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Mobile Marketing: What Is Incrementality Testing?

Steven on August 25, 2018

All mobile app marketers are looking to engage and convert more users. With so many marketing channels available, there’s a lot of pressure to quickly hone in on what will yield the most valuable business outcomes.

The more channels a business experiments with, the higher their chance for finding a blend that achieves substantial ROI. However, the experimentation process is tricky and time-consuming. Metrics like click-through-rate (CTR) and costs per acquisition (CPA) can give some useful insights, but they usually don’t tell the entire story.

Many marketers constantly wonder if their advertisement campaigns caused a consumer to convert. The answer to this question and more lies in incrementality testing.

What Is Incrementality Testing?

Incrementality testing, otherwise known as ‘Uplift Modeling,’ ‘Incremental Sales Lift’ or ‘Placebo Effect,’ measures the lift that advertising spending provides to conversion rates.

Advertisers can use incrementality testing to see how a single variable impacts user behavior. The resulting incremental lift shows how a certain digital advertising tactic impacts sales in comparison to other marketing endeavors.

Armed with this type of knowledge, you can then use data to formulate a more concrete marketing action plan. Dividing up audiences and marketing tactics into testing and control groups through incremental integration testing gives you reassurance results are not influenced by outside factors.

What Are The Benefits of Incrementality Testing?

The benefits of this type of test are robust. Incrementality testing can:

Validate the impact of digital media vs. organic conversions.
Validate conversions that are new.
Validate a single targeting tactic by a vendor.
Validate (and then compare) incremental sales across head-to-head tests.

Incrementality testing gives advertisers the ability to fine-tune their budgets since they have a better idea of how to allocate retargeting ad spend. In an advertising industry fraught with a lack of clarity, this type of testing gives businesses confidence in their marketing tactics.

However, despite all the benefits of incrementality testing, it’s still a pretty new concept that hasn’t yet achieved widespread popularity.

Why Isn’t Incrementality Testing Popular?

It might seem a bit weird that this type of testing has not been universally adopted, especially in light of its benefits. But incrementality testing carries a couple pitfalls.

First, testing is usually costly since money has to be dedicated to placebo advertisements. However, increasingly advanced AI technology is now letting companies with small budgets and volume carry out tests.

Additionally, getting precise metrics from incrementality testing can be extremely difficult. A lot can quickly go wrong. Many marketers think incrementality can be measured merely by examining conversions before and after a digital marketing effort.

The most precise measurements, however, will come through scientific approaches like randomized control trials (RCT).

How Can I Perform a Test?

RCTs can be an easy way to take a lot of the complexity out of incrementality tests. You simply split a target audience into a control and test group and then show the test group advertisements. Then you’re able to observe conversion rates and calculate impact. This gives you a clear picture of the cause and effect of a marketing campaign.

It’s crucial to adhere to good statistical testing practices throughout the process to ensure legitimate results. This means randomly selecting people for groups from the same user pool. It also means coming up with a hypothesis, a primary outcome, and a definite start and end date to cut down on time distortions.

In the end, groups of people that have higher incremental lift probably need some more pushing through the sales funnel. Groups with lower lift are probably more likely to buy, even without an ad.

The Competitive Edge of Testing

Despite the trickiness of successfully carrying out incremental integration testing, it provides a lot of benefits to marketers and advertisers.

Understanding the effects of a marketing strategy can help optimize a budget, and getting an idea about the indirect impacts of a tactic lets you see how one marketing strategy affects another.

An optimized budget and high-level visibility into the varying effectiveness of your overall marketing strategy can position companies for long-term growth and ensure they stay a step ahead of competitors.

Digital Branding

How To Get The Media To Notice You

Steven on August 22, 2018

Do you want more media attention for your business? Read on, here are some great ideas to do so.

1. Know What The Outlet Covers

Although most media outlets seem to cover the same publication, each outlet uses a different approach/angle for the same. For this reason, you need to identify whatever angle or approach the outlet uses in the content and news they air. It is after you have identified their ‘beat’ that you can start working on producing the same quality and matching news as theirs. You may however have to watch, read, or even listen to their broadcast severally to get the ‘beat’ right.

2. Use Email Instead Of Calling

Unless you have a burning question, always use email for media pitches instead of the phone. One of the reasons why you need to avoid calling is the fact that most calls go to voicemail. Listening to a voicemail message takes a lot longer than reading the text. It is even harder to forward the same, with most editors choosing to delete long voice messages if it isn’t direct to the point.

