Gulf Coast Local Blogdescription...https://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-DetailsVideo Content for Social Media (Yes, You Need It)https://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/155/video-content-for-social-media-yes-you-need-itContent Marketing,Digital MarketingTue, 08 Oct 2019 02:27:00 GMT<p>Most of us have fond memories of watching grainy, embarrassing home movies on large VHS tapes in our childhood living rooms. Video has come a long way since then, but its impact on our lives has only grown. These days, videos are used as a powerful marketing strategy to help businesses increase their profits and connect with consumers. In fact, video content is the most powerful form of social media marketing and businesses that aren’t using it to their advantage are falling behind. To stay on top, hiring a professional videographer to handle your video content should be a key component in your social media strategy.</p> <p>But do you really need a video content strategy? Here’s what social video content can do for your business:</p> <h3><br /> Videos Boost Engagement</h3> <p>Digital marketers agree - there is no medium more engaging to an online audience than video. To begin with, users are more inclined to actually watch videos than other types of content. According to a survey done by Animoto, 60% of users say that they watch branded videos on social media every day. And when it comes to sharing, video content is shared 1200% more than text or image content! In the numbers game, video content will always come out on top.<br /> So why are they so engaging? Videos are able to capture your audience more effectively using two things that always grab our attention: movement and sound. And once your audience is ensnared, video content can use things like facial expressions, tone of voice, and sounds to convey and evoke emotion. This is much harder to do in text content, which requires punction or visual cues to suggest tone. Emotion is a driving factor in purchasing decisions, so you want to hit your audience where they’ll feel it the most. And speaking of purchasing...</p> <h3><br /> Videos Boost Product Sales</h3> <p>Have you ever seen a cool product online, but you weren’t sure how it worked? I bet you weren’t inclined to buy it to find out! One of the best uses of video content is showing a product in action, especially if the product is new. In today’s busy world, consumers don’t have time to read lengthy product descriptions. Videos are easily digestible and can make new concepts easier to understand. By showing how a product works, you can also show them how it will benefit them in a real-life way. A viewer is much more likely to visualize that product in their hands when they see it in someone else’s rather than in the pages of an advertisement.<br /> <br /> If your business relies on product sales to thrive, video content is something you can’t slack on. Animoto’s survey found that one in four consumers lose interest in a product if it doesn’t have video. That’s 25% of your audience!</p> <h3><br /> Videos Build Trust</h3> <p>Ask yourself: are you more likely to trust something pitched to you by a friend or by a hawker on the street? Video content is so effective because it helps build trust between your business and your customers. Though most of the world relies on digital technology, consumers remain more likely to invest in a business that they feel connected to. Videos are inherently personal, especially if the content is authentic, natural, and conversational. That’s why storytelling is such a crucial element in your video strategy - it makes your business feel like a trusted friend rather than an infomercial. When your video content is consistent, your audience will begin to seek out your page to experience your brand rather than just clicking on your videos in their feed. And that is exactly where you want to be.</p> <h3><br /> Videos Build Your Brand</h3> <p>Speaking of the personal nature of videos, it makes them the perfect tool to create and maintain your business’s brand. A brand is a complex concept, affected by everything from your word choices to your punctuation style. When your video content is consistent with your brand, it helps develop your company’s personality and connect to your audience. Quality video content can combine all of the things that make up your brand and deliver it in a ready-to-go package. One way to do this is by inserting appropriate text and graphic elements into your videos. People are strongly influenced by visuals, so creating a consistent look with your videos is one of the easiest ways to make your brand - and your business - recognizable.</p> <h3><br /> Why Do I Need A Professional?</h3> <p>Now that you’re convinced that you need strong video content for your social accounts, you may be wondering how to get it done. Many companies don’t believe they need to hire a professional videographer, and they often assign video content to existing members of their staff. But this isn’t always the best decision - and sometimes it’s a downright bad one. Here’s what a professional videographer can do for your video content strategy:</p> <p> </p> <ul> <li>Use professional equipment to create high quality, dynamic video content</li> <li>Give you a better ROI than less qualified staff</li> <li>Bring industry knowledge to the table to create content that is successful long-term</li> <li>Help develop your company brand</li> <li>Increase your profits</li> <li>And more!</li> </ul> <p>Our professional videography service can help you create a video content strategy that turns your social media accounts into marketing gold. Using professional equipment and the latest industry trends, we can deliver video content that is engaging, dynamic, and beneficial to your business. Ready to see your social media engagement skyrocket? Contact us for a consultation today!</p> 1554 Ways Duplicate Content Hurts Your Sitehttps://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/154/4-ways-duplicate-content-hurts-your-siteContent Marketing,Digital MarketingWed, 25 Sep 2019 02:23:00 GMT<p>The words ‘duplicate content’ strike fear into the hearts of marketers everywhere, something akin to cavity search or TV Reruns. Actually, it’s pretty similar - who wants to watch the same show over and over again? It’s the same with content - users don’t want to read articles that just repeat information and don’t bring anything new to the table. More than that, duplicating content hurts your reputation as a website and as a business. But what exactly is duplicate content? And why is it so bad?</p> <h3>What Is Duplicate Content?</h3> <p>Duplicate content can be a variety of things, and not all of them are bad. Google defines duplicate content as “substantive blocks of content within or across domains that either completely match other content or are appreciably similar.” Google actually distinguishes duplicate content by two types: non-malicious and malicious duplicate content.</p> <p>Non-malicious duplicate content includes instances such as syndication - when a website publishes your content on their own website - or when your website has multiple URLs, such as when you have pages optimized for different browsers, among others. These types of content duplication are not penalized by Google and are actually common, if not unavoidable.</p> <p>Duplicate content that is malicious is done to manipulate search results. The short of it is that duplicating content occurs when a website recycles old content in an effort to rank higher for keywords or tags (more keywords = higher results). This is not always their intent. There are many other reasons that a website might reuse its own content - one example would be an e-commerce store that struggles to write hundreds of product descriptions, so they reuse what they’ve already created. The distinction here is the intention behind the content, but Google is not all-knowing and can often misconstrue it, so it’s better to avoid duplicating your content as much as you can.</p> <p>Note: It’s important to distinguish duplicate content with outright plagiarism, which is not only seriously bad form but can carry legal penalties. We know you would never plagiarize, so we’ll keep our definition of duplicate content to the reusing of your own work. Additionally, if someone else has plagiarized your work for their own site, you should report the site to Google.</p> <p><strong>Of course, you own the rights to your work and are free to reuse it in any way you see fit. But if you’re looking to bring your website high SEO rankings and an engaged audience, it’s a bad choice for a number of reasons. Let’s take a look at them.</strong></p> <h3>It Hurts Your Keyword Rankings</h3> <p>Duplicate content hurts your keyword strategy. Keyword placement is a staple of good SEO practices, and getting your content keywords just right can take a lot of time and effort. That’s why some websites recycle old content that has successful keyword rankings - you know they work, so why not use them again? It’s faster and cheaper than writing new, original content!</p> <p>While this may seem smart, it’s actually counter-intuitive. Because when you recycle your content and keywords, you’re actually giving yourself competition. As Google algorithms crawl the internet, they collect keywords and index them for searches. So, if you post content that uses the same keywords multiple times, Google is going to crawl both articles and pit them against one another. See the problem? Your original content will now suffer because of increased competition, essentially making all of that time you spent doing keyword research a waste. It’s a lot like hobbling yourself before the big race - just not smart.</p> <h3>It Hurts Your SEO</h3> <p>As we’ve noted, search engines crawl websites and index the results for users. Because they want to give users the best possible experience, they rarely post multiple websites with the same content on their result pages. For you, this means that if multiple websites online have your content, Google may not mark your original page as the best page to show. If your duplicate content is on a different URL that has a higher domain score than yours, this can lead to them getting higher search results for your content. Plus, you don’t want your printing pages showing up as the landing page for users, or your mobile site ranking higher for desktop users.</p> <p>Syndication is an important part of marketing, so you shouldn’t avoid it. But, be sure that any websites that publish your content link your site as the original page so Google knows which one to index first. Also, there are plug-ins and other technical ways to note your own website pages as the original pages and remove other pages from indexing altogether. If you aren’t sure how to do this, contact us for a consultation. We’re here to help!</p> <h3>Google May Penalize You</h3> <p>Google’s algorithm is constantly learning and evolving, and it can now separate duplicate content that is malicious or non-malicious - to an extent. If Google decides that you are copying or “scraping” old content to increase your search results, it will do a manual audit of your site. If you’re found guilty, they can penalize you stiffly - even so far as removing your site from their results altogether. And getting back into Google’s good graces is no easy feat - it requires that you address and fix all of your duplicate content and then request a new investigation, which can take some time. You don’t want to get called into the proverbial principal’s office, so avoid posting duplicate content when you can.</p> <h3>Your Audience Will Get Bored</h3> <p>Setting the technicals aside, duplicate content will negatively affect your audience’s interest in your site. As we said earlier, nobody likes reruns. Publishing old content that doesn’t add any value to your readership will ultimately lead to a decrease in your website traffic by itself. If you’re posting duplicate content across landing pages, this will negatively affect your click-through and bounce rates as users leave your site for something more interesting. If your published content is stale or repetitive, you may lose user loyalty and sabotage your chances of return visitors.</p> <p>If you’re having trouble keeping up with your content marketing - or just need some fresh ideas - let us help! We can create a content marketing strategy that’s perfect for your business and then help you implement it!</p> <h3>What do I do?</h3> <p>Publishing content that is new and original is the best way to avoid the negative effects of duplicate content. Be sure that anything you’re posting on your website is authentic, adds value to your readership, and introduces new keywords and ideas. If you have an article syndicated by another site (go, you!), be sure that they are appropriately linking back to your website as the original version so that they don’t beat you in the search results. And be sure to use the correct URLs and tags when creating duplicate pages to make sure that Google indexes the correct one.</p> <p><strong>Need more help? Contact us today! BIS Designs can handle all of your content marketing and website design needs.</strong></p> 1544 Ways To Use Instagram And Facebook Stories For Your Businesshttps://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/150/4-ways-to-use-instagram-and-facebook-stories-for-your-businessContent Marketing,Digital Marketing,Social MediaThu, 25 Jul 2019 16:03:00 GMT<p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">You’ve been using social media to promote your business. Smart move! Social media marketing has taken the business world by storm. You’re making posts, sharing great content, and drawing in followers. Promotion is great, but these days it is not enough. You’ve got to share your business <i>story </i>to really connect with your audience<i>. </i>And that’s where the new story feature for Instagram and Facebook comes in.</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">A story is a relatively new feature for Facebook and Instagram that can help your business connect with your audience in a personal way. Stories are pinned to the top of your followers’ newsfeeds and last for a maximum of 24 hours. Businesses aren’t penalized for stories, so they are sure to be seen (unlike posts, which are quickly lost in the newsfeed shuffle and have limited visibility due to algorithm updates).