BlogmyQuery – BMQ

The digital information era has seen exponential growth in the quantity of data being collected, and with large amounts of data distributed across organizations, both internal and external, there is a significant risk of loss or theft. In recent years, many businesses have become aware of the potential consequences of losing their data, including serious consequences for their brand reputation and financial losses that can last for a long time.

Unprotected data can lead to data breaches, which can damage a company’s reputation and lead to financial losses, but also significant damage to a company’s reputation and customer trust. In the event of a data breach, customers may be hesitant to continue doing business with a company and may even choose to take their business elsewhere. This can be particularly damaging for companies that rely heavily on customer data for their marketing efforts, such as those in the e-commerce or online advertising sectors.

 Therefore, it is important to properly protect both your own and your customer’s data. As brand reputation is a key aspect of marketing, data security is closely related to marketing and should be given the attention it deserves.

Prevention from Online Data Breaches

Preventing online data breaches is a critical aspect of data protection for companies, as a data breach can have significant consequences for a company’s reputation and financial well-being. The impact of a data breach on a company’s marketing efforts can be significant and long-lasting, as customers may lose trust in the company and choose to take their business elsewhere.

Companies share their confidential data with trusted brands, and it is the responsibility of these brands to keep that data safe. Cyberattacks are on the rise, and the best way to protect a company’s reputation from intruders is by outsourcing to IT security companies that have expertise in this area.

 Outsourcing IT security to specialized companies is the best solution as they are trained to deal with online threats. IT support partners can help secure critical access points and protect the business from potential attacks. It can provide a wide range of services to protect a company’s network and data like monitoring for suspicious activity, and providing incident response and recovery services in the event of a breach.

Email Protection  

Any business with an online presence understands the importance of email marketing as emails are often the primary channel of communication between companies, customers, and leads, with a large amount of data stored in them. Neglecting the level of IT security for email accounts can have serious consequences as these accounts are used by companies to exchange important data, both internally and externally.

The most common email threats include phishing, spam, and ransomware. 

• Phishing involves attempting to steal information by sending links through email that lead to web pages where the recipient is asked to enter their information or links that lead to pages with viruses or attachments with malware. 
• Spam emails may not always be dangerous, but receiving a large volume of them can be frustrating and can distract from tasks. 
• Ransomware is a type of malware that infiltrates a network through malicious links and locks data, requiring a ransom to unlock it.

To prevent these threats, marketing departments within companies should work closely with IT partners. Email protection is crucial and can be achieved through the use of mail filters, which can provide backup, mail licenses, multifactor authentication, anti-virus, anti-spam, and anti-phishing filters. With this kind of security, all incoming emails can be identified and evaluated for potentially malicious content.  

Brand Reputation and Data Safety 

Another important aspect of data protection for companies is being transparent about their efforts to protect customer data. This includes being open and honest about data breaches when they occur, and providing clear and concise information about the measures a company takes to protect customer data. By building trust with customers, a company can establish itself as a responsible and reliable business, which can help to boost its reputation and attract new customers.

Maintaining customer trust is crucial for a brand’s reputation, which is an important aspect of marketing. Trust is earned through transparency and ensuring the safety of customer data. 

As cyber threats continue to increase, it is essential for a brand’s reputation to prioritize cyber security. Companies are responsible for protecting their customers’ data and should be transparent about their efforts to do so. 

Customers today expect businesses to keep their data private and secure, and building trust with customers is the foundation for all marketing efforts. A strong online reputation is a powerful marketing tool. 

Understanding the consequences of a data breach is the first step toward protecting confidential data. It is important to create an action plan to address potential threats and safeguard customer information.

Crisis Management 

Proactive planning and strategy development are important roles for marketing teams in the event of a crisis. An effective strategy can minimize the damage a cyberattack can do to a company’s reputation. 

