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What do the Volkswagen Phaeton, Microsoft’s Zune media player, and Coors Rocky Mountain Sparkling Water have in common (aside from the fact that most people have never even heard of these products)? They were all good products that made one fatal error: poor marketing.

That’s right. In today’s overstimulated society, you can have a great product to sell, but if you don’t market yourself properly, you’ll end up as just another one of those forgotten fails. The good news is that there are lots of experts only too glad to share their marketing wisdom with today’s eager business owners.

Of course, you want to start out knowing that there is a demand for your product, that you’re targeting the right niche audience, and that your messaging is clear, honest, and inoffensive. But, then what? That’s where the experts come in. So, whether you’re selling the world’s fastest running shoes, a revolutionary technology, or a service that just can’t be beat, pull up your chair, and learn from the best.

Marketing Strategies for the Win #1: Use inbound marketing like a boss

Everyone talks about inbound marketing, but few actually take the time to learn enough about the subject to really make a difference. That’s why this video is my first recommendation. We all know how important inbound marketing is, but how many of you really know what it is, how to do it properly, and where to go next?

This video really takes you in-depth into the topic, walks you through the stages of attract, convert, close, delight, and more. One thing to note, this video is an hour long. You can listen to it on a faster speed to cut down on the length, but the value you get from it is really worth the time investment. And remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Marketing Strategies for the Win #2: Piggyback on other people’s successes…and failures

Smaller businesses (or bigger businesses that haven’t grown into themselves yet) don’t always have the budget that billion dollar corporations do for marketing, but they really don’t need it. One of the easiest ways to propel your business forward when you’re just getting started is to market your brand off of the coattails of another, bigger company’s actions.

Now, there are plenty of examples that you can find to use a larger business’ success to make some noise (posting a useful guide on a successful blog, offering a free trial from an established Facebook page, etc.), but if you really want to be creative (and get noticed), why not take advantage of a company’s faux pas? 99designs did just this perfectly. A few years back, Gap tried rebranding by launching a new logo. Long story short, the logo was terrible, and fans were appalled. Gap took a lot of heat, got loads of bad press, and took a dive in their stocks as well.

But 99designs, a small logo design company, saw this as a golden opportunity and ran with it. They launched a competition urging designers to help Gap out by coming up with a better logo design they could use instead of the flop. Now, people were already talking about the Gap blunder, so when the competition launched, tens of thousands of people already tapped into this buzzfeed eagerly jumped into the competition, giving 99designs huge coverage. That’s smart marketing.

In this video, Randy Komisar, a wildly successful venture capital partner and entrepreneur, talks about how he used failure to propel himself and many other companies forward to even bigger successes than before. Take a look.

Marketing Strategies for the Win #3: Better their lives in some way

We can’t have a marketing roundup without including something from the master, Steve Jobs. In this video, Jobs gives over his million-dollar message to any company out there: marketing is about values. Everyone wants to solve their problems, and your job as a marketer is to prove to the consumers that your product does just that. And the way the big dogs make this happen (and the way even little dogs can become successful in their own niches) is by showing that they care and that they’re there to make your lives better in some way.

Jobs goes through the big brands and products and shows us their secrets, show us how they promote betterment not statistics, numbers, or specs. Nike doesn’t tell us their sneakers are made of premium grade rubber. They SHOW us how great athletes are, their prowess, their power. And those athletes wear Nike. Show people that your brand can make their lives better, and you’re golden.

Marketing Strategies for the Win #4: Link out to other credible resources

Another marketing giant of today, Neil Patel, gives beginner marketers a great and super simple tip to start building your audiences. It’s a really short video, only a few minutes long, and in it, Neil talks about this idea: linking out to credible resources. He even says that you should link out to competitors when it is relevant. What?! I know it seems really counterintuitive to drive traffic away from your site and to a competitors’, but here’s the logic.

Your brand is new, and nobody knows who you are or what you’re about. You post an article on your blog, and you offer good information. Hey, this guy knows what they’re talking about. You add in a link to a useful tool that your competitor has. Wow, they’ve even got a tool I can use. Suddenly consumers are getting to know you, and what they’re getting to know is that you’re someone who they can turn to for useful information, helpful tools, and genuine value.

So yeah, that’s worth all the linking out you do big time. What’s more, many people will appreciate the attention and link back to you in one of their articles, giving your site more attention and credibility. Bottom line, linking out to credible resources (even competitors) builds trust, reliability, and value.

Marketing Strategies for the Win #5: Utilize educational marketing to position your brand

Something interesting has occurred over the past few years. Consumers are no longer going to websites to see what the brand has to say about their product. Instead, customers are looking elsewhere for their information. They’re going to review sites, they’re scouring the internet, they’re doing research. While this might not seem like a big deal (after all, customers are still buying products at the end of the day), this is actually a major shift that marketers need to address.

These days, consumers don’t want to be sold to, they want to be informed. They want to be given information, so they can make their own choices based on education. So, the smart marketer will give consumers the information they’re looking for to make a good decision on their own. Enter education marketing.

By giving over the information consumers are looking for, this does several things:

1. Establishes you as an authority
2. Shows customers that you’re there to help
3. Lets you give over your message sincerely
4. Creates buyer trust
5. Creates a deeper relationship with your customers. After all, you’re not the seller, you’re an educator

Here’s a short video clip that helps explain the concept perfectly. With educational marketing, you answer questions and give genuinely useful and good content. Use all the tools in your toolbox (blog posts, ebooks, videos, etc.) and give over as much valuable information as you can. And then they’ll come running with wallets open!

Marketing Strategies for the Win #6: Use emotions

Most people go through life sort of on autopilot. We get up, go to work, do our thing, come home, take a shower. Rinse, repeat. There isn’t much that shocks us out of our status quo, but one thing does. Emotions. Complex emotions are what separate us from other species (sorry cat lovers, read the studies), they’re what make our days good or bad, humdrum or meaningful. Emotions make things, experiences, and people stand out in our minds.

And that’s what brands need to take advantage of. The power of emotions is so compelling that major companies use them to propel their brands forward. Coke is the perfect example of this. The brand sells a fizzy drink that’s terrible for our health and rots our teeth, but that’s not what people think of when they hear Coke. Check out their commercials and this video that explains them. You’ll see a lot of these messages:

• Friendship
• Happiness
• Relaxation
• Holiday festivities
• Success
• Spreading joy
• Sharing
• Family

Coke isn’t selling a drink, they’re selling positive values. And that’s something everyone wants to buy.

Marketing Strategies for the Win #7: Leverage influencers marketing

Influencers are major players in the world, and marketers would do well to take advantage of them. These players tell thousands, if not more, people what’s cool, what’s new, and what’s worth buying. In this quick clip, Neil Patel shows us how and why to leverage brand influencers for marketing success.

Marketing Strategies for the Win #8: Social media marketing, a new twist

Gary Vaynerchuk takes the idea of social media marketing and totally spins it on its head. I mean, he has a fabulous delivery whenever he speaks, but this video gives you one of the biggest key factors in marketing success. In fact, this is probably the best message any marketer (heck any person) can hear to influence their marketing campaign success.

In this video, Gary tells you all about his secret power: it’s called optimism. He doesn’t just take a head in the clouds type of mentality. Really, he talks about how to use all the marketing techniques, all the business opportunities, all the technologies, and everything that comes into your hands properly. Oh yeah, and then he talks about social media marketing and what a valuable tool it is when used properly. Check it out.

There you have it. Eight of the best marketing tools and tricks you can use (along with helpful videos in case you can’t stand reading this again and again) to make your business boom.

The post 8 Inspirational Videos to Kickstart Your Marketing Mindset This Year appeared first on Eder Holguin.

If you are a new business or startup, you should be ready to issue your first press
release. Online PR distribution can help promote brand awareness and let the
media know what you are announcing.

A release is your opportunity to tell the public what you new product, service or
event is all about. It’s your chance to tell them why it is relevant and relevant to
earn media coverage.

Is Press release distribution only for popular and big companies?
A lot of businesses thought that distributing releases is only for big companies.
What they don’t know is that startups and small businesses will benefit like the
big ones.

