VE Digital

Day: January 28, 2022

  • 9 Helpful Tools for Content Creation

    9 Helpful Tools for Content Creation

    9 Helpful Tools for Content Creation

    As a content creator, it’s important to have tools to help you create effective, high-quality, and engaging content. And honestly, there are tons out there that will work differently on each one, though its functionality will highly depend on how you work. In this post, we will share with you some of our favorite helpful tools for content creation that we regularly use.

    This list may or may not apply to marketers as it is curated for content creators whose goal is to create relevant and helpful content for their respective audiences. 

     

    Helpful Tools for Content Creation

    Tools to Create Relevant Content and Ideation

    Google Trends

    This is a free tool that’s highly useful to keep you in the loop. Google trends give you insights into the current relevant content. It’s a great tool to use for those who want to create content and get quality links and traffic. If you have a blog or an active social media presence and you want to develop content that’s relevant to a specific demographic, this tool is perfect.

    Google Trends can also help you with keywords research and generate content ideas.

     

    9 Helpful Tools for Content Creation

     

    Reddit

    Reddit is an online forum where hundreds of thousands of people flock to learn and discuss more the topics they’re interested in. It’s a minefield of content ideas and all you have to do is dive into its waters. Everything from digital marketing to oil painting to kpop to gardening, name it, it’s there.

    You can use this tool by asking for insights that can help you develop and improve your content.

     

    Ahrefs

    This tool is great for keywords research and developing your content calendar. It’s a paid tool (and a pricey one), although you can make use of its 7-day free trial to try out its features. The Ahrefs Keyword Explorer is also one of the best keyword research tools in the market. If you want to improve your SEO, this is a great tool to use.

     

    Tools for Writing Content

    Grammarly

    When you write your content, you won’t always spot the mistakes you make along the way. Grammarly is a great tool to edit your work and proofread it from spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. You can copy and paste your content directly into the Grammarly site, or you can install its chrome extension so it will have access to everywhere you are making your piece. Super, super helpful, 10/10 – will recommend!

     

    Dynalist

    This is a planning tool that will help you outline and draft your content. It’s also useful for note-taking, formatting your headlines, and organizing your ideas. Dynalist is very helpful when I build my content because it’s where I dump all my ideas for a post. All content creators will understand the importance of having a draft and Dynalist is a great tool to use because of its simple interface and easy-to-use functions.

     

    Helpful Tools for Content Creation

     

    Notion

    A notion is a productivity tool where you can make use of its task management and organization features to manage your personal and professional life. I included this app in this list because it’s also a great tool for writing content. Much like, Evernote, Notion is a few levels above because it does so much more. You can create several pages where you can put in a lot of things including a calendar, to-do lists, and of course, notes upon notes for content generation and ideation.

     

    Tools for Imagery and Graphic Design

    Unsplash

    To make your content more engaging, you’ll need to have images. Unsplash is a media library of thousands of high-quality stock photos you can use for free. Not everyone has the time to take custom photos, so having a stock of license-free images you can use for anything is very helpful.

     

    Canva

    Canva is my ultimate tool for designing visual content, whether it’s for a blog or for social media. It’s a simplified graphic design tool that you can use for free or pay for a premium to access more features. Bonus: it also has a library of photos, graphics, and illustrations you can use!

    Read more about Canva here. 

     

    Google Drive

    The last tool that I’m sure you all know is Google Drive. It’s a cloud storage where you can keep all your files safely and have access to them wherever you are. I don’t know anyone who’s not using this tool, but if you are one of them, you seriously need to so that you can make your life easier.

    Final Thoughts

    And these are all the helpful tools for content creation we love to use on a regular basis. While content creation is a skill that can’t be replaced by any tool, these tools can certainly amp up your pieces and help you gain more insights on how to improve said skill. These tools will be useful to plan and develop your content better and will make your work more efficient.

    Do you have any favorites that aren’t on this list? Let us know!

    For more helpful articles like this, make sure to drop by our blog.

