UPSTART

Do you have something to offer the world that could help others succeed in work, a hobby, life in general? Are you wanting to earn extra money and create a new life for yourself as an entrepreneur? If you find yourself dreaming of being your own boss and giving back in some way, but don't know how to start, it's time to join over 50k creators and check out Thinkific. A powerful, all-in-one platform, Thinkific makes it easy to create and sell online courses and membership sites under your own brand. Whether you're educating 10 students or 10 million, Thinkific will help you feel confident with the easiest technology and best support in the business. With everything you need to run your education business under one roof, you will have access to personal customization, total control over your content, pricing, and data, and seamless automation to help you work without worry. Every Thinkific feature, from their landing page templates to their state-of-the-art learning environment, was designed so you can enhance your students' experience and grow your business for long term success. That means from site-building to marketing, Thinkific is with you every step of the way. Still, think it's too hard on your own and business success takes a team? Well, Thinkific is yours! Rates the #1 support team in online education, they're there to assist you in your journey. They know the ins and outs of creating a successful education business, and not only will they be there to assist with your website and other technology, but they will also be there to inspire you, motivate you, coach you, and celebrate your wins. No more wondering, no more unanswered questions, it's time to share your expertise with the world. So, head over to Thinkific and see how you can start a thriving education business today! Start Your Free Trial! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

One of the common issues professional publishers and bloggers have to deal with is the dilemma of how to successfully monetize their websites and blogs. Right now, there are scores of ad networks available that offer the golden box at the rainbow's end. Revresponse is one such affiliate network. Well, what is Revresponse in the first place? It is a unique ad network that pays you for generating leads through your blog, website, forums, mailing lists, and newsletters as well. Revresponse provides a unique platform to earn from affiliate marketing for B2B publishers and facilitator based on performance. You can refer a visitor to sign up for informative and valuable ebooks, white papers, or even magazines they provide and in return, Revresponse offers commission on qualified subscriptions. The company is well established since 1998 and is quite popular in the marketing industry, as it always comes up consistently with innovative ways to help promote offers. No wonder, they work with the biggest advertisers globally (like Microsoft, IBM, among others just to name a few) and have selection criteria just to make sure it's a quality network overall. How much do they pay? Revresponse pays you for qualified leads (as long as they meet certain requirements) anywhere between $1.5 to $20 for every lead. And they make payments through PayPal when you reach the minimum pay-out level. What are the best benefits for a professional blogger or web publisher to partner with Revresponse when compared to other linking networks? What clearly sets RR apart from a plethora of other linking networks is that they charge web publishers and bloggers to offer something away for free in form of weekly magazines, PDF guides, and more. This free content is of real value for the readers and thus it provides a unique way of generating revenue. As a blogger when you join RR, you get access to a huge library of free ebooks, downloads, and magazines related to the business and technology world. You can market these offers to your audience through your blogs, newsletters, etc. So Revresponse pays bloggers and publishers to offer free content that's actually of relevant and genuine value to their audience, unlike other ad networks that display links of irrelevant interest to your readers. Are there no redirections and intrusive pop-ups? As a blogger and publisher, you don't have to worry about the loathed java hover ad pop-ups. You don’t have to worry about your visitor getting bombarded with pop up ads that annihilate the smooth user experience. Instead, it works as a co-branded site integration or content resource center as every partner that signs up for RR are given a partner URL, which you can personalize to suit your site UI. This way, your audience will stay on your site while accessing the free offers. In the end, it is a double win situation for you and your users. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

In an era where everyone has short attention spans, software generally comes with a small shelf-life; however, WordPress survived and stayed on top for the past ten years! No wonder, it powers almost 20% of all websites available now. Now here are some facts and reasons as per a recent study you just can’t overlook, as hackers do their best to take advantage and exploit this lucrative popular platform. Almost 30% of WordPress websites are hacked because of an out-dated theme; Approximately 40% of WordPress websites are exploited due to unsafe hosting; More than 20% of WordPress sites are hacked due to old plugins; And nearly 10% of WordPress websites are exploited because of the usage of unsafe passwords. The whole responsibility of security of these sites relies upon the hands of the site owners and WP developers. The core developers are doing their job well, but you have to take care of it on your side as well. However, you don’t have to fret about how to handle your sites well, as you can now take advantage of the simple single-click access to manage and monitor all your sites instantly. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

