Marketing – Affordable Blog

5 Content Marketing Ideas for February 2023

Content marketers who need inspiration in February 2023 can focus on how-to articles, the Super Bowl, Black History Month, Groundhog Day, and — what else? — Valentine’s Day.

Content marketing is creating, publishing, and promoting articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, or even apps to attract, engage, and retain customers.

Content marketing should provide your audience of prospects with something helpful, informative, or entertaining so that they feel a sense of reciprocity to consider your brand when needed.

Here are five content marketing ideas that ecommerce brands and retailers can use in February 2023.

1. How-to Listicles

Listicles (list articles) and videos are excellent ways to attract potential buyers via search engines. Listicles are also sharable.

For February 2023, consider creating a series of instructional listicles that cover topics related to your business, such as “how to choose the right winter coats for extreme cold weather” or “how to prepare a healthy Valentine’s Day dinner.”

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Getting Your First Rank One Position in Google: Everything You Need to Know

Getting to rank number one isn’t easy, and if you don’t have much experience, it’s going to be even more challenging.

By Timothy Carter May 15, 2022

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Are you completely new to the world of search engine optimization (SEO)? Or, are you an old pro launching a new campaign? If so, you’re going to be excited about the prospects of ranking first in Google for a given keyword or phrase. It’s an important foundational achievement to set the stage for the rest of your strategic development. And, it has the potential to send significant organic traffic your way.

15 Side Hustles You Can Start Right Now — Little-to-No Money or Special Skills Required

Exclusive data from Handy shows which side hustles on its platform are the most popular, most lucrative and fastest-growing.

If you’re one of the thousands of people who turned to a side hustle to make ends meet in 2020, chances are you’re still looking for the easiest, most efficient ways to make some extra money in 2021.

You might be an expert Ikea-furniture-assembler, seasoned at helping your friends move or just good at household tasks, and platforms like Handy are an easy way to test out a side hustle without making a big initial investment.

HomeAdvisor data shows 86% of homeowners say they are spending more time at home due to the pandemic, and that spending on home improvement is up $745 year-over-year. Handy reports that 71% of the “Pros” on its platform believe there’s a shortage of skilled tradespeople, meaning there’s plenty of work for everyone who wants to get into the industry. The cost to enter the home services industry, particularly in non-licensed fields, is low, and you can hit the ground running as soon as you’re approved to join the platform.

Need ideas of jobs to get started? Handy provided Entrepreneur with exclusive data on which jobs on its platform are most popular, most lucrative and fastest-growing right now. If you have experience in any of these areas, adding a side hustle on Handy could be a quick way to get new customers and earn more money.

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This Budget-Friendly SEO Tool Can Help You Improve Your Search Rankings

Amplify your organic marketing strategies without breaking the bank.

The world of digital marketing is extremely competitive. With so many people and brands competing for attention, it’s easy to make mistakes and fall by the wayside. Those mistakes are especially costly when you’re paying for promotion. Organic marketing, on the other hand, simply relies on optimizing your primary sites so that people can find you naturally through search engines. SEO is one of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing strategies there is, but it’s also a technically difficult one. Fortunately, SERPstash can simplify it.

SERPstash is a simplified SEO tool that will help you drive your pages up the search rankings. The tool breaks SEO into three simple steps: Identify competitors and keywords, research backlinks, and audit your page to identify improvement areas. With 21 user-friendly tools to boost your site’s ranking, you can completely overhaul your SEO without any technical expertise.

SERPstash allows you to analyze and filter ranking keywords related to your industry, discover who is ranking for those same targeted keywords, and find your current search ranking. You’ll be able to learn the top search queries bringing traffic to your site and find the 100 highest-quality websites linking back to your site, as well as who is linking to your competitors. With simple tests and insights from Google, you’ll be able to improve your site’s speed and SEO, and even discover if your pages are considered “mobile-friendly” in Google search results.

Amplify your SEO strategy with SERPstash. A lifetime subscription is normally $500, but right now, you can get a limited-time deal when you sign up for just $24.

