How to Stay Alert as a Content Copywriter and Marketer
Creating content is the foundation of your marketing strategy. It’s the content that will sell your brand, and if you cannot produce a killer piece, you are wasting your time. You have heard of bloggers who have spent years creating content, but they are unable to gain traction. Their audience is always running away! But why? Probably because the content is boring, and the reason could be that they are not confident when creating it. To write content you don’t have to be the most creative person or even a wordsmith; however, the way you schedule your time and how you approach your content writing can make a difference. Here are ways to remain alert when writing content and doing content marketing: Stop Becoming Disoriented by the Internet It’s easy to get lost on the internet because you are distracted. Copywriters spend a lot of their time online. And, considering that there are so many things happening on the internet, if you are not careful, you will be lost and won’t be attentive when creating your content. There are so many things you come across while doing your research – like funny videos you can watch on Facebook, Youtube or Instagram – that can really eat up your hours. So, the best advice is that you need to put a lid on the multitude of distractions you face on the internet. For example, you can use browser plugins that keep the distractions away. You also need to have a list of your to-dos and your priorities. Have a Phone-Free Workspace Your workspace zone should be free of phones. The amount of time you spend picking up the phone can make your productivity take a plunge. If you are going to be successful and remain alert when writing, you have to do away with your phone. Not that copywriting is too involved or that it requires a lot of focus, but because the biggest distraction to copywriters is a ringing cell phone. When you stop to check some texts that have just come in or if you answer a buddy’s phone call while in the midst of writing or coming up with a title or researching a particular topic, it becomes difficult to pick up from where you left off. In the end, you will have sub-par content that has taken all your time. Have a Daily To-Do List Having a planner containing the content that you have to create (a to-do list) will help you to keep track and on top of what has been accomplished and what is remaining. A planner not only keeps you organised but also prevents you from forgetting assignments. It also prevents you from skipping past your due dates. Research conducted at California’s Dominican University by Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor, shows that people who write down their goals are 42 percent more likely to accomplish them. Take Frequent Breaks Among the most effective productivity hacks is taking a moment from being productive. It may seem counterintuitive that instead of being productive, you take time and get out of work. Frequent breaks are an effective way to stay sharp and remain driven throughout the day. When you step away from your desk, it reduces eye fatigue, especially if you...
read more
Why Digital Marketing Is Eco-Friendly Marketing
Today’s buyers are much more discerning about the brands they buy from. They want to know that the companies they support don’t harm the environment, that they are invested in social upliftment and that they treat employees and clients well. When it comes to your company’s marketing activities, how often do you take a step back and consider your impact on the planet? Whether you are manufacturing clothes or planting trees, your marketing methods and channels need to have as little effect as possible on Earth’s natural resources. Here are a few reasons why digital marketing is eco-friendly marketing: No Printing From flyers and banners to booklets, calendars and magazines, a lot of traditional marketing methods focused on printing. Not only does this require trees to be chopped down for paper, but you also need ink to print onto the paper and then you need to distribute the materials. Digital marketing, however, rarely includes any type of printing. Communication is disseminated online without leaving a paper trail that will eventually land up on a landfill. No Carbon Emissions Many times, transporting marketing materials from point A to point B requires a car, truck or plane. These carbon emissions can be added to the carbon footprint of your marketing campaign. With digital marketing, there isn’t any transport involved, which will make your brand greener than your competitors’ who need vehicles to transport their materials. Besides the fact that digital marketing is inherently greener than traditional marketing, it also has more reach, it can be more targeted and the results are much easier to measure. Contact WSI OMS for help with your paid online advertising or digital marketing strategies...
