Are you planning to market your business using Instagram? How much do you know about it?

This infographic by websitebuilder.org might give you some insight about this popular social media app. Here’s a quick rundown of 139 Instagram facts and stats to get started:

Original Source:

https://websitebuilder.org/resources/139-facts-about-instagram-one-should-be-aware-of-in-2017/

139 Instagram Facts and Stats Every Marketer Should Know

The post 139 Instagram Facts and Stats Every Marketer Should Know appeared first on feed140.com.

When someone buys a product or service from you, your customer base increases which is cause for celebration. You shouldn’t celebrate too soon, you need to make sure that customers are happy with their purchase.

Here are a couple of post sales content marketing strategies you can create to help your customers out and reduce your chances of receiving bad reviews or returns:

1. Guides

By creating a comprehensive guide that tells customers all they need to know about your product, you can ensure they get the best out of it. But it’s important to bear in mind that text doesn’t always capture the attention of people. To make sure your guide is attractive to customers, focus on beautiful design — with lots of white space so that it’s not overbearing and cool graphics to keep your readers’ attention.

And guides aren’t just for post sales content marketing. You can use them to encourage customers to buy from you. Especially if you post your guide on popular content marketing curation sites.

2. Blog posts

Blog posts act in a similar way to guides. Your blog should not just be a source of information for new prospects and leads, you should also create content that would benefit your current customers. For example, if you run a travel company, don’t just create articles that encourage customers to buy a holiday from you, write pieces that will get current customers excited for the adventure they have already planned.

3. Videos

Video is fast becoming the dominant player in content marketing. So it goes without saying that videos are a great way to educate viewers while keeping them engaged. There are a couple of different types of videos you can create to delight your customers:

• Tutorial videos are great for showing customers around your website. Particularly if you have a range of in-depth features. By showing your customers how to use these, they can get more out of your website and thus be happier with what they have paid for/signed up for.
• How To videos show customers how to use your products rather than your website or service. How To videos are great for practically any product — from toys and games consoles to make-up and homeware products.

4. Stay in touch

Customers need to know that they are special all the time. The fortunate thing is, you can do this pretty effortlessly with some after-sales content.

Here are two great ways to keep in touch with your customers.

Email marketing is still a great way to keep in touch with your customers — if you do it right.

• Don’t email your customers without a reason. The first time you send them a pointless email is the last time they will open a message from you.
• Make sure your emails include offers and add value for your customers.
• Always make your email subject lines as catchy as possible so that your emails actually get opened!

The biggest sites on the internet, behind search engines, are social networking sites — so it’s worth having a presence there. Get your customers involved — actively ask them about the experiences with your company.

Read the full article:

http://www.business.com/content-marketing/sarah-quinn-after-sales-content-marketing/

Offer Great Customer Service with Post Sales Content Marketing

The post Offer Great Customer Service with Post Sales Content Marketing appeared first on feed140.com.

Content marketing is an incredibly useful marketing strategy, and because of its practicality, almost any business can reap the benefits. The premise is simple; use interesting, unique, in-demand and well-written content to naturally attract more people to your brand and website. Because customers of any business will need at least some information related to that business, there’s demand for content everywhere. However, some industries measurably benefit from content marketing more than others.

Here are 7 industries that are well-suited for content marketing:

1. Medical and healthcare

It takes years of studying just to scratch the surface of modern medical knowledge, which is why medical organizations, healthcare organizations, and medical education institutions stand to benefit enormously from content marketing efforts. Plus, medical content tends to address specific patient problems (such as strange symptoms, injuries or ailments), and it’s an industry that’s always evolving with new scientific discoveries and new technologies.

2. Repairs and renovations

Handymen, repair shops, and other repair and renovation-oriented businesses exist to solve consumer problems. Though some of your content may give away the “secret sauce” of your industry, your increased popularity and reputation will be well worth the tradeoff. The potential here is enormous.

3. Other professional services

Almost any type of professional service, from legal counseling to marketing consulting, can benefit from content marketing. People need information when they seek professional services, and content exists to provide that information. You’ll build trust easily and have an easier time winning over new clients as well.

