Tim Peterson says, “It’s a weekday, so there’s a good chance Facebook is recalibrating its all-important News Feed algorithm. And as is often the case that means Pages will have a tougher time getting unpaid placements in people’s feeds. This time around Facebook is making Pages’ organic reach even more dependent on people sharing Page posts with their friends. “If a lot of your referral traffic is the result of people sharing your content and their friends liking and commenting on it, there will be less of an impact than if the majority of your traffic comes directly through Page... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “For fashion retailers, an online lookbook is not only a way of showcasing a new collection, but an opportunity to truly engage consumers. Far more enjoyable than absent-mindedly scrolling through product pages, many brands are using lookbooks to bring their products to life. I’m not sure of the impact on sales, but the fact that so many retailers use them suggests they have some benefit for the customer experience or conversions. With slick imagery and fluid design, here are seven top-notch examples. The first image in each example links to the lookbook.”. Seven... [...]

Lindsay Kolowich says, “Snapchat, the one-to-one messaging app with more than 150 million daily active users, has earned a reputation for fast growth and innovation. But despite its success, it isn’t the most user-friendly app I’ve ever played around with. Many of its best features are so buried within the app that a lot of people don’t even know they exist. In March 2016, Snapchat added even more features in their release of a new version, and some of these features have totally reshaped how people use the app in the first place. For example, did you know that you can use... [...]

Aqib Nazir says, “Getting high traffic on a post is every blogger’s dream, but not every blogger does it the right way. Blogging is not a get-rich-quick scheme—it requires patience and persistence to build a successful blog. Famous bloggers like Neil Patel, Pat Flynn and Dareen Rowse didn’t build an online empire overnight. It took lots of hard work and patience to reach to a level where they are now. Being a blogger is easy, but being a successful blogger requires some elbow grease. One of the biggest challenges all bloggers face is how to get traffic to their blog. I struggled... [...]

AJ Agrawal says, “Each year brings a series of changes to the world of SEO in ecommerce. Much has been made about the position of SEO and whether you still should be using Google to boost your website over alternatives like social media. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, you should learn about the value SEO has for boosting your ecommerce business. Here are the main ecommerce SEO trends that have emerged this year for successful entrepreneurs to take advantage of. 1. Off-the-shelf SEO is improving. Previously, the only SEO product you used was one tailored to you. Anything else... [...]

Emily Smith says, “As anyone who’s contributed to business development at an agency knows, it can be challenging to establish exactly what a given prospect needs. What projects, services, or campaigns would actually move the needle for this organization? While some clients come to an agency with specific requests, others are looking for guidance — help establishing where to focus resources. This can be especially difficult, as answering these questions often requires large amounts of information to be analyzed in a small period of time. To address the challenge of evaluating prospective... [...]

Craig Simpson says, “One of the best, most succinct rules for writing ad copy that works is to “sell the sizzle, not the steak.” The heart of any successful direct mail campaign is the sales piece. That’s where it all starts. The whole point of mailing your literature to a large group of potential buyers is to put into their hands something that represents you. It’s as if you are personally telling them about your product and convincing them of its value. So, how do you create a sales piece that really sells? Step one is to avoid a mistake that many new copywriters make: focusing... [...]

Joe Pulizzi says, “In December 2013, CMI released its annual content marketing predictions report (as we do every December). That year, my first prediction was as follows: Microsoft will buy one, maybe two, media companies in certain industries. The outcome of these moves will pave the way for further media purchases throughout the year by non-media companies. So, I was a mere 30 months early with that prediction. Correct, but two years early. Microsoft acquires LinkedIn A few weeks back, Microsoft agreed to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in cash. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner talked about... [...]

Carol Evension says, “Sales are the lifeblood of any business. Startups are no different. It can seem that there are so many things that need to get done when starting up your business that coming up with a sales process is just not on the radar. This is a real shame because the startup phase is the very best time to put in place the sales processes that will help your startup grow. According to a research study by the Harvard Business Review, companies that have a basic defined sales process grow 15 percent faster than those that don’t. Furthermore, companies that utilize multiple types... [...]

Adam Dorfman says, “When checking into places on Google Maps, you may have noticed that Google prompts you to volunteer information about the place you’re visiting. For instance, if you check into a restaurant, you might be asked whether the establishment has a wheelchair-accessible entrance or whether the location offers takeout. There’s a reason Google wants to know: attributes. Attributes consist of descriptive content such as the services a business provides, payment methods accepted or the availability of free parking — details that may not apply to all businesses. Attributes are... [...]