3. Try Reaching the Right Person

Media outlets like this have dozens of people working on different content each day. Sending your content to the wrong person means you won’t be ‘heard.’ With multiple writers and editors, you need to identify the specific person you wish to reach out to or contact. Many media outlets today have a desk software that helps route communications to the right person. All you need to do is identify the contact or use words that the software can understand to route your message to him/her.

4. Target The Outlet’s Regular/Main Feature

Take some time to learn/discover the outlet’s features, then identify where your story would fit perfectly. Most media outlets are always looking for stories and subjects to add to their features. It is after identifying the specific feature that you can schedule your story for online publication or in print. You may, however, have to follow the media outlet on Twitter to be able to see their feeds, as well as the editorial calendars to spot recurring features that may be of interest.

You, however, need to follow all instructions outlined for that specific feature to stand a chance. One of the best ways to have your business considered in the feature is by submitting the same to the right person. For instance, looking at the Contact page can give you a direct contact of the person/editor responsible for that specific feature. Sending a generic email pitch to the outlet only reduces the probability of getting to the said editor.

5. Let Your Expertise Known

Media editors receive tons of emails from people who want their businesses featured. While they cannot publish/air all these features at once, most editors save the emails for future reference/use should they need a source. For this reason, it would be advisable to send the editor an email every 3 months indicating your expertise and availability for an interview. Make your expertise known and especially the specific topic. Your business should also have an online presence where these editors can find it on Google. Journos are similar to employers, they want the right people and those that show their expertise – check out this post from nPower to see the similarities.

6. Make Yourself Available

Journalist work on tight schedules whereby they may want to call you for an interview. Make the process easy by providing your phone number and other contact details in all emails and company website. You also need to make yourself reachable and respond to any attempts to reach you on time. Returning calls and responding to requests sent makes it easier for the PR rep to reach you. You may also want to keep your phone close each time – you never know when the PR rep will call.

7. Create a Resource Center for your Media

The press/journalist may want to grab a few things about your business before running your story. These include images of your top products, black-and-white and color logo, as well as headshots of the business executives. Creating a resource center for this, and in high resolution makes it easier for the media to cover your business well. It would also be advisable to include figures and basic facts about the company, which the editor can sieve through when running the story. Making these pieces of information readily available without the editor having to contact you makes their job easier.

Local Branding

5 Ways Regular Yoga Class at Your Company Can Help Your Employees Beat Stress

Steven on August 22, 2018

There are many aspects of working that can help your employees feel stressed. Of course, that is not what you want for them. You want your employees to flourish and feel like they are a part of a team doing important work. Stress is common in the workplace but there are ways you can support a more calming environment. You can also help them calm down to a level of relaxation so your employees have more clarity.

Yoga helps every muscle in your body and shifts brain chemistry back to normal. In our bodies, the feelings we have tend to sit in certain areas. For examples, the hip holds emotional stress and tension. Stretching them out helps to release that tension. The abdominal organs can often hold onto stagnant bodily fluids. Certain poses massage these areas and help the fluids move on which is something like a holistic detox. Here are five ways that yoga is going to help your employees feel less stressed out while at work.

1. Yoga and Cortisol Levels

Yoga is considered holistic therapy for lowering cortisol levels, according to a study. Cortisol levels occur due to too many instances of stress. While it is produced in our bodies and is a natural chemical, if there is too much cortisol, it can cause major health issues. They include:

Rapid weight gain.
Muscles can become weak.
It becomes difficult to think.
The thyroid doesn’t work optimally.
Blood sugar problems.

Probably one of the worst symptoms that most people suffer from is a chronic mood problem. This is usually anxiety which perpetuates the additional release of cortisol levels. Simply explained, when one of your employees gets stressed out about a meeting or a deadline, this may become a moment of anxiety. This is where the fight or flight response kicks in which is a part of the nervous system function. It was originally designated to save us from sabretooth tigers or bears and lions in this more modern time.

Using this tool when we aren’t running or fighting for our lives means that cortisol just stays in the body. We get tense in the muscles because we have this energy being drawn up to be used and it never is. This tension will often sit in our neck, shoulders, or hips. Ironically, these areas will usually be pain points from sitting for long periods of time. This sends a message to the brain that the body is under stress and it becomes cyclical in your pain.

So how does yoga help?

