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Why hire a marketing agency?

Two people are engaged in a handshake within a casual office setting, symbolising the striking of a business deal or agreement.

Introduction

10 things to expect when tying the knot with us.

 

Two people are engaged in a handshake within a casual office setting, symbolising the striking of a business deal or agreement.

Making a business commitment is serious. Discover why MIU’s subscription model puts you at the forefront of industry growth.

“It’s all about you.”

At the end of the day, in any partnership, communication and understanding are vital to bringing out the best in both parties. A healthy relationship is a symbiotic one. But if it were easy, everyone would be hitched, right?

So why hire a marketing agency?

Well, traversing organic digital marketing in an AI world proves to be tricky. We’re here to guide you.

Here are 10 things to expect when partnering with a digital marketing agency.

1. We Bring Your Advertising Vision to Life

Bringing a marketing vision to life sounds easy enough. But technical processes often shatter motivation and stifle creativity.

We give you the stage to build a presence for your brand, product, and service with ease. Our processes centre on understanding what you want from your target audience and what they expect coming to you for a solution.

Having a plan in mind promises you a powerful marketing strategy in the long-term, and allows for innovative advertising that targets each aspect of your product marketing, from platform to user intentions.

A robust marketing framework sets the stage for creative expression that resonates with your target demographic. According to Statista in 2023, 49% of B2B consumers are more likely to look into products and services of other companies if their advertising is creatively inclined.

Let your content stand out to the masses.

2. Experience Counts

When you enlist a marketing agency for branding aid, it’s nice to know that you’re in good hands.

Marketing agencies engage with a diverse array of client industries. Having a concise business framework that influences content output to read as leading voices in each field sets an expert marketing agency apart from the others.

A robust digital marketing blueprint enters here, making sure both the agency and its clients keep on track towards their goals, while aligning with signature tones, visuals, messages, and overall marketing efforts.

On the lookout for a digital marketing agency partnership?

We have it all here, comprehensively, for you.

Our extensive portfolio boasts adaptability within diverse markets, consisting of solutions crafted with you, for you.

3. Your Satisfaction Comes First

You are only ever limited by your imagination. Enlist agencies that take your satisfaction seriously. With stunning creatives, powerful campaigns, and an arsenal of effective marketing tools, an expert marketing agency will give you robust branding like never before.

Take your business to the next level by blending creative expression with conclusive customer insights for a competitive edge. With the help of a dedicated in-house team of experts, MIU takes your ideas and turns them into priceless marketing plans tailored for you.

Have a gameplan for what you’d like to achieve and see if the agency you enlist meets those expectations.

4. Maximise Your Revenue, Minimise Your Dollar

Transparent agency pricings with tangible results give value to your needs. Innovation shouldn’t be a luxury, and a good agency knows how to deliver top-tier strategies without the ridiculous markups.

Your marketing goals should take centre stage.

Work with agencies to thoroughly understand your brand, audience, and objectives, developing strategies that hit the mark every time. In the market to drive conversions and dominate the field? Then a marketing agency’s expertise can help you to scale conversions and power engagements.

Through robust marketing campaigns personalised for you, a marketing agency lets you breathe easy, knowing you’re in good hands.

5. Can they Deliver Your Marketing Vision?

This is the cornerstone of understanding the value of your partnership. An agency shouldn’t just execute ideas – they should bring them to life.

Have strategies devised and strategised for you with one ultimate goal: to turn your dreams into measurable success.

How so? 

Look out for:

    • Content marketing: Captivate your audience with storytelling that resonates.
    • Social media marketing: Engage platforms to amplify brand voice.
    • Website development: Craft sleek sites that curate brand image and drive traffic.
    • Branding: Establish a unique identity that sets you apart.
    • Print and Design collaterals: Create stunning visuals that leave a lasting impression.

Comprehensive suites of services range from technical to creative, engaging every aspect of your marketing needs with ease. Mediocre just doesn’t cut it nowadays.

6. Successful Business Models Measure Your Success

Have a front-row seat to your own company growth with advanced softwares and business strategies. Not only will the agencies be able to interpret data – you can too.

