Category: SaaS Branding

These 3 Writers Help Your Business Stay on Brand

Steven on May 17, 2021

Writers are essential for your brand. They share the heart of what you do and who you are with your audiences. Talented writers help every aspect of your business. While you may understand that marketing writers are valuable, did you know that technical writers and content writers are also critical for keeping your message consistent on all platforms?

There are different kinds of writers who have different goals. The goal of a copywriter is to help sell your products. Content writers communicate information that can inspire or educate your audience. Technical writers create technical documentation to help others understand and learn. Each of them are an important piece of your brand writing and can help your brand in distinct ways.

The key is to make sure all your writers are on the same page. You want them to understand the company goals and the brand voice that they should speak in depending on the types of writing they will produce. It’s also important to note that different writers have different strengths. Just because someone can write amazing copy, does not mean they are right for creating technical documents. And vice versa.

Copywriters

If you’re in marketing, you know all about copywriters. These guys help your company sell. It’s critical that they write in a consistent brand voice whether they are creating Facebook Ads or writing an email sales series. Your products won’t sell themselves, so you need a skilled and talented copywriter to help you create sales copy that connects with your audiences in real and genuine ways.

Copywriters know who they are writing to, they understand the things that will connect with them, and they tell stories. Let’s face it, a good story can keep anyone engaged, simply because they want to know what happens in the end. Copywriters weave stories that lead customers through the sales process so that in the end your company sells more of its service or product. They are one of the many front-faces of your brand. Their messages need to be consistent.

Technical Writers

While your copywriters might be your rock stars in the company, the technical writers are critical to help the company succeed. They take complex information and data and make it more useful. If you need to create a brand manual, their skills are invaluable. Technical writers break down processes and tasks into bite sized pieces to make them simpler to understand.

If you want to create a bridge between your IT department and marketing, often your technical writers help create that connection. During a re-brand, these writers help communicate changes internally so that everything flows seamlessly. Re-brands often impact multiple departments simultaneously so it’s important to have writers who can clearly communicate those changes. Additionally, these writers would be your go-to’s for creating courses, user guides for customers and so much more. Your brand depends on good technical writers to keep the information and documentation consistent.

Content Writers

Lastly, your brand needs content writers. While the technical and copywriters have a unique niche, content writers carve out their own space too. If you want relevant, helpful, and fascinating content, these are your writers. Content writers produce pieces for websites, social media, and online stores. The explain and describe things. They understand WordPress, SEO, hashtags, and so much more. Their skills help you connect to your audience. While the goal isn’t to sell, a content writer also weaves in an element of story to help audience stay engaged.

Your brand needs content writers who can produce pieces for social media and your blog. Need a piece about writing on brand? Ask your content writer. Need a piece talking about the company history? Use your content writer. Their pieces are the connections in between the sales pieces that help audiences know, like, and trust your brand.

You know writers are valuable for your business. Your brand needs writers in each area who understands the heart of your brand and can communicate it through their words. They are the messengers and can share how your brand can make an impact. With the right technical writers, copywriters, and content writers in place, your brand will have all the writing it needs to succeed.

SaaS Branding

Basic Pre-Launch Checklist: 5 Things to Double Check Before Going Live

Steven on May 15, 2021

Before you land your first service contract or take your first product order, you owe it to the longevity of your business to double-check your pre-launch plans before even thinking about going live. While it is true, a soft launch can help iron out a lot of the wrinkles, it’s still a good idea to review certain business details to make sure all the kinks are sorted before going official.

Launching a business is a serious commitment. It’s best to prepare for business success than miss details that could ultimately lead to setbacks or failure before you even get your business off the ground. Here are a few basic to-do’s you may want to check before moving forward with opening, launching, and going live with your business.

Re-Check Your Business Name: This may seem like the most obvious advice in the book, but you might be surprised how many businesses crumble when they realize their business name, website domain, or business slogan is infringing on the preexisting presence of another business identity. You’ve likely done your due diligence and researched to ensure you’re not stepping on any existing business title-holder’s toes. But do yourself a favor and double-check your business name is clear of any competing conflicts before going live.

Get a Second Opinion on Branding: Too often an entrepreneur is so in love with their message or brand, they lose all objectivity. This could lead to big misconceptions from the public and bigger problems after going live. It happens to the biggest moguls in business. For example, Kentucky Fried Chicken once botched its famous bi-line, “finger-licking good” by mistakenly translating it in Chinese to read, “eat your fingers off.” Save yourself the embarrassment and costly mistakes by getting additional opinions about your logo, brand, message, and motto before going live.

Confirm You Are Compliant: Are you sure you’re licensed to sell your products in Alaska as well as Nepal? What about taxes, are you charging the right percentages? If you’ve hired employees, do you have proper OSHA certification for your business and the safety of your staff? You get the idea. Double-check your business is compliant with city, state, national and international standards before launching. There’s nothing worse than tasting the success of a business only to have it shut down due to noncompliance.