Yoga reduces stress which means that cortisol levels have a chance to lower. The breathing poses and meditative aspects of yoga all help to fully de-stress a person. Your employees will naturally relax just by taking in a few deep breaths midday. If you provide an area for them to do yoga at the workplace, they can get into Childs Pose to find their center and safety. This alleviates the onset of stress immediately.

2. Rebalances the Body and Mind

When the body is tense, the mind has a hard time retaining information. This causes your employees to have a harder time getting work done. Yoga rebalances the body, bringing back strength, and flexibility. This helps kick-start the brain. Yoga has specific poses to balance energy in the body. Your employees will also grow more mentally stronger as parts of yoga take mental discipline.

You also have more flexibility which allows the body to soften up. This means your employees will experience less chronic pain. They will be agiler and have more energy. The feeling that yoga gives your employees when they regularly practice gives them ease and freedom. This promotes ultimate happiness that gives them increased energy.

3. More Mindfulness to Cope with Stressful Situations

Your employees will have the clarity to deal with all the stress that comes up during work. They are generally happier and have a good demeanor. They will harness compassion which results in excellent team building. This is what yoga can do for people. Stress often occurs from the things we think about. We ruminate about all the possibilities of a future outcome. This doesn’t serve us well at all because really, the future is out of our control anyway.

Yoga allows us the space to learn how to see what comes up in our mind. We can then begin to control it as opposed to it controlling us. We can create a presence and build up the thought of compassion instead of feeling confused and unsure. The poses of yoga are designed to relax us. Then we can finish up with meditation which is what helps us to gain a grasp of what it is to be mindful.

4. We Learn How to Breathe Properly

Stress and the nervous system have a strong connection. It can be quite debilitating for a person to go through major bouts of stress. Through yoga, you can learn how to negate all that stress. Breathwork in yoga is as important as the poses. It comes with as many health benefits too. It can relieve someone’s anxiety in an instant. It also helps relax the body on a consistent basis so you’re less likely to stay in anxiety for very long. With yoga asking you to focus on your breath, you become more able to use the breath in times of stress.

5. They Get Exercise

Yoga is a physical exercise and it’s important to offer it to your employees. While it would be great if everyone could play a game of soccer, it’s likely some of your employees have physical limitations. This is the nice thing about yoga. People can be doing their own thing in any given yoga class. There are modifications that can be done and there are props to make it easier.

The point is exercise matters. This is especially true for those bound at their desks. Through stretching and holding poses, your employees will get their blood moving. They become stronger and perhaps more confident. They stretch out all the tension from constant sitting or standing. Exercise helps to improve one’s mood and cognitive thinking. It is a great form of exercise that anyone can do.

To be able to provide your employees with the gift of yoga will bring everyone together. They will feel more supported, less stressed out, and healthier all around. You may be making a major difference to their life which will certainly trickle into their overall productivity and happiness.

Digital Branding

Creating a Customer Journey Using a Marketing Automation Software

Steven on August 22, 2018

Everything in life unfolds at different stages. From physical maturity, career growth, to education. Each phase has its unique needs and should be confronted as such. It’s the same with customer journeys, there are different stages that should be dealt with accordingly. With the aid of an email marketing automation software, it’s easy to identify your customer journeys and manage them properly. A well-defined customer journey allows marketers to target and personalize their messages better. You can serve your clients better if you know what they are going through. The three common stages of customer journey are awareness, consideration and decision stages. Knowing at which stage at this journey a particular client is in will help you calibrate your marketing tactics. But how could you identify your client’s stage? The answer is marketing automation. This tool collects data, places triggers, and sends an appropriate response based on triggers. In one study, 45.9% of marketers said the marketing automation has enhanced customer experience, 37.7 % have developed quality leads and 34.9% have boosted their volume of leads. Now let’s get on to the nitty-gritty of the three stages:

The Awareness Stage

In the awareness stage, customers are not yet aware of their problems and they have not interacted with your brand yet. Your goal for this stage is to reach out to your potential customers and increase brand awareness. You must also find a way to establish communication with your potential clients. That is, by them liking your social media page, subscribing to your channel, or subscribing to your email list. To do this, you have to generate a massive amount of valuable content to reach as many people as possible. But, your effort would be useless if it doesn’t get in front of your audience. SEO is king when it comes to making sure that your message is heard. You don’t have to scavenge the World Wide Web to learn about SEO. You can use an SEO Management tool such as Linkio. Combine SEO with marketing automation to spread your message efficiently and effectively. To champion the awareness stage, create useful and attractive contents like blogs, videos, and infographics, and even create buyer personas. Ask visitors to subscribe so that you can continue nurturing them on the next stage.