Story is what matters in a release. Reporters aren’t going to cover stories from
popular brands only. They want fresh stories, no matter what size of the business
is.

Any business that can issue newsworthy and relevant releases deserve
placements. If you are just starting your business, what do you want your target
audience know?
What makes your offer different, or what makes it stand out from the rest in the
market? Think like a reporter who is thinking about their readers.
Are you offering a new information that would interest them? What are the pain
points of your audience that you’re trying to solve?
By offering answers to these questions, you can position your brand as a thought
leader despite that you are a new business. Make sure to answer questions that
are in your audience’s minds. Media will consider you as a valuable source of
information if you display your expertise in your field.
Now, let’s check the benefits your startup gets if you use a newswire service.

1. Immediate exposure.

The top benefit you’ll get is immediate exposure. If you’re just launching your
business, chances are that only a few people know about your brand.
Issuing releases at the right time will give your business a boost. It can quickly
spread news about your brand or offer.
It’s very important at this point that you’ll get exposure and catch the attention of
the media. Reporters can possibly give you media coverage if it’s newsworthy.
Since you’re just starting, you need to know the important scenarios that would
warrant your business to issue a release. You can’t issue a release in all
announcements in your business.
Gaining exposure in the beginning of your business plays a crucial role in your
ability to earn trust at this stage. Remember that trust matters a lot to earn
credibility and authority in your niche. If you’re just new, you should aim building
trust and credibility.

1. You can position yourself as a thought leader.
   Being a startup shouldn’t inhibit you from writing about different topics that you
   are expert in your field. Are you a computer programmer expert?
   Issue releases to talk about the latest computer programs that you are
   knowledgeable about. Doing this can easily position you as an expert in your field.
   It can call the attention of reporters writing the topic. If they find your release
   relevant to their readers, they can cover your story. Even you’re a startup, you
   can use your expertise to gain publicity.
2. It boosts traffic to your site.
   Using an online PR distribution Newswire service can boost traffic to your site.
   Since they place your content on different sites, locations and media outlets, you
   gain wide exposure of your business.
   It drives traffic to your site. There are over 3.5 billion searches daily, translating to
   an average of 40,000 searches per second.
   If your business isn’t aware of this big figure, you are missing a great opportunity
   that your competitors may have already been enjoying.

With the big number of online users, you need to ensure that your startup is seen
on top of the ranks. Your business should be prominent in the search results.
When this happens, people using a certain keyword that your business uses in
your content will find your site. It leads to influx of visitors, who want to learn
more about your announcement, to your site.
An online PR service ensures that your content is optimized with relevant links.
These links lead to a landing page that boost the number of people visiting your
site.

1. It helps increase leads.
   When you distribute releases through an online service, your story gets a wide
   exposure. Some PR companies have a social media sharing feature that enable
   your story to be shared on different social media sites.
   Visitors who have read your release may share it on their social media. The social
   media sharing feature is a complete ingredient to virality. When your news gets
   viral, you are exposed to a lot of people who are impossible for you to reach
   without a PR service.
   A viral release means that more people read and engage with your story. They are
   potential leads who are more likely to be converted to buyers.
2. It promotes sales.
   You can write releases if your goal is to boost your sales. If you want to work on
   increasing your earning potential, you need to make sure that your releases are
   designed to do it.
   Online PR distribution can help achieve this by promoting brand awareness. When
   you write it, position your product or service on top of the minds of the buyers.
   Think outside the box. What do they need? Make sure that your product or
   service can fulfill it.
   When you distribute releases, you ensure that your message reaches your
   audience. The exposure leads to more leads and automatically your sales.
3. It boosts your SEO.

When PR companies syndicate your news to different locations and sites, you
earn valuable backlinks. Sites that published your story gives you organic
backlinks.
Although some experts believe that releases don’t have SEO value anymore, it still
have when done right. It provides an indirect SEO.
A well written release that answers inquiries are more likely to land on top of the
search engine result pages (SERPs). Google values sites that are relevant to users
by positioning it on top of the ranking.
Use proper keywords in your releases. Avoid overstuffing if you don’t want to be
flagged for spamming.

1. It enables you to reach the audience.
   A PR company can help you in reaching targeted audience. Since most of them
   offers geographic targeting and are industry-specific, it ensures that you can
   reach your target audience.
   For instance, if you want to reach the local or national audience for a wider scope,
   you can select which one to target. If you belong to the technology industry,
   working with a distribution service ensures that you’ll reach audiences who have
   interest in technology.
   This is a good feature that can ensure that you have a maximum exposure. It also
   places you in front of the audience who are more likely to test or purchase your
   product.
2. It supports you on building relationship with the press.
   PR Distribution services have a network of journalists and media outlets where
   they syndicate your news. It means a lot for startups as you haven’t built
   relationship with the media this early on.
   When you use a service, it sends your story to your target media who may have
   the interest to cover you. Although you have not built relationship with them yet,
   it is a way to start building one.
   A well-written release can catch their attention. It may prompt them to
   communicate with your brand for coverage.

Once they contacted you, don’t waste this opportunity to engage with them. Even
if they haven’t contacted you, do your own effort to reach out. It’s your
opportunity to grow rapport and build relationship.

1. It’s a great opportunity to promote your news across various platforms.
   When you use a PR service, they syndicate your story to different platforms. Your
   story can appear on Google News and other search engines, sites, social media
   channels and to their network of reporters and publications.
   It means that you have a wider exposure compared when you just pitch your
   story to the press. You are maximizing every potential for your new business.
   When more people have access to your story, a lot of media can cover you. Your
   story may get published on the newspaper, magazines, appear on the television
   or heard on the radio.
   There’s a lot of exposure for your business which brings you tons of benefits. The
   benefits are limitless which is very important for a business that is just starting.
2. It attracts investors.
   As a new business, growing your investment and sales is your prime goal. Issuing
   releases through a newswire means that your story is seen not only by your target
   audience, but interested investors as well.
   It will be easy for these investors to see what your business does and what you
   are capable of. You don’t have to promote your business in front of them because
   your releases are doing it for you.
   They can learn about your business and offer. It’s expected that investors
   collaborate only with trusted businesses. Issuing releases on a regular basis
   through newswires give your business an edge over your competitors. It ensures
   that you are present when other businesses are not visible.
   As a new business, you’ll get more opportunities that you may never get when
   you don’t use a PR service. Take advantage of these benefits that will help your
   skyrocket your business.

The post 10 Online PR Distribution Benefits for Startups appeared first on Eder Holguin.

Image credit: Pixabay

Self-determination in business has always been possible, but setting up your own operation has traditionally been a stressful and time-consuming endeavor. You hire employees, implement a working structure, and push on in the pursuit of a level of profit that will allow you to take a step back and enjoy a degree of freedom.

As the internet has matured, however, a new form of self-determination has come about— a form we can call micro-entrepreneurship. Micro-entrepreneurs work solo for the most part, with fluid routines and flexible arrangements. They don’t hire permanent staff, preferring to outsource when needed. They don’t have meticulous business plans. They learn as they go.

Through empowering people to operate autonomously without the complexity or expenditure of the classic model, micro-entrepreneurship provides a middle ground between the constraint of traditional employment and the hectic responsibility of being a conventional business leader.

And it’s surprisingly common— 62% of American businesses have fewer than 5 staff members. The rise of the sharing economy means that work can get done very efficiently through the collaboration and mutual support of numerous small businesses without needing any giant companies to get involved.

So what do you need to know about being a micro-entrepreneur? Let’s cover all the major questions, and discover what this nascent development in the employment world is really about.

“Who can become a micro-entrepreneur?”

Anyone with the skills and the inclination to make money without consistently relying on others can be a micro-entrepreneur. It’s really that simple. The accessibility provided by the internet makes it viable to do everything necessary to schedule a workload, stay in contact with clients, and ultimately get the work done, all without needing an office or employees.

