The way buyers find and choose the products and services they want to purchase has changed beyond a lot recently. This has led to inbound marketing techniques growing in popularity and businesses to constantly adjust their strategies to fit this new breed of buyer. Online lead generation is now key for many businesses and two of the most effective mechanics being used to fill up the sales funnel are content marketing and conversion offers.
The Process Works a Little Like This:
A business will pinpoint the key target audience/s it wants to market to.
A content marketing plan is then put together that looks to grab, nurture and build relationships with these target leads at every stage of the buyer journey
The content is shared regularly across different communication channels
Readers are alerted to a relevant ‘offer’ – a more specialist or detailed piece of content that will be of value to them or signing up to something great
The call to action (CTA) will send contacts through to a specific landing page
The landing page describes the offer in more detail and includes a mechanism for accessing it – this is usually done by completion of a simple form
Once a contact has filled in the form to get hold of the offer, they are classed as having ‘converted’
They then become a lead that can be nurtured and guided along the buyer journey and towards becoming a paying customer
Landing pages are therefore a vital link in the chain and will impact on how successful a company’s lead generation efforts go on to be.
What is a Lead Generating Landing Page?
A landing page is a final message a contact will see before converting on an offer. Each one is basically a mini online sales pitch aiming to convince a contact that they need to take action. The offer itself will only be appealing if it’s properly targeted. It needs to be something of real benefit and value to the contact seeing it. So, it’s important to be pitching the right message to the right audience to get the desired effect.
Visitors need to quickly be able to see the potential value and feel confident enough in you as a company, to hand over their contact details in exchange for it. If you really want to achieve the maximum number of conversions possible, then ideally you will just be asking for their email address at this stage. There will be plenty of opportunities to grab further information later on after you’ve officially made them a lead.
The content on the landing page needs to cover 3 key pieces of information:
What the offer is
How it will benefit the reader/why they need it
How they can get hold of it
What Should a Landing Page Do?
A landing page has one purpose – to generate conversions by turning contacts into leads. It’s as simple as that. If your landing page is not converting traffic into leads, then something is seriously wrong. There are many reasons why that may be the case; from the copy and messaging being pitched wrongly, to how it is designed and what you’re asking on the form.
Another common mistake marketers make is to produce a landing page which is full of escape routes. You want visitors to do one thing and one thing only, and that is to convert. By having links through to your homepage, or other pages on the website, you are potentially sending them off course and diluting your message.
Remember, grabbing their contacts details is key for you to be able to convert a contact from being an anonymous visitor to a lead that you can start building a relationship with. Of course, offers aren’t the only way you can do that. There is also software available to let you see which businesses are visiting your website, even if they never go on to convert. However, you do it these leads will be warmer and more likely to be a potential sales opportunity one day.
What do you need to know before you get started? As with any marketing, it’s all about thorough prep and planning. Before you dive in with a brief for your designer and copywriter, think about:
Who is the target audience? – Who are you planning to drive to the page?
What is the conversion offer? – What are you going to offer visitors?
What are the benefits? – How will the offer be of benefit to them? Why do they need it?
How will visitors convert? – What do visitors need to do to get hold of the offer?
What will happen next? – What happens after someone has converted? Is everything prepared and good to go, once the landing page is live?
What will your conversion goal be? – How many conversions are you aiming for and within what period of time? How many of those coming to the page are you aiming to convert?
How will you measure success? – What process of analysis and improvement are you going to follow?
What Elements do the Most Effective Lead-Generating Landing Pages Contain?
Landing pages are generally short and sweet but don’t be misled by the size. It will take just as much thought and design work to get it right. And you don’t want to fall at the last hurdle, as this is crunch time for getting conversions. We’ve pulled together a comprehensive list of all those things that the best and most effective landing pages contain.
