Focus on your search

The first one is to create and share meaningful content. In fact, it is the best bet for any business for attracting and sustaining new followers to grow their business. Mashable spoke with some leading social brands few weeks back, asking the companies about their strategies for finding new customers as well as to connect with their existing customers. This social media news blog found that it is essential to keep a track of the social media behavior of your brands. Every day, more than 340 million tweets are sent and a few of them are likely to refer your brand without you noticing them. McKee Floyd, Sweetgreen’s director of brand development says, “Just because chatter on social media channels isn’t mentioning your brand by handle or hashtag doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.”

Thus, you need to be proactive. One of the best ways to keep a track of what people are saying about your brand on the popular social channels is to set up notification for searches and mentions for your brand or relevant keywords. You can use the personal social browsers like TweetDeck to pull tweets and Facebook mentions, even if the users are not using the hashtag.

The key here is to start monitoring all of your brand or related keyword mentions religiously. While monitoring the mentions about your brand helps to know what people are saying about your company, monitoring relevant keywords specific to your business will help you to understand the need of the people as well as the market trend. Based on such information you can create strategies to cultivate a new audience, attracting them with your new offers and products that address their needs and demands.

Another good way to find new customers is to peep into your competitors’ account. Look for the people engaging with your competitors and let them know about your business. Usually customers like to be handpicked; since you are asking them to check your products, they are more likely to take it as an honor. However, be charming and human in your approach rather than simply pushing your sales message.

Use engaging images

“A picture is worth a thousand words”

This concept is also applicable when it comes to acquiring new customers through social media. Take Facebook for example, photos posted on this social channel drive the engage the users twice as much as the post can do. Why do you think Facebook acquired Instagram? Yes, images attract people and promote user engagement. Thus, the tip is to start using images to attract new followers and fans.

When asked about the trick of using images to attract clients, Danni Snyder the owner of Dannijo says, “You can subliminally market without annoying your customers because each post is capable of accomplishing a number of things.” And it’s very rightly explained, as images can successfully inspire discussion and user engagement while helping you to gain valuable customer feedback. At the same times, images provide visual inspiration and insight about your brands to your social followers.

However, there is no hard and fast rule for the images to be only product-focused. In fact, too much of promotional images are likely to annoy your followers, rather use any images that will attract and interest the social crowd.

Hosting competitions

Nothing interests customers like the freebies and contests are one of the best ways to offer your giveaways. Better yet, contents are great to boost your user engagements. However, you need to be strategic about your offerings. While discussing one of their contests, Natasha Khan, the social media manager of ModCloth said, “The social actions surrounding that event brought in thousands of new fans, which we otherwise would not have gained.”

Contests and offers, if planned strategically, can create high impact on generating new customers. For conducting social media contests, make sure you are allowing the users to share the content of the content to their social networks. This will not only increase user engagement, but will also increase virality. Tailor the contest to fit the platform where you are running it. Finally, be in-sync with your brand for relevant customer generation.

Site maps have always been an integral part of web design practices but with search engines tracking for site maps they have become important parts of SEO too. However if you are interested in reaping best benefits from site maps from the SEO aspects then a conventional site map will not do. Google uses special formats (XML) to track the site maps which is different from the HTML site maps for human visitors. So, there is need for two site maps – one for the humans and the other for web spiders (or Google bots). It should be stated in this respect that two site maps are not seen as duplicate content by the search engines. In their terms and conditions Google has clearly stated that two site maps will not be penalised.

There are various benefits of site maps in the SEO campaigns. It makes a website easy to navigate and offers better visibility to the search engines. With the help of site maps you can inform the search engines about any changes to your site. This does not mean your new pages will be indexed right away, but the changes will be indexed faster than websites not having a site map. When you submit a site map to the search engines you will not have to rely on the external links to bring spiders to your website. If there are messy internal links at your website the site maps can help in this respect too. Site maps are of limited help in terms of broken internal links and orphaned pages which cannot be reached by other ways. With the help of site maps you can classify content of any website. Search engines do not classify information according to keywords and information unless they are told to do so by the site maps.

If you have a new website and there are large number of new pages, then site maps are a must have. Though in the present times websites can still exist without site maps but soon it will be compulsory to submit site maps of a site to search engines. Spiders have and will continue to crawl through the web looking for fresh pages, but the popularity of site maps is bound to increase in the future.

 Author Bio

Ericka Jonathon is a freelance content writer by profession. She finds immense pleasure in writing SEO related article including SEO agency Kent.

When it comes to speed when you work on internet most of us prefer broadband internet because it is must faster than dial up internet connection. Apart from the advantages there are many disadvantages that might make you face certain hassle from internet providers. So while choosing internet service providers you must remember that the high speed provided by ISPs might save your time and money. Before it is too late try to find out proper internet service providers who are letting you enjoy some lucrative offers on internet connections. Some of the internet connections that provide high speed internet are DSL, Cable and satellite internet connection.

