If you're a content marketer or a small business owner, you know how tough it is to keep churning out great content. But publishing lots of material is essential if you want to build a good reputation and get found by customers. Luckily, if you've already got a catalog of blog posts, videos, and other content on the web, you don't always have to come up with new pieces from scratch. Instead, you can repurpose your existing[...]
With most small businesses devoting an average of $75,000 a year to digital marketing, measuring your ROI is a must.
If you've been paying attention to trends in marketing and search engine optimization, you know that content marketing is huge this year. If you're focused on content marketing ideas to boost SEO, you're on the right track.
Search engines use a tool called "web crawlers" to look at every site on the[...]
Too many of today's business owners blindly follow the advice they find on social media. Just because a supposed thought leader shares something, they assume it must be true. They don't take the time to carefully examine the information they're being fed, to understand whether a claim is valid or a half-baked marketing myth that doesn't hold up under scrutiny. If you want to become a more intelligent business professional[...]
What is the difference between day-to-day social media engagement and an actively managed social media campaign? Many business owners who advertise their brand on social media keep up to date with publishing, responding to comments, and attracting likes and leads. But this type of unfocused activity differs from the plan to launch an active social media campaign. What are the critical distinctions between these two types of[...]
Were last quarter's profits a little bit lighter than you would have liked?
Are you concerned that your competitors are consistently outranking you in search engine results?
Do you feel like you're just not making the kinds of connections with your target market that you'd like?
If so, then it sounds like it's time to give some serious thought to your SEO marketing strategy.
But why is SEO so important, and what can it[...]
Imagine walking into a mall that has as many shops as there are websites in the world. There are over 1.3 billion websites worldwide. Seems like you would get lost and frustrated really quickly unless there was a way to find what you needed quickly and easily.
The internet is like walking into a giant mall. You have access to every website. This means, if someone is trying to find a business like yours, it might be[...]
As a business owner, you have to wear many hats. One of these hats is being a semi marketing pro, especially since this is an ever-changing industry.
What works today may not work tomorrow. And new techniques you have yet to hear about may be the top method to use next week.
Staying abreast of the ever-evolving world of digital marketing is key to gaining and maintaining your competitive edge.
Let's take a look at what[...]
Businesses both big and small thrive during the holidays. The holidays are simply the perfect opportunity to grow your brand. This is the time of the year when people are most willing to part with their hard-earned money. Small business can take advantage of the holidays just as well as big corporations. Holiday marketing for small businesses involves being creative and paying attention to trends. This article lists six[...]
Instagram is an incredibly valuable marketing resource for today's business owners. With 800 million users as of September 2017, the potential to market your business on the platform is huge. But how do you leverage this traffic to grow your business? Here are 3 ways to boost engagement and grow your Instagram community.
1. Use Hashtags Wisely
Content posted with hashtags gets more engagement than content posted without[...]
SEO, in general, can be quite a daunting prospect if you're trying to promote your business and be seen by a wider audience, and one of the main things that may confuse is keywords, the words or phrases that people type when they're searching for something on the internet. Unfortunately, it's not just as simple as sticking any old word that relates to your industry into your copy. If you want results, then you're going to[...]
Reckless email marketing is counterproductive, but spammers never give up. As a result, ISPs use aggressive strategies to tackle spam. Unfortunately, this makes things difficult for ethical email marketers. If you are an email marketer, email deliverability will always be a big challenge. That said, with the right strategies, you can still manage to reach your subscribers.
Build your mailing list honestly
Voluntary[...]
There is a huge opportunity for small and mid-sized brands in social media right now, and it's called Facebook Video. Facebook's video platform is far more than a tacked-on video service. It is a direct competitor to YouTube, designed from the ground up to be an engaging user experience that drives significant viewership and ad revenue.
There are many enticing features that make Facebook Video is a great fit for brands.[...]