To mitigate these risks, companies must take a proactive approach to data protection. This includes implementing strict data protection policies and procedures, training employees on how to identify and prevent data breaches, and outsourcing IT support and security to specialized companies that have expertise in this area. Additionally, companies should invest in advanced security technologies such as encryption, intrusion detection and response systems, and incident response plans. For better encryption, a company should purchase an SSL certificate & install it on the website to make data transition smooth and secure. Strong encryption saves data from prying eyes.

Marketing executives can ensure that their marketing strategies align with data regulations and customer expectations by collaborating with IT. This partnership can help mitigate the potential impact of a crisis on the company’s reputation and brand image.

Solutions  

As mentioned before, the marketing department should work closely with IT to ensure the security and accuracy of data provided to analytics solutions. The integrity and quality of data impact the success of digital marketing and the overall success of the company.

Data protection is an essential aspect of marketing in today’s digital age. Companies that prioritize data protection and take a proactive approach to secure customer data will be better equipped to protect their reputation, build customer trust, and achieve long-term success.

It is important for the marketing team to regularly update IT partners on the results of campaigns and for IT to ensure the security of collected data and mitigate potential risks that could damage the brand’s reputation. The marketing team should use tools that provide data visibility, management, and reporting, while IT should focus on securing the data and eliminating potential threats.

The post How Data Protection Affects your Company’s Marketing appeared first on noupe.

No matter how far we travel in time, emails are likely to be around. They have undergone a tremendous metamorphosis in the past years. What started merely as a channel for internal communication has evolved into one of the most powerful marketing channels that bring in the maximum ROI. 

As the digital marketplace is getting more and more competitive, you must create emails that resonate the most with your subscribers. To make things easy for you in the coming days, we have curated a list of tactics that will let you build high-converting emails. 

AI-assisted personalized email copy will get more popular

The majority of brands will go for AI-assisted personalized content in their emails. While this approach was popular with big brands with big budgets, it has slowly penetrated into smaller businesses too. Addressing the users by their first names will no longer suffice. Marketers will have to use customer data in real time with the help of predictive analytics and machine learning. 

Brands will have to invest in BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification)

Cyber threats are constantly on the rise. So many brands are becoming victims of phishing and spoofing attempts. FBI’s 2021 IC3 report has revealed that 22% of all data breaches are due to phishing. BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays the logo beside the email message and helps in building brand credibility. It protects your brand from phishing or spoofing attempts. 

The good news is that almost all the popular inbox providers are considering extending support to BIMI. So, it will grow to be a must-have from nice to have. 

Cross-channel customer data will play a vital role in creating effective email marketing programs

The launch of Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection, App Tracking Transparency, and sunsetting of third-party cookies have compelled businesses to use cross-channel customer data in their email strategy. They will adopt customer data platforms and aggregate all customer data in a central repository. Consequently, it will help maintain data hygiene and mobilize data usage across different channels. It will, in turn, enable more relevant personalization, better segmentation, and smarter automation. 

Marketers will have to switch to clicks and replies as performance metrics for emails

With the launch of Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection, users can hide their location and IP address. Also, it automatically downloads the tracking pixels without the email being opened. So, it can be misleading to record the open rate. Marketers should consider the click-through rate, replies, and conversions as performance metrics. Email open rate will no longer be a reliable metric to track. 

Video email marketing will gain immense momentum

In the coming years, the usage of videos in emails will significantly increase. It will make emails more impactful for the readers while delivering intriguing storytelling to the inbox. With videos, you can facilitate communication and build better human connections with subscribers. It is great for generating donations for a non-profit organization, demonstrating a product, or promoting an event to get maximum footfall. 

Micro-segmentation will become a best practice

The rise in AI-driven tools will give access to enormous subscriber data. Marketers will be able to segment their subscribers through advanced parameters, thereby contributing to a more personalized email experience. There was a time when people could segment according to basic parameters like age, gender, and geographical location. However, with predictive analytics, it has become possible to segment according to past interactions, previous purchases, and other relevant parameters.    

