A lot of people fail to realize the importance of these trends and do not follow which results in poor conversion or user interaction while which is not good for the business.

To avoid these mistakes this year, here are 11 things that you shouldn’t do in order to attain better results:

Don’t go for Quantity over Quality

Some people try to increase the number of there blog posts in order to attract more people but this is not a good strategy. Not only does Google discourage this practice but the readers also leave.

Readers want something informative, interesting or exciting to read and that should be your goal. Two to three high-quality posts per week will usually perform better than 10-12 average quality ones.

Don’t go for Short Blogs

The time for short blogs has ended and the trend is to have long–form blogs. Longer blogs not only get the most engagement from readers but also are the most shared on social media channels.

People want to be fed with more information if they are interested in a title. Readers want in-depth knowledge about the title that has caught their eye. Therefore, you need to have informative long-form blogs so that you can attain an active following.

Google is also known to favour long-form blog posts; however, a long blog does not mean you add useless information that is of average or low quality. Having a long post with useless information will not engage or attract people so it is important to add engaging and informative content so that you can attract active readers.

Don’t Mislead

Google does not like pages that mislead people with their title or content. You should focus on the relevancy of the title to the type of content that follows. Many people make attractive titles but do not follow up with the information or story mentioned in the title.

Don’t Ignore Facebook

Many people use Facebook for socializing with friends and as a pastime which is all right, however, many of them are unaware of the possibilities it offers in the digital marketing domain.

People still go to LinkedIn when it comes to lead generation; however, the advanced targeting features offered by Facebook prove to be valuable tools for B2B marketing. Having an engaging business Facebook page will significantly increase its visibility.

Don’t Ignore the Live Video

Videos have been a great way to connect with people and grab their attention; however, the live video feature is gaining a lot of popularity. An 80% increase in the popularity of live video was seen from the year 2015 to 2016.

According to Facebook, users spend three times more time on a live video than they spend on a recorded video. People also comment ten times more on a live video.

Don’t ignore Email

Although it might not be as fancy as other trends in the digital marketing industry, email marketing is sure to provide a good turn around for the amount spent on it. According to the Email Marketing Consensus 2017, email campaigns give the best return on investment (ROI) compared to any other marketing domain. Moreover, 73% of the marketing experts believed that email was an excellent or good method for marketing.

Having a proper email marketing campaign can do wonders for a business. All you need to do is know your target audience and produce the best possible value proposition that they’ll be sure to be attracted by.

Don’t use Mobile Pop-ups

Mobile pop-up ads are the worst. They might be effective in terms of lead generation but are a major annoyance to the users. Imagine watching something or reading something and a random ad pops up on the screen; it is extremely irritating.

Apart from readers, Google Algorithm also dislikes the use of these pop-up ads which should concern businesses that use it. Google released a warning against the use of these pop-up ads and since February 2017 it is penalizing the websites that are still using such ads.

Don’t use social sites for outbound sales

Social media platforms such as Twitter or LinkedIn provide great tools for a rich interaction with the customers. These sites are also helpful in things such as brand awareness, building customer relationships, getting feedback, etc. However, some businesses try to make outbound sales using these platforms which do more harm than good.

When companies try to sell you something or ask you to sign up on such social media platforms, it compels them to un-follow them. These platforms are meant for interaction and you can use them best for such aims.

Don’t make generic offers

Businesses make offers to people for lead generation purposes; however, one should always avoid making boring or generic offers that are of little to no value to the customer. Try to offer something unique and valuable for free; something that others would charge for.

An example of this would be offers of free eBooks. Although eBooks have a reputable standing when it comes to search engine optimization it is no longer interesting. Everybody offers free eBooks and even though some might have the insightful knowledge, eBooks have lost value and interests no one.

Alternatives that would be more interesting and would grab people’s attention would be to offer a portion of internal training, a directory, an evaluation, a useful reference tool, etc.

Don’t ignore the Customers

Customers are the soul of any business, therefore, in digital marketing, it is important to know that what you are doing will appeal to the people and will attract them. Producing engaging, informative, and worthwhile content should be the aim because at the end customers’ convenience is what matters most.

Don’t Ignore Mobile Phone users

The number of people that surf the internet through smartphones is sky high and it is still aiming higher. Therefore, a good social media marketing strategy should not ignore the mobile phone users.