When it comes to marketing your products or services online, you need to be bringing a consistent stream of visitors back to your website. Whether you're attracting them through social media, forums or paid advertisements, your website is where all the magic happens.
Bringing a new visitor to your website means they can find more information about your company, what you offer, and how you can help -- all important steps in[...]
If you are looking for a way to grow your business without spending a ton of money on your marketing campaign, you might be wondering what you can do to reach your goal. Standard marketing platforms will require you to pay an ongoing fee. If you would like to keep getting web traffic, however, search engine optimization can provide you with targeted visitors for years to come. Your goal is to get your website or blog to[...]
If you want to optimize your digital marketing plan so that you can enhance your profitability but don't know what steps to take, pay-per-click advertising will help. Once you have set up your campaign and have targeted the right keywords, you will position your content in front of hungry prospects who are already interested in what you have to offer. This will allow you to get the most from every penny that you spend on[...]
Content marketing is still one of the most reliable ways to drive traffic to your site and bring interest to your brand. The approach takes time and a lot of effort, but the payoff is always worth it. However, content marketing isn't easy. It takes a certain amount of skill to come up with content that is both discoverable and useful for your target audience. Here are five things to remember when creating content for[...]
If you are searching for a way to enhance your profit so that you can grow your business, you might be wondering where to start. Many people opt for paid advertising campaigns to get targeted traffic to their websites, but doing so is not always the most effective method. The moment you stop paying for your marketing campaign, your traffic will stop, and you will have nothing to show for it. On the other hand, search engine[...]
Facebook is perhaps the greatest traffic driver on the modern web, with over a billion active users providing rich hunting grounds for online marketers. Carefully crafted Facebook advertising campaigns can be extraordinarily effective, but there often comes a time when no matter how much spend you can devote to it, a campaign will start to see diminishing returns.
Two of the most important aspects of a successful campaign[...]
Building a brand, marketing a business and selling products online can be extremely difficult, especially for new businesses, as competition for the attention of customers is high. However, there are ways to use your competitors to improve your content marketing, SEO (search engine optimization) and boost your own marketing efforts. Taking a little time to analyze your competitors' websites and their content can give you[...]
Unless you've been living under a rock, you have probably heard that video is going to be an absolutely critical component of content marketing in 2017. Today's content consumer doesn't want to read blocks of text; they want their content delivered on their mobile devices in a quick and engaging manner. But where do you start with video marketing when you're not sure what options are available to you? To discover your top[...]
Online shopping is continuing its rise in importance among shoppers of all ages this holiday season. With 46 percent of all shoppers saying that they plan on doing online shopping instead of going into physical stores, you have to have a solid online presence and understand how to catch as many of those shoppers as possible in order to meet your holiday shopping quotas.
If your store hasn't yet made the leap into the[...]
If you're on the internet with any regularity, you're surely familiar with the importance of social media marketing in the contemporary business landscape. However, a common mistake among business owners new to social media is that they only create posts that market their company to the exclusion of all other content. This presents a serious risk of alienating the target audience.
Therefore, one effective guideline to keep[...]
What's the best way to prepare the health and success of your business in the long-term? How do you keep a steady (and growing) flow of new customers to your business without continuing to spend money on advertising or social media? Through the power of organic search!
Getting listed in one of the top spots on Google proves the success of your business. How do you get there? Through investing in a solid, strategic search[...]
Snapchat is one of the most important tools for digital marketers and sponsored Snapchat posts are a major part of the platform's appeal.
Sponsored posts are created by popular Snapchat users but focus on products marketed by other people. As such, they are essentially a form of advertising but benefit from being concealed behind the persona of an independent content creator.
With around 150 million daily users, it's no[...]
Going live on Facebook with a video promoting your business is the best way to personalize your brand. It allows you to directly interact with your audience, which creates a strong connection with both prospective buyers as well as current customers. Having a ready-made, built-in audience on your profile page is a great asset, ensuring that your message is easily conveyed to those you target. So what are the best Facebook[...]
