Mitchell Cameron

SEO
 by Mitchell Cameron

SEO – Top 5 Benefits and Advantages

SEO or Search Engine Optimization has become a very popular online marketing strategy because of its effectiveness. While the benefits of SEO are vast, here are some major advantages of implementing this into your marketing campaign.

1) SEO Increases Traffic

Top positions on the search engines pages receive a majority of the traffic and clicks. So ranking in these top positions can result in significant increases in the amount of people that view your website. SEO also focuses on creating informative and keyword relevant title tags and descriptions. These show up in the result pages when people search. Having optimized tags and descriptions helps to increase click rate. This also promotes increases in qualified web traffic. People will see your page more than your competitors and you can target the right types of people.
2) ROI

SEO provides trackable and quantifiable results, regardless of what type of industry you are involved in. Agencies are able to track nearly every aspect of their strategy. They can track things like increases in rankings, traffic and conversions clicks. Analytics also provide the ability to see demographic information and other engagement metrics for people who have visited your website. Determining these things can help you again target qualified customers and determine if your online efforts are yielding you profit.
3) Cost Effectiveness

SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies. It targets users who are actively looking and searching for your products and services online. This is an inbound strategy which helps businesses save money. This opposed to outbound strategies like cold-calling or contacting. While cold-calling can still be an effective strategy, the leads generated cost more than leads generated by an inbound strategy like SEO. Again the prospects generated from SEO are more qualified, resulting in cost-savings for companies.
4) Increased Site Usability

SEO makes your website easier to navigate for the search engines. By doing this it simultaneously helps make your website easier for users as well. SEO consists of rearranging the site’s architecture and links to make pages within the website easier to find and navigate. This not only makes it easier for search engines to locate your site and find pages. It also makes it easier for users to find information on your website as well. Have you ever gone to a web page and thought to yourself that this could have been easier to use? Well SEO helps takes care of this problem.
5) Brand Awareness

Top position rankings in search engines result in significant impressions and clicks. Having your website in these top positions on the result pages translates to more exposure for your brand. Being on the first page for your targeted keywords for one thing helps users to associate your brand with those keywords. It also associates trust. Companies on the first page are generally perceived to be more trustworthy. The more your pages and content rank in high positions in the search engines, the more chances you have for users to see your content and associate with your brand.

In the end the awareness and reach of a business is very much determined online today. Marketing is a very important part of the future growth of a business. At Mirza Int’l we are up to date on the best business practices today to ensure sustainability. Contact us to get a quote.

in Business / Content / Marketing 0 comments
 by Mitchell Cameron

How Do I Package My Content As A Market Ready Product? (Video)

Often times businesses will have a bank of content that can be packaged and sent out to their networks. Check out the video below for some ideas how to package your content!

 

You want to make sure that you are pumping out lots of great content but you are also

positioning them as products. So you could do a video course series or an e-book or

you can even do an audio program. But the point is that you have to make the decision

to actually do it, then you can figure out how. Once you have made the decision, how is

the easy part because you can even create your next e-book in a PDF format. Of

course you can make the decision on whether you want to get it all designed – make it

look nice. But that is the point, you have got to make the decision to be able to do it and

then position as products and packages. So once you are able to do that, things are

going to absolutely change for you. Now people will perceive you as an expert, you can

now literally say you are the creator of product “X” or you are the author of e-book “Y” –

you can do so much about it. Now we have got our guy, Tim takes care of all our audio,

video, and all of our production stuff. So I have left his contact details below so you can

always reach out to him if you have any questions about it. But really just take the

initiative – take the first step and make it happen. Create products, and get them out

there and then put them on the platforms. Either give them away for free or sell them – it

really depends on what your motive is. But you can do both, if you are giving them away

for free it might be a really great plug for your business. You really want to think about

how you are going to approach this, but you have got to strategically plan this stuff. So

just make sure that once you make the decision, you are planning out the entire

campaign in a very strategic way.

in Uncategorized 0 comments
 by Mitchell Cameron

Decision Making – How to Develop a Strategic Outlook

Most businesses face challenges day to day that overwhelm them and can take their mind from thinking long term. Strategy decisions should be made with the future in mind but instead businesses solve immediate challenges quickly. Gut reactions are rarely the optimal solution to any problem and can affect the longevity of a business.