In order to enjoy DSL internet connectivity you must have quality copper wires because without this special equipment DSL internet connection is not possible. In fact without copper wires DSL internet signal cannot be received. So after considering all those facts, it must be said that copper wires are more than essential for DSL internet connectivity. But this connectivity is very essential for those who want to get internet connection by spending comparatively less expenditure. There are many advantages if you are going to use this connection like you will be able to handle the phone calls and the internet service all together.

On the other hand consumer could take help of the cable connections to access internet. But before taking help of the cable internet service provider, it must be remembered that the cable internet service providers are capable of providing limited internet services that may not be sufficient for the high user of the internet. Moreover the speed of the local Cable service provider is comparatively less than the DSL internet connection. This is the main reason for which most of the people do not consider cable ISP as the better option for getting better internet connection. However cable internet connections have variety of packages with different price tags and services. Select the service package that will suit your needs.

If a consumer is capable of spending huge amount of money then he could choose Satellite internet connection. But in reality internet connectivity of cable and DSL are much better and cheaper than satellite internet service. So if you are looking for a better and cheaper internet connection then DSL and Cable could be better options for you. However if you are on a move and stay in the interior part of a rural area where cable and DSL connection has no reach satellite is the best connection that you can available.

Author’s Bio: Jimy Jones is a well known writer who has a profound knowledge on internet service. You might get more information if you follow internetserviceproviders.net.

Cell phones like the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry are removing the need for the original internet browsers and are creating new app-like browsers such as Safari, Opera Mini, and UC Browser. Those browsers are specially made for cellular devices into application form for utmost ease and convenience to the modern day cell phone users. Just the click or touch on the small app on your screen and you’ve got yourself a format of the website made specifically for your mobile. Apps are becoming extremely popular for the previously mentioned types of smart phones, and getting rid of the need to slowly browse the web on real browsers is becoming very necessary.

As mentioned Safari, Opera Mini, and UC Browser are very popular applications for many mobile phones, but there’s something even better. Mureta’s App Empire along with large companies like Best Apps and T3 Apps are creating even more specific apps to make the internet browsing journey even simpler than before! The idea of getting rid of the use of a mobile internet browser, period. Among the most popular internet apps are Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and many, many others to make using a modern cell phone much easier. Eliminating the need to even type in the website address you want to visit, these apps are literally just one click or tap away. As soon as they have been launched, the user is automatically guided to the page they want to visit, not wasting another extra minute.

Apps like Facebook are so popular and in demand that most of the new major cell phones preinstall the app in the device, giving you no need to download it. Many other social networking, entertainment, and media applications are also making their part into new smart phones. It can be very well predicted that eventually there will come a point where every popular and not so popular website will have its own app, ready to be downloaded by the user. The App Empire provides abundantly to the demand of new apps every single day to a degree that the Apple and Android phone users alone have downloaded apps over 21 billion times! This outstanding demand for apps is easily making app lovers like Chad Mureta instantly wealthy due to the great application software market today.

The rise of apps is not necessarily creating loss for regular internet browsers for companies like Windows and Mac. Yes, the use of mobile phones have increased outstandingly over the past few decades; but computers are still just as important as they were when they were first created. PC users will always need browsers like Internet Explorer and Opera because smaller applications will seem out of place on the computer desktops. The competition between apps and the webbrowsers has definitely started but there are some very good reasons as to why neither will outdo the other. Apps are created for speed on the mobile, but they will never have nearly as much detail and perfection as what you can view on the internet browser on your computer desktop.

The fight is quite balanced between the two rivals and we can all expect there to be a tie for many years to come. App Empire should continue to market the many apps that they are and have been developing since a few years ago, and keep that App Store stocked. But the same goes to Internet Explorer, the leading internet browser company, to keep up the editions of the browser as they should not fear the rivalry of app companies like App Empire. Competition’s neck and neck and is planning to stay that way but the important point is that their rivalry is only pleasing users all over the world equally.  Check out the App Empire bonus.

Author Bio: ElSayed ElAssal is a technology – App Empire lover who works in the internet marketing business with 4 years experience.

Are you searching for a free jokes and humor website HTML template for your new jokes website ? Here you go! We have recently developed a free jokes & humor HTML template that you can easily download and change as per your requirement.  We have made the jokes HTML homepage template and you can use it on your new site. Use this custom jokes template for your website’s landing page/home-page and use WordPress or any other open-source easy custom CMS to build your site’s inner pages. This way your site would be unique and you can build it quickly and easily.