The post 11 Digital Marketing Do’s And Don’ts You Need To Adhere To In 2018 appeared first on SEMA.

Millennials – the generation that is slowly but surely taking over the workforce and on route to hold most of society’s purchasing power as well! Born between 1981 and 1999, millennials are ‘for the culture’; engaged and interested in reshaping the world and how it functions. This age group may get a bad reputation from others for being too sensitive, or too idealistic, but don’t let that take away from the impact and purchasing power this group possesses. By 2030, 2 out of every 3 AU$ earned will be making its way to a millennial’s pocket!

The repercussions of the financial crisis of 2008 (a time where many millennials would have been joining the workforce) explains the economic beliefs and behaviours most millennials exhibit today; a surge in entrepreneurial ventures, a decreased interest in accumulating assets, and views that value social issues above financial gain. And all of this is accompanied by a general mistrust for MNCs and traditional marketing tactics. Let’s try and step into the millennial’s mind- but remember – she/he might end up blocking us; millennial’s are suckers for privacy.

How a Milli Operates

Understanding the key factors to have affected the millennial timeline helps one gauge how the average Milli (let’s just call them Milli’s now – it’s easier isn’t it?) operates. The largest of these factors was the advent of the Internet; dial-up Internet was made available to the Australian public in 1989. The fact that the Milli’s are the group most skilled at technology creation and consumption is not news.

But what is worth reflecting on is that the smartphones and social platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram have warped the milli generation’s sense of time; the sheer speed at which information travels has transformed daily life into a barrage of visual mania and fragmented stories. What this means is that nothing can stay relevant for long – the world is too caught up in what’s about to come.

So, what should your business do in regards to this rather bleak reality? Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds – happiness research (Australia ranked 10th in the 2018 Happiness Index) surmises that we’re happier these days than we were before.

Keep It Fresh; no country for old posts

Moving on, what this tells us is that as a business you must continue to reinvent yourself. Shed your old skin and slither into the digital world as a new snake everytime. Millis struggle to care about what happened yesterday, let alone that cute business video you posted a year ago. Pokémon reinvented themselves with the release of their augmented-reality game Pokémon Go(2016). The genius of the game is that you can connect to nearby friends through Facebook; this is why you may have seen jittery teens running around with their phones held out at absolutely nothing (remember, it’s augmented reality) a couple of years ago. People thought the franchise would die as Nintendo’s game boys did, but Pokémon came back with a bang.

Post new content as often as you can, and think of innovative ways to tackle common problems. An example of this is popular discount airline JetBlue’s twitter handle- they provide 24/7 real-time customer service on their twitter feed; it’s not merely an online space they use for promotional purposes. Ensure that your marketing strategies are original and non-promotional; this goes back to the earlier point made about the underlying distrust Millis have towards the usual ‘look at us, look at our brand, we’re the best’ type of approach.

Encourage Customer Involvement: Millennials are heavily influenced by their peers

An insightful survey conducted by Barkley and Boston Consulting Group, “American Millennials: Deciphering the Enigma Generation” shows us that millis are highly influenced by their peers; a number of the decisions they take are talked out with friends and/or guided by advice and info they find online.

Where does this leave you as burgeoning business trying to make waves online? As an entity doing its level best to get connected. Alongside whatever you choose to post on your social media handles (whether it be an infographic, a video, or a happy customer’s reaction) make sure that all the necessary share buttons are nearby. Encourage people to respond to the content you create and the opinions you share online (by default this means that your online presence must be challenging, not passive). There is no better way to get a Milli’s attention than for them to see that other Millis have also been engaging with your product/service.

Millennials Respond to Incentives

Judging by how Millis are the most represented demographic online, consider incentivising your business’s social media outreach.

As per recent research conducted by Yahoo’s parent company Oath, upwards of 60% of Millis would be likely to ‘check-in/log-in’ to your business if they knew they were receiving a coupon or a discount.

Perhaps try the gateway strategy; provide customers a full service or free product if they share your page a certain number of times. Generate interest and that will generate the online buzz needed to take your business off the ground.

Successfully serving customers online goes a long way, especially if they have the ‘sharing-power’ most Millis possess.