As detailed in a new book, “Smart Decisions” by Dr. Thomas N. Martin, decision makers need to develop strategic decision making early in their career to be successful today.

It is easy to overlook strategic decision making but here are a few ways that businesses can focus on long term strategy:

1) Brainstorm Alternatives

Brainstorming and writing down alternatives allows for more people to contribute to a problem. This will force you to step outside your comfort zone and come up with new ideas and solutions. It is often better to brainstorm alternatives in a group so that there are many different viewpoints considered. Instead of just reacting a business can choose a better alternative that may be more sustainable long term.

2) Evaluate alternatives.

After the brainstorming phase a business must consider each alternative’s immediate and future consequences. Decisions made for immediate relief often solve short term problems, but rarely add long term value. An organization must consider how each alternative will not only solve the problem at hand but also the benefit long term.

3) Learn from mistakes.

There is a famous saying that goes “fool me once shame on you, but fool me twice shame on me.” This statement outlines how in general you should learn from your past mistakes. Take calculated risks but learn from these experiences. Learning and experience is required to succeed in business.

4) Ensure the quality of available information.

Many businesses today use data in order to make operational decisions. It is important to make sure that this data is accurate and comes from a good source. Often data will not be complete and sets can be missing certain demographics or historical information. The best analysis done on bad data will still yield a bad decision. When looking forward you must consider the quality of the data used.

5) Identify your top priorities.

Sometimes when faced with a problem it is hard to determine what is the most important. Sometimes this can result in a decision not getting made or an opportunity being missed. Always identify your top objective for any specific decision, and use that to drive you in decision making. Always try to identify these as fast as possible to not waste time and don’t forget about forward thinking.

6) Factor in your personal values

Personal and organizational values are important when trying to make any decision. When trying to think strategically it is important not to lose sight of your core values. If the organization does not keep their values in mind it can face short and long term operational problems. The culture and identity of a business must be sustainable and therefore these things must be considered when making decisions.

7) Always have a backup.

Contingency plans are a great way to protect you from risk. Often it is hard to be certain that a decision will solve a problem so an organization must be ready for anything.  A proper analysis should be made but then the best options should be available as a backup to decision makers. Having a backup plan will ensure continued success long term.

8) Communicate and implement the solution.

It does not matter what alternative you choose if it is not implemented properly then the company could face future problems. The best businesses map out steps that the organization will take to solve the problem and ensure continued success. They will also monitor and manage the solution. Communication is very important during this time and it is important to keep open lines of communication throughout all business channels.

Business decision making has to consider both the present and the future. Dr. Martin outlines this and with these things in mind an organization can be more sustainable long term.  Strategic decision making is something that organizations can use to make sure they are profitable into the future.

In the end the long term stability of a business comes down to the decisions made and who makes them. Marketing is a very important part of the future growth of a business. At Mirza Int’l we are up to date on the best business practices today to ensure sustainability. Contact us to get a quote.

in Business / Marketing 0 comments
networking
 by Mitchell Cameron

Networking and Referrals: Best Strategy

Word of mouth is one of the most important types of marketing that a business owner or organization can focus on to help encourage current and future business. According to Nielson, 84% of consumers say they either completely or partially trust recommendations from family, colleagues, and friends about products. Networking is an underlying concept within any industry and it is important to understand how valuable your network actually is to your marketing strategy. When developing a network and looking to take advantage of referral business, there are a few things that are often overlooked or can be improved upon in your marketing plan.

Effective networking strategies are outlined below:

Build a highly credible and valuable network

Networks are great to have, but often these networks consist of people who do not necessarily add value. On the other hand, sometimes these networks are just not kept up-to-date and lack current credibility. Regardless, when you formulate your marketing strategy, it is important to build a list and network of valuable, credible and hopefully referable people. If the people do not add value in some way, then do not bother wasting your time trying to network or gain referrals from these individuals. Rather, focus on the strongest and most important connections that you have and you will waste less time with referrals that don’t turn into leads. Networks can be built and grown at any time using things like lists, email marketing campaigns and viral social media marketing campaigns.