     

  • Podcasts For Content Marketing

    Podcasts For Content Marketing

    Why Podcasts For Content Marketing is Timely

     

    We all know how big podcasting has become recently. You can basically start a podcast in any niche and make money. And we all know that the value of content marketing is huge. So why haven’t you integrated your podcasts for content marketing? This blog article is about helping you make that move. What is podcasting and why should your business be using this in a content marketing strategy?

     

    Podcasts can be a powerful form of content marketing

    If you’re looking for a way to attract more customers, podcasting might just be one of the greatest forms of content marketing.

    For years, podcasts have been steadily growing in popularity. In 2006, only 9% of Americans had listened to a podcast. By 2018, that number jumped to 51%. And with Google’s announcement that it will start indexing podcasts, you can be sure that audience will continue to grow.

    According to a study by Infinite Dial, 67 million Americans are listening to podcasts every month. As a result, more than half of marketers say they plan to include podcasting in their content marketing strategy.

    The interest in podcasts is no surprise. Podcasts are easy to consume and are perfect for today’s on-the-go lifestyle. But what does this mean for your business?

    Podcasts are another useful way to distribute content, but they come with their own unique set of benefits. If you’re looking for a new way to attract customers and generate buzz about your business, starting a podcast might be the solution.

    The beauty of podcasts is that they are easy to repurpose into written or video content. They are an excellent content marketing vehicle because they enable you to build an audience that increases their loyalty to you and promotes your work.

    “The most important thing is to get people who love you and want to hear from you,” Andrew Warner, host of Mixergy, said. “Then it becomes a lot easier for them to refer other people because they think of themselves as part of a community.”

    Podcasts are an effective way to share information about your business, boost SEO, and generate leads. They can also help you build relationships with your audience and promote your brand as an industry leader.

     

    Podcasts For Content Marketing

     

    Why Podcasting Should Be Added To Your Content Marketing Strategy

    Podcasts are an effective marketing tool. You don’t want to miss out on growing your business by not leveraging podcasting so here are the top 5 reasons why you should consider adding podcasting to your content marketing strategy:

    Podcasts are easy to consume.

    People listen to podcasts while they commute, exercise, run errands, cook, or do chores around the house. They can be listened to on a smartphone or tablet with the help of a podcast player app like Instacast or Pocket Casts. They can also be accessed through Spotify and Apple Podcast. This type of content is mobile-friendly and can easily be downloaded for offline listening.

    Podcasts are easy to produce.

    As long as you have a smartphone or a laptop, you can make your own podcast. For example, if you have an Android phone, you can start recording with the Voice Recorder app installed on your smartphone.

    There’s no need for fancy equipment when you start. You just have to press the record button on your voice recording app, maybe edit it a little bit, and upload it on your chosen platform.

    Podcasts create brand awareness and trust in listeners.

    As stated, podcasts are effective in sharing information about your business and this can help because listeners learn more about your company through your show. Because listeners find value in your information whether or not they have opted-in to receive communications from you, they see that your company is credible and trustworthy.

    Podcasts help drive traffic back to your website.

    Podcasts are an effective way to drive traffic back to your website because podcasts are treated by Google as a reliable source of information. If you have a podcast that is regularly published, Google will start listing episodes in search results related to your industry and topic.

    Podcasts can be a source of written content

    With podcasts, you can create transcripts for your episodes and this can be great for your site’s SEO. These transcripts can be repurposed and can be used as blog content.  

    Pros and cons of podcasting as a form of content marketing

    Just like how a coin has two sides, there are also pros and cons when it comes to adding podcasting to your content marketing strategy. Let’s talk about them.

    Podcasting Pros:

    Promotes Your Expertise

    People listen to podcasts for a variety of reasons: They like being entertained, they like learning something new, or they’re taking a trip somewhere but want something interesting to listen to. In other words, podcasts are perfect for the busy entrepreneur who doesn’t have time to read blog posts or attend seminars and conferences that will help promote their expertise in their field.