Review Your Business Website: If you’re like most trending startups these days, a huge amount of your visibility (and liability) comes directly through your online presence. That means it’s crucial to sandbox your business website to confirm everything is in tip-top working order. Double-check your online order forms. Do testing to make sure the shopping cart works and payment transactions go through successfully. Check your contact page and confirm customers can message you easily to the correct email address. Run a grammar check on all your landing pages. It might seem innocuous, but a sales page with even the slightest typos or grammatical errors can leave a bad impression which could mean the difference between a sale or a click out of your website. Have a neutral party do an audit on your business website so you can rest assured you are making the best online impression possible.

Check Your Backup Plans: Speaking of your business website, make sure you have proper backup systems in place. If you experience a surge of online customers during your grand opening, make sure your site host can accommodate a hefty amount of online traffic to your website. Have a backup server or an external hard drive to back up all your online data so if systems go down, you have everything saved without missing a beat. If you have employees, make sure you have clear instructional manuals available showing them what to do and where to go in case of failures or emergencies. Also, make sure you have financial preventative plans in the event of unexpected overdrafts, and always take measures to prevent cyber hacking with your financial practices as well as your online business transactions.

All of these double-checking tips may seem like no-brainer tactics. That may be true, but you know how the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When you take the time to double-check these business basics before you expose yourself (and your reputation) to the public, you can save your business a ton of time, money, and headaches in the long run.

Digital Branding Legal Branding SaaS Branding

Keeping Home Improvement Clients Safe and Happy During The Pandemic

Steven on October 30, 2020

Despite the many changes resulting from the national pandemic, the home improvement industry has seen a significant business spike. As more people remain indoors, the desire to create a safe and decent environment to live in has increased. While this is great news for contractors, acquiring new clients still comes with some challenges.

COVID-19 Fears

Though homeowners understand the importance of keeping up with maintenance and repairs, fear of contracting or spreading the coronavirus causes some hesitation. As such, local home service providers like an Orange County insulation installation contractor or a San Diego County rodent proofing company must develop strategies to put their clients’ minds at ease. Continue reading for some practical solutions.

Get Educated

Before you can ensure your home service clients that you have their best interests in mind, you must get educated. Learn about COVID-19 in your service area. What are the rules and regulations set forth by the federal and local governments? What recommendations have been provided by the CDC? What are some health and safety practices that other home service providers are using?

Develop Workplace Safety Procedures

After you’ve done some research on keeping clients and employees safe amid the pandemic, you should develop workplace safety procedures. Here is a look at some things you might consider adding:

All contractors must wear PPE at worksites.
Contractors must get screened and tested regularly for COVID-19.
Should an employee become sick, they must go home, and quarantine, and clients notified immediately.
When possible, contractors should commute separately.
Staff should properly sanitize work areas throughout the workday.
Keep onsite crew to a minimum during projects.

Once you’ve developed new workplace safety procedures, ensure that your crew fully understands what is expected of them. Then, add this information to your company website and social media pages so that potential clients can see what you’re doing to ensure everyone’s well-being.

Offer Virtual Solutions

While in-person meetings are common during a home improvement project, this practice is risky in the middle of a pandemic. Whether you need to meet with your clients to go over the blueprints and budget or to discuss changes along the way, utilizing digital resources like video conferencing software is highly recommended. You can schedule meetings that provide an in-person vibe without putting anyone in harm’s way.

Project management software is another digital solution that can enhance productivity. Such platforms allow you to communicate with key players from subcontractors to clients, on vital project information. You can delegate tasks, share blueprints, provide a budget, manage teams, and maintain timelines in real-time. It reduces your need for in-person meetings and dramatically reduces everyone’s risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Ask for Testimonials

Word of mouth remains one of the most effective ways to acquire new clients. The pandemic may have resulted in many people’s social distancing, but they can still spread the word about your home improvement business. Digital branding solutions like positive customer testimonials or reviews go a long way in decreasing your target audience’s fears.

When you complete a project, ask your clients if they’d be willing to record a video or write a review on your company website. They could talk about their initial fears, how you and your crew accommodated their needs, and their satisfaction with the finished product. As interested parties inquire about your services, the positive testimonials and reviews put their minds at ease.

If you’re a home service provider who experienced a decline in business during the pandemic, you’re not alone. Though homeowners are interested in keeping their homes safe and comfortable, the fear of the coronavirus causes them to put off much-needed services. If your business will survive these trying times, it is vital to make necessary changes that accommodate your clients’ needs while ensuring their safety. Using strategies such as those provided above, you show your target audience just how committed you are to keeping them safe, which can ultimately grow your business.

Digital Branding Personal Branding SaaS Branding

Do Press Releases Still Work for Startups and Online Businesses in 2021?

Steven on October 1, 2020

Press releases are among the most commonly used public relations tools that companies can apply to their effective PR campaigns. Anyone who has created a press release or has had one written up for them knows that they are many benefits to press releases, like contributing to improving the recognition, reliability, image, reputation, prestige, revenues, and visibility of brands companies.

