Think of it this way, if you need to hire a service, are you willing to pay more to hire an expert? Thought leadership is how agencies demonstrate their expertise in their niche.

I’ve been a digital marketing thought leader for over a decade. Recently, I’ve pivoted and have positioned myself as a thought leader pertaining to how to grow agencies. Because I’ve been growing and scaling agencies for so long, I decided to make things official and started The Campfire Circle, an agency for agencies. And to be honest, the majority of my clients found me through my thought leadership efforts.

In this post, I will fill you in on everything you need to know about becoming a thought leader and growing your agency’s image based on my own personal experience.

Why Should I Care About Thought Leadership?

Thought leadership builds credibility, credibility builds trust, and trust lands clients. Thought leadership is all about building credibility with the goal to land new clients who look to you and your agency as an expert.

The modern-day brand needs marketing and PR and they’re willing to pay more for the best. So, your target audience is doing their research before having a conversation with your agency. When they are researching you, what shows up? 

With 65% of businesses documenting thought leadership as part of their marketing strategy and 29% planning to do so, they’re doing it for a reason–it works.

Not to mention, 81% of thought leadership content results in organic traffic. That is a huge number demonstrating just how important thought leadership is.

Thought leadership is crucial when it comes to growing your audience and generating leads. From there, it’s up to your other marketing efforts to convert these prospects.

Defining Your Niche

Sure, you can go broad. I did that by being a digital marketing thought leader but without a niche until recently, I feel like going broad was watering down my efforts. So, I do recommend you choose a niche.

Find a unique angle or specific vertical that your agency is strongest at and go from there.

If you struggle with identifying a niche, you can scroll through your CRM and find commonalities between your leads and clients. You can even survey your current customers to find out what made them choose your agency and go from there.

I’ll be honest. When I decided that being a digital marketing thought leader was too broad, my business transformed when I chose to run an agency for agencies. Super niche and well worth the rebranding…

What Makes a Good Thought Leader?

Other than being an expert on a certain topic, there are a few components to keep in mind when building yourself up as a thought leader. In my opinion, the following attributes are critical:

• A unique perspective when it comes to your agency’s niche
• Constant posting on social media
• Knows what information to share that intrigues their audience
• Willingness to write and publish a lot of guest posts
• Applies for speaking opportunities
• Presents at webinars
• Conveys a strong opinion
• Highlights actual experience
• Is transparent
• Can think outside of the box
• Engages with their audience

Are you up to the challenge when it comes to all the components of thought leadership?

Identifying Your Goals and Target Audience

Yes, being a thought leader will naturally grow your audience, but let’s hone it in more.

Understanding your goals with your thought leadership and having a firm grip on your target audience will give you the insights you need to go about thought leadership the right way.

If you haven’t already, create buyer personas with this template to ensure you’re meeting the desires of your target audience and that you are talking about topics they actually care about.

When it comes to goals, of course, you want to land more clients for your agency. But what are the steps a brand takes before arriving at your agency? Perhaps your goal should be to collect email addresses via a lead magnet to nurture? Or maybe you want them to sign up for a webinar about your agency? The possibilities from exposure to conversion are endless so you just need to check in with your buying cycle to identify your goals.

10 Ways To Become a Thought Leader

Whew, we covered the basics of thought leadership. Surely, you’re ready for some actionable strategies to become a thought leader in your space. Well, here you go:

• Contact high-profile publications that align with your agency’s niche and ask them if you can contribute a guest post. Treat your guest post as informational instead of just promoting your agency. The goal is that brands read your guest posts and are inspired by your words so they either remember you for later or head to your website.

• Speak at relevant conferences. At conferences, audiences love meeting the speakers afterward and it presents some great face time for you. Not to mention, you’ll captivate a ton of attention.

• Stay active on social. Don’t just share your own content, share content that you know your audience would love. Engage with your followers and take the time to read what they are posting about. Comment on posts and re-share the most valuable ones. Thought leaders can’t stay stagnant. 

• Research and analyze the thought leadership that already exists that aligns with your agency. This allows you to get a grasp on what is out there already and areas that work with your own strategy. Don’t forget to check out the thought leadership efforts of your competitors so that you’re in the know.

• Don’t completely ditch blog posts but maybe mix them up a bit. Consumers love video content. Not only that, they love authentic video content. So just be you and create some videos with your phone and post them on your blog and social channels to humanize your agency. It can be as simple as a tip per week or a short monologue on why you stand behind certain business strategies.

• Gather data and publish an industry report. Brands LOVE new data so if you can provide them with it, you’ll soar to thought leader status quickly. Survey your audience or your audience’s audience to gather industry insights and publish your findings in a report. Publications like Forbes and Entrepreneur love new data and it has been very easy for me to get them to feature my industry reports.

• Identify businesses that actively do webinars and align with your own business goals. Reach out to them to see if you can be a guest on their webinar. Be sure to stick with your agency’s niche.

• Set up Google Alerts so that you are kept in the loop about all things having to do with your niche. For example, I have mine set for “influencer marketing” and “marketing agencies.” This not only keeps you in the loop but provides timely content you can share with your audience.

• Emphasize social proof. Third-party endorsements do wonders for agencies. Whether it’s a testimonial or a case study, leverage your social proof in your email marketing, on your website, for your social media posts, and in your print materials.

• Share your personal journey about why you started your agency and how you made it happen. Anything that humanizes your brand is worth its weight in gold. This can be in a blog post, a video, a guest post, or all of the above. Consumers love when their agency relates to them on a personal level.

Examples of Agency Owners Who Are Also Thought Leaders

I don’t know about you, but I learn best from examples. So here is a list of my favorite 10 agency owners who are also thought leaders. I strongly encourage you to follow them so that you can glean inspiration for your own thought leadership strategy.

• Ronica Cleary is a great PR thought leader to follow. She posts about crisis management and media placement. Follow her on LinkedIn here.

• Megan Driscoll is an agency owner in New York and posts a lot about healthcare, dermatology, and prestige beauty. Follow her on LinkedIn here.

• Casey Benedict owns a top-notch influencer marketing agency and is a thought leader when it comes to all things influencer marketing. Follow her on LinkedIn here.

• John Cook is the co-founder and managing partner of an agency that focuses on financial services, cryptocurrencies, and technology. Follow him on LinkedIn here.

• Joey Hodges is the CEO of a marketing and communications agency and he’s also an early-stage startup investor. Follow him on LinkedIn here.

• Genna Goldberg Rosenberg is another agency CEO to follow. I follow her because she posts a  lot about social responsibility. Follow her on LinkedIn here.

• Pilaar Terry specializes in entertainment PR and marketing. She posts a lot about corporate PR communications and brand strategy. Follow her on LinkedIn here.

• Bill Byrne is great at getting media for his clients and offers a lot of strategies for other folks in the agency industry. Follow him on LinkedIn here.

• Michelle Mekky owns her own agency and is a great example of a fantastic storyteller, which to be honest, we can all tell better stories. Follow her on LinkedIn here.

• Courtney Sprtizer is the CEO of an awesome agency and really supports female founders and entrepreneurship. Follow her on LinkedIn here.

Final Thoughts: It’s Time For Your Thought Leadership Journey

It is probably obvious by now that building thought leadership is a slow build and it’s time-consuming. I’m here to tell you that it is worth the effort but if time is an issue, that’s why I created The Campfire Circle and part of what I offer is turning agency owners into thought leaders and you can book a free consultation call with me here.

If you have time to “own” your thought leadership efforts in-house, great! Be sure to find something unique to say and embrace a niche. From there, follow thought leaders that inspire you and start experimenting with one of the ten ways to become a thought leader at a time. That way, you can scale based on what you see resonating with your audience.

The post How Can Agencies Do a Better Job with Thought Leadership? appeared first on SiteProNews.

It is important to understand that ChatGPT won’t necessarily replace people’s jobs; it will change processes to the point where employees will need to use AI/ChatGPT to do their tasks. Those who lose their jobs will be those who haven’t yet adopted the use of AI/ChatGPT. In my journey as the owner of Kairos Venture Studios, which specializes in launching new online businesses in the Latin American market, I have seen firsthand the many benefits of ChatGPT. 

Here are just a few ways to use ChatGPT to grow your business this summer and beyond:

Content Creation, But Not for the Website 

You may think it would be efficient to use ChatGPT to write informative blog posts and copy for product descriptions on your business website. However, don’t do this, as Google has already stated that AI-generated content is against their terms and conditions. Using ChatGPT to generate text for your website can cause it to be penalized and lose its ranking in the Google search engine, which can result in a major drop in business. 

Instead, I recommend using ChatGPT to write Twitter tweets, Facebook posts, and other text-based social media content. It can take a lot of time to come up with social media posts each day, which is why so many businesses hire specialists or employees to handle social content creation. However, if you don’t have the budget to hire someone to create text-based social media content, ChatGPT can take care of it. You can even train ChatGPT to write in your voice from analyzing previous emails, your other blog posts, etc. 