What to think about with regard to Copy, Design, and Functionality:
Copy
The best landing pages use a clear and attention-grabbing headline
Focus highly on readability
Use short copy that’s to the point and free of waffle
Feature interesting copy that gives away enough information! (being boring is a huge no-no)
Focus on benefits
Use facts and figures to make points and back up claims
Make use of a bulleted list to get the main points across
Emphasize that it’s a free offer (if it is)
Use a tone and style that is a good ‘fit’ for the target audience
Avoid using jargon, long sentences, and complicated language
Are persuasive and get across the benefit of ‘why’ someone should hand over their details
Reassure visitors that their privacy is important and data will be protected
Design
Feature multiple calls to action (CTAs) – but not too many, two or three is usually the magic number
They are uncluttered and not too busy
They use headings, subheading, and spacing to break up sections
Color and contrast is used to help elements stand out
The text is always displayed clearly, so it can easily be read even when placed over a colored background
They use eye-catching and relevant imagery that adds value
Aren’t over-designed or fussy, which can distract from the messaging
Functionality
Use click-to-call to make it super easy to get in touch
Have a short form – they don’t ask too much, as that can be a major put off (just asking for an email address is most likely to get conversions)
Ask only what they need to and don’t try to get too personal too soon
Ask simple questions that are easy to answer with little thought
Don’t make too many form questions mandatory
Are mobile friendly and work just as well on different devices
Limit points of exit – they don’t include headers or footers and will limit any other way a visitor might escape, including not using the logo as a link to the homepage
Choosing a Great Headline
Get creative and spend time getting some good options together. But you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. There are many tried and tested formats that are proven to work well. They include:
‘How to…..’ (How to land more sales in 5 easy steps)
‘Hacks for..’ (35 efficiency hacks for business managers)
‘The secret of…’ (The secret of super effective SEO)
‘This is….’ (This is the surprising thing the most successful sales teams do every morning)
You could also consider using a client testimonial as a headline, setting the scene with some sort of cliffhanger that sparks their curiosity, or explicitly stating a problem/pain point that a potential lead may be facing. Think what key message you want to get across and then work out how best to say it. There are also tools online like keywordtool.io that may also be useful for helping in choosing which words and phrases to use (so you can match what people are actively searching for).
Additional Considerations for your Landing Pages
Have a ‘preview’ option, so visitors get a better idea of what they’ll get
Mention if there is limited availability, to encourage conversions
Display the names/logos of current clients to add greater credibility
Use a short but outstanding client testimonial to boost trust
Use a mini case study with supporting data to back up your claims
Use screenshots to show how the product or software works
Finally, Test and Test Again
Make sure you have tried out the whole process personally, so you know what a prospective lead’s experience will be. That means testing it on different devices too. If there are gaps or errors, fix them. Make sure it’s a seamless process from start to finish. Also, it is important to make sure you are meeting all the legal requirements for data protection. For example, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force in May 2018 and brings with it stricter rules around how companies seek consent and then store and use personal data.
If you are using Google Ads (formally Adwords) or Social Advertising like Facebook contact us for a Free Consultation and start including Landing Pages to your advertising campaigns.
Instagram has recently released new features that can be used to promote and enhance your business online. In June of 2018, it was reported that Instagram had over 1 billion monthly active Instagram users, and almost 25 million business profiles on Instagram. The number of active advertisers on Instagram is 2 million. With these kinds of numbers, it’s clear that using Instagram is a powerful platform to promote your local business.
Recently, Instagram introduced a raft of new features which can help you to promote your business. New features include Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, IGTV, and Instagram Shopping. This article goes over a few ways to help you promote and boost your local business.
Instagram Stories
Although this feature has been around for a while, it’s still worth mentioning. The Instagram Stories feature allows you to share time-limited images and videos with your followers with stickers and text overlaid. Local businesses can leverage this Instagram feature to promote their business in a creative way that highlights personality in a way other formats struggle to. After all, as of June 2018, more than 400 million daily active Instagram users using Instagram Stories.
28 minutes is the average time that Instagram users spend on Instagram Stories. With the introduction of this new feature, Instagram opened up new opportunities for businesses. But how can a local business use Instagram Stories effectively? You can use Instagram Stories to create buzz around your newly developed product or service just before the launch. This kind of a teaser will surely catch the attention of your loyal followers, and they will start spreading the word for you.
