How to do a SEO competitive analysis

SEO competitive is done by researching your competitors' websites to learn about their keywords, content, and link building strategies,

Conducting a SEO competitive analysis involves evaluating your website against your competitors' with the goal of identifying areas for improvement in terms of search engine optimization. This is done by researching your competitors' websites to learn about their keywords, content, and link building strategies, as well as to identify any strengths and weaknesses in their approach. It's also important to track your own website's performance and changes in ranking and traffic. Regular competitive analysis can provide insights into your competitors' tactics and help you maintain a higher ranking in search engines.

Additionally, you can use tools such as keyword research and analysis tools, Google Analytics, and backlink analysis tools to help you with the competitive analysis. It's important to keep in mind that SEO is an ongoing process and requires consistent monitoring and optimization. A SEO competitive analysis should be a regular part of your overall digital marketing strategy to stay ahead of your competition and improve your website's visibility in search engines. By staying informed and proactive, you can ensure that your website is optimized for search engines and attract more organic traffic to your site.

Finally, it's crucial to understand the importance of creating unique and high-quality content. Your competitors may be ranking higher because of their unique and engaging content. It's important to keep an eye on your competitors' content strategies and to continually work on creating relevant and valuable content for your audience. This can include blog posts, infographics, videos, and other types of multimedia content. By providing valuable information and a positive user experience, you can establish yourself as an authority in your industry and improve your website's rankings in search engines. Overall, a SEO competitive analysis can help you stay ahead of the competition and make informed decisions about your digital marketing strategy.

It's also important to keep in mind that the search engine algorithms and ranking factors are constantly evolving, so it's necessary to stay up to date on the latest industry trends and best practices. This can include keeping up with changes to search engine algorithms, the latest content marketing strategies, and new tools and technologies that can improve your website's visibility. By staying informed and proactive, you can stay ahead of your competition and make the most of your digital marketing efforts. Remember, a SEO competitive analysis is not a one-time event, but rather a continuous process that requires consistent monitoring and optimization. By taking the time to regularly analyze your website and your competitors' websites, you can improve your website's ranking potential and attract more organic traffic to your site.

Here are a few examples of how a SEO competitive analysis could be applied in a Hong Kong context:

1. Keyword research: By analyzing your competitors' websites and using keyword research tools, you can identify popular keywords related to your business in Hong Kong and target those in your own website's content and meta tags.

2. Content analysis: By studying the types of content your competitors are producing and the topics they are focusing on, you can gain insight into what works well in your industry in Hong Kong and adapt your own content strategy accordingly.

3. Backlink analysis: By using backlink analysis tools, you can evaluate the quality and quantity of your competitors' backlinks and identify opportunities to build your own backlink profile.

4. Google Analytics: By using Google Analytics, you can monitor your own website's traffic and see how it compares to your competitors' websites in terms of organic search traffic, bounce rates, and other important metrics.

5. Industry trends: By keeping up with the latest industry trends and best practices in Hong Kong, you can stay ahead of your competition and ensure that your website is optimized for search engines.

By conducting a thorough and ongoing SEO competitive analysis, you can identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions about your digital marketing strategy in Hong Kong.

In conclusion, a SEO competitive analysis is a crucial part of any digital marketing strategy. By researching your competitors' websites and monitoring your own performance, you can gain valuable insights and identify areas for improvement. Regular analysis can help you stay ahead of the competition and improve your website's visibility in search engines. Don't forget to focus on creating unique and high-quality content, and to use tools and resources to support your analysis. With a comprehensive and ongoing SEO competitive analysis, you can stay ahead of the curve and achieve long-term success in search engine optimization.

Learn more about how to have a holistic social media and digital marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Social Commerce on the Rise

The trend of selling directly through social media is growing globally. A frictionless and focused customer experience, in which users can discover, research, and buy without leaving social media, is a powerful strategy for increasing sales. 

As key platforms improve their shopping and checkout features, the social media industry is preparing for an acceleration of social commerce growth. The data from Statista shows that 11% of social media users bought a product immediately after discovering it, while 44% made a purchase later.

Covid-19 has accelerated social commerce as well, with many users researching and making purchases with platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Social commerce buyers increased to 80 million in 2020, according to Emarketer's 'Social Commerce 2021' report. By 2022, the number will increase to 96 million.

Platforms such as Instagram are also making plans to increase in-app purchases by offering features such as saving payment details and simplifying check-out pages.

Take a look at how social commerce can help your business drive sales and revenue.

Social commerce: how does it work?

When it comes to selling physical goods, integrating social commerce into your strategy is essential. There is no barrier to purchase, such as slow website loading times and lengthy user journeys.

Many social media purchases are driven by impulse buying, especially if the price is right. The average value of online orders referred through social media was $81.05 in Q2 of 2021, according to Statista. 

When a user sees an item they want to purchase, such as a pair of sunglasses, they click 'shop now' or 'buy now' to complete the purchase. Prices, descriptions and delivery information will all be available within the social platform, so there is no need to go to the retailer's website.

The combination of user-generated content, generated by customers and influencers, and social commerce tools such as shoppable tags and links leads to an increase in impulse purchases. This increase is driven by lifestyle and emotions. Users seek social proof that the products are well-made, credible and recommended by people they respect or admire.

What platforms support social commerce?

Statista predicts that 8 of 10 US businesses will sell via social media in the next three years, highlighting the value of these outlets as a sales channel.

Social commerce is currently available on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. In 2022, YouTube is also testing capabilities of adding shoppable tags and links to video content.

Social media users can create shops if they use a professional account. You can change this setting from the settings menu of your personal account.

Facebook and Instagram have similar social commerce features; you can tag items from your shop in photos and videos. Instagram's Reels and Stories both have this feature.

Instagram example of hovering

When people see your products in your posts, they can select those tags to get details about the products, including their names and prices. By clicking on these tags, they will be taken through to your shop where they can find out more, and purchase. See below for an example of hovering providing product information on Instagram.

Users will currently be able to purchase the product on your website - but Meta is currently testing in-app purchases in the US. A product can be tagged when you create a new post or when you edit an existing post. There is no limit to how many products can be tagged in a post, but this would appear cluttered and complex, so no more than 10 tags are recommended.

Social commerce brands

'Not on the High Street' tags products within its Facebook posts using Facebook shopping.

As a result, brands can easily show seasonal items around key retail dates like Easter, Christmas, Mother's Day, and Ramadan, while also allowing customers to see pricing and find their exact landing pages.

Not on the High Street, Ramadan gifts

Scandiborn Instagram

Scandiborn shares customer UGC in posts and stories by using shopable tags on Instagram. They can show potential customers how their products look in a lifestyle setting.

Social commerce is suitable for whom?

Social commerce is limited to selling physical products, so events, digital products, and services aren't eligible. Meta is testing in-app purchases on Horizon Worlds, its social virtual reality app.

Businesses that wish to sell on social media sites must also follow their own merchant guidelines. Social media cannot be used to sell the following items:

• alcohol

• some healthcare products

• digital products

• event tickets

• subscriptions

Google will let you know what the merchant guidelines are for each social media network.

The largest category for social commerce is apparel/accessories, but consumer electronics, cosmetics, home decor, and consumer goods are also important.

According to eMarketer, brands with "new products and/or aspirational imagery are well suited to social commerce environments".

Sometimes, an item may be rejected by a social media platform because of changed rules or errors in algorithms picking up certain words in product descriptions. The platform will notify you if a product is rejected and will not be listed in your shop. They will also offer an opportunity to appeal the decision.

How can I optimize my social shop to attract more customers?

As soon as you've installed social commerce, you should consider how to optimize your shop to encourage more visitors, and how to convert followers into customers. Below are some tips for optimizing your social shop:

• Make your social shop look good - A good first impression is essential to building trust and credibility. Focus on keywords and descriptions. All of your products should have short, searchable descriptions. In addition to your product description, upload at least four high-resolution images, and lifestyle images work best.Think about creating collections or groups of items - Make sure your shop is easy to navigate and explore, particularly ahead of key seasonal events such as Christmas, Mother's Day, Black Friday, etc. By using categories within its shop called Collections, Nike has done this very well on Instagram. These are titled 'Gifts for Him' and 'Gifts for Her', making their products easy to find ahead of key holiday gifting seasons.

