What Makes Things Cool?

How to Market a Small Business with a Limited Budget

Ignite your idea -- why you are ready to launch a startup | Jen Storey |...

How not to take things personally? | Frederik Imbo | TEDxMechelen

How to Get a Marketing Job After College

Why Marketing Is the Best Place to Be for a Successful Career

We're All in Marketing: What Evolution Tells Us About Advertising | Etha...

The Importance Of Marketing (And 3 Reasons Some Businesses Avoid It)

Why Marketing Is Really Your Business | How To Develop A Business Mindse...

Sales vs Marketing: Which is More Important?

Importance of Blogging and 10 Ways of Increasing Targeted Traffic

Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels

Have you ever asked yourself how a single person keeps on updating his blog with fresh content regularly without running out of ideas? There are some bloggers that will leave you to wonder how they manage to write content regularly. No one can dispute their prolific writing skills.

For instance, Seth Godin updates his blog regularly with fresh content. When I was first introduced to blogging, I thought I won't be able to write. But with time, I now know that blogging isn't difficult. For the past three years, I have learned a lot about blogging. I have written articles for various blogs and websites. However, I'm yet to learn more about writing so that I become a better prolific writer.

Becoming a blogger is all about learning how to blog. Blogging isn't difficult as some people may tend to think. Below are four most important blogs that will teach you how to blog and how you can become a better blogger.

1.) Blogtyrant.com

2.) Copyblogger.com

3.) Problogger.net/blog

4.) Bloggingtips.com

If you're starting a freelancing writing business, then Freelancefolder.com blog will greatly help you with advice on how to go about your freelancing writing business.

Any person who is computer literate can now create a blog. You don't have to worry about the technical aspects since there are blogging software such as WordPress and Empower Network that have simplified blogging.

Importance of Blogging

1.) Blogging is Interesting: There is something that you really love doing (your passion). Go ahead and create a blog and start blogging about your passion. Blogging will make you to learn more about your passion. You'll be surprised by the attention you'll be receiving from people.

2.) Proper Usage of Free Time: Blogging isn't a waste of time. If it was a waste of time we could not be having so many blogs currently. Instead of you being idle during most of your free time, you should create a blog and start blogging. This will make you not to question yourself on what you should do to keep yourself busy whenever you have free time.

3.) Inspiring Others: Blogging has made it possible for people to encourage one another despite the fact that they have never met each other. People share problems and support one another. For instance, here is a quote I came across that made me realize how blogging has made it possible for a person to get support from people, "I was having problems with depression and anxiety disorder, and it felt like not blogging about it was creating a false history. When I did finally share the problems I was having, I was shocked -not only by the support that was given to me, but also by the incredible amount of people who admitted they struggled with the same thing."- Jenny Lawson

In fact, I encourage more youths to start blogging in order to inspire other youths who are facing various challenges such as starting a business, running a business, advancing career, unemployment, how to overcome substance abuse etc.

4.) Making Money Online: Start blogging to earn some money online if you haven't found your dream job. There are many opportunities online that you can use your blog to make money. You can start blogging for money by being hired as a blogger. You can use your blog to do affiliate marketing or you can use your blog to sell products to people online.

The opportunities to make money online from a blog are just many. It is upon you to make a decision on how you're going to make money online blogging.

5.) Gaining Exposure and Attracting Prospective Employers: Blogging exposes you as an expert in your field. You'll be recognized as an expert when you share informative information on your blog and also on other blogs that allow guest blogging. Some people will seek your advice while there are those who will refer people to read your articles.

Blogging will also expose your talent, creativity, passion and your dedication. "Blogging is a great way to show your talents and interests to prospective employers, while adding an edge to your resume. If you blog consistently it shows your dedication, passions and creativity-all of which are key attributes employers look for in job candidates."- Lauren Conrad

6.) Blogging Improves Your Writing Skills: When you keep on blogging, with time you become a better writer. You'll learn how to express yourself better. Blogging improves your writing skills and also your skills to communicate with people.

