Instagram Adds Following Filter In The Reels Tab

A minor Reels update, which brings it more into line with TikTok.

This week, Instagram’s added a new “Following” feed in the Reels tab, which enables you to only see Reels from accounts that you follow in the app.

Up till now, Instagram has only offered a single Reels feed, which displays a combination of posts from accounts that you follow as well as recommended clips. But now, like TikTok’s “For You” and “Following” streams, you can choose to only see the latest videos from the accounts you choose.

Which is probably not going to be overly helpful on Instagram, because most users are following a range of accounts in the app, and they may not necessarily want to see their Reels as much as they’re interested in their regular posts and Stories.

I would hazard a guess that most people follow different accounts on TikTok than they do on Instagram (if they follow TikTok accounts at all), which, by extension, could also mean that your Reels “Following” feed is not as entertaining as the main display.

But good to have the option anyway, I guess, if you do prefer to see only clips from the accounts that you choose.

You can switch your Reels tab to “Following” by tapping on the “Reels” title in the upper left corner of the screen, then choosing “Following” from the dropdown menu. You can easily switch back to the main Reels feed by tapping the back arrow at the top left of screen.

Instagram Adds Song Lyrics Display In Reels Clips

Instagram will now enable you to add song lyrics to Reels, as you already can in Stories, which will provide another music engagement option in the app.

As you can see in this example, now, when you add a music clip to your Reel, you’ll be able to select the lyrics option, which will present the lyrics as text on screen. You can then choose which font you like, highlight the relevant section, and add a more specific message element to your clip.

Music has become a key element in the growth of TikTok, with the platform now looking to expand its music industry links, through a new partnership with Billboard on a TikTok trending chart, and even its own live music event.

As such, it’s little surprise to see Instagram also looking to tap into the same, though it doesn’t seem like a major functional update within the broader Reels experience.

But then again, Instagram says that people are already manually adding song lyrics to their Reels clips, so it probably makes sense for IG to make this easier.

The new lyrics sticker is being rolled out to all Instagram users from today.

The Four Most Effective Types Of Social Media Content

Seeking content inspiration for your holiday schedule? Maybe you’re planning for 2024?

Whatever you’re targeting, this new overview of four effective content types may help.

Here’s an overview of some of the best, most responsive content options for your posts, which could help to get you thinking about your marketing plan.

A combination of these approaches could be a great way to boost brand awareness, and grow your following. The only additional note of advice is that you don’t just go and slap these idea prompts into ChatGPT, and end up pumping out generic rubbish.

Instagram Will Now Let You Add Up To Three Collaborators On Posts And Reels

This seems like a minor update in the face of Instagram’s much bigger new product launch. But it’s a potentially handy one either way, with Instagram adding the capacity for users to now include up to three collaborators on any feed post or Reel.

Instagram first launched Collaborative Posts back in 2021, which gives users the capacity to share credit for a single post with another account.

Up till now, that’s been limited to a single collaborative account, but now, you’ll be able to include more partners on a single post/Reel, with all contributors able to access organic insights, including view counts, like counts, etc.

Which will provide more ways for users to engage with each other in-stream – though it’s important to note that paid partnerships need to use the Paid Partnership Label process, as opposed to this type of tagging, which is especially important considering evolving laws around influencer marketing disclosure.

But for regular users, it could add more ways to tag and boost their friends in the app, exposing other accounts for their audience to follow.

Instagram’s been looking to add more collaborative tools over the past year, including Collaborative Collections in DMs.

Enhancing engagement is another means to make the platform more sticky, by getting people to interact more, which helps to boost community networks in the app.

And while it can’t be used for paid promotion, it could be another way to showcase artwork or projects being undertaken by friends, which could, theoretically, still include their professional work, even if not via a business or creator account.

Not sure what the disclosure regulations are around this type of cross-promotion (note: this is not legal advice), but it could be another consideration within the bounds of personal sharing.

Instagram Adds Reminder Ads And Promoted Results In Search

Instagram’s launching two new ad options, with Reminder Ads, that enable users to opt into alerts ahead of an event, and ads in search results, helping to better connect with users in a discovery mindset.

First off, on Reminder Ads - as you can see in the below example screens, Reminder Ads will enable users to opt into alerts about specific events in the app.

As per Instagram:

“Reminder ads, rolling out to all advertisers as an option in feed, help advertisers build awareness, anticipation, and consideration for upcoming moments.”

Once a user opts-in via the ad CTA, they’ll then receive three subsequent notifications of that event, with the first coming a day before, then another 15 minutes ahead of the start time, with a final alert as it begins. Which will ensure that you don’t miss out – and while three reminders may seem a little much, if you’re really keen (or forgetful), it could be of benefit.

Reminders can be set up to three months ahead of time, and once you’ve added a reminder to a post, you can create additional posts with reminders for the same event, without adding new event details. The event time will also be displayed in local time equivalent:

“For example, if you’re in New York City and select 8pm as the event time, the event time will be set as 8pm EST. But someone who’s in Los Angeles will see the event time as 5pm PST.”

It’s another way for brands to better promote their live events, and encourage engagement, which could be used for in-app events, like live streams, or as per the example above, TV shows, movie releases, sporting events, etc.

There’s a range of possibilities, and it could be a handy consideration for your events, depending on your IG audience.

Instagram’s also launching new ads in search results, helping to connect with users based on contextual keywords.

“Ads will show up in the feed that people can scroll when they tap into a post from search results. We plan to launch this placement globally in the coming months.”

That’ll provide another way to get your promotions in front of users as they go looking for specific content, with Instagram also adding ads in Explore last year. This new placement is more specific, with the ads showing up when users tap into a specific post from the Search results, which is the next level of discovery in the app.

Advantages Of Shopify – 10 Reasons To Love It

Try Shopify FREE For 3 Days - Click Here to get your store up and running in minutes.

• What Is Shopify?