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Prices subject to change.

The 20 Most Popular Professional Skills of 2020 According to Entrepreneur Readers

Plus, how to learn them yourself in 2021.

The Covid-19 pandemic altered the global workplace. As people turned to remote operation, many suddenly had more time on their hands with commutes eliminated and various errands no longer necessary. Wise people took those opportunities to learn new skills and get ahead in their professional development — and Entrepreneurreaders were among the wisest.

That’s why we’ve compiled the top 20 skills in 2020 based on total enrollment in courses from the Entrepreneur Store. It’s not too late to follow their lead and learn those same skills in 2021.

1. SQL

SQL is one of the most in-demand skill sets for both technical and non-technical professionals. With SQL, you can organize and manage data extremely effectively and use it to make drawing business insights significantly easier. The Ultimate SQL Bootcamp gives you nine courses for one low price.

Get the Ultimate SQL Bootcamp for $39 (Reg. $408), a savings of 90 percent.

2. Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel is one of the most ubiquitous office programs in the world. But while most people know how to do some basic calculations and organization, few fully understand what Excel can do. Learn how to use Excel to perform incredible business insights, automate your workflow, and more.

Get The Ultimate Microsoft Excel Certification Training Bundle for $33.99 (Reg. $945), a savings of 96 percent.

3. SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the best ways to get traffic to your website without paying a pretty penny. With The Pro Google SEO & SERP Certification Bundle, you’ll learn how to overhaul your website to rank at the top of Google search results. That’s a huge boost for your sites.https://fbc702ba1578f492c082a5459741a111.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Get The Pro Google SEO & SERP Certification Bundle for $29 (Reg. $2,000), a savings of 98 percent.

4. JavaScript

JavaScript is the backbone of the internet. It’s used in the vast majority of websites and is essential for any aspiring web developer. You can learn it in one basic course.

Get The Complete Full-Stack JavaScript Course for $28 (Reg. $200), a savings of 86 percent.

5. Data Analysis

Data rules everything in business, but it’s only as effective as the people interpreting it. That’s where Data Analysts come in. Here, you’ll learn how to expertly analyze and visualize data to identify opportunities and communicate your findings.

Get The Data Analytics Expert Certification Bundle for $49 (Reg. $2,645), a savings of 98%.

6. QuickBooks

Accounting can be difficult and time consuming, which is why most entrepreneurs pay thousands of dollars for somebody else to do it. But QuickBooks, the world’s top accounting software, takes a lot of the headaches out of your accounting. Learn how to use it in this bundle.

Get The Quickbooks Pro Desktop Certification Bonus Bundle for $24.99 (Reg. $1,600), a savings of 98 percent.

7. Adobe Creative Cloud

The Adobe Creative Cloud is the top software suite for design professionals. In this bundle, you’ll get up to speed with Photoshop, Lightroom, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and more top creative tools. Whether you’re building a website or editing video, you’ll know what to do.

Get The All-in-One Adobe Creative Cloud Suite Certification Course Bundle for $33.99 (Reg. $1,600), a savings of 97 percent.

8. Pythonhttps://fbc702ba1578f492c082a5459741a111.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Python is the first language that many coders choose to learn. That’s because it’s relatively straightforward and is extremely flexible, used in everything from websites to video games. Get an extensive introduction to this language in The Absolute Python Programming Certification Bundle.

Get The Absolute Python Programming Certification Bundle for $29.99 (Reg. $600), a savings of 95 percent.

9. Project Management

In a troubled economy, efficiency is everything. That’s where project managers come in. In this bundle, you’ll learn some of the top project methodologies on the market today, including Scrum, Agile, and PMP.

Get The Project Manager’s Essential Certification Bundle Ft. Scrum, Agile & PMP for $49.99 (Reg. $1,990), a savings of 97 percent.

10. Starting a Podcast

Everybody’s got something to say. Make sure you have an audience in 2021 by learning how to start a podcast. From the equipment you’ll need to hosting and marketing your podcast, this bundle has you covered.

