Posts Tagged ‘Home Business’
Beginner Blogger Mistakes
by Rahimah Sultan
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When people actually try to blog, they find out that it’s not so easy. There are those who think bloggers just sit at home all day on the internet writing.
There are some common mistakes most beginners make that can be avoided.
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Should You Run a Business from Home?
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
This is a great time for you as an entrepreneur to consider starting your own home business.
Due to the rise of digital technology, there are many more opportunities than ever before to launch a successful business from your home. There are plenty of home businesses to choose from, whether you want to build a full-time career or are just looking for some extra income. Your choice ranges from online tutoring and freelance writing to selling products on Etsy and drop shipping. So, should you run a business from home? In this article, you’ll find answers to some questions you may have and information you need to get started.
CONSIDER THESE FACTORS BEFORE STARTING A HOME BUSINESS
1. Is there enough space?
Before launching your business, you have to know how much space you need to operate and flourish. You absolutely must maintain a separation between your business and your personal living space.
You can make your choice in one of two ways. First, check out your living space and see if there’s a place for boundaries to create a work area that is free of distractions.
Do you have a spare bedroom, study, or a quiet corner off your living room that you can use?
The second choice is to make a list of the materials and equipment you’ll need. If you can imagine putting new printers, monitors, cables, wires, mic stands, and boxes in this workspace, then go for it.
If not, you might want to consider renting a small workspace. That would be an added cost, however, a separation between business and personal living space is of utmost importance.
To avoid frustration, keep a buffer between your work area and where you rest. You don’t want your business activities to disrupt the flow of how you live and relax.
2. Is a special license required?
Before starting a home business, you should check with your attorney who can ask you important questions regarding how you’ll operate and the types of services or products you’ll offer.
If you need inventory or machinery, you might need special licenses or certificates.
Before you purchase any materials, inventory, or equipment, talk with your attorney and local government officials.
Although there will be a fee, it will be much less than the frustration and headaches of fixing mistakes after your business is moving along. It’s best to ask for advice first rather than start your business and have to shut it down later.
3. Is permission required?
You may need to get permission to operate your home business if you live in an apartment building or your home is part of a homeowner association. Read your lease or check with your landlord before altering your apartment to suit your business.
Check with your board president or the association’s attorney.
If you’ll have clients or customers visiting your business, there could be parking challenges, or if your business creates any excess noise or disturbance it will probably upset your neighbors.
4. Is there a need for special equipment?
If you start a home business in the pet care, catering, or retail area you may need special equipment.
You’ll need a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection. If you need machines, bulky items, or containers, be sure they’ll fit in your living space, your furniture is protected, and your family is safe.
Otherwise, consider renting an office or commercial space.
5. Do you have the right business strategy?
Create your business strategy before deciding to buy equipment, build a website, and market your brand.
Consider the following:
In which area will you participate?
What distinctive skills or abilities do you have to compete?
Which customers will need your solutions?
How will you set apart your business from your competition?
It’s vital you craft your strategy FIRST and your plan SECOND.
Your business strategy needs to find and fix 1 BIG problem.
Once you have your strategy, you can then develop a plan to carry it out.
You can begin to work on your website, marketing message, pricing strategy and the tech part.
Decide on your social media strategy and decide which platforms will work best for your ideal customer profile; TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
What are the benefits of starting a home business?
Starting a home business can be a very rewarding experience. If you have the right planning and dedication, you can have a steady source of income and a lot of flexibility.
The following are some benefits of starting a home business:
1. Low Start-Up Costs
Compared to traditional businesses, the start-up costs are minimal. Therefore, as an entrepreneur, it’s easier to get your business off the ground without having to invest a lot of money upfront.
2. Flexibility
When you work from home, you can set your own hours and work when it’s convenient. This can be especially beneficial if you have family commitments or other responsibilities that make it difficult to commit to a regular 9-5 job.
3. Tax Benefits
Your home business is eligible for certain tax deductions which can help reduce your overall tax burden.
4. Increased Productivity
When you work from home, there are fewer distractions and interruptions which can increase productivity. You can focus on the tasks at hand and get more done in less time.
