Waseem Saddique - Online Marketing

Why Your SME should adopt an E-marketing Strategy | A Waseem Saddique Marketing Insight

2013-06-10T10:42:00.002+01:00

In light of an e-marketing boom in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Waseem Saddique Marketing urges SMEs all over the world to adopt an e-marketing strategy.

SMEs in the UAE currently represent 40% of the nation’s GDP and they are considered responsible for the generation of over 40% of domestic employment requirements.

What’s the reason for the growing success of SMEs in the UAE? The answer is effective e-marketing strategies. Waseem Saddique asserts: “When executed correctly, an online marketing strategy holds the key to broadening the reach of a business beyond the realms of its usual client base and into unknown territory.”

Due to the cost effective nature of online marketing, when compared with traditional methods, internet based marketing adds much more value to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), according to a top executive at Genesis Consulting based in Dubai.

Following the rise of the global recession, SMEs have become an integral part of the economy in countries such as Bahrain and other regions across the Middle-East. However, this is not just a Middle-Eastern trend. Countries such as the UK are arguably keeping their economies afloat, thanks in part, to the influence of SMEs

However, where SMEs in countries like Bahrain and the UK are missing out is their failure to recognise the value of internet marketing quickly enough to compete with their competitors.

Waseem Saddique states: “For instance, across the UK less ‘tech-savvy’ SMEs are reportedly losing out on £122 billion in sales revenue by neglecting to develop and establish a sustainable marketing plan, particularly one that involves an online strategy, according to a survey published in March 2013 by the Centre for Economics and Business Research.”

The importance of SMEs adopting an online marketing strategy cannot be underestimated according to marketing experts. The market potential is huge and SMEs simply have to embrace platforms such as social media including: Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

Online marketing is an ideal platform for SMEs particularly those just starting out as it provides the perfect opportunity to promote and grow a company across a worldwide audience.

The majority of the consumer base, across many nations, is now based online and online marketing now offers a much more effective solution than methods such as print media advertising.

Recent media trends highlight that the influence of online advertising continues to gather pace and has a very distinct edge over other media platforms. The majority of consumers now refer to the internet for information and to purchase products or services.

One of the biggest challenges faced by online marketing specialists across the UK and the Middle East for instance, is how best to educate SMEs of the importance and value of online marketing.

For many SMEs the biggest barrier to committing to online marketing is their desire for instant results. If an online marketing campaign does not deliver results within a month they dismiss its value and move onto another strategy.

Waseem Saddique comments: “This approach to marketing is just not sustainable, nor is it time or cost effective. It’s better to adopt one strategy and do it well, rather than have several strategies that deliver average results.”

Research published by InternetWorldStats.com revealed that Facebook usage in Bahrain, and the Middle East (excluding North Africa), stood at over 26% (24 million) of the total internet user population of 90 million as of June last year.

This means that the market is there for SMEs, they just need to switch onto the potential and embrace the concept of online marketing.

Founded in 2007, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services has consistently provided small to medium enterprises as well as larger corporate firms with a range of digital marketing & online solutions.

What are the Implications of Social Media Censorship? Waseem Saddique Marketing Investigates

2013-05-24T10:24:00.000+01:00

A recent BBC report revealed Facebook’s plans to begin censoring videos that depict ‘graphic violence’ or ‘unsavoury material’ that appears on the social networking site.

Waseem Saddique asserts: “Whilst there are no immediate plans for the widespread censorship of images and marketing material, there are active petitions now appearing on various platforms calling for Facebook and other social media sites to implement stricter censorship policies.”

What are the implications for businesses?

Whilst there are currently no plans to censor adverts and prevent the use of social media for marketing purposes, petitioners are pushing hard for such restrictions to be imposed, according to the BBC report.

The decision to censor videos of an ‘unsavoury nature’ has sparked debate as to whether material should be censored. Social media sites are torn on the subject. On the one hand they don’t want to restrict ‘freedom’; after all social media is open to everyone. However, social media platforms also realise they have a duty to protect ‘vulnerable’ users of their services.

The question now is how far will the censorship of social media sites go? For businesses, the impact of censoring marketing material could prove devastating. By removing the freedom to post marketing material, businesses stand to see customer reach reduced dramatically.

Petitioners in favour of widespread censorship want to restrict the ability of businesses to broadly ‘spam’ social media users with marketing material. At present this can only be restricted by users adjusting their personal profile settings.

Waseem Saddique comments: “The issue of censoring material that appears on social media is sensitive and challenging, as everyone has different perceptions on what’s tasteful and distasteful.”

The BBC report alludes to a case of a business promoting ‘breast pumps’. The marketing campaign sparked complaints from some social media users who described the pictures featured in the campaign as advocating scenes of a ‘sexual’ nature in reference to an exposed breast.

To others the campaign was perfectly fine as breast feeding is a natural scenario for mothers all over the world. This case alone highlights the fine lines that determine what’s explicit and what isn't.

In the case of this particular company, they were asked to remove the marketing campaign in the interests of appeasing those who protested. The ramifications of this, should petitioners get their wish for increased censorship, could be highly detrimental to a number of companies.

In communist countries, such as China for instance, the censorship of social media has already been taken to extreme lengths and the worry for many social media sites and businesses across the globe is that severe censorship policies could be implemented as law over the coming years.

The problem that Facebook faces in particular is satisfying its users. In March 2013 Facebook released figures showing that 665 million people accessed the site everyday throughout March. That’s a lot of people to appease without trampling on freedom of speech and balancing that with audience protection.

The ramifications for businesses, should censorship expand beyond videos and into marketing material, will certainly change the face of business marketing in the long term as it’s not just Facebook under pressure to implement stricter censorship policies.

Waseem Saddique states: “We understand that Facebook is now reviewing its censorship policy and other social media sites are set to follow suit. It’s now a case of awaiting the outcome and seeing what measures are put in place.”

Founded in 2007, Waseem Saddique Marketing has consistently provided small to medium enterprises as well as larger corporate firms with a range of digital marketing & online solutions.

5 Steps to Perfecting Your Cold Calling Tactics – A Waseem Saddique Marketing Insight

2013-05-21T12:23:00.000+01:00

A live Google+ debate, hosted by ‘Software Advice’ on the 30^th January 2013, asked its audience does cold calling still work? What followed was a survey that collected data, which ranked Telemarketing/Cold Calling as the 3^rd most effective means of generating quality leads.

Waseem Saddique asserts: “Whilst the web seems to have stormed ahead in the number of leads ‘generated’, through SEO techniques, social media and e-mail marketing, many B2B and B2C marketers claim that cold calling actually provides better ‘quality’ leads.”

Source: Software Advice

The general consensus is that business marketers will always opt for quality over quantity. The majority of marketing experts claim that finding one quality lead per day can generate a higher source of revenue than ten ‘leads’, which often have no relevance to their business.

According to one marketing expert, Scott Channell, cold calling does work and works best for:
1. New businesses that require clients immediately.
2. Businesses experience a slump and the urgency to sell is vital.
3. Companies seeking higher-quality business accounts.

Cold Calling is what’s known in the industry, as ‘playing the long game’, so here are 5 essential tips that will reap the benefits of cold calling endurance:

1. Re-evaluate your end-goals: Adopting a ‘machine gun’ approach to cold calling will leave you frustrated. Effective cold calling demands that you have a specific goal on the horizon, which you’d like your listeners to engage with. Without a goal-orientated ethos there’s no way to determine whether you’re converting contacts into customers, meaning all your efforts are in vain.

One successful, goal-orientated cold calling tactic is to bide your time. Rather than going in for ‘the sale’ within the five first sentences of your pitch, encourage the customer to take action that’s far less intimidating than having to make an instant decision on an opportunity. Get them to sign up to a newsletter, make an appointment to call another time etc. This approach makes for more successful calls.

2. Pick your prospects wisely: Nothing wastes more time than cold calling the wrong target audience for your product or service. Chances are if you sell stair lifts for instance you’re not going to call people who live in bungalows (it happens). Research and analysis are key factors when implementing a successful cold calling marketing campaign.

3. Know when to call and when not to call: A recent consumer survey carried out by ‘Which?’ (February 2013), revealed that 76% of consumers could not stand cold callers that contacted them between the hours of 7 – 9pm on a Friday night. Also, as a cold-caller, you need to assess your own motivation at 7pm on a Friday evening and then compare that with a customer’s likely receptiveness. Chances are your motivation levels will be low, therefore, it’s only reasonable to assume that a customer is not likely to be listening.

Waseem Saddique states: “Data shows that calling clients between the hours of 8.30 – 10.00am, between Tuesday – Thursday, deliver the best results as you can catch people before they settle into the confines of the working day when they are likely to be attending meetings for instance.”

4. Seek help: A common cold calling tactic is to seek help from the customers you contact. In an example provided by persuasive.net, consider the following two scenarios:

“Hi Mr. So-and-so. My name is Mike Smith and I’d like to tell you more about how my new line of products can dramatically improve your bottom line.”
Versus

“Hi Mr. So-and-so. My name is Mike Smith and I’m hoping you can help me. I’m looking for business owners who want to improve their bottom lines – does that sound like something you’d be interested in?”