• Shoppable tags should be integrated into organic content, not just a separate tab.  Create social proof in your brand with UGC along with shoppable tags. Provide valuable and interesting content to make your shop more appealing to customers.

Nike collections on Instagram

Starting a social commerce business

As a first step, review which platforms you'd like to use for social commerce and determine if your products meet the platform's requirements.

Create your social shops if your products are eligible, taking care to create attractive, easily navigable social shops with plenty of product detail. Consider leveraging your organic content as well as influencers and advertising to gain new followers, and all-important conversions into sales.

Consumer behavior online suggests that since the global Covid-19 pandemic began, online shoppers are more willing to try new ways to shop. Several social media platforms are investing heavily in ways to integrate social commerce into their experiences. Consider your social commerce offering sooner rather than later if you are looking to increase product sales.

Learn more about how to have a holistic social media marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

What are the steps in building a successful social media strategy?

Here are seven steps to creating a successful social media strategy which includes:

1) Set goals for your business

It is important to spend time on this stage, as understanding and defining your social media goals will determine the rest of your strategy.

Consider what your business wants to accomplish through social media, and keep in mind that marketing goals are different from business goals. Do you want to increase brand awareness in the marketplace, learn more about your audience, expand your following or generate more leads? All of these goals may be important to you, but it's important to note they will involve different tactics on social media.

Set your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) when setting your goals to understand what social media metrics to focus on.

Metrics should be set for each channel you use to be successful. On Facebook, for example, reach, engagement, and impressions are important, whereas on Instagram, interaction and discovery are essential.

Apart from the basic metrics, you can also track the growth rate of your audience, the amplification rate of your content, or the virality of it. There are many metrics you can use to track success, so choose the ones that are important to your business.

2) Know who your audience is

It is crucial to understand your audience and what they want before you create personalized messages and content. A good way to do that is to conduct market research via online surveys, customer interviews, or by setting up a focus group.

Social listening is another way to learn more about your customers and community.

The two methods will help you formulate buyer personas that combine your buyer profile and buyer insights to paint a picture of your ideal customer. Personas can be created to capture different insights, demographics, and pain points.

3) Research your competitors

A strategic approach to social marketing must include competitor research. Knowing what platforms your competitors use and what campaigns they run will help you understand what they are doing in the social space.

It is also possible to see their message, the content they produce, and the frequency of their posts. Understanding their approach to customer engagement and the success of their engagement can either help you emulate it or suggest a different direction to capture customers' attention.

Selecting the right social media platform is essential to the campaign's success.

4) Select your social media platforms

The question is not whether you should be active on social media, but how to choose the best channels for your business.

There are a lot of options, so it can be confusing at first. Nevertheless, don't be tempted to be present on them all for the sake of it. Some may not suit your business or content. Which social networks should you target and how do you optimize your content for each?

Facebook:

Facebook, one of the largest and oldest social media platforms, provides a targeted way to reach prospects and customers. This platform works for many types of content, and Facebook Live allows you to connect with customers through video.

Instagram:

Instagram has grown rapidly over the past few years and continues to be a hit among younger audiences. It's a great platform for showcasing products and connecting with influencers to gain new customers. In addition, Instagram will offer in-app shopping via shoppable posts soon, enabling customers to make purchases on the platform. 

LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is the place to be for B2B businesses and also provides opportunities for B2C businesses. Both organically and through paid advertising, it allows businesses to connect with each other. The best types of content for this platform are blogs, whitepapers, eBooks, and industry-related content. 

YouTube:

YouTube video is being viewed somewhere right now. It's that popular! The internet provides marketers with a way to connect with customers in a way that offers information, but can also be entertaining. This platform could be ideal for brands that produce a lot of videos, especially how-tos or tutorials.

5) Plan your content

After you've done your research and determined the right social media platforms, it's time to plan your content and approach.

Let’s go into planning your content in simple steps:

• Set a tone for your pages. The tone of your brand is how you want the world to perceive it. Are you formal or casual? Is your business more serious or humorous? Do you want to showcase your brand's personality differently on each platform and speak differently on each?

• Create themes for your content. Take a look at what your USP is and determine which content themes or buckets you can create. Imagine that you're a travel resort or hotel and you want to share your spa and healthy recipes. You can create a content bucket around wellness. A content bucket could be about your location, what makes that location unique and interesting? Is it the wildlife, the scenery, etc.? There are some great tools available if you need help with content creation.

• Set up a content calendar. A social media posting calendar can help keep your posting on track especially if you're posting on multiple channels. Posting regularly on social networks is crucial. There are optimum days and times for networks as well, so keep that in mind.

• Create a content plan. Maintaining a schedule is important for consistency if you post regularly on social media.

There is no magic formula for creating good content. It's all about putting out content, analyzing it, optimizing it, and trying new things.

6) Manage and engage your community

As a result of social media, you can build connections and create communities. Communities help to build brand awareness and build engagement.

It is incredible how an active community can create brand advocates and attract new customers. A community needs to be nurtured, so you need to take time to build and then grow it.

The key to managing and engaging a social media community is to be responsive. Customer queries or comments should be answered quickly and helpfully. As social media becomes more popular as a way for customers to communicate, there will inevitably be complaints. If you want to avoid a social media crisis, respond positively and ask how you can improve their experience. 

Conduct polls or surveys to engage your community. It makes them feel like part of the community, but may also help you learn more about your customer base.

7) Get more followers

It is pointless to have a social media channel if you do not gain new followers. Growing your audience is an important part of any social media strategy, and you need to employ tactics to do so.

Growing your audience can be achieved organically or through paid advertising. First, content is crucial since it will help to drive engagement and attract users. Consider offering a competition or a glimpse behind-the-scenes of working for your brand.

Don't forget to cross-promote from one platform to another. If you have an Instagram account, your Facebook fans may be interested. Share a post to see the impact across channels.

Paid advertising allows you to set a budget and target a group of users.

You can keep track of all your campaigns by using a paid media campaign tracker. If you have a product that you want to promote, you can work with influencers. Micro-influencers can be helpful, especially if you're a local bar or restaurant looking to get customers in the door. Press releases and articles in relevant publications are also effective methods of driving people to your social media channels.

Learn more about how to have a holistic social media marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

The ‘Back To Basics’ Marketing Success of Oatly

Have you noticed the endless choice of milks you can add to your latte or cappuccino right now?

From soy and almond to hazelnut, rice, and beyond, there has never been such an eclectic mix of ways to experiment with your morning coffee. And, of all the alt-milks on the market right now, oat is arguably the top dog.

Oh, and in case you're not aware, Oatly is one of the world's leading purveyors of plant-based milk.

In fact, Oatly has seen an incredible rate of growth during the pandemic, with an impressive 2020 sales growth of 295% across all of its product categories, globally. And, with the brand’s success set to continue, Oatly is in the midst of launching an IPO by the end of 2021.

Oatly is in its prime right now, but how did the brand’s seemingly overnight success come about—and how does it approach its marketing activities?

We’re going to take a look at Oatly’s colossal success and explore the brand’s forward-thinking ‘back to basics with a twist’ approach to marketing.

Bowl and spoon at the ready—let’s dive in.

Rise of the Plant-Based Milk

With the threat of an environmental crisis looming, people are more eco-conscious with their consumer choices than ever.  A revolution is in motion.

But, believe it or not, plant-based milk is not a brand new concept. In fact, Belgian brand Alpro was founded in the 1980s and is often referred to as the pioneer of alternative milk products—with soy, hazelnut and oat all part of its range. But, a decade after the company’s launch, a new brand began its journey...

Formulated in Sweden by food scientist, Rickard Öste, during the 1990s, Oatly was created to appeal to people who have a lactose intolerance while providing a healthier, more environmentally-sustainable alternative to cow’s milk.