4. Local businesses

Any type of local business can do well with a content marketing program. Why? Because local businesses don’t have to worry about national-level competition, and can use their content to make their way to the “local 3-pack” that Google ranks for local queries. Using location-specific content serves a specific audience, and gives you a huge competitive advantage.

5. Ecommerce stores

Ecommerce stores operate exclusively online (usually), and can draw people in based on specific product searches. If you flesh out the content of each of your product pages, you’ll be able to answer common consumer questions and complaints, and simultaneously optimize for some low competition, high search volume keywords.

6. Restaurants

Restaurants are an interesting addition to this list, since there’s no clear “type” of content for them to produce, and most of them depend on physical locations, rather than online stores like ecommerce businesses. However, restaurants have practically unlimited potential when it comes to local SEO. They serve niche audiences, which gives them prime competitive opportunities to rank for local searches.

7. Real estate agents and services

The real estate industry also stands to benefit greatly from content marketing. Homeowners need to do lots of research before finalizing a decision, and most of them end up looking for hyper-specific qualities in their prospective homes. Online real estate agents and services can improve their listings with more detailed, well-written content, and keep users on their sites longer.

Original Source:

http://www.cio.com/article/3150959/marketing/7-best-industries-for-content-marketing.html

7 Industries That Are Well-suited for Content Marketing

The post 7 Industries That Are Well-suited for Content Marketing appeared first on feed140.com.

Think you know everything about social media? Test your knowledge with this useful infographic presented by https://skilled.co/resources/social-media-facts-infographic.

Make sure to take note of these 115 facts about social media the next time you plan your marketing strategy:

Original blog post:

https://skilled.co/resources/social-media-facts-infographic

115 Amazing Facts About Social Media You Should Know

The post 115 Amazing Facts About Social Media You Should Know appeared first on feed140.com.

Content marketing isn’t just about distributing valuable content to your audience. Another goal you should focus on is to gain customer trust and credibility.  By forming trust, you are also establishing a long-term marketing approach that will bring repeat revenue and valuable referrals. But how can you achieve this?

1. Make yourself an expert

While it is true that citing other experts can give your content credibility, you should also endeavor to publish your own expertise as well. When you create your content marketing, you should lean on your own company’s expertise and provide information that proves that you are an expert in your field.

When you are perceived as an expert in your industry, that helps to perpetuate the idea that you are an industry leader. People generally prefer to buy from industry experts, and they tend to trust the marketing of industry leaders.

2. Respond to what your audience has to say

If you want to stay socially relevant to your audience, then you have to acknowledge and address its concerns in the content that you develop. Social media and blogs are ideal ways to measure the concerns of your client base and get real input about the topics that interest your audience.

Listening to your audience helps to provide social proof that your company and products are relevant. By incorporating the concerns of your audience into your content, you can enhance the emotional commitment your audience has to helping your business succeed.

3. Use sources

Earlier we discussed using your own expertise to inform your customers, but there is still a lot to be said for citing industry experts. When you can put your own statement side by side with the statements of other people recognized as experts in your field, you are giving your statements a greater sense of legitimacy. Your audience is going to trust your expertise more when they see that it is in line with what other experts have to say.

4. Be consistent

Few things destroy trust more than inconsistent information. As you develop your content marketing, be sure to keep your messages consistent and use information that is going to keep your content headed in the right direction. The moment your content shows inconsistencies, you will start to lose the trust of your audience.

Like any marketing deliverable, your content needs to be measured, analyzed and scrutinized to determine its true effectiveness and its ability to build trust with your audience.

Original Source:

http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/4-strategies-building-trust-content-marketing-01721736#DvCkAX3MGMgk40Ve.99

4 Steps to Gain Customer Trust Using Content Marketing

The post 4 Steps to Gain Customer Trust Using Content Marketing appeared first on feed140.com.

To create awesome and share-worthy visual content for your social media, you will need to find the right websites and apps or programs to customize your images.

Here are some handy visual content tools and resources that you might want to check out:

Where to get images

Here are some of the top paid stock photo sites:

• IStockPhoto.com
• BigStockPhoto.com
• Stock.Adobe.com
• Stocksy.com

When it comes to free stock photos, make sure you’re downloading images from a reputable source. Don’t just download any image you like directly from Google. Instead you can use any number of royalty-free stock image sites that use the Creative Commons License to search for photos that fit your needs.