It is no secret that the majority of online users check social media websites every day. Social media has become the easiest way to connect with friends and family. Forward-thinking businesses know that these websites provide an interactive way to engage with current customers and attract new ones if they can only make themselves stand out from the crowd. Social media branding is an efficient way to develop your overall SEO. Here are some of the key starting points. Building Profile Pages Don’t limit yourself: One of the benefits of the internet is that an incredible amount of platforms exist concurrently and most people regularly visit multiple sites. Put your business out there on as many social media sites as you can. Increasing your visibility can only help you. Include links back to your website: This will help build your off-page SEO by providing an array of sites that have links to your main page. It also gives new customers an easy way to learn more about your business. Getting Your Tone It is not enough to simply create a profile page and then let it gather dust. We call it social media for a reason — it is meant to be interactive and people are not going to find your business unless you are providing regular updates and ways for them to interact. Diversify your posts: People visit different social media sites for different reasons. Post articles, videos, new product releases, photos, reviews, and anything else you can devise. Not everything will appeal to everyone, but all you need is for one thing to attract someone to your website for them to become a potential customer. Know your goals: Though the previous point still holds, be sure to know which types of posts bring your brand the most visibility. If you develop innovative computer software, most customers will likely look for product reviews and demonstrations. If you provide more personal, customer-interactive services, make sure that the tone of your updates appeals to your ideal customer. Cast a wide net, but make it easy for your typical audience to find what they expect from you. Essential Tools There are multiple tools and services available online that will help you manage all of your profile pages. Post once, everywhere: There are dozens of services that will allow you to post updates or new content once and have it automatically sent to the rest of your profiles. Some of the bigger websites, such as Twitter and Facebook, already have this function built-in. Tracking your stats: Tools like HootSuite and Mention will track who visits your profile pages, how often they visit, and what they do once they are there. Knowing the details of your visitors’ behavior is vital to turning those visitors into customers and to evaluate the effectiveness of your page. If people are not following the link to your website, maybe it needs to be more visible. If the number of visitors on your Twitter page is low, you might need a more visually-appealing background. You want to allow people to see how exciting and useful your business is. Make sure that your profile pages accomplish that goal. The internet is constantly updating and reinventing itself. Don’t be afraid to try new things to reach your customers. Please share below your most successful experiences with social media marketing! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

One of the strengths of small businesses is their ability to personally connect with customers and provide them with quality service that they do not receive from larger businesses. However, as your business grows and the number of your customer relationships increases, it can become difficult to maintain the necessary level of customer relationship management with the same care and efficiency. Apptivo has developed a series of integrated business applications that are designed to help small businesses manage their information more efficiently. Their Customer Relationship Management application, or CRM, allows businesses to add and nurture customer relationships so that you can continue to provide the excellent service necessary for jumpstarting your business. Their bundled application packages allow you to take the services that you need and leave the rest for another time, guaranteeing that you will not waste valuable resources. Overall, Apptivo streamlines business management so that your time can go towards growing your business, not trying to navigate obscure programs. 360-degree View Under the 360-degree Customer View application, you can view every detail regarding your customers, including any projects to which they might be currently linked. The main features are as follows: Assign an account manager: Customers connect better with your business when they are consistently talking to one or two key liaisons. By assigning an account manager to each customer, you ensure that the customer develops a relationship with the same person. Details: Store notes, documents, projects, and sales opportunities associated with each customer in the same place as the rest of their contact information. Do not risk missing out on a follow-up or forgetting a detail when you can have it all organized in one navigable place. Cases The Cases application specializes in solving customers’ problems for the best customer satisfaction. Use this application to: Record issues: Customers want to know they are being listened to and that their issues are being taken seriously. The Cases application helps you keep detailed records of any issues that customers might report to you, including technical issues regarding your website. Communicate progress: After assigning an employee to handle the issues, the Cases application allows you to report that progress to customers so that they know that their problem is being dealt with swiftly. Communication is always an integral part of effective customer relationship management. Leads Apptivo’s CRM is not just about managing existing customer relationships. The Leads application also provides a way to pursue new customers by assigning priority levels and concrete steps for turning those leads into sales opportunities. Its integration with the Opportunity application allows you to instantly convert a customer under the Leads category to the Opportunity category, giving you a more specific set of tools to manage this shift in the relationship. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of how Apptivo can help your business better manage its customer data. Please share your thoughts or questions about this wonderful tool below! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