Given that around 68% of the world is estimated to be lactose intolerant and that oat milk offers a solution to a variety of consumer pain points (the environment, allergies, and personal health), Öste’s oat milk product was tipped for great things.

The product’s original incarnation, ‘Mill Milk’ was rolled out in Europe but with minimal success. Following that, an oat-based yoghurt with Danone flopped—something wasn’t hitting the commercial mark.

After going back to the drawing board and reimagining his brand image and marketing strategy—something we’ll talk about in more detail below—Öste launched Oatly, expanding his product range to meet the needs of a growing market. Now, Oatly owns 65% of the Swedish non-dairy category.

Savvy marketing and branding aside, one of the key components of Oatly’s roaring success is down to seizing opportunity when it arises. In this case, it’s the sharp uptake of eco-consciousness and veganism. Oatly made its mark in Sweden, and now is enjoying world domination (of the plant-based variety). Today’s consumers are holding brands more and more accountable for their practices in terms of sustainability

By 2025, the vegan food market is set to be worth a whopping $24.06 billion. And according to Global Market Insights, the plant-based milk market will reach $12 billion in value alone by 2026.

Oatly is right where it needs to be—but since it launched in its current form around 2016, the brand took a bold marketing leap—adopting a level of vision its competitors were unable to achieve.

“You see a graphic that shows up on the news of the categories that are surging in growth. And you're like, OK, hand sanitiser, that makes sense. There was a toilet paper shortage. I've read about that. And then you see oat milk on that list, and you're like, 'What, how is that on there?”Mike Messersmith, President of Oatly, North America

Brand Awareness: Going Straight to the Frontline

The uptake in oat milk did indeed soar during the COVID-19 pandemic and Oatly reaped the rewards. But, before that happened, the brand did something a little unorthodox by today’s standards.

Rather than investing in droves of Google Ads or going straight in for the social media kill, Oatly decided to expand its commercial reach and raise vital product awareness in the US (a huge target market) by going straight to the front line—the coffee shops.

To ride the crest of the plant-based wave and place its product (and branding) right before a captive coffee-drinking audience, Oatly teamed up with a selection of artisanal coffee shops where patrons were more likely to seek an alternative to dairy in their daily cup of Joe.

Through the baristas on the front line, Oatly positioned itself as the greatest alternative to dairy, searing its name (and its taste) into the minds of satisfied coffee drinkers across the nation. Arguably, the most creative part of the initiative is the fact that Oatly made a Barista Blend that is thicker than its traditional products—making it easier for those advocating for Oatly to make better, more attractive coffees for their customers.

Eventually, coffee shop consumers began to recognise the Oatly name, and the brand expanded its cafe-centric domination, placing its now-famous Barista Blend in these trendy, quirky, independent venues across the nation (coffee shops that align with Oatly’s brand image and ideals).

In 2018, Oatly opened its first factory in New Jersey—and a shortage of its signature oat milk even saw committed converts buying severely marked up cartons of the stuff on eBay.

This is arguably one of the most successful cases of bold, creative marketing in recent history—but Oatly knows how to do digital too.

What Sets Oatly Apart

Following the success of its barista-based initiative, Oatly invested in its online presence with campaigns and messaging that stand out from the crowd.

Brand principles

From the start Oatly has been dedicated to helping the planet with a more than palatable plant-based alternative to dairy milk. And, all of the brand’s campaign messaging reflects its ideals and delivers them to its audience in a way that really resonates.

Oatly’s recent ‘Help Dad’ campaign, for instance, targeted teens, inspiring them to convert their fathers to plant-based milk through a series of humorous yet provocative videos:

Some of the ads earned prime time Saturday night ad slots in the UK and although some saw the campaign as blinkered and ageist, the brand’s uncompromising tone shone through. To supplement the campaign and engage dairy-loving dads (and their kids), Oatly created a dedicated microsite to helping middle-aged men (identified as the demographic least likely to convert to plant-based milk) switch to Oatly with info, tips, and recipe ideas.

Oatly also created a landing page that encourages consumers to sign a petition against the EU’s censorship of plant-based products.

Informative, direct, and dedicated to the cause, ‘stop plant-based censorship’ is another effective digital outlet for the brand’s mission for sustainability.

Unique tone of voice

In addition to its unwavering brand ideals and its ever-expanding range of oat-based products, Oatly stands out from the crowd due to its unmistakable branding and unique tone of voice.

This video jingle from Oatly’s very own CEO, Toni Petersson, is a prime example of the brand’s playful yet direct brand messaging.

Akin to British drinks company Innocent, you can spot Oatly’s brand voice a mile off—making it instantly recognisable and as digestible as the products themselves.

Oatly knows its audience inside-out and as such creates messaging that strikes a personal chord with its audience across just about every touchpoint imaginable.

Staying true to its original marketing focus, the brand also has an Instagram channel dedicated to baristas where it shines a light on this 21st-century artform while providing a branded space for coffee professionals to connect, share insights or simply enjoy browsing.

The brand’s messaging takes on a life of its own—and it has the creative assets to back it up—initiatives like its closest Oatly-serving cafes map, called Oatfinder.

Oatly’s brand tone is fun and accessible—but when it comes to sustainability, its messaging pulls no punches. It’s this idyllic balance and clearcut commitment to its original mission that contributes to Oatly’s ongoing global plant-based milk domination.

Oatly: the Future…

An ever-expanding product range and a continual rise in popularity mean that Oatly is likely to enjoy riding the crest of the plant-based wave for some time to come.

To expand its commercial reach while maintaining its commitment towards a more sustainable planet, Oatly is currently working with two non-profit organisations to encourage farmers to start growing food-grade oats as part of their regular crop rotations. And, with initiatives like this, irresistible digital content is likely to follow.

There is a small wave of consumers that has been boycotting Oatly due to a recent deal it made with Blackstone—an alleged donor of the Trump administration and a firm accused of contributing to  Amazon deforestation.

While some former brand advocates have accused Oatly of getting into bed with the enemy and selling its soul, the brand came back with, as you might imagine, a well-executed statement:

"We thought that if we could convince [Blackstone] that it’s as profitable (and in the long-term even more profitable) to invest in a sustainability company like Oatly, then all the other private equity firms of the world would look, listen and start to steer their collective worth of 4 trillion US dollars into green investments."

Despite the recent controversy, the fact remains that Oatly is currently at the top of its game—and the best may be yet to come. If nothing else, this story goes to show the power of persistence and the value of going against the grain in a competitive digital world.

Oatly shows how a successful and effective marketing strategy can help a brand stand out in a crowd - if you seek more local examples, join our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts and get the global recognised certificate today!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

What are the Benefits of Earning a Digital Marketing Certification?

A qualification can be the key to starting your digital marketing career or advancing it. It doesn't matter if you're experienced in the field or just starting out. Obtaining a qualification/certification offers many benefits, including the fact that you do not need any prior educational background to start.

The following are some of the benefits of getting a certification:

Stay On Top of New Developments

Certifications help you stay on top of new developments in your industry. Innovations in technology are constantly advancing, so staying up-to-date on digital will help you stay competitive.

Make Yourself More Employable

The trend of college graduates being underemployed is on the rise. According to The Washington Post, this has resulted in 40 percent of graduates being in jobs that don’t require a degree. This has resulted in colleges offering certificates before graduation so students can have the skills employers are looking for. Therefore, if you want a job in digital marketing, being certified shows prospective employers that you have the necessary practical knowledge.

Get Yourself Ready for Promotional Opportunities

Hard and soft skills are needed for digital marketing. One or two specialties in your niche can help you advance quickly in a company. It is easy to become a successful content marketer or manager if you are an expert with PPC and SEO, for example.

Demand a Higher Wage

The earning potential of a digital marketer is high. It is one of the top ten highest-paying jobs without a degree. A certificate on your resume will strengthen your ability to command a higher salary and give you the confidence to know that you deserve it.