A reputable agency generates reports for you on a monthly basis, allowing you to track consumer data, as well as uncover insights into where improvements can be made.

These include: 

    • Campaign progress
    • ROI
    • Performance metrics

According to this Forbes article, AI, voice search, and AR and video are emerging as dominating powers in the digital marketing industry.

Enlist powers that stay up-to-date with dynamic industry trends, keeping ahead of the curve (and your competitors).

7.Where Is It All Done?

As for MIU, our core team is right here, in the heart of Singapore. We are committed to one company, not an outsourcing firm or freelancers. 

One place, all the answers.

As one of the top digital marketing agencies in Singapore, we ensure quality deliverables, accessible answers, and innovative collaboration, fuss-free. We’re not in the business of under-delivering.

8. Collaborative Communication

Transparency and teamwork are sacrosanct to any successful partnership.

Sophisticated project management tools always keep you in the loop, enabling open communication and guiding a collaborative process.

Watch your goals materialise in real-time, and grow your business for an exceptional ROI.

At MIU, whether it’s liaising behind a project or communicating a message to your audience, we employ tried-and-true strategies to deliver the best for both company and customer experience.

Illustration showing a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system highlighting 8 key components: local management, marketing, customer profile, sales funnel, support, customer analytics, opportunity management, and CRM.

Working with a marketing agency lets you watch your branding blueprints become unstoppable campaigns, without the fluff.

9. Size Doesn’t Always Matter

Value the power of connectedness. It permeates all that we do.

Offering 1 to 1 services that are unparalleled in the field, MIU consists of curated in-house marketing teams to aid you in every aspect of digital marketing.

Whether it’s:

    • Creative
    • Revenue
    • Branding
    • Digital Strategy
    • PR and Communications

We don’t believe in a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Our services are bespoke, made to fit and perfected to last. 

10. Consider Compatibility

When entering a partnership, ask yourself:

    1. Do I feel taken care of?
    2. Do they align with my goals?
    3. Can they elevate my brand to new heights?

Follow these closely for organic business collaborations that give value to your brand voice, image, and vision as much as you do. Forcing a fit shouldn’t be the move.

 

Conclusion

In today’s vast digital landscape, partnering with a full-service marketing agency is not a luxury – it’s a necessity. Robust marketing campaigns appeal to consumers, widening reach and market growth through raw vision and calculated curation.

Customers know when a message is tailored for them.

Working with you, for you: MIU delivers result–oriented strategies that embrace customer loyalty and industry growth.

For those wanting to commit to us, we can’t wait to hear from you.

Don’t worry. We’ve got your back.

 

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Social Media Marketing: Agency Pricing

Are you considering partnering with a social media marketing agency?

Do you want to boost your online presence and connect with your customer base?

Understanding the pricing structure of these agencies is essential for effective budget planning and achieving your business objectives.

About 74%  of consumers rely on social media when making purchasing decisions. This underscores the importance of having a strong online presence. In fact, about two-thirds of businesses allocate between  5% to 25% of their budgets to social media initiatives.

Moreover, over 86% of business owners report satisfaction with the return on investment (ROI) from their social media expenditures. This indicates that investing in social media can lead to substantial benefits.

When considering social media management, it’s important to recognize the factors influencing pricing.

These factors can include the agency’s skills and the services it offers. They also depend on the size and complexity of your social media campaigns. Additionally, the level of customization you need is important.

By understanding these factors, you can make informed decisions that align with your business goals and maximize your ROI.

Let’s explore the key elements that affect social media management pricing.

This blog will provide valuable insights to guide your choices and help your brand thrive in the digital landscape.

