10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Instagram Marketing

10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Instagram Marketing:

by Sara Angeles, BusinessNewsDaily Staff Writer   |   January 11, 2014 07:06am ET

- See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5755-instagram-marketing-tips.html#sthash.OgFLrWzx.dpuf

How to turn Instagram into a powerful marketing tool Credit: Instagram View full size image

In 2013, singer Beyoncé proved to the world that Instagram is more than just another social media platform. On Dec. 12, just before the stroke of midnight, the superstar released a surprise album by announcing it on the photo-sharing website. In three days, she sold a record-breaking 617,000 copies on iTunes and nabbed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts. If you're not using Instagram for marketing yet, now is the time.

But you don't have to be a superstar to leverage the power of Instagram. Brands, retailers, tech companies and other organizations use Instagram every day to reach consumers, sell online and grow a following. Here are 10 ways they're doing it, and how small businesses can do it, too.

1. Show, not tell

Have a great new product or service? Show followers what it does or how it works by posting photos of it in action. Cosmetics chain store Sephora often posts eye-catching color swatches of lip gloss, nail polish and eye-shadow shades, while San Francisco-based Benefit Cosmetics shares visual beauty tutorials and before-and-after shots of its products being used in real life. Shoe company Vansalso posts photos of its shoes in action on the ground, in the air and everywhere Vans fans take them. [6 Innovative Social Media Tools for Small Business]

2. Run an Instagram contest

Need a boost in follower engagement? Hold a contest. Have followers post photos using a fun hashtag, and then pick the best ones that will win a prize. One of the most popular Instagram contests was held by Mercedes-Benz USA, which partnered with five of the most influential Instagram users by giving each of them a Mercedes-Benz CLA to drive for five days. They posted photos of their adventures with the car and the Instagrammer with the most likes won his or her own CLA. Followers could also send their own photos by hashtagging #CLATakeTheWheel for a chance to win a CLA. But contests don't have to be so extravagant. Using the hashtag #dresseDD,Dunkin' Donuts had followers "dress" their Dunkin' Donuts coffee cups during Halloween for a chance to win a $100 gift card.

3. Go behind the scenes

Everyone loves to see what happens behind closed doors. Get personal with followers by giving them exclusive sneak peeks at new products, events and other happenings. Fashion brand Burberry has mastered this art: The company posted real-time photo feeds of fashion shows and behind-the-scenes looks at photo shoots and commercial film shoots. Similarly, Louis Vuitton treated followers with live backstage shots at the luxury house's Women's Spring/Summer 2014 Fashion Show.

4. Humanize your brand

People want to know about more than just your products and services; consumers also care about a company's people, culture and values. Humanize your brand by sharing photos of your staff, office and extracurricular activities. Tech companies — such as eBay, Tumblr and Facebook — do an excellent job of this by sharing images of team members in action, as well as their desk and meeting areas, office art, company events, candid moments, and community outreach or charity work.

5. Give followers an adventure

Consumers also want to know the ins and outs of your operations. You can give them an inside look by sharing photos of trade shows, conferences and other industry events. For instance, YouTube successfully employed this tactic by giving followers an inside look at its visit to the SXSW (South by Southwest) conference. If you travel a lot or have affiliates around the world, take followers along for the ride. Whole Foods Market shares everything from on-location store photos to the Whole Planet Foundation's microentrepreneurs at work in places like Tanzania, Turkey, Chile, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

6. Post videos

In 2013, Instagram gave short-form video platform Vine a run for its money with 15-second Instagram videos. Get creative, mix things up and take advantage of this new feature by posting videos in between images. General Electric (GE) shares time-lapse videos of its technology in action, giving followers an inside look at things like3D printing from start to finish, 24-hour operations at one of the company's facilities, airline installations and more. Fashion brand Kate Spade advertised its Madison Avenue location in New York City by showing how it constructed its window display. And fast-food chain Wendy's used Instagram to promote a contest and its new menu items.

7. Use Instagram Direct

Instagram Direct, the company's new direct-messaging feature, is a great way to personally reach out to followers. Messaging is limited to 15 people, so it will require some creativity and strategy. Gap was the first brand to use the feature: The company held an exclusive #WIWT (What I Wore Today) contest. The first 15 people that commented on the Instagram announcement were sent contest invitations via Instagram Direct, and one of those Instagrammers won Gap merchandise. Public relations news site PR Daily also recommends using the feature to send photos of new products to the very biggest fans, live Instagramming an event for key members of the media and creating exclusivity with insider clubs made of superfans.

