7 Tools to Help Your Internet Marketing Efforts

The difference between a beginner Internet marketer and a proficient one is, on the one hand, in experience, and on the other hand, in the tools they use. And while experience can only be obtained through continuous work and study of the market, tools are what you can get right now. Here are some with which you should start.

1. Google Alerts

Good old Google Alerts may look unassuming, but it is still one of the best tools for tracing the mentions of your or your competitor’s brand name. RSS may not be as popular as it has been several years ago, but it is nonetheless a simple, reliable and completely free way of keeping track of developments in your industry, and with careful choice of keywords you can gain a lot of insights from this simple tool.

2. DA Checker

Whether you want to check the results of your latest advertising campaign or decide if this or that website is worth cooperating with, knowing the resource’s authority is always extremely helpful. Domain Authority Checker is exactly what it says on the tin – it determines the strength of a website’s presence in the Internet and, unlike many of its analogues, can be used completely free of charge.

3. Website Grader

Do you want to get a fast and reliable review of how strong the SEO of your website is? Then go no further, as Website Grader is one of the most popular and straightforward instruments available in this area of marketing.

4. Hootsuite

Social media may be a major power in modern marketing, and their importance seems to be on the rise. Unfortunately, managing all your social media accounts, updating them, reviewing what others are saying and so on tends to eat up inordinate amounts of your time that you could use for more productive purposes.Hootsuite is a free tool that allows you to comfortably manage all your social media accounts, speeds up the process of posting and lets you review everything from a single interface.

5. Phrase Builder

Phrase Builder may look a bit ugly, but it is truly indispensable when you need a plenty of related keyword ideas and don’t have time to think them up ‘manually’. You simply define certain input criteria, and the tool will generate the list of keywords and phrases.

6. UberSuggest

UberSuggest is one of the most popular tools used by PPC marketers, and for a good reason. In many respects, it is similar to other suggestion tools, but there are a few differences, such as foreign language support and a lot of small details that add up to better and more flexible functionality.

7. Five Second Test

It is often said that what a user sees within five seconds after visiting your site defines whether he is going to stay or leave.  Five Second Test allows you to check how much your website is attuned to this idea: it shows you what the visitor sees, what he is likely to miss and what he is likely to remember.

Using these tools won’t turn you into a pro in a blink of an eye, but it will certainly increase your effectiveness as an online marketer – and quickly!

Souce:http://bit.ly/23oGX5B

6 Guaranteed Ways To Become A Social Media Influencer

Since the entry of social media into the Nigerian space, many people have explored it to their advantage in various ways. One interesting way is becoming social media influencers. Many of them with thousands of followers use their platforms to drive engagement, promote brands, market events and fight for a cause. With these concerted efforts, quite a number of them are smiling to the bank. 

If you want to become a social media influencer in the future, here are a few tips from Jovago.com Africa’s largest hotel booking portal.

Focus

This is the first thing a budding social media influencer should do. He should select a particular field he has comprehensive knowledge about. This will help you narrow your research work to the subject rather than skirting around different fields.

Set Alerts

Tools like Google Alerts or Social Mention can help you to keep tabs on different topics or keywords in your field. Use these to write and contribute current information and opinion.

Be Unique

Your field is saturated with knowledgeable experts like you. They do almost the same thing you do. But, if you want to become a serious social media influencer, strive to be unique. Take time to conceptualise your messages, posts and tweets. In addition, avoid posting first drafts but edit to clear it of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

Engagement

Building an online community takes dedication and constant engagement with your commenters, followers and fans. If you make the engagements regular and focus on a particular field such as economics or fashion, you will have a steady rise in your social media profile.

Share your blog posts

Whenever you write a blog post, ensure that you share it on all the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. It keeps your account active.

Share other influencer’s content

If you admire the work of a senior colleague in your industry, share their articles, posts and tweets regularly. This will help you grow a relationship with them which can help enlarge your area of influence.

  Source : http://bit.ly/1VwyTYw

9 Crazy Tips to Become a Successful Entrepreneur in Half the Time

Being a successful entrepreneur means constantly learning new skills along the way. These tips are what makes the most successful entrepreneurs and can be lessons for any new entrepreneur to follow to ensure their own success.