Set Yourself Apart from Peers

Certifications will set you apart from your competitors during job interviews and promotions. Furthermore, it illustrates a desire for self-improvement that reflects highly on your character, not just having the relevant certifications and skills.

Combine Education with Practical Knowledge

In reality, you may believe that formal education is important. A digital marketing certification is a combination of education and hands-on experience. It meets the requirements for post-secondary education that focuses on teaching you the knowledge you are going to need in the real world.

Be Your Own Boss

By obtaining a recognized qualification in digital marketing, you will have the knowledge and experience to set up your own business. Having your own business will also allow you to become a freelance digital marketer and travel around the world. Certifications should also demonstrate to investors, stakeholders, and customers that you know how to grow and promote a business to make their investment (money or time) worthwhile.

Take the first step towards a successful digital marketing career with a certification.

Learn more about how to have a holistic social media marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

6 Reasons Nobody Reads Your Blog

While 91% of businesses were using content marketing, not all are getting good effect from it. If you’re disappointed by your blog’s traffic, you aren’t alone.

To be honest, some businesses simply have expectations that are too high – anticipating every post to go viral. However, if after a couple of months of blogging you’re still only receiving a handful of views, it may be time to make some changes. You can learn more with our content strategy blog article.  

In the meantime, the following list shares six reasons why no one is reading your blog. Chances are, if your traffic is miniscule, you’re making one of these mistakes.

1. Your blog doesn’t have a relevant focus

The Digital Marketing Institute prides itself in providing unparalleled digital marketing insights and advice – both through our courses and on the blog.

But what would happen if you arrived at our blog next week to discover we had written the world’s best article on cats?

Regardless of your personal preference toward them, you’d probably be a bit surprised. After all, you came here to learn marketing strategies, not pet grooming tips.

The crux of the matter is this – if we began producing blog articles on random, inconsistent topics every week, we’d quickly lose readers. And rightly so!

If your blog traffic is struggling, the first question to ask yourself is: Does the blog offer content that people actually want, on a regular, reliable basis? While one great article can drive traffic to your site, it won’t necessarily retain those visitors. The purpose of your blog should be to establish yourself as a thought leader on a specific topic. Know what that topic is – and focus on it exclusively.

“Focusing is about saying no.”Steve Jobs

2. Your content simply isn't good enough

Gone are the days when you could write a blog post in 15 minutes and rank at the top of Google. With the plethora of high quality sources and a multitude of content channels available today, readers aren’t willing to put up with mediocre content, nor do they have to.

If the focus of your blog is on track, then take a look at the quality of your content. Does your blog provide value-add, or is it just rehashing what people can learn elsewhere? Would you actually subscribe to your blog, or would you consider it a waste of time?

Poor quality blog posts can turn customers away – so give your readers something worth reading! If you can’t invest enough time to post daily, transition to a weekly or bi-weekly publishing calendar. It’s better to produce one high-quality piece than 10 embarrassingly cheap articles. Just remember that high-quality content is not going to come for pennies. You’re better off paying a premium for one exceptional blog per month then buying a cheap post every day.

If you do your blogging right, the time and money investment is worth it. Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about 3 times as many leads. so you Invest more time in fewer articles, develop thought leadership content, and watch your following grow.

3. You don't have SEO in mind

Do you remember, back in the day, when you would click on the top Google search result only to find a spammy blog post full of ads and absent of value? Back then, digital marketing consisted of keyword stuffing your blog posts to trick search engines. Even if the article was completely incomprehensible and worthless, the right keyword strategies would get it to the top of search results.

Fortunately that isn’t the case anymore. However, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is more important than ever. While social media strategies can give a post short-term bumps in traffic, the long-term, residual traffic will come from ranking high in search results.

Although this can’t be done overnight, there are a few things you can do to improve the SEO of your articles and blog posts.

Start by including keyword phrases in titles, subheadings, and within the text. If someone searches for “ways to improve my blog traffic”, a title called “10 Ways to Improve Your Blog Traffic” will usually place higher than a title like “A Blogger’s Journey Towards Discovery and Growth”. Sure, the first title isn’t as creative, but search engines know that it will help the reader. Write your content for people and Google.

Use tools and plugins to help monitor and improve your content’s SEO. One great freemium tool for WordPress users is the Yoast SEO tool, which is recommended and used by thousands of top bloggers. The plugin tracks your keyword usage across titles, within the text, and on images to improve your content’s chances of being ranked well in search engines.

Next, boost the traffic to the blog post through social media, links on your own website, and links from other authority sites. If you’re writing high quality content, people will naturally want to share it – but you can boost your visibility by contacting industry influencers and sharing your new blog post with them. If it would be useful to their audiences, they may very likely mention your site in one of their future blog posts.

4. Your content is too self-promotional

It’s a harsh but largely universal truth: Nobody cares about your company or product. Yes, you might be excited about your new service or speedy growth, but other people don’t care. They’re too busy trying to solve their own problems and satisfy their own needs.

Too many blogs are stuffed with overtly promotional content – making it very clear that the focus is not to provide value to the customer, but to drive sales. No one is going to follow a blog that shares article after article praising their own product. People read blog posts to gain insights or be entertained – not to view ads.

“But isn’t the purpose of a blog to drive sales?”

Absolutely! But blogging is a long-game strategy. Your blog posts should have a Call-to-Action, but that CTA shouldn’t be “Buy, buy buy!”

Instead, provide valuable content that’s relevant to your potential customers. Then, encourage them to subscribe to your newsletter or download a whitepaper with industry-specific advice. Once you have the person’s email address, you can send them a direct email asking if they have any questions about your product or are interested in a trial/discount.

Most of your blog readers will never become customers. But that’s okay. Continue to provide valuable content and those readers will share your posts across their network – increasing the likelihood of being noticed by interested prospects.

Keep your blog focused on education, not sales, and your sales will also improve.

5. Your editorial calendar is irregular

It has become less important to publish a new article every day, with the rise of all those other content channels, like your Twitter and Facebook feeds. But your dedicated readers should at least hear from you on a consistent basis. Remember, content marketing is a strategy – which means a lot of planning should go into it. If the goal of your blog is to lead readers further down the funnel, then part of your content strategy should be consistent publishing. And, your blog posts can provide a lot of the content that will feed our other channels.

It’s all too easy for someone to forget that they subscribed to your blog if they go three months without receiving an update. Then, when they suddenly see an article in their inbox, they disregard it, or worse, mark it as spam.

Many content writers (particularly those that double as small business owners) discover that their creativity and productivity ebbs and flows. One week they could produce two or three pieces of content with gusto! But, after wearing themselves out with this onslaught of articles, nothing else could get published the following week.

If this happens to you, consider scheduling a couple of articles a week, and saving the rest to populate your editorial calendar going forward. If you find yourself with enough content 2-4 weeks in advance, you won’t neglect your readers and will save yourself time and pressure by not having to produce a constant stream of content when it’s simply not feasible.

6. Your content isn't being promoted effectively

While this is important for everyone, it’s particularly necessary for a new blog. Regardless of how compelling your content is, if you don’t distribute it appropriately, it will never make the required impact.

Your content marketing strategy shouldn’t end when you hit “publish” on your CMS. In fact, this should just be the beginning. Spend the next week posting the article on your social media accounts, email it to subscribers of your newsletter, and personally share it with relevant industry influencers who may be interested in sharing it on social media or linking to it in an article of their own.

No one is going to advocate for your blog more than you – so make sure you’re putting in the time and energy necessary to guarantee its success. And this doesn’t have to be a full-time job. Over 81% of marketers realize an increase in traffic with as little as 6 hours per week invested in social media marketing.

Closing Thoughts...

There’s a reason that 73% of organisations have someone in place to oversee their content strategy – it takes a lot of work! But even a small, one-man-shop can benefit from intelligent content marketing. Commit to consistently publishing high-quality, focused content that provides value, share it across your network, and watch your readership grow.

As long as you use blogging (and not sales or advertising) strategies for your blog, you can expect to see a healthy ROI over time.