Be referable

Sometimes as a business owner, you become so focused on leads that other aspects of your marketing strategy and business begin to suffer. The easiest way to be referable is to offer value to each and every customer by providing them with exceptional service through your firm. By delivering great service or products to current clients, you can expect that they will recommend you to others. Another way to be referable is to be relatable and likeable so that current customers enjoy working with you and will think of you first within your industry. If networking is done properly, both the referred and the referral should benefit from their new relationship and the person referring you will feel as if they are helping both people attain their goals.

Be aware of where your referrals come from

It is important to think about how you are obtaining referrals. Some companies offer an incentive or explicitly ask for a referral but this is not the best way. This will often make a customer less likely to refer you because they feel they are being “used” to create a prospecting list. The best kind of referral is one that you do not have to ask for and is given voluntarily by happy customers you have served well. A marketing plan that focuses on making current customers happy so they will spread positive Word of Mouth can save money and goodwill versus things like incentive programs.

As your business grows and develops, it is crucial to develop and keep your marketing strategy up-to-date to achieve success in 2016. If you practice these strategies and continue to work towards your goals, then there is no telling what you can accomplish.

We have the know-how when it comes to focusing on social media marketing and networking which can improve your business outlook and in turn make you more profitable. We can offer you marketing services that drive success and help convert data into a focused marketing strategy. We also provide access to world class training systems that can help you gain an edge over others in your field. The benefit to you being less wasted effort and a greater return – which will help your business grow and keep you happy! Click here to book your complimentary consultation.

 

in Business / Marketing / Networking 0 comments
success
 by Mitchell Cameron

Success and what it takes to succeed in 2016

Successful people have been studied and researched for hundreds of years to determine what the average person can do in order to replicate their success. There are a few signs that indicate you are on the road to success for 2016.

How to ensure continued success throughout the year:

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

This is one of the most common traits among entrepreneurs and successful people in the world today. They have all overcome failure, do not care what people think and embrace the idea of learning through experience. The great Thomas Edison is remembered saying that he did not fail at creating the light bulb 100 times but the opposite. He remarked “I have found 100 ways not to make a light bulb”. This drive to overcome and make mistakes to learn from can be seen within many successful people in the 21st century.

Have emotional stability

The idea of positive and negative feelings affecting how we work plays a huge role in our level of success. If you are always feeling negative instead of adopting an optimistic outlook, then there is no doubt you will not attain what you want in the New Year. Managing your emotions will help you think clearly and keep you focused on your goals. Emotional stability also portrays to people around you a certain sense of stability and security. This stability will help you achieve success throughout your career and life.

When you feel defeated fight harder

It is important not to give up even when it seems you have lost the battle. A common trait among successful people is that when they are down they will always continue to push through and overcome. There are only two options when things get hard – you can either quit or dig in and overcome. Successful people create a habit of fighting adversity rather than walking away.

Trust your instinct

Sometimes this can be mistaken for arrogance or impulsiveness, but the ability to pick what you think to be the best option in situations that are uncertain is very important. Successful people examine all alternatives and if there is no clear choice, then they trust their instincts. Many times people are faced with a decision they have to make that is spontaneous with little or no information. The most successful individuals are very good at this because they have good instincts and trust their feelings.

Sometimes you must do the things you don’t want to do

All the time successful people are faced with things that they do not want to do. As mentioned above, they overcome this because they know it will lead to their success. Sometimes this involves dealing with an angry client or firing someone but these decisions must be made to continue success. As you do these things they will become easier to manage and good habits will form.

Don’t be afraid to put in more than you get out

The concept of delayed gratification and patience is something that has helped successful people through some of their toughest times. There are many times when people feel as if they are putting in way too much effort for little return. This is okay and successful people know that this work will benefit them in the future.

As your business grows and develops, it is crucial to develop and keep your skills up to date to achieve success in the New Year. If you practice these success principles and continue to work towards your goals, then there is no telling what you can accomplish.

We have the know-how when it comes to focusing on success which can improve your business outlook and in turn make you more profitable. We can offer you marketing services that drive success and help convert data into a focused marketing strategy. We also provide access to world class training systems that can help you gain an edge over others in your field. The benefit to you being less wasted effort and a greater return – which will help your business grow and keep you happy! For a complimentary marketing consultation, book an appointment with one of our marketing consultants today.

in Business / Lifestyle 0 comments
analytics
 by Mitchell Cameron

Analytics, Predictive or Prescriptive? Why not Both?