It is becoming increasingly popular to support local businesses rather than large corporations, especially with people who crave the intimacy and customer support that small businesses provide. Most small businesses, even ones meant to be multi-regional or national, will find that a significant portion of their customers comes from their own front yard. Here are some tips for local search optimization to help you ensure that these valuable customers can find you easily online. Create Your Profiles The first step in local search optimization is to build profiles for your business on websites like Yelp and Foursquare. Some people use these sites to search for local businesses directly, but even if they use a general search engine like Google, these pages will come up in the search results. Relevant web sites: Not sure which websites you should focus on? Do a few searches that are relevant to your business (for example, “Italian restaurants + Los Angeles” if you own an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles) and see which context-specific websites come up first. Getting the details right: Pay attention to what details you are looking for when you search for businesses and make sure that you have them on your own pages. The most crucial ones for local search optimization include contact information, local address, business hours, and a link to your main website. Ask for Reviews Asking for reviews can be tricky for two reasons. One, some customers don’t like to feel nagged for reviews. Two, you easily invite bad reviews, sometimes from people who didn’t even try your business. However, you will find that many customers who support your company love to share their positive experiences and will be happy to provide thoughtful reviews so that other people can discover them. Responding to bad reviews: Bad reviews can be frustrating, but how you respond to them is important. If a customer truly had a negative experience, respond to their review by reaching out to them and trying to make it right. Apologize and offer them a discount for the next time they come in. They will appreciate the effort and might even change their review because of it. Incentives: Offering incentives for reviews never hurts. If you are having trouble picking up reviews, consider running a short promotion that rewards customers for reviewing your business. On-Site Optimization Local search optimization still requires you to have a killer website that draws people in. You want curious customers to follow a link back to your main website so that they can find more information. Make sure that your page easily answers any questions they might have. Local search optimization also requires a couple of extra nudges to move you up in the rankings. Meta descriptions: Go into your coding and make sure that it is easy for search engines to find your local contact information. Google can’t tell people about your local flower shop if your website doesn’t say where you are located. Mobile site: An increasing number of customers conduct searches for local businesses via mobile devices. It makes sense; most of the time, they are searching for something local because they are already out and want to find something nearby. Make sure your information is readily accessible by a mobile phone. Hopefully, this information will help you connect with more local customers. Please comment and share your thoughts below. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

The exorbitant amount of content introduced over the internet every minute. With such huge content, it is easy to say that “Every person over the internet is a content marketer and every single organization is now a publisher”; though it sounds right it is absolutely wrong! The internet is awash with both types of content – fantastic and weak. Content marketing deals with a broader subject of content ideation and effective content distribution. Here are some points that help you know content distribution as an ideal marketing mantra of the future: Cost-Effectiveness Organizations today are more content savvy to use it to its extreme capacity. The current trends in content marketing are hard to ignore. Many small and medium-sized businesses are directly using content for online marketing because: 1. Business owners can easily do it themselves; 2. It is a cost-effective option for advertising; Why content marketing is the future of effective marketing – one of the biggest points is that the lesser cost of content distribution enables business owners to either decrease the product cost or to pass on the benefits to their customers in other forms. This creates a win-win situation for both. So, content marketing tends is the most prominent and cost-effective way of marketing in the future. Usefulness Apart from being a huge money saver, it also is a very scalable strategy that can easily be tracked and optimized for the purpose. There are several tools (most of them are free to use) available in the market to check the effects of content marketing and to better calculate its ROI. Better Branding & Customer Satisfaction Content indubitably is the king of the online marketing realm. Content is now available online in many evolved forms such as blogs, articles, press releases, and even videos. While helping businesses build a stronger brand image through effective distribution, resourceful content also helps in gaining customer satisfaction through strategic SEO and social sharing. Thus, content marketing assists businesses to reach out to more customers via its extensive attributes of brand building and customer satisfaction. Better Formats Businesses need to develop effective content cultures & formats that concentrate on the following 2 important aspects: Understanding what the audience Demand; And Identifying and drilling down different types of audiences who they essentially need to connect to; Marketing of content, done this way, can help businesses reach a level deeper to understand the right pulse of the market and their customers. All the above considerations clearly put content marketing as a promising marketing strategy for the future. Any business owner can make the most out of this content evolution by expanding its tactical distribution of content across the web, social media, and search engines. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