8. Launch an online store

If you're ready to sell, but not ready to set up an e-commerce website, Instagram makes a great instant virtual storefront. Merchants like RuralReclaim, ThriftArchaeology and PrepObsesssed use Instagram to both showcase their products and make sales without the investment of creating an online store. Set up your Instagram storefront by posting photos of your items and describing them in captions. Engage with customers by answering questions in the comments area, and use direct messaging when necessary. Finalize sales with PayPal and other payment processors. Services such as Soldsie, Chirpify and Hashbags also help merchants sell on Instagram.

9. Deliver an experience

If you own a store, restaurant or other brick-and-mortar establishment, use Instagram to make people want to visit by showcasing your facility. This is a great strategy if you sell online, too. Seattle-based consignment store Sell Your Sole frequently uses its boutique as a background for product images, making followers feel as though they were really there. New York City café and restaurant Jack's Wife and Freda shares photos of not only its drinks and menu items, but its dining area, patio, bar, kitchen and surrounding areas as well.

10. Inspire followers

For businesses, Instagram is about connecting with followers on level beyond just trying to make a sale. Brands shouldn't just engage; they should also inspire. Learn from Nike and Lululemon, whose feeds are filled with motivational images and people doing extraordinary things, and Starbucks, whose photos of lattes and other caffeinated concoctions in everyday life tell stories that hit close to home.

Originally published on BusinessNewsDaily.

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Google Hummingbird, A Caffeine-Fueled, Long-Tail Search System

Google Hummingbird, A Caffeine-Fueled, Long-Tail Search System 

The title of this article will have either caused you utter despair or a great deal of intrigue. For those of you that sit with the former, read on and you will slowly feel better. For those that are intrigued, you should be – Google is moving fast, and we need to keep up with a curious mind!
There are two main elements to the understanding of Google Hummingbird, and this is where the article’s title comes from:

1. GOOGLE HUMMINGBIRD: A CAFFEINE-FUELED SYSTEM

Back in 2010 Google announced a “new Web indexing system called Caffeine”. Caffeine seems an appropriate name for a new system which allowed more pages on the Internet to be indexed much faster.
Because more pages were being indexed faster, however, this inadvertently meant that shady tactics of creating masses of content with masses of links flourished.
Along came Google Penguin and Google Panda, algorithm updates to counteract these tactics. Penguin and Panda, in some ways, can be seen more as ‘patches’, that were created in order to counteract the effects of low-quality content and link creation, in the post-Caffeine search world.
Google Hummingbird is not a ‘patch’, because it does not aim to devalue a specific type of technique. To the contrary, it is actually a new system, much like Google Caffeine. The post Hummingbird Google system incorporates the Google Panda and Google Penguin patches, and additionally has a greater understanding of the meaning behind search queries, in particular longer tail key phrases.

2. GOOGLE HUMMINGBIRD: A LONG-TAIL TRAFFIC SYSTEM

The new search system of Caffeine was a response to the ever increasing publication of new content on the Web.
The new search system of Google Hummingbird was a response to the changing nature of how we are performing searches. Users are searching more and more from mobile devices, and as a result search queries are becoming longer, less general and more conversational.
For example, instead of “new books”, you might search for “where can I find J.K.Rowling’s latest book release?”
When Google announced Hummingbird, it posted a blog post, which centered on Google Knowledge graph and the use of mobile devices.
Google knowledge graph demonstrates how it has become much more sophisticated at understanding what ‘knowledge’ you are looking for when asking a question on search. It is also understood that in order for your website to answer a specific question, a page does not have to contain this exact question.
This helps us to understand why Google is placing less importance now on exact phrases appearing within a page, in order to rank for it.
The new search system is better at understanding which pages are truly answering people’s questions, and providing them with the knowledge they are seeking.

WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN FOR MY 2014 SEARCH STRATEGY?

Google Hummingbird doesn’t mean any changes have been made to SEO best practice. In fact, it just reinforces the importance of creating good quality content which adds value to readers. Content which answers questions and provides useful knowledge and information, and is easily accessible from a mobile device, should be the content which is rewarded. But Google’s ambition to serve useful content which adds value has been the same from the start.
But before you decide to throw your basic SEO principles out of the window, Google Hummingbird doesn’t mean meta titles and descriptions aren’t important anymore. Although a single given page can rank for a greater variety of longer tail terms, without a specific focus on these terms, meta titles are still very important indicators as to what your page is about. And, for shorter, more general terms, meta titles and the appearance of a term within your page’s body is still a big factor. Furthermore, meta titles and descriptions are a way of selling a page to a search user.
And finally, don’t forget Google may be becoming more sophisticated, but it is still just a software engine. This means it still needs a helping hand to discover new content, through efficient site architectures and indications as to which pages it should be indexing, for example. Not time for SEO professionals to throw in the towel yet then!

