Joining a Conversation is Not Enough in Marketing - Spark It!

Advertising online has been very alluring to companies and brands ever since social media has successfully bridged the gap between continental boundaries.

Brands want to make friends with the people. They want to be the first on a consumer’s list of must-have products, and apparently, the best way to go about this is through social media marketing.

It’s about joining the conversation of what’s currently ‘in.’ A lot of digital marketers work in the dynamic that makes use of the trends to create campaigns that would make the product they’re promoting highly relevant to the market’s needs. In practice, this is highly strategic.

Unfortunately, with the fast-paced change that applies to what are currently trendy, being a participant of a conversation to gain leverage is no longer enough. To keep your substantial market intact and continue attracting customers, providing that unique spark is what matters more.

Sparking a conversation

But how exactly would you provide the spark? Is it about introducing a new topic?

To answer the question, it will help to recall on a good definition of the word spark. WordWeb app defines the term as:

“-a small but noticeable trace of some quality that might become stronger.”

“-a momentary flash of light.”

Creating a spark doesn’t necessarily have to start with something big. It can mean tapping into something small and obvious and adding a creative twist that would captivate the attention of a particular group of people. Below are few tips on how to create a spark to a particular topic.

Find out what people like most about a topic.

Before you can start crafting any marketing campaign, it's crucial that you first have a clear understanding of what makes people tick. What are the trends? What makes these trends highly conversational? How viral is it?

Understanding the nature of the trend makes it easier for you to identify which of the information can be used to promote your brand.

List unique angles that haven't been touched by any brands yet.

As you go on analyzing the trends, it's likely that you'll encounter relevant ads, promotional materials, and information produced by other companies as their unique means of riding the viral topic.

The job of digital marketers is to find a unique angle that hasn't been touched by other companies and use it to their advantage.

List features of your brand that can use the trend as an anchor.

It's imperative for digital marketers to have a profound knowledge of the product they are promoting. However, current campaigns may not necessarily highlight all the great features company products offer. To recalibrate your campaign by using the trend, the best way to start is to once again list down all the features of a product or service and try to incorporate them to the brand new messaging together with the trendy information.

Start a poll, quiz, game, promo or other interactive activities that your customers can participate online – for free!

Last but not the least, try conducting polls and quizzes online and share them on various social media platforms. They should mirror an aspect of what is trendy and somehow encourage your readers or participants to give your product a look without having to sell hard.

Successful digital marketing starts with being able to attract attention from your primary market. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be so easy considering the number of competitors in the field who seek to be noticed by the public. This is why many ventures invest in the service of SEO company in the Philippines to outrank the rest in the search engine.

Be constantly aware of the trend and create compelling copies to make your strategy more efficient. 

5 Habits Great Artists Have that Can Help You Be a Better Content Creator

Creativity is a gift, so if we don't have it, then why waste time?

Well, guess what, we can all be creative. Yes, we can!

The real issue is not about how to be creative but if we are even willing to mindfully love what we do to the point of doing everything that we can to achieve the result we desire.

Creativity may be a gift, but it's nurtured through action. If one stops 'doing,' he can never expect to see something good come out of the effort and time he invested. Great artists in all walks of art became who they are after tireless years of doing, experimenting and learning. Their legacy was never instant. It's the product of consistent, well-trained process.

We may not be pursuing the same goal as Picasso or Shakespeare, but we can learn a thing or two, even five habits that all of the best on their league use to achieve the pinnacle of art expression. Let's take a quick look.

Protecting that 'Productive Time' at all cost

That 'productive time' is not a myth. We all have it. The only difference between those who use it wisely and those who can't find it is mindfulness. You know yourself better, so you should be able to point out what time of the day you work best.

It doesn't matter how long that productive period is. The most crucial thing is how you protect it away from distractions and make sure you do your craft within that time. Artists have come to learn about their most productive time through constant practice. So instead of randomly opening your doors to notorious distractions like social media and emails, might as well set up a strong defense during your productive time.

Embracing the reality of imperfection and 'bad art.'

Ah yes, because nothing is perfect. We've heard this so many times that it's already cliché. Still, it's something worth saying. Many young professionals obsess themselves in creating the best output to the point that they miss their deadlines or end up producing a mediocre output.