Shopify is a user-friendly e-commerce platform that helps small businesses build an online store and sell online through one streamlined dashboard. Shopify merchants can build a modern online store and sell on social media sites, seller marketplaces, other blogs and websites and via email, text and chat. In-person selling is a snap on Shopify too, with its built-in point-of-sale (POS) for retail stores, pop-up shops, market sales and more.

1. Quick & Easy To Set Up & Use

Shopify offers an easy way to quickly launch an online store without the fuss over servers and development costs that can be incurred with self-hosted platforms such as Magento. The admin interface is clean and user-friendly and pretty intuitive because all the features are logically structured. You can also find extensive documentation and video guides on the Shopify site. All you really need is a product to sell.

2. No Tech Worries

Good news! You don’t need any technical expertise to launch a basic Shopify store; all software and hosting is provided by Shopify. Not only does this make it easier to get up and running, but it’s likely that Shopify’s hosting will be faster and more secure than you could achieve alone, plus it will easily accommodate any spikes in traffic you might receive. Shopify also take care of all software updates. So you can focus all your efforts on selling and not worry about technical issues, hooray.

3. Secure & Reliable

If you have an eCommerce store, you will be dealing with sensitive customer information including credit card details, plus impatient customers. This means your site needs to be fast, secure and always online. One of the big advantages of a hosted solution is the reliability it provides. Shopify will take care of all server maintenance and upgrades to keep your store and shopping cart available at all times, and ensure that pages load quickly.

SSL certificates can be enabled for your store to encrypt all data and pass it through a secure connection, plus Shopify takes care of PCI compliance for you (required when you deal with credit cards).

4. 24/7 Customer Support

Shopify are big on customer support. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the response time is fairly instant, meaning your business is never on its own. You can get in touch via phone, email or web chat. In addition there are a number of community forums, extensive documentation in the Shopify Help Centre plus a range of advanced Shopify University guides.

5. Mobile Ready

With mobile visits to websites now higher than desktop, it’s essential, not optional, to have a mobile optimised site. Luckily Shopify know this. All of Shopify’s themes are mobile responsive and the platform includes a free built-in mobile commerce shopping cart, meaning your store looks great on all devices and your customers can shop freely wherever they are.

In addition, there are free iPhone and Android apps that let you manage your store on the go should you wish to.

6. Customisable

There are 160 themes to choose from (free and paid) in the Shopify Theme Store, all of which are mobile responsive, plus hundreds available on sites such as ThemeForest. Each theme is also fully customisable by editing the code. So creating a beautiful and unique online shop that fits with your brand identity is simple!

7. There’s An App For That

Shopify’s app store is a treasure trove of functionality that you can add to your shop. You can add reviews, loyalty programmes, customer wishlists, get in-depth analytics, print labels and packing slips, integrate with accounting software, shipping programs and social media sites, not to mention all the marketing apps available. With over 1,500 to choose from, whatever you want to do it’s likely there’ll be an app for it. Note that whilst many are free, over half are charged for.

8. SEO & Marketing Tools

It’s all well and good having a beautiful online shop but if no-one visits you’ll be pulling down the virtual shutters in no time. Another of Shopify’s big selling points is its powerful Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) features that will help your website rank higher in search results so customers can find you. You also have access to advanced analytics to tell you where your customers are coming from so you can tailor your marketing accordingly. You may wish to recruit the help of an SEO company to help you.

The app store gives you access to a huge range of marketing tools including social media integration, product reviews and email marketing. As standard, Shopify allows you to create discount codes. Gift vouchers are available at the next level up. Social media icons are included in all themes. And if you’re a bit overwhelmed by digital marketing and the time it could take, Shopify Kit has been designed to help. It acts like a virtual employee, recommending and executing marketing tasks based on your products, audience and store performance.

9. Abandoned Cart Recovery

What happens if a visitor to your store places a product in their shopping basket but leaves without buying it? According to statistics, over two thirds of potential customers will do this. Shopify offers an abandoned checkout cart recovery service which automatically tracks and emails these potential customers to remind them to complete their purchase; an easy way to potentially generate more revenue.

10. Own Payment Gateway

Shopify has integrated with dozens of payment gateways, but also offers its own which is powered by Stripe. If you choose to use this you will not incur any transaction fees plus you will benefit from lower credit card fees. It also doesn’t require a merchant account to use.

So with all that being said, now is a great time to open your Shopify store and start selling. 

We wish you all the best in starting your new venture.

Instagram Shares Tips On How To Maximize Your Reels Content

If you haven’t got the message by now, Meta really wants you to use Reels, and provide it with more Reels content to feed into the ever-growing interest in short-form content.

Indeed, during its most recent earnings call, Meta noted that Reels now makes up more than 20% of the time that people spend on Instagram, while video overall accounts for 50% of the time that users spend on Facebook. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has repeatedly noted that they’re working to consolidate all of Instagram’s video options around Reels, while all videos posted to the app are now eligible to be displayed in Reels feeds.

The TikTok effect has transformed the product roadmap of many social platforms, none more so than Meta, and the usage stats suggest that if you want to maximize your Facebook and IG performance, it’s worth, at the least, considering Reels in your platform marketing approach.

And if you are exploring your Reels options, this may help. Today, Instagram has published a new set of tips to help maximize your Reels performance, and provide more inspiration for your short-form video clips.

As per Instagram:

“Since its introduction on Facebook and Instagram, Reels has grown to become a treasure trove of entertaining, imaginative and educational video content from around the world. Reels is the ideal place for brands to get discovered on the global stage, to express themselves with more creativity and fun, and can play a powerful role in crafting compelling narratives that drive excitement, engagement and awareness.”

Further underlining this, Instagram says that over 45% of accounts now interact with a Reel in the app at least once a week.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that TikTok has had in this respect, which goes beyond just providing an alternative content option, and extends into habitual behavioural shifts - which means that users are now more naturally attuned to respond to short-form content, and are becoming increasingly responsive to such every day.

In other words, TikTok has changed the way that people engage with video content overall, so it’s not just that TikTok is popular in itself, it means that all apps need to align with this usage shift, or risk being left behind, because the more that people consumer short-form content, the more their attention spans are being inherently re-programmed to respond to this format. 