• Librestock.com (a catalog of dozens of stock photo sites)
• Unsplash.com

Apps and web-based programs to customize images

You’ll find, if you do a Google search, that there are tons of apps out there that you can use to customize your stock image on a mobile device. Note that some might not be available on both iOS and Android devices.

• Adobe Spark Post: This is another great free app that, in their own words, allows you to “turn ideas into impactful social graphics.”
• Typorama: With Typorama, you can create images for a wide variety of social networks, and you can shadow text so it’s easy read against varying backgrounds. You can also easily watermark all of your images
• Wordswag: With lots of great type styles, and the ability to easily swap between styles, and even variations within each style, this is a fun app to use. It also has the option to use a few basic backgrounds, instantly search royalty-free stock images from Pixabay, or use your own photos.

If you’re doing the bulk of the work on a computer, then it’s definitely worthwhile to look into a few web-based visual content tools or editing programs. Some of the most popular sites are:

• Canva: a web-based design program; the main difference between the free and paid versions are the ability to categorize with folders and collaborate with teammates. Additionally, Canva has its own stock image service — where premium images cost $1 per download. You can save all of your work for future uses and download high-res images for print as well as the web-based resolutions.
• PicMonkey: this is another great option. You can get most of your work done with the free options, but the paid version is ad-free and includes premium overlays and fonts.

There are a lot of apps and programs to choose from and each has its own pros and cons. Just keep on exploring so you can find the perfect tools that will help you create your ideal images.

Original Source:

http://www.smallbusinesspr.com/pr-learning-center/small-biz-articles/how-marketers-can-create-perfect-images-for-social-media.html

Picture Perfect – 11 Visual Content Tools and Resources for Marketers

The post Picture Perfect – 11 Visual Content Tools and Resources for Marketers appeared first on feed140.com.

Are you having trouble coming up with fresh content ideas lately? Don’t fret! here’s a list of 8 creative and interesting topics that will keep your social media fans engaged:

1. Follow Daily Themes

Choosing themes for specific days of the week will make it easier to come up with fresh content ideas for your social media accounts. Recurring themes also create consistency for your brand and give your audience something to look forward to every day.

Try one or a combination of these themes and see what receives the most engagement from your audience:

Monday: Motivation Monday, Music Monday

Tuesday: Tuesday Tip, Trivia Tuesday, Tuesday Treat

Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday, Wednesday Wisdom

Thursday: Throwback Thursday, Thursday Thoughts, Thankful Thursday

Friday: Follow Friday, TGIF, Friday Fun

Saturday: Selfie Saturday, Saturday Swag, Social Saturday

Sunday: Sunday Funday, Sunday Selfie

These themes are all popular hashtags, so make sure you include the hashtag when you post on Twitter and Instagram.

2. Celebrate a Funny or Unusual Holiday

Did you know that April 9th is “Name Yourself Day” or that October 8th is “Octopus Day”? Every day of the year boasts at least one unusual holiday that your audience has never heard of. Have fun posting about these holidays on your social media profiles and be sure to include the hashtags for each holiday.

3. Pose an Engaging Question

People love giving their opinions and sharing personal experiences on social media. An easy to way to encourage engagement from your community is to ask a question.

For example, if you’re a travel agency, ask a simple question like “What’s your favorite vacation spot during the summer?” or “Where do you want to go for your next family vacation?” Include a graphic or photo to boost visibility. More people will notice a post with an image than an all-text post.

You can also get people talking by asking them to make a prediction (such as “Who’s going to win the Super Bowl this year?”) or by giving them two options and asking what their preference is and why.

4. Ask Fans to “Fill in the Blank”

A fill-in-the-blank post like “The last TV show I binge watched was __________” or “My go-to dinner is __________” will help inspire conversation on your social accounts.

5. Post a “Caption This” Photo

Posting a photo and asking your audience to provide a caption is a creative way to encourage interaction. Consider giving a prize to the person with the best caption.

You can also turn the tables and ask your fans to post a photo about a topic of your choosing. For example, “Let’s have some fun today! Post the fifth photo that appears in your camera roll along with a short caption. We’d love to see it!”