They are just one of the first steps in an effective PR campaign; from there, they can provide backlinks and many other benefits to a company.

In this article, we will look at:

1) What are press releases?

2) How do Press Releases Help SEO?

3) Are Press Releases Still Worth it?

4) Advantages of a press release

5) How to make Press Releases effective

1) What are Press Releases?

Nowadays, press releases can be created in written, audio, or video format. It is a way of getting the word out there, distributing, and announcing events to media outlets about any important event that is happening or about to happen.

It can be hard to get the media’s attention, and it is even more challenging of media outlets. After all, they need to filter all the information they are getting sent because they want to publish only the best, more exciting news. That is why platforms like Pressfarm exist so that it makes it easier to find media outlets through their databases.

2) How Do Press Releases Help SEO?

Having any information posted about a company or event on heavy traffic news sites is beneficial for a company’s brand and SEO.

The way that companies can achieve SEO is through backlinks. When media outlets start spreading the word about a company, they will not only get backlinks from those new sites, but they can also receive a high number of backlinks from people who will read the news.

Backlinks are fundamental to SEO. On a basic level, the more sites that link a company’s information, the more authority Google awards the site. Backlinks are considered to be a proxy for authority since more popular and authoritative sites will have more sites linking into them. Building backlinks can be one of the most difficult tasks for SEO and building high-quality ones are even harder, but combining methods like obtaining them naturally, buying them, or possibly using tricks like PBNs can be considered the best link building method available because it helps companies build links rather quickly, they are all completely natural and won’t result in any penalties if done right.

There are many press release tactics that can be quite effective, but companies and individuals quickly realized that it was easier to get links from the press releases themselves instead of from news publishers. A reason for that is press release spam because instead of creating high-quality news stories to improve their business, companies distribute as many press releases as possible to as many platforms as possible “spamming” media outlets, which decrease the importance of the press release on certain sites.

So, in order to maintain high-quality backlinks and interest up, companies should not just post a press release for the sake of getting a backlink, but post it actually to attract the attention of media outlets.

3) Are Press Releases still worth it?

Publishers will always be in need of news topics, so no matter what, as long as companies have news, press releases will always be useful. Press Releases can be effective not only with backlinks, but also with social media likes, shares, and comments.

The question that does get asked though, is why press releases seem to be less popular than before. As mentioned before, it is because of press release SPAM. As the Internet and SEO became more popular, media outlets received many pieces of information, so they need to start filtering news stories that can make press releases a less effective SEO strategy and how accessible it is.

However, again as mentioned before, if companies focus on the right things, which can improve the business, services, or products and create an effective press release that is focused on getting the media’s attention instead of just trying to grab backlinks, press releases are more than worth it.

4) Advantages of press releases

Press releases can give any business amazing results regardless of its size, profit margin, profile, and industry. Here are some of the main benefits of press releases.

Instant Exposure

When it comes to press releases, the two things that are the most important are content and distribution. Each type of content plays a significant role in an effective strategy; landing pages help companies introduce their brand and goods to the world and convert leads into customers. Blog posts allow companies to establish a personal connection with readers by answering essential questions, offering advice, and sharing insight with audiences. While landing pages and blog posts will help, press releases allow companies to build trust and authority on different fronts; it will enable media outlets to cover the store and prospects a new reason to visit the brand through websites or landing pages.

Increased Sales Potential

Press releases not only bring credibility and allow companies to stay in the public eye, but it also increases a company’s profit margins. Writing and distributing press releases for different occasions and highlighting key benefits and features of products can position the company’s merchandise on top of any others currently available on the market.

Chance to boost the effectiveness of marketing plan

Press releases represent an affordable marketing addition that companies can add to their campaign. There is no way that companies can go wrong with these tools because they are designed to be controlled by their creators in terms of targeted audience and message.

Opportunity to brand yourself as an industry expert

As mentioned before, press releases are a great way to build trust and credibility in any industry. If a company has a great PR campaign, it will offer them a chance to brand themselves as a high-authority business owner and show off their products’ unique attributes.

Increased traffic to website

People are now flocking to the Internet, looking for unique insights and exclusive stories. Companies need to try and use any PR tactic to push their feature to the top of a potential client’s newsfeeds and boost exposure. Using press releases and including a few links to organic content can guide potential readers to other platforms to promote and sell their goods.

Companies can boost their website traffic through press releases by optimizing key elements, including keywords, headlines, videos, photos, hashtags, and descriptions.

Important SEO benefits

Press releases that are published on different media outlets can offer companies valuable backlinks to their website. By optimizing content, companies can also increase visibility online and make their content searchable on the Internet, which allows them to unlock instant SEO benefits.

Ultimately, the company needs that one media outlet on a renowned site, and things will fall into place. If they target individual reporters, there is a higher chance of getting featured. They do not need to use press release platforms to make a press release useful, they might need to email media outlets personally or message them on their social media profiles.