Consideration Stage

At this point, the potential customers are already aware of their problems and are already aware of your brand. They are just checking out different options. Your goal is to win the trust of your customers and convince them that you are the best option. Winning trust is all about building relationships. Establish your expertise to help clients decide that your brand is a good fit for their needs. As with the first stage, marketing automation is also helpful by identifying which visitors are in this stage and sending out relevant content. Webinars, feedback from previous customers, and courses are the types of content ideal for consideration stage.

Decision Stage

During this stage, the potential clients should be ready to convert. They have recognized their problems and they have looked at all their options. They’re just one step closer to making a purchase. Your goal is to ensure that they buy your course, book, product or service. You want them to focus on that and just that. Examples of contents you can use for this stage is a free trial and a live demo. For instance, a client goes to the purchase page of your website after visiting other pages. The client will then be offered a free trial just in case he or she still has some reservations. Just in case the client leaves without making a purchase, you can still retarget the client using marketing automation. Visiting your product page is a strong indication of his or her interest in your brand. Through marketing automation, you can set triggers so that the client will still be reminded of your products even if he or she is on a different website. Automation also allows you to keep the cycle going even after the client has completed a purchase. You can keep a lifelong customer as long as you continue to provide valuable content and valuable products.

Conclusion

Awareness stage is all about reaching out to your customers. Consideration is letting them know that you’re the right fit. Decision stage is the time when they’re ready to purchase. The different stages of a customer’s journey are all important in the growth of your business. There is no one size fits all for the entire journey. Fortunately, you do not need to be manually checking on each client. Marketing automation can do that. All you have to do is lay out your plan, set it up, and let the software do the rest. You still have to generate high quality and useful contents. You need your entire mental prowess to create all these so don’t waste it on the mundane and let marketing automation do it for you.

Author Bio:

Kimberly Maceda is a Content Writer for ActiveTrail. She writes for some top online marketing sites and blogging advice on email marketing and marketing automation. The active trail is a leading provider of professional-grade email marketing and automation software for growing businesses.

Digital Branding

How to Rank A Website Quickly in Google

Steven on August 21, 2018

Everyone who has ever tried it knows that getting on the first page of Google search results is not easy. But, on the other hand, it’s far from impossible. As experts have shown times and times again, reaching the top results can be achieved very quickly if you know which road to take. Just thinking about the need to find the right (meaning unique but still highly competitive) keywords is enough to realize that patience is indeed a virtue when it comes to the search engines, but there are a lot of other tasks you can perform to boost your website and thus increase the speed of this process. The internet is full of highly doubtful tactics that can easily backfire – the only way to rank a website quickly is to do it naturally, with so-called white label SEO. In other words, it’s important to realize what exactly Google wants from you and what is the quickest way to provide that.

The beginning of a beautiful friendship

With all those algorithms changes Google has been announcing it may seem impossible to figure out what exactly you’re supposed to do. As soon as you start adjusting your website to certain requests the new ones seem to appear from nowhere. it almost seems if someone has been intentionally keeping you in the dark – well, it might be something like that. Think of Facebook – if you want to gain access to the information about someone’s page you need to send the friend request, or you are forced to monitor all his/hers posts closely and try to catch every bit of information you can. Same goes for Google – if you want to rank faster you need to make your website become Google-friendly. Google doesn’t accept friend requests, but you can achieve the similar result through Google Search Console. This is a free service designed by Google to make your website’s research functionality more manageable through the collection of reports and tools that will enable you to find and correct errors and create a better strategy to optimize your rankings. Basically, with the beginning of this friendship, Google will be able to find your website more easily, and you can even request for a friendly favour of force crawl every time you make changes to your website.

Every person leads to a machine (and vice versa)

This may sound like a post-apocalyptic setting of some sci-fi movie, but today it’s simply a reality we live in. If you don’t have an account on social media networks it is almost as if you don’t exist. True, you can be a rebel and promote face-to-face conversation values, but when it comes to the visibility of your business you’ll need to make an exception. Google wants to see you on social media – the interaction with your customers through these platforms is a very important factor for your ranking speed. The more links you build, the faster you’ll land on that first page. And while high-quality link building takes a lot of time, linking your content to social media can easily make it spread like fire. All you need to do is to identify social networks your target audience is on and to keep your posts public. That will produce shares and instant traffic which will automatically rank you higher and faster. The level of your engagement on social media is a decisive factor when it comes to the amount of useful linking you’ll get.