6. Spotlight the People Behind Your Business

Showing the human side to your business helps you make more meaningful connections with your fans. One way to do this is to turn the spotlight on your employees.

Post photos of your employees with a fun Q&A so your audience can get to know them and their role in the company.

When your employees celebrate a work anniversary, congratulate them by posting a photo and offering a few nice words.

7. Share Relevant Third-Party Resources

Have you come across something on social media that your audience would find interesting, entertaining, or useful? Sharing is caring!

For example, share a great article or resource your target audience would find helpful. Your audience will love that you’re bringing valuable content to them. It’s so much easier than having to search for it themselves.

8. Help Promote Local Events

If you’re a local business, plug an event that’s happening in your community such as a fundraiser or a high school football game. This is a way to show goodwill and demonstrate that your business is invested in your community.

View the full article:

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/8-social-media-content-ideas-for-marketers/

8 Ways to Never Run Out of Fresh Content Ideas for Your Social Media

The post 8 Ways to Never Run Out of Fresh Content Ideas for Your Social Media appeared first on feed140.com.

Are you stuck in a content marketing rut? Before you plan your next strategy, start a content marketing analysis and ask yourself these 5 important questions:

1. What are the biggest gaps in your current sales and marketing process?

Everything you do when it comes to content marketing should enhance your current sales and marketing process. Do you need more leads? Does your sales team need resources to close more sales? Are leads going cold?

Taking time to identify the biggest gaps in your sales or marketing processes will help you find ways to use content marketing to help you overcome them.

2. What questions do people have in different stages of the buying
cycle?

The entire goal of content marketing is to address the questions your prospective customers have at the appropriate time. Spend time thinking through the journey a prospective customer takes from learning about your brand to becoming a customer. What questions are they asking throughout that process? What problem are they trying to solve?

3. What type of content can you create to answer those questions and give your prospects confidence in your company?

Providing content that addresses the specific needs of where a prospective customer is in the buying
cycle is critical for success. For example, new prospective buyers might be looking for helpful information like eBooks or infographics. Prospective clients who are considering doing work with your business might need case studies or product spec sheets to make a decision.

4. What would help your sales team promote your content marketing resources: an email script, suggested social updates?

By encouraging your team to use tools for cultivating relationships with current clients and
leads, you’re able to essentially kill two birds with one stone — generate new leads & equip your sales team with resources to help them succeed.

5. How can you give people a reason to stay interested in your business?

Consistently providing prospects with quality content is a great way to keep them engaged during the buying process. Don’t think of what you want to tell prospects, think of what they want to know.

Original Source:

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/marketing/2016/10/5-questions-to-evaluate-your-content-marketing.html

Content Marketing Analysis – 5 Critical Questions You Need to Ask

The post Content Marketing Analysis – 5 Critical Questions You Need to Ask appeared first on feed140.com.

Choose from 48 of the best social media platforms that will help you connect with your target audience and successfully achieve your business goals:

Facebook

With more than a billion users worldwide and features ranging from targeted advertising to live broadcasting, Facebook is as close to a must-have social networking platform as there is for businesses.

Twitter

Twitter is a microblogging site that allows users to post short messages, photos, links and other types of media.

LinkedIn

The most popular business oriented social networking site, LinkedIn is great for entrepreneurs looking to boost their professional networks or reach out to B2B clients.

Instagram

A visually oriented social platform, Instagram is based mainly around mobile apps and lets you post photos and short videos, along with “stories” that disappear at the end of each day.

Google+

Google’s social media platform, Google+ lets you share content, photos and more. And you can connect with others by adding them to your circles, which you can organize any way you choose.

Periscope

For those businesses that want to use live broadcasting to communicate with customers, Periscope is a mobile app that lets you connect with people and stream live video content.

Pinterest

Pinterest allows users to create different boards where they can save photos and content from a variety of sources. So businesses can use it to post products, blog posts and a variety of other content.

Tumblr

Tumblr is sort of a mix between a social media site and blogging platform. You can post photos, videos, text posts and even re-post or like content from other users.