5. Personal Satisfaction
Starting a business from home can give you a sense of personal satisfaction, a sense of pride, and accomplishment as you’ve created something from nothing.
What are the pros and cons of starting a home business?
Pros:
1. Low Overhead Costs
It’s easier for entrepreneurs to get their businesses started, as most of the equipment and supplies needed can be purchased or rented at low cost which saves you from having to invest large sums of money.
2. Flexible Hours
Working from home allows you to set your own hours and work at your convenience. This is especially beneficial if you have a family or other commitments that prevent you from working a traditional 9-5 job.
3. Tax Benefits
Your home business is eligible for certain tax benefits that can reduce your overall taxes.
Cons:
1. Limited Resources
Unlike larger companies, home businesses often lack marketing budgets, experienced employees, and access to capital.
2. Isolation
In a traditional office setting, there is lots of interaction with colleagues. As an entrepreneur working from home, you may not have this level of interaction.
3. Distractions
There are often more distractions than in a traditional office setting. It can be difficult to focus on tasks and complete projects on time.
How to Balance Work and Family Life While Running a Home Business
1. Set Boundaries
Set clear boundaries between work life and family life. Set specific hours for work and family time. Also, designate certain areas of your home for each activity.
2. Prioritize
Be sure to prioritize your family over the business. You need to take time off to spend with your family and be sure you are present during important events.
3. Schedule Breaks
To be sure you’re not overworking, schedule regular breaks throughout the day. This ensures you stay focused and productive and will also allow you to spend quality time with your family.
4. Utilize Technology
To make your life easier, take advantage of technology. You can use tools like online calendars, video conferencing, and task management software to simplify your workflow and increase efficiency.
5. Outsource
To free up more time for you to focus on your family and other parts of your life, consider outsourcing non-essential business tasks.
So, should you run a business from home?
Running a business from your home can be a great way to become your own boss and attain financial freedom. Nevertheless, it’s most important to carefully weigh the pros and cons before making the decision to start a business from your home.
With the right strategy and a plan in place, you can successfully balance your work and family life and achieve success.
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Autoresponders Are A Must for Your Online Business
By Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
Are you just starting an online Business? Then, you might not know a lot about autoresponders. They are computer programs that automatically answer emails sent to them.
Autoresponders help automate your business which saves a lot of time. If you use them correctly, you can generate a lot of business.
Saving time and generating income are the two main reasons for using autoresponders. You’ll need an email marketing application to send out autoresponders. Do an online search for “autoresponders” and you’ll find many to choose from and you can select the one best suited to your needs. Autoresponders are a must for your online business.
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Things to be Concerned About When Starting a Home Business
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
You may have dreams of becoming an entrepreneur and owning your own business, which is great. Just remember that it takes time, patience, and persistence. The process may seem bewildering. The first thing you need to do is brainstorm some ideas.
Do some thorough market research in areas that interest you. Explore whether or not there’s a need for the product or service you choose. Will it solve a problem better than the current available options? Is there a potential to fill gaps in the marketplace? Once you’ve made your choice, write out a business plan.
You should start small and expand later. There will be some startup costs, so be sure you have income and or savings set aside to get you through to the-making-profits phase. Do this by overestimating needed startup capital, carefully watching your expenses, and considering your funding options.
If you’re not planning to run a one-person business, you’ll want a solid, top-notch principled team. Look for the best people for your team.
Once you’re all set up, you need to aggressively advertise your product/service. Get an attractive logo that helps people identify your label and place it on all platforms across the internet including social media. Interact with your potential customers through follow-ups with promotions and discounts or just with free quality information related to the goal or purpose of your website. These are some things to be concerned about when starting a home business.
What should you consider before starting a business?
You should focus on your business journey and not compare your success to anyone else. You need to get into the right mindset. It takes consistency, follow-up routines, and laying out steps to achieve your goals.
Consider the following:
Determining your business concept
Scaling your business
Financing
Where do you prefer to work; a workshop or an office
Time to devote to your business
Your passions and interests
Your expertise or skills
The kind of support needed to start a business
Partnering with someone
Whether a franchise model makes more sense to you
Selling information rather than a product
Once you’ve decided what your business will be, you’ll need to get it up and running. You can do this by setting up a blog as your place of operation online.
