7 Habits of Uber Productive People Posted on July 22, 2020July 21, 2020 by Jonathan Herrick There are 24 hours in a day for all of us. But why does it seem like some people are able to do a lot more with those hours than the rest of us? According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, 85% of employees spend their days either not engaged or actively disengaged when they’re at the office. And for the most part, it’s not because of a lack of interest or work ethic. Instead, many people just haven’t learned the skills to help overcome the hurdles that prevent them from achieving all they set out to do. Try as we might, we’re not always great at being our most productive. Productivity isn’t an innate ability. It takes conscious effort and the adoption of certain habits that directly and indirectly result in enabling you to better tackle your to-do list. Here are seven of those habits that uber-productive people have been putting to work to get work done. 1. They Get Up Early It’s basic math: the earlier you get out of bed, the more hours you have in the day to get stuff done. This doesn’t mean that you have to wake up at five a.m. and head right to your computer, either. The extra hours that you gain from being an early riser can be applied in a wide variety of ways, including toward the other, less work-focused tasks that so often cut into your productivity time — think exercise, emails, meal prepping, and so on. Getting up early can give you the time you need for yourself, too. Instead of trying to cut into a jam-packed day, you can use the early morning to take a moment and focus on anything you need for yourself. It’s these moments that will rejuvenate you and combat any feelings of burnout. 2. They Segment Their Tasks Not everything on your to-do list needs to be done today or even this week. Segmenting your tasks — by day, week, and even month — helps you rank and prioritize what needs to get done, thereby showing you where your focus needs to go and when. It’s a lot more efficient than looking at a long list of tasks and starting wherever, and it means that when you are at your most productive, it’s driven toward actions that matter the most at that time. As for how you segment and track your to-do list in the first place, there’s an app for that. Omnifocus, Microsoft To Do (formerly Wunderlist), and Todoist are all great places to start. 3. They Utilize Block Scheduling Certain things (ahem: emails) interrupt the flow of our day and make it harder to stay on track. What super-productive people do well is that they set aside certain chunks of time for those things and dedicate the rest of their time toward more critical tasks and projects. If something is incredibly important, there are other ways that people can get in touch with you besides email. So instead of constantly interrupting your day by checking your inbox, set aside thirty minutes in the morning and thirty minutes in the afternoon to tackle it, and leave the rest of your time for more useful endeavors. 4. They Delegate Where Necessary Asking for help is okay! You don’t want to go overboard with handing off your work to other people, but it’s perfectly fine — and even recommended — that you learn to ask for what you need in pursuit of efficiency, even if that means occasionally passing off tasks to others who have more time or may be able to help you in some other way. Delegation is also another way of telling your employees how much you trust them and rely on them. If your company is filled with true teammates, asking for help, as well as offering help, shouldn’t be hard to come by. 5. They Exercise Overall, exercise helps you feel better and more energetic, which makes you more capable of tackling your daily tasks. The proof isn’t just anecdotal, either. The American Council on Exercise notes that exercise triggers a protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which boosts cognitive abilities. Whether it’s a walk, a gym break, or a lunchtime yoga class, take time to get moving and focus on your health, and you’ll get more of what you need to make the most of your day. 6. They Take Breaks Keeping your head down and working all day doesn’t necessarily equate to more productivity. Ask the most productive person and he or she will tell you that taking a break and recharging when needed is absolutely crucial. A coffee break or a friendly chat doesn’t mean you’re not focusing on what you need to get done or putting anything off necessarily. These small breaks can be essential in breaking up your day, so you have the energy to continue getting things done. Learn to work short breaks into your day, especially when you start to feel burnout. 7. They Practice Mindfulness Being in the moment helps you put your day into perspective, which helps with task segmentation and being in the right headspace for productivity. Find something that allows you to reset into the moment, such as an app (like Calm), self-guided meditation, or a short walk. All of these tools will help you be more mindful — and more effective at getting stuff done. Productivity is a mindset as much as it’s a collection of active behaviors. Start working on the habits above, and you’ll notice that your days get easier, more efficient, and likely, a whole lot more enjoyable.