Snapchat

Known mainly for being popular with young users, Snapchat is starting to catch on with a wider audience now. You can share photos, short videos or text messages with other users. And that content is only viewable for 24 hours.

Flickr

A social sharing site owned by Yahoo, Flickr lets you upload photos and videos, sort them into albums and even interact with other users in groups or comments.

Vine

A video sharing app for mobile users, Vine lets you upload and share quick, looping videos on the app and even share them on other social platforms like Twitter.

YouTube

If you create video content for your business, then you probably already use YouTube. You can upload your own videos, share them on other sites, create playlists and even interact with other users on the platform.

Vimeo

Vimeo is not as popular as YouTube when it comes to video platforms. But you can still use it to upload videos. And there are also some community features aimed at serious video creators.

Skype

The popular video and audio chat platform also lets you add connections and send instant messages to connections on Skype mobile or desktop versions.

MySpace

MySpace certainly isn’t the popular social networking platform it once was. But there are still some community features mainly aimed at entertainment enthusiasts. So musicians and similar entrepreneurs could still find some benefits from using it.

Ning

Ning is a platform for online communities that lets you share photos, post in groups and even publish blog posts.

XING

XING is a platform made specifically for business networking. You can connect with other professionals and companies, read industry news and even discover relevant events.

SlideShare

A LinkedIn platform, SlideShare lets you create presentations, infographics, documents and similar materials. You can also use it to find presentations on a variety of different topics related to your industry.

StumbleUpon

StumbleUpon is a discovery engine that lets you share and discover new content in a variety of categories. You can use it to share photos, videos, blog posts and more, as well as find relevant content to share with your audience.

Delicious

Known as a social bookmarking service, Delicious can serve as another place to share and save content from all over the web.

Digg

Digg is another social sharing site that focuses mainly on news stories. So if your business creates articles or news content, it could be a worthwhile social platform.

Foursquare

For local businesses, Foursquare can help local customers find and check in at your location. You can even offer specials or promotions to potential customers.

Path

Path is a social networking and chat app that lets you share “moments,” which can include everything from local check-ins to music.

Reddit

Reddit features a news aggregator along with some social features like discussion boards and the ability to submit and rate various content.

Quora

The popular question and answer site, Quora allows you to interact with other users by submitting questions and helping other users if they have questions that relate to your industry or expertise.

Scribd

Scribd is an open publishing platform that authors can use to share ebooks, audio books, comics and other documents with interested audiences.

Yelp

Known mainly for reviews of local businesses, Yelp allows you to create a profile for your business and interact with other users through comments and more.

Tout

Tout is a mobile video publishing platform. It’s perfect for businesses that share news, sports and entertainment related content with online and mobile audiences.

Lefora

Lefora is an online platform for discussion boards in various interest groups. You can create a profile and join various forums to discuss and share content related to your industry.

Ryze

Ryze is a site made specifically for business users. You can apply for membership and then use the platform to connect with other business owners and professionals in your industry.

Xanga

Xanga may not be at its peak popularity anymore. But the platform still hosts blogs, photography sites and social profiles for a variety of users.

Howcast

For businesses that want to share tutorials or instructional content, Howcast is an online platform that lets you share short videos or text content that shows users how to do various tasks.

Meetup

Meetup is a site that lets people create and join groups to share events and meetings in a given area. You can use the site to gain interest in special events or start groups.

DeviantArt

For artists, photographers, illustrators and other creative entrepreneurs, DeviantArt provides an online gallery and community for artists to share work and connect with others.

Buzznet

Buzznet is a social network where you can share photos, video, text posts and more. It can be especially relevant for entertainment centered businesses.

Last.fm

Last.fm is a music streaming service that also lets users create profiles and interact with other listeners. Musicians can use the site to interact with listeners and even share music and events.

SoundCloud

Another audio distribution platform, SoundCloud can be an especially useful channel for musicians and podcasters.

CafeMom

For businesses that offer products or services aimed at moms, CafeMom is an online platform for moms to connect, start groups and share advice.

Ravelry

Ravelry is a niche site aimed specifically at knitters and crocheters. It could be a useful social channel for yarn sellers and other handmade business owners that want to connect with fiber artists.

Goodreads

For authors and book enthusiasts, Goodreads is a site that lets users discover books, leave reviews and interact with other users.