You’ll need to choose a domain name and a blogging platform for your blog as well as a hosting company.
Now you’re ready to go.
Here are some ideas for a start.
What are some pitfalls of working from home?
Here are some things to be concerned about when starting a home business:
Remaining Focused
Some people are expert multi-taskers. If you’re not one of them, you need to devise a more formally structured day like in a traditional office setting.
You should have a dedicated office area, if possible, one with a door or a corner just for work or use a café for an hour a day so that when you go there your brain signals it’s time to work.
Keeping Boundaries
Although working from home has its flexibility, remember how easily time can be snatched away from your workday. Remember your work is as real as any traditional office job. Set up a schedule for hours and breaks.
Working Too Much
With any job, there is always more to do. If you’re serious about working from home for the long term, you’ll need time away from the computer and the stress of work for this lifestyle to be sustainable.
Feeling Isolated
You’ll need to create social interactions. You can:
Schedule lunch or breakfast get-togethers.
Use online social networks such as Facebook or Twitter as your virtual “water cooler” during the day.
Use Skype, phone calls, or chat instead of email.
Get involved with networking groups or local meetups.
Spend some time working in shared office spaces.
In conclusion, launching a home business can be exciting, although the real challenge is to keep it going. Work with established brands, come up with ideas, experiment, don’t be afraid to fail, be open to feedback, and network with others. All of these are things to be concerned about when starting a home business.
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What’s in the Future for Affiliate Marketing?
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
Although you may not know the term “affiliate marketing,” it’s probably something you’ve seen in your online browsing. It’s a method of marketing involving a website (or several sites) promoting products and services for other companies and earning a commission through a referral system.
In the digital world, affiliate marketing has gained significant attention as a profitable business model for both companies and individuals. You have the opportunity to earn passive income for every successful sale, in the form of commissions, by promoting products and services.
Check out this site for statistics for affiliate marketing in 2023 and beyond.
Affiliate marketing is one of the most powerful digital channels for those looking to reach their target audiences and drive growth. You need to stay ahead of the game and prepare for the future, as technology evolves.
As more businesses embrace it as an essential part of their digital strategies, affiliate marketing will dynamically shift over the next few years.
Expect to see consumer behavior rapidly change in the future, due to increasing demand for personalization which could have major implications for affiliate marketing strategies. Brands will have to design their campaigns and offers according to this new reality.
New technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and predictive analytics (PA) will play a more significant role in assisting businesses with the optimization of their affiliate campaigns for the greatest effectiveness.
Is affiliate marketing still profitable?
Affiliate marketing is very profitable. With the rise of e-commerce and online platforms, numerous opportunities have opened up for affiliates to make income by promoting products and receiving commissions.
If affiliates focus on effective marketing strategies, good quality content, and target relevant audiences, they can continue to produce sizeable profits with affiliate marketing.
Following are six factors that make affiliate marketing profitable:
1. Niche Selection
To be successful you must choose the right niche; one that has a high demand for products/services and a large target audience. You can do thorough market research to identify untapped niche potential using tools like Google Trends, Amazon Best Sellers, and niche-specific forums.
2. Building Trust
Your audience must know, like, and trust you and perceive you as an authority in your niche, and trust your recommendations. Create high-quality content, with value, that establishes your expertise. You can engage with your audience through social media, blog comments, and email newsletters. To build trust with your audience, be transparent and authentic.
3. Strategic Promotion
The key to maximizing your affiliate marketing profits is effective promotion. Tailor your promotional strategies to your audience’s preferences and behaviors. To reach your audience effectively, leverage diverse channels such as content marketing, SEO, social media, and email marketing. To optimize your efforts, test different promotional methods and track the results.
4. Diversifying Income Streams
Although affiliate programs can be a profitable source of income, diversification of income streams can improve your profitability. Think about other monetization methods such as display advertising, sponsored content, digital products, and creating products or services of your own. Diversification can help protect your income and lessen any possible risk.