EU-US Privacy Shield – What You Need To Know Posted on July 20, 2020July 20, 2020 by Jonathan Herrick Let’s talk privacy. It’s a hot topic. Everyone is concerned about what companies do with their information, and rightly so. In an age where you can do everything online – make purchases, check your bank statements, sign up for classes, and do your taxes, it’s important that we’re all mindful of what happens to the data we’re sharing (and who can get their hands on it). Which is why the recent news regarding the EU-US Privacy Shield is so important. What is The EU-US Privacy Shield? The Privacy Shield was an agreement that allowed for the transfer of personal data from the EU to the US. But, because the US has less stringent guidelines around what they do with personal information, this law was recently struck down. What Does This Mean For You? While this may be bad news for US business, our Benchmark Email and BenchmarkONE users can rest easy. The Standard Contractual Clause (SCC), are standard terms and conditions that the sender and receiver of personal data agree to. It’s aimed at protecting user data leaving the EU and is compliant with the GDPR Guidelines. We operate under the SCC and GDPR Guidelines, meaning we adhere to the EU’s privacy regulations and protect the information of our users and our users’ clients. There are legal repercussions to not adhering to these laws. If you are not a Benchmark Email or BenchmarkONE user and do business with the EU, you’ll want to take the necessary steps to ensure you’re compliant: Review your contracts to ensure they are used correctly and align with the GDPR. If you are certified to rely on the Privacy Shield, examine how the personal data you are receiving from the EU is being used. Safeguard those transfers via an alternative solution, such as SCCs or Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs). We know we just threw a lot of jargon at you, so make sure you read as much information on this news as possible. Here are a few resources to help you gain a better understanding: How Benchmark adapts to the GDPR General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Everything You Need To Know How To Create GDPR-Compliant Sign-Up Forms Adapt Your Email Marketing Strategy to the GDPR Is Your Business Prepared for GDPR?
How to Create a Work Family Posted on July 16, 2020July 10, 2020 by Jonathan Herrick Current work from home necessities aside, most of us probably spend a lot more active time at the office than we do outside of it. That makes it important to love (or at least really like) what you do, as well as the people you do it with. And while you can’t force friendships among your team members, there are things that you can do to help forge strong relationships among your staff. Creating a positive work culture is one aspect of fostering strong relationships among your employees. And while you can’t make everyone like each other, there are things you can do that encourage a healthy dynamic that will make everyone enjoy coming to work. Below, we’ll share our very best tips for creating a work-family so you can get more out of your daily time together. 1. Hire Well You can always train for skills, but you can’t train someone to be a good fit culturally. While you need to take talent and experience into account when interviewing prospective hires, you should also be vetting candidates for how well they’ll fit into your company culture and the people within it. Hiring someone who’s a bad fit can cost you, and it can be just as disastrous as hiring someone who doesn’t bring the right skills to the table. Be cognizant of how a potential employee will fit in with your existing team, and make sure that you don’t bring on board anyone who could kill the vibe of the company culture you’ve worked so hard to build. 2. Optimize Your Environment Your working environment has a major impact on how your employees relate to each other, both physically and socially. Create the perfect office space by designating areas for optimal productivity along with areas for relaxing. Lounges and “zen dens” help employees unwind and take a break when they need to, and they provide an opportunity for people to engage with each other in a more relaxed atmosphere. As a bonus, they’re also a good place to go work when you need to mix it up for a change of pace and scenery. 