Eager to learn more? Join our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

Risqué Brand Tone on Social Media: Where to Draw the Line?

The noise on social media is increasing, and the potential reach for brands is actually declining – Facebook page posts only have around a 2% reach. Brands are now being forced to get more creative, and creativity can end up going many ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. Examples of witty, bold, clever, pun-driven social media posts are almost endless.

Here’s the thing though: taking this direction can either be incredibly successful or fail spectacularly. A well thought-out campaign can turn into a fully-fledged tone on social media, while a poorly executed one can damage the brand’s reputation long-term and deter even the most loyal fans.

In this article, we’ll dive into what makes up a brand’s voice, tone and image in the first place. Then, we’ll look into many examples, both good and bad, to inspire you and save you from repeating other companies’ mistakes.

Voice, Tone and Brand Image

While these might feel like just different names for the same thing, a brand’s voice, tone and image all represent a separate entity of their online presence.

Buffer sums up voice and tone as follows:

Voice: Your brand personality described in an adjective. For example, a brand can be lively, positive, professional or witty.

Tone: A subset of the above-defined brand’s voice. Tone adds specific flavor to your voice based on factors like audience, situation and channel.

On top of that, Management Study Guide defined brand image as the current view of the customers about a brand, a unique bundle of associations within the minds of target customers.

Essentially, your brand should have one voice and many tones that refine that voice depending on the occasion and platform. As a result of your activities, your audience will have a perceived image of your brand.

The lesson here is clear: when you decide to write your social media posts in a certain way, keep in mind that it goes beyond how you believe they will be perceived – your audience makes the ultimate judgement. Sprout Social published a study which shows that snarky and funny behavior from brands on social is desired and expected, but not prior to honesty, friendliness, and helpfulness:

Let’s dive into the potential audience touchpoints on social media that play an important role in defining your voice and tone.

Where Do Your Tone and Brand Image Make an Impact?

Every point of interaction between you and your audience – points where you get to be professional, serious, snarky, bold, and many other things – can typically be sorted into one of the three categories on your social profiles.

Your social media ID: profile description, profile photo and header image

In most cases, profile imagery and descriptions are a place where companies describe what they do and showcase their logo, photos of their retail space and their team members. They typically use phrases such as “We help [audience] do [goal]”, or “Welcome to [company name] official Twitter page.” It’s a quite a standard and most frequent approach.

However, many companies across various industries use this space in a bolder way, often using their target audience’s phrases, puns and wordplay, wit and jokes to set potential followers’ expectations for the content they will see should they choose to follow.

Below is an example from Old Spice. It is so consistent with all their social media activity, and even their TV ads, that you can almost hear Terry Crews screaming at you as you read their Twitter bio.

Another example comes from Innocent Drinks, whose Twitter bio reflects their entire light-hearted, health-driven online presence, as well as their mission. It can also be a good idea to directly say what to expect from your particular social media profile, just like Paddy Power does.

Public, planned posts

For most companies, the bulk of their social media existence is based on the posts they publish from their accounts to the general public. From plain text and photos through to videos, GIFs, links and polls, there is plenty of room to express your brand’s personality.

When it comes to planning these into the marketing calendar and scheduling them, the majority play it safe. They post about their ongoing offers, customer reviews and new products. They adjust their posts to the season of the year, relevant news, or anything else that they know their customer would be talking about.

And then there are the risk-takers. When you see these daring posts in your feed, you almost always want to look at people’s reactions. They can vary from hilarious to straight-up shocking, and brands who excel at this never seem to lack ideas for more.

One example comes from Steak-umm, which, unsurprisingly, sells steak products. This is the look and feel of their Twitter feed on a daily basis:

Another example comes from The Hustle, a tech and business newsletter that’s quite popular with their #showerthoughts:

Interactions

The third place is in your comments, replies and any other interactions with your audience or with other brands. As you’ll see in further examples later on, this is often the most fertile ground for exchanges that turn viral and reach a broader audience than a regular post ever would.

It can be risky to talk to others in such a public space without potentially offending someone directly. It is always a human being at the other end of that conversation, so taking the creative path in replying to others may result in a raving fan or a lifelong nemesis.

Pop-Tarts doesn’t hide from the fact that their products may be faulty, and they reply to complaints in wonderfully honest and amusing ways:

As a final example of this, it’s impossible not to mention Wendy’s. They have a reputation for roasting both their competitors and everyday people who tweet at them. It’s positively accepted, and they don’t look like giving up anytime soon:

What Can You Learn from the Best and Worst Examples?

Some of the examples so far probably gave you a solid idea of a whole spectrum of options when it comes to testing the limits of your tone on social media. Some examples mentioned so far have been mild and chuckle-worthy, but as you’ll see in this section, things can escalate pretty quickly, even from a single post, and results end up being spectacularly great or remarkably awful for the brand.

Risqué content is typically humorous, snarky, clever, witty, cynical, and potentially many other things – and most often a mix of a few of these. However, there’s a common theme in all of this: aiming to trigger a strong emotion and an intense reaction. The usual rule is: the deeper this aim, the fiercer the reaction, either positive or negative.

Let’s dive into some more examples from both sides and identify a few lessons every brand can learn from them. One of the most important elements to keep in mind is the immediate context for the intended recipients – the target audience. Their existing relationship with the brand, and the tone they’re used to, plays an essential role in this.

Just think of it like this: you probably aren’t expecting the same serious and professional tone from your life insurance provider and the pub down the street. Let’s look at some common denominators for quirky brand activities on social media.

Leveraging trends, seasons and news

Being current means being relevant, which Lidl knows and implements regularly, like in this tweet when Ireland was stuck under snow in February:

Creative agency R/GA reacts to news and current topics daily, and is not afraid to mention politics and provocative topics. The reactions they spark are overwhelmingly positive.

Sadly, hopping on trending topics doesn’t always turn out great for brands. One of the most frequently frowned upon action is piggybacking on the death of a celebrity or a disaster of any kind. Cheerios made this mistake with Prince’s death, and Kenneth Cole slipped up at the time of a military coup in Cairo. Both tweets have been deleted soon after, but their screenshots are still available:

Alluding to or enticing age-restricted behavior

Unless your brand exclusively talks about adult-only topics such as gambling, drinking and sex, the safest thing is probably to steer clear from them. Brands with a wide enough reach for their social posts to catch fire almost definitely have minors in their audience. They risk the anger of protective parents, teachers or simply any common-sense grown-up audience when they take this route.

Ryanair recently regretted a campaign for students who were about to graduate from high school. People complained that they were encouraging binge-drinking, and the post was then removed:

Joking on someone else’s account

Finally, the most frequent path with edgy social tone – and the one that most easily catches fire quickly – involves interacting with other accounts and taking advantage of something they did or said. It seems like brands do this to prove they are a level above, cleverer and witty.

One of the most extraordinary recent examples of this, and the one with a tremendous reach, is the chain reaction to IHOP’s recent temporary rebrand to IHOb which aimed to push the sales of their burgers.

The amount of PR they received was beyond measure, with reactions from Burger King, Netflix, Timehop, and Whataburger:

These posts largely represented the existing tones of these accounts, and the reactions of their respective audiences were incredibly positive.

Old Spice reacts to silly tweets with, well, silly tweets, and just like everything else with their social media tone, it works:

The negative example for this section is a rather spectacular one. This seemed like an innocent exchange between a frustrated Thameslink traveler and Thameslink’s customer service representative...

This ended up being a full-blown social media spectacle:

How Can You Take Action (And Not Mess Up)?

We’ve covered a lot – the good and the bad, the mild and the huge, the logical and the peculiar. This space is impactful beyond words, and it’s difficult to boil it down to a few universally applicable takeaways that you can implement and end up with a quirky, popular social media presence.

That’s because there is no magic formula or a tried and trusted recipe. As you have seen, different tones work with different audiences. Would the mildly offensive tone Wendy’s use work for Innocent’s audience? Probably not. Would it work vice versa? Maybe, but then we wouldn’t know Wendy’s as a bold and courageous brand online.