- See more at: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/01/14/google-hummingbird-a-caffeine-fueled-long-tail-search-system.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter#sthash.nqqceI7r.dpuf

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The 4 Building Blocks of a Strong Digital Presence |

The 4 Building Blocks of a Strong Digital Presence |

If you don't have a digital presence today, you don't exist.

This statement might give you anxiety, but without a proper plan, you shouldn't rush to expand your online presence. You need a solid foundation on top of which to build what really amounts to your front door to the world. The importance of this shouldn't be lost on you, and you'll need a dependable framework to serve as a guide.

To build a stable foundation, you need to address four unique and interrelated components: content, strategy, design and technology. Your focus on each of these must be in equal and measured parts, ensuring a balanced approach to your digital presence. Think of the components as four table legs, where over- or under-emphasizing one will result in the table falling over.

Content: The first issue you need to address is defining the message you want to communicate. Typically this begins with your mission statement and expands from there to convey what your product or service can do for potential customers.

This message often is born from advertising or marketing teams, but you should remember that in the digital world, it's critical to focus on engagement. At the heart of the internet is interactivity, and it's critical to acknowledge that we operate in an environment of engagement, rather than an old broadcast model.

Strategy: Once you have defined the "what," fine tune it by addressing why you are in business and why would someone want to listen to and engage with your message. Combining the "what" and the "why" helps you crystallize a plan for your messaging and communications. Your strategy should focus on your engagement over a period of time to establish a relationship with customers. This will chart your roadmap, guiding your company from where you are to where you would like to be.

Related: 5 Online Faux Pas That Will Doom Your Networking Potential

Design: By now, you know what your message is and why you are communicating it, but if the receiving party doesn't engage with it, you've failed. The packaging for your message is extremely important, so this is where aesthetics and customer experience come into play.

The rise of digital at the end of the last century and through the last decade saw the parallel focus on usability. A well-designed user experience can really differentiate your company from the rest of the market.

The design and aesthetics of your message are just as important -- and unfortunately, sometimes more so -- than the actual content. It has to be accessible, engaging, and understandable so that the receiving party can absorb and process what is being communicated.

Technology: The final component is often the least understood and, as a result, overlooked. Everyone knows how to drive a car, but very few understand how the car works. Similarly, everyone is online, and yet, a very small group of individuals truly understand how digital technology works.

The fourth, and most important, component is technology. I do admit a slight bias toward this, given my role as a CTO, but objectively, one can't overstate its importance. Without the proper tools to execute the job, it doesn't matter what your message is, why you are communicating it or what it looks like. You will be unable to connect or engage with your customers without appropriate technology.

By no means is this a comprehensive plan which you can plug and play into your business environment. It's high-level guidance outlining the four key components required to drive digital success.

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230680#ixzz2qPDWtqpW

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Dealing with Negative Comments in Social Media | SCORE Small Business Success Blog

Dealing with Negative Comments in Social Media | SCORE Small Business Success Blog:

You’ve succeeded in getting a social media strategy in place, you’re sharing amazing, relevant content – and then WHAM! Someone posts a negative comment, and you feel like all of the wind has been let out of your sails.  Then the worrying begins – What do you say? How do you say it? Should you say anything at all?  These are all really valid questions that need answers, quickly, so you’re ready at a moment’s notice to respond the right way. 

First – determine the validity of the criticism.  Customer service, product issues, or even website criticism is valid, and you should own it.  Just like the old business mantra goes, “The customer is always right.” – Even when they aren’t.

Very rarely will you see a business or company attack a complaint online and come out looking good.  In fact, I can think of only one instance in the last year – a response by Liberty Bottleworks in Washington to an unhappy customer over the holidays that made the company look good.  Attacking the customer is never a good idea – and generally leaves the business in the “loss” column.

