Author: hello@ve.digital

  • 8 Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail

    8 Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail

    Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail

    Digital marketing is a broad terminology as it includes a lot of subtopics for all of the online marketing efforts out there. Today, businesses take advantage of all digital channels to market their company, such as social media, search engines, emails, online advertisements, and websites.

    Digital marketing strategies are formed to fulfill goals and this is one of the best ways to grow a business, especially when you are looking to widen your audience. The problem is having a digital marketing strategy is not a guarantee for success.

    There are reasons why most digital marketing strategies fail and in this article, we’re sharing 8 reasons why.

     

    8 Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail

     

    Inconsistent Branding

    Your branding is your business’ identity, it is the heart of all your marketing, advertising, and messaging materials, and this is why consistency is of the essence.

    Your branding is what will make people recognize and identify you. On a superficial level, it’s what your logo looks like, it’s your company colors and other visual features. Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail On a deeper level though, your branding will correlate to your core values, your voice, and how your company differs from your competitors. All of these things will be what goes through your message, so having inconsistent branding will hurt you more than you could imagine.

    Lack of a Coherent Vision Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail

    Another reason why some digital marketing strategies fail is because of a lack of a coherent vision. A digital marketing strategy is a set of ideas and directives that are designed to help you achieve your business goals. In your strategy, you’ll be using different tactics such as SEO, content marketing, email marketing, and the like. More often, some marketers only focus on tactics – working only to bring new customers to the brand and not at all looking at the bigger picture. With the lack of a foundation to tie up all those marketing tactics, there’s a big possibility of failure.

     

    Cheap and/or Spammy Tactics Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail

    To get fast results cheaply, some marketers opt to invest in spammy and/or cheap marketing schemes. Some resort to buying spammy backlinks to possibly improve their domain authority or buy an email list to send as many marketing emails. These tactics can work in the short term as they provide gratifying results initially. However, these tactics never work out in the long term. Eventually, your business may incur penalties from Google or get blacklisted by email service providers. It’s best to stay away from these things.

     

    Investing Too Much Too Early

    Digital marketing will always require you to measure and evaluate your key performance indicators and then adapt to what’s going to improve your performance. The more you spend time studying your marketing strategy and analyzing your results, the more you’ll know about your audience, your competition, and your brand itself. Gathering these pieces of information will then make you more knowledgeable to invest your money in a better and more efficient marketing tactic.

    In digital marketing, investing in strategies for your business will gradually increase over time. If you invest too much at an early stage in a strategy that’s not yet proven to work, you’ll probably just end up losing money when that tactic won’t work for you.

     

    Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail

     

    Not Investing Enough 

    Similarly, some digital marketings reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail are because of the lack of investment to make a strategy work. Some strategies require more money to get quality results, say for example a $1000 website is going to be a lot more functional and cost-effective than just settling for a $100 one. Some strategies, like social media marketing and SEO, take time to develop. So if you are not willing to invest in it in the long run and just opt to spend money for a month, you won’t be getting the results you want.

    Investing too much can be a problem, but so is not investing enough.

     

    Not Focusing on Your Customers

    One of the reasons why digital marketing strategies fail is when you focus more on your product rather than focusing more on what your customers want.

    Connect with your customers and stay in touch with them. Find out their needs and pain points, and find a way how you can help them with that thru your business. You have to understand that your purpose is to serve your audience and that to craft an effective digital marketing message and effort, you’ll have to know and understand your customers.

     

    Refusing to Adapt & Not Following Trends

    Change is constant – even with marketing strategies. You always have to learn from the past, study your strategies and your competition, and adapt to new techs and approaches to better your work. Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail Trends are ever-changing and if you refuse to adapt, then you’re going to fall behind the race.

    Lack of Measurement

    Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail If you are in the business of digital marketing, you should know how metrics and analytics play a vital role in your strategy. Without measuring, you’re just like throwing your ball careless not knowing where the basket is. You’re giving all your effort not even knowing if your shots are landing. This is another reason why most digital marketing strategies fail. Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail and Reasons Why Most Digital Marketing Strategies Fail

    If you want your strategies to work, you have to study those metrics and measure everything. How much money are you spending every month? How many people are you reaching? Are your engagements doing well? How are your follower count and views? Measure, measure, measure!

     

    There’s no one-size-fits-all in digital marketing. It is a continuous journey and it can be a little tricky to pull off effectively. It’s not rocket science, but it does take careful planning. Don’t fall into these common pitfalls and always keep your eye out for the important things. 

    If you have any digital marketing needs, our contact page is open for inquiries!

  • Top 5 Tips for Video Marketing

    Top 5 Tips for Video Marketing

    Top 5 Tips for Video Marketing

    By now, it’s clear that videos are an essential form of media for marketers. One proven way of boosting traffic to your website and increase conversions is to create a good video marketing strategy.  Now, creating video content for marketing can be daunting if you’ve never done it before. And although it may seem that achieving video marketing success is expensive and hard to do, it doesn’t have to be if the results are worth it. All you need is a brilliant strategy to start your journey. In this post, we will talk all about video marketing and we will give you tips for video marketing that works!

    What is Video Marketing?

    Video Marketing is a type of video you make and post on social media to grow your business. Usually, video marketing contents are posted to YouTube but nowadays, you can see this kind of marketing anywhere including Facebook, Instagram, and even Twitter. 

