As a brand marketer, your bottom line can take a hit when customers flee. But did you know that existing customers are more likely to buy from you than new ones? In fact, the buy rate for first-time customers is at most 20%, while brands have a 60-70% chance of selling to those in the fold. That’s quite a gap! …

Successful social media marketing invariably exhibits two prominent characteristics – ads load quickly and grab attention right off the bat. This quickness trait reaches top form in the social media marketing format called Facebook Canvas Ads – or ‘Instant Experiences’, as they’ve come to be known. Designed exclusively for mobile devices, Facebook Canvas Ads are accessed via newsfeeds and instantly …

It’s been said that everything old is new again. That’s certainly true in the world of digital marketing. Thanks to the art of repurposing content, what you create today can pay generous dividends tomorrow. Instead of growing stale with time, those beautiful videos, blogs, and social posts will be freshly rejuvenated. From all appearances, they reach the public as brand-new …

If you’re like most online brands, you understand the value of marketing videos. Chances are, you’ve even posted some. A wise decision, indeed. In the last five years or so, online video consumption has nearly doubled. Equally noteworthy, the trend shows no signs of slowing down. But that’s just the viewing data. What about results? Equally impressive. According to current …

No matter what your brand marketing campaign is selling, you should get to know somebody before launching. We’re not talking casual acquaintance; you must know this person on a deeper level. That somebody is your target customer. Why should you go through the bother of knowing this person? Because increasingly, campaigns must align with customer needs, goals, and other personal …

Users might not like them, but when properly presented, they can provide a major boost to conversion rates. The universally unliked entity is known as the popup ad – or in its more common form – ‘popup’. Most people resent popups because they’re blatantly intrusive. No matter how they’re presented, they typically obscure the viewing space. Sometimes, in fact, they …

U … a common letter in the marketing world. No, it doesn’t stand for university. Not in this context. It represents User. Often, this magical letter is paired with ‘X’, to create the ubiquitous abbreviation UX – user experience. And it is this personalized experience that every web marketer should strive to improve. The success of your site depends on …

Online marketers, accept a stark reality – More and more, your homepage won’t inspire customer conversions. Your landing page will … if it’s built right. Before exploring some of the building blocks, let’s differentiate between the two types of pages. Your homepage is a window, revealing general information such as company goals, purpose, and mission. It doesn’t matter how stunning …

Every SEO marketer strives to optimize written content. This goes whether the content sits in a blog, newsletter, native ad, or other communication vehicle. What isn’t as commonly known is this – optimization is crucial for virtually any marketing video intended for public consumption. Which, presumably, is all of them. No question about it. Videos increasingly are being analyzed and …

When gauging search intent, SEO marketers have a three-fold challenge. Since there are three established phases of intent, developers must create three different types of content to address each. The first phase may be called the info hunt. During this stage, a person is hungry for information about a product or service of interest. The individual’s knowledge might range from …

Are you an ecommerce retailer? Then no doubt you’ve been ploughing ahead full bore with the Christmas marketing. So, what are you doing after the holiday? Resting on your laurels? Indulging your loafing instincts? Not if you want to keep revenues flowing. And that’s exactly what they’ll do when you implement the right after Christmas marketing strategy. But first things …

Is your marketing campaign missing the mark? Are the results hitting new lows? Chances are, you’re lacking one important element – a set of finely-honed video ads. These are performance boosters if ever there were any, with their popularity soaring by the second. People simply can’t get enough. Which is why brands should feed this desire relentlessly. What are some …

As every digital marketer knows, effective SEO is indispensable to ensure optimum website performance. But getting people to show up is only half the battle. The other half is the conversion process – motivating visitors to take a desired action. In the overcrowded world of websites, the key to conversion is a positive user experience – or UX as it …