Get The Start-to-Finish Guide to Launching a Successful Podcast Bundle for $44.99 (Reg. $1,800), a savings of 97 percent.

11. YouTube

Maybe you prefer the video medium to audio. YouTube continues to be an awesome platform for getting your message heard, whether you’re an individual or a company. Learning how to create video content that sells is an important skill for 2021 and beyond.

Get The Complete Content Creator Bundle for YouTube for $39.99 (Reg. $1,592), a savings of 97 percent.

12. Financial Analysishttps://fbc702ba1578f492c082a5459741a111.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

The pandemic wreaked havoc on many people’s finances. More than ever, people need qualified financial consultants to help them manage and grow their wealth. In this bundle, you’ll get on track to become a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Get The All-In-One CFA Level 1 Exam Certification Prep Bundle for $39.99 (Reg. $1,791), a savings of 97 percent.

13. Business Development

For many people, the pandemic became an opportune time to go back to school. You may not have the money lying around to go get an MBA, but you can take this extensive course led by award-winning business school professor, Chris Haroun. It’s the next best thing.

Get The Ultimate All-Access Business Bundle ft. Award-Winning Business School Professor for $34.99 (Reg. $2,388), a savings of 98 percent.

14. Real Estate Investment

While the stock market took a major hit at the beginning of the pandemic, the real estate market has remained relatively strong. Real estate has always been a worthwhile investment, but even more so today as housing prices skyrocket across the country. Learn how to make smart investments in this bundle.

Get The Fundamentals of Real Estate Investment Bundle for $25 (Reg. $1,000), a savings of 97 percent.

15. Branding

In a supersaturated marketplace, it’s important to ensure your brand’s message is cutting through the noise. That means having an effective, cohesive brand across platforms. In this bundle, you’ll explore blogging, copywriting, social media, and design secrets that will help your brand stand out.

Get The All-In-One Digital Branding Certification Bundle for $45 (reg. $1,094), a savings of 95 percent.

16. Public Speakinghttps://fbc702ba1578f492c082a5459741a111.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

The fear of public speaking — glossophobia — impacts nearly 73 percent of people worldwide. That’s an astounding number, so if you count yourself among them, now is a great time to work on your public speaking skills. This bundle can help.

Get The Mastering Presentation & Public Speaking Certification Bundle for $39.99 (Reg. $594), a savings of 93 percent.

17. Blockchain

Bitcoin surged this year as people sought out alternative forms of investment after the stock market crashed. The modern age is filled with financial technology, including blockchain and cryptocurrency, that can change the way you invest. Explore some of the newest developments in The Ultimate FinTech & Blockchain Bootcamp Bundle.

Get The Ultimate FinTech & Blockchain Bootcamp Bundle for $39.99 (Reg. $1,592), a savings of 97 percent.

18. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is one of the best tools available for analyzing your website traffic. If you can’t understand what’s happening on your site, you can’t improve it, which is why learning GA is so valuable.

Get The Google Analytics Master Class Bundle for $34.99 (Reg. $995), a savings of 96 percent.

19. Foreign Languages

Learning a new language can help you navigate a foreign country, certainly, but it’s also been shown to increase your memory and cognition skills. Babbel is the world’s top-grossing language learning software because it makes learning a new language simple and accessible for everybody. Get it for more than half off for a very limited time.

Get a lifetime subscription to Babbel for $179 (Reg. $399), a savings of 55 percent.

20. Amazon FBA

2020 was an excellent time to start a side hustle. If you’re thinking of starting one in 2021, consider earning passive income through dropshipping. Tools like Fulfillment By Amazon (Amazon FBA) make it easy to private label and sell products online without ever holding any inventory.

Get The 2021 Complete Amazon Dropshipping & Private Label Master Class Bundlefor $34.99 (Reg. $2,189), a savings of 98 percent.