Now for the vice-versa part, which comes with few modifications. Maybe every machine leads back to a person, but when it comes to platforms this doesn’t hold water. Today people use various platforms for their searchings, the smaller the better, and being mobile-friendly has become mandatory already in 2015. That’s why having the responsive web design has become a major ranking element. It provides the same quality of user experience on any device and there is no variation in loading time. And you don’t have to ask Google in order to know that your rankings highly depend on whether your users enjoy spending time on your site – finding content and links easily and quickly – or abandon the ship with frustration after it failed to load in 3 seconds.

Word, words, words

And now, back to those keywords. If you ever wondered why Shakespeare’s ‛Hamlet’ has been staged for over 400 years you’ve probably noticed that it’s very opened to various readings even in this modern age. And all that variety comes from a single Hamlet’s line in the second act of the second scene – ‛Words, words, words’. It is not so much about what Hamlet is reading, but how he’s reading it – people interpret words in various ways, having their own associations, and this becomes very apparent in their online searches. Some of them type in very obscure phrases that have low competition levels, and others type combinations with already high search volume. Your goal should be to find keywords that are somewhere in the middle and a tool from Google called Keyword Planner can be your greatest ally in this ordeal. It will also help you with your grammar – yes, if you haven’t noticed, Google is also monitoring your language use and sentence structure. If they have a spammy and wonky ring they’ll certainly not speed up the ranking process, so don’t let bad English stand in your way. Being precise always leads to greater speed, so it would be wise to also include modifiers – even if you’re not tied to a certain state or area branching your pages is certainly a plus.

As the popular saying of a younger generation goes – ‛Father Google knows everything’. So don’t waste your time searching for dubious shortcuts. All you need to do is to ask for a friendly advice, but choose your words carefully.

Local Branding

Make A Sale! 7 Eye-Catching Ideas In Making A Convincing Poster Ad

Steven on August 10, 2018

If you are going to look around, you will see that the world is full of visual representations. You’ll see different designs, aesthetics, structural images, beautiful sceneries, and so on. You feed your eyes with different things you see wherever you look.

In line with that, you’ll see that the business industry is no different. It disposes of different visual marketing strategies to boost publicity and sales. They invest in creating banners posters, and other signages for every sales event that they conduct to make sure they attract a lot of prospective customers.

That said, it is always right to follow general rules to make sure that your design stands out and is different among others. Here are some of the few things you may contemplate when designing your promotional medium.

Work on Typical Poster Sizes

It is a must that before you start planning and working for the design and content of your poster, you have to decide the appropriate size you are going to use. Examine the type of business you have and check your audiences so you’ll have an idea what to use.

You have to remember that if your poster size is too small people can hardly read it and if it’s too big then people will pass by it because it’s a nuisance to them. Always consider picking the right size so that you can quickly draw people’s attention.

Moreover, for posters and signage that you want to put on sidewalks, then you may consider using a larger size. If you’re going to get the attention of people in passing cars, then you may choose a larger scale.

Make it Easy

Most business owners think that the more content and design they put into their ads the more it is compelling. Indeed, it’s not.

Always make sure that your designs are easy and straightforward to look. Bear in mind to choose bold and large letters for signs and easy graphics so that people can quickly read it and will not be puzzled of what you are advertising.

Colour Preference

It is one of the essential ingredients when captivating the eyes of your prospective clients. You have to choose colors that are striking, eye-catching, and of course, money-making signs.

With regards to your colour preference, you can use bold, bright, and contrasting colours. Yellow and red are the best choices because they can be seen at a distance. Also, prefer colours that connect with your brand so that your customers won’t be confused.

Naturally, Attention Seeking

Your purpose of making your poster advertisement is not just for public display but for people to look at it and understand it. So, it’s essential that you have to make it naturally attention seeking. You don’t just place it at any corner of your establishment and let it stay there.

When you place on a sidewalk or in the front of your store, put them lower because people try to glance down as they are walking. On the other hand, if you want to catch the attention of people from afar, then you have to hang it.

The primary key to your poster replacement is to study and know where your customer’s eyes naturally go.

Offers and Promotions

Signage and poster are not enough for people to see what you are trying to sale, but people are looking at the offers too. Bear in mind that customer’s priority and interest are looking at promotions, suggestions, and discounts which drive more sales

Bear in mind that you have to be prudent with your offers and discounts when you include it in your poster advertisement so your sales won’t decline and still get the profit your aiming.