3. Don’t Try to Force Fun Forced fun is cringey — and ineffective when it comes to building a work family. If everyone is only hanging out because you require them to, you’ll lose a lot of interest and might end up with team members who aren’t as keen on interacting organically. That doesn’t mean that you should nix fun, team-building activities, like happy hours and coworker sports leagues, but you should gauge interest in certain events before you plan them so that you know your employees are signing up because they want to and not because they feel they have to. 4. Host Monthly Team “Celebrations” Every month, plan a team lunch at a local restaurant or in the office and use that time together to celebrate big occasions like birthdays and work anniversaries. This isn’t so much forced fun since it’s on work time (and everybody has to eat), but rather an opportunity to get together and talk about something that isn’t related to deadlines, timelines, and bottom lines. If it’s in your budget, get a cake too, since the joy of cake is definitely something everyone can agree on. 5. Encourage Eating Lunch Together If you can, emphasize how important it is to step away from your desk at lunchtime and engage with coworkers. Encourage team lunches by having a designated area in the office where people can go to eat and interact with each other without disturbing those who are still at their desks. Make it comfortable to encourage people to stick around and linger a bit instead of just eating and bolting. Lunchtime is a great break in the day and an excellent time for your employees to get to know each other better. 6. Tell Your Team How Much You Value Them Telling your employees how much you value them is different than giving them feedback. The key to creating a work family is ensuring that everyone feels like a valuable member of the team. Instead of assuming that your team knows how much they matter to you, say it out loud (or in a nicely written email). Make sure that all team members understand how much you appreciate them and how integral they are to helping the company thrive. Be specific when voicing your appreciation. Call on instances in which they made you proud, pulled through for other coworkers, or tried really hard on a project. Being specific will stick with them and show just how much you care. 7. Be a Boss People Can Talk To As the boss, you’re the head of the work-family. You set the tone for how comfortable people feel at work and how they interact with each other. Set a good example by having an open-door policy that allows your employees to talk freely to you and know that they’ll be heard. Be a trustworthy resource for them, so they know that you care and want to be there for them. No one likes a boss or business owner who is unapproachable and intimidating. Be the boss you wish you had, and your whole office will feel more relaxed and at ease. A work-family doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen on its own either. Take active steps to foster camaraderie among your team, and strong relationships should follow.
BenchmarkONE’s Latest Feature: K12 Edition Posted on July 15, 2020October 1, 2020 by Jonathan Herrick It’s official! We’ve finally launched our software built specifically for K12 communicators and recruiters. It’s called K12 Edition. The K12 Edition enables school communicators to create beautiful and on-brand school newsletters effortlessly. The job of a school communicator is no easy feat. Keeping your communities abreast of the most up-to-date information regarding school events, policies, and more is not a task to be taken lightly and therefore requires some serious tools to get the job done. We built the K12 Edition to streamline workflows for K12 professionals, so they can keep parents informed and balance the other day-to-day duties their role demands. Create School Newsletters with Ease Our email builder is hassle-free. Use our drag-and-drop tools to craft an email that is packed with necessary information and visually appealing. Nothing will get missed because you’re in the driver’s seat and deciding how your email should look and what it should say. Send Targeted Outreach Keeping track of all the important contacts you’re reaching out to, and what kind of messaging makes sense for them, is imperative. But for most school communicators, that’s a pretty lengthy list, and it can be hard to manage it on your own. That’s why our custom CRM tool manages your contacts for you. You can segment your contacts based on various initiatives, making targeted outreach a sinch. And by sending the right messages to the right people, you can increase donor participation, spread buzz for a specific school event, or keep the 8th-grade parents informed on the upcoming class field trip. Increase School Interest When people visit your school’s website, create a way to stay connected and enroll in your email outreach. Use our Landing Pages and Popups to track website visitors’ information, allowing you to add them to your contacts list and send them personalized information. This gives you the chance to send them information about your educational institution, increasing their engagement and interest. Keep Track of Your Success Stop wondering if your contacts engage with your email outreach. With our email marketing software, you’ll be able to access essential metrics that will let you know how well your emails are performing. This kind of insight will inform where your efforts are succeeding, and where you’ll need to make adjustments for improved success. If you’re a school communicator looking for an easier, more strategic way to keep parents, donors, educators, and students informed, look no further. Check out our K12 Edition today!
