Business

Using the right social media platforms in a carefully crafted social media marketing strategy can bring great success to any business. Social media platforms are widely varied in style and content, and knowing the differences is crucial. Some will favor a more conversational approach. Others are best for video or photography. Additionally, email and newsletter campaigns work with some better than others.

Influencers, integral components of social media marketing, are people who drive discussion and interest to a brand and know which platforms work best for specific content. They improve brand position by sharing links and videos and by achieving likes, comments, and shares. Some social media platforms are better suited for the particular personas of some influencers. For example, Instagram may be a better platform for an influencer using videos and photos to promote a dance school, as opposed to LinkedIn, which is designed for users to make professional connections.

There are many social media platforms, each offering advantages and disadvantages for potential social media marketing. Here are some of the most popular ones.

Twitter

With up to 330 million users, Twitter is among the top ten platforms in the United States. A wide demographic uses it, and it continues to grow in popularity. Using short 140 character “tweets,” messages have to be brief and to the point, making the platform ideal for notifications and news about brands.

Instagram

Another top platform is Instagram with nearly a billion users, comprised of individuals and businesses alike. This particular platform is ideal for social media marketing that uses videos, photos, and any other graphics. Demographics show that this platform trends more towards female and urban users.

Facebook

Considered by many to be the grandfather of social media, Facebook is still very relevant, being the most popular worldwide platform with the most diverse audience. In the United States, Facebook’s demographic is skewed towards adults, with the majority of users being older than 18. Given the sheer number of users, it remains a good choice for social media marketing.

LinkedIn

Having a more professional, business-like feel, LinkedIn is a favorite platform for employers and job seekers to connect. It is also frequented by advertising and marketing agencies. Employment candidates often mention their LinkedIn profile on applications. LinkedIn is useful for business-to-business marketing and is a great platform to reach professionals and decision makers.

YouTube

One of the best platforms for video marketing is YouTube. It reaches more users than any cable network and has over two-billion users, making it an excellent choice for social media marketing that is more visual. The demographics show that it focuses more on users who are over 18 and male.

Pinterest

If your social media marketing uses pictures, graphics, and images, Pinterest is a great platform. The demographics show that Pinterest reaches a largely female audience. Women use the platform for DIY tips, recipes, fashion, and a range of other topics.

Determining the right platforms for social media marketing means knowing the demographics of your target audience. Research and planning are key to building a good plan that works.

You’re having second thoughts about the idea of using digital signs for advertising. You want to spend money on this advertising campaign, but you worry that it’s going to waste money. You think that everyone is using online advertising to promote their brand, and it doesn’t make sense to use digital signs.

Before you abandon the idea, you need to understand that you can have a wide variety of marketing campaigns. If your online strategies are doing well, you can keep using them. It doesn’t mean digital signs aren’t useful. They could also work in your favour depending on how you decide to use them.

Attract local audiences

One of the benefits of using a digital sign is that you’re going to attract local people. They will notice the signs when they walk by an area. With online marketing, you’re going to entice many people. The problem is that the campaign doesn’t directly attract specific people. When local audiences see these signs, they will consider buying your products right away.

Some people are mindful

Some people don’t care about what they see on the streets. They keep walking until they reach their destinations. Others try to be more mindful. They stop by some interesting things they see while walking. If you have a digital kiosk display that deserves attention, some people might think about stopping to read the details. You have a few moments to capture attention, so you need to make the most of it.

It’s hard to ignore these signs

When these signs look attractive, and they’re worth viewing, many people will find them irresistible. Therefore, it’s crucial that you come up with exciting signs that most people will love to see.

You can advertise upcoming promotions

You can also capture attention by telling people about upcoming promotions and discounts. They would love to know how they can save money during these trying times. If you give them an option where they won’t have to spend a lot of money, it’s easy for you to capture their attention. Make it an urgent action by limiting the promotions only up to a specific date.

They’re useful even at night

The problem with regular banners and posters is that they don’t serve their purpose at night. With digital signs, the lights keep them visible. People will notice the signs and even stop because they got attracted by the lights. It means that advertising doesn’t end even when you’re sleeping.

It’s up to your level of creativity

When coming up with sign designs, you need to ensure that you think about the details first. There are lots of other signs on the streets next to yours. Therefore, you need to find a way for your digital sign to stand out.

