Just when you thought you were getting the hang of digital marketing, it feels like everybody around you has started talking about blockchain. Wait a second—isn’t blockchain the technology behind Bitcoin? How on earth does that factor into digital marketing? Quite heavily, as it turns out—or at least, that’s what most experts are predicting will soon be the case. If you’re confused, don’t worry: you aren’t alone. Many digital marketing professionals are as yet uncertain of how blockchain technology will impact their line of work. That’s why we’re here to explain what blockchain is and how it’s probably going to change the nature of your job. Read on, and learn everything you need to know so that you can stay one step ahead of the competition when the time comes.
First of All, What is Blockchain Anyway?
Let’s start with the basics for the uninitiated. Blockchain is a term that gets thrown around with regards to Bitcoin so often that some people might think they’re synonymous. Not so. Blockchain isn’t the same as Bitcoin—as mentioned previously, it’s the technology upon which Bitcoin (and most other cryptocurrencies) are based. Here’s how it works:
Blockchain is basically a way to record transactions digitally. On the basis of that fact alone, you might not think it’s so different from electronic banking or a credit card e-statement, but wait—there’s more. Unlike other forms of digital recordkeeping, blockchain technology does not keep information in a centralized location such as a database hosted on a server bank. Instead, blockchain creates multiple copies of the record whenever it is updated and distributes those copies to numerous devices on a worldwide network.
What’s the advantage there? Simple: it’s all about security. Information kept on a single server can be compromised if you know where that server is and how to hack it. However, with blockchain technology, any false record or fraudulent activity can be identified by comparing the compromised information with the other existing copies. Since these copies are all stored on different devices in a massive network, it’s practically impossible to get them all.
How Does Marketing Relate to All This?
Here’s the takeaway for digital marketers: because blockchain offers security by verifying transaction details, it’s important for the cryptocurrencies that use it to safeguard the personal data of their users. As such, most cryptos (Bitcoin included) offer partial anonymity: you might have to create a Bitcoin address to use Bitcoin, but you don’t actually have to register it with your legal name or where you live. Because of this, transactions that use blockchain technology are practically always anonymous. When consumers are buying products and paying for services anonymously, marketers can’t analyze their shopping behavior to improve campaigns.
Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: just buy personal data directly from your existing customers. Start an opt-in program where you offer rewards or direct cash compensation in exchange for information you can use to create accurate buyer profiles. Don’t worry about the higher costs associated with buying data directly from your consumers, either—after all, you’ll be getting information from people who are already enthusiastic about your business, so the results will be much more valuable than the generic data marketers currently get from social media platforms.
Understanding the power blockchain has to change digital marketing will help you stay effective when cryptocurrencies become a normal way to pay for goods and services. If you’re going to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment (and there are many reasons why you should consider doing so), learning how to collect marketing data differently will be an essential part of your company’s continued success.
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A Comprehensive Guide to Mobile Apps Marketing and SEO
For mobile apps developers, the competition is fierce in getting noticed on app marketplaces. Properly optimizing and promoting your app within Apple’s App Store, Google Play Store, Amazon and others are only one part of the task. Creating a strong web and social media presence for an app goes a long way to ensuring its future.
If you’re a mobile apps developer actively trying to promote an app, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and App Store Optimization (ASO) should definitely be a pillar of your strategy. Here are some surefire tips to getting your app noticed in all the right ways.
While there are ways to boost the success of your existing mobile app, the best time to seek success on app stores is well before launch.
Selecting the right name for your app goes a long way in cementing good branding. Make sure you pick a name that sticks in people’s minds as this will help you stand out from competitors. As you grow, you will also begin to see your App and website rise in rankings as its attached to your branding when users search for your app by title.
Selecting the right keywords to target with your SEO and ASO is also important. Trying to keep them in line with each other will make things easier in the long run. Make sure you go after keywords specific to your app, not just large volume, as doing so will hurt your app if users reject it. ASO is even more dependent on user retention than SEO is, and if you start losing interest it will be hard to regain.
Utilize Web Presence Effectively
If you have a website for your development team or app, make sure to create a page that focuses on your end goals. Your main mission is to get as many app downloads and new users as possible, so create a landing page focusing on that goal specifically. Show download links, screenshots, testimonials – everything to get the user interested in your app.
There’s also the chance you may not be using websites outside of your own either. Many app review sites and directories allow you to submit your app to help get noticed. A quick Google search for app review sites + your niche can yield a few new places to turn to for exposure. Reaching out to influencers in your space can also yield crucial SEO backlinks and put you in front of new potential users.
Gauge Your Competition & React to Match It
The first step to outranking your competition is to understand them. You can calculate how much effort you need to outrank a competing app in your category by analyzing app store charts.
By utilizing a mobile app analytics service for your app, you can identify the gap between your current placement and where you’d like to be. From there, it’s just a matter of how much effort you want to put in, either paid ads or promotion effort to reach there. Once you’ve noticed a swell in rankings, organically let your app find its placement. From there, you can schedule when to create another push effort to rise even higher the next time.
As the mobile smartphone industry continues to advance, the chances for your app to become a utility for a new wave of users grows as well. Optimizing your mobile app for popular marketplaces is a key to getting you there.
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Every year we see wondrous new things across all social media platforms. In fact, stunning new developments seem to be a requirement if you want to be a player in the social media site game. This high tech, low contact form of interaction has been around long enough and has become widespread enough that it has managed to become an integral part of not only social aspects of the lives of its users but the business aspect as well. Whether you are hoping your make-up tutorials get you discovered, your DIY holiday centerpiece gets over 1000 likes, or to increase revenue for your business, social media has quickly become the cornerstone of accomplishing… well, almost anything.