All these brands have something in common: they’ve done something brave in a public space that is quick to judge and where nothing can go unnoticed. Some of them have done it once and have likely given up because it went terribly wrong. Others have been going at it for years and have created a recognizable riskiness to their tone which everyone now knows them for.

The ultimate takeaway is this: there is always space to test and explore your tone, but it’s crucial to do it slowly and with great care. Things aren’t universally funny and not everything is obvious, and if you want to become more audacious on social media, you should take it one toned-down audacious step at a time.

Here are some things you can try:

• When you want to share something you find funny, like tweeting a joke, sharing a pun, or making fun of someone, take it to 5-10 people first. Try to talk to these people individually (not in a group) and simply gauge their initial reactions. If your idea is good, you will get a positive response from all of them. If not, go back to the drawing board.

• When you experiment with something new, follow your audience’s real-time reactions. This will help you not only measure the success of your post, but also react as quickly as possible in case you need damage control.

• Create guidelines, a file with examples (both bad and good), and keep educating company staff both in and outside the social media team.

With these examples and tips in mind, you will now see social media in a slightly different light – hopefully helping you and your brand to shine in a way that makes your perfect audience feel exactly the way you hope them to.

Hungry for more tips? Learn more about how to have a holistic social media marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

The Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing for “Boring” Businesses

There’s a wealth of information about content marketing online, from ultimate guides that cover every possible aspect of the process to fun listicles of businesses that are doing content marketing right.

The only problem is that most of the examples you find in content marketing guides have little in common with the average business. Dig into the list linked above and you’ll notice that all six are marketing companies - not exactly a representative sample of small businesses!

It’s easy to generate interest and attention with content when you’re marketing to marketers. It’s also easy to attract attention when you’re a remarkable business like Tesla or Uber. But what if your business isn’t remarkable? What if you’re normal at best, and a little boring at worst? This doesn't mean you should confine yourself to traditional marketing tactics.

If you aren't a rock star brand like Apple or Red Bull, there’s no reason to ignore content marketing as a potential sales channel.

With the right strategy and approach, you can make it work. The key is in working out how you can make your “boring” business less boring, at least to the people that are most likely to read and respond to your content.

Below, we’ve shared three techniques that you can use to make content marketing work for your “boring” business. Whether you’re searching for traffic, links, social activity or direct sales, try all three before you write your business off as too boring or conventional for content marketing!

Focus 100% of your attention on reaching people that need you

Pretend you’re in charge of digital marketing for an accounting firm that specialises in helping small businesses deal with debt.

What would you write about? Since you’re not pioneering innovative new technology like Tesla or Apple, there’s little hope of attracting the attention of the mainstream media. Since you offer an extremely private service, it’s unlikely that people will share your content.

Instead of approaching content marketing like a business with broad, mainstream appeal would, by writing for the largest possible audience,“boring” businesses need to focus on writing for the small audience of people that truly, often desperately need their help.

For our example accountancy firm, this means writing helpful, insightful content for the owners of distressed, struggling businesses.

Start this process by making a list of the most common questions you receive from prospects and clients. Below, we’ve listed five questions that people seeking the help of an accountancy firm specializing in debt and insolvency might ask:

• I’ve just received a statutory demand. What should I do?

• My business is struggling. How do I know if I’m insolvent?

• What can I do to collect money from a non-paying debtor?

• How can I stop an aggressive creditor from winding up my business?

• How can I stop my business from becoming insolvent?

For a large content marketing campaign, you should make a list of at least 20 questions that you frequently receive from prospects and clients. These questions will form the focus of each article and blog post you publish as part of your campaign.

Once you’ve put together a list of questions, check the search volume for related keywords with the AdWords Keyword Planner. This will tell you how large the monthly potential audience is for each blog post you publish.

Select “search for new keywords using a phrase, website or category” and enter your primary keyword to generate a list of related keywords.

Our first example question about statutory demands receives a large amount of searches in the UK, indicating that there’s a significant interest in this topic:

All in all, there are 347 closely related keywords, showing that there’s a large demand for useful information about statutory demands. It’s also clear from the results that the most popular topic related to statutory demands is setting aside a statutory demand.

From this data, we know that an article or blog post like “How to Set Aside a Statutory Demand” will reach an interested, motivated audience. People need information on setting aside statutory demands, and a helpful, step-by-step guide could be very successful for our example business.

In short, the audience for this question needs our example company. They’re a fantastic match for our service and the best way to reach them is through content. As such, an article like this is a no-brainer and an obvious inclusion in any content marketing plan.

This technique can be used for any business, not just an accounting firm. Start by making a list of the questions your existing prospects and customers ask you. Then, verify that people need answers to these questions. If they do, answer them to reach an audience that needs you.

Your business is only “boring” to people that don’t need you. If you solve a problem for someone or provide useful information, you’re no longer boring. Write for people that need your help and you’ll quickly discover an audience that finds your business extremely valuable and interesting.

Find and talk about fun, unique, or inspiring aspects of your business

No matter how boring your business might seem to you, it’s probably far more interesting than you realise. Every business has a fun, unique or inspiring side that, once discovered, can be a significant asset for your content marketing campaigns.

Data from The New York Times Customer Insight Group shows that people share content for a variety of reasons:

• 49% share content to inform or entertain other people

• 68% share content to define themselves to friends and peers

• 78% share content to grow and strengthen relationships

• 69% share content to feel more involved in the world

• 84% share content to support causes or issues they care about

Of these five motivations, which can your business tap into?

Do you support an important cause or movement? If so, make it one of the key focuses of your content marketing. Involvement in a nonprofit or charitable cause can make a “boring” business stand out as a vehicle for social improvement and progress.

Even the simplest of businesses can tap into the power of content marketing for social good. In a Moz article, Robin Swire explained how he marketed a car parking business using topics like road safety, drunk driving and parking dangers.

One of the easiest ways to make your boring business more relatable to a wide audience is to talk about how you’ve helped people. If your business provides a service that solves problems, publish a case study explaining how you helped a specific client or customer.

The key is to focus on the few aspects of your business that are fun, unique or inspiring, instead of the hundreds that are boring.

Once you start using this approach, you’ll quickly discover that a lot of “remarkable” businesses are actually just as boring as yours.

Red Bull sells caffeinated energy drinks. It’s remarkable because it focuses on the unique ways people use their energy through extreme sports, risk taking and adventure.

Nike makes shoes and sportswear. It’s a remarkable brand because of its focus on how people use its products to achieve excellence and push the limits of human achievement.

Every business, no matter how boring it may seem, has a unique, remarkable and inspiring sidethat’s perfectly suited to content marketing. Once you discover yours, make it the focus of your content marketing efforts and you’ll quickly notice a measurable improvement in results.

Market your business using helpful tools instead of written content

Many people make the mistake of associating content marketing with written content. Since we typically associate content with articles, blog posts and infographics, it’s a very common mistake to make.

Content is actually far more than just the written word. Your content marketing could be built on helpful YouTube videos that your customers share. It could be built around interactive websites that guide your target audience through a specific process.

One of the best ways to market your “boring” business using content is to build helpful tools that provide value to your target audience.

Let’s return to the accountancy firm example we used above. Many of the questions this type of business receives are related to debt and finances - two topics that are perfect for online tools.

Instead of writing an article about how long it could take to pay off a certain amount of debt at a specific interest rate, our example accounting firm could create an online calculator that works out the repayment periods for business loans, credit card debt and other forms or borrowing.

Or, it could create a tax calculation tool that provides income tax, corporation tax and other tax estimates based on the user’s income or company revenue. Or a VAT calculator that works out roughly how much a company owes for its next VAT return!

Online tools are fantastic content marketing assets for businesses that solve problems. Since they provide valuable information based on user input, they’re built for sharing. They also help generate leads by attracting a very motivated, specific type of user.

An example of this technique in action is MoneySavingExpert’s mortgage calculator, which gives users the approximate lifetime and monthly cost of their mortgage. Banks like Sainsbury’s Bank and Barclays have similar calculators for car loans and other financial services.