In line with this, Instagram has shared six key tips to help maximize your short-form video approach:

• Nail The Hook – Instagram says that, as with all video formats, brands should look to keep their objectives in mind, and highlight their brand within the first few seconds of your Reels clips. ‘If the intent is conversions, showcase your product or service in action.’
• Get Creative With Transitions – Creativity is key in short-form video, and Instagram advises that brands should look to experiment with transitions to both entertain their viewers and show off their brand’s personality. There’s no prescriptive playbook here – creativity requires testing and development. But by considering different presentation styles, and watching content from other brands and creators, you can come up with more engaging, original ways to frame your clips.
• Match The Rhythm – Music has been a key element in the rise of TikTok – as evidenced by the resurgence of classic hits from Fleetwood Mac, along with other hit songs driven by creative trends in the app. Instagram notes that over 80% of Reels are viewed with sound on, and synching your content to music can play a big role in maximizing your content performance. IG also suggests using auto-captions to enhance engagement.
• Keep It On Trend – A key part of Reels and TikTok engagement is aligning with the organic feel of the feed, which also involves being aware of the latest trends, and engaging in such, where relevant. ‘Create and encourage your audience to remix your Reels, or spark a conversation with them in the comments section. Try adding relevant hashtags to optimize exposure for your content’.
• Explore Collaborations - Of course, if you really want to tap into the creative power of reels, working with experienced and skilled creators can be a great way to boost your brand story, in ways that you likely wouldn’t have thought of on your own. ‘Collaborating with influencer voices drives more engagement, authenticity and awareness. Campaigns that include Branded Content ads saw +123% lift in awareness, +112% lift in association, and +67% lift in consideration and motivation, showing that creators can help boost brand impact.’ Top creators know what works. You can find relevant creators to work with via Meta’s Brand Collabs Manager tool.
• Be Authentic – Instagram’s last note is a little more generic, but the essence here is that authentic content works best in short-form video. ‘Create Reels that are true to you and that reflect your brand values’. That’s not highly directive, but the concept is that people are looking for real, unvarnished connection and content within Reels, in variance to past social media trends, which can then help them to connect with your brand ethos and approach.

Adding to this, Meta’s Will Yoder, who works in sports partnerships, has also provided some handy tips for brands looking to maximize their Instagram performance.

1. There Is No ‘Magic Number’ For Content Volume Or Mix – Yoder says that Instagram’s algorithm is account-based, so it’s going to serve your content to individual accounts based on their behaviours. That means that some accounts (like the NBA) can post 20+ times per day and see great performance, while others will inevitably be more conservative – but either way, there’s no specific number of posts per day that you should be aiming for, given how the algorithm distributes content. ‘Always test and iterate to see what volume/mix works’.
2. Pay Attention To Earnings Calls – Each quarter, all of the major platforms outline their financial performance, which also includes key notes on strategy, and where they’re focused going forward. Yoder says that these priorities are where engineering resources go, and where they want to see more user time focused, and aligning with this can help to maximize your strategic success. ‘Just like hockey, to win skate where the puck/engineering resources are going’.
3. Only You Care About Your Grid – Yoder says that almost no one who interacts with your content is seeing it on your profile. ‘My advice is to focus exclusively on how people are interacting with your content in feed. Grid stunts are silly and hurt reach.’
4. External Forces Drive More Growth Than Content – Yoder notes that each year, the top growing NFL team accounts are those that make the Super Bowl. Yoder says that it’s these types of external influences that really boost engagement and activity, and that brands would be best served by focusing their strategy on capitalizing when they’re in these moments, as opposed to trying to find clever posting strategies and tricks.
5. Nobody Uses IG The Same Way – Yoder says that Instagram users are all different, with some focusing on Stories, and others exclusively linked to the main feed, or increasingly, Reels. ‘Don’t consider all of your followers the same, and don’t expect them to use the app the way you do. Experiment. Iterate. Test.’

These are some great tips for your IG strategy, both in terms of building your presence via Reels and maximizing your overall Instagram approach through variable content approaches.

And while TikTok is still the trending app of the moment, Instagram is still a leader in cultural influence. If you want to ensure you’re tapping into that, these tips will help to put you on the right track.

6 Content Marketing Metrics You Should Actually Care About

Like any strategy, content marketing has a goal. You want to answer your target audience’s questions. 

Do this enough and you’ll rise up Google’s SERPs (search engine results pages.) The higher you are, the more organic traffic you’ll get. It’s an awesome circle. If you can get it right.

Now, I know there are tons of articles on why you need to track content marketing metrics. But it’s actually very simple. 

It takes time to create valuable content. And you want to make sure you’re spending it wisely. So, you need to keep an eye on each piece of content’s performance. Then make more of the good stuff.

You can do most of this for free, too. Using Google Analytics (GA) and any social media platforms you’re on. But there is a LOT of data here. So, focus on the most important metrics:

1. Web traffic sources (where are people finding you)
2. Social shares and backlinks (measure brand awareness)
3. Referring domains (big impact on SEO)
4. Conversion rate (see if your content is making people take action)
5. Time on Page (suggests content quality)
6. CTR vs. bounce rate (tells you if you’re answering search intent)

• Web Traffic Sources – Where Are People Coming From?

Everyone is obsessed with website traffic. And for good reason. But it’s almost too obvious to mention. Of course, it’s important. But what we want to know is where people are coming from.

SEO (search engine optimization) is about increasing your site’s visibility and new visitors. Through upping your rankings. And that only happens when you consistently create awesome content.

If you have no traffic, no one sees what you’re making. Which means it’s too terrible to bother looking at. Or you haven’t indexed properly. Double-check that. Then focus on your content quality.

If you have traffic, good for you. New to digital marketing and GA? “Pageviews” counts returning visitors. “Unique pageviews” doesn’t.