If companies and individuals opt to use platforms to create an effective press release, they can use press release agencies like Pressfarm to help them with any public relations needs. Some services they provide include templates for companies to create their press releases and press kits, a media outlet database for companies to find the appropriate media outlets for their business, and packages for companies that need assistance in creating an effective public relations strategy.

The packages that Pressfarm provides include; the Starter package, the Launch package, the Campaign package, and the Enterprise package. The Starter package is a great start for small teams looking for the fundamentals to take their communications to the next level, the Launch package is ideal for growing companies to increase press coverage, improve effectiveness and personal communication with the media, the Campaign package is for businesses to gain full control of their company and stay consistent across the globe, and finally, the Enterprise package also allows companies to gain full control of their brand and stay consistent and is ideal for companies preparing for a big product launch or multiple stories to pitch, but need a PR expert to help them reach leading press contacts.

Within the packages, some of the services provided include a professionally designed press/media kit, press release proofreading and review by PR Experts, a personalized PR action plan on strategies and PR industry trade secrets to maximize press coverage, a tailor-made PR media list of 500+ contacts by Account Executive for initial PR outreach, access to startup directories and review websites to improve SEO and gain exposure suitable for all companies, access to PR contact per month of media outlets and influencers for a full year, and finally priority email support. When it comes to press releases and SEO, Pressfarm also helps increase release visibility in relevant search results across major search engines.

A press release, especially when managed by a PR company, is way more than just writing a piece about company news and publishing it on a newswire service. It is just one element of an effective PR and media strategy. A professional PR agency should align its client’s PR strategy with its commercial, operational, and business strategies. It enables the agency to plan when and what they are going to release to the media. A good PR strategy will develop an interesting angle on the information given to them and turn it into something exciting and original.

They will then publish it onto any newswire service with no SEO benefit, but they will use their knowledge of media strategies to get the press release, and other information picked up by media outlets as a news story because this is where the real value is. A good PR company can turn a press release into an actual piece of news written up by journalists through practical outreach work. The press release is no longer what it started being; it has now become an article in a publication and media outlets will often include a backlink in the articles.

Something to remember is that backlinks are usually “follow” (they pass on link equity to the site) because there is no reason to make them “no-follow.” The reason behind it is because the article had to go through an editorial process to get published, it means that it is not low-quality link spam. When it has been published, the client’s site gets a direct SEO benefit, which is really great for SEO and is a great example of how PR and SEO work well together.

Some things that companies need to understand is that not every press release that gets picked up by media outlets and written into an article will include a backlink, and even if there is one, sometimes it will be “no follow” but PR professionals know that companies will get more backlinks in this instance because it reduces the most risks of penalty. Which means that when managed effectively through a PR service, press releases can still provide a lot of SEO benefit.

Conclusion

As long as press release distribution is not abused, it will always be useful for SEO. Just one press release to a high traffic site could bring in tremendous results. Companies need to create innovative, original, and exciting content, something that will set them apart from the rest of the competition. Employing PR agencies can take the stress out of it and also yield great results. PR agencies also know the right people and the format of presenting content to various media outlets within the company’s niche to focus on the right outlets and target audience.

SaaS Branding

Some Common Mistakes People Do that Wipe Out their Credit Score

Steven on September 25, 2020

Your credit score is very important and it can affect your financial future. You need to have a good credit score to be able to get loans or get a new credit card in the future. If your credit score becomes poor, then you will be considered a credit risk and this will hurt you in the future. Whether you want an auto loan or want a business loan, a poor credit score can be disastrous. Unfortunately, there are many common mistakes people do that end up wiping out their credit score. Most people do not even know that this can affect their credit score. It is important to know this to avoid making this mistake. The following are some of these mistakes:

important-tIPS-that-helps-to-improve-credit-score

1) Don’t Cosign a Loan

A big mistake people make is cosigning a loan taken by someone else. This makes you responsible for the loan and if the person for whom you cosigned the loan defaults, then your credit score will be severely affected. This is a huge mistake and you should never cosign someone else’s loan.

2) Protect your Credit Card

Credit card fraud is common. While earlier thieves would physically steal your credit card, today cyber thieves can steal your credit card details and use them online. You may end with a dispute on the transactions done by the thieves. This can affect your credit score.

3) Avoid Closing Old Accounts

A credit score is calculated using the history of all your credit accounts. Closing an account reduces your credit limit and leads to an increase in credit utilization. This can hurt your credit score and you won’t even know about it. Even if you don’t use a credit card don’t close the account to protect your credit score.

4) Ensure you Pay the Minimum or a Bit More

You need to pay the minimum amount due without fail. Not paying it leads to a levy of interest and penalty. It also negatively affects your credit history. It puts more pressure on you in the coming months and you may end up with big defaults that could wipe out your credit score. Try to pay off all your bills within the allowed credit period. If you can’t pay it all, pay the minimum or a little bit more. Also, note that defaulting on a utility bill payment can hurt your credit score, so make sure you don’t miss paying your bills.