More and more business owners will consider AMP emails

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) has enhanced the website navigation experience for quite a few years. It has also entered the world of emails. The beauty of this technology is that it allows the subscribers to take action from the email itself. For example, You can send an event invitation email and let the users RSVP from the email itself. eCommerce industry marketers can incorporate AMP in their cart abandonment emails so that users can checkout without going to the app or website. 

Currently, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Mail.ru, and FairEmail support AMP. In the coming days, many more email clients and inbox providers are expected to extend support for this trend.      

The usage of interactive emails will grow significantly

Your subscribers are receiving hundreds of emails every day. To make sure that they engage with your emails, incorporate interactivity so that it encourages a dialogue. Mostly, emails are like a monologue but adding interactivity will prompt more users to take action. Interactive emails are still in the early stage of adoption. So, your brand can stand out by embracing this tactic. 

Modular email templates will be the future

Email marketing is a complicated task with multiple processes. More often than not, brands have around 5-6 emails in production at the same time. Unfortunately, they are not well-equipped to meet the email production goals, especially when there is too much workload and resource crunch. The easy workaround for this problem is to use modular email templates. You can slice and dice these templates according to the purpose of your email and preferences. It is a convenient and effective alternative to email template production. 

Customers will look for a consistent experience throughout the marketing channels

In addition to emails, you must invest in other marketing channels like social media, push notifications, and text messages. Whether it is the messaging tone or visuals, deliver a consistent experience throughout the marketing channels. For example: If you are promoting a new product through emails, convey the same message through your social media channels too. 

Wrapping Up

Owing to the competitive bottleneck, marketers will leave no stone unturned to try innovative ideas in their emails. And the highlight is that email clients, inbox providers, and subscribers — all are getting more open to supporting these technical advancements. So, it’s a win-win situation for the entire email marketing landscape. 

Just make sure that you have the proper technical set-up and strategy in place for the email strategy to work.

The post How to Prepare your Emails for the Competitive Market  appeared first on noupe.

SEO is an industry that is changing extremely quickly. In some respects, these changes are lightning-fast, causing a whole bunch of headaches for SEOs like myself. Other elements of SEO seem to remain as pertinent as ever. And SEO is only becoming more popular. Today we’re going high level, and we’re going to ask ourselves: What in the name of John Mueller’s glasses is going to happen in the world of SEO in 2023?

Could it be AI?

Unless you had your head firmly submerged under a rock in the latter stages of 2022, you’ll be aware of Chat GPT. I won’t bore you with an intro or how it could be used as a rival to Google’s search engine. But let’s talk about how this kind of tech will shape the year in SEO. Many people have speculated that generative AI tools such as Chat GPT are dangerous for Google. But I don’t think it’s quite there yet. At least not for Google to be that concerned. And that’s because I’d be stunned if Google will not launch an even more impressive alternative in 2023. Of course, this will need to be squared with the need to avoid providing a single answer. How would its ad model survive otherwise? There will surely be an impact of Web 3.0 on SEO in relation to AI and virtual realities.

For now, there are still a number of ways that you can leverage ChatGPT in your SEO work.

Links could be slightly different by the end of 2023

Maybe SEOs think that links will become less and less decisive over the coming years in ranking pages. This is as soon as Google can find a valid alternative. But for now, links are still a big part of SEO. However, I think that Google will be much better at ignoring links it thinks aren’t beneficial for the end user. This is similar to link rot. But instead of a link being removed, Google will simply ignore it. Expect this to happen to older links or links that were built using *ahem underhand tactics. This will demonstrate the need for fresher continued link-building campaigns.

At my agency, RankRise, we understand this. We’re constantly trying to find smarter ways to build links in a natural way. So it’s likely that links will still be the most important ranking factor in 2023. But you can expect Google to be much smarter when it comes to neutralizing spammy and ill-thought-out link-building campaigns.

AI-generated content ain’t gonna fly.

Every time I refresh my Twitter feed, it seems I see a post showing Search Console growth along with a brag about using AI content. Google is already very good at understanding content that is produced by AI.  Low-quality SEOs and content producers are promising vast amounts of content using this method. It might even work for a short time.  But this is a considerable risk for business owners. These sites will be picked up by Google, and their rankings will disappear just as quickly as they arrived.

So my not-so-out-there prediction is this – good content writers and SEOs that play by the rules are here to stay.

Sorry, but more ads are coming.

We have seen that Google has increased the number of ads in the SERPs compared to organic results. I’ve experienced a search experience with as few as five results on the first page. Google’s ad revenue from search isn’t growing as quickly as in previous years. I think that this means we will see more inventory being used for ads, as opposed to organic results. But alongside this, users are getting better at noticing ads. Remember that Google has now changed the ad tab that appears on ad inventory to sponsored. 

How will Google deal will this trend where users are considering paid content as less valuable? The answer to that is yet to be seen, but it’s definitely going to be an exciting year for us SEOs.

Google will need to reassess E-A-T

Google’s E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) algorithm is a significant factor in determining the quality and relevance of a website’s content. It has already been revamped in the latest core update. But I think in 2023, it will become more important than ever to demonstrate your site as a trustworthy source.  However, as we have mentioned, there will likely be a huge influx of AI-generated content and other nefarious applications of AI. 

Google will need to reassess how it determines if a piece of content is helpful to a user. And I believe this will need to be done via E-A-T.

So that it can effectively identify and prioritize what it calls helpful content, Google will need to solve this problem aggressively. This may involve updating the criteria used to evaluate websites, as well as incorporating new methods for verifying the expertise and authority of content creators. You can expect a much bigger reward if you can get it right.

Could it be the year that local takes off?

Since COVID, local SEO has been on a lot of business radars. It’s important, but it always seems an afterthought for many large enterprises, even if they have gigantic ad budgets. The problem here is that the GMB system is a little dated. Optimizing for local searches is valuable, and many smaller businesses know this. However, the system needs a refresh so these SMBs can get the most out of Google MyBusiness.

I think that local has been underrepresented in the SEO toolkit in the past few years. Expect to see a whole bunch of changes to local search results, and with that, a lot of opportunities to appear at relevant moments in the discoverability journey.  Google will likely test many features in these local SERPs, so be sure to keep an eye on how you can capitalize, especially if you are a smaller business.

The post The Big Predictions for SEO in 2023 appeared first on noupe.

Podcasting is a lot of work. It doesn’t matter if you produce a show consisting of a single individual reading from a script or a round table discussion with half a dozen guests. 

Brainstorming topics, conducting research, writing scripts, practicing, recording, editing, publishing, and promoting all take time. And that doesn’t even take into account the costs that come from investing in equipment and software.

It can be discouraging to put all of that time, effort, and resources into a project and see little-to-no financial results. Money isn’t everything, but it sure can make it easier to continue pouring your passions and energy into a podcast.

If you’re getting the downloads and building your audience, but the balance sheet isn’t lining up, here are a few suggestions for ways to make your podcast pay off.

1. Start With a Quality Audit

Before you start monetizing, it’s important to consider what you’re monetizing. The team at the podcast collaboration SaaS platform SquadCast emphasizes how important this is. Brands with advertising money to spend (more on that further down) are looking for podcasts that align with their mission, image …and quality.

If you aren’t producing high-quality content, you probably aren’t going to be able to take advantage of as many monetization opportunities as you’d like. So, begin the process by conducting a quality audit. Is your audio crystal clear? Are your volume levels even? Do you release podcasts on a predictable schedule (or at least one that is acceptable for your audience)? 

Make sure you have a product worth monetizing before you ask others to support it with their hard-earned cash.

2. Set Up a Support Page

One of the simplest ways to make your podcast start to pay off is by creating a support page. These are quick to set up and, in most cases, free to run. 

You could do something as simple as a PayPal donation button. There are also entire sites, like Buy Me a Coffee, that are set up for accepting donations. You can create a unique landing page just for your show, along with donation tiers. 

If you’re wondering what the cost of these services is, well, nothing in life is free. Fortunately, with most options, they are no costs to set them up, but you do pay a small fee per transaction.

3. Try Affiliate Marketing

If you have a targeted audience (and let’s be real, most podcasts are extremely niche), there’s a good chance that your audience is interested in the same things. This can open up the doors for you to promote certain products that go along with your shared interests — and if you’re going to do that, you should get a cut of the proceedings.

That’s where affiliate marketing can make a difference. As the people behind the e-commerce giant Shopify explain, affiliate marketing consists of publishers promoting a product or service made by another brand. They typically use an affiliate link, which connects any traffic they send to the partner’s site to their podcast. When visitors make a purchase, the affiliate earns a percentage of the proceeds. 

Working with affiliate partners is a sweet-and-simple way to create a win-win-win scenario that generates value for yourself, your affiliate partners, and your audience.

4. Try Sponsors and Ads

Sponsors are another classic way to monetize your podcast. We’ve all heard the Audible.com ads that are repeated ad nauseam on every podcast in existence, but you can go much further than that.

Look for companies who aren’t competitors but who align with your show and its audience’s interests. You can approach these and see if they’re willing to pay for a sponsored ad on your show (you can create the ad, or they can create it, whatever works better).

If you’re wondering how much money you can generate through ads, Influencer Marketing Hub has a nifty calculator to help. All you have to do is plug in your download, ad, episode, and fill rate numbers to get an idea of what you can generate.

5. Create Exclusive Content

Last but not least, there’s the option of creating exclusive content. This one can be work-intensive, but it can also really pay off if you do it right.

The basic idea is that you split your content creation into two categories. There is your primary content, which goes up on your regular feed and is available for your entire audience to download. 

Along with this, you also create batches of secondary content that are only available for monetary supporters. For example, the fan support platform Patreon offers an exclusive Lens access option. You can use this to create content (audio or visual) that only certain tiers of supporters can see.

Making fresh audio content (which can be exhausting) isn’t the only way to use this monetization tip. You can also retire old episodes and make them only available for a fee. Merch also falls under this category. If you have a popular show, you can make merch to sell. This physical content can be either sold perpetually or in one-off “get them while they’re available” batches.

Helping Your Podcast Support Itself

Podcasting can be a very rewarding activity. However, if you don’t make an effort to monetize it, a pod can remain an expensive and time-intensive part of your life.

The good news is that, as the audio medium continues to grow in popularity, there are a growing number of ways to make a podcast profitable. From support pages and exclusive content to affiliate marketing and sponsored ads, consider how you can turn your show from a liability into an asset — and, of course, start by ensuring that you’re creating top-notch quality content.

It’s okay to make money on something as fun as a podcast. The important thing to remember as you do so is that you’re not just trying to make a quick buck. You’re creating a profitable structure that can enable you to continue creating awesome content far into the future.

The post 5 Ways to Take Your Podcast From Pricey to Profitable appeared first on noupe.

Creating a company website is crucial for building a strong online presence and attracting potential customers. It’s usually the first point of contact for most people and it’s essential to make a good first impression. 

A well-designed website would showcase your products or services and also help to build trust and credibility with your target audience.

However, creating a website that looks professional and visually appealing can be a challenge, especially for small businesses and start-ups that struggle to meet their needs and budget. 

Whether you’re a small business owner, a start-up, or a freelancer, this guide will help you create a website that looks great and effectively represents your brand online.

Choosing a Platform

When it comes to creating a website, there are a variety of platforms to choose from, and the platform of choice would depend on your exact needs and budget.

Some popular platforms include WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix. Each platform has its set of pros and cons, with some being better suited for creating a website on a tight budget than others. 

WordPress for example is a free open-source platform that would be a good pick for creating a website on a tight budget. It offers thousands of free or paid templates and plugins that can be customized to meet your needs.

Squarespace on the other hand is a paid platform that offers a wide range of design templates but can be more expensive. It’s an alternative for less tech-savvy enthusiasts who also want an easy-to-use website builder. 

Wix is a user-friendly platform that offers a wide range of design options but is also more expensive. It’s a great option for those who want more design freedom, templates, and design elements.

Design

Design is an important element in creating an attractive website. An appealing website will attract visitors and would also keep them engaged. However, creating a visually appealing website on a tight budget can be challenging.

One of the ways to create a visually appealing website on a tight budget is to use a pre-made design template. Many website-building platforms offer a wide range of design templates that can be customized to meet your needs. 

Another way to create an attractive website on a tight budget is to use free images and graphics. Many sites offer free images and graphics that can be used on a website.

Marketing

Marketing a website is crucial for driving traffic and increasing visibility. However, traditional marketing methods such as print and television ads can be costly. There are many ways to market a website. 

Social media is a powerful tool that can be used to promote a website, increase brand awareness and connect with potential customers. Creating profiles on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is free and can be used to promote a website. Search engine optimization (SEO) is also a cost-effective way to drive traffic to a website.

Optimizing a website for search engines can help it rank higher in search engine results, making it more visible to potential customers. There are many free tools and resources available that can help with SEO.

Overall, marketing a website on a tight budget is possible with the right approach. By using social media and search engine optimization, businesses can increase visibility and drive traffic to their website without breaking the bank.

Content

High-quality relevant content is essential for creating a great-looking website. However, creating high-quality content on a tight budget can be a challenge. 

One way to create quality content is to write the content yourself. If you’re not a strong writer, consider hiring a freelancer to write the content for you.

Another way would be to source content from other sites since many sites allow you to use their content on your website, as long as you credit the source.

Use Free Icons

Icons are a great way to add visual interest to a website and make it more user-friendly. However, purchasing icons can be costly. 

One way to use icons on a website without breaking the bank is to use free icons. Many sites offer free icons that can be used on a website, popular sites like icons8, Flaticon, and Freepik. 

When using free icons, make sure to check the license and follow the terms of use. A great way to use icons on your website is by using heart icons for example to indicate a favorite button or a love button.

Optimization

Optimizing a website is crucial for ensuring that it loads quickly and is easily found by search engines. However, optimizing a website on a tight budget can be a challenge. 

One way to optimize a website without breaking the bank would be to use free tools, such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These tools can provide valuable insights into how visitors are interacting with your website and can help you identify areas that need improvement. 

Another way is to use compression and caching. Compressing images and using caching can help reduce the size of your website and make it load faster. 

Additionally, using a content delivery network (CDN) can also help to improve the load time of your website. Overall, there are many ways to optimize a website, and it’s important to find the best approach for your specific needs and budget.

Maintenance

Maintaining a website is crucial for ensuring that it runs smoothly and continues to meet the needs of the business. However, maintaining a website can be costly, especially if it requires regular updates, security measures, and bug fixes. 

There are many ways to maintain a website within a budget. One way is to use a Content Management System (CMS) that makes it easy to update and maintain a website without needing technical skills. 

Another way is to use a website hosting service that provides regular backups, security measures, and technical support. Additionally, businesses can also opt for a website maintenance plan from a third-party service provider.

Keeping a website up-to-date and secure is also important for maintaining its functionality and protecting against security threats. This can be done by regularly updating the website’s software and plugins, and implementing security measures such as SSL certificates and firewalls.

The post How to Create a Great-Looking Company Website on a Tight Budget appeared first on noupe.