theme

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Generally, most followers and pinners usually prefer boards that look cohesive, organized and "pulled together". Each image that you want to include on your board has their own category. Organizing your board covers is also one way for you to be not confused on the images that you have included. When they notice that you have a good appearance on your board, they are most likely to follow it.

Make your blog post pins taller than they are wide

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If there's anything that frustrates us is when we see pictures that are cut. Well perhaps, the image doesn't have the right size in order to fit with your board. In Pinterest, it is a vertically-oriented feed. And if you have a wider image, the size might not fit even if you have a stunning photo. Moreover, it is impossible for someone to miss if you have a long image – and it is also an eye-catchy thing to have.

 

Use specific, SEO-Friendly Keywords in your Board Titles + Descriptions

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Again, the keyword is an important factor for you to include. Of course, including keyword doesn't just apply in your profile name or in your profile description; you also have to include it in your boards. With that, the moment someone will search that particular keyword, your board will be included on the list. Moreover, the more people got to notice your board, the higher the possibilities that they will become your pinners and followers.

What Happens When You Turn off Blog Comments?

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When we talk about blogging, receiving comments from the readers is one thing that we usually think of. What else? For bloggers, it is a common thing to get excited and feel anxious when you receive a lot of comments on your blog. Of course, it is when we usually receive praise, recommendations and hurtful comments from the people.  Although we receive various comments from them, we technically take their comments into considerations.

However, there will always be possibilities that most comments are sugar coated and may not always prove helpful for you. And not all of us here are aware of the fact that some bloggers just want to have their good deeds in return. Although we may consider these facts, we can't also deny that there are some advantages that we received from them.

In order to avoid headaches, some bloggers would play safe and turn off their blog comments. For as long as they have posted something on their blog, they're off to go. They don't care about what readers would say and/or react. And if you think you are one of those bloggers, here's what happen when you purposely turn off your blog comments.

It sends the message to your readers " I don't need your opinion"

First and foremost, as a blogger, you have to be aware that whatever content you post on your blog, there will always be someone who would leave a comment. And if you disable your blog comment, they will know that you are not willing to receive and know their opinions. And I'll tell you, it is definitely a rude thing for you to do. What if you are technically wrong and someone out there who is thoughtful enough to correct you? Unless there is someone who is bold enough to correct you, you will bring that misconception for the rest of your life.

When you are a blogger, you should be mentally prepared for the comments that you will receive from them. Well, when you make a guaranteed SEO, you have to make sure that you will not be overwhelmed of their praises, and of course, you should not take it personally when you receive hurtful comments. Although some comments might come cold and hypocritical, just think of your friend who is there to act as your mirror, pointing out things that don't fit. Receiving their comments is for your own good anyway.

In inhibits your ability to learn from your readers/audience

One of the benefits you can get when you let your readers leave their comment is that you can learn something from them. Again, this might sound cliché, however, it is true and applicable to every blogger. It doesn't mean that when you blog, you know better than them. Definitely not! There are just times that even if we think that we know something, but for other bloggers and/or readers, it is still not enough. That is why, if you turn off your blog comment, you are limiting your ability to learn something from them.

As you read and go along with their comments, you will eventually feel intimidated with the others, considering the fact that they know better than you do. However, if you get that kind of mindset into you, you will also not grow in the field of content marketing. Basically, when it comes to learning, you are open to every idea and comments that you are going to receive. Don't take it too personal, but instead, make it as your reference for a better you as a blogger.

It prevents you from developing stronger relationships with audience

You will definitely miss ½ of your blogging career when you turn off your blog comments. This is the part when you got to enjoy blogging – building good relationships between your audience. And I'll tell you, you will eventually quit blogging when you don't feel like you're having fun and learning out from it. Of course, it is totally a waste of time when don't grow from it.

Basically, when you have a strong relationship with the other bloggers and/or readers, they are willing to share their experiences and ideas with you. The more you build a good rapport, the more knowledge you can get from them. Of course, vice versa. With millions of things that can make a good topic, you will definitely enjoy talking about it with your audience. And the more you have good and interesting topics for your blogs, the more readers are willing to visit and read your blog posts. Isn't it a good thing to experience?

As a blogger, whether you like it or not, there will always be pros and cons when you turn off your blog comments. However, it is still your call on whether or not you are going to consider their opinions. As I've said, it is for your own success as a blogger anyways.

