business Archives - MIU Your Creative Digital Agency

September 6, 2021September 29, 2021

The importance of guest blogging (Top 11 benefits in 2021!)

Perhaps you are already working hard at growing your blog and wish to let the world know about your services or products. Or maybe you are heading a company’s marketing division and want to bring in more clients. In both these cases, as in many others, guest blogging can help. In this article, we are going to learn about the importance of guest blogging.

Yes, guest blogging seems to be in the rage these days. But believe it or not, there was indeed a time when almost no one knew of the power of this marketing strategy.

For instance, in 2006, when Brian Clark was laying the foundations of the now-famous Copyblogger.com, he experimented with guest blogging as a marketing strategy. He began writing for other websites. In the beginning, he took whatever guest blogging opportunity came his way, but soon he was writing for some of the best web portals having some of the highest footfalls on the web. In time, he got insane amounts of organic traffic from his efforts.

Or take the example of Gregory Ciotti, who used this strategy to get more than 36,000 new email subscribers.

Or consider Brian Harris, who uses just one guest post to kick-start a business that now earns him a recurring $15k a month.

Today, the strategy is used by bloggers, website owners, companies, freelancers and content marketers.

So why is guest posting so effective? We’ll find out in this article. Read on!

11 Benefits of Guest Blogging

You get instant exposure

Whether or not you get a link back to your website, the guest post should always be interesting and informative to readers. It should have something which is not yet there in other sources on the internet. If the post is of high quality, organic traffic will start pouring in soon. Traffic is essential for any business on the web, as it is for blogs. Writing a guest post is a one-time thing, but its benefits are forever as long as the post stays up. And the longer it stays up, the more traffic you continue to get. So look at it as a one-time investment! To boost traffic conversion, optimize your landing pages, your CTAs, and the other elements on your site.

It increases your network

Guest blogging has made it easy and more streamlined to connect to top influencers. It was not like this all the time. Today, many websites accept posts from both new and experienced bloggers and even have a community of dedicated writers in their chosen niches. Other sites have email discussions where post ideas are brainstormed. You can even plan to co-author posts with others. Whatever the structure is, you can always leverage your authority to seek out partnerships with top influencers. To do this, you need to be active in the community. Provide help and valuable comments. Additionally, you can also invite your chosen influencers to contribute to your blog.

Get social media shares

One of the top and proven ways to extend your reach on the web is by generating social media shares. It would help if you stimulated social media shares since the more shared your content is, the more it will be shared and seen as valuable. Guest blogging is helpful for this. For instance, if the blogging site is like Entrepreneur.com, you won’t need to lift a finger most likely to stimulate social media shares. But for smaller portals, you may have to make some effort. Consider incorporating infographics and videos with your content to get 3x engagement.

Nurture and grow your social media following

Guest blogging even helps you grow the existing list of your followers’ count and accelerate lead generation. When you write for an authoritative blog like Huffington Post, you get readers to see your brand as trustworthy. Thus, you get the trust of your readers, which you can turn into social media followers. To nurture them, give regular updates and helpful information.

Guest posting boosts your online authority

You may not be getting many organic leads and social media followers if your online authority is not strong enough. If people don’t trust you, it won’t make a difference if you write the best content on the web. One way to strengthen authority is through guest blogging. You can do this by regularly contributing to authoritative sites.

Guest blogging strengthens your backlink profile

Most blogs won’t give you a monetary reward for contributing, but they allow you to give at least one link back to your website. You need to mention a bit about your brand and provide an SEO keyword-optimized link. This aids search engines in discovering and indexing your website.

It builds your brand awareness

There have been many success stories of people hitting it rich with just guest blogging, even though they were virtually unknown before. Guest posting, if done right, establishes you as an authority in your niche. When that happens, people flock to you for advice and more awareness about your brand, products and services.

Guest blogging gives you qualified leads

This is one of the most significant benefits of this marketing strategy. The leads you get from guest blogging are already qualified beforehand. When you post on niche websites, you ensure that only interested parties will be reading and then reaching out to you. Thus, you connect with only qualified leads, which increases the chances of a sale.

It shortens the sales cycle

With a guest post, you introduce your brand to readers directly. It familiarizes them with your brand and makes them more receptive to your offers.

You get valuable feedback from readers

Feedback is always important, especially when it comes to running a business. You need to know what your readers and customers are thinking about your products and services. Guest posting gives you this benefit. With their feedback and comments, you can refine your marketing strategy for more leads and sales.

Guest blogging strengthens your skills in content marketing

To be successful, guest blogging requires you to research, use the ideal writing voice, write for a particular audience, do influencer outreach, and more. By using guest blogging, you learn more about content marketing.

To sum up

Guest blogging is undoubtedly beneficial. It comes with a slew of benefits that are hard to ignore. If you are taking your business online, you cannot overlook the importance of guest blogging.

You can contact MIU for effective advertising.