Factors Influencing Social Media Marketing Agency Pricing

    1. Scope of Services: Social media management agencies provide various services. It includes creating content, advertising, competitive analysis and reporting. The more comprehensive the service package, the higher the pricing.
    2. Target Audience: Agencies may adjust pricing based on the size and demographics of their target audience. Larger audiences or niche markets may require high-quality resources, impacting pricing accordingly.
    3. Social Media Platforms: Different platforms require varying effort and resources to manage effectively. Pricing may differ based on the number and complexity of social media channels included in your strategy.
    4. Ad Spend: Agencies add a percentage to the ad budget on top of their regular fee if your social media plan includes paid ads.
    5. Customisation and Strategy Development: Tailored strategies and extensive planning may incur additional costs, especially for businesses with specific branding requirements or complex marketing goals.

Understanding Social Media Marketing Pricing Models

Social media marketing agencies typically offer pricing models tailored to different client needs. Common pricing structures include:

    • Monthly Retainer: Clients pay a fixed monthly fee for a set package of services, providing predictability and ongoing support.
    • Project-Based: This model is good for one-time campaigns or specific projects. It involves a flat fee or hourly rate for the estimated total labour hours and related costs.
    • Performance-Based: Agencies may structure their payment based on specific goals, such as engagement rates or lead generation.

This approach is similar to a results-based model.

Social Media Marketing Campaign

Blaine Robert Design – a famous interior design and architecture firm in Malaysia, seamlessly expanded its reach. They attracted a broader audience segment with the expertise of social media marketing services.

Strategic digital marketing helps the brand connect with its clients and showcase their work to design enthusiasts. Opting for the social media marketing services has addressed critical pain points, such as

    • Content creation
    • Time constraints
    • Channel knowledge
    • Costing and budget
    • Marketing plan

The partnership heightened brand awareness, increased conversion rates, and measurable boosts in leads and conversions. In today’s world of digital interaction, hiring a specialized agency for social media management is essential. It helps you stay competitive and succeed in the modern market.

OTN Machinery, a kitchen equipment solution provider based in Malaysia, implemented a successful Facebook marketing campaign from a leading digital marketing agency in Singapore.

 

facebook ads performance overview table report

 

Their marketing objectives were achievable with captivating visuals, engaging copy, and customer segmentation. Offering great customer service leads to real-time results with high conversion rates.

Brands can leverage their social networks to demonstrate expertise, reinforce industry leadership, and engage with potential customers.

Choosing the Right Social Media Marketing Package:

In Singapore, an affordable business solution starts between SGD 500 and SGD 1,500 per month. The basic package covers all the necessary services to kickstart your online presence. This package includes creating content for chosen platforms like Facebook and Instagram, ensuring consistent engagement with your audience.

You’ll receive monthly performance reports detailing reach, engagement, and other vital metrics to gauge the campaign’s effectiveness.

This package doesn’t offer the wide reach of more expensive options. Although it is great for startups or small businesses with limited budgets.

 

social media marketing package

 

MIU for YOU:

We will comprehend the nuances of your business and marketing objectives, ensuring we stay within your budgetary constraints.

We identify potential issues and strategise solutions. If a crisis occurs, we promptly take well-calculated action to counter the reaction.

If you’re looking for strategic guidance, you’re in the right place. We offer innovative marketing efforts and creative support tailored to your product or service needs.

At MIU, we focus on bridging digital gaps effectively. We work with brands and companies to help them bridge the gap and achieve their business goals.

We are a leading digital marketing agency in Singapore, specializing in social media marketing and management. We tailor our services for businesses of any size.

With years of experience, we have the expertise to create various types of content. We execute marketing campaigns and optimize them according to algorithms to drive business growth.

With us, you have the freedom to customise your digital advertising plan.

You can choose our Epic SEO package to enhance your brand reach. Our unlimited design package can help you go viral on social media.

 

social media marketing services

 

Understand your competitors, explore your brand’s essence and customise a data-driven digital strategy with MIU. We create topic ideas and develop innovative stories to authentically express your brand’s purpose. We have a blueprint customised for your business. Get in touch with us to enjoy a free 30-minute complimentary call.

 

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7 Marketing Mistakes That Helped The Industry Get Better

MIU creative agency Singapore

Marketing is an ever-evolving industry. Companies are constantly churning out new ad campaigns and taglines to make themselves heard. As such, it is common for some of them to make marketing mistakes. 