5. Adapting to Market Trends
Your affiliate marketing strategies should evolve just as the digital landscape is constantly evolving. Stay up to date with industry developments, consumer preferences, and the latest market trends. You can position yourself for long-term profitability, in the affiliate marketing world, by adapting to change and staying ahead of the game.
6. Consistency and Persistence
Success with affiliate marketing doesn’t happen overnight. You must be persistent and put in effort. Keep focused on your goals at all times. Over time, your efforts will pay off if you keep learning, experimenting, and perfecting your strategies.
What are the potential earning opportunities in affiliate marketing?
If you’re committed and put in the effort, affiliate marketing offers an abundance of opportunities. If you want a side hustle to make money or build a full-time online business, then affiliate marketing can be a good career option.
Here are some potential earning opportunities.
Commission-Based Earnings
As an affiliate, you earn money (a commission) for each successful referral or sale you make through your unique affiliate link. Commission rates vary from a small percentage of the product’s price to a fixed amount per sale, depending on the affiliate program and the niche you’re in.
High-commission Products
Some niches offer high-commission products or services. These usually have a higher price tag which results in greater commission payouts. They can include high-end technology, luxury goods, or premium services and lead to higher earnings per sale. Recognizing these types of products in your niche can substantially impact your overall earnings.
Recurring Commissions
There are affiliate programs that offer recurring commissions and are known as passive income streams. They provide affiliates with commissions on the initial sale and on subsequent recurring payments made by the referred customer. These programs provide affiliates with a commission not just on the initial sale but also on subsequent recurring payments made by the referred customer. These include membership sites, software-as-a-service (SaaS) products, and subscription-based services, to name a few. These are big moneymakers. Developing a customer base that keeps up their subscriptions can result in a steady flow of recurring commissions.
Affiliate Networks and Aggregators
Affiliate networks and aggregators act as intermediaries between affiliates and advertisers. These platforms bring together a wide range of affiliate programs from different brands and companies. Joining such networks allows you to access multiple affiliate programs, expand your product offerings, and potentially increase your earnings. Popular affiliate networks include Amazon Associates, ShareASale
, and CJ Affiliate.
Multi-Tier Affiliate Programs
An additional earning opportunity is multi-tier affiliate programs. With these, you can earn commissions on your own sales and on the sales from others (sub-affiliates) that you refer to the program.
Sponsored Content Collaborations
As your business grows, you may be presented with the opportunity to collaborate with companies and brands on sponsored content. Sponsored content is about getting paid to display products or services through various channels like media posts, blog posts, social media, videos, and more.
Display Advertising
When you’ve gained significant traffic on your blog or website, you can use display advertising to monetize it. Google AdSense is a great platform for this. You can place their ads on your site, and earn money every time someone clicks on them. Although display advertising will not be your primary focus for your affiliate marketing business, it can complement your affiliate earnings and generate passive income.
Digital Products and Courses
When you become an authority in your niche, you can design your own digital products and sell them. These can include online courses, e-books, video tutorials, or other educational content. When you sell your own products, the full profit is yours without sharing commissions with affiliate programs, potentially increasing your income.
Influencer Marketing and Brand Partnerships
As your online presence grows, you could draw the attention of brands looking for influencers to promote their products and services. These partnerships can lead to product reviews, sponsored posts, or brand ambassadorship. Collaborating in this way can open up more earning prospects because you can negotiate compensation based on your influence and reach.
Scaling and Expansion
Scaling and expanding your business is one of the exciting phases of your affiliate marketing business.
While you’re gaining experience, optimize your strategies, and develop a loyal audience. Then you can duplicate your success in different niches or target different geographical markets.
Scaling your affiliate marketing business allows you to increase your earnings and reach a broader audience.
Affiliate marketing is very profitable and becoming more so all the time. I hope this article gives you a glimpse of what’s in the future for affiliate marketing.
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What Are the Recent Shifts in MLM?
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
If you’re marketing online, you see daily advertising for MLMs. You may be thinking about signing up for one of the programs.
So, what are the recent shifts in MLM?
