Inbound Marketing Blog

This may not sound encouraging, but research shows us that the average online user will stay on a website for less than one minute. So you obviously have to make a strong impression with visitors to keep them coming back for more. Since you only have less than a minute to do this, it’s best to learn web usability principles to improve your chances for success.

Facebook, like every other social media platform, is always evolving. Most recently (rolled out in summer 2017), they updated some key components in their news feed algorithm. If you’re one of the millions that noticed a recent change in your Facebook News Feed, you may have had the initial reaction I did, which was annoyance.

“I’ve seen all of these already… days ago, because they’re a WEEK old. Why am I seeing them again?”

Okay, I know that sounds petty when it’s written out, but isn’t that how social media has wired us now? We want to see the most recent news, not week-old news.

After doing more research, I realized that Facebook actually did something right.

Social media is an incredible tool that allows you to connect instantaneously with users all over the world in the blink of the eye. Increasingly, businesses are utilizing social media as a way to connect with clients and prospects. However, what many professionals don't realize is: it’s all too easy to commit social media taboos and not even know it!

Why does this matter? Because, believe it or not, you can be penalized, or receive flak or kickback from these, and you definitely want to avoid that. Read on to discover six of the most common taboos we've identified that can harm you.

Let’s be honest - if you aren’t blogging, then you need to be; and if you are blogging but don’t see the benefit, then it’s time to re-evaluate your blogging strategy.

There are a number of ways to determine the ROI of your blog, and those ultimately depend on your goals. However, we’ve determined one way that may help you in determining if you are getting the ROI you need and what’s included in that calculation.

See, here’s the thing: if you are only blogging for blogging sake, then you are going to see a minimal return on investment. Read on to learn about what it takes to get a maximum ROI for blogging.

It is no longer an option for businesses to ignore social media platforms. Each platform has a unique audience of users, and with each audience you may get different levels of engagement - so don't assume that failing to reach one audience means you'll fail to reach any audience on social. We use several social media platforms at Tribute Media. They are all used for different reasons and they all have their own culture while still maintaining our brand. The trick to using it successfully is to know who your target audience is and how they are using each platform. 

Pinterest is a stand-alone visual social network built around engaging visual content. Users share images from the web by “pinning” them on to a series of virtual boards. These images then (when clicked on) lead to a web page away from Pinterest. That's where it becomes beneficial for your company. If you can catch a lead from Pinterest through an image, title, and short description - you've got the opportunity to direct them to your website. 

It's unfortunate that we continue to see common misconceptions about the merits of blogging. Blogging may have gotten a bad reputation over the years, with (it seems) everyone who has an opinion having a blog, sharing their educated (and sometimes uneducated) opinions to the “blogosphere.”

Although that particular kind of blogging can be unprofessional and (many times) unimportant clutter, company blogs are actually a great way to upload fresh, relevant content to your website.

(

Did you know: Search engines like Google LOVE valuable content and reward you for it? Search is not all about keywords anymore; it’s about creatively combining keywords, context, and topic. The more you do this, the more Google will love you and show you through increased rankings and impressions.

Getting in front of potential customers and existing customers is getting harder and harder. From the consumers perspective, it seems no matter where they turn, there is an advertising message front and center. Shopping carts and bathroom stalls are proof that nothing is off limits for advertising.

Imagine, if you will, an office where everything is gray; the chairs, the walls, the floor. The employees are all similarly dressed in gray tones as well. There are no expressions on their faces and their voices are monotone. It’s cold and robotic. 

Now think about the last time you were on a business’s social media page or reading one of their blogs. Was it fun and personable or was it drab and gray? It is surprising how many businesses are still following this no-personality, all-business persona. Maybe it's because they are afraid they'll be perceived as unprofessional, or maybe they just don't have the right person managing their web marketing and social media accounts, either way, they are failing to engage their audience.

If you are one of these businesses, then it is definitely time to rethink your company’s image.