    Podcasts can do more than entertain. They can establish you as an expert in your field, a resource for people who want to hear your opinion on the news, and even a source of advertising revenue. Telling the world about your expertise on important topics can make you an authority in your industry. By creating a podcast, you can help people with questions that they have and answer questions that people are asking.

    Podcasting gives you a voice. People will listen to what you have to say and what you recommend. They may even find that they love the sound of your voice and want to hear more from you!

    Helps With Brand Awareness

    Podcasting is a great way to build brand awareness. As you publish new content regularly, you’re building a library of content that people can go back and explore to learn more about your business. By providing relevant information, either educational or entertaining, you are able to get your company’s name out there in front of a new audience.

    As podcasting expands your reach, you have the opportunity to expand your audience as well. You can reach more people who are interested in what you have to say and help them learn more about your company and why they should consider using your products or services. The more people know about you the better chance you have of gaining new business from them.

    Increases Community Engagement

    Podcasting encourages engagement.​

    By being a regular podcaster or a podcast guest, you have the opportunity to leverage the audience of the show, along with the social platforms that are promoting the episode. In addition, it gives you an opportunity to share your story and your expertise on a much larger platform. This can result in more exposure for your brand, products, and services.

    Humanizes Your Brand

    Podcasts can humanize your brand. By interviewing guests or just talking about interesting topics in your industry, you can give people a glimpse into the inner workings of your company and show them what working with you is really like. It’s like dropping by someone’s house for coffee – but without the caffeine jitters.

    Great for Lead Generation

    Podcasts are terrific for lead generation because you can use them to offer free content in exchange for contact information. The principle is simple, deliver excellent information that inspires action and capture the contact details of those who want more of it!

    Podcasting Cons:

    There are certain cons when it comes to having a podcast for your business so if you are interested in creating your own show, be aware of these cons.

    • The bandwidth can be a bit costly so prepare to have a budget for this.
    • Sometimes, the ROI can be a little bit difficult to track.
    • When you have limited resources, you’ll find it harder to produce high-quality audio content. You’ll have to invest in good equipment to have a better setup and audio quality.
    • If you lack on having regular creative and compelling content for your episodes, you’ll lose your audience.
    • Lastly, you can’t fake optimism and enthusiasm. When you go into podcasting, make sure you are passionate about what you are talking about.

     

    Final Thoughts

    Content marketing is evolving and moving to other platforms. While videos are currently one of the best ways to draw in new readers and followers, podcasts can also be part of a content creation strategy. Not only are podcasts entertaining and engaging, but the right podcast series can also attract audiences that would be otherwise impossible to reach with any other content medium.

    The truth is, content marketing comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors when it comes to topics. The more diverse or specific your niche content is, the better you are able to attract targeted visitors and the more social activity you’ll get in return. Using a podcast as an element within your content marketing strategy will help you stand out in search engines organically and appear more human as well. Just make sure your podcasts aren’t too promotional-sounding.

     

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  • 7 Social Media Marketing Tips Good for Small Businesses

    7 Social Media Marketing Tips Good for Small Businesses

    7 Social Media Marketing Tips Good for Small Businesses

    It’s no surprise today how social media has impacted the way we connect and interact with each other. Over the years, it has influenced consumers’ actions changing the marketing strategies of businesses. With over 3 billion people having social media accounts, it just makes sense that businesses have also taken up their marketing strategies into these digital platforms. If you are a small business and you are looking to widen your reach, bringing your marketing efforts to social media is the right step to do. In this post, we will talk about social media marketing tips for small businesses. If this perks up your interest, then keep on reading!

    Why Use Social Media for Marketing?

    The power of social media has peaked and now customers rely on what they see and read online before buying anything. Consumers seek out information about a product or service on their favorite social media channels, as well as keep an eye on what the influencers have to say about it. Advertising and marketing your business on social media can boost your company’s reputation and market reach. 

    Social media for small businesses is important, but 2020 has made it essential. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, small business owners have experienced financial hardships. Business owners resolved to create their online presence to reach out to their customers and keep their business afloat. 

