How To Use Instagram for B2B Marketing: A Comprehensive Guide

For B2B companies, Instagram is a powerful visual marketing tool. It’s great way to establish a following that can boost your brand’s customer base and sales. Instagram for business is used by more than 2 million enterprises worldwide.

Even if business decision-makers don’t have official Instagram accounts, the business leaders you want to reach likely use social media on a personal basis and via their company accounts.

Let’s talk about how your B2B business could benefit from Instagram and how you can master this marketing technique. Lastly, we’ll discuss one case study from which you can draw inspiration! 

Why should B2B brands leverage Instagram?

Before making any changes to their strategies, most marketers would like to see stats. Fortunately, there’s much evidence to back up the benefits of Instagram marketing for B2B brands. 

Image Source

Let’s explore the leading reasons why Instagram should be a part of your marketing strategy:

You get access to a huge pool of customers 

Consumers’ use of social media is at an all-time high. This time spent on social media isn’t just for catching up with old friends and following influencers. People also use social media to connect with brands.

In fact, well over 50% of consumers follow businesses on Instagram, currently the second most prominent network for business followers.

Visual content aids the buyer journey 

Marketers consider videos and images essential content formats for accomplishing their goals. Simple, digestible content is the key to effectively communicating your value propositions.

However, you might notice that it’s biased toward B2C brands. Afterall, they have more leeway with new products and user-generated content. That, however, is only a misconception.

According to some marketers, short-form video plays a significant part in the B2B buyer journey. Through video posts, reels, and live-streaming, Instagram can help direct more people to your online store, increasing cash flow and boosting sales. It can even assist brands in obtaining a position on a highly prized vendor shortlist.

Instagram ads can bolster brand awareness

Brand awareness accounts for the majority of all B2B marketing content. Marketers can reach new audiences by using eye-catching content in Instagram advertising.

Image Source

Insta ad campaigns generate twice as much recall as Nielsen benchmarks for online advertising. A robust ad strategy can ensure that potential clients remember your company when it matters the most.

Tips on how to use Instagram to grow your B2B brand

Although Instagram is a powerful platform, it’s also very easy to use it incorrectly if you don’t have a proper plan.

Many business managers treat their company page as their own, disregarding the need for brand consistency. This undermines your brand’s credibility and frustrates potential customers. To avoid the obvious Instagram mistakes that most B2B brands make, check out some helpful tips below!

Set up your Instagram business account

While this seems obvious, you’d be surprised how many people are unaware that a business account is different from a regular account. An Instagram business page comes with many useful features.

For example, setting up a business account grants you access to data insights that personal accounts don’t provide. You also get access to additional contact options. Plus, you need a business account to create and run ad campaigns and set up Instagram shopping.

If you already have a business profile and a handle that you want to keep, follow these steps to transform your profile into a business account:

• Open the Instagram app
• Navigate to your profile
• Tap the three dots in the upper right corner
• Select Settings
• Tap Account
• Follow the instructions after selecting “Convert to Business Account”

Create curated content

Sharing real-life customer photos can help to humanize your brand. Using only professional graphics can make your profile appear too polished and sales-focused. Posting UGC (User Generated Content) is an excellent way to demonstrate to your viewers that existing customers appreciate what you do – it is relatable.

If your service seems to be something your consumers are unlikely to discuss on their Instagram accounts, consider how you can persuade them to do so.

For example, if you assisted a company in securing their first office space, tell them that if they take some pictures and tag you in them, they’ll get a chance to win something for their new office. Alternatively, you could say this to all the businesses you’ve helped relocate. Consider holding a lucky draw and announcing a winner every quarter.

Create transparency

Trust in brands is at an all-time low. Transparency about your supply chain, culture, and working methods effectively creates trust with your audience. Transparency allows you to demonstrate to your viewers that you value the same issues. 

Be truthful. According to a Havas Worldwide study, 73% of buyers think businesses should do more than just provide a product or service, and 57% are willing to boycott a brand that does not align with their social views. Show your customers that, even if you aren’t there yet, you are working to make a difference. 

Use Instagram ads 

Image Source

Although Instagram can be a fantastic source of organically generated traffic, investing in Instagram Ads allows you to get your business account noticed by more people. Instagram’s in-app ads include CTA buttons encouraging users to take immediate action, reducing the time required to reach your website.

Cross-promote other channels

Inform your followers about your company account if you have a large following on other social networks. Tell them what kind of content you’re sharing so they understand why it’s worthwhile to follow you in multiple places. 

Additionally, if your B2B company has a site or a blog, incorporate your Instagram posts directly to display your content and encourage more followers.

A B2B marketing example we love — Litmus 

Litmus, an email marketing platform, uses Instagram to share their knowledge and experience. That’s easier said than done when working with complex subjects such as email deliverability and performance insights. Nonetheless, their team accomplishes this by utilizing Instagram carousels.

In just a few lines, they can include suggestions from members of the team and subject matter experts. This information helps position its brand as a leader in the space while providing high-quality information to followers and potential buyers.

The takeaway: carousel posts have a greater audience engagement than standard posts, according to socialinsider.io. This is a massive victory for B2B marketers, who can use the extra space to analyze complex concepts without sacrificing quality.

Conclusion 

Creating a popular Instagram account that raises brand recognition and drives business growth is difficult. The founders of some of the biggest Instagram accounts on the platform can tell you how much effort goes into maintaining a steady stream of high-quality content.

However, some Insta pages are killing it. And if you follow the steps outlined above, you can too!

Guest Author: Nahla Davies is a software developer and tech writer. Before devoting her work full time to technical writing, she managed – among other intriguing things – to serve as a lead programmer at an Inc. 5,000 experiential branding organization whose clients include Samsung, Time Warner, Netflix, and Sony.