Notice the difference – The first statement launches into the ‘I’ mentality and sales piffle, whereas the second statement places the emphasis on ‘you’, you being the customer in this case. It places the value of the client’s input before anything else, this grabs attention.

5. Lay foundations with your prospects, them build on them: A common misconception when it comes to cold calling is that applying pressure will deliver results. Maybe in the spur of the moment this is true, however many cold callers, during the early part of their careers, remember the amount of times clients would call back to cancel a sale.

What’s the solution? Endurance, as building a rapport will allow you to win trust, committing a client to your product or service, not just for a one-off business deal, but for a long-term business relationship which would guarantee a continuous revenue stream for years to come.

Waseem Saddique comments: “Consider this, just ten clients bringing in £10,000, having built rapport shows a much better return, than calling 100 clients and generating £1000. Simply adapting the cold calling approach will transform the productivity of any business.”

Waseem Saddique Marketing Services was formed in 2007, the company has consistently provided small to medium enterprises, as well as larger corporate firms with a range of digital marketing & online solutions.

What’s the ‘Cloud’ & is it the Future of Digital Content Storage? Waseem Saddique Marketing Investigates

2013-04-30T10:21:00.002+01:00

The ‘Cloud’ is arguably the hottest trending topic in marketing at present, but what’s all the fuss about? Waseem Saddique Marketing Services investigates the ‘buzz’ behind the ‘Cloud’.

Waseem Saddique comments: “In a recent statement issued by Gartner Inc. the company predicted that 2013 will see one-third of consumers’ digital-content stored in the ‘Cloud’ system. However, a number of consumers have been left baffled as to what the ‘Cloud’ system is.”

What is the ‘Cloud?’

In order to explain the concept of the ‘Cloud’ here’s a simple analogy.

Previous technologies such as floppy disks, CD’s and even USB drives provided you with a physical piece of hardware on which you could store those important files, music and photographs.

The ‘Cloud’ removes the ‘physical hardware’ aspect so photos featured on Facebook, or movies streamed via ‘Love Film’ for instance, are not stored on the hard drive of a computer it’s stored somewhere else, the ‘Cloud’.

The simplest explanation given is that the Cloud is simply a form of Internet storage. A number of technology specialists would argue that it is more complex than that and of course it is, but based on the assumption we’re not all technologically savvy, this explanation will suffice.

In technological terms, the Cloud, otherwise known as cloud computing, refers to data that is hosted on or operates via an Internet server. A number of major digital marketing service providers have such servers in place including: Yahoo, Google, Facebook and Apple.

‘Cloud’ Benefits

Arguably the greatest benefit of using ‘Cloud’-based services or ‘Cloud’ computing is that your data is not stored on one device, it’s accessible across multiple devices. You can access e-mails and other applications from any computer. Furthermore, with cloud storage facilities such as Google Drive, SugarSync and Dropbox, you have the capacity to store those important files.

Another great perk of ‘Cloud’ storage is the back-up it offers. Even if your computer hard drive crashes, all is not lost because your files are stored across various services, which are immediately accessible from another computer.

Waseem Saddique states: “The ‘Cloud’ is extremely beneficial for businesses that have huge amounts of data to store and based on the evidence the future of digital content storage is firmly heading in this direction.”

‘Cloud’ Caution

What makes the ‘Cloud’ so unique is that data is stored on the Internet, the drawback to that is that an online connection is required in order to access data. This would not be a complication with a physical piece of hardware such as a ‘USB pen’.

Waseem Saddique concludes: “The ‘Cloud’ also raises the question of security, given that it is an internet-based service. Consumers are understandably protective of their online digital content and whilst great strides are made to preserve privacy and security, caution should be taken when using the ‘Cloud’. It’s recommended that users have strong passwords.”

Impacted by Google Panda Changes? Waseem Saddique Marketing Offers Recovery Tips

2013-04-22T11:43:00.000+01:00

Waseem Saddique asserts: “The adverse effect on SEO rankings for many companies following the Google Panda changes initially wreaked havoc when implemented back in 2011. Many companies have had to resort to SEO ‘Panda Recovery’ measures in order to re-assert a high search engine ranking status.”

Whilst this has proven to be a nuisance, many SEO experts agree that the algorithm changes have been positive for the Search Ranking industry, as the changes targeted ‘low-quality sites’ in order to decrease their ranking status and raise the search engine positioning, of what Google Panda determined to be, ‘high quality sites’.

Google statistics reveal that Panda changes affected approximately 12% of SEO rankings when it was first implemented. The most recent Panda algorithm changes, believed to have taken place in January 2013, reveal that alterations affected just 1.2% of English queries.

Waseem Saddique Marketing offers some essential tips for SEO Panda Recovery:

Reduce the amount of Low Quality content on your website – As part of the recovery process the number one goal should be to eliminate auto-generated content from your website. This can be achieved by preventing the indexing and crawling of all low quality content, which will restrict Google Panda from downgrading the SEO ranking of your entire site.
Unique is key – Google Panda thrives on unique, high quality content and penalises websites that simply copy articles from other sources. To avoid being punished by the Panda algorithm focus your efforts on publishing fresh, unique and captivating content on your site.
Keep Advertising to a Minimum – Google’s Panda algorithm is adverse to websites with high advertising content. Reducing advert numbers not only pacifies the Panda algorithm, but also improves the user experience. Statistics, released by Hub Pages, reveals that 67% of web users would leave a site if it was saturated with advertisements.
Increase Your Knowledge of Panda and Track Updates - Sites affected by Panda will experience massive changes, especially to page viewing figures. When evaluating Google Analytics it’s likely that you’ll find a substantial decrease in page viewing numbers. This represents clear evidence that your site has undergone a Panda evaluation.
Establish Integrity – The more exclusive, high quality SEO content that you publish, the more likely your website will be to capture the attention of Google ‘crawlers’. This attention expands across backlinks; enhancing your website as a respected resource for providing top quality material for your target audience. Google Panda prefers sites that attract high audience viewing figures for all the correct reasons.

Waseem Saddique states: “Some things to consider when evaluating your website include:

· Do I find the information on the site factual, informative and reliable?

· Does my site portray an element of expertise on the topic covered, highlighting professionalism?

· Is my site worthy of recommendation to others and would I point my connections in the direction of the site for information?”

Founded in 2007, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services has consistently provided small to medium enterprises as well as larger corporate firms with a range of digital marketing & online solutions.

Successfully Implement Your Business Marketing Strategy in 3 Steps

2013-04-15T11:34:00.001+01:00

Waseem Saddique Marketing has learnt that a number of marketing strategies are failing as a result of poor planning. In a recent report issued by ‘Lionbridge’, 36% of business leaders admitted to adopting a ‘scatter-gun’ approach when it came to marketing strategy. This approach has seen an increase in the number of online marketing campaigns doomed to fail before they even begin.

In a bid to combat this trend, Waseem Saddique Marketing provides a few simple tips for implementing a successful marketing plan.

Waseem Saddique states: “The marketing plan is just as important as the marketing strategy itself. After all, the plan lays the foundation for an entire marketing campaign. If the foundation is not structured correctly, the strategy itself runs the risk of failing.”

Marketing commentators make the point that business leaders need to possess the ability to step back and evaluate the progress of a marketing campaign to ensure that the initial plan is being adhered to and that the company is heading in the right direction.

So what are the tactics for keeping your marketing strategy on track?

Step 1 – Evaluate and Monitor: Waseem Saddique comments: “This cannot be emphasised enough, the moment a business loses sight of the original marketing plan is the moment that strategies go astray.”

Keeping track of articles, social media, videos, blogs and adverts is a necessity and can be achieved through ‘Google Analytics’ and other such resources. Adopting this approach allows business leaders the freedom to evaluate which strategies are working and worth pursuing and which marketing tactics are worth eliminating.

Step 2 – Seek feedback: Request regular feedback and testimonials from clients as this will give your business a key insight into whether your marketing tactics are having the desired effect. Statistics from analytical tools only provide a partial assessment of the effectiveness of a marketing campaign. However, consumers will provide an honest evaluation of your campaign whether good or bad.

After all, it’s consumers that your business is reaching out to and they’re the people that truly determine whether your marketing approach is doing the job it’s supposed to be doing.

Step 3 - Always be planning: Planning doesn’t end at the beginning, marketing plans have to grow in order to incorporate new ideas and fresh tactics. Waseem Saddique states: “A marketing strategy is something more than a ‘once a year’ phase. Marketing campaigns will take different courses throughout the year, adapting for seasonal promotions and special offers etc…”

It’s important to plan constantly, but without navigating away from the roots of the initial marketing plan. A solid foundation allows business leaders to have a freedom and flexibility, which enables them to adjust a marketing strategy depending on trends.

The best marketing campaigns are ones that are executed on the foundation of a solid plan, ensuring greater longevity and overall success. Did you know? The CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) surveyed 40 businesses in 2012 as to whether their marketing plan had contributed to the overall success of an online marketing campaign. 79% of respondents implied that the plan was key to the campaign.

Online Video Marketing a ‘Must-Have’ Marketing Strategy

2013-04-08T16:56:00.002+01:00

Did you know? 85% of the UK’s internet users viewed online video content in March 2013 alone.

