Google algorithm updates, what content survives and how to prepare.

Categories
Blog, SEO

Google Algorithm updates aren’t always predictable and as SEO specialists this is something we have become accustomed to. One of the best tips we can share with you is to always expect the unexpected and always be as prepared as you can possibly be for the next Google Algorithm update. Although there are frequent changes being made, there are steps you can take to keep your website within the safe zone. Being one of the biggest factors of SEO, creating valuable content is one way you can ensure you survive the next Google Algorithm update.  After years of experience monitoring the updates and adhering to them, we’ve established what content can keep you afloat. Here’s our top tips! ALWAYS CREATE EXCEPTIONAL CONTENT We understand creating content isn’t always the easiest of tasks, especially when you are managing other aspects of your business. However, when you do create content, it’s important you only produce exceptional quality content which will be interesting for your audience to read. Avoid writing numerous pieces of content which lacks in quality just for the sake of creating content. Ensure the content is well-written with no grammar or spelling errors.  You don’t have to be a professional writer to create good pieces of content! DO NOT copy content from other websites or blogs. Be original and showcase what you know and can provide. Not only will your audience appreciate this but so will Google crawlers checking for duplicate content. If you want to be Algorithm Update Proof, this is the way to do so! UNDERSTAND YOUR AUDIENCE Do you know exactly what your audience needs? Learn about them! Take time out to think about who your typical clients/customers would be and the content you think they would be more inclined to spend time reading. What questions would they ask? The more time which you invest in learning about your audience, the greater equipped you will be to create content for them. The more you can appeal to your audience; the more people will recognise your brand and appreciate your content. Understanding your audience is the key to creating exceptional content which Google will always appreciate regardless of which updates come into play. PROVIDE YOUR AUDIENCE WITH VALUE One of the biggest factors which the Google Algorithm is essentially put in place to monitor is how well website owners cater to their audience. When you are creating content for your audience always consider what they actually would want to see or read. You need to first of all understand your audience as we have mentioned above, and then be able to predict what they would like to know about your industry. You could consider turning some frequently asked questions into content pieces and further educate your audience on topics you have an in depth understanding of. The best way to stay ahead of the Algorithm is to always keep user experience top of mind. Develop the trust of your audience by providing them with valuable content. ALWAYS WRITE CONTENT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE IN MIND The golden rule when writing content is to ALWAYS keep your audience in mind. Those who read your content are the people who most likely will become your clients or customers. Whenever you write content, you have the opportunity to showcase exactly what you know and how you can provide solutions to their problems or the answers to their questions. The content you create is for your audience, so it should be apparent that they must always be in mind throughout the creation process. Content which is purely driven to appeal to the audience will always succeed throughout Google Algorithm updates. In order to survive Google Algorithm updates, it’s important to always ensure you provide your audience with an exceptional standard of content. Keep up to date with Algorithm changes and make your audience a number 1 priority when writing content. For assistance with your SEO, talk to our expert team at DGreat Solutions today.

