The Daily Carnage

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What To Do With Old Content

NOVEMBER 11, 2019

Let’s kick off Monday with some content organization.

There’s a good chance you have some posts and pages on your website that you don’t need anymore. When you delete said pages and posts, you run the risk of losing SEO link juice and/or still showing up in Google search results weeks after deletion.

So, what should you do with them?

Here are 2 simple options.

“301 Redirect” the old post to a related one: A 301 redirect is used to make sure that search engines and users are sent to the correct page. Hubspot says it best, “a 301 permanent redirect is better for search engine optimization than a temporary redirect because it transfers the inbound links from the redirected domain to the new one, which helps the website maintain its search rankings and prevent any dip in search traffic.” You can easily set up 301 redirects with Yoast Premium redirect manager
Tell search engines the content is intentionally gone: When you’re 100% certain that you can’t find a relevant page or post to redirect to, it’s time for the ‘410.’ Serving a 410 deleted status to Google will tell visitors that you deleted the content for a reason. Google tends to act pretty quick with 410 status requests.

That was easy, right? Dive in deeper below.

Are Webinars Dead?

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

Ya, we’re going there.

While webinars might be oversaturated, they certainly aren’t dead. Let’s dive into some numbers.

According to InsideSales.com, 73% of marketing and sales leaders say webinars are one of the best ways to generate quality leads.

Here’s why.

Highly engaging: GoToWebinar shows the average webinar attendee viewing time is 61 minutes.
From start to finish: From brand awareness to purchase, webinars are an effective and dynamic way to cover the entire customer journey.
Show me the money: Webinars and sales go hand in hand. When a potential customer registers for a webinar, you can choose the data you want to receive. Quality data equals a happy sales team.

Did we pique your interest?

If so, let’s chat about a few ways to fire up a webinar.

Leverage your sales team for content topics: It’s crucial that your marketing efforts align with sales conversations. Take a salesperson out for a coffee or adult beverage and ask them about the pain points potential customers are dealing with. Let those pain points guide your webinar strategy.
Get creative: Flip the script on the typical presentation format. Build your webinar around your prospects questions, go unscripted, and encourage participation.
Deliver information to sales: Once your webinar is finished, the follow up is essential. Make sure you send an email to your sales team with leads who registered, leads who attended, and any other relevant data.

2019 Shopping Trends

NOVEMBER 5, 2019

The holiday has officially arrived. Christmas is in 49 days.

If you’re in eCommerce, make sure you bookmark this email.

Google released its new behavioral insights into 2019 holiday shoppers, with tips on how to sell to US consumers.

Alright, here comes the data:

For hard goods, the average spent online is $152 bucks.
For soft goods, the average spent online is $99 bucks.
For everyday essentials, the average spent online is $74 bucks.
The top 3 influential factors when deciding to buy are: lowest price for item, free shipping, sale, discount, or promo.

According to Google, mobile searches for “best deals” have grown by 90%.

Searches around “rewards apps” and “Black Friday deals” are up 200% this year. Although consumers are getting their shopping started before Black Friday hits – 37% of holiday shopping has been completed before the week of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

As far as Google tips, here’s what they recommend:

Highlight competitive prices: When you can beat the competition, make sure you show it. And keep an eye on the market to get a sense of what specific products might be worth undercutting.
Aim for fast and free shipping: Consumers in the U.S. are much more interested in fast shipping times than in-store pickup.
Americans tend to identify as “deal seekers”: Price point is usually the most important purchase consideration with free shipping right behind it.
Newer markets take note: U.S. shopper values may indicate consumer preferences in a more saturated and standardized e‑commerce market.

Instagram Stories Views Are Down – Here’s How to Fix It

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

It’s no secret that Instagram Story views are down across the board. Folks are chatting about it in our FB group as well (see the question of the day below 👇).

The drop in views has a lot to do with IG’s crackdown on third-party bot services. This is actually a good thing because fake engagement isn’t good for anyone.

If you’re seeing a drop in your story views, here are few tips to get you back on track.