You also need to evaluate if the digital signs you used were effective. If you don’t think they were, you might have to consider having a new sign or focus on other marketing strategies. People will always look at digital signs if they’re interesting.

Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/ukzHlkoz1IE

Starting a business is undoubtedly a challenging feat, with plenty of requirements. However, keeping the business intact during its first few years is another story entirely. There are plenty of scenarios where businesses end up failing during the earlier years due to a few beginner’s traps. For an inexperienced business owner, one of the most common tends to be the neglect of employees.

Workplace stress is an issue that is not often tackled right away, especially since maintaining a start-up business can be rough enough without having to worry about the employees. However, if a business does not take care of their workers as early as possible, minor issues can develop and quickly escalate. Here are a few ways to avoid stress in the workplace.

Investing in business software is never a bad idea

Without a doubt, business software is essential for any company that prioritises productivity and efficiency. It might seem like business software is put to better use by larger companies, but start-ups can benefit just as much – if not more so. Having a quality POS system in a restaurant will help keep things smooth and alleviate the stress of your workers. The same thing goes with other types of business software available. It is all about convenience for you and those who work under you.

Start-ups benefit a great deal from company events

While it is understandable to want to focus on more critical aspects of running a start-up business, it would be unwise to completely neglect the possibility of hosting a company event. Not only will it expose your business to the rest of the industry, but it will also show potential clients and investors that you are willing to do what it takes.

At the same time, hosting a company event is a great way to alleviate the stress of your employees. The main issue with some businesses is that they often feel the need to save every bit of money and only use it when it is absolutely necessary. You would be surprised at how much your company can benefit from events with the help of services such as https://www.wearetricycle.co.uk.

If you can spare the expense, incentives are essential

Far too many inexperienced business owners think that incentivising the hard work of their employees is something that is better applied further down the road. However, if you intend to guarantee the success of your start-up, give your workers a reason to trust your company. Incentivise and acknowledge their hard work whenever you can. Not only will it foster trust and loyalty, but it will also help reduce overall stress.

Whether you work toward incentivising your employees as early as possible, or you decide to host a company event, any of the methods above will help reduce stress in the workplace. The best part is that you will be simultaneously helping your company weather the storm in a competitive business landscape.

Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/busy-office-ol-answer-the-phone-880800/

Throughout his professional career, Agam Berry has turned into an expert in digital marketing. Currently the co-founder of Quantified Commerce, he has helped the business reach new heights every single year.

With so much knowledge about Internet marketing, we were fortunate to talk to him and to get some insight directly from the source.

What attracted you to the internet marketing industry?

I have always been interested in technology, and that probably stems from growing up with a lot of access to computers. I actually studied mechanical engineering in college, but I’ve always had a thirst for learning about Internet marketing since I was a kid.

Once Quantified Commerce really started to take off, I fully immersed myself in the industry. It has worked out pretty well so far, but there are always new things to learn.

Would you describe yourself as an entrepreneur?

I guess by definition I am an entrepreneur, although I don’t think I’ve ever actually called myself that. It just seems a little bit weird for me to go around saying I am.

I will say that I took a lot of risk going all in with Quantified Commerce. I felt like there was really something special brewing, and I wanted to see where it would go. In a way, I guess you could say that I became a true entrepreneur after getting a taste for it early on.

If you had the chance to travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I’ve been pretty fortunate to go to different parts of the world already in my life, but there are still a lot of regions I would love to get to. I’ve spent a little time in Spain, but I would love to do a full trip to that region. Maybe see a few of the major cities in Spain, and then perhaps take a weekend trip to Portugal. I would love to go to that part of the world when the weather is nice to be outside.

Do you read for pleasure? What’s your favorite business book?

Unfortunately, I definitely don’t read as much as I would like to. It can be hard to read for pleasure with so much going on. With that said, the last book I read that really stood out for me was Good to Great by Jim Collins. As someone running a company, it gave me a lot of insight on what makes a great company and what holds others back. Hopefully, I am starting to apply some of what I read to Quantified Commerce.

Which business leaders do you admire the most?

I was a huge fan of Steve Jobs growing up, and I still admire him for everything that he did for Apple. He really set the standard for this age.

