Happy Tuesday!
Part of running a business means staying up to date with all the latest industry news and marketing trends, so you can stand out from the crowd.
This week, we’ve collected 5 articles to provide you with important updates - so you can take your business to the top!
What Are SMART Goals and How Do They Work?
If you come from a marketing or business background you’re likely familiar with the term ‘SMART’ goals, however, if you’re just starting your own business or have no marketing background then you may be wondering what they are. Basically, it’s a strategic framework and acronym that can be used to set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Using this method to set business goals makes it easy to track progress and remain organized. It also keeps everyone in your team on the same page. Oftentimes when we set goals, we think of the biggest and most difficult tasks to achieve. By using SMART goals you can inch closer to your larger goals in a more manageable way. Learn more about SMART goals by clicking the link above.
Video Storytelling: Here’s How To Get More From Your Investment
Over the past few years, storytelling has become a huge part of content marketing strategies - especially with the integration of video. As Jodi Harris from the Content Marketing Institute explains, your videos can’t just “sell and tell”; they need to be authentic and make a real connection with your target audience to have an impact.
Harris put together a few key points on how to go about using video storytelling to your advantage. These strategies include leveraging it to accelerate the customer journey by communicating both a rational and emotional message, using creativity to capture attention, and playing with different styles and platforms. By paying attention to these details you can reach your target audience in a more empathetic and impactful way. Click above to learn more.
Stats roundup: the impact of Covid-19 on e-commerce
2020 was a year that changed the face of consumer purchase habits. With people unable to shop in person, e-commerce quickly became the sole method to get products and services to consumers. Companies and brands that had yet to develop an online presence quickly had to pivot or risk closing their doors.
This article by Econsultancy highlights some noteworthy statistics such as 9/10 global e-commerce experienced double-digit growth, Shopify revenue was up 57% year-on-year, and global e-commerce sales rose to $26.7 trillion. Many are saying that e-commerce is the best and only way to recover the loss that occured during the pandemic. It will be interesting to see how consumers choose to shop now that restrictions are beginning to ease again, especially with the holiday season coming up. Click the article linked to learn more!
Direct Traffic: Is It A Google Ranking Factor?
Direct traffic occurs when a user lands on your website directly from another channel such as Google (or another search engine) or from a social media site. This means that they are already familiar with your brand or business, which is a great indicator for Google on your authority. As this article explains, this would indicate that Google would have some way to measure direct visits using tools such as Chrome, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, etc.
There is some debate as to whether Google actually does this, and this article by Search Engine Journal claims the answer is no - they do not. Click the article linked above to find out why.
How to Rank Well in Google Image Search
Keywords aren’t the only content you can optimize for On-page SEO. You can also improve your Google ranking with the photos and images you include in your content. This means including elements such as image file name, image size and dimension, as well as the images Metadata, image engagement, and hosted page elements.
Also, including elements such as alt text along with your images makes for an enhanced User Experience, which Google sees as favourable and will help your ranking. By implementing these tactics you can get ahead of the competition and get more traffic and leads on your website. Click the link above to learn more!
Wrapping Up
So there you have it! This week we took a look at 5 helpful and interesting updates from the world of internet marketing that will hopefully help you out or inspire you in different ways.
To do a quick review, first, we reviewed the definition of SMART goals and how they can help your marketing/business strategy. We then moved on to explore how to make the most out of your Video marketing and storytelling content strategy.
Next, we learned some interesting statistics on the impact Covid-19 has had on e-commerce. We followed this with an article on direct traffic and Google ranking factor. Lastly, we dove into the world of Google Image search and learned how to optimize your images to improve ranking and website traffic.
Any questions, comments, or concerns? We’d love to hear your feedback. As always, we’ll be back next week with 5 new articles for you. In the meantime, if you’re looking to learn more please check out our existing blogs that cover a range of digital marketing topics!