read more
How to Use Facebook Ads For E-Commerce Marketing
If you are selling products online, then Facebook ads should be a part of your marketing arsenal. The way that Facebook allows you to market based on demographics, interests and virtually any other criteria, combined with the low cost of marketing, makes this a must-have for people selling online. What most people get wrong when creating Facebook ads for their e-commerce sites is that they do their marketing based on their product instead of their potential customer. When targeting people on Facebook, you need to think about the following: What problem is the product solving? Who will the end user of the product be? Why do they have this problem? Strategies to Consider: Once you have carefully considered how your product can solve a potential customer’s problem and drafted your ads, you can move onto Facebook ad strategies. Dynamic Product Ads One way to increase your sales with Facebook ads is by using Dynamic Product Ads. In the same way that Amazon remarkets to you based on your activity on their website, Dynamic Product Ads also let you remarket to people who have visited your site. Multi Product Ads Another tactic that works well for online retailers is Facebook’s Multi Product Ads, which lets you show multiple products in a single advertisement. The more relevant products a Facebook user sees, the greater your chances of a sale are. Install a Conversion Tracking Pixel The last tip is to install a conversion tracking pixel on your checkout page. This enables Facebook to track who is visiting your site, what they are doing or buying on your site, and generate lookalike audiences for future Facebook ad campaigns. These are only some of the fascinating ways that Facebook ads can be used for e-commerce marketing. For help with your digital marketing strategy, contact WSI OMS...
read moreHow Do You Keep Your Copywriting Skills Unsullied and Fresh
When you first start out copywriting, you are full of energy and excitement. You are happy that things are moving in the right direction – no surprise there – and you are being paid crazy well for the tasks you are handling. However, after 10 years of having been involved in content writing and marketing, things may begin to take a turn for the worst. Perhaps, it doesn’t feel as exciting as it used to be. And, you may begin to wonder what is wrong with you. Not that your brain has stopped working, but because you haven’t learned the ways you can reignite your writing skills. When things seem to be getting a little old, you need to know what to do so that you freshen up your copywriting skills. Avoid Doing Tasks you Don’t Love A sound way to stay fresh in copywriting is to stop doing what you don’t love. If for example, you have been doing brochure content and soon you begin to feel stale, resign from those and look for something new. It’s often said that a change is as good as a holiday, and that applies pretty well to copywriting. If you don’t love something, dump it. However, it may not be so easy to quit that job you have been doing because of the knowledge that there are bills to pay. So, start looking for a different kind of content to write well in advance; you can probably do press releases, editorial copy, video content and the like. It will help you to reignite your skills and remain more productive. Remain Engaged with Change You will need to ride the waves of change if you want to stay fresh in content writing. It could be that you are doing web content, and you can move to SEO content, then to blogs, then to online video content and so forth. You just want to keep on changing the content. The choices are many, and after every few years, we are having different kinds of content sprouting up. When you remain engaged with the changes, you will never be bored with your copywriting job. And if you are not bored, it means you (and your skill) will remain fresh. Fight Fun Battles Copywriting isn’t a hard-charging game or the in-your-face broadcasting challenge. You need to look through the lens and know that things change with time. It is a well-established fact that in the beginning, copywriting was a copy and paste thing, until search engines like Google began hitting hard on website owners that used plagiarised content. Today, content creation involves conversational copywriting, and you have to stop the old-school, unwelcome thinking about copywriting. Soon, you will experience a different approach to content creation and marketing. You need to fight those fun battles so that you stay afloat. Check and Filter What’s Hot in Copywriting Many copywriters think that what is being touted as hot is actually what is trending in copywriting. However, you may find that 90 percent of that perceived “hot” gossip or trend isn’t actually hot. It’s just the noise out there. Many of the “new” content creation and marketing techniques you hear about are little more than the old-fashioned techniques with a fresh coat of paint....
read moreLandscape Videos in Instagram
Following the news in mid-2018 that they would be enabling longer-form content, Instagram hit 1 billion monthly users. While still less than Facebook, the steep increase in user growth and engagement were in sharp contrast to the stagnant growth rates of Snapchat and Facebook. This impressive growth means that Instagram cannot be ignored as part of your digital marketing strategy. What is IGTV? On their blog, Facebook-owned Instagram explains that IGTV is “a new app for watching long-form, vertical video from your favourite Instagram creators. While there is a stand-alone IGTV app, you will also be able to watch from within the Instagram app so that the entire community of one billion can use it from the very start.” Originally, the thinking was that being an app which was designed for mobile use, IGTV was “built for how you actually use your phone, so videos are full screen and vertical.” However, two factors came into play which made Instagram relook at their new app: IGTV was slow in taking off. Those who share videos did not want to reformat each of their YouTube videos. Recent Changes to IGTV The result of this reassessment is that it is now possible for horizontal format videos to be uploaded. “We’ve heard from creators who want to upload landscape videos for IGTV. Similarly, we’ve heard from viewers who come across landscape videos in IGTV but want to watch them in a more natural way. That’s why we’re announcing support for landscape videos in addition to vertical.” Kudos to Instagram for listening to their users and adjusting their product accordingly. Learn More Would you like to garner new leads or enhance your reputation through digital marketing? Then contact WSI OMS for social media marketing, website design and SEO services...