As one of the hottest trends to hit the internet in recent years, online video marketing is considered a ‘must-have’ tool in order to take your business to new heights. A recent ‘Infographic’ released by ‘Brainshark Incorporated’ quantifies, the relentless surge in popularity of online video marketing.

Waseem Saddique comments: “Online Video Marketing offers a unique edge to marketing a business. Many business owners say that an online marketing video allows them to ‘personify’ their business affectively humanising their company enabling them to reach potential consumers in a much more interactive and personal way.”

Online Video Marketing has not remained static, it’s not just a big hit now, it continues to thrive and grow to even higher heights. Towards the latter stages of 2012, ‘Social Media Examiner’ revealed that many marketers planned to increase their marketing efforts through the use of online video, setting aside investment funds to launch numerous online video campaigns during 2013.

According to a report released by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), the result of increased investment into video marketing campaigns has led to a 12% increase in online video usage across B2B marketers at the start of 2013.

Waseem Saddique states: “If you’re business is considering using Online Video Marketing, the time for consideration is over, it’s time for action. Video marketing is trending phenomenally and shows no signs of slowing down.

Some key facts concerning Online Video Marketing:

#1 – 46% of UK consumers state that they would be more likely to source information about a product or service after viewing it on an online video.

#2 – Online Video Marketing is now recognised as the sixth most common content marketing strategy, with 70% of B2B and B2C marketers incorporating some form of video marketing into their overall marketing strategy.

3# - Online video database, YouTube, averages approximately 4 billion hits per day, with 61% of B2B and B2C marketers utilising YouTube to broaden the reach of their message and brand.

#4 - It’s estimated that mobile viewers will watch videos that are three times the length than those featured on PCs and laptops with predictions that the number of mobile viewers will reach 108 million by the end of 2013.

#5 – According to marketing experts, by 2014, online video could account for 50% of all internet traffic.

Waseem Saddique concludes: “Businesses should sit up and take notice of these statistics as online video will help them to reach a wider audience and increase marketing impact. Video offers longevity and holds the attention of consumers effectively.”

Founded in 2007, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services has consistently provided small to medium enterprises, as well as larger corporate firms, with a range of digital marketing & online solutions.

How to build an ‘App’ for your Business – A guide from Waseem Saddique Marketing Services

2013-04-02T14:27:00.002+01:00

It’s estimated that there are 6 million apps in circulation (source: esave.com) across all platforms including: the iPhone app store, the Android Market, the Windows Phone market place, the Blackberry and many more.

Waseem Saddique comments: “The ‘app’ market is competitive, as businesses jostle to attract consumer attention. Therefore, if an app would be suitable for aiding business growth, it’s certainly worth considering the development of an ‘app’ when implementing an online marketing strategy.”

Statistics show that quality ‘apps’ tend to go viral very quickly and are a sure fire way to increase the prominence of an online marketing campaign and increase the exposure of a business. ‘Apps’ have become a particularly favoured marketing tool among SME’s as they look to raise the profile of their businesses.

Waseem Saddique states: “Whilst there are a number of DIY ‘app’ development tools available, it is recommended that you consult a specialist ‘app’ developer, especially if you’re technological knowledge is basic at best. There’s no shame in calling in a professional, after all it’s best to develop an ‘app’ that is effective and less likely to encounter functionality issues.”

What’s the benefit of an ‘app’?

One of the key benefits that ‘apps’ offer is versatility as they can be embedded almost anywhere, whether it is on a Facebook page, on a mobile or smartphone or on a website.

Other benefits include:

#1 – A cost effective approach to online marketing.

#2 – Rapid viral exposure.

#3 – ‘Apps’ are interactive, encouraging consumers to connect with your business, whether consciously, or subconsciously.

#4 – They offer a revenue stream – ‘Apps’ can be sold on a number of ‘app’ markets.

#5 – They can constantly be refined to keep up with consumer trends.

What are my options for developing an ‘app’?

Do-it-yourself – Whilst consulting with a developer is recommended, if your budget is tight there are a number of DIY ‘app’ development tools available. One particular DIY tool that is proving popular is Google’s App Inventor. ‘App’ inventor does not require the involvement of a developer and allows you to create Android compatible ‘apps’ that utilise smartphone features such as, GPS and SMS.

Should you wish to capture the iPhone market the ‘AppMakr’ tool is a website-based iPhone ‘app’ creator.

A number of DIY tools also exist for creating microsites, Facebook applications, blog ‘apps’ and much more.

Waseem Saddique states: “It’s imperative, that when developing an ‘app’ of your own, without professional assistance, that the concept and strategy are right from the word go, otherwise the development could become a time-consuming and costly process.”

Hire a freelancer – Freelance websites are a great way to source ‘app’ developers, some of the top sites include peopleperhour.com, odesk.com and freelancer.com

There is a risk element to hiring the services of a freelancer, but it is also a cost effective method compared to hiring a development agency.

The key element of hiring a freelancer is to do your research and when selecting a developer to work with, make sure everything is put in black and white by way of a contract. That way there can be no misinterpretations of what is expected from both parties during the ‘app’ project.

Hire an agency – For the more affluent business owner, with a more significant budget, hiring an ‘app’ development agency is perhaps the best option. If your ‘app’ is likely to play a big part in your marketing strategy, there is no substitute for ensuring that you ‘app’ is developed to the highest standard.

Waseem Saddique comments: “A well-developed ‘app’ can be a ‘game changer’ when jostling for consumer attention. Functionality is of the utmost importance and research conducted by esave.com shows that 47% of consumers will cease to use an ‘app’ if it’s slow and too complex to use.”

A highly recommended ‘app’ development agency (as supplied by masahable.com) is TheyMakeApps.com who have the capability to develop ‘apps’ for all platforms, particularly for online marketing campaigns.

For an all-in-one solution, employ in-house developers

Hiring an in-house developer(s) offers a solution that combines all three of the above. If online marketing and mobile marketing are the essential foundation for the success of your business then, purely for the long-term benefits, employing in-house staff is the most effective solution.

Over a period of time, in-house staff will have a solid grasp of your ‘app’ requirements and can constantly refine and develop applications in order to keep up with customer trends and tastes. In terms of longevity and establishing an ‘app’ brand having developers that know your business inside out will ultimately prove pivotal.

Founded in 2007, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services has consistently provided small to medium enterprises, as well as larger corporate firms, with a range of digital marketing & online solutions. To learn more visit www.waseemsaddique.blogspot.com

What do new Press Regulatory Laws mean for Bloggers? Waseem Saddique Marketing Investigates

2013-03-25T09:43:00.001Z

Are you an online blogger for a business? If so you could face high libel fines, thanks to the new press regulation deal.

Blogs, websites and even social media pages could be forced to pay heavy fines should they fail to sign up to new press regulatory laws implemented under the new Leveson deal.

WaseemSaddique comments: “New press regulation laws could change the face of online marketing, whilst the first step seems to affect blogs and websites, there are rumours that the laws could span across social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many more.”

New press regulation laws have been met with a mixed response. The victims of the recent phone hacking scandal involving the News of the World, which sparked off an entire review of the UK media sector, are strongly in favour of reducing ‘press power’, effectively disabling them from, what they perceive to be, an intrusion of their private lives.

Those opposed to press regulation argue that it takes away the fundamental freedom of ‘free speech’, which many consider to be a very dangerous threshold to cross.

The particular section of legislation likely to impact bloggers and websites can be found under clause 29 of the ‘Crime and Courts Bill’.

Waseem Saddique Marketing Services released a statement saying: “The new clause introduced to the bill states that ‘relevant bloggers or websites are defined as those that generate news material whereby an individual or group has editorial control over a publication within an editorial structure.”

Whilst bloggers would be exempt from damages for comments posted by readers, the fact remains that bloggers and website owners will now be forced to walk a very thin line in order to provide articles that are neutral and not necessarily based on opinion.

Certain publications, such as scientific journals, student publications and charity material, such as newsletters, will not be accountable to the new law. Websites will also be granted immunity on the condition that they sign up to the new regulator.

In a statement from the Chief Executive of Index Censorship, Kirsty Hughes, she said: “This is a dark day for British democracy. This will undoubtedly have a chilling effect on everyday people's web use. I fear that thousands of websites could fall under the definition of a ‘relevant publisher’ in clause 29. Bloggers could find themselves subject to exemplary damages, due to the fact that they were not part of a regulator that was not intended for them in the first place.”

In a case study carried out by Waseem Saddique Marketing Services, they uncovered one particular blogger who will not be signing up to the regulation roster. Harry Cole, a political blog writer for Guido Fawkes, said: “I won’t be joining. My servers are based in the US and should therefore make me exempt from UK press laws.”

He added: “I don't see I should join a regulator. This country has had a free press for the last 300 years, that has been irreverent and rude as my website is and holding public officials to account. We as a matter of principle will be opposing any regulator especially one set up and accountable to politicians we write about every day.”

Waseem Saddique concludes: “Undoubtedly, this could be the first step towards total regulation across a number of platforms. This will ultimately change the face of online marketing, website trends, social media trends and much more. This could be a tactic that backfires severely.”

Founded in 2007, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services has consistently provided small to medium enterprises, as well as larger corporate firms, with a range of digital marketing & online solutions.