August 19, 2021December 17, 2021

Facebook Marketing Tips For Small Businesses

Are your demands screaming at you or inspiring you every morning to start your day and look forward to it? Both of these indicate a separate set of minds and result in different moods at day end. They have a different effect on you, even after you have achieved your goals.

Are you wondering why am I saying this when the headline read something related to Facebook marketing tips?

Most of us own a small business or intend to have one within this lifetime. Don’t you? It is an aspiration and uncharted demand of our lives that we have subscribed to. You may name it as one of your life goals or anything else. It is this demand that I spoke of at the very beginning. Some of us sell our self-made products too. That might be a tiny scale business, but trust me, it is business indeed, and many people do that. It is for this reason that you need to promote it well. Facebook is the first option that we can spontaneously think of. Thus, Facebook comes into the frame.

All you need to do is have a Facebook business page. It will open your venture to a sea of possibilities because this social media giant has an enormous data bank. Got my point?

Has Facebook’s Enormous Popularity Affected Its Effectiveness As A Promoting Platform?

Innovations and everything new attracts people. Facebook has been a hugely successful social media platform that now serves as an excellent channel for marketing. However, its popularity has made it familiar, and critics often question its effectiveness as a promotional platform.

Such speculations are expected fallout of sky-high popularity, but you don’t have anything to worry about yet.

Let’s understand this; the market doesn’t have any specific geographic periphery. It is as wide as the world is. That’s your market, and there is no shortage of potential customers. An enormous number of Facebook users might have made your task more challenging. To reach your target audience, you will need to prepare sharper strategies than before and increase promotional activities. This never means you have lost your target audience; it just got a bit tougher than before. Local businesses can now reach their target audience with minimum effort and increase their sales.

On the other side, Facebook tools and utility features give you crucial insight into user data. This is a huge advantage for brands for creating effective strategies. Accurate data feed strategies, it has been proven to be highly effective for increasing sales and brand impression. You can also use exclusive Facebook marketing tips for enhancing your brand strategies.

One of the most effective ways to promote your business to local buyers is through a relevant Facebook group. You can join as many as you want as long they serve your purpose and have your target audience. Make it a point to interact with the members of the group every day if possible. Through regular interaction, you can build customer trust, know their preferences and serve them accordingly. Thus, a massive number of Facebook users is an advantage for your brand.

Facebook Marketing Tips For Small Businesses On A Budget

With increasing popularity, the business prospects of Facebook flourished. Currently, organic content on business pages doesn’t reach a wider audience as it did a few years ago. Change is inevitable, and sometimes it might not be in your favour.

Ideally, you must share content every day on Facebook. However, posting a paid content regularly is challenging for small businesses. That’s why I am sharing some tried and tested practical marketing tips for organically promoting your business page.

Firstly, spare some time to know your audience and understand them. Standard promotional tips and hacks might not work for every venture always. Be very mindful while creating the content for your Facebook page and experiment with the type of content. Audiences love good content and will engage with a brand that offers it to them. So, make it a point not to offer your audience regular stuff; try to keep it as exclusive as possible.

Secondly, keep your content relatable and thus acceptable. No audience will entertain foreign content. It is, in fact, why some beautiful and heavy-weight pages go unnoticed. When you know your audience and understand them, you can create relatable content. To experiment, you can create a Facebook story every day and track their performances. It will help you in finding relatable content ideas.

Thirdly, you need to have a concrete plan or a good content strategy for your brand. Make sure you prepare a content calendar for it and materialize your goals accordingly. This will include types of posts, blogs, articles, Facebook ads, Facebook advertising, and even campaigns. However, make sure to update this calendar from time to time because preferences change within a short time. Audiences are exposed to a wide variety of content from different sources. So make it a point to stay updated with the changing trends and offer unique content to your audience.

Fourthly, take time out to organize the tabs on your business page. These are a few minor details that can create a difference in customer experience. On your business page, you will find different tabs. Wisely choose the tabs that help them to interact with your brand easily. When you care to save their time and effort, they will prefer you over difficult brands to communicate with.

Fifthly, besides your business page, create a Facebook group in line with your page. Study Facebook insights to know about your content performance and other details. Based on your findings, you can create engaging content and promotional campaigns. For organic marketing, you need to progress step by step for effective and sustainable results.

The idea is to provide value; it never goes out of fashion. The best part of using Facebook for business is it takes your products or services to the largest possible audience. You can create prospects and convert them into customers with good content with appealing calls to action. It’s irreplaceable.

Tips For Creating A Sustainable Brand

Success without sustainability doesn’t live for long. If you are planning for a business, focus on creating a sustainable business. Let me take you through a few easy and practical ways by which you can make a sustainable venture.

Build a business based on your strong belief:

Having a business, surviving the challenges and earning from can test your patience and is immensely tough. The odds will challenge your motives and try to change many things. They can change a few or more things but cannot alter your core belief. Instead, it will keep you motivated and anchored to your business despite the odds.