5) Use your Credit Wisely

A thumb rule is to use only 30% of your available credit. If you overuse your credit, it affects your credit score since credit utilization is one of the factors that decides your credit score. So use your credit wisely.

6) Don’t Open too many Credit Accounts at the Same Time

Opening too many credit accounts at the same time will ensure multiple hard credit checks. This affects your credit score. When you apply for too many credit cards, it creates a perception that you are desperate for money and deep in debt. Avoid making this mistake, which could hurt your credit score.

Knowing about the above mistakes will help you avoid them so you can protect your credit score In case you do have poor credit and want a loan, then don’t worry you can opt for no credit check payday loans Las Vegas to meet your requirements. Online payday loans Nevada are a convenient way of getting a short-term loan quickly.

This type of loan is offered to people who have a job with a fixed income. The concept is that the loan would be repaid next month on payday. Since the loan is given on the basis of employment and salary, a credit check is usually not done. Applying through an online portal will be helpful as applicants can compare terms offered by different lenders and get a payday loan at the best possible terms.

SaaS Branding

A Comprehensive Guide to SaaS Branding

Steven on May 27, 2020

Too many SaaS business owners do not see branding as a crucial segment in the early stages. Especially when there is app development in progress and the business has yet to start growing.

There is one simple assumption that makes them oblivious to the importance of branding — they think that a good product will sell itself. They believe there is no need to invest in marketing campaigns or branding, and all other things that help build a strong company image and name.

However, that assumption is very wrong. And it can be fatal too. If there is no recognizable brand, even a trailblazing app will struggle.

Of course, you can always look for an already established SaaS business for sale, a recognizable brand that already makes a considerable profit. That will save you a lot of time and effort.

But if you’d like to start your business from scratch and build your own brand effectively, you can start so today by taking in as much as you can from this guide.

Before we start — what is branding really?

Branding can be described as an overview of what your target customers think about you and your offer (service/product).

This is the image your company has in the world, and it applies both to how your rivals and your customers see you.

However, when you delve deeper, it is fair to say that branding is a bit more complex. It also includes how the management and team players see and think about the company, its processes, motivation, and beliefs.

This is exactly why you should have your brand in mind before you start creating your business website and other marketing materials. It is this image that will separate your business from other rivals offering similar services or products.

Hence, it is reasonable to say that your brand is a mirror of what customers see and think about your company. And, logically, your goal should be to have a beautiful image in their eyes.

A strong name — a strong brand

The SaaS industry is growing at the speed of light and soon enough it will become difficult to find a unique company that is somehow different from the rest.

Well, the first step towards uniqueness is definitely your domain name. There are quite a few branding benefits of various domain names and extensions.

That is why it is important to learn what the cheapest domain names bring to the table contrary to the more expensive ones. For example, some people think that only an expensive domain name is a good one, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Also, know that there are hundreds and hundreds of extensions that you can use. These range from specific ones such as .TECH, .STORE, and .PRESS to the more general ones including .ONLINE, .WEBSITE, and, .SPACE.

The benefits of a good domain name for branding are quite significant.

Firstly, a domain name tells your customers whether you are forward-thinking or not.
What’s even more important is that it helps you interact with a niche market. You are most likely dealing with a specific audience and that is why you should create specific domain redirects that point customers to what they want.
Finally, since people’s first contact with your business is your domain name, this makes the name an important factor when it comes to your identity. In other words, the message your brand name communicates is what most customers will see first.

Position

It is important to create a strong sense of what your products offer to the world. Additionally, that needs to be communicated in a way that differentiates it from all other available products.

First, it is important to explain what problems your service/products are solving. This is the act of positioning.

For instance, you could be helping teams become more efficient and avoid bottlenecks when communicating with each other (Trello, Basecamp, and so on).

A good position statement is not there only to place your product in the minds of your users but also to let you define your target audience and differentiate yourself from your competitors. This will also ‘vouch’ that you are on a path where every action is ‘on brand.’

Any decision you make will place you closer or further from where your competitors are located. That is why it may be useful to envision your product’s position as a location on a map.

Utilize emotions

No, you are not taking advantage of anyone’s feelings.

When marketing your SaaS, you have to be able to capture people’s attention fast. This will make them interested in your brand and that means that they will want to know more.

Your branding has to resonate well with your customers’ needs, aspirations, and emotions. That will help your company create a connection with people and build loyalty over time.

See what works best for you. For instance, most companies are used to seeing positive, benefit-oriented imagery and copy that highlight the pleasure to be gained from a product. But, this wasn’t the path for one industry giant — Basecamp.

In 2016, Basecamp changed their visuals to a cartoon drawing of a customer with her hair on fire being chased after by notifications, calls, and emails. Oh, they also tripled their prices.

This wasn’t something people were expecting to see. But, it was captivating and in the end, it worked.

Smart, right?