1. EFFECTIVE PLANNING

Effective planning is an essential skill in all-successful entrepreneurs. Setting strategic goals will allow you to progress and develop any business. Planning means to plan your day effectively as well as being able to set goals that you want to achieve.

2. EXPAND BUSINESS

A one-man business can only do so much. Expand your business beyond your comfortably level; the problem with most businesses is they play it to safe. How can you scale your business?

3. WAKE UP EARLY

Successful entrepreneurs are people who are able to start their day early in order to plan their time effectively to get things done. The most important trait with any successful entrepreneur is showing up and when working for yourself this is a skill that is even more important to learn.

4. EXERCISE

Being your own boss can be stressful in itself. Look to exercise not only to keep yourself fit but also as a way to relief stress. Balance between fitness and business is an essential skill for success.

5. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Positive thinking always brings you one step closer to success. If you believe you will fail, then your mind begins to think of ways to make you fail. Don’t be afraid to think big but above all else it starts with believing in yourself first and then others will also gain confidence in you as well.

6. LEARN…LEARN…LEARN

Being successful means that you need to always find new ways of achieving goals. As you progress in your own business you will find that you gain a new set of skills and its extremely important that you not only sharpen your skills but continue to learn new things on a daily basis…success means that you are always learning.

7. LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS NOT OBSTACLES

Obstacles are a natural phenomenon when starting your own business. The most successful entrepreneurs look at obstacles as challenges that need to be overcome. When you face an obstacle, punch through it and don’t allow it to slow you down.

8. LEARN FROM FEEDBACK

Feedback is essential. This will teach you where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Even the most critical feedback will show you how you can improve and become better.

9. LEARN TO SAY NO

One of the most difficult things is to learn to say no. The most successful entrepreneurs are the people who are able to say no to those tasks that take up too much time or projects that don’t align with their purpose.

How many of these tips are you following on a consistent basis? The key is to create habits that produce success, it doesn’t happen over night but through practicing what other successful entrepreneurs are doing you will reach your own success.

If I can be of any help, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Source : http://bit.ly/1VuVMvf

11 Reasons Your Website Isn’t Making Money

What's stopping your website from being successful? Here are 11 potential reasons.

Websites are a means of making money. That being said, most websites aren't good at making money. If yours isn't getting the job done, why not? What's stopping your website from being successful?

11 potential reasons for you:

1. Your site is broken on mobile devices. You'd be surprised how many websites don't function properly on mobile devices. Considering the fact that more organic search traffic comes from mobile devices than desktop devices, this problem can sabotage over half of your potential sales. Does your site load on all devices and browsers? Does it load in a reasonable amount of time? Do your images and video load properly? Is your content legible? Do your conversion forms work and forward to the correct inbox? Don't assume. Check.

2. Nobody can find your site

. It's one thing to have a website. It's another for it to be findable. If it isn't, it's a huge problem. Improving your online visibility isn't quick, nor easy; it's a process of building your brand through quality content publication. Start with a content marketing strategy, focusing on quality, and build from there..

3. You don't know your audience.

 It's not enough to pick an audience at random or just target "everyone"; you have to know your audience, and create content and messaging that appeal to them specifically. Conduct thorough market research and test your assumptions--make sure you're actually offering your target audience value.

4. Your content sucks.

 A content strategy is useless without high-quality content. In fact, publishing content that sucks will only damage your brand and lower your conversion rates. Only publish content you're proud of, which offers value to your audience. 

5. Your site is disorganized.

 People feel more comfortable on a site that's well-organized. Is your contact page easy to find? Does every page have an easy link back to the homepage? Are your pages organized into meaningful categories and sub-categories?

6. Your site is ugly. 

There's something to be said for the aesthetics of your site, too. Does it look good on mobile devices? Does it fit in well with your industry and the ethos of your brand? Is the text easy to read? Are there compelling images and colors?

7. You have no opportunities for conversion. 

This can be a complex problem because there are so many ways it can go wrong. First, check to ensure you have plenty of opportunities for conversion on-site. Then, make sure they're visible; can people find them and see them easily, no matter where they land on your site? Finally, make sure the conversion forms actually work across devices and browsers--again, never assume.