Now, the main web traffic sources are:

• Organic search – from sites like Google, Yahoo, or Bing
• Paid search – usually via PPC (pay-per-click) Google AdWords
• Direct – typing in your URL or arriving at your site directly
• Referral – from clicking a link on another site
• Social – clicking a link from social media
• Email – clicks from an email marketing newsletter

Our main 4 are organic search, referral, direct, and social. If your content marketing efforts are working, your “organic search” click-through rate (CTR) should be highest.

But if you’ve got an email newsletter, congrats. They’re one of the most powerful types of content marketing. So, track your opt-ins. Each one could be a new lead.

Determining your traffic sources tells you a lot about your audience. Especially where they hang out. And knowing your audience is key to growth. That’s why these content marketing metrics are worth tracking.

• Social Shares And Backlinks – Measure Brand Awareness

Social media engagement metrics are things like followers, likes, and comments. They’re sometimes known as “vanity metrics”. Because they look good. But they’re hard to link to ROI. So, some people think they’re meaningless.

But what if your marketing campaign is focused on brand awareness? In that case, social shares show your high-quality content is hitting its mark. 

Sprout Social found the most common goals for social media are increasing brand awareness (58%). And community engagement (41%). It’s the same across all surveys:

In this case, there are 2 that you should focus on. The most valuable engagement metrics for content creation:

• Social shares
• Backlinks

Social shares are (obviously) unique to social media. But backlinks happen anywhere out in the wild web.

Backlinks are basically a thumbs up from one site to another. They tell Google a site is legit. And they are super important for SEO:

But they also show where your content is being shared on different sites. 

Now, thousands of shares from low-quality sites may be great for brand awareness. But for SEO, not so much. Because site quality plays a really important part.

• Referring Domains Over Backlinks – Big Impact On SEO

Your website authority determines your rankings. Which is going to have a huge impact on your content marketing strategy. And a high one makes ranking organically much easier.

Yes, backlinks play a big part in this. But it’s actually the sites linking to you that count.

Domain Rating (DR) measures your website authority. Every SEO tool has this metric. But it’s named and calculated differently by everyone. Ahrefs use this one. 

Yes, you have to pay for it. But all the insights are worth it.

Think of it like a video game. It’s way easier to go from levels 1-10 than 60-70. The higher you go, the more challenging it gets. But your rankings are directly related to it.

3 main elements calculate your DR:

• The number of websites linking to you – only dofollow links are counted
• The DR score of linking domains – higher is better
• The number of sites each referring domain links to – lower is better

Basically, you want as many high-quality domains linking to your content as possible. And the less sites they link to the better. It means each link carries more weight. Make sense?

There are exceptions, though. Content Marketing Institute suggests trying to get Wikipedia backlinks. They’re “nofollow”, so unlikely to help with SEO. But they can result in a ton of traffic as it’s so trusted.

Remember, SEO isn’t an exact science. A lot of it is guesswork. And it’s constantly changing. So, you might find a new growth hack that works for you. That’s why we trial and track all these content marketing metrics.

• Conversion Rate – Is Your Content Making People Take Action?

Return on investment. Those 3 words (or letters) can be a nightmare for marketing teams. Yes, we all want to see where our money’s going. But sometimes, it’s hard to pinpoint.

Successful content marketing should generate qualified leads that turn into sales. But it’s tough. Because the sales funnel doesn’t really exist anymore. Each user journey is different. And there are tons of touchpoints that people jump in and out of.

And it’s not just about selling products. Sounds silly. That’s obviously the end goal for most sales teams. But your current focus could be on other key metrics. Like increasing your domain rating or other KPIs (key performance indicators).

Other types rely on the number of conversions like:

1. Email newsletter opt-ins
2. Downloaded resources
3. Form completions
4. Demos booked
5. Free account signups

But let’s say your marketing goal is to work out your content marketing ROI. You want to source your lead generation. You can create custom goals in Google Analytics. These will help you set and track conversion rates.

You can also track CTA clicks on your blog posts. Then you can see who’s actually purchasing from your content. If it’s a low number, think about updating the copy on your CTAs. It can make all the difference.

When it comes to content marketing, ROI can be tricky. The relationship between content and sales isn’t always obvious. So, maybe shift your focus to other types of conversions. Like getting people to sign up for your newsletter. 

That’s much easier to track. And can have huge growth potential in the long run.

• Time On Page – Suggests Content Quality

Content marketing success relies on quality. People need to be invested in what you’re creating. It should be properly researched. And aim to solve your target audience’s problems.

But how do you know if you’re nailing this without asking? Well, a certain content marketing metric on Google Analytics called “Time on Page”.

You want to know the following:

• What’s the average time people are spending on your content?
• Are they quickly scanning a number of pages?
• Or reading a whole article?

Is it low? People could be skimming.

Time on Page shows if people are actively consuming your content. It also lets you pinpoint your most engaging content. Then you can see the format, length, and subject users are enjoying.

So, how can you keep your own users on your pages for longer? Try these ideas:

• Create long-form content (minimum 2000 words)
• Use the Skyscraper Technique
• Embed videos and infographics into articles
• Use interactive content
• Make sure your UX (user experience) is priority

That last one is super important. Customer acquisition will be tough if you don’t have a great UX in place. And retention even tougher.

• CTR vs. Bounce Rate – Are You Answering Search Intent?

Unlike a lot of the content marketing metrics here, a high bounce rate is not good. It’s calculated when someone visits a single page on your site. But they do nothing else on the page before exiting.

It can mean people aren’t finding what they need from your content. And that ain’t good for product pages. But it could also be down to a few other things:

• Slow loading times
• Irrelevant or low-quality content
• Badly-designed landing pages
• Poor UX

The average bounce rate also differs between types of websites

If it’s your homepage, don’t worry too much. If all your products are on other pages, you don’t want your users hanging about there anyway. 

If you write a high-quality blog, don’t worry either. It could just be that people have found the answer they’re looking for. Which means you’ve nailed it.

So, what’s a good bounce rate generally? According to Semrush:

1. 56% to 70% is on the high side (but there could be a good reason for this)
2. 41% to 55% would be considered average
3. An optimal bounce rate would be in the 26% to 40% range

Do some research into your industry average. Then take it from there.

