Contributed Post | Mike McRitchie | Resume and LinkedIn Profile Writer | Telecom Marketing Content Writer

Tips And Tricks To Boost Your Marketing Presence

January 21, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Your company might be having a few issues when it comes to the marketing side of your business. It can be difficult to get your company seen and heard when you are not a professional marketer. Your marketing presence is going to be important to ensure your business’ success, and without it, you are going to have a hard time attracting new customers to your company.

But, there are some things that you can do to boost your marketing presence, and we are going to share them with you right now. So, if you are interested in learning about how to get your company seen, keep reading.

Targeted Content

The first thing that we are going to suggest is targeted content. Haven’t heard of this? Well, it is a pretty simple task to complete if you know what you are doing. Making sure that your content is relevant is something that you must do to ensure that you are attracting the most amount of people. Any content that you produce should have a strong connection with your company. For instance, if you are an electrical company who has a target audience of males aged 18-45, then your content shouldn’t be screaming at people who are not in this demographic. Obviously, you can branch out and attempt to reach new people, but this should be a secondary concern to your main target audience.

Get Traditional

So many people are focused on using online methods today that they forget to go back to the basics. Traditional marketing has been around for a long time, and it is unwise to ignore this altogether. Handing out flyers, renting billboard space, running workshops and so on are still some of the most important marketing methods that you can use today. It doesn’t matter if you don’t think this is going to work, because the facts say that it is. Many of the successful companies on the market right now are utilizing every marketing method at their disposal, whether it is offline or online.

To reach the most amount of people, you have to consider what everyone responds to. Not everyone in the world is currently on social media, even though a large portion of them are. You also need to be catering to those who are not, and that is where the offline marketing comes in. People still drive to work each morning or get some form of public transport, so arranging for your company to have some ads that will target these people is a great way to boost your presence.

SEO

SEO is something that many companies use in order to get themselves to the top of the SERPs. If you are looking for a product or service, are you going to go past page 2 on Google to find what you are looking for? No, and neither are your customers. That is why you need to get your company on these first two pages. The way to do this is to employ SEO tactics such as keyword research to boost the amount of traffic coming to your site. All you have to do for keyword research is look up what words and phrases are typically used to find the product or services that you offer. Once you have done this, make sure that you have added these to your content so that when the search engine is looking for the most relevant results, yours is one of the first ones to pop up.

There are many other SEO methods that you can use such as owning your domain, backlinks, having a theme and so on. Using a combination of these tactics is going to be one of the best ways to optimize your website. If you don’t know how to do these things, there are professionals that you can hire to sort your website out for you. Remember, the higher up on the SERPs you are, the more people are going to see your company.

Use Social Media

Social media is one of the most important parts of your marketing campaign in the 21st century. So many people are on social media, that if you are not utilizing this, you are going to get left behind. You need to have a social media account on every main platform including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even LinkedIn. This is going to allow you to contact and engage with the most amount of people, and if you look at the number of users on each platform, you will see why it is so important to get your business interacting on here.

Make use of all the features such as Instagram live, the share button on Facebook and so on. By engaging with your customers, you will find that they are more likely to recommend you to a friend or family member. Using these platforms, you are going to reach people that you never would have any other way.

Hire A Team

If your marketing is not going well, you need to be hiring a marketing team. Going it on your own hasn’t worked out, and now you need help to save you from drowning in the competition. There is nothing wrong with hiring help to do this, and a team of professionals is going to be just what you need. Ensure that your hiring process is rigorous to be sure that you only have the best because your business is going to need the best.

A marketing team is going to be able to change anything that needs changing, implement any new strategies and get your company back on top where it belongs. These people are going to have experience doing this, and they are going to be able to get your company seen by new people.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now know some of the ways that you can boost your marketing presence. It is important that you take the time to fix this because once your marketing goes under, your business could be following pretty soon without measures in place.

Making Your Data More Secure

January 21, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Something that you will probably always want to be sure of in any business, large or small, is that you are properly looking after any data you might have. This could be data which you consider to be particularly sensitive, such as information about an upcoming product or even personal details about a customer. Or it might just be run of the mill data which is nonetheless vital to ensuring that you can run your business day after day. Whatever it is, you need to make sure that you are protecting it in such a manner that you don’t end up letting it get stolen, corrupted or lost, and that you can access it easily at all times. In this post, we will look at a number of things you can do to make sure that your data is more secure, thereby also ensuring that your business is more secure, too.

Consider The Cloud

There are many reasons that people want to use cloud services these days, but security is one of the absolute most important ones. As long as you want your data to be secure, you will find that using the cloud is a great way to make that much more likely, and this is certainly something that you should think about if you are keen on making that happen as easily as possible. If you do think about using a VPS server, you will find that you have access to a much more secure way of storing data than usual, and this is something which you will be able to find makes many things easier through the business. Yet, you will still be able to access that data as easily as ever, making it a particularly good solution all round.

