4 Tips to Dramatically Improve the Quality of Your Content

One of the biggest obstacles that every entrepreneur faces is generating fresh content. You can only go so far with paid ads and a strong social media presence. You also need to drive traffic to your website.

The best way to gain traffic, build backlinks, and increase your search rankings is to regularly publish new content to your site.

But, if you don’t have good content, you won’t get the traffic that you want.

For this reason, a lot of entrepreneurs rely on outsourced content. They pay writers to create articles. The problem with this is that it’s hard to find writers that can emulate your style and tone. It’s hard to get them to create content that perfectly matches your brand.

You don’t need to be a professional writer to create high-quality content for your site. Writing content for blogs, ads, web pages, and sales copy is a skill that you can develop.

With these 4 tips, you can learn how to dramatically improve the quality of your writing and drive reader engagement.

#1 Make a List of the Topics That You’ll Cover

Before you start writing your article, you should make a list of the main topics, tips, or ideas that you want to discuss. Use this list to create your subheaders.

This same rule applies whether you’re writing a blog post, website copy, a product review, or sales copy. For example, with sales copy, you’d make a list of the features that you want to discuss. These would then become individual paragraphs with their own subheader.

The subheaders break up the content and make it easier to read. This also helps you stay on track and remain focused on the initial purpose of your content.

#2 Present the Main Problem at the Beginning of Your Content

Always start your content with the main problem that you’re about to address. For example, at the beginning of this article, I mentioned that the biggest obstacle is generating fresh content. These tips help you learn how to overcome this problem by creating your own content.

Address the problem early, possibly identify a few pain points of your readers, and then mention how this article will help solve the problem.

That is the overall structure of your opening paragraphs. You’re getting the reader’s attention by identifying a problem and then you’re telling them how you’ll solve it.

#3 Use Short Paragraphs to Improve Readability

There are several factors that determine readability. First, you need to think about the structure of your content. As mentioned, including subheaders can help break up the content. Adding images and graphics can also help with this.

But, there are a few other ways to improve readability and they all have to do with your writing. You need to use short words, sentences, and paragraphs. Though, the paragraphs are the biggest concern.

Typically, you will want an average paragraph length of 2 to 3 sentences. Preferably, the sentence length should be less than 12 words. You can also replace long words with shorter synonyms.

Don’t make the mistake of over-explaining a topic. By using short paragraphs, you’ll find it easier to remain focused on the main points that you want to address.

#4 Don’t Edit Your Content Until You’re Done Writing

Hold off on editing your content until you’ve finished your initial draft. If you start editing as you write, you’ll find that it takes much longer to finish writing.

After you’ve finished writing, remember to proofread. Use the spell checker in your word processor and then read the entire content line by line. This will help you catch any grammatical errors that weren’t found by the spell checker.

You now have a few tips that can help you generate better content. It’s not difficult, but it will require practice. Along with these suggestions, you can get even more powerful internet marketing tips, and a solution for gaining conversion-ready prospects each month, by clicking here to learn about my done-for-you system.

How to Boost Your YouTube Video Views and Conversion Rates

If you’re not already using video marketing to acquire new customers, then you’re missing out. Video drives traffic and provides higher engagement rates.

You can use video to showcase customer testimonials, product details, or demos. It’s a simple way to communicate your message in a format that people enjoy. In fact, internet users on mobile devices tend to prefer video over text.

In order to drive traffic to your site from a video on YouTube or posted to social media, you need to have a clear goal. You need to decide on what you’re trying to accomplish.
After you’ve set your goal and created your video, there are a few steps you can take to boost conversion rates and get more views.

Choose the Right Thumbnail

Perhaps the most important element of your video is the thumbnail. This is the first thing that most people will see when your video appears in a search result. More than anything else, this determines whether someone chooses to click play.

When you upload a video to YouTube, you can choose a thumbnail from a selection of screen grabs. Instead of using these random images, you should take the time to create your own.

Make sure that the thumbnail is a clear image. Place the title or a relevant keyword over the image, so that anyone that sees the thumbnail immediately knows what your video is about.

Use a Consistent Brand Image

It always helps to establish a brand image, when you’re trying to make money online. Even if you’re selling affiliate products, having an identifiable brand helps you attract more leads.

In keeping with this concept, you should use a consistent brand image across your website, social media profiles, and the use of video.

For example, if you use specific colors on your website and social media profile, then incorporate these same colors in your video. You can insert title cards between scenes or on-screen messages using a theme that matches your brand.

Pay Attention to the Video Length

Viewer engagement peaks at 2-minutes and then starts to drop. So, you’ll want to keep most of your videos to 2-minutes or less. Generally, the only time that you want to create longer videos is when you have more information to provide.

For promotional videos and testimonials, shorter is better. Use these short videos to enhance your landing pages. Instead of just showing quotes from customers, show their video testimonial. Showcase the features of the product or service that you’re selling.