The post How To Use Instagram for B2B Marketing: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.

source https://www.jeffbullas.com/instagram-b2b-marketing-guide/

The 10 Best Sites to Buy Clubhouse Followers

It seems like every day a new social media trend pops up; that may be a hashtag, a topic, or even a new social media network altogether. That’s exactly what happened with Clubhouse, which popped up in early 2020.

Clubhouse is an exclusive social media network that (for now) you need an invite to become a part of. It’s only available for iOS and it’s unclear as to whether or not the social network will open up to the general public or remain a type of invitation-only social club.

It became popular first with silicon valley tech people and investment traders, but has slowly become more popular with celebrities and other people from around the world.

It can be tough to gain traction on such a limited platform like Clubhouse and for that reason, people have looked into ways to gain more real Clubhouse followers. Just like other social media networks, there are some services that are now expanding their offerings to include Clubhouse as well.

We’re going to give you the lowdown on 10 different sites you can buy Clubhouse followers, how to buy Clubhouse followers, as well as some tips to get more Clubhouse followers on your own.

Let’s get started!

Best sites to buy Clubhouse followers

1. BoostHill

BoostHill is considered the name of quality when buying clubhouse services. Their top-reviewed
service to buy clubhouse followers can help you make a mark on the platform. Clubhouse is
relatively a new platform and it has extraordinary potential for growth, you can experience it by
using BoostHill services.

Many providers offer clubhouse services, but it’s not good to trust anyone, it can damage your
reputation and result in a ban. BoostHill is a trusted platform that can make your way smoother
towards success. They never ask for your credentials and always respect your privacy.

BoostHill is providing non-drop clubhouse followers which are versatile and active. They will
help you attract a more organic audience. Their 24/7 technical support system will surely help
you take a confident decision.

BoostHill is also offering very competitive pricing without compromising the quality of its service.
They have multiple packages to fulfill your need as per your requirement. To proceed with
purchasing clubhouse followers, you will just need to provide the link of your profile, BoostHill
will start delivering followers gradually.

They have a complete range of Clubhouse services like buying club members and room visitors.
BoostHill is your trustworthy partner to grow aggressively on the Clubhouse.

2. UseViral

UseViral was one of the first companies to expand their services to Clubhouse, making them a very proactive company that’s ready for new shifts in the market. UseViral has been around for years helping people with their social media growth.

What we love about UseViral is that they have a lot of different packages to choose from when it comes to Clubhouse followers, so your needs can really be met. What’s more is that they offer affordable pricing as well as real, high-quality followers.

UseViral has spent years building their in-house user network to be able to provide their clients with eral social media followers and engagements. Clubhouse is no different – when you work with UseViral, you get the best quality.

They will get your Clubhouse followers to you in a relatively short time span while still keeping your account safe; you’ll also get 24/7 support if you need any help. UseViral is our top pick for Clubhouse followers.

You can also buy other social media followers and engagements from them, including Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and many more.

3. SidesMedia

If you thought UseViral was great, you’ll love what SidesMedia has to offer as well. SidesMedia has been providing social media followers and engagements to thousands of clients for years, recently expanding its services to include Clubhouse follower packages as well.

It’s tough to find a trustworthy company to help you grow your social media account; most companies are just out there to make a quick profit and that’s it. You don’t have to worry about that with SidesMedia – they care about quality, customer experience, and client success.

SidesMedia offers a variety of Clubhouse follower packages that can meet your needs; all you’ll have to do is choose one and you’ll be one step closer to having more real Clubhouse followers.

SidesMedia offers 24/7 support, quick delivery time frames that keep your account safe, as well as real Clubhouse followers that don’t mess up your account or fill your profile with a bunch of fakes.

Reputation is a big deal on Clubhouse, so buying Clubhouse followers that are real and high-quality is a must. SidesMedia can also help with other high-quality social media followers and engagements for platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and more.

4. Media Mister

Media Mister has been around longer than many social media networks out there today and they offer services for pretty much every single one of them. It’s no surprise that Media Mister would open up their services to Clubhouse as well.

Media Mister is a trusted provider of engagements for platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and many more. You can’t go wrong with a purchase from Media Mister.

The delivery time frames from Media Mister always keep your account safe and they offer only high-quality followers and engagements for all of their social media platforms. They have packages that will fit all needs and you can create a strong cross-platform social media presence through Media Mister.

5. Social Viral

Another reputable company that has a long track record of success is Social Viral. Social Viral always listens to their clients’ needs and has a variety of different packages that can work for you. They offer many more services in addition to Clubhouse follower packages.

Social Viral has been offering top-quality services for years in social media growth so it’s no surprise that they now expanded their offerings to Clubhouse. They always provide high-quality social media followers and engagements and have safe delivery time frames and payment gateways to ensure that your profile always remains in good standing without issue.

6. FollowersUp

One of the top options for Instagram growth is FollowersUp, and they’ve also jumped on the Clubhouse train to help their clients get traction on even more social media networks.

With a user-friendly website and custom sliders to help you choose exactly the right package for you, FollowersUp makes it easy to get exactly what you need. They keep your profile safe through reasonable and quick delivery time frames as well so you can rest assured you’re getting top quality with no risk.

FollowersUp also provides a lifetime guarantee and real, high-quality Clubhouse followers so if you need a company that will provide you with real results that you can trust, FollowersUp will deliver exactly that.

7. Famoid

Famoid came to be in 2017, giving it a few solid years in the business of social media growth. Originally a software development company, Famoid knows the ins and outs of social media and works to provide its clients with top-quality social media growth.

You can get services for Clubhouse followers via Famoid in addition to other social media networks including YouTube, Facebook, and others. Famoid cares about its reputation and only provides its clients with top quality.