Social proof needs to be a part of your marketing toolkit

Social proof and testimonials are everywhere nowadays. That, above everything else, is a clear sign of how powerful this marketing tool is.

The most effective testimonials describe real scenarios and situations. These talk about problems your products solve and you need to add them to your arsenal.

For a start, you could start gathering testimonials. These can be conversation transcriptions you have with your customers or direct quotes from them.

Then, you could also introduce quick surveys.

For instance, when sending a survey, ask questions such as:

How did our product change your operations?
Is our product helpful?
How does our product help you get on with your work?
How would you feel if you stopped using it right now?
Would you recommend it to anyone?

When doing this kind of marketing, be sincere, and post honest answers. If your social proof seems staged, well, you have failed.

Add an element or two of reality by guiding your customers to highlight the elements of concern they had before they bought your product. When you clear out all the doubt, you win.

Conversational marketing as a cornerstone

If you haven’t heard of it, conversational marketing is a fresh approach to doing business online. The buyers are moved through marketing and sales funnels by using the power of one at a time questions.

But, why should you care about that? How can conversational marketing help you promote your brand?

Well, first of all, you need conversational marketing to ensure that you are providing value. Since this method revolves around messages, you should think about how your messaging platform can deliver content in a personalized and engaging way.

The customer experience should be thought out well and the messages need to align with other marketing efforts.

However, do not forget that you should avoid automating too much. Since the point is to provide a private messaging service (with the aim of increasing the number of personalized interactions with customers), you shouldn’t overdo it with chatbots.

Having technology at your disposal does not mean that you absolutely have to use it. The messaging platform is reserved for the more fluid, back-and-forth, or Q&A interactions. Do not let the customers feel that you are trying to sell something to them.

When a customer realizes that the goal is to have a product sold to them, your brand will look like it is just trying to take advantage of an honest conversation.

So, make sure to use this method but use it carefully. As you do this with more and more customers, your brand shall grow.

Digital Branding SaaS Branding

The Future of Email Marketing and Marketing Automation 2020

Steven on May 5, 2020

Email marketing has maintained its place as being one of the most effective marketing channels in terms of both return on investment (ROI) and customer response rates. However, today’s email marketing differs vastly from what has practiced even a year or two ago.

Recent studies have shown that email marketing generates over 174% more conversions than marketing campaigns on social media, and far more than that when compared to radio or television marketing. When a potential customer submits their email address to gain access to content, such as a free report, online seminar, video, or other media, over 60% are open to finding out more about what you are offering via email than any other way.

Personalization is the Key

Starting the personalization of content early in the first phases of initial contact can help you lead customers through the sales funnel much faster than other methods. The reason for this is that when someone opts in by giving you their email address, today’s email marketing tools like Aweber, Drip, ConvetKit and ActiveCampaign allows you to::

Completely customize their experience by finding out their needs and preferences in a welcome email.
Stay in close touch with your customers by keeping track of past purchases and finding out their future needs by asking for feedback.
Target quality marketing messages to your subscribers that is both simple and direct.
Send them special offers that allow your customers to download related content or inform them of important upcoming events.

Half of all email marketing sales happen after the potential customer by the fifth contact. Rather than giving up after no response by the second, third, or fourth email, a follow-up extension added to your web browser will keep sending out emails until you get a response.

Once they respond, you can customize the tool to help you keep track of all of your customers at the appropriate times by sending out highly targeted emails that are precisely customized and tailored to their needs.

This will allow your marketing and sales teams to make personalized notes and keep track of important days to the customer, such as birthdays, or the anniversary of their initial sign up. This touch further builds trust and encourages the switch from general communication to client relationship. Follow-ups by email allow you to provide customers with something even more specific that targets both their interests and can offer additional or related products for items they have already purchased from you in the past.

Some follow up tools will also allow you to create email rules that will show what software programs your customer uses to open up the files you send to them.

Mobile is the Way to Go

According to the latest data, more than half of users access their email on a smartphone or handheld device than those using a desktop or laptop computer. Making your content accessible and formatted with mobile users in mind puts you well ahead in terms of Google rankings.

Smart devices, particularly those that allow users to search for information by voice command, are making content more user-accessible. By the end of 2022, industry experts believe that most homes in the U.S. (over 55%) will have either a mobile or home device that allows them to find what they are looking for through using their voice.

Make Your Email Marketing Campaign Interactive

More customers are likely to be engaged if you send emails that encourage feedback. By sending out a survey or a questionnaire that encourages open-ended communication from them can provide valuable information that can help both your marketing and sales team more clearly understand and identify what the customer’s wants and needs are.

Artificial intelligence makes it much easier to create interactive email campaigns. Contrary to what some may think at the mere mention of artificial intelligence or AI, making use of machine learning technology can end up being a very useful tool for email marketing. AI can provide an excellent ROI, which can save your sales team time and effort in generating qualified leads and sales and increase your company’s profits.