You can also use Instagram Stories to demonstrate your products, showcasing how they work under different circumstances. Short, yet helpful guides on how to use your product will help you promote it more effectively.
Instagram Live
Instagram Live allows businesses to broadcast video in real time. Instagram Live offers a huge opportunity for local businesses to boost their engagement and win the trust of their followers and customers. A couple of innovative ways you can use Instagram Live are to showcase how your services or products work and showcase live tutorials. Instagram Live videos can be up to one hour long, which means you can make engaging and lengthy videos to talk about your services and products. You can also host an interview or an interactive Q&A session with a live audience. Why not take questions from a live audience and answer them? It will increase the engagement rate! When you’re organizing a live Q&A session, make sure you inform your followers in advance that it’s coming up so that they can get their questions ready.
Once you are live on Instagram, ask your audience to send their questions via the comment section present at the bottom of the mobile screen. This will make your Live session much more interactive and engaging. Your followers can also react to your Live videos by clicking on ‘like’ or ‘love’.
IGTV (Instagram TV)
Instagram launched IGTV, which is a long-form video that can last anywhere between 15 seconds to 60 minutes. Bear in mind that only verified accounts can make videos up to 60 minutes long. For unverified Instagram accounts, the maximum video length is 10 minutes. You can use IGTV from within the main Instagram app or download the standalone app for free. The app is available for both iOS and Android.
You can leverage IGTV to share some funny and engaging behind-the-scenes videos from an event, or you can simply give a tour of your workplace and introduce your hard-working team to your followers.
Because verified accounts can record videos up to 60 minutes, you could also share a pre-recorded webinar or product demonstration with your followers. Or you could use the feature to record an event you’re holding or attending. You can also leverage this feature to create and share your brand’s story to build a connection with your followers and promote your business.
IGTV is still a new feature, and as they’re testing the waters a little, advertising isn’t yet available, but it has a lot of potential for advertising and marketing, so it’s very possible that one-day businesses will be able to increase their reach and traffic through this channel. Similarly to YouTube, IGTV videos actually have their own URLs, which is a first for Instagram. This means that sharing and promoting videos after the broadcast is much easier and more effective.
Instagram Shopping
This new Instagram feature is a real game-changer for local businesses, as it allows businesses to tag products in their standard Instagram posts. Once prospects click on the tagged item, they are then directed to the product detail page, which can provide more information about the product and push prospects to make a purchase. You can use this feature to promote and sell more of your services and products.
Here are some simple ways you can use this new Instagram feature to promote your business and increase your sales.
Make your content/product easy to discover for your followers. After all, you can’t increase your sales if no-one knows your product exists! To improve your presence on Instagram and make your products discoverable, use as many relevant hashtags as possible. Using the right hashtag can boost your engagement rate and increase your product visibility. So invest time in researching the best and most relevant trending hashtags to use for your products.
Make sure to provide a seamless shopping and browsing experience to your prospects after they’ve clicked through to your website. Ideally, you want your potential customers to leave the app to complete the purchase (but there’s also no problem if they browse your site within the Instagram browser, as a sale is a sale). A clever way of making the transition from Instagram post to website seamless is to create a similar look for your Instagram account and your website’s landing page. If your landing page is very different, then there are high chances that your prospects will leave your website assuming that they have visited the wrong website.
If you are considering Instagram or adding Social Media to your marketing mix contact us for a Free Consultation.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is always evolving. Businesses are always looking for new ways to rank organically on the top of search engines. It has gone from abstract experimental concepts to a near concrete science. There were rules and the desired keyword density that would trigger an optimal search result. The problem is the contradictory goals of industry leading search engines and advertisers. Search engines filter out obvious ads in order to get corporations to pay to push revenue-producing content to the top.
This is Google’s profit model and, safe to say, it’s extremely effective. Smaller groups of entrepreneurs and marketers looked for ways to skirt Google’s pay for play system. That’s where traditional SEO was born, from a desire to push product positive or ad-revenue producing content to the top of the list, without paying Google’s premiums. As SEO writers adapted so did search filters ability to pick up subtly sponsored articles and blog posts. Today, SEO is a huge consideration when producing promo materials. However, the parameters have shifted from focusing on the search itself to learning more about the searchers.