PRESS RELEASE: Benchmark Email Launches BenchmarkONE K12 Edition for School Communicators Posted on July 15, 2020October 1, 2020 by Guest Author St. Louis, MO – July 6, 2020 – Benchmark Email, a leading software as a service provider of sales and marketing solutions, today announces the launch of the BenchmarkONE K12 Edition. This new offering will give K12 communicators the ability to keep parents, students, teachers, and their communities connected and informed regarding school policies, news, and events. Following the September 2019 merger between Benchmark Email and then Hatchbuck (now, BenchmarkONE), the company has emerged as a global customer relationship management (CRM) and email marketing automation technology leader serving over 500,000 users worldwide. In February of this year, Benchmark Email acquired MarketVolt, a St. Louis-based email marketing platform. This acquisition provided an opportunity for further expansion, and BenchmarkONE developed the K12 Edition with MarketVolt’s customer base of K12 communicators in mind. The K12 Edition offers a way for K12 communicators, recruiters and administrators to create school newsletters easily, send targeted outreach, and track the success of their campaigns. It includes drag-and-drop features, a custom CRM tool to manage and segment contacts, and engagement metrics. “There has never been a more important time for K12 educators and communicators to stay connected to parents and students,” Benchmark Email CEO Jonathan Herrick said. “Our goal is to provide easy-to-use tools that allow the K12 community to focus less on repetitive administrative tasks and more on their profoundly important work within schools.” With access to this software, school communicators will not only be able to effectively keep all necessary parties in the know regarding school matters, but they’ll also be able to double down on various other efforts crucial to the success of their educational institutions. Additional Resources: Schedule a demo of the K12 Edition here. Learn more about the K12 Edition here. About BenchmarkONE BenchmarkONE helps SMBs and digital marketing agencies streamline sales and marketing to save time and scale. The all-in-one platform is an easy-to-use hub for small businesses that need to build better relationships with customers and automate their sales process.
Deliver Your Message To Your Target Audience On Multiple Platforms Using Marketing Automation Posted on July 14, 2020September 15, 2020 by Guest Author People receive messaging from brands and companies through a number of channels every day. For a cross channel marketing campaign to be truly effective and increase user engagement, it needs to reflect each of these channels. However, it’s also a major challenge for most cross channel marketers to deliver the right message on the right channel at the same time. This is where marketing automation can help you. Marketing automation is beneficial because it spares cross channel marketers from having to complete remedial tasks, makes it easier to target customers in the first place, and streamlines the execution of your cross channel marketing plan. In this article, we will touch on how automated applications allow the creation and management of cross-channel campaigns across email, social, web, and mobile in a central platform. Then, we’ll discuss how your campaigns can be designed and planned with the aim of getting closer to the customer. What is Marketing Automation in 2020? Marketing automation is exactly what the name suggests: the ability to automate marketing tasks to make it easier to reach out to and engage with your target audience. This includes automating everything from segmenting your contacts to converting leads to sending messages and other manual tasks. Originally, marketing automation was focused primarily on email marketing, but since the term has grown to include a wide range of automation tools across virtually all aspects of business marketing. Marketing automation makes it easy for you to craft content and messages as far ahead as you would like, easily segment your audience, and then automate a schedule to get the right content to get to the right audience at the right moment. As you can imagine, one of the biggest benefits of marketing automation is the fact that it can save you a lot of time with remedial tasks such as drafting and publishing content, targeting customers, storing recipient lists, and so on. Each of these removes the possibility of human error from your marketing plan. As a result, online businesses and organizations can more easily engage their audience, streamline their sales processes, and generate new leads by replacing repetitive and yet important tasks with automated solutions. Ultimately, this will provide better results while saving you a significant amount of time, energy, and money. Who Do You Want To Reach Out To? It’s important for you to determine who exactly your audience is before you begin reaching out to them using marketing automation. It all really comes down to you answering these questions: who exactly are you trying to reach, and what do they care about? This is something that you need to figure out because marketing automation solutions cannot figure this out for you. Automation software can help you to refine and segment your customers, but it does not magically inform you of who your customers are or what they need in the first place. This is something that you will need to figure out on your own. You may have a vague idea of what your customers look like, but you may not have taken the time to conduct a thorough analysis to truly figure out who they are and what they want. If this is the case, your marketing efforts will most likely not connect with your audience. The good news is that there are simple tricks to figure out who exactly your customers are. Always focus on your customers as actual people. It will be a mistake for you to think of your customers in terms of ‘buyers’ and ‘distributors’ so to say. Your products and services exist to help make someone’s life easier, not just so they can buy or distribute your products. This may not be so easy when the product you are selling is a component in the product of another company. In this case, your customer is the designer of the other company’s product who is using your product to complete a specific task. The good news is once you figure out exactly which people you are selling your product to and what they really want, marketing automation can take care of the rest for you. Automation solutions will allow you to see what your leads or customers are interacting with and their purchasing behavior, and then reveal the data you need to more effectively segment and target future campaigns. This is data you would not have otherwise gained without automation solutions in the first place. We’ll discuss all of this in greater detail in the next section. How Marketing Automation Solutions Improve Your Cross Channel Marketing Cross channel marketing differs from multi-channel marketing in that whereas the latter simply means