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5 Reasons to Hire a Marketing Automation Expert Instead of Going DIY

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, 5 Reasons to Hire a Marketing Automation Expert Instead of Going DIYMarketing automation is undoubtedly an excellent way to streamline your marketing operations. It saves you crucial time, money, and makes your work efficient. If you’re like most business owners, you’re always looking for ways to save money and optimize your operations. So, you may be considering doing your own marketing automation instead of hiring a professional. But before you make up your mind, here are some reasons why you should hire a marketing automation consultant.

1. A Marketing Automation Expert Saves You Money and Time

A good number of companies feel that setting up an in-house marketing department is the only way to save money. But hiring a team requires you to pay salaries, benefits, and perhaps even bonuses. Plus, you also have to invest in office equipment such as computers, laptops, printers, etc. On top of that, it’s going to cost a lot more if your employees aren’t familiar with marketing automation software solutions or the latest email marketing trends.

Hiring a marketing automation expert also means you don’t have to spend time training your employees. A professional can set up and configure new programs within hours, instead of days or even weeks you’d need if someone less experienced tried to do it on their own.

2. They Have the Right Knowledge and Experience

Building your own marketing automation solution requires the right knowledge. You need to understand how AI works, how predictive analytics can help you make smarter decisions, how to use chatbots for personalized customer engagement, etc. As a regular business owner, you probably won’t have the time to research all of these concepts, let alone implement them.

An experienced marketing automation consultant will have the necessary knowledge to set up your system properly. They will make sure it uses all available resources to automate processes and save you valuable time.

3. Your Expert Will Guarantee Performance

When you hire a marketing automation expert, they will guarantee the correct implementation and performance. They’ll also take responsibility if their service doesn’t meet your expectations in any way. This is because a professional knows all the factors that affect marketing performance.

For instance, there are dozens of factors that can affect email deliverability. A professional knows how to configure an email service provider’s systems for optimal deliverability. They also know the right time to send emails and which days will maximize your open rates. These are factors they’ll consider when deciding the best campaign strategy for you.

4. An Expert Will Help You Make Smarter Marketing Decisions

A professional will help you make better marketing decisions for your business. They’ll utilize their experience and expertise to best fit your needs. This means that they’ll understand what your competitors are up to, which demographics you should target, which ad networks will generate the most revenue etc. They’ll also keep your budget in mind, which means they’ll recommend the best tools and services for your budget.

5. Expertise in Marketing Automation Means Better ROI

Your marketing automation expert will have a number of years of experience working with different businesses just like yours. This means that they understand what works best for companies in your industry. When you hire a professional, they’ll use their expertise to help you achieve your goals.

For instance, they’ll know which demographics to target and how frequently. They’ll also set up your campaigns in such a way that you get the most out of every ad dollar you spend. All this means is that your return on investment (ROI) will be greater with an expert’s help than if you were trying to do it all yourself.

Hiring a marketing automation expert will save you time and money. It also means you’ll get better results than if you were trying to do it yourself. Hire an expert today so you can focus on what matters most for your business, while they help increase revenue and maximize ROIs.

The plain English no-nonsense guide to demand-side platforms (DSP)

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Demand-side platforms |The plain English no-nonsense guide to demand-side platforms (DSP)When paying for online advertising space, your business probably dips into a wide array of digital ad platforms – think the likes of Google Ads, Facebook Ads and probably many alternatives not quite as well-known to the average marketer.

However, approaching all of these platforms individually can be a cumbersome process costing you more time and money than strictly necessary. It’s therefore easy to see the appeal of demand-side platforms (DSPs), which collate online advertising opportunities from many different providers.

In a nutshell, why use a demand-side platform?

HubSpot defines a DSP as “an automated programmatic advertising platform where marketers can purchase and manage ad inventories from multiple ad sources.” Much of the attraction of using a DSP is summed up in the word “automated”, as it allows you to streamline the ad-sourcing process.

The main benefit of using a DSP, according to HubSpot, is that “you can manage all your digital ads across many networks on one interface.” The ads you can buy through a DSP include mobile ads on apps, banner ads on search engines and video ads on social media.

Hence, you don’t strictly need to set aside time to approach Google Ads, then Facebook Ads and so forth when you want to utilize many different advertising networks. Instead, you can just use one platform – a DSP – and leverage multiple networks through that single access point.

How do you actually source ad slots through a DSP?

Using a DSP can feel akin to participating in an auction conducted by robots. Through an automated system, DSPs buy and sell ads in real time, using what is known as programmatic advertising. The real-time nature of the proceedings enables ad placements to be auctioned off in milliseconds.