Traditional SEO Verse the New
With traditional SEO focused more on fooling the search engine, new SEO is a realization of how people use the internet. This was the equivalent of fishing for a click. Once that goal was achieved, there was no regard for user experience or end result. At completion, the clicker often felt tricked. The content of the query was nothing more than the result of a carefully considered math equation. As Google and other engines got wise, spammy contrived SEO results would consistently drop concordantly with average user page time.
The change to a more refined SEO is all about the content of the link. SEO now focuses on the searcher and their experience with the content. By focusing on providing value for the searcher, instead of simply extracting a click, it ensures that future like-minded individuals will also enjoy this content. What arises is a focus on high-quality, informative content that people will like and share. The new desired action is by providing value to the consumer. Furthermore, by targeting a certain user of a search engine, instead of simply a few keywords, it broadens opportunities for a wide variety of results.
With traditional SEO, the goal was to find the perfect balance that exacts the keyword to attract a click. However, with new SEO, the idea is to not only provide an entertaining article on the subject but also tailor the writing towards the audience most likely to be searching for a continental result. Within this audience, there are a variety of desirable niches (think luxury, budget, young, old) to infiltrate. New SEO thinks about the audience first, and it ensures a myriad of search terms lead the right person, to the right place. After all, that was the original intent of the search engines.
Time to Start Thinking Social
New SEO has a renewed grasp for its audience and new sense of purpose, but where does social media come in? It seems that if content once again rules the space, it should speak for itself. Why do firms focused on churning out viable, reliable, and actionable articles care about Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? The answer is complicated but the studies are decisive. A strong social media presence is essential to moving up the all-important results ladder.
Reason for Social Media with the New SEO
Raise Your Profile
Social media profiles are often one of the most returned results in any search. If you Google your own name, chances are the first result will be some sort of social media profile. That’s because these sites are linked to other reputable sites and thus, they attain both criteria Google checks when creating a results page. Google’s algorithms look for “relevance and authority” which means, the ideal result is both close to the queried term and also linked, in both directions, to other respected sites.
Essentially, social media profiles contain a lot of the information search engines try to independently verify. Furthermore, as your reach grows and other sites with heavy authority link to your social profiles, they will continue to climb the search rankings. A profile link in a reputable magazine, newspaper, blog, or other social profile can greatly increase overall exposure. Also, these profiles contain a myriad of information about you and your business, which means they will feature in an incredible amount of search terms. There’s no excuse for not having a dedicated approach to social media profiles, as they check the most important boxes in most search programs. These profiles should be carefully curated and expertly maintained using new SEO techniques to maintain a positive image, and provide value to the consumer.
Internal Social Search Engines
An overlooked fact of most social media platforms is their internal search engines. If you’re looking to get into contact with an old friend, the first place you should search is Facebook’s dedicated engine. If you’re already on Instagram and looking for new clothes or ideas for your next vacation, you will use the integrated search bar. Each platform has dedicated features that make it unique. Mastering each medium is paramount to search success. Neglecting these smaller, but important search engines is a big mistake. People on these platforms are likely to share, like, and repost content that reaches them. If you’ve embraced new SEO principles, using social media search engines can be a very effective way to distribute your content. Most important is providing value to the consumer. If they see that value, they will show their friends, and that’s how exponential growth begins. Focusing on social media search engines provides growth opportunities whereas, the giants are much harder to crack.
The Power of Influence
Social media is home to some of the most influential celebrities and websites on the planet. As we know search engines like Google take authority into account, that means if something from your social media is posted on a powerful site or blog, it will draw more attention from the engines. While the number of likes and shares don’t currently affect Google rankings, who likes and shares certainly do matter. By getting the attention of influential people and brand, you increase the chances that your social media content will move into more traditional sites. This will see both your authority and relevance skyrocket. In the 21st century, “going viral” is essentially a phenomenon when a social media post leaps off the platform, reaching a much wider audience. Use social media as a springboard and soon you may see yourself on television, gigantic media websites, and even on browser home screens. These are not freak occurrences. “Going viral” requires a dedication to your desired audience and true understanding of new SEO. It’s all about finding the right content and getting the right push. This usually comes from a social media “influencer.” Partnering with an influencer, or someone, with a huge social media following, can get your product into the public consciousness, where hopefully its merits will carry the momentum. Right now social media is a low overhead option to attract attention and eventually drive business.