that you have a presence on multiple channels and/or digital platforms, the former refers to offering a seamless experience across those channels and platforms. Utilizing marketing automation solutions will help you to streamline your cross channel marketing efforts. The most crucial element in determining the success of your marketing campaign is the timing. You need to know the best time to engage your customers so your message can hopefully convert them. Automated cross channel tools can do this for you because they can interact with customers when they are the most likely to engage you. You can also set delay durations, meaning you can reach out to customers even if they are experiencing a delay on their end. If timing is the most important element in determining an online marketing campaign’s success, personalization is easily the second most. Customers always favor engaging with brands that can personalize their messages and content because it helps make each customer feel valued. Making your marketing messages feel more personalized; however, it is difficult when you are lacking accurate information and insight. Automation solutions can create personalized messages because they keep track of user behavior, and this can also make it easy for them to make specific product recommendations. Keep in mind that different automated marketing tools will collect different data concerning user behavior. Web analytics tools will gather data on what a customer’s activity on your website(s) is like. Email marketing services will provide insights into customer engagement, making it easier to segment customers based on different parameters. Cross channel marketing can help marketers to deliver high-quality marketing campaigns through seamlessly interacting with users, but only with the most innovative tools available. Marketing automation solutions simply make it easier for you to implement a digital cross channel campaign through optimizing your time, personalizing your messages, and improving segmenting and targeting of customers. Author Bio Nahla Davies is a software developer and tech writer. Before devoting her work full time to technical writing, she managed—among other intriguing things—to serve as a lead programmer at an Inc. 5,000 experiential branding organization whose clients include Samsung, Time Warner, Netflix, and Sony.
4 AdWords Tips Your Small Business Can’t Live Without Posted on July 9, 2020July 13, 2020 by Jess Lunk Investing in Google AdWords can be great for your ROI — if you know what you’re doing. Google owns an impressive — and unsurprising — 74% of the search engine market (the second place leader, Chinese search engine Baidu, owns just 11%). It makes sense then to focus your PPC strategy there if you want to reach as many people as possible. And your profit potential for doing so is quite high. Advertisers earn about $2 in revenue for every dollar they spend in ads on the platform. There’s a problem, though. Google AdWords can be confusing, and clearing up that confusion can be a major time suck. If you’re operating with a small business team (and small business budget), you might not have the resources to dedicate to figuring out all of the nuances of the AdWords platform. So to help you out, we’ve compiled our favorite quick and easy AdWords tips. Read on and start getting more out of your AdWords efforts. 1. Know Your Keywords You can’t talk Google ads tips without talking keywords. It’s crucial that you know what keywords your audience is using to search for things within your industry. And if you don’t do your own research, Google might do the guessing for you — a strategy that isn’t likely to secure you the most qualified leads. AdWords has a keyword planner that allows you to identify which keywords don’t fit your campaign. But internal awareness of what keywords do work is just as important. Put yourself in the shoes of the audience that you’re trying to reach. What words and phrases are they using when they’re looking for a business like yours? Then do additional keyword research to figure out the efficiency of that term. Ultimately, you want to focus on the keywords that are high volume, low competition, and priced to fit in your budget. 2. Create Solid Landing Pages You need to focus as much on where your audience ends up when they click on your Google Ads as how they get there. And to do so, you’ll need to optimize your landing pages in such a way that they provide the value and/or information that the searchers who clicked were anticipating, and entice visitors to some action, such as signing up for your email list. The best landing pages are those that are clear and concise, and that aligns with the ad they’re linked to. Use descriptive and compelling copy to outline the benefits on the page and to deliver your visitors what they’re looking for. This is a great place to use gated content since searchers have already shown interest and, therefore, may be more likely to share their contact information in exchange for valuable content resources. 3. Make Use of Geotargeting Where Google AdWords really shines is with local search. People who find local information in their search results are more likely to visit the store in person, perhaps even the same day. This makes AdWords a major advantage for small businesses with a local presence, but you’ll need to maximize your use of geotargeting if you really want to put local PPC wins to work. Geotargeting allows you to get very specific with where your desired audience is coming from. Instead of throwing your line out into the middle of the ocean, you can throw it into a pool of searchers in the precise location or locations of your choice. The result is more qualified clicks on your ads and potentially more traffic at your physical location. 4. Remove Ads That Under-Deliver Don’t waste a penny on keywords that aren’t converting. Tracking the performance of PPC ads is important for all advertisers on the platform, but especially for small businesses with limited budgets. Money spent on under-performing keywords is money wasted — and money that could be spent on keywords that do actually get you the results that you’re aiming toward. You already know that careful oversight of your marketing campaigns is key, and this goes double for your PPC campaigns since a simple tweak could be all that you need to boost the productivity of an ad. For an easy way to check up on how well ads are performing, take a look at the click-through rate. If it’s low, remove the ad and go back to the drawing board. Small businesses have a lot to gain from Google AdWords. It may even end up being one of the most profitable digital marketing efforts that you make. Put in some time on the back end to do the foundational work that will make your ads will succeed — including dedicated keyword research and optimized landing pages — and then combine that with geotargeting and performance oversight. Following these tips will give you a major leg up on the AdWords platform and make all the difference between ads that fail and ads that hit it out of the park.