Why Digital Marketers Need to be a Great Observer?

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Practice the art of observing – but seriously, how? That is one of the dilemmas marketers usually face. And even if you are an expert in digital marketing, there is no guarantee that you have already perfected the art of observing. Technically speaking, being observant is already part of our nature, whether you are a digital marketer or just an ordinary person. However, for marketers, being observant is one way to spot the weakness of their competitor and use it as their advantage. Well, that's the perks you can get when you just know how to observe.

Being observant is not a bad thing as you think it is. In fact, we humans have been very good observers. We tend to use our five senses just to observe a particular thing. And it is a good trait to jump-start your day. Basically when you observe, you watch and listen to someone carefully. You also have to analyse their behaviour and their approach toward digital marketing strategies. Of course, there will always be a reason behind the things they do. And when you sort that out, then you will eventually understand as to why they behave and do such thing.

As a digital marketer, being observant is a crucial thing to do. Of course, you definitely don't want to stare at your competitor for hours and ask them a direct question, without even realizing that you are crossing the line. That is definitely a no-no for you to do! You have to know the basic of observing for you to survive in the marketing industry. And there are actually a lot of ways you can observe other digital marketers. That is, of course, in a professional way.

And let's admit! Some of us here just don't realize it yet that they have been observed while others don't know that you have been observing them secretly. When you start observing someone, you become more curious about what they do. What kind of approach and/or strategies they used to have a successful marketing, and how they cope with the difficulties in attaining their desired outcome? The more curious you are, the more answers you want to know. And I'll tell you, it's addicting.

Before entering a digital marketing agency, you have to be aware that you will be dealing with thousands to millions of marketers around the marketing world. You have to be prepared and equipped with enough knowledge on how you are going to be on the top rank than the others. Of course, it is one of your top priorities if you want to stay longer in the marketing industry. Moreover, your actions, strategies and/or approach towards marketing can affect your career if you are not aware and careful enough on the things you do.

When you observe, there will be a lot of questions that will come to your mind. The questions with What, When, Where, Why and How. But do you know the most important question is the WHY? Why do they use that particular approach in a particular situation? Why do they have to do this instead of doing this? The more you ask yourself why, the sharper you are when it comes to observing. You are not contented with the answers that you have and you tend to seek more. And that is one of the qualities of a digital marketer should have – not being contented on the strategies that have applied and tend to seek more for the betterment for their clients.

Of course, it doesn't just end up with asking questions. Basically when you are a marketer, there will be a lot of jargons and/or languages that only marketers know. And usually, they communicate in a non-verbal form. That means, if you don't know what they are talking about, you'll definitely don't get and understand what they want to imply. Well, this is the perfect time for you to practice your observing skills. Observe how they talk, how they use their eyes and/or any other gestures that could mean anything.

Why is there a need for us to observe? Simple. To cope with the things around us, to be human and learn what humans learn. And if you are a marketer, it's an important thing for you to do to learn what other marketers do.

When to Know You're Meant to be a Marketer

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Marketing isn't for everyone. And whether you agree with me or not, there are some marketers who don't have the right qualities to become one, while there are also some people who just didn't realize it yet that they can become a good marketer. And some of you here might still wonder whether being a marketer is meant for them or not.

Technically, there are a lot of factors you should consider if you want to be a marketer. It doesn't appear in front of you instantly, you have to take some steps in order for you to become a good marketer. However, there are just times that we feel like we have this innate capability that flows within us. Well, if you think so, then here are some signs you might want to know if you really are meant to be a marketer.

You are a self-starter

Doing something from scratch is a difficult thing to do. And not all people have the initiative to start something, especially when he/she doesn't know what to do. However, if you are a kind of person who loves to take the first step, then you might be fitted to become a marketer.

Basically, most marketers, if not all, are self-employed. They do business on their own. Taking the first step can help you better cope with failure. Failing is just a normal thing for you to experience since you know how to get up and what to do when you know things won't turn out the way you expect them to be. Moreover, self-starters know how to be persistent when it comes to achieving things.

You have a parent who is a marketer

When you are growing up with a family who runs a business, you basically know the necessary and fundamental things to do and what not to do. Of course, it is inevitable that you can observe the way they run their business. And especially when curiosity strikes, you definitely want to know more about the things that usually do.