    Developing a Strategy

    In video marketing, you can post your content on any platform. The question here is how do you develop a reusable video content strategy template that’s guaranteed to be successful? Making videos without a specific purpose is like making a cake minus the flour – it will be a disaster. 

    Here are five simple steps you can keep in mind as your video content strategy:

    1. Define your purpose

    Test your brand and know what makes you different from your competitors. What attracts your customers to you? What are your business’s core values? You need to figure out how your content will fit with your values and what will make it resonate with your clients. What problems are you solving and how do you solve them? When your purpose and goals are defined, it will be easier to plan content and create them. 

    2. Know your audience

    You must find where your audience is. Are they on Facebook? Instagram? Twitter? Snapchat? Upload your videos where your people are, not where they’re not. Spend time to define your target audience and learn about their behavior. This will save you time.

     

    Top 5 Tips for Video Marketing

     

    3. Know your competition

    Learn what your competition is up to. Do a video content audit and find out if you are missing out on anything. Compare what you have with your competition’s video content. What are they not doing, or not doing well? You’ll be surprised at how much you’re going to learn from your competitors.

     

    4. Create your Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

    This is a marketing short-speak for creating an outline of what makes your brand special. UVP is a statement that best describes how beneficial your offer is for your customers and what differentiates you from the competition. In creating your video UVP, these are the things you should include:

    • Topics to cover
    • Style and Tone
    • Delivery of your Content

    5. Build a Plan

    Create your plan by breaking it down into a content marketing funnel. Include some specifics on what your content will do, such as:

    • How will this content appeal to the audience?
    • Where does the content fit into the buyer’s journey?
    • How and where should this content be delivered, used, and repurposed?

    Five Video Marketing Tips You Should Know

    Content creators are oftentimes disappointed when their efforts in making videos do not pay off. What if the video doesn’t appear in search engines? What if it doesn’t get enough views? 

    You’ve already learned about video content strategy. It’s time to learn about the most important tips for you to succeed in this endeavor. Here are our top five video marketing tips to increase your traffic and conversions!

    Create Quality Content

    In making a video, one must keep in mind the importance of having quality content. A great video has a great story. The best video content tells stories that connect with the viewers. The better the story-telling, the easier it is for your viewers to understand your offers and how your company is beneficial for them. Center your video around a story and not the sale. Concentrate on the value you’re providing for your consumers and the sale will follow. 

    Use the First 10 Seconds Wisely

    Your amazing three-minute video will be for naught if the first few seconds won’t hook your audience. Did you know that a typical internet user’s average attention span is now just 8.5 seconds? To entice your viewers to watch the whole of your video, you need to create a hook at the beginning. The first ten seconds of your video should answer the question: “Why should I watch it?”. Don’t forget to put a great thumbnail for your video!

    Optimize your Video for SEO

    Strategize and take time to optimize your video marketing for SEO. What keywords do you want your video to rank high for? Include those keywords in your title, description, and tags. Give your video a unique title and a fleshed-out description so that google’s search spiders can make sense of your video and understand the content it entails. Google owns YouTube, so this search engine gives a lot of authority to YouTube videos in their organic search results. 

    Create a strong call-to-action (CTA)

    For marketing videos, always include CTAs. A call-to-action doesn’t always have to lead your viewers to sign-up or purchase, a video’s CTA can be as simple as:

    • Subscribing to your channel
    • Liking your video
    • Sharing the video to their friends
    • Commenting on your video

    Most marketers place their CTAs at the end of the video, but it doesn’t mean that this is the only way you can do it. Experiment with your videos by putting the CTA at the start, at the middle, or the end, and determine which one gets the highest conversion rate.

    Another tip is you can include a link to your website in the description box so people can go to your site by clicking on this link.

    • Upload your videos to YouTube and other platforms
    • Post your videos where your potential customers consume video content, whether it be on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or others. 

    If you haven’t thought about video marketing, now’s the time to consider it. With today’s generation being very reliant on the internet, this rich form of media with help your business gain exposure and help you get more reach. 

    Are you seeking help to get you started with your video marketing journey? We have a team dedicated just for that. Inquire with us today!

  • 9 Benefits of Having a Website For Your Business

    9 Benefits of Having a Website For Your Business

    9 Benefits of Having a Website For Your Business

    If you are a business owner, big or small, who doesn’t have a website yet, this is the sign for you to make one. In this post today, we will be talking about why you should have a website for your business and the many benefits it gives you.

    Today, it’s crucial to have a website for your business, it’s like having a shop or a telephone number on display for people to call you and reach out to you. Having a website will give you a platform to display all of what your company is about. It’s a platform enough to accommodate all the information about your business unlike having only social media which is very limiting.

    Research says that 97% of consumers go online to find a local business and so if you want to reach those potential customers, you need to have an online presence – that means you need a website.

     

    Why You Should Have a Website for your Business

    It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, if you want to keep up with the progressive times, a website is necessary. If you’re still not convinced, here are four reasons why you should have an accessible and well-developed site.

    30% of Consumers Won’t Consider a Business Without a Website

    As we now live in a digital age, your website will be your storefront, your top marketing asset. Did you know that Americans spend an average of 5.4 hours on their phones daily and check it about 63 times a day? By this time, consumers expect that businesses have an online presence and view those who do not have as less professional and they’ll be less likely to trust them.