The other side of the coin is the ever-present internet troll – Sometimes mean unhappy people post nasty stuff online and aren’t even customers.  If the post is blatantly a troll post, then feel free to delete it from your Facebook wall or forum.  If they posted on Twitter or another network where you cannot delete posts from others, ignore it.  Many people don’t agree with the “ignore it” tactic – but I only recommend enacting “ignore” mode if it’s a one-time non-customer criticism and you can easily post good stuff to move it away from front and center.

So when you respond to a disgruntled customer, do it gently.  Taking the conversation offline is preferred.  Invite the customer to call or email a decision maker directly, and let them know that you’re dedicated to making it right.  This is a solid strategy – but it can also backfire.  NEVER copy and paste the same response in multiple complaints.  If you look at the Facebook or Twitter feeds for larger companies, such as Waste Management or Xfinity – their pages are riddled with unhappy customers – big companies have a lot of exposure to this.  You can note though, nearly every company response addresses the customer by name, talks about the individual issue, and recommends different action based on the complaint.  This is the RIGHT way to respond to complaints.  #1 rule?  NEVER copy/paste in social media.

Now that you’ve addressed the issue, asked the customer to communicate offline, and hopefully resolved the issue, it’s time to close the circle.  Many customers won’t take the time to do this, but if you ask – some customers will go back to the social network and post a resolution.  Even a quick note can help, suggest saying something like “I had an issue with my installation, I called and talked to Evan and it was resolved right away.”  This shows those who view the complaint, or your page, that you cared about your customer and solved their problem immediately. This is a huge step towards building brand advocates – which should be one of your top reasons for getting involved in social media in the first place.

In business we know we have to take the good with the bad.  The benefits of being online and active in social media far outweigh the negative aspects – but when the negative does rear its ugly head – you need to be ready with a solid strategy that your whole team is aware of.

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5 Location-Based Mobile Marketing Tools for Small Businesses

5 Location-Based Mobile Marketing Tools for Small Businesses:

by Brett Nuckles 

Location-based marketing works because smartphones make it easy for consumers to search for the best local businesses. Credit: Shutterstock View full size image

With location-based marketing, you can do double duty, promoting your brand while helping potential customers find you. And those customers will want to find you, especially when they're on the go. In fact, more than 40 percent of mobile Websearches are for local businesses, according to Google. If you haven't fine-tuned your small business' Web presence for location-based marketing, you're likely missing out.

Location-based marketing works because smartphones make it easy for consumers to search for the best nearby businesses — and the best nearby deals. But location-based marketing is a new frontier, and it's hard to know where to begin. Here are five simple ways you can take advantage of smartphones and GPStechnology to engage and entice potential customers.

1. Directories

First things first: make sure your business is listed in the places where mobile customers are looking.  That means large search engine directories such as Google, Bing and Yahoo, which have built-in map services that consumers can use to find local businesses when they're on the go. Almost as important as being listed is keeping the online profiles for your business up to date, with accurate street addresses, phone numbers and other relevant information. Consumers who can't find or contact you via the Web are less likely to become customers.

Try: Google, Bing, Yahoo

2. Location-based coupons

Coupons and offers can drive foot traffic into your store. This works particularly well when you target deals to customers who are searching nearby from their smartphones. The proliferation of mobile GPS technology has opened up new ways to get your latest promotions to the closest potential customers. With services such as Groupon and LivingSocial, consumers can search for deals in their area, then redeem the coupons after arriving at your business. Others services, such as MobSav, use GPS data to push your small business' promotion straight to consumers' smartphones.

Try: Groupon, LivingSocial, MobSav

3. SMS marketing

Most cellphone users have programmed their phones to alert them whenever a new SMS, or text, message arrives, and users read the majority of such messages within a few minutes of receiving them. Services such as AT&T Alerts and Thumbvistatake advantage of these consumer habits by using GPS technology to push deals straight to consumers via text messaging. Customers can opt-in to receive text message notifications whenever physically approaching a business that is currently hosting a sale or promotion. Customers can also pick which brands or product categories they want to hear about, so anyone who receives your message is more likely to be interested.

Try: AT&T Alerts, Thumbvista

4. Check-ins

Using social media sites such as FourSquare and Facebook, you can leverage the social media accounts of your customers to promote your brand. It works like this: when customers arrive at your business, they can use their smartphone to "check in." Thisshares the customer's location with their social media contacts. In effect, a check-in acts as a recommendation, and that recommendation could convince others to give your business a try. Small business owners can't control which customers choose to check in at their businesses, but they can provide incentives. For example, consider offering a small discount for any customer who checks in at your business via a social media profile. And make sure to remind customers of those rewards.

