Competitor research is an essential part of any business's marketing strategy. While it’s a great time to start and grow a business, the competition is more brutal than ever, and failing to know what you’re up against can spell disaster. Unfortunately, most companies seldom take competitor research seriously, creating stagnant growth and losing customers. By understanding what your competitors are doing, you can develop targeted campaigns that will help you gain market share. What Is Competitor Research?Competitor research is systematically observing and analyzing what your competitors are doing. It involves collecting data using competitor research tools and sometimes mystery shopping from your competitors. You can reverse engineer your competitors' strategies to make them work better for you. Some of the benefits of competitor research and analysis include more:
This process can also help you understand and strengthen your product or brand’s unique selling proposition since it will help you create a better differentiation from what your competitors are offering. Your competitors' weaknesses can be turned into strengths if you know how to capitalize on them. Competitor research also helps you create benchmarks to know if you’re performing well or poorly amongst other industry players. If you constantly know what your competition is doing right, you have a pattern to follow to ensure that you stay relevant to your target market. How To Perform Competitor ResearchCompetitor research may seem to be a daunting task, especially for beginners. However, it's not as difficult as you think. You can start by following these tips: 1. Define Your Goals.Knowing your goals will help you focus your time and efforts on productive activities that will yield maximum results. Here are a few questions to consider:
2. Identify Your Competition.Benchmark your performance against those of your competitors who are doing well. You should list the five or ten biggest competitors in your field. Categorize them as direct or indirect competitors. Make sure they have established websites and a thriving online presence. 3. Choose Suitable Competitor Research Tools.There are a variety of competitor research tools available, from simple Google searches to specialized software programs. Choose the tools that best fit your needs and budget. Some of the standard tools are: It's not enough to use just any tool. Depending on your goals, pick the right ones to give you the best data. 3. Collect Data.Once you have chosen your tools, it's time to start collecting data on your competitors. Look at their website traffic, social media followers, and customer reviews to get a better understanding of their business. Some of the data you’d want to collect are keywords they’re ranking for, PPC campaigns, social media following, and content analysis. You can find out how often they post content and what topics they cover. Take a look at their most active social media platforms and observe their posts. You can also subscribe to their newsletters and find out how they conduct email marketing campaigns. If you’re analyzing pricing and product quality, you can make a purchase or try their sales funnel. 4. Data AnalysisOnce you have collected the data, it's time to analyze it. Look for patterns and trends that can give insights into your competitor's marketing strategy. Exploring the website is the fastest way to gain information about your competitor. Look at the things they’re putting on their websites, such as webinars, podcasts, slide decks, FAQs, videos, and more. Check their blog posts and determine their content's quality and publishing frequency. 5. Create A Plan.Develop a plan to improve your marketing strategy based on your findings. This may involve changing your target audience, revamping your website, or launching a new social media campaign. One way to effectively create a plan is by making a SWOT analysis. This will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses vis-a-vis the opportunities and threats your competitor research revealed. The SWOT analysis can guide you to know what to improve in your business to remain competitive. Competitor research doesn’t have to be a complicated task. By following these steps, you can be sure that your exercise will be successful and informative. For more articles about running a competitive business or improving your SEO strategies, check out our blogs at Blissdrive. The post A Beginner's Guide To Competitor Research appeared first on Bliss Drive. from https://www.blissdrive.com/guides/a-beginners-guide-to-competitor-research/
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Driving traffic to a website is only half the battle. Once visitors land, you need to convert them to leads by performing the desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is the process by which a website's visitors are encouraged to take desired actions. While there is no silver bullet in optimizing conversion rate, certain best practices can help increase your chances of success. What Is Conversion Rate Optimization?CRO is the practice of improving your website to create more leads. It involves running A/B split tests, enhancing content, and improving workflows to create high-quality leads for better sales and lower costs. Conversion rate refers to the number of website visitors who complete a desired action like signing up for a newsletter, filling out a web form, or purchasing a product—a high conversion rate results from a well-designed website that appeals to your target audience. A low conversion rate points to issues like a poorly designed site, slow loading times, broken workflows, or poorly written copy. The conversion rate differs for different industries, niches, and audience demographics. For example, most e-commerce sites enjoy a 2.17% average conversion rate, but the food and beverage e-commerce niche enjoys a higher 5.5% conversion rate. Calculating the conversion rate is easy. Simply divide the total number of conversions by the total number of visitors and multiply it by 100. If you define conversion as the total number of email sign-ups, divide that number by the total visitors to the email sign-up page. You’ll get the email sign-up conversion rate. You can aim to meet the industry standard or beat it. Optimizations can happen anywhere - your homepage, product page, landing pages, or blog page, among others. Improving each section will help optimize the entire site and increase your conversion rate. If unsure what factors to improve, you can always work with a conversation rate optimization agency. They will help point out critical factors to change based on existing data. Conversion Rate Optimization Best PracticesConversion rate optimization involves running experiments on different pages on your website. Some standard practices include adding Call-To-Action (CTA) within content, creating lead flows, and making changes to web design. Before diving into these experiments, learn about the conversion rate optimization best practices that will help you become successful. 