    You can use social media to get your brand personality across your audience. You can also get to know your customers better here and answer their questions regarding your products and services while growing your business at the same time.     

    7 Social Media Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

    For a small business with a limited budget and resources, marketing in social media can be a little daunting, but with these tips, we are going to share, this feat shouldn’t have to be. 

    Here are seven tips to help you get started.

    Know your objectives and let them lead you

    What are your top 3 marketing objectives? Evaluate them and find out how social media can aid you in achieving these objectives. Instead of chasing trends, start thinking of social media as a means to help you reach your objectives because if you don’t, you’ll just end up wasting your precious time. Social media is not just a “megaphone” for your business, it can be used as a tool to reach your marketing goals. 

    Know Your Target Audience

    One reason why using social media for small businesses is very effective is that you can micro-target your audience. But before this, you have to know who your target audience is.

    The best thing about social media is that most platforms give you access to your analytics and market data for free. This will help you learn who your customers are and how they behave on social media. Relevant social media metrics enable you to perform audits on your existing social media marketing approach. You can then turn these insights into actionable steps to shape your social media marketing efforts to reach your objectives. 

     

    Social Media Marketing Tips

     

    Decide and Choose the Right Platforms For You

    When you know your target audience, you’ll be able to deduce which social media platforms are the best for your business. This is important so you can direct your marketing efforts and budget to these specific platforms where they will be most effective. Take, for example, if your ideal audience is Gen Z and millennials, TikTok and Instagram will be the best platforms to spend your resources. Don’t forget to factor in the type of business you are running. If you are selling beauty products and clothing, Instagram will be definitely the place for you because they rely heavily on visuals. 

    Share Eye-Catching and Compelling Visuals

    Posting great visuals is a prerequisite now when you venture into the world of social media, and this doesn’t only apply to Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. You should also have high-quality images on all platforms because these visuals influence your followers’ and viewers’ purchasing decisions, especially when your business leans to the fashion industry. If your content does not capture the viewer’s attention, they won’t stop scrolling to read your post. Even tweets benefit from a good graphic. Adding an image or a GIF is the simplest thing you can do so your tweet gets attention. Every business can tell its story through photos and videos, so showcase your brand through appealing visuals.

    It’s Always Quality Over Quantity

    The number of social media platforms can be overwhelming when you are just formulating out your marketing strategy, but keep in mind that quality content is always the key. Focus on your key platforms and create high-quality content that comes through to your audience as authentic and valuable. Social media marketing is all about connecting to your audience and building relationships. Be human, make your posts genuine and honest, and your audience will respond accordingly. 

    Show Appreciation

    Know that social media is not just about you. It is not a monologue where you just talk about yourself and what your company is about. Social media is an opportunity for you to connect with other people and a chance for you to connect with people who have helped and supported you in business. You can use social media to show your thanks and appreciation to these people. You can give them thanks by recognizing their posts, whether liking or sharing them. Your gestures will be appreciated and your audience will continue to support you.

    Schedule Your Content To Have More Time For Engagement

    Create a social content calendar to keep you ahead of the game. You can use publishing tools to schedule your posts, and this will automate your social media work. This will save you so much time that instead of accessing your social media multiple times a day, you’ll only have to check it once a day. By automating your social media posting, you’ll have more time to actually grow and develop your business and focus on your revenue. You can outsource and hire a social media manager if you have the budget to handle these tasks for you. 

    Bonus tip: Track and Refine your Performance

    As you execute your social media marketing strategy, keep track of what and what doesn’t work. Refine your efforts and performance so you can improve the results. Make use of the analytics tools to track the metrics that matter most to you. When you know how your strategy is working, look for more ways to improve. You can make small changes to boost your success gradually. 

    Being a small business doesn’t mean that you are limited to just doing what you are currently doing. Make use of these social media marketing tips to connect better with your audience, reach new potential customers, and increase your brand awareness. It can seem overwhelming at first, but you can always start small. With these tips, you can build your social media marketing efforts over time and grow your business.