Analytics and data are essential to running any business today and firms have established systems that track and monitor everything that we do. In order to have a more effective marketing strategy it is important to understand the different types of data and how to properly use them. The three basic types are descriptive, predictive and perceptive analytics. We discuss each in more detail below.

Descriptive Analytics

This type is raw data in summarized form. Examples include social engagement counts, sales numbers, customer statistics and other metrics that show you what’s going on in your business in an easy-to-understand way.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics forecast what will happen in the future. Examples include consumer trends, forecasting and opportunity analysis that will help determine the actions of a business.

 Perceptive Analytics

This type of analytics builds on predictive analytics. It involves informing key decision makers about different decision choices with their anticipated impact on key performance indicators (KPIs). This type helps you develop specific recommendations. An example of this would be a GPS system which first predicts a route using a multitude of different inputs and “advises” a person to take the shortest route with a predicted ETA.

Using both Predictive and Perceptive Analytics

Both of these types of analytics must be used in order to maximize your company’s marketing efforts. One without the other does not bridge the gap between raw data collected and what actions your company will take. “Prescriptive analytics can help companies alter the future,” stated Immanuel Lee, Web analytics engineer at MetroStar Systems. “They’re both necessary to improve decision-making and business outcomes.”

Perceptive analytics ultimately clarifiy predictive data and can help a company improve their marketing strategy to increase sales. Simply knowing information about a consumer or industry offers some information to a company about the market in which it operates but this is the first step. The next step is to actually determine what this information means and the impact that it has on key areas of the business.

Tips for your Analytics Program

1) Start Small

When dealing with analytics there are many various types of data that get recorded. Therefore it is important to start small and work smart in order to gather the right types of data. Within your business there are many different activities that go on day-to-day and sometimes a more focused strategy is better.

2) Create Specified Data Sets

By separating data into specific groups, it is easier to use when needed within your marketing strategy. Data can be separated into segments like gender, income level and location. This in turn makes it easier to specifically predict and make recommendations through a perceptive program.

3) Understand Why Data is Collected

Predictive and perceptive analytics ultimately depend on humans that design systems and collect data. It is important to understand why certain types of data are being collected and what the purpose of this information is. Understanding why this information is collected and what its use will be will help when trying to determine the best marketing strategy for a company.

4) Keep Your Systems up to Date

As your business grows and advances, it is critical to develop and keep your systems up to date. Technology makes it easier and more efficient to gather information about customers within your market. When your analytical systems are up to date, your company will be more adaptive at responding to current trends or consumer wants.

At Mirza International, we have the know-how when it comes to analytical marketing, which will save you both time and money. We can offer you marketing services that drive success and help convert data into a focused marketing strategy. The benefits for you? Less wasted effort and a greater return – which will help your business grow and keep you happy!

Click here to book your complimentary consultation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

in Business / Marketing / Tech 0 comments
leadership qualities, leadership
 by Mitchell Cameron

Leadership Qualities and Thought Leadership Strategy

Leadership qualities are very important to achieving success in the business world today. Thought Leadership is a style of leadership where a firm or individual is recognized as the foremost authority in a select area within their industry. This results in the individual or firm becoming the go-to for expertise in that specialized area. Developing this style of leadership can be a huge advantage to a firm. Being recognized as a thought leader will ultimately establish you as a credible expert within the industry – which will of course lead to greater profits! Digital marketing and content creation play a huge role in thought leadership today – and yet, it’s sometimes overlooked by major individuals and firms.

Thought Leadership is One of the Best Leadership Qualities

Steve Jobs and Apple are great examples of thought leadership. This example of thought leadership proves that a company or an individual can hugely profit by being one of the first places a consumer will turn to for products or services. Apple is a leading company when it comes to innovation and expertise, and has managed to differentiate itself from its competitors. There are 5 strategies to follow in order to develop yourself or your firm as thought leaders so that you can profit significantly from the market. These 5 essential strategies are outlined below:

1) Confidence is Key

There are traditional ways of forming credibility among your audience like publishing content or conducting an interview through credible sources. However, acting confidently will automatically increase your credibility among your audience, this according to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association. Simply believing that you are the foremost authority and expert within your field and then conveying this confidence to others will increase your credibility. There is a famous saying that goes “confidence is key.” This outlines the fact that confidence will help strengthen relationships, communicate a message and gain credibility with your target audience. Confidence is something that we see among top performers with great leadership qualities.