    People Will Search for You Online

    A big reason why companies invest in having a website is that the online world is where their consumers are. When people need something, they search it up online. Consumers will search for local businesses to read up about them, know about their products or services, or look for their contact information. And if you don’t have a website or any online presence, they wouldn’t be contacting you any sooner.

    You Can Address FAQ’s Here

    When you have a business, there will always be Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) from new customers. Having a website will allow you to have a place to address all of them so you won’t have to answer them repeatedly. People visiting your website will appreciate the instant gratification they’ll feel when they find the answers to their questions right away.

    Social Media Reach Is Diminishing

    So you have a Facebook Page, a Twitter account, and an Instagram profile. You think you don’t need a website anymore, right? Wrong. Every other business around you has that, too. What will set you apart is by having a website that will strengthen your branding and your authority in your field. You will need a website aside from having all those social media platforms. While your social media can help your company grow, it wouldn’t be wise to depend on it being your only marketing channel. 

     

    Benefits of Having a Website For Your Business

     

    Benefits of Having a Website For Your Business

    You Have a 24/7 Online Presence

    When you have a website for your business, your customers will always find you anytime and anywhere. You’ll be able to conduct business even outside business hours and your customers will have the comfort of accessing your company’s information at the comfort of their homes without being pressured to buy. In addition, as most businesses already have a site of their own, being offline will mean that you are losing potential customers to your competition.

    It Strengthens Your Credibility

    Having a website for your business makes you look even more professional and reputable than only having social media profiles. Today’s buyers are distrusting any business that doesn’t have a telephone number or an email address. These are crucial information about your business and having a quality website that’s equally easy to use will make your customers feel more comfortable engaging with you and using your services.

    Your website is also the perfect place to show off any professional certifications or awards your business has.

    You Have a Platform To Showcase Your Products and Services

    With a website of your own, you will have a special place to show off everything your business has to offer. You can show your potential customers what they can expect with your business by displaying high-quality images of your products and services. Having a well-design website will give viewers a sense of what it feels like to enter your physical store.

    You can publish specific details and information about each of your products and services so you can attract the right customers.

    You Can Use Your Website To Attract New Customers Through Google

    Having a website will mean that you are making your business visible on Google. As mentioned earlier, people search for services and products they need, and what’s the number one search engine everybody uses? Google.

    That’s why aside from having a well-designed website, it should also be SEO-optimized so that your business will rank on Google on your targeted keywords. There are various free SEO tools you can use to achieve this.

    You Can Display Your Previous Client’s Reviews and Testimonials

    Another benefit of having a website for your business is that you can display your best testimonials and reviews from past customers who were satisfied with your service. This is a great way to establish social proof. You can also display other milestones like being featured in articles from popular blogs and newspapers.

    It Can Encourage Customers to Contact You

    Your website will contain your contact information and display it so that it will be easily visible to your potential customers. Having a website will make it easier for your customers to find you and contact you with ease.

    Having a Website For Your Business is Cost-Effective

    You may think that building a website is expensive but I disagree. Yes, it will have an operating cost but with all the resources available today, it has become more affordable, and it will have returns that will be beneficial for you and your business in the long run. Investing in a well-built website for your business is cost-effective when you think about the gains that you will get from it.

    Customer Service is Easier and Available

    Your website will provide you an easier way to handle customer service. With a FAQ page in place, you’ll reduce time and money, and you can provide more information for your customers. You can also arrange for instant replies to your customers that will save time and encourage positive customer relations in the long run.

    There is a Growth Opportunity

    Every business owner dreams of growing their venture and taking it the next step further. With a website at hand, it has the potential to provide more growth paths. It can be shown to future investors who want to know more about your company, what it was done, and what it can still achieve in the future. Simply said, your website will be a sort of archive that will keep your business transactions and data for future use.

     

    Do You Really Need A Website?

    Yes. Yes, you do. Hopefully, after reading this article, you are now convinced that your business needs a website to thrive in this digital world. But how can you have one? There are certainly many ways. You can opt to DIY. There are so many tutorials and resources to be found online. If you have the time to make your research and do the technical stuff yourself, I am sure you will enjoy the process. But there is an easier way – and we can help!

    VE Digital specializes in web development and web design. If you need help setting up your website, get in touch with us today!

  • 7 Signs Your Company Needs to Hire a Good Digital Marketing Agency

    7 Signs Your Company Needs to Hire a Good Digital Marketing Agency

    Hire a Good Digital Marketing Agency

    Looking for signs your company needs to hire good digital marketing agency? Read up!

    Running a business, big or small, is tough and can be very challenging. When you start out, you’ll be managing the basic operations, finances, employee supervision, growing your business, and on top of that, you’ll also need to do marketing, both online and offline. With all of these on your plate, you’ll soon be overwhelmed and burnt out trying to juggle so many roles. hire good digital marketing agency

    Outsourcing a big role can be a huge step and there will be concerns about working with a digital marketing agency.

    If you are torn between hiring a digital marketing agency to help you out with your online presence and digital marketing strategy and just sticking with your in-house marketing team, here are some signs you need to know that your company is indeed in need of a digital marketing agency to work with.