Inbound marketing presents the ultimate way to build up an engaged audience and a brand image that everyone starts talking about. With more power in the hands of the consumer than ever before, businesses need to work hard to build up their reputations and become thought leaders in their industries. It takes time to work your way up to recognition by way of content marketing, social media and other inbound marketing methods[...]
Accounting for almost a quarter of the total population and being more likely than any other age group to adopt new technologies, millennials present the most lucrative market of all. Young adults are also the driving force behind the changing consumer habits that are shaping the business world and, recognizing this, successful marketers are making millennials a priority or, at the very least, working to understand what[...]
No marketer can afford to leave Facebook out of their advertising strategy. With over a billion active daily users, the social network remains a key gathering place for the world's online shoppers, and the tools available to marketers on the platform are an incredibly powerful way to reach them.
When you are crafting a Facebook marketing campaign, it is crucial to get the ad itself right. Here are some ways that you can[...]
According to industry leaders, 70% of revenue for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) comes from local clients and businesses, though most sales come from referrals rather than from pursuing solid leads. Customers seek local vendors for products and services because it's convenient, so it's crucial for you to implement strategies that help you grow locally. Here are 10 facts about approaching local leads that can help[...]
As of February 19, 2016, Google stopped showing ads on the right hand side of its search results pages.
Google will now just show ads at the top and bottom of search results page. However, it may increase the number of top ads from three to four if the search query is "highly commercial".
The phrase “highly commercial queries” is vague but Google stated that this will equate to approximately 2.5% of[...]
One of the savviest moves you can make as a business owner is to understand the importance of content marketing ROI. While some brands are churning out content in the hopes that something sticks, smart business owners are stacking the ROI odds in their favor. Knowing which steps to take to improve the success rates for your content allows you to double-down on the actions you know will work for your brand. If you want to[...]
The speed of the internet means marketers are constantly looking to anticipate new trends. Trends can be subtle changes or noticeable shifts, but the clear advantage is for those that can act swiftly. While many marketers seek out methods and tactics that are brand new, most trends are based on proven methods that have worked across all types of businesses. A current trend, helping to achieve success for established[...]
If you want to improve your business outreach efforts this year, you can't beat the benefits of business blogging. Not only does business blogging boost your SEO, it also feeds your social media marketing efforts and fills your customer acquisition funnel too. If you've hesitated to begin a business blog for fear of having nothing to say, it is helpful to approach blogging by considering the different types of blog posts at[...]
Your online business has been steadily growing all year. You're pleased with your current rate of sales, but know you need to pick up the pace if you want to reach your yearly sales target. Rather than just hope your sales totals are up over Christmas, you can take the bull by the horns (or should that be reindeer?) and maximize the chances of a phenomenal holiday selling season. If you incorporate the following five[...]
There is no denying that videos are one of the most powerful tools in an online marketer's arsenal. A video's ability to engage viewers and elicit an emotional response is second to none. With an exceptional video, you can build your brand presence, generate tons of leads and even perform better on the search engines. However, before you start the cameras rolling, you need to know exactly how to create that kind of video.
[...]
A new era is being formed and is opening all kinds of possibilities and results for marketing. Instead of buying ads, email lists, sending direct mail or other traditional marketing methods, inbound marketing focusses on creating compelling content strategies, advanced search engine optimization and active social media management to better position your company to be the ideal solution your customers are searching for, all[...]
When it comes to the SEO landscape, the only thing that's constant is change. Do you remember the good old days of guest posts and article directories? Tactics that used to send your pages soaring in the rankings are virtually useless today, and some outdated strategies can even get you in trouble with Google. Staying on top of the latest SEO trends is an exhausting task. While you can't slow down the pace of change, you[...]