Moreover, Facebook has the data. All they need is to build the analytics to leverage the power of social advertising. And if you see the statistic, you can understand what I mean. Since last year, Facebook advertising rates have increased to 41%. This is amazing, especially when Facebook started showing more advertisements per page the prices should have decreased. Rather, the prices of Facebook ads managed to increase.

In United States, the average cost per click of Facebook ads has also increased by 20%. However, the click through rate in USA decreased by 8%. This doesn’t mean that Facebook advertising has become less of a viable platform in USA. The ad platform of this social networking site comes with a unique feature of detailed targeting, which is too good to stay away from when it comes to framing your digital marketing campaign.

In fact, Facebook ads opened new opportunities for local advertising. Many small-scale businesses and marketers have been successfully driving leads with the help of this method of advertising. Small businesses can actually use this to generate local leads. Another reason to invest in Facebook ads is its current membership. At present, Facebook has more than 150 million, which is likely to increase in the near future. Besides, statistics says, the fastest growing demographics of this social media are over the age of 25. Thus, your Facebook ads are likely to target more than the college crowd. The non-US markets too can focus on Facebook. In fact, non-US based Facebook members are one of the fastest growing sectors. Thus, international businesses can enjoy less saturated as well as cheaper foreign clicks.

However, advertisers need to think out-of-the-box since Facebook is more likely to become inundated with advertisements in the future.

Seven Boats Info-System, a digital marketing firm dedicated to provide strategic and quality implementation services for businesses looking for complete online marketing solution, won the national award of “Indian Leadership Award For Industrial Development” in 2012. Debajyoti Banerjee, the Founder & CEO of Seven Boats Info-System Pvt. Ltd received the award on the occasion of National Seminar on “Globalization of Indian Industries & World Peace”, on 11 May 2012, Friday at India Habitat Center, New Delhi. The “Indian Leadership Award For Industrial Development” was presented by IEDRA (Indian Economic Development & Research Association) and AIAF (All India Achievers Foundation).

As a happy winner of this prestigious award, Debajyoti Banerjee took this opportunity to thank IEDRA & AIAF for selecting them. “It’s very motivating for our team and for all of us who are associated with Seven Boats Info-System. We have always tried to provide the best value to our customers from the day one and we want to do things in much better way in coming days”, says Banerjee. When asked about their contribution to society in the coming days, the company’s CEO said, “We feel to give back more to the society by creating more employment opportunities and involving ourselves with more voluntary approach towards making a better India. This is a milestone but still long way to go. We would try our level best to excel more in innovation, value addition, relationship building and providing best support to our community. We also ask for the same cooperation, support and love from all our customers, users and well-wishers the way they have extended their helping hands. This award is a little honor for all of you, as we believe in sharing joy and success.”

Chief guests of this occasion were Hon. Ex. Union Minister & Governor of Tamil Nadu Dr. Bhishma Narayan Singh, Janab Syed Sibte Razi, Retd. Major & former Congress Secretary (AICC) Mr. Ved Prakash, Justice O P Verma, Former Election Commissioner Dr. G V G Krishnamurthy and many other prominent personalities. This award is to honor the excellent performance of the growing startups/companies in various industrial sectors and to recognize their excellent contribution to society and Indian economy.

About 7 Boats:

Seven Boats Info-System Pvt. is a full-service digital marketing firm providing strategic and complete marketing solutions to businesses looking for quality services. The company serves clients around the globe and across various industries, ranging from technology start-ups to well established offline businesses. Seven Boats believe in growth-oriented strategies helping clients to leverage on the immense scopes of Internet to skyrocket their businesses.

Complete your Twitter profile: An incomplete profile is annoying, but more than that, it is not even worth following. You can only risk such an online profile if you are a renowned brand, still an incomplete profile will affect your credibility. So complete your profile – it hardly takes time to write a sentence or two about you or your business, and the industry that you serve. Also, add a link to your company profile or webpage. Using a picture (read real or relevant picture) is also essential. People usually look at such information to determine whether you have a real account or if it is a spam. Moreover, giving detailed information will help people to determine if they are likely to find your tweets interesting.

Be brief with your tweets: Of course Twitter is all about being brief and to-the-point, as this micro blogging site allows only 140 characters. Our advice is to use 110-120 characters and keep the rest for retweeting purposes. This way, you will be sparing your followers the effort of shortening your tweet. In addition, it will give your followers some room to add their own comment. However, this is no hard and fast rule for tweeting; it is just a trick, which worked for many of our clients.

Connecting accounts: You need to be strategic while connecting your social accounts. It is okay to all your social accounts, if you use them strictly for business purposes. Otherwise, avoid connecting your personal social accounts with the business accounts. In fact, marketers should be strategic while connecting their social accounts. Many use social media dashboard application like TweetDeck for managing their Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts. Though it can be a time saver, think twice before posting the same content on various platforms. This is especially applicable for brands, as it more likely for people to follow brands on various social networking sites.