7.) Marketing and Building Relationships with Customers: Blogging is important in marketing. A blog is a marketing tool and marketers should use blogs to inform people about the products they're selling. Marketers should blog informative information about the products they're marketing so that people know how such products are going to be useful to them in solving various problems. Blogging builds better relationships between customers and businesses.

Major Challenge in Blogging

The major challenge that many blog owners (bloggers) are facing is inadequate targeted traffic. Without targeted traffic, a blog will never flourish. When you realize that your blog isn't attracting enough targeted traffic, you shouldn't give up.

It is normal for anyone to feel discouraged due to disappointments but giving up isn't a solution. Giving up is creating another problem of having not found a solution that works effectively. The best you can do instead of giving up is to find out how you'll drive targeted traffic to your blog.

So, why is your blog not receiving targeted traffic? Some of the reasons are as follows:

1.) Your blog is yet to be known since it is still new. It requires exposure.

2.) There is no enough content on your blog to attract people and for the search engines to rank your blog.

3.) The content you have published on your blog isn't of high-quality. Publishing mediocre content on your blog could be the reason why it lacks targeted traffic.

4.) The niche of your blog could be the reason for insufficient targeted traffic. If your blog is targeting a niche that is too competitive or the one that people are not interested in, then your blog will not attract any significant amount of targeted traffic.

5.) You haven't started selling a product that solves a particular problem or you could be selling a product that isn't useful.

6.) You haven't optimized your blog in the search engines. You have not used the search engine optimization techniques to optimize your blog.

7.) You haven't done list building and this has led you not to keep in touch with people who visit your blog. They visit your blog never to visit it again since they forget it.

8.) You have not captured people's attention. Your blog doesn't have content that is interesting for people to read. You haven't used headlines that will capture the attention of people. You haven't also posted videos or pictures that capture people's attention. You're not giving giveaways. People love getting things for free!

9.) Your blog contains many spelling and grammar mistakes. People will not want to go on reading a blog that has posts containing many spelling and grammar mistakes.

10.) Another reason for lack of targeted traffic is ignoring the readers and writing for the search engines. Focusing mainly to optimize your blog in the search engines instead of focusing on your readers will eventually make your readers to stop visiting your blog.

Ten Ways of Increasing Traffic

Driving targeted traffic to your blog is a process that should be continuous. Here are ten ways that you can use to drive targeted traffic to your blog.

1.) Update Your Blog Regularly: You should start updating your blog regularly with fresh content that is unique and informative if you haven't been doing that.

2.) Quality Content and Not Quantity Content: Although you should update your blog with fresh content, it doesn't mean that you should update it with any content for the sake of updating it regularly. High-quality content is important in retaining your existing targeted traffic. Posting high-quality content will make people to visit your blog since they know that they're going to benefit a lot.

3.) Gain Exposure for Your Blog: Use internet marketing techniques that will ensure your blog gains exposure. Some of the internet marketing techniques that you can use include social networking sites, search engine optimization ways, viral marketing, pay per click Ads, Google AdWords etc.

4.) Keep in Touch with Your Audience: You have to do list building. Let the people who are visiting your blog to give you their email addresses willingly. You'll later on contact them so that you remind them to visit your blog.

5.) Attract People's Attention: Capture people's attention so that they can keep on visiting your blog. Use headlines that will capture people's attention to read your blog posts. You should also post videos, infographics and include pictures on your blog posts so that they attract people's attention.

6.) Avoid Spelling and Grammar Mistakes: Proofread your articles. Let someone else read your articles before you publish them on your blog. This is to ensure that your articles don't contain spelling and grammar mistakes.

7.) Engage Your Audience: You need to engage your audience. Ask them questions and let them comment on your blog posts. Reply their comments. This way, your audience will know that you appreciate them and value their opinions. Your audience will trust you and they'll keep on visiting your blog and also refer people to visit your blog.