Instagram has now reached over 800,000 users and that number is on the rise. Bloggers and vloggers from the far corners of the Earth seem to have settled on Instagram as THE app to use to promote your business, your YouTube channel, your micro-company, and just about anything else you can imagine. The influencers are flocking to Instagram. If you are interested in the new and upcoming social media trends that we are going to see from Instagramming 2018, pause that Snapchat story, ignore that post from David Avocado Wolfe on your news feed, and read on.
Instagram Stories
This popular Instagram feature is only about a year old. Its immediate rise to popularity is indicative of an upward trend in video content. Instagram stories will continue to be refined and video content and quality will continually improve. The story feature is already being utilized by several niche markets and, as a result, companies are going to want to partner with influencers who are comfortable reaching out to their market in this way. The site’s algorithms are even being redone to include videos receiving more updates and thereby becoming the more promoted posts. In order to receive higher engagement rates, companies will have to get comfortable in front of the camera if they want to stay competitive on social media platforms.
Sandwiching
According to an article on digiday.com, sandwiching is “strategically placing promoted posts between imagery forecasted to have high rates of engagement, based on existing data.” Influencers accomplish this by taking a post and publishing it in between two posts that they know from experience will have high engagement, such as a post for a contest and a post for a giveaway. This new trend comes on the heels of the new algorithm that Instagram has implemented, which left a lot of brand owners wondering why so many of their posts were suddenly receiving such low engagement. While this current attempt to beat the system has proven successful, Instagram surely has lots of other nooks and crannies where future surprises are hiding.
Shopping
Since late in 2016, it has been possible to shop directly from within the Instagram app itself through a feature known as “shoppable photos”. This capability was limited, however, as the shoppable feature was only used by certain brands.The feature went through extensive testing by Shopify throughout 2017 and in 2018 this feature is really expected to take off, with only a few minor limitations this time. Merchants can only sell physical products like food, clothes, books, toys, art, stationery, and electronics. There is a limit of five tagged items total in new and old posts combined.
It’s a smart bet that these three trends will not be the only ones you see blow up on Instagram in 2018, but these are definitely they three you will need to know about in order to increase your brand recognition and drive your company’s sales upward. With all of these brand new app innovations, cell phone companies are developing increasingly higher tech phones in order to keep up with the current market. Given the right combination of cell phone capability and social media know how any aspect of any business will soon be able to be accomplished from anywhere.
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Instagram provides excellent digital marketing opportunities, and many small businesses use it to raise awareness of their products and services. That said, Instagram marketing can be an extremely competitive space, especially during major shopping seasons. If you want to stand out from your competition on Instagram during the holidays this year, you might want to brush up on your knowledge of how to use the app as a promotional tool. We have some tips that can help you begin.
Put a Holiday Theme in Your Profile
Your Instagram profile is somewhat akin to the homepage on your website—it’s the first screen users will see when they click on your name, just like your homepage is (usually) the first screen they’ll see if they click on a link to your site. Would you change your website to reflect a seasonal trend? Probably, so you should do the same thing for your profile. Try updating your bio with a brief holiday message, like this.
Run Smart Holiday Instagram Ads
Instagram provides excellent digital marketing opportunities, and many small businesses use it to raise awareness of their products and services. That said, Instagram marketing can be an extremely competitive space, especially during major shopping seasons. If you want to stand out from your competition on Instagram during the holidays this year, you might want to brush up on your knowledge of how to use the app as a promotional tool. We have some tips that can help you begin.
Ads are a pretty new feature on Instagram, so a lot of people are still figuring out how to make the most of them. You can beat them to the (holiday) punch by being clever about the ads you place. Instagram ads are partnered with Facebook ads, but it’s a mistake to forget that these are separate platforms requiring different approaches. Consider using ad formats that perform especially well on Instagram specifically, like carousel ads and videos. Engagement for video posts on Instagram has risen by 53% in the last year alone, beating the growth rate for photo engagement. Just make sure that you have the available capital to place an ad that will reach a substantial audience… and remember to put some holiday content in your videos—maybe a carol or two?
Connect with Influencers who Thrive During the Holidays
Influencer marketing remains one of the most effective ways to reach Instagram users. The most successful profiles on Instagram aren’t businesses—they’re individual influencers and celebrities. Still, a lot of businesses waste time trying to figure out how they can convince an influencer to plug their products or services when the answer should be obvious: just hire them. Since influencers can often achieve up to 16 times more engagement than paid media, hiring one normally proves cost-effective in the long run.
Some Instagram-based holiday marketing strategies are easy and inexpensive, but most require a certain investment of capital as well as time. To make sure you can afford to overhaul your Instagram for the holidays, look at practical short-term borrowing options. Taking out a working capital loan to fund your next ad campaign can be a smart choice, especially since the average consumer spent nearly $1000 extra last season. The more eager shoppers you net with your marketing this year, the easier it will be to pay off debts and collect substantial profits.
Social media has provided small businesses with many versatile options for digital marketing during the holidays. Whether you make small adjustments to your profile or invest in major campaigns through ads and influencers, this time of year represents an opportunity you won’t want to miss.
Nick Rojas is a business consultant and journalist who lives in Chicago and his hometown Los Angeles with his wife. His work often discusses social media, marketing, and branding in regards to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