The world’s most prized shopper just plopped onto your website. This is the golden shopper who’s ready to buy. Your next move is easy – ring up the sale. Right? Well, not exactly. Never assume committed buyers are guaranteed buyers. Because often they aren’t. To convert this interested party into a paying customer, digital marketers must apply the nudge. Comprised …

Your business may not be hefty enough for the Fortune 500. Nevertheless, it can thrive in the ecommerce world when some fundamentals are applied. Start by giving your business a distinctive identity with a professional email address. A business-like domain as opposed to the generic Yahoo or Gmail. The right email enhances credibility and clout. Plus, it minimizes the chances …

Are your online ads repelling users? Then try the proven alternative – native ads. Essentially informational pieces, native ads illuminate your brand – without barging in like the usual popup or banner. Nothing blends in like a native ad. Native ads wear innocent faces, making them more inviting than traditional formats. Currently, the info pieces draw about 25% more viewers …

When developing campaign strategies, SEO marketers generally understand the importance of keywords. Merely implementing search terms, however, isn’t enough to propel a campaign across the finish line. Equally important is getting inside a searcher’s head – i.e., understanding a user’s objective. Known as user intent, this objective drives each search. What exactly does the user want to find or do? …

Maybe you want sign-ups for a newsletter. Or abundant sales. Or possibly a commitment to download your latest white paper. Whatever the objective, digital marketers must know who and how many website visitors are doing what’s expected. Known as a conversion, this doing is a true mark of success in marketing circles. Users are taking the action you wanted them …

While SEO has many objectives, the big one is this — get your website displayed on Google’s search results page. Now you know you’ve made it. You’ve hit the big time. But to reach these golden grounds, a website must get itself indexed by the search engine. The index is the ultimate list – the zone where Google puts all …

It’s one thing to develop a website; quite another to ensure it’s found. Yes, with the global proliferation of websites, getting them found by users is one of the monumental tasks facing SEO marketers. To be found, a site generally must be visible to search engines such as Google. And to be visible, it must find ways to stand out …

It’s a well-established fact in many circles — a picture is worth a thousand words. But in the world of digital marketing, there are many times when an arrangement of well-chosen words can improve the worth of a picture. This value enhancement occurs when verbal content is judiciously added to an infographic. Why would a savvy marketer want to drop …

We all appreciate some friendliness, whether the cordiality comes from a neighbor, a co-worker, or the family dog. Users of digital devices also value friendliness – from websites. In fact, user friendliness is one of a site’s most important features. Yet not all of them qualify. What happens when a site isn’t user-friendly? Visitors typically leave. To prevent the abandonment, …

Once upon a time, SEO marketers could grab a batch of keywords, throw them into the hopper, and pack them into their search strategies. But that’s yesterday’s news. In the current environment, strategists must gauge user intent before committing to a set of search terms. Basically, user intent defines exactly what an individual seeks during a search. It describes the …

How many times has a brand proclaimed – “this could be your last chance for such a spectacular deal!” Or the ever popular – “get them while supplies last!” Yes, in certain instances, marketers are inclined to create a sense of urgency to facilitate the promotion of a product or service. Sometimes, however, the shoe is squarely on the other …

You’ve unleashed the world’s premier popup strategy. But for some reason, it’s fizzling. Users aren’t clicking and you can’t figure out why. As you struggle to solve this mystery, valuable opportunities are slipping away. Fortunately, you don’t need Sherlock Holmes to unravel this mystery. Chances are, you can solve the problem with some proven principles. The most important principle is …

Among the many ways to boost SEO results, one of the most effective is to create a strong first impression. Known in digital marketing circles as the meta description, this first impression summarizes the content of a particular web page or post. Conveniently, you’ll find it right below the page title on the search results page. Done right, the description …

At long last, you’re taking the plunge. You’ve decided to make a marketing video. Or two. Great. Videos are proven attention getters in the world of brand marketing. Now you just need to hammer out a budget and create the masterpiece, right? Yeah, if you prefer guesswork. If you’re not the guessing type, then it’s necessary to zero in on …