• The Flip Side – CTR

Click-through-rate (CTR) is the other side of the coin. Because it can tell you which content is performing best. We all want to aim for the top SERP spots for SEO because those get the highest CTR.

If you’re using paid search ads, a lot of things will affect CTR. Like your title, keywords, meta description, and CTA copy.

So, how do you work yours out? According to Google:

“CTR is the number of clicks that your ad receives divided by the number of times your ad is shown: clicks ÷ impressions = CTR. For example, if you had 5 clicks and 100 impressions, then your CTR would be 5%”

You can also use the Search Analytics feature in Google Search Console.

Use a combination of bounce rate and CTR to assess your content. Then use that to dictate what you create next. It’ll give you a much stronger base to work from. Based on real customer data.

• Conclusion

These 6 content marketing metrics aren’t the only ones with value. But they’re some of the most important. Because they’ll tell you a lot about your audience.

They’re all pointless without one thing, though. Quality content.

Before tracking any metrics, assess everything you’ve created. Is your audience searching for the keywords you’ve used? Does each piece of content answer search intent? Is most of your blog outdated and irrelevant?

These are all things you need to fix first. But once you do, you’ll have well-researched, valuable content you’re proud of. Then, these metrics can help you take it from there.

7 Marketing Trends Start-ups Should Keep Their Eye On In 2023

So much is happening as we head toward 2024.

Inflation keeps rising. Supply chains are better, but still unpredictable. And everywhere you look, you see the “Recession or no recession?” debate playing out between experts.

Regardless, though, you can’t ignore one big fact: No matter what’s happening globally, you can’t stop marketing.

Your start-up relies on marketing to keep it chugging along. If you stopped marketing tomorrow, your brand image would suffer. Leads would slow to a trickle. Your employees would be under stress and feel less engaged. Plus, your existing customers wouldn’t get the experience they deserve. 

Obviously, you have to keep your marketing initiatives going into 2023 and beyond. The question is to figure out which strategies make the most sense right now. To help you direct your budget to areas likely to produce the highest ROI, consider leaning into the following trends. Each one is poised to play a part in your competitors’ marketing plans next year.

1. Retention Marketing

You’re familiar with the statistics that explain it’s much costlier to replace a customer than to retain one. With the right retention marketing tactics in place, you can ensure that you get the highest lifetime value from every buyer. You also can start engaging with your existing customers to form communities and fuel fandom.

One way to fuel your retention marketing machine is by sending out re-engagement emails. These are emails designed to reactivate customers who may have gone MIA. Remember: Your brand may have been put to the side, but it doesn’t have to be forgotten forever. A well-considered email with just the right touch - think coupons and special offers - can restore a customer’s interest. For best results, make the most of A/B tests on your subject lines and exclusive deals to see which perform best.

2. Personalisation

Thanks to all those data-rich tech tools in your Marcom stack, you have the ability to deliver serious personalisation. That’s good, because consumers expect brands to treat them as individuals. However, this doesn’t mean you have to assign one team member to customize emails or hand write notes. Personalisation can be done through all the aforementioned tech.

For instance, just using a customer’s name can make a text, DM, or email feel less salesy and more personal. Another method to personalise all your communications is by leveraging the customer’s previous purchases. Amazon and other e-commerce stores are great at this kind of personalisation. By referring to what a shopper has bought in the past, the company can encourage the customer to make future similar buys. 

3. Branded Video Content

Have you watched a video on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop today? If not, you probably will. In the United States alone, consumers spend almost an hour each day watching videos on their devices. Video just keeps growing as a way to get audiences’ attention. That’s why it belongs squarely in your 2023 marketing toolkit.

There are so many ways for you to use video in your marketing that it might be hard to choose which one to start with. You could try a branded podcast or YouTube series of “episodes.” You could pepper your social media with videos from customers or even employees. You might want to include more how-to videos on your site regarding your products or services. Don’t worry if you’re not a natural Spielberg or Kubrick. Filming on a modern smartphone with decent audio will produce an acceptable result.

4. First-Party Data Collection

Google has been talking for a while about phasing out third-party cookies and data. By the end of 2023 or beginning of 2024, the Internet should be more cookieless than ever. This doesn’t mean you can’t collect important consumer data to inform your strategies. You just need to do it in the form of first-party data, which is information collected on your owned websites.

To put a push on obtaining enough first-party data to use in your marketing, you’ll need to offer something of value to visitors. Otherwise, they won’t be willing to give up personal information. What can you provide that will be valuable? Whitepapers, case studies, and other gated marketing pieces are good choices. You could also ask for information in exchange for allowing consumers to become part of a membership community. Get creative but don’t delay. Cookies might not be disappearing as fast as marketers once assumed. But they’re destined to crumble eventually.

5. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing hit a high note with the birth and growth of social networks like Facebook and Instagram. Now, many people want to be influencers and creators. Accordingly, they’re attracting massive followings and forging relationships with start-ups like yours. The mutual benefits can be quite tangible and effective: Your company gets exposure and the influencer gets paid. (You both get a credibility bump, too.)

How can you find the right influencers? (Click Here) Go micro, at least at first. A micro-influencer has a small but engaged following. Micro-influencers tend to cost less but appeal to specific niches. Make sure you conduct plenty of research on any influencer before getting in touch. Perfect alignment is necessary for you to get the most out of a partnership.

6. Metrics, Metrics And More Metrics

If you’re involved in digital marketing, you’re gathering and analysing at least a few KPIs. Nevertheless, you may not be measuring all the metrics that could help you. Now is a good time to explore solutions that can give you further insights into where your marketing dollars should go.

Ideally, you’ll want to use an AI-driven product with machine learning (ML) capabilities to assist you. AI and ML add predictive power to technological software and algorithms. The point is for you to squeeze as much juice out of your data as you can. You’ll feel more confident about your marketing decisions as well as your “big budgetary asks” from upper management.