</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">If you’re looking to grow your audience and increase your brand awareness, then stories are a tool that you can’t afford to ignore. But how do you use them effectively? Let’s take a look at 4 ways to use Instagram and Facebook stories for your business.</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b>Post Authentic Content To Engage With Your Audience</b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><b> </b></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The stories feature is meant for...well, stories! A story is more personal than a post and it is most effective when it is used for authentic content. Remember that your stories are only seen by your followers, who are already interested in your business, so there’s not as much need for direct promotion or marketing. Instead, use candid content to give your audience a glimpse into a side of your business that they can’t see anywhere else. Making your business seem real and relatable drives engagement and instills trust in your audience - after all, you’re just like them!</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:115%">Here are a few ideas for authentic content:</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><b> </b></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:115%"></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:115%"></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">- ”day in the life” snapshots that show the daily goings-on of your business</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">- candid photographs of your team or working space</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">- informal interviews with staff and management</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Pro Tip: Remember that the goal is to be authentic, so don’t overuse the photoshop or filters in these types of stories. Your audience can tell when your images and videos have been highly doctored, and this can hurt your engagement. Keep it simple to achieve the best results.</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b>Use Teasers To Promote Upcoming Events Or Sales</b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><b> </b></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">We aren’t saying that you can’t <i>ever </i>use promotions in your stories. Your goal is business growth, after all. Stories are a great way to share information about future happenings in your business. Upcoming events, product launches, or sales are all great content for teaser stories that can interest and convert your audience. But keep in mind the 24-hour rule and don’t tease them too early or your audience might forget about it before the big day!</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Pro Tip: Filters and effects can help make your teaser stories really pop and help you deliver the right message. Both Facebook and Instagram have story editors that allow you to insert text, graphic elements like countdown buttons or coupon codes, and all sorts of other fun designs!</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b>Turn Articles And Blog Posts Into Bite-Sized Segments</b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><b> </b></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Let’s face it, audiences today have a short attention span. That’s why social media gets more engagement than traditional websites or articles - it is a revolving door of new material. So use that to your business’s advantage by turning your website content into digestible chunks. Research your business content for pieces that can be divided into smaller sections and post them one at a time or in a slide-show story. This will help increase your website traffic if your content (and your story) is engaging.</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Pro Tip: Graphic design is an important factor in these types of posts. Make sure that your images are relevant, attractive, and clean. Also be sure to hyperlink your story to your article’s URL or reference it at the end so your followers know where to go.</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b>Use Stories To Connect Your Accounts</b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><b> </b></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The goal is growth, and stories are a great way to grow your account followers. The majority of social media users have accounts on multiple platforms - that means an Instagram user also has a Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest account, etc. Referencing your various social media accounts on your stories can drive audience members who may be following you on just one app to follow all of your pages.</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Pro Tip: Teasing an upcoming Facebook event on Instagram is a great way to convert your Instagram followers to Facebook, and vice-versa. Doing this will increase engagement on both sides of the aisle. And due to social media algorithms, growth begets growth. But be sure to instruct your audience on how to follow you - don’t forget to provide the handle or page name for your referenced accounts.</span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">If you aren’t using stories in your business accounts, start today! It’s a great way to up your <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/tips-for-successful-content-marketing"><span style="color:#3498db;">content marketing strategy</span></a><span style="color:#3498db;">.</span> Using the above tips will help you engage with your audience, increase your followers, and grow your business. For more tips on using Instagram to grow your business, check out our post on <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/5-tips-for-instagram-success"><span style="color:#3498db;">5 Tips For Instagram Success.</span></a></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b> </b></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p class="Standard" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Still have questions? <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Contact-Us"><span style="color:#3498db;">Give us a call</span></a> to discuss how BIS Designs can help with your social media and content marketing needs!</span></span></span></p> 150Tips for Successful Content Marketinghttps://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/149/tips-for-successful-content-marketingContent Marketing,Digital Marketing,Internet Marketing,Mobile Marketing,Social MediaTue, 26 Mar 2019 17:46:50 GMT<p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">Google and social media platforms (like Facebook) continue to change their algorithms, making it increasingly difficult for a company to reach its audience. Stellar <b>Content</b> <b>marketing</b> can help your company jump some of the hurdles. In fact, Google and Facebook often reward companies with great content. That’s why it’s critical for companies to provide valuable and informative content on their website and social media pages.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">&nbsp</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">If you’re struggling to create killer content, follow these tips to help guide you in creating successful content for your company: </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">Engage with your followers. </span></b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">You’ve probably heard it many times: engagement is crucial for online marketing success. Here’s why:  </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></p> <ul> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">- Part of the algorithm Facebook put in place that decides how many and who of your followers sees a post has to do with how much engagement your post receives. The more people like, comment on, or share your post, the more people will see your post. </span></span></span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">- Engagement builds trust and loyalty among your audience when you add personality to your company. Add personality by engaging with your audience through conversations and various interactions and not simply posting about your products or serves. This causes people to connect with your brand as if it is a person, and not simply a product or service. You have a much better chance of selling a product or service to someone who trusts you.</span></span></span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">- Engaging with your audience makes people feel like they’re more than just another dollar in the bank account. People like to feel important, especially by brands they love. So start paying more attention to your audience. Share and like their posts, comments, Tweets, etc. </span></span></span></li> </ul> <div><font face="Cambria, serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></font></div> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">Establish thought leadership. </span></b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">Position your company as a thought leader that provides valuable resources to its audience. Highlighting yourself as an expert in your industry will draw your audience to you. Instead of going straight to Google for information about your industry, people will start going to your website, blog, and following your social media pages to learn industry trends, tips and tricks, and more.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">Keep it fresh. </span></b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">Keep your content fresh by incorporating new and a variety of content for your customers to read and engage with. Consider mixing up your weekly posts with a guest post or a live product/service demo. Be sure to post on special holidays and incorporate seasonal content into your posts. Use catchy images and high-quality graphics to keep your page looking fresh and not like spam. Incorporate monthly themes, where you focus on certain topics each month, educating your audience beyond their expectations about each topic (thought-leadership!).  </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">Be authentic. </span></b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">With the growth of the Internet and social media platforms, it has become increasingly important to be authentic. Advertising your product, service, or company falsely will always come to light through reviews and comments from customers. Your audience is far more informed than you think, and they will call out a scam without hesitation. One of the top influencers on the web, Neil Patel, put it best when he said, “Authentic businesses inspire and prosper”. Neil Patel advises people to be authentic by:</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></p> <ul> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">- Being real, charitable, consistent, responsive (See, we told you engagement was part of the key), and accountable (If you make a mistake, don’t be afraid to admit it and apologize to your customer)</span></span></span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">- Providing statistics and facts to back up what you say</span></span></span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">- Respecting the privacy of your customers</span></span></span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">- Telling your true brand story</span></span></span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">- Highlighting your good reputation</span></span></span></li> </ul> <div><font face="Cambria, serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></font></div> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">Engage with your followers. Establish thought leadership. Keep it fresh. Be authentic.</span></b><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> Each of these tips will help you create a better content marketing strategy to help your company grow. In combination, these tips will help your company soar!  So, give it a try, and if you’re still struggling, give us a call! We’re here to help you create content and manage your digital marketing in a way that will capture the attention of your audience. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"> </span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif">RELATED: </span></span></strong></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="Cambria, serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/should-you-outsource-your-business-blogging">Should You Outsource Your Business Blogging? </a></span></font></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="Cambria, serif"> </font></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font face="Cambria, serif"></font></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Portals/0/plong_1.jpg" style="width: 75px; height: 75px; float: left; margin: 5px;" title="" />Phillip Long - CISSP, CEO of BIS Technology Group, along with his team of marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of  what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.</p> <p>About BIS Technology Group</p> <p>BIS Technology Group is the technology leader on the Gulf Coast and is comprised of four divisions: Information Technology, Web Design & Digital Marketing,  Office Equipment and Business Consulting. Together these divisions help local businesses exceed expectations and allow them to group to their full potential while minimizing risks. To learn more about BIS Technology Group, visit <a href="http://bistechnologygroup.com/">bistechnologygroup.com</a>.</p> <p>You may reach out to us at:<br /> Phone: 251-405-2527<br /> Email: plong@askbis.com</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"></span></span></span></p> 1495 Tips for Instagram Successhttps://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/148/5-tips-for-instagram-successContent Marketing,Social MediaThu, 28 Feb 2019 18:37:40 GMT<p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">With over 1 billion monthly users, Instagram is the largest and fastest growing social media platform for sharing videos and photos. 60% of users learn about new products directly through Instagram, 70% of users look up a brand on Instagram, more than 200 million users visit a business profile at least once a day, and if you don’t have an active Instagram account, you might be missing out on a lot of business. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color:blue"><span style="text-decoration:underline"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><a href="go.forrester.com/blogs/15-09-15-how_does_your_brand_stack_up_on_facebook_twitter_and_instagram" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline">According to Forrester</a></span></span></span><span calibri="" style="font-family:">, companies that are on Instagram have a 4.21% engagement rate, which is 10x higher than Facebook and 84x higher than Twitter. Whoa! That’s a lot of engagement, and it’s pretty remarkable for something launched only 9 years ago to be growing so quickly. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">The importance of having, and maintaining, and Instagram account to reach more customers can no longer be ignored. But, how do you get started? How can your company break through the millions of content being posted to Instagram every day and increase your business? Here are some helpful tips to start implementing today: </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">1. Start with a Strategy </span></b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">- You have goals for your business, and you should have goals for everything you do in support of your business, including social media. A social media strategy defines how your company will use social media to achieve its communication goals. At the very least, it can be a simple statement of intent, outlining the goals, measurable objectives for using the platform, and the target outcomes you wish to accomplish. It’s critical to start with an Instagram strategy; otherwise you’ll waste precious time and money posting with no end goal in mind, nothing to measure your success, and nothing to improve upon. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><b></b></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><i></i><b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">2. Upgrade your Instagram account to a business profile </span></b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">– If you don’t already have a business profile for Instagram, it’s pretty easy to set up. First, sign up with a business email so your Instagram profile isn’t linked to your personal Facebook account. Next, follow the prompted instructions on Instagram to enter your account details. After you have completed your account set up, switch to a business profile. Just go to <b>Settings </b>-><b> Account </b>-><b> Switch to Business Profile</b>. It will then have you confirm your Facebook business page and update your Instagram account for you. <i></i></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></i></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">Upgrading your Instagram account from a personal to a business profile will give you insights into your audience that will help you reach them more effectively<i>. </i>You will be able to see how many people you reach on average, what posts are the post popular, what time of day your followers are most likely to be on Instagram and see your posts,<i> </i>and more. This is very important to guide you in adjusting your strategy for the best results.<i> </i></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></i></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></i></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></i></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b></b><b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">3. Know how often and what type of content to post (quality over quantity) </span></b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">– This section could be the most important to your Instagram account success. Knowing how often and what type of content to post can be tricky. However, if followed well, these tips should help your Instagram improve. <b></b></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in; margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">The purpose of Instagram is to create visual inspiration for your followers. Therefore, following the rule “Quality over Quantity” is extremely important. It may seem like it’s better to post 3x per day for more engagement and followers. However, if you are posting poor content with low-quality images or videos, you might as well forget it. Utilize your Instagram account to tell the story of your brand in an ascetically pleasing way, even if you only post 2x per week. It’s far better to post less often and have high-quality images and videos than to post more often with low-quality work that will make your company look cheap and turn people off.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in; margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in; margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in; margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in; margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">The amount of posts you make per week should also be taken into consideration when you are creating a strategy for your social media. You should never approach a week with no plan for your posts, or with a plan in mind to “just post what comes to you” because often times, you’ll get busy and forget to post. Planning monthly and creating a content calendar can help take the stress off of you. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in; margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in; margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">It may surprise you to know, major brands post on Instagram on average 1.5 times per day. You should aim to post 1-3 times per day. An extremely important tip is to utilize your business profile to its full extend by digging into your insights and figuring out when your followers are on Instagram. You can adjust your strategy to post on the days and during the times your followers are most active. For example, if you find most of your followers are extremely active on Wednesdays at 7 AM and 9 PM, you should aim to post every Wednesday at 7 AM and 9 PM to reach the most people. <b></b></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in; margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b></b><b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">4. Post User-Generated Content </span></b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">– One of the easiest ways to keep posts running on your Instagram account, or even on your Instagram story, is to post user-generated content (UGC). In fact, 86% of Millennials say that USC is a good indicator of the quality of a brand, and 68% of social media users between the ages of 18 and 14 take into account UGC shared on social media while considering following a brand. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><b></b></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">UGC is defined as any type of content that has been created and put out there by unpaid contributors or followers. This refers to images, videos, testimonials, tweets, blog posts, etc… where your followers promote your brand. Followers like UGC because it puts the customer front and center and makes your brand more about them. Just be sure to ask permission from the original poster before reposting. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></b></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><b></b></span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">5. Always add a compelling CTA </span></b><span calibri="" style="font-family:">-<b> </b>CTAs (Call-To-Action) direct people into what they should do after seeing your post. The key is to be as creative as you can in order to make people take action. A few CTAs to consider in your next post: ask people to tag a friend, make a comment, give your company a call, repost your post, fill out forms to get exclusive discounts, etc.<b></b></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">These tips should help your Instagram account improve. But, remember… gaining followers and seeing a ROI takes time. If you need help, the team at BIS Design’s is always here for you! Just give us a call to discuss your needs.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"> </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:">RELATED: </span></span></span></strong></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/algorthms-how-each-social-platform-keeps-you-engaged">Algorithms: How Each Platform Keeps You Engaged </a></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"> &nbsp </span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Portals/0/plong_1.jpg" style="width: 75px; height: 75px; float: left; margin: 5px;" title="" />Phillip Long - CISSP, CEO of BIS Technology Group, along with his team of marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of  what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.</p> <p>About BIS Technology Group</p> <p>BIS Technology Group is the technology leader on the Gulf Coast and is comprised of four divisions: Information Technology, Web Design & Digital Marketing,  Office Equipment and Business Consulting. Together these divisions help local businesses exceed expectations and allow them to group to their full potential while minimizing risks. To learn more about BIS Technology Group, visit <a href="http://bistechnologygroup.com/">bistechnologygroup.com</a>.</p> <p>You may reach out to us at:<br /> Phone: 251-405-2527<br /> Email: plong@askbis.com</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"></span></span></p> 148Should You Outsource Your Business Blogging?https://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/144/should-you-outsource-your-business-bloggingContent Marketing,Digital Marketing,Web DesignWed, 03 Oct 2018 16:37:31 GMT<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">You may have noticed the blog trend that is ruling the cyber world from Google to social media.  Whether it is fashion influencers or tech gurus and travel enthusiasts, blogging is a trend that continues to grow each year. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">How does this relate to your business? Blogging is a way to share your expertise and knowledge with your target audience.  In doing so, you are 1) helping to provide information needed by your potential customer and 2) demonstrating your expertise on the subject which in turn keeps the customer coming back to you for further assistance.  You are building trust with your potential customers/clients and this results in more leads for your business. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Having well-written and updated blog content on your website also strengthens your relationship with Google which boosts your rankings in search results.  </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Now that you know<b> why</b> you need a business blog, let’s talk about <b>how</b> you’ll find the time to add this task to your agenda. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">It is common for small and medium sized businesses to outsource business functions like payroll, human resources, accounting and more to keep the organization lean and flexible.  Outsourcing blog writing? This might seem more challenging – after all, your blog is the voice of your business and a critical part of your content marketing strategy. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">It is definitely possible to outsource blog posts, and do it well.  Below are two of the most common questions we get here at BIS Designs about blogging: </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <h1 class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Question 1: Can an outsourced blog writer really capture my tone/style/business personality? </span></span></b></span></span></h1> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Writing is personal and every business feels like they have a unique tone or style they’re looking to capture in their blog.  The very concept of outsourcing might feel like it will cause you to lose some of your business’s personality. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Solution:</span></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">  Take time to educate your writer.  We’ve all heard it, “you get what you put in”, and in this case, it is definitely true. A good writer will research and educate themselves as much as possible but to keep your business personality/style/tone the same, you’ll need to give some details on what makes your business stand out from your competitor. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <h1 class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Question 2: Where will the blog content come from? </span></span></b></span></span></h1> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">If you give your writer nothing to work with, you get nothing in return worth reading. It’s that simple. You are the subject matter expert for your business. A good outsourced writer will bring your expertise to light in a readable way.  If you’ll provide more information and direction, you’ll get more of what you expect from your writer and overall blog content strategy. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Solution:</span></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> Make a list of topics.  Whether you do this once a month or once a quarter – take the time to send a few topics to your writer. Once your blog writer has a list of topics, he/she can now get started on the time-consuming part of the project - creating engaging content.  The few minutes that you spend concentrating on topics will help to keep your business personality/tone/style alive on your website.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">A big perk of outsourcing your business blog writing is that your new writer will bring fresh ideas to the table.  This simply adds new insights that can make your blog better. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Fun Fact: The average blog post takes 3 hours 20 minutes to write and the most engaged blog content on the web now has 41% more words than it did 3 years ago.  </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">If you have a blog on your website that you simply don’t have time to keep up or you would like to add a blog to your website but aren’t sure where to start, give us a call! Outsourcing to a local company who can meet with you face-to-face to discuss your marketing goals is a great way to start the new season. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">RELATED: </span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/5-benefits-of-business-blogging" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline"><span style="color:#ffffff;">5 Benefits of Business Blogging</span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;"> </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"> </p> <p><span style="color:#66ff33;"></span></p> <p><span style="color:#66ff33;"><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"></span></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/plong_1.jpg" style="height: 75px; width: 75px; float: left; margin: 5px;" title="" />Phillip Long - CISSP, CEO of BIS Technology Group, along with his team of marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of  what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.</p> <p>About BIS Technology Group</p> <p>BIS Technology Group is the technology leader on the Gulf Coast and is comprised of four divisions: Information Technology, Web Design & Digital Marketing,  Office Equipment and Business Consulting. Together these divisions help local businesses exceed expectations and allow them to group to their full potential while minimizing risks. To learn more about BIS Technology Group, visit <a href="http://bistechnologygroup.com/">bistechnologygroup.com</a>.</p> <p>You may reach out to us at:<br /> Phone: 251-405-2527<br /> Email: plong@askbis.com</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px;"></span></p> <h1 class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""></span></span></span></h1> 144Algorithms: How Each Social Platform Keeps You Engaged https://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/142/algorthms-how-each-social-platform-keeps-you-engagedContent Marketing,Digital Marketing,Social MediaThu, 03 May 2018 21:42:39 GMT<p>The social media marketing discussion is now dominated by algorithms &ndash; almost everywhere you engage, within almost every platform you use, machine learning and data sorting is used to decide what it is you see.</p> <h3>The evolution of social algorithms has, no doubt, made things harder for social marketers. The development of algorithms follows much the same progression as the technical elements of SEO &ndash; in order to show searches the most relevant responses to user queries and weed out spammers, Google has had to constantly update its algorithm to stay one step ahead.</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Now social platforms are in much the same position, which adds a more complex, technical element to the social marketing process.</p> <p>With this in mind, what do you need to know to ensure you&rsquo;re on top of the latest social algorithm shifts, and how can you best prepare yourself, and understand the focus of each platform to maximize your business page performance?</p> <p>Here&rsquo;s a quick overview of the current state of each platform&rsquo;s algorithm, based on what I&rsquo;ve studied of their workings.</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>FACEBOOK </strong></span></p> <p>The most influential social algorithm is Facebook&rsquo;s. The Social Network was the first to implement an algorithm feed, in response to the flood of spammy posts and junk which had taken over the app as its popularity grew.</p> <p>Facebook&rsquo;s algorithm aims to show you the content you&rsquo;re most likely to engage with &ndash; though obviously there&rsquo;s a lot more to it than that.</p> <p>To best understand Facebook&rsquo;s algorithm, you first need to get your head around the basic engagement equation Facebook uses.</p> <p>Facebook&rsquo;s News Feed chief, Adam Mosseri, explained this in several webinars, conferences and online publications last year, comparing their selection process to choosing a meal for a friend at a restaurant:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/blog1_1.png" style="width: 450px; height: 450px;" title="" /></p> <p>This process, says Mosseri, is essentially utilizing an algorithm within your own head &ndash; Facebook&rsquo;s system simply transfers these though processes to a machine, shifting the same core elements into more technical factors &ndash; Inventory, Signals, Predictions and Scores.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/blog2_1.png" style="width: 450px; height: 450px;" title="" /></p> <p>Here&rsquo;s the same calculations with Facebook actions replacing restaurant options:</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/blog3_1.png" style="width: 449px; height: 251px;" title="" /></p> <p>Facebook rates each post based on your individual usage patterns, which, along with a range of other measures, enable it to come up with a score for each post. That score then dictates where each will appear in your feed.</p> <p>Sound confusing? Yes, it is. These algorithms change constantly so studying and keeping up with the social channel&rsquo;s updates are crucial to any business social media marketing plan. In basic terms, Facebook measures the likelihood that you&rsquo;re going to take a particular action which their data suggests is the most engaging, then shows each story to you based on that probability.</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>TWITTER </strong></span></p> <p>Twitter&rsquo;s algorithm is less advanced than Facebook&rsquo;s, but they are putting increased focus on their machine learning efforts to boost engagement.</p> <p>Users were initially outraged that Twitter would even consider changing to an algorithm, but the data has since shown that the system has helped the platform boost performance &ndash; as algorithms have on virtually every platform.</p> <p>Twitter&rsquo;s main objective with their algorithm is to show you more content you may be interested in &ndash; similar to Facebook, though Twitter is more about showing it to you in addition to the other tweets you might see, as opposed to &ldquo;instead of&rdquo;.</p> <p>Even with an algorithm in place, Twitter can still show you almost every tweet, due to the real time nature of the feed. Nowadays, when you first login into Twitter, you&rsquo;ll see tweets you may have missed, which are basically the most popular tweets from the people you follow. Twitter has also been working to boost engagement by showing you tweets that people you follow have liked, too.</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>INSTAGRAM </strong></span></p> <p>Instagram is one of the hottest social platforms at the moment for social engagement.&nbsp; They have now also implemented a Facebook-style algorithm.&nbsp; Facebook actually owns both platforms now, so the algorithms are almost exactly the same now. Like Facebook, Instagram&rsquo;s algorithm is based on your likelihood to engage.</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>LINKEDIN </strong></span></p> <p>Like Twitter, LinkedIn&rsquo;s algorithm is not as advanced as Facebook&rsquo;s.&nbsp; A good example of how LinkedIn&rsquo;s feed algorithm works is their comment sorting tool &ndash; LinkedIn recently published an update on how comments are displayed on each post, based on engagement.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/blog4.jpg" style="width: 450px; height: 255px;" title="" /></p> <p>In my opinion, and the opinion of many other LinkedIn users, their algorithm needs some work.&nbsp; You&rsquo;ll often see posts from weeks ago in your feed but they are refining their data, and working to show you more relevant content, slowly but surely.</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>PINTEREST</strong></span></p> <p>The last platform has a constantly evolving algorithm to uncover more relevant Pin matches. Their goal is to keep you searching and their system has been upgraded from its initial matching efforts to better highlight relevant content.</p> <p>Do you have ideas of how these social platforms might improve their algorithms in the future? Tell us in the comments!</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>RELATED: </strong></span></p> <p><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/138/why-your-business-needs-a-paid-facebook-ad-budget">Why Your Business Needs A Paid Facebook Ad Budget</a></p> <p>Author: <a href="mailto:smay@askbisdesigns.com?subject=Re%3A%20Blog%20Post">Stephanie May -&nbsp;smay@askbisdesigns.com&nbsp;</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/plong_1.jpg" style="height: 100px; width: 100px; float: left; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" title="" />Phillip Long - CISSP, CEO of BIS Technology Group, along with his team of&nbsp;marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of&nbsp;&nbsp;what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.</p> <p>About BIS Technology Group</p> <p>BIS Technology Group is the technology leader on the Gulf Coast and is comprised of four divisions: Information Technology, Web Design &amp; Digital Marketing,&nbsp; Office Equipment and Business Consulting. Together these divisions help local businesses exceed expectations and allow them to group to their full potential while minimizing risks. To learn more about BIS Technology Group, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://bistechnologygroup.com/">bistechnologygroup.com</a>.</p> <p>You may reach out to us at:<br /> Phone: 251-405-2527<br /> Email: plong@askbis.com</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> 1424 Basic Tips of Blogging Search Engine Optimizationhttps://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/139/4-basic-tips-of-blogging-search-engine-optimizationContent Marketing,Digital Marketing,Internet Marketing,Mobile Marketing,SEO,Social Media,Web DesignWed, 07 Mar 2018 20:56:22 GMT<p>Here&rsquo;s a quick illustration of how SEO works&hellip;</p> <p>Google has developed automatic algorithms that rank your website.&nbsp; They send out what are called &ldquo;spiders&rdquo; to &ldquo;crawl&rdquo; your site and check it for over 100 indicators that determine whether the<a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Website"> </a>website is valuable or useless.&nbsp; These indicators include things like backlinks, domain age, traffic, fresh content, etc.</p> <p>SEO can be considered the art of making&nbsp;sure those crawling spiders are happy with what they find.&nbsp; It is a very complex field that is always changing but in all that chaos there are a few constants that have remained the same since the beginning.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>1. You need your own domain and hosting.</strong></span></p> <p>One thing that beginners need to know is that you need your own domain and hosting.&nbsp; Free blog set ups don&rsquo;t do any favors for your SEO efforts.&nbsp; Why?</p> <p>People tend to speculate that if you were serious about your website you would get your own name and host it yourself.&nbsp; Google only wants to point to <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Website">websites that are considered serious and trustworthy</a> and so this is a basic signal.</p> <p>Starting your own website, hosting and a business blog can seem intimidating but that&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re here.&nbsp; We offer multiple packages to meet your needs, which saves you a lot of time.</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>2. Problem solving with original content.</strong></span></p> <p>Keep in mind that Google&rsquo;s entire purpose is to provide their customers with relevant and useful search results.&nbsp; Everything they do is built around this goal.</p> <p>To be realistic, the most important thing you can do for your <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/SEO">SEO</a> is create the most useful content that solves people&rsquo;s problems. If you are solving problems that people are searching for then it is likely that you are going to get shared on social media and ranked higher in Google.</p> <p>And &ldquo;original content&rdquo; means so much more than just blog posts these days.&nbsp; You can expand into:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Videos&nbsp;</strong></li> <li>Make tutorials or video posts.&nbsp; This builds links and traffic from YouTube and does well on mobile devices.</li> <li><strong>Photography</strong></li> <li>Original images and photos can boost your rankings as well as add value to your blog posts. Adding your own logos and sharing to social media is an extra layer of marketing, too.</li> <li><strong>Podcasts</strong></li> <li>iTunes has grown fast as people get better smart phones and spend more time plugged in.&nbsp; Adding a <a href="https://internationalpodcastday.com/what-is-podcast/">podcast </a>to your blog will ensure a unique and original addition for SEO. You want to build a relationship with your customers and readers by helping them out.&nbsp; This will mean more sharing and faster results in your search engine rankings.</li> </ul> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>3.&nbsp; Make sure your theme is SEO optimized.</strong></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/blog3.png" style="width: 75px; height: 75px; float: left;" title="" />Think of SEO as having two components: the off-site stuff like social media and backlinks and the on-site stuff like optimizing your theme.</p> <p>Optimizing your theme is important because it helps give Google indicators that you are a trustworthy site.&nbsp; It also helps Google find your content.&nbsp; Some of the things to keep in mind when optimizing are:</p> <ul> <li>Mobile Response</li> <li>Cleanly coded</li> <li>Fast loading</li> <li>Secure domain</li> <li>Original theme (rather than a pre-made template)</li> </ul> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>4. Build your social media profiles constantly.</strong></span></p> <p>You want to have a big focus on <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Social-Media">social media</a> for SEO purposes as well as traffic building purposes.</p> <p>Why?</p> <p>Because Google is now looking to social media as a signal of an article&rsquo;s authority and relevance.&nbsp; If people are sharing on Facebook or tweeting about it, you must have written something pretty good.&nbsp; The best way for this to happen is to build a strong following, <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/134/12-reasons-why-your-business-needs-a-content-marketing-strategy">keep them engaged</a> and they&rsquo;ll see your blog posts as they are shared.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/blog2.png" style="width: 51px; height: 75px; float: left;" title="" />Commenting and sharing other business blogs is always a great way to build a community and possible cross-promoting opportunities&nbsp;for the future as well.