It does require a reasonable degree of technical competence, naturally, as well as the ability to monitor time carefully. There are no managers to provide guidance or mandate discipline. You succeed or fail based on your attitude and performance. Think about the difference between high school and college— at high school, you might get yelled at for skipping a class, but at college, staff members don’t care if you don’t show up. You get out only what you put in.

Because of this, micro-entrepreneurs tend to be extremely driven people who are unwilling to compromise their goals through bending to convention. They find a way to turn their unique circumstances to their advantage. They make use of resources that others might not, stimulating community and economic growth in the process.

Think about people like Richard Branson, or, more recently, Palmer Luckey, creator of the Oculus Rift. Instead of going down a traditional business route, he made a prototype and funded production using Kickstarter, a crowdsourcing platform. In doing so, he raised 2.4 million dollars, 974% of the amount he’d sought.

Though he had to form a more conventional company after that to handle an operation of that scale, he was able to maintain control over the direction of the product because he didn’t have to answer to standard investors. Here are some more crowdfunding success stories.

“Why is this such a popular option?”

As time goes by, more and more people are coming to appreciate that the old-fashioned model of business doesn’t work for most of us. It’s restrictive, complicated, often dehumanizing, and the cause of a lot of unnecessary conflict in and out of workplaces. This applies regardless of where you are in the hierarchy— you are bound by your responsibilities to your employers, employees, and peers alike.

Life as a micro-entrepreneur is very different in those areas. It grants you the freedom to choose your working schedule, take the approach to output that you favor, and go about your life knowing that you’re not professionally beholden to anyone else. Should you want to take a two-year break from your career to travel the world, you won’t need to get permission.

How you actually define your business is up to you, of course, but being a micropreneur is a good mix of options. You’re not obsessed with money, but you can work more when you need to. You don’t have a full-time staff, but you’re willing to work with others when necessary. It’s a relaxed and healthy approach to the work/life balance.

And it’s just going to get more popular. Cultural expectations are changing at a rapid pace, and people are increasingly realizing that simply making more money isn’t the key to contentment. It’s widely accepted now that autonomy is an essential ingredient in professional satisfaction. Perhaps we could all benefit from stepping away from the set 9-to-5 arrangement and trying something new.

“What should I do if I’m interested in trying it?”

If you think you might want to pursue a career as a micro-entrepreneur, or just do it as a side project, the first thing you should do is take stock of your skills, connections, savings, and goals. Here are some questions you should take the time to answer in detail:

• What do you have to offer?

• • • Is there a product that you could sell, a service that you could render, or a skill you could provide? Is there sufficient demand? Could you compete with rivals? Do some competitor research to see how you might stack up.

• Can you use your time effectively?

• • • A background in freelance isn’t necessary, but it is useful. You need to be able to handle business without any prompting and organize your schedule smartly.

• Do you have any valuable contacts?

• • • Networking well is even more important for the self-employed than for anyone else. Knowing people who can give you opportunities and help promote you is incredibly important.

• Do you have an online presence?

• • • Do you have an active website? What about social media accounts? You need to be as easy to find and contact as possible. If you don’t have a website yet, set one up (DIY with a site builder, it won’t be expensive).

• How much do you want to work?

• • • Do you want a part-time or full-time schedule? Do you want to work a regular job alongside your micro-entrepreneurial operation or make it your only job? Plan this out very carefully so you can give it the appropriate level of focus.

• What level of income do you need?

• • • How much do you need to make to get by and make it worthwhile? What would be a squeeze, and what would be untenable? You have to be practical and arrive at a comfortable figure. Freedom isn’t so great when you’re horribly stressed.

• How much do you have to invest?

• • • You won’t be looking to hire, but you’ll probably need a budget for SaaS subscriptions, hosting costs, and any outsourcing you end up needing (such as virtual assistants).

• Could you go back to regular work if needed?

• • Having a backup option is always a sensible idea. Unless you’re 100% sure that you’re going to be a success, giving up a solid full-time job to pursue professional freedom is quite risky. Hang on until you’re fully prepared.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll be in a better position to judge whether it’s the kind of career approach you want to take. If you end up convinced that you should give it a try, then take the plunge. We regret the chances we don’t take, after all.

“Where can I find more resources?”

Since micro-entrepreneurs need to learn a lot of things as they get up and running, relevant resources are utterly invaluable. Thankfully, there are plenty of great guides, lists and tips available online.

Below, I’ll list a small selection I think will prove useful— and if you’re ever looking for something in particular, simply Googling it will likely be enough to point you in the right direction. Good luck!

• The 10 Best Tools For Millennial Freelancers
• 39 Must-have Tools and Apps for Freelance Designers
• 5 Productivity Tools for Self-Employed Internet Entrepreneurs
• 9 Business Tips Every Entrepreneur Needs To Know

Kayleigh Alexandra is a content writer for Micro Startups — a site dedicated to supporting startups and small businesses of all shapes and sizes. Visit the blog for the latest entrepreneurial news and side hustle tips. Follow us on Twitter @getmicrostarted.

The post The Rise Of The Micro-Entrepreneur: Who, Why, What & Where appeared first on Eder Holguin.

But what else? What are you ignoring, and at what costs to your company? Turns out, crucial members of your audience might be on Twitter. They might be on new social media platforms. They might be taking internet-based actions—however small, but critical—that you aren’t even thinking about. And in doing so, you’re cutting yourself off from listening to your customers. Even if you don’t post on those platforms, listening in on those platforms can be important and lend depth and understanding to your customer knowledge.

So what can you do to improve your listening, and why does it matter? This graphic explains the ins and outs.

Click To Enlarge

Via Salesforce

The post Use Social Media to Learn What Your Customers Are Already Talking About appeared first on Eder Holguin.

Success Social Media Engagement Likes Ladder ReachImage credit: Max Pixe

Social media takes traditional networking and ramps it up by several orders of magnitude. It isn’t technically necessary to build up contacts or locate events these days— say the right thing at the right time with the right people paying attention and your message can resound like an explosion across the online world (something unbelievably valuable for ecommerce).

It sounds far easier than it actually is, of course. There’s nothing straightforward about it, and while you’ll see some overnight successes in the social media world, they generally fizzle out quickly. It takes a lot of careful research, planning, and preparation to create a formula that truly makes social media deliver the kind of ROI it’s capable of.

We’re going to look at some of the most remarkable social media success stories yet, and see what we can glean from them. By learning from the best, we can apply incremental improvements to our own social media efforts. Let’s get started.

Deadpool Breaks R-Rated Records

2016’s Deadpool didn’t really seem as though it would be a huge hit. It didn’t share any established actors from the profitable X-Men film franchise, and despite featuring Marvel characters, had no overlap with the box-office behemoth that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What’s more, star and chief advocate Ryan Reynolds had already been a superhero flop in the disappointing Green Lantern, and had even depicted a widely-mocked version of the Deadpool character in a previous X-Men movie. Plus the film was R-rated (not generally a strong area for a superhero movie) without a massive marketing budget to get exposure. It wasn’t promising.

Yet courtesy of an astonishing all-guns-blazing social media marketing campaign, it broke numerous box office records, raked in $783m on a budget of just $58m, and make the character a cultural icon of sorts. How did that happen?

Well, you can trace it to Reynolds’s passion for the comics and determination to do it justice without compromising on what he loved about the character. Owing to the nature of the production and the relatively-low expectations, he evidently got the freedom to try an experimental approach to the promotion, and he really ran with it.

Deadpool social media activity was rife with risqué humor, meta-references, and unexpected collaborations. Part of the fun of following it all was seeing what would happen next. Deadpool is a wacky character, and the team behind the movie had the conviction to go beyond the safe marketing pattern and throw a lot of elements out in the hope that some of them would stick.

As it happens, pretty much all of them did. There may be an alternative universe in which Deadpool completely sank without a trace and the campaign ended up written off as a tone-deaf attempt at shock humor, but thankfully we live in this universe, where its authentic tone and faithful representation of the spirit of the character paid off in a big way.