Who’s Watching You? Waseem Saddique Investigates How Businesses Use Social Media

2013-03-19T10:57:00.000Z

Social media usage for business is often perceived to involve promoting products or services in a bid to generate as much consumer attention as possible in order to drive traffic to a particular website and improve sales. However, did you know that businesses also use social media for gathering Intel?

Waseem Saddique comments: “ In a recent survey conducted by jobs board ‘CareerBuilder’, it was discovered that 37% of businesses use social media to pre-screen potential employees. Suddenly that Facebook photo of you roaming around the streets with a cone on your head may not seem as funny.”

Within that 37%, a further 65% refer to Facebook as their primary source of information for assessing the suitability of a prospective job candidate for a vacancy within their business.

Social media has opened so many doors for business leaders, not just in terms of online marketing in order to promote the products and/or services of their company, but social media also allows businesses to gather vital information on consumers, effectively spy on business rivals and determine the employability of potential job candidates.

The Social Selection Process

What do employers look for on social media sites when pre-assessing job candidates?

Waseem Saddique comments: “The survey conducted by CareerBuilder reveals a number of interesting facts.”

· 12% of HR Managers use social networking sites to identify reasons NOT to hire an individual

· 34% of business leaders stated that they had discovered something on a social media site that influenced them not to employ someone

· Hiring managers are put off potential job candidates who refer badly to a previous employer

· A minority of business leaders also said they would not consider a candidate if an individual does not ‘write’ well on a social media page

What do businesses look for on social media sites when promoting a product or service?

Waseem Saddique states: “In short everything. The plan is to get into your life and social media offers them that opportunity. The majority of social media users are far from cautious when posting information. This allows businesses to gather all the Intel they need in order to construct a successful online marketing campaign that targets the desired audience.”

Spending habits, hobbies, interests, daily activities and a whole host of other topics are commented upon by consumers in their billions as they share life interactively on a worldwide platform. For businesses the world is made a smaller place in terms of gathering essential information that allows them to understand their consumers.

Business Wars and Social Media

However, it’s not just consumers that are targeted by businesses, such a thing exists, known in the corporate world, as the Social War of business. Waseem Saddique states: “This is effectively a business head-to-head where rivals track what their competitors are up to, via social media.”

Sometimes it’s not pretty, whilst the majority of businesses ‘play fair’ in sharing ideas and recommending services, there are a small minority of companies that use social networking to slander rival organisations.

In conclusion it’s worth noting then that social media has more of an impact on your life than you may realise. So before you post that that comment or picture that you’re probably thinking about posting as you’re reading this, ask yourself, who’s watching and is it appropriate? It could define your future!

Social Media Wars, Who’s Really Top of Social Syndicate? Waseem Saddique Marketing Investigates

2013-03-11T11:09:00.002Z

Social media has become a global phenomenon, with social networking platforms used by all sectors of modern society, whether it’s for personal or business use. In order for businesses to best target their online marketing efforts, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services investigates which social media solution sits at the summit of the social networking world.

Waseem Saddique comments: “Ask a Facebook representative, they’ll say Facebook, ask a Twitter employee, they’ll say Twitter or ask a LinkedIn spokesperson they’ll say… and so on. According to in-depth research, carried out by ‘Ebizma’, official stats, as of January 2013, put…’Facebook’ at the summit of the social media syndicate.”

According to ‘Ebiz’, Facebook boasts approximately 750,000 billion unique monthly users and now has approximately 1 million users (at time of writing), exceeding Twitter’s (which ranks in second place) unique monthly users by around 500,000.

Isn't it all subjective?

Waseem Saddique comments: “Being top of the pile in the quest for social networking supremacy is no small feat. But, do the statistics represent personal preference. Whilst people may be registered with a social networking site, it may not necessarily cater to their needs and presence on the site is more out of necessity as opposed to an essential requirement.”

Certain business streams adopt one form of social media, whereas competitors may well maintain a social media presence elsewhere. Much of the decision making process rests on where businesses can achieve the best results in terms of reach, but reaching the required audience for their business needs.

There is no doubt that social media is shaping the way that business conducts its online marketing efforts. Business moguls are now often quoted as saying that ‘any marketing strategy that does not consider a social media presence is no marketing strategy at all.’

Social media has a ‘vice like’ grip on society. According to ‘World Mixture’, the average individual checks their social media profile every 6 minutes. Also, 87% of these people maintain the same habit in checking their profile first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

In terms of subjectivity, whilst Facebook is defined as the leading social media lead generation platform for B2C businesses, B2B companies refer to LinkedIn as the most effective social media tool for their needs.

Waseem Saddique states: “When it comes to business to business relationships and business to customer relationships, maintained via social media, statistics do become subjective. One platform that works for one will not work for another.”

To put things into perspective, according to ‘Marketingeasy’, the average midsize or large company (1000 employees or more) has 178 “social media assets” (Twitter handles, employee blogs, etc.)–yet only 25% of companies offer social business training to their employees.

So whilst businesses recognise that social media now plays a key role in business growth, investment into employee training remains staggeringly low.

So even the overall importance of social media to businesses can be questioned, although many companies have a great social media presence, do they have the resources and knowledgeable staff to maintain it.

Concluding thoughts

The question of who sits at the summit of the social media empire is open to interpretation. Waseem Saddique comments: “Whilst Facebook holds the statistical crown, if you were to conduct a country-by-country survey, many nations would offer a different social media platform, which they would consider to be the leader in the social networking wars.”

To give business leaders and individuals a recent insight, from a statistical point of view, of who dominates the social media realm, here’s a list, compiled by ‘Ebiz’, revealing the top 15 most popular platforms of the moment (correct as of March 2013) –

1 | Facebook - 750,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

2 | Twitter - 250,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

3 | LinkedIn - 110,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

4 | Pinterest - 85,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

5 | MySpace - 70,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

6 | Google Plus+ - 65,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

7 | DeviantArt - 25,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

8 | LiveJournal - 20,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

9 | Tagged - 19,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

10 | Orkut - 17,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

11 | CafeMom - 12,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

12 | Ning - 12,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

13 | Meetup - 7,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

14 | myLife - 5,400,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

15 | Multiply - 4,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

Exposed, SlideShare Secrets - The Social Media Solution Taking the Business World by Storm

2013-03-01T16:10:00.002Z

SlideShare began its existence back in 2006, in just 7 years the social networking site has established itself as one the most unique and innovative social media sites operating today and has taken the business world by storm. Waseem Saddique Marketing Services investigates SlideShare’s rise to prominence and its increasing popularity within the business world.

Waseem Saddique comments: “The statistics for SlideShare make for phenomenal reading. The social media site welcomes 60 million visitors per month and approximately 130 million page views during the same time-frame SlideShare is also ranked within the top 200 most visited sites on the planet.”

What is SlideShare?

SlideShare is a social media platform, predominantly used by corporate companies, to display business presentations, but the platform also displays documents, PDFs, video and webinars. SlideShare operates with 55 staff and boasts the title of the world's largest community for sharing presentations.

The secret to SlideShares’ success

Perhaps one of the most defining factors for the popularity of SlideShare is its affiliation with the White House. The fact that arguably the most powerful Government in the world uses the SlideShare network will certainly raise the eyebrows of business leaders around the world.

WaseemSaddique states: “If SlideShare is good enough for the US Government, then it’s most definitely good enough for all sectors of the business world. A major fact worth knowing: In 2009, the official website for the US President (Whitehouse.gov) signed user agreements with eight of the world's leading social media websites. SlideShare was one of them. SlideShare is regularly used by the White House and many other US Government departments.”

SlideShare is also a very unique concept and appeals to a niche market, namely the business community, allowing companies around the globe to store presentations and have access to them during important business meetings, client pitches and other important business events.

SlideShare offers a credible online marketing solution for businesses, as presentations are stored indefinitely and are constantly accessible to current customers, business connections and potential customers.

Why is SlideShare popular among businesses?

The general consensus of business leaders is that SlideShare offers premium viral penetration. SlideShare content spreads virally through blogs and social network platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Organisations upload documents to SlideShare to share ideas, conduct research, connect with others, and generate leads for their businesses.

Businesses also enjoy the features that SlideShare is able to provide, some of which include:

The capability to upload presentations publicly or privately
The ability to download presentations on any topic and reuse or remix
The opportunity to embed on blogs, websites and company intranets
The ease at which SlideShare posted can be shared on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn
The Zipcast feature: Free, no download, 1 click web meetings
The option to lead share, generating business leads with presentations, documents, PDFs and videos
The Slidecast feature: sync mp3 audio with slides to create a webinar
The potential to embed YouTube videos inside SlideShare presentations
The option to upgrade the SlideShare experience allowing access to premium features like branded channels, analytics, ad free pages etc…

Waseem Saddique concludes: “SlideShare offers a complete online marketing solution allowing companies to spread the word about products and services that they have to offer. The secret to the success of SlideShare is its appeal to the business community and in conquering the business world, the social networking site is now making strides to conquer the public domain.”

Instagram Impact: Waseem Saddique Marketing Services Studies the Impact of Instagram on Business Marketing

2013-02-19T14:31:00.000Z

As Instagram hits 90 million ‘active’ monthly users, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services investigates how businesses can use the latest up and coming social media tool to enhance online marketing efforts.