There are low-cost products, a simple recruiting system, and a high percentage of affiliate products.
Although pyramid schemes resemble MLMs, MLM is a legitimate money-making business model. So, what are the differences?
Pyramid Schemes vs. MLM
Both operate with the same structure, although it comes down to sales versus recruitment in the compensation plan.
The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) states that MLM will pay you based on your sales to retail customers, without having to recruit new distributors. A pyramid scheme relies on the continuous recruitment of dues-paying members to keep afloat, even if members are required to continue buying the products they may not be able to sell.
After doing your due diligence, you might want to consider other ways to bring in income instead.
What is MLM?
MLM (Multi-level marketing), also known as direct selling and network marketing, is a business model for selling products directly to purchasers using independent sales representatives.
Usually, MLMs have a detailed compensation plan that outlines exactly how these upline and downline relationships work and how distributors get compensated. These plans explain recruiting and sales commissions, and they define requirements members must meet to be eligible for compensation. These are usually expressed in minimum sales targets and numbers of new recruits.
There are hundreds of the old MLM companies still around and many people are still making money from them. That’s because they signed up when those were startups, within the first two or three years after they launched.
So, again, what are the recent shifts in MLM? Check out the current best MLMs.
What are the current best MLMs?
If you want to go ahead with MLM, the following are touted as the best five new companies for 2023-2024.
1. LIVEGOOD
LiveGood is one of the fastest growing. Their products include CBD supplements, dietary supplements, and beauty products.
2. APL GO
They carry lozenges and drops with propriety health benefits. It is a Acumullit SA technology that is revolutionizing the wellness industry.
For motivation, they have travels, promotions and motivating events, technology that is one of a kind and exclusive for their products, six options for starting your business, and 15 kinds of bonuses.
They also have 24/7 support and a step-by-step plan and a nice website, webinars, videos, etc.
3. PAWTREE
Although Paw Tree which has been around since 2018, got off to a slow start, it has been making up time.
They obviously offer pet supplies for cats and dogs. There’s a full line of supplies plus supplements.
4. IX GLOBAL
This is a learning-based MLM. They are leveraging today’s most addictive trends such as health, productivity, fitness, spirituality, etc.
You get training, from the top experts in the area that most interests you, from brilliant minds who know how to encourage and impact. You’ll see speakers from all different global stages.
5. IGENIUS
This MLM is about financial markets and investing practices. You’ll get an education and tools for cryptocurrency equity and forex markets. There’s live training and market research provided by experts and it’s easy to follow along.
You should just watch this one for two or three years before jumping into this network marketing business.
In summary, research indicates that older MLMs are not so profitable and not the way to go.
When considering an MLM company, remember the low-cost products, simple recruiting systems, and the high percentage of affiliate products in recent MLMs.
Most importantly, you should get in during the first 2-3 years.
Before getting into MLM, explore your own strengths and what needed service you can provide to others. There are inexpensive ways to start and you can create a very sustainable and ethical income avenue without the headache of a garage full of products you can’t get rid of.
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Some Things You Need To Know Before You Start Blogging
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
Blogging is NOT dead, although it has changed from what it used to be and is still changing. Some previously used blogging tactics no longer work. In order to remain relevant, bloggers must also continue to evolve.
Today there are over 600 million blogs on the internet. (source: blogging.org). To be successful now and in the future, the best thing you can do is position yourself as an authority figure in your niche.
Note: For more interesting blog data see.
Here are five blogging tactics – in no particular order – that no longer work:
1. Clickbait headlines
Clickbait headlines are the outrageous ones to get your attention and have no user-satisfactory content. They are misleading, sensational, or spammy. This also applies to YouTube videos. It makes your channel less and less effective for driving traffic.
You should focus on writing headlines that are based on the real value that you are delivering in your content.
2. Blogging about everything
If you blog about everything, you’ll confuse people. They won’t know what your area of expertise is. Stick to one or two topics.
People don’t want generic information but specific information from people they can trust and believe in and with whom they can actually have a personal connection.