Behance

A portfolio site for designers and creative entrepreneurs, Behance lets you showcase your visual work and even discover other artists and designers through their portfolios.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a mobile messaging platform that lets users add friends and create groups to chat with via text, voice or even video.

WeChat

Another mobile chat app, WeChat offers apps for iPhone, Android and even a web version.

Viber

Viber lets you send texts, make calls and even share photos with other users. It also offers a feature called public chats so that brands and celebs can share messages with wider audiences.

Bloglovin’

For bloggers, Bloglovin’ is a platform that lets you create a profile for yourself and your blog (or blogs) and then connect and follow other users to discover content and get your blog found by relevant readers.

Blogher

Blogher is a blog network aimed at female bloggers. You can publish your content, connect with other bloggers and even attend conferences and networking events.

Busker

Busker is a live video chat app that lets you broadcast to your network to share tips or even demonstrate a product.

BizSugar

BizSugar is a forum for sharing business related content. You can post articles, comment on posts and interact with other users. BizSugar is a sister site to Small Business Trends.

Original Source:

https://smallbiztrends.com/2016/09/social-media-channels-marketing.html

Find Your Niche: The Best Social Media Platforms for Your Business

The post Find Your Niche: The Best Social Media Platforms for Your Business appeared first on feed140.com.

Customers complain that your website never seems to show up in an online search – or worse, they don’t even know that you have a website. Crickets chirp online when you look for your URL. It’s as if you are invisible online. What’s going on?

You need SEO, my friend – search engine optimization, or the art and science of using techniques both on page and behind the scenes to alert the search engines that your website contains useful, valuable and relevant content that should be shared with others who search online for something similar.

Many people think they can take a DIY-approach to SEO. While it’s true that many SEO techniques can be learned by the average person, some are difficult to master overnight, while others take the time, resources and experience of a dedicated SEO-strategist to truly conquer. It’s estimated that the typical search engine algorithm uses 200 or more factors when considering rank. If you think you can master all 200 overnight to get your company better placement, have at it. For most business owners, their time is better spent elsewhere.

Is Search Engine Results Position (SERP) Really That Important?

If you’re unconvinced that hiring an SEO company is a good move, take a look at these statistics. These are the percent of clicks and views received by companies with search engine results on the following pages of a typical online search:

• Page 1          91.5%
• Page 2          4.8%
• Page 3          1.1%
• Page 4          0.4%

Only 8.5% of all searchers make it beyond page one. Most people glance down page one of the search engine results and click on a link based on the description underneath it. If your site is buried among many results or difficult to find, searchers – or potential customers – won’t click on it.

Choosing an SEO Agency

An SEO agency is a special type of digital marketing agency that focuses almost exclusively on the tactics and techniques to help your website rank well on the search engines. There is no mandatory  license or criteria for someone to set up shop as an SEO agency, so it is “buyer beware” when it comes to choosing the best agency for your needs.

There are some ways to tell great agencies from mediocre ones, however. The following 10-point checklist will help you discern from among the many SEO agencies online vying for your business to choose an agency that’s a great fit.

How to Hire an SEO Company: 10-Point Checklist

It’s a smart idea before interviewing agencies to put together a quick checklist to use so you can compare agencies “apples to apples.” Your checklist doesn’t have to be a formal RFP, but it should include your goals, your criteria for a good agency, and a budget. Keep it handy, along with these questions, while you are checking agencies. Interview at least three agencies to compare prices, approach, and experience.

#1: Does the agency promise you the first position on Google?

If the agency swears they’ll get your site to the top of Google in 30 days, 60 days or whatever, run like heck as fast as you can away from them. First, search engine results positions change constantly, shifting this way and that depending on search traffic, queries and more. Secondly, the question is “for what keyword phrase?” will you rank #1? You may rank #1 for one obscure phrase and 2,000 for a desired phrase. Lastly, no one can promise #1, #2 or any other number on the results. What agencies can promise is that they will improve your results, period. Look for improvement over time rather than quantifiable results backed by shallow promises.

#2: Are they willing to review your current site?