Include a Clear Call to Action

The final step in boosting conversions from videos is to include a call to action. You need a call to action to let people know what to do next. Though, most people make the mistake of placing the call to action at the end of the video.

You should actually place a call to action toward the middle of your video. The CTA could appear as an on-screen annotation or an embedded text overlay. Then, include another call to action at the end.

Make sure that your CTA is clear and direct. Remember that it needs to describe an action, such as “call me, book an appointment, click this link, complete this form, order today, or visit this page.”

Increasing video conversions begins with the thumbnail. This grabs attention. Then, you need to think about branding, video length, and your call to action. In addition to these steps, don’t forget to include the appropriate metadata, such as an attention-grabbing title and an informative description.

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Marketing Techniques to Target a Local Market

Local marketing requires a slightly different approach than traditional marketing. Though, it offers plenty of benefits. Targeting a local market is similar to niche marketing. You’re narrowing your focus to help increase conversion rates.

As an entrepreneur, you could create separate marketing campaigns, each focusing on a different local market. Here are some of the best resources and methods for this purpose:

• Get listed in online directories
• Create promotions for local customers
• Target local customers with paid ads
• Become active in local social media communities
• Create local events and promote on social media

Get Listed in Online Directories

Each region seems to have their own set of online directories. For example, if you want to target customers in San Francisco, you would search for online directories that list San Francisco businesses or businesses that offer special promotions for San Francisco residents.

Getting listed on these sites is the same as getting listed on any other directory site. You’ll generally need to submit the URL of your landing page to the webmaster of the directory site, along with a little background information.

Some of these online directories offer free listings, while others charge a fee. If you plan on using a directory that charges a fee, make sure it’s worth the cost.

Use online resources to find out how much traffic the directory site receives. They should be receiving thousands of visitors each day and have a positive PageRank.

Create Promotions for Local Customers

Another option is to create promotions for local customers. When you choose a local market, decide on special offers or deals to give exclusively to the local customers. Not only does this help you target a local market, you establish trust with your customers.

Target Local Customers with Paid Ads

Use paid advertisements to target local customers. Almost every paid advertising channel available includes options for focusing on a specific local market. You can target regions, states, and even cities.

You can even use this solution with some of the other tips. Use the paid local ads to help spread the word about your promotions for local customers or your local events.

Become Active in Local Social Media Communities

Become active in local social media communities. If you take a look through online communities and forums, you’ll find an abundance of local groups. Just make sure that you follow the rules and regulations of the community.

Some communities and groups have restrictions when it comes to self-promotion. If self-promotion is prohibited, you can still use these communities to learn more about the interests and needs of your local market.

Create Local Events and Promote on Social Media

You could also create local events and then promote these events on social media. Facebook provides a simple solution for this method. You can create a Facebook event and then invite your followers to attend.

Even if you don’t use a Facebook event, you can still promote your event through social media. Simply link to your landing page where you discuss your event and share the post on social media. Encourage your followers to share the post with their friends and family.

Targeting a local market isn’t just for local businesses. Entrepreneurs can use these methods the same way that they use niche marketing. In fact, simply think of the local market as another niche that you want to target.

Start using these suggestions to target a local market. If you’d like to have access to even more powerful marketing solutions, along with a method for generating conversion-ready internet marketing prospects each month, then click here to learn about my done-for-you system.

Burying Bad Reviews with Better Reputation Management

Your online reputation can make or break your chances of success. You need to maintain a positive image, whether you’re selling affiliate products or producing your own items.

When a customer leaves a negative review, it can cause potential prospects to reconsider their decision. You could lose sales due to these negative responses, which is why you need to bury them as quickly as possible.

Typically, you can’t make bad reviews go away. Once they’re posted online, they are there to stay.

But, with better reputation management, you can start to bury these reviews and limit their impact on future business.

Dealing with Negative Responses on Social Media

One of the biggest forums for negative feedback is social media. People love to share their experiences on Twitter and Facebook. You should have an email alert to let you know when someone mentions your brand in a post.

When you notice a negative response on social media, you should respond quickly. A fast response can diffuse the situation and this could be one of the few opportunities that you’ve got to actually remove a negative response.

Respond to the person leaving the negative response by sending them a direct message. Send them a message to find out how you can resolve their issue. If corrective action is taken, and they’re happy with the results, then you can publicly comment on their initial comment.

This public comment shows that you’ve resolved the issue, but it doesn’t include any details of the conversation that you’ve had with the customer.

Dealing with Negative Responses on Review Sites

If the negative response was left on a review site, you probably won’t be able to get the review removed. But, you may be able to keep the customer.

As with the previous tip, you’ll want to respond to these reviews as soon as possible. Always respond in a friendly manner and ask how you can solve their problem. You may need to offer a refund or a discount. But, that’s a small step when it comes to your online reputation.