2) Involve Your Audience

Why not involve your audience? Ask them questions or give them the chance to ask you questions. This will engage their curiosity. Author Adam Bryant interviewed 700 CEOs and asked, “What qualities do you see most often in those who succeed?” The answer was curiosity. It’s no surprise that Apple is one of the greatest companies at listening and engaging their audiences.  They are always trying to figure out what their customers want – simply by asking them.

3) Reciprocity and Word of Mouth

When a company or individual can win the hearts and trust of the people, the masses will follow. In fact, 88% of consumers trusted online reviews as much as personal recommendations in 2014. This means that a company relies on the people’s belief to drive sales and increase its revenue. This is a key to developing a thought leadership strategy in your firm. It will distinguish you as the right choice to buy from. People’s opinions and beliefs often rub off on the people in society that are around them. Hence, a company’s reciprocity and Word of Mouth must be strengthened in order to increase credibility.

4) Honesty and Integrity

A company must always be honest and more importantly, it must be perceived to be honest in its actions. Through quality content creation you can prove that you are credible by actually offering the customer some value exchange. This valuable content will drive customer sales to your firm because they will see you as the experts who have already given them something. This again elaborates on the concept of reciprocity and when a customer feels valued, she will turn to your company over your competitors.

5) Controversy and Change are good

When you challenge the norm and conventional ways of thinking, it will encourage an alternative point of view for your target market. If this point of view and ideas are credible then you will start a movement of consumers towards your product. As mentioned above, Apple had done a fantastic job of this when they took a huge share of the cell phone market. When the iPhone took control over Blackberry, the social focus shifted away from Blackberry’s guarantee of privacy, towards the iPhone’s innovation and advanced features.

Thought leadership through digital marketing and content creation is the key to driving sales today. Many leadership qualities are outlined above and contribute to the effectiveness of your campaigns.  We have the know-how when it comes to credible content creation and digital marketing which can save you both time and money. At Mirza Intl, we offer marketing services that drive success and thought leadership within your firm. Your marketing will be done faster, with less wasted effort and a greater return – which will help your business grow and keep you happy! Click here to book a consultation with us today.

 

in Marketing 0 comments
facebook, news, advertising
 by Mitchell Cameron

Facebook -People Use Social Media for News

In the past people always relied on news broadcasters, radio stations and the newspaper to stay informed about current events. Today, there are approximately 1.23 BILLION users on Facebook! So while people are browsing, they are tuning into news updates almost instantly as they happen. Facebook has features like Top Trending news – hence, it’s no surprise that companies like CNN and BBC are recognizing the massive benefits of using this platform. In the past people searched for news and tuned into their favourite newscaster or broadcaster. Now the tables have turned. People want the news to come to them.

Facebook constantly looks for new ways to engage its users and increase the frequency and duration of time people spend on the platform. To do this they have created instant news articles with credible high quality content to engage people as they are browsing the site. Over the past couple of years this feature has been introduced and statistics show that the average person would rather turn to social media for the latest news rather than watching it on TV or reading the paper.

In fact 63% of Americans reported getting news on Facebook and Twitter in 2015 versus approximately 50% in 2013. Some statistics show that people spend an average of at least 20 minutes on social media whereas other stats show that people spend at least an hour or more. Regardless of which of these are true, this is a huge percentage of the population using social media daily and specifically for news purposes outlining the drastic shift in the public’s habits.

The Threat to Publishers and News Stations

With this shift in the public’s perception of the News they receive, publishers and news stations must realign their business strategies to adapt to the people’s habits. Therefore companies like CNN and BBC have used avenues online to target their viewers. However they can also fall into a trap of relying too heavily on one media source because they will give up control of their audience to that source. On social media there are many different News companies that broadcast their content in one location. If a company relies too heavily on social media for its viewers than it risks losing them to other features or even competitors content that is published.