1. Use Data to Guide Your Experiments.Optimizing your website involves listening to the data you’ve already gathered. Your current information already says a lot about what your customers want. Check your web analytics, customer survey data, and other sources. These already contain a wealth of information to help you start with your experiments. 2. Develop a Hypothesis.CRO is about creating experiments, and every experiment needs a hypothesis. A hypothesis will help you know what you’re testing and propose a solution that you believe will solve the problem. It gives you a starting point in your experiment. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the solution and can be proven false as you run your experiment. 3. Check Your Competitors but Don’t Copy Them.When optimizing a website, it’s common to check competitors and copy what they’re doing well. But what works for them may not work for your site visitors. Data should always be checked and experiments should be designed around it. You can draw inspiration from what your competitors are doing but make sure to match it with what your current data is telling you. Your existing web data can help you uncover problems that need to be solved for conversions to increase. 4. Create Well-defined Goals and Track Them.Clearly defined goals will help you understand what you’re measuring. For every hypothesis, have one primary goal that will determine the success or failure of your experiment. Track the results using the correct measurements. You don’t want an investigation to end and find out you’ve tracked the wrong metrics. 5. So-Called Best Practices are Only Guidelines.You may have read various best practices designed to increase conversion. While they can produce quick wins, always test them before full implementation. There’s no magic wand that will magically increase your conversions. Always rely on your site data and run experiments to find the winning formula. When you do, continue to optimize. CRO is an ongoing process that doesn’t end with a single experiment. Despite the competition, the site, customers, and businesses are unique. Improving conversions requires looking at your site’s data and running experiments to test hypotheses. Don’t copy others. Run your own. You’ll succeed faster. For more helpful articles about improving your site’s conversion and increasing leads, check out this Blissdrive blog. The post 5 Conversion Rate Optimization Best Practices appeared first on Bliss Drive. from https://www.blissdrive.com/guides/5-conversion-rate-optimization-best-practices/ It’s not enough to simply have a website these days. With the latest digital technology and increasing competition, not to mention changing customer demands, a website must be more than just a showcase of a company’s business– it has to meet customer needs. As a business owner, it's important to be familiar with UI and UX design basics. These terms have been used interchangeably, but they refer to different things. Understanding the difference helps determine if you need a UI/UX developer or a web designer to improve your website. UI Design Vs. UX DesignUI, or user interface, refers to your website or mobile application's overall look and feel. It's what your users will see and interact with every time they use your product. UX, or user experience, ensures your UI is easy to use and navigate. UX applies to digital and physical products, while UI refers to digital products. UX aims to create a product that delights customers because it is effective. On the other hand, UI intends to delight customers with the product’s aesthetics. UX focuses on the entire customer journey, while UI focuses on the visual touchpoints. User Experience Design (UX)User Experience Design is the behind-the-scenes aspect of designing a product. It involves design and user research, information architecture, usability testing, interaction design, and content strategy. UX Design focuses on understanding the customer’s needs, emotions, habits, motivators, and behavior. UX designers understand their customers deeply and will go out and talk to them. Their process often involves extensive research to understand the customer’s psyche and behavior. A good UX designer will consider cognitive load and user flow when designing a product. They'll ensure users can find what they're looking for and accomplish their goals without getting frustrated. They begin the design process by determining a customer’s pain points and then create solutions to address these challenges. They use information architecture and wireframes to come up with a product skeleton. User Interface Design (UI)A User Interface Design (UI) is the visual and graphical component of a design. A well-established UI designer will have the following:
At a senior level, they can have the ability to work as an art or creative director with a clear visual vision. The UI designer comes in once the UX designer finishes creating the product skeleton. They bring the vision of the UX designer to life by using visual elements to make the user journey seamless and pain-free. UI designers are responsible for making the product accessible and inclusive. UX designers map the journey, while UI designers focus on the details that make it possible. They work hand-in-hand to create a fantastic product that delights customers. UI/UX Design Vs. Web DesignWeb designers are professionals who create content for websites based on the most recent trends. Their responsibilities include designing the website's layout, aesthetics, utility, and functionality. They are a broader term to describe graphic designers with experience building a website or backend web developers who have developed skills to design the front-end of a website. They don’t necessarily have the more profound customer knowledge that UI and UX designers have and often don’t create human-centered websites. UI and UX designers study customer psychology to understand customers' thinking, while web designers don’t go this deep. It's their job to put all the pieces together, including UI and UX, and design a mobile and desktop-friendly website. Web designers possess extensive knowledge of programming languages like HTML and CSS, scripting languages like JavaScript and PHP, and design packages like Photoshop. While it seems that a web designer’s role is the same as a UI designer, they are less iterative and tend to focus more on the aesthetics of the site rather than how users will interact with it. Determining Who To HireDeciding who to hire between a UI, UX, and web designer may seem confusing, especially with the recent advances in digital design and technology. You may be tempted just to hire anyone who claims to provide all three services or forego one over the other. Remember that to create a competitive website that customers will be satisfied to use, you must carefully consider the roles of UX, UI, and web design and hire the right designers. While they all have different roles, they all work together to create a final product that customers would find useful and be delighted to visit again. Creating a great UI and UX is essential for keeping your users happy and engaged with your product. Learn more about best practices in running a successful and engaging website. Check out Bliss Drive’s blogs for more articles about web design and development. The post What To Know About UI And UX Design appeared first on Bliss Drive. from https://www.blissdrive.com/guides/what-to-know-about-ui-and-ux-design/ Content marketing is recognized as a strategic and effective marketing strategy that helps drive revenues by creating loyal customers. More than ever, it has become an essential tool for creating a sustainable business. However, most brands are unsuccessful because they have no documented content marketing strategy. A content marketing strategy is a detailed plan that outlines how your company implements its content marketing initiatives. It serves as a guide so that you don’t just randomly post blogs and social media posts without a clear direction. It involves having goals and metrics that can gauge the effectiveness of your efforts. Below are the essential elements of a good content marketing strategy. 