WHY LOCAL BUSINESS SHOULD USE FACEBOOK ADS

Categories
Blog, Social Media

One of the most effective methods of Social Media marketing local businesses can utilise is Facebook ads. With its exceptional marketing capabilities, Facebook ads are the ideal way for local businesses to attract those within the community to support your business. Local businesses are often more conscious about the amount of money they invest into advertising and want to select the best method possible which provides the best return on investment. Facebook marketing has the ability to assist local businesses to promote their content and create a strong sense of brand awareness, driving lead generation. Are you a local business owner and want to learn how Facebook ads can benefit you? Continue reading to find out more. FACEBOOK ADS ARE MORE COST EFFECTIVE Implementing a Facebook ad strategy is one of the most cost-effective forms of advertising you can utilise as a local business. Having the ability to control your daily spend limit means you can closely monitor your spending and determine what best works for your business. This means businesses are able to try Facebook ads without outlaying a significant amount of money and learn about how to best target their desired audience. For new business owners, this is a great way to have your brand exposed to locals and increase your customer or client base. If you only have a small budget to spend on advertising, Facebook ads are the way to go and will provide you with the greatest results. ACCESS TO LOCATION TARGETING OPTIONS One of the greatest advantages of Facebook ads are its targeting options. As a local business, this is exactly what you need to reach your defined target audience and showcase your products or services.  You can effectively reach those within a specific radius to your shopfront including your country, state, city and even your postcode with further defined categories such as their gender, age, occupation, income and more.  By using this feature effectively, you can ensure your advertising budget is spent on attracting those who are actually interested in your products or services  BUILD TRUST WITHIN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY By using Facebook ads, you can promote your brand and gain the trust of those within your local community. The more frequently people are exposed to your ads, the more they will become familiar with who you are and the services or products your business provides. When creating your Facebook ads, it’s important to demonstrate your brands visions and values so your community understands they can trust you to provide them with the best service. Consumers are more inclined now than ever to support local businesses, use this to your advantage to provide them with an insight as to why they should choose you. EDUCATE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE Finally, another benefit of Facebook ads for local businesses is you have access to a platform where you can educate your target audience. All businesses want to make sales, we need to in order to continue operating however in order to make those sales it’s important to educate your audience about your business. Facebook provides you with the option to share educational videos to demonstrate what your products or services are and how they can add value to the lives of your target audience. Think about what people need within your local community and how your business can assist, this will put you ahead of your competitors and show your target audience you aren’t just trying to sell. Local businesses are always on the lookout for the best ways to attract more clients or customers. As social media has progressed to be one of the most popular forms of marketing, we all spend so much time using it, it makes sense to promote your brand across the various platforms. For local businesses, in particular, Facebook ads are the most convenient and cost-effective ways to promote your business. 

HOW TO GROW YOUR INSTAGRAM FOLLOWING

Categories
Blog, Social Media

With more than 1 billion users across the globe, Instagram continues to provide incredible marketing opportunities for businesses. As we learn to embrace our digitally dominated society, it’s become apparent that there really are no limits as to what we can achieve with the help of social media. As marketers, one of the core objectives we work towards on Instagram is increasing the number of followers on a profile. The more followers, the more opportunities you have to showcase your brand and what you have to offer. If you are determined to grow your Instagram following, read our tips below to find out how you can do so organically. BE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR POSTS One of the greatest ways to grow your Instagram following is to stay consistent with your posts. Set a realistic goal of how frequently you are able to post. Whether it’s 4 times a week or once a day, create a content sharing goal and hold yourself accountable to it. The more frequently you post, the more familiar people become with your brand, trust it and expect you to continue posting regularly, providing quality content. A great tip is to plan your content in advance so you’re not just posting for the sake of posting and can actually provide value for your followers. Remember those who post regularly are more likely to receive greater engagement. CREATE A HASHTAG STRATEGY Hashtags are another great way in which you can easily grow your Instagram. With the right hashtag strategy, you can obtain visibility in the Instagram explore tab and be seen by those who aren’t yet following your profile. Instagram allows users to include up to 30 hashtags per post, however, it’s important to use good quality hashtags which are relevant to your business in order to achieve the best results. We recommend collating a list of hashtags that your target market would be searching for. For example, if you are a café you would want to incorporate a series of hashtags relevant to food/drinks, the cuisine you offer, your location etc. MAKE USE OF VIDEOS, LIVE CONTENT AND STORIES Creating video footage is the best possible way to showcase your brand and provide your followers with a deeper insight into the faces behind the name. Live content and stories in particular are raw, real and relatable. Make your video footage fun and interactive by showing fun elements of your workplace you can answer any FAQs, introduce your team or show a sneak preview of any new products or services you will be introducing. The more you create video content; the more familiar Instagram users will be with your brand and learn to trust your business. EMBRACE USER-GENERATED CONTENT Did you know that 9 out of 10 people are more likely to trust a brand that shares organic, user-generated content as opposed to professionally constructed content (Nielsen Consumer Trust Index). Essentially, what this means is Instagram users want to see content from REAL people utilising your services or products. Encourage your followers to create their own content and include your Instagram handle or hashtag. You could prompt people to create their own content by offering a discount on their next order or whatever you are willing to offer. Most Instagram users will gladly promote a brand if they are happy with the service they have received. COLLABORATE WITH OTHER BRANDS/INFLUENCERS Another highly effective way to grow your following on Instagram is to collaborate with other brands or influencers in your industry. Reach out to local businesses and influencers with a high number of followers and ask if they would be willing to promote your brand in exchange for a discount on your services or products. You could even suggest running competitions together to leverage both of your followers. This is an ideal way to create brand awareness and network within the online community. Once you gain new followers it’s critical to be conscious of the content you share with them. The work isn’t over once they hit the follow button. You must continue to create valuable content in order to gain their trust and encourage your followers to support your brand. And please, do not fall into the trap of buying followers! More often than not this provides practically no value to your business, wasting your time and money. Genuine followers will support your brand and are more likely to engage with your profile, becoming your customers or clients. For assistance with your social media strategy, let the team at DGreat Solutions assist.