Moreover, when you are surrounded with marketers, you act and have a mindset of being a marketer. And as you grow up, you will have the idea that starting a business and/or being a marketer is a feasible career path that you want to take.

You are actively developing your marketing skill

Again, marketing is a skill. If you want to become one, then you have to take some extra step for you to be a good marketer. Of course, that includes being active participating in activities regarding marketing stuff. When you know that there will be some seminars about marketing, then it is your opportunity to learn more about it.

And as a marketer, you also have to be open-minded on the new things and/or ideas that will come to you. That means, the more participate in the marketing world, the more you can develop your marketing skills.

You are improving existing concepts

As a marketer, you have to think out of the box. Yes, cliché as it may seem, however, it is definitely true to people who want to become better in the marketing industry. One way or another, a marketer should not be contented of the things they have. If you think that a particular project can still be improved, you have to think of a better solution on what else you can still do to make it better than the previous one.

Moreover, the more you think out of the box, the creative you can become. Of course, marketers should also be creative in finding the right solution for a particular business or project.

You are charismatic

Having a charisma is one of the factors to winning the negotiation between your clients. And while other people are innate when it comes to having some charisma, others learned how to have one. Yes, charisma can be learned. And if you habitually practice it, you will definitely improve the charisma that you have.

Content Strategy 101: Five Things You Need to Know When You’re Writing for the Web

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Are you at a loss for writing great and compelling content?

Or are you perhaps feeling a little bit dismayed by your lack of productivity, click-through rates, and overall ratings?

Or are you simply disappointed at how vastly different the writing strategy is when you are writing for articles to be published online?

Well, fret not.  Working as a content writer for an online marketing agency is not as straightforward as everyone in the industry wants it to be. As it is, you are not the first one to experience this array of dilemmas considering that content strategy is a comparatively fresh niche in the digital webspace. 

However, it frequently finds common ground with interface design, SEO, content marketing, user experience, traditional offline marketing and public relations.

To assist you in overcoming the hurdles there is in content writing, this article will highlight some of the prominent concepts of content strategy around the web. It details some guidelines for one to use especially to those who have never been exposed to content strategy—one that should be considered before they can craft their very own.

Listed below are five things that one needs to be aware for an effective content strategy:

Teamwork is essential in Content Strategy

The importance of compelling content is essentially ingrained in every content writer’s head. However, what most companies overlook is the fact that content alone would not do much and would not be as effective as a content strategy that utilizes the talents of the other members in the team. In order for a good content strategy to come into fruition, teamwork is necessary. As it is, the content strategy phase does not involve copywriting alone; user experience, design, marketing, etc. play a very big part on this too. For maximum content strategy efficacy, the other peer-disciplines should be equally involved as well.

Survey your audience’s literacy level and match that

Studies have shown that both high literacy and low literacy level audiences completed tasks faster and with less frustration when websites utilized contents that does not demand much from their literacy level. Though the usage of jargon may make your website look fairly polished and professional, your audiences may suffer. Use a common language—enough to make your audiences complete basic tasks at ease while maintaining the overall professional quality of your website.  In other words, keep the language simple and concise, you will be doing yourself and your

 low and high literacy level audiences a favor.

Create a voice and a tone for your brand

In order to set your brand apart, create a unique voice for it. It makes it easier for your audiences to identify you through a distinctive voice and a sole tone. This would also help you relate to your audiences on a personal level. Your voice reflects the kind of personality and identity your brand wants to project and to maintain a consistent approach, this voice should be utilized across all of your content. However, the tone should be more adaptable to the type of context your content has.

Exploit SEO and use it to your advantage

Though a lot would say otherwise, SEO is still very much alive. SEO should be a primary part in every content strategy. Let your SEO experts assist you in creating content that would go on to build brands instead of just throwing in a bunch of keywords and hoping your content would get the adequate number of click –throughs. Effective content strategies incorporate SEO and in order to remain in Google’s good list, SEO needs to make sure they embrace SEO content marketing.

Give your audience a voice

Perhaps the most widely overlooked aspect in content strategy is giving your audience a voice. You should never neglect this essential characteristic in crafting a content strategy considering the colossal part your audience plays in giving your website life. It may be humbling to realize that the most important content in your website is not yours, but the ones your audiences create, but this is exactly why websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube are so successful. They allow users to create their own content while allowing them to peruse and engage the content of others. The bottom line here is to recognize the stories of your users are far more important that one you craft and in order for them to be seen, you must build platforms that would allow such.