However, as with any auction, you should – before using one – think carefully about how much you would be willing to spend in the process. How much you do need to spend for online advertising can be determined on a cost-per-click and cost-per-action basis.

When using a DSP, you would specify your ad-buying budget so that the platform does not go over this when automatically fetching ad placements for you.

Using a DSP can bode well for you in the long term

This is because a DSP can help you to not only secure digital ads but also manage them for the long haul. As a TechFunnel article explains: “DSP platforms enable media buyers to manage campaigns from multiple channels, [and] optimize, analyze and gain insights into them in one interface.”

A DSP allows you to see, at a glance, the effectiveness of your ads – including impressions, clicks, click-through rates and conversion rates. While referring back to this data displayed on the reporting dashboard, you can tweak and optimize an ad campaign in the hope of improving results.

DSP advertising can even help you to build profiles of people who do see your ads. Each of these profiles can detail – for example – what type of content the user consumes and where and how often they click on the ads.

Top Tips on Choosing the Right Imagery for Your Website

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Website Imagery|Top Tips on Choosing the Right Imagery for Your WebsiteThere are all sorts of different factors that make a great website, but there is no doubt that the quality of the images is bound to play a crucial role here. Choosing the right pictures can feel tough when you are trying to work out what people respond to well, but the following blog post aims to give you a bit of a helping hand in working out which ones to pick.

Prioritize Quality Over Everything

The most important factor in choosing the website imagery is that every single picture that you select is high quality. A low-rent and blurry image is an immediately off-putting sign for any customers, and it is more than likely that they are going to go elsewhere. It is a good idea to choose a top-quality picture, to begin with. If you are using one of your own, think about the device that it is taken on. There are also steps that you can take to improve the overall look and feel of the picture, such as WP Wheelie’s Image Optimisation Tool. By taking the time to reduce the file size without the quality being affected, you will be able to improve the speed of your website too. This, in turn, leaves a positive first impression on your customers and visitors.

Ensure They Are Relevant

While stock images can be useful in some situations, you do not want to become over-reliant on them. As more and more websites flood onto the internet, you can end up in a situation in which the same few pictures are used again and again. Instead, you should pick images that are directly relevant to your brand and business. Ideally, they should be taken by a professional photographer. Remember, the pictures are a crucial element that are making a big difference when it comes to giving the customer the overall impression of your business outfit.

Use Actionable Images

A big part of a website is all about the customer journey that you are taking them on. With this in mind, it is certainly going to be worth using images that are actionable. Essentially, this means that they have some sort of call to action within them, such as ‘subscribe to the newsletter’ or ‘get 10% off now’. This can help to be more noticed than simple text with the same message on it.

Combine People and Products

While photos of the products themselves can prove to be highly appealing and useful in certain situations, you should also try to combine people and products as best you can. This helps to take the imagination one step further and allows customers to think about themselves using the products that you have on offer.

There is no doubt that the imagery on a website can make such a big difference in terms of the sales that you are making and the overall impression that you are leaving of the brand. So, make sure that you are taking the time and care to put in the type of pictures that will be swaying people in the right direction rather than making them simply turn off and go elsewhere where everything looks better!

The Increase in Global App Downloads Means That Mobile Marketing Should Not Be Neglected

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Mobile Marketing|The Increase in Global App Downloads Means That Mobile Marketing Should Not Be NeglectedMobile marketing is one of the most critical aspects of digital marketing. People are spending more time on their smartphones and consequently, they’re using them for more than just calling people! They’re reading emails, watching videos, browsing social media- all while they’re out in public.

Social media applications like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are the most used apps in the world today and you see more information about the download rates of 2021’s most popular apps here.

With a track record of consistently high app downloads by people around the world, this means that users are actively engaging and using their smartphones more now than ever, thus meaning that businesses have an opportunity to tailor their marketing efforts and campaigns to smartphone users.

Best practices for mobile marketing for online businesses

1. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly

This is the most important thing you can do! If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, customers will have a hard time viewing it on their phone and are likely to leave. There are many different ways to make your website mobile-friendly, so do some research and find out what’s best for you.

With more people relying on their phones to browse the internet, it’s essential that your website is optimised to look good and functions well on a mobile device. If it doesn’t, you’re going to lose customers fast.

2. Optimise your website for search engines

This is another essential step that businesses should take regarding mobile marketing. Ensure that your website shows up in search engine results pages when people are searching for keywords relevant to your business.