8.) Allow Guest Blogging: You should invite experts to publish content on your blog. When you allow experts in your field of specialization to do guest blogging, your blog will gain good reputation. People will trust it and this makes your blog to be authoritative.

9.) Quality Products: Selling high-quality products will make people to visit your blog. A word of mouth will spread much faster about your blog if you're selling high-quality product that is solving a particular problem that other products haven't been able to resolve.

10.) Buy Traffic: Buying traffic will at least make people to know your blog. There are many websites that specialize in selling traffic.

When we started our first blog seven years ago with my business partner, we made mistakes. We learned from our mistakes and eventually we figured out a blogging income formula that has kept our sales rolling in each month. Now that we discovered a formula to make money online blogging, we are so passionate to teach others to succeed including you. Today, we are giving you our simple formula for making money online, just click the link and tell us where to send you our blogging income formula.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8065634

Experiential Marketing: The Basics

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

For as long as there have been businesses, there has been marketing. Making use of a range of mediums around, businesses attempt to reach a growing audience, highlight their brand and products and declare that they are the must have. "Buy now, we are the best" is the general (and often subtle) message that is regularly shared.

From radio and television advertising to print and now even today's websites and social media brands use anything and everything they possibly can to communicate their message and the benefits of products and services. The marketing world however has now developed greatly as businesses move beyond simple communication and instead vie for engagement; this is today known as Experiential Marketing.

Experiential marketing does exactly what it says on the tin; attempts to create an experience because after all, an experience is more likely to have a positive impact and get a reaction then the basic communication that we are used to.

You may have seen a few examples during your everyday life, from Sensodyne Toothpastes pop up's around the UK to Blinkbox dropping a giant dragon skull on a Dorset beach to promote the new series of Game of Thrones; good experiential marketing can make a lasting impression and a lasting connection.

For those looking new to experiential marketing or curious as to how to make use of this modern phenomena, below are just a few of the basic facts to keep in mind...

• Event sponsorships were once considered the best kind of experiential marketing but today, brands are now one step closer to building a relationship with their consumers by encouraging real engagement. Participation is now the key to a good strategy.


• Experiential Marketing strategies are designed to achieve an emotional connection however it all depends on the exact type of emotion you want to achieve. From pop ups designed to give insights into the helpful benefits of a product to party venues throughout the UK; with 'live events' experiential marketing can help you make a powerful and lasting impact. Chocolate company Milka created several large bars that had one square missing; those who purchased the incomplete bars where then told that they could have the missing piece either mailed back to them or mailed to a loved one; the right campaign is a fantastic way to present your brand in a memorable manner.


• With the help of social media, marketers can now get a better insight as to what their customers want and need and leverage this. Did you know that a few years ago fans of IKEA had set up a Facebook page "I Wanna Have a Sleepover in IKEA" and how did the brand respond? By inviting fans to do just that! To this day IKEA sleepovers are still quite popular in different areas of the world and work in fantastic favour of the brand. A great place to start with any kind of experiential marketing is to look at what your customers want.


• As with any form of marketing, experience marketing must be made measurable in order to determine real success. Whether it is an email address that a customer has requested more information to be sent to or even customers to fill in a form; once users are engaged and you have achieved an emotional connection they are generally far likely to pass over details and show interest in making a purchase. These details can then be used to contact the potential customer and provide them with what a final nudge in the right direction.

Today's modern day consumers are no longer content with simple communication from brands, they want more and expect more for businesses they can now connect with in an instant and that's where experiential marketing comes in.

Your customers are smarter than ever and thanks to the internet, can connect to a multitude of similar businesses but with a well thought out experiential marketing campaign, you have a far better chance of making a lasting connection and coming out on top against competitors.

Is your business ready to take the next marketing step?

Joe Banevicius is one of the leading team members at design and manufacturing company Scruffy Dog Ltd

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8887418

How Influencers Have Transformed Modern Marketing | Rachel David | TEDxV...