8. Your conversion process sucks.

 If the actual process of conversion is annoying or clumsy, people will bail. If you're asking for information via a form, ask for fewer fields. If you're hosting a checkout process, make it as fast and seamless as possible.  .

9. You're not showcasing the full potential of your offer.

 It's possible that your content, product, or services are really worth it, but you just aren't doing a good enough job convincing people of that. Be sure to include your unique value proposition (UVP)--what do you offer that others can't? Do you have a blog or FAQ page, or do you offer a customer service line or live chat window? The more information you offer, the more comfortable people will be to buy from you.

10. You're selling too hard. 

Of course, it's also possible that you're selling too hard. If you're exhausting yourself trying to make your product seem better than it actually is, or if you include sales messages on every page, people will become skeptical and leave. Offer value and information to your visitors; leave out the selling.

11. You lack social credibility. 

People trust other people; not companies. Do you offer "social proof" such as customer reviews, testimonials, or other indications of your value and authority? Do your social media profiles show good engagement with your customers, and impressive followings? It's also helpful to list your accreditations or industry affiliations if you have them.

You might find your site has all of these problems, or some of them, or only one. But one thing is certain; unless your site is already making money or you genuinely aren't trying to earn any kind of revenue from it, something is wrong. 

Take care of your website, take care of your users, and the rest will take care of itself. It's not a fast process, nor is it an easy one, but it's a real one capable of real results if you put in the necessary effort.

Source : http://bit.ly/1nxCryX

6 Ideas to Expand Your Lead Scoring Model Beyond the Basics

Lead scoring is the backbone of many B2B marketing organizations, as they focus on better quality leads instead of just generating more leads. But like many things in marketing, even lead scoring is not a set it and forget activity. Once your lead scoring model is established by combining prospect identity and prospect engagement, look at some of the ideas below to increase its efficiency at identifying better quality leads. The more you understand about your prospects and which ones are likely to become customers, the more efficient both marketing and sales become.

1. Expanding Awareness Of Prospect Influences

As prospects receive more and more messages, information, and education through social media during the buying process, these peer channels will continue to grow in relevance. In fact, awareness of how an individual discovered a message, along with where and from whom, can feature prominently in lead scoring and nurturing routines.

2. Content-Based Scoring

Companies that regularly refine their scoring models begin to notice patterns in lead quality that can be directly tied to the content accessed during the buying process. Advanced organizations creates scoring models that include content type—ilike white papers, product information, and customer testimonials— instead of just the download activity itself.

3. Account-Level Scoring

Because companies market to individuals but sell to companies, marketers must identify micro-trends within a larger set of interests. Consider these trends to pinpoint when a certain role is appearing in the buying cycle.

4. Customer Scoring

To increase customer lifetime value, you need to seize opportunities for up selling and cross-selling. That means you must understand when someone is in the cycle for a new product, and determine when a prospect or existing customer has switched mid-stream and is interested in a different product. Smart marketers can analyze all customer touch points to identify opportunities and risk throughout the lifecycle.

5. Opportunity Scoring

Top marketers analyze behavior of a lead all the way through the middle of the pipeline to predict the likelihood of an opportunity closing.

6. Predicting Changes

Your lead scoring model needs to remain closely aligned to your sales and marketing processes, even as they evolve. With predictive modeling tools, you’ll be able to constantly monitor prospect behavior to understand how your model may have to change.

Source : http://bit.ly/1NxNmlq

3 Social Media Trends to Look for in 2016

It seems as if social media trends change daily. In 2015, we saw major changes to the Facebook newsfeed, the dawn of live-streaming applications, and a whole bunch of content everywhere. To me, it seems clear: businesses have an issue with content. Your clients might be saying, “Wait a minute; we’re creating content just fine,” but here’s an alarming statistic: 69 percent of business-to-consumer marketers created more content in 2015, and 70 percent of business-to-business marketers also created more content.

The alarming word here is “more.” In an effort to battle 0% organic reach on platforms like Facebook, the ongoing strategy has been to create more content to cut through the clutter. But is this really the right path forward in 2016?

My answer to this is simple: quality over quantity. A brand that is too focused on the brand message as opposed to communicating with its consumer is a brand that will fail on social media in 2016. It’s time we really start to understand our consumers, because 2016 will provide brands a real opportunity to harness the power of consumer-driven content and brand affinity.