How to Run Your Blog Like an Industry Publication Posted on July 8, 2020July 6, 2020 by Natalie Slyman There are a lot of advantages to having a company blog. You can use it to fuel your backlink strategy, direct traffic to key posts, practice effective SEO, and guide your audience along the buyer’s journey. But to get to a point where your audience relies on and looks forward to reading your blog content requires taking specific steps and a bullet-proof strategy. You can’t just publish an article here and there and expect to see success. You need to be publishing high-quality content that is tactical and consistent. We’re talking about getting your blog to a place where it’s considered a trusted and reliable industry resource. There’s no reason you can’t create a space for experts to go for the most up-to-date and insightful content. Let’s go over the steps needed to turn your blog into an industry publication. 1. Create a Documented Content Strategy A documented content strategy is crucial. You need this to ensure the content you’re creating is aligned with your goals, addresses your audience’s pain points, and keeps your team on the same page. Having it documented somewhere allows you to reference it whenever you need to, so make sure it’s stored somewhere everyone has access to. Some things to include in your strategy include: Key audience personas The goals you want to achieve with your content The types of content you want to create A keyword list and SEO strategy A distribution plan to ensure your content gets to the right people 2. Establish Blog Guidelines You want the content that publishes on your blog to live up to certain standards. Your blog content should be high-quality, educational, optimized for search engines, and use the appropriate keywords. Establishing these guidelines first will help you create blog content that is consistent with it, and give any outside contributors examples of the kind of quality, format, and topics that your blog focuses on. Sit with your marketing team and list out the various guidelines you want. For example: All blog content must be original, unique, and not published elsewhere. Plagiarism will not be accepted. Articles with grammatical errors and inconsistencies will not be accepted. Each blog post should be a minimum of 800 words and not exceed 2,000 words. Each data point should be credibly cited with content no older than two years. Please keep in mind our audience of small business owners, agencies, marketing professionals, and business leaders. All topics should align with their needs. Absolutely no fluff. You may also want to list any desired tone and topic areas to cover. And, it doesn’t hurt to include stipulations around images and links. Be as clear as possible, as that ensures there’s no miscommunication later on and that the content you’re being pitched doesn’t need to be heavily vetted. 3. Create an Editorial Calendar If you want contributors to write for your blog, you have to show them that there’s a thriving blog to contribute to. This means creating content and publishing it consistently. The best way to do this is to create an editorial calendar and stick to it. Before each month starts, dedicate some time to sourcing blog topic ideas and brainstorming. You can talk to your sales team and see what areas appear a bit murky for leads, or ask them what questions they get asked most frequently. Use these insights to guide your topic ideation, and then start placing the topics into your editorial calendar for the month. For each piece, state what stage it’s at and who is accountable to keep projects moving and on time. 4. Hire a Content Manager Having a content marketing team will help drive your blog content into first gear. But if budgets are tight and you don’t have the bandwidth for a large team, at least have a content manager. Having someone to manage all your blog content will ensure your editorial calendar isn’t just show. It also gives you a point person to direct any inquiries you get from outside contributors. Make sure this person is well-versed in your blog strategy, the type of content you want to publish, and how to appropriately vet content that’s being submitted. 5. Establish a Process for External Contributors Part of running a publication is publishing high-quality content from external sources. Create a process for people to submit their content, as well as for your team to vet, review, edit, and publish that content. Make sure you use your blog guidelines in the process and only publish content that is well-written, edited, speaks to your audience, and contributes to your SEO strategy. External contributors can be very valuable for your blog, as long as they create content that is backed by data, aligns with your guidelines and audience and is well-written. By accepting outside contributions, your content can reach a wider audience through cross-promotion, allowing you to cast a wider net. Building up your blog takes time and dedication. If you consistently write and publish content, you’ll build a reputation for being a valuable resource to your audience and in your industry. Over time, you’ll see interest from outside contributors grow, and your readership numbers will follow.