3. Blogging about your personal life
People used to blog about their children, what they ate that day, or just share bizarre personal details that people connected with. That is simply entertainment content that belongs on social media (in particular Instagram) where that kind of content is more accessible and easier to consume.
Although you can still blog about your personal life, you’ll need a fantastic Instagram and/or YouTube channel to go with it.
When people want entertainment they look to social media. However, when they want answers to their problems, they choose Google, namely websites.
But, there are always exceptions. Just remember to entertain on social and use your website for education.
4. Posting all the time
Now that content is more prolific on the internet, the tactic of posting more content to try to get more traffic is also outdated. Your focus should be on the quality of content, not quantity. Create content that stands out.
Generally, it’s better to create one (1) high-quality blog post per month than publish 5-6 average or mediocre posts that are short-lived.
To help establish yourself as an authority figure, use longer, more detailed posts.
If you really know your material, you’ll be able to talk about it for a long time (or hundreds of pages…).
The exception to this rule is if you’re a brand-new blogger, starting a blog from scratch, you’re probably better off publishing more posts because publishing more content can help you get some initial traction on social platforms like Pinterest and YouTube. Writing different kinds of content more frequently can help you learn more about what your audience is most interested in.
5. Blogging with no supplemental video or audio content
If you wish it to survive in the future, your blog needs to evolve into a multi-media site.
The more options people have to consume your content, the better. Using the following mediums will help:
Your blog
YouTube
Pinterest
Google
Email List
Your blog is now a multi-media website. It’s no longer just a blog.
For long-term blogging success, you need to dedicate your time and energy to becoming an expert in your niche.
What are some other things you should know before you start blogging?
1. Building habits is essential especially when your time is limited. You need consistent blocks of time you can spend on your blog. That may be:
a) Early morning – get everything ready the night before
b) During lunch break at your day job – get away from your desk and grab a bite to eat while working on your blog
c) In the evenings – you can just outline your post if you find it hard to focus after a long day
d) On the weekends – block out half a day on Saturday or Sunday
Finding a time that you can consistently use for blogging, week after week, will make it easier to form the habit.
2. WordPress
WordPress is usually the best option. Within WordPress are two more options so be careful. Also, there are plugins for anything you want to do in WordPress. Read
3. It’s easier to write quality blog posts by using a great template.
4. End all blog posts with a call to action.
5. The most important part of your blog is the headline. Read.
6. Keyword research is vital for SEO which brings in traffic.
7. You should build an email list as soon as possible (from day one).
8. When used correctly, social media is an effective traffic source.
9. Making money from a new blog will take UP to 12 months minimum.
10. Digital courses and eBooks are a great way to monetize your blog.
11. Use affiliate marketing to grow your blog income.
12. Link building from other websites is crucial.
This is by no means a complete list. More things can be added but this will get you off to a great start.
What are the best blogging platforms?
When choosing a blogging platform you must take into consideration what is best for your needs.
If you’re just starting, use a platform that’s easy to set up and use. If you have no coding experience choose a platform that needs no code. Developing a blog isn’t simple and you don’t want to add new skills to your to-do list.
You’ll need to think about the layout and features you want and the blog tools you may need as your blog grows.
Some things to think about are:
Monetizing your blog with a newsletter now or in the future
A multi-media experience with lots of images and videos
Using it to build SEO for your small business site
Using it to build your reputation as a thought leader
Skills you need to learn to build your blog
Can a blogging platform help with these skills
When you have a clear plan for your blog, you’re ready to choose a platform.
Many who choose a platform start with cost. Some of the best blog software is free. Check each provider’s plan and how many tiers there are. Then check their primary and unique features. Pay special attention to the out-of-the-box features compared to add-ons.
Here’s a list:
WordPress: Best for customization
Wix: Best for drag and drop
Weebly: Best for e-commerce blogging
Drupal: Best for developers
Squarespace: Best all-in-one platform
CMS Hub: Best for marketers
Medium: Best for its built-in audience
Blogging is not dead. But you have to keep your strategies alive to be successful on the internet. These are just some things you need to know before you start blogging that will be helpful.