</p> <p>Are you now ready to get a blog started and make sure your SEO is on the right track? <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Contact-Us">Schedule a meeting</a> and we&rsquo;ll handle every detail from writing, optimizing your website and sharing to your social media!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Author: <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Social-Media">Stephanie May</a>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>RELATED: </strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/136/5-benefits-of-business-blogging">5 Benefits of Business Blogging</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/134/12-reasons-why-your-business-needs-a-content-marketing-strategy">12 Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Content Marketing Strategy</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/2026496073.jpg" style="float: left;" title="" />Phillip Long - CISSP, CEO of BIS Technology Group, along with his team of&nbsp;marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of&nbsp;&nbsp;what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.</p> <p>About BIS Technology Group</p> <p>BIS Technology Group is the technology leader on the Gulf Coast and is comprised of four divisions: Information Technology, Web Design &amp; Digital Marketing,&nbsp; &nbsp;Office Equipment and Business Consulting. Together these divisions help local businesses exceed expectations and allow them to group to their full potential while minimizing risks. To learn more about BIS Technology Group, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://bistechnologygroup.com/">bistechnologygroup.com</a>.</p> <p>You may reach out to us at:<br /> Phone: 251-405-2527<br /> Email: plong@askbis.com</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> 139Why Your Business Needs A Paid Facebook Ad Budgethttps://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/138/why-your-business-needs-a-paid-facebook-ad-budgetContent Marketing,Digital Marketing,Internet Marketing,Social MediaThu, 22 Feb 2018 22:09:51 GMT<p>Whether you&rsquo;ve noticed or not, organic traffic on Facebook has dropped &ndash; and it&rsquo;s likely impacting your company in a big way.</p> <p>There are a few reasons that you need a <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/134/12-reasons-why-your-business-needs-a-content-marketing-strategy">Facebook advertising strategy</a> and budget.&nbsp; Let&rsquo;s start with the basics &ndash; because Facebook&rsquo;s algorithm does not make it easy for business pages to succeed on Facebook.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">What does the term &ldquo;Facebook algorithm&rdquo; actually mean? And how does it work?</span></strong></p> <p>Facebook&rsquo;s algorithm controls who sees the content that you share.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s not as simple as you posting a status update then Facebook pushing it out to all of your followers.&nbsp; That&rsquo;s a thing of the past.&nbsp; Not everyone who follows your page will see your posts.&nbsp; Facebook is way more intelligent now.&nbsp; And, there&rsquo;s a reason for that, but we&rsquo;ll get into that later.</p> <p>Adam Mosseri (VP, News Feed at Facebook) puts Facebook&rsquo;s algorithm in layman&rsquo;s terms for us.&nbsp; He says he thinks about it like he would when ordering his wife something to eat at a restaurant.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Facebook algorithm process goes like this: &nbsp;</p> <ol> <li>Facebook considers all recent posts (this is like checking the menu to see what options you have).</li> <li>Facebook looks for signals that you might like a particular post (like knowing your wife likes salmon).</li> <li>Facebooks makes predictions on what you like and shows those posts first (like ordering the salmon).</li> </ol> <p>This process happens on millions of devices countless times each day.&nbsp; And, it&rsquo;s also the reason why your Facebook business page&rsquo;s posts aren&rsquo;t getting as many views as it used to.</p> <h3>Why isn&rsquo;t my Facebook business page performing well?</h3> <p>This makes a lot of sense when you think about it from a business perspective. The reality is that Facebook is a business.&nbsp; And how does a business like Facebook make money? You guessed it &ndash; paid advertising.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/11.PNG" style="width: 150px; height: 119px; float: left;" title="" />So why isn&rsquo;t your Facebook business page making you money? Because the only way for company pages to succeed on Facebook is through Facebook paid advertising.&nbsp; Facebook&rsquo;s only real concern is to find ways for more business pages to spend more money.&nbsp; You can&rsquo;t blame them.&nbsp; Any CEO would do the same thing.</p> <p>The truth is that social media doesn&rsquo;t work the way it did in the past.</p> <h2>Facebook&rsquo;s current algorithm is very different than it used to be in 2000.&nbsp; Back then, you could post anything on Facebook, and it was guaranteed to be shown to your audience.&nbsp;</h2> <p>This is because posts were served in reverse chronological order.&nbsp; In 2009, Facebook changed the algorithm to be based on popularity.&nbsp;</p> <p>As you might&rsquo;ve guessed, the Facebook algorithm is changing more frequently than ever.&nbsp; Simply posting on your page every day without a Facebook advertising strategy or budget is a waste of time.</p> <p>Here&rsquo;s what you should be using Facebook for &ndash;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>Facebook Paid Advertising</strong></span></p> <p>The new reality is that businesses on Facebook are unlikely to succeed without putting a budget toward Facebook paid advertising.&nbsp; In turn, this requires a Facebook advertising strategy similar to how you would strategize for billboard, radio or TV ads.&nbsp;</p> <p>When creating a Facebook ad campaign, there are a few key things that you need to consider &ndash; like your goals, target audience and the content of your ad.&nbsp; Unfortunately, this isn&rsquo;t as easy as it sounds.&nbsp; Facebook ad campaigns can get incredibly detailed and complicated, and the platform itself isn&rsquo;t exactly user-friendly.&nbsp; We&rsquo;d love to dive into the specific best practices for executing a Facebook advertising strategy, but that&rsquo;s a <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/134/12-reasons-why-your-business-needs-a-content-marketing-strategy">whole other blog</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>Its Database</strong></span></p> <p>What you&rsquo;re really doing when you create a Facebook ad campaign, is using Facebook for its extremely extensive database.&nbsp; In other words, you&rsquo;re using Facebook paid advertising to buy an audience.&nbsp;</p> <p>Think about all of the millions of people that use Facebook.&nbsp; In fact, Facebook has more than 2 billion monthly active users according to the company&rsquo;s website.&nbsp; That&rsquo;s a lot of people &ndash; a lot of people that may be interested in your product or service.&nbsp;</p> <p>Think about Facebook&rsquo;s database as an untapped market.&nbsp; You may not have their email or mailing address but you have their Facebook profile.&nbsp;</p> <p>When you use Facebook paid advertising, you are purchasing access to advertise to millions of people that you otherwise would have had no access to.&nbsp; Even better, you can segment your audience to the specifics of your ideal customer by choosing preferred age, gender, interests, etc. to give you an incredibly high customer value.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>Organic Posting 2-5 Times a Week</strong></span></p> <p>Just because you realize that Facebook paid advertising is more lucrative than simple sharing updates on your company&rsquo;s page (otherwise known as organic posting), doesn&rsquo;t mean that you can give up organic posting altogether.&nbsp;</p> <p>There&rsquo;s a huge difference between social marketing and social selling.&nbsp; Social selling is where you can really see the return on your investment, and it includes your Facebook paid advertising strategy that we talked about in this blog post.&nbsp; However, <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Social-Media">social marketing</a> is also essential.</p> <p>Other than running Facebook ad campaigns, it&rsquo;s still very critical to be active on your company page.</p> <p>Think&nbsp;about this scenario &ndash; a highly qualified lead that saw your Facebook ad in their newsfeed now visits your company&rsquo;s Facebook business page to learn more about you.&nbsp; But, you haven&rsquo;t posted an update in months because you focused all of your efforts on your Facebook advertising strategy.&nbsp; That scenario isn&rsquo;t exactly ideal because the customer doesn&rsquo;t get any added value, in turn stopping their customer journey.&nbsp;</p> <p>This is why it&rsquo;s extremely important to pay attention to your Facebook advertising strategy as well as organic posting.&nbsp; It may seem like a lot to balance, which is why marketing companies like us (BIS Designs) are here to ease you into the process.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffcc;">Fun Fact: Did you know that the average person will spend over five years of their life on social media. WOW! That&rsquo;s a lot of time spent on Facebook!</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Author: <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Social-Media">Stephanie May&nbsp;</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;">RELATED:</span><span style="color:#ffff99;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/136/5-benefits-of-business-blogging">5 Benefits of Business Blogging&nbsp;</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/2026496073.jpg" style="float: left; height: 105px; width: 100px;" title="" />Phillip Long - CISSP, CEO of BIS Technology Group, along with his team of&nbsp;marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of&nbsp;&nbsp;what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.</p> <p>About BIS Technology Group</p> <p>BIS Technology Group is the technology leader on the Gulf Coast and is comprised of four divisions: Information Technology, Web Design &amp; Digital Marketing,&nbsp; &nbsp;Office Equipment and Business Consulting. Together these divisions help local businesses exceed expectations and allow them to group to their full potential while minimizing risks. To learn more about BIS Technology Group, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://bistechnologygroup.com/">bistechnologygroup.com</a>.</p> <p>You may reach out to us at:<br /> Phone: 251-405-2527<br /> Email: plong@askbis.com</p> <p style="margin-left:.25in;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-left: 0.25in;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-left:.25in;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-left:.25in;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-left:.25in;">&nbsp;</p> 1384 Marketing Tips To Get More Leads https://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/137/4-marketing-tips-to-get-more-leadsB2B,Content Marketing,Digital Marketing,Internet Marketing,Lead Generation,Mobile Marketing,Social Media,Web DesignTue, 06 Feb 2018 21:46:09 GMT<p>The most common question from marketing clients is &ldquo;How do I get more leads for my business?&rdquo;&nbsp;</p> <p>There are plenty of practical methods for generating quality leads.&nbsp; Blogging. Sharing and caring on social Media.&nbsp; Strategic landing pages. Event marketing. Email.&nbsp; Most marketers are using all of these channels and more. So why aren&rsquo;t the majority of brands drowning in qualified leads?</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/growth3.jpg" style="width: 100px; height: 68px; float: left; margin: 5px;" title="" />Research shows that 65% of marketers are still struggling to figure out which <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/134/12-reasons-why-your-business-needs-a-content-marketing-strategy">content is effective</a>.&nbsp; 60 percent are unable to produce engaging content.&nbsp; Only 23 percent of B2B marketers have moved to a customer-centric organizational structure.&nbsp; A lot of marketers are still missing the mark, using content to appeal to customers, rather than to provide <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Social-Media">value to customers</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>If you want to get more quality leads, you need to do better quality marketing.&nbsp; The trick to doing that is to first step back, in order to move forward.&nbsp; Go back and refine your buyer personas.&nbsp; How can you better meet their preferences and expectations? Look at where you can improve your blog, email and social media content to better serve your audience.&nbsp;</p> <p>No more bull running in a china shop approach and generating mediocre content and tossing it at your audience.&nbsp; No more throwing dollars at Facebook ads and waiting for the leads to roll in.&nbsp; Here are the hacks that will help you refine and improve your marketing and truly excel at lead generation.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>UP YOUR CONTENT GAME</strong></span></p> <p>You should always be on the quest to enhance the type of content you are using.&nbsp; Content marketing goes far beyond blog posts.&nbsp; Consider investing more so you can deliver a premium level of content.&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Infographics</li> <li>Event Marketing</li> <li>Webinars</li> <li>White papers</li> <li>Interactive Tools</li> </ul> <p>Your content should be engaging and &ldquo;pretty&rdquo;.&nbsp; All photos should be of great quality, captions should be short but interesting.&nbsp; Ever notice how television commercials use a short amount of time to catch your attention? The attention span of the average human is not very long, so you need to catch their attention with your graphics, photos and captions on social media within a glance.&nbsp; Blogs and email campaigns need to have clear and concise titles or subject lines.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>SIMPLIFY YOUR WEBSITE DESIGN</strong></span></p> <p>Dynamic isn&rsquo;t always a good thing when it comes to trying to get across a message.&nbsp; With <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Website">website design</a>, the more complex, the bigger disaster you may have on your hands.