The Lesson: Put In Maximum Effort to Be Authentic

Social media, like any kind of marketing, can be really safe, especially since a lot of people want to use it effectively but don’t really know what they should be doing. But playing it safe won’t bring about huge success. It’s better to take some calculated risks in how you approach social media— try something different, and put the effort in to make it amazing.

To do this, go beyond what your competitors are doing. Think about new platforms you can try, and new creative approaches you can pursue. Sometimes the scattergun approach is worth trying so you can figure out what might work.

The Ice Bucket Challenge Raises Over $115m

For a time in 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge ruled the internet with an iron fist. It was absolutely everywhere, and its influence extended into every part of digital society.

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Donation drives weren’t new, and there wasn’t anything revolutionary about social media challenges, even then—Twitter had been around for 8 years by that point—but there were some aspects of the Ice Bucket Challenge that made it different, including:

• The low barrier to entry

• • • It just needed a camera, a bucket of ice, and a minute or so.

• The entertainment

• • • Videos were both fun to watch and fun to make.

• The reward

• • • Each participant earned a prize of sorts in getting to challenge others.

• The scope

• • • Since it spread through challenges, it could ultimately reach almost anyone.

• The virality

• • • People like to support good causes, especially with the internet watching them.

• The central bind

• • The challenge was to take part or donate as a forfeit, but those taking part would invariably donate anyway, even if only because it would look bad to do otherwise.

In a short time, it brought together the lowest and highest rungs of society in a joint effort. Celebrities would challenge each other, politicians would take part, and media platforms would happy get involved to provide further exposure.

There are so many points of failure in this sort of semi-controlled campaign that it’s hard to know when something will approach the level of success that the Ice Bucket Challenge reached. Even so, there’s a big lesson we can take from it:

The Lesson: Gamification Plus Virality Is A Winning Formula

Gamification is huge in the world of user experience (UX) design, and for good reason. People love having options to participate in things, be they challenges, polls, quizzes, conversations or contests. If you can create something on social media that is both enjoyably interactive and something that people will want to share, you can achieve incredible results.

If you want to learn more about gamification, you can read about how gamification helps to increase engagements, or take a look at some of the best recent social media gamification courtesy of the Shorty Awards.

Wendy’s Dominates Twitter

If you had to rank brand perception for fast-food chains, Wendy’s would probably be top these days, and most of the credit for that has to go to the team behind the Wendy’s Twitter account. They’ve mastered the art of being likeably promotional, deploying pop-culture references with a dry, ironic, modern sense of humor that has made them exceptionally popular online.

Outside the bubble of a needlessly-cautious upper management, Wendy’s social media approach is perfectly innocuous. They don’t touch upon hot-button topics or weigh in on grand controversies. Instead, they post silly but clever comments, talk to customers, and generally have fun with it. They promote burgers— what about that calls for resolute professionalism?

You may recall the #nuggsforcarter campaign that stemmed from their declaration that Carter Wilkerson, a man looking for a year’s supply of chicken nuggets, would need 18 million retweets to get it. He isn’t there yet, but he’s up to 3.6 million, making his tweet the most retweeted ever.

While it’s difficult to tell exactly how this has affected Wendy’s bottom line, it’s reasonable to assume that the company is happy with the social media strategy. Not only has the Twitter team continued to be granted an often-surprising degree of creative freedom, but they’ve also had a major influence on the marketing efforts of other brands.

The Lesson: People Like Brands to Be Relaxed and Conversational

Social media users don’t mind being marketed to as long as they’re entertained in the process, and having brand representatives come across as very human and informal makes it a lot easier to see them as friends to be supported instead of drones from a cold, sterile corporate entity. If your barriers are up on social media, take them down— relax a little and don’t worry so much.

In the e-commerce world, this fits perfectly with live chat systems and facilities allowing you to sell products directly through social media channels. Most store builders offer a variety of online sales channels including Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, so a social media team can make someone laugh in one message and then sell to them in the next.

After all, we’re very skeptical about recommendations from sales staff, but if we’re friendly with someone, we’ll be far more inclined to trust that they have our best interests at heart. By coming across as less sales-obsessed, you’ll prove significantly more effective at driving conversions.

Social media has a ton of potential, but it’s incredibly difficult to get it right. If you can take some risks, provide interactive and shareable content, and really connect with potential customers or clients, you can stand out from the pack and see real results.

Kayleigh Alexandra is a content writer for Micro Startups — a site dedicated to spreading the word about startups and small businesses of all shapes and sizes. Visit the blog for the latest marketing insights from top experts and inspiring entrepreneurial stories. Follow us on Twitter @getmicrostarted.

The post What These Amazing Social Media Success Stories Can Teach Us appeared first on Eder Holguin.

Every year, certain trends associated with web design head into the forefront. Beginning in 2016, a major shift took place that significantly impacted web design, a trend that will continue to come to fruition in 2018. In 2016, mobile devices finally overtook desktop usage. During the coming year, remarkable innovations will be implemented to more fully implement mobile functionality. In addition to innovation, other trends associated with web design will have an even sharper focus on mobile usage than historically has been the case.

Smarter Use of Negative Space

One trend to keep an eye out for in 2018 is the smarter utilization of negative space in web design. White (or blank) space is nothing new when it comes to website design. The issue is how to best address it and how to make the best use of it. This objective became ever more important when mobile devices became the primary route a majority of people now access the internet.

What's out in 2018 is gimmicky designs. Even static images are taking a back seat to other concepts in addressing negative space. The mantra for 2018 for addressing negative space is to make it more meaningful, give it an actual purpose. Negative space is going to be addressed with a primary objective of increasing conversions.

Rather than graphics or gimmicks, a cinemagraphs will be far more common solutions to address negative space. For example, a cinemagraph might be used to demonstrate a product or service. In the end, negative space will direct attention to conversion or other engagement without any distractions.

As an aside, clean and simple pages had become the buzz in 2017. That will continue in 2018. Indeed, clean and simple will go to a whole new level during the coming year.

Bold, Brilliant Typography

Time and again, even the best web designers have treated typography as something of an afterthought with startling regularity. A trend you will see in 2018, that is tied in with anticipated minimalistic styling, is the use of typography as a design element.

A change you likely will notice is the replacement of some images with typographical design concepts. You'll see more artistic and colorful fonts taking the place of images in some cases.

The trend to bolder, brilliant, and more vibrant fonts ties in solidly with the movement towards mobile access to the internet becoming the primary portal for a majority of people. A heavier reliance on typography over images and complicated graphics fits the objective of cleaner and simpler web design concepts.

Cinemagraphs

Cinemagraphs were mentioned a moment ago in relation to the smarter use of negative space. If you are like many people, you may not yet be well versed in cinemagraphs. You can think of a cinemagraph something that lies between a full-blown video and a static image.

The rapidly expanding use of cinemagraphs is one trend you definitely will notice in web design in 2018. These quick snippets of compelling imagery will be utilized to draw attention to vital points on a website page.

There has already been a decent amount of research done on the value of cinemagraphs. They have been demonstrated effective at increasing conversions and enhancing engagement, which obviously are the two primary goals of a business and its website.

A variety of different types of cinemagraphics will be in ever increasing use during 2018. One of the more common derivations with be 360-degree cinemagraphics that present a product or some other information in a compelling manner.

Scroll Triggered Animation

Scroll triggered animation represents another web design trend that you will see far more office during the coming year. Although not new, scroll triggered animation will be used more often and differently in 2018.

Animation is no longer being created simply to add a bit of flare to a website. Rather, animation is not being utilized for a purpose.

Scroll triggered animation will be strategic, but it will also be designed in a minimalist manner, as will be the case with so many other aspects of web design. Triggered animation will be focused on increasing a websites conversion rate and enhance engagement. In addition, scroll triggered animation will also be used as a means of allowing people the ready ability to access more information about a brand, product, service, or business.

Progressive Apps

Apps rule. At the beginning of 2018, Apps account for almost 90 percent of all mobile media time. A trend that you will really see take off in 2018 is the blending of traditional app behaviors with those more commonly associated with websites. This app and website hybrid has been given a name: progressive web app.