Encourage Satisfied Customers to Leave Positive Reviews

The next step for burying bad reviews is to encourage your happy customers to leave good reviews. When you send an invoice to a customer, it should include a small thank you, along with a reminder for them to leave their feedback online.

You don’t have to directly ask your customers to leave a good review. But, you can encourage them. You can also leave these reminds on your order confirmation page or contact page.

Make a List of Negative Responses

You should also start compiling a list of negative responses to the products or services that you’re trying to sell. Make notes about the most common complaints.

If you start to see similar feedback from multiple customers, then there could be a problem with the items that you’re selling. These notes will help identify the main issues with your products or services.

If you’re responsible for the development of your products or services, you can use this feedback to improve your offerings. By delivering a better product or services, you can gain more positive reviews and comments.

In the end, the best way to overcome negative reviews to get positive reviews. At the same time, you can attempt to keep your customers happy. Respond to their negative comments in a timely manner. And, remember to encourage your satisfied customers to leave their feedback.

Along with these reputation management suggestions, you can find even more marketing tips and ideas, along with a system for generating conversion-ready internet prospects, by clicking here to learn about my done-for-you system.

6 Tips to Help You Increase Your Instagram Followers

Instagram is currently the fastest growing social media site. This provides a great opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to grow their brand. With Instagram, you get access to over 600 million active monthly users.

Not only does Instagram have the numbers to help you expand your brand, Instagram followers are also more likely to engage. This means you’ll have better chances of getting followers to follow your links. But, first, you need to gain these followers.

Use these 6 tips to start increasing the number of followers you have on Instagram.

Research Your Competition and Take Notes

The first step is to begin researching your competition. You should see what they’re doing to attract followers. Look at the type of content that they post, which posts receive the most likes and shares, and how frequently they post.

By researching your competition, you gain valuable insight into the needs and wants of your target audience. You eliminate the need to perform detailed consumer research.

Make notes on what you find. Write down the frequency of their posts and other details. Use this as a base for your posting strategy.

Announce Your New Instagram Account

You can also take advantage of your existing follower base on other social media accounts. This can give you a quick boost of new followers to your Instagram account.

Post an announcement on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites encouraging your followers to check out your Instagram page.

Create an Instagram Posting Schedule

The next step is to create a posting schedule. While it’s easy to say that you’ll post a few times per week, it’s hard to stick this routine without setting concrete goals and plans.

Generally, you’ll want to post at least once per day. You don’t want to bombard your followers with posts. But, you also don’t want them to forget about you.

Along with the frequency of your posts, you’ll want to consider the timing of your posts. The time of the day can directly impact post engagement. The best time of the day to post depends on your followers.

Pay attention to what time of the day users engage with your posts. Typically, the afternoon is the best time, as people are out of work.

Take High-Quality Photos for Your Posts

Instagram is highly visual. Each post will contain a photo or a video. Make sure that you use high-quality photos. You should consider investing in a decent camera unless your smartphone has a camera capable of taking quality shots.

If your images appear grainy or out of focus, your Instagram feed won’t be as appealing to potential followers.

Include a Clear Message in Every Post

Along with a photo or video, you’ll need to include a message. This message should be short, concise, and clear. Make sure that people understand the point of your post, especially when promoting your products or services.

Remember to Use Hashtags in Your Posts

After your message, you should add several hashtags. Don’t try to include the hashtags in your message. It makes your message difficult to read.

At the bottom of your message, include several relevant hashtags. This helps people discover your posts when using the Instagram search feature.

Combine these tips to get the most out of your Instagram account. In addition to these suggestions, the use of sponsored posts can help you attract more followers.

Instagram is growing quickly. Get involved while interest is still high. If you’d like to gain even more effective marketing tips and suggestions, along with a way to generate conversion-ready internet marketing prospects, then click here to learn about my done-for-you system.

How to Use Podcasts in Your Online Marketing Strategy

Despite the increase in video streaming, podcasts remain a popular medium. This means that you should consider using podcasts in your online marketing strategy. You can use them to repurpose old blog articles or to build relationships with influencers in your industry.

What is a podcast? Basically, it’s just an audio file. The delivery method can vary, based on your needs. For example, you can add podcasts to your website, link to them from relevant blog posts, or upload them to various podcast streaming services.

The use of podcasts helps with brand exposure and is a highly cost-effective way to increase your overall marketing strategy. Find out how to incorporate podcasts into your existing marketing efforts.

Invite Guests to Discuss Relevant Topics

The first example of using podcasts for marketing is to invite guests to talk about a topic relevant to your industry. This method is most effective when your guest is an influencer. This is someone that has a good reputation in your industry and a lot of followers.

