Business Plus Baby

June 6, 2016

Why digital is beating traditional in 2016

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Photo credit: Jamjar

These days you’ll hear over and over again that traditional forms of media, entertainment and technology are dying out. Libraries are closing down, and everybody is buying Kindles. TV channels are no longer broadcasting on TV, and putting their content online instead (RIP BBC 3!). And in the digital world, new forms of marketing and advertising are outstripping the more traditional forms.

Why you ask? Why is digital doing so much better than traditional? What are the actual benefits, and why is everyone going bananas for these new methods? Read on for a clear explanation.

It’s cheaper, or it’s free

Price, and the fact that digital is often cheaper than the traditional form- or even free- is a biggie! Let’s use Time Out magazine as an example. It was originally distributed in paper form only, and with a pretty hefty price tag attached. When the internet boom happened, it continued to distribute in paper, but also moved online. The magazine itself was still pretty expensive. But soon enough, their profit dropped, and they could simply no longer compete with digital. Then, in 2012, they placed more of a focus on the online efforts and made their magazine free. The result? Things have improved and they are now more financially stable than they have been in years.

Why? Because they realised that instead of competing with digital publications, they had to match them. That people are far less willing to pay for something if they can get the exact same thing for free online.

It’s faster and easier to access

Want to know the news? Want to know how which tube stop to get off at? Want to know if you get a product cheaper elsewhere? Then these days, you always go to the same place. You go online! Aside from nostalgia or tradition, people will rarely head out to buy a newspaper or magazine to find these things out. This is why it is of such high importance that companies have a good website. If people are looking for something that your company sells or offers, great! But if the first place they come looking is poorly designed or difficult to navigate? You will lose them again, and they might not come back again! If you need to improve your website, use a web design company who are firmly based in 2016! They need to know their stuff inside out. Companies like See All Media can handle your website, but have additional skills that you can take advantage of also.

Easier to update or edit

If you’re a business trying to make your way in the world, digital can be a huge help! One of the biggest benefits of things like Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO, is the fact that they can be altered from minute to minute. Certain search terms can be changed, or added, on a daily basis. This means that you can stay current and in-tune with current trends or changes in the news. You can also update and edit other things quickly and easily.

May 31, 2016May 31, 2016

The Importance of Personality in Your Business

It’s always been seen as important for a business to have some kind of personality. Some kind of distinct character that makes people think of your brand before they think of anyone else’s. But it’s rarely been seen as truly essential. After all, you can probably name a hundred different companies off the top of your head. How many of them could you think of as having a distinct personality?

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You’ll often find that it’s not the really big companies that have this sort of character. And when I say really big, I’m talking about the giants. I’m talking about the likes of Microsoft, Google, Coca-Cola, Oracle. These companies often seem like completely faceless machines, devouring every resource in their path. Like they’re on a ruthless pursuit of profit (albeit with high-quality products… usually).

Now, of course, all businesses have to put profit on their list of priorities. I’m not saying you should make your company seem like some altruistic, business version of Barney the Dinosaur. But the fact is that many smaller companies rely on having a distinct image when it comes to selling themselves to the public. And I’m not talking about something as simple as logos or identifying color sets, here. I’m talking about something more specific, something that many companies have a hard time trying to nail.

Taking a look at some examples

There are loads of brands out there that conjure up specific, positive images in the minds of the public. When people think of them, they don’t just think of a profit-driven company. They think about the image that brand projects.

Some of the names that come to my mind include Jack Daniel’s and Old Spice. They’re big names, but they’ve taken care to cultivate personalities. Jack Daniel’s is a fantastic example. Over the years, they’ve given themselves a rugged, grassroots, “rock and roll” kind of image. The eponymous man himself, Mr Jack Daniel, has been elevated to the status of myth.

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Old Spice has a similar “classic” vibe, and their advertising is consistently humourous. Look at the inventive “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” video campaigns. And what about their embracing of the “elderly” vibe people sometimes associate with the brand? One of their slogans is “If your grandfather hadn’t worn it, you wouldn’t exist”.

Why do people care?

The key here seems to be making your company “likable”. People may enjoy your product, but do they have a positive image of you as a company? Can they imagine that smart, funny, inventive people are hard at work behind the closed doors of your offices? It’s hard to imagine even the biggest fan of Coca-Cola drinks being much in love with the company itself. Coca-Cola have the privilege of being able to get by with their name and logo alone. They don’t need to “endear” themselves to help sales. (But that may be changing.)