     

    7 Signs Your Company Needs to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency

    You’re wearing too many hats. hire good digital marketing agency

    Having too many interests is great, but doing everything by yourself can end up in a disaster. Juggling social media, web updates, content creation, visual media management, email marketing, lead generation, and other important business priorities will make you spread yourself too thin. It’s better to stick to what you’re good at and delegate other things to those who are more qualified. Focus on your strengths and reach out to digital marketing agencies to help you with your shortcomings.

     

    Your website hasn’t been updated in two years or more.

    If your website has been stagnant for a year or two, you’ll want to do a major re-vamping or even make a new website if you want to stay competitive. Search engines like Google now prefer websites that are mobile-friendly. Having a mobile-responsive website means your website scales to fit tablets, phones, and desktop screens and provide a seamless user experience across all devices that your audience might be using. If your website is not responsive, you will not only lose viewers but also a potential high Google ranking.

     

    Your content is outdated and your traffic is declining.

    If your website hasn’t been updated in the last two years or so, and/or if your traffic has been decreasing, this is a sign that your digital marketing isn’t as strong as you thought it was. In digital marketing, your website is your base. It’s where your leads should go and take actions that turn them into prospects and actual customers.

    If your content is outdated, not only will your viewers lose interest, it can also hurt your Google rankings. So aside from having a mobile-responsive website, you also need to keep on updating it with fresh content.

    If you find your website not working for your goals anymore, it’s a sign your company needs to hire a digital marketing agency. Having an experienced digital marketing team working for you can help optimize your brand’s marketing and help your website and business grow.

     

    You’ve seen a decline in your sales or leads. hire good digital marketing agency

    Have your sales dropped? Or maybe your leads? If you’ve noticed this trend in your business, it might be high time to hire a digital marketing agency to help you out. Hiring a digital marketing agency will help you develop an inbound marketing strategy to allow you to reach your target audience with actual content that they want to see.

     

    Hire a Good Digital Marketing Agency

     

    You’re struggling to stay current on your social media platforms.

    Social media is a vital part of your digital marketing strategy and if you are struggling to get more followers and engagement on your socials, it might be because there’s something you’re not doing right.

    Successful social media campaigns rely on compelling, unique, and fresh content ideas that interest your audiences and potential buyers. hire good digital marketing agency With better content, you’ll have more traffic, engagements, and leads.

    If you’re struggling with your social media presence and you don’t know how to fix it, it’s a sign to get a digital marketing agency to work with you.

     

    You don’t know what key analytics are. hire good digital marketing agency

    As a business owner, metrics and analytics should be a priority because this is how you measure how much you’ve improved. If you don’t measure your website analytics and your social media engagements, you are failing to note what your audiences are interested in. Digital marketers test, track, and analyze their implemented strategies to help them determine which works and which does not.

    If you are not tracking your site metrics and are not looking at how leads find you regularly, it’s a sign your company needs to hire a digital marketing agency to help you with the analytics aspect.

    Your in-house team lacks digital marketing skills.

    You might be an expert when comes to running your company and making your products. However, digital marketing is a different skill set to learn, and while it’s great to learn its many tips and tricks so that you can do it by yourself, you’ll be investing more time and effort in it rather than focusing on what you’re really good at. hire good digital marketing agency With that said, it’s a smart move to look for and hire professionals in this field for efficiency.

    Read: 5 Reasons Why You Should Work With A Digital Marketing Agency 

     

    Now that you know the signs your company needs to hire a digital marketing agency, you’ll be able to determine if these are applicable to you. Once you’ve determined that you need to hire a digital marketing agency, the next step is to find the right one that can work with your goals in mind and help support you to achieve them.

    Ask them the right questions and get to know their experiences, strengths, and processes.

    VE Digital is a digital marketing agency that specializes in web design and development. For your digital marketing needs, you can contact us today.

  • Facebook Marketing Tips for your Small Business

    Facebook Marketing Tips for your Small Business

    Facebook Marketing Tips for your Small Business

    Facebook is one of the most powerful social media networking sites today, and using it to market your business is a decision any marketers will approve. As Facebook has become one of the leading advertising platforms in social media marketing, it’s becoming more challenging to rise in it, especially when you don’t have the biggest budget as bigger advertisers do. But don’t let this discourage you from taking action to improve your efforts. Here are useful and effective Facebook marketing tips for your small business.

    Make Your Cover Photo Pop

    When people land on your Facebook page through redirects or links, you have the chance to wow them at first glance. Your cover photo is the first thing that viewers will see – it the best marketing tool you have and it’s free! 

    Connect your brand story, services, and unique selling point on your cover photo. Utilize that space smartly and tell an intriguing story that will wow your audience.

    Post with Intention

    Small businesses need to be more mindful when it comes to communicating with their audiences. Today, we cannot just simply post anything we like on Facebook and hope that everyone will see it. We need to compose messages with intentions and then decide if this post should be boosted with a budget. Use the Facebook Insight tool to determine a good posting rhythm and a mix of content that works well with your audience.

    Go On Lives

    Facebook lives and lives from other platforms enable you to come to an almost face-to-face interaction with your audience. If you are looking to connect with your fans and followers, Facebook Lives can get you results. This can also boost your engagement! 

    Plan and choose a subject to focus on in advance for your live broadcast. Make your title as attractive as possible because this is what people will see in their notification boxes once you go live. Make sure your audio setup is great and that you end your life with a call-to-action.