Original Article Here

Why Any Business Should Keep Growing Digitally, Even After the Pandemic

Q: My business has always depended on in-person interactions. Do I need to create a robust digital offering to survive? — Jerry, Rochester, N.Y.

COVID-19 rocked every aspect of work, life, and the work-life balance. The big question now is how well entrepreneurs can adjust and set up their businesses — not just for survival but also success.

Here’s one big part of that answer: The digital evolution we’ve experienced this year is here to stay. According to a McKinsey survey, 77 percent of consumers will continue using digital channels moving forward. That doesn’t mean your business needs to go fully virtual, or that you need to create online-only offerings, but it does mean you should embrace the opportunity to add digital solutions to your existing offering.

Embracing digital — now and forever — is a simple way to limit your future vulnerabilities and manage new competitors in the space.

This isn’t about going up against tech-savvy competitors or spending big bucks chasing new customers. It’s about doubling down on the folks who already love you. You can use technology to remind your customers what you’re about and why your business is different — and then reward them for their loyalty.

Start by focusing on three different aspects of retention:

1. Satisfaction. Make sure they’re thrilled with your offers.

2. Loyalty. Make them feel that they matter.

3. Advocacy. Make them feel a part of the business and that your existence is essential to their happiness.

Then ask yourself, How can I create a digital touch point that will deliver each emotion?

If you have your customers’ email addresses, send out updates, behind-the-scenes access, new offers, or, at the most basic level, discounts. Don’t have emails? Use social media to build a simple digital bridge to your customers. (Once you have those emails, you can use referral technology and codes, most of it costing less than $100 per month. This is a smart, affordable way to reach new customers through your existing community.)

Promotion and reward, even if just on social media, is a great way to build engagement. If you have the infrastructure, consider setting up a digital Shopify store so that people can buy directly from you online, even if it’s just a few select items. But above all, you want to engage people with stories about your products, the people in your business, and even your customers. This can be through email, blogs, or social media, written or audio. People and stories are the heartbeat of every business; don’t let yours flatline.

Admittedly, you’ll end up with a lot of questions and opportunities. You might not know where to begin, and that’s OK. For clarity, ask yourself one question we learned from a longtime client, author and podcaster Tim Ferriss: If this were easy, what would it look like?

Sometimes the coolest ideas might also be the most complex for your customer. And right now, your customers don’t want complexity. They want simplicity, convenience, and comfort. You don’t need to have the most high-tech option. You just need a way to meet your customers or audience where they are. If you do that, your customers will be willing to stick with you, support you, and help build you back up.

I don’t know what the future looks like, but whether it exists online or in-person, your success will still depend on customer advocacy. Make that your goal, and the rest will work itself out.

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A Day in the Life of an SEO

Search engine optimizers are like black sheep in a family. Our work is often misunderstood. Colleagues wonder what we are doing or how we make money for the company. Why do we read blog posts all day, they sometimes ask?

Success in organic search can be elusive. It’s often hard to measure. Other digital marketing channels produce more data for tracking and forecasting. With search engine optimization, however, we frequently guess. We run tests. We experiment.

I’ve been an SEO practitioner since the late 1990s. My agency now manages SEO for large and small companies worldwide. My day generally consists of the four activities below.

SEO: A Day in the Life

Learn via self-study. SEO was born in forums and blogs. Before SEO was an acronym, we were sharing and debating tactics. The forum at HighRankings.com was my textbook in 1996 when I began trying to improve my employer’s organic search performance. This was before Google, incidentally.

We used avatars and user names to hide our identities. But we were part of a community. We shared what we learned and argued theories.

Google launched in September 1998. A user named “GoogleGuy” — who, we found out later, was Matt Cutts of Google — would pop in and gently guide our suspicions.

Fast forward to 2020, and forums aren’t nearly as popular. But the SEO community lives on — in blogs, Facebook Groups, Twitter, and the like. Self-study is part of the job. We spend hours reading and discussing with other optimizers.