USING FACEBOOK LIVE TO CREATE CONTENT

Categories
Blog, Social Media

If you’re struggling to consistently create good quality, informative content on your social media accounts, the live feature may be your solution. Going live is essentially a live stream video where you can film yourself in real time and communicate with your audience. There are a number of benefits you can obtain by using the live feature and it’s a great way to relate with your audience and reveal the face behind the brand. The live feature is most popular on Facebook and Instagram with more and more businesses utilising the feature as it provides a fast way to communicate with your audience and alert them when you have new announcements. WHY USE FACEBOOK LIVE? One of the biggest advantages Facebook Live provides is that you can stream yourself instantly and discuss important topics, without needing to create content or postediting. We spend a significant amount of time planning and creating content in order for it to be flawless for our viewers. With Facebook Live, there’s no chance to refilm what you’re discussing even if you make an error. It’s raw and real and you’ll find your audience will appreciate its authenticity. Another great benefit is your audience can ask you questions whilst you are streaming. This drives higher engagement levels as the audience can see you are active and know if they ask questions throughout your live stream, they will have a fast response.  When you use the live feature, you have the ability to demonstrate your knowledge in your field, your audience can watch as you answer a number of questions and show your level of expertise. Not only will you demonstrate your expertise, but you can actually show your audience who you are and what you stand for. If you audience can physically see you and hear you, they are more likely to trust you and your brand. HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR LIVE VIDEOS Although Facebook Live is a live streaming feature, you can still take steps to prepare so you can feel confident when going live. You don’t have to prepare an entire speech to read out to your audience, however it’s a good idea to take notes and have somewhat of an agenda do discuss. Remember you can’t edit the video once it has been streamed so planning to some extent would benefit you greatly. Think of content ideas which would be relevant to your industry. You could use live streaming as an opportunity to show behind the scenes of your workplace, introduce your team or share a preview of upcoming business ventures i.e. new stock or products.  You can also use Facebook Live as an opportunity to answer any frequently asked questions you may receive and potentially ask your audience questions which could help develop your business.  Above all, ensure you have a stable internet connection, so your video doesn’t drop out or disconnect whilst you are live. Complete a test run of your microphone and video to ensure you can be heard and seen clearly. PROMOTE WHEN YOU WILL BE GOING LIVE Lastly, communicate to your audience when you will be going live! If your audience are aware of when you will be speaking on Facebook Live, they will be more likely to tune in and listen to what you have to discuss. You can promote this across your social platforms or send out emails. This would be especially useful if you are releasing new products or services and are planning to discuss them via live stream.  Be conscious of the times you decide to go live, it’s best to go live outside of standard office hours so your audience actually have time to watch your video. Facebook Live is a beneficial tool which business owners can use as another method of fast and convenient content creation. If you’re looking to build your brand and reach your audience on a more personal level, getting in touch with DGreat Solutions is the ideal way to do so.