There is good art. But there are more bad ones. And you learn best after seeing the bad output and getting up again to try something new. Rather than agonize over a below average result, learn from it and strive to do better next time. Our great artist forefathers did the same.

Asking a lot of questions

Curiosity spurs learning. And how else can you put curiosity to practice than by asking questions?

You learn by asking, and artists are never afraid to ask. They seek the enhancement of their craft, thus, consulting different people who can give them answers to their questions. In practice, you don't always have to talk to other people to learn.

Now that we have the internet, you can easily search for answers to questions online. By getting into the habit of learning something new every day, you become a little bit better daily. Eventually, you'll be able to use this knowledge to improve your craft.

Finding an audience for their craft

Great artists do their thing for themselves. It's a way to express oneself uniquely. However, there is also that tiny voice inside them that seeks to be heard by the public. It's why they find a specific audience for what they do. Painters look for people who are interested in the art. Writers share stories, essays, researches and more online, and the list could go on.

As you work on improving yourself, it will be nice to find your niche as well. Who are those people you want to touch with your work?

Digital marketing services in the Philippines is an art. It's art no matter where you look at it. But many people tend to separate art from marketing thinking that they are both in a different league and can't be united as one. WRONG.

Skilled digital marketers incorporate art in what they do. From the articles they post on the web to the images they share on social media, you can see traces of great marketing around.

It's never too late to work on improving your marketing skills. Invest on the above mentioned habits!

Enhance Your Instagram Presence with this 2017 Predictions!

When it comes to sharing photos, Instagram might just be the best and most-visited platforms among the social media giants. Ever since its 2010 launching, we've already seen a lot of improvements about the platform's functionality.

Modern SEO company in the Philippines are bent on making sure that they help websites rank higher in search engine rankings and to do this, they need to work hand in hand with the social media team who are in charge of spreading the content to more people. 

In 2016, users were able to enjoy the new Instagram features that made its usage more interactive and seamless. Aside from personal usage, companies who use a lot of photos to promote their services made sure that they maximize the usage of the tool to reach more people. This 2017, a new set of changes are expected to dominate on Instagram and if you have plans on fostering a strong online presence in this platform, then knowing what to expect will make a huge difference.

24-hour duration of live video storage

Experts predict that video will dominate 2017 when it comes to consumption. As more people start to consume videos, it's no longer a surprise that social media would adapt to the change and incorporate in their metrics the ability to store videos and make it easier for users to stream content at their most convenient time.

Live video feeds can't usually be stored for long and users will have to watch it live to get the message. This time, Instagram might just be taking a significant leap by allowing people to access live videos within 24 hours.

Instastories overtaking Snapchat stories

One main benefit of these two platforms is the ability to create instant stories about your life, product, and brand that your followers can easily see. But the main difference comes from the fact that Instagram makes it easier for users to connect with other. Instagram allows you to automatically connect with your Facebook or Twitter friends who are also using the platform.

With more people loving the idea of anything instant and fast, it's no wonder why Instagram aces the battle and will probably dominate this year.

Emergence of better Instagram tools for business

A few years ago, Instagram was considered as a personal social media sharing platform which primarily banks on personal photos or creative visuals. Now, it doesn't seem to be the case. As more dynamic tools are created to address marketing needs, we now see how Instagram is becoming one of the more preferred platforms by many online marketers especially startup businesses.

Judging from the trend, Instagram creators seemed to be invested in making the platform social not just for individuals but also for companies. Experts predict that this trend will eventually pave the way to creating features that are centered on helping digital marketers make their Instagram posts more efficient and focused on the needs of their market.

Introduction of Shoppable product tags

If marketing becomes more efficient, the next expected outcome is a boost in sales. It's common knowledge by avid Instagram users that you cannot shop directly from the platform without leaving it to visit the actual online store. This year, it's expected to change. With more users, approximately 42% or millennials, visiting online to shop, it's not longer a surprise for Instagram to start incorporating shopping tags to make online buying easier.

Instagram may not be the best platform for your business, but if you're eyeing for an increased awareness of your brand through visuals and video stories, then now might be the right time to start creating an account.