We’re all familiar with the process of recycling. But for content marketers, the re-use principle has its own, distinct value. More commonly known as repurposing content, the process seeks to get more mileage out of published digital material. In essence, it takes one form and presto — changes it into many. Which means, a blog post isn’t just a blog …

Is your website performing less spectacularly than you expected? The cause of this disappointment may be a problem with authority. No, this doesn’t mean you’re having difficulties with the people in charge. The phrase refers to ‘topical authority’ – the image of expertise a website projects to the world of shoppers and other users. Does your website convey profound, brand-relevant …

Virtually every digital marketer understands the value of website content. But to maximize SEO performance, marketers must know which content speaks the loudest. For search engines conducting ranking operations, certain material simply outweighs other types. The weightiest by far is cornerstone content. In a nutshell, cornerstone content is the focal point of your website, the regions that shines brightest on …

While many worthy brand-review sites are available for opinion sharing, Yelp stands as one of the most enduring. Introduced to the world in 2004 (yes, it’s been that long), the platform is still a powerhouse magnet for consumers of every stripe. Given the status and popularity of Yelp, it behooves all businesses to capitalize on its notoriety-enhancing capabilities. Begin at …

Do people recognize your brand at the drop of a hat? Or are you obscured in the background like the majority? If you answered ‘yes’ to the first question, congratulations! You’re miles ahead of the crowd. But you’re a rarity. Most brands struggle for recognition, the result of brutal and relentless marketplace competition. Is there an antidote to this obscurity? …

Are your web pages taking their own sweet time to load?  Sure, that works if people aren’t rushed. But the truth is, most are. Which means they expect – no, need pages to fly into view. Concerned digital marketers should take note of Google’s advice – loadings should take 3 seconds or less. Exceed this limit, and according to the …

A visitor clicks an ad or browses your website. What should you do? No, it’s not jump for joy. The optimum move is to retarget. By retargeting, you zero in on somebody already intrigued by  your brand. That’s half the battle. Now it’s time to win them over. Retargeting boosts your chances of doing that. When retargeting, don’t repeat the …

You might have the world’s ultimate product. Or record-setting service. But unless you also have a solid digital marketing plan, you’ll strike out before you reach first base. You can bet your competition has done some planning. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so far ahead. Now it’s your turn. What goes into a well-wrought plan? Generally, three elements — The first …

E-commerce marketers can be sure of one point — browsers aren’t necessarily buyers. Even if visitors are planted in your shopping cart. Many will abandon, leaving merchandise woefully un-purchased. How can you minimize this risk? By creating irresistible brand appeal before the cart is accessed. Once shoppers are in, brand-pumping options are virtually zero. One known brand booster is the …

Think your brand content is untouchably unique? Well, guess again. Unless you’ve cornered the creativity market, your content probably shares many similarities with competing content. As a result, finding ways to stand out must be high on your to-do list. Don’t worry. It can be done. Racking up plenty of glowing reviews is one way to get it done. But …

You’ve got web traffic galore. And now you’re dancing in the street. Well, strut your stuff later. Your digital marketing crusade isn’t even half done. That’s right. Visitors still must take action after they arrive. If enough of them do, conversion rates will climb. Which is what you’re after. Big conversion numbers. This requires major conversion rate optimization, or CRO. …

We all know the power of positive thinking. But in the world of SEO marketing, the negative can be remarkably positive. Sound like a contradiction? It isn’t. The proven positive element is the negative keyword. A staple of many SEO strategies, negative keywords target a very common problem faced by digital marketers – how to eliminate the extraneous and irrelevant …

What marketing-related trend has surged about 70% in fewer than two years? Many would respond – the use of mobile devices. While this is an excellent guess, it’s not the answer presently sought. That answer is — the use of video chat for customer service. There’s good reason for the rapid rise of this phenomenon. As it turns out, video …