Facebook Surpasses Google

According to Parse.ly’s first-party data across 400 publisher sites, Facebook took over Google as the number one source of traffic to publisher sites in July 2015. The company is trying to dominate the share of the market when it comes to publishing and posting news content as a traffic source. This would lead to a reliance on social media to get their News content to their targeted audiences. While publishers and news companies used to rely on their viewers’ loyalty. Now they must depend on social media to get their content out.

Publishers and News Agencies Pay Big Bucks

It is possible to post free content on Facebook but if a company wants to drive significant amount of traffic towards its own content, than you must pay Facebook for these referrals. This is good for Facebook but this payment also creates a reliance on Facebook for traffic. As mentioned, Facebook is trying to trap these publishers and agencies into their site so that they can offer quality content to their users while making these companies reliant on their referrals.

In conclusion we can see a dramatic shift in the way people gain access to news content online. From 2013 to 2015 there has been a 13% increase in the amount of people who use Facebook and Twitter for news. This shift should be taken very seriously by publishers and news companies who intend to keep and gain audiences in the future.

Mirza International is up to date with the best Facebook advertising and referral practices. To book a marketing consultation click here.

 

 

in Business / Marketing / Social Media 0 comments
advertising, marketing
 by Mitchell Cameron

Advertising: Research Today Compared to the Past

Market research and intelligence is something that has changed and affected advertising world wide. In the past, research was conducted through interviews, trade journals and a lot of difficult work. Research departments were reliant on their own personal networks and the ability to do physical research.

However, today we have access to any information we want at our fingertips through the Internet.  I think we can all agree that the internet has revolutionized the business world. In terms of market research, the amount and ease of access to information makes today’s research an area a company can gain a competitive advantage in. In the following article we will look at first, how the advertising industry has changed and second, how a company can use market research to gain a competitive advantage.

Advertising and Market Research Today

First, let’s discuss how marketing research and intelligence has changed. Then we can go over how a company can gain an advantage over its competition using technology today.  In the past, organizations relied on well-staffed research departments. These advertising departments consisted of trained staff that would do research the old fashioned way – through endless readings. They would be reliant on their networks of information, industry statistics, journals, and their ability to acquire information about the industry themselves. Now, with a click of a button and a few keywords, we have access to tons of credible work from around the globe.

Today, the effectiveness of market research is dependent on the researcher’s ability to use technology to their advantage. There are thousands of management systems in place that track consumer behaviour and compile databases of the buying habits of millions of people. With technology we can track these behaviours through sales and point of purchase monitoring. Researchers also have access to millions of customer reviews and all their competitor information which they can search on the Internet. This allows them to measure their success against competitors easily by simply reading reviews online. Demographics are also heavily monitored and recorded through automatic computer systems, whereas in the past, researchers would have to rely on the census for this information.

How to Gain a Competitive Advantage

Now let’s take a look at how a company can gain a competitive advantage over their competitors by using market research and intelligence. Competitive advantage is defined as something that you or your organization does better than competitors.  Since there is so much available to us now compared to the past, a company can really capitalize on its market research.

By keeping up with current technologies and customer tracking systems, companies can now know what their consumers want before they even want it. Predicting customer needs is a great way to gain the edge over your competitors.

A company can also target customers with specific content and promotions related to their interests.

In addition, an organization can focus on the customers that make them the most profits or who use their product or service the most. The easiest way to gain a competitive advantage through market research and intelligence is to target the right customers with the right content. This will build a relationship with your target customers and make them feel as the company is tailoring its products or services directly to them. Apple is a great example of how a company can use market research to build relationships with its customers. Apple is constantly researching and looking at databases to figure out what Apple users want next and because of this they have high customer loyalty.

Other Advantages Today

It is also a lot easier to conduct market research now as opposed to the past, where an entire department was needed to conduct the research. By properly staffing and optimizing a firm’s research systems with a few indispensable human resources and the proper technology, an organization does not need a research department. This cuts costs and can also be seen as an advantage over a competitor who has to operate and pay employees of a huge research department.

We can see that market research plays a huge role in the effectiveness of a firm’s marketing strategy. It is important for a company to stay up-to-date with the most current customer relationship management systems so that they can stay ahead of their competitors in the industry. Mirza international is up-to-date with the best practices on tracking customer activity online and creating content to target your most profitable segment. To book a conference call to see how we can help you, visit: http://mirzaintl.com/

 

in Business / Marketing / Tech 0 comments