Creating an Outline for an Online Course

As a business owner, you likely have a ton of valuable expertise on a certain subject. For example, do you own a private investment firm that helps clients grow their wealth? You can launch an online course all about investment strategies, tips to ensure more financial freedom, and more. Launching an online course is a fantastic way to generate passive income for your business, so have ChatGPT help you get started! You can use ChatGPT to create the full outline for your online course, then you or an employee can fill in the course and build it.

Brainstorming Ideas for the Problems You Face

Are you struggling to get a major client project moving forward? Have your sales been declining for a while? Trying to figure out how to grow your social media presence? ChatGPT can help you brainstorm solutions for the challenges you face in your company. You can ask ChatGPT to come up with a list of solutions for a specific problem and then take the time to think over all of the options it generates. To be fully transparent, a lot of the presented ideas can be bad, but sometimes an AI-generated solution can lead you down the right path.

Generating Summaries of Video & Phone Calls

Do you usually have a team member write summaries of weekly video meetings and phone conference calls? This can take up a lot of valuable time, which costs your business money. On top of this, it can be easy for your team member to forget a major point that was made in the meeting, which can result in a lot of time-wasting back-and-forth emails. That said, I recommend using a transcription service like Otter.ai, as you can then copy the meeting summary into ChatGPT and ask it for a bulleted list of what was important during the phone/video meeting.

Generating Job Descriptions to Make Better Hires

If you really need to hire a new team member, writing the perfect description for your job post can be half the battle. If you get the wording wrong or don’t sell the position well, you can turn away the best candidates for the job. So let ChatGPT generate the job description for you! I recently did this for my own business and it helped me attract excellent candidates for the position I posted. You will likely need to tweak the description based on your company’s goals, but this will free up time for you to focus on other areas of your business. 

Customizing Customer Outreach Emails

Email marketing plays a vital role in the sales funnel — sending out weekly or monthly promotional emails to customer leads and checking in with current customers on a regular basis can help you land new business and enhance brand loyalty. That said, do you pay someone to write all your company’s email blasts, or do you handle this time-consuming task on your own? Let ChatGPT generate your outreach emails! Simply tell the chatbot exactly what to write about and it will come up with a full email blast for you. Then just copy, paste, and send!

Creating Copy for Google Ads

The first place most people go when searching for specific products and services is Google. Therefore, a robust Google ad campaign can really make or break a business. While it is paramount to target the right keyword phrases in Google, having messy, confusing, or grammatically incorrect ad copy can really turn away potential customers. So use ChatGPT to write succinct and attractive copy for all your Google ads. You may realize that changing your Google ad copy was all that was needed to supercharge your sales!

Writing Podcast Episodes

Podcasts have exploded in popularity over the years and are now a top source for information on all kinds of topics. Therefore, hosting a podcast all about your business’s industry can help you land a lot more customers! If you are finally ready to launch your podcast or already have one but are struggling to stick to a consistent recording schedule, use ChatGPT to write entire podcast episodes. Tweak the episode so it contains exactly what you want discussed, then you can feed the copy into a voice generation service. This will create an entire episode for you — NPR just did a whole show like this!

To Wrap It All Up

ChatGPT is revolutionizing the ways that businesses operate, so use this dynamic chatbot to bring your own enterprise to new heights. For example, use ChatGPT to write content for social media posts, create an online course, and brainstorm ideas for the problems you face in your company. You can also use ChatGPT to generate summaries of phone/video meetings, create descriptions for job posts so you attract the best candidates, and write podcast episodes. These are just a few ways ChatGPT can help grow your business this summer and beyond.

The post 8 Ways to Use ChatGPT to Grow Your Business This Summer appeared first on SiteProNews.

The online entrepreneurial game has been completely transformed by AI, with its miraculous abilities of learning, adapting, and automating.

AI has arrived like a superhero with a stylish cape. AI has your back, so stop wrangling with spreadsheets and tearing your hair out over consumer data analysis!

We’re plunging into AI and its significant influence on internet entrepreneurship in this mind-bending excursion. AI is here to take your business to astronomical heights, from tailored customer experiences that make your rivals envious to data analytics so clever they might explain why socks constantly disappear in the dryer.

So fasten your seatbelts, my fellow businessperson, and get ready for a thrilling journey into the world of artificial intelligence:

Power Of AI In Online Entrepreneurship

In the thrilling realm of online entrepreneurship, AI emerges as a superhero, wielding powers that can catapult businesses to dizzying heights. Picture this: AI swooping in, armed with personalized customer experiences that make hearts skip a beat.

Its data-crunching prowess unravels the secrets hidden within mountains of information, guiding entrepreneurs toward informed decisions. But that’s not all – AI has the extraordinary ability to streamline operations, banishing mundane tasks and freeing entrepreneurs to chase their wildest dreams.

And when it comes to marketing, AI is a maestro, orchestrating campaigns that mesmerize the right audience, hitting all the right notes. But the true spectacle lies in AI’s crystal ball, predicting trends and shaping the future of online entrepreneurship.

Embracing AI is not just a choice; it’s a quest for success in the digital frontier. So, don your entrepreneur cape and join forces with AI as you unlock a world of limitless possibilities where innovation and growth reign supreme.

5 Ways AI Is Revolutionizing Online Entrepreneurship

The Five Ways AI is Revolutionizing Online Entrepreneurship are as follows:

1. Personalized Customer Experiences: Igniting the Spark of Connection

In the vast digital landscape, standing out from the competition is crucial. AI comes to the rescue by offering personalized customer experiences that ignite a genuine connection. With AI-powered algorithms, businesses can analyze customer data and preferences to provide tailored recommendations and suggestions.

Whether it’s a personalized email campaign, a customized shopping experience, personalized digital displays at stores or a chatbot that offers instant assistance, AI ensures that each interaction feels uniquely tailored to the individual.

By understanding customer behavior and preferences granularly, entrepreneurs can bond with their audience, foster customer loyalty, and drive repeat business.

Customers appreciate the personalized touch, and businesses benefit from increased engagement and higher conversion rates. With AI as their ally, entrepreneurs can unlock the power of personalization and build lasting relationships with their customers.

2. Intelligent Data Analytics: Unveiling the Secrets Within

Data is the lifeblood of any online business. However, making sense of vast data can take time and effort. This is where AI-powered analytics come into play, transforming raw numbers into actionable insights.

AI algorithms can analyze complex data sets, identify patterns, and extract valuable information to help entrepreneurs make data-driven decisions with precision.

By leveraging intelligent data analytics, entrepreneurs gain a deep understanding of customer behavior, market trends, and competitive landscapes. As a result, they can uncover hidden opportunities, identify potential bottlenecks, and optimize their strategies for maximum impact.

From predicting customer preferences to identifying emerging market trends, AI-powered data analytics empowers entrepreneurs to stay ahead of the curve and make informed decisions that drive success.

3. Streamlining Operations and Processes: Efficiency is the New Cool

Running an online business involves multiple tasks, from inventory management to customer support. AI streamlines operations by automating repetitive tasks, freeing up valuable time and resources for entrepreneurs to focus on innovation and growth.

Whether it’s inventory management, order processing, or customer service, AI-powered systems can handle these tasks quickly and accurately.

Chatbots, for instance, provide instant customer support, answering common queries and providing assistance 24/7. AI-powered algorithms can also optimize supply chain management, predict demand patterns, and ensure inventory levels are always optimized.

By automating these processes, entrepreneurs can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and provide seamless experiences for their customers.

4. Enhanced Marketing and Advertising: Captivating the Right Audience

In the crowded online marketplace, getting the right message to the right audience is paramount. AI enhances marketing and advertising efforts by optimizing campaigns and delivering personalized messages that captivate and convert.

AI algorithms can analyze customer data, behavior, and preferences to identify the most relevant target audiences for specific marketing initiatives.

With AI, entrepreneurs can create hyper-targeted advertisements that resonate with their audience. In addition, AI-powered recommendation engines can suggest products and services based on individual customer preferences, increasing the chances of conversion.

Moreover, AI can analyze customer sentiment and engagement with marketing campaigns, allowing entrepreneurs to fine-tune their strategies for optimal results.

5. Predictive Analysis and Future Planning: Crystal Balls Made Smarter

Anticipating the future is a superpower that entrepreneurs desire. AI brings this power to the table with its predictive analysis capabilities. By analyzing vast amounts of historical data, AI algorithms can identify patterns, forecast trends, and make informed predictions.

This enables entrepreneurs to plan strategically, set future goals, and adapt their business strategies accordingly.

From predicting consumer demand to forecasting market trends, AI provides entrepreneurs with valuable insights to stay ahead of the competition. As a result, entrepreneurs can make proactive decisions, anticipate customer needs, and allocate resources effectively.