Severe or not, these blunders can damage a brand’s reputation. No business wants to do that. It is not worth offending loyal and potential customers for an advertising campaign!

You’ve probably heard of common marketing mistakes. Perhaps, you’ve even laughed at the marketing efforts of a product or service. Or, some efforts are so bad they become good for publicity!

But mistakes lead to a positive transformation that benefits brands and consumers. The following article explores the 7 marketing fails that ultimately helped the industry improve!

7 Marketing Fails That Revolutionized The Industry

1. Sony PSP White Poster

Marketing mistake from Sony PSP White Poster campaign

In 2006, Sony released a Netherlands poster featuring a white woman grabbing a black woman’s chin. The tagline read, “PlayStation Portable White is coming.” 

Sony explained that it was meant to highlight the color differences between the two PlayStation versions. 

However, the poster was immediately criticized for its racist connotations and sparked widespread backlash. Many people called out the advertisement for using racism to sell a product.

Marketing Mistakes to Avoid: 

  1. Be aware of sensitive cultural tropes.
  2. Avoid using racial stereotypes or offensive imagery in marketing campaigns.

 

2. Burger King’s ‘Women Belong In The Kitchen’ Tweet

marketing mistake from Burger Kings ‘Women Belong In The Kitchen Tweet campaign

In March 2021, Burger King UK tweeted, “Women belong in the kitchen,” as part of a campaign to promote its scholarship program for female chefs. 

The one-liner tweet was intended to be attention-grabbing and empowering for aspiring female chefs. However, it backfired as it was taken out of context. Despite Burger King’s further comments clarifying the purpose of the tweet, the damage had already been done.

Many criticized it for promoting outdated gender stereotypes. It was also tweeted on International Women’s Day, which further fuelled the social media uproar.

Marketing Mistakes to Avoid: 

  1. Avoid using controversial or insensitive language in marketing messages, even if you intend to be provocative, humorous, or attention-grabbing.
  2. Avoid perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes in marketing messages.

 

3. Audi’s China Wedding Commercial 

This advertising mistake is an excellent example of how important cultural nuances are in marketing.

In 2017, Audi released a commercial in China that showed a bride being physically inspected by her future mother-in-law during a wedding. The commercial compared marrying a bride to shopping for a new car.

Chinese audiences criticized the advertisement for objectifying women and promoting old-fashioned gender stereotypes. Weibo users complained that Audi made misassumptions about traditional relationship dynamics in China. These assumptions were outdated and did not resonate with most people.

Marketing Mistakes to Avoid: 

  1. Be aware of cultural differences.
  2. Do not assume or over-generalize the social values of your foreign target audiences.
  3. Avoid perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes in marketing messages.

 

4. E-Pay 2019 ‘Brownface’ Ad

E-Pay 2019 ‘Brownface marketing fails

This advertisement was widely discussed in Singapore’s local forums and social media platforms. Local and international news organizations even published articles about it.

In 2019, E-Pay released an advertisement featuring a Chinese actor wearing brownface to promote their mobile payment service. The photograph was meant to depict the four races of Singapore. However, the Chinese actor intentionally darkened his skin tone and donned traditional costumes to portray a Malay and Indian person. 

The advertisement was widely criticized for its racist undertones and careless portrayal of ethnic minorities in Singapore.

Marketing Mistakes to Avoid: 

  1. Avoid using racially insensitive imagery or language in marketing campaigns.
  2. Be aware of how different audiences may perceive your messaging.
  3. Be authentic and inclusive in your portrayal of diversity.

5. Adidas Boston Marathon Email

Adidas Boston Marathon Email marketing fails

In 2017, Adidas sent a promotional email to Boston Marathon participants that included the subject line, “Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!” 

The email was criticized for being tone-deaf, as the 2013 Boston Marathon had been the site of a terrorist attack that caused injuries and deaths.

Marketing Mistakes to Avoid: 

  1. Be aware of the historical and cultural context of significant events.
  2. Avoid using insensitive language that might be offensive and trigger audiences.