By using podcasts to interview a guest, you can attract their audience to learn more about your brand. This also helps you build relationships with people that matter in your field. You’ve taken the first step toward building a relationship that could lead to further cross-marketing opportunities.

How do you record the interview? Typically, all you need to do is record a phone conversation. It’s just that simple. This is part of the reason that podcasts are so beneficial. They’re quick, easy, and affordable.

Repurpose Your Existing Blog Content

Another option is to repurpose your existing blog content. If you’ve got old posts that don’t attract any more visitors, you can convert the post into a podcast.

Use the blog article as the topic for your podcast. Don’t simply read the article word for word. Use it as a guide. This makes it easy to find topics for your podcasts and continue to release new podcasts on a regular basis.

Create Informative Content and Tutorials

You can also use podcasts to provide your audience with informative content. Podcasts should generally be kept to 15 minutes or less. This gives you plenty of time to offer tips and suggestions on a particular topic. This is the same as generating blog articles for your target audience.

You can even perform the reverse of the previous tip. You can easily convert your old podcasts into original blog articles. Transcribe your podcast and then edit it into an article for posting on your blog.

Continue to Release New Podcasts

As with any marketing strategy, consistency is key. You’ll want to create a schedule for releasing new podcasts. This helps you gain a loyal following. During your first couple of months of posting podcasts, you should try to publish new podcasts several times per week.

The podcast also requires many of the same SEO strategies as other content. This includes catchy titles and descriptions. This is how you get people to discover your podcasts on podcast directories.

You can also share your podcasts on social media and promote them to your email subscribers. Basically, it’s one more marketing channel for you to use to gain new followers.

Podcasts shouldn’t be overlooked as a marketing channel. One recent survey found that over 46 million Americans listen to podcasts each month. Don’t miss out on this chance to gain new followers or potential customers.

Incorporate podcasts into your existing marketing strategy. If you’d like to have access to even more powerful marketing solutions, along with a method for generating conversion-ready internet marketing prospects, all you need to do is click here to learn about my done-for-you system.

How to Properly Use Hashtags for Social Media Marketing

Hashtags are useful for helping people discover your social media posts. Twitter was one of the first social networking sites to make good use of hashtags. But, they’re now an important part of all social networking sites, including Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

While hashtags are useful, they can also have a negative impact on your marketing efforts. You need to be careful with how you use hashtags in your posts. So, with that in mind, you should learn how to properly use hashtags for social media marketing.

The Basics of Hashtags for Social Media

First, let’s make sure you understand what a hashtag is and isn’t. You can think of hashtags as keywords. That’s a hashtag in a nutshell. It’s a keyword or keyword phrase without any spaces and it includes the pound sign at the beginning of the phrase.

The reason that you should use hashtags is that they’re used by social media search engines. When a user performs a search, the site finds relevant posts based on hashtags. And, hashtags are now used by almost every major social media site, including:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Google Plus
• Pinterest
• Tumblr
• Flickr

So, you know the basics. Next, find out how to properly include hashtags in your posts.

The Correct Way to Use Hashtags

If you can remember what hashtags are used for, it should be easy to use them properly. Here’s a quick look at the correct use of hashtags:

• Use up to 3 hashtags per post
• Make sure they’re relevant to your post
• Use local terms to increase local marketing

Generally, you’ll only use 2 or 3 hashtags per post. Adding too many hashtags shows that your posts don’t have a clear focus. Instagram is an exception to this rule. For example, Instagram posts with the highest engagement typically have 4 or 5 hashtags.

When choosing hashtags, make sure that they’re relevant to your post. Don’t include a hashtag simply because you think it’ll attract more users. You can take a look at trending hashtags to find examples, but don’t add them to your post unless they actually make sense in your post.

You can also use local terms to help increase local marketing. For example, when posting about an event, you can include the name of the city where the event will take place. The same applies to posts about local businesses.

The Incorrect Way to Use Hashtags

It’ll also help to learn the incorrect way to use hashtags. These are methods that you should avoid:

• Using too many hashtags
• Including hashtags in your message
• Using the same hashtags every time

Remember, don’t use too many hashtags. Unless you’re using Instagram, you should only use up to 3 hashtags. Otherwise, they’re no longer helpful.

Also, don’t include hashtags in your message. Don’t use them to replace words. This makes it hard to read your message. For example, you wouldn’t say, “check out our latest #SEO #service.” Place them at the end of the message.

The final tip is to avoid using the same hashtags every time. Mix it up. Using the same hashtags will only help you continue to attract the same people. Do you use the same keywords on every single page of your website? No. So, use a variety of relevant hashtags to appeal to more people.

As long as you follow these tips, hashtags should help you gain more followers and improve your social media marketing. In addition to these tips, if you’d like even more marketing suggestions, as well as a way to generate conversion-ready marketing prospects each month, then click here to learn about my done-for-you system.