read moreWhat You Need to Know About Influencer Marketing in 2019
Influencer marketing is the hottest trend in digital marketing right now – with a benchmark report seeing a whopping 1 500% increase in web searches for “influencer marketing” since 2016. As the concept evolves, so your strategy needs to keep up to date. Here is what you need to know to have your finger on the digital pulse: What Are Influencers? Social media users who create content that gains them a loyal following of hundreds to even millions of followers are known as influencers, and they have taken over the role of trusted confidant, friend or mentor – so much so that global surveys have found that 61% of people interact with an influencer at least once a day. Their appeal is in the trust they have built with their authenticity; 25% of influencers have declared that they would reject partnerships that are too restrictive. It follows, then, that they can sway the purchasing decisions of their highly engaged audience. As many as 87% of consumers have admitted to having bought something on the suggestion of an influencer. What Is Influencer Marketing? With the ability to wield such power, social media influencers are ideal brand ambassadors if they like what you have to offer. Up to 84% of marketers are reportedly confident that partnering with influencers is an effective marketing solution. Although it is expected that the field of influencer marketing will reach between $5 and $10 billion (R75 – 150 billion) by 2022, it should be money well spent. The reported media value returns are as much as an impressive 18:1. In other words, for every rand you spend on influencer marketing, you can get up to R18’s worth of media value. Not that influencer marketing likes to focus on money. When it comes to selecting an influencer with which to collaborate, their audience relationships are the key. Think of influencer marketing as your secret weapon in locker rooms and book clubs across the country. WSI Need help with your social media campaign? Then contact WSI...
read more5 SEO Tips for Small Businesses
Do you want to improve the Search Engine Optimization of your small business’ website? Then follow these five tips: Content Is Still King When people work with small businesses, they hope to receive a series of personalised services. Great content helps achieve this desire. Create content that is optimised for keywords that you are targeting to help drive traffic to your website. Mobile-Friendly Website Google penalises websites that aren’t optimised for mobile users. If you have a website, make sure that the content displays dynamically across different devices to increase your chances of ranking well in Google and to ensure you give your website visitors a seamless experience. Speed up Your Website If your website is too slow, customers will look to your competitors for answers. Not only will you frustrate potential clients, but Google may penalise you if your site is too slow. Optimise Everything While including keywords in your headings and content is a great place to start, be sure to include keywords in the alt-text of your images, meta descriptions and links as well. Link Building Create high-quality links by doing guest posts on popular websites in your industry linking back to your site. Also, make sure that your internal website pages are linked to one another to improve the ‘stickiness’ of your website. These are only some of the ways that you can improve the SEO of your small business’ website. For digital marketing services and advice, contact WSI OMS...
read moreThe 6 Biggest Benefits of Facebook Advertising
If you have a Facebook page for your business, chances are good that you need to use Facebook ads to grow your following and sell more. Here’s why: Your Organic Reach Is Getting Smaller Facebook is decreasing the organic reach of your posts, in other words, they are only showing your posts to a very small percentage of your fans. To increase the number of people who see your posts, you need to consider boosted Facebook posts or promoted posts. Inexpensive It is one of the most inexpensive ways to advertise. You can start with only $5 and only increase your Facebook marketing budget when you get a clear indication that you are getting the results you wanted. It Is Easy Creating a Facebook ad is very simple as you only need an image and a few lines of text. Instant Feedback It is a great way to get instant feedback. If you are unsure about whether there is a market for your business idea or whether your product will sell, you can test your idea before you spend money. Instead of investing a considerable amount of money in product stock, for example, you can see what the interest is before you start selling. Detailed Targeting Options You can target people based on their job title, marital status, the mobile device they use, the people they follow and so much more. You can target people who are your ideal customers simply by using Facebook’s targeting options. Retargeting Options You are now able to remarket to people who have followed a specific action and have prequalified themselves for remarketing from you. Need help with your social media marketing or digital marketing campaigns? Then contact WSI OMS...