The goal of any effective content is to answer questions and solve problems. If your business is built around helping people with a specific problem, consider using tools and resources as part of your content marketing efforts.

Not only will you attract readers and generate social sharing activity -- you’ll also generate real leads from users that find your online tools via Google Search.

How can your “boring” business market itself using content?

No matter how boring your business might seem, there are people out there who are eager to learn more about you. Through great content, you can reach them.

By focusing on the right audience, delivering the right message and publishing the right type of content, you can transform your business from boring to interesting and generate social activity, links and inbound leads from your content marketing efforts.

After all, your business isn’t as boring as you think. Answer the right questions and speak to the right people and you’ll quickly discover that your business is far more interesting and remarkable than you may have originally thought!

Whether you're a complete beginner, business owner or marketing professional looking to upskill, browse our globally recognised digital marketing courses to find something perfect for you.

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

An Insider’s Look at Clubhouse

Everything you need to know about the buzz-heavy audio app.

Clubhouse is an audio-based social network that feels part corporate conference, part conference call, part corporate podcast. You’ve probably heard of it.

This new approach to online connection could impact:

• How we network

• How we communicate

• How we learn

• How we build status (Or social capital, if you will)

The need for such a platform is in sharp focus right now.

Social media today can be noisy, combative, and anxiety-inducing.

You might say that’s because social media involves people and people are all of those things.

There is little of what we could call “social connection” on social media, though. The philosopher Hannah Arendt wrote that totalitarianism feeds off loneliness. This is because in a lonely state we are cut off from human connection.

Worse, today we have social media to fill the void. Worse still, because it supplants human connection with a distorted simulacrum that offers very little in the way of actual social activity. We remain atomised, even when supposedly connecting with others.

Part of this problem lies in how the social networks are designed. They are visual platforms, built to promote posts that attract attention. Over time, the social hierarchy on these platforms has solidified, making it harder for new voices to be heard. People fall into line with their existing opinions and “conversations” descend into groupthink.

These days, people are painfully aware that they miss having actual conversations. It has never been clearer that social media does not address that need.

So, does Clubhouse fare any better?

Clubhouse Basics

• Clubhouse was founded by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth.

• Launched in beta in March 2020.

• iOS-only, for now.

• Invite-only, for now.

• Installed over 2 million times in the first week of Feb 2021. Installed over 10 million times in total.

• Free to join, with no ads. Clubhouse is introducing features like tipping and paid rooms, however.

• Backed by Andreessen Horowitz and valued at over $1 billion already (because why not, eh? That’s how valuations work these days. We will “unicorns” into existence).

• “Celebrities” including Drake (musician) and Elon Musk have popped in for a chat.

• It was popular in China, briefly, before it got banned.

• There have already been reports of sexism, racism, and antisemitism. Moderation of live audio is proving tricky.

• The conversations are deleted once the event ends.

The Experience

Clubhouse opens with a short set of options, similar to the opening sequence on TikTok.

You will note the ‘Hustle’ category at the top. Admittedly, you don’t get that on TikTok.

Although the technology and growth hacking sessions are the most popular, you will also notice the broad range of options here. Clubhouse does try to give a platform to groups that might otherwise feel left out on social media.

You pick a few interests and then Clubhouse recommends people to follow. It can look at your Twitter connections and phone contacts, should you wish.

Next, Clubhouse will create an automated list of conversations for you to attend. You can add these to your in-app schedule, or to your Apple/Google calendar.

As you can see here, there are already groups that set up events and invite speakers along for a chat:

The moderators of these conversations are volunteers and they can decide which audience members get to ask questions. They call this “getting on stage”. More on that later.

You can also browse all upcoming events, if you really want to explore the varied meats of our cultural stew.

Or you can start your own event and invite people:

When you have hosted three or more events, you can apply to host a “Club” at a set time every week. This is the best way to build up and sustain interest in a topic, as you can re-engage your audience in a consistent location. Clubhouse may offer sponsored Clubs for brands in future, but the feature is still quite experimental.

Once a session starts, you can pop in and listen. It works a lot like a panel session you’d see at any conference, but with the added bonus that you can “leave quietly” at any time. I hopped into this room to hear some advanced matchmaking tips:

I thought it was going to be about matching supply with demand in a platform-based business, but no. It was about how to find your perfect romantic partner.

I hit the ‘Leave quietly’ button so loudly, they may have heard me. But that’s the point: you can just move on to other ‘rooms’ until you find something you do want to hear.

For people who already spend their days with AirPods in, I can see the appeal. You can have this as background noise, with the odd comment or story cutting through. The sense that the conversation is ‘live’ - and that you can participate at any time - makes it more immediate than listening to a podcast.

Participants are, in theory at least, free to chat informally in a way they never would on Twitter or Facebook. Anyone with a sizable following on those platforms will carefully plan and consider each post these days, but on Clubhouse they can kick back and chat.

It is also possible to build a community around niche interests here. Facebook has been saying for years that it wants to encourage this kind of organic mini-network, to little avail.

The drop-in nature of Clubhouse removes some of the pressure on event curators too, as they can trial new topics quickly to canvas opinion. If no-one is interested, the conversation disappears at its conclusion and they can move on. It beats setting up a Zoom conference just to gain this knowledge, at least.

Conversations are structured, but they depend on moderators to keep things on track. The moderators are unpaid and they can decide who speaks during the session. The benefit for the moderators is that they can gain followers too, both through their observations in the session and their skill in facilitating a conversation.

For the speakers, Clubhouse is great because there is less concern that an off-the-cuff statement will be turned into a haunting meme.

Additionally, speakers can give the air of connecting with their audience, without actually having to do so. On Twitter, for example, anyone can leave a comment under anyone else’s post. Celebrities treat Twitter as a broadcast medium, while wishing to act approachable. How often do they read or comment on their fans’ comments, though?

Clubhouse does not make them play this role. They can talk among themselves and answer the occasional, saccharine question to keep the crowds happy.

Clubhouse: The Pros

You can set up an event to discuss anything on Clubhouse.

See?

Parts of it feel a little like Reddit, where people can discuss niche interests. Some parts feel like LinkedIn, with all the infernal connotations that phrase brings. Others are like Quora, as people discuss little-known facts about the world.

This is where platform design comes in. Can Clubhouse sustain a thriving ecosystem for all of these parts, or will it create a mirror-version of the existing hierarchy on Twitter/Facebook?

• Early adopters can quickly build a following, which has become more difficult on other platforms.

• For some, audio will be the ideal format to connect with new people. Text and images aren’t for everyone.

• It’s perfect for mobile/AirPod listening and it will plug a gap while we continue through lockdown.

• There is more of a thrill to hearing live conversations than listening to podcasts or turning up to a scheduled conference call. Plus, voice has an innate intimacy that text (even prose as florid as this) cannot match.

• It is possible to imagine how unexpected interactions could lead to exciting, new conversations. Clubhouse makes it possible to have these spontaneous exchanges, without the same baggage of other online platforms. We could have people with completely different viewpoints engaging in respectful dialogue, like the olden days. We can dream, eh?

Clubhouse: The Cons

• Live audio is very difficult to moderate. Livestream video is difficult, but there are improving tools to tackle this. Audio is a continuing challenge and it is left to volunteer moderators here. If Clubhouse doesn’t sort out user safety very soon, it won’t last long.

• Sensationalism tends to win. This format does not reward deep thinking - when people can drop in and drop out so easily, the pressure is on speakers to grab attention. Conspiracy theories have already found a home on Clubhouse.

• The same people hog the mic. You’ll recognise the people, because they’ll be the same people running events on your LinkedIn. I saw little evidence of a new form of social hierarchy developing here and if Clubhouse just becomes a giant corporate networking event, it won’t last long. Most of these people just are not as interesting as they think they are.

• And, of course, the big social networks are already planning to rip off Clubhouse’s best features.

