Category: Marketing

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How To Choose The Best Broker For You

How To Choose The Best Broker For You

Choosing the right Forex broker can make a big difference in launching a successful investment career in the trillion-dollar forex market. However, choosing the best forex broker is no easy task given the overwhelming number of brokers all gunning for people’s money at any given time. 1. Types of Forex Brokers : When it comes to online foreign exchange trading, an important consideration is opening a trading account with a reputable forex broker. There are three types of forex brokers ranked based on how they handle transactions and how they execute market orders. No Dealing Brokers : As the name implies, No Dealing Brokers lack a dealing desk and instead, strive to offer the best composite quotes from multiple forex quote providers. In this case, providers will post their best market prices that NDD forex broker will have to choose to execute transactions. NDD brokers charge a commission or widen the bid-offer in order to make profits from trades entered by traders. Market Makers : A market maker is a type of forex broker that offers a two-sided customer market. In this case, the broker always ends up taking the other side of trade depending on the side that a forex trader has taken. In case a trader makes a buy, the broker is obliged to take the sell-side. Electronic Communication Network : An ECN forex broker provides a platform whereby forex traders from all walks of life regardless of skills congregate to place trades. 2. Features of a Reliable Forex Broker : Regulatory Compliance : In a sector where the number of international forex brokers can be overwhelming, scrutinizing regulatory compliance can be the only way of ending up with a reliable forex broker. Going through forex brokers reviews do not a sure way of ending up with a reputable broker as such reviews can be manipulated. Highest rated forex brokers are always in compliance with the highest level of regulation depending on jurisdiction. For example in the U.S, regulated forex brokers are members of the National Futures Association and are registered by the U.S Commodity Futures Trading Commission as well as the Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer. A flashy forex broker website cannot be used to rate a broker. Trading with a regulated broker is essential if one is to rest assured of the security of their deposits as well as the integrity when it comes to trade execution. Trading Platform : The best forex trading account is one that comes with a trading platform that is pleasing, easy to use and has a variety of indicators and tools for technical analysis. Legit forex trading companies offer trading platforms that have clear-cut buy and sell buttons. Some go the extra mile and provide panic buttons for closing all open positions at once. Conversely, trading with a forex broker offering a poorly designed platform can lead to costly mistakes such as opening a trade when one intended to close or going short when one meant to go long. Customer Service : Highest rated forex traders come with a robust customer service team that is always on dial any time of day to address forex trader’s needs. When choosing a forex broker, it would be essential to give them a random call just to get an idea of the service they are likely to offer once an account is opened. 3. How to Identify a Good Broker : A good forex trader is one that charges lowest transaction costs when opening and closing trades. Spread and commission charges can significantly eat into one returns if caution is not taken. Legit forex trading companies allow people to deposit and withdraw funds hassle-free. Any broker that comes with restrictions on when one can withdraw or the amount of money one can withdrawal should be a big no. Execution of trades is another aspect that one should always pay close attention to when selecting forex brokers. Under the normal market condition, a forex broker should allow trades to get filled, at or very close to the market price on the screen. Going through forex broker reviews is of utmost importance prior to opening a forex trading account. Such reviews provide clear-cut information about the kind of forex trading service one is likely to experience based on other forex trader’s experience. In addition, trading with a regulated forex broker is a must. Read Also : How Real Estate Factors Into Business Decisions Protecting Your Business From Retail Theft 6 Tips To Help Your Business Stay Ahead Of The Competition

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Business Marketing

Explore Some Interesting Marketing Trends for Your Business in 2018

How effective is your business marketing strategy? Have you been successful in staying abreast with the latest marketing trends? Have you been implementing effective strategies for measuring your success? If the answers to the above questions are no, do not lose heart. You are certainly not alone on this count. Several small businesses and SMEs do not even bother to find out if at all their business marketing tactics are working successfully. Here we would be examining some of the latest business marketing trends that are dominating the scenario today. You are advised to follow these strategies for gaining incredible business success. Tune Your Market Strategy : A small segment of business owners is aware when their market strategies are tanking. This could happen due to lack of planning, poor planning, haphazard attempts at success and no foresight. Successful digital marketers know that a large portion of their budget must go into content marketing on blogs, social media, and emails and so on. Good content must be created and promoted so that the business is noticed and can take off. Plan, Plan, Plan Less than 40% of businesses have effective content marketing strategies in place. Some fail due to poor quality content, others because they don't target their audience properly. A good marketer always tracks activity through each stage of the funnel and ensure that the strategy is fine-tuned when things go wrong. Tracking & Measuring : How to gain marketing success digitally for your SMEs could still seem to be a mystery for many of you. A huge percentage of small business entrepreneurs, as much as 46 percent to be precise, actually do not have any idea if the marketing strategies for their businesses are effectively working or not. Thanks to the present cutting-edge technologies, you are in a position to keep on tracking all your marketing returns, expenses, and debt.  For example, you could today find out exactly how much it would be costing your business for acquiring a new customer. You must consider all dollars diverted toward various areas of marketing including social media, website, blog writing, trade shows, direct mail, paid social, etc. you must consider factoring in all you have already spent on all these important marketing elements and then divide the amount by the number of new clients you acquire every month. Moreover, you must find out from exactly which marketing channel you are able to get new clients and more inquiries. It is imperative to consistently track ROI. Social Media Marketing Is Currently the Rage : As per a recent study, it has been predicted that 2018 is surely going to be the year of intense social media promotion and marketing. Among the SMEs, an impressive 71 percent is expected to gain new clients by using social media platforms effectively for marketing their brands.  This present marketing trend must be given a lot of importance and most entrepreneurs are appreciating and understanding the effectiveness of social media marketing. Social media is certainly one of the hottest business marketing trends. Facebook is obviously the prime choice for small businesses as 79% of entrepreneurs would be using Facebook in all their marketing endeavors. Will your business be benefitted if you incorporate the social media marketing plans into your business strategy? According to some Facebook exponents, Facebook success is all about going mobile.  If you wish to maximize the impact of Facebook in the marketing and promotion of your business, you must dedicate all your efforts at generating and delivering everything mobile-friendly. Virtual Reality Is Common : Virtual reality is gaining importance by the day and is, therefore, becoming a common marketing tool for both small and big brands. The actual challenge would be to utilize Virtual Reality or VR in such an effective way that it really makes sense for both your target audience and brand messaging in general. VR marketing actually is an emerging trend and now is the right time for exploring the options that are available to you and getting well ahead of the competition. More Dependence on Interactive Content : Several brands, particularly in the B2B sector are relying heavily on PDF content or blog content for generating leads as an integral part of content marketing tactics for their organizations. 2018 is going to be the year of interactive web experiences which ultimately help in boosting engagement. These experiences would be demonstrating amazing thought leadership content definitely in more impressive, visual, and animated ways. Pinterest : Pinterest is actually regarded as a niche social networking site. However, it is forecasted to be a huge success. The best way of grabbing marketing attention is by utilizing Pinterest Lens and its versatility and functionality for engaging effectively with consumers and showcasing your mind-blowing style, products, and services. Artificial Intelligence : Early exponents of AI or Artificial Intelligence have categorically realized the efficacy of AI in boosting user engagement. However, incorporating AI into any site’s chatbox such as the Facebook messenger could be creating more creativity and it also helps you to understand clearly the target market of the brand. Artificial intelligence would be addressing consumer needs and issues with perfection and the same degree of efficacy as a human agent. Remember it would be quite effective and helpful if the artificial intelligence experience absolutely delights your customers in basically lighthearted and fun ways. Conclusion : This year marketing trends have focused on honesty and authenticity. The latest marketing trend is to focus on stark reality or brutal honesty and this marketing trend is winning a lot of acclaim and appreciation. Marketers could discuss their products and explain clearly how advantageous those products or services are. They must, at the same time, tell their target audience the scope for improvement and the flaws that may still exist. All these statements could be supported by truly objective customer reviews. Authenticity for brands is the hottest marketing trend today. Around 86 percent of the customers feel authenticity is of utmost importance while deciding and evaluating the brands. Around 60 percent of consumers believe that user-generated content is the best form of authentic content. Read Also : Marketing – What’s Right For Your Business? Know Why Content Marketing Is Important For SEO Digital Marketing: Utilize Facebook To Support Your Hospitality Business

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Growing Business

Tips on Selecting a Storage Solution for Your Growing Business

As your business grows, so does the need for secured professional data storage. You will have to store information in the form of graphics, e-mails, audio files, document presentations, spreadsheets among other forms. As a business owner, you should understand that you need more space to store your data when you develop new business systems or applications, generate new database records or create more files. In most cases, choosing a reliable storage solution is difficult because there are numerous professional companies offering such services. The following tips can help you determine the right storage solution for your business: 1. Assess your current and future data storage needs : Since your business is growing with time, you should first consider your current and future needs for storage. You should start by determining whether you have the minimum storage requirements for your device drivers, applications, documents, etc. Of the space you have left, you need to determine whether it can sustain your storage needs for the next five years. You can manage your business storage needs by restricting the number of storage employees can use, but you cannot sustain these restrictions for a long period of time. 2. Consider your storage options " Your storage option can be determined by the type of business you are running, your storage needs and your budget. Hence, it is very important to consider all the options to avoid making a mistake or invest your money wrongly. If it is your first time to choose a storage option for your business or you are not familiar with the options, seeking professional advice is highly recommended. However, you will have to spend some money, but it is the right thing to do instead of taking risks or depending on trial and error. Flash memory thumb drives, external hard drives, network-attached storage, and online storage are some of the options you can choose from although cloud storage is a form of online storage that increases the performance of your network, makes data easily accessible to your employees and guarantees data safety even in case of system failure. If you are not sure about the storage option to choose or even the pros and cons of the options available, you can visit ServerMania.com to learn more about these storage options. The site offers a range of information mainly about cloud storage to help you make the choice. In fact, if you don’t know the storage option to choose, you can seek professional advice from the site. 3. Develop a plan : Finally, after making up your mind that you need a data storage solution, you need to develop a plan. The plan will help you make the right choice, spend wisely and exhaust all the option(s) before you make a final decision. Consulting with a trusted IT advisor is the first thing you should do to benefit from their vast experience, knowledge, and skills. Secondly, you will have to research on your own because you cannot rely solely on opinions and ideas from other people. You will have to dispute them, argue, ask questions and give your opinion. Prudent business owners do not wait until they need more storage to look for options. Instead, they start planning in advance to avoid making mistakes and explore all the available options. Even if you are looking for a viable storage option, you don’t have to spend a lot of money because it can affect your business. In fact, you should remember that you will spend more money as your business grows because you will have more storage needs. This means that you need to be very considerate when selecting a storage solution. Read Also : 5 Steps On How To Market Your Business Using Social Media Why Every Business Needs Digital Marketing Make Your Business Popular Online

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business money

How to use IT to Save Your Business Money

In a world that’s focused on making your business fly, ‘return on investment’ (ROI) is a term that’s usually talked about when you’re planning SEO, PPC or social marketing strategies. In fact, IT can offer a huge ROI for your business – simply by streamlining processes that could otherwise see your team or contractors spending unnecessary time struggling with sub-par systems and devices. We’ll walk you through 6 of the best ways to save money, with nothing but IT as your tool… How to use IT to Save Your Business Money: Explore open-source software : It’s easy to forget that Microsoft, Google, Adobe and the other huge software and service providers aren’t the only companies out there who create worthwhile resources. If you’re used to working for a company, you might take it for granted that the typical applications you’ll use (think; word processing, spreadsheets, customer relationship management, accounting – and much more) are just there for you within a few clicks – but actually, those pieces of software cost a significant amount of money. The truth is, the household names are the ones we know about because they’ve got the budget to market their products far and wide – but in fact, there’s a host of great open-source applications out there that are completely free to use – you’ve just got to know where to look. Open-source is more than just a money-saving tip though, in fact, there’s a world of developers who believe open-source is the only way you can truly reflect user’s needs in the long term – and many of those developers commit themselves to maintain and adjusting the free software to suit businesses just like yours. This TechRadar list offers some great open-source applications that’ll definitely help your business save money when compared to full price alternatives. Let employees work on their own devices : ‘Bring your own device’ (BYOD) such a simple idea – yet so many businesses resist it. When you let your employees use their own devices to do company business, you’re saving huge amounts of money – and actually increasing productivity at the same time. Countless studies have shown that employees are more comfortable and more productive when they use their own devices for work tasks – and the maths really adds up: If using a device you’re familiar with only saves 10 minutes each day – that adds up to an incredible 45 hours over the course of a full working year – essentially offering you a free week’s worth of work if you’re happy for employees to use their own machines. Of course, there are security considerations to be made – and BYOD is likely to be impractical if you’re handling a lot of sensitive client information, but if you’d like to take away a huge chunk of capital expenditure from your budget, these could be problems you’d be happy to work around. Outsource support : When it comes to money-saving, good tech systems can give and take in similar measures – but one of the largest costs to consider when you’re installing IT relates to the people who are going to support it. If you’re a small company, even if you only have a very small number of employees, you’re probably going to need someone to support your IT systems – and if you don’t have that person in place, you run the very real risk of not being able to trade if your IT network goes down. So, what does the maths look like? Well, you’ve got a $40,000 basic wage for someone who comes with the skills set needed to keep a network up and running by themselves – then you’ve got to factor holiday cover, sickness, maternity/paternity leave, training and what happens if that person decides they’d like to work somewhere else. All in all, carrying IT staff can be problematic – and extremely expensive – which is why managed network providers (MSPs) are becoming more and more popular with small to medium-sized businesses. With an MSP, you’ve got the potential of 24/7 access, 365 days a year – plus no need to worry about keeping an individual up to speed with the latest accreditations and training programs. You simply pick up the phone and access the support – which, most of the time, can be applied to your systems remotely. If you’d like your tech to save you thousands – you could do a lot worse than finding a good MSP and treating them like they’re one of your valued team. Buy resources ‘as a service’ : If you’re bringing your IT support onboard as an outsourced service – why not do the same with your applications, platforms, and infrastructure? In the last 10 years, larger tech companies have realized that there’s an increasing number of small businesses becoming established year on year – and those companies simply do not have the money that’s needed to buy expensive software licenses, development platforms and costly networking infrastructure straight out of the gate. The solution? Offering all of the above on a subscription basis – pay for only what you use, whenever you need it? A result is an increasing number of people opting to move to solutions like Microsoft Office 365 and Google’s G-Suite – both examples of ‘Software as a Service’ (Saas). That said, it’s not just cloud-accessed software that’s available in this manner, Microsoft now provides email exchange servers on a similar subscription basis too – with the robust security you’d expect from one of the biggest tech companies on Earth. All these things are made possible by the cloud – the concept of storage and services that are hosted centrally, with your internet connection bridging the gap between your business and the resource. Of course, you’re going to need a connection that is stable and fast enough to allow uninterrupted access – but that’s more than realistic for most internet service providers. Interestingly – the monetary benefits of SaaS are actually likely to be two-fold, as there’s an increasing body of evidence that suggests people actually work more effectively together when they’re collaborating online, even when compared to sitting next to one another in an office space. If you want to increase productivity and reduce costs with the help of IT tech, you could do a lot worse than to explore which of your required resources could be procured ‘as a Service’. Read Also : How Does Modern Technology Propel The Success Of Your Business? 5 Affordable E-Commerce Shopping Carts For Small Business What Are The Benefits Associated With Crowdfunding For Businesses?

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Marketing

Marketing – What’s Right for Your Business?

When it comes to running a business, marketing plays a huge role in your day to day operations. Regardless of how big or small your business may be, it still needs a solid marketing strategy to help it grow and expand. However, with so many different types of marketing available these days, it can be difficult knowing which one is right for you. Here, you’ll discover how to decide which marketing method is right for your business. Though no matter what type of marketing your business pursues, finding the right DAM solutions to store all of your marketing content is important. Online marketing options : If you aren’t yet focusing your efforts into online marketing, you’ll definitely want to start! Digital marketing has become an integral part of modern business. As the majority of consumers turn to their smartphone to buy from and research local businesses, at the very least your company should have a website. Regardless of which type of business you run, you’ll definitely want to set up a social media account for marketing purposes. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram all provide fantastic marketing opportunities. However, you need to ensure you’re choosing the right one to match your business. You need to go where your target market is, so researching where your ideal customers hang out the most will help you to determine which platform to focus on. As well as social media, cold emailing paid ads and content marketing are all worth considering. Offline marketing : While online marketing is definitely huge right now, don’t underestimate the power of offline marketing too. Take leaflets for example. When targeted correctly, leaflets can prove to be a very powerful marketing tool, especially for local businesses. You don’t need to actually deliver the leaflets yourself either. You can hire companies like Leafletdrop.co.uk, to distribute the leaflets for you. Simply select where you’d like the leaflets delivered and they’ll take care of the rest. They can even design and print the leaflets for you. Consumers are much more likely to respond to direct offline marketing methods than they are to an email for example. You can also increase the chance of conversions by properly researching your target market and ensuring the leaflets only get dropped off at your ideal customer’s homes. Other offline options you may find useful include radio, newspapers and magazines. However, for the most part, leaflets tend to be the most successful and affordable option out there. Why a mixed approach is often best : If you’re looking to create the most successful marketing strategy, ideally, you’ll want to focus on a mixture of online and offline methods. That way, you’re going to target the largest number of consumers. Digital marketing is largely successful for millennial and middle-aged audiences, while offline methods work better at targeting the older generation. Overall, it doesn’t really matter which type of business you run, both online and offline marketing strategies can help grow your brand and capture new customers. The trick is to do as much research into your target market as you can to establish where they hang out and where your efforts are best focused on. Read Also : Know Why Content Marketing Is Important For SEO Digital Marketing: Utilize Facebook To Support Your Hospitality Business How To Deal With Debt By Doing Business Marketing Smartly?

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HVAC Business

5 Tips for Marketing Your HVAC Business That Actually Work

HVAC repair is one of those services every homeowner or property manager needs at one time or another. So why aren't you getting as much business as you want? In many parts of the country, HVAC repair is a highly competitive business. In fact, 70% of new HVAC businesses fail in their first year. Our intention isn’t to scare you but to help you recognize the importance of a strong marketing plan and help to know about the HVAC estimating software working procedure. If you're looking for new ways to market your HVAC business, the methods below have proven to be successful time and time again. Best Ways to Market Your HVAC Business : There are plenty of marketing ideas online, but how do you know which ones will actually work? Here are a few of the most important and reliable methods: A Great Website : We truly can't emphasize this one enough. With smartphones in nearly everyone's hands, the first thing a consumer does today when they hear about a company is search online. A professional-looking website is no longer just a helpful addition. If you don't have one, customers get suspicious. They start wondering if you're a legitimate company or if this is just a side business that you aren't knowledgeable about. There are sites online that will help you create your own website, even if you have no web design experience. You could also choose to hire a professional designer for a more customized and high-end look. If you're looking for examples of strong HVAC websites, look at the site for Hays Cooling and Heating. They have a professional look and they give customers everything they need to decide that this is the right company for them. Content Marketing : Let's stick to the online sector and talk about content marketing. Content marketing is the strategy of making your site an informative resource for customers, rather than one giant sales pitch. Content marketing will factor into your initial web design as well as your continuous updates. If you update your site frequently, you'll show up closer to the top of the list of results when someone searches for an HVAC company on Google or other search engines. The best way to do this is with a blog you update regularly. Keeping with the content marketing strategy, your blogs should be helpful and informative. Base them around real questions people are searching for. These blogs are also great to share on your social media profiles, so they further enhance your online presence. Networking with Other Contractors : Unfortunately, you're in an industry that is plagued by mistrust. In HVAC as well as many other types of home repair, there are some businesses and contractors who don't do their job well while taking money from customers unjustly. This means most homeowners and property managers are slow to trust their contractors. When they find one they trust, they tend to ask them for recommendations for other specialties as well. Develop relationships with plumbers, home builders, cement layers, and other construction-based specialties. We're not talking about a formal arrangement. Just make sure they know who you are and what you do good work. If one of their clients is looking for HVAC services in the future, those contractors are more likely to refer them to you. Pay-Per-Click Advertising : We all know how pervasive Google is as a search engine. When it comes to digital marketing, one of your primary goals is showing up higher on Google's search results. So why not go directly to the source? Paid ads through Google will put you at the top of one of the first pages when customers Google a relevant search term. You can also set any budget you're comfortable with, so nearly any business can afford some level of paid search engine marketing (SEM). Referral Codes : Remember that discussion about how slow customers are to trust contractors and home repair companies? This makes customer referrals another powerful marketing tool. You don't have direct control over whether a happy customer refers you, but you can give them an incentive. Rather than posting general coupon codes online to drive business, give referral codes to past customers. If a new customer hires you with a previous customer's discount code, the new customer gets a discount and the previous customer gets credit toward future services. Exhibit at Local Home Expos : Many cities and regions have occasional home expos. These are shows where homeowners can learn about all the latest updates on the services they may need, while also meeting their local service providers. Not everyone likes to socialize and sell themselves, but these expos are vital opportunities. You have an audience full of people who are potential customers, so be sure to get involved. Signage on Your Van/Truck : Half the battle with marketing is simply getting your name out there. The more a customer sees your name, the more they'll see you as a legitimate, trustworthy company. One cost-effective way to spread the word is by using the space on the side of your van or truck. This actually serves two purposes. First, it gives you more visibility. Second, it gives you a more professional image. If you pull up to a customer's home in a branded van with a name you're trying to stand behind, as opposed to a beat-up anonymous truck, it adds a layer of credibility. Building Your Online Reputation : Here we are, back at trust again. Online reviews are one of the most important ways to get new business (or avoid losing new business). Looking up online reviews is common practice for consumers today, especially if they're making a large purchase like an HVAC repair. Build your online reputation on Google, Yelp, Angie's List, and more by encouraging happy customers to post reviews. Setting Up Your HVAC Business for Success : An HVAC business isn't always an easy one to start, and it takes dedication and planning to make it work. But with the tips above, you can build up your business and secure a future for your company. For more help starting or growing your business, check out our business tips blog. Read Also : Know Why Content Marketing Is Important For SEO 4 Points To Consider When Creating A Great Content Marketing Strategy Today How To Deal With Debt By Doing Business Marketing Smartly?

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Writing

Top 5 Benefits of Writing Term Papers

Writing term papers is considered by many students as the bane of their existence. Apart from requiring hours of writing, term papers also involve a great deal of researching, reading, and thinking. It is no wonder then why many see term papers as a chore than a great learning opportunity. But more than just for completing academic requirements, learning how to write term papers actually offers many benefits that are useful not just in school but in many other settings and situations including the professional environment. Expands Knowledge : One of the more obvious benefits of writing term papers is that it expands knowledge. Researching and reading are two crucial phases of the writing process. Engaging with sources such as books and journals exposes a student to a great deal of information that is eventually absorbed by the student’s mind. This is especially true if the topic of the term paper is of personal interest to the student. When students are made to write on subjects that they are passionate about, the chances of retaining knowledge increases and the writing process becomes an enjoyable learning experience. Each term paper leads to more knowledge being acquired. Teaches Correct Citation and Formatting : Another benefit of writing term papers is that it teaches correct citation and formatting. Term papers are usually required to follow certain citation styles such as MLA, APA, or Chicago among others. Each of these prescribes standard ways of formatting the paper and citing sources. When students write terms papers, they also become familiar with these citation styles. Learning these styles is particularly useful since formatting papers and citing sources are practiced even in the professional environment. Improves Communication and Language Skills : Writing term papers also benefits students by developing their communication and language skills. One characteristic of a successful term paper is clarity, or the ability to convey messages in a way that the reader can easily understand. Through continuous writing, a student gets better at expressing his or herself, such as by expanding vocabulary, choosing the right words, and constructing effective sentences and paragraphs. Of course, better communication and language skills are useful in every setting. Enhances Critical Thinking : Writing term papers prompts students to think hard about the topics they write about. Though writing may be mentally challenging, it benefits students by making them think in more critical ways. Students are advised to approach writing with an open mind and an objective view. They are encouraged to consider different perspectives, evaluate evidence, and be prepared to form or change their opinions. Students are called upon to take a stance and defend their position with strong arguments. By challenging minds, writing helps in making critical thinkers out of students. The ability to think critically, in turn, is a life skill that can be practiced in different environments especially in the workplace. Develops Organizational, Research, and Planning Skills : Finally, the benefits of writing term papers include the development of a whole set of organizational, research, and planning skills. Writing, like many other tasks, is a process that involves activities such as researching, prewriting, writing, revising, and proofreading among others. Through writing, students learn how to plan their activities, evaluate the credibility of sources, collect and organize information, manage their time effectively, and exercise responsibility. These skills along with the discipline that students develop are valuable competencies that help students succeed not only in school but also in life outside of campus. Though writing is no easy job, the benefits of writing term papers should be more than enough to encourage students to embrace this academic requirement. When students find that the knowledge and skills they have learned can be useful in other settings and situations, they will look back and be thankful for how writing has made them better individuals. Read Also : Top 7 Things To Take Into Consideration When Selecting Essay Writing Service Argumentative Writing – The Skills You Need To Develop 7 Ways To Get Better At Writing: Personal Growth

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Sell Art Online

10 Ideas To Successfully Sell Your Art Online

Selling art is always a challenge. You have to find ways to bring it to the attention of interested buyers. This involves working with agents, having big galleries to display your art, and so on. However, with the explosive growth of the web and the online market, artists now have more choices when it comes to promoting their work. How to Sell Your Art Online : You now have many different ways to provide exposure to your art online and find buyers. From online art galleries to creating your own website to sell your art, to promote your work through social media, there are many options. 1. Online Art Galleries : The best way to sell art is to get people to see it. Sign-up with a good online art gallery that provides good exposure and if they sell your art, you should get the major share of the sale price. You have to spend some time doing research to find good ones. The best online art galleries do not just display your work. They also curate your work and help you promote your work and to connect with other artists, and buyers, and collectors. Your art will be displayed well in the gallery in the relevant categories. Potential buyers can narrow down the results by filters like the subject, style, medium, etc. 2. Sell Through Specialized Art Marketplaces : Websites like Etsy, ArtFire, etc. focus on providing a marketplace for artists and for handcrafted work. On these websites, you can connect with other artists and artisans, show-off your work, and also get the opportunity to sell them. 3. Popular Shops and Auction Sites : While you are exploring your options, don’t forget websites like Amazon and eBay. Yes, they deal with a lot of different products. But they also let you reach millions of people across the world. To sell your art through these sites, you have to make sure that you promote your product links on social media, ads, and other means. 4. Build Your Own Website : There are now many ways to get your own online store with minimal investment. You can try TicTail, SquareSpace, or an eCommerce platform like Shopify. You can choose web templates to make sure your website looks good. Choose templates that are ideal for displaying art. Build your website and start promoting it to get visitors to your site who may become buyers. 5. Sell Through Social Media : Use social media websites like Facebook to promote and sell your art. However, for social media to be an effective marketing tool, you need to establish yourself as a person worth following. You need to build your personal profile, connect with other people, respond to other people’s posts, contribute useful content in communities, and so on. You can begin talking about your work and try to generate interest in it. Tweet about any sales you made or a new painting you added to an online gallery etc. on Twitter. Use Facebook well. Create a business page on Facebook and post interesting content about your art, show off your work. You can even set up shop on Facebook and sell on it. 6. Print-On-Demand Websites : With print-on-demand websites, you can get exposure to your artwork in many ways. You can sell prints of your work. You can have your art printed on several merchandise like shirts, coffee mugs, smartphone cases, and so on. This will create an awareness of your work and also provide a stream of income for you, letting you concentrate on creating more art and saving the funds to promote them in traditional ways. 7. Create Photobooks : Take professional photographs of your artwork and then select a few to create a beautiful photo book of your art. Use a service like a Blurb which lets you create stunning photo books. Blurb has partnered with Amazon so you can easily sell your photo books directly on Amazon. 8. Use Instagram : Instagram is an image sharing site. Take snaps of a few of your paintings or other artwork and share it. Use Instagram to create awareness about your art, your style, the media you use, and so on. 9. Make Use of Stock Art Sites : Select a few of your art that you feel are good but you can afford to give away to get more exposure to your work. Create a profile for yourself on sites like Shutterstock that tell a little about your work and your style. Upload good images of your art and let people use it for other derivative works. This can give more exposure to your art and people who use your images can share your image or your whole portfolio with others on social media, spreading the word. 10. Promote Your Art Through Occasional Giveaways : Everyone likes to get something for free, and if it is an original piece of art, that adds more value to the prize. Choose a small painting or illustration that is good but one you don’t mind giving away. Choose a picture or handicraft with size and weight that won’t cost too much to send to the winner. To ensure that you get entries for the giveaway from people who are interested in the work, ask them for instance, to write about why they would like to win the prize. Make it easy for them to share the giveaway page on social media. The internet has opened up so many ways to promote your art and sell it, through your own website, through online galleries, through social media, by organizing promotional events like a giveaway. Explore your options and use as many as you can to create a buzz about your work and finding buyers for it. Read Also : How To Master Social Media For Businesses & Entrepreneurs 5 Steps On How To Market Your Business Using Social Media Using Social Media To Promote Start-Up Businesses

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Business Marketing

How to Deal With Debt By Doing Business Marketing Smartly?