Embrace the change and never resist it:

Progress and development are the other names of change. It is easier to stick with successful ideas and processes, but that won’t help you to improve your business. Improvement is to move ahead of your existing position. So, it is always wiser to embrace change and related prospects rather than resist them.

Make value a priority:

You may offer great products and services but someone may offer much better than what you have been doing. What’s exclusive today might not be so tomorrow. However, things are different when you offer value with every purchase or subscription. It will bring people back to you and earn you customer loyalty. It can buy sustainability for your brand.

Don’t be uncomfortable out of your comfort zone:

We all love what we are comfortable with. It is fine for stability, but it can even make things stagnant and prevent you from achieving more. I am sure you don’t want that to happen. If you want to sustain your business and its profitability, then you must take chances.
Find your area to excel and focus on it:

Every business is unique in its ways, even if it’s selling standard products or services. Similarly, you can identify what’s working best for your customers and improve it accordingly. You can identify your areas of excellence and work on them for further improvement. It only makes you better from your current best.

Social media platforms have emerged as highly effective influencers. The popularity of Facebook makes it all the more important for your brand. So, make sure to optimally use Facebook marketing strategy for better sales and business sustainability. You can also contact us for advertising on social media channels that brings result.

June 25, 2021September 29, 2021

Reimaging Marketing In The Next Normal

Human civilization is going through one of its darkest and most challenging phases. The days are dotted with unprecedented threats and nights with uncertainty. The coronavirus pandemic blew things out of proportion, pushed us to the brim, where fighting for survival is the only way out.

Besides health and life, business, too, suffered through a lot of brutal blows. When the world was on the verge of returning to everyday life, the second wave struck. It ruined things with a more significant impact. Repeated lockdowns and forbidden movement affected supply and hit revenue generation like never before. The damage was pretty the same for brands across the globe.

Despite all, there is hope, and that’s what I will be discussing elaborately here. Robert Kiyosaki, Founder, Cashflow Technologies Inc., said, “When times are bad is when the real entrepreneurs emerge.” There’s oozing positivity in these lines, and it’s real. We need to push through the limitations; that’s how we overcome them!

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Marketing In 2021 – Reimaging Marketing In The Next Normal Trying To Survive In A Changed Business Ecosphere

Any given crisis hurts the market – consumer behavior. The pandemic triggered by covid19 created an enormous dent in trade and commerce across the world. Brands and marketers working for them are on their feet, trying to find ways to sail out of this crisis.

Businesses of varying size and age faced unprecedented challenges. They had to ensure the safety of their employees and consumers, modify business operation and management complying with government policies. Besides these, brands had to support the activities with cash and other liquid assets.

Different lockdown norms restricted the movement; it affected supply, purchase volume and related elements. A lot of people also lost their jobs due to the pandemic. There was a decline in purchase resulting in lesser sales volume and revenue.

What caused this change was a few dominating factors.

The inevitable and enforced lockdown affected the livelihood of many. While the enterprises are struggling to survive, smaller ventures and industries suffered significant loss. It even led to the closure of such businesses. It affected the livelihood of many and marginalized their purchasing power. It directly affected demand in a chain reaction.

Consumers made more conscious purchasing decisions; they tried not to spend their money on anything they are not sure about. They opted for value-based products and services and online shopping experiences. Consumers moved to online platforms and apps for their everyday essentials and luxury buys.

There was a restriction on the movement of public transport during the lockdown, but even after unlocking, people tried to avoid it. Demand for online service platforms surged high, to unexpected heights, and they switched to remote working or working from homes.

Covid19 triggered an economic and social crisis that severely affected consumer demand.

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Potential Brand Revival Strategies

You cannot avert a crisis and other challenges, but you can surely overcome them. In the face of a notorious situation, you need to be your strongest self and cut through it. You must commit to bold decisions and execution of the same. The covid19 pandemic and its impact on business is not something that you cannot overcome.

Ian Davis, a Managing Partner, McKinsey, was recently quoted in an article – “The New Normal”, “For some brands, near-term survival is the only agenda.” He elaborated on the finer details, but it stroked me hard because that’s a brutal truth. Survival is the only goal but stopping there isn’t. The article has meaningful implications for marketers. Brands need to revive; otherwise, they will not stand a chance in the grim market condition. So here I will be elaborating on a few central mechanisms that can make it happen. Stay glued!

Firstly, you need to harness the power of digital platforms and technology. The internet is accessible to almost every corner of the world, by everyone. That’s the best way to reach the mass, and you have a broader market than you could ever wish for. Why not use these platforms and transformational technologies to connect with customers – existing and potential? Build a complementing infrastructure, even a new team for the groundwork is good, to serve demands through digital channels and apps. Try digital transformation through technology, communication, data, the internet of things, AI, and exclusive networking.