They have secure payment gateways and always keep your profile completely safe so you don’t have to deal with any of your information being compromised; all sites on this list do the same, so that’s great news.

8. Viralyft

If you’re looking for a social media marketing agency that offers services for pretty much any platform out there, Viralyft might be for you. You’ll no doubt find a Clubhouse follower package that will meet your needs and get your profile growing.

Viralyft provides you with high-quality Clubhouse followers that always give you a good reputation; you don’t have to worry about low-quality profiles that will hinder your profile.

With years of experience in social media and marketing, Viralyft is a trustworthy and safe option.

9. Fastlikes.io

Fastlikes.io is a bit smaller of a company but they still pack a punch. They’re newer to the game but still have some of the best quality engagements and followers for social media including Clubhouse. You’ll always get genuine services when you work with them.

Their pricing is reasonable and for a variety of platforms, they can provide US-only packages which is a big plus if you’re looking to target a specific audience. They accept different payment methods through secure payment gateways, and you’ll be able to get any questions answered through their responsive customer care.

In addition, they have quick delivery times that get your order to you without too much waiting around.

10. ViewsExpert

ViewsExpert doesn’t have as many years of experience as other companies on this list, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a good option. They have become one of the top companies to buy social media engagements from.

They offer not only Clubhouse followers but also packages for Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, and more. They are popular for their Instagram services as well. ViewsExpert only provides high-quality followers and engagements for social media to keep your credibility intact.

They also offer delivery time frames that will keep your profile safe and secure. With 24/7 support and reasonable prices, ViewsExpert can get you the Clubhouse followers you need.

11. Getviral.io

GetViral is most commonly known for their Instagram packages, but they’ve also been one of the companies to expand their services to Clubhouse and their packages are becoming more popular due to their excellent quality.

GetViral doesn’t use any fake or bot accounts, they provide high-quality Clubhouse followers because they care about their clients and want them to get the best results. They also offer a refill policy just in case you lose any of the followers you gain.

They have some of the quickest delivery in the industry, making them a popular option for those who need small packages.

Guide to Clubhouse followers

In this section we’re going to go through the basic procedure that you can expect when buying Clubhouse followers. It’s pretty standard across the board so if you check out these four steps you’ll be in the know when you decide to make your purchase.

In addition, we’ll go through 5 different tips that can help you to get more Clubhouse followers through natural strategies, helping to add more growth even still to your purchased followers.

Let’s take a look.

How to buy Clubhouse followers

Buying Clubhouse followers is a very simple process. All you have to do is follow four simple steps and you’ll be able to enjoy more Clubhouse followers. Let’s take a look at what you can expect.

• Step 1: What you need to do first is review the company’s website and decide if it’s a good option for Clubhouse growth. Take a look at all of the company information – what is the follower quality? How quickly do they deliver your order? What is the price point? Do they offer a guarantee? Knowing all of this information is important to make sure that the security is good and that your order will be protected. If you think that it’s a good fit, you can review all of the packages that they offer and select one that is good for you.
• Step 2: After choosing your package, you should then input some information about your Clubhouse site and some basic personal information. Services that provide a one-time purchase don’t usually require too much information, which means that if a site is asking you for a lot of detailed information or your password, you should go with a different company. Entering this information will take you to the next step.
• Step 3: You’ll then need to complete the financial transaction in order to receive your purchase. This is usually the final step before your order is confirmed for delivery. Some companies will reverse steps 2 and 3; you’ll pay first and then enter all of your details.
• Step 4: Once you have given the company your information and completed checkout, you’ll be on your way to receiving your Clubhouse followers. Your followers will be delivered over the time frame that the company provided you when completing your order. This is usually anywhere from 1 to a few days depending on the size of your order.

How to get more Clubhouse followers

In addition to buying Clubhouse followers, there are a variety of things you can do to make sure that your performance on the platform excels. We’ve also included these top 5 Cubhouse tips to ensure that you get the best results possible both from buying Clubhouse followers as well as implementing your own strategy for standing out on the platform.

• Develop your bio: One of the first things you’ll need to do is develop your bio. If you don’t have enough information about who you are and what you do, people are not likely to want to follow you or network with you. Since Clubhouse is an exclusive platform, people are more interested in following people that are directly connected to their needs and interests, as well as to those who they already know on the platform. Building out your bio can help you to gain the necessary trust and interest to boost your follower count.
• Attend rooms and engage: As with most other social media networks, you have to make your presence known in order for people to want to interact with you and follow you. One way that you can do this on Clubhouse is to participate actively in rooms by entering the chat and raising your hand, contributing to the discussion or the room. In order to increase your visibility and get seen by people on Clubhouse, this is one of the best things that you can do.
• Introduce yourself before you speak in a room: When you attend rooms and raise your hand for the chance to contribute, you should always give yourself a quick intro or “pitch” so that people know who you are and what your story is. You want to keep it short and sweet, but it can help to pique people’s interests and make them curious about who you are. Depending on what you say and how the participants receive you, you can definitely build more followers this way.  
• Host panels: Another great way to get more followers is to host a panel. When you collaborate with others you give yourself more exposure through their target audience, increasing your chances to gain more Clubhouse followers. It also provides valuable info for the listeners since they are listening to a panel of people who are knowledgeable or involved in the topic.
• Apply to create a club: Finally, you can take action and create your own club on the platform. This gives you your own space to be able to do whatever you’d like and to encourage others to participate and engage with you. It may also spike interest levels in your profile and gain you much more followers, especially if your club takes off in popularity. There are clubs on the platform that have millions of members, so this can be an awesome possibility if things work out in your favor.

Final thoughts: Top 10 sites to buy Clubhouse followers

Clubhouse is still a relatively new and exclusive platform, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start off on the right foot and get your follower count up now when it counts. That way, when more people start coming onto the platform, you’ll be established and you’ll be able to gain even more traction in terms of new followers and engagements.