I also have to give credit to one of his biggest rivals, if you will, in Bill Gates. It might seem crazy to name those guys together, but they both brought great business ideas to their companies. They might not lead the exact same way, but they did so very effectively. There is a lot to learn from both of those guys, no matter what type of computer a person prefers to use on a daily basis.

The beat way to keep up with me is follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.

Thailand is quickly establishing itself as a prime location for startups and entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia. However, with office rental rates in Bangkok continuing to rise, professionals, freelancer and digital nomads alike are seeking out more flexible office solutions in the Thai capital. Premium providers are stepping in to meet the growing need for more flexible office solutions, giving those doing business in Thailand more options than ever before.

Virtual offices are starting to become more popular as workers and business owners try to find a way to save costs and add flexibility. You no longer need to be stuck in a traditional office setting, locked into a long-term lease paying high office rental rates. With a premium virtual office in Thailand, you get to access some of the best tech, locations, and communities in the world for one affordable monthly rate. You can operate your business from anywhere you like while still enjoying all of the advantages that a prestigious office address can provide. As a small or mid-sized business, all the tools and infrastructure that you need to stay current, relevant, and competitive in your industry.

Continue reading to learn how a virtual office in Thailand can benefit your business and put you on the road to a successful future.

Virtual Reception

As a business owner, it’s critical that you are always on top of everything, including calls, messages and managing your mail. Hiring a fulltime receptionist and can put a huge dent in your business finances but with a premium virtual office provider, you get your own receptionist to answer all those calls so you can focus on the important things. Your calls can be directed to your private number or they can simply take a message for you. They will also manage your mail, freeing up even more of your time. Let your provider take care of all the boring stuff while you set your business up for success.

State of the Art Technology

Nowadays, it’s crucial that you have access to the most up-to-date technologies to allow your business to be efficient and effective. Premium virtual office providers offer the best of the best technology to make your business more efficient, productive, and profitable. You no longer need to shell out thousands of dollars on tech to keep up with the competition. Your virtual office will be fully equipped with the latest equipment to make everything lightning fast and extra secure.

Office And Meeting Space as Needed

The best virtual office providers also have real estate dedicated to providing office space and meeting rooms for all of their clients. Thailand has a wide variety of these spaces, including coworking spaces, that you can either reserve in advance or use on a first come first serve basis. This completely eliminates your need for traditional office space and all the expensive monthly bills that come with it.

Premium Business Address

Along with all the other benefits of using a premium virtual office provider, you will also be provided with a prestigious address for your business. With an address in a prime office location, your business will have instant credibility and respect in the local business community. An exclusive Thailand addresses will help you to gain the respect of your customers and can help you to build positive business relationships with investors and other companies in your niche.

Virtual is the New Normal

In Thailand, more and more businesses are taking advantage of virtual offices and all that they have to offer. A virtual office can save you time, money and hassle, allowing you more time to focus on your business operations and growing your company into a serious entity. With a premium virtual office provider, you can quickly propel your business to a new tier of success.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.

As events like conferences have a bit of a serious undertone, there’s usually a lot of planning and meticulous arrangements that take place. This sometimes involves a few months of strategy, meetings, ideas, and a lot of legwork because you want everything to run as smoothly as possible. Planning any kind of event is usually very tedious and requires a lot of dedication and precision because every event entails several important things. This is why every planner should have a team.

Putting a team together helps your planning, and since you’ll be delegating, you wouldn’t have to micromanage every single little thing. However, with all the really big parts of a proper conference, most planners miss some small but important things. Here are a few:

Do a Proper Layout and Arrangement

Everything should, as much as possible, be planned to the letter. You should plan your venue properly so you know which sessions will be held where. Also, there should be a clear description of where tea breaks, breakfast, or lunch would be taken and it should be easy to access and should have enough space to contain your attendees. This is usually something you have to figure out before you lock in on a venue. Your venue should also not be hard to find as you don’t want attendees spending too much time searching. Use VenueFinder to find the best venues around the area you have in mind. You can easily search for Edinburgh conference venues, for example, if Edinburgh is your preferred location.