How to use Tik Tok for business

Categories
Blog, Social Media

Since its inception in 2016, Tik Tok has rapidly evolved to be one of the most frequently used social media apps by Generation Z. If you haven’t yet heard about Tik Tok, it’s only a matter of time before you find yourself stumbling across a viral Tik Tok post, with an impressive amount of engagement to follow. According to Hootsuite, the app has over 800 million monthly users and presents a new and innovative way for businesses to promote their brand and obtain high levels of organic reach. If you’re searching for the next smart marketing move to make, Tik Tok might just be your answer. Learn how to use Tik Tok for business. What is Tik Tok? Tik Tok is a casual, fun and quirky social media app invented by Chinese company ByteDance. The app is most popular amongst teenagers, more specifically, those aged between 16-24. Tik Tok users are able to create short-form videos, incorporating hit songs, voice-overs and a variety of filters and lenses. Users have fun with the app and create humorous videos, dance challenges, prank challenges or just share anything they think other Tik Tok users would find enjoyable to watch. Content shared on Tik Tok is typically shot from users own smartphones, which means the quality of videos shared is authentic and real, unlike other social media platforms which utilise professional videographers.  The best part about Tik Tok is how easy it is to obtain high levels of views and engagement. By utilising the right hashtags, you could find your videos obtaining thousands, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of views. How can Tik Tok benefit your business? Tik Tok is still relatively new to the social media marketing world. Marketers are still analysing the app in order to determine how to create the ideal strategy for the platform. While Tik Tok might not be useful for all businesses, those who have a target audience resembling those of the Tik Tok user demographic can benefit greatly from using the app. It’s one of the quickest and cost-efficient ways to promote your business and receive traction from a massive audience if your strategy is implemented correctly. Businesses are able to obtain results almost instantly by sharing content which appeals to Tik Tok users. How do you know if Tik Tok is right for your business? The first thing you need to do is research the app. Look at videos on the for you page and see which videos are gaining the most engagement. Could you see your brand creating similar content? If your brand promotes fun, relaxed, light-hearted vibes, then Tik Tok can certainly work for you. Tik Tok users are quite creative with their posts and often start dance challenges or prank challenges incorporating hashtags that prompt other users to do the same. It creates a fun, social movement of a sort. Get creative! You could even create short demo videos, showing how your product works or if you’re in the fashion industry, you could create try on haul videos where you show how the clothing looks on real people. Similarly to Instagram, you can utilise influencers on Tik Tok to promote your brand.  What’s important to remember, is even if you are paying people to promote your product, it shouldn’t look like an ad. Businesses that have done well on Tik Tok have done so by creating campaigns that appear raw, real and give the perception they aren’t trying to sell to consumers. So keep your videos fun, creative and remember to stay active. Tik Tok advertisements Responding to the high demand of businesses incorporating Tik Tok into their social media marketing strategy, the app has recently introduced ads. In the same method, you can create a business account on Instagram, you can now do so via Tik Tok. While the app is still relatively new to paid advertising, it’s a great time for marketers to get behind the app and obtain good visibility. There are four main types of ads available: Infeed native content:  These ads will appear in the newsfeed of the for you page. Brand takeover These ads appear once the user first opens the app and essentially take over the app for the duration of the ad, leading to a newsfeed video. Hashtag challenges Hashtag challenge ads appear on the discovery page and encourage users to participate in the challenge. Branded lenses Branded lenses are available for users to add to their videos and are developed by the brand. In order to measure the effectiveness of Tik Tok advertisements, track the engagement of your posts and CTRs (Click through rates). Tik Tok has grown immensely over the past four years and has already overtaken competing apps such as LinkedIn and Snapchat in terms of monthly active users. If you’re thinking of taking your social media marketing to the next level, there’s no better time than now to consider Tik Tok.