6 Key Elements of a Successful Content Marketing Strategy1. Audience PersonasKnowing your audience is the first step toward a successful content marketing plan. You should be able to identify your target consumers. After all, they are the ones you’re trying to win with your content. Understanding who they are will allow you to create better content that they find helpful. To identify your audience, you must conduct surveys among your user base and find out their likes and dislikes. From here, you can create audience personas and begin planning the content. Customer personas would include demographics, lifestyle, personality, and buyer journey. Once you’ve identified your target audience, you can start creating tailored content for everyone you’ve identified. Being clear with your audience personas will also help you determine who are not your customers and streamline your content. 2. Brand Identity GuidelinesHaving a solid brand identity is crucial when it comes to content marketing. They define how content will feel and look and help the team create cohesive content across platforms that accurately reflects the brand. Customers can quickly identify and relate to this, creating a solid brand identity. A well-defined brand message creates an emotional, intellectual, and visual connection with the audience. 3. Goals And ObjectivesEstablishing goals will help you stay on top of your content and enable you to monitor the results over time. These goals include developing content that raises brand awareness, creating content for a niche audience, or supporting a new product launch. When creating goals, always follow the SMART framework. Your goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound. Your goals must also align with the needs of the customers you’ve defined in your audience profile. 4. Content Production ProcessManaging a content strategy can be challenging. To stay on track, your content production process needs to be optimized. This means producing valuable, high-quality content with less input and the least resources possible. This can be achieved by:
A well-managed content production team and resources go a long way towards creating a well-oiled content marketing strategy that consistently delivers results. 5. Content CalendarContent marketing is like a marathon, and it’s a long-term strategy that requires consistency. A content calendar keeps everyone on track and helps the team consistently publish content, and it should include details like publishing schedule, post format, and publishing platform. Make the calendar accessible to every team member so they can see when specific content is due and monitor the progress of the content pipeline. When creating a content calendar, mark important dates like holidays, sales events, promotional campaigns, and other essential brand events. Schedule content around marketing goals to ensure content is relevant to the audience and the business. 6. Data AnalyticsAnother critical element of content marketing is data gathering and analysis. As your brand produces content, it collects data and information that can be used to develop an effective content strategy and measure performance. Large amounts of data have become easily accessible due to digital platforms. You can help your brand make smarter content decisions by leveraging this data correctly. Marketers no longer have to rely on gut instinct. They can accurately make decisions based on collected data. Data can be collected through market research, web analytics, social listening, and experiments. Create A Content Marketing Strategy For Business GrowthWith the help of these content marketing plan elements, you can create a strategy that can sustainably support business growth. Content marketing is a highly relevant marketing strategy that converts customers at any stage of the buying journey. It also creates customer loyalty that translates into repeat customers and even referral sales. To learn more about how to set a timeline for content strategy, check out this article from Bliss Drive. The post What Are The Important Elements Of A Content Marketing Strategy? appeared first on Bliss Drive. from https://www.blissdrive.com/guides/what-are-the-important-elements-of-a-content-marketing-strategy/ Key performance indicators, also known as KPIs, are quantifiable criteria that help track and assess your performance. When it comes to the ever-changing digital marketing world, it is essential to determine whether or not you are setting KPIs properly to measure your progress successfully. Ways to Execute Your KPIs And Strategies EffectivelyStep 1: Define Business Goals And ObjectivesBusiness goals are targets that a company aims to accomplish over a given timeframe. Start by establishing a broad business goal, then create specific short-term goals as you work toward the broad, long-term goal. Step 2: Identify The Channels That Fit Your GoalsThe right marketing channels are completely reliant on your goals, resources, budget, and competitors. To help you decide which channels are worth the investment, identify your target audience and conduct market research to determine their preferred channels. Step 3: Conduct A/B TestingA/B testing involves dividing elements of your campaign into two in order to evaluate variations and determine which works best. Once you've identified your channels, choose the two most viable options and assign one to half of your audience (Channel A) and another to the other half (Channel B). Step 4: Evaluate The Test ResultsThe best way to evaluate your A/B test results is by looking at your goals and identifying the metrics that can help you achieve them. Once you’ve analyzed the results from each channel, you can start setting KPIs that can help you measure success. Step 5: Continue To Take ActionThe process of measuring and monitoring progress does not end with setting KPIs. Bear in mind that your business has both short and long-term goals. Even if the KPIs you established properly measure the short-term performance, you must keep up in order to reach your long-term goals. Understanding Goals, KPIs, And TargetsSuccess requires knowing what you should target and measure to achieve your goals. Therefore, it's essential to consider these when outlining your digital marketing strategy. GoalsYour goals are the ultimate outcome of your digital marketing strategy. Keep in mind that goals and KPIs are inseparable, so when setting goals, you should stay S.M.A.R.T.