In today’s world, consumers are much more cynical. They will stick to the products they already know and wave away any newcomers on the scene. If your brand and its marketing doesn’t stick with them, then they’re going to assume you just want to appeal to their wallets. People want brands who are going to appeal to much more. They want character.

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How do I do it?

The first thing you need to do is identify what “personality traits” you want your company to project. Do you want your brand to make people laugh? Being funny, after all, is perhaps the most endearing personality trait of all. Do you want to come across as chummy to consumers? Or do you want to give off a more suave, charming sort of vibe?

Perhaps your company deals in quite gloomy endeavours that don’t seem to suit the above personalities. Let’s say, for example, that your company deals with funerals or serious accident law cases. Don’t make the mistake of believing that “formal” and “serious” means that your brand has to be devoid of personality! If you’re feeling at all stuck, you should look into getting assistance from a branding agency.

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Methods of showing off your personality

Once you know exactly what type of vibe you want to give off to consumers, then you need to figure out how you’re going to do it. One of the most obvious methods is in your video advertising. This is where companies often find it the easiest to pull off. After all, thirty to sixty seconds of video is quite a lot of time to make someone laugh! That is, if you compare it to something like a billboard advertisement that needs to be taken in in seconds.

You should also look at more modern methods. Consider having a blog on your website. This is a great way to get your website filled with text content that fully reveals your brand personality.

May 30, 2016

Using face-to-face sales as a launchpad to other careers

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As well as being a potentially enjoyable and lucrative career path in its own right, face-to-face sales can serve as an effective launchpad to a wide range of other roles. Here, we take a look at how this type of work can benefit you in the future if you choose to move into a different field.

Increasing your confidence

Perhaps most importantly, face-to-face sales can give you a major confidence boost. Many people mistakenly believe that in order to get into sales roles in the first place, you have to be highly confident. As direct sales specialists Appco Group point out, a broad spectrum of personalities can in fact flourish in this field, and lots of people find that the roles help them to increase their confidence and self-esteem. You can take the added sense of self-belief you build in these positions and use it to help you fulfil your ambitions in other areas.

Learning to think fast

Direct sales can also help you develop your ability to think on your feet. Working in the field, you’ll have to respond to customer questions quickly and effectively, providing informative and engaging responses on the spot that address people’s needs and concerns. As well as extolling the benefits of the products or services you’re selling, you’ll need to listen carefully to the expectations and preferences of customers and adapt your messages accordingly. Being able to think clearly under pressure and come up with appropriate responses can serve you well in a whole range of careers.

Learning to negotiate

On a related point, sales enables you to hone your negotiating skills. Interactions with potential customers can be complex and they are always a two-way process. Knowing how to arrive at an agreement that suits all parties is fundamental to achieving success. This ability can prove useful in a variety of jobs. Whether you need to come to a consensus with your colleagues on a particular issue or deliberate the details of a contract with clients, an ability to negotiate effectively should serve you well.

Honing your communication skills

Communication is a fundamental element of face-to-face sales and by interacting with a range of people on a daily basis, you should find you’re able to fine tune these skills. Even individuals who don’t consider themselves to be strong communicators when they first go into sales roles often find that, over time, they become highly effective at expressing themselves to a variety of people. Bear in mind that this doesn’t only benefit those who move onto other customer-facing positions. Because of the importance of effective communication between colleagues, it is important for workers in the vast majority of jobs.

May 27, 2016March 9, 2017

Six little things you definitely need in your home office

Working from home has a lot of benefits. You have complete control over your work environment. However, not everyone controls that environment very well. As great as it can be to work from home, it can also be risky. Your space needs quite a few things to function well as an office. Things that can help you maintain a healthy, comfortable working life and efficiency in tackling that work. Here, we’re going to look at a few little things that can help.

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Climate control

One of the most overlooked things that any home office needs is you control of the environment. Particularly relating to the air and temperature. A home office needs to be a room with a window, for example. Fresh air is important. Air quality contributes to keeping you from getting sick, for example. Being able to control the temperature is important, too. Whether it’s having any kinds of heating in the room or the kind of desk fans you can find here. After all, you’ll likely be working in there when in the heat of summer and the chill of winter. Don’t make it a highly uncomfortable experience on yourself.