Small businesses and startups often find it much easier to borrow the lion’s share of their capital. Finding an investor is never completely off the table, but it is not an easy task to do. It is much easier to find lending organizations, who are ready to test out the abilities of the new entrepreneurs to multiply their monies. Very soon, a time arises when the creditors expect at least a part of their invested money back. Now, this is a time most entrepreneurs know will come, but none are ready to face. It is almost always "too early" or "too sudden." Online marking, when you are already in massive debt? Gaining momentum for a new business not only takes time and effort, but it also takes some serious marketing skills. By marketing, we do not mean TVCs, hoardings, and pamphlets. Those are ancient forms of advertising that no one even notices anymore. If you are in such a situation, what you need is a stable dose of online marketing that will make you visible to your target audience. Here comes the biggest conundrum in the world. When a business is already nose-deep in debt, can it afford to plunge further in by going in for online marketing? That entirely depends on your perspective of online marketing. Your contenders and contemporaries may think online marketing to be an added expense, but you know what almost 71% of the US population is already online and looking for businesses like you. So, would you deem online marketing as an added expense or a smart investment? You need a website first : The first step of online marketing is getting your own presence established online. It means an excellent site. By nice, we mean something that's functional, professional, SEO optimized, and capable of attracting and converting traffic. It should represent your selling theme, services, and products perfectly. Building a website is no easy feat. You may have the enthusiasm to build a website from scratch, but not all entrepreneurs can have the coding skills and analytical skills needed to construct a working business website. Building a website from scratch can take up a lot of time, and it takes a lot of algorithms to perfect the buying and payment process. Either you can opt for DIY website builders like WordPress or Joomla, or you can surely approach a professional website builder. A professional website builder will again cost you a few bucks. If you are thinking of building a PHP based website from scratch, it will also take considerable amounts of time. Now, this is not going to be cheap for your business. Therefore, it is not uncommon for entrepreneurs to wonder if going for online marketing is the best way to a debt solution. The inspiration you need : So, let us tell you a real-life success story. Initially a nobody, Rank Fishkin started out with his own tech startup and went plummeting into a $500,000 personal debt. From there he is now the owner of the world’s largest SEO, social media, and content marketing website Moz that is netting about $40 million in revenue for the last seven years. That is a success story better than any fairy tale you will ever hear. Was it easy? Did it involve magic spells? No! It required endless hours of smart digital marketing strategies and intelligent investment moves. The moral of the story is: just because you are nose deep in debt, does not mean you can invest in something new. Digital marketing and social media marketing are the new ways to reintroduce your brand to a new world of potential buyers. People are waiting out there right now to hear from you about your products and services. How to find them? Finding the right people at the right time is the only “magic” you need to perform. You will need a few social media listening tools like HootSuite, Buffer, and Social Sprout. These offer a few free services. Their premium services cost less than a Grande. Of course, you will need to work on your social media account before you start listening to what people are saying about your brand online! So get started. Create a professional Facebook page, Twitter account, and at least an Instagram page. You need to post daily. Sometimes twice a day. Engage in regular conversations with your customers. Stay visible and exciting. If you ever run out of original content, do not shy away from asking your followers for some. Do it tactfully. Introduce new photo contests, quizzes, and polls with attractive rewards. That is the way to create user-generated content. It is the most efficient way to keep your page and wall filled with meaningful content every minute of staying online. Investing is not the problem, not spending in the right places is : Online marketing is an investment in every way possible. It is like putting a bait to catch the bigger fish. Using the right keywords in your product descriptions, doctoring your URL to suit the liking of the bots, and including image tags to become visible during Google image searches are all parts of that investment. Still, you may want to consult your personal financial advisor before you take the plunge. You need to be in touch with your financial reality before you can make new investments. Your financial advisor or your debt counselor should help you in understanding the debt program's details. Your current debt program may have reservations about making new investments or certain kinds of investments unless you pay off a certain fraction of the amount you have borrowed. Most businesses end up in a fiscal dead-end due to ignorance and bad decision-making, rather than investing in new marketing. We have seen companies drown because they were not adventurous enough and they