By embracing AI’s crystal ball, entrepreneurs can navigate the future with confidence, driving growth and ensuring long-term success.

Conclusion

AI has revolutionized online entrepreneurship, transforming every facet of business operations. From personalized customer experiences to intelligent data analytics, streamlined processes, enhanced marketing, and predictive analysis, AI offers unprecedented advantages.

AI use cases are diverse and extensive, ranging from personalized educational tutors that enhance learning experiences to digital signages that revolutionize the physical advertising world. In the realm of online advertising, AI offers super-smart digital marketing tools, enabling businesses to reach their target audience with precision and effectiveness. 

Entrepreneurs who embrace AI gain a competitive edge by providing tailored customer experiences and leveraging data-driven insights for strategic decision-making. In addition, by automating repetitive tasks, entrepreneurs streamline operations and focus on growth.

Additionally, AI optimizes marketing efforts by delivering personalized messages to the right audience. To ensure future success, entrepreneurs must recognize the importance of embracing AI technologies in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

By embracing AI and continually pushing the boundaries, entrepreneurs can unlock new opportunities and propel their online businesses to greater heights.

The post Unlocking Success: 5 Ways AI is Revolutionizing Online Entrepreneurship appeared first on SiteProNews.

Everyday data gets collected for commercial use, business use, academic and scientific research, and personal use. It is important that the collected information is stored, sorted, filtered, analyzed, and presented. The process can be complex or simple depending on the scale of data collection and the complexity of the results needed to be obtained. The time for obtaining required results also varies depending on the operations needed to be carried out on the collected data and the type of output expected. The problem becomes complex when large volumes of data are needed to be dealt with. Thus, the need for data processing becomes more important.

Processes like data management and data mining ensure that optimal results are obtained while handling big data volumes. All stages of data processing starting from collection to presentation have a direct impact on the output and utility of the processed data. Processed data is easy to arrange, saves a lot of space, and can be easily understood by the employees.

Important Types of Data Processing

Let’s understand the most important types of data processing:

Business Data Processing

Business data processing involves using certain relational databases that use batch processing. In this huge amounts of data are fed into the system and output is produced by using fewer operations. The data managed by this system is generally standardized and the probability of mistakes is very low. Most of the tasks are mechanized with the help of computers so that they become easy and devoid of errors.

Scientific Data Processing

This category of data processing uses extensive computing procedures with a lesser number of inputs and outputs. The common computing operations used are arithmetic and comparison. No inaccuracy is accepted in this form of processing as it can result in faulty decision-making. Hence, data is verified, categorized, and standardized with great care and multiple scientific processes are utilized to ensure that there are no incorrect conclusions. Scientific processing of data takes more amount of time than business data processing.

Real-time Processing

Processing in real time is utilized when immediate output is needed. When any mistake is discovered in the incoming data, it is overlooked and the processing of the next block of data is carried out. A common example of real-time data processing includes GPS tracking programs.

Batch Processing

It is a kind of data processing in which multiple cases are processed at the same time. Batch processing is generally employed when the data is consistent and huge in volume and collected and processed in batches. In simultaneous batch processing, every case is performed by the same resource at the same time. In sequential batch processing, multiple cases get executed by the same resource one after the other.

Online Processing

Just like real-time data processing, online data processing services receive and process data simultaneously. However, with online processing, the user gets to extract data anytime and anywhere. Common examples of online data processing include bar codes and access cards.

Advantages of Data Processing

Organizations all over the world are engaged in the task of data processing. Here are the important advantages that efficient processing of data can provide:

Easy Report Making

In a majority of activities, data is widely used for collecting important values and making reports. Making reports took a long time when manual or offline data processing was used. Now, the process has been simplified owing to online processing and report-making has become fast. Once the data is processed and placed as per a particular framework, you can easily collect it with just a few clicks. The report looks authentic and organized as it contains pertinent information obtained after the logical processing of data.

Better Results and More Productivity

An organization with access to the right data always has an advantage over its competitors. To obtain the required information, data can be processed in multiple forms. Data analysis allows you to make an informed decision as you have the statistics and the important details with you. Any company with access to structured data for obtaining meaningful information always has an edge

A proper analysis of data offers you insight into the areas in which improvements need to be made. Important areas like data mapping and data visualization also need to be prioritized and addressed accordingly. The required area can be chosen for further processing of data or boosting sales. You can identify potential areas where you can reap the most benefits and invest in them to increase profits.

Easy Storage and Distribution

Storing large amounts of data in physical form requires huge space and there are also high chances of confusion and missing information. When data is processed using computers, you don’t have to worry about needing an extra room for storing all the important files and papers. Your data will be processed and labelled digitally in an accurate manner. Retrieving information from processed data is way simpler than retrieving from unprocessed data.

Accuracy and Speed

There are negligible to no chances of errors when data is collected and filtered using computers. You can guarantee that further processes will be carried out with utmost accuracy. Data processing can be done at a greater speed with more accuracy when the right software is used. This also offers a great advantage while working in a competitive environment. Processes like data cleaning, predictive modelling, batch processing, and data validation ensure the accuracy of data.

Safety and Security

When data is processed digitally, you can ensure that it is secure. With data becoming more sensitive with time, incidents like data theft have also become common. Data processing ensures the security of data by using multiple free and paid software. This prevents any unauthorized access to the data and keeps it safe. If needed, you can also encrypt your data. Processed data is easy to store, use, and work with. It can also be approached easily via clouds, emails, and other storage devices and apps.

Reduced Cost

Collected data acts as an asset for a group and when stored effectively, it becomes easy to access it when needed. This removes the need for collecting data again and again. Transferring and sending data also becomes easy and this in turn helps with cost reduction. The loss that a company might incur owing to a lack of information is also significantly reduced. This is because processed data allows a company to make an informed and wise decision.

Summing Up

Data processing plays a key role in making things organized and ensuring a smooth workflow. Making reports becomes easy as processed facts and figures help businesses in making quick analysis. All the unnecessary paperwork is eliminated and the search efficiency is improved as there is no need to go through data manually. For an organization looking to improve its efficiency, data processing is an asset. Ready to optimize your data for success? We are a leading data processing services company that helps you to unlock the power of data processing!

The post Data Processing: Important Types and Significance appeared first on SiteProNews.

Public relations (PR) is the difference between being overlooked and reaching new heights of success. PR isn’t just for large corporations with deep pockets — it’s a game-changer for businesses of all sizes that drives sales, boosts marketing efforts, supports their growth, and unlocks new avenues for business development.

PR as Business Support

PR plays a pivotal role in providing support, offering a range of benefits that extend beyond traditional marketing and advertising efforts. For a small business, every decision counts, and resources are often limited. Having a robust support system is crucial for sustained growth and success. 

When starting out, your initial ambitions as a small business owner often stays within your local boundaries. PR can help you expand regionally, nationally, or even globally, acting as your guiding compass. By strategically positioning your brand in front of a targeted audience with specific outlets, you can generate positive media coverage and foster relationships with key stakeholders. 

PR helps you build a reputable and credible foundation by enabling your small business to shape and control its brand narrative, allowing you to convey your unique value proposition and differentiate yourself from competitors. For example, a travel blogger who wants to both share her travel stories and offer insight on how to become a travel blogger offers a unique service that she’s been building from years of experience. Through targeted media outreach, thought leadership initiatives, and community engagement, PR can establish trust, credibility, and a positive brand image, leading to increased customer loyalty and support. 

Every successful business relies on strong relationships with everyone from employees to customers to media representatives. PR acts as a bridge, connecting your business with these key stakeholders and facilitating meaningful interactions. By crafting compelling stories, PR relationships can help small businesses achieve their goals, whether local or global.  

PR is a Swiss Army knife

PR is a multifaceted toolkit that empowers small businesses to craft compelling narratives, shape public perception, and secure a competitive edge in their respective industries. Whether you’re a tech start-up, a scientist who discovered the cure for seasonal allergies, or a small travel blogger, PR can be tailored to suit your unique goals and beyond. 

PR as a Sales Tool

By strategically leveraging PR tactics, small businesses can create buzz around their products or services, captivate their target audience, and ultimately convert leads into loyal customers. PR can help cut through the noise and establish a strong presence in the market. Through media coverage, press releases, and engaging storytelling, PR efforts can generate brand awareness and recognition. 

Placing your company name in reputable outlets — versus only using advertisements — helps increase brand loyalty. Seventy percent of consumers prefer to learn about a company through research, rather than just viewing an advertisement. Strategically placing your brand in front of your target audience allows you to increase the chances of staying top-of-the-mind when customers are ready to make a purchase. 

PR as a Marketing Tool

PR strategies and marketing tactics go hand-in-hand when increasing brand visibility and engaging target audiences. Marketing focuses on selling, whereas PR focuses on building relationships. Merging the two helps create compelling ads that don’t feel like ads. 