Here are three big trends I see really taking off in 2016:

1. Channel building.

Simply put, many brands are on multiple channels, but the content strategy isn’t working. Instead of cross-promoting the same content on all channels using the copy-paste model, brands will need to make the switch to a model that speaks specifically to the audience on each channel. Work to build specific audiences on the different channels—because they’re all so different.

We know that the LinkedIn audience is comprised of mostly C-level executives, so let’s help our clients understand that there is a better channel suited for community events, contests, etc. In the same vein, branded content will not generate any organic reach on Facebook unless you’re providing an awesome incentive to engage, so make sure you’re working paid budgets into the 2016 mix.

If a message is important and you want people to see it, be prepared to invest $2 in promotions for every $1 spent creating a piece of content. Don’t just drop a piece of content on a social network and hope it sticks, give each piece of content a runway to succeed.

2. Live streaming.

Content on social media that contains video is proven to be more engaging. Brands are beginning to use videos for customer service outreach and to show personality. In 2016, new applications like Periscope and Facebook’s new “Live” option will allow brands the opportunity to engage on a new level. Attending a trade show? CEO giving a keynote? Hosting a grand opening? Stream it live and give consumers a real look into your client’s brand and “who” they’re all about.

Notice I said “who” and not “what” – the sooner our clients can differentiate between the two, the faster they’ll see success on social media. It’s not about what a brand has; it’s about who they are and how consumers will identify with them. Many marketers think consumers are too busy to consume their content, but if content is relevant, the audience will consume it. Relevancy creates time.

3. Influencer marketing.

About 25 percent of all branded search results is user-generated content. That means a quarter of the content about your client’s brand is not developed by your marketing team. Yikes! Influencers, brand advocates, and even employees are talking about your brand online.

Remember the phrase: “word of mouth?” It’s happening on a massive scale, but your brand can weigh in. Businesses are making more than $6 on each $1 spent on influencer marketing.

Source : http://bit.ly/1No8V81

5 Secrets to Monetizing Your LinkedIn Experience

Follow five simple rules using this reliable platform to share your expertise in the marketplace. Here they are:

1. Know Your Brand

No one is going to buy from you if you don't have a brand. You've got to ask yourself, "What do I want to be known for?" If you do 10 different things, no one is going to know what you do best. You have to let people know what you're really good at if you want them to buy from you. 

Here's what I do: I write, speak, and coach. That's all I do. If someone wants something else from me, I just recommend them to someone else who can use the business. This is what makes my brand reliable. That is why I get one thousand profile views every week. This is why I get leads every day. 

2. Develop Your Story

If you have a story, why not share it on your LinkedIn profile? Most people don't enjoy running through bullet points as you enumerate your experience in a resume-like format. You've got to keep it interesting. Look at my profile. Does it tell you who I am? It should.

Your story must be captivating. People should be asking, "I wonder what this guy/gal is all about?" If people aren't wondering about who you are and what you do, your profile needs a story. You also need a great headline and professional head shot. I have several recommendations for profile makeovers if you need one. Just reach out to me. 

3. Use the Phone

If you're a salesperson, you better be using your phone. Iregularly use the phone to call  LinkedIn connections. 

Your phone can help you earn millions. If you're sending messages back and forth, you're wasting your time. You won't get that many opportunities that way. You've got to reach out and transact business. If people say that they're just "trying to get to know you" or "want to have coffee," don't even bother with them.

4. Write Articles

For every 100 views that you get, you must making a sale. That means that if  articles are reaching 1,000 people per week, you have 10 sales. Readers reach out to you regularly and you're able to have meaningful conversations with them. Because people love your articles, they find value in paying for your services. 

If you don't know how to write, go ahead and share other peoples' articles. Comment and like as many good articles as possible. When people view your profiles, follow up with them. If you aren't doing this, you aren't serious about conducting business and creating opportunities for yourself and others.

5. Contribute Daily

You have to connect with people by making a contribution. Send out endorsements and recommendations. Get serious about following up with people. Be as resourceful as possible. Add value like you never did before. Join groups and share information.

You should be investing one hour per day on LinkedIn. People want to deal with people. When you meet people in person, tell them to add you on LinkedIn. Reach out as much as possible and ask for help. Don't just view other's profiles, say something nice and do something. People need you. Get activated!