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Here’s How to Improve Your Business’s Content Marketing

Content marketing is the only type of marketing that doesn’t cost anything. What’s more? It’s as profitable a marketing strategy as paid search advertising or paid social marketing. Below are some pointers to help you decide whether to invest your resources in content marketing and guide you through building a successful content marketing campaign that’ll get results.

What’s the purpose of your content?

You’ve probably heard many times the importance of keeping a blog and creating social content. Assessing the necessity is the first step to a good content marketingcampaign. Does it align with your business model? Do you have the resources for the upkeep of a blog site? Content marketing is a lot of work. If you don’t see how content marketing can serve you, or if you don’t have the means to update the blog periodically, now is not the right time to launch content marketing.

If content marketing serves your business model and you have the resources to run the blog, ask yourself this next: What’s your goal? In other words, what are you trying to accomplish with a content marketing campaign?

For an e-commerce website, the obvious goal is to increase the conversion rate by producing highly convertible content. Ecommerce conversion rate refers to the percentage of website visitors who make a purchase on the site.

The conversion rate in a broader sense refers to the percentage of users who take a calculated move. It could be based on a number of indicators, such as the percentage of people who filled out and submitted the contact form, or the percentage of people who RSVP’d to the webinar series.

Know your keywords

Identify keywords and do a deep dive with tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Moz. What do you know about the client demographics, and what does that tell you about the kind of content you should produce? Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. What are the keywords and phrases they’d type into a search engine in the hopes to find a service like yours?

Once you’ve identified the keywords, scratch your customers’ itch. What would they like to know about your products before making a purchase? Do a thorough review of your products and share glowing reviews from influencers and bloggers.

Original Article Here

Effectively Market Your Product or Service With These 11 Digital Copywriting Courses

There are literally billions of potential customers for your business on the Internet. But connecting with as many of them as possible is exceedingly difficult. There’s a lot of competition from other businesses, which is why it’s so crucial to write compelling copy. Whether you’re sending emails, social ads, newsletters, or anything else, great copy can help turn potential customers into buyers. In The 2020 Complete Digital Copywriting Master Class Bundle, you’ll learn how to do just that.

This 11-course bundle will teach you how to effectively scale your brand through engaging, sellable content. The bundle is led by veteran copywriter Alan Sharpe and digital product creator Danny Liu. Sharpe has 30 years of copywriting experience and has helped thousands of copywriters on four continents master the craft of copywriting. Liu is an Agile Release Manager and a CSPO/CSM and Digital Product Creator with 15 years of experience in technology infrastructure engineering design.

Between the two of them, they’ll show you how to use one of today’s top web hosting platforms, WordPress, and how to reach new audiences with your content. Not only that, but Sharpe will break down copywriting into a few vital steps.

You’ll learn how to ask seven important questions every time you write, how to craft awesome headlines and openers, and how to persuade audiences. Whether you’re writing sales pitches to businesses, product pages, landing pages, or anything else, Sharpe will show you what you need to do to get as many conversions as possible.

Become an effective digital copywriter and make more sales online. Right now, The 2020 Complete Digital Copywriting Master Class Bundle is on sale for just $38.99.

Original Article Here.

Soledad O’Brien on How to Get the Most Out of Your Team

Being a great boss means leaving your ego at the door, says documentarian and entrepreneur Soledad O’Brien.

When you’re the boss and writing people’s paychecks, it’s easy to fall into a trap of surrounding yourself with “yes” people. That’s not a good thing, says Soledad O’Brien. “I really had to encourage everyone to give honest feedback and that’s as simple as saying, ‘You have to have ideas, you have to speak in this meeting.’” Explaining her leadership style, Soledad breaks down what she tells her team: “My idea is not the idea. Criticize it, make it better!” This philosophy has resulted in better collaboration, and buy-in from all members of her team, from senior down to junior members. Good ideas can come from anywhere, says Soledad, so leave your ego at the door and listen. Learn more at soledadobrienproductions.com.

Entrepreneur Small Business Tips is brought to you by The UPS Store. Every ing for small business, all in one place.

Original Article Here.