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Secondly, you must pick up accurate data, analyze them correctly, and use it quickly, responsibly and effectively. Data is the key to creating compelling brand strategies, both for sales and branding exercises. Business automation solutions are ideal for making this happen; specifically, a CRM solution will be the best one to serve this purpose. When you implement CRM software, it fetches data from regular interactions, analyzes flawlessly, finds real consumer needs. It also predicts market and product trends. You can use this for offering what the market would need and cash such opportunities.

Thirdly, what matters are not exclusive products but trustworthy products that meet consumer needs. It is essential, especially when you want to create brands they trust. Invest in good image building exercises because the messages they send are very effective in building your brand image.

Fourthly, if you want to find a perennial market demand, you will have to be a bold brand. By this, I mean, as a brand, you need to stand up for a cause that makes a real difference and act on it. When you start doing this, you will begin writing a new future for your brand.

Fifthly, localize your operations and consumer experience. The idea of exported products is not as effective as offering something of their own. Frequent lockdowns have boosted the idea of enjoying local products and experiences. You are restricted to a specific area, so are the producers, sellers and buyers. There are a good number of brands that have benefitted by localizing their marketing exercises.

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Social media connected people from different pockets of the world. Similarly, online platforms, technology and digital avenues joined the business to consumers during the pandemic. Whether digital or physical, you must keep supplying to meet the demand. The current situation favors digital or online services, though. The trends and indicators commit to a promising future if you are willing to take that leap of faith and transform your digitally. Trust me; now people prefer home entertainment and home deliveries!

May 4, 2021September 29, 2021

Augmented Reality(AR) in the Marketing World

The new kid on the block

In our day-to-day lives, we may overlook the rapid developments of technology. Since the turn of the century, our lives have changed drastically with countless new devices and systems. Even in the world of marketing, modern technology has been implemented and used to significant effect.

With an ever-growing list of companies vying for your precious attention and, more importantly, your money, marketers have turned to the latest innovations for help. Today, the shiniest tool in a shed is Augmented Reality (AR).

AR in marketing

AR in marketing brings endless possibilities and solutions to a wide range of industries. These benefits are countless, especially for creative brands that choose to use this frontier technology in attracting and engaging their target audience. With the ease of application, AR can demonstrate to potential customers how to make full use of specific products and services without spending time on user manuals.

AR technology has been used on particular social media such as Instagram and Pinterest. On those platforms, brands can use the AR filter feature to showcase their product. But when brands want to start their AR campaign on Instagram for example, they need a particular strategy, so they can reach their goal.

Furthermore, AR creates a semblance of ownership of the product for its users before they purchase it. It enables users to see how they would look in a t-shirt or a pair of pants through their smartphone or laptop screen without having to be in the physical store itself.

This process is already occurring with brands like Ikea enabling AR technology in their app whereby users can place pieces of furniture in their room to gain a better feel for how the product would fit.

With AR now being possible on virtually all web browsers, the entry barriers for users are incredibly low. They do not need to purchase expensive equipment or have the deep technical know-how. All a user requires is their smartphone’s camera, and they are ready to step into the world of AR.

AR in Pizza

The explosive growth in AR-capable devices has revolutionized how companies can promote their customers’ goods and services. The latest example of that would be Pizza Hut’s brand new campaign dubbed “Newstalgia”. Pizza Hut has launched its new brand campaign to bring back nostalgic memories to its customers.

They partnered with PAC-MAN to offer a limited-edition PAC-MAN box, which features an augmented reality version of the iconic game printed directly on the packaging that fans can play using their smartphones.

To participate, one must order a large pizza from Pizza Hut. First, they need to scan the QR code on the limited-edition PAC-MAN box and play the retro Augmented Reality (AR) PAC-MAN game. Next, to enter the competition, follow the instructions on their mobile device to share their score with @PizzaHut on Twitter using #PizzaHutARcade #Sweepstakes. Making it all the more tempting, regardless of your high score, you have a chance to win if you shared it.

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This is just the latest example of companies employing cutting-edge AR technologies in their marketing campaigns. In 2014, Pepsi installed AR technology in a London bus stop, making it seem like a lion, UFOs, flying saucers, or other objects were headed straight for Londoners.

This illustrated Pepsi’s playful personality and left the audience with a memorable and fun experience. Through this campaign, Pepsi demonstrated that they thoroughly understood their audience by trusting them to appreciate the demonstration and thus created excitement around the brand.

Where is AR Marketing in Singapore?

Right now, you may be thinking, AR sounds fantastic, but it is not very popular in Singapore. That’s true. Companies in Singapore, albeit creative, have still not completely embraced the use of technology in their advertising and marketing campaigns. Sure, there are countless creative and memorable marketing campaigns like, for example, Shopee Singapore introducing Phua Chu Kang as their brand ambassador in 2020.

However, we have not yet seen marketing campaigns like that of Pizza Hut’s Newstalgia. Currently, one of the rare uses of AR is at NUS’s Lee Kong Chian Museum, where they have blended this technology into part of their museum where stories are shown through AR.