What’s Instagram?

Instagram is a free mobile photo-sharing application which has recently reached 90 million active users with this figure expected to rise continuously.

Waseem Saddique states: “Official statistics, released by ‘Instagram’, reveal that 40 million photos are uploaded onto its site every day, it generates 8500 likes and 1000 comments per second via Facebook and Instagram now ranks in the top 10 most ‘actively’ used social networking sites in the world, coming in at number six.”

What’s the hype?

What is most notable about the rise in prominence of Instagram is the sudden surge of engagement that has occurred across the Instagram network.

Previous figures released show that the social networking site only used to generate 81 comments per second, but now it generates 1000. That represents a staggering increase of 1134%.

Likewise the network only used to generate 575 likes per second, but this has increased significantly to 8500, representing a whopping increase of 1378%.

How can Instagram help businesses?

WaseemSaddique comments: “Instagram is a photo rich networking site and ideal for displaying products before a network of 90 million monthly users. The potential in terms of advertising and promoting a product could lead to unprecedented interest.”

The concept of Instagram is most favourable for businesses that have products to promote. Interestingly, large corporate companies such as Argos and other ‘catalogue’ stores, which sell a substantial amount of products, have embraced Instagram and utilised it very inventively in order to entice customers by displaying how products work and how they look.

Whilst Instagram is arguably favoured more by product related businesses, those companies that offer services have also found a use for Instagram, just on a lesser scale, but still with an innovative approach.

Most ‘service’ focussed companies have used Instagram to provide a ‘behind the scenes’ look at their company, effectively putting a face to the name. This involves displaying pictures of employees, the company office and the very creative upload pictures of a typical day in the office giving customers an intimate insight into business operations.

What businesses should be aware of is that Instagram is owned by Facebook, having been bought by the world’s largest social networking site in April 2012. This is also another plus point for companies as any engagement on Instagram can be linked in with Facebook if a business has a presence on the social media site. Furthermore, the photos on Instagram are also compatible with Twitter providing further exposure across social networking platforms.

Waseem Saddique concludes: “The biggest attraction for businesses that use Instagram is that it allows opportunity for a much more intimate level of engagement with customers and clients. The fact that it is free to consumers makes it accessible to all and attracts huge levels of attention. Furthermore, as is a mobile app, available on all smartphones and tablets, consumers constantly have access to up-to-date photo feeds 24/7.”

Instagram works as an effective marketing tool for businesses on so many levels. There is a ready-made consumer audience for businesses to target, keeping product images firmly in the customer spotlight whilst they are on the go. As Instagram is a mobile app, a world-wide picture gallery is instantly available in the palm of the hand and images do not expire, once uploaded they are permanent unless removed by those that uploaded the image(s).

The power of the picture is infinite and provokes intrigue and impulse, particularly when it comes to products, therefore making Instagram instantly impactful.

Waseem Saddique Marketing Services – Samba Nation on the Brink of Social Media Milestone

2013-02-05T10:55:00.001Z

Following research conducted by comScore, identifying that social media penetration in Brazil has reached almost 100%, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services provides a review of the Brazilian population’s embrace of social media.

Social media has become a craze in Brazil and interaction across social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social networking sites, is positively booming. At present 97% of Brazil’s Internet users have a presence on a social networking site, putting the samba nation on the threshold of achieving a monumental milestone.

Why Brazil?

This may strike many as surprising, but the internet and social media are relatively new concepts in Brazil and it’s only in very recent years that the nation has truly embraced both the web and social media on such a wide-scale.

The change in attitude towards social networking sites in Brazil has been rapid and dramatic, with the number of Brazilians using social media surging in recent times. Social media platforms have become incredibly popular among Brazilian people for a number of reasons.

Here are the facts:

1. The majority of Brazilians take to social media sites in order to research products and services before committing to a purchase – Waseem Saddique states “In a study conducted by ‘Oh! Panel’ they uncovered that approximately 61.4% of the Brazilian population will turn to social media in order to access information about products or services before deciding to buy.”

The study that Waseem Saddique refers to also unveiled that approximately 81% of Brazilian people use social media to find new products and/or services and a further 75% use it to track down special discounts.

2. The Brazilian population is heavily engaged with Facebook – On average, recent figures show, a Brazilian visitor to Facebook will interact on the site, in a variety of ways, for around 4.8 hours. Compared to 2010 this is a staggering increase, when a visitor would only spend an average of 37 minutes on Facebook.

As recently as 2011, Brazil was recognised as the number 4 country in the world in terms of its Facebook users with 36.1 million taking to the site. Furthermore, Facebook’s marketing share of display advertising in Brazil exceeded that of media giant, Google.

3. The decision making process of the majority of Brazilians will be influenced by posts they have viewed on social media – Waseem Saddique comments: “The ‘Oh! Panel’ survey uncovered that a staggering 79% of Brazilians put more trust in posts on social media sites about products than they do in the endorsement of a product expert.

Brazil is now recognised as one of the fastest growing social media markets on the planet. The use of the internet in Brazil has grown from virtually nothing to a stage where about 88% of Brazil’s urban population are now online.

A number of marketing experts predict that the trend will continue, as Brazil looks to make sure that internet technology does not merely benefit the rich, but that less affluent members of Brazilian society will also have access to the social media craze.

Waseem Saddique concludes: “Work is ongoing to ensure that all sectors of Brazilian society are given the opportunity to embrace social media and it won’t be long before 100% social media penetration in Brazil becomes a reality.”

What if Facebook Falls from Grace? Waseem Saddique Ponders the Consequences of Facebook Disappearing

2013-02-01T10:57:00.000Z

At a time when much of the world has become ‘dependent’ on social media, it’s difficult to imagine the world without social media. But what if the unthinkable happened? What if humanity were to revert back to a time when social media didn't exist?

Waseem Saddique asks: “What would happen, if overnight, social media platforms ceased to exist, would the world be able to function as previous generations have done? It’s a question one has to ask based on the theory that nothing lasts forever.”

Arguably the largest social media platform in the world at present is Facebook with one in nine people on the planet on Facebook (this number is calculated by dividing the planet’s 6.94 billion people by Facebook’s 1 billion ‘registered’ users, of which, around 750 million are deemed active).

Facebook represents users that have personal accounts and business accounts, covering a diverse range of topics, which has become a hub of information about people’s lives and the activities of businesses from around the world.

Just to emphasise the grip that Facebook has on the world’s social interaction, here are some interesting facts:

People spend 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook
Each Facebook user spends, on average, 15 hours and 33 minutes a month on the site
More than 250 million people access Facebook through their mobile devices
More than 2.5 million websites have integrated with Facebook
30 billion pieces of content are shared on Facebook each month
300,000 users helped translate Facebook into 70 languages
People on Facebook install 20 million “Apps” every day

Waseem Saddique comments: “Imagine the impact on the world should Facebook disappear. The consequences could be catastrophic. Anyone who has access to the internet will more than likely have an account on Facebook. It has also become a vital tool for businesses in order to market themselves on a global scale.”

Looking at it pragmatically, the fall of Facebook could potentially cause mayhem, with businesses hit hard, losing a host of potential marketing targets and a significant presence on the internet on a global scale.

Also, the prospect of Facebook falling from grace would also affect people personally. The majority of the world has become reliant on social connection through Facebook and any potential demise would result in that connection being lost.

Waseem Saddique states: “Furthermore, consider the security factors should Facebook suffer a fatal crash in its systems. The vast amount of data and personal details that Facebook holds could potentially become exposed to ‘undesirables’ leading to a wide scale fraud problem.”

In concluding, does society’s dependence on social media sites, such as Facebook, leave humanity and the world’s economy vulnerable? Or, would the world adapt to life without social media sites?

Waseem Saddique states: “Past evidence only shows evolution in such circumstances. When social media started it began with things like MSN chat and Friends Reunited, rather than the world capitulating once they became less popular, the world simply replaced them.”

Waseem added: “But such is the influence of Facebook compared with previous social media that if it ever did disappear, would it be replaced and would the world recover? Only time will tell.”

Waseem Saddique Provides Top Tips for Avoiding Common Online Video Marketing Mistakes, Part 2

2013-01-25T10:42:00.001Z

With more businesses utilising online video marketing as part of their marketing strategies more than ever before, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services provides some essential tips for avoiding common online video marketing mistakes.

Following on from a recent release published by Waseem Saddique Marketing Services, this second instalment of top tips for avoiding common online video marketing mistakes offers further insight into those things that businesses should avoid when launching an online marketing video campaign.

Waseem Saddique comments: “Online video marketing represents a substantial opportunity for businesses to reach a mass audience in a unique and innovative way. As video production can be quite costly, businesses can scarcely afford to get it wrong.”

Some common online video marketing mistakes to avoid:

Giving too much information

One of the most frequent mistakes that occur in online marketing videos is information overload. Viewers are only capable of absorbing information in digestible snippets. Therefore, it is important to identify an engaging topic and stick to it.

One of the fundamental factors leading to boredom is a video that jumps between several different subjects, offering no particular focus, leaving the viewer confused and perplexed as to what the video is about. Furthermore, a video that becomes too technically informative leads viewers to switch off and navigate away.