How to Boost Your Marketing Efforts With Reputation Management Posted on July 7, 2020October 21, 2022 by Guest Author Reputation management helps businesses cultivate a professional image and brand online. Many small businesses use social media, Google, or review sites to maintain their positive reputations. Combining reputation management and marketing strategies can significantly enhance the results of your campaigns. Managing your reputation increases trust with potential customers, and positive reviews and brand mentions can easily be repurposed for social media marketing content. In this article, we show you three ways to combine your marketing and reputation management campaigns in ways that are not overly-promotional or boastful. You can use the information to build compelling campaigns across all digital channels. Respond Publicly to Online Reviews and Monitor Your Brand’s Reputation Publicly addressing negative reviews allows you the opportunity to resolve problems and prove that your business stands behind its products and services. Publicly addressing negative reviews also demonstrates to potential customers that you care about individual experiences with your brand. It tells potential customers that if they have a problem, you are willing to address it and arrive at a solution. A 2018 study by Bright Local reports that nearly all consumers (90%) read business’s response to local reviews and 50% of people visit a brand’s website after reading a positive review. Source: BrightLocal Thanking customers for leaving positive reviews also helps build trust and encourages others to write reviews. Monitoring tools such as Google Alerts, Mediatoolkit, and Reputology, can help brands discover what people are saying about them online. This allows companies to respond to reviews and conversations they might not otherwise discover. Source: Mediatoolkit Responding to feedback, reviews, and comments about your brand can significantly contribute to your company’s growth and sales. Create a Positive Content Strategy Proactively sharing helpful, positive content with your audience builds goodwill and delivers a strong first impression. Encourage your audience to write reviews of your products, and share the best ones as part of your marketing strategy. For example, many websites feature positive customer reviews on their homepage. Source: BenchmarkONE Encourage your audience to write reviews of your business, or personally ask clients to write reviews and testimonials. Sharing positive reviews, case studies, and customer testimonials is an essential form of social proof that drives conversions and sales. Share product education content that provides support for people who are considering your products or learning how to use them, such as: Explainer videos Product tutorials Demonstration videos Show off your social commitments by posting your brand’s corporate social responsibility policies and social cause activities on your website. Publish how-to guides and resources that help your customers do their jobs better (B2B companies) or enhance their lives (B2C companies). For example, software development firm BairesDev publishes blog topics of interest to its target audience, such as smart cities, augmented reality, and quantum computers. Source: BairesDev blog Positive, helpful content helps build trust, drive people to your website, and increase conversion rates. Maintain an Active Social Media Presence Social media presents several opportunities to build your reputation, show off your positive content, and guide customers through the sales funnel. Some of the ways you can use social media to boost your reputation: Post positive content from your blog and online reviews. Share your social cause activities and fundraising efforts. Provide customer service on social media. Encourage user-generated content. PR and brand reputation agencies can help companies further monitor and promote their social media presence using the latest research, technology, and data. Keeping an active presence on social media is essential to building a good reputation and developing effective marketing campaigns. Marketing and Reputation Management Work Best Together Responding to online reviews, publishing positive content, and maintaining an active social media presence are three ways to merge your marketing and reputation management goals for greater results. Businesses that struggle to manage their reputations alone can partner with experts to come up with an appropriate and manageable strategy. Author Bio Grayson Kemper is a Content & Editorial Manager for Clutch, a platform for B2B research, ratings, and reviews.