Over the past few years, technology has enabled professionals and organizations to take their business to a whole new level. Marketing automation is one such advancement. Marketing and sales teams have been scrambling to understand and leverage this new technique to their advantage. The reality is that automating the marketing process is not a single technique. Instead, it is a number of techniques and technologies[...]
Back in February, Google announced that an update would be made to its search engine to reflect the greater use of mobile devices. The update went live in April 2015, and since it’s announcement, it has caused some concern in the SEO community. It has been given the dramatic name of “Mobilegeddon” by some SEO gurus.
The rapid rise of smartphones and tablets means it shouldn't come as a surprise that[...]
PayPal is probably one of the most convenient ways to take payments on your website. Sign up, verify your account and convert it to a business account -- that's all it takes to get started. In a couple of days, you'll be ready to take orders on your website. Even with its popularity, PayPal still has some downsides to its convenience. Before you decide to go with PayPal as your credit card processor, here are some of the[...]
Having your visitors get as far as the checkout and then losing them can be very frustrating, but it happens a lot more than most people think. According to comScore, around two thirds of shopping carts on retail websites are abandoned before a purchase is made, and while this is quite often due to comparison shoppers visiting without any intention of buying at that moment, there are a number of problems that could be[...]
Google is well known to change it's algorithms to provide the best possible search results to it's users. Over the years, Google has created new algorithms such as Panda, to stop content farms who put out poor quality content. In 2012, Google released it's next algorithm named Penguin. This new algorithm took into account sites linking to poor quality content. So if your site was spreading irrelevant or incorrect[...]
We all want our websites to look as unique as possible whether it's to show off our creativity or give our brand a memorable image that sets it apart from the rest. However, the importance of functionality and user experience should never be put before flashy visuals and daring design styles. In order for a website to succeed, it also needs to have great content and an easily accessible design that people will find familiar[...]
The digital age opens up all kinds of possibilities for marketing and advertising. Inbound marketing uses social media to promote businesses and their products. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and others which allow people to connect with each other are also powerful marketing and advertising tools.
The idea behind inbound marketing is to pull in customers by establishing a lively and informative social media[...]
Here's a look at our new sign for our Algona office. We are located at 114 North Dodge Street. We look forward to working with the businesses in North Central and Northeast Iowa.
Our location in Algona offers all of same great services we have been providing for over 15 years: Web Design, Print Design, Custom Programming, Mobile Development, Hosting, Online Marketing, E-Commerce, Social Media Management, Video Production[...]
Marketing videos are a very powerful way to engage your potential clients and get visitors interested in what you are selling. Good videos can also increase your brand recognition and assist in lead generation. A successful video marketing campaign will help you gain targeted customers who come back to your site repeatedly, provided you use the right strategies.
The challenge is in knowing which strategies to use to[...]
From everyone at Emagine, we wish you a Merry Christmas and extend our wishes for a Happy New Year!
This holiday season we are grateful for all of our clients near and far. Without them, we wouldn't be the company we are today. We are excited for our growth into Algona, Iowa. We opened a new location this year and are thrilled to be able to better serve North Central and Northeast Iowa.
We are thankful for an awesome 2014[...]
We are delighted to announce that Emagine has expanded to open a new office in Algona, Iowa. The new office is located at 114 North Dodge Street. Our expansion is going to help us better serve our clients in North Central and Northeast Iowa.
Emagine will help you make the right impact with quality and unique designs! We are forward-thinking individuals who will work with you to help develop impressive web, print, video and[...]
Every business can benefit from hiring an experienced individual to handle all of their social media and SEO needs. However, many business owners overlook this position and may even scatter the responsibilities across their workforce. Ultimately, this common habit overwhelms current employees and depletes productivity. These top reasons are why your business needs a social media manager that can help you fully grasp the[...]
It's common knowledge in business circles that social media sites can help your company rise above the competition. However, most business owners tend to focus on Facebook and ignore the other options. Did you know that using Twitter can also profit your small business? Here are five ways you can benefit from tweeting.