6. Kendall Jenner Pepsi Ad

Kendall Jenner Pepsi Ad

In 2017, Pepsi released an advertisement to promote unity and togetherness. In the video, Kendall Jenner hands a can of Pepsi to a police officer, which stops a street protest.

Many people criticized the advertisement for simplifying complex social movements and erasing the struggles and oppression faced by real-life protestors. Pepsi received backlash for trivializing crucial social justice movements. 

Marketing Mistakes to Avoid: 

  1. Be aware of the social implications of your imagery and messaging.
  2. Avoid using insensitive imagery that downplays and trivializes the real-life struggles of people.

7. ‘Every Singaporean Son’ Publicity Stunt by National Geographic

Every-Singaporean-Son Publicity Stunt by National Geographic

An advertising stunt by National Geographic in Singapore backfired. It was criticized by local netizens and even by the Government of Singapore!

In 2013, National Geographic promoted the second season of “Every Singaporean Son,” a documentary series about the National Service in Singapore.

The company hired local actors to assemble at Raffles Place. These actors were dressed in army fatigues. They portrayed a platoon of conscripted national servicemen. Public members were invited to the podium to shout drill commands to these ‘recruits.’ 

Netizens immediately criticized the stunt for downplaying the efforts and sacrifices made by conscripted national servicemen. They felt that these ‘soldiers’ were staged for entertainment. 

Netizens were not the only ones who expressed their disapproval. The Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) stated they were unaware of this stunt. They condemned the improper and unapproved usage of the Singapore Armed Forces uniforms for an advertisement.

Marketing Mistakes to Avoid: 

  1. Be aware of the social and cultural meanings of nationally-significant events in foreign countries. 
  2. Seek approval from well-informed parties or authorities to ensure no sensitive or restricted imagery is used.

 

A Quick Summary

Marketing fails we have observed can serve as valuable lessons for other brands, showing them what to avoid in marketing campaigns.

fail promotion campaign from famous brand

  1. Consider tone and timing
  2. Consider political and social scenarios
  3. Do not generalize cultural practices and traditions
  4. Do not trivialize or downplay serious matters
  5. Avoid stereotyping and affiliating religion to sell your products
  6. Seek approval from relevant authorities
  7. Be creative but remember to set the focus on the product
  8. Be open to receiving opinions prior to publishment
  9. Exercise caution when choosing to collaborate with influencers and celebrities

Marketing Mistakes can significantly affect your brand. Although these mistakes have negative consequences, they help the industry improve and evolve.

Remember these lessons as you strive to create authentic, impactful, and empowering marketing campaigns!

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What is Clubhouse Marketing?

marketing in clubhouse

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.

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How to Avoid and Deal with Negative SEO

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:

Negative SEO

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.

Contact us today and only let good SEO enter your website.

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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.

Michelle Chong, Michelle Chong, Michelle Chong, Lee Min-ho are posing for a picture: Lazada Celebrates Its 9th Birthday Sale With A Virtual Concert, Games, Flash Deals, Vouchers

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.

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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!

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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    How to Update and Refresh Your Website

    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.

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    7 Content Writing Tips for Your Marketing Strategy

    7 Content Writing Tips for Your Marketing Strategy

    A huge part of any digital marketing strategy is to first create content for it. However, to create good content that will do well, especially in the online sphere, isn’t easy. There’s already a sea of content out there — so how do you make yours stand out?

    To start off with, there are in fact plenty of things you can do to boost your content. In all content marketing strategy, these are necessary steps to take if you want your content to perform well. There is no doubt that your competitors are already engaging these in their strategy — so make sure you don’t fall behind!

    1. Do keyword research

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    Keyword research is an important step in creating all content. In fact, it’s the first step you should take. Before you even begin writing a single word, start checking what are the hot and trending topics on Google.

    By doing a quick search, you will be able to know what are the most relevant keywords you should adopt in your content. Not only that, but you will be able to tell what keywords perform the best on different search engines — which is the key to getting your content out there.

