How To
4 digital strategies to gain an edge on your competition
With every meeting i have with either an advertising agency or direct clients, this question pops up “How do we win over our competition?”.
It’s no a secret that the competition is getting tougher by the minute, whither you’re a telecom company, car dealer or even a food blogger. To be honest, there is no one straight answer for this question.
However, as a digital marketer, I’ve recently been able to come up with ways and strategies to help brands (especially those who are late in the game) to find unusual ways to win over their competitors in the advertising and audiences reach zone.
Here’s a list of four strategies you can make use of:
1. Create Content Outside Your Niche
Creating content outside your niche is basically just like introducing a side service to your shop. Let me give you a live example of what I mean.
In Egypt, streets are filled with kiosks (they usually sell defined items like chips, biscuits, soda and etc…), few ones decided that they want more customers, so they started providing photocopying service, bought a photocopy machines and waited for the massive amounts of students wanted to photocopy the lectures and books for their study. Image credit: Al-Ahram
When the photocopying machine was introduced, it hasn’t only introduced new line of business for the Kiosk, but it has boosted audiences. The audiences often drink a soda or eat some biscuits while photocopying their documents.
It’s basically the same for writing content outside your niche. When you create content outside your regular audiences you’re reaching out to new audiences that your competition might have not reached yet, even if you didn’t instantly see massive results, you’re still basing these audiences for future.
2. Increase your content frequency
In 2013, Facebook recorded 2.5m posts per minute, Twitter recorded 280k tweets per minute, while WordPress recorded 817 blogs per minute.
2016 Facebook recorded 3.3m posts per minute, Twitter recorded 500k tweets per minute, and 1,212 WordPress posts per minute.
Google indexed pages over time
A huge boost in Google indexed pages, as it has grown from 1 trillion to 30 trillion in the last 7 years.
In Google indexed pages about future is more content, he talked about “The Post” strategy of increasing their articles per day, The post now posts 1,200 articles per day and they saw 28% increase in their traffic, this tell us that it’s no longer about the quality -as we always thought- but rather about the quantity too.
Worth mentioning is Content Shock – a term that was coined by Mark Schaefer who believes that there is a limit to the amount of content a person can take in.
3. Target Your competitors’ keywords
You should not stop at targeting your very own keywords only, use your competition’s success by targeting their keywords or products names.
Here’re 4 strategies on Gmail, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter
GMAIL
Email marketing is one of the highest lead generation sources, your audiences are receiving and opening marketing emails from your competition, Luckily, on Gmail, you can advertise within Gmail itself, by targeting your competition’s keywords, your product can be displayed for the reader while reading your competition’s Marketing email. Make sure to subscribe to your competition’s newsletter to get an understanding of what they send. Find more tips about cracking the code for GMAIL ads
YouTube
Similar to Gmail, you can target your audiences who are watching competition’s videos on YouTube, use their keywords to interrupt their videos. Your goal is simply whenever someone searches for your competition’s video, your ad is displayed on that video.
On Facebook, you can’t use keywords targeting, but In many cases, Facebook treats our pages as interests, use the interest-based targeting (by searching for your competitions brand name or URL) to target your competition’s audiences.
Twitter is very dynamic and public, I’ve written a separate article to 5 hacks you can use right now to improve your Advertising Strategy on Twitter. Basically, Twitter allow of exporting public lists and followers list, these lists are valuable information for you, you can export your competition’s list and targeted them using Tailored Audiences.
4. Try different media forms with your own touch
How many of us got super excited when they were just getting started in this business and got their content featured by a well-established company of account.
When I was starting in building my followers on Instagram (which I still am) I thought of new format that would catch these brands attention and maybe get my content featured by them.
Before I got my rover, I was thinking of by a 4×4, living in Saudi Arabia, the 1st car came in mind was the FJ Cruiser, while searching for the car picture, I stumbled upon one particular photo that I liked, the digital marketer in me and with my little knowledge about Photoshop, I decided to put identity on the car I was about to buy and made this design of the car, which was later on reposted on Instagram by @ToyotaALJ (Toyota Saudi Arabia)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDq81VxgRiq/
They had posted the same exact photo, but I took the photo and added my own effects and identity (made it a bit cartoonish) and that made it stand out and my post was featured.
What I’m trying to say, your content must stand out in order to gain on your competition.
A URL Shortener is a technique in which a URL may be made shorter and still redirect to the original long page.
Most URL Shorteners are free and easy to use but come with limitations.
Google shut down its Google URL Shortener in 2018 with continued support until March 30, 2019. However, all existing links will continue to redirect to the intended destination.
Top URL Shortener Services on the Internet
1. Bitly.com
Bitly offers a free and enterprise version of its URL shortening service. No signup necessary, but creating an account allows you to manage links quickly and change the short link characters if you wish.
According to this Quora answer, the enterprise version of Bitly costs around $995/month.
Pro Tip: add + after the short link to access analytics of any bitly link. bitly.com/link+
2. TinyURL
A simple shortener that requires no sign-up and allows users to customize the keyword. The service is free to use, but there is no analytics.
3. Short.io
The best shorten link provider so far, it has so many useful features such as google analytics integration, bulk import, broken links detection, built-in analytics with so many details, link cloaking, and more.
Cost: affordable compared to similar solutions.
4. Rebrandly
Rebrandly is one of the popular URL shortener services in the market. It’s the most complete and reliable link management platform. Their solution provides the easiest way to create, measure, and manage short URLs with a custom domain name.
You can buy your domain name using Rebrandly, tag your URLs using UTM tagging, allow social media pixels to optimize for conversions, and more.
It’s expensive compared to other solutions.
5. eg.gd
eg.gd is a new URL shortener service that offers the same as rebrandly but for free. It was launched last year when bit.ly service was blocked in Egypt.
In the course of my professional endeavors, I consistently inquire about the origins of information, the methods by which our audience discovers us, and the roots of potential leads. These inquiries, among others, are integral to unraveling the complexities of the marketing funnel.
A commonplace challenge encountered by numerous marketers on a daily basis revolves around a pivotal question: which blog post proves most effective in generating leads and conversions?
If you have a blog on Webflow that includes a lead gen form or a newsletter form in all blog posts, when you receive an email from one of the forms – of course, you have to find out the URL of the respective page. This way, you can detect the top converting posts.
I’ve been searching for a solution here and there and finally found it. So, I thought to share it here.
How to automatically include the current URL in the webflow form?
- Add an embed code before the submit button of your lead generation form or any other form type – make it hidden, and insert the following code into it then save.
- The javascript code you need to make this work:
<script type="text/javascript"> window.onload=function()
{document.getElementById('pageurl').value = window.location.href;} </script>
<input type="hidden" id="pageurl" name="pageurl" value="pageurl" />
3. Once published, any new form submission will have a new column called “pageurl” so you can detect the source page of this submission.
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In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve is paramount. One essential factor that often flies under the radar is Google’s E-A-T principle, which stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. This principle, now upgraded to E-E-A-T to include Experience, plays a pivotal role in enhancing website credibility and user experience.
In this article, we’ll delve into how understanding and implementing E-E-A-T can significantly influence your search engine rankings.
Unearthing the Essence of Google E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T is an acronym that encapsulates the qualities Google values when assessing the quality of online content. While it might not be explicitly mentioned in Google’s 200 known ranking factors, it holds undeniable significance in the eyes of quality raters and SEO professionals alike.
Expertise: Mastering Your Domain
Expertise is the cornerstone of E-E-A-T. It revolves around showcasing your in-depth knowledge and proficiency in your niche. To demonstrate your expertise effectively, consider these strategies:
1. Comprehensive Subject Mastery: Your content should reflect a deep understanding of your subject matter, leaving no room for ambiguity.
2. Credentials and Qualifications: Display relevant qualifications and credentials to bolster your credibility.
3. Proven Track Record: Highlight your past accomplishments and successes, as they can instill trust in your audience.
4. Research and Data: Stay updated with the latest research and trends in your field and back your content with accurate data.
5. Niche Specialization: Focus on a specific niche to establish yourself as an expert in that area.
6. Active Contribution: Contribute to your field by publishing content, and research papers, speaking at relevant events, or joining professional organizations.
Experience: Real-World Application Matters
Experience complements expertise by emphasizing practical, real-world application. To convey your experience effectively, consider these tactics:
1. Practical Application: Apply your knowledge in real-world scenarios and showcase your problem-solving skills.
2. Case Studies: Present real-world examples and results to illustrate your expertise in action.
3. Success Stories: Share stories of achievements or satisfied clients to instill confidence in your abilities.
4. Portfolio Display: For creative fields, such as design, art, or writing, showcase your previous work to demonstrate your experience.
5. Knowledge Demonstration: Stay updated with industry best practices, trends, and new developments, and share your insights through blog posts, articles, or speaking engagements.
6. Customer Testimonials: Positive testimonials from satisfied customers provide social proof of your expertise.
Authoritativeness: Building a Trustworthy Reputation
Authoritativeness centers on establishing your website as a reliable source of information within your niche. To enhance your authoritativeness, consider the following strategies:
1. Backlinks and Citations: Earn backlinks from authoritative websites in your industry, a strong signal of your website’s trustworthiness.
2. Awards and Recognition: Credible recognition, such as awards and certifications, contributes to your reputation.
3. Thought Leadership: Demonstrate authority through original research or innovative ideas, and engage in industry discussions.
4. Collaboration with Experts: Collaborate with recognized experts in your field through co-authored articles or speaking engagements.
5. Strong Social Media Presence: Engage with your audience on social media platforms to establish yourself as an authoritative figure.
6. Consistent, Relevant Content: Create high-quality content consistently to build credibility with users and search engines.
Trustworthiness: The Bedrock of Credibility
Trustworthiness is the final piece of the E-E-A-T puzzle, focusing on the credibility of your website’s information. To foster trustworthiness, adhere to these guidelines:
1. Transparency: Be transparent about your brand, contact details, business operations, and the purpose of your content.
2. Provide Accurate Information: Ensure your content is factually correct and up-to-date, and avoid misleading practices.
3. Ethical Practices: Follow ethical guidelines, respect user privacy, handle sensitive data responsibly, and comply with relevant laws.
4. User Experience and Security: Create a positive user experience and prioritize website security with HTTPS connections.
5. Customer Testimonials and Reviews: Genuine testimonials from satisfied customers bolster your website’s trustworthiness.
6. Customer Support: Offer prompt and helpful customer support to engage with your audience effectively.
7. Disclosure of Affiliations: Clearly disclose any affiliations or sponsorships that might impact your content.
While Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines may not explicitly mention E-E-A-T, adhering to these principles can significantly improve your website’s credibility and user experience. Remember, achieving higher SERP rankings requires a holistic approach, and understanding and implementing E-E-A-T is a valuable piece of the puzzle.
If you need expert guidance, consider enlisting the support of professional SEO services to help you navigate this ever-changing landscape.
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