If you’ve decided to put creating your landing pages on hold while you focus on other aspects of marketing your web-based business, you’re making a huge mistake. Landing pages play an important role in helping you connect with new customers and will drive your target market to your website. When you utilize landing pages best practices, you’ll see an immediate increase in the amount of traffic certain sections of your website receives. What Are Landing Pages Don’t confuse landing pages with home pages. The landing page serves as a kind of stepping stone to the actual meat of a particular section of the website. Based on the information a person finds on your landing pages, they will either follow links directing them to other areas of your website or try a different type of search. There are several landing pages best practices you can use to ensure your pages match up with the proper search. Elements of a Great Landing Page Keywords/Keyword Phrases: It’s natural to feel like you should cram as many keywords on a landing page as you possibly can, but you need to curb this urge. Google’s Panda program has been designed in such a way that if it finds a high number of keywords on a given page, the entire website will be penalized, keep the keyword density to less than 1.5%. Landing pages best practices include you making a separate page for each keyword, instead of trying to incorporate several onto the same page. Relevant Content: Landing page best practices include using content that’s concise and relevant. Before posting the page make sure the content is typo-free, accurate, and that it pertains to the keywords used for that particular page. Simplicity: Visitors will use the page to determine if your website has the information they need. They want to be able to make this determination quickly. Making sure the page is nicely laid out, has clear text, and hasn’t been jammed pack with images gives the impression of organization and professionalism, which encourages visitors to stay. Links: The purpose of the landing page is to help direct traffic to other areas of your website. It’s up to you to frequently check and make sure those links work properly. A broken link gives visitors a bad impression of your web-based business. Landing sites tend to be found by individuals who have never visited the website before and have just run a very specific web search. The landing page serves as a place that in addition to finding the information they sought, the visitor will also learn a little bit about your web-based business and should serve as a kind of introduction site. Don’t lose sight of the fact that the page will be the very first impression an individual who has found it via an internet search has of the web-based business, landing pages best practices ensure that it’s a great first impression. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

The game, the very word evokes positive and joyful thoughts. The idea of fun excites people. Incorporating the idea of fun and the joy of playing a game into mundane tasks can prove an effective way to take the attention away from the complexity and the difficulty level of the task. In the business world, this is known as gamification. It is the use of game-like techniques to instigate the target audience into solving problems whilst using the game as a marketing strategy. Some common examples associated with child products; sales pick up when they give out a toy as an incentive with the product. Many brands use reward points and badges as a usual marketing strategy which has proven to boost sales. Engaging customers through gamification expands the market presence in the digital platform. Online games are used as successful tools to reach out to an audience worldwide. The natural gratification of winning and the urge of competing in the business come together in a perfect combination. Gamification not only helps in customer engagement but has found applications in various fields such as education and corporate structures. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy! There are aspects of education that are attractive and engaging such as offering stars which are very popular among kids. Incentives in corporate structures involve an employee finishing a task and obtaining reward badges to encourage employees. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

If business owners become confused when they read an article or attend a lecture in which the term gamification in business is used, they shouldn’t feel bad. Many well-educated business people have the same reaction. Over the past year or so, gamification in business is a term that has gotten used quite a bit. Makes Marketing Fun Believe it or not, when a marketing expert uses the term gamification in business it means that things are about to get fun. This is accomplished by turning common marketing techniques, most often inbound marketing into something that feels more like a game than something tedious that needs to be dealt with. Not only do business owners and managers enjoy the gamification process, but it’s also well received by customers and frequently leads to an increase in website traffic and revenue. How it’s Accomplished Different business has different gamification techniques, but the most successful examples involve a business encouraging fans to do something that increases the company’s visibility, such as posting a Twitter hashtag or encouraging customers to share a specific Facebook post. In return for all this sharing, one or two customers who participated received a prize. The bigger the prize, the higher customer participation tends to be. Many businesses use this opportunity to encourage customers to sign up for a mailing list. The Benefits of Gamification in Business There are many benefits that businesses enjoy when they use gamification in their marketing program. The benefits include; An opportunity to increase the number of subscribers to their online newsletters, Facebook group, and Twitter followers; A surge in inbound links leads to an improvement in search engine ranking; An opportunity to connect with a high number of members in the businesses target market; Gamification provides an opportunity to gather information about customers, which makes it possible to streamline the marketing program and create more efficient ways to connect with the target market. How to Benefit from Gamification in Business Considering how much businesses can benefit from gamification, the temptation to run a game every few days can be strong, however, it’s not advised. To enjoy a maximum amount of success from this particular marketing process, businesses should only organization a gamification event every two or three months. Once a date for the event has been set, business owners/managers need to decide how long they’re going to run the event, what the prize will be, and what the rules are. All of this information should be clearly posted where participants can easily see it. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