PR opens the doors to extensive media channels — both traditional and digital — providing opportunities to engage with your target audience. Through press releases, media pitches, and media relations, small businesses can secure coverage in newspapers, magazines, online publications, and influential blogs. 

For example, a small mom-run business that helps children with communication can be featured in reputable local and national mom blogs, as well as local newspapers, to garner interest and credibility. Pairing that with the company’s social media offers a powerful avenue to engage directly with its audience, share updates, and participate in meaningful conversations. 

PR as a Business Development Tool

In the ever-evolving business landscape, small businesses must constantly seek new opportunities for growth and development. PR helps set small businesses in front of strategic partnerships that complement and benefit each other. 

By leveraging PR tactics, such as joint press releases, co-marketing initiatives, or collaborative events, businesses can expand their reach and tap into new customer segments. For example, a new boutique hotel can partner with a tequila company and a pool float company for a special summer event. Normally, the two companies wouldn’t cross paths, but joining the hotel’s event allows them to expand their customer reach. 

PR can also help small businesses connect with influencers and industry thought leaders who can sway public opinion and impact customer behavior. PR efforts help establish and nurture these relationships, putting small businesses in front of new audiences and attracting potential investors as well. 

In a world where attention spans are short and competition is intense, small businesses cannot afford to overlook the power of PR. It is a transformative multi-tool that can propel them toward their growth aspirations, elevate their brand reputation, and unlock a wealth of opportunities. 

The key to success is integrating PR into the overall business strategy. Aligning PR efforts with sales, marketing, and business development allows small businesses to create a cohesive and impactful brand presence. 

Monitoring and measuring PR efforts enable continuous improvement and optimization for long-term success. Small businesses should embrace the potential of PR and watch their business reach unprecedented levels of success.

The post What Small Businesses Can Do to Help Their Public Relations appeared first on SiteProNews.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (F&O) is a comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that helps businesses manage their finances, operations, and supply chains. With the addition of AI capabilities, Dynamics 365 F&O can provide businesses with even greater value.

How Can AI be Used with Dynamics 365 F&O?

AI can be used with Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Services in a number of ways. First, AI can be used to automate tasks such as data entry, invoice processing, and fraud detection. Additionally, AI can be used to improve decision-making by providing insights that would otherwise be unavailable. Finally, AI can be used to personalise the user experience by providing recommendations and customizations based on individual needs.

Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Services is a powerful ERP system that can be used to streamline business processes and improve efficiency. When combined with AI, the potential applications are limitless. To learn more about how AI can be used with Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Services, contact a qualified Dynamics F&O ERP consultant today.

Here are some specific examples of how AI can be used with Dynamics 365 F&O:

• Customer churn prediction: AI can be used to analyze customer data to identify customers who are at risk of churning. This information can be used to target these customers with retention campaigns.

• Fraud detection: AI can be used to analyze financial data to identify fraudulent transactions. This information can be used to prevent fraud and protect businesses from financial losses.

• Supply chain optimization: AI can be used to analyze supply chain data to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. This information can be used to optimize supply chains and reduce costs.

These are just a few examples of how AI can be used with Dynamics 365 F&O. As AI continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more ways to use it to improve business performance.

Benefits of Using AI with Dynamics 365 F&O

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations can help to significantly reduce the time it takes to manage day-to-day business tasks. By leveraging machine learning and natural language processing, it can recognize patterns in data, providing businesses with more accurate predictions and insights. AI can also help to streamline manual processes and optimize data-driven decisions, providing the organization with better business results. Moreover, AI-powered Dynamics 365 F&O solutions provide access to automated intelligence capabilities, such as proactive alerting and predictive maintenance, helping to reduce operational costs and maximize efficiency. With AI-enabled Dynamics 365 F&O, organizations can benefit from improved customer experiences and greater business agility.

Some of the benefits of using AI with Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations include:

• The ability to make better, more informed decisions with data-driven insights
• Increased accuracy and efficiency in financial and operational processes
• The ability to automate tasks and processes
• Improved customer service and support
• And more!

If you’re using Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations in your business, consider adding AI to the mix to take advantage of all these benefits and more.

Specific Examples of How AI can be Used with Dynamics 365 F&O

AI can be leveraged in a variety of ways with Dynamics 365 F&O to provide an enhanced customer experience. For instance, AI can be used to quickly analyze and process large volumes of data in order to deliver predictive analytics to enable organizations to make smarter, faster decisions. Additionally, AI can be used to automate mundane, labor-intensive tasks, such as managing inventory and replenishing stock, which will help free up resources and time for more meaningful activities.

AI can also be used to provide enhanced customer service through predictive analytics and natural language processing, which will enable customers to find answers to their questions quickly and accurately. AI-enabled tools have the potential to greatly improve customer service and the efficiency of an organization’s operations, and Dynamics 365 F&O provides the platform to take advantage of these powerful technologies.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the integration of AI with Dynamics 365 F&O can help businesses improve their efficiency, productivity, and profitability. AI can be used to automate tasks, provide insights, and make predictions, which can all help businesses to operate more effectively. By incorporating AI capabilities, Dynamics 365 F&O can help businesses to gain a competitive advantage and drive their businesses forward.

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Common Barriers

1. Lack of Qualified Candidates

The scarcity of qualified candidates is one of the most typical employment hurdles. Organizations frequently struggle to locate personnel with the right skills, experience, and certifications to match the job criteria. Using only traditional recruitment tactics may result in a smaller pool of possible candidates.

2. Bias in the Selection Process

Bias in the recruiting process can be a major impediment to selecting diverse and talented applicants. Unconscious biases, such as preconceptions or preconceived notions, can influence decision-making and lead to inaccurate assessments.

3. The Lengthy and Complex Recruitment Process

Hiring excellent talent might be hampered by a lengthy and complex recruitment process. If the hiring process is lengthy, requires numerous steps, or lacks clarity, candidates may become discouraged or lose interest.

4. Ineffective Job Descriptions

Ineffective job descriptions can stymie the hiring process by attracting the wrong candidates or failing to convince the right individuals to apply. Job descriptions that are unclear or confusing might lead to misunderstandings regarding the post, its responsibilities, and the qualifications necessary.

Ways to Overcome These Barriers

1. Expand Recruitment Channels and Enhance Employer Branding

Organizations can overcome this obstacle by utilizing multiple channels such as online job boards, professional networking platforms, industry-specific forums, and career fairs. This broader reach raises the likelihood of identifying talented applicants who are not actively looking for work but are open to new opportunities. A strong employer brand can help an organization attract talented employees. Investing in branding activities that promote the company’s principles, culture, career development prospects, and employee benefits might make qualified individuals more interested in joining. Through their website, social media presence, and employee testimonials, businesses can highlight their unique selling qualities.

2. Providing Unconscious Bias Training and Using Structured Interview Techniques

Blind resume screening is deleting personal information from resumes during the initial screening step, such as name, gender, age, and race. This mitigates the influence of unconscious bias and allows recruiters to concentrate entirely on qualifications and experience.

It is critical to educate recruiters and hiring managers about unconscious prejudice. Training programs can help to enhance awareness of prevalent biases and provide solutions for mitigating their impact throughout the selection process. Organizations can encourage fair and objective appraisals by cultivating a culture of awareness and openness. Structured interviews help to maintain consistency and fairness in the selection process. Create a set of standardized questions relevant to the job requirements and distribute them to all candidates. This method provides for a more objective appraisal and reduces the impact of personal prejudices.

3. Use Realistic Timelines and Utilize Technology

Examine each stage of the hiring process to determine where efficiency might be enhanced. Reduce the number of interview rounds, exams, and paperwork required by eliminating superfluous stages. Simplify the application procedure by reducing the number of required documents and ensuring that instructions are clear. Use technology to automate and streamline the hiring process. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) can aid in the management of applications, the tracking of applicant progress, and the facilitation of communication. Furthermore, video interviews and online evaluations can save time and money while providing candidates with flexibility

4. Clearly Define Job Requirements and Use Concise Language

Take the time to clarify exactly what abilities, certifications, and experience are required for the position. Determine the major responsibilities and prioritize the essential competencies. This guarantees that the job description accurately reflects the requirements and that prospective candidates can assess their suitability. Job descriptions should be written in plain, uncomplicated English, free of unnecessary jargon and misleading terms. Use action verbs and precise details to indicate the responsibilities and duties involved. This helps candidates comprehend the role and its requirements.

The post Common Barriers in Hiring Employees and Ways to Overcome Them appeared first on SiteProNews.

Recent research suggests that 94% of SMBs engage in repetitive tasks, while automation has improved job satisfaction for 90% of knowledge workers and productivity for 66% of them.

Various types of automation exist, such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Business Process Automation (BPA), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven solutions. Identifying the most suitable automation strategy for your business and executing it correctly is key to making it a winning strategy. 