That being said, the change could soon be on the horizon. With the implementation of AR growing easier and cheaper day by day, Singaporean companies could soon be joining the bandwagon.

How you may ask.

AR technology in marketing tends to be personal and engaging. In Singapore’s case, our companies would probably integrate it into something that’s part of our daily lives.

With companies doing their best for viral content generation, AR could be a means to this end. Local companies could create an exceptional AR experience for the user that could be easily spread on social media. These experiences are highly personalized by helping users add virtual objects to their faces or environment. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Imagine being able to visualize Bubble Tea falling from the sky when you are stuck at the bus stop waiting for the rain to stop.

Future of AR

AR technologies in marketing and advertising continue to develop along with technological infrastructure. Companies will continue to adopt AR into their marketing efforts to provide potential customers with an immersive experience and feel of their goods and services. With the potential to dominate in E-Commerce, companies striving to improve their digital marketing will hopefully one day introduce this mode of advertising to Singapore, enabling us to view the world in a new dimension.

April 9, 2021July 29, 2021

What is Clubhouse Marketing?

Clubhouse is the latest app that has got marketers going crazy over it, and here’s why.

Introduction to Clubhouse

As a social audio chat application, Clubhouse first got widespread attention when Tesla founder Elon Musk tweeted about it to his 40 million followers. It has since been downloaded more than 2 million times on the App Store.

That’s not even the main reason why Clubhouse continued to be wildly popular. As an invite-only app, Clubhouse gave off that exclusive vibe which drew even more people to it as it symbolises status and elitism. To get in, you would have to get an invite from an existing user — and they usually only have two invites each. Furthermore, the discussions that happen are often live and unrecorded, adding to the exclusive feel.

Clubhouse was initially marketed to Silicon Valley investors, top-tier celebrities and influencers, and industry thought leaders. Drake, Oprah Winfrey, and Elon Musk were the first few high-profile users the app saw.

Founded by Paul Davidson, who once worked for big companies like Google and Pinterest, Clubhouse came at the perfect time when the world is still recovering from the pandemic’s effects.

With everyone having more free time to themselves, spending more time alone, and the popularity of podcasts rising, Clubhouse was a social media experiment headed for success. Launched in 2020, Clubhouse provides users with a great platform to make conversation and create a new type of content.

Having a social chat app allows users to multi-task. More importantly, it cuts through the visual noise of an era where so much of the content we consume is carefully curated, edited, and pieced together. With live discussions happening in real-time, Clubhouse offers unfiltered authenticity in a time heavily dominated by visual content. Rather than showing people what you have and hoping for possible engagement, Clubhouse skips all unnecessary steps and straight away gathers people for immediate and direct engagement.

Marketing in Clubhouse, is it possible?

So how can marketers use this to further their needs? Well, we can take a leaf from Tribal Worldwide Singapore’s book — they jumped onto the platform and had potential content strategists pitch for a job at their agency via the app.

But that isn’t the only way.

Premium and luxury brands can host branded events on Clubhouse or even sponsor events related to their industry. As a business leader or a professional in your industry, you can host Clubhouse Rooms to discuss a topic related to your brand, service, or product. By setting yourself to seem like a thought leader, you’ll gain more brand awareness and trust and loyalty amongst your consumers.

Not to mention, as the perfect platform to network, Clubhouse is the best way to meet and connect with some of the most prominent entrepreneurs around the world. Currently, Clubhouse has low dilution and incredible reach, although that might not hold for long — so take advantage of it while you still can. This way, you can use Clubhouse to make your brand feel more personal and humanised and build a new following just from the app itself.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also mentioned in a Room that his social media company is looking into building its version of an audio platform. And it isn’t just Facebook — Twitter also announced plans for a drop-in audio feature for their app, known as Twitter Spaces. Indeed, the social media audio trend is unlikely to be going away anytime soon.

As such an interactive app, Clubhouse proves to be of great potential with being able to satisfy on-demand consumption of content. Marketers should keep their eyes on the app as there is much more potential for audio marketing trends to be discovered.

If you want to find out more about the new marketing strategy, Contact Us.

April 5, 2021September 29, 2021

How to Avoid and Deal with Negative SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) has pretty much gone mainstream at this point and every business knows they need it to stay competitive. But what a lot of people don’t know is there’s an opposite side of the spectrum called negative SEO or negative reputation.

This can catch companies by surprise and that’s the exact situation our client found themselves in this project:

They tasked us to help them out of the hole they found themselves in. The success of this project helped us move up the rankings of the company listing site The Manifest. While we can’t talk about the specifics of this project, we can share what business can do to get themselves out of similar situations.

What is negative SEO?

Before you can slay the beast, you need to know what it is. Negative SEO is basically a series of black hat tactics that can either be the result of malicious external attacks or the website owners trying to cheat the algorithm.

It makes the site look extremely suspicious in the eyes of the crawlers and push them down the rankings and into oblivion. Negative SEO is a definite threat to the viability of a website and every step should be taken to prevent it.