Overall, progressive web apps largely are in the development stage. With that said, there will be an increase in the upgrading of existing apps during the coming year to add more website-like functionality. This will include such things as push notifications, offline mode, and splash screens. If you want to take a look at progressive apps in action, Twitter and the Washington Post are already making use of this technology.

As the development of progressive web apps continue and are put into wide use, you will also see refined cognitive capabilities that will include a greater dependency on natural language processing as well as automation. In other words, progressive web apps will "learn" and be able to better react to your personal preferences.

Intelligent Conversational Bots

Intelligent conversational bots will be front and center in 2018. This will particularly be the case when it comes to the functionality of mobile apps.

Intelligent conversational bots are likely to be implemented in a myriad of highly creative ways. By way of example, intelligent conversational bots might be programmed into a question and answer page. Intelligent conversational bots will be seen providing answers to basic questions about such things as store hours. Once to type in a URL, you will be presented to a virtual helper capable of intelligent conversation with you.

Natural Language Processing

On a related note, one of the web design trends to be on the lookout for in 2018 is an ever-expanding use of natural language processing. Thanks to ever more refined natural language processing technology, you will be able to access different app and computer functions by using everyday language. It's all going to be rather like having a restaurant server provide you with menu information as opposed to being handed a menu itself that you have to read and muddle through.

Micro Interactions

Facebook is where we have really seen micro interactions arise in popularity. During the past year, rather than just merely like items at Facebook, you can express an array of different reactions. This variety results in a more expansive user experience.

Micro-interactions make user engagement like posting reviews easier. Historically, this has been a more complicated task and required a number of steps on the part of a user. Those steps alone oftentimes were big enough speed bumps to prevent a user from following through with a type of interaction like a review. In the final analysis, micro interactions break down at least some significant communications barriers. Micro-interactions increase connectivity and speed.

Increased Value of Facebook

Speaking of Facebook, that social media platform will have even more increased value in 2018. Indeed, there arguably is now a serious digital marketing trend that is resulting in Facebook becoming of equal value to the traditional website. Indeed, in some industries, some businesses have taken the position that Facebook has now become more valuable to them than a traditional website.

When it comes to 2018 website design trends, what seems to be happening in regard to Facebook cannot be ignored. Facebook itself recognizes what it sees as a solid trend and is striving mightily to become a strong destination to provide what businesses historically had gleaned from their own websites.

How the apparent trend towards the increasing value of Facebook finally plays out is not yet certain. During what might be something of a transitional period, it is important that web design take Facebook into account. If nothing else, a typical business is going to need an appropriate connection between its website and Facebook page. Moreover, this interaction cannot just take the form of backlinks.

Secure Web Pages

Malicious hacking seemed to rise to a whole new level in 2017. As a result, trust and security issues are likely to dominate a great deal of internet issues in 2018. This will include a sharp focus on trust and security when it comes to web design.

As a result of what occurred in 2017, website visitors are going to be more conscious of security issues. They will be looking for websites that have strong security features. In addition, they will be looking for succinct information about what a particular website is doing in the way of security. Not only will website visitors be looking for this information on homepages, which has been the standard, but throughout a site and on all web pages.

Placement of Sticky Elements

Historically, with the primary use of desktop computers to access the internet and websites, navigation occurred from the top. Sticky elements were placed at the top of web pages.

With the rise in the use of mobile devices, navigating from the bottom up is becoming the norm. As a result, web designers are responding appropriately. A

A trend you will see throughout 2018 is a movement of navigation and other sticky elements on websites to the bottom of pages.

Broken Grid Layout

A true website design trend you will see in 2018 is the use of what best can be described as a broken grid layout. Essentially, many website designers will be losing the design grid all together.

The net effect of the reduction in the use of the long-used grid design structure will be an increase in the number of websites that make unexpected and yet stunning visual presentations. This will include a potentially more vibrant visual presentation on desktop and mobile versions of websites.

Enhanced Page Transitions

Page transitions have been in a static mode since the dawn of the webpage. No matter what tricks were done in web design, there was always a break when a website visitor went from one page to another. What we have learned, that break in continuity results in a drop in conversions and engagement.

In 2018, you will start to see web design concepts that make page transitions, that make going from one page to another, more akin to a smooth movement rather than a break. This will enhance the overall visitor experience at a website. It will also increase conversions and engagement more generally.

Floating Navigation Menus

A notable and practical, web design change you will see more of in 2018 is the floating navigation menu. There really is nothing fancy about this change that will be trending in 2018. Rather, it is happening in response to website visitors who are always in search of ways in which they can more rapidly access different elements and pages of a website.

Content Hubs or "Webbooks"

Finally, a 2018 web design trend is that written content has been making something of a comeback in the past two years. Prior to that, the mantra among designers seemed to be pare down written content on websites. That will all change in 2018.

In 2018, look for more extensive website content hubs. These are hubs that contain a significant amount of well-written, useful information. Some have taken to calling this type of content hub a webbook. Longform content will become the norm in the not too distant future, with tremendous project made towards that reality in websites designed and updates in 2018.

Conclusion

The web design trends are things to look for throughout 2018. With that said, as is the case every year, before too long there will be something unexpected happening in the way web design trends. Indeed, something may pop up in the way of web design that is both unexpected and revolutionary.

Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who writes for Faxage a leading company that provides Internet fax service for individuals and businesses.

The post 2018 Exciting Web Design Trends appeared first on Eder Holguin.

ecommerce vs brick and mortar

Ecommerce and online shopping are on the rise, faster than ever before and much more rapidly than anyone could have ever predicted. Today’s young adults (or millennials) have been brought up with the internet and have relied more on online shopping than any other generation, using the internet to take advantage of deals and complete simply day-to-day tasks.

This is not going to slow down for the next generation and will only keep growing. So, with such prospects, how can physical stores be expected to keep up? Ecommerce is taking hold and some even daresay taking over.

Are physical stores in danger?

Some physical stores are now experimenting with new, innovative ways to bring people through their doors. For example, lots of stores now have a shopper controlled music system, are pet-friendly or have other means of entertainment such as photo booths or interactive product displays. Plus, many physical stores have in-store booths which can be used to actually shop through online experience!

The main goal of physical stores should be to enhance the shopping experience and make it attractive to potential customers. The atmosphere, interaction with customers and discovery of new products are all things which are not as engaging online.

One store which does this well – and always has – is LUSH, the cosmetics giant, who has all of its products on display, out of their packaging. The store is a colorful display of delightful smells and product demonstrations from friendly and engaging staff. It makes shopping enjoyable.

Nike has also gone to some lengths to drive up foot traffic. It has recently introduced a new innovative idea which allows customers to customize their shoes online and then collect them later that day – so much quicker and immediate than ordering them online and then waiting for up to two weeks to arrive in the mail.

How do online shopping companies impact physical stores?

There are many tools and tricks which online stores are using to negatively impact on retail companies who rely on their physical presence more than their online one. There are a few stand out ways which all companies need to be aware of.

1. Online Reviews

Online reviews make it easier than ever for a potential customer to decide whether he or she wants to buy your product. Before the days of online reviews, you would often have to ask friends or family about a product. Now, consumers can quite easily search on a brand’s website or social media pages to see reviews and recommendations.

2. Online Engagement

The key benefit to having an online presence is that a handful of employees can engage with a huge number of potential customers from all across the world. Online engagement is not just about talking to customers but also about posting enthusiastic, emotive and engaging posts which convey a message and sell the product. This helps to build brand loyalty and connections with customers and it is not something which can easily be done on the same scale in physical stores.

3. Smartphones

Smartphones are a powerful tool which goes a long way to influence shoppers, even when the customer is physically in your store! It is all too common to see a customer walking around a store with the smartphone in her hand, reviewing and comparing products she sees in the store to online offerings (with attached reviews). This can make a big difference in making a sale online or in-store.

Benefits of In-Store Shopping v Online Shopping

Still, the benefits of in-store shopping at physical locations cannot be understated. When you go to a store, you can see the product there, physically, in all its glory for yourself. You can hold it, manipulate it and ask questions to staff. You are able to get a true feel of it before committing to a purchase. This is especially important when buying clothes, for example.