Review your analytics: You can’t grow if you don’t know. You need to check your IG analytics on the daily. Look for trends. What’s resonating? What’s not? Instagram only keeps your analytics for 2 weeks in the app, so it’s helpful to use a tool that keeps track of your data. *See tools section below.
Add relevant hashtags & locations: This is one of the best ways to increase organic reach. When folks search for locations on IG, there’s a good chance your story will populate. And don’t forget about hashtags. You’re able to use up to 10 per story. Try to niche down on your tags (posts with 10k-50k are ideal).
Post to Stories often: Consistency is key. But, seriously it is. The more you post to Stories, the greater chance you’ll have reaching your audience by being bumped up in the feed.
Use Stickers: You have a lot of options when it comes to story stickers. Wanna know the best for driving engagement? Poll, emoji slider, and question stickers. Use them. They’re free!

Check out a few more tips below. 👇

Blogging Tips For Beginners (That Actually Work)

NOVEMBER 3, 2019

The following question came up in our Facebook group last week:

“Do people read blogs anymore? My organization has a weekly post, but they’re time-consuming to write when we have other stuff on our plates.”

The general consensus was yes, folks still read blogs. In fact, 47% of buyers viewed 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep.

If you’re already blogging, great. If you’re not, check out some tips below from the folks at Ahrefs. They receive around 270k visitors per month to their site.

Niche down: This is crucial. Statista estimates that the number of bloggers in the U.S will reach 31.7 million by 2020. The competition is high. If you want to succeed with blogging, focus “on a hyper-specific topic and become the go-to expert on that topic.”
Write about what people are searching for: 51% of all website traffic comes from organic search. You need to focus your content around topics that folks are actually searching for. How do you pick those topics? Use Ahrefs content explorer tool (it’s legit).
Search intent is real: Your content needs to align with search intent. Luckily, we all have Google at our disposal. Fire up a quick search and take a look at the top 10 results for your topic. And there’s your search intent.
Make your posts easy to read: If someone clicks to your blog post, it’s because they want the information (and they want it now). Make it easy for them by using short paragraphs, breaking up your sentences, inserting multimedia, and formatting. Once you’re finished with your article, read it out loud. The goal is a nice flow.
Write amazing headlines: Advertising legend, David Ogilvy said, “On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.” To dial in your titles, head over to Google and take note of popular blogs. Also, use the free headline analyzer tool by CoSchedule.

Want to see 12 more tips? Smash that button below.

Instagram Updates You Should Know

OCTOBER 29, 2019

Instagram made a few updates this month and they’re big ones.

And because our goal is to keep you sharp, here they are:

Augmented Reality: While AR is still trying to find its place, the benefits will likely be huge for marketers. Whether you’re wanting to see how a new lipstick looks or new furniture in your living room, AR is going to change the buying process for sure. Instagram is testing an on-platform AR shopping feature with select advertisers 🙌🏼. The release date is TBD.
Direct Messaging App “Threads” Is Released: Stories meets DM in this standalone direct messaging app called Threads. “Right now, Threads is extremely user-focused.” The interaction for businesses will likely come sooner than later. #Monetize.
Set Reminders for Product Launches: If you’re in E-commerce, this is great news. This new feature allows “businesses using the shopping platform to learn about and preview products that aren’t even officially for sale yet.” What’s really cool is that you can add a sticker to your story which will indicate your launch date. Potential customers can then set a reminder with a click of a button (directly from the story).

And now you know. 🤘🏼

Why You 100% Need to Be Using Landing Pages

OCTOBER 28, 2019

Alright, folks, we’re just gonna come right out with it today.

If you aren’t using landing pages in your marketing campaigns, you should seriously reconsider.

Hear us out.

If you’re trying to get your customers to actually convert, there’s a good chance it’s not going to happen by sending them directly to your homepage.

Landing pages have one goal: Conversion.

Implementing landing pages puts you in the driver’s seat by controlling where you want to take your visitor. Research suggests that landing pages double conversion rates and average order value. 😲

So, what makes a great landing page?

Aligned with your paid advertisement: Since you’ve already set the expectation from your ad, it’s crucial to ensure that your landing page matches the same messaging.
Get to the point: “Quick to the point, to the point no faking.” Take the Vanilla Ice approach with your landing page. Stick to the value of your offer. Keep things digestible with section breaks, headers, and bullet points.
Optimize for desktop and mobile: Mobile devices made up 42% of total time spent online in 2018. If you’re not building separate pages for smaller screens, you need to at least make sure the pages you do have are responsive. Use a simple layout and keep load times as short as possible.
Laser-focused on the goal: Be deliberate with each element of your landing page. The goal is conversion. If you think it’s distracting or unnecessary, get rid of it. This includes navigation.

Simple and Fast Ways to Elevate Your Content

OCTOBER 27, 2019

Happy Monday.

Today is all about that CONTENT.

If you’re creating content to fill your website and social media pages without optimizing for conversions, it’s time to hit the pause button.

Let’s talk about a few ways to boost your content:

Know your audience: Yep, you’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again. Don’t take this step for granted. Knowing your audience will ensure you’re putting out the right content.
Focus on titles: Not only do you need a catchy title, but your title has to reflect the crux of your article. When it comes to writing a killer title, think about these things: use numbers and stats, tease the reader (but don’t give it all away), use CoSchedule’s headline analyzer, and don’t be tempted by clickbait.
Don’t focus on selling all the time: Love him or hate him, Gary Vaynerchuck knows a thing or two about this. In fact, he wrote a whole book about it (Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook). It’s all about giving your customers value without going in for the sale (hook) right away.
Offer actual insight: Have you ever Googled something, clicked it and found yourself wondering why you just wasted your precious time? Don’t do that with your brand. Stay away from the fluff and keep the attention of your audience.
Use data: Numbers are impactful and lead to clicks. For example, 1 in 4 Millennials and Gen Z-ers look on Instagram Stories for the products and services they want to buy. That’s a trend you’d likely be interested in as a marketer.
Be mindful of structure: Make the return button (enter) your friend. Nobody wants to read a block of text. SEJ says, “longer paragraphs (up to 15 rows) are fine within articles or blog posts. For emails, 5 rows should be the limit.” Bullet points and images are also a great way to break up longer posts.

Check out a few more tips below.

Build an Email List from Scratch

OCTOBER 23, 2019

Rome wasn’t built in a day nor was the Daily Carnage email list. It all started with those first few emails. Today, we’re over 30k strong. 🙌🏼

These things take time folks. If you’re just getting into the email game, here are 7 strategies to try out.

Create a free download with a landing page and Pin it: Worksheets, PDFs, infographics, etc. are all great ways to build your list. Use a tool like Unbounce to create a simple landing page. Once your landing page is set up, head over to Pinterest and create a simple graphic. Come up with a good description using your keywords and pin it for the world to see.
Add Calls to Action to your social media pages: Let’s talk about your Facebook business page real quick. You know that button below your cover image? Ya, you do. Customize it to read ‘Sign Up.’ Link the button to the landing page you just created.
Create specific content upgrade pop-ups: “Content upgrades work wonders to convert readers into subscribers far better than a generic subscribe pop-up.” To see what content is resonating, head over to your Google Analytics account and click Behavior > Site Content > All Pages.
Survey your customers with Qualaroo or Hotjar: All you have to do here is create an opt-in lead form for anyone who answers your survey using one of the tools suggested. It’s a low-hanging fruit to drive subs.
Make a better confirmation page: Don’t be lame and send your new subscriber(s) a generic success notification. If you want to retain your subs, craft a well thought out confirmation page including what they signed up for, who you are, what they can expect, and instructions to follow you on social media.
Give your visitors two options: Rather than giving your visitors an option to ‘X’ out of your popup, consider adding a link below your CTA button. Something like, “No thanks, I’m not interested.” Use a tool like Sumo for that.
Use a referral system: When our email list started to gain steam, we wanted to utilize our top subscribers. What’d we do? Created an email referral system to turn our top subs into brand advocates. If you scroll to the bottom of this email, you’ll see our referral system in action.