Bias of the Status Quo
Google does not currently take the volume of likes and shares into account when amassing search results. For example, a Facebook post with 70 likes and one with 50, with identical wording, should be equal in search results. There is some debate as to whether this is true, but what remains is a focus on content and authority. Better content = more likes, shares, and outgoing links. This increases your chances of being featured on a massive website and attracting the associating attention. While Google has explicitly denied any tangible effect of high numbers of “social signals”, other search engines like Bing, Yahoo, and MSN have not. That means a more popular post may increase visibility on these platforms. Also, Google’s stance is temporary. Their algorithms and results are always changing with the whims of the consumer. Just as new SEO focuses on the intended target, Google must adapt to what’s popular with their customers. For now, they exclude in-platform popularity from consideration when generating search results. As the people of the internet become increasingly obsessed with likes, retweets, and shares, it’s reasonable to assume Google will too. However, one undeniable factor is getting your post on multiple profiles will increase your authority by triggering multiple returns across many reputable sites. With new SEO likes may not matter right now mathematically but they increase your visibility and perhaps, long-term viability.
Syndicate Yourself
Social media sites are a natural warehouse of content. Once posted it is readily available to the public in perpetuity. The internet has a short attention span, but a very long memory. A once popular post can become viral again, even years later, with one repost. These posts have a life of their own and that constant stream of links and backlinks doesn’t go away. That means once your profile, post, or article has gone viral it’s reach spreads roots to authority building sites that aren’t easily erased. That means every time a relevant search is queried, your profile will remain at or near the top. Building a following and going viral are difficult, but they have lasting SEO implications. Consider a piece of excellent content on a social media website like a classic old sitcom. You’ve seen it 100 times, but every time, you still laugh. You can always discuss iconic scenes with your friends. Thusly, a transcendent social media post works and continues to work for you or your client. This never truly stops as diverse groups “discover” or rediscover the post themselves. There is no expiration date for amazingly directed content. It’s just a matter of getting it on the right channel, so it can entertain forever, perhaps with a small nudge here and there.
Does this really work?
Fans of old-school SEO may be skeptical of including a dedicated social media focus in their plan. Any successful SEO program is about building links. In a traditional scheme, your link is promoted by either paying a search engine to promote your content, heavily gaming the relevance portion of the algorithm, or paying outside sites to link to your content. That, however, will not build quality links to sites with the authority the Google’s algorithm constantly craves. By taking a new SEO approach you are not paying for a temporary trick that will be erased by the next software update. Google wants to provide their customers value. The value, in this case, is high-quality content, supported by sites with large followings, and reaching out to all sorts of people. This type of lasting impression called “content marketing”, ensures your desired result gets to the top and stays there. By investing in quality content the difference to giant search engines is evident.
Social media gives you an opportunity to compete. With social media profiles, you have an easily linkable, highly exposed, personal website that is already recognized by Google as a site of authority. By producing high-quality, authoritative, audience-centric content you are allowing consumers to organically discover material they already like. While social media impressions don’t currently increase Google visibility, they increase the volume of people talking about your product. This allows you to build a system of links and hopefully, reach an influencer. This link network lasts forever. As your linked roots grow, the authority will slowly transfer to the domain of your social media profiles. These will be the first results when people search in your specific niche. Moving forward, you now have a dedicated platform for posting new content in the future, creating a domino effect of influence. Social media is still the Wild West of marketing. The platforms themselves are still struggling to find their footing in this volatile marketplace. Embracing new SEO, a link building philosophy, and making the most of social media can take your reach to new heights.