</p> <p>Keep your website design clear and to the point.&nbsp; That doesn&rsquo;t mean you can&rsquo;t be creative.&nbsp; It does mean avoid excess text, confusing visuals and too many concepts.&nbsp; What you do what is a clear message and navigation bar.&nbsp; Lots of white space.&nbsp; Use website real estate for the essentials for getting leads, like forms and contact info.&nbsp;</p> <p>You don&rsquo;t want your design to scream when a prospect lands on your site.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>BETTER PERSONALIZE YOUR EMAILS</strong></span></p> <p>How are your email open-rates? Small businesses get around a 2 to 3 percent open-rate percentage, and larger companies get closer to 10 percent or even more.&nbsp; Overall, the average hovers around 4 percent.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/growth2.jpg" style="margin: 5px; width: 100px; height: 120px; float: left;" title="" />The goal should be to improve your email rates to help get more leads.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/135/5-ways-to-get-creative-with-email-subject-lines">How to do it?</a>&nbsp; A simple trick is to use more personalized messaging.&nbsp; With the style and tone expectations of your target audience in mind, see if your emails make more of an impact with a more conversational tone.&nbsp; Try adding an image in the closing signature &ndash; a staff member whose name is on the emails.&nbsp; Use names and first person tone of voice in the subject line, greetings, and closings.&nbsp; Segment your emails with your marketing software to ensure the right people are getting the right messaging depending on where they are in the sales funnel.</p> <p>Research has shown that personalization leads to six times higher email transaction rates.&nbsp; Worth a shot!</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>KEEP REFINING</strong></span></p> <p>You don&rsquo;t necessarily need to revolutionize your marketing strategy to get more leads. You may see the results you&rsquo;re after simply by making a few changes or trying new techniques.&nbsp; Try these hacks.&nbsp; Measure their impact.&nbsp; Then keep making them better.&nbsp; You&rsquo;ll get more leads as long as you continually prime your marketing for the people you&rsquo;re trying to reach.&nbsp; For more tips and to hire a team of marketing professionals to handle this part of your business for you &ndash; contact our office.</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;">RELATED:</span>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/136/5-benefits-of-business-blogging">5 Benefits of Business Blogging&nbsp;</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/134/12-reasons-why-your-business-needs-a-content-marketing-strategy">12 Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Content Marketing Strategy&nbsp;</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Author: <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Social-Media">Stephanie May&nbsp;</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/2026496073.jpg" style="float: left; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; height: 100px; width: 100px;" title="" />Phillip Long - CISSP, CEO of BIS Technology Group, along with his team of&nbsp;marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of&nbsp;&nbsp;what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.</p> <p>About BIS Technology Group</p> <p>BIS Technology Group is the technology leader on the Gulf Coast and is comprised of four divisions: Information Technology, Web Design &amp; Digital Marketing,&nbsp; &nbsp;Office Equipment and Business Consulting. Together these divisions help local businesses exceed expectations and allow them to group to their full potential while minimizing risks. To learn more about BIS Technology Group, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://bistechnologygroup.com/">bistechnologygroup.com</a>.</p> <p>You may reach out to us at:<br /> Phone: 251-405-2527<br /> Email: plong@askbis.com</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> 1375 Benefits of Business Blogging https://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/136/5-benefits-of-business-bloggingB2B,Content Marketing,Digital Marketing,Internet Marketing,Mobile Marketing,SEOTue, 23 Jan 2018 19:24:29 GMT<p>These days, having a company website is no longer enough to stand out among the thousands of competitors you compete with in the digital space.&nbsp; Blogging isn&rsquo;t just a place to host your company press releases, it&rsquo;s about providing valuable content to your future customers.</p> <p>What is <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog">business blogging</a>? Blogging is a marketing tactic that uses articles to get your business more online visibility.&nbsp; A business blog is a marketing channel (just like social media, email campaigns, etc.) that helps support business growth.</p> <p>No matter what kind of business you have, whether you&rsquo;re a local mom and pop shop, or giant corporation, there are some serious benefits are seemingly endless.</p> <p>Here are 5 benefits of business blogging:</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>1. Creates Brand Authority</strong></span></p> <p>Consistently updating an active blog for your business allows you to personify your business by giving it a voice.&nbsp; Your blog is a space to discuss industry related topics, market trends and upcoming products.&nbsp; Focusing on these topics actively builds brand-trust.&nbsp; Trust generates leads.&nbsp; Leads grow sales.&nbsp; Can you see where this is all going?</p> <p>When you utilize your blog effectively, you are creating a two-way conversion between you and your customers, prospects and other industry professionals which can be very helpful for gathering insights for future business development.</p> <p>Having an active blog helps you stay ahead of the curve when it comes to industry news and competitors.&nbsp; By staying ahead of the curve, you are positioning your company as a leader as opposed to a follower.&nbsp; Your blog also serves the purpose of having a place to share your brand story, although it should be noted that it&rsquo;s not advised that you blog only about yourself as a company.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/blog.png" style="width: 150px; height: 90px; float: left;" title="" />2. Business Blogging Fuels Your SEO</strong></span></p> <p>There are some pretty obvious <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/SEO">SEO benefits</a> blogs can offer, such as viewers spending longer amounts of time on your website, increasing page views and lowering bounce rates.&nbsp; However, it&rsquo;s also important to mention that search engines love valuable content and reward it with higher search result placements.&nbsp;</p> <p>As more people are putting out content to capture the attention of search engines, the algorithms are getting smarter.&nbsp; Your business blogging content should focus on having frequent high-quality content as opposed to having constant poor-quality content.&nbsp; Opt for longer blog posts because Google actually favors in-depth blog articles but a regularly updated blog, no matter the length of the articles, ranks higher in search engines than websites with no blog at all.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>3. Supports Your Social Media Advertising Efforts</strong></span></p> <p>Using blog articles as part of your content strategy on both Facebook and LinkedIn platforms has been proven to be very effective.&nbsp; Depending on the nature of the industry, boosted blog posts typically generate more engagements as opposed to generic click campaigns.&nbsp; This increased engagement impacts your overall organic reach for the post, which essentially means you are getting more viewers and spending less money as you&rsquo;re running your ad campaigns.</p> <p>Aside from using blog content for your ads, leveraging your blog posts throughout your <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Social-Media">social media content</a> also increases the chances of gaining extra exposure.&nbsp; When you can write a blog article that is so interesting that others will want to share it, you are ultimately gaining free exposure.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>4. Generates a Great ROI</strong></span></p> <p>Business blogs are cost-effective marketing investments.&nbsp; Many business owners choose to outsource their blogging efforts entirely because it can be a time-consuming task when you are already wearing multiple hats for your business.&nbsp; According to Hubspot research, B2B marketers who use blogs as part of their content marketing mix get 67% more leads than those who don&rsquo;t.</p> <p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/bigstock-157322675.jpg" style="width: 135px; height: 90px; float: left; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="" />5. Blogs Serve as a Lead Generation Tool</strong></span></p> <p>Blogging is an integral part of your digital sales funnel.&nbsp; In addition to driving traffic to your website, business blogging offers a great opportunity for capturing leads.&nbsp; By using non-intrusive lead capturing tools such as lead capture forms and call-to-action buttons, you can gather valuable data on the quality of the leads your blog posts are generating.&nbsp;</p> <p>How many times have you read a blog post and downloaded a free e-book because you were interested in gaining more insightful information about the topic you were reading? If you recall a moment where you have personally done this, congratulations! You were successfully moved from the inbound marketing stage of attraction to the stage of conversion.&nbsp;</p> <p>Each blog post you create is an additional page that can be indexed by Google, which can be used with a combination of lead generating call-to-action buttons such as free webinars, fact sheets and e-books.&nbsp; Asking for emails isn&rsquo;t an easy task but when you offer valuable data in exchange for emails, you can leverage it for better prospecting.&nbsp;</p> <h4><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>The Takeaway</strong></span></h4> <p>Although it can be difficult to find the time to keep up a business blog, you don&rsquo;t want to neglect the benefits blogging has to offer.&nbsp; By utilizing a local outsourced marketing company, like BIS Designs, your blogs can serve as a central piece for all your other marketing efforts which can include social media, SEO, email marketing and much more.</p> <p>When business blogging is done properly, it creates an opportunity that will have lifelong benefits to boosting your business marketing efforts.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>RELATED:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/134/12-reasons-why-your-business-needs-a-content-marketing-strategy">12 Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Content Marketing Strategy</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Author: <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Social-Media">Stephanie May&nbsp;</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/2026496073.jpg" style="height: 105px; width: 100px; float: left; border-width: 2px; border-style: solid; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="" />Phillip Long - CISSP, CEO of BIS Technology Group, along with his team of&nbsp;marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of&nbsp;&nbsp;what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.</p> <p>About BIS Technology Group</p> <p>BIS Technology Group is the technology leader on the Gulf Coast and is comprised of four divisions: Information Technology, Web Design &amp; Digital Marketing,&nbsp; &nbsp;Office Equipment and Business Consulting. Together these divisions help local businesses exceed expectations and allow them to group to their full potential while minimizing risks. To learn more about BIS Technology Group, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://bistechnologygroup.com/">bistechnologygroup.com</a>.</p> <p>You may reach out to us at:<br /> Phone: 251-405-2527<br /> Email: plong@askbis.com</p> 13612 Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Content Marketing Strategyhttps://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/134/12-reasons-why-your-business-needs-a-content-marketing-strategyB2B,Content Marketing,Digital Marketing,Internet Marketing,Social MediaWed, 27 Dec 2017 17:40:37 GMT<p>Research by the Content Marketing Institute has reported that B2B marketers who have a documented strategy and an individual to oversee the strategy, are the most effective group of content marketers out there. Whether you are just now starting your digital marketing process or you have made sure your brand has a recognizable presence on the web, you&rsquo;re missing out if you aren&rsquo;t using a content marketing strategy.</p> <p><span style="color:#F8C100;"><span style="font-size:130%;">There is a lot more to it than running a few social media accounts and publishing a blog for your brand. Even with great, well-driven content, if you don&rsquo;t have the SEO skills to drive organic traffic to your website, the landing pages to capture leads and the email marketing, white papers, dynamic offering of webinars, infographics, event marketing and more to convince your customers that your brand is an industry leader and has long-term value to offer, then your content lacks dimension.</span></span></p> <p>You need a system for gathering and analyzing your customer metrics, and using this data to constantly update your strategy. Without this system, you&rsquo;re failing to offer what customers expect today from marketers. Your content may slip through the cracks, going unnoticed as your competitors are appealing to your market with a direct approach at content that touches every point. Stringing everything together to create something that matters is the ultimate goal.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/desktop.jpg" style="width: 175px; height: 117px; float: left; border-width: 2px; border-style: solid; margin: 10px;" title="" />Richard Pattinson, CEO of Brafton, says &ldquo;The intention behind content can be good, but the scaffolding is missing, weak or flawed.&rdquo; Pattinson sees this as a major flaw for businesses.