Some agencies charge a fee to review your site’s current SEO status, structure, and other elements that add up to your total SERPS rank. Others do it for free as part of the entire bidding process. They may wish to know where you stand, analyze what needs work, and prioritize the SEO work before submitting a bid. Either method is fine. An agency that simply wants to slap tactics onto your site without first analyzing what they have to work with doesn’t know what they are doing. It’s like an auto mechanic telling you that you need new transmission fluid when he hasn’t even opened the hood and checked the levels yet. First, check the levels of SEO on the site, then make recommendations. It’s logical. But yes, you will find some “agencies” who try to sell services without looking at your site first.

#3:  What kind of changes are they recommending to your website?

SEO takes into account both on-page factors, which are things you and your site visitors can actually see, and off-site factors, which are things that happen elsewhere on the web that help your site rank well. Find out what kind of tinkering they wish to do on your site and how it may impact it. Will the site be down for any length of time? Will their recommendations change its appearance? If so, how?

#4:  How do they propose to develop inbound links?

Inbound links, or links from good-quality, relevant websites that point into your website, are very important for SEO. But there are right ways of gaining links (called “white hat” techniques) and frowned-upon or even punishable offenses (by the search engines) if certain techniques are used. Guest posts are a good way of obtaining inbound links; link farms, an older method of plopping a bunch of unrelated links on a page for a fee, is today considered a poor method, if not one that will get your site blacklisted by Google, yet some unscrupulous agencies still try to sell this service. Ask and get in writing any plans for developing these and other strategies.

#5:  Can you show me examples or provide references to contact?

Agencies work with many clients. They should be able to show you examples of their work, such as content (videos, blog posts, infographics) developed for other businesses that helped generate traffic. They should show you plans they’ve created. They may redact or black out names to keep confidentiality clauses, but they can show you work. They should also provide you with a list of references to call so you can ask questions about their work ethic, quality of work, ability to meet deadlines, and other key questions. Don’t just ask for references – check them. Make those calls!

#6:  Which keyword phrases do you recommend we use and how do you generate them?

Agencies may not wish to divulge their “secret sauce” for combing the web or using various tools to find great keyword phrases, but they should give you more information on the keywords they recommend for your business. Make sure they understand your business and the industry in which you work. You are the best judge of which keyword phrases your customers will use and which ones aren’t commonly used.

#7:  What kind of results can I expect in 30 days, 60 days, 90 days and 6 months?

This is a different approach than promising results. Asking about typical results helps set realistic expectations. Agencies that promise incredible results are using hyperbole to close a sale. Realistic expectations provide a shared understanding and set the tone for a friendly, supportive relationship between agency and client that goes a long way towards success. While it is tempting to want results, fast, especially when you need sales coming into your website, like fine wine, good SEO takes time to develop.

#8:  How many people are on your team, and who will I be working with on a daily basis?

Depending on the size of the agency, the person presenting you with information may not be the person with whom you work on a daily basis. You may work with the president at a small agency or with a project manager or account manager at a larger agency. Make sure that you know who you will work with and meet them during the agency vetting process.

#9:  Why should I choose your firm?

This may seem like an ingenuous question, but agencies need to be able to share their differentiators with you. What sets them apart – experience, creativity, success rates – may be the linchpin that gets them the bid rather than their competitor. Find out what they perceive as their strength, and see how well it meets your needs. If they can’t articulate it, you may wish to interview another firm.

#10: What can you do with my budget?

The worst thing you can do is walk into an agency meeting and ask for an estimate without giving the agency a budget to work with. If you tell the agency, “Just give me an estimate” they may come back with a proposal for a “yacht” when your budget only covers a small rowboat. Rather than lengthening the discussions, give them a ballpark estimate from the first meeting. Agencies need to know what you can afford so they can fine-tune their plan for your company and give you their best estimate of the work that can be accomplished to reasonably meet your goals

The Right Agency Relationship Is Priceless

When you find the right SEO agency to work with, your business will be receiving the best support it can from a professional team dedicated to your success. The right agency relationship is priceless. How to hire an SEO company ends with a successful partnership that builds over time, leading to your business success.

This post appeared first on How to Hire An SEO Company

Source: http://www.marccx.com/

The post How to Hire An SEO Company appeared first on feed140.com.