Revolutionizing Business Efficiency 

Automation enhances workplace efficiency by streamlining operations, mitigating bottlenecks, and minimizing errors in repetitive tasks, ultimately enabling employees to focus on high-value, specialized work. Moreover, it facilitates better data management and utilization, empowering businesses to make data-driven decisions and optimize their overall performance.

As renowned management consultant Peter Drucker once said, “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” With diverse automation options available, businesses can strike the perfect balance between efficiency and effectiveness in their quest for operational excellence.

The following are the most common automation technologies, each having its own competitive edge when implemented optimally:

• Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Automating manual, repetitive tasks such as data entry or invoice processing.
• Business Process Automation (BPA): Streamlining complex, multi-step workflows that involve multiple systems and stakeholders. 

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): Applying advanced algorithms and learning capabilities to tasks that require decision-making or pattern recognition.
• Cognitive Automation: Incorporating natural language processing (NLP) and computer vision to automate tasks that require human-like perception or understanding.
• Internet of Things (IoT) Automation: Connecting and automating devices, sensors, and systems for data collection, monitoring, and control. 
• Desktop Automation: Automating tasks on individual computers, such as file management or data manipulation. 

Each type of automation is a unique tool that provides different benefits. Understanding your needs, your team makeup, and the best solution means having both an overview of the options and a sense of the methods of implementation. Making an informed choice sets up a given automation solution for success.

Automating Business Processes 

While automation can offer numerous benefits, it is not without its challenges. In some cases, automation implementation may not yield the desired results due to factors such as inadequate planning, poor alignment with business objectives, or insufficient employee training. 

Additionally, unexpected technical issues, lack of interoperability between systems, and resistance to change among staff can hinder the success of automation initiatives.

Technical issues are responsible for 90% of automation project failures, with implementation costs accounting for 37%, and a lack of overall vision or strategy responsible for 25%.

Hence, to ensure a successful implementation, businesses must carefully assess their automation strategy. Here are the four key steps to consider when devising a strategy for automating business processes: 

1. Identifying areas for automation: The first step in automating business processes is to identify areas of the business that are repetitive, time-consuming, and can be automated. It is essential to assess the current processes and workflows to identify areas that can be streamlined and automated. By analyzing the business processes, the organization can identify which processes are most suitable for automation. 

2. Evaluating potential automation tools and technologies: Once the processes are identified, it’s essential to evaluate the potential automation tools and technologies that can be implemented to automate the business processes. This involves researching different automation tools and technologies available in the market, understanding their capabilities, and assessing their suitability for business processes. 

3. Implementing automation in a phased approach: After identifying the areas for automation and the tools to implement them, the next step is to implement automation in a phased approach. This means introducing automation gradually and testing it to identify any potential issues or obstacles. This approach also allows the business to ensure that the automation is functioning correctly before rolling it out across the entire organization. 

4. Measuring the results of automation implementation: The final step is to measure the results of the automation implementation to assess the benefits of the automation. It’s essential to monitor the results of the automation in terms of time and cost savings, increased productivity, improved quality, and customer satisfaction. These metrics will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the automation and help identify opportunities for further optimization.

Overcoming Challenges in Automation Implementation

As briefly discussed above, implementing automation in the workplace can present several challenges that need to be addressed through intelligent strategies to ensure a successful implementation. 

One of the most significant challenges in implementing automation is integrating it with legacy systems. This is because legacy systems often have complex and customized integrations that are difficult to replicate in automation systems. To overcome this challenge, businesses need to invest in custom integration services or migrate to new systems altogether. For example, Walmart implemented an automation system for its supply chain that required custom integration with its legacy systems to ensure a seamless flow of data between the new and old systems.

Another challenge in implementing automation is addressing the impact on the workforce. Businesses need to invest in upskilling and reskilling programs to help employees adapt to the changing work environment. This isn’t entirely a new concept. In 2019, Amazon implemented an upskilling program to help employees acquire new skills and transition into new roles as the company automated several processes in its warehouses. This not only helped Amazon retain its workforce but also increased employee productivity and job satisfaction.

Automation Will Continue to Grow

As we move into the future, leveraging the power of automation will be the cornerstone of success for forward-thinking businesses. Maximizing productivity with automation and implementing process efficiency in the workplace will unleash untapped potential, redefine the role of human talent, and unlock unprecedented growth opportunities. By strategically adopting automation technologies, businesses can position themselves at the forefront of innovation, setting new standards of excellence and shaping the future of their industries. 

The post Maximizing Productivity with Automation: Implementing Process Efficiency in the Workplace appeared first on SiteProNews.

However, browsing through millions of websites, numerous social media platforms, and eCommerce portals to gather all the data is a time and resource-intensive task. This creates a need for an effective data research strategy that aligns your time, cost, and market constraints with business goals. So, this is what professional web research services assist you with.

Add Value to Business with Data Research Insights

Web research or online research is the process of gathering information from the web for various purposes. For any business, irrespective if it is B2B or B2C, conducting comprehensive market research is necessary to acquire sustainability in the marketplace and carve a unique niche in the industry. That’s because insights gleaned from market research play a crucial role in the way ideas are formed.

Here’s a list of benefits that businesses can reap by investing their resources in data research function:

Better Understand Your Target Demographics

It is better to know about a client’s preferences, buying patterns, competition, and so on before introducing any new concept, ideas, or products, or expanding into new markets. Customers choose the finest product/service at a reasonable price and thorough market research will always help you in identifying business opportunities just in time. Hence, market research services provide an in-depth overview and a clear image of what is currently accessible in the market or what is needed to fulfill the consumers’ needs.

Optimized Marketing Campaigns

Market research is the method of gathering data about a business’s target demographics, market segments, competitors, etc. It helps in determining your client’s tastes and preferences, allowing you to tailor your product or service accordingly. In addition, you can create personalized campaigns and ads that resonate with your audience and speak to them directly.

Performance Analysis

Thoroughly conducted data research will help you figure out current performance as well as predict upcoming performance based on multi-factor analysis. It also helps stakeholders to discover results by market segments and uncover the most likely reasons for poor performance. Accordingly, you can fill in the void and maximize your business productivity and performance.

Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty

If a firm doesn’t have a thorough understanding of its target consumers’ demands, it might not be addressing a real problem in the intended manner. An organization shall miss out on the opportunity to improve the product to its customer’s needs and boost the product/service prospects of market success if it does not invest in having a conversation with customers about their product. It is essential that the pricing, marketing, and sales strategies are centered around a comprehensive understanding of the target customers, which is developed by asking the correct questions to the right audience. This results in greater customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Competitor Analysis

A business cannot identify the right market opportunity, or for that matter, prospective growth markers unless it conducts a thorough analysis of its competition. Insights into the top competitors provide ideas that may or may not strengthen the product, service, or brand in a new market. Additionally, web research can provide forewarning to a business and forecast issues with an upcoming product/service launch so that they may be cautious with their actions.

Proof of Concept and Testing

Before launching any new business initiative, stakeholders must conduct market research. They should proceed with the new venture only if everything appears to be in line. Within a few days of entering the market, a firm can do a second round of business market research to determine the acceptance of its previously executed efforts.

Nevertheless, it is a good practice to spend on business market research services for testing the product, market, idea, or concept, as opposed to risking the entire investment on an idea/product/service without any solid data-backed foundation to support it.

Risk Mitigation

Conducting data research enables a business to determine which path to take to decrease the chances of failure. A business owner should undoubtedly take action if the insights show significant proof of success. And when it comes to making large investments, analysis, and insights help stakeholders in determining whether the risk is worth taking or not.

Bottom Line

Market research should be incorporated into an organization’s overall strategy as it helps stakeholders to learn about its market position in the toughest, most dynamic, and competitive environment. They can also make wise decisions with the help of such an endeavor.

Collaborating with data research companies is a sensible approach to getting real-time insights and information for business owners looking to position their organization over others and gain a competitive edge. However, the exercise’s aim and scope must be defined and recorded so that the resulting data has a fixed route for secondary research and analysis.

Still in doubt? You can contact professionals at Damco at any time for queries regarding your web research or outsourcing market research needs.

The post How Web Research Services Can Help Your Business Grow appeared first on SiteProNews.

While it may be tempting for brands to devote all their resources to meet these new preferences, this approach misses the big picture. Consumer expectations will continue to evolve, and successful brands can’t focus solely on what customers want today. To position your brand as a category leader, you’ll need to build a strong foundation of customer and product data that enables you to adapt to short-term industry shifts while maintaining a long-term vision.

How Brands Can Remain Resilient as Customer Preferences Evolve

Preparation is a major factor in determining the speed at which your brand responds to changing customer needs. An effective response doesn’t appear out of thin air — you need to understand how to navigate the commerce landscape to guide your decision-making. Here are three practices your brand should implement to remain unphased when consumer sentiment swings in an unexpected direction:

1. Work to understand your customers. Emerging trends in your customer base shouldn’t blindside you. Your brand should work to intimately understand your customers to help you predict and respond to their needs. For example, do your customers prefer to visit physical stores or shop online? Are they attending live pop-up events? How much do they prioritize sustainability in purchasing decisions? Asking these types of questions will help you understand your customers better and make you less vulnerable to broader shifts in your industry.