Integrating Email Marketing With Social Media

In 2020 most successful businesses know that it’s essential to conduct their marketing campaigns both in email and on social media to increase their customer response rates. By allowing customers to find you and the products and solutions that you offer both in email and on social media platforms, you can provide them with content that they will want to follow and interact with.

Whether your business is B2C or B2B, it’s more than likely that your potential customers will have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or an Instagram account. Approximately 44% of the world’s population is online, and they are making use of social media and email to connect with friends, family, and business colleagues.

Today, more and more users are technologically proficient and are looking for specific answers to their questions or how to solve a specific problem and they want it in real-time. By using a multi-platform approach, you will also provide valuable information to your sales team that can help them point to useful content and place products in front of customers that make it easy for them to respond and closer to a buying decision.

Social media users will interact not only with you but also with other users to learn what their opinions and experiences are. Direct interaction with customers that answers their specific questions is not only one of the best ways to them, but to show to them and others who are reading the interaction the value that your company places on its customers and their overall experience.

Even with all the advances of AI, social media, and personalization tools, in 2020, email campaigns are constantly changing. To avoid being left behind by the competition, today’s businesses must keep a careful eye on the trends and use the technology to be better able to keep pace with their customer’s needs.

About the author

Micheal Habiger is an experienced content writer and marketer with 6 years of experience. Currently a senior marketing specialist at FollowUpFred.

Digital Branding Legal Branding SaaS Branding

Global E-Commerce Usability Errors

Steven on April 9, 2020

If we talk about global errors, it is only one – the unwillingness to understand that there is a usability online store. Among businessmen, it is considered that this is a set of standards to follow. And rare owners know the truth: usability – an individual complex, which is determined only through regular testing.

Let’s analyze the most common mistakes that arise from a lack of understanding of usability and lack of testing.

No information about the product in the shopping cart.

There’s a problem. The customer puts the goods in the basket. And when he wants to re-examine the features, he finds neither an enlarged image nor a link to a detailed description. The only thing available to him is the price of the goods. To reread the specifications and check whether the product is selected, he will have to go back to the catalog. And then the buyer leaves.

The solution. Give the customer access to complete information about the product from the shopping cart. Some customers prefer to put all the products they are interested in in the cart, and only then get acquainted with the characteristics of the product and select it. This behavior is often found in spontaneous purchases and sales.

No information on product availability

There’s a problem. The customer puts the product in the basket. He fills out a special form and at the end of the procedure he finds out that the product is over. This can make him angry, which will significantly reduce his loyalty.

It’s a solution. Inform about the presence/absence of the product in time – in the product card or shopping cart. This way the customer will be able to replace one type of product with another or will not fill out the form at all, which will save his time and save your reputation.

There is no option of auto storage of selected products in the shopping cart.

There’s a problem. The client formed a shopping list in the shopping cart and accidentally closed the page. After re-entering the site, he finds out that the selected lots from the shopping cart have disappeared. This is one of the typical usability mistakes on the site that scares away most customers.

The solution. Use the option to automatically save a list of selected items. The connection between the site and the customer can be interrupted for completely different reasons. These are both technical problems during payment and bad internet connection. If you do not take care of auto-preservation, the customer either refuses to buy or significantly shortens the list by reviewing its appropriateness.

No indication of changes in the order amount

There’s a problem. The customer chooses a product, goes through registration and finds out that the original order amount has increased for a reason he does not understand. The shop does not report that the chosen method of payment or delivery adds a certain percentage to the final amount.

Solution. If the increase concerns payment, it should be indicated at the stage of choosing the payment method. If delivery is made for a fee, it should be indicated when choosing a delivery method. The buyer can get information about additional payments with advanced product options extension.

Conclusion

These are the rudest and common usability mistakes. As you can see, they are quite simple and obvious. However, their presence can significantly reduce sales and spoil the reputation of the online store.

Solving such errors does not require huge investments and special technologies. You need to conduct internal testing, to understand the problems and start fixing them!

SaaS Branding

How a Workplace Accident Can Damage Your Brand

Steven on February 6, 2020

Having a strong brand is crucial in the route to business success. But, one mistake can ruin everything you have worked for in years. A good example is a workplace accident that can be a massive blow to your talent and your business altogether. So, how good is the level of safety in your workplace? This article will tell you how accidents at the workplace put your business at risk. In the end, you will know how to protect your brand in such a scenario.

Damaging Reputation

A good reputation is so important in business these days, particularly in the age of social media. A single mistake can be amplified to damage everything you have built over time. A good reputation speaks volumes about the work and the people in your business. It’s important in attracting lucrative opportunities, attracting top talent and customers. In fact, a damaged reputation is quite challenging to fix. It will take a lot of time and cost to rebuild. There is even no guarantee that the efforts will be fruitful!

Financial Losses

When accidents happen at the workplace, the public will often not care to know who was at fault. In some cases, the news and media content about the risks in your workplace will spread around. You will lose customers and business relationships. You will also lose cash in compensating the victims of the accident. If you were at fault, then you might even end up paying millions of dollars for damages. It can bring your business to its knees or you might even lose the business.

