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Does Blogging Help With SEO?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a tricky beast that needs constant attention. Everyone who’s ever attempted SEO in any form knows that there really are no shortcuts when it comes to SEO – and there are especially no guarantees. 

While there are many strategies claiming to be the “end all be all” for SEO effectiveness, it is generally agreed that creating an effective SEO campaign will most always include certain steps. Some SEO techniques are data-driven, allowing you to analyze metrics to see whether or not they're actually working and adjust accordingly. Others like blogs, though valuable, make analytics a little more challenging. 

Website Conversion Killers Your Business Can Avoid

Rankings are up, website visits are up, you’re listed in the local online directories — it looks like your SEO efforts are paying off. More people are finding your website through organic search. Internet life is good!

But for some reason, leads are flat. People are coming to your website, but they aren’t converting to revenue-generating business.

Poor conversion can destroy even the best marketing efforts. If you are making an investment in bringing visitors to your website, it should be generating leads. And not just any leads, quality ones that generate new business for your company. Leads that can become high-value clients, not leads you have to turn away. 

Our experienced and skilled team at Propel Business Solutions have identified a few website conversion killers that are a “must watch” — and a “must fix” — so you can be sure to generate new quality leads for your business. 

Could Game Theory Change Marketing As We Know It?

If you are a B2B marketer or business owner, you’ve probably heard the terms “game theory” or “gamification” in regards to advertising. But what does gamification really mean and what does game theory have anything to do with marketing? 

Game theory was once hailed as a revolutionary interdisciplinary phenomenon bringing together psychology, mathematics, philosophy and an extensive mix of other academic areas. Eight Noble Prizes have been awarded to those who have moved the discipline forward. But, beyond the academic level, is game theory actually applicable in today's business and marketing world? 

We believe the answer is YES! 

The Do’s and Don’ts of Marketing Automation

Successful business owners realize the ultimate measure of success in their branding and marketing efforts is generating greater revenue for their companies.  In today’s digital world, they also know well how challenging it can be to find creative ways to drive traffic to their websites, convert that traffic into leads and turn those leads into paying, loyal customers.  In recent years, Marketing Automation is proving to be a powerful catalyst in helping achieve this goal and move businesses to the next level.

In a nutshell, Marketing Automation refers to software that automates multiple marketing efforts and makes them more effective in the end. This customized software is designed to help prioritize and execute marketing initiatives and tasks in a more streamlined and efficient way. It also provides the ability to strategically target ideal clients and send them personalized content, tools and resources based on that prospective client’s behavior. Essentially, it creates the capability to provide potential prospects information they need when they want it, slants their buying decision toward your services or products, and makes their buying decision easier.

If you are considering Marketing Automation to drive sales and greater exposure for your brand, here’s a few “do’s and don’ts” to keep in mind.

Using Content Marketing to Nurture B2B Relationships

When it comes to B2B content marketing, many professionals find they aren’t creating original content because they just don’t have the time. We get it. Writing blogs, drafting white papers, creating infographics, and designing online guides all take precious time. However, many B2B professionals may be surprised to learn that content marketing is actually an easy, effective way to build strong relationships with current and potential clients.

How To Make Your Content Marketing Stand Out In 2017

2016, in particular, was a huge year for content marketing and it looks like 2017 will be no different.  Since our society is experiencing information-overload like never before, an important question that should be on the minds of businesses large and small, is how can you make their content marketing leap off the screen and page?

Content marketing has become one of the primary ways companies of all sizes to reach their audiences online. With the competition for online attention heating up, what can companies do to still reach their true target audiences and leave them craving more? While the competition is definitely more fierce in 2017, there are creative ways to make content stand apart. In this blog post, were going to share several top content marketing trends all businesses need to know as we move deeper in the new year.
 

4 Technologies That Might Change Your Business For The Better

For the past 20 years or so, businesses have steadily shifted in what might qualify as a major paradigm shift: They've adjusted their marketing and advertising campaigns to focus on digital, online experiences in addition to physical ones.

Strategies such as content marketing and a highly visual and interactive websites and social media platforms have become the norm  today and even more popular than traditional tools like billboards and brochures. Now, thanks to augmented reality (AR) technology, we're entering an era where marketing can hybridize physical and digital experiences.

Online marketing is influenced by a number of tightly interconnected factors, one of the most important of which is the development and popularization of new technology. We take for granted many of the new technologies that have revolutionized the marketing industry such as social media platforms--or even reaching back to radio and television--but these are only the beginning. There will always be new technologies on the horizon, ready to change industries in new and exciting ways. So much so, it's hard not to wonder about how they’ll impact the way we do business in the future.

These four technologies are in development or just around the corner, ready to change your business for the better.
 

How to Take Advantage of Video Marketing Techniques

Any business owner not using video yet probably hasn't seen the latest statistics on video engagement. According to Forrester, including video in an email leads to a 200%-300% increase in click-through rates and Unbounce says including video on a landing page can increase conversion by 80%. In addition, for 90% of users, the stats say video helps to complete a buying decision and for 64% of users surveyed viewing videos  make it more likely that they will buy a product. The list goes on. The fact that video is effective is no secret and this is the reason why the medium is almost everywhere now. In a few years, it's likely that the market will be truly saturated.

So where does that leave the average small business? In short, it leaves them in a jungle of video competition. If the challenge of 2015 was to "get online" with a slick-looking video campaign, this year's challenge is increasingly getting the attention of viewers. And video viewers are a fickle lot, as according to Google, 80% will click away from a video that stalls while loading. By the time two minutes have passed, nearly two-thirds of viewers will close a video whether its interesting or not.

The challenges are clearly formidable. Not only does a business have to come up with engaging content that loads smoothly – on desktop and on mobile devices --  it has to figure out ways to get it before the eyeballs of potential clients and customers. The good news is because video is such a vast area, the possibilities for marketing are almost limitless. Using the stats above about video engagement, Propel Business Solutions can help develop a first-rate plan for your business based on some great techniques and ideas.
 

How to Successfully Plan Your Next Marketing Video

Consumer appetite for video content shows no signs of slowing down, with a Cisco report forecasting that 82% of all internet traffic will be video-based by 2020. With all the positivity surrounding video marketing’s potential it’s easy to consider it a virtually risk free endeavour  but don’t make the mistake of producing video content unprepared. Unlike static content such as infographics, articles and blogs, video is almost a living thing with a whole host of considerations those new to video won’t have faced before. Music, setting, animation styles, voiceover actors; literally every aspect of a video communicates something about your brand to its viewers.

What’s more, production costs for video creation can easily spiral if they aren’t kept in check. It’s safe to say video marketing comes with its fair share of things to consider before you get stuck in. Here are some of our suggestions to shape your planning before you hit the big red record button.

5 Marketing Tactics You Might Want to Consider Stopping Immediately

Do you still rely on “snail mail” to market your product?  Believe it or not, many businesses today still cling to this approach.  Could this be because your SEO efforts are not yielding your desired results? Do you swear by ancient by-the-book marketing techniques? Whatever the case, it might just be time for a trend check. New marketing strategies have become quintessential in today’s increasingly complex, digital, and fast-paced business environments.  Depending on outdated marketing strategies may be doing your business more harm than good.  Today, it is imperative to revise your strategies and campaigns and take advantage of emerging technology to avoid dips in revenue and search engine rankings. Here are 5 common, yet outdated, marketing techniques that businesses still follow.