    Here are some ways you can engage with your audience by using Facebook Live:

    • A look through your company’s behind-the-scenes. Take your audience t an adventure to discover how your brand comes to life. Take them to your office, store, or anywhere related to your business.
    • A live Q&A session is a good idea. You can answer anything your followers ask you in this broadcast. You can even ask for questions before the broadcast goes live.
    • A how-to video can be very helpful and insightful to further engage with your fans and let them crave for more of your content.

    Join in Facebook Groups Related to your Brand

    Aside from Linkedin, you can also do business networking online via Facebook groups. There are countless Facebook groups in different industries, professions, and interests. To join these groups, you can use your account or your business page account. Engage in the conversations in these groups. The more your name is recognized, the more you will be recognized as an industry leader and authority. Be careful not to come across as a hard-seller in your discussions, this is the biggest turn-off to your potential customers.

    Facebook Marketing Tips for your Small Business

     

    Create Your Own Group

    When you can’t find the ideal group that you are looking for, you can create your own. This group will allow your members to exchange valuable information related to your industry and business. You can publish useful articles and create discussions among your group. However, don’t use this group for promotional purposes, otherwise, people will get discouraged and wouldn’t want to interact with your hard-selling.

    Update your Facebook Story

    Using the story feature on Facebook makes your business page more casual and more friendly. The content in these stories does not necessarily have to be about company news. They can be fun photos and questions that can generate engagement from your followers. Post stories that can attract your followers to click through and view your profile.

    Use Your Facebook Page to Improve Customer Service

    Social media is a great tool to connect and engage with your target market. A small business’s relationship with its customers is everything and using Facebook to deal with this will be very helpful. Customers expect an immediate response to their inquiries and this platform is ideal to reply to those queries almost instantly without having the use of bots. This will garner positive reviews from your customers.

    Put Your Business on Facebook’s Maps

    If your business has a physical location, this feature becomes very useful. Your customers can opt to “check-in” at your store and post it on their timelines. This will display your shop’s location and Facebook business page. Encourage your customers to tag you on their photos by offering them discounts or points every time they visit. This can increase the visibility of your brand towards potential customers that are friends and acquaintances of your existing customers. 

     

    Facebook is more powerful than you think. Marketing in this platform will guarantee improvements in awareness, engagement, and lead generation when you know how to target specifics. Keep your audience in mind when creating content and using these tips. After all, it is them you are looking to attract and persuade. 

  • 7 Easy Habits to Improve Productivity

    7 Easy Habits to Improve Productivity

    7 Easy Habits to Improve Productivity

    Wanting to be more productive at your work? Continue reading because we have seven tips to easily improve productivity!

    Gone are the days when the only distraction from work is a ringing landline or another person trying to get you in on the latest gossip. In our modern world today, distractions are everywhere. There’s that familiar ping of notifications on your phone that’s either a new Twitter interaction or a new email, or both. There’s that intriguing new series on Netflix calling your name to binge-watch it or a new video from that famous vlogger you’re following.

    Lately, being focused on work and staying focused is a challenge. Here are 7 easy habits you can incorporate into your daily life to develop and increase your sense of productivity.

     

    7 Easy Habits to Improve Productivity

     

    Start the day on a positive note.

    How you begin your day will mostly set the tone for the rest of your day, so it’s best to start it on a positive note. Right when you wake up, think up of happy thoughts. Dedicate about 10 minutes to get your mind working before diving into work mode if that’s what you’ve been doing in the past.

    You could get yourself a cup of coffee, read a chapter of a book, meditate, do yoga, play with your pets, or even do your hobbies like knitting or drawing. Do things that will likely put you in a good mood. This way, you’ll set up the whole tone of your workday because you have conditioned your mind to be at ease and happy.

    Avoid and minimize distractions.

    What distracts us most these days is the internet and social media. Deny it however you can, it’s the truth. What’s more distracting is when your phone is constantly pinging with endless notifications. To avoid these distractions, it’s best to turn off your notifs or put your phone in silent when you are working. You can use Pomodoro apps to help you with this like Forest and the like. This will help you stay focused on your tasks and once you’re done, you can then reward yourself to check your notifications.

     

    7 Easy Habits to Improve Productivity

     

    Do the hardest tasks first.

    Putting off something that’s hard and challenging for us to do is easy and tempting. This is exactly what we should avoid because it will just end with us procrastinating and doing the work poorly just to meet the deadline. Instead of procrastinating, doing the hardest tasks will improve your work productivity. You can do a better job on it, too, as you won’t have time constraints.

    Finishing up the hardest take on your to-do list will free up more mental energy so you can do more engaging tasks, and will be a lot less stressful at the end of day.

    Take Breaks From Work.

    This tip will seem counterintuitive when you are trying to be more productive, but taking a few breaks from work is essential. Nobody can work eight hours straight with the same energy and vigor without stretching or taking water and bathroom breaks. Working without breaks is just a recipe for burnout. Treat yourself like a phone battery that needs to be recharged when the juice is already spent.

    Eat your lunch away from your desk, take a walk to move around, stretch, and get your blood flowing. Doing these things will help refresh your mind and will improve your creativity.

    Stay hydrated and eat, eat, eat.