How to avoid going into information overload – Brainstorm ideas and stick to the essential points that will form the foundation of an online marketing video. Include information that will entice the interest of a viewer, not you personally.

Too much emphasis on ‘going viral’

A common misconception is that businesses feel that the measure of online video marketing success is based on a video going viral. Whilst it’s a great achievement to see a video go viral, the question one has to ask is does it make sense from a commercial perspective?

It’s all well and good having a video that achieves 1 million hits, but if it only generates £1,000 of revenue does that represent a success? On the other hand if a video only results in 10,000 views, but generates £50,000 worth of revenue, which would a business director be happier with?

Furthermore, companies need to consider whether ‘going viral’ is viable for their business. For instance, a sole trader will not require global exposure from a video as it could lead to overwhelming numbers looking to use the service, which quite simply a sole trader could not handle.

How to avoid making viral too contagious – Don’t be blinded by the glamour of going viral. First things first, a business video needs to appeal to your target audience, viral exposure is a bonus.

Thinking that YouTube is the only option

YouTube is arguably the largest social media site for video sharing. The problem this creates for many businesses is that they fail to recognise that there are plenty of other video sharing sites available also. Only using YouTube means that a business will restrict its reach when it comes to online video marketing.

How to avoid becoming YouTube dependent – Simply explore other video sharing sites besides YouTube, such as Viddler or Vimeo, which rank in the top 5 video sharing websites.

Creating confusion

It’s not always the case that an online marketing video is as straightforward as promoting a product or service. In some circumstances a video can focus on a particular aspect. When focusing on one particular concept it’s vital to make the concept as clear as possible to avoid creating unnecessary confusion.

Waseem Saddique states: “The most successful online advertisements have stuck to a central principle, offering a simple concept for viewers to focus on, which has led to a video not only going viral, but generating impressive business revenues.

How to avoid creating confusion – Employ the services of a marketing agency and instruct them to come up with a creative concept that best illustrates the business. If finance is an issue, just be sure to make your concept clear and relational to the business brand.

Short cuts in production

Cheap and cheerful may save a business money, but in turn a cheap video production could also be deemed a waste of money. Cutting corners is noticeable when it comes to video and poor quality video production represents a lack of professionalism. First impressions count and whilst there is no need to go overboard and become overly flamboyant with a video, the content you present on screen needs to be of a standard that represents quality to your audience.

The quality of a video production will influence audience perception in regard to a brand. It’s therefore imperative to invest the essential time and money into a video production as the end result will be much more impressive.

How to produce a quality video – A professional job requires a professional in the field, so serious consideration must be given to hiring a video production expert.

Waseem Saddique concludes: “The competition for forcing one’s business brand to the forefront of consumer attention is fierce, with new and innovative ways emerging all the time to impact the market, online video is one of them. Therefore, it’s crucial to get a video right first time round.”

Waseem Saddique Provides Top Tips for Avoiding Common Online Video Marketing Mistakes, Part 1

2013-01-18T11:15:00.000Z

With more businesses utilising online video marketing as part of their marketing strategies, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services provides some top tips on avoiding common online video marketing mistakes.

Waseem Saddique states: “The stark reality is that merely producing and uploading a video is no longer enough. Such is the competitiveness among businesses to produce online marketing videos to reach the consumer that the market has become saturated, with thousands of online marketing videos now uploaded on a daily basis.”

Some of the things to avoid when launching an online marketing video include:

Over Promotion

Surprisingly, consumers do not visit websites to watch adverts, most people experience enough TV adverts. It is important that a video gets the message across about a product and/or service. However, it’s equally important not to ‘overdo’ it. Making an online marketing video that is a sales pitch is unattractive to the watching audience.

How to avoid this mistake – Concentrate on entertaining your audience with a ‘how to’ video, by providing a solution to a problem or by educating them. Doing this as opposed to imposing a product or service on them will generate a more positive response. Treat your viewers with care and show them that you have their best interests at heart.

Under Promotion

Opposite of over promotion is under promotion. Some online marketing videos lack the content in order to drive people towards making a purchase. The key is to sell the benefits of a product or service via the video.

How to avoid this mistake - Reflect on what you want the video to achieve. Set clear goals and targets and establish how promotional the video needs to be. Employ the services of a copywriter to provide assistance on landing page videos.

Long Length

The competitiveness involved in maintaining the attention of consumers on the internet is fierce. Waseem Saddique says: “Fact. If your video is too long, be in no doubt that similar content will be available to the audience that’s shorter, simpler and much more interesting and it’s all just a click away.”

How to avoid having people navigate away from your video – Unless you’re 100% sure that your audience can endure lengthy content (most common when viewing educational videos), it’s advised to limit your video duration to between 30 and 120 seconds.

Poor Placement on a Website

Whatever your budget, it’s worth noting that producing an online marketing video is not cheap. Therefore, it’s vital that the placement of a video is absolutely spot on because what’s the point of producing an exceptional video that no-one can view?

How to avoid making this error – Simply embed the video where it will make easy viewing for consumers. One solution is to assess the analytics of your most viewed page and put it there.

Failing to Identify your Audience

The scatter gun approach to reaching an audience is a pot-luck scenario. Producing a video and releasing it to the masses in the hope of generating ‘quality’ leads is ill-advised. Waseem Saddique comments: “Bringing in a huge numbers of consumers will mean a business can spend more time sifting out irrelevant leads as opposed to focusing on those consumers who want to buy the product or use the service on offer.”

Any video produced should instantly appeal to a specific target audience. Therefore, the video needs to be clear and focused and adapted to reach the desired audience.

How to avoid missing your audience – Research, research, research. Doing your research is the key. Establish what your target market is before launching into a creative idea that’s completely irrelevant to those you’re aiming at.

Being Boring

Put yourself in the shoes of a customer. As a customer, can you recall the number of times you've navigated away from a video simply because you got bored? The simple truth is that if people are bored by your video, they won’t watch it.

How to avoid making your video boring – Identify what your target audience likes to see, don’t fill it with content that suits your tastes. The key here is to seek advice; videos produced by one person leave the fingerprint of that person and are based around personal taste, rather than appealing to the wider audience.

Waseem Saddique Marketing Services was founded in 2007 and the company has consistently provided small to medium enterprises as well as larger corporate firms with a range of digital marketing & online solutions.

Blog Standard: Waseem Saddique Marketing Services Offers Tips on Blogging for Business Purposes

2013-01-11T10:35:00.000Z

Waseem Saddique provides essential tips for businesses that blog, offering valuable information that will enable companies to maximise the potential of their blogging efforts.

Waseem Saddique says: “A blog can be immensely effective in driving traffic to a website. If done properly, they have the power to transform any business into a thriving arena, swamped with sales and consumer interest. Furthermore, they can significantly increase the prominence of a business, building a reputation as a major player within an industry sector.”

If you don’t have a blog, get one. Blogs can be set up through service providers such as Blogger or Wordpress, but many more exist. They are fairly simple to maintain and provide a great opportunity to showcase the expertise of your business and share it with a wide audience. Should it become a struggle to maintain, outsource it. There are plenty of marketing services that exist to assist in helping a business to keep up blogging efforts.
Use your blog to supply a business audience with information and advice. ‘How to’ articles, tips and information on how to solve problems are extremely popular blog subjects for consumers. Any help that a business can provide on how to solve specific problems are often craved by the online audience.
Make your blog unique and bring your business to the forefront, ahead of the crowd. Provide regular updates that are in keeping with what’s happening in your industry sector. Information provided should be beneficial to your audience, keeping them gripped and attracted to your blog.
Build a community based around your business blog. Target your content to a particular audience through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter as this will enhance the possibility of your business blog being shared. Waseem Saddique states: “All this begins by providing captivating and compelling content, which engages consumers.”
Give a true reflection of your brand and company ethos by taking a step back from the corporate stance and become a member of the consumer community. Strip away the office attire and interact with your audience through conversational content. Building trust is key and by becoming reliable and trustworthy increases the chances of converting leads into sales.
A business blog should educate, not only the consumer audience, but also the industry sector that your business is in. By building a community of followers it enables your business to identify consumer problems that your company can solve, offering them effective solutions whether that be by way of a product or service.

Waseem Saddique comments: “A business blog can become an effective online marketing resource for companies as it subconsciously wins the trust of the audience and keeps them coming back to your blog when in need of advice or guidance.”

Providing a ‘stand out’ service to your customers will portray your company as superior to your competitors, putting your business in the driving seat within your industry sector and for increasing sales.

Furthermore, keeping prospective customers coming back to the blog will enhance the reputation of the business within the industry sector and greatly improve ranking status on major search engines such as Google.

Waseem Saddique concludes: “By offering products or services in a way that offers a solution to a problem, customers will feel more confident in giving it a try. Trying to be too pushy with a Salesperson type approach is unattractive to consumers.”

Exposed, Skype Secrets: Tips for Marketing via Skype from Waseem Saddique Marketing Services

2013-01-04T11:12:00.001Z

Tired of traditional marketing methods? Waseem Saddique Marketing Services provides essential tips on using Skype as a fresh approach for online marketing campaigns.