2. Meet your customers where they are. Part of understanding your customers involves knowing how to reach them. When inflation spikes, competition between brands can be intense. The brands that win sales are the ones that are present at all the right touchpoints.

For example, Peloton has struggled throughout 2022 as more people return to physical gyms. In response, it recently announced it would begin to sell its products on Amazon, a shift from its longstanding DTC distribution model. Peloton could have been stubborn, but instead, it recognized that its traditional distribution model no longer aligned with what customers wanted — and adjusted accordingly.

3. Control product data. Consumers have more channels to purchase products today than ever before. As a result, it can be difficult to manage your product data, especially when customer preferences for certain channels change over time. Not having a comprehensive view of your product data can lead to inaccurate inventory information and dissatisfied customers.

For example, a customer will feel misled if they see an ad for one of your products on Instagram only to go to your website to see that the item is unavailable. To keep your customers satisfied, find a technology partner that centralizes data across channels. This capability enables you to keep tabs on minor changes in customer behavior before they spiral into major ones.

It’s Impossible to Predict What Trend Is Next

It’s anyone’s guess how much experiences will matter to customers moving forward. Regardless, your company needs to prepare by adopting strategies that help you better understand your customers, meet them where they want to shop and ensure they have a frictionless purchasing experience. This combination enables your brand to respond to shifts in consumer behavior with agility and speed — before your competitors have a chance to adapt.

The post Customers are Now Prioritizing Experiences Over Products. How Should Brands Respond? appeared first on SiteProNews.

The goal of both advertising and public relations is to build brands and reach target audiences. However, the difference between the two methods is how they achieve these goals. Advertising tends to be much more direct, selling the brand’s product or service, whereas a PR campaign aims to “sell” the brand’s message and story, rather than the product or service itself.

Understanding the Difference Between Advertising and PR

A fundamental difference between advertising and PR is that advertising tends to be more explicitly promotional, while content generated through public relations often has an educational quality. Although PR-based content is still made to promote the company or its leader(s), it can also provide something of value to the target audience. For example, as part of a brand’s PR campaign, they may create blog posts on topics they can speak to, suggesting their product or service as the solution to a problem people want to know about.

It is also worth noting that, for the most part, PR is earned, whereas advertising tends to be paid. However, it is important to distinguish between “earned” and “free.” Brands will still need to make a financial investment to run a successful publicity campaign. After all, it costs money to hire a skilled publicist, and after they successfully get your name in the news, you’ll likely want to spend money to promote it. There are also some “pay-to-play” opportunities — also known as “sponsored content” — where you can pay to have your brand featured in a major outlet, although these are far less common than organic opportunities.

On the other hand, the entire purpose of advertising is to pay to be featured. You pay for the advertisement and copy to be created, and you pay for the space where it is shown — be it a billboard, airtime on television or radio, digital marketing spots, or space for print ads. You are literally paying to get your brand in front of people’s eyes.

There are also differences between who is targeted by a PR campaign. Advertising always targets the general public because the goal is to convince potential customers to buy. Although the public can be sectionalized into specific target audiences, advertising wouldn’t be targeted internally. On the other hand, PR can be either internal or external. Yes, many PR campaigns are designed to appeal to the public, but there are also some for employees designed to showcase employee initiatives or similar internal brand messages.

How Advertising and PR Help Your Brand Differently

Ultimately, the primary goal of a PR campaign is to help build brand awareness and reputation. Essentially, publicists are trying to get you and your brand talked about positively, both in the media and by the public. The goal is less about influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions, and more to keep your brand in consumers’ minds when it is time to make that decision.

One opportunity unique to public relations is thought leadership. Thought leadership is the idea of positioning someone — such as a company leader — as an expert in their field by having them comment on and write about relevant issues. This strategy can be enormously useful for building a feeling of trust with the brand’s target audience. If a potential consumer sees the brand is headed by someone who is an expert in the field, they are much more likely to trust that product or service.

In contrast, the goal of advertising is explicitly to generate sales. While public relations campaigns might generate indirect sales by increasing goodwill towards the brand and its representatives, selling is not the primary purpose of these efforts. With advertising, your materials might promote a specific product or discount, while content for public relations generally focuses on the brand as a whole, rather than more specific aspects of it.

Another difference that is important to remember between advertising and PR is that they are used at different times. PR can be used in times of calm or crisis, while advertising is generally only suitable for times of calm. If your brand is looking to manage and respond to a crisis, a public relations campaign is the way to go, because it will allow you to repair your reputation before it is too late. Attempting to sell through advertising when your reputation has taken a hit will not only be ineffective, but could also come across as tacky.

Although there are similarities between public relations and advertising, and both can be extremely effective in boosting public awareness of a brand, brands must understand the difference between the two and the methods they use for promotion. Although one is not necessarily better than the other, a brand’s needs will dictate which is the better option for them.

The post Public Relations vs Advertising: What’s the Difference? appeared first on SiteProNews.

To do that, brands need to go beyond providing quality products and services at competitive prices. The rise of e-commerce means shoppers will always be able to find a better deal. To inspire customer loyalty and turn buyers into fans, brands must shift their focus from the deal to the feel. They must connect on an emotional level. That is where brand experience enters the equation.

What Is a Brand Experience?

If you simply look at its list of products, you might think Apple was an electronics brand. They sell desktops, laptops, smartwatches, and phones. To some degree, they are no different from IBM, Samsung, or Sony.

Everyone knows, however, that electronics is not Apple’s brand. It is a lifestyle company. It delivers innovation and style. Apple customers are not looking for deals on electronics. Rather, they are extremely loyal fans who stand in line for hours to be the first to have a new Apple product, the same way that Beyonce fans wait in virtual lines for concert tickets.

Apple is consistently a top global performer because it provides its customers with a powerful experience that connects on an emotional level. Apple, like many other successful brands, has capitalized on the power of brand experience.

Brand experience is about the lasting connection a consumer forms with a company. Companies that leverage brand experience go beyond telling how their products perform to showing how they transform. VRBO goes beyond providing a great vacation rental; it provides a life-changing vacation experience. Apple goes beyond connecting you to the internet; it connects you to a seamless, dynamic, magical new lifestyle.

Building a great brand experience is about building a positive emotional connection that goes well beyond the point of purchase. Customers who have a positive brand experience are eager to use the brand’s products. They enjoy them while they are using them, are thankful afterward, and are quick to tell others about them.

Why Does Brand Experience Matter?

The value of managing the brand experience is immense, primarily because it helps differentiate a brand from its competitors. E-commerce has made the local marketplace a global marketplace, resulting in a dramatic increase in brand competition. A positive brand experience is a powerful tool for making your brand stand out and boosting customer loyalty.

Apple provides a great illustration of how brand experience sets a brand apart and drives its sales. In 2022, 8 of the top 10 best-selling phones were Apple iPhones. Shoppers have dozens of choices when it comes to cell phones. They choose Apple in large part because of brand experiences.

Managing the brand experience also has the potential to make companies more profitable. Customers are willing to pay more for a brand that consistently delivers a positive experience. The value added by the experience creates a perception that the brand is a premium product or service that can justify a higher price tag.

A positive brand experience also inspires brand loyalty. This not only leads to repeat customers, but also inspires customers to recommend the brand to others. Providing a positive brand experience is critical for driving word-of-mouth promotion.

Finally, brands that provide a positive experience can also experience higher employee satisfaction and productivity. Engaging with loyal fans is much more motivating than engaging with indifferent or frustrated customers. As employees see their company’s brand thriving, their sense of pride and ownership in the organization they work for increases. 

How Do You Create a Memorable Brand Experience?

Creating a memorable brand experience involves managing the various touch points that allow a customer to connect with your brand. At each point — from social media ads to customer service calls and everything in between — companies must focus on delivering a positive perception of the brand. Both how a brand communicates and what it communicates at every point in the customer journey play a role in creating a brand experience.

As companies seek to shape their brand experience, they can gain valuable insights from connecting with customers. Listening to and observing existing customers and target customers is a great way to determine how to add value to their journey. The best brand experience will address the target customer’s needs, preferences, and pain points.

The more data points a company can consider, the better it will understand its customers’ needs. Determining what content is resonating with customers, as well as what content they are creating, can help develop the experience. Pay attention to the conversations they are having on social media. Watch for consistent messages in reviews or customer service calls. All of these will help you understand your customers’ needs and desires.

Building a community around the brand experience is another way to inspire brand loyalty, create a tribe of brand advocates, and foster long-term relationships with customers. The best tools for building a community depend on your target audience and the nature of your business. Traditional social media platforms are a must. However, there are other marketing channels like SMS texting, newsletters, Discord, and Reddit that can be more effective in building a tight-knit community of like-minded individuals. As you launch into community building, metrics like engagement rates, reach, and sentiment analysis can help you optimize your strategy.