Encryption

For the more sensitive data, you want to make sure that you are not only doing whatever you can to stop it being stolen, but also that you are going to provide a further layer of security, just in case it is. Usually that means encrypting the data, which is where you use a code to mask the real data so that it is unreadable to anyone who does not have the appropriate key. Technically, encryptions can always be broken, but usually they will take hundreds of years to do so, so you are essentially safe. Encrypting your data is essential if you want to make sure it is kept truly private at all times.

Firewall

Finally, you can make sure that your data system is much more secure from the outside world by installing a firewall, which is a rudimentary and yet essential way to ensure that you block incoming traffic. Although there are ways around a firewall, essentially it will mean that you are going to be able to spot anyone trying to intrude into your system, and kick them out. That means nobody will touch your data, and you will be able to ensure that it is significantly more secure as a result.

5 Content Marketing Ideas to Help Boost Your Exposure

January 18, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Did you know that content marketing is 62 percent cheaper than outbound marketing? Not to mention that it also generates three times more leads as well.

Companies who implement content marketing see conversion rates that are more than six times those who only use traditional marketing.

It’s no secret that content marketing can benefit your business across the board, but how do you create a content marketing strategy that is successful?

These five content marketing ideas are sure to help generate leads and grow your business.

1. Create Flawless Content

You should only be publishing your absolute best content in order for content marketing to work. This means no spelling errors, no grammar errors and your writing should be concise because no one wants to read content that isn’t worth their time.

It’s more effective to post four immaculate posts a month as opposed to 20 average posts a month. And if you aren’t confident in your writing skills, you can always outsource blog posts from professionals.

2. Analyze Your Data

Many people are under the impression that simply publishing blog posts will grab the entire world’s attention and leads will start generating immediately. As nice as this would be, content marketing doesn’t necessarily work like that. Instead, you have to make an effort to analyze your data.

And while web analytics can seem daunting, there are many helpful tools such as Google Analytics that makes this step incredibly easy. This is where you can analyze your audience to produce content that is specific to them and analyze web patterns to see what blogs are doing the best so you can recreate them.

3. Implement Backlinks

Search engine optimization is vital to a strong content marketing strategy. And one way to improve your SEO and the way that Google ranks you is to build a good backlink profile.

This means that your links are located on other websites, which promotes trust and credibility to your company. Backlinks are often considered the glue of a successful SEO campaign because they are essential for Google to determine the rating of your website.

4. Repurpose Your Content

The goal with content marketing is to work smarter- not harder. And you can do exactly that by repurposing your content. Good content takes a great deal of time, effort, research and editing to produce. But to save time, you can simply repurpose your content in multiple aspects to create brand-new content.

Some ways that you can do this include turning your webinar into an email series or take five of your blogs that have performed strongly and turn them into an e-book.

5. Implement Strong Calls-To-Action

Also known as CTAs, calls-to-action are imperative to grow your company. Generally, your customers aren’t going to do something unless you tell them exactly what to do.

The trick to a good CTA is to tell your readers that there is something in it for them. So telling your readers to sign up for your email list so they never miss an update is a simple yet effective CTA.

Content Marketing Ideas

Content marketing isn’t as difficult as some people perceive, but it does take patience and dedication. But with the proper content marketing ideas, a fresh mind and a strong team, you will start to see leads flowing in and conversion rates rising in no time.

Take a look at our business articles for more expert advice on how to grow your business.

8 Qualities You Should Have if You Want to Be a Great Trust Attorney

January 18, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Ever wonder what it takes to be a truly great trust attorney?

The truth is that this requires more than a great education. And it even requires more than great passion on behalf of your clients.

There are actually eight key qualities that define the greatest trust attorneys in the world. And by mastering these qualities, you will be more successful than ever before.

Want to learn more? Keep reading to discover these secrets!

1. Honesty

In popular culture, lawyers are often portrayed as untrustworthy. In the real world, being honest and trustworthy is one of the most important qualities.

Clients look to lawyers as problem solvers, and it’s tempting to always tell those clients what they want to hear. However, there may be times when you have to break some bad news to even the very best clients.

As a trust attorney, you need to be honest and upfront about client expectations and the likelihood of certain outcomes. In the long run, clients will respect your honesty and realize that they can trust what you have to say on various matters.

2. Cost-Effectiveness

Another lawyer stereotype is that they are very expensive. This is why clients are especially responsive to a trust attorney who is genuinely cost-effective.

That doesn’t mean pricing yourself out of business. Instead, you should focus on the kinds of solutions for your clients that save them as much money as possible.

This approach helps clients to look at your services as a kind of investment. In short, they are quite happy to pay for your services upfront when they can see the tangible benefits of your services in the coming years.

This is why the best trust attorneys are innovators.

3. Special Experience

It’s easier said than done, but the best trust attorneys are the ones with a good amount of experience under their belt. And this pays off for both attorney and client in a number of exciting ways.

First, experience will help you discover unique solutions to client problems you may otherwise have never imagined. Eventually, your legal toolbox will be filled to the brim with dynamic solutions.