Durability and Resistance

When making and designing poster ads, you can save money, energy, time, and effort if you consider its durability. Printing the poster ad and signage using high-quality vinyl banners can help you recycle in case you want to use them again.

Do it Right

Always put your 100% dedication and passion when designing for your poster ad. A well-crafted and thoughtfully-designed poster can wildly and successfully promote your business. Once you put significant attention to detail, your sales can boost anytime.

Takeaway

In the world of business where competition is tight and earning a high profit is the only way to make it last, it is always a must that you create and think out of the box marketing ideas.

Lastly, with a few artistic skills and incorporating them using typical poster sizes for people to see, surely your business will grow, and profit will inflate effortlessly.

Local Branding

Select Custom Designed Lighting Fixtures for Wet, Harsh, and Industrial Locations

Steven on August 8, 2018

The past few years have seen groundbreaking innovations hit the world of LED technology. Recent advancements are bringing about lighting solutions that cut across wet, harsh, and unique industrial settings. Most innovations are largely attributed to the increasing ability to create new form factors when LED technology is been utilized. These recent advancements in the lighting fixtures are bringing a revolution to the lighting world that was not possible with the traditional lighting sources available before this time.

In the past, it was very difficult to achieve significant light output as such a task required big and bulky fixtures, causing a limitation in innovation. Manufacturers have now been gifted with easier ways to develop fixtures that are customized to their specific application needs, as opposed to trying to manipulate an existing design to fit in. Resultant from this, the market has now been saturated with a lot more lighting fixtures products that are application specific, creating a scenario where it is easier to find the right product that will match your environment.

There are a number of factors that deserve consideration when making your choice of the best LED lighting fixtures that will fit into your wet and/or harsh industrial environments. The importance of these varies depending on the application, but here are some important points that should be considered and understood.

The first is the IP rating.: IP ratings are units used to define the level of sealing a light fixture has against any form of intrusion. The sealing level is specifically against external bodies like dirt and moisture. The IP rating in most industrial fixtures range between IP65 and IP69 – higher numbers show a higher level of ingress protection. The revolution on LED technology has caused new housing designs to their fixtures equipped with higher IP capability. Industrial settings are quite different, you just simply can’t have a fixture with an excessively high rating.
Another major factor that is often overlooked is chemical resistance. This is especially important in high chemical dense areas where wet and hose down applications is required. Polycarbonate has grown into becoming most popularly accepted materials for lenses because of the level of workability they bring and the durability that they offer. Despite its level of durability, Polycarbonate is still prone to minor stress cracks, crazing, and color change when exposed to certain chemicals (especially acid based) for a long period of time. Since exposure to Chemical is a potential risk factor, you should be careful enough to check and be sure of compatibility with the manufacturer.
Other important factors of Industrial LED fixtures that deserve serious consideration include lifespan rating and maintenance issues. The lifespan of the LED is a direct reflection of two constituents: the quality of components used and the care paid during construction. The ability to control the level of heat generation by the LED will go a long way to determine how long the fixture will last. Lighting fixtures that are manufactured at the highest industry standard and can control heat are typically rated to last up to 100,000 hours. This extended lifespan generally results in lower stress of maintenance and improved payback over time. Other potential cost reduction maintenance features that deserves been looked out for include: the ability to daisy chain fixtures and quick connect cabling.

With an increased potential go change the definition of energy saving and the increased ability for the development of application-specific fixtures, it seems so obvious that we are in the best time to consider LED lighting fixtures for Industrial Environments.

Digital Branding

How the Cloud is Changing the Marketing Field

Steven on August 7, 2018

Data is extremely important to drive decisions in the marketing field. Nothing can or should be done on a whim, so in order to find success, companies look to the cloud to help store and process marketing information. According to Mark Hurd, CEO of Oracle, “All enterprise data will be stored virtually in the cloud.” He adds that “more data is in the cloud now than in traditional storage systems.” Why are so many companies making this switch? Here are a few ways the cloud is helping to change the marketing field for the better.

Content Relevance

One of the most important factors in content marketing is that your content must be relevant to your product or client and to the community you’re targeting. If your content strategy isn’t relevant to your product or your target audience, you’re sure to see your efforts go to waste. According to Oracle, looking at data collected from both clients and audiences can help marketers make connections between them. Collecting information and honing in on specific issues can help clarify the central themes for your marketing campaigns. While this is already important in the marketing field, cloud technologies have revolutionized the way data is collected and analyzed. Now all your marketing information is in the cloud, and your applications can make inferences on their own.