The millennial generation is simply too big of an online player for your business to ignore. You’ve probably received a lot of tips on how best to approach the millennial audience online, but there’s no need to get carried away and end up overcompensating. Play it smart; step inside the shoes of your average Milli customer – is what we’re posting going to make them click? Are we telling/showing the people something new? Remember to advocate action on behalf of your business; ask people to review your good/service – keeping the conversation alive is your responsibility, not the customer’s.

The post Why Millennials Will Make-Or-Break Your Digital Marketing Strategy appeared first on SEMA.

Say you own a law firm, and your senior paralegal, who functions like the right-hand for a number of your qualified lawyers, is earning $80k a year. Chances are, you don’t think twice about paying her that because she has put in years of dedicated service, she is always on time, happy to work overtime and gets her job done perfectly day in and day out.

Now, imagine she’s been working for your company for five years. In that time you’ve paid her $400,000 plus super and a few bonuses here and there.

Keeping these figures, and how valuable this employee is to your business in mind, how much did you spend on your website?

So, you’ve spent $400,000 over five years on an employee – let’s refer to this as expense A. For the purpose of this example, let’s say you spent $8,000 on your website five years ago. You’ve probably also forked out some maintenance costs, and if you’re making the most of your website, you might have outlaid $50,000 on digital marketing (basic SEO, social media, content marketing) over a five year period. This website doesn’t function as well as it used to and is a little out-dated. You need to re-design it, but don’t really want to outlay the cash. From here on out, your website will be known as expense B.

But, which expense is more valuable to your business? Expense A or Expense B? To understand the exact value of these expenses, let’s look at the hours of work each expense completes, as well as their regular tasks.

Expense A – Weekly Activities

Works eight hours a day, minus a 30-minute lunch break, so 38-hours a week.

Her job role might encompass:

• Performing legal and factual research to support arguments
• Summarising legal documents
• Organising and analysing information
• Cross checking and validating information
• Preparing written reports
• Drafting legal documents
• Preparing legal arguments, applications, motions and declarations
• Preparing correspondence
• Maintaining reference files
• Organising and tracking case files
• Reviewing and monitoring new and updated regulations

Your paralegal does a lot for your business and is essential for the day-today running of your law firm. But, what about Expense B? It’s just a website right?

Well, a website does a lot more than you might initially think.

Expense B – Weekly Activities

Works 24-hours a day seven days a week. That’s 168-hours a week of dedicated service.  Your website also doesn’t take sick or carers leave, and it never asks for time off over Christmas or to go on a four-week holiday to Europe.

Your website’s role might include:

• Acts as the face of your business to potential customers, both in your local area and across the country
• Has the potential to introduce a large number of people to your business each month, and keeps your existing customers engaged with your services
• It’s functions include welcoming people, providing them with information and facilitating transactions

Taking your digital marketing expenses into consideration, your website will also:

• Drive engagement across your social media accounts
• Drive conversions both through social media and your website
• It will help you get a top ranking on Google, so when people search for a law firm in Melbourne, your website will come up. If your website is designed well and is easy-to-use, it will act as a positive first impression that will attract new clients
• Blogging helps your business establish its reputation as an industry authority, because the blogs are useful, engaging and well-informed, and will help your current and potential customers make informed legal decisions

Your website is pretty useful, especially if you want to keep revenue up by attracting new clients.

So, getting back to our original question, which expense is more valuable?

They’re both valuable. Without your senior paralegal, your business would struggle to function as normal. Without your website, the number of clients you attract will decrease substantially and you’ll lack the platform needed to build a successful reputation outside of word of mouth.

The main difference is the fact that over a five-year period your paralegal will give you 9,120 hours of service (once you take out her four weeks of leave entitlements). Your website, on the other hand, will give you 43,800-hours of service in that same time period.

While it would be unreasonable to expect your paralegal to work beyond her full-time hours, you can take comfort knowing your website will be there every hour of every day actively promoting your business and driving client engagement.

So, when it comes time to re-design your website or update your content management system, take into consideration how valuable your website is to your business, and how little it actually costs in the long-term to have a well-designed, easy-to-use website promoting your business.

Don’t make your website your highest performing, most underpaid employee. Spend the money now to get the design and functionality right, and you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank in the long-term.

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