KPIsKPIs are quantifiable metrics that indicate the performance of your campaign. Setting KPIs properly can assist you in making informed decisions about updating your content strategy, adjusting your budget, and determining the best places for ads. KPIs are frequently tracked on a project-by-project basis, as each marketing channel and campaign is usually associated with a distinct objective. The most commonly used digital marketing KPIs are:
TargetsWhen analyzing your KPIs, targets are the metrics you want to reach. For example, the targets for increasing your social media engagement may include a 15% increase in comments and a 5% rise in shares. KPI target setting should consider all marketing decisions, content creation, and anything that would enable you to achieve your goals. Frequently Asked QuestionsSetting KPIs is not a simple task. Goals and KPIs need to go hand in hand, and they should involve KPI target setting, constant monitoring, and staying up-to-date with digital marketing trends. What is KPI in SEO?SEO KPIs are metrics that indicate how well a website performs in organic search results. SEO is a critical component of any digital marketing strategy, and even in terms of this, it's still imperative that Goals and KPIs align. What is the best marketing strategy?When Setting KPIs, you should bear in mind that there are different ones for every channel and a variety of possibilities when it comes to campaigns. The best digital marketing strategy is one in which KPI target setting ensures that goals and KPIs are consistent. How can I improve my SEO for free?Improving SEO can be done with little to no cost. Once you understand how setting KPIs strategically can help you achieve your SEO goals, KPI target setting will be easy, and it will help you make the necessary adjustments to your SEO strategy. KPIs are essential components of every marketing plan because they supply the data necessary to identify and demonstrate how a business will advance towards its goals. Setting KPIs effectively is a skill that requires a great deal of effort and practice to perfect. Fortunately, digital marketers have the experience and expertise necessary to select suitable KPIs and stay current on marketing trends. Head over to Bliss Drive to see how our team of experts can assist you in managing your KPIs and developing an SEO strategy that is focused on both short and long-term goals. The post Setting Effective KPIs For Digital Marketing In 2022 appeared first on Bliss Drive. from https://www.blissdrive.com/uncategorized/setting-effective-kpis-for-digital-marketing-in-2022/ Digital marketing has exploded in popularity over the past years and is expected to continue growing as businesses saturate the market. That is why it is necessary to adjust digital marketing methods when they are not beneficial anymore. Every business has its own set of goals and objectives, and it's critical to understand which techniques work best for achieving the company's vision. It's important to look out for the signs that indicate whether your digital marketing strategy is still effective or if you need a marketing overhaul. Dropping Off Of Google’s RadarWebsite owners rely on effective search engine optimization to boost their brand's visibility on Google and other search engines. If you've been monitoring your SEO performance and noticed a decline in your site's authority, you'll want to find out why. Broken links, a lack of internal linkages, and misplaced keywords are all frequent issues. When your SEO is not working as expected, you must suspend all other marketing efforts and focus exclusively on SEO until the problem is resolved. Experiencing Little To No Traffic At AllTraffic is an important metric for measuring digital marketing effectiveness, and a lack of it implies that your marketing efforts are not adequately bringing users to your website or social media channels. If your main marketing channels are generating minimal traffic, this is a clear indication that you need a digital marketing strategy update. A solid digital marketing strategy will allow you to take advantage of advanced algorithms across several platforms. For example, in order to be noticed by potential clients, Facebook requires organic reach. In Google's landscape, this means optimizing your website such that it appears in organic search results. Declining Website ConversionIf your website continues to attract a large number of visits, but only a small percentage of them make a purchase, this suggests that your conversion rate is declining. While generating traffic is necessary for a successful digital marketing strategy, if that traffic does not convert into consumers, you will get a poor return on investment. Your conversion rate may suffer as a result of a poor target audience, insufficient site optimization, distracting page components, and an ineffective UX strategy, among other issues. Regular website reviews will help ensure that your digital marketing efforts are yielding conversions and not just website traffic. Failing Social Media CampaignsBusinesses should use social media to share content that will resonate with their audience. Each social media platform has its own algorithm, or at the very least, its own set of performance metrics. Comments, likes, shares, and even clicks all serve as markers of a content strategy's effectiveness. If your social media posts aren't getting any engagement, it's time to do a marketing overhaul. Consider rethinking your content strategy by collecting consumer data and developing buyer personas. You may even choose to hire professional digital marketing services to ensure that your investments pay off. Decreasing Email Sign-UpsEmail marketing is an excellent method of communicating with your audience and generating high-quality leads. Reduced email signups indicate that people are losing interest in your products or services and brand message. Having fewer email sign-ups may lead to a decrease in traffic, leads, and revenue. To address this issue, you should examine your email sign-up procedure and points of entry. If everything is functioning normally, you may need to perform a digital marketing strategy update and refocus your messaging. Frequently Asked QuestionsDigital marketing can be puzzling for many small businesses, but we’re here to answer some of the most pressing questions. What is important to consider in your digital marketing strategy?When it comes to digital marketing, content is king. If your digital marketing strategy is failing, your marketing overhaul must consider how your content boosts SEO, generates leads and conversions, and drives engagement. How can I improve my digital marketing strategy?Even the most meticulous digital marketing strategy will not guarantee long-term success. Keep an eye out for signs that your strategies aren't doing as well as they should, and channel your efforts into acquiring new leads. What parts of marketing are growing the fastest?Digital marketing is always evolving, and certain trends are gaining traction. For instance, social commerce has picked up steam during the last year. Additionally, content marketing has evolved to prioritize simplicity and clarity above length. How do you evaluate a marketing strategy?The success of a marketing strategy relies on meeting metrics that enable companies to reach their business goals. Focus on measurable performance indicators to see if you need a marketing overhaul. What are the 7 types of digital marketing?Content marketing, web design, SEO, social media, email, social media ads, and search engine ads are the main types of digital marketing. Each one involves many subtleties that need to be grasped in order to conduct an effective digital marketing strategy. The TakeawayEvery business must invest in digital marketing to succeed in this day and age. While developing and maintaining digital marketing efforts can be challenging for many business owners, digital marketing experts can assist in developing and maintaining a solid digital marketing strategy. If you're interested in incorporating more marketing approaches into your strategy, look at how we blend traditional marketing with digital marketing for greater success. The post 5 Signs You Need To Update Your Digital Marketing Strategy appeared first on Bliss Drive. from https://www.blissdrive.com/uncategorized/5-signs-you-need-to-update-your-digital-marketing-strategy/ Digital marketing, or online marketing, is any form of advertising that takes place online. With some industries grinding to a halt as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has become a valuable tool. Online marketing has also helped small businesses thrive amid the pandemic by creating new sales, refocusing their services, and sustaining client relationships to keep their businesses on track. 