Individuals who have taken the time to create a personal brand are the ones who generally have no difficulty connecting with future employers or clients. They’re the individuals who never seem to worry about whether or not they’ll have a job in six months or a year. Their skills are always in demand. Since they took the time and designed a personal brand, everyone always knows exactly who they are, what industry they work for, and what special skills they bring to the table. Social Media Matters These days, employers don’t just look at an applicant’s resume, they also use the internet and scan social media sites. Based on the posts, pictures, and overall level of professionalism employers see, they will determine whether or not a particular person will be a good match for their business. Social media sites anyone interested in creating a personal brand should join include; Twitter Facebook Google+ LinkedIn Simply having an account won’t be enough. It’s important that the account is updated frequently and that the account holder is active in industry-specific groups. Synchronize Everything When creating a personal brand, it’s important to make vital you make sure everything matches. The logo that appears on your website, should be the same one you have on your business cards. The same is true for your Facebook header and Twitter profile picture. The colors used for the logo should be colors that are generally accepted in the industry. For example, an individual seeking employment in the cosmetology field might select pastels, a landscaper should probably stick to earth tones, and someone in the field of finance will have the best luck with somber colors like grays, maroons, and darker shades of blue and green. Smart People Surround Themselves with Powerful Friends The type of people an individual has established a relationship with plays a huge role when creating a personal brand. Being connected with industry leaders tell future employers/clients that the individual knows a great deal about the industry and knows how to do things correctly. Some of the best ways to connect with industry leaders include; Guest blogging Co-lecturing at trade shows Moderating Facebook groups Attending conferences Individuals who are serious about creating a personal brand know that they can’t do it on their own, and they’re willing to give credit where credit is done. They publicly acknowledge anyone who assists them. This indicates that the individual works well with others. The most important thing to remember when creating a personal brand is that it’s an ongoing process. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

Incorporating video content into your website has become a popular marketing strategy for businesses. People love watching videos and will gladly share the ones they enjoy with their network. There are significant advantages to creating a great video that gathers a high number of views. However, you cannot simply create a great video and then release it into the void. That video needs to be marketed, just like any other part of your company. Here are some video marketing strategies that will help you get the most out of your videos. Make a video that people want to watch Even the most brilliant video marketing strategies will be useless if no one likes your video. Focus on information, tone, and length. Is the information in your video best delivered in that medium, or would people get more out of it as a blog post? Is the tone something that your ideal customer would relate to? Is the length appropriate to the type of video you are producing? Get on YouTube YouTube is easily the most popular video platform online. It has several benefits that will help your video marketing strategies. Widely accessible: Customers who have the YouTube app on their phone or tablet can already view it easily without any further changes from you. They can also easily share it or embed it on their own site, which will boost your SEO. Effective advertising: Buying paid ads on YouTube can successfully increase your number of views. They have an expert recommendation algorithm that will suggest your video to people who are already potentially interested in your business. Diversify your content Having a lot of videos is crucial to all video marketing strategies. Ideally, watching one of your videos will encourage customers to see the rest. Have different lengths: Some videos are meant to be short, especially ones that introduce the brand. Videos that contain more information, like product reviews or tutorials, should be longer. Most video players will display the length of the video so that customers can decide which kind they are looking for. Engage: So many businesses have moved online that customers are beginning to miss the personal interactions they once received from their local shops. Videos are a way to give your business a personality that they can relate to. Offer video tutorials that show customers how to use your products. Interview customers about your business and post videos of their experiences for others to see. Anything that helps people interact with your business is generally good content for a video. Know your goals If your goal is not to gain visibility and social traction but to drive more traffic to your site, consider keeping your video off of YouTube for a while. While it is effective in gaining views, it tends to drive traffic to YouTube more than to your own website. There are multiple paid web hosting solutions that will ensure that your video is visible only on your domain. This means that any links to your video will bring people back to your website if they want to view it. You can always upload it to YouTube later if you decide you want more of a response from social media. Please comment below on which video marketing strategies have worked for you! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

For most industries, technological progress mainly affected the physical component of what businesses do. During the industrial revolution, the companies achieve a competitive advantage by substituting various new methodologies to withstand them. Information processing at that time was mostly the result of human effort. Gone are the days when you could expect your business to operate in the same way for decades and continue to profit and grow. Disruption from shifting consumer habits to ever-changing technology forces us to constantly develop solutions to propel ourselves ahead of the competition. Here comes The Anticipatory Organization Learning System, a training process for executives and their teams to develop the skills to accurately foresee and take critical actions before disruption strikes. The ANTICIPATORY ORGANIZATION™ Model As a business consultant, Daniel Burrus helped countless emerging leaders take their organizations to new heights by teaching them how to correctly predict disruption. The Anticipatory Organization Model of Daniel Burrus is a powerful tool for leaders, managers, planners, executives, and sales teams. You can use this model to Know What’s Next – Transform Planning Develop Opportunities – Transform Innovation Shape the Future – Transform Culture Accelerate Success – Transform Results (AO) The Anticipatory Organization offers a comprehensive way to identify game-changing opportunities. Using the principles of this proven model, you will learn how to elevate planning, accelerate innovation, and transform results by pinpointing and acting upon enormous opportunities waiting to be discovered. The Anticipatory Organization Learning System (AO) The Anticipatory Organization Learning System is a training process for executives and their teams to develop the skills to accurately foresee and take critical actions before disruption strikes. The program focuses on four key areas of development: Trend Analysis Customer Needs Sales Obstacles New Opportunities Why have an Anticipatory Organization? (AO) The Anticipatory Organization applies the methodology of separating Hard Trends that will happen from Soft Trends that might happen to their innovation and decision-making processes. Employees of an Anticipatory Organization understand that those who can see the future most accurately have the biggest advantage. They actively embrace the fact that many future disruptions, problems, and game-changing opportunities are predictable and represent unprecedented ways to gain an advantage. Employees know that it’s better to solve predictable problems before they happen, and that predict future problems often represent the biggest opportunities. They know that being anticipatory means modifying plans to keep them relevant and from becoming obsolete before they are implemented, based on the Hard Trends that are shaping the future. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