    Always have a tumbler or a glass of water beside you so you can keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Avoid getting dehydrated because this will negatively impact your cognitive function, brain performance, and energy levels. You can also munch on fruits and vegetables that have a high water content to have an added boost of hydration.

    And as you know, food is the sustenance you need to give you energy and keep your body going. So it’s imperative that you eat proper meals every day. Make sure to have a balanced meal of proteins, good carbohydrates, and minerals. Avoid fatty and junk foods because these will make you sluggish and lazier.

    Set deadlines.

    Without deadlines, tasks will simply be left unfinished and forgotten until you need them. If your job doesn’t have actual deadlines for your tasks, you can create them instead so you can stay on top of your game. Setting realistic deadlines will give you the mindset that you need to get the job done as soon as possible. Make it a habit so that you can create a good workflow.

    Get Sufficient Sleep.

    Most people neglect the importance of having enough sleep. Remember that we are just humans and we need ample rest to have the energy to tackle the issues of tomorrow. Get enough sleep so that you will feel refreshed and energized the day after.

     

    It can be a challenge to change the things that you’re already used to but habits are not impossible to break. You can modify them and improve them gradually. Practice these tips and insert them into your routines to get the maximum advantage and improve productivity.

    For more articles like this, visit our blog.

  • 5 Reasons Why You Should Work With A Digital Marketing Agency

    5 Reasons Why You Should Work With A Digital Marketing Agency

    Work With A Digital Marketing Agency

    At this time of the world when COVID19 is still existing and maturing, uncertainties still fill up everybody’s calendars. The world continues to revolve and we are still unsure of what will happen in the future. Despite the setbacks we’ve experienced in the past year, there’s one thing that is for sure and that is how digital marketing has made a vast difference for every business in the world.

    Today, every business (big or small) needs to have one form or another of digital marketing to improve their reach and get new customers. Most businesses, though, are still not aware of how to approach going online and digital, and that is why hiring a digital marketing agency can be the best thing you can do for your company.

    Sometimes, it’s a debate if having an in-house marketing team is enough or hiring a digital marketing agency would be best. And it is crucial to weigh out the pros and cons before making the final decision. That’s why we’ve listed 5 reasons why you should hire and work with a digital marketing agency.

     

    Why Work With A Digital Marketing Agency?

    If you are new to the business, hiring a digital marketing agency may be a bit intimidating. It may feel like a big step because you’ll need to consider a lot of things before making the decision and you’ll have to look for the best fit for you. You’ll also have to think about the cost before outsourcing anything.

    With these concerns in mind, here are some reasons why you should work with a digital marketing agency.

     

    Specializes in Online Marketing Services and have Expertise in Specific Skills

    When you work with a digital marketing agency, you get to work with a team of people with different specialties. You get access to different skills that will benefit your company.

    Marketing is vast and there’s a lot to cover. With a digital marketing agency behind you, you can tap into their skills and knowledge. You can use their expertise in SEO, PPC, graphic design, content creation, social media marketing, and many more.

     

    Have Deeper Understanding and Knowledge

    People who specialize in digital marketing spend a lot of their time updating and upgrading their knowledge, understanding, and skillsets. They get regular training and experience as they deal with clients on a daily basis and this can never be matched by an in-house marketing team.

    This gives digital marketing agencies the advantage because they have more in-depth knowledge and expertise in this industry. And the bonus part is they might already have worked with your clients before.

    Work With A Digital Marketing Agency

     

     

    Have Access to Resources You Don’t Have

    When you are still growing your business, you may not have the budget to hire a skilled and full-time digital marketeer to join your team, but you may be able to outsource and afford to work with a digital marketing agency. Yes, it will cost you, but when you realize how much you gain from the service, you’ll be surprised at all the resources you’ll have access to.

    To give you an idea, here are a few of the resources we’re talking about: content research tools, SEO optimizers, grammar and plagiarism checkers, automation tools, educational courses, web development tools and plugins, and so many more. These tools are paid monthly or yearly and if you hire a digital marketing agency, you’ll have access to the tools they use. You can always run marketing campaigns on your own, but navigating through something you’re unfamiliar with will take you much longer and cost you more.

    Another justification for hiring an online marketing firm is the ROI. The ROI of hiring a digital marketing agency can cover its cost especially when you get to tap into a new market that you may not have been able to reach otherwise.

     

    Flexibility and Improved Perspective

    The difference between an in-house marketing team and a digital marketing agency is how the latter can provide you with flexibility and a new perspective.

    Online marketing firms will easily be more flexible to shift with your strategy when you need to tap into a new marketing channel to get to your target audience. They can help you solve your problems quickly and having a diverse team will get you more perspective to come up with creative and effective solutions.

     

    Agencies Will Get The Job Done

    Down to the last and one of the best reasons to work with a digital marketing agency is their ability to get the job done. Whatever marketing needs you to have, with a dedicated team, it will be done.

    Having a digital marketing agency working with you is a sure way to get your goals and projects completed on time.

     

    Final Thoughts

    Digital marketing agencies work remotely and outsourcing will allow your business to hire someone without the need to bring them into your space which can also save you time and money. Overall, working with an online marketing firm will not only save you time and money but can also provide you new ideas and perspectives, and help you achieve those to get your desired results.

    Look for a reliable agency that will support your growth and work with your goals in mind.