Buying Clubhouse followers isn’t available on all sites, so you should take advantage of this new opportunity through the sites that are ready to provide them for purchase. 

Clubhouse is definitely an up-and-coming platform and it’s going to be an even bigger hit in the future – keep your eye on it and keep your profile growing.

Guest author: Johnny Pulling is a serial tech entrepreneur who has been living in Serbia for the past 12 years. Passions are crypto and growth hacking to help companies succeed online.

The post The 10 Best Sites to Buy Clubhouse Followers appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.

source https://www.jeffbullas.com/buy-clubhouse-followers/

How to Set Up Google Analytics 4: What You Need to Know

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) should be on every site owner and marketer’s radar. After Google’s announcement that it will officially sunset Universal Analytics (UA) in 2023, now is the time to set up your GA4 accounts — and sooner rather than later.

UA properties will stop processing new data by July 2023. Those who want to access their year-over-year data when UA sunsets should have completed their transition to GA4 by July 1, 2022.

But, if you haven’t completed your migration yet, it’s not too late. By transitioning your accounts today, you’ll have more comparison data for tomorrow and be better set for next year’s deadline.

In this blog, we’ll cover the basics of GA4, including some tips on how to set it up and prepare your site in time for the big transition.

What is Google Analytics 4?

GA4 is a new version of Google Analytics (GA) that delivers more accurate data insights. Built with machine learning at its core, it allows you to collect data across all devices and channels in one place.

The platform also makes it easier to get insights into your customers’ journey and to measure their conversions.

The best way to understand GA4 is by treating it like a complete rebuild of Analytics. It’s not an upgrade to UA; rather, it’s a re-engineering of the entire system.

That said, with the looming deadline for UA’s sunset, it is important to set up your GA4 property as soon as you can. Next summer might seem like a long way away, but it will be here before you know it!

The earlier you start tracking with GA4, the more data you’ll have on hand when the transition occurs.

Intro to Google Analytics 4: What Your Business Needs to Know

How to set up Google Analytics 4

GA4 is a powerful tool that can help you better understand your website traffic and customers. To make the most of it, preparing your site for the transition from UA is imperative.

We won’t be going too in-depth with setup instructions in this guide, because there are already many detailed step-by-step guides out there. Google alone is a treasure trove of resources to help you with your GA4 setup.

Instead, we’ll go through the most crucial things your business needs to do ASAP to get your site ready for the more technical elements of migration.

If you’re not doing the migration yourself, use these tips to prepare your site before working with an experienced professional.

Step 1: Create your GA4 property

You can create your new GA4 property in your existing Google Analytics account. You can also create a new account altogether (but only if you don’t have an existing UA property).

If you do have a UA property, we highly recommend creating your GA4 property in the same account. It will be easier to keep track of both properties, ensure that all your data is in one place, and compare your tracking throughout your setup process.

To create a GA4 property, sign in to your Google Analytics (Universal Analytics) account and navigate to the admin panel. Then, select the GA4 Setup Assistant link under the “Property” column.

This will take you to the GA4 property creation screen. Here, you’ll need to provide some basic information about your business and website. You’ll also decide how you want to collect data.

Under the section “I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property,” choose “Get Started” from the drop-down menu.

Click “Create property.”

Google Analytics will automatically create the new GA4 property. To view it, hit the “See your GA property” button.

The next step is to activate Google Signals. This feature allows you to collect session data from Google users who are signed into their accounts.

From the left-hand-side menu, click “Set-Up Assistant,” then choose “Activate Google Signals” from the drop-down menu under “Property Settings.”

Click “Get Started,” then “Continue.”

Read the legal notice carefully. If your company qualifies, hit the blue “Activate” button.

Next, under “User Data Collection Acknowledgement,” click “I acknowledge.”

Then, click “Data Retention” and change “Event Data Retention” to 14 months.

Hit “Save.”

And voila — your GA4 account is now created.

Step 2: Choose (and set up) your data streaming warehouse

As seen in the previous step, GA4 limits data retention to 14 months. Hence, you’ll ultimately need an external storage option to ensure that your historical data is retained.

Inflow’s clients use Big Query, which we recommend for affordable data storage. Here’s how to set it up:

1. If you don’t already have one, create a free Google Cloud account.
2. Log in to the Google APIs Console.
3. Create a Google APIs Console project and give it a name. Use an identifiable name such as “[Your Company’s Name] Marketing Data Warehouse.”
4. Click on the dropdown menu and choose “New Project.”

5. Select the project you just created from the dropdown menu at the top portion of the screen.
6. Navigate to the APIs table by opening the Navigation menu in the top-left corner. Click “APIs & Services,” then choose “Library.”

7. Search for BigQuery API and click on it.
8. On the following page, click “Manage,” then “Credentials” on the navigation.
9. Add the credentials of the service account you’ll be using to access Big Query.

Note: These are just the basic steps for BigQuery setup. Read through Google’s complete guide for more details, including troubleshooting along the way.

Step 3: Link your existing accounts

This step integrates other tools in Google’s ecosystem into your GA4 property. That way, you can blend and analyze all of your data in one place, as well as use any Audiences you set up in GA4 inside Google Ads.

Some examples of existing accounts that you need to link to GA4 are:

• Your Google Ads account
• Your Big Query data warehouse
• Google Search Console
• Google Merchant Center

To do this, go to “Admin,” then navigate to Setup Assistant.

Go to the linking section and link each account as needed.

Step 4: Create a GA4 tag in GTM

On GA4, you’ll need to add GA4-specific tags for your accounts to begin gathering data.

To get started, create GA4 tags in GTM, as follows:

1. Click “Tags,” and then “New.”
2. Select “Tag Configuration” and then “Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration.”
3. Enter your Measurement ID, which you can find on Setup Assistant (refer to Step 3).
4. Publish your changes, and your GA4 accounts will start tracking!