</p> <p>With a documented strategy, there is a place and purpose for each piece of content. Everything flows into the next. A case study, vlog or email subject line sets up other aspects of your strategy and holds the entire plan together. A good flow will allow your entire strategy to be flexible enough to evolve along the way as your make an effort to continually work towards creating that simple, clear and yet remarkably complex brand environment that is the most effective way to attract your market and build long-term customer relationships at the same time.</p> <p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#F8C100;">A good content marketing strategy is:</span></span></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#F8C100;">- Well-defined KPIs and clear goals.</span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#F8C100;">- Three-dimensional buyer personas that help you craft content for your market</span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#F8C100;">- A content management system for tracking your customers&rsquo; experiences, automating some of your content publication, and for gathering data.</span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#F8C100;">- A balance between creativity and pragmatism that yields an ongoing river of fresh content, with each part connected seamlessly, from the font styles on your website to format used in your webinars.</span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#F8C100;">- An ongoing learning process, with the goal of utilizing multiple content tactics and identifying the ones that work the best for your target audience.</span></span></li> </ul> <p>The better your strategy, the more potential you give each piece of content created.</p> <p><span style="color:#cccc99;"><u><span style="font-size:larger;"><strong>WHY YOU NEED A&nbsp;CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY </strong></span></u></span></p> <p>1. <b>A better content marketing ROI </b>&ndash; as you refine which tactics are the most appealing to high-quality leads and which are the most motivating, you&rsquo;ll be able to invest in the content that works and either reduce or eliminate what isn&rsquo;t working.</p> <p>2. <b>You&rsquo;ll actually know what your content ROI is </b>&ndash; only with a documented strategy are you going to have the metrics to give you an idea of how effective your content marketing is.</p> <p>3. <b>Repurposed content </b>&ndash; with a dynamic strategy, you can plan ahead how you repurpose your in-person events into eBooks and podcasts, your video interviews into blog&nbsp;posts, and your white papers into infographics.</p> <p>4. <b>Better customer segmentation </b>&ndash; with a content management system, you&rsquo;ll be able to personalize your content for different segments, the key to boosting your conversion and retention rates.</p> <p>5. <b>More accurate buyer personas </b>&ndash; you&rsquo;ll also be able to create smarter campaigns with better buyer personas as you use your gathered customer data to continually evolve your ideal buyer personas.</p> <p>6. <b>Less churn </b>&ndash; when you have a better idea of what your customers want because you&rsquo;re using a strategy, you&rsquo;ll be able to reduce your churn rates and boost your long-term revenue numbers.</p> <p>7. <b>Ability to leverage more marketing tactics </b>&ndash; with a short and long-term plan, you&rsquo;ll be able to see ten steps ahead, planning for that mega branding conference in five years and pulling off your brilliant influencer marketing campaign six months from now.</p> <p>8. <b>Optimized social media channels </b>&ndash; when your social media posts are integrated with the rest of your content marketing strategy, your customers grow used to the value that comes out of following and engaging with your social platforms and are more likely to stay engaged. Rather than random posts, they&rsquo;ll know there will be a consistent flow of value coming out of your Twitter feed and Facebook pages &ndash; industry news or tips, special deals, links to informative blog posts, early bird event registration they don&rsquo;t want to miss.</p> <p>9. <b>Boosted brand reputation </b>&ndash; with your comprehensive brand presence both online and off, you&rsquo;ll do wonders for your brand reputation as you&rsquo;ll have a larger social following, contact list, and more activity on your website such as blog comments, online reviews, and forum posts (depending on what channels are relevant for your business).</p> <p>10. <b>Improve lead generation </b>&ndash; when you flow your social media posts and email marketing into your blog posts and to your landing pages and CTAs, you&rsquo;ll attract more visitors to your website and invite more qualified leads down your sales funnel.</p> <p>11. &nbsp;<b>Higher customer acquisition rates </b>&ndash; as you get to know your market better, you&rsquo;ll be able to turn more leads into customers.</p> <p>12. <b>You&rsquo;ll become a better marketer. </b>The more love you put into your strategy, the more you&rsquo;ll learn about just how much content marketing is capable of.&nbsp;</p> <p>Getting the results you want from your content marketing all boils down to strategy. Even if your strategy is limited to a blog, a modest website and social media &ndash; make each piece work together and that strategy will do more than a disconnected collection of components ever could.</p> <p><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Social-Media">BIS Designs offer these services and more. </a>As a business owner, having a team to handle the content marketing for you can be a better option than spending the time to do it yourself. We&rsquo;re happy to discuss ideas with you. Give us a call!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Author: <a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Social-Media">Stephanie May&nbsp;</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>RELATED:&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.askbisdesigns.com/Blog-Details/PostId/123/create-a-winning-content-marketing-strategy-in-5-simple-steps">Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy in 5 Simple Steps&nbsp;</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/plong_1.jpg" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 10px; width: 100px; height: 100px; float: left;" title="" />Phillip Long - CISSP, CEO of BIS Technology Group, along with his team of&nbsp;marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of&nbsp; &nbsp; what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.</p> <p>About BIS Technology Group</p> <p>BIS Technology Group is the technology leader on the Gulf Coast and is comprised of four divisions: Information Technology, Web Design &amp; Digital Marketing,&nbsp; &nbsp;Office Equipment and Business Consulting. Together these divisions help local businesses exceed expectations and allow them to group to their full potential while minimizing risks. To learn more about BIS Technology Group, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://bistechnologygroup.com/">bistechnologygroup.com</a>.</p> <p>You may reach out to us at:<br /> Phone: 251-405-2527<br /> Email: plong@askbis.com</p> 134Emerging Trends in Digital Marketing https://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/125/emerging-trends-in-digital-marketingContent Marketing,Digital Marketing,Internet Marketing,Mobile Marketing,SEOThu, 03 Aug 2017 21:18:18 GMT<p>The year is flying by quickly and before we know it, 2018 will be here.&nbsp; Top companies have a habit of starting to plan for the next year by Q2 of the year, so many businesses are already looking at trends coming up in the new year.&nbsp; If you have initiated planning your marketing strategy and budget for 2018, be prepared to face questions regarding tactics you are opting to use that would go best with most of your customers.&nbsp; And most importantly, which tactics can result in the most efficient conversion.&nbsp;</p> <p>To plan a top-notch marketing strategy for your business in 2018, go through the seven trends explained here and incorporate them in your planning process.&nbsp; From personalized elements and mastering micro-moments to moving visual and analyzing the authentic data, we will go through all the best strategies for acquiring leads, conversions and engagement.</p> <p><strong>Master Micro-Moments</strong></p> <p>Mobile gadgets have proved to be a major influence in customer interaction and engagement with brands across the globe. But the surprising thing for most people is the concept of &ldquo;micro-moments&rdquo;, which has powered the shift to mobile phones. From long-term goals such as planning to purchase a home, or something as small as acquiring a quick grocery from the nearest store or even locating the ingredients of a dish from your phone, etc., countless of these micro-moments stimulate the impulse to reach out for our mobile phone.</p> <p>As per Think with Google, micro-moments are highly critical and evaluative touchpoints where customers expect brands to cater their needs with reliable information, regardless of the time and location.</p> <p>Whenever a customer feels the need to inquire about something, an astounding 96% of users reach for their smartphones to conduct the required research at that very instant. Only successful brands have the tendency to correctly anticipate and address the exact micro-moment needs by providing the right information at the right time to customer in need.</p> <p>A useful, quick and one-touch access to the needed information becomes the basis of acquiring customer trust and building long-lasting relationships.</p> <p><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-8702" height="133" src="https://askbis.bypronto.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/515/cache/2017/08/digitalmarketing2/1378219803.png" width="300" /></p> <p><strong>Visualization Is More Important than Ever</strong></p> <p>For all the exciting and informative things found online, whether it is a couple of kittens playing, a baby laughing or a top commercial featuring a popular model, there is always an element of video.&nbsp; With a video, people tend to accept and attach on a much deeper level due to the usage of visually-rich and interactive elements depicting a proper message or story. And as a consequence, audience is tempted to take considerable action in terms of likes, sharing, etc.</p> <p>With time, brands have been able to capitalize on the introduction of highly-engaging video features on different social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram.</p> <p>For this trend, we are going to focus on video aspect only since businesses are seizing the opportunity to differentiate their brand in the competitive industry.</p> <p>Mobile users are tending to spend more time than ever with their smartphones, with the excitement to watch videos online being proportionate as well.&nbsp;It is clear from the following stats that online video is growing rapidly in popularity.</p> <p>YouTube registers more 18 and above years-old audience during peak TV hours than any cable TV network.<br /> Advertisers on prime time broadcasting TV could gain 56% more audience of 18 to 49 years-old through advertising on YouTube.<br /> Plainly from statistics, it does not come as a surprise that Facebook recently revealed the count of 1.65 billion active users (data from April 2016) watching about 8 billion videos each day.</p> <p>Consumers are more tempted from videos because of the deeper attachment they experience from the visual on-screen elements. Realizing the need, the trend of promoting high-quality video content is very much likely to soar high in future.</p> <p><strong>The Best Visibility with Native Ads</strong></p> <p>To grab a plain sight exposure in front of the right audience, native advertising has become one of the most sought-after marketing methods. Most users find interruptive ads frustrating and irrelevant. For instance, browsing a website and instantly an out-of-context ad pops out of nowhere is a big no-no for the user.</p> <p>This is a common concern, which is best catered by native ads. It facilitates brands to market their offerings in a quite non-disruptive way that blends in easily with the environment a user is most comfortable with.</p> <p>Native ads blend in such a seamless manner, that customers may not even spot them when viewing let it be advertorial, instant content, search advertising, recommended content or sponsored listings form of native advertising. Rather than approving it as a deceiving aspect, the point is to put the right information in front of the viewer when they actually need it.</p> <p>As per the data provided by Polar and BI intelligence, CTR rates for premium native ads on mobile gadgets were four times higher, than the count of non-native display ads. The data also stressed that native ads calls for better engagement rates on tablets and smartphones as compared to desktop systems.</p> 125Emerging Digital Marketing Trends (2 part series)https://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/124/emerging-digital-marketing-trends-2-part-seriesContent Marketing,Digital Marketing,Internet Marketing,Mobile Marketing,SEOThu, 03 Aug 2017 21:14:30 GMT<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Emerging Digital Marketing Trends</strong></p> <p>The year is flying by quickly and before we know it, 2018 will be here.&nbsp; Top companies have a habit of starting to plan for the next year by Q2 of the year, so many businesses are already looking at trends coming up in the new year.&nbsp; If you have initiated planning your marketing strategy and budget for 2018, be prepared to face questions regarding tactics you are opting to use that would go best with most of your customers.&nbsp; And most importantly, which tactics can result in the most efficient conversion.&nbsp;</p> <p>To plan a top-notch marketing strategy for your business in 2018, go through the seven trends explained here and incorporate them in your planning process.&nbsp; From personalized elements and mastering micro-moments to moving visual and analyzing the authentic data, we will go through all the best strategies for acquiring leads, conversions and engagement.</p> <p><strong>Master Micro-Moments</strong></p> <p>Mobile gadgets have proved to be a major influence in customer interaction and engagement with brands across the globe. But the surprising thing for most people is the concept of &ldquo;micro-moments&rdquo;, which has powered the shift to mobile phones. From long-term goals such as planning to purchase a home, or something as small as acquiring a quick grocery from the nearest store or even locating the ingredients of a dish from your phone, etc., countless of these micro-moments stimulate the impulse to reach out for our mobile phone.