5 Digital Marketing Tips For Small BusinessesDeveloping a comprehensive digital marketing strategy can help boost leads. Fortunately, the online world offers limitless opportunities to come up with creative digital marketing ideas that can help you reach the right audience. Creating a low-cost online marketing plan includes careful and smart planning to generate significant profits and see results. To help you get started on the right track, here are five practical digital marketing ideas for small businesses. 1. Set Up Realistic GoalsEvery digital marketing strategy is founded on marketing goals. Without a clear vision, you're essentially aimless and pursuing vanity metrics that don't necessarily contribute to achieving your overall business goals. When setting objectives, it's generally a good idea to aim high, but you must also ensure that they are attainable. Make a list of your objectives and choose the main one that will provide the most significant benefit. Ensure that this aim can be quantified using a variety of metrics, and establish a clear deadline for completion so that you can compare the outcomes to previous and future initiatives. 2. Focus On Your Target AudienceDepending on the products or services you offer, the manner you focus on your target audience will vary. Before any online marketing effort, you must first discover the unique problem that your products or services can solve. Once the major issue has been recognized, the primary goal of your strategy should be to resolve it. Instead of employing hard-sell tactics, describe the problem to your target audience and present your brand as the solution. To communicate effectively, you must understand your audience's motivations. This is typically done by collecting consumer data and analyzing purchasing habits. 3. Create Engaging ContentTo develop engaging content, you must first have a clear purpose. Your type of content will depend on your objectives, whether you want to build brand awareness, influence your target audience, or keep loyal customers. Once you've established your target, you'll be able to develop relevant and meaningful content for your audience — which resonates and is likely to provide information and solutions to their problems. As a result, you'll be able to boost your online visibility, interaction on your website and social media, and, ultimately, your revenue. 4. Analyze Competitor’s StrategyYou can establish your brand as a trustworthy industry leader with the right digital marketing strategy. Even when competing against major brands, digital marketing levels the playing field for small and growing businesses. Competitive analysis can help you understand the intricacies of your competition's operations and identify opportunities where you can outperform them. It also allows you to remain on top of market trends and industry developments and ensure that your products or services meet or surpass market standards on a continual basis. 5. Utilize Digital Marketing ToolsThere are myriad digital marketing tools available online that can help you achieve your marketing goals. For instance, if you wish to increase engagement on social media, you can use social media marketing tools such as Sprout Social to track and organize your social media campaign. Otherwise, you may use email marketing tools like SendGrid to generate more leads or use a conversion optimization tool like Hotjar, which records the actions and behaviors of your website visitors. These digital marketing tools can help you develop a strategy to convert your leads to sales. Benefits Of Digital Marketing For Small BusinessesFor small businesses, digital marketing provides infinite opportunities. More than half of the world's population utilizes the internet, and digital marketing enables small businesses to reach this vast market regardless of physical location. Compared to traditional marketing, digital marketing also offers many benefits for small business owners. Target The Right Audience
Achieve Conversion
Drive Engagement
Establish Brand Presence
Compete With Leading Brands
Save More Money
Frequently Asked QuestionsOnline marketing can be complicated for many small businesses. Having a lot of marketing ideas isn’t enough if there’s no cohesive digital marketing strategy. To lend clarity, we have the answers to the most common questions. Why do small businesses use digital marketing?Small businesses typically operate on a tight budget. Digital marketing provides possibilities to help them effectively reach and engage with a broad audience without breaking the bank. Which businesses are best for digital marketing?Since business operations and communications are now mostly conducted online, all companies across industries can benefit from online marketing. eCommerce businesses particularly benefit from running marketing efforts in the same space where their sales take place. What are the disadvantages of digital marketing?The biggest drawback of digital marketing is the massive competition, especially in recent years. However, if your digital marketing strategy is well planned, you can create a huge impact and get ahead of your competitors. Bottom LineThe digital marketing landscape is complex, and implementing a successful digital marketing strategy does not reap immediate results. Significant outcomes necessitate a great deal of patience, work, and knowledge. Fortunately, small businesses may seek help from experts to get their digital marketing strategy off to a good start. Check out Bliss Drive’s competitive analysis services to help you get ahead of your competitors! The post 5 Digital Marketing Ideas For Small Businesse appeared first on Bliss Drive. from https://www.blissdrive.com/guides/5-digital-marketing-ideas-for-small-businesse/ Digital marketing is a broad term that refers to marketing methods conducted on a digital platform. Digital marketers utilize the web and other online channels to reach out to prospective customers. It is beneficial throughout all industries, considering almost everyone has access to the internet. Every business can benefit from a comprehensive digital marketing plan, and it's necessary to understand the various digital marketing strategies to boost leads. Understanding The Facets Of A Digital Marketing PlanIn developing your efficient digital marketing plan, you must have a clear objective in mind and identify the techniques to help you achieve it. These methods include content marketing, SEO, and web analytics, among others. Finally, you must implement these methods within a specified timeline in order to reach your audience in a cost-effective, scalable, and quantifiable way.