Disavow Tools

If a site finds itself already in the midst of a negative SEO hole there are ways to beat it. Google itself has provided webmasters with one such method called the disavow tool.

The disavow tool basically allows websites to upload a list of links connecting to their site and tell Google “Please ignore all of these links”. You can even tell Google to ignore an entire website that’s linking to you.

Watch Your Backlinks

An old but gold method of monitoring the quality of the links connecting to your site. Spam links are the main weapons that malicious entities use to bring websites down. This makes sense because good links bring sites up the rankings, so terrible ones have the opposite effect.

Similar to Google’s disavow, there are tools available online that will help this process and even make it easier.

Purge Duplicate Content

This item is a bit special because not only is it a favourite method of attack by spammers, website owners can actually do it to themselves if they’re not careful. This most commonly happens with big companies that necessarily have dozens of web pages.

Fortunately, the answer to this problem is quite simple. Delete it, or if the content is really something you need, rewrite it. Solving duplicate content is easy, finding it is another story. Once again, there are tools that can help with this, but you’ll need to isolate the content you think is copied first.

Social Media Spam

The social media age brings another wrinkle to this equation. Accounts with the same or close enough name as the website will be put into the same boat by the search engine crawlers. This means anything those accounts do will affect your website for better or worse.

Just like Disavow, there are tools that will alert a website owner of this situation and solve the problem in the same way. Tell Google that those accounts are not your company and separate them from you.

It will take some time before website owners will notice any effects these methods will have, which means they need to get done sooner. Negative SEO is a reality every online business must face. But with our help, you can rest easy knowing there’s someone looking out for you.

March 26, 2021July 29, 2021

Lazada SG Celebrates Its 9th Birthday With Katy Perry, NCT Dream, and More

Lazada is known for having big discounts and huge sales on its site, so it’s no surprise that they are hosting a massive event for their 9th birthday this coming weekend.

Known as Lazada Super Party, this event includes a virtual concert, flash sales, surprise boxes, games, and more. The full performance lineup can be viewed here, although Lazada has already teased us with a few names.

Headlined by Katy Perry and NCT Dream, other local artists such as Jasmine Sokko and Nathan Hortono will also be performing for the virtual concert.

On 26 March at 9:30 pm, Lazada will be streaming this virtual concert via LazLive to countdown to its official birthday which falls on 27 March.

In fact, Lazada will be streaming live performances of various K-Pop idols every Saturday at 8 pm for seven consecutive weeks, starting 20 March. Viewers will be able to partake in games and other giveaways for a chance to win a prize!

Beyond these live streams and performances, Lazada has organised a bunch of pre-sale activities to keep us interested in grabbing ridiculous deals off their site. Before the big day, participate in as many games and activities as you can to obtain vouchers, free shipping, LazCoins and more. These will definitely come in handy during the two-hour storewide flash sale from 12 to 2 am on 27 March!

More than 200 stores are involved in the celebration of Lazada’s 9th birthday, offering more up to a whopping 90% discount on some of their products! The list of participating stores can be found here.

Lazada is definitely going all out for their birthday celebration this year. Indeed, the blend of international celebrities from Katy Perry to NCT Dream to local singers is bound to draw a huge crowd to join in on their festivities.

If you want to find out more about the new marketing strategy, Contact Us.

March 18, 2021September 29, 2021

ECommerce Platforms: WooCommerce vs Shopify vs Magento

For most businesses, an eCommerce platform is one of the best things you can do for your brand. After all, the move to the digital sphere is happening rapidly, particularly in recent years. Maintaining an online presence is the best way to have a global reach.

However, many small businesses looking to start their eCommerce store might find this step a little confusing, not to mention intimidating. Just look at it — there are so many options out there! How would anyone know which is the best option for their brand?

The eCommerce platforms available may seem a little daunting at first, but get to know them a bit more, and you’ll realise how straightforward everything is. WooCommerce, Shopify and Magento are the three most prominent platforms in the eCommerce industry, holding more than 50% of the market share combined. In this article, we’ve broken down the pros and cons of these three major eCommerce platforms to help you decide which you should use.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that brands can use if they have a registered domain for a WordPress website. WordPress is a standard content management system that many brands use. WooCommerce is a popular choice due to its ease of use. The best part is, it’s free!

With roughly 25% of the market share, WooCommerce is used by nearly 3 million sites to date. Although domain name and hosting are not included, this eCommerce platform allows brands to have an unlimited store size and unlimited orders and sales. If you want your own domain name, however, additional investment is required.

Additionally, brands would need to obtain their own Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate, a global standard security technology that enables encrypted information between a web browser and a web server. This decreases the risk of sensitive information being stolen or hacked. WooCommerce supports SSL but does not provide an individual certificate for brands.

There are plenty of extensions and themes you can choose from when using WooCommerce. This allows you some flexibility in your online shop, most of which would be required if you want a functioning store. Of course, keep in mind that some of these extensions and themes are premium and might require payment.