To get your Measurement IDs from GA4’s Setup Assistant:

1. Go to “Tag Installation.”
2. Click on the web data stream.
3. Copy the Measurement ID.

Step 5: Set up eCommerce and other conversion tracking

To track eCommerce conversions in GA4, you’ll need to set up enhanced eCommerce tracking. This will allow you to collect data on transactions, product views, checkout steps, and more.

Conversion (goal) tracking is very different in GA4 than UA, in that all conversions in GA4 are based on events.

For this reason, you won’t be able to automatically transfer your goal tracking setup to GA4. Instead, you’ll need to follow Google’s guidance to update each event’s parameters, so they appear accurately in your reports.

Our recommendation: Start with this guide to set up your purchase events.

Set up your GA4 accounts today

Google Analytics remains a powerful tool for businesses to track website and digital marketing data. But, with the upcoming GA4 mandate, you’ll now need to make some changes to continue tracking that data.

We cannot overstate the importance of setting up your GA4 account as early as possible. This is the only way for you to have enough time to troubleshoot your approach and fine-tune any issues before the summer 2023 deadline.

In this article, we’ve outlined the basic steps in migrating your accounts over to GA4. However, GA4 is much more involved than this. Remember: It’s a thorough revamp of Analytics, so don’t think you can complete a smooth setup of all your tracking in one day.

For best results, consider hiring a trained expert, such as a consultant or an agency, to help you complete this transition and set your reporting up for success.

In the meantime, start your DIY GA4 setup process now with these additional resources:

• How to Set Up Your Google Analytics 4 for Success | Search Engine Journal
• Set Up Analytics for a Website and/or App | Google
• How to Setup & Configure GA4 | Clue

Guest Author: Entrepreneur and digital marketer Mike Belasco has been the founder and CEO of eCommerce digital marketing agency Inflow since 2007. His background as a web developer and SEO expert built an agency that has worked with major brands like Amazon, Overstock.com, Dish Network, and many more. Today, Mike leads a team of more than 25 PPC, SEO, and conversion optimization specialists as a boutique, fully remote eCommerce marketing agency.

The post How to Set Up Google Analytics 4: What You Need to Know appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.

source https://www.jeffbullas.com/google-analytics-4/

9 Ways to Grow Your Business Using Video in 2022

Are you using video effectively to engage new customers, enhance your SEO, and drive profits for your business? No? Then keep reading!

In this article I’m going to show you ways to optimize your videos for massive growth.

Video is more engaging, more wanted, more liked and more useful to consumers – and most importantly – it is what the majority of consumers want to see as part of their buying cycle (see the graph below). 

Just ask yourself, if you could choose between reading a blog post or watching a video about the same topic, which would you pick? Video most likely!

Based on statistics (Wyzowl 2019) 68% of consumers want a short video from a brand to find out more about a product or service.

The power of video

Let’s dive a bit under the surface to understand why video is so darn important.

Video is like a super-magnet for the eyes and mind. Video also builds communication and connection. These are vital ingredients to building the key item we need most to convert leads into customers – TRUST. 

How does video do that you ask? I am getting there. Stick with me.

Your customers  want to watch a video to learn about your products or services. And most importantly, they make decisions to buy from you based on watching one or more videos.

There are some astonishing facts about how the human brain is wired for video – we humans process visual information 60,000 times faster than text!

Let’s consider your website for a minute. Statistics from a Stanford University study found that people form an opinion about your brand in 50 milliseconds. That’s .05 of a second!

If you don’t want to lose them, you need to have something “sticky” on your website to capture attention. Video is sticky! Humans love video.

How to use your videos to increase traffic and conversions

We have no choice today but to be our best spokesperson for our brand. No matter if you are a dentist, an attorney, a coffee shop owner, car repair shop, watch maker, salon owner, restaurant owner or veterinarian, it is time to start getting good at video to tell your story and sell your solutions.

Consumers need to see you, hear your voice, and learn about your business from the source, aka you! That’s how you will win their trust. By utilising video, you will make them feel like they know you before they’ve ever met you in person.

Now that you know why you need to use video, let’s get into the strategy. Putting your videos in the right places will help you gain a profitable return on your investment.

9 places to use your marketing videos

• YouTube
• Website
• Email Blast
• Email Signature line
• Introductory Emails to Possible Customers or Clients
• LinkedIn
• Facebook (Natively Posted)
• Sales presentation
• Trade show or convention booth

I’ll break down details of the how and why for each of these below.

1) Upload your video to your company YouTube account

If you haven’t got a YouTube account, make one.

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world and billions are on it every day to find information, buy products and be entertained. Every business needs a YouTube channel.

If you don’t have a Youtube Channel set up yet, the first step is creating a Google account. You probably already have a personal Google account where you may have set up a gmail account for email.

From there go to YouTube and create a Branded YouTube channel. Google owns YouTube, so setting up your YouTube channel is done through your Google account.

Once you have your account set up, you can optimize it with keywords and tags and a well written “about” page. Add links to your social profiles like Facebook and Instagram. You will also want to put up a well branded YouTube header image. Once your video is hosted on YouTube it becomes easy to share and build attention for your brand.

Take for example this client, Walker Mobile Homes. She didn’t think anything much about the value of a YouTube channel to support her work.

I convinced her to set up the channel and share her story of renovating and selling mobile homes. Heck, the world loves HGTV and so this may just work, I told her.

She’s had her channel for a bit over a year. She’s posted 30 videos so far. With almost no promotion she has 502 subscribers and almost 50,000 video views. She regularly gets calls from potential customers who saw her on YouTube. She ranks as the #1 leader in her niche for her geographic region on YouTube.  