Reevaluate the efficiency of your social media campaigns and see how Instagram's current and expected features can play a role to boost your brand's promotion. Also, consider dropping social media accounts which are not longer performing well. Keep in mind that not all social media platforms are fit for the nature of your business and if you haven't tried Instagram yet, then might as well take the time to get to know the platform and see how it can help your brand enhance its visibility.

Building Authenticity on Your Online Marketing Strategy

Being authentic develops trust. Inauthentic efforts on the other hand evokes fear. This doesn’t just apply to your relationship with the people in your life but also in business. Customers don’t trust companies who do not feel real.

Even the slightest matter that could make you appear inauthentic is already a huge turnoff. If you have lots of competitors in the market, then it’s worse news. They can easily ride on your authenticity and establish their own trustworthiness by positioning their brand on the better end.

Industries such as SEO company in the Philippines need to be constantly in the loop for what is hit in business while at the same time staying true and ethical in their operations.

There are various means on how you can start cementing your authenticity, but it’s important to note that they are not necessarily easy. With the nu9mber of companies who are seeking the attention of your market, standing out may take more time than what you initially projected.

Responding to comments promptly

Skilled online marketers know that responding to comments is necessary to make your followers be aware of your brand’s authenticity. Surely, no one wants to drop a question without expecting for an answer.

When blogging or sharing on social media, for instance, there are times when readers leave their inquiries and clarification on the comments section rather than spend time dropping a private message on your contact details. There are some who go to your contact page, but more choose to go over the comments section.

Not responding or recognizing the issue of a commenter is already a form of response in itself. Remember that people are waiting for your response. And if they don’t hear from you soon, it may leave the impression of being unreliable or untrustworthy. In business, this is the last thing you want to have as an impression.

Another common thing you must observe are those negative reviews and comments made by other people about your post. You can’t impress everyone, and while you may receive lots of praise, it’s not a guarantee that everyone who encounters your content will agree with it.

Yet there are content marketers who choose to delete these negative comments, afraid that they may discourage other buyers from buying their goods. The thing is, instead of doing good for their company’s cause, this may only create a negative image for your brand especially if the commenter decides to spread the word and claim how you deleted his or her comment.

Competent online marketers know the importance of respecting freedom of expression in public commenting, and therefore refrains from removing these negative comments. Rather, they make sure the negatives are being addressed immediately through prompt replies online.

Showing transparency for mistakes

No business is entirely perfect. Even the most established names at present had their own deal of misfortunes in the past. These failures did not stop them from making things better, thus the current popularity the enjoy.

All small and startup companies can learn a thing or two from these companies. Every time you commit mistakes, honesty is imperative. While it’s the communication department’s role to control the flow of information, it wouldn’t hurt to admit one’s mistake to make sure that current and potential clients have a clear view on your side.

Bottom line

Trust is fragile. It is something earned. Staying authentic to your branding by building rapport with your customers is an excellent way to ensure that you keep their trust. However, keeping this is a challenge considering the tough market competition and the dynamic changes happening in the industry. Still, there is no substitute to authenticity in marketing.

If you want to have a long-lasting professional relationship with your buyers, better work on establishing an authentic presence first.

Improving Blog Performance with these 6 Efficient WordPress Plugins!

How many times have you felt disappointed at the weak response a blog post received even if you thought its content was better than the previous one? 

Perhaps the problem isn’t on the quality of content but more on the method you use when promoting it. Over the years, various online marketing agencies have been battling on the best approach when it comes to sharing website content. 

To some, this means sharing blog posts on scattered schedules. Other prefer to share the content in one go. Then some marketers depend mainly on scheduling tools and automatically link all accounts so that one click would immediately share the material to all platforms. 

But while some of these strategies worked for a time, not everything offers a long-term efficiency. Companies and individual bloggers who use WordPress now have a best friend in the face of various plugins that help boost your site’s overall online presence! Take a quick look at this list! 

Better Click to Tweet

If you’re a fan of using Twitter for promoting your content, then this plugin is a must-have. It functions by giving out a pre-constructed tweet that contains the link to your article. Readers just need to click the ‘Tweet’ icon. From there, they could simply add hashtags and additional notes before sharing the content to their followers. 

Social Streams

Showcasing the recent activities in your Twitter and Instagram accounts may be an important part of your strategy. If so, then this plugin will allow you to stream real-time updates on your blog. There is no need to separately provide the links for the different accounts. Just activate the plugin and input the necessary information. You will then see the content of both accounts running.  