Reaching a point where a business is generating word of mouth marketing is the brass ring all businesses strive for. Not only is the word of mouth marketing the most affordable type of marketing, but it’s also what the average consumer trusts the most. Generating this form of marketing takes time, patience, and a solid plan. Get the Ball Rolling Business owners shouldn’t sit back and wait for consumers to start talking about their product or service. Business owners need to give the member of their target market a reason to start talking. Thanks to social media websites, triggering word of mouth promotion isn’t nearly as difficult as it used to be. The hardest part will be amassing followers. The easiest way to collect followers is to follow people who make up your target market. Once a nice group of followers has been collected, you can create your own word of mouth campaign by having giveaways, posting comments your followers share, connecting with others. Easy ways to locate your target market on Facebook include: Using Demographics; Hashtags; Use SEO keywords; Use industry connections; Post frequently; Start conversations; Identify Behavioral Drivers; Find the right Influencers; Profile your Customer; Analyze online data. Be Visible You can generate a lot of words of mouth marketing in your home town simply by being involved in the community. Giving speeches, sponsoring events, and creating community products will get people talking about a business, and they’ll be saying nice things. The online business only can become more visible and start generating word of mouth by guest blogging. It’s important to invite people to guest blog on the business's site as well. Not only does guest blogging increase the number of people who know the business, but also improves SEO while simultaneously establishing that the individual handling the marketing for the company is an industry expert. Leaving comments on popular industry blogs provides business owners with an excellent opportunity to connect with their target market and to create word of mouth interest. Identify Unique Aspects The best way for a business to generate interest in itself is by being different from everyone else. Business owners need to sit down and think about what makes them stand out from the competition. Once unique qualities have been isolated, business owners shouldn’t be afraid to brag about them. In no time at all, their customers will start to get excited and spread the word. It takes some time, but if business owners stick to these tips, people will start talking about the company, and eventually, a highly successful word of mouth marketing campaign will be underway. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

The key to having an effective marketing program that not only promotes a product/service but also helps establish a recognizable brand is having an integrated marketing strategy. Every single promotional statement should, in some way, connect to all previously released marketing material and what will be released in the future. Using an integrated marketing strategy that ties all marketing material together not only makes advertisement campaigns easier to plan but also has other benefits, including; Increased revenue; Heightened brand awareness; Ability to connect with a larger portion of the businesses target market; Credibility; Ability to set marketing goals. Before creating an integrated marketing strategy, business owners need to know exactly what message they want to convey each time they do something to promote their business. The message needs to reach the target market and make them understand how using the business in question is different from the competition. Once a message has been selected, it should be shortened into one or two sentences that can be used as a slogan. Create an Identity One of the biggest aspects of an integrated marketing strategy is being identifiable. Even before they start talking about their new business and generating word of mouth interest, business owners need to design a logo. The logo should only use a few bold colors, be a relatively simple design, and differ from the logos being used by the business's competitors. The logo goes on every piece of promotional material the business releases and should be used as an identification photo on social media sites. Start Networking Connecting with other professionals in the industry and mingling with the members of the target market is a big aspect of integrated marketing strategy. It’s also another thing that can start happening long before the business is ready to make its first sale. Great ways to network while creating an integrated marketing plan include; Blogging; Becoming active on social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn; Attending trade shows; Giving lectures at conferences. Business owners need to know what the sales budget is for the upcoming month, but also have a solid understanding of the yearly budget. This enables them to create a marketing plan that will flow smoothly from one project to another without any stagnant months. Even more importantly, knowing the long-term budget decreases the chances of the company over-promoting themselves during the first few months. An integrated marketing strategy isn’t difficult to create and business owners will love how it makes it possible for them to maximize the potential of their marketing campaigns. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