2) Embed your video onto the landing page of your website

On average, people spend 1.4x more time on pages with video than without . If you want people to watch and read the information on your website, place the video on your home page.

Put it right below the top title information. Google algorithms check if people are spending more time on your site. Video helps to keep them there longer.

And if you have a testimonial video, place it lower down on your home page, and/or on the “Testimonials” page of your website. Testimonials are fantastic sales tools on your website, in emails and for use in social media.

3) Place your video in email blasts to new and existing customers

You probably have email lists of people you’ve done business with, the people you’ve met, or the people you want to sell your products and services to.

Hopefully these lists are in email software such as Mailchimp or Constant Contact. If not get something like this set up so you can send out good looking bulk emails.

Put your video into an email to your list. Incorporate it smartly to help sell your brand and get people watching it, sharing it, commenting on it, and reacting to it.

4) Add a link to your web video in your email signature

By adding “Watch our video here” to your email signature, you’ll be able to reach the clients that don’t have a social media presence or haven’t already been directly targeted.

It means you’ll be able to subtly reach out to existing clients and anyone you email, without coming across as pushy. Check out the example below. You can copy this design for your own email signature if you like! (Make sure and change the photo and links to your own)

5) Introduction emails

The first contact with a customer must pique their interest to stand any chance of response, especially if you aren’t already connected. An initial email with a video receives an increase click-through rate of 96%. A video can quickly and effectively deliver your message and connect with that new potential client. Use the video link in your introduction emails.

If you need a new unique video as an introduction, I often use tools like Wistia’s “Soapbox” to record a video for a client or new prospect and then embed that unique video directly into an email.

6) LinkedIn

Visual posts on a LinkedIn feed catch the eye more than a text-based post, and with auto-play, videos hook people in pretty quickly. Post your video from YouTube to your LinkedIn feed for the company and any personal LinkedIn account.

Again, I just did this with a video I produced to support shopping at local businesses.

7) Upload your video to Facebook

Sure, you could share your link from YouTube in a Facebook post, but Facebook is designed to give preferential treatment to videos posted to your company Facebook page.

You may have heard this called “native” video. What native means in this case is that the video is uploaded to and posted directly on that network. No clicking. No linking.

8) Embedded in a proposal

If you do sales presentations, a client could be suitably impressed that you’ve gone to the effort of producing a video to help them understand your offer. Consider this: if you were to get a text-based offer or video with the offer, would you want to watch a video rather than simply read text?  

Most people are more likely to choose to watch a video. When your video has done the talking, use your written content to fill the gaps and nail down the finer details.

9) Trade show/Conference

If you’ve got a stand at a trade show, you’ll be packed in with competitors and trying to reach as many potential customers as possible.

By playing your corporate video on a screen you can grab people’s attention, keep them at the stand for longer and get an on-brand message to your audience, regardless of who you’re busy talking to.

And a final point that I feel must be mentioned is that your friends and family can be great ambassadors for you! Tell them about the video – share it with them and get their help in spreading the word about how awesome you are.

Getting started with video

I want you to get started with video. I don’t want you to feel like you must have a professional video crew to start.

Getting going can be done with a mobile phone. Then you can add a lapel mic that plugs into your phone and a sunlit window for “lighting”. You can do it “selfie-style”. Then upgrade further to a tripod to hold your phone.

I’ve coached multiple clients on how to start with their office manager or their wife or husband being their “cameraman.” In fact, one veterinarian had her 11-year-old son be her cameraman as she did educational videos about how to care for puppies. He edited her videos on iMovie!

Check out this blog for a list of simple equipment you can purchase at low cost: Doing Video on a Budget.

When you are ready, you can hire someone. Have a trusted agency produce a set of premium videos, testimonials and educational content for your website, your YouTube channel and your social profiles.

In summary

Jumping into the video world can be fun, refreshing, and exciting for you and your business. And let’s not forget profitable, because the more profitable you are, the more freedom you have to create more of the things you love.

Use the information above to create videos and get them used in the right places to generate massive exposure for your brand and engagement with your target audience.

Best of luck to you in building an extraordinary online presence with video.

Guest Author: Cebron Walker is a Marketing and Public Relations specialist with 30 years’ experience. He is the founder and CEO of Walker Kreative, a digital marketing agency with offices in St. Petersburg, Florida and Sacramento, California. Walker Kreative serves small business owners and healthcare practice owners across North America. The Walker Kreative team uses the latest tactics in video marketing, SEO, social advertising and content creation to grow new customer numbers and help businesses achieve leadership positions in their regions.

The post 9 Ways to Grow Your Business Using Video in 2022 appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.

source https://www.jeffbullas.com/grow-your-business-video/

Top 7 Productivity Tools to Increase Efficiency in Your Business

It’s no secret that the biggest hindrance to business productivity is constant email interruptions.  

Just as you’re getting into the flow of completing a task or project, you hear a *ping* sound, letting you know a new email has landed in your inbox. Can you resist the urge to check it right away? Of course not, you’re only a mere human. 

The problem is, that once your focus is interrupted, it takes a long time to get back into the groove of what you were doing prior to the interruption. 

In fact, it takes the average person up to 20 minutes to get back into a state of deep concentration. Now imagine getting interrupted by emails multiple times a day, how much is that going to cost you or your team in lost productivity? 

Thankfully there is a range of productivity tools to help you with this problem. In this article, we’ll outline the top 7 productivity tools to increase efficiency in your business.  

SaneBox 

SaneBox is a clever tool that discerns how important an email is before it ever hits your inbox. It pushes messages it deems as not important into dedicated folders so that you don’t get interrupted while you’re working. 

This way, only critical messages appear in your inbox. The rest can be checked at a time more suitable for you, without interrupting your work day. 