The good thing about WooCommerce is that it has integrated Google Analytics. This means that you’ll keep track of the popular items, which are being dropped, bounce rates, clickthrough rates, and more. Since it is free, WooCommerce is perfect for businesses who are tight with their budget or are just dipping their toes into eCommerce.

Shopify

Easily described as the upgraded version of WooCommerce, Shopify offers a few functions and features that are comparable to, if not better, than WooCommerce. However, the downside to Shopify is that it is not free.

The monthly subscription starts from $29 onwards, which allows you a free myshopify.com domain. Alternatively, you can also use your custom domain name. Even though Shopify runs on a monthly subscription, it has over nearly a million users and takes up 20% of the market share.

With Shopify’s high quality hosting services, you do not have to worry about finding a hosting provider or installing any other software since it is all included. This includes unlimited bandwidth, automatic site backups, and more. They also help update and maintain the underlying software for businesses, whereas both WooCommerce and Magento do not.

Since Shopify is a hosted solution, brands would not be able to access the underlying software, unlike when using WooCommerce or Magento. This means that you would most likely not be able to customise your server the way you want it to.

As with WooCommerce, Shopify does some free extensions, although most of them are premium. Additionally, all themes are also premium, so keep that in mind if you want to change your shop interface. Last but not least, Shopify comes with an SSL certificate which is included in their plans.

Shopify is used by the likes of Sephora, Budweiser, Nestle, Tesla, and more. If you want an uncomplicated setup process but desire premium support, this would be an excellent option for you. Even without much technical knowledge, one can easily handle and learn how to get their online store up and run with Shopify.

Magento

Magento is adopted by 250,000 websites worldwide and holds a 10% share in the market as a corporate-level eCommerce platform. Although it seems like a minor player out of the three, do not underestimate this eCommerce platform! Just because it is a niche does not mean it is not as valuable.

In fact, with both free and premium options, Magento offers plenty of support for businesses wanting to start an enterprise-level online store. While the free community version requires you to get a domain name and hosting on your own, the premium version does not.

Again, there are limited extensions and themes that Magento offers for free. Most of the better ones are premium, which means you would need to fork out some money to obtain them. However, Magento has advanced security and updates.

Since it is the most advanced version of the three, it is only natural to wonder what other features they offer. For one, their inventory management system allows them to sync the warehouse stock with the online shop. They also support multiple languages and currencies, which comes in handy for a global business. For a complete list of Magento functions that they offer, visit this link.

With an in-built SEO package and analytic system, Magento is undoubtedly a high-end eCommerce platform highly recommended for established brands or brands looking to branch out. Magento is used by the likes of Nike, Ford, and Christian Louboutin. Remember that there is a steep learning curve for this, as it is more geared towards developers and web development professionals!

All in all, WooCommerce is beginner-friendly and wallet-friendly, whilst Shopify is great for those who want to relinquish control. On the other hand, Magento is perfect for large brands that have the following to back them up. Ultimately, it would be best if you determined which eCommerce platform is best for your business. After all, you know your brand best!

March 12, 2021July 29, 2021

3 Instagram Tools

Ecommerce has been on the rise, and we can blame Covid-19 for that, but this trend has been around since even before the pandemic. Brands and businesses have all turned to list their products online to reach a wider group of consumers that traditional sales would not be able to.

With the advent of social media, these platforms have found a way to capitalise on their influence. Having a designated area where businesses can directly sell their products benefits the brands themselves and makes it more convenient for consumers to find what they want.

Indeed, eCommerce is taking over everywhere — including social media, and it’s time we took a look at just how vital this wave is.

Speaking of social media, of course, one of the most popular and most used platforms is Instagram itself. In fact, they are amongst the top 5 most used social media apps in January 2020, based on the number of active users. There is no doubt that Instagram has, in recent years, devised ways to help brands boost their visibility on their platform. This includes the addition of eCommerce functions, which we will be explaining in detail below.

Instagram Checkout

One of Instagram’s special functions is its shoppable posts or purchasable messages, where you could put a link to a product on a platform outside of Instagram. Users will then be directed to an eCommerce site where they can place their orders.

Instagram Checkout, on the other hand, takes that experience to another level. Instead of redirecting visitors to an external platform, Instagram now has a new function where users can make payment directly from the social media app itself. This may very well appeal to users who want to stay on Instagram and make a hassle-free payment.

Instagram Live Shopping

Like Instagram Checkout, Instagram Live Shopping allows users to purchase products directly from the app itself, but in a live stream situation. At the bottom of a live Instagram feed, owners can add a small CTA to nudge viewers to the products. This is great for when you want to or will advertise a said product in your live stream.

Viewers who click on the CTA can have two options — either to add the product to the cart for later so they can continue watching your stream or head to pay immediately. From there on, viewers can use Instagram Checkout to buy your products directly on Instagram itself. This way, you don’t have to be worried that you’ll be losing viewers unnecessarily.