Bonus Tip: Use Email Marketing: If you're familiar with email marketing, you can import your contacts from LinkedIn and send out newsletters to reach potential clients.

The people who you are looking for you are the same people who are looking for you. LinkedIn gives us the ability to leverage ourselves by meeting new people every day from all over the world. If you want to monetize your LinkedIn experience, find a way to give people value in the most reliable way and you'll gain more influence than ever before.

Source : http://entm.ag/1Hcw4K3

5 Ways to Boost your LinkedIn Profile

“LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network—people are signing up at the rate of more than two members per second, with students and recent graduates being the fastest-growing demographic on the site,” she says. “With that many people joining, it can be hard to stand out from the masses to attract the attention you deserve.” Prepare to stand out.

1. Establish a cohesive personal brand

In competitive markets, you have to sell yourself, and LinkedIn makes it easy. Before you start updating your profile, decide exactly how you want to position yourself within your industry: are you a seasoned professional trying to find new clients or an ingénue with diverse experiences to bring to a new field?

After deciding how you want to brand yourself, make sure every piece of information you include reinforces this image. An easy way to do so is to include photos: I match my profile photo across LinkedIn, Twitter and my Facebook account to increase brand recognition across platforms. These photos should all be crisp, high-quality and professional—no party pics or selfies allowed! Including a respectable headshot can get you up to 14 times more clicks on LinkedIn.

Perhaps most important is your personal summary: while many opt to skip this section, they are neglecting to utilize all the tools at their disposal. This is the section to overtly state what makes you a rockstar in your field and throw in some good, SEO-friendly keywords so people can find you when they search. If you’re in a creative field, humor may be a good idea—use your best judgment.

2. Be thorough and accessible

Fill out as much of your profile as is relevant and make it public, because you never know what quirky detail may endear you to a recruiter—perhaps you share the same alma mater or belong to the same professional group.

Include your contact information in the appropriate section—you want it to be easy for recruiters, potential employers and clients to contact you, even if they aren’t LinkedIn-savvy.

3. Add value to your network and build professional credibility

Continue updating even when you’re not actively looking for a job. Many people join LinkedIn to find a job and then disappear until they begin the job-hunting process all over again. While doing this can find you results, you’re not truly using the site as well as you could be. LinkedIn profiles usually end up high in search results, making it a great site to create a cohesive brand. I use LinkedIn Pulse to publish posts about digital marketing, because that’s my expertise. I’ve accrued more than 8,500 followers, so my company and I are constantly in their feeds.

Remaining active on the site can also help you establish credibility within your field. Show off your knowledge by sharing industry-specific articles, original blog posts and by participating in groups.

List some skills and have contacts endorse you for them. While the recommendations feature is a bit more credible, those need to be solicited from previous colleagues, bosses or teachers. A quick way to get some is to endorse people in your network. Many will return the favor—but beware of endorsing skills that you haven’t personally witnessed; if your contact isn’t up to snuff, your own credibility will be damaged.

4. Avoid the generic

Customize your URL to a variation of your name. LinkedIn profiles are great for business cards, and vanity URLs are cleaner and easier to remember.

The headline is precious real estate on LinkedIn. By default, it will revert to your most recent job title and employer, but that’s redundant—not to mention bland! Instead, use this space as a concise summary of the skills that set you apart within your industry. This is a great place to drop some of those keywords. If you’re stuck, ask yourself: what do I want people to search for to find me?

LinkedIn is not a resumé, so don’t format it like one. Rather than listing 3-5 bullet points copied and pasted from your CV, use your words to tell the story of yourself. While it won’t work in every field, in more creative markets, humor can win you points with recruiters. Show that you understand the level of professionalism required as well as how to gauge the appropriate tone for your industry.

5. Leverage the platform to show off your successes

LinkedIn has a great multimedia section that allows you to upload your past work. You can include videos from personal projects, slide decks from presentations, articles you’ve written, websites you’ve created, essentially anything you’ve done professionally can go in this part of your profile.

Use the multimedia section as an abridged portfolio and show off 3-5 diverse examples of your work so future employers can see your potential before even speaking with you one-on-one.

Source : http://bit.ly/1MbnES2