How Can You Leverage a Brand Event?

Experiential brand events, which bring customers together with brand representatives for a memorable experience, are a powerful way to create a meaningful connection and cultivate the brand experience. These can include product launches, conferences, pop-up shops, festivals, networking mixers, or any other event that engages customers with an authentic virtual or in-person event.

Brand experience events allow companies to increase brand awareness on a number of levels. They promote the product or services that the brand offers in an engaging and interactive way that leads to better product awareness and customer retention. They also provide a forum for communicating the brand’s mission and values in a way that will leave a lasting impression. As attendees connect with the brand’s team members, they can make a personal connection that can add more emotion to the brand experience.

The digital connections that drive today’s commerce are convenient, but rarely satisfying. By building a strong brand experience, companies can give their customers the opportunity to connect with products and services in an emotional way. The brand experience opens the door for customers to have a lasting relationship with a company they are proud to support and promote.

The post Creating a Memorable Brand Experience 101: Conversate Collective’s Aja Bradley-Kemp Breaks it Down appeared first on SiteProNews.

According to several analysts, 50,000 brick-and-mortar stores are expected to close within the next five years. However, The National Retail Federation predicts that 70 percent of retail sales will come from physical storefronts. 

As we’ve watched company after company close their physical storefronts, hoping to save overhead costs, we’ve found the outcome of this to be vastly different than the intention. Getting out of leases early and losing foot traffic — not to mention the millions of dollars in revenue that were generated from those stores — has forced these companies to close their doors permanently. Toys ‘R’ Us, for example, provides a perfect case study of mismanagement and closing storefronts prematurely, on top of other things. 

Creating Additional Revenue Streams via Short-term Leases and Bulk Gift Card Purchases

While closing down storefronts may seem like the only option during trying financial times, it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. Instead of shutting down physical stores throughout the country, brands can join with major retailers and help keep costs down by sharing overhead. 

For example, Sephora can now be found in JCPenney, Kohl’s, and even Target. And while independent Toys ‘R’ Us storefronts no longer exist, you can still find them in their own pop-up section at Macy’s. Providing short-term leases helps alleviate the storefront retailer — in this example, JCPenney or Macy’s — and the brand they’re working with — Sephora or Toys ‘R’ Us — both gain increased foot traffic and, therefore, increased revenue. 

By partnering with different brands, the main retailer can create a pop-up event in which the brands provide free gift cards for the benefit of everyone involved — the main retailer, the brand, and the customers. Pop-up events help create an experiential atmosphere and a sense of urgency, which helps generate further business through organic, word-of-mouth advertising. And hosting it in the main retailer’s space provides all parties with an opportunity to maximize their revenue at that specific location. 

Learning How to Monetize Their Properties More Efficiently

If Bed, Bath, & Beyond did a better job at partnering with brands and creating an interactive space in their stores, they could have had several million more dollars hitting their bottom line. Monetizing your properties more efficiently involves more than just location and brand deals — it has to do with an omnichannel approach that integrates both online and offline experiences. Offering in-store pickups for online orders, or providing online promotions that can be redeemed in-store, helps foster feelings of trust and loyalty in customers. 

Additionally, store layout optimization has a significant impact on the customer’s experience as they walk into the store. Displaying popular products at the front and leaving room for others behind this space allows room for each brand to provide a relaxed vibe, rather than block everything off with shelves. For example, Anthropologie works with many designers in order to create different atmospheres with decor and lighting, depending on the specific designer. Target has also begun to do this in their stores’ clothing section with their featured designers and clothing brands. 

Using Bed, Bath, & Beyond again as an example, imagine if they had worked to separate their store by different styles, similar to IKEA; traditional, mid-century modern, farmhouse, etc. They may not have had to have significant layoffs or close stores, and their overall earnings would have looked a lot healthier to their shareholders. 

Compensating the Retailers and Rewarding Their Customers

Today’s customer journey isn’t about need — it’s about convenience. Making life easier for the customer should be the objective of any modern retailer. Providing free gift cards to customers, for example, helps boost customer satisfaction and loyalty by creating a positive memorable experience that eliminates some worry about how they might best pay for their purchases. And just as satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat customers, repeat customers of a company are more likely to refer them to their friends, families, and even coworkers. 

Free gift cards are a win-win for everyone — the retailer, partnered brands, and the customer — and the best part is giving your customer gift cards doesn’t cost the retailer any additional money. In fact, it provides upselling and cross-selling opportunities by serving as a traffic-driving tool while also improving the retailer’s bottom line.

By selecting gift cards that resonate with customers and strategically integrating them into the customer journey, retailers can create a beneficial situation that compensates the retailers through increased customer satisfaction. In today’s market and pending recession — or “slowcession” — free money is extremely valuable to anyone whether they’re struggling or not. 

More importantly, offering free gifts helps retailers and brands differentiate themselves from competitors. It demonstrates a commitment to the customer and their needs, and provides an added incentive for customers to choose their store over others. 

To thrive in today’s competitive landscape, retailers must recognize the changing dynamics of the customer journey. By focusing on delivering value and providing immersive experiences, retailers can forge meaningful connections with their customers, foster brand loyalty, and secure their place in the hearts and minds of consumers. 

The path to success lies not only in selling products. It lies in creating remarkable and memorable moments that turn customers into brand advocates and transform retail into a destination.

The post How Major Retailers Can Possibly Avoid Closing Stores appeared first on SiteProNews.

With loyalty becoming more elusive, building a personal and more intimate relationship with customers is seen as a brand’s point of difference. Consumers expect brands to use their data and preferences wisely in order to provide value, surprise, and delight. Twilio Segment’s “The State of Personalization Report 2022” found that 62% of consumers would stop being loyal to a brand if their experiences weren’t personalized. On the other hand, 49% will become repeat buyers if personalization is offered.

Many brands already know how to personalize and have been doing it for years, but the topic has become increasingly more complex as more consumers worry about privacy. Although some companies are concerned about losing their brand voices if they personalize too much, the main issue with personalization revolves around losing trust with consumers. When done wrong, personalized brand experiences can make consumers uncomfortable, creeped out, or uneasy.

However, personalized brand experiences can improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy when done right. A successful personalization strategy will deliver at the right time and place, use information consumers willingly share, bring context to the moment you’re trying to personalize, and surprise your consumers with the thrill of the unexpected. 

The Challenge with Personalization

Personalization, if based on personal data shared by the consumer with the assurance that it will be used as intended, will result in better service and no surprises. 

Problems can arise when brands show up in the wrong place at the wrong time. If someone is looking for a new pair of shoes online, they don’t want a healthcare brand reminding them of their hemorrhoids. Who’s to say that advertisement won’t appear in their living room during their Super Bowl party? You must be strategic about how you use consumer data. Otherwise, you may lose your customers’ trust.

Let’s be honest: Personalization can also get a little too intimate. Although humans want to be seen, we also have a corresponding need for privacy. If you start personalizing ads based on things consumers haven’t explicitly shared with you, they may question whether they can trust your brand. There is a huge difference between getting targeted ads for chocolate on your phone after scrolling through a flower website versus getting that same ad after talking about your plans for date night. One feels consensual because, for the most part, people understand that their clicks are tracked when they navigate through a webpage. But the latter can feel very intrusive, leaving customers wondering if you were somehow able to listen in on their private phone conversations. 

The way brands personalize today can also put them at risk for demographic stereotyping. Sometimes brands can over-personalize and rely too heavily on observed patterns and behavior, keeping consumers pigeonholed as specific “types” of people. What if there is more to that 50-year-old mom down the street than what’s listed in her Google Search history? What if your personalization tactics are actually limiting her in some way? Brands need to refrain from boxing people in or making assumptions about their decision-making. Human behavior is often unpredictable and irrational. 

How to Avoid Overstepping and Personalize with a People-First Mindset

The last thing you want to do is push your customers away in your effort to make them feel seen. To avoid coming across as creepy, making damaging ad placement mistakes, and over-personalizing, try incorporating the following modern-day marketing strategies.

1. Create a Personalization Index for Different Channels

In order to make the right decision on when and where to deliver a personalized ad, you must have a system in place. We recommend something called scenario planning. Develop your own playbook where you can quickly assess what someone’s behaviors and actions may be telling you. What is your consumer specifically asking for? What do you need to deliver? Then, based on that information, you must determine how to measure your potential creepiness as you decide when and where to deliver that ad.

Maybe you take privacy into account when deciding placement. For example, an email or text ad is way more intimate than a social media or webpage ad. You may want to take the email route if you are serving up an ad for a new medication. If you are delivering an ad for a new shoe in your collection, Hulu would be a harmless method of delivery. 