Skype’s ‘Conversation Ads’ are a fresh, forward thinking approach to marketing says Waseem Saddique Marketing Services, offering businesses an opportunity to market themselves online, away from saturated sources such as Facebook, Twitter and websites.

Waseem Saddique comments: “The way that Conversation Ads work is that users will see ads during their 1:1 audio calls. Skype designed the system to work through personalization of ads in order to have a greater chance of sparking conversation topics between users.”

Waseem Saddique Marketing Services offers a few tips for utilising Skype for online marketing purposes:

Skype has revealed that Conversational Ads can be purchased by marketers in the 55 markets where Skype is currently available. This allows for online marketing to be very target specific and provides a new channel of interaction between business and business and business and client.

For online marketing purposes, the introduction of Skype’s conversational adverts provides a unique and innovative way of gathering essential marketing information such as consumer location, age and gender. Online market campaigns can be far more target specific and bespoke in order to reach the required target audience.

As a business, conversational ads also provide a fabulous opportunity for online marketing in an advertising capacity. Waseem Saddique states: “Companies can produce a provocative advert that is funny or will create debate. In many respects Skype will then provide the platform

to discuss such adverts and therefore generating online attention.”

Online Marketing through Skype looks to offer an alternative option for businesses with the unique selling point being the amount of essential marketing data that organisations, with access to Skype, can obtain.

The most essential tip is that businesses should adapt their current online marketing strategy to incorporate the use of Skype and take online marketing to a new stage of interaction and consumer engagement.

Waseem Saddique Marketing Services concludes that: “Conversation Ads are being touted as an opportunity for online marketing campaigns to reach out to millions of Skype users by creating a talking point for users. Apparently, Skype and its army of marketers are hoping that

Skype users will discuss the ads during various online calls.”

The top tip for marketing via Skype is to personalize the online marketing campaign, to avoid adverts becoming ‘intrusive’ whilst consumers make calls.

Waseem Saddique Marketing Services: Tips on Maximising Mobile Marketing Trends

2012-12-24T11:12:00.000Z

Mobile marketing is arguably the fastest growing form of marketing on the planet at present. In this definitive guide, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services provides an overview of the top mobile marketing trends and how to maximise those trends.

Waseem Saddique states: “According to eMarketer.com, 43% of global business leaders plan to increase mobile marketing in 2013; 4 in 10 will also increase search spend. So businesses need to sit up and take notice of the mobile marketing revolution.”

This guide identifies the top trends of mobile marketing and aims to give businesses around the world a head start on their competitors when it comes to winning the battle for mobile marketing supremacy.

Key Movements

#1 - Mobile Advertising Spend is on the Increase

Research by Forrester reveals that mobile advertising in the United States will become a $2.5 billion business by 2014. Needless to say, the first key to maximising mobile marketing is to get on board and recognise that the market is growing at an incredible pace and the momentum looks set to be sustained.

#2 – Smartphones are Taking Over the Mobile World

By 2015, eMarketer.com has predicted that Smartphone owners will account for 43% of the mobile user population. The significant shift in the number of people using Smartphones will breed a new consumer audience that are much more engaged and making use of e-commerce

mobile sites for their purchasing needs.

Waseem Saddique says: “In order to maximise the opportunity of reaching such an audience, businesses need to be implementing mobile marketing strategies across the overall marketing strategy for the business. One way to do this is to develop a unique mobile ‘app’.”

#3 – Tablet Demand is on the Rise

In a bid to dominate the Tablet market, big name phone manufacturers such as Samsung, Blackberry and HTC have all produced their own version of tablet in order to compete with the iPad. The iPad currently holds 80% of the market according to eMarketer.com

As well as developing a mobile marketing strategy for the Smartphone market, businesses also need to consider a marketing strategy that’s effective on tablet gadgets. In order to take advantage of this trend, businesses should again look at producing a mobile ‘app’ suitable for use on tablets.

#4 – Mobile Optimisation is Imperative

Frequent innovations and improvements to mobile websites and application design are a regular feature of the mobile marketing world. These improvements are made to enhance the consumer experience, making things more interactive and simplistic.

In order to remain up-to-date with innovation, it will become a necessity for businesses to optimise website URL’s for mobile access. Waseem Saddique states: “To put it simply, all SEO traditions apply, but they must be strictly adhered to.”

#5 – Going Social via Mobile

Social networking has become the fastest-growing category among mobile ‘app’ and mobile browser users. eMarketer.com predicts that by the year 2015, the mobile social network population will reach figures close to 79 million across popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pintrest, YouTube and LinkedIn.

In America, it is reported that people spend one of every six minutes online accessing a social network, this provides businesses with a superb opportunity to maximise the mobile marketing trend through exposure on social media sites.

#6 – Location Based Mobile Marketing Will be an Essential Requirement

With Facebook introducing their ‘Places Application’, the consumer audience will become increasingly reliant on mobile sites and apps to respond based on geographic location. Merely posting status updates is now outdated and it’s all about location.

For the purposes of mobile marketing, businesses are able to maximise the opportunity of being able to pinpoint their audience and find out what geographical locations are attracting an ‘active’ audience.

#7 – Consumers Demand Accessibility

Waseem Saddique says: “Accessing the Internet via computers is no longer the ‘norm’. Consumers are now focussed on accessing information, supplied by businesses, via a mobile site and therefore, speed and the ease at which they can access the site is of the highest importance to them.”

Again, the best way to maximise the mobile marketing strategy of a business is to develop an ‘app’ that is fast, efficient and reliable.

The growth of mobile marketing has been relentless and the trend continues. There is a whole new audience now reachable whilst on the go. Consumer behaviour has altered dramatically and businesses need to adapt to meet the consumer need for mobile information.

Waseem Saddique Calls Companies to Combat Click Fraud

2012-12-17T12:57:00.001Z

Waseem Saddique Marketing Services is urging businesses to protect their online advertising campaigns from click fraud as Christmas approaches.

As competition for consumer attention grows during the Christmas period, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services, based in Birmingham, is calling for companies to be aware of ‘irregular’ activity on their online advertising accounts.

Waseem Saddique comments: “Click fraud costs companies a substantial amount of money and can have a severe impact on online advertising campaigns.”

According to figures released by Click Forensics and Anchor Intelligence between 17-29% of clicks on paid for online advertisements are bogus. The clicks are often instigated by scam operators and company rivals. These clicks cost money, but generate no sales, signups or revenue.

Yet, there is a solution available, says Waseem Saddique Marketing Services: “There are a number of monitoring systems available to track your online marketing campaign and detect any fraudulent activity that is taking place.”

The majority of these systems offer 24 hour monitoring capabilities, allowing online marketers to monitor the authenticity of every click and combat those clicks that are fraudulent.

Such monitoring systems allow the victim of click fraud to block and deter fraudulent clicks.

Should scam operators or competitors get caught committing click fraud the potential ramifications are serious. Making these people aware that you’re tracking them will make them think twice about continuing with their illegal activities.

Should you become the victim of click fraud, a number of monitoring systems have the capability to produce comprehensive fraud reports that detail IP addresses, locations, referring URLs and the exact dates and times of when suspicious incidents occurred.

Waseem Saddique says: “You need to be meticulous in your approach. Completely analyse and go through all details that could relate to any suspicious activity. Click fraud is preventable if campaigns are monitored and managed carefully.”

No matter where you position your online advertising campaign, whether it is on your website, social media sites (such as Facebook or Twitter) or on a blog, constant monitoring is the key to combatting click fraud this Christmas and beyond.

‘Be Smart & Take Your Tablets’: Waseem Saddique Marketing Services Explores the Impact of Smartphones and Tablets on Mobile Marketing

2012-12-14T09:40:00.000Z

Attention all businesses, did you know? Owners of both a Smartphone and a Tablet spend more time and money on mobile shopping. Waseem Saddique comments: “According to research conducted by PayPal, there exists, an incredible opportunity for businesses to market themselves on a global scale by implementing Mobile Marketing strategies.”

The recent findings of the PayPal survey highlighted that tablet ownership increases the frequency of mobile shopping, improving the buying experience and leads to consumers, who own both devices, using smartphones more frequently.

As a result businesses have begun to target mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, to launch new and innovative mobile marketing campaigns. Mobile ‘app’ development has surged in the last 12 months as businesses look to expand the reach of their marketing efforts.

What the figures say…

More than 40% of people who own both a Smartphone and a Tablet made more than 20 purchases via a mobile device over the past 12 months
Two-thirds of people that possess both a Smartphone and a Tablet revealed that their overall spending had increased as a result of their mobile purchasing habits
‘Dual owners’ are also 63% more likely to make a mobile purchase as opposed to 29% of people who own a Smartphone only

The Impact

Waseem Saddique comments: “Businesses that do not have a mobile marketing campaign need to seriously consider revising their marketing strategy. Businesses are starting to take advantage of this growing trend and are adapting mobile websites and apps for devices such as Smartphones and Tablets.”

Mobile marketing has become a necessity for businesses in order to tap into a massive consumer audience and to stay in touch or exceed rivals. Mobile marketing has seen a phenomenal increase with the emergence of mobile devices. After all, mobile devices allow people to access information on the go; therefore a mobile marketing campaign is a must for any business.