read moreThe Easiest Way to Get Started with Social Media Marketing
Every which way you turn, there is something being marketed on the latest and greatest networking platform. If you are new to digital marketing, the prospect of implementing a social media strategy can seem overwhelming. Even seasoned social media marketing campaigners can begin to feel jaded at the task of keeping up to date. How can you keep it simple and manageable? Before You Start Before jumping in the deep end, ask yourself if your business actually needs social media? Obviously, we at WSI would love to run your social media campaign for you, but not if your clients and prospects aren’t that into social media. Do not feel bullied because “everyone does it” – choose what will work best for you. Assuming you do go ahead, consider which platforms are the best fit for you, your customers and your brand. Know your ideal customer inside out, and target the places where they research their purchases. On Your Marks For the best results, it is essential that you know what you are aiming for. Is your goal to increase brand awareness in general? Is it to increase the number of viable leads? Or is it to promote something specific? Keeping your goal in mind will make it a lot easier to create an effective social media marketing strategy. Plan what type of posts you want to share, what mix you will be sharing and how often you will be posting. Having a clear plan laid out allows you to set up and schedule all that you need for the next fortnight or month so that there is no “radio silence” when you are busy with the running of your business. Get Set Prepare content in advance – from blogs to photos and everything in between. This ensures continuity, and again, it will take the pressure off you in busy periods. Go! Finally, spend a little time every day checking your social media pages rather than lumping it all together in one big batch. Quick responses are an appealing part of social media for consumers, so they want to hear from you within 24 hours. This also gives you a chance to evaluate (test and measure) how your strategy is working out, enabling you to tweak it as necessary. Delegate If the world of social media marketing has become too complicated to manage, there is always the option of hiring a reputable digital marketing company to manage it for you. Contact WSI OMS today to learn more....
read moreHow To Win at Video Marketing
There used to be a saying in the world of digital marketing that “Content is king!” While it still holds true, it should be updated to “Video content is king!” With research showing that mobile video consumption increases in volume by 100% every year, video marketing has become increasingly important to master. The Rise in Popularity of Video Did you know that video makes up approximately 80% of all current consumer internet traffic? Some of the reasons for this could include that reading on smaller screens strain our eyes, a hunger for ever more beautiful images or perhaps just plain laziness. But the most compelling reason is that consumers like the personal connection that video marketing provides. When they get a chance to get to know your business via video, it almost feels as though they are getting to know you face-to-face. A Winning Video Marketing Strategy Two reasons why many business owners are still so hesitant about video marketing (despite the leads it can generate) are the following: The perceived costs, and Self-consciousness. Both can be addressed with the same solution: DIY. Creating a winning video does not need to cost an arm and a leg because authenticity trumps dazzle when it comes to developing strong relationships. The public respond well to videos because they enjoy seeing the person or people behind the company telling their story in a sincere format – one that you could easily create yourself. Follow these steps for a winning video marketing strategy: Be Audience-Centric You may feel uncomfortable in front of a camera, but the audience is only actually interested in one thing – themselves. Instead of trying to please everyone out there, work with your model client in mind. Not only does this take the focus off you, but it also improves your video marketing strategy. Keep Branding Consistent Best case scenario – your video goes viral! Wouldn’t you want everyone who watches it to know who you are? Even if it is only shared among your fans, all your videos need to have consistent digital branding – from a colour scheme to a unique intro or having your logo in the corner. Short and Sweet Do not try to showcase all your expertise in one go. Shorter videos are more popular, and a clear description of your topic will interest your ideal prospects. Tell Your Story Volumes have been written about the impact of storytelling. Video is a captivating storytelling medium because you can leverage your facial expressions, voice, body language and setting. Even though it is a story, remember to include a call to action at the end of your video. Digital Marketing Practices Optimising your videos is as important as all other forms of digital marketing – keywords and tags, link to your website, mobile first. It also varies with each platform, so keep an eye open for WSI blogs in this regard. Test and measure the results of your video marketing strategy to continually improve. WSI Need help with your social media or content marketing campaign? Then contact WSI OMS today....
read more