Customer feedback
Twitter can completely change your customer service experience. You can tweet responses[...]
As you may be aware, an Internet-wide security issue, commonly referred to as POODLE, has been identified in the last two weeks and affects anyone using older Web browsers that use SSL version 3 (SSLv3), specifically Internet Explorer (IE) 6. The POODLE attack (which stands for "Padding Oracle On Downgraded Legacy Encryption") is a man-in-the-middle exploit which takes advantage of Internet and security software clients'[...]
Despite the online marketing world's current obsession with social media, email marketing is still as important as ever. A well-maintained mailing list can bring your company a lot of business and greatly boost customer retention. However, it is often difficult to get people to sign up for your mailing list. Here are a few ways to get people to sign up to receive your emails.
The Opt-In Box
The opt-in box is the simplest[...]
As a small-business owner, you only have so much time to invest in managing social media accounts. Twitter and Facebook have definite value, but one platform all company owners must use is Google Plus. This community-centered social media tool offers several distinct marketing advantages for your company.
The Community-Centered Approach
Technically, all social networks have a community of users. However, the one word often[...]
The Web is a constantly evolving medium where trends come and go every year, technologies advance and tastes change, but it wasn't so long ago that simply having a website in the first place meant that you were ahead of the curve. If you rely on your website as a tool for establishing your business's presence online, then it is crucial that you take every step to ensure that your website stays up to scratch, particularly[...]
You have probably noticed that more and more people are surfing the web and checking their email on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. The explosion in the mobile device market has been hard to miss, and this has created some challenges for owners of online businesses.
The website that looks so great on a desktop or laptop computer might not be so easy to use on a smartphone or tablet. The smaller screen sizes of[...]
Facebook is the leading social media platform in the world. With over one billion active users, it presents many opportunities for businesses to expand and connect with their audience. You should make every post meaningful, but this can be difficult to accomplish. With these seven practical tips, you can boost your success and engage your Facebook fans more than ever before.
Think of Your Audience
Your audience should[...]
Google may seem like a complex search engine on the outside; however, if you dig deep and really learn how it works, it isn't that complicated after all. As long as you feed Google what it wants, any business website should be able to take advantage of a higher search engine ranking because of it.
Regardless of what industry you're in, these are things that every website owner should know about the biggest search engine in[...]
Do you have a fantastic new product that you're ready to start selling? Making money from your product is a great goal, but sometimes launching a new product can be difficult. Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can market your products online that will quickly lead to great results and an increase in sales.
1. Write guest posts for bloggers
Did you know that many consumers turn to blogs as a way to find out[...]
Many companies want to use social media to help build their business and familiarize people with their brand. However, misconceptions about social media can ruin a company's effort to gain new customers online. Here are five of the most common misunderstandings about social media and how organizations should act in an online world.
Misconception 1: It's easy.
Yes, it is easy to tweet a sentence or two out to the world or to[...]
With around 600 adjustments to Google's algorithm every year, it's inevitable that SEO best practices are constantly evolving. Since the Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird updates, every business trying to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) has had their work cut out. While the changes have had a massive impact on how digital marketers tackle SEO, basic values like delivering valuable content and a friendly[...]
1. Your Clients Have Smart phones or Tablets
Nearly everyone around you carries an Internet-connected device. Maybe it's an iPhone, Android phone, iPad, Kindle or other tablet. Even some MP3 players such as an iPod touch have web browsers built into them. More then 2 billion of the world's population is connected to the Internet, and one-half of them have mobile devices that are Web enabled.
No longer do your[...]
Try to find one person who hasn't heard of Facebook. Go ahead, I'll wait... It probably won't happen.
Facebook has over 618 million daily active users! Among those users are many businesses using Facebook Pages. Social media has become almost a requirement in today's internet world. Businesses who choose not to take part in the Social experience are not only missing out on a great promotional tool, they may even be seen as[...]