The revolution of mobile shopping is only set to grow and with Christmas 2012 on the horizon, experts are predicting a surge in the volume of people purchasing goods via mobile devices. This provides a great opportunity for businesses to engage and interact with customers instantly.

The impact of mobile devices on mobile marketing has been glaringly apparent. Mobile devices allow businesses to reach consumers via websites, social media (such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube), mobile applications and a whole host of other platforms.

Waseem Saddique explains: "In short, mobile marketing has gone global; there is virtually nowhere that a business is unable to reach a consumer, as the majority of the world now owns a mobile device. From a business point of view this is great news, because hypothetically speaking, businesses are able to put a marketing mobile campaign in the ‘pocket of the consumer’ or place it in the ‘palm of the consumer’s hand'."

Viral Vaccine – Inject Life into Online Marketing Campaigns Urges Waseem Saddique

2012-12-07T14:59:00.001Z

The Viral Virus is contagious and it spreads. Irrespective of every online marketing technique that exists, there is no better form of marketing than word-of-mouth. Online Marketing techniques don’t spread news, people spread news.

Waseem Saddique comments: “Online Marketing campaigns are just the catalysts that compel people to sit up and take notice of a business that has something to say.”

Waseem Saddique Marketing Services reveals a comprehensive guide, giving businesses an insight into the value of viral, and the key elements for implementing an effective viral marketing campaign.

The word ‘Free’ increases viral velocity

In the marketing world, the word ‘Free’ will trigger a viral marketing campaign, whether it was intended or not. Draw the attention of one consumer and they’ll do the hard work for you, sharing an online marketing campaign with friends and family, promoting a business with very little effort from the business itself.

Offering a free product or service increases the speed at which consumers become aware of your presence. With the aid of social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter, viral marketing campaigns can spread like wildfire. In fact one of the features of Facebook is that it allows you to monitor the impact of a posting as it displays viral reach.

Make your online marketing campaign easily transferable

In order to send an online marketing campaign into viral overdrive, the information should be quickly digestible and easy to transfer. “This is what makes viral contagious”, states Waseem Saddique. The platform that carries an online marketing campaign should be quickly transferable and simple to replicate.

Waseem Saddique suggests: “The use of e-mails, simple graphics, social media and other simplistic mediums that make it easy for consumers to ‘spread the word’, will boost the impact of any viral element of an online marketing campaign.”

Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow for the quick transfer of information. Facebook in particular has a ‘share’ feature and Twitter restricts postings to 140 characters and has a ‘re-tweet’ feature, allowing people to instantly transfer information that is of particular interest to them personally.

Exploit common motivational factors

Intelligent online marketing campaigns factor in how they can achieve a viral aspect. Successful viral marketing campaigns exploit human motivations. Waseem Saddique says: “Focus your online marketing campaign on what drives people, for example, the desire to be loved, popular, wanted and understood are all driving forces of human existence and, on a slightly controversial note, so is greed, so viral marketing campaigns should target these forces.”

Utilise established communication networks

The majority of people are social. According to social ‘experts’ every person on the planet has a ‘circle of influence’ that consists of between 8-12 people that includes family, friends and acquaintances. Attract the attention of a single person and viral marketing escalates, impacting that person’s ‘sphere of influence’.

Make use of other resources

Extremely creative viral marketing campaigns work in conjunction with other resources in order to ‘spread the word’. Waseem Saddique states: “To inject life into an online marketing campaign, businesses should consider affiliate programs, for instance, post text or image links on other websites, give away free articles and seek to get them published on other websites. Generate news releases and issue them to distribution sites.”

The potential reach of viral marketing is unlimited and the impact of viral can transform any online marketing campaign, taking it from obscurity into ‘overdrive’.

Waseem Saddique’s Google Guide: Get the Coveted Google Top Spot for Christmas

2012-11-30T16:37:00.001Z

Birmingham based marketing adviser, Waseem Saddique, provides a guide to guiding your business to the coveted Google top spot.

Waseem Saddique asks: “Do you have a website? Then chances are you want that website to feature on top of the pile when it comes to the Google search engine. The primary aim of any website should be to attract targeted traffic, the type of traffic that converts ‘browsers’ into customers.”

Access to targeted traffic can be achieved by hitting that sought after primary position on Google. This can be done by identifying those prime keywords associated with your website. Whilst it’s not overly difficult to achieve top spot on Google, it’s imperative that the right keywords are utilised in order to reach that sought after first position.

Waseem Saddique says: “In short you need to target those keywords that people will actually search for. A simple enough principle, otherwise effort is wasted.”

For clarification purposes, the 3 quickest ways to achieve a page one ranking on Google and begin an ascent to top spot are as follows:

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) – This generates the organic results on Google and makes up the main listings.
Google Ads – These are results sponsored by Google and these will be featured at the top of the page and to the right hand side
Google Place – This is something that can be done by an individual via the Google Business Centre.

However, it is highly recommended, should your budget permit, to do all 3.

What should I choose if I can’t afford all 3?

Waseem Saddique comments: “A good question. It depends on your overall aim. There are benefits and pitfalls to employing just one tactic. The only sure way to cover all the bases is to implement all 3 tactics.”

“Here’s an overview of the options so you can decide for yourself what best suits the requirements of your business.”

SEO – This tactic should be implemented if you’re looking for a long term solution and consistent success in your drive to reach the Google top spot. However, this approach does require patience as it takes time to achieve. Google will punish you if it’s achieved too quickly. Aside, from being penalised, the SEO option is arguably the most sensible approach for the online marketing of a website.

Google Ads – If it’s instant attention you seek for your website then Google Ads is the solution. The upside is that it gets your website on the first page of Google immediately; the drawback is that there is a cost for every time someone clicks on your advert. For those on a tight budget, cost implications will need to be considered and a careful assessment of keywords will need to be undertaken to ensure that the right people are clicking on your advert.

Google Place - Google Place provides an opportunity for businesses to gain exposure free of charge. Research identifies that 97% of consumers will search for a local business online. Places for Business lets you make the most of your listing and show customers why they'll want to choose you. Being on Google helps people find, share, rate, and recommend your business to their friends, and people across the web. Places for Business lets you see what people are saying, and respond to customer reviews.

‘Video Vitality’ - Waseem Saddique Marketing Services Unveils the Benefits of Video Marketing

2012-11-23T16:51:00.004Z

Online Video Marketing has become a revelation in the marketing industry and Waseem Saddique Marketing Services has unveiled some of the key benefits of video marketing, so that businesses can adopt this growing trend to add greater vitality to their online marketing efforts.

Waseem Saddique says: “Online Video Marketing is a powerful tool to possess when it comes to revamping an online marketing campaign. Video Marketing is known to increase traffic flow to websites and hold audience attention for longer.”

With the introduction of 4G technology, increasing bandwidth sizes, the consumer experience of video has greatly improved as buffering has been reduced, or in some circumstances, completely eradicated.

Yet there’s so much more that Online Video Marketing has to offer:

Video Marketing ‘attracts a broader consumer audience than written content’

For the ‘lazy’ consumer, video provides an alternative to scrolling through text. The majority of consumers respond to visual stimulation, therefore an Online Marketing Video has the potential, not only to reach a wider audience, but to increase curiosity.

Video marketing ‘stimulates the senses more than text’

Video marketing engages sound and vision, a far more attractive proposition to the consumer than ‘lifeless’ text. The saying goes ‘a picture says a thousand words’ and in the case of video marketing, images will leave a lasting impression and increase the effectiveness of an online marketing campaign.

Video marketing ‘enhances the longevity of an online marketing campaign’

Videos are accessible on a constant basis and they are also transferable. Videos can be linked via social media sites (such as Facebook and Twitter), they can be posted on websites and also posted on specialist video hosting sites such as YouTube.

Such activity means that the longevity of Video is sustained and because it can be accessed on the go, there is no limit to the reach an online video marketing campaign could have. No matter where a person is, access to video is viable.

Video marketing ‘increases search ranking prominence’

The use of online video marketing is understood to increase prominence on search engines such as Google and Bing. Video is known to take precedence over text based content. A great example is YouTube, which is always ranked highly due to its video content. Linking videos to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter will also enhance search ranking position.

Video marketing ‘oozes professionalism’

Research has shown that consumers consider online video marketing very professional if done well. Consumers feel they can rely on a company that conveys a message of professionalism and video marketing has gone a long way to changing customer perceptions of many organisations.

Video marketing ‘can rejuvenate ‘tired’ content’

Video marketing has the potential to add a fresh perspective to standard written articles. Many businesses have converted articles into online video clips and the message is conveyed in a completely different way. Audiences experience a different approach and in turn become much more responsive if content is reincarnated in video form.

Video marketing ‘is simple and effective’

Putting together an online video marketing campaign is very straightforward. The majority of people turn to market leader, YouTube, in order to create a video and they provide a tutorial to assist in video creation.

Waseem Saddique concludes: “Online Video Marketing offers an alternative approach to standard marketing options, but one of the major benefits of video is that it has no determined lifespan. Unlike text, which has to be refreshed and updated to bring it back to life, video endures much longer, saving time and saving money, a good combination for any organisation.”