    Want to learn more about digital marketing? Talk to us. VE Digital is willing to help you!

  • 7 Digital Marketing Podcasts You Should Definitely Listen To

    7 Digital Marketing Podcasts You Should Definitely Listen To

    Looking for great resources for your digital marketing hustle but you’re too busy to insert something else in your otherwise fully packed schedule? Digital marketing podcasts can be what you are looking for.

    With podcasts, you can access and listen to them anywhere and anytime while doing other things like working out, cooking, driving or commuting, and sometimes even working. Podcasts are super useful especially when you are seeking other people’s perspectives on a certain area. And there are thousands of available podcasts online for free that you can get your hands on.

    Among the hundreds of digital marketing podcasts available, we curated 7 of our favorites. You can learn more about SEO, copywriting, blogging, social media marketing, and anything digital marketing stuff under the sun. 

    7 Digital Marketing Podcasts You Should Definitely Listen To

    Marketing School by Neil Patel & Eric Siu

    With short episodes that are only 5-10 minutes long, this podcast offers bite-size episodes that give you solid actionable marketing advice every day. It doesn’t take a lot of your time but it gives you useful tips that you can apply to your work or business. 

    Episodes To Listen:

    Spotify | Apple Podcast

     

    Duct Tape Marketing Podcast by John Jantsch

    This is the perfect podcast to listen to if you own a small business. From marketing tips, tactics, stories, secrets to resources, John Jantsch got you covered. 

    Episodes To Listen:

    Spotify | Apple Podcast

     

     

    7 Digital Marketing Podcasts You Should Definitely Listen To

    Everyone Hates Marketers by Louis Grenier

    Host Louis Grenier guides his listeners in the right direction on how to do remarkable marketing. He interviews people with authority in the marketing business and gives out valuable advice. If you want to learn how to get more leads, visitors, customers, and long-term profits the right way, check this podcast out.

    Episodes To Listen:

    Spotify | Apple Podcast 

     

    Social Media Marketing Podcast by Michael Stelzner

    For those who want to improve their social media marketing game, this is the podcast for you. A 45-minute episode is released weekly and the host, Michael Stelzner, teaches listeners new social media skills, strategies, and tactics. This digital marketing podcast is an amazing resource for all things social media.

    Episodes To Listen:

    • YouTube for Marketing: What Marketers Need to Know
    • The Future of Social Media Marketing: Trends to Track
    • How To Improve Your Facebook Organic Reach

    Spotify | Apple Podcast

     

    Online Marketing Made Easy by Amy Porterfield

    This is a podcast for everyone who wants to learn more about and succeed as a course and content creator. Amy Porterfield talks about various topics like finding your niche, launching your website, building your email list, and more. 

    Episodes To Listen:

    Spotify | Apple Podcast

     

    Copyblogger FM by Darrell Vesterfelt and Tim Stoddart

    If you want to learn how to improve your content and copywriting, this is the podcast you’re looking for. Copyblogger gives advice on how to create killer online content. It also tackles content marketing, copywriting, email marketing, conversion optimization, mindset, and much more. Check it out!

    Episodes To Listen:

    Spotify | Apple Podcast

     

    The Authority Hacker Podcast by Gael Breton & Mark Webster

    Listening to this podcast is diving deep into the hows of running online businesses, authority sites, and blogs. Gael and Mark share the marketing tools they use to build traffic to their sites, tactics they do for link building, and so many more.

    Episodes To Listen:

    Spotify | Apple Podcast

     

    If you are already a podcast listener, these podcasts are great channels to listen to and add to your favorites. If you are someone who is foreign to this type of media, now is the best time to try listening to one episode, and maybe you’ll discover a new love! 

    The internet is becoming saturated with so much content that it’s easy to get lost in the jungle. These digital marketing podcasts we’ve listed have valuable content that will help you enhance your marketing skills and take your business to the next level.

    Make sure to visit our blog for more articles like this.

  • Here are Helpful Tips on How To Stay Focused and Not Get Distracted

    Here are Helpful Tips on How To Stay Focused and Not Get Distracted

    Here are Helpful Tips on How To Stay Focused and Not Get Distracted

    In today’s fast-paced world, staying focused can be a real challenge. With so many distractions around us, it’s easy to lose track of what we’re doing and waste time on unimportant tasks. However, with a few simple tips, you can learn to stay focused and avoid distractions.

    The first step in staying focused is to identify what distracts you. Do you get distracted by your phone, social media, or your environment? Once you know your biggest distractions, you can take steps to limit their impact on your work.

    For example, if you find yourself checking your phone every few minutes, try leaving it in another room or turning it off while you work. If social media is your biggest distraction, try using a website blocker to limit your access during work hours. If your environment is noisy, try wearing noise-canceling headphones or finding a quieter space to work.

    The next step is to set clear goals and prioritize your tasks. When you have a clear idea of what you need to accomplish, you’re less likely to get sidetracked by other tasks. Make a to-do list and focus on the most important tasks first. This helps to keep you on track and ensures that you’re making progress towards your goals.

    It’s also important to take regular breaks. It may sound counterintuitive, but taking breaks can actually improve your productivity. It gives your brain a chance to rest and recharge, so you can come back to your work with renewed energy and focus.