    However, keep in mind not to overuse your keywords as this will actually affect your page ranking. Google’s algorithm is smart enough to recognise that a webpage with too many of the same words may mean a potential spam website — and therefore it would not place it at the top rankings or recommend it to its visitors.

    Similarly, visitors to your webpage would not like the excessive and unnatural use of too many a specific keyword and will bounce quickly. Over time, this will translate and search engines will mark down your domain.

    2. Incorporate a powerful CTA

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    When creating your content, keep in mind the call-to-action (CTA) you want your readers to take at the end of it. Think about how you can get your readers to take that action. Want your readers to purchase something? Sign up for your newsletter? Or just to share your content on their social media? Either way, give them a reason to take these actions.

    Perhaps you could offer something of value to them. Give them a 20% discount off your product with a unique link, if your goal is to get them to buy your product. Offer information and resources to get them to subscribe to your newsletter. Or even provide a free e-book for sharing around your content and getting others to click on it!

    A CTA is one of the most vital aspects of any content marketing strategy. It is how you link content writing to marketing goals, ROIs, and KPIs.

    3. Engage your readers with your choice of words

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    One great way to make your content interesting and engaging is to use the active voice instead of the passive voice. Generally, the subject is the one performing the action when you use the active voice. In the passive voice, the subject becomes the one the action is being performed on.

    For instance, compare “The brave knight rescued the princess from the dragon.” with “The princess was rescued from the dragon by the brave knight.” The first sentence sounds a lot more exciting as it emphasises the action that is happening.

    Similarly, you can also make your content sound more interesting with your choice of diction. Instead of “sales increased”, you can use “sales rocketed”. See the difference? By adopting more interesting verbs, you can highlight important actions while still making it engaging for the reader.

    4. Keep sentences short and paragraphs brief

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    Keep in mind that attention spans online are a lot shorter. Not only that, but minimising your paragraphs helps you to optimise your content for mobile. With more readers consuming content from their mobile devices these days, it is ever so important to take this aspect into consideration as well.

    Your sentences and paragraphs need to be optimised for both mobile devices and the short attention spans that people have online. So, keep their attention locked onto you by making bite-sized content and paragraphs!

    5. Always hyperlink

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    Hyperlinks sound counterintuitive since you’re potentially sending your visitors to another website, but they can actually help you get backlinks! More often than not, the sites that you reference will reciprocate with a nod to you via a mention or a link. Win-win!

    If you’re still concerned about sending your web traffic to another site, you can always set your page up to open links in a new tab or a new window. This will effectively keep your traffic on your page while still allowing you to practise good internet etiquette by hyperlinking your sources.

    Linking to other pages also helps to boost SEO on your site and increase page view over time. It also makes your content more credible and gives your readers useful information.

    6. Provide added value

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    One of the best ways to keep your readers coming back is to leave them with a parting gift. It can be a free digital guidebook, a link to a webinar, or some collated statistics in a Google sheet. Either way, it doesn’t have to cost a thing.

    Not only will your readers appreciate this, but they might recommend it to their contacts too! This word-of-mouth marketing will lead to higher search engine rankings as well as some repeat traffic. Now you’ll be sure your content marketing will see a huge leap in improvement!

    7. Keep your old posts updated

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    The last step of any content marketing strategy is to keep your content updated. As time passes and events unfold, content — no matter what it’s about — ages. Information goes out of date as the market changes.

    A good strategy is to keep your content constantly updated and relevant. By doing so, your content will gain value over time. This means that even an old post could very well keep traffic coming in, as pages continue to link to your content and social media accounts continue sharing it.

    Speaking of, it is a good idea to also update your old content with new and fresh links. For example, if your post is talking about a good digital marketing strategy for 2020, you can update it for 2021 — and improve on it by giving recent statistics! This not only boosts your search results but keeps your content useful and relevant to any visitors passing by.

    Remember, a great marketing strategy will know how to maximise the most value out of its content possible. Be it using relevant keywords, links, or CTA, all these tiny steps go a long way in boosting your content. So start optimising your content by implementing these tips into your marketing strategy today!