Pin It Button 

This is meant for users who love Pinterest and its excellent category or board creation feature. By installing this plugin, your images will have a bigger chance of reaching lots of people (especially Pinterest) users since they can automatically share it to their accounts without necessarily shifting through tabs. 

Shareaholic

There are a default sharing options for WordPress. However,  if you’re looking for a more dynamic-looking social media icons to grace your individual posts, then this plugin could help. By setting this up, readers will have an easy way to share you posts, thus, reaching more people. 

Simple Social Icons

In addition to giving your readers an easy way to share content, you might also want to encourage them to look at your blog’s social pages and accounts. This plugin gets the job done. By installing it on your blog, visitors can just click on the SM icon and be directed to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media accounts you wish to share. 

Also, you have the freedom to chance the icons’ size, color, and alignment based on your preference. 

Blog2Social 

With the robust number of people using social media on a daily basis, it is imperative for marketers and individual bloggers to share their content on social media. This plugin is created to aid content marketers schedule their posts on various platforms at their chosen time. This also allows them to personalize the curation to fit each social site. 

Plugins might occupy additional space on your blog, but given the amount of convenience they offer, installing the appropriate ones is a worthy bargain. In fact, if you examine authority websites, you will see how the accessories we mentioned above help a lot in letting more people become aware of your content. 

Try them out on your blog and see how well they boost its overall performance!

Tips for Reaching More People with your Facebook Live Broadcast!

Social media is both a blessing and a curse to businesses.

To online marketing agencies who manage to handle it well, the benefits could be significant. On the other hand, companies who refuse to get in touch with their market online have bigger chances of losing a substantial amount of money in the long run.

Whether you’re gunning for an increase in a publication or just looking for a way to engage with your viewers, social media can play a big role. It’s now a reality. And it’s shaping the direction many of the present day businesses are taking.

There are several important social media platforms, but one of the most respected giants is Facebook. It’s a free platform for everyone. More importantly, it has tons of helpful features that allow marketers to increase the viewership of their individual posts.

Facebook Live

When it comes to the different types of content, images and videos top the list of the most viewed materials online. This clearly speaks of how visual people are when it comes to selecting the materials they consume.

The Facebook Live feature is a recent addition to the social media giant’s attempt to encourage more users to share information as it happens. With this feature, anyone is free to build their fanbase using the type of videos or reports they share.

To marketers, this means having lots of potential competition and at the same time a more efficient and timely tool to promote any of their products or services. If you’re planning to venture into a new marketing strategy by using video content, then this tool could be a major weapon in your arsenal. Below are tips on how you can reach more viewers once you go live.

Create a compelling headline or description.

Facebook Live prompts you to say something about your live broadcast. You can opt to introduce the general topic of the video or perhaps highlight the key points you want to talk about. If there are notable personalities who’ll go live with you, then a mention of their name could help your post attract more attention.

Outline the points you plan to talk about.

Even before you go live, it’s vital that you have a blueprint of the things you want to talk about. You only have 90 minutes maximum to do the talk, and that’s really plenty of time for a live show. Make a list of keywords that presents the topics on your planned talk.

Don’t forget to create a short introductory speech too. Viewers want to establish your identity and credibility in the subject so make sure you give it to them beforehand.

Find out the optimal time on which your target market is likely to be online.

Different countries have different time zones and if your primary market is across the globe, then going live at their wee hours will only go to waste. Consider the optimal social media activity period by studying your previous posts or using advanced analysis tools.

Unlike pre-recorded videos which you could upload anytime, Facebook live is real-time. Make sure your viewers are on Facebook when you start broadcasting.

Invite some of your close friends or colleagues to tune in beforehand.

Just like any premier nights when you ask specific people to watch a show, giving your colleagues a heads-up about your broadcast would at least ensure that you’ll reach someone. They might tell their friends who are interested, which in turn would increase the visibility of your video.

Be ready to share the broadcast to other social media platforms.

While Facebook is arguably the leading social media giant, other platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn might do a better way of promoting your content to a niche-specific audience. Share the broadcast after the live one or take out important lines and points of consideration which you can convert to some artistic images for online posting.