The road to achieving and meeting a content strategy’s ultimate goal of meeting business objectives and fulfilling user’s expectations may be littered with many obstacles and hurdles but considering the finer details may help you reach your destination faster and easier. Ponder on the five guideline enumerated above and integrate them into your content strategy and notice the drastic changes you will make.

Writing for Boring Industries? Take a look at this!

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Topics are incredibly diverse and unique. 

There are glamorous and stellar topics which are a cake walk to write. This is where travel, food, fashion, life, etc. are lumped together to form one bundle of interesting and exciting topic hub.

And then there is the other side of the coin: Topics that you could not be bothered to write about. 

Topics you are not even sure someone would want to read.

Writing compelling content for these topics is already hard enough by itself.

Writing compelling, engaging and entertaining content for an industry that is rather boring on the hand is not only arduous but tedious. But as it is, someone has to undertake this grueling task.

And no matter how frustratingly laborious it might sound and how bookish your blog post might end up, crafting interesting and compelling written content for a boring digital marketing agency is not impossible.

And if you are at a loss as to how, give this article a look and see if any of these tips might assist you in your future writing endeavor.

Keep in mind that anything helpful is rarely boring

Consider the fact that though you might find your write-up like a soporific academic piece, someone out there is going to find your piece helpful and would be very grateful that they came upon your piece online. Be genuinely helpful in your writing approach. Do not write for the sake of meeting your weekly quota. Instead, make a conscious attempt to widen your sources and add helpful information.

Incorporate your sense of humor into your write-up

Anything funny will immediately score some entertainment points (point system depends on the reader’s sense of humor). Tickle your audience’s funny bone; utilize colloquial language and reference pop culture or trending topics where appropriate. Not only will this keep your audiences reading down to the very last word of your post, but it spurs you to finish what you have begun as well.

Avoid using technical terms. Write like you speak

Jargon is something we should all avoid in writing blog posts at all costs (unless it is a post specifically written to explain these terms). But this becomes imperative when you are writing for a boring topic. You do not want to bore your audience after all and the easy way to do that is to avoid technical terms. Apart from that, utilize informal language and write like you speak. This gives your otherwise sleep-inducing article a personal feel which your audiences would be more receptive to.

Utilize analogies that your audiences might relate to

 An easy error to make is simply to justify your topic as boring whereas it might otherwise be just confusing. To paint a more understandable picture, try to fathom the fact that a lot of people would be more than willing to allocate an hour or so watching Morgan Freeman explain Dark Matter in Through the Wormhole but would barely pick up an article written by a Ph.D. on the same subject. Similarly, use the same context in your articles. Incorporate analogies and metaphors into your article that will be more or less relatable to your audiences.

Tell Stories

Storytelling is a simple yet effective pro-tip. Audiences are more receptive to blog posts that integrate anecdotes into the write-up. The fact is, telling a story has been one of the most utilized techniques circulating all over the net with headlines such as, “This woman washed her hair with two cans of coca cola. What happens next would amaze you”. Why? People are naturally curious and are more than willing to find out the rest of the story. Exploit this when you are writing a rather monotonous article.

Boring articles are not essentially boring if you, the writer would pour your heart out into it and exert as much effort into it as you are in your more interesting articles. One thing to remember is, there are absolutely no boring articles, just boring writers.

Pointers: Writing and Achieving Catchy Web Copies

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Ok, let's admit! Some of us here are guilty in writing plain contents. Yes, as in PLAIN, agree? And we all do know that simply writing content is obviously not enough. Your content should be more than just presenting and giving information to your readers. Interesting and engaging content is a plus factor in order for you to achieve the desired outcome and a guaranteed SEO. Moreover, you have to ensure your content should be fresh, relevant and accurate enough. And yes, it might sound easy, but not all of us here can consistently pull that off.

Writing and achieving catchy web copies can also be demanding and a critical thing to do. There will be a lot of things to think of before you hit the "post' button. Considering the fact that your audience will pick the catchiest and most engaging content, you'd definitely do your best to grab their attention first before anyone else can.

Think of your audience

Remember, you are writing for your audience. When you are too focused on the technical terms and/or jargons, your audience may not understand what you are saying, or find it hard to digest the context that you are trying to imply to them. Basically, before you start writing, you have to ask yourself: what does your audience want or need to know? Who your target audience are? Technically, you have to make it simple yet effective and engaging enough to grab your audience's attention.

A fresh and quality content

Technically speaking, it is ok to have some inspiration from the other blogs and/or writers. You can get some ideas out from the content that they have – but definitely, don't copy it. Google can recognize whether your content is an original one or not. And if it is not, you will be marked down, and it will affect your rankings. As a content marketer, your aim will always be to have a fresh and quality content for you audience.

Observe good format

Post formats are automatically visible to any blog platforms such as Wordpress, Blogger, etc. When you add a new content/post, for example, there are already visible icons for you to manage your paragraphs and graphical enhancements. However, there are certain functionalities that you still need to enable for you to use a more advanced formats, designs or templates. Observing a good format can increase blog sharing. And of course, more and more people would love to read a user-friendly blog.

Proofread and edit

Typos and poor grammar are definitely a no-no!  Before you hit the "Publish" button, you have to make sure that you have already proofread and edit your content. Check whether there are words that are misused and misspelled and whether your sentences are clear enough for your readers to easily understand it. Again, Google will detect and penalized you. With this negligence, you will eventually lose your credibility as a marketer.

The use of right keywords

Including of keywords is a critical thing to do. And cramming your keywords with your sentences is definitely a bad idea – it can turn off your readers. Observing the right balance, you have to make sure that your keywords fit perfectly on your sentence without compromising its thought. Generally, including of keywords is also an important factor to increase your target audience. And of course, it enhances your rankings on the Google search engine.

Call to action

When you blog, it is a two-way communication between you and your target audience. That means you can have a better response from your audience when you include a call to action on your blog post. If you want to let them engage in a survey, for example, then there must be a button or a space where they can respond. Moreover, the visible your call to action buttons are, the more people will be interested in engaging in it.

Restaurants go Social: 9 Winning Strategies for a Successful Food Business

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Starting up a restaurant doesn't just end up in a dream; you have sit down and draw up a plan on how you're going to make it work. And whether you realize it or not, there will always be a competition between restaurants to restaurants – and it's an intense competition! Some of you here might have tried running a restaurant without any problems so far, while others are struggling to save their business.

Yes, it is a tight competition. In fact, 60% of restaurants fail in their first year. However, if you want to succeed in the business industry, then you have to have the right approach towards it. In every business, there will always be winning strategies for you to apply. And when you are running a restaurant, going social is one of the best ways you can do to make it a success.

Yes, the quality of food matters, but it will also depend on how strategic you are when it comes to promoting your business. And promoting your business through social media gives a big impact on your business. If you are still new to it, here are some tips for you on how you can be successful in the business industry.

1. Have a Social Media Account

Without a social media account such as Instagram, Facebook, Yelp, Google+ Accounts, Pinterest, Twitter etc. it is impossible for you to promote your business. One way or another, having a social media account can make the promotion even faster with a wide range of audience. Of course, with billions of social media users, there will also be hundreds to thousands of people who will notice your post. And mind you, these people are your potential customers.

2. Develop your restaurant's brand identity

Yes, you already set up a social media account, then what's next? Create a brand identity. Your brand identity will give a great impact to your potential customers. When they know who you are, and what kind of restaurant you are promoting, there are higher possibilities that you can grab their interest when it comes to choosing the right restaurant to try. Of course, when you have a good background, people will know you by the quality of business that you have through good reviews from your satisfied customers.

3. Foodie Photos

Of course, photos! There MUST be a delicious looking photo posted on your accounts. Visual content is in high demand. That is why; you have to make sure that every photo that you have must be tempting to grab your potential customer's attention.

4. Show off your staff

Aside from posting food photos, why not try publicizing your staff? Don't you know it is one way to boost your business? Of course, when you have a good customer service, with a good personality, people would definitely want to engage and try your business. Who wouldn't, when they got to see happy and smiling employees? Well, attractive staff is also a plus.

5. Partner up with delivery services

When you do business, you have to expect that there will be a lot of people who prefer deliveries than going to restaurants personally. Perhaps, they don't have enough time to go out. Well, if you want to boost your business growth, then you might want to consider partnering with delivery services such as Seamless, Eat24, Deliver.com, or GrubHub.