Sessions Must Be Described Properly

Sometimes, planners assume that everyone who attends a conference has all the required knowledge about the subject matter to be discussed. However, this isn’t always the case. As much as there are people who might know even more than the speakers at the conference, you always have to assume that there are others who know next to nothing. Describing the sessions properly helps them decide which ones they would be attending.

Plan Breaks Properly

Try to put in enough breaks at just the right intervals so people don’t have a need to stand up and walk around or use the restroom. A good idea for this, for example, is to make sure that your plan doesn’t break too long after a tea break or a meal. If you don’t do this, people will be forced to move around at random intervals to ease themselves. Not only does this disrupt the flow of the event but it can also be very distracting to the speaker.

Use Music

Music is a great way to set the mood for a conference and keep everyone very relaxed. It can be used to let people know it’s time for a break or that said break is over. It could be playing in the background before a session starts or even before the entire program is to begin. It doesn’t really have to be anything serious. Just soft music playing in the background can really help the mood.

These are some of the things event planners miss while planning conferences because they are focused on some of the major things. Those things are very important but specific care should be taken with other things like the ones listed here.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.

As we live in a world that is now digitalised, most businesses deal with huge amounts of data, whether it be financial records, product-related data, or simply day-to-day management of staff. It is so important for data to be kept and managed securely for a business, as it is almost as important to its success as the actual product or service your business offers. However, with the vast amount of data that comes in every single day to a business, it is easy to get confused or overwhelmed as a business owner. This does not have to be so as there are many ways to manage your business’s data even as it grows and expands. On the surface, managing data might seem like an uphill task, but it doesn’t have to be. Some tips to better manage your business data are as follows:

Backup 

Besides the actual collection of data, perhaps the most important task a business will have when it comes to the handling of data is the secure and efficient storage of it for future reference. Few things could potentially cripple a business more than important files, documents, and other data being permanently lost due to carelessness, accidents in the office, and so on.

To prevent this, it will be in your best interest to opt for cloud-based services from a business like Memset. These services will make sure that all your business information and data is backed up by a cloud service and easily accessible whenever you need it.  Typical storage methods such as CPUs have a limit to how much they can effectively store at any given time. Cloud-based services do not have that limitation. As such, they should be seriously considered for any business looking to better manage their data.

Digitize your data

The conversation about backing up your business data cannot even be had unless the data in question is being digitized. Believe it or not, there are still businesses in the 21st century that keep data solely in hard copy form, which is extremely unwise as such data can easily be lost, damaged, or stolen. If your business were in this situation, it would be best to begin digitizing all your files and make sure all data is collected digitally rather than manually in physical form. This could go a long way in saving time, energy, money, and most of all, making sure your data is secure and easily retrievable.

Segment 

As much as your data should be stored in a digital and secure manner, it is also important that it should be collected in an organized manner. Rather than having all data jumbled together in collective files, it is best to have dedicated folders for each type of data such as one for receipts, one for invoices, and one for payroll-related information.  This will cut through the confusion of having a massive amount of data and will instead offer an organized and easily understandable database for your business.

Managing your business data in the 21st century does not have to be an uphill task. Follow the above steps to make sure that your business data is kept secure and organized at all given times.

If you want to learn more about our blog, please click here.

Everybody wants to advance their career, but not everyone wants to admit that they don’t have the skills necessary to make the leap. You might think you already have what it takes to deserve a higher salary, but do your resume and portfolio reflect that belief? There are many courses and certifications you can pursue to improve your eligibility as a job candidate in almost any field, and many of these qualifications are useful across all occupational fields.

The question isn’t whether you have the capability to advance your career; the question is whether you’re actually going to follow through with it. There’s never a one-size-fits-all solution to career advancement – it really just depends on what you’re trying to accomplish and which occupation you’re interested in. However, here are 10 steps you can take in any industry to advance your career without committing to a lengthy degree programme:

1. Take a Business Management Course

Completing a business management course is one of the best ways to obtain certification that proves you’re a qualified candidate for managerial jobs. Of course, such a strong credential provides the obvious benefit of making you eligible for more prestigious and higher-paying jobs within any company. If you’ve reached the point in your career where you’re ready to start pursuing management level positions, why not learn more about earning a qualification in business management?