The web industry proffers excellent career opportunities for folks looking to make a mark in digital marketing. Online agencies provide related jobs that are in great demand now for those who can perform well in the following areas or skills: SEO experts; Web designing; Paid search analysts; Social media marketing; Business development; Content management among others. Here are few tips to land a job in the realm of internet marketing: Tip #1: Write and Maintain a Blog: Resumes are passive and old-fashioned, but having a personal blog is a cool way to demonstrate and display your interest in the internet marketing platform. If you get good traffic with well-built content and links, then it can be a bonus! Heck, if you really wish to land a job in a specific online marketing company, then why not write a special blog analyzing the company’s marketing strategies and send the link to the concerned hiring manager. Tip #2 – Take care of your Online Reputation: If you are already aware that most non-tech employers are smart enough to scout and scrutinize your online social network reputation, then you can only imagine how sharp and smarter would web industry employers be before hiring you. So it is time to do some spring cleaning of your social media reputation. It comes as one of the top recommendations from us if you wish to grab your online marketing dream job. So get social and even better actively follow and interact with the company’s social media blogs and accounts. Leverage this opportunity to reach out to people who could hire you. Of course, doesn’t fret to engage and interact with the CEO. Tip # 3 – Why not Initiate your very own Web Marketing: One of the best ways to display your potential in the realm of web marketing is by setting up a unique social media or ad words campaign. This just goes to show that you are well aware of the digital marketing stuff, as you draw the target audience towards your campaign. This could be in the form of acquiring subscribers, followers, for a local program, or as simple as ranking your name first on the Google search engine. Tip #4 – Get Familiar with Digital Lingo: Of course, this one can’t be overlooked as brushing up your digital language with basic acronyms and related terms is a must. This can include knowing about ORM (online reputation management), SMM (social media marketing) among many others. Just Google about more such phrases related to online marketing. Tip # 5 – Nail the Interview: Finally, get prepared and dressed well and answer questions confidently. And yes follow-up in a smart way, if you haven’t received a welcome call or email from the company; this could be as simple as shooting out a “Thank You” mail! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

In the past few years, the field of artificial intelligence has improved by leaps and bounds. Today’s technology and understanding of robotics have made it conceivable that machines with abilities similar to a human brain may be possible in the next few years. “Doctor, you may not want to hear this, but computers will ultimately replace the work of physicians.” This was an unexpected comment from a very bright, albeit somewhat brash, a third-year medical student with an impressive engineering background beginning his surgical rotation in my outpatient… There’s no denying that artificial intelligence has the power to make the world a better place. On the other hand, many wonder if the new developments to make robots even more intelligent will have a detrimental impact on the workforce. In the past factory workers and those employed in positions that required a great deal of repetition were the only ones who worried about their job being assigned to a robot. Now people in other industries, including the medical community and those who work in finances worry that upcoming forms of A.I. will cost them their jobs. Their concerns aren’t unjust. While there’s no getting around the fact that artificial intelligence will leave its mark on the world and force a change in the workforce, it’s equally important to remember that no matter how sophisticated artificial intelligence becomes in the future, it’s always going to be somewhat limited. It will still be unable to reason or think creatively, things that all industries will require. Individuals who are technology gifted should find that improvements in the field of A.I. technology will make finding satisfying careers easier than ever. All industries will need creative and innovative people who will continue to improve artificial intelligence. Economists are quick to point out that while it’s true that A.I. technology will make some jobs obsolete, it’s important to note that historically when such situations have arisen, new jobs were created that not only gave people new career options, they also improved the overall quality of life. The same economists also believe that it won’t take long before the culture adapts to the changes and welcomes them. It’s reasonable to expect the A.I. technology that will be developed in the future to free some members of the workforce from tedious tasks, improve everyone’s health, and extend life expectancy. There’s no getting around the fact that A.I. technology is here to stay and that it will continue to evolve and improve. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

The Role of Keyword Research: Keywords are essentially the root of all online traffic. Efficient keyword research can greatly affect a business, as it plays a pivotal role in the SEO marketing strategy. Keywords are, of course, the key to unlocking the big potential of acquiring new leads and target traffic. It effectively reinforces online searchers' interests and core expectations, as you avail those very words that they are learned and magnetized towards. In simple words, smart keyword research and its effective application in SEO indicates you are proficiently speaking their Language! Hence, choosing the right set of target keywords for a particular business niche, along with quality content, leads to more scope for conversion. Essentially, keyword research is a prime strategic SEO function to aid search engines to recognize your website and as a result of lead prospective and highly potential customers to your site. The Dire Consequences of Availing the Wrong set of keywords: By engaging an unsubstantial and misguiding set of keywords, would only lead to tremendous wastage of time, money, and resources; as you would not be able to reach the quality target traffic. So it is crucial to picking SEO services that can help you acquire good visibility online by harnessing the right and relevant set of keywords. So keywords are the basic building blocks for all virtual web marketing campaigns and this includes social media, videos, images, and more. No wonder, they are now effectively availed while naming services, products, among others. So proficient keyword research process is mighty essential to get popular and draw people to your website. Progressive Keyword Research: Firstly, it is essential to scout and finds all the best possible keywords. Among these, you need to find and pick the most performing set of keywords and one way would be to clearly test the performance of the keyword online. Finally, break them down into related themes and sequential categories. Taking advantage of the right set of keyword research tools is crucial and this can include Google Adwords, Wordstream, Google Trends, Google Keyword Planner, Wordze, among many others. Actively refining your keyword Research: Furthermore, it is equally important to think through and analyze your keyword research campaign now and then, say quarterly. This way, you can drop a poor performing set of keywords and at the same time scrutinize new opportunities by modifying and involving new keywords that have the potential to draw more traffic. You need keywords that help wind up your goals by drawing people to your site who would be interested in your services and products. So your keyword list needs to be overlooked constantly and kept under check to promote continuous growth. In a nutshell, the right keyword research ensures a rich user experience by delivering relevant content and more conversions naturally. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