6. Offer coupons and discounts

It is definitely an eye-catching when people see a coupons and discounts. Of course, who would say no to the tempting offers that you have? Especially when it comes to by group, people will definitely love to avail those promos.

7. Monitor your social media presence

When you go social, it doesn't end up in posting and/or promoting your restaurant and the good foods that you have. In order for you to stay longer in the social media world, you have to make sure that you are active in every social media account that you have. The more you are active in social media, the more people will come to notice your post, and they might be one of your potential customers.

8. Send out an email newsletter for potential customers

Doing email marketing is not a bad thing after all. In fact, it can also be useful for your business. Well, sending an email to your potential customers regarding the business that you have doesn't have to be daily or weekly. In fact, customers don't want to have flooded emails on their inbox. Just make sure that the content that you have is short yet with the necessary information about the business that you have.

9. Be mobile friendly

For some starters, you don't have to rush things out. However, if your business is already established, being mobile friendly can definitely contribute to its growth. People who want to eat can make some reservations and/or deliveries through their smartphones. It is also a convenient way to do business.
 

5 Lessons Failure Can Teach Marketers

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 It is a sad thing to experience failure. Who would be happy, right? We all do fail. And sometimes, we even fail at everything.  However, in life, experiencing failure is a normal thing to have – and it's inevitable. There are actually a lot of factors that causes us to fail. Even professionals working in a digital marketing agency in the Philippines, they also fail. Failure is a terrifying thing to experience. But the good thing about failing is that you learn something out from it.

Failure remains a failure when you don't actually correct the mistakes that you have made. Especially when you are a marketer, the repetition of mistakes over and over again is definitely a no-no. When you do, you will surely lose your credibility and no one will trust you to do marketing with you anymore. And I'm sure, you don't want that to happen.

Fortunately, there are lessons that we can get from failing. We fail, but we make sure that we keep in mind not to do the same mistakes again.  Well, you got to turn your failures into something that can motivate you.

1. ‘If you don't have any mistakes, you haven't tried.'

True? Yes, it is!  You won't commit mistakes when you did nothing. And if you did nothing, you are stuck with a little knowledge that you have – you won't grow in the marketing industry. The only thing you will grow in life, and the way you approach marketing is for you to try and do something that is new for you. That means, committing more mistakes – but a new one.

Technically, most marketers learn from the critics of their target audience. There are some clients who are vocal, especially when they are not satisfied with the product and/or services that you gave to them. With their hurtful critics, you will know what not to do again.

2.  ‘Believing your instincts'

We usually hear about "trusting your instincts". Cliché as it may seem, however, it is also applicable to our marketing career. When you sense a strong feeling, you got to believe it. Marketers who ignore their gut feeling end up regretting the choice that they have made. Sometimes, not getting the desired outcome ends up in frustrations. And it's annoying to think that we could've done something amazing if we just believe with our instincts.

3. ‘Break through the status quo'

Most marketers are guilty with this. Of course, considering the fact that we have a lot of things to do and think about, going with the flow is the option that we usually choose. What the majority agree upon, we also tend to agree with it. Definitely not thinking out of the box! If every marketer is contented with the current career that they have right now, there will be no new ideas, no new inventions, and no new marketing investments. There has to be someone who will break through the status quo for the betterment of the marketing industry.

4. ‘Make your own luck'

The moment we decide to be a marketer, we always hope that one day, we will succeed in this path that we have chosen.  Of course, who wouldn't hope for the best? Right? However, even if we are busy hoping that that one day will come, we should also not forget about the preparations that we should make. Well, it's a basic thing to do – PREPARE! Preparing involves taking some time to analyse what will happen and why. So basically, you got to ask yourself as to why you did something or did not do something, and you could do differently the next time around.

5. ‘Do what you love: It is easier to succeed that way.'

Whether you believe it or not, there are marketers who pursue marketing career without any special attachments at all. And sometimes, it is one of the many reasons why there are a lot who quit being a marketer since they just don't love the job that they are doing. They just don't like it anymore, simple. However, if you do what you love, you will not feel that you are working at all. It becomes a hobby, and you won't feel like quitting. Mind you – you will definitely last long in the marketing industry.