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5 Blogging Trends You Should Not Ignore
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
Blogging has been around for a long time and while its basic foundation remains the same (write and publish), some changes do occur that may be passing trends or they may become permanent. You need to be on top of the latest blogging trends and keep up to date with content marketing strategies in order to remain competitive.
To keep you up to date on what’s going on now, this post will look into five of the trends you can expect moving forward. This will help you stay current with the latest practices and may inspire you to do something different on your blog.
1) Visuals
Visuals have always been a large part of blog content and are on the rise. And that’s a plus for your brand’s visibility and retention.
Although using visuals is good, you’ll need to use custom graphics as opposed to generic images. People tend to ignore stock photos these days.
With tailored graphics, you have the advantage of branding. When you use custom-made visuals, you can choose color palettes and fonts that resonate with your blog’s design and viewpoint. This makes your blog posts and pages look consistent and not patched together. You can also design visuals like charts, infographics, and graphs that directly reference the content they are part of.
If you’re not a designer, you can still take advantage of this blogging trend with tools like Canva, Visme, and Prezi. They’re perfect for beginners who are not knowledgeable about design. These tools come with pre-built templates, fonts, and color palettes that make designing custom graphics easier. They also have an option for creating/importing your own color palettes and fonts.
Since blogs are becoming longer and more detailed, design and interactivity become more important. Visual content offers readers a way to scan your content without reading the entire post.
2) Interactivity
Since people’s attention span has increasingly dropped over the years, interactivity has become a more important way to keep them engaged. You can embed interactive videos and also interactivity to those videos like hotspots and time triggers such as popups and CTAs to move viewers to certain areas of the video in order to reach a particular time stamp. You can use the Vimeo platform that can do this right out of the box.
By using a website such as Giphy, you can use animated images called GIFs to add some color and humor to your content in order to make it less boring. Once you’ve decided on a GIF, it can be inserted into your content by using either autoembeds or add it via an image block.
3) Originality
In an environment where websites tend to repackage the same information over and over, being original adds freshness to your blog, establishes your commitment to your readers, shows your thought leadership, and can immediately make you stand out.
There are several ways to make your content original. You can talk about a distinctive topic, provide a unique perspective, or conduct your own research. Conducting your own authentic research is the easiest way to level up your blog. However, not everyone has the bandwidth to do original research. So, you can reach out to others in your industry and conduct your own surveys using Google Forms and Typeform.
You can also tweet about your queries using the hashtag #JournoRequest on Twitter.
4) Content Experience
A shift from consuming content to experiencing it is a bigger blogger trend to focus on going forward. You can no longer simply deliver accurate information to your readers. You’ll have to consider other factors to make your content more appealing. You can do this by focusing on core web vitals and improving your overall content environment. Core web vitals are measurements of key aspects of page speed and user experience that also influence search ranking.
Some examples of a bad content ecosystem (environment) are:
Lots of popups or other interruptions and distractions like multi-step cookie notices
Autoplaying audio and videos
Web design problems such as low contrast among others
Bad website or information structure that leaves visitors not knowing what to do
Your goal is to make sure that each section of content is part of a bigger puzzle that makes sense.
5) Cross-Channel Promotion
One of the trends that will be dominant is cross-channel promotion, a marketing strategy that integrates all your marketing channels and unifies their plans, data, and goals across the board.
Just churning out blog posts is no longer enough to be successful on the internet. You now need to invest your efforts in other marketing channels like social media, SEO, and email marketing.
Unlike multi-channel marketing, which also uses several channels to attract customers with each channel working independently, this cross-channel promotion uses all channels to push out the same message at the same time.
The first thing you need to accomplish this is a Customer Data Platform (CDP). CDPs can help consolidate and organize consumer data from all your channels in one place. Three good sources are Bloomreach, Insider, and Segment.
Then you can use micro-segmentation to group your audience by different demographic details, characteristics, and buying behaviors so you can hyper-personalize your content and marketing channels to suit prospects where they are in their journey.
Some examples are starting an email with the reader’s name, writing content to target readers’ needs, adjusting mailing frequency to suit their needs, and otherwise catering to whatever else your audience is looking for. This is a great way to stand out while blogging.
Even though blogging is a well-established medium, there are trends that come and go. Staying on top of these developments allows you to decide which ones you want to use and when. Most of these 5 blogging trends you should not ignore heavily focus on user experience. The best trend to follow is figuring out how to better serve your readers with the content you write and how you present it. In doing so, you’ll end up with a better blog than when you started.
Affiliate Marketing Moving Forward
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
Affiliate marketing could be your opportunity to make money online. You don’t need any special skills and you can sign up for free. You can connect with brands and promote their products to earn commissions.
Over the past few years affiliate marketing has been steadily growing. With the rapid changes in digital marketing and e-commerce, there are certain trends that you should be aware of.
Affiliate marketing is a low-cost business growth plan strategy that is ideal for small businesses as it increases income with less expense and work.
Giant corporations and single-item shops have an affiliate program or are part of an affiliate network. The world of affiliate marketing can be fierce and it’s growing daily so, to be successful in it, you have to keep up with market trends.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a way of getting customers and an alternative to advertising. It allows you to work with partners known as affiliates or publishers to reach a wider audience and generate more profits. Affiliates are paid when they have accomplished what they set out to do which may be increasing leads, driving sales, or getting new clients. In affiliate marketing commissions are paid for actual results.
In affiliate marketing, there are networks that allow websites and bloggers to share links to a specific page or product for ad revenue. Affiliate marketing depends on a huge network where the marketing can take place. When visitors click on an ad or a link they will be taken directly to that site or e-commerce site.
If a customer purchases a product through that e-commerce link you must pay your partner the agreed-upon fee, typically 5% to 10% of the contract value. Through this system, you (as the retailer) and your affiliate (as your partner) gain from increased sales.
If you run a product-focused website or blog, you can do affiliate marketing. But do keep in mind that affiliate marketing is not ideal for direct sales.
What are the benefits of an affiliate marketing program?
If you’re in retail, an affiliate marketing program can be added to your overall marketing plan. Whether your product is already well-liked or you’re just starting to build your brand, the product can help you reach your goals.
An affiliate program for your business can provide you with the following benefits:
Wide-Reaching Impact
Your affiliate partners have websites, email lists, social media accounts, and a sizeable number of followers so, potentially, they can reach a larger audience than you can on your own. They can help you promote your product through one or all of their networks. Since there’s a reward coming, they’ll work hard to grow sales or drive traffic for your brand.
Result-Based Commission
Since you only pay for completed actions, setting up an affiliate program is a cost-effective marketing strategy. You can work with as many affiliates as you choose. Their commission will rise as your sales rise. This is advantageous for both parties.
Increased SERP Ranking
As the links from your affiliates are widely shared, the SERPs (search engine rank pages) rank of your website will substantially improve and you’ll get more organic traffic which will save money on marketing.
Unique Content
You may not need to run countless ads on Google or social media platforms, because your affiliate marketers can write articles about your brand, produce reviews for your product, and create video ads about your business. Each affiliate presents a unique perspective.
Marketers are feeling more and more confident about investing in social media so affiliate networking is becoming very competitive. Here are some trends you should be watching to help you see the direction the industry is taking. Understanding them can increase affiliate traffic for your brand.
1) Influencer marketing continues to grow.
2) More websites are embracing alternative ad technologies such as contextual targeting to reach a broader audience in more meaningful and relevant ways.
3) As more people are using their phones to shop online, cross-device tracking will be prioritized.
4) Consumers worldwide are increasing their usage of mobile applications so affiliate marketers will need to use In-App monitoring for improved consumer insights.
5) Voice search SEO will continue to rise. As voice search SEO isn’t standard SEO, affiliates will have to refine websites for voice requests.
6) Blog link building will be diversified, so blogging still works although there will be new challenges.
Keeping this information in mind will help you with your affiliate marketing moving forward.
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Review: Beginner Blogger Mistakes (Part 2)
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
The last post was a review of Beginner Blogger Mistakes (Part 1). This covers the remaining mistakes to avoid which include tying specific posts to the larger picture, writing style, relying on the conceptual, plagiarism, etc.
You can read it here:
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