And don’t worry, SaneBox never deletes any of your emails, it simply sweeps them away into specified folders. 

Other features of SaneBox include a ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature, custom training folders, and reply tracking features. You can even rediscover lost connections you may have forgotten about or use your network to gain new connections!   

SaneBox works with any email client, service, or device. They simply add a folder to your current email setup and filter unimportant emails there. 

Whether you use Gmail, Office 365, Yahoo, iCloud, or anything else – SaneBox has got your inbox covered!   

Mailbird

Unlike SaneBox, Mailbird is only available to use on Windows. This email tool allows you to connect multiple email accounts and streamline everything into a single feed. 

It’s a handy tool if you have a number of different email addresses to check each day and would like to be able to see everything in one place. 

People who are into aesthetics will like that they can change the color scheme and customize alerts. The setup is simple, and Mailbird can also be connected to other business apps such as Asana and Slack. 

If you’re a Windows user, this could be a good option for you. Having all your messages and notifications in one place will save you valuable time. 

Hiri 

Are you a Microsoft email user? If so, you might like to check out Hiri. Hiri is an email productivity tool exclusively available for Microsoft email. This includes; Outlook, Office 365, Microsoft Exchange, Live, Hotmail, and MSN. 

Hiri gives you the ability to filter messages based on whether you need to respond to them, or if you can look at them at a more convenient time. You can also turn emails into tasks if you need to take action on them. If you’re a Microsoft user, this could be the productivity tool for you. 

eM Client 

If your work requires you to write in several languages throughout the day and you aren’t completely fluent in every language, eM Client could be the email productivity tool for you. This tool includes built-in language translation features – perfect for those who are bi-lingual. 

That being said, this tool is only available on Windows. It also comes with a $50 price tag, which is quite steep for a tool like this, however, it’s only a one-time fee. If your productivity could be improved with language translation features, it could be well worth the investment.   

Drag

Drag is an interesting email management tool that turns your Gmail emails into cards – not unlike Trello. You can move them around the dashboard to track their status. Drag allows you to make columns for placing each email. 

For instance, you could have an ‘Urgent’ column for emails that must be replied to today, a ‘Read later’ column for newsletter-type email, and so on. If you have an email that multiple people have access to, Drag could be a good fit for your team as it allows users to visually see what needs actioning.  

Active Inbox 

Active Inbox is an email productivity tool that allows you to turn your emails into ‘tasks’. With Active Inbox you can set deadlines on your emails. That way if you don’t want to respond to an email right away, the deadline will remind you to respond by a certain time so that you don’t forget about it. 

If the email requires an in-depth response you can also assign subtasks to it, so that way you’ll know what information you need to gather before you hit the reply button. You can also pin emails to the top of your inbox, to remind you to respond. 

Active Inbox is a good option for those who email inbox functions more like a ‘to-do’ list. 

Boomerang 

Boomerang is another email management tool available exclusively on Gmail. It tracks messages you send and alerts you if a recipient doesn’t respond to your email within a specified timeframe. 

This email management tool is good for business owners who may not need full-scale email productivity software but would like help tracking the emails they send. 

Conclusion

Lost productivity due to constant email interruptions is a problem worth addressing in your business. 

With one of these handy email management tools, you can save time lost on responding to unimportant emails and ensure you and your team spend your work days focusing on income-producing activities. 

The post Top 7 Productivity Tools to Increase Efficiency in Your Business appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.

source https://www.jeffbullas.com/productivity-tools-efficiency-business/

The Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Wish you could figure out how to get your business to appear at the top of search engines? It’s easier than you think, all you need to do is pay for the spot!

Search engine marketing is the most efficient way to promote your products and services so you can grow your business.

By creating paid listings at the top of search results you can more easily attract qualified leads for your business.

A lot of marketers avoid SEM because they don’t know where to begin. Or how to successfully run a campaign that will generate new leads for their business.

That’s why we’ve created this guide, so you can understand search engine marketing and how it works.

What is search engine marketing?

SEM is a digital strategy that uses paid advertising to drive more traffic to your website. If you want to reach the top of SERPs and gain an instant improvement in traffic, SEM is the way to go.

Search engine marketing (SEM) is a process that allows you to place your paid ads at the top of search engine results.

SEM helps companies bring their products and services to the attention of audiences who are ready to buy.

What’s the difference between SEO and SEM?

Two of the most important terms in digital marketing are the acronyms SEO and SEM. When you plan your business strategy, SEM and SEO can be just the thing your business needs to reach the next level.

Don’t confuse SEM (Search engine marketing) with SEO (search engine optimization).

Although both refer to search engines, SEM is a separate marketing strategy that requires a unique approach.

It’s easy to spot the difference between SEO and SEM when you enter any search query into Google, the first few results you see are paid advertising (SEM), while the fourth or fifth is usually an organic search result (SEO).

SEO and SEM are both quality marketing strategies that offer benefits to many businesses in their own way.

How do you build a solid search advertising strategy?

The results on the top of the page are what we call paid ads or PPC ads.

Pay-per-click is a way of generating immediate traffic to your website: you set up an account, place your ads, bid on specific search terms, and away you go.

Then, whenever a relevant search term is entered, your ad is displayed at the top of the screen, depending on your quality score and what other people are willing to bid.

However, setting up a search engine marketing strategy is not as easy as it sounds. Let’s discuss how to develop an effective SEM strategy.

Develop SEM strategy

Before you get into paid advertising, decide why you want to spend money on SEM in the first place.

Do you want users to land on your website? Do you want users to download your latest application? Subscribe to your newsletter? Or maybe sign up for your services? Make sure your goal is clear so that you can set a strategy that aligns to your search engine marketing efforts.

Next, research the competition. Who are your competitors? Which conversion metrics do they target? Once you know who your competition is, you can plan a bid strategy that makes it easier for you to accomplish your campaign goals.