9-Step Guide to Create a Digital Marketing PlanBecause each business has unique goals and objectives, it's beneficial to develop your strategy based on assessing what your business requires, rather than duplicating your competitors' digital marketing strategy. Here are nine tips to help you create a comprehensive and effective digital marketing plan. Establish Your BrandYour brand is more than just a catchy name and logo that helps you stand out in a crowded market; it is how people perceive you everywhere and every time they interact with your business. You cannot establish a brand unless you are consistent, which is crucial in creating a digital marketing plan. Your first digital marketing strategy will be responsible for defining what that consistency will look like and the emotion it will elicit from your target customers. Know Your Target MarketAn effective digital marketing plan is executed with precise targeting. Experiment with demographic targeting that goes beyond the conventional and is as specific as possible. Create buyer personas for your target customer to truly understand their needs. Beyond demographic information about your target audience, incorporate precise and intuitive details such as interests, needs, pain points, and motives to assist in developing the digital marketing strategy that will have the most significant influence on your potential clients. Conduct Competitors’ AnalysisCreating a digital marketing plan entails examining your position in relation to your competition and developing a deeper understanding of your clients. Analyze your own performance and your competitors for a better understanding of your digital presence. Digital marketing makes it simple to monitor what your competitors are doing because almost everything is public. You can use tools like SpyFu to gather data or get professional competitive analysis services for a comprehensive assessment. Set Your Goals And ObjectivesOnce you've developed your brand and identified your strengths, work on setting goals to generate a clear picture of the direction your activities should take. Every digital marketing strategy you employ must contribute to achieving those goals. Are you working to raise awareness of your brand? Do you want to generate more leads? Acquire new customers? Whatever you wish to accomplish, your objectives must be SMART — specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Choose Your ChannelBefore delving deeper into your digital marketing plan, it's essential to choose the right channels. After you've determined how your audience behaves, what your competitors are doing, and the objectives you're pursuing, choose the channels that are most likely to yield the best results. If you wish to collaborate with other businesses, you may want to concentrate your efforts on LinkedIn or YouTube. If you're trying to reach consumers, you might want to explore influencer marketing on various social media channels. Set A BudgetYour budget will establish the amount of money you will spend on digital marketing operations. Setting a specific budget will direct you toward the most efficient channels, techniques, and tools. Establish an approximate budget in advance, but keep it variable so you can seize other chances for increased return on investment (ROI). If you're targeting a highly profitable ROI, continue increasing the budget as long as your acquisition costs remain within the initial range. Build A Content StrategyCreate a content plan based on your budget, marketing objectives, target audience, and channel selections. These should establish the primary topics or themes that will be included in your digital marketing strategy. Your content strategy should be inextricably linked to your buyer persona — the kind of information they consume, the formats in which they consume them, and the people and groups they follow. You might also get ideas from your competitors and conduct keyword research to guarantee that your content reaches your intended audience. Create A Marketing CalendarA marketing calendar helps you organize the implementation of every digital marketing initiative. It also encourages accountability, ensuring that deadlines are met and the strategy is carried out properly. It also helps you reach every target group consistently. Plan out your entire year in advance and divide it into months and then weeks. This execution will give you a strong foundation as well as enough time to plan and implement every deliverable. Monitor Progress And KPIsAfter you've implemented your digital marketing plan, you must maintain your efforts to evaluate your initiatives and improve methods that don't work. This stage is crucial and must be carried out continuously after the initial digital marketing strategy has been implemented. While there are several ways to evaluate the performance of a media content strategy, concentrating on key performance indicators (KPIs) — consumption, engagement, and retention metrics — is the most effective method not just for analyzing but also for optimizing efficiency. Frequently Asked QuestionsCreating a digital marketing plan involves a lot of assessment. Every digital marketing strategy requires various efforts to achieve many different goals. What is the cheapest form of digital marketing?Social media, email, and SEO can be done without spending any money if you know how to execute techniques effectively. However, algorithms constantly change, and setting a budget to get experts on board will give you the best results. What is the most popular type of digital marketing?As you may expect, social media marketing is immensely popular since anyone can use social media. It's also simple to conduct targeted social media ads, and businesses with sufficient digital marketing knowledge can see significant results. How do companies use digital marketing?Digital marketing can be used in a variety of ways, and companies typically create a comprehensive digital marketing plan that will hit multiple business objectives, such as raising brand awareness and increasing sales. Monitor Your ProgressRemember that creating a digital marketing plan is only the first step. Improvements and progress do not happen overnight. To achieve your desired goals, make sure to monitor your progress. This entails identifying what works and what doesn’t, anticipating changes in plans, and adapting to shifting demands. Trends in digital marketing change rapidly, affecting even the most effective strategies. Fortunately, there are professional services that guarantee consistent success. Visit Bliss Drive now and see how our digital marketing services can help you maintain your momentum and exponentially grow your business. The post A 9-Step Guide To Creating A Digital Marketing Plan appeared first on Bliss Drive. from https://www.blissdrive.com/guides/a-9-step-guide-to-creating-a-digital-marketing-plan/ Content is ubiquitous. We now live in a world where anyone with a smartphone can quickly create blog articles or record podcasts and videos. The way people connect with their environment is rapidly changing. That is why the Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) industries remain relevant by producing diverse and high-quality content to promote business interests that yield leads. When done creatively, producing the most popular types of content can help any business grow. What Are The Different Types of Content?Websites and social media platforms can't exist without content and figuring out what content types produce. Thus, it has never been more crucial for many small businesses to develop a viable content strategy. Here are a few to take note of. Slow-to-Digest ContentSlow-to-Digest content often targets individuals seeking answers to certain problems or questions. By selecting the suitable type of material for your message, you