Second, experience means that clients are talking about you. Your business will only grow as interested clients discover things like online reviews, social media feedback, and old-fashioned word of mouth.

4. Highly Responsive

Here’s an open secret in the legal world: you are only as good as your clients think you are.

For instance, you might be the busiest and most devoted trust attorney in history. However, if clients cannot easily reach you, they will become convinced you are ignoring them.

Be sure to always call clients back as soon as you can and respond quickly to their e-mails. And set up digital reminders to follow up with your clients every week, even when there is not much new to report.

At the end of the day, clients are paying you for your time. And respecting their own time makes them think they are getting their money’s worth.

5. A “People” Person

We’ve talked a lot about the importance of being honest and trustworthy. On a related note, a good trust attorney must also be a people person.

Your profession will involve asking clients to open up about things that will make them feel vulnerable and even frightened. Along with your legal duties, it is your responsibility to help such clients feel reassured about the decisions they are making.

While not a requirement, it helps if you have a very extroverted personality. Such attorneys essentially feed off the energy of new interactions, and this energy can help overpower the fears and concerns of nervous clients.

6. Tax Expertise

Earlier, we discussed the importance of developing an overall body of experience. However, it’s also important to get as much tax experience and expertise as you possibly can.

For trust attorneys, clients are typically balancing a variety of plans such as IRAs, 401(k)s, and stock incentives. And all of these plans are tied intimately to various federal and state laws affecting individual taxes.

By understanding the ins and outs of how tax laws work, you can provide the best possible service for your clients. Furthermore, you will be able to provide those clients with a variety of options that helps them discover the estate planning that works best for them and their families.

7. Business Experience

For many clients, estate planning does not exist within a vacuum. Instead, they are planning their trusts alongside planning their family business affairs.

These clients are going to need a trust attorney that has a great deal of business experience. For instance, you should know how their role within a company will affect both business governance and private estate planning.

Such experience is doubly important because no two family-owned businesses are exactly the same. And even if two similar businesses have similar estate planning goals, the best way to accomplish those goals may be very different.

8. Solid Resources

John Donne once wrote that no man is an island unto himself. As it turns out, Donne could have been writing about trust attorneys in particular!

No matter how much training and experience you have, you won’t be able to do everything and know everything on your own. That is why you need to have a solid support system of resources in place.

This may include the resources that come with joining a firm. Alternately, it may be experienced colleagues that you can trust for answers and advice.

Ultimately, this is why creative networking is so important earlier in your career. The larger your network grows, the more resources you can draw on to help your clients.

A Good Trust Attorney: The Bottom Line

Now you know what qualities make for a good trust attorney. But do you know how else to take charge of your career?

Mike McRitchie specializes in helping with everything from boring resumes to LinkedIn marketing. To see how he can take your career to the next level, check out his services today!

To Grow Or Not To Grow: Pros And Cons Of Business Expansion

January 17, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

In theory, the opportunity to expand your business is a good thing. If you have attained business growth by increasing your customers and improving your profit margin, then expansion might be considered a no-brainer. You might want to move into new markets, take on new staff, and even move into bigger business premises. What’s stopping you? Well, it also pays to be mindful, so if business expansion has been something on your agenda, you might want to consider the pros and cons before you decide.

To grow or not to grow?

Pro: More people will benefit from your business.

As you expand, you might want to take on extra staff, so you are creating new jobs. If you move business premises or open up a second branch of your business, your product and service will benefit new customers. And you might benefit, as with more staff and with more customers, your business will grow further, and that will boost your bank balance.

Con: There will be costs involved.

If you take on more staff, you are going to have to pay more wages, including any other benefits that you need to pay out as an employer. If you move into bigger premises or take on a second branch, there will also be higher overheads. There are ways to cut costs in your business, so if you are looking to expand, you might also consider finding ways to reduce some of your regular expenses, so you don’t make any financial mistakes.

Pro: You will have an edge over the competition.

Bigger is better, right? Well, this isn’t always the case, but if you have the means to gain new customers and to reach new markets, then you might outrival your..erm..rivals! You might have more staff to market and promote your business. Bigger or second premises will mean you can up your manufacturing rate. And should your earnings rise along with the expansion, you will have the resources to improve your business and better the competition.

Con: Quality control might suffer

Taking on more staff is fine, but will have the time to manage them? Opening up elsewhere might be a good idea, but during the process, you might have less time to focus on your business. And if you employ staff in a second place of business, will you have time to oversee what they are doing, as well as check on the quality of work in your regular place of business? Of course, these things can be alleviated. You might train up leaders within your business to oversee new staff and a second facility. You can also rely on corporate relocation services to ease any transitions. But considering the work involved in any expansion, you need to start putting these things in place early.

Finally

To grow or not to grow? That is the question, but what is the answer for your business? We can’t answer that for you, but we hope our pros and cons have gone some way towards helping you decide. Let us know what you think, and throw in your suggestions to help our readers.