Maximize the usage of Facebook Live using the tips we share on this list. Get more attention from your target market and enhance your product’s credibility!

Top Reasons Why You Should Use Twitter for Business

In this age where social media is greatly shaping public opinion, the need to be present on the platform often used by your market is crucial.

This is why digital marketers conduct surveys and case studies to identify the best approach and methods that would work well for their specific market. There are several social media platforms and not all can be useful for your marketing strategy. One platform that works for almost all types of marketing and networking purposes is Twitter.

Ever since Twitter has gone live on 2006, it has started to gain momentum and have received worldwide attention from 2007 up to the present. With its short 140-character limit, users are able to deliver direct-to-the-point information pertaining to their core topic.

From then on, Twitter has become an effective micro-blogging platform for individuals. Professionals like mobile app developer in the Philippines can use the platform to promote their work and projects for prospect clients.

Despite Twitter’s popularity, there are still a number of businesses who don’t maximize the use of the tool, thus missing the opportunity to make their product or services more visible to their online followers. Here are reasons that may help you understand why using Twitter for business reasons has now become a necessity.

The market is large

In a record published by statista.com, Twitter has an average of 317 million active users as of the third quarter of 2016. With this in mind, you can just imagine the vast area for marketing opportunities offered by this platform.

By being active on Twitter, you get to explore the diversity of this market and provide more relevant content that those groups of people need.

Studying your competitor’s recent activities is easier

Don’t be surprised if you find your competitors using Twitter at a regular basis. The rest of the industrial world is into the practice after all. Using this platform, you get to closely get updates made by other companies and even track the responses they get from their followers.

The data you gather by following them could be an essential material that would help enhance your own company’s social media marketing strategy.

It’s effective for building brand loyalty

Branding is a crucial matter in becoming an authority in your field. This is why companies invest considerable resource to ensure that they keep a strong and good image in front of their market. Twitter is an effective tool for making this possible.

By constantly engaging with your market through concise and relevant 140-character posts, you’re also cementing your credibility on the field.

It has a more personal appeal and brings you closer to customers

Creating information-packed blog posts helps you build a name, but making high-quality one also takes time compared to constructing a single sentence message. Twitter allows users to add a personal appeal to their products and services by communicating it more personally in a concise and ‘human’ way.

It allows customers to easily get in touch with you

With the platform’s direct message option, followers or interested clients will have a faster way of sending you their concerns. Its retweet feature also helps make your post more visible to more audience without necessarily doing the legwork yourself.

It’s free

Who doesn’t want something free? Twitter is a free platform that can be set up in less than five minutes. For startup companies who are worried about the cost of advertisement and promotion, this platform could be a good starting point.

Twitter as a micro-blogging platform can do a lot more than simply sharing random thoughts. Using the platform for business can mean a huge leap to becoming a trusted brand. Maximize its usage by including it in your overall marketing strategy.

5 Reasons to Add Podcasting to Your Marketing Strategy

Online marketing is the backbone for today’s digital business. Companies whose business rely mainly on online transactions have to invest time in crafting strategies that would help their message get across a lot of people.

There are different ways in building one’s online reputation and among them is blogging. By providing helpful articles, infographics and even slideshow content, potential clients will be more encouraged to check on the products and service you offer.

But with blogging’s popularity, crafting content that would resonate to your readers can be a challenge. Among the most effective methods used in delivering information nowadays is podcasting.

By definition, a podcast is ‘an episodic series of digital media files which the user can set up so that new episodes are automatically downloaded via web syndication to the user’s own local computer or portable media player.’ (source: Wikipedia)

Social interactions have proven that there’s an increasing number of people who prefer this mode of getting information. And if you’re still debating whether or not to start one, here are reasons that might convince you to take the first step.

It’s cost efficient.

Compared to other forms of publications such as magazines and brochures, creating a podcast ultimately reduces the cost you’ll need to spend.

There’s no need to print any material nor pay for duplication of distribution. For businesses especially the startup ones, this means a great deal since it would mean more money saved for other more costly marketing tool.

It’s portable and easier to consume.

Convenience of usage is a vital thing and this is something that a lot of marketers struggle on considering the tough competition among companies. Podcasts, being digital materials, are easy to access.