Use minimum number of automated tweets: As mentioned in the beginning of this post, Twitter is a real-time news distributor. Thus, you should minimize your number of automated tweets. Such tweets hardly generate any interaction and are often annoying. In fact, most users can identify the automated. However, you may use such tweets in moderation

Finally, don’t be stereotype on this micro blogging platform. Try to think out of the box to create some interesting tweets that can generate quality interaction. This alone can help you to increase your follower count.

Well, the main solution is to create a great impression to your target market and on the World Wide Web. Then again, this is very general and entails the application of several strategies. Furthermore, you need to pour in much effort and time (as well as adequate budget) to make your website rank well in search engine results. Once you are able to accomplish this, the direct result is increased traffic to your site.

So, how can you gain enough exposure to earn high sales?

A vital technique is off-page optimisation, a process that involves optimising through external factors. Perhaps, one of the most important elements of this strategy is generating links through directory submission.

But what is a directory?

It is a Web service, which offers a list of services, websites, products, and people arranged either according to categories (e.g. shopping, household, automotive, etc.) or in alphabetical order. Sometimes, it can be both.

As of late, you can come across several online directories.

Given that, you have to know that your website does not appear automatically on any directory. You have to submit certain details about your site before your domain comes up in listings. Now, this process is what you call a “directory submission”.

Check out the image below to have a quick look into how your site appears on a directory.

These are Google+ submissions.

As you can see from the example, the information, which you send to one or more directories commonly consists of your site URL, description, and title. When making the last two elements, you have to integrate relevant keywords to help you rank in SERPs.

Assuming that you already have submitted your website’s details, what do you get out from it?

Well, the check out the following benefits to learn…

The Biggest Relevance of Directory Submissions

1. You can obtain permanent one-way links

When it comes to getting high ranking, link building is an essential factor. And, between exchanging links (from one site to another) and receiving inbound links, the latter has more value. This applies mostly if you enlist with high-quality directories.

2. Search engines are able to index or find your site

Google (as well as other search sites) scours the Web for important sites or pages each time a user types in a search word or phrase. It comes up with relevant results by letting its algorithm or “spiders” crawl through links. To make it easy for Google to find your website, do not forget to submit its basic details to leading directories.

3. You can use high-ranking keywords

Who says that you can only target popular search terms through on-page optimisation? The fact that your submission titles serve as links or anchor texts, which direct users to your site, you can make the most of it by integrating the titles with relevant key phrases. In return, each directory link that you obtain puts you closer to the top spot in the SERPs.

4. You do not have to spend a penny

This is because many Web directories do not charge you for submissions. This indicates that you can lessen your marketing budget or use the extra money for other promotional means.

How about that, taking advantage of directory submissions can be very beneficial, right? So, if you have not considered this strategy before, include it in your SEO campaign to reap its rewards.

About the Author: Emma Tomlinson is the Head of Retail at Smart Traffic, a leading search agency providing SEO services to SMEs and big companies in several countries. If you want to read more articles from me to check out my other posts, you can log on to our SEO Blog on Smart Traffic’s official website.

To begin with, you need to have a proper goal. Just like your other online marketing efforts, social media contents need a clearly defined goal; otherwise, you cannot generate any value to it. Increasing the number of your followers on a particular social networking site cannot be defined as a clearly defined goal, when it comes to social contests. A good marketer should know that increasing the number of followers is just the beginning of your objective, not an end-goal of the contest.

You need to identify the real motive behind the contest. In most cases, the ultimate goal is revenue generation; however, social contest are also used as a tool for conducting research and surveys. You need to measure your ROI from the social media contest in terms of leads and conversions. And for that, you need to determine what you want to achieve with such social efforts and measure the ROI based on it. Social media contests can also help you to find your niche customers, who are interested in your particular product. Thus, revealing a new market opportunity to you.

Next comes the target. You need to define your target audience. As mentioned, most of the followers participating in your social contests hardly think beyond the prize. And there is no point catering to such audience, as they will hardly help you to obtain your goals. Thus, align your target audience according to your specific goal and market the social contest to exclusively them. Such targeted effort will also help you to gain faithful clients.

The prize matters, too. Most marketers believe the social contest prize should be attractive and trendy. Though trendy prize does attract many followers, it will lead to the same issue – your followers will never think beyond the prize. Three types of prizes are being offered at present when it comes to social contests – intangibles, third-party prizes, and products from the company running the contest. And it again needs a smart marketing strategy to produce an effective ROI in the prize offered. It must be planned in such as way that the prize should cost minimum, while providing an enormous success.