Lastly, decide on the advertising channels based on your goals, budget, and audience.

Choose your keyword or key phrases

One of the most critical and challenging SEM basics is to identify relevant keywords for your ads, because it triggers your ad to appear in relevant search results.

This includes researching and identifying the keywords you want your site to rank for in search results. This way, you can ensure that you invest in a keyword that can drive lots of valuable customers.

Also, you will be able to determine which keywords are best for your business, which you want to target, and their average cost-per-click in paid search.

Create your ad copy

Your advertising copy can make or break an ad campaign. It is essential that you write ad copy that not only grabs the attention of your target market but also generates leads.

Writing ad copy that generates leads is no easy task and takes time to get right. Follow the below tips for writing an amazing ad copy that attracts more users and increases your sales.

• Write solutions to their problems
• Speak to your audience
• Add promos, discounts, and benefits
• Keep it short and sweet
• Write an attractive CTA
• Use your target keyword in the headline and body
• Stand out from your competitors
• Correlate ads with your landing page

In PPC ads, you have limited characters and so there is no space for exaggerating anything. You have to be super specific and clear to make every single character worthy enough to make it on your ad.

Be creative, and test out different angles to see which one gets the best results.

Bidding Strategies

Once you’re ready to invest in SEM, you’ll need to enter into an ad auction process. All ads go through this process before appearing alongside search results.

The ad auction considers two main factors when determining which ads to place on the SERP: maximum bid, and quality score.

The maximum bid is the maximum amount you have specified you are willing to pay every time one of your ads gets clicked.

The quality score is Google’s rating of your ads, keywords, and landing pages. It indicates how relevant an ad is and assigns a score from 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. The higher your quality score, the more likely your ad will perform well on SERPs.

Google calculates these metrics during the ad auction to determine the placement of advertisements on search engines. This calculation also decides your ad rank. This is your ad’s ranking position on the search engine results pages. An ad rank of 01 puts you in the top position on the SERPs.

If you want your ads to appear on top of search results, you need to bid on your target keywords. Some keyword research tools will provide you with an average cost per click (CPC) for your target keywords. You can adjust your bid based on ad performance at anytime.

Building a relevant landing page

Landing page relevance plays an important part in how Google Ads calculates your quality score. You have to make sure your landing page is relevant to your ad copy and keywords.

Bring value to your users and set up your landing pages for users to sign up for your newsletter or download your eBook. Here’s how your landing page can affect ad performance and overall budget:

• Improved ad position
• Improved quality score
• Increased links & authority
• Decreased bounce rate

Your ad campaign landing pages should be the focus of your optimizations, and you should aim to optimize your landing page for a better user experience.

Conduct SEM campaign analysis

The next step is to monitor your landing page and PPC campaigns. The most effective way to analyze your PPC campaigns is to regularly report the metrics most relevant to the specific goal of each individual ad campaign. You need to know which KPIs to look at to improve the performance of your campaigns.

• Quality score: Measure the user experience with the ads

• Impression share: Metrics are calculated based on the impressions an ad receives compared to the total number it could get.

• Click-through rate (CTR): Metrics are calculated by the number of clicks received on the ads per number of impressions.

• Conversions: The user performs the specified action after clicking an ad

How to create a Google ads campaign

AdWords is an advertising system developed by Google to help businesses reach their target markets through search engine marketing. It is a pay-per-click online advertising platform. It offers two basic ways to reach people:

1) Google Search Network

2) Google Display Network

Google ads appear in specific locations at the top and right-hand side of a search results page. You can show your Google ads to users who are actively searching for the keywords that you’ve targeted.

There are many PPC platforms for advertising but Google Adwords is one of the best platforms to reach your target audience. Let’s check out how you can generate leads using Google Adwords.

If you’ve decided to use Google AdWords, follow the below steps and create your 1st ad campaign.

1. Create your Google ads account and add your new campaign.
2. Choose what type of campaign you want to create:

• Search Network
• Display Network
• Shopping
• Video
• Universal App

3. Choose your specific goal:

• Website traffic
• Leads
• Sales

4. Select the way you’d like to reach your goal
5. Enter your targeted geographic areas
6. Select your bidding strategy (Manual: You can set your own cost-per-click (CPC) for your advertisement or Automated: Google adjusts your bids automatically based on collected data)
7. Set your daily budget and select your payment option:

• Manual Payments: Pay before your ads run
• Automatic Payments: Pay after your ads run
• Monthly Invoicing: Google extends a line of credit to some qualified business owners

8. Enter your targeted keywords
9. Write an attractive and effective title and description
10. Set up conversion tracking

Benefits of using SEM

Don’t miss a chance to reach your potential customers! Boost your business with these amazing SEM benefits.

• Increase brand awareness and visibility
• More qualified lead generation
• Measurable results
• Faster Results and Responses
• Generate More Website Traffic
• Improve the User Experience
• Remain Competitive

With the right ad copy and strategies in place, you’ll be able to see all these results of your ad.

Start your SEM strategy today

Now that you know what search engine marketing is and its benefits, it’s time to begin planning your SEM strategy and create your first ad campaign.

SEM is an integral part of your overall marketing strategy, particularly if you want to raise brand awareness and drive more traffic to your site in a short period of time. Search engine marketing has a tonne of potential to provide instant results, conversions, and more revenue.

Guest Author: I’m Jimit Dagli from Digitalzoop. I’m a digital marketer and content creator with a technology and marketing background, and I use innovative strategies to create digital content that is engaging and resonates with my audience. I work closely with businesses, providing digital marketing content that gains social media attention and increases search engine visibility.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Marketing (SEM) appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.

source https://www.jeffbullas.com/search-engine-marketing-sem/