</p> <p>As per Think with Google, micro-moments are highly critical and evaluative touchpoints where customers expect brands to cater their needs with reliable information, regardless of the time and location.</p> <p>Whenever a customer feels the need to inquire about something, an astounding 96% of users reach for their smartphones to conduct the required research at that very instant. Only successful brands have the tendency to correctly anticipate and address the exact micro-moment needs by providing the right information at the right time to customer in need.</p> <p>A useful, quick and one-touch access to the needed information becomes the basis of acquiring customer trust and building long-lasting relationships.</p> <p><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-8702" height="133" src="https://askbis.bypronto.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/515/cache/2017/08/digitalmarketing2/1378219803.png" width="300" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Visualization Is More Important than Ever</strong></p> <p>For all the exciting and informative things found online, whether it is a couple of kittens playing, a baby laughing or a top commercial featuring a popular model, there is always an element of video.&nbsp; With a video, people tend to accept and attach on a much deeper level due to the usage of visually-rich and interactive elements depicting a proper message or story. And as a consequence, audience is tempted to take considerable action in terms of likes, sharing, etc.</p> <p>With time, brands have been able to capitalize on the introduction of highly-engaging video features on different social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram.</p> <p>For this trend, we are going to focus on video aspect only since businesses are seizing the opportunity to differentiate their brand in the competitive industry.</p> <p>Mobile users are tending to spend more time than ever with their smartphones, with the excitement to watch videos online being proportionate as well.&nbsp;It is clear from the following stats that online video is growing rapidly in popularity.</p> <p>YouTube registers more 18 and above years-old audience during peak TV hours than any cable TV network.<br /> Advertisers on prime time broadcasting TV could gain 56% more audience of 18 to 49 years-old through advertising on YouTube.<br /> Plainly from statistics, it does not come as a surprise that Facebook recently revealed the count of 1.65 billion active users (data from April 2016) watching about 8 billion videos each day.</p> <p>Consumers are more tempted from videos because of the deeper attachment they experience from the visual on-screen elements. Realizing the need, the trend of promoting high-quality video content is very much likely to soar high in future.</p> <p><strong>The Best Visibility with Native Ads</strong></p> <p>To grab a plain sight exposure in front of the right audience, native advertising has become one of the most sought-after marketing methods. Most users find interruptive ads frustrating and irrelevant. For instance, browsing a website and instantly an out-of-context ad pops out of nowhere is a big no-no for the user.</p> <p>This is a common concern, which is best catered by native ads. It facilitates brands to market their offerings in a quite non-disruptive way that blends in easily with the environment a user is most comfortable with.</p> <p>Native ads blend in such a seamless manner, that customers may not even spot them when viewing let it be advertorial, instant content, search advertising, recommended content or sponsored listings form of native advertising. Rather than approving it as a deceiving aspect, the point is to put the right information in front of the viewer when they actually need it.</p> <p>As per the data provided by Polar and BI intelligence, CTR rates for premium native ads on mobile gadgets were four times higher, than the count of non-native display ads. The data also stressed that native ads calls for better engagement rates on tablets and smartphones as compared to desktop systems.</p> 124Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy in 5 Simple Stepshttps://gulfcoastlocal.com/Blog-Details/PostId/123/create-a-winning-content-marketing-strategy-in-5-simple-stepsContent MarketingSat, 01 Jul 2017 18:24:00 GMT<h1>Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy in 5 Simple Steps</h1> <p> </p> <p>To create a winning content marketing strategy, you must take a look at what you have done in the past and assess why you didn’t reach your goal. When we meet with business owners along the Gulf Coast, we provide them with a free digital marketing consultation. We look at what they are currently doing that is working, not working, where they are, and where they can improve. Our team of digital marketing specialist will analyze current market trends and determine where they can best dominate their industry. </p> <p>There is more to just posting on social media and paying for boosted ads on Facebook. It isn’t so much about the amount you post on Facebook anymore. By delivering the right content at the right audience, your opportunities are endless. Stop beating yourself up over not getting much engagement, or what little engagement is from a friend, family member, or co-worker. We’ve all heard the saying. “Content is king,” but the truth is not all content is created equal. </p> <p>In this blog post, we will discuss five simple steps for you to create a winning content marketing strategy.<br />  </p> <h2>Step 1 to Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy is </h2> <p> </p> <h3>A Captivating Message </h3> <p>People have very short attention spans. We live in an age of instant gratification. We have been taught that we can get any information we need at our finger tips in seconds thanks to smartphones. We are in an age of digital advancement that changes in a blink of an eye. How are your everyday business owners to keep up with these changes and appeal to the right audience? </p> <p>It is said that marketing to everyone is marketing to no one. You must decide which specific market you are going to target to and stick with it. A retailer of women’s clothing may decide to target women of a certain age, income bracket, and geographical area of residence. It’s not enough to just run an ad targeted at these ladies. You must appeal to them with your message. </p> <p>How do you captivate this audience to draw them into your business? Think like they do. Find out what they like to do and what they have in common other than just clothes. Maybe many of these women are soccer moms. What kind of car do they drive? Where do they like to eat out? Where do they hangout? <br /> By finding these commonalities, you can figure out how to speak to them and get their attention. Every clothing retailer is targeting them, but not everyone can target them the way you can. Dare to be different in order to be successful. </p> <p>Let your social media post or email targeting campaign be a message directed at them as if you are talking directly to one person. Allow them to feel like you truly understand and get them in a way that makes them feel important, appreciated, and understood. </p> <p>The way that you target the example audience in this step isn’t much different than you would approach anyone else. Just realize that some target audiences need more social proof, more or less words in order to create a winning content marketing strategy. Remember, to captivate an audience, you have to genuinely know them.<br />  </p> <h2>Step 2 to Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy is </h2> <p> </p> <h3>Images</h3> <p>Images matter in all aspects to create a winning marketing strategy. Your images must be high-quality, high-resolution, captivating, and visually appealing. You want your images to portray the image and lifestyle that your brand offers. You want less of advertising, product images, sales pitches, and other gimmicks. Be more strategic with the authenticity and frequency of your advertising, but don’t limit yourself to the possibilities of lifestyle posts. </p> <p>When it comes to the resolution of images, any photographs you take should be with a camera that has a minimum of 12 megapixels. The higher the megapixels the better quality of images you will have. <br /> Stock images can be a great source of imagery, but be selective in your choices. Many images are overused. Dig a little deeper when choosing images that are available for stock because anyone can access them. </p> <p>When in doubt, hire a professional photographer. Choose a photographer that is experienced in the type of images you need. One who photographs people well may not be able to photograph product images for your e-commerce, and vice-versa. There are diamonds in the rough that can photograph anything. <br />  </p> <h2>Step 3 to Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy is </h2> <p> </p> <h3>Strong Call-To-Actions</h3> <p>Giving a clear and concise call-to-action is where many businesses miss the boat. They don’t want to come across as rude or bossy by limiting themselves on effective digital marketing. You want to tell you visitor what to do in the next step of the process so they don’t get lost along the way. You prompt them with buttons that say, “Buy Now”, “Request A Quote”, “Call Now”. </p> <p>If you are familiar with a conversion funnel, you know that taking a customer from the wide part of the funnel to the small part can sometimes be tricky. If you have delivered a compelling and captivating message and successful brought the visitor to your website, then you have done half the work. The rest is easy, you just have to point them in the right direction. </p> <p>CTA’s that give specific and short directions will get more traction than one that is vague or makes the user have to do more work. Try to avoid CTA’s like “learn more” or “read more” as they aren’t usually relevant to what your business does. These CTA’s work for bloggers and journalists, but not necessarily for a retailer or other services. You want your visitor to have the best user-friendly experience that entices them to return again and again.  Feel at ease consulting with specialist to determine what you can do best to create a winning content marketing strategy for your business.<br />  </p> <h2>Step 4 to Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy is </h2> <p> </p> <h3>Landing Pages</h3> <p>When speaking with most business owners, we find that not many are familiar with the digital marketing term ‘landing page’, the purpose of landing pages, and how they can drive more business. What is a landing page? Essentially, a landing page is a one page website that gives the visitor a specific message and strong call-to-action. This page is different from your traditional webpage or blog post. We are delivering one particular message in order to capture the users email address in exchange for information or other special items. </p> <p>Even if the landing page does not generate a sale, you capture email addresses of those who expressed an interest in what you do. You can use an email marketing campaign to convert them later. For now, we will just focus on the landing page and how you can get it in front of your potential customers. </p> <p>Use a paid ads strategy to direct traffic to your landing page such as: Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and Google AdWords. Go where your audience is and find out what they are searching for that is relevant to what you do. The best thing about paid digital ads is that you get to select who seems them. This is why it is imperative to really know who your audience is so that you can better serve them. <br /> <br />  </p> <h2>Step 5 to Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy is </h2> <p> </p> <h3>Test and Re-Test</h3> <p>It’s going to take some time to adjust and create a winning content marketing strategy. You are going to need to continually test and adjust your strategies until you find one that works the best. Algorithms, rules, regulations, and requirements, are constantly changing.  It can feel disappointing to not generate as much or any sales from your paid advertising. </p> <p>We find that business owners get burned on paid social media ads because they don’t really understand them. They usually use to broad of an audience because the reach appears more enticing. In all honesty, you will get better results with a narrow audience reach of 1,000 people than 1,000,000. Otherwise, you end up wasting a lot of money on paid advertising to the wrong people. This is another reason why it is best to really get to know your customer base. </p> <p> </p> <h3>Conclusion of How to Can Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy</h3> <p>The end goal is to convert people from visitors to paying customers. You can have the best products and services in the world, but without a proper content marketing strategy, you miss out on full profit potential. Whether you want to appeal to your local geographic or worldwide, the sentiment of the content is the same, it’s just delivered on a different level. </p> <p>Use these five steps when you being to analyze your digital marketing plan. Rinse and repeat. The digital world has an excess of potential that’s waiting for you to capitalize. If you are utterly confused on how to do this and would like a free digital marketing consultation, please call us today to book your appointment with our specialist. </p> <p><img alt="" src="/Portals/bisdesigns/2026496073.jpg" style="float: left;" /> Phillip Long, CEO of BIS Technology Group, along with his team of marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.<br /> <br />  </p> <p>About BIS Technology Group<br /> <br /> BIS Technology Group is the technology leader on the Gulf Coast and is comprised of four divisions: Information Technology, Web Design & Digital Marketing, Office Equipment and Business Consulting. Together these divisions help local businesses exceed expectations and allow them to group to their full potential while minimizing risks. To learn more about BIS Technology Group, visit bistechnologygroup.com.<br /> <br /> You may reach out to us at:<br /> Phone: 251-405-2555<br /> <br /> Email: info@askbisdesigns.com</p> 123