Try: Foursquare, Facebook

5. Online Reviews

Consumers want to know which locations are nearby, but they also want to know which ones are worth visiting. When a potential customer uses a smartphone to find local businesses, they're likely to browse reviews on platforms such as Google+ Local orYelp before deciding where to go. A few positive ratings can go a long way toward turning a potential customer into a real one. Unfortunately, small business owners have limited control over how others represent their brand online — but there are steps you can take to manage online perception. If your business receives a negative review, consider a polite, professional response. You might also encourage satisfied customers to log on and leave reviews. Of course, providing an excellent product or service will always be the best path to a glowing consumer review.

Try: Google+ Local, Yelp

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Showrooming shrinks as Foot Locker tackles it head-on

Showrooming shrinks as Foot Locker tackles it head-on

January 14, 2014

Foot Locker's iPhone app

NEW YORK – With new research showing that showrooming has dropped 40 percent over the past year, it is clear that moves by retailers such as Foot Locker to address the issue head-on are working.

Foot Locker’s top executive at the NRF 103rd Annual Convention & Expo cited arming sales associates with in-store tablets that recommend and track down products as one way that bricks-and-mortar retailers can crush online competitors. Also at NRF, IBM released a new report showing that the threat of showrooming has diminished significantly over the past year.

“Arming them with the same information and capability that the customer has [is one way to stop showrooming in-store],”  said Ken Hicks, CEO of Foot Locker, New York. “That may mean giving them scan guns where they can know whether it’s in stock or it’s not in stock, is it in a store or is it online so we have inventory transparency.

“It’s giving them either tablets or computers where they can look up and see what’s online and train [shoppers] about the product,” he said.

“And then it’s also how we merchandise so that they can look and see and say, ‘OK, I’ve got the new Lebron t-shirt that goes with that shoe and here’s the color and here’s why it all works together.”

Bruce Rogers, chief insights officer at Forbes Media, New York, moderated the panel.

Changing consumers needs
During the “Navigating Retail’s Relentless Reality: What CEOs Are Doing to Thrive in a Consumer-Driven World” session,Foot Locker and JDA Software executives spoke about the opportunities and challenges for retailers to keep up with the growth of online pure plays.

The increase in online and mobile commerce has fundamentally changed consumers’ shopping expectations.

According to Mr. Hicks, consumers now expect to walk into a store and see every color, size and style of a product, which flips the traditional merchandising tactics that retailers have traditionally relied on.

Similarly, product launches are now rolled out nationally instead of by market because consumers expect to buy and receive the product instantaneously.

Bricks-and-mortar retailers that used to have a firm grasp on the United States market are now competing head-on with online and international retailers.

For Foot Locker to compete with online giants such as Amazon, the key is to leverage the retailer’s 3,500 locations to communicate one-on-one with consumers.

Additionally, these stores can hooked up to the Web and mobile and offer every possible combination of shipping and payment available so that the consumer is in control of the shopping experience.

Price alone is not enough for Foot Locker to beat Amazon. Instead, the retailer’s advantage is with customer service in locating inventory and showing consumers how products go together.

There are two distinct schools of thought in how retailers approach technology, per Mr. Hicks. There is one set of retailers do not invest in newer technology at all, and another group of marketers who try to change everything to keep up.

However, innovating with technology has to fall between the two polar opposite views, according to the executive.

For example, Foot Locker is willing to test any type of new initiative. If the prototype works, then the retailer will test it to see if it is financially viable. From there, the initiative will gradually be rolled out over time.

At the same time, retailers nowadays must be nimble enough to catch up with consumers who are increasingly becoming more demanding.

“[Shoppers’] expectations in terms of how we handle and manage them is different, how we deliver,” Mr. Hicks said.

“If I want it in the store or if I want it delivered to my home or I want to pick it up in the store — I want to do it the way that I want it,” he said.

I want to pay for it the way I want to pay — cash, credit, debit, Google Wallet, PayPal, Isis, layaway — whatever. So the customer has become more demanding.”

The NRF panel

Keeping up with the times
According to research conducted by JDA Software, 69 percent of executives from the top 250 retailers said claimed that they were confident growth will continue in the next three years.

This confidence was most prevalent in the survey were Germany, the United States and South Africa.

Despite the fact that retail leaders are comfortable about the future, they are focused on growth through traditional tactics and are less concerned about the looming threat of omnichannel.