• In-store, you are able to find the right fit, try on clothes or get a true feel for the product before you buy it. You know exactly what you are getting. You also do not need to wait for the product to arrive, because you can take it home straight away and use it instantly.

• However, in-store shopping takes time. A couple of hours planned shopping can turn into a full day and long checkout lines only add to this. Plus, in-store shopping can obliterate your budget because you will be more inclined to buy something which you do not need or were not planning on buying.

However, when you shop online, you have the benefit of comparing an endless catalog of thousands – if not millions – of brands and products in one place. If you’re not sure what you are looking for, you do not need to travel from place to place looking for the best deal or the right product; it’s right there at your fingertips. Product review pages like <a href="http://us.shopping.fm/">Shopping FM</a> and discount sites like Groupon can make buying online socially engaging and rewarding, at the same time.

• Online, you can shop in your own time and you do not need to take time out of your day to do it. You can do it on your break at work, on the bus or just before you go to sleep. Plus, you are able to easily compare thousands of products instantly, read reviews and watch videos about it.

• The drawback, however, is that a good deal can easily be wiped out by shipping costs and signing up to a brand’s website with your email address can lead to spam emails as they try and entice you back to buy more.

So, what is the Future?

It is clear to see that the growth of ecommerce and online shopping has had an impact on physical stores – it has harmed them to some degree. However, this is a natural part of living in a digitally connected world where everything is dynamic and ever-changing.

Physical stores need to adapt to survive. They are not dead, however. Physical shopping is still alive and well. Just take a walk to your closest city or store on a weekend or during the holidays and you will see thousands of people perusing around shops, going about their business and making purchases.

Although the popularity of physical stores has declined somewhat, they are far from dead or dying and still draw in thousands of people per year. Many brands are beginning to take note of the challenges they face with the growth of ecommerce and online shopping, and now have a large presence on social media challenges. Although the physical shopping experience may have dwindled, these brands have not exactly suffered harm because of it; they have thrived.

The growth of ecommerce is forcing brands to adapt their stores and make them more physically engaging and entertaining. They are no longer just a mean to display your products on sale. This is a good thing and only goes to improve the overall shopping experience.

To learn more about the growth of ecommerce and some interesting facts about online vs offline shopping, check out our infographic below!

The post Does Ecommerce Growth Harm Physical Stores? appeared first on Eder Holguin.

Social media is deeply embedded in our online shopping as well.

5 years ago, it was enough for a business to simply be on social media. To have a presence. To occasionally post pictures of products as well as updates on sales. Today, things are completely different. Social media is absolutely revolutionizing eCommerce world. Businesses who don’t effectively engage in social media will find themselves left out in the cold while their competitors blow past them.

As Catalin Zorzini says:

For Web businesses, effective social marketing represents real value. Social networks offer new ways to reach first-time customers, engage and reward existing customers, and showcase the best your brand has to offer. Your social network profiles and the content you share are as important as a business’ storefront signage and displays in the 1950s.

Why? Social networks are evolving from merely places to find and distribute content; they’re becoming commerce portals. Businesses that integrate social media into their marketing strategy – from customer acquisition, to sales, to re-engagement campaigns – will benefit.

But what changes matter the most? What changes are having the biggest impact on the eCommerce world?

Here are 5 to think about.

#1 - Live Video

Live video is everywhere these days. Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter have all doubled down on live video, believing it to be the future of social media. Live video is engaging, it’s visual, and it allows users to engage with each other in a real-time manner. It allows for interaction and face-to-face conversations. Above all, live video keeps users on social media platforms longer, which is why everyone is pushing it so hard.

As Matthew Ingram notes:

Facebook's engineers have been busy tweaking the algorithm to push videos—especially news-worthy or popular ones—higher in the news feed. And all that tweaking has had the desired effect: Facebook now gets more than 8 billion video views a day. A view is defined as anything longer than three seconds, but that is still a massive amount of video being watched on the service (Snapchat is also close to this number).

As you might imagine, live video is also revolutionizing the eCommerce world in a number of ways.

Brands are relying on live video to show off products in new, unique ways. For example, Dunkin’ Donuts took viewers inside their “test kitchen” with live video to show how they create their donuts. Tough Mudder has taken viewers up close and personal with brand evangelists to show what’s required to run their events.

Live product demonstrations and Q&A’s are also becoming increasingly popular. They let brands and companies show off their new products and answer questions about them in real-time. This is a huge advantage compared to simply displaying pictures on a website or video ads.

Finally, brands are using influencers on live video to promote their products. For example, beauty companies may send products to influencers to test out and promote via live video. This gives an authentic feel to the promotions that isn’t available with standard video ads.

Video is on fire right now, and it’s only going to keep getting bigger.

EMBED: https://youtu.be/xdytJ5y-sFI

#2 - Hyper-Targeted Advertising

It’s no secret that social media companies collect a lot of data, and that they let advertisers use that data. The granularity and specificity of that data means that, more and more, eCommerce companies are able to hyper-target audiences.

As the Washington Post notes:

Facebook keeps ads “useful and relevant” in four distinct ways. It tracks your on-site activity, such as the pages you like and the ads you click, and your device and location settings, such as the brand of phone you use and your type of Internet connection. Most users recognize these things impact ad targeting: Facebook has repeatedly said as much.

This article goes on to state that Facebook collects an astonishing 98 different points of data on each user!

The implications for business are astronomical. In the past, an outdoor gear manufacturer could generally advertise to audiences by taking out an ad in Field & Stream magazine. Now, thanks to the data available to them, they can specifically target men ages 22-50 who like the National Rifle Association, prefer Budweiser, have expressed an interest in camping, and also like to read Field & Stream.

As you can imagine, this type of specificity opens up new worlds for eCommerce companies. They no longer need to spray large amounts of money into ads, hoping they manage to hit the right audience. Now they can know they they’re on target and that their ads will resonate with the audience.

Additionally, companies can see exactly how well their ads are performing - how many clicks they’re getting, how many people have seen the ad, etc.

The advances in social media advertising are allowing companies to be much more specific in their ad spends and measure the results much more effectively.

#3 - Constant Brand Monitoring

Thanks to the search and alert functions provided by social media analytics platforms like Mention and SproutSocial, companies can now constantly monitor for mentions of their brand and engage with customers.

For example, if a customer is upset with a company and mentions them on Twitter, that company can instantly reach out and offer help. They can offer discounts to customers who are having problems and thank customers for their support.

As SproutSocial says:

With a dedicated support handle, you don’t have to worry about questions from followers getting lost in a series of brand mentions. Plus it’s easier to stay on message and maintain a consistent tone across the channel. Switching from promotional to conversational to support can be tricky to maintain, especially during busier times.

If a customer is happy with a company, the company can share that positive review on social media and invite others to leave reviews. Or if a customer leaves a negative review, the company can personally reach out and seek to fix the issue.

If a news story breaks about an eCommerce product, the brand can get out ahead of the story and shoot down false rumors or spread good news.

eCommerce companies that aren’t constantly monitoring their brands are likely to fall behind those that do. After all, everything moves ten times faster in the social media world than in real life.

#4 - The Advent of Chatbots

Artificial chatbots are also playing an increasingly important role for eCommerce companies. For example, if a customer visits a company’s Facebook page, an automatic chatbot can engage in Facebook Messenger, offering discounts, the ability to solve problems, and even personalized recommendation.

Paul Chaney writes about how the company Spring is using a Facebook Messenger bot:

A good example is mobile-first e-commerce retailer Spring, which launched Spring Bot, a personal shopping concierge powered by Messenger and Zopim live chat, reported the fashion blog Fashionista.

To start the clothes-buying process, the bot asks the customer what he/she is looking for and then presents options from which to select, including clothing, shoes, or accessories. Customers can see thumbnails with links to the products that they can purchase using their mobile device.

As more people take to messenger services rather than the social media platforms themselves, chatbots are going to become even more important. And with well over a billion people using Facebook’s standalone messenger app, it’s not surprising that Facebook is giving companies resources to develop chatbots. They know that Messenger bots are going to be big.