7. SEO-Driven Content Marketing

It seems as if SEO is a marketing trend that never goes out of style. In 2023, plan to update your existing content and revise it based on modern keywords. The keywords that were once pertinent may not be valid any longer, especially if they used jargon that’s outdated. It’s worth updating all content with SEO-rich keywords, starting with the highest-performing posts, articles, etc.

As a special hint for your SEO, think about the phrases that your customers are using during their searches. Right now, many marketing professionals recommend that your SEO include keywords in the form of questions. That way, when a consumer types in the question, your content will appear relevant to the search engine.

New consumer behaviours and emerging societal changes make it important for you to adapt your marketing. You don’t have to throw out 2022’s play book entirely, but you do need to write a few extra chapters to stay competitive.

Do You Need A Privacy Policy On Your Website?

The short answer is yes, all businesses that process personal data must have a detailed privacy policy. In most cases, a privacy policy will sit on your website.

Do you still need a Privacy Policy if you don't collect personal information?

Yes - you still need a privacy policy even if you do not collect data because it's in the policy that you state your app or website doesn’t collect personal data. 

A privacy policy informs your users what data you collect (or do not collect), how the data will be stored, used, and the rights your users have over their data. 

Even though it is a legal requirement, a privacy notice also demonstrates to your users that you have a transparent process of handling their data and, therefore, worthy of their trust.

Third parties such as Google, Facebook, or MailChimp gather user’s data. So, if you use third-party services, you should have a privacy policy that communicates what data third parties collect and how it will be used. 

If you do not collect personal data and don’t use third-party tools, you’ll still need a privacy policy that explains such a position to your users.  

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the primary privacy law regulating how entities manage user data. In this article, you will learn:

• What is GDPR?
• What are the privacy requirements in the EU, Australia, and Canada?
• Do I need a privacy policy to access Google Analytics?
• What needs to go into my privacy policy to be compliant with the GDPR?

On This Page     

1. What is GDPR?
2. What Are the Privacy Requirements in Australia, Canada, and the United States?
3. Do I Need a Privacy Policy to Access Google Analytics, AdWords, and AdSense?
4. What Needs to Go Into My Privacy Policy to Be Compliant With the GDPR?

• Scope of the Privacy Policy
• Explain That You Do Not Collect User Data  
• Indicate If You Share Data With Third Parties
• Conclusion

What is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation outlines the requirements for collecting data from residents in the European Union. 

It safeguards the rights of EU citizens concerning use and control over their data, notwithstanding the entity collecting their data is outside the Union. It provides what these entities must do to safeguard the interests of EU users. 

Besides the GDPR, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) provides guidelines for protecting the privacy and trans border flows of personal data. 

The 2013 OECD guidelines guide its 37 member countries on the development of data protection laws and touch on among other areas issues of private data storage, abuse, and unauthorized disclosure of such data. The guidelines also note the importance of supporting the free flow of data for sectors such as banking and insurance. 

Both the GDPR and the OECD privacy guidelines work in a complementary function, and more or less have similar provisions. The only difference is that the OECD guides member country laws while the GDPR is more for website/ application owners. Although both are global efforts, the GDPR protects EU residents, while OECD guidelines are cross-cutting as the institution has members from all eight continents. 

What Are the Privacy Requirements in Australia, Canada, and the United States?

Australia’s Privacy Act outlines the legal framework for data privacy and requires entities operating in Australia to have a privacy policy. The law limits the collection of data to only information relevant to the company business. According to the law, users have the right to know why you collect their data, who handles it, and who will be preview to it. The entities also have the responsibility of ensuring the private data isn’t lost or abused. 

In Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is the law that protects Canadians against institutions abusing data collected from them. The law requires web and application owners to get users to agree to their data being collected, used, and disclosed. 

Institutions collecting data are also required to state how the data will be used and use it according to the stated purpose. The Canadian law establishes the office of a Privacy Commissioner to handle complaints against institutions that misuse personal data. 

Do I Need a Privacy Policy to Access Google Analytics, AdWords, and AdSense?

Yes. Google requires you to have a privacy notice if you’re to access free tools such as Google Analytics, AdWords, and AdSense. 

Since you built your web/application for people, you will undoubtedly find analytics useful in helping you organize your online presence. Furthermore, you may also want to promote your website on Google, to expand its reach. 

Analytics provides insights on who your users are, what sections of your site they find most useful, where they come from (geography), and your sources of traffic. 

It is for this reason that Google requires you to have a privacy policy if you’re to access Google Analytics and AdWords. If you have any ambition of making money from your content using Google AdSense, then you also need the policy. 

You need the privacy notice because to use these tools, as Google needs to monitor and monetize the behaviors of the people who use your platform. 

What Needs to Go Into Your Privacy Policy to Be Compliant With the GDPR?

Even though you do not intend to collect data, your privacy policy must include the following provisions:

• Scope of your privacy policy
• Explain you do not collect data
• Indicate if you share data with a third parties

Conclusion

You can opt for an elaborate privacy policy or a short one depending on the nature of your business. You may also choose to have a summary version alongside a detailed notice. Either way, it is essential to have a privacy notice to comply with the legal requirements the country your business operates in and the country your target audience is situated. 

With all this being said it can seen like a pretty daunting task to compile a Privacy Policy, but the good news is that just by filling in a few questions about your business/website – you can generate a  Privacy Policy for your website in under 10 minutes for FREE.

Top 5 Tips For Customer Experience Running A Small Business  

Customer experience – responding to good and bad reviews, acting on complaints, listening to customers – is increasingly important for any small business. 

Great customer experience is vital not only for retaining and increasing your customer base but also for providing valuable insight into how consumers respond to your product or service, which can subsequently be leveraged to improve your small business.

For smaller organisations, which are more sensitive to fluctuations in customer loyalty, these benefits cannot be underestimated.

Research has found that 92 per cent of consumers are likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience.