Personalization

Personalization is also a critical element in modern marketing campaigns. Cloud-based data has greatly improved the degree of specificity to which marketing professionals can target their audience with demographic and psychographic details. The immense amount of data out there allows one to get a better picture of their target and deliver more tailored content via personalized ads. It was difficult to personalize anything for larger pools of consumers before the advent of cloud software. Now, this data can even help detect and predict behaviour patterns and anticipate an audience’s readiness something new. This can help marketers to assemble personalized content to win their audience over.

Less Human Participation

Collecting data, tracking feedback, and making inferences for strategic purposes can take a lot of time and energy. Thanks to the cloud, there is now less human interaction needed for marketing campaign production. However, this doesn’t mean the cloud is taking jobs away from marketing professionals. In fact, it frees up time for these professionals to work on more pressing matters. Professionals can use this time they’ve saved to discover insights and focus their efforts on creating better campaigns. In essence, the cloud isn’t replacing jobs, it’s making jobs more efficient.

Data is changing the way marketing works and the jobs the field may require in the future. A growing dependence on software and information calls for more tech-savvy talent. Marketing agencies are now hiring data scientists and tech professionals who better understand the systems in use and can help pull out the whos, whats, wheres, whens and whys the software produces. Marketing is ever-changing, but its end goal has always been making sales, and the cloud can help make that process even smoother.

Digital Branding

What is Information Security? & How It is Important for Your Business

Steven on August 7, 2018

Information Security or InfoSec. Does this term ring a bell? If not, at least you know the word hacking and what it can do to your personal and business data. Information security is all about ensuring the security, integrity and confidentiality of your data. You can be an individual or an enterprise, any digital data that you own must be secured. Information Security deals with the nitty-gritty of securing such data from falling prey to devious cybercrime professionals.

A Quick Brief About Information Security (InfoSec)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), defines information security as “The protection of information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or destruction.”

Your information could be the files you store on a cloud server, your email conversations, the files you save offline, or even online transactions that you carry out over the Internet. Thanks to the widespread use of smartphone’s, tablets and personal computers, data is now created in Petabytes and Zettabytes. Protecting such humongous volume of data is not an easy task. And, not all of us can be considered to be cautious when it comes to securing our personal data.

Most users make compromises that make their data easily hackable. Also, hackers are becoming adept at social engineering techniques which makes it possible for them to reverse engineer login credentials and passwords from social media activity. In other words, it is a dangerous world out there.

The Business Benefits of InfoSec Implementation

While it might sound a bit sophisticated and over-the-head for an average user InfoSec is a highly beneficial investment that can bring several economic benefits to your business. Some such benefits are outlined below.

Universal Data Protection

InfoSec helps establish a data protection system for all forms of information. As a running business, your information could exist in diverse forms, ranging from paper records like invoices, vendor agreements, intellectual property documents and so on. The same information may also be digitized and stored on cloud servers from where they can be accessed or accessed from time to time.

The moment they are made into data and stored online, they become exposed to cyber threats. InfoSec helps create a perimeter defence system. It encompasses all the data including those stored on your hard copies.

Enhanced Cyber Attack Resilience

Cybercrime damage costs to hit $6 trillion annually by 2021, reports the 2017 Cybercrime Report by Cybersecurity ventures. In fact, 2017 itself was an eventful year in terms of cybersecurity considering the many outbreaks of ransomware, organized botnet attacks, IoT network breaches and much more.

Digital-age enterprises need to sharpen their cybersecurity resilience by building their cybersecurity defences. InfoSec provides just the concrete foundation and the infrastructure upon which a resilient IT infrastructure can be built. It identifies areas where businesses might want to integrate additional layers of security so that their organizational data remains intact.

A Central Data Management Framework

The challenge in setting up and running a security infrastructure is that data remains siloed across several business functions, systems, data warehouses and so on. Most often business owners have to invest in diverse security systems that are compatible with the diverse forms of data.

InfoSec helps overcome that challenge by creating a centralized data management framework where all systems can be converged and monitored from a single source. It saves time and ensures a uniform way of establishing data security. Further, it also eliminates the inconsistency in data protection measures when several frameworks are used.

A Security-Centric Organizational Culture

InfoSec requires organization-wide participation. It is not possible to draw the maximum benefit out of Information security management unless all stakeholders comprising of employees, users customers and vendors adhere to its protocols.