Final Thoughts
The days of keyword stuffing SEO are drawing to a close. The industry has moved from the certainty of mathematical precision to the vagaries of content marketing. The most essential part is no longer generating empty, trick-based clicks, but creating lasting, useful content. Consumers will feel more enlightened and less used, and thusly be more willing to share helpful information with friends. Therein lies the beauty of using social media to build a link network. The network is, somewhat ironically already built for you. Everyone has their circle of friends and family. Unlike, traditional SEO, where the goal is to reach everyone searching for a certain term, content centered social media-based marketing, means you only have to reach one person. If someone likes, shares, or reposts your content there is a chance that like-minded others will do the same. The difficult part is building this following and keeping them active. However, a short-term media push will create an everlasting reputation and link network that will never stop paying dividends.
In essence, social media is the new king of marketing. Whether or not huge firms will admit it is a different story. In terms of moving up search results, being featured in widely seen blogs/sites, and inexpensively receiving TV airtime, nothing can compete with social media. It has become the great equalizer as consumers continue to look for personally targeted content and almost eerily specific messages. Reaching possible customers starts with hitting them where they live, and that, nowadays, is social media. The goal is simple. By harnessing the power of social media, reaching and distributing your message is easier, cheaper and more efficient than ever. Simply find your audience, and watch them do the work for you.
Shareable content is a great byproduct of any effective content strategy, this same content is also great for your SEO. Shareable content impacts key off-site signals that are crucial to improving your organic search ranking, including backlinks, customer engagement, and brand awareness.
We all know that shareable content is good for your online marketing efforts but what constitutes sharable content and how can brands create shareable content?
Creating shareable content, or potentially viral content is typically a well-planned effort that requires planning and strategic content development. In this article, we’ll discuss why shareable content is good for your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
Here are three reasons why sharable content is good for your SEO strategy:
Increase in backlinks –
A couple years ago, Google disclosed that backlinks (links from other external domains) are one of their top ranking factors. These days, backlinks (aka external links) are still among the top correlated ranking factors for organic search.
Having shareable content increases the likelihood of gaining external links from other sites. Creating high-quality, engaging content is the backbone of any good link building strategy.
Increase in brand awareness –
Brand awareness is another byproduct of having shareable content and by having more individuals see your content. This can increase repeat visitors to your website and increase trust with your brand.
Google understands the percentage of branded and non-branded queries that users use to find your site (they have referral query data in Google Search Console). Having a stronger, more reputable brand can increase your visibility in search results and drive more organic search visits.
Increase in in engagement –
As one of the goals of any SEO strategy, driving engagement with your target audience can lead to more conversions and interactions with your brand. User engagement signals and user experience have become more important over the years for organic search ranking.
Particularly with user experience, Google has had algorithm updates over the past few years prioritizing site speed, mobile friendliness and intrusive pop-ups hindering user experience.
There’s also a known correlation between click-through-rate (CTR) and better ranking in organic search. Google can understand the “long click” versus “short click” from search results and prioritize results with “long click,” knowing users are interacting more with that particular piece of content.
How to discover shareable content topics?
Now we know why shareable content is so important, the big question is how do we discover shareable content topics? There are a few ways to research and plan new topics that are already popular to inspire your shareable content creation.
Social listening
Using social listening can help determine what kind of content your target audience is interested in seeing what’s being shared and liked on social channels. This includes researching your social profiles as well as competitors to analyze user behavior.
Third-party tools
Using third-party tools to see what is popular within a particular niche can be helpful. For example, searching in Buzzsumo will show the most shared and popular pieces of content for a particular subject.
Competitive insights
Ahrefs is also a useful tool to see what content is most popular with your competitors. This can be used for specific ‘how-to’ and expert advice articles are among the most shared and linked pieces of content across a site.
Conclusion
Wrapping up, shareable content is important for improving organic search signals and should be part of any SEO strategy. Shareable content can impact your search engine optimization strategy by:
Increasing backlinks
Increasing brand awareness
Increasing brand awareness
Discovering content ideas for shareable content starts with understanding your audience and what’s popular within your niche. Use third-party tools, such as Buzzsumo or Ahrefs, to find popular content within your target market or topic.