There is no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are one of the top digital marketing trends in 2019 and it will even top the list by 2020. This is because chatbot technology is moving so quickly, every marketing pro needs to stay updated. Critical Chatbots Statistics Did you know? 48% of consumers prefer a chatbot that solves issues over a chatbot that has personality. 15% of US consumers believe nothing could stop them from using a chatbot. 21% of consumers see chatbots as the easiest way to contact a business. 95% of consumers believe ‘customer service’ is going to be the major beneficiary of chatbots. 48% of consumers would rather connect with a company via live chat than any other means of contact. 35% of consumers want to see more companies using chatbots. Currently, Voice Search Is On the Rise In this digital world, people are switching to a hands-free way of data input while on the move. This is the reason why chatbots have become a new trend. Research says 60% of consumers have used voice search to find business information in the last year and almost half of those use voice search daily to find local businesses. The growth in voice search is partly due to the huge advances that have been made in understanding human speech with machine learning algorithms. Chatbots Has Become a Standard in 2019 and Shaking Things Up Chatbots are becoming so sophisticated! Did you know, Facebook was forced to abandon an experimental chatbot project last year after the bots created their own language? This is the reason, why many companies have been developing chatbot technology at the moment. It is expected that because of the increase in the potential for more organic visits, by the end of 2019, a chatbot will be the standard on every website and app. Top 10 Benefits of Using a Chatbot for Your Business 1. Automation of repetitive work. 2. Chatbot provides 100% satisfaction to customers. 3. It helps you in saving your hard-earned money. 4. Efficiently handle the customers than you do. 5. Professionally helps the customers. 6. Available 24/7. 7. Get valuable analytical insights. 8. Ensure personalized communication and advertisements. 9. Create proactive and intimate interactions. 10. Boost the brand’s creative storytelling. By using chatbots for your business, improves your customer satisfaction, and helps you rank highly in your sector. So, How to Build Your Own Chatbot? If you’ve not started thinking about this yet, now is the time. Don’t fall behind, get a chatbot to your website with the help of a digital marketing agency, and increase the potential for more organic visits. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message

So far in 2018, we have seen a continued uptake of video content, augmented reality, and influencer marketing. 2018 has been a year of building and improving the 2017 social media trends. But now, that one-third of 2018 is way over, and you may find yourself wondering what does 2019 have in store for us. Let us discuss more on the ever-changing digital marketing landscape that may look in just a few months. Internet will catch Up to Television! According to research, 78 percent of people watch videos online. And video traffic will make up to 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic by 2021. According to a stud,y 4.021 billion people are using the internet in 2018. Because of this, we could say that companies should focus on web video, social media, and web ads in the New Year to withstand digital marketing trends. Chatbots will become a Normal Thing! It is expected that chatbots will continue growing in 2019 and they will likely become more regular in the eyes of consumers. In other words, we will see them become more widespread. 21% or one-fifth of the total population see a chatbot as the easiest way to contact a company. Businesses to stay ahead of the curve must develop chatbots for their plans. They are relatively easy to develop and may make the difference between losing a customer and closing a quick sale to a service with an easy-to-use chatbot. Mobile Marketing! There are more than 5.1 billion mobile phone users in 2018. And this shows the importance of mobile advertising. With so many people around who use mobile phones rather than a desktop, the importance of mobile marketing is quite evident. And this is why it is a fact that you should focus on mobile marketing to make your brand shine in 2019. Yes adopting these simple digital marketing trends will keep you well ahead of your competition in the coming years! Future-proof your business with the digital trends that will dominate in 2019 and stay ahead of the game! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vasile-stoica/message