Additionally, chatbots are becoming more important as younger consumers steer away from older communication methods such as email and depend on instant communication methods, such as Facebook messenger and WhatsApp.

We should expect to see bots becoming more present in messenger apps in the future as companies realize their power.

#5 - In-App Purchase Options

In the past, if you saw an item on Instagram and wanted to purchase it, you had to exit the app, open your browser, find the site, and then make the purchase. That method is quickly fading away as social media platforms integrate buy buttons.

Now, it’s possible for eCommerce retailers to incorporate buy buttons directly into their advertisements within social media platforms. This reduces buyer “friction” and makes impulse buying much easier. If a person sees what they like, they can simply click the buy button and immediately purchase it.

Additionally, marketing platforms like Soldsie are letting companies instantly add items to a shopping company (assuming the customer agrees) when they make a comment under an Instagram or Facebook photo. This means that if a customer sees a t-shirt he likes, he can immediately start the purchase with something as simple as a comment. This makes it incredibly easy for customers to purchase in the moment.

Conclusion

With the incredible societal shifts caused by the internet in general and social media in particular, it’s no surprise that eCommerce is being caught up in the wave. Social media is offering new and exciting opportunities for online business, and we should only expect these to increase.

With platforms constantly evolving and finding new ways to personalize shopping, social media will play an even bigger role in shopping in the future. Depending on your ability to avoid impulse buys, it’s either a fantastic or terrible time to be alive.

This article originally appeared her at https://www.floship.com/social-media-transforming-ecommerce/ and has been republished with permission from floship.com

The post 5 Astounding Ways Social Media Is Transforming eCommerce appeared first on Eder Holguin.

AdWords has evolved into Google's main source of revenue, contributing to Google's total advertising revenues of USD$43.7 billion in 2012.^[3] AdWords offers services such as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) advertising.^[4]

The AdWords program includes local, national, and international distribution. Google's text advertisements are short, consisting of one headline with a maximum of 30 characters, two text lines of 35 characters each, and a display URL of 40 characters. These mimic what the average search result looks like on Google. Image ads can be one of the several different standardized sizes as designated by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). In May 2016, Google announced its reformatting of ads to help consumers and advertisers succeed in a mobile-first world. The new format, called Expanded Text Ads, allows for 23% more text. This new format is available on both the Google Search Network and the Google Display network. It features two headlines with 30 characters each, replacing the standard of a single headline with 30 characters. The display URL has been replaced with two 15 character paths, not including the root domain.

Sales and support for Google's AdWords division in the United States is based in Mountain View, California, with major secondary offices in Hyderabad, Dublin, Singapore, Ann Arbor^[5] and New York City. The third-largest US facility is the Googleplex,^[6] Google's headquarters, which is located in Mountain View, California. Google AdWords engineering is based at the Googleplex, with major secondary offices in Los Angeles and New York.

As of 2011, AdWords represented 96% of Google's revenue.^[7]

Some of the costs per click being paid are expensive, though they must be worth it, from the advertiser’s perspective.

Last year I started a project to gather and analyzed a large chunk of Google Adwords data to discover the most expensive keywords in the US. Today: Click here to download the list

The post The Most Expensive 1,000 Google Adwords Keywords ranked by CPC appeared first on Eder Holguin.

Increasing traffic and finding ways to improve reach and visibility for your online store might be a challenging task, and in some cases, it might also be expensive. Thankfully, there are many bloggers and websites who share valuable information at no cost. Here's a list of 100 great articles that will help  you how bring more visitors and traffic to your online store, for free. Let’s get started!

1) http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/08/14/increase-traffic-to-my-website

This article by WordStream is a comprehensive and helpful list following 25 useful tips and suggestions. These tips are perfect for anybody looking to increase their online visibility and drive more quality traffic to their website or online shop.

2) http://backlinko.com/increase-website-traffic

The clever folks at Baclkinko.com set out to create a diverse, smart and comprehensive articles, featuring 4 simple steps that anyone should follow, to learn how to effectively increase online traffic. It features some interesting consideration and great information for people of all walks of life.

3) https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/05/13/39-actionable-ideas-for-driving-traffic-to-your-website/

Forbes is a well-known name within the media world, and their ability to offer consistently high quality business advice to people of all walks of life is unparalleled. In this article, they share people great ways to increase their online traffic

4) https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249125

The staff at Entrepreneur Magazine compiled a great list featuring 17 ways and techniques to boost traffic easily and quickly. A great article for people looking to learn more about this type of content.

5) http://neilpatel.com/blog/how-to-increase-website-traffic-without-seo/

Neil Patel is a well-respected professional within the online branding community, and he also shares a lot of tips on his blog of free content. This is a great article for people looking to increase traffic, without getting too caught up with SEO!

6) https://www.shopify.com/blog/13869029-6-practical-and-proven-ways-to-drive-traffic-to-your-new-online-store

Here is a smart, safe and effective collection of 6 practical tools and ideas that will allow you to seriously improve your online traffic and drive more people to visit your online store, seamlessly and easily.

7) https://www.getcredo.com/ways-to-drive-traffic-to-your-website-2017/

The people at Credo compiled a huge list featuring over 43 ways to drive more and more traffic to your online business and see the website grow seamlessly, with minimal effort.

8) http://www.seonick.net/100000-visitors-per-month/

This article is absolutely perfect for those of you out there with a more technical understanding of SEO. It shows the power of great analytics and the way great SEO practices can certainly affect your website in a very positive way.

9) https://websitesetup.org/increase-website-traffic/

If you are a beginner, but still want to do some work to improve the traffic to your online store, this particular article will be absolutely perfect for you, and it will help you understand some key concepts that are related to the SEO branch and content writing.

10) http://www.siegemedia.com/strategy/increase-website-traffic

An insightful, direct and smartly written article which highlights amazing techniques and ways to dramatically improve traffic and visibility to your website. The company also offers some services for a fee, but this is all free advice!

11) http://mywifequitherjob.com/8-tips-on-how-to-get-more-traffic-to-your-online-store/

An interesting and relatable article, which is not only well-written, but also intelligent and easy to understand. Lots of great SEO advices and other neat tricks to expand the reach of your website

12) http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Website-Traffic

The guys at WikiHow seem to know almost anything, at of course, they also have their own take on traffic enhancement! Here is what they suggest to increase traffic to your online shop or website.

13) https://www.quicksprout.com/2015/01/21/how-to-increase-your-websites-traffic-without-any-marketing/

An interesting, direct and seamless way to learn how to drive traffic to your website, easily.

14) https://pixc.com/blog/increase-traffic-to-your-online-store/

This website offers many resources, tools, tricks and techniques with some insightful articles and great content. Just sign up to receive tons of free advice.

15) https://moz.com/blog/google-traffic-links

Tired of links and all the work it takes to build different networks? This article will explain you how to build traffic without worrying about building links!

16) https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-increase-referral-traffic-and-get-more-leads#sm.0000p0nzwgxbzfpvu2f2qro0mhit1

Referral is an interesting and little-known way to increase traffic and drive more people to your online shop. This article has all you need to know about it, and more!

17) https://www.incomediary.com/website-traffic-tips

Can you really get 100 visitors a day everyday? according to this article by incomediary.com, you can! This is how they do it.

18) https://blog.kissmetrics.com/increase-traffic-with-stumbleupon/

StumbleUpon is a very underestimated social media, but you can actually use it to build massive traffic. Here is how you do it!

19) http://smallbusiness.chron.com/increase-traffic-online-store-59578.html

This direct and understate article is perfect for small business owners who are looking to drive more online traffic to their website, and learn the tricks to do it on their own, for free!

20) https://beeketing.com/blog/10-effective-ways-to-increase-traffic-for-online-stores/

Simple, direct and effective. All you need to know to increase traffic for your online store, in 10 easy steps, with lots of insightful details and amazing ideas.

21) https://graphpaperpress.com/blog/101-simple-tips-increase-website-traffic/

This article literally reinvented the search engine optimization 101…offering 101 amazing strategies for you to boost traffic and drive people to visit your online store!