Oftentimes, creating these personalization indexes can be difficult. Bringing in an agency focused on people, strategy, and journey work could help you get started. An agency with this type of expertise can help you develop a system for deciding which scenarios your brand might want to engage in. The right agency can also help with data analysis, business objectives, mapping journey moments and touchpoints, continual testing, monitoring, and optimization. 

2. Look at Privacy Best Practices in Other Countries

Just because you have the information doesn’t mean you need to use it. Many consumers know brands are tracking them, but they also have an idea of what this looks like and what they are comfortable with. Consider looking into the European General Data Protection Regulation for ideas on personalizing while protecting your brand reputation. These privacy laws are only practiced in Europe, but many U.S. companies who sell in Europe abide by these laws in the U.S. because they are just that good. It is always better to practice judgment when delivering ads than to damage your reputation by coming across as creepy. Under the GDPR, companies must clearly explain what information they’re asking consumers to share and what they plan to do with it. This two-way transparency allows for greater trust and restores balance in the relationship. 

3. Aim to Surprise and Delight

Brands need to recognize that their customers are multidimensional and will certainly change over the course of time. As mentioned above, many brands can fall into the trap of neatly sorting their customers into boxes based on their past preferences. To successfully personalize in 2023, brands must know that personas are out. Rather than focusing on who your consumers are, focus on what they’re doing. Embrace customers as people and offer them things that don’t fit a model or stereotype. Use their reactions to new content to learn more about their preferences organically. 

Spotify is a great example of a brand that realizes human preferences are constantly changing. While it suggests songs based on past song choices, it also curates playlists completely different from what a consumer would normally listen to, providing a sandbox for consumers to explore and evolve. By taking this approach, Spotify continues to learn more about its consumers, and consumers continue to learn more about themselves. Don’t assume you already know your audience. Use the tools available to test the water, suggest new ideas, and show people that you care about who they actually are, not just the box they fall into.

To successfully implement personalization, you must put yourself in consumers’ shoes. Just like with any friendship, there are boundaries between brands and consumers. Crossing those lines can cause a divide. Personalization in 2023 is going to take more effort than it has in the past. But with a little help, you can avoid overstepping and maintain strong connections with your audience.

The post How Personal is too Personal for Brands? appeared first on SiteProNews.

They let you demonstrate your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness, enabling your future customers to make informed decisions about their purchases.

But how do you leverage testimonials in a way that will drive real business results?

The answer lies in creating content with your customer testimonials that engage and convert customers.

In this blog post, I’ll share seven creative types of content you can use to create compelling stories and boost sales and conversions for your brand. Let’s get started!

Here are the top ways you can use your audience testimonials to support and grow your business activities.

1. Videos for Branding

It’s clear from how much we scroll through social media stories and video posts that video content is one of the most impactful and visually engaging types of content out there. Here is a good example of a video customer testimonial.

You’ll find several interesting statistics about the power of video content. For example:

• Video ads on Twitter generate 2x the engagement rate for 50% lower cost
• Video content platform YouTube is the second most visited website ever
• LinkedIn posts with videos get 5x as many comments as posts without video content
• Organic traffic improves by 157% when you add video (Video marketing statistics)

There’s no question that video is powerful. That’s why incorporating customer testimonials into video content is a powerful strategy for amplifying your brand’s credibility and influence.

To create a compelling video using customer testimonials, start by identifying loyal customers who are willing to share their positive experiences with your brand on camera.

Send them a list of questions to answer that highlight the key benefits and value of your product or service. You could also invite them to share their personal anecdotes or real-life stories to add emotional depth to the video. These stories could showcase how your product or service has helped them overcome a particular challenge in their lives.

Keep it simple and authentic. Ask your customers to use their phone camera to record the footage. Also, use alternatives like Loom or Soapbox that will let you record your screen and camera and share videos instantaneously.

When using a video testimonial, keep it concise and highlight the most compelling parts of the testimonial. Also, add written testimonials to your video content if necessary.

Once you have created a video, share it on various social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

You could also embed the video on your website’s homepage or landing pages to showcase your brand’s key features and benefits.

2. Dedicated Case Study Page

A dedicated case study page is an excellent tool for showcasing the positive impact your product or service has had on your customers.

The page, like this one, should highlight the unique challenges your customers faced and how your brand addressed those challenges to achieve positive outcomes.

Here are some tips to help you create a compelling case study page:

• Choose a customer who has had significant success with your product or service. It helps if they’re also someone willing to share their story and is a strong advocate for your brand.
• Assemble all relevant information about the customer’s experience, including their needs, goals, and challenges. You can ask your customer to help with this by filling a questionnaire or doing an interview.
• Showcase how your brand addressed the customer’s needs and tackled their challenges. Use data and specific examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of your product or service.
• Highlight the positive results the customer achieved with your product or service. Use data and metrics whenever possible, as this adds credibility and enables potential customers to understand better how your brand can help them.
• Use visuals to make the case study page more engaging. Incorporate images, charts, and infographics to help break up the text and present the information in a more easily digestible format.
• Make the case study page easily accessible on your website. Include it in your website’s navigation menu and link to it from other relevant pages throughout your site.
• And don’t forget SEO. Use keywords that potential customers might use when searching for products or services in your industry.

Case studies are a great way to use customer testimonials. They showcase real-life success stories and highlight the positive results your product or service can achieve. They also solidify your reputation and authority in your area of expertise.

3. Social Media Quotes

Another way to leverage a testimonial is to turn them into eye-catching and visual quotes.

You can share these on social media and your site too.

I suggest using a quote that shares a very specific experience your customer had which highlights your brand or product. For example, if a customer quotes a specific figure or metric related to their success with your product, include that information in the visual quote.

This is a great way to add content to your social media and celebrate your customers too. Social media quotes can also help to build brand awareness and increase audience engagement. Make sure to use relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience and encourage sharing with calls to action.

This simple but effective technique will help you repurpose your testimonials indefinitely on social media.

4. Website Landing Page Testimonials

Your website’s landing page is the first impression potential customers will have of your brand. It’s where people land when they click on an ad campaign link or email newsletter link.

That’s why it’s crucial to showcase testimonials to build trust and credibility with visitors.

Make sure to feature two or three glowing testimonials front-and-center on your landing page.

You can demonstrate the effectiveness of your product or service and highlight the tangible benefits it has provided for real people.

If possible, add images of your customers. It helps to have a face that represents a real customer. Also, include a title, a quote, and a specific outcome that your product or service helped with.

Testimonials on landing pages will help you boost your conversion rate. You can even add them to your checkout page to keep people feeling confident as they buy your product.

5. Newsletter Campaigns

Customer testimonials can be a great way to engage existing customers and subscribers, and one of the best ways to do this is through newsletter campaigns.

By including snippets of customer testimonials in your company’s email newsletters, you can keep your subscribers inspired.

Real life success stories often serve as ideas on ways to use your products in creative ways. They also help customers to stay subscribed and loyal to your brand when they see that others are having good results.

Make sure to add quotes, short snippets, and even images in your newsletters. But also, add links to the complete testimonial or case study so that your reader can explore them in depth to learn how to meet their own goals.

6. Presentations

If your sales team has to do presentations, then testimonials can help with this too.

In fact, customer testimonials, reviews, and ratings are great for any situation where you have to present information. Such content can help you convince investors to contribute funds to your business. They’re great for sharing slides or presentations on social media. And you can use them in industry conferences and networking events!

You can also add some punch to your webinars and online courses by showcasing customer success stories.

Presentations are visual, so they’re the perfect format to add infographics, flow charts, statistics, and even interactive elements. Adding information from your customer testimonials will help add context and better explain the impact your brand can have.

Finally, testimonials in presentations can also be used internally within your company for training purposes or as part of your marketing assets. There’s virtually no end to the ways you can leverage testimonials and grow your business.

7. Blog Posts

Informational blog posts work best when you add examples and context. And this is the perfect place to incorporate customer testimonials to make your blog posts useful.

This is great for your customers to understand how to achieve their goals by looking at success stories. And it’s good from an SEO perspective too.

There’s a better chance of your blog posts getting higher SEO rankings if Google perceives that your post has more useful information.

So, don’t hesitate to add testimonials to your blog posts – but make sure that they’re formatted to suit the purpose of the post. You don’t have to add the entire testimonial into your content, just the relevant bits. And you can also link to the testimonials so that customers can read them later.

Conclusion

There you have it. These are all the ways you can use testimonials throughout your content marketing.

So make sure that you have a plan to collect these useful pieces of information from your customers when you’re aware that they’re happy.

The different content types mentioned here are designed to do one thing: drive conversions by creating more engaging content.

By leveraging the right mix of these tactics, you can start to craft compelling stories that will build trust with potential customers, establish credibility with existing ones, and ultimately drive more sales for your business.

So, start working with the testimonials you have to see your marketing efforts lead to better results.

The post Here are 7 Content Types to Create with Your Customer Testimonials appeared first on SiteProNews.