Comfort

Comfort is not a word that’s synonymous with work, but you could account for it in your workspace, anyway. A chair that’s both supportive and comfortable is a must have. If you take breaks from the computer once in awhile, a separate space for relaxing is also a good idea. Something like a lazy boy or even a bean bag chair to give you a break from the usual working environment is important. If you don’t put a bit of effort into making your workspace more comfortable, you might grow to hate it.

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Snacks

You need some kind of snacks in your workspace. Hopefully something that’s not too sweet or junk-food like. Whether it’s to help you keep up the energy for a high pace of work or combat the urge to hunt the kitchen for something to eat. Similarly, it’s a good idea to get yourself a little tea or coffee making station, as well. A lot of us have need of a cup or three a day to keep us on an even keel. Save yourself the walk to the store by getting your own.

Movement

That said, you do need to get out of the chair once in awhile. It’s easy to set up a little working out station in the office. All you need are a few light dumbbells or a pull-up bar that goes in the door. It’s important to make sure you get a bit of movement even if you’re flat-out working, however. Height adjustable tables can be very helpful in that regard. Sitting all day is tremendously unhealthy so switch it up from time to time. Your legs, back and neck will all thank you for it.

Organisation

It’s not all about how comfortable you are as a person, of course. You should also be making changes to your workplace that makes it easier to organise your work. If your work relies on putting ideas together or tracking multiple things, it’s good to have a physical reminder of it as well as a digital one. Make yourself a little corkboard to pin your pages of notes and reminders to. It’s a lot less clutter than pushing papers around your desk. It’s also an efficient way of organising. You just need one look scanning over your board to see the basics of what you need to keep track of.

Security

You also want to make sure that your work is secure. Whether it’s from malicious or unintentional disruption. Make sure your network is secured and that you’re paying for a premium antivirus and antispyware software. Keeping your important documents in a physical safe is crucial, too. As for your computer, one of the risks it’s most susceptible to is electric surges. Not only will this knock it out, it can wipe it entirely. A surge protector will eliminate that risk for you. It’s likely the tool you need to make money, so keep it safe.

Making the best out of your home office is making sure it’s a space you can comfortably work in day-in, day-out. Part of that is maintaining your health while you’re there. Part is making it an environment that helps you work. Finally, give yourself a bit of comfort to take a break once in a while. If you have those nailed down, then you’re going to have a lot more success with it.

May 24, 2016

How to use guest blogging to build your mailing list

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Have you ever thought of guest blogging as a way to get more mailing list subscribers? Guest blogging can help you do this in two ways:

It helps people to get to trust you. And they won’t give you their name and email address until they do trust you. As a guest blogger on the blog of someone they already know, like and trust, you have the opportunity to have a little bit of that trust rub off on you. This vote of confidence goes a long way in gaining the trust of potential new subscribers to your email list.
It extends your reach. By guest blogging on a popular blog you can go way beyond those you normally reach.

If you want to have success with guest blogging you need to understand the audience of the blog you’re visiting. Your posts should connect with the audience and offer them value. Do this by studying the blog – what have readers responded to in the past? What topics are typically covered? How long are the posts? Do they include multiple images? Video? Infographics? Is the blog factual and maybe full of tutorials? Or is it based more around opinions? You want to look like you belong, while still offering something uniquely yours.

When trying to find blogs to guest appear at, start with who you know and who knows you. Then start looking for leaders in your field and approach them. It’s no longer as easy to as it was to get guest blogging spots, but all bloggers need content. It takes a lot of time and energy to create good content so if you can convince them you can offer them content that will be of value to their readers then they may well appreciate your offer. After all, it’s one day they don’t have to think of what to write!

Once you’ve secured a blog to post on and you understand what the readers want, it’s time to sit down and write. Here are some tips:

Choose a goal for each blog post. In this course, we’re working on building your subscriber base, so your goal will be to send the readers to sign up to your email list. Think about your ‘irresistible offer’ and work your way backwards from there.
Write useful information, but don’t give it all away. Remember that your goal is to bring them back to your own website to sign up for your list. Craft your post so that the reader is impressed with the information, but left wanting to learn more. Then create your offer to send them exactly where they want to go.
Respect and thank the blogger. Do everything you can to make your visit is a pleasant one for the host and the readers. That means thanking them publicly for accepting your post, promoting your post via social media, and anything else you can think of to be a good guest. That way you’ll be welcomed back again.

Guest-blogging is one of the best ways to reach a targeted market. Try it out and you’ll see that building an email list doesn’t have to be complicated or confusing – you simply need to take action. So make a list of five sites you could approach to guest-blog. Then go and do it!