22) https://postcron.com/en/blog/e-commerce-7-strategies-increase-traffic-visibility-sales/

Read on to discover 7 vital strategies to increase the visibility of your online store and improve traffic to your website, to gain more sales and productivity

23) https://premium.wpmudev.org/blog/increase-traffic-to-site-with-these-blogging-tips/

Looking to use blogging as a way to drive more traffic to your website? these amazing tips will show you how to do that and a lot more!

24) https://www.inc.com/peter-roesler/4-internet-marketing-tips-to-increase-online-traffic-and-revenue-in-2017.html

Internet marketing is a great way to drive traffic to your website, and this article features 4 smart tips to achieve that!

25) https://www.shoutmeloud.com/working-ways-increase-website-traffic.html

If you are looking for 3 simple ways to increase traffic to your website, look no further. This article is simple, essential and smart, and will help you cover all the basis.

26) http://www.artbusiness.com/artist-websites-how-to-increase-traffic-keep-visitors-on-site.html

Is your business related to the arts industry? Perhaps you are a band or a painter? This article will be perfect for you, but it also features amazing strategies that even non-artists can use!

27) https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/boost-e-commerce-traffic-sales/

Looking to get creative? Here are some amazing ways to boost traffic to your online store, without using any of the usual conventional strategies and tricks.

28) https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/increase-blog-traffic-without-social/

Tired of social media? If you are not keen on working so much with your social networks and you would rather use other methods to achieve more visibility, this is the way you do it!

29) https://www.thebalance.com/drive-traffic-to-your-business-website-2948413

30) https://startbloggingonline.com/how-to-promote-your-blog-and-get-visitors/

31) https://www.verisign.com/en_US/website-presence/online-marketing/website-traffic/index.xhtml

32) http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/6829/online_business/5_free_ways_to_increase_traffic_to_your_online_store.html

33) https://yourdesignonline.com/website-traffic-important-business/

34) https://www.facebook.com/business/a/online-sales/choose-your-ad-type

35) https://www.progressivedentalmarketing.com/seo/11-actionable-ways-to-increase-traffic-to-your-website/

36) http://nichehacks.com/increase-website-traffic/

37) https://www.feedbackexpress.com/increase-traffic-online-store/

38) https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-traffic/

39) https://blog.vendhq.com/post/64901828521/7-ways-to-drive-foot-traffic-to-retail-store

40) https://www.articulatemarketing.com/content-marketing-guide/increase-organic-site-traffic

41) https://conversionxl.com/how-to-increase-sales-online-the-checklist/

42) https://conversionxl.com/how-to-increase-sales-online-the-checklist/

43) https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/increase-targeted-website-traffic/

44) https://www.shopify.com/blog/how-to-increase-website-traffic

45) http://www.vervesearch.com/blog/5-powerful-tactics-to-increase-your-blog-traffic/

46) https://www.impactbnd.com/blogging-statistics-55-reasons-blogging-creates-55-more-traffic

47) http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/01/27/increase-blog-traffic

48) http://blog.wishpond.com/post/64306069299/12-effective-ways-to-use-facebook-to-drive-traffic-to

49) https://moz.com/blog/21-tactics-to-increase-blog-traffic-2012

50) https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/247045

51) http://wholedesignstudios.com/7-ways-to-instantly-increase-your-e-commerce-traffic-sales/

52) https://www.kabbage.com/blog/driving-web-traffic-your-store

53) http://blog.sumall.com/journal/use-shopify-drive-traffic-sales-online-store.html

54) https://magento.com/blog/best-practices/12-social-media-tactics-drive-traffic-your-ecommerce-site

55) https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/6-ways-to-boost-traffic-to-your-etsy/46010759570

56) https://www.aabacosmallbusiness.com/advisor/drive-store-traffic-20-experts-share-retail-strategies-213012835.html

57) http://neilpatel.com/blog/6-clever-ways-to-ethically-boost-ecommerce-store-sales/

58) https://www.thirdchannel.com/mind-the-store/leveraging-social-media-to-boost-in-store-traffic

59) https://www.dbsquaredinc.com/in-store-traffic929/

60) https://around.io/blog/traffic-but-no-sales/

61) http://charlottehowells.com/get-more-traffic-online-shop/

62) https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2017/05/01/five-marketing-tools-to-boost-online-store-sales/#38731ea96929

63) https://www.lightspeedhq.com/blog/2016/11/4-ways-boost-ecom-holiday-traffic-sales/

64) https://blog.scottsmarketplace.com/promote-online-shop/

65) https://www.sba.gov/blogs/7-ways-increase-foot-traffic-your-small-business

66) http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/use-video-to-drive-traffic-and-conversions/

67) http://www.webdesignerhub.com/effective-strategies-boost-traffic-e-commerce-website/

68) https://www.ballantine.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-increasing-your-companys-online-visibility/

69) http://www.bazaarvoice.com/case-studies/argos-case-study.html

70) https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/05/15/business-boosted-sales-25-after-finding-right-social-media-partner/101345358/

71) http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Website-Traffic-for-Free

72) https://www.reliablesoft.net/10-free-ways-to-get-more-visitors-to-your-web-site/

73) http://copytactics.com/increase-free-website-traffic

74) http://www.razorsocial.com/how-to-increase-website-traffic-from-social-media/

75) http://write-from-home.com/free-website-traffic/

76) https://www.protocol80.com/go/5-ways-to-increase-website-traffic/

77) https://www.onlinedimes.com/increase-blog-website-traffic/

78) http://therugbybusinessnetwork.com/groups/5-methods-to-increase-website-traffic-for-free/

79) https://writtent.com/blog/4-ways-to-increase-website-traffic-with-content-marketing/

80) http://www.matthewwoodward.co.uk/tutorials/10-quick-traffic-methods/

81) http://beacon.by/seofreetips/how-to-get-1-m-visitors-each-month/2

82) http://www.hackingdream.net/2016/06/how-to-increase-website-traffic-on-my-site.html

83) http://www.hackingdream.net/2016/06/how-to-increase-website-traffic-on-my-site.html

84) http://www.pcworld.com/article/2029636/make-your-business-shine-online-8-steps-to-boost-visibility.html

85) http://www.brazenprofitlab.com/how-to-promote-your-online-store/

86) http://www.asymbo.com/how-push-notifications-can-influence-traffic-and-revenue-for-an-online-shop-case-study/

87) https://www.westhost.com/blog/2016/10/03/3851/

88) http://www.phunware.com/blog/can-push-notifications-boost-retail-foot-traffic/

89) https://hostingfacts.com/internet-facts-stats-2016/

90) http://socialmouths.com/2013/03/14/how-to-turn-your-facebook-page-into-an-insane-traffic-driving-machine/

91) https://sumo.com/stories/get-more-traffic

92) https://www.deepfootprint.com/blog/use-meta-tags-to-increase-traffic-from-google-and-bing/

93) https://www.repricerexpress.com/boosting-traffic-amazon-right-wrong-ways/

94) https://learn.infusionsoft.com/sales/e-commerce/10-ways-to-drive-e-commerce-sales-during-slow-months

95) https://www.oberlo.com/blog/conversion-optimization-for-ecommerce/

96) https://ontraport.com/blog/better-business/the-5-best-ecommerce-seo-strategies-to-boost-sales

97) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shannon-whitehead/why-you-shouldnt-be-drivi_b_9233906.html

98) http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Drive-Free-Traffic-to-Your-eBay-Store-Top-Ten-/10000000067898745/g.html

99) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-25/smartphones-overtake-computers-as-top-e-commerce-traffic-source

100) https://www.inc.com/guides/find-new-customers.html

As you can see, there are lots of techniques and ideas to increase traffic organically. Make a list of the top ideas that you can implement right away and start testing. Tweak as needed to adjust your message, your audience and measure everything to see what works and what doesn't. Remember, you only need a couple of good tactics that work for your store, your audience and your product to increase traffic and sales.

The post How to increase qualified traffic to your online store, for free appeared first on Eder Holguin.