    The key is to take short, frequent breaks throughout the day rather than one long break. For example, you could take a 5-minute break every hour or a 10-minute break every two hours. Use this time to stretch, walk around, or do something else that’s not work-related.

    Here are Helpful Tips on How To Stay Focused and Not Get Distracted

    Avoid multitasking. While it may seem like you’re getting more done, multitasking can actually be counterproductive. It splits your attention and makes it harder to focus on any one task. Instead, focus on one task at a time and give it your full attention. This will help you to complete tasks more efficiently and with better quality.

    Finally, create a distraction-free workspace. This could mean turning off your phone or blocking social media sites on your computer. If you work in a noisy environment, consider wearing noise-canceling headphones or finding a quieter space to work.

    It’s also important to eliminate any other distractions in your workspace. Keep your desk clean and organized, so you’re not distracted by clutter. If you work on a computer, close any unnecessary tabs or programs to help you focus on your work.

    Staying focused and avoiding distractions takes practice and discipline, but with these tips, you can learn to stay on track and be more productive. Remember to identify your distractions, set clear goals, take breaks, avoid multitasking, and create a distraction-free workspace. By incorporating these habits into your daily routine, you’ll be able to achieve more and stay focused even in the most challenging environments.

    Another helpful tip to stay focused and avoid distractions is to break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones. This can make a daunting project seem less overwhelming and help you stay on track. Start by setting small goals for yourself and celebrate each time you achieve one. This can help you stay motivated and focused on the task at hand.

    Lastly, it’s important to have a positive attitude and mindset when it comes to staying focused. If you find yourself struggling to stay on track, try reframing your thoughts and think positively about your work. Instead of thinking “I have to finish this project,” try thinking “I get to work on this project and make it great.” This simple shift in mindset can help you approach your work with more enthusiasm and motivation.

    In conclusion, staying focused and avoiding distractions takes time and practice, but it’s worth it in the end. By identifying your distractions, setting clear goals, taking breaks, avoiding multitasking, creating a distraction-free workspace, breaking down tasks, and maintaining a positive attitude, you can stay on track and accomplish your goals. Remember to be patient with yourself and celebrate each time you succeed. With these tips, you can stay focused and achieve success in all aspects of your life.

  • 6 Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Use Video Marketing

    6 Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Use Video Marketing

    6 Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Use Video Marketing

    Perhaps you’ve already heard this phrase repeatedly, but let me say it again. On the internet, whether it’s for entertainment or business purposes, content will always be king. There are several types of content – written text, photos, infographics, etc – and among these, videos reign over them. Video content is full of potential, and the reason why it’s a hit is that videos are highly engaging whether your intent is to inform, educate, or entertain an audience. Nowadays, video marketing is already a must. In this post, we will talk about why small businesses should use video marketing in their digital marketing strategy.

    One element of success in the digital marketing scene today is for brands to leverage video marketing. Video consumption has grown exponentially over the years and is growing still. The majority of those who go online will always rather watch a video than read a lengthy all-text post. 

    Here are some reasons why small businesses should use video marketing to grow their business.

    Videos can educate your audience about your brand

    In modern-day marketing, the buyer’s journey goes through several processes such from brand awareness to consideration and then to finally making a decision. In these three phases, the consumer depends on the online content about this certain brand to help them make their decision. Products review through blogs and articles help, but videos are better.

    Videos can help grow your reach cost-effectively

    Unique tools and video editing solutions have become affordable over time, and today, the cost of making videos has been made more affordable than ever. There’s an endless supply of resources, and it only costs relatively small. If you are seeking an efficient yet cost-effective way on educating your audience about your brand and getting your message across the market, all you need is to make a video using your smartphone.

     

    6 Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Use Video Marketing

     

    Videos can boost your brand’s reputation

    Internet users prefer videos over other forms of content, so using video marketing as one of your digital marketing strategies can undoubtedly boost people’s perception of your brand. The higher the quality of your videos, the better will your brand’s reputation be. Videos can also help address and turn your negative reviews around by creating Q&A sessions, personable review videos, and humorous content. 

    Improves your Social Engagement

    Videos have a higher engagement rate than plain images on social media platforms and having a great online presence is a cost-effective way of marketing your business. In the digital marketing world, engagement is important. No engagement means lower traffic and conversion rates. Create relevant video content so that you can build your engagement with your audience and build trust and connections.

    Helps drive traffic to your website

    Another benefit of video marketing is it can help you get users to visit your website. A strategy to drive more traffic to your website often requires you to advertise on different social media platforms, and social media posts that are in video form have over 40% more views than just a plain text or photo post. To even make it more effective, you can include valuable call-to-actions in your videos and optimize your descriptions.

    Video Marketing can help gather and generate leads

    With the right strategies, you can optimize and leverage your video marketing efforts to generate more leads for your business. By creating valuable tutorial and review videos, you can sell your products and services. You can also put your videos on your landing pages and create a powerful call-to-action to encourage your viewers to take the next step. Videos help consumers understand a product more and can be influenced by product videos when making purchasing decisions. 

     

    Using video marketing for your small business will enable your brand to connect with your audience in a more personal way. We live in a visual world, and even though beautiful photos can elevate your aesthetics, it’s just not enough. Videos are much more personal, more informative, highly engaging, and more interesting to watch. 

    For more tips on video marketing, read this blog.