2. Create a Career Mission Statement

Before you rush out to enrol in courses and earn certifications, take some time to write a detailed mission statement for your career. This document will be an organised collection of career goals and aspirations. What kind of salary do you want to be earning 5 or 10 years from now? What fields of study interest you the most? What do you want your finances to look like one year from now? Do you have any saving and investing strategies lined up? These are examples of critical questions you need to be answering in your career mission statement.

3. Build Your Business Social Networking Presence

If you already have a personal presence on sites like Facebook and Instagram, that’s not what we’re talking about here. Social networking for business is a completely different animal. It has more to do with your public professional persona for the sake of long-term career advancement as opposed to scrolling through your FB feed in search of short-term entertainment. While there are plenty of other directories and forums you’ll want to join, start by optimizing your profiles and building your networks on sites like LinkedIn and Google+.

4. Take a Public Speaking or Communication Class

Being a better speaker and communicator will always help in the world of business, regardless of what kind of job you’re applying for. You can complete a public speaking or corporate communication class in just a few weeks or months. Even if you don’t come out of the course feeling like the most confident speaker and communicator, you’ll have a solid foundation to build your skills upon, as well as a qualification that proves your speaking and communicating skills to prospective employers.

5. Complete a Business Writing Course

Most high-level job positions will involve some form of business writing, whether it be responding to emails or preparing written presentations for upcoming board meetings. A business writing course can be completed in 8 weeks and will give you the skills and credentials needed to confidently author business emails, letters, and reports for the rest of your career. If you haven’t already been educated about formal and business writing styles, for the sake of not embarrassing yourself, it’s imperative that you brush up your skills in this area before trying to take on a high-level job position.

6. Revamp Your CV and Portfolio

Maybe you already have all the skills and experience needed to get hired for your dream job, but you don’t have a nicely compiled and formatted CV to prove it. Every hiring manager starts with what they see on paper. A professionally written CV and well-organised, extensive portfolio can go a long way in boosting your employability. You could pay a CV writing service for a one-off revamp, or you could take a resume writing course so you’ll be prepared to apply amendments in the future.

7. Complete a Corporate Leadership Course

If your goal is to climb to the top of the corporate ladder, eventually you’ll find yourself in a leadership position. Thus, logic dictates that learning the art of corporate leadership is a necessary step to include in most career advancement plans. Even if you feel like you don’t need help in this area, it can’t hurt to expand your knowledge of advanced leadership concepts to increase your confidence and proficiency in the workplace.

8. Get Certified in Business Administration

Certification in business administration is one of the primary credentials that hiring managers look for when comparing applicants for high-level job positions. There are many kinds of business administration courses that can be completed in 1-6 months, so it’s not something you have to commit years of your life to. Yet, despite the relative ease of earning business administration qualifications, they provide a lifelong boost to your overall employability.

9. Become an IT Professional

Information technology (IT) professionals are in high demand everywhere, so taking an online IT course will be enough to make you a more desirable applicant for thousands of different job positions. As you continue to progress in the field of IT, you could find yourself earning an excellent salary with hourly wages ranging from £30 to £150 per hour or more, just for managing computer interfaces and hardware. If you’re a complete novice with computers, you may need to start with some introductory courses before you move on to a professional IT training course.

10. Launch a Full-Scale Online Job Search

Finally, once you’ve gotten all or some of the above steps out of the way, it’s time to see what kind of amazing jobs you can find if you really apply yourself on a global scale. Take the geographical and position-based limitations off of your job search and look for the highest-paying job with the most perks. There’s no limit to how many applications you can submit, and with credentials like the ones suggested in the previous steps, you’ll have plenty of job offers on the table in no time.

Will Taking All of These Courses Really Help?

The act of simply taking a course and completing it won’t guarantee that you’ll be viewed as the best person for the job in every scenario, but it will certainly add some shiny stars to your resume that will boost your chances of being hired for any given job position.

To recap all of the progress that you’d make just by taking the 10 steps in this guide, you’d become a business administration specialist with certification as a public speaker, communicator, and/or corporate leader, along with proven business writing skills and a strong social networking presence.

Let’s not forget additional specialisation in information technology and a wonderful CV/portfolio. Altogether, these perks will inevitably contribute towards the advancement of your career in one way or another.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.