Clearly, this is an area of great potential for businesses looking to gain a competitive advantage, and I would advise all leaders to consider customer experience as a core pillar of their business blueprint. This may seem daunting, but with the right tools in place, you can efficiently manage feedback to ensure no customer issue is left unaddressed.

1 - Identify Some Clear Strategies For Feedback

Keep it simple but use feedback to help drive your business goals. 

• Growth: Are you sharing customer feedback on your website and Google? Not only will this help the awareness of your brand, it will help with conversion too.
• Conversion: When you win a new customer, do you ask them why they choose you? How did they find you and was there something that nearly stopped them joining? All these insights can help you convert more customers.
• Retention: Do you understand the main pain points of a customer? I recently cancelled an online subscription I had for some wine. I cancelled via email and the company acknowledged my email but didn’t ask me why I was leaving. Surely they missed an opportunity here to learn from me and maybe stop others from leaving them too?
• Advocacy: Do you have testimonials from customers? If not, can you source them through a simple survey? With their permission, you can use these on your website, it will drive traffic and also help drive conversion.

If executed correctly, a positive customer experience should benefit both consumers and businesses alike. By maintaining a happy customer base, you can in turn promote healthy growth in your organisation. However, to make this happen, it’s important to embed data-driven decisions which correlate to your business goals.

‘Whereas a bad review may be a drop in the ocean for a larger business, a damaging comment or rating could be catastrophic for SMEs’

2 - Listen, Understand And Act

Managing the procurement of data is really only the beginning of the customer experience process. To improve your business, you need to listen, understand and take action on the feedback. Your voice in the business will become more powerful if backed up with customer feedback, and this is something we’re hearing from clients all the time.

One such client runs a small restaurant business and recently saw some negative feedback in our platform that was highlighting an issue with their burgers. The platform also showed what impact this was having on the overall experience of their customers. Using these insights and the voice of specific customers verbatim, the CX lead was able to share with the food team, and they changed the supplier of the burger buns as result. Real action on the back of feedback, and the client truly believes that the business leaders would not have listened without this customer feedback.

3 - Reviews And Response

A glowing review is great to receive, and ideal for cross-promoting on your website and social, but it’s crucial to address those that are less favourable. Whereas a bad review may be a drop in the ocean for a larger business, a damaging comment or rating could be catastrophic for SMEs.

How you respond, resolve and action feedback is an opportunity to demonstrate desirable brand behaviour. If you can show yourself as an honest, reliable brand, which is eager to improve on customer issues, you will set yourself apart from those competitors choosing to neglect their customers’ opinions. 

Customer reviews are a key indicator of their overall experience, but they also play a leading role in elevating your brand’s reputation. Yes, high-star ratings are important, but there are other elements which you may be overlooking.

Firstly, the volume of your customer reviews – both positive and negative. A higher quantity of reviews across a wider spread of sites will help to improve trust in your reputation.

Next, think about timing. Over 70 per cent of consumers deem reviews to be accurate if they were posted no later than three months ago, and this number drops significantly as the months increase. Recently published reviews indicate that your brand is frequently requesting feedback and keeping your customers actively engaged.

Moreover, reviews give you a unique opportunity to publicly acknowledge and interact with your consumers. Responding to online feedback shows loyal and prospective customers that you take their feedback seriously. Research has shown that businesses that close the feedback loop tend to maintain higher average ratings than those that don’t. 

4 - Humanise And Personalise

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to addressing your customer feedback. It requires careful management to nip specific issues in the bud before they become ongoing problems. Indeed, research shows that 80 per cent of consumers are likely to switch to a competitor after more than one negative experience – an exodus which could be devastating for small businesses.

Chatbots can be enlisted to solve simple customer issues quickly and effectively. Ninety per cent of customers rate an “immediate” response as essential to their experience, and chatbots can help to facilitate this quick turnaround.

However, for more complex, unique issues, human interaction is far superior. Where chatbots are unable to detect tone and employ empathy to situations, human agents can help customers feel heard and respected. Therefore, an approach which combines chatbots and human operators will satisfy the demands of your customers by meeting fast response times while also upholding that important emotional connection.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that customer values are constantly evolving. Businesses can help humanise their brand by monitoring current trends and staying ahead of these values. For example, as corporate social responsibility continues to drive consumer choice, brands must ensure their policies and practices reflect this. A personalised approach allows businesses to align themselves with consumers and divert prospective customers away from bigger businesses which are unable to establish that human touch.

5 - Benefit Of Platforms

In line with the rise of digital transformation, there are more ways than ever to garner and respond to customer feedback, and it can be overwhelming to know where to start. For small business owners without the time or staff to oversee multiple management solutions, all-in-one platforms can be pivotal in the smooth running of customer experience.

This is where technology comes in. Digital platforms offering reputation management and customer experience solutions can process vast amounts of feedback data into helpful, prescriptive insights which companies can use to learn from and grow.

In fact, the best platforms will not only garner feedback, but help increase the volume of it. By optimising surveys to increase engagement, they can help boost the quantity and quality of your reviews – the benefits of which I elaborated on in tip three.

Competitor analysis and consumer trends can also be analysed through these platforms. By keeping a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your industry, you can stay ahead of the curve and anticipate shifts in consumer values.

6 Common Social Media Marketing Mistakes You Could Be Making  

Everyone wants to grow their social media presence. But do you regularly assess what you’re doing? If not, you’re not alone. All these social media marketing mistakes fall under one big audit.

It’s a simple formula. If something is working, run with it & lose anything that isn’t then figure out a replacement.

But first, be honest with yourself. How many of these mistakes are you making?

Being On Too Many Platforms

The average person jumps between 7 different social networks a month and it’s a common social media marketing mistake.

Social media management is a lot of work, so you only want to be on social platforms where you can be consistent. The only way to grow is by being committed.

Not Speaking Like Your Target Audience Does

People buy from brands they can relate to. And the fastest way to do that is to match the way they speak. So, how do you do this? Well, it means crafting a brand voice that’s based on your target audience.

Not Having A Strategy For Each Platform

Each site works differently and they all attract different demographics. So you need an effective social media strategy for each one. One of the biggest social media marketing mistakes people make is not realizing this.