can ensure that it reaches the intended audience. To create these types of content, you must understand how to solve certain pain points and reach your audience to develop a positive reinforcement cycle for organic visitors. Blog Posts And ArticlesDetailed written content may help your website get large organic traffic by informing people about your brand proposition. Blog posts and articles offer an unparalleled opportunity for keyword optimization and link-building, which significantly aids in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and website traffic. These types of content enable marketers to incorporate targeted keywords to boost their ranking. Long-Form ContentLong-form content is an excellent way to establish your brand and grow your audience. It's a general term that refers to any written content ranging from 1,000 to 15,000 words in length. Among the different types of content, this one gives you a lot of room to machinate. Depending on your content marketing strategy, you may choose to write numerous chapters, each with its URL, or to maintain everything on a single landing page. Case StudiesBy emphasizing roadblocks that your audience may face, case studies can help make difficult issues more relevant. Unlike other content types, case studies strongly demonstrate how your products or services can assist prospects in resolving challenges, fostering brand loyalty. When writing a case study, always begin by determining your customer's pain points. Following that, write a summary of the study, explaining the problem you were investigating. Present your solution, and conclude with a discussion of your findings and their significance. EbooksEbooks are effective lead generators for brands looking to expand their customer base or increase engagement opportunities. They can be distributed via free digital downloads, gated content, or eCommerce platforms like Amazon. Consider creating ebooks if you wish to provide in-depth information on a particular topic. When writing an ebook, choose a subject that is relevant to your potential buyers. Allow individuals to download your ebook in exchange for their name and email address so you can collect more leads. How-to GuidesHow-to Guides are one of the most powerful types of content because they boost SEO and establish you as an industry authority. A detailed how-to guide can be incredibly beneficial if individuals are attempting to learn anything for the first time or want to discover a more efficient way to perform a task. Easily Digestible ContentEasily digestible content lets you leave breadcrumbs leading to the rest of your content while entertaining readers who are just passing the time. All of the content types that belong under this umbrella should convey your key message to your audience in the shortest timeframe possible. Moreover, content under this category can easily be shared online and offline due to its compact nature. ListiclesMore commonly referred to as listicles, list articles are immensely popular and are unlikely to disappear. Almost everyone appreciates this form of content because listicles are easy to read and follow. Effective listicles follow a logical hierarchy of headings with numbered subheadings. As with other types of content, these should include introductions and conclusions, and most importantly, they should be keyword-optimized. NewslettersNewsletters can be extremely beneficial if your business has new products and updates regularly. Effective newsletters are straightforward and often concise, making it convenient for marketers to churn them out regularly. To maximize newsletters, you can send a series of emails to your subscribers and collect their data to improve content development. You may also consider tools like MailChimp; you can automate trigger-based emails that contain semi-personalized content based on user activity. InfographicsThe superb thing about infographics is that they are readily shared and consumed. They generate visually appealing representations of data and statistics, which make complex concepts easier to absorb. They're popular with content creators since they're easy to make but have a tremendous impact. Canva is an excellent tool to help you get started. If you want to take it a step further, make infographics that complement your website's design for a more seamless user experience. VideoOver the past years, video's convenience and accessibility have transformed the medium. It's now a necessary component of content development since consumers take in all types of media on their mobile phones for long hours. Live video is rapidly gaining popularity as a form of digital content that many companies utilize to foster real-time connection with their audience. You may hop on the live streaming bandwagon and hold live tutorials, Q&A sessions, and chats to keep your audience engaged. PodcastsMillions of podcast episodes are available online, and the number continues to grow. According to Statista, there will be around 164 million podcast listeners by 2023. This content has gained popularity over the past few years, with businesses hopping on board. Podcasts are compelling and engaging, allowing you to reach a large audience and creatively market your brand. Customers can absorb podcasts even more passively than video, making it an ideal alternative for businesses with lower budgets. Content is KingAs the most vital element in cyberspace, content continues to reign supreme, as there has never been a greater demand for content creation, refinement, and reformatting. Different types of content can be utilized to enhance various marketing strategies, especially when combined with traditional marketing methods. If you're curious to discover more about other content types and how to market them, visit Bliss Drive today and transform the way your business operates. The post Most Popular Types Of Content And How To Use Them appeared first on Bliss Drive. from https://www.blissdrive.com/blogs/most-popular-types-of-content-and-how-to-use-them/ For businesses, creating organized topic clusters around the main topic on your website is an efficient way to encourage visitors. Organized topic clusters help them access related content while optimizing your site's Search Enginge Optimization (SEO) strategy. Learning how to create related topic clusters around a pillar page can help generate leads and meet brand KPIs. To help you understand how topic clustering impacts small businesses, we've broken down the topic cluster model and what it can do for your business' long-term content development strategies. The Topic Cluster ModelBefore creating a content cluster, you will need to start with a pillar page. Compared to cluster content, pillar pages tend to be more broad in scope and link to multiple cluster pages. In contrast, the topic cluster also links to the main pillar page but is much more detailed and answers a specific question that a site visitor may have. The pillar page is the most important in terms of hierarchy, followed by the surrounding content clusters. Image from Cornerstone Content Anum Hussain and Cambria Davies conducted a HubSpot study found that the more interlinking they did between topic clusters, the better the placement in search engine results. In addition, they found that the number of views also increased with the more links they made. Linking from one page on a domain to another page on another domain, also known as an internal linking structure, has several benefits for search engines like Google. One of which is that it indicates the relevance and importance of each page, thus, setting a strong foundation of a good content development strategy. Why Your Business Should Consider A Strong Content Cluster StrategyCreating a strong content cluster strategy is a long-term way to improve your online visibility and audience engagement. Topic clusters for existing pages and ones under development could benefit from the model. It allows Google to easily identify relevant content within your industry as it indexes your site's content. Although anyone can benefit from this model, some topic cluster examples are particularly useful for:
Ranking higher for related search terms and keywords in your niche also makes it easier to target your audience's pain points. It'll encourage you to answer any questions they might have, in addition to the following advantages below. Streamlined And Organized ContentPillar pages allow your business to easily organize blog content based on themes, seasons, quarters, or special events. By grouping similar topics, readers can find what they're looking for with ease and be more likely to click on links leading to other valuable information. During this time, you can also look over existing content and modify it to stay up to date with current trends and themes. This pushes for more relevance aligned to your audience and business goals. Improved SEO PerformanceCreating links from pillar pages to topic clusters can increase your SEO. This is because search engines will gradually recognize your blog page or website as an authority in your niche if you provide reliable and useful information related to a specific topic. As a result, this can boost your ranking on search engine results pages and improve your organic traffic. Faster Content ProductionAnother benefit of using content clusters is that you can create content more efficiently after completing your research on a pillar page. This is due to the probability that you already have most of the information you need to craft cluster pages with similar content. You can also reuse existing blog articles and update them to bring value and relevance to new and potential readers. Some of which include updated statistics, quotes, infographics, and sources. More Comprehensive And Digestible ContentWhen writing a topic cluster, something to keep in mind is to avoid any overlap between topics. Ensure that the content you create should boast originality and be of use to your intended audience. When writing variations on a theme, be sure to address any gaps in your content strategy so that your topics are as comprehensive in scope as possible. This will allow you to break down topics into more digestible pieces of content that can go beyond your intended reach. Improved UX And ConversionsAs you generate ideas for topics, you can also gain a deeper understanding of what your customers are interested in as they navigate search engines. This can help you more effectively address their pain points and interests as consumers. Thus, encouraging them to purchase any goods and services could be a potential solution to their pain points. In addition, related topics can encourage readers to linger on your website and read other articles that may be of interest to their needs. Tips On Creating An Effective Topic ClusterA good topic cluster comprises one broad pillar page, several detailed cluster pages, and relevant internal links. Here are some strategies you should remember when building a topic cluster. Stick To A Good Topic Cluster TemplateTo help you get started with creating a good topic cluster, create a template of your own or base it from one online. Ensure that whatever you're writing about is relevant to the product or service you provide as a brand. From there, your pillar content should also contain keywords that your customers are searching for online. Ideally, it is best to answer commonly asked questions by users or solving a common issue people may face in great detail. Do The Keyword Research On The Core TopicUsing a keyword research tool such as Moz can help you find autocompletes, keywords, and questions posted by users. These can help you determine which keywords to use in your topic clusters to be visible to search engines. A good way to find ideas for potential topics is to use the Google search bar and see which autocompletes pop up concerning your pillar page. Define Your Buyer PersonasBuyer personas can provide you with a better idea of your target audience's needs. This enables you to create targeted content that caters to these desires, increasing the chances that they'll read your content. Start by creating several ideal customer profiles related to your industry to inspire you on what topics to explore on your blog. Map Out The Ideal Customer JourneyA good topic cluster can also guide your customer along their buying journey. Cluster pages can address any questions or pain points that buyers may have. This approach will ultimately guide them to choose the right product or service from your brand and lead to increased conversions in the long run. Create Comprehensive Cluster StructuresTo be considered an authority in your field and improve your SEO rankings, it is best to create a clear and cohesive structure for your pillar and topic clusters. Note that they must be grouped by theme or topic. You can discover subtopics that fill in any information gaps and search for any duplicate content that may be redundant or negatively impact your site's structure. Be Strategic When Internal LinkingInternal links across your topic clusters signal search engines that your content is related to each other. This means that you should ensure that your main pillar page links to your blog posts and content within a similar theme. In return, your topic clusters will need to have links to the pillar page. You can also have links between topic clusters and external links to reputable sources such as websites, research studies, books, and statistics from experts in your niche. Frequently Asked QuestionsIf you still have questions about topic clusters and how to get started on them, these answers cover some basics. What is a topic cluster?Topic clusters consist of a group of related pages linked to a central topic or pillar page with common links in between. They help encourage readers to stay on your website and improve your SEO score. How do you identify a topic cluster?To identify a topic cluster, the first step is to list all the topics relevant to your brand. Next, you should choose a pillar or main page from which your sub-topics can expand. Finally, you can create subtopic titles and conduct keyword research. What are the main components of a topic cluster?The main components of a topic cluster are a pillar page (about the main topic), content clusters (subtopics linked to the main topic), and hyperlinks that go between the pages. Ultimately, organizing your web page into several topic clusters can make your site easier to navigate for users and make your content more cohesive and engaging so that customers are directed through the sales funnel. Incorporating a topic cluster into your digital marketing strategy can boost your overall site performance and long-term lead generation. Explore the benefits of link building and discover other digital marketing hacks at Bliss Drive. The post Topic Clusters: What Are They And Why Are They Important? appeared first on Bliss Drive. from https://www.blissdrive.com/blogs/topic-clusters-what-are-they-and-why-are-they-important/ |
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Before starting Bliss Drive in 2009, Richard Fong had already spent over 7 years earning online with eBay, Adsense, and Affiliate Marketing. Along his journey to online mastery, he invested tens of thousands of dollars every year in internet marketing education, over and above the endless hours he spent reading internet marketing forums, purchasing and studying marketing materials, going to internet marketing conferences and seminars, connecting with industry leaders and getting specialized coaching. Archives
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