You can do this by using the appropriate keywords on your website and in your content and optimising your website’s structure and design. If you don’t take these steps, you’ll miss out on many potential customers.

3. Create mobile-friendly email templates

Most people check mail on their phones today, so your emails must be optimised for viewing on a small screen. This means using a simple layout with large text and minimal images, and ensuring that all links open in new tabs/windows.

You can also create separate email templates specifically for mobile devices, ensuring that the formatting looks good no matter what type of phone the recipient is using.

4. Optimise for video

Video marketing has become very popular because it’s so easy and accessible on mobile devices. YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google, but did you also know that more than half of all online activity (including shopping) happens right before or while watching videos?

If your business isn’t taking advantage of this opportunity by including optimised video content on its website, then you’re missing out big time! Make sure that any product demonstrations or other instructional videos are optimised for mobile viewing, and you’ll see an increase in sales.

5. A/B testing for marketing

A/B test is a process of experimentation that helps you determine which version of a particular marketing campaign is most effective. You do this by testing two (or more) different versions of the same and then seeing which one is better.

This is important for mobile marketing because there are so many different ways to reach your customers through their phones. By testing different formats, designs, and campaigns against each other, you can see which method is most effective.

6. Create a solid call to action

If your CTAs aren’t visible enough, many potential leads won’t convert into actual sales. Many businesses don’t realise the importance of having a clear and conspicuous “call to action” on their website or ad landing pages.

Don’t let this be your business! Make sure that when people visit your site, they immediately know what it is that you want them to do (i.e., buy something from you).

This will save customers time by not forcing them to figure out whether or not they should purchase from you before continuing with other tasks on their phones.

7. Integrate with social media

Integrating your mobile marketing campaigns with your social media efforts is a great way to reach more people.
Ensure that all of your social media profiles are optimised for viewing on phones and tablets and include links to your website and other relevant content.

You can also use social media to drive traffic to your landing pages or website and promote special deals or offers. By using all of the available channels, you can reach a larger audience and increase your sales chances.

Conclusion

Mobile marketing is a great way to reach out and connect with your customers on the go, but you must follow certain best practices to optimise for this type of audience.

There are many different ways to use mobile devices as part of your marketing efforts, so make sure you’re doing everything from social media integration to video optimisation correctly.

Long-Tail Keywords Are a Growing SEO Trend

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, Long-Tail Keywords Are a Growing SEO TrendIf you want to gather more customers for your business, you need to think about digital marketing. One of the most important components of this is SEO, and you need to do keyword research regularly if you want to stay ahead of the competition. There are a lot of keywords out there, and your gut response might be to try to focus on the most popular keywords; however, this might not be the best strategy. Long-tail keywords might be a better bet for your business. Why is this the case? Remember to visit Onpoint in Dallas to get the most out of your SEO campaign.

What Are Long-Tail Keywords?

So, what are people talking about when they mention long-tail keywords? They are referring to the size of the term. When people use search engines, they tend to keep their searches short and sweet. They usually only use a longer term if they are looking for something specific. That is exactly what a long-tail keyword is. For example, instead of someone saying that they are looking for a “puppy dog,” they might say something like “brown puppy dog,” or “small brown puppy dog,” or even “young healthy puppy dog.” The more modifiers they put in, the longer the term gets. You might want to target some of these terms as a part of your SEO campaign.

Why Might They Be Better?

It is true that long-tail keywords might not be used as frequently as shorter terms, but it is also true that they might be better for your SEO campaign as well. Some of the biggest companies in the world do not target long-tail keywords as often, which means they are not as competitive. Therefore, you might have an easier time ranking for them, increasing your online visibility.

Furthermore, when someone uses so many terms, this is a sign that they are probably ready to make a purchase. If you target the right long-tail keywords, you might have an easier time boosting your conversion rate, which can drive more revenue for your business. For both of these reasons, you should consider using long-tail keywords as a part of your SEO campaign. Even though it can be a challenge to find the right long-tail keywords for your company, a professional team can help you do that.

Work With a Professional SEO Team

In the end, you need to remember to focus on a balance of the popularity of the keywords and the competition they have. This is where long-tail keywords can be helpful. This is a great way for you to target keywords that are still relevant to the needs of your users while also staying away from terms that might be too competitive for you to rank for. If you would like to learn more about long-tail keywords, you might want to reach out to a professional SEO team that can help you. That way, you can put your digital marketing campaign in the best position possible to be successful.