Forgetting To Engage

Do you expect engagement when posting content? But never engage yourself?

It’s something a lot of business owners do. You know you need to put the effort in with your audience and stretch your customer experience to whatever social media profiles you’ve got.

Being Too Self-Promotional

Your Facebook page asks, “What’s on your mind?” But people don’t want to hear about it all the time. Brand or person. It doesn’t matter. Being too self-promotional is a big social media marketing mistake and it gets boring real fast.

Not Directing Your Audience To One Place

Social media marketing is awesome for brand awareness. But you don’t own any of it. So if Facebook randomly deletes your account, you’re screwed. And trust me it happens.

So, what’s the fix for this next social media marketing mistake? It’s simple. Direct them to someplace you do own.

What Insurance Does A Business Need?  

If you do some research into business insurance, you will quickly realise that there are a whole host of different options. There are insurance policies to protect your business from everything, ranging from personal injury and the loss of a key person, to faulty products and flooding. Understanding what each type of business insurance does is a key part of ensuring that your business is adequately covered.

What Is Business Insurance?

Business insurance protects your business from unexpected losses, such as losses from a compensation claim or damage created from a professional mistake. There are a range of different types of business insurance available and they cover losses experienced in the course of your day to day activities. For example, from a customer claiming compensation or equipment being stolen.

Why Do I Need Business Insurance?

There are a lot of risks that come with running a business, but insurance is there to help cover the costs should you face mistakes, damage, accidents, theft or legal fees. Without business insurance, you could be faced with unavoidable expenses that you are unable to cover.

What are the Types of Business Insurance That I Need?

There is no knowing what could happen to your business, which is why it’s important to consider a range of different types of business insurance. Some types of business insurance, such as employers’ liability insurance, are a legal requirement or required by a regulatory body. Others are optional but recommended. Below, we have listed some of the most common types of business insurance.

Public Liability

Public liability insurance covers you if a client or customer, or a visiting member of the public, claims to have been injured by your business. It also covers you if anyone claims they have had their property damaged by your business.

Professional Indemnity

Professional indemnity insurance protects businesses from someone claiming that a service they provided was inadequate. For example, if someone sues you because they are unhappy with the standard of your work. This type of insurance also covers you if someone is accusing you of being negligent, delivering the wrong training or making a mistake that has cost them money.

Property Liability

Property liability insurance protects landlords and property owners against claims made against them in relation to their property. If someone claims compensation for a personal injury or property damage related to your ownership of a property, property liability is there to cover you.

Product Liability

If your product is faulty and causes personal injury, damage to property or loss of property, product liability insurance protects you against the cost of compensation. Though a faulty product is unlikely, it’s a risk that you should protect your business against. 

Business Interruption

If an unexpected event means that you can’t conduct business as usual, business interruption insurance covers you for the loss of income. For example, if a fire or flooding damages your business premises and work has to stop.

Invoice Insurance

Invoice insurance is ideal for small businesses, and it allows you to protect yourself against losses that occur due to late paying customers. You can insure invoices on an individual basis.

Legal Protection

If your business needs to defend itself – for example, if someone is trying to claim compensation against you – legal protection helps to cover the cost. The aim of legal protection insurance is to ensure that you are able to afford the legal fees associated with representing yourself.

Tax Investigation

Occasionally, HMRC decides to investigate businesses, to ensure that their accounts are being taken care of correctly and everything is above board. If this incurs any professional fees, tax investigation insurance will help to cover the cost.

Cyber Insurance

Cyber insurance protects your business from cyber threats, such as data breaches or hacking. If your work computer systems are compromised, cyber insurance helps to rectify the damage.

Key Person

As the name suggests, key person insurance covers a business from the financial impact of losing a key person due to death, terminal illness or critical illness.

Should You Sell On Amazon Marketplace?  

There are a lot of places to sell your products online; some people choose bidding websites such as eBay, whilst others choose platforms that specialise in a specific type of product, such as handmade products on Etsy. However, it’s Amazon Marketplace that is beginning to stand out as being one of the most popular options for sellers.

What is Amazon Marketplace?

There are a lot of places to buy and sell products online, but Amazon is one of the main platforms. However, it’s not just companies and brands that can sell their stock on Amazon. Amazon Marketplace is an ecommerce platform that allows anyone to sell new or used products. As well as established businesses, individuals and startups can sell their products on the marketplace. It’s operated by Amazon, and items are listed amongst Amazon’s usual products. Selling on Amazon Marketplace differs from selling on eBay or other bidding websites, as the prices are fixed.

What are the Benefits of Selling on Amazon Marketplace?

There are a lot of benefits that come with selling on Amazon UK, which is why Amazon Marketplace is such a popular platform. Amazon Marketplace is simple and straightforward to use, and getting set up doesn’t take much time at all. There’s already a huge audience on Amazon, and a lot of people head there first when they are looking for something online. This means that it’s likely that your products will reach a large amount of people, without you having to market them too much. You can list products, knowing that Amazon already has a lot of website visitors.

On Amazon Marketplace, there are hundreds of unique and interesting products available, and there are very few limits as to what you can sell on the platform. Regardless of how unique or unusual your product is, it’s likely that Amazon has the right audience for it. Plus, as Amazon Marketplace is such a large platform already, there’s a lot of room for growth and expansion. As your success and business grows, Amazon can accommodate you.

What are the Disadvantages of Selling on Amazon Marketplace?

Selling on Amazon UK is hugely competitive and it’s unlikely that you will be the only person offering that product on the platform. This can make it difficult to get started and gain traction initially, as there are bound to be competitors who are willing to sell the same items for a lot less. It’s also important to remember that Amazon Marketplace has high commission rates, which can significantly reduce your profits.

As Amazon Marketplace is such a large part of the ecommerce world, it’s very easy to become too dependent on the platform. They can shut you down and remove your products at any time, so selling solely on Amazon could be a risk. This is why a lot of people will sell on multiple online platforms.