As online searches proliferate, digital marketers must keep pace. Answering their need is a barrage of helpful information, both online and off. But all is not rosy. Cutting through the intel is a river of rumors, inaccuracies, myths, and speculations. Separating the wheat from the chaff becomes a monumental — and worse — time-consuming chore for the average marketer. To …

From websites to social platforms, digital content is proliferating. The upshot, of course, is a drastic state of oversupply. Like it or not, the digital universe is facing a glut. As a result, getting noticed these days is mighty tricky business — even if optimized to the hilt. Still, certain brands consistently grab the spotlight, despite the glut. Are they …

How do customers and prospects see your brand? Good, bad, so-so, wow? Their perceptions, of course, depend on the impact of your brand positioning. But is image-building the only objective of a positioning strategy? Despite what certain people profess, the answer is ‘nay’. Image creation is just the first step en route to a bigger goal. The next and most …

Let’s face it. When it comes to fast shipping, it’s tough to top the big guy in the bright red suit. But then, he has plenty of skilled help and no supply chain issues. So how do you compete with S. Claus if you’re an e-commerce merchant? … You do everything possible to reduce delivery times. Let’s face it. In …

It’s one thing to create powerful marketing content; quite another to ensure the words and images are remembered. Currently, many brand marketers are engaged in a crapshoot — some of their messaging sticks; some doesn’t. The kind that doesn’t rarely has an impact. Which means somebody has wasted a great deal of time and energy.Don’t be a resource waster. Instead, …

Are you marketing your brand on Amazon? Then you’ve grappled with mighty stiff competition. Sure, shoppers flow in by the thousands. But so do competing brands. Which makes it somewhat of a standoff. Your job is to break out of the jam and take your sales to new heights. Seem impossible? Not if you employ a few juicy strategies. First …

It’s been said that one picture is worth a thousand words. But thanks to digital technologies, it also may be worth a thousand products. At least, that’s a distinct possibility thanks to a new twist on visual search offered by certain ecommerce brands. Here’s how it works – An individual desires a certain item from an online brand. Rather than …

For any expert in any field, ‘knowing your stuff’ is essential. This requirement certainly applies to video marketers. If you’re playing to win, deep knowledge is imperative. Without it, you’re a dabbler. Dabbler or not, knowing your stuff is only half the battle. The other half is knowing your audience. We’re talking profound understanding of the shopper mindset. What makes …

The nerve of website shoppers! With so many buying options at their disposal, they’ve become finicky and demanding. So, they take their sweet time, buying only when good and ready. Digital marketers can wait and hope. Or they can chase these shoppers around the web in a practice known as ‘remarketing’. The ultimate hot pursuit, remarketing gives brands a second, …

Patience isn’t a common virtue among website visitors. In fact, impatience is their predominant trait. Whatever a website does must be done quickly. Case in point is the load speed of home pages. Lightning fast is the minimum, with acceptable timeframes measured in seconds. Go too slow, and visitors will bounce. Digital marketers must prevent this abandonment at all costs. …

Website visitors aren’t keen to play Sherlock Holmes. So don’t give them a mystery to solve. Users want to know where exactly they are and where to go. Which means ecommerce marketers must provide a seamless, easy to navigate experience. Breadcrumbs will help them do it. In the digital world, breadcrumbs are navigational links that represent various locations within a …

Which activity do people spend more time on – watching online videos or watching the typical comedy movie? Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly) folks devote more time to online video content. The average consumption is about 100 minutes daily. The average comedy video, on the other hand, lasts about 90 minutes. For those who keep track, the online choice …

When it comes to value-per-word, captions are hard to beat. Demanding minimal verbiage, they utilize concentrated power to grab attention and spur action. Just try to resist a catchy caption. You just can’t do it. What makes the catchy caption? Clearly, brevity is a crucial starting point. In fact, social media marketers don’t have much choice. All prominent social media …