Decline in productivity

Workplace accidents can lead to a decrease in productivity in several ways. For starters, when one staff member is injured, others will have that fear as well. They will start looking over their shoulders, and the panic mode might be there for long. It is even worse if the accident was fatal because some top talented employees can decide to quit.

If a lawsuit is filed against you, you may end up spending a lot of time in courtrooms, which is both emotionally, physically and financially draining. If the victim was severely injured, he or she will need some time off to recover or they might not be able to work again. It will be quite a blow if other employees are unable to fill the position adequately. You will have to look outside which can be another challenge in attracting top talents to fill the role.

Legal implications

There are many laws put in place to protect workers, depending on where your business operates. In the case of workplace accidents, employees are entitled to compensation as per the law. They can file a lawsuit for compensation against you citing negligence on your part. You can spend years in legal tussles with legal teams, a feat that translates to losses.

What to do After a Workplace Accident

It’s always important to have a proper emergency response mechanism to help injured employees. It may not be your fault, but it becomes your business when accidents happen when they are in the line of duty. Proceed to investigate the cause of the accident. Some causes are apparent, and this is something you ought to have had control over. Other hazards may be hidden but it might be within your control as well. You must seek professional help when assessing the risks as it will also reveal other underlying risks and the extensive impact of the hazards. Also, with the risk assessment report, you will have a glimpse of what you can do in the future to prevent accidents. Some preventive measures may be as simple as installing a new fire extinguisher and educating the staff, or as expensive as replacing manual systems with automatic ones. Nonetheless, preventive measures are important to ensure this doesn’t happen again!

The next and most crucial step is to handle to incident. After the risk assessment, you need to look for an attorney who is offering the best legal representation money can buy to help protect your business. An experienced accident injury attorney will help you to prevent further damage to your brand. The attorney will build a proper defense in case of a lawsuit. They will help you settle the case in a way that protects your business.

Tip: Always ensure you have the right safety measures in your workplace. You may not see the results immediately, but you will be increasing employee safety, improve your workplace productivity, and avoid financial losses.

Final thoughts

Workplace accidents can happen anywhere, and there is so much that can be lost. Now that you know about the disastrous effects of workplace hazards, it is time to take action to protect your brand!

SaaS Branding

Intellectual Ideas to deal with increasing Employee Turnover

Steven on January 17, 2020

Many businesses excel when it comes to landing quality employees. That’s because they do everything by the book. They screen qualified applicants, ask for references, and ask thorough questions during the interview process. After that is when things start to fall apart. Many businesses stop checking in with new employees.

They think that just because they landed a quality employee they don’t have to do anything to keep them. Don’t make that mistake because that can lead to a high employee turnover rate. Here are six ideas to boost employee morale and decrease the employee turnover rate.

1.) Make Your Employees Feel Special

Once you hire a new employee, it’s up to you to make sure that they are thriving and well-adjusted. Employees who don’t feel challenged and see no room for growth will be less inclined to stay.

That’s why you should make them feel special. All you have to do is learn their name and some background information about them. Remember their work anniversary or birthday. If they feel their company cares about them, they’ll be more comfortable sticking around for the long run.

2.) Acknowledge the Hard Work They Put In

When an employee does something good, acknowledge them even if it’s just sending them a quick email to say a great job. Offering rewards for meeting sales goals is a great way to keep employees focused on the tasks at hand. Many businesses offer an ‘Employee of the Month’ award because it helps foster healthy competition among employees. It gives them something to strive for.

3.) Schedule Team-Building Events

If you have a large group of employees working together, it’s important to make sure that they get along. If fights pop up between employees, one or both may be tempted to quit. That’s why you need to meditate the situations immediately. Before things like that even become a problem, try to schedule team-building activities where employees can get to know one another. This will also help them build trust, know they can rely on each other, and create a better work environment.

4.) Small Perks Go A Long Way

In an office setting, small perks can go a long way in keeping employees happy. Offering gear with the company’s logo on it will make them proud to be apart of something. If employees are doing a great job, reward them with a pizza party. When employees are putting in overtime, bring them in coffee or doughnuts just to show that you appreciate what they’re doing. Employees will notice this and feel cared for.

5.) Keep Your Office Door Open

An open-door policy is a great one to enact. Your employees should know that if they ever are struggling, have a problem, or feel unappreciated that they can come and talk to you. Make sure you have time to devote to your employees. Click here to learn about payroll outsourcing so that you can focus more attention on being present instead of the technical side of things.

6.) Offer Room for Growth

No employee wants to be stuck in a dead-end job. They want to know that there is room for them to grow. This is why you should offer a competitive salary, ways to climb up the ladder, and opportunities for a raise. When employees have different goals to work towards, they’ll want to stay for the long run. The second they feel stuck in a dead end job, they’ll consider other options.