The Clones

I teach executive education courses where we discuss why big companies don’t see new threats coming. These companies have all the money and all the resources, so why should a start-up cause them trouble?

There are lots of reasons why this happens, some more understandable than others.

When you look at Clubhouse, it’s difficult to have much sympathy for Facebook and Twitter - both of whom are now working on Clubhouse clones. Facebook and Twitter have huge teams of people who are responsible for coming up with new ideas, but they waited for Clubhouse to reach a $1bn+ valuation before announcing similar products.

It has been clear for some time that social media only covers one very small part of what we want from social interactions.

The problem for the incumbents is that audio is risky, which is likely why they have waited for Clubhouse to reach critical mass before asking.

As we have seen above, Clubhouse has its benefits and it is different, but it is still experimental. It’s also small enough to crush.

Mark Zuckerberg popped into a Clubhouse chat, in what many saw as a sign that the app had ‘broken through’. It now seems he was there to pinch the idea. Facebook has announced it is developing a Clubhouse-style product that it hopes will bring some organic interaction back onto the platform. But would everyone trust Facebook with their audio data?

Twitter, meanwhile, has been working on a new feature called Spaces for a while.

Rémy Bourgoin, a senior software engineer at Twitter, told MIT that the vision is for Spaces to be "as intimate and comfortable as attending a well-hosted dinner party."

He adds,

"You don't need to know everyone there to have a good time, but you should feel comfortable sitting at the table."

This is imagined as an “additional layer” to the conversations already on Twitter. It seems a more natural milieu for this than Facebook will ever be, even if Twitter remains a fair distance from such a lofty goal itself.

In testing, it looks like this:

It’s very similar to Clubhouse, although it has closed captioning as an added bonus. And of course, Clubhouse’s audience is already on Twitter.

Clubhouse: The Final Word

We opened by discussing the human traits that are exhibited on social media today. It is up to these companies to design platforms that encourage the human behaviors they want to see.

Think of it in the same way we would design a building. People act differently when in a comfortable home, as opposed to an abandoned warehouse.

Leaving it as a free-for-all will always see the louder, more aggressive traits win. In the real world, barbarians had the run of the place before we built up some laws and institutions.

Clubhouse has an opportunity to seize the fertile land left by Facebook and Twitter. How it builds on it will define its lasting prospects.

We know Twitter and Facebook will use their existing data and networks as leverage. If Clubhouse simply mimics this framework, stealing its audience will be a straightforward task. The incumbents have all the resources.

Being audio-only is a distinguishing factor, but it can be copied. Clubhouse will need its own form of social capital and a hierarchy built on in-app interactions to create some “switching costs” for its early users.

Clubhouse has plenty of early buzz, but relying on that shaky substance will offer little guarantee of long-term success. Right now, Clubhouse offers a home for conversations that would happen elsewhere in other circumstances. As we return to those old patterns, Clubhouse’s luster will diminish.

Were I Clubhouse, I’d look to Reddit for inspiration when it comes to organic communities. Reddit offers a place for a wide range of interests and it has steadily grown in popularity.

Clubhouse, unlike Reddit, is highly attractive for corporate customers and this creates options to build a viable business model. But only if it looks beyond its heady, early success to address the clear issues it faces.

Whether Clubhouse will remain relevant remains to be seen, but you can learn how to engage your target audience on different channels by enrolling in a globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts, to give yourself the best start possible.

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

11 SEO Tools For Optimal Ranking

We live in a time when advanced technology shapes the systems and structures used in business. Most companies have taken the initiative of adopting a digital outlook for a more natural way to reach their clientele. Thanks to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), you can rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract the right customers. SEO can be quite challenging to master especially if you have no experience in digital marketing. However, you can now make your work easier with the help of the best SEO tools.

To help you begin your optimisation journey, here are 11 essential SEO tools I suggest you consider for the best results:

1. Google Search Console

Google’s Search Console, #searchconsole, is one of the best free SEO tools that you can use to view how your website’s is performing on Google’s SERPs. Once you register your website with Google, the console will provide you with a unique code. However, you don’t need to register for an account with search console for your website to be featured on the search results. It will still appear on the search results even if you don't have an account. The only downside is that you won’t have control over how your website is featured on search results. Registering for a console account allows you to understand how users and search engine bots view your site.

2. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a web crawler site used to highlight the weakest parts of your website. It is arguably the best-paying SEO tool in the market.

When you use the paid version, you can learn which backlinks your rivals are using and use similar ones to boost your site’s rankings. Therefore, this tool is most useful for online startups, so give it a try.

3. KWFinder

An SEO keyword tool just like Ahrefs, KWFinder is useful for tracing long-tail keywords that don’t offer a high level of competition. It is the best-paying SEO tool for keyword searches and renders analysis reports on SERP and backlinks.

You can also use the rank tracker tool to determine your website’s ranking and improvement progress.

4. SEMRush

SEMRush is categorised as a marketing SEO application. Experts recommend it since you can view your rankings, the changes made to it, and new opportunities to rank higher. The most used feature of SEMRush is Domain Vs. Domain analysis. This can render an analytics report that grants you access to your website’s traffic and search data. Comparing your website to your competitors will help you understand what needs to be changed on your site’s domain and keywords.

5. Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is an SEO keyword finder tool. You can use it to search for useful keywords and also identify the SERPs (with the applied keywords) that have been ranked highly. This tool will let you identify short- and long-tail phrases, thus providing you with the best terms to use. The metrics found in Ubersuggest’s report are CPC, seasonal trends, and keyword volume.

6. SpyFu

SpyFu is one of the best free SEO tools. It offers an exceptional premium pass for those that want to dig deeper into SEO excellence. This tool is simple to use and an excellent choice for those that are starting out. You can use it to identify the number of searches applied to particular keywords. Also, you can search for the keywords used by your competitors.

7. Moz

Moz is another great SEO tool for experts in SEO. Moz offers full service, from site crawling or keyword recommendations. There is a free downloadable toolbar named MozBar that you can use to view your site’s metrics. Users have praised Moz for its regular company updates as well as the support team; if you ask a question, you’ll get a detailed response.

8. Woorank

It’s essential to report keyword performance to understand the industry better and improve optimisation for users. Woorank is an SEO ranking tool that lets you keep tabs on your marketing data and reports accordingly. The analysis tool also enables you to identify the keywords used by competitors and adjust your keywords accordingly. Another notable feature is Woorank’s ability to identify security loopholes in your site. The site guides you on how to seal those loopholes and prevent cyber attacks.

9. Answer The Public

There are many essential facets of SEO to consider, such as keyword research, competitor research, viral content, SEO audit, and rank tracking. Content creativity is also a crucial aspect of SEO. Answer The Public lets you identify the best topics to include in your eCommerce blog. This free tool enables you to create content around your website’s keywords - based on the niche you’re aiming for. It is great for creating your content strategy – you can get multiple title suggestions from one keyword.  

10. Google Trends

Google Trends is a free SEO tool that has been underutilised even though it’s had a long-serving presence. This tool can be used to get keyword information and acquire news about topic-related trends. Since there are several SEO applications to choose from, Trends is recommended for those that aren’t sure where to begin. In any case, this is a good tool to use during the developmental stage of your website.

11. Majestic

Majestic is a versatile marketing SEO tool that you can use at any point for your website’s ranking development. You can check how your website ranks via The Majestic Million feature, which displays the websites ranked as the top million overall. You can also view the number of backlinks used on your website, thanks to the Site Explorer feature. This is a reliable tool for keyword research, site comparisons, and website rank viewing.

Conclusion

In summary, optimising for SEO requires you to have the right approach from the start. Building your website for high rankings and traffic demands patience and the use of the best SEO tools around. It can take up to about 3 to 6 months to see significant results for SEO optimisation for a new site. It is difficult if you want to do it yourself without prior experience but having the best tool is an added advantage. This year, increase your organic search rankings by using the above SEO tools.

The best thing about most of the SEO tools above is that they are free and for the paid ones they have a free trial, after which you can make up mind about the tool.

Learn more about how to improve your SEO by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute