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The internet is vast, full of potential …and dangerous. As the world becomes more dependent on digital activity, hacks and breaches are becoming more common.

Even elite cybersecurity firms aren’t immune to the risks. In 2022, the popular password manager LastPass reported that cybercriminals had broken into its password vaults and stolen encrypted data, leaving customers unsettled and worried.

As 2023 gains momentum, business owners must be on guard to protect both themselves and their clientele from this growing threat. One of the best ways they can do so is through multi-factor authentication.

What Is Multi-Factor Authentication?

The LastPass data breach serves as a reminder that the digital world is always evolving — and business leaders and customers alike must evolve with it if they want to stay secure. Multifactor Authentication (MFA) offers an effective way to complicate the hacking process by using more than one level of security depending on the situation.

For instance, the data security experts at Okta explain that MFA “blends at least two separate factors.” The identity provider details that one of these factors is usually a username and password — but that on its own is no longer enough.

MFA adds an additional level of security. This could be a physical possession, like a phone or keycard. It could also be a physical location based on GPS. In situations where more safety is desired, it could also include a personal identifier like a fingerprint or iris scan.

Multi-factor authentication can feel like a hassle on the surface. However, in many cases, it can actually have a positive impact on the speed of logging in. In fact, the simple act of adding another step to the login process can provide a slew of other worthwhile benefits to businesses and customers alike.

The Benefits of MFA in Business Transactions

MFA takes some time to implement — but that is true with any defense system. Even Medieval castles expanded the building time of a home to as much as a decade, all in the name of creating an elite defense system for something that had value.

If you’re hesitating over whether MFA is worth it, here are a few of the major benefits to consider for both you and your business.

MFA Provides Peace of Mind

One of the most obvious benefits of multi-factor authentication is that it provides peace of mind. 

Businesses are in a constant race to take advantage of technological solutions to give them an edge over the competition. The ability to aggressively invest in digital software and applications without worrying about compromising on security is worth its metaphorical weight in gold.

MFA Means Less Long-Term Clean-Up Work

According to research reported by the University of North Georgia, 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses. The odds of facing a web-based attack, a phishing scam, or another attempt to hack your system are serious and significant.

Proactively establishing better security for your business means you’re putting a little work in early. However, once MFA is in place, you’re also avoiding the need to spend a significant amount of time, energy, and resources later on when a likely attack would have taken place.

MFA Is an Adaptable Security Solution

The world was already shifting to a decentralized office before the pandemic exponentially sped up the evolution of the workplace. In the wake of the crisis, offices are shifting to a combination of in-person, hybrid, and fully remote workplace settings. Sometimes all three of these are present within a single workforce.

With so much in flux (and many workers trying to access company software remotely), the complexity of security is changing. MFA is a strong and adaptable solution that can meet the security needs of this new workforce.

MFA Is User-Friendly

No one likes memorizing passwords (or resetting them when they forget). With that in mind, the thought of creating an even more complex cybersecurity network can sound daunting — but it isn’t.

In fact, MFA removes much of the need for passwords. Instead, things like physical locations and facial recognition can serve in their place. This makes it easier to create strong authentication processes that are still user-friendly (for employees and customers alike).

MFA Enhances Customer Trust

From peace of mind to adaptability, MFA has many direct and applicable advantages for a business. In addition, its user-friendly nature is a boon to both employees and customers.

Another area where customers come out on top is the trust and loyalty that MFA can create. When a customer knows that a business is going above and beyond to create a safe environment for them, it can help them feel safe and secure as they interact with you. 

As far as your business is concerned, fostering customer trust translates to things like loyalty, repeat business, and word-of-mouth advertising — all of which positively impact revenue.

MFA Is the Future of Cybersecurity

Individual complex and nuanced security solutions are useful for a while. Eventually, though, cybercriminals figure things out.

MFA deploys an organic, impossible-to-overcome complexity to the security process: layers. By complicating a username and password with additional biometric, geographic, and possession-based factors, it naturally creates a level of security that can let business owners, employees, and customers alike operate in peace, no matter what ups and downs the digital future may hold.

Featured Image by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

The post How Multi-Factor Authentication Can Benefit Your Business and Your Customers 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.

It’s never too early to start planning as a business leader. That’s especially the case when you’re planning to add talent to your company in the coming year. One of the best places to snag tomorrow’s managers and executives is on college campuses. But you need to plan your strategy to source, recruit, and retain high performers soon. That way, you can stay ahead of your competition.

Before you lay out your process for wooing freshly degreed Gen Z employers, you need to keep a few things in mind. First, this generation is eager to make their mark. As noted in a Girls With Impact Report from 2019-2020, nearly two-thirds of Gen Z would like to change the world. Beyond being a lofty goal, it shows how determined your youngest workers could be. Secondly, Gen Z knows it’s a buyer’s labor market. Even though jobs aren’t as plentiful as they were, candidates still have a bit of an upper hand. This is particularly true in high-demand industries like tech.

With these considerations in mind, your objective is to find creative ways to scoop up fresh talent from 2023’s graduating cohorts. Below are some suggestions to help guide your hiring roadmap.

1. Get your company in front of prospective graduates early and often.

Don’t wait until late spring to put on a recruitment push at colleges. By then, the best people will already either have job offers on the table. Consider the 2021 graduates at High Point University (HPU) in North Carolina. The institution doesn’t just boast a 98% employment rate for its grads within six months. Quite a few graduates have roles waiting for them after all the celebrating is over. It’s not surprising, given HPU’s commitment to focusing on enhancing its student population’s career and professional development skills.

How can you start getting noticed by college seniors? Most colleges have career-related departments or offices. Contact them and find out if the school will be hosting virtual or in-person fairs or events. Or, find out how you can get your job postings in front of soon-to-be grads. Making a connection with schools is a terrific way to start the recruitment process.

2. Make the candidate journey as digital as you can.

Generation Z is the first generation to be considered “digital natives.” They’re accustomed to doing everything on their devices, including applying for jobs. The last thing they want is to have to fill out a paper form or make an unnecessary phone call. And remember that they’re studying hard, so they may prefer to apply when it’s convenient for them.

How can you ramp up the digital aspects of your hiring experience? For one, be sure that it’s simple to submit an application and supporting documents online. Next, keep all communication fast and digital, at least initially. Emails and text messages are good ways to acknowledge that you’ve received information or two set up meetings. For your first round or two of interviews, consider making Zoom or Teams your format of choice. This makes it easier for you to source candidates from anywhere and for candidates to practice their online interviewing. The more touchpoints you can turn digital, the more intuitive the workflow will be for your applicants.

3.  Offer continuing development opportunities for new employees.

When asked, almost three-quarters of Generation Z and Millennial workers said they were considering leaving their employers. The reason for their discontent might surprise you: They wanted opportunities to keep learning. Unfortunately, they didn’t feel they were getting them from their current company. So they were looking around for a place that would help them upskill and, if needed, reskill. 

New graduates might be a little burned out on writing papers and taking tests. Nevertheless, they’re typically still enthusiastic about gaining knowledge. With this in mind, you should come up with robust training beyond the onboarding period. The training could be anything from covering the cost of certification programs to setting up formal executive-employee mentorships. Just make sure that you let all candidates know about the continuing education they can expect as team members.

4. Add student loan repayment assistance as a corporate benefit.

What do Aetna, Carvana, and Google have in common? Aside from being big businesses, they all help employees pay off their student loans. The average college graduate who took out loans owes more than $28,000. Though that number might not seem terribly high, it can seem daunting. Offering a little assistance to new employees may make top talent think twice about saying yes.

In addition to student loan repayment offers, think about other benefits you might add as well. These could include flexible work schedules, pet health insurance, generous parental leave, unlimited (or liberal) paid time off, and plenty of retirement options. Why retirement vehicles? Gen Z was brought up during the Recession of 2008 and 2009. As a result, many college grads want to start planning for financial freedom later when they retire. 

5. Lead with your corporate purpose.

Think back to all those Generation Z graduates who want to do something big during their lifetimes. One way to show you support them is by telling them about your company’s purpose. A strong purpose can have swaying power with Gen Z job seekers. For example, let’s say your business is passionate about moving toward lowering its carbon footprint. That type of purpose could be attractive to a recent graduate who cares about the environment. 

If you don’t already have a corporate purpose, it’s time to come up with one. Your purpose won’t just be a beacon to applicants. It will send a message to customers, too. Consumers have changed the way they shop. More than ever, they want to support mission-driven organizations. By creating and advertising your company’s purpose, you may simultaneously attract terrific young workers and improve buyer loyalty. Talk about a win-win!

It won’t be long before the next round of college graduates enters the workforce. With some planning, you can ensure the brightest members of the class of 2023 start their careers on your payroll. 

The post 5 Ways That Recruiters Can Scoop Up Top Talent from the Class of 2023 appeared first on noupe.

Every business is unique. And because of this, every team is unique too. Within your own company, you may very well have various team structures, staffing protocols, and managing principles. This makes sense, as different roles and responsibilities have different needs from an organizational point of view. 

Like it or not, there is no cookie cutter method for recruiting and staffing the best team. It takes work and can be a constantly evolving process. Recruiting in itself is a challenging task, particularly now during the era of The Great Resignation. More and more employees are rightfully asking for very specific accommodations. They want to work for companies that value them first as human beings and second as dedicated employees. 

With all this in mind, recruiting specific talent for your team isn’t easy. Certain roles like content creators and marketing managers may be more readily recruitable. On the other hand, roles like front end developers and designers can be more tricky to find. If you’re in this sticky position of hiring individuals for more niche titles, keep reading. Below are four ways to recruit specific talent for your team’s most niche roles. 

1. Ask for Assistance

First and foremost, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. It’s also important to ask far and wide. First, ask the hiring manager what they think is the best way to find the potential new employee. They may have experience in finding these types of recruits from previous roles. The hiring manager may also have a network to tap into that could be useful for your hiring team. 

Second, lean on resources for your specific needs. Engineering staffing agencies, for instance, can assist in finding top engineering talent based on their diverse pool of individuals looking for jobs. These types of agencies can help HR teams and hiring managers find the perfect match. This can be beneficial for startups, who may not have the namesake yet, to be found by interested employees. Well known companies also stand to benefit as staffing agencies are also a great resource for HR teams who need to hire multiple individuals within the same field. 

2. Tap into Social Media

One of the first places someone turns to when they are seeking a new job opportunity is social media. They want to see what types of positions are available and what kinds of benefits are being offered. Your recruiters should be on social media, particularly sites like LinkedIn, posting about new offerings weekly. Creating this kind of buzz online ensures that your company is putting the word out that you are hiring. 

In addition to sites like LinkedIn, it’s also important to post job offerings on other platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and even Instagram. Word of mouth is another key aspect of hiring, and someone who sees a niche role may share it with one of their friends or family members. Again, it’s all about creating awareness. If you don’t share publicly that you are hiring for these niche roles, nobody will know that you are in need of a full stack developer, for example. 

3. Offer an Employee Referral Incentive 

Your current employees likely know the top talent. Many have had prior experiences before coming to work at your company. And with these experiences, they have likely met some incredible people that may be great matches for your company. In order to get these referrals, it can be beneficial to offer an employee referral incentive. These types of incentives can be a reason for employees to share about open positions on their own social channels too. 

The key to creating this incentive is to make it as easy as possible for referrals to happen. Luckily, there are several software platforms and tools that can help streamline this process. Let you employees know what the incentive is, whether it is an added bonus to their paycheck or extra vacation days. Also, overly communicate with your employees when a niche position is available. You may even think about upping the incentive for filling more challenging roles — an extra incentive is always going to be welcome!  

4. Look Internally

Yes, certain niche roles like those in the designer field or engineering world require a specific set of skills. But perhaps you have a new role for a “never-been-done-before” position. In these cases, it’s not a bad idea to look internally. Your current employees know the most about the company, including how to navigate current processes and set up new ones. They understand what’s expected from the team and the company’s overarching goals and values. 

If you decide to look internally, be sure to still follow a proper interview process. You likely will also want to have external candidates to interview along with internal ones. This can help the hiring team compare and contrast the necessary skills. There are always benefits to hiring internally, mainly that it can lead to a quicker transition process and more dedicated staff. Your employees as a whole may be more dedicated to work for a company where internal shifts are not only possible but valued. 

Takeaways

Hiring is not an easy process. Again, it takes time to find true talent. For niche roles, it can take a lot longer to find someone that can do the job well and wants to work for your company. Don’t give up just because it takes longer than usual. The right individual is out there; it’s just a matter of finding them! 

By utilizing these tips, recruiters will have a better chance of finding the best possible employee as quickly as possible. Having a plan and leaning on different resources, including current employees, are helpful tactics to utilize. Also, know that other companies are in the same boat. Speak with other company and industry leaders to get a sense of how they are recruiting. Because at the end of the day, the more people that know you are hiring the better chances you have of finding your dream candidate.

The post 4 Ways to Recruit for Your Team’s Most Niche Roles appeared first on noupe.

In today’s competitive marketing landscape, quality content is more important than ever. Your target audience has thousands of brands to pick from. If you want them to choose you over the competition, you need to find ways to engage them online. 

Educational content is one of the most effective ways to improve audience engagement, drive sales, and ultimately grow your business. Outlined below are seven methods to educate and engage your target audience through content. 

1. Optimize Your Blog for SEO 

Blogging is one of the most popular forms of content marketing. Blog posts help drive high-quality traffic to your website and build trust with prospective buyers. 

Typical business blog content covers topics that interest your clients and provides answers to commonly asked questions. To make the most of your blogging efforts, it’s important to follow a few best practices for search engine optimization. These SEO tactics will help drive more traffic to your website. 

When creating content, include relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for. Avoid “keyword stuffing,” though — it’s off-putting to the reader, and it won’t fool Google. Rather, strive to incorporate keywords in the most organic way possible. To help keep people on your site and increase the chances of turning readers into leads, incorporate internal linking into every blog post. 

2. Provide Guides 

Think of guides as longer, more in-depth blog posts. Guides provide your readers with a detailed description of a product-related topic. For example, Gabb Wireless, a wireless communications company that developed a safe phone for kids, has created detailed guides for its site. These guides focus on the topic of phone safety and offer advice for parents on how they can set tech boundaries with their kids. 

When creating a guide, you must first understand your audience’s concerns and challenges. If you’re unsure what these pain points are, reach out to your sales team and ask what questions they hear most from prospects. These questions are all potential topic ideas for your next onsite guide. 

3. Offer White Papers 

White papers and guides are often discussed interchangeably. However, there are some key differences that make white papers their own thing. While guides provide a detailed overview of a topic, white papers spend more time focusing on research and data. If your company has conducted primary research, white papers give you the opportunity to establish yourself as a thought leader within your field. 

Since white papers are data-focused, they can sometimes get the reputation of coming across as boring. But they don’t have to be. Use colorful charts to display data and avoid using a stuffy tone. Instead, keep the vibe conversational, as if you were presenting findings to a work colleague. 

4. Create Infographics 

Many people are visual learners and struggle to understand topics from blog posts alone. Infographics can be helpful tools that cater to different learning styles and provide information in an easily digestible format. An infographic is a visual representation of information designed to be understood quickly. This information may be represented in the form of graphics, pictures, charts, or a combination of the three. 

Because infographics are visually appealing, they lend themselves well to social media. But since many infographics contain a hefty amount of information, you don’t want to post the entire thing at once. Instead, break your infographic down into chunks. This makes it easier for social media users to consume and provides your social media team with more content for their content calendar. 

5. Send Newsletters 

Having a comprehensive collection of onsite content is great. But what’s the point if no one ever sees it? 

To help make sure your blog content doesn’t go unread, consider adding newsletters to your content strategy. Email newsletters help you get content to interested prospects and customers. This allows you to build credibility and authority with your target audience. 

One of the keys to a successful newsletter is keeping it simple. Your audience doesn’t have 10 minutes to spend reading your newsletter, so make it easy to skim. Check out The Hustle as an example. This daily newsletter provides readers with quick updates from a variety of industries, including tech, business, and finance. Most of the newsletters include a few short features that take less than a couple of minutes to read. 

6. Partner With Influencers 

In today’s digital age, your company’s social media presence is essential. But almost as important is who is using your product. Partnering with social media celebrities (aka influencers) can help expose your brand to new audiences. Influencers are naturally charismatic and engaging — that’s why they have huge followings. Working with these professionals aligns your brand with theirs, building a positive reputation. 

When seeking influencers to partner with, it’s important to look beyond their follower count. Scroll through their page and see if they’re engaging in meaningful conversations your company wants to participate in. Both parties’ brand values should align before you begin creating content together. 

Once you’ve chosen which influencers you’d like to work with, it’s time to make your pitch. To increase your chances of nailing a partnership, create a customized pitch for each influencer you contact. 

7. Go Live on Social Media 

Onsite content like blog posts and guides are an essential component of a successful content strategy. But your customers also want to see your products in action. 

Since COVID-19 flipped the world on its head in 2020, live streaming has risen in popularity. Research by Livestream and New York Magazine found that 80% of consumers prefer watching a company’s live video over reading a blog post. This is because live streaming gives customers the feeling of participating in an event or conversation. Pre-recorded videos don’t have that same effect. 

One simple way companies can incorporate live streaming into their content marketing strategy is by hosting weekly Instagram live videos. When creating an Instagram live video, the goal is to both educate and entertain your audience. Live Q&As lend themselves well to this format. 

Creating quality content isn’t optional. It’s essential. If you want your company to thrive, you need to look for unique ways to educate and engage your target audience. If you’re not sure where to start, try implementing the strategies listed above.

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