As a result, InfoSec breeds an organization-wide security-centric culture that ensures data security and confidentiality. In the long-run, it converts into better IT resilience against technology-induced threats and also better response systems in case something is to go wrong.

Improved Customer Confidence

A business that takes data security seriously is one that takes customers seriously. Take for instance Apple. The iPhone maker has always taken a strong stance when it comes to securing its user data from unauthorized access by apps and network carriers. That makes Apple the first choice for most users who put their data security and privacy above everything else.

The same goes for websites as well. Websites that install SSL certificate; and show the green HTTPS bar enjoy a higher level of trust from their visitors than their less secured counterparts. In other words, Information Security helps in boosting customer confidence about a brand. Reputed Certificate Authority like RapidSSL, offers a digital certificate that secures end to end communication point (browser to the server) through 256-bit encryption technology. Encryption secure customer data and build a strong business trust relationship, that indirectly improves sales. For more information about the features of RapidSSL – www.cheapsslshop.com/rapidssl is the best place to learn about the benefits of HTTPS and installation support. Information Security proves to the outside world that the business takes data confidentiality, integrity, and privacy as a serious matter and hence is professional in its dealings with customers.

Summing It Up

Information Security in 2018 is no longer an option. It has become a necessity that will keep cybersecurity threats at bay. As the volume of cybersecurity crimes keep skyrocketing with every passing day, business needs to take measures to protect and make their data immune to unauthorized access.

Information security provides just the right framework for that. It brings with a plethora of benefits like a centralized security management system, improved cybersecurity resilience, enhanced customer confidence and universal data protection. The benefit from an Information Security system may not accrue immediately. But, it gets better with time.

Legal Branding

Dangers of Road Rage

Steven on August 6, 2018

The definition of road rage, per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), includes actions a driver takes that endanger other people or property. It can involve an assault with a motor vehicle or the use of a weapon by either the driver or a passenger in one vehicle against the operator or passengers of a different one. Road rage is against the law, but if your vehicle has been damaged, you’ve been injured as a result, or a loved one’s life has been cut short, Los Angeles personal injury attorneys can help you get maximum compensation.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 56% of crashes in the U.S. are caused by aggressive behaviour. Also, the NHTSA has found that 66% of auto accident fatalities are caused by aggression and that aggressive behaviour often results in an aggressive response. The organization found half of the drivers on the receiving end of aggression responded aggressively themselves.

What Is Aggressive Driving?

Various behaviours characterize aggressive driving. Road rage is often triggered by anger or being upset. Drivers under stress may exhibit behaviours such as:

Illegal passing
Tailgating
Honking
Failure to yield
Going through red lights/stop signs
Weaving in and out of lanes
Speeding
Ignoring traffic signals
Obscene gestures

However, road rage isn’t always caused by the aggressor. Driving habits that can trigger an aggressive response include using a cell phone, keeping high beam lights on when there’s oncoming traffic, or failing to use a turn signal when changing lanes or turning. Also, check your blind spot when switching lanes. Cutting someone off, even inadvertently, can trigger an episode of anger.

Getting a Handle on Road Rage

If a driver responds to you aggressively, it is important not to escalate the situation. The following tips can help prevent an incident:

Do not react or retaliate.
Do not make eye contact.
Continue to drive safely.
Realize the other driver doesn’t handle stress well.

Road rage starts due to emotions and reactions caused by many stressors in life. These can include an argument with a spouse or partner, getting fired at work, or disciplining children in the car. A driver may be late to work or an appointment and be in a rush. Road rage can happen to anyone but is more common in young male drivers and individuals with certain psychological problems.

Why Road Rage Is So Dangerous

Not having a handle on your anger or emotions can trigger the characteristic behaviours of road rage. Aggressive drivers are dangerous because they are not in full control. They may be unable to avoid a direct collision or hitting something head on. An aggressive driver is also more likely to crash at higher speeds, increasing the likelihood of severe damage, injuries, and deaths.

Consequences

If you’re caught being an aggressor, you may face criminal charges. This might mean going to court, paying legal fees, and even facing imprisonment. The potential for physical harm and death to yourself and others is too high.

A personal injury attorney can help if you’re a victim of road rage. Your attorney will offer advice on what to do immediately after the incident. They will provide expert legal help and representation throughout the case to ensure you’re compensated for head, neck, back, knee, and other injuries or trauma.