Facebook Stores

You might be thinking, what do Facebook stores have to do with Instagram? Well, keep in mind that Facebook owns Instagram, and therefore many of its features are interlinked. Although Facebook launched Facebook Store for Facebook, it can be used for Instagram as well.

Your Instagram followers no need to create a Facebook account to interact with your Facebook store. This means that you can link your Facebook business page to other social media, including Instagram, Whatsapp, and Messenger — all of Facebook’s owned apps.

Once a store is created on Facebook, business owners can go to their Instagram profile and directly link their Facebook store. Visitors can browse products on Instagram without ever having to leave the app or create a Facebook account!

Facebook Store is an advantageous option for small businesses who can’t build an entire eCommerce website from scratch. This may be due to a lack of workforce, time, finances, or bandwidth. Instead of doing so, these businesses can turn to Facebook Stores to create eCommerce options on various social media platforms. Oberlo has a guide as to how one can set up an Instagram shop. If you do want to start an eCommerce store, Shopify or Magento is an excellent first step.

Shopping is a compelling feature on Instagram for brands, and it is likely to be even more developed in the future. Over 60% of users say they discover new products on Instagram, and more than 200 million people visit at least one business profile on Instagram daily.

Indeed, Instagram Shopping can offer so many benefits for businesses. Not only does it help to promote your products and increase sales rates, but the shopping experience for users is now more personalised as well.

The kind of products that are suggested to users on Instagram is often customised to suit each person based on what they have searched for and their other interactions on the app. This means that these products are most likely what the user would be interested in or care about. Users can even save a product and come back to it later by tapping the Label icon on a product page or a product list.

Overall, as more than 90% of Instagram accounts follow at least one other business account, Instagram is a great place to start marketing your brand. Not to mention that one-third of the most viewed Instagram stories come from businesses themselves! With more than 1 billion active users on the app, these numbers do hold some serious weight. So why not start putting these Instagram shopping tools to fair use?

March 4, 2021September 29, 2021

How to Update and Refresh Your Website

Technology and information are being transmitted at such high speeds nowadays due to how accessible the internet is. Consumers are all flocking to the online sphere to learn the latest updates and news on their interest topics. What you know today may be outdated tomorrow.

This is why it is important to update your website with the latest technology and information continuously. As online presence is becoming a necessity for most brands, businesses need to change their market.

Consumers turn to the internet, social media, and search engines to search for things they need. As a business, developing your website is a significant part of reaching out to these consumers. It makes your business look more professional and reliable to consumers and helps to create more brand awareness.

So how can you effectively create a useful website that’s both informative and credible? Here are some tips you can follow to refresh your website — something you should do at least once every year.

Develop and review your content

Of any brand, website, or industry, the most important (and necessary) thing is content. Without content, your brand is essentially just a blank sheet of paper.

While content is necessary for all websites, it doesn’t mean that any random piece of content will get you what you want. High-quality content is what will distinguish you from the rest. Remember, in this day and age, information is continuously changing and evolving. To keep your content useful and engaging, you need to stay on top of the times.

Anyone can put content out there, but your content must be valuable for your brand to stand out. One way to add value to your audience is not only to update it regularly but also to optimise your SEO. Better yet, you can add a content management system to help you keep track of all your content.

Google’s search engine will only detect and put forth the websites with the most relevant information to its users. This is a surefire way to increase consumer engagement, increase your rankings on a search engine, and boost your website’s traffic. Without fresh and informative content, your website will likely fall behind your competitors and be forgotten.

Optimise your website for mobile devices

While we’re on the topic of creating content for your website, don’t forget that an increasing number of people are surfing the net from their mobile devices. Therefore, it’s crucial to optimise your content for mobile devices as well.

Google has also updated its search engine to focus on websites that have also developed a mobile-friendly version. Make sure to check how your website looks on different browsers and different devices to ensure the best functioning version.

Improve user experience

User experience is one very huge factor in how your website does. A user-friendly website will keep its homepage tidy and its menu organised for easy navigation. With a clean webpage, visitors are more likely to stay on your site longer to browse.

You also want to adapt to the times and avoid chasing visitors away. Just as technology and information are changing rapidly, so are we. Such fast-paced lifestyles have become the norm for us city folks where efficiency is everything. Enhancing load time is one of the best ways you can ensure that visitors would want to browse your website again.

As unique as your website is, if the load time is slow, most people probably will not bother to wait around to find out just what you have to offer — even if your content is excellent. Avoid losing potential customers by testing the load time on your website and improving your interface!

There are plenty of companies that can provide you with services to update and improve your website. What you want to do is find one that understands your needs the most — as a brand and in your industry.

MIU, of course, offers this service as well, but don’t just take our word for it! Check out IT’s blog post on 11 of the best design agencies to help you figure out your webpage needs, and see the numerous projects we’ve worked on for our clients to get a sense of our style.