Users can be on-the-go and still listen to your podcast episode. They also have the option to subscribe so that new releases would be directly sent to their emails.

There’s a growing demand for podcasts.

Unless you have been closely looking on today’s marketing trend, you’ll most likely miss the fact that podcasts are becoming popular. Before official company blogs are the most common users of this strategy.

Now, we’re already seeing individual bloggers producing their own content too!

Using this high demand, there is a good chance that you’ll attract more readers or followers who prefer consuming materials in podcast format.

Their content is more personal and has direct approach.

Compared to those messages that are received through email, podcasts give off a more personal appeal. This can be attributed to the fact that podcast content have more centralized topic. They are also divided into different episodes so you don’t need to push all information into one package - something common when writing long articles for your blog or website.

People looking for something easy, comprehensive and convenient to follow are more attracted to podcasts.

It’s easy and convenient for social media sharing

Whether you like it or not, social media sharing is a very crucial part of your marketing strategy. It’s technically what drives all online efforts to their success. If you want visibility, then your content has to appeal to your audience through the specific social media platform they often use.

Sharing podcasts on social media is a very efficient method to get more likes, comments and shares from interested audience.

Staying relevant and connected to your readers is the most efficient way to build a solid online reputation. This will only be possible if you use the best marketing strategies at your disposal. People who work for SEO company Philippines know this.

Podcasts are proven to be effective materials in attracting viewers and increasing site interaction. Think of potential topics to share and start your own podcast series now! 

Increase Your Social Media Knowledge Using these 5 Websites!

Social connectivity has undeniably stolen the spotlights in terms of information sharing. Digital marketers and even private individuals are now spending more time on social networking sites in finding people, promoting a product and even doing surveys.

But with its popularity comes the bigger challenge of utilizing a specific platform at its best. Setting up your account is one. Planning your posts is another. For personal use, this may seem like a no-brainer. After all, places like Twitter and Facebook can easily be used to serve as one’s online journal.

It means differently though for businesses. Rather than acting as a journal, social media sites act as promotional platforms that boost the visibility and credibility of a company. This is exactly why digital marketers invest considerable time in crafting strategies on how to improve their overall online presence and engagement with their market.

Today, we’ve listed five websites that could help marketers boost their social media expertise. Feel free to check out the following.

Social Media Examiner

 This site focuses on the nitty-gritty of different social media platforms and how they can be used to advertise, promote and connect with different people. If you think you know everything about social networking sites, think again. There’s more to it than mere sharing of information.

This website teaches you how to optimize its usage in the most efficient way fit for yout target market. It’s an excellent source as well of add on resources that could help increase traffic to your page or account.

Copyblogger

It’s composed of a community of skilled digital marketers who offer their tips, experiences and proven-effective guides on how modern marketers should treat online engagement. They feature articles, podcasts and even ebooks available for anyone who finds marketing essential.

Limited offers such as webinars or online symposium are sometimes held to gather interested in one place learn the most recent and practical approach in digital marketing.

CoSchedule

Scheduling is a crucial factor when it comes to sharing information online. If you don’t strategize well, chances are, you won’t catch the attention of your target on the same moment when they spend their time on SM platforms.

This issue in scheduling is what CoSchedule tries to address. Their blog site is an excellent source of informatin in terms of identifying the optimal times to share content online. They also offer tips to help marketers make their content more attractive to readers.

HubSpot

One of the major challenges digital marketers have is time management. This website gives helpful inputs on how marketers and salespeople could become more productive in their work.

This is also an efficient resource when looking for information involving SEO and blog posting.

SocialMediaToday

If its about anything relevant to social media and its recent innovation, then this website is the go-to place. It features the latest breakthroughs from website owners, social networking startup companies and more.

Social media marketing is now mainstream and companies who are serious in attracting more customers have no reason to shy away from this technique.

Even the most seasoned corporations recognize the importance of connecting digitally with their market. Should you find yourself having some difficulty in making your promotions more effective, perhaps it’s time to up your game by studying more closely the anatomy of the platform in use.

Keep in mind that different social media sites have their own unique metrics. The ones that work on Facebook may not necessarily receive the same response when applied on Twitter. As a marketer, it’s your professional obligation to assess the effectiveness of your strategy and continuosly work on making it better.