“As online retail continues to be the growth driver in the retail industry, it’s also going to be the margin killer and that is something that I think retailers have to be careful of,” said Hamish Brewer, CEO of JDA Software, Scottsdale, AZ.

Showrooming threat drops
A new report from IMB also finds that showrooming is becoming less of a concern for retailers. 

According to IBM’s new report, the share of online sales driven by showrooming has dropped 40 percent in the past year.

A year ago, 50 percent of online sales were driven by showrooming, but the latest report shows that only 30 percent of online sales originate from showrooming consumers. The trend away from showrooming is being driven by continued growth in online sales as well as steps taken by retailers to address the consumer behavior.

“In 2013, retailers were really kind of unsure of how to handle showrooming,” said Keith Mercier, associate partner at the IBM Retail Center of Competence. “This year, I think retailers have embraced it and used it almost as an advantage.

“They’ve done some things in terms of making returns easier, in terms of price matching when they feel like consumers are showrooming,” he said. “They actually enable it through Wi-Fi to enable consumers to make an online purchase from their own Web site immediately versus going home and forgetting about and getting it someplace else.”

“I think the big scare is over as online shopping continues to grow and the share of showrooming driving that growth is dropping by 40 percent year over year.”

The report also found that the percentage of consumers willing to share their current location via GPS with retailers nearly doubled year-over-year to 36 percent.

“What they are telling us is that they are willing to share data about themselves,” Mr. Mercier said. “The expectation is that they expect the retailer to share a personalized shopping experience with them.”

Consumers fall into four groups based on their use of mobile, according to the report, with 12 percent labeled as “Trailblazers” who expect retailers to offer mobile technologies across channels. Additionally, 29 percent use mobile extensively but do not necessarily expect retailers to offer it, yet, while 40 percent use mobile mostly for researching products and 19 percent lag behind in their use of mobile.

“The trailblazers are leading the pact and we believe they are setting the tone for where segments are going to go,” Mr. Mercier said.

Chantal Tode, associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York, contributed to this article.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York 

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How To Make Your Iowa Small Business Blog Work For You! – Speak Out Small Business

How To Make Your Iowa Small Business Blog Work For You! – Speak Out Small Business:

One of the most effect methods of lead generation for your business is through your blog. Here are six ideas to get your blog lead-productive and working hard for you.

1. Quality not quantity

Contrary to what you might think, generating hundreds of leads is not necessarily a guarantee of success. Try to attract quality prospects which will actually convert into real customers rather than window shoppers who will not buy. Your time will be much better spent working with genuinely interested customers who want to do business with you than in trawling through dozens of time-wasters.

2. Make your product/service crystal clear

It is very important that visitors to your blog are left in no doubt about what goods and/or services you are offering. Make sure that the subject matter you are discussing relates directly to your business interest and that each page of your website contains relevant advertising and imagery together with a clear call-to-action.

If you offer a number of different services or products, make sure that the advertising around each of your blog posts is varied and that your offers on that page relate specifically to the subject matter in your post.

3. Speed things up

Everyone is in a hurry these days, or so it seems and that applies particularly when surfing the web. No-one wants to wait forever while the website they wish to view loads; one pixel at a time! In fact, statistics show that if your site is slow by just a single second’s delay, your conversion rate will drop by up to 7%.

4. Resource posts = leads

The best way to generate traffic and retain visitors to your blog is by featuring resource posts rather than just lists of tips. Resource-oriented posts have much greater longevity than lists of tips. People love useful information and this is what drives traffic which ultimately delivers the leads you need to generate business.

Make sure that your resource posts are well-positioned to address the needs of your audience and you will enjoy a constant stream of visitors to your blog.

5. The “Ultimate Guide”

Like resource posts, people love to read in-depth, informative articles about subjects they love and this can be a very powerful tool for generating traffic and bringing prospects to your website.

Your “Ultimate Guide” should look to answer every likely question your readers have about your specialist subject. You should make it as attention-grabbing and interesting as possible by including multimedia content, links to other relevant article you’ve written and and any preferably recommendations as to how the products and services you offer can help your readers.

6. Case studies and references

Another very effective tactic is to include case studies in your blog. Case studies don’t necessarily result in high levels of traffic but they do illustrate to your readers how your particular service or product has benefited other customers.

Clients with whom you conduct regular business make great reference points for potential customers, so make sure you include references for them. This gives both you and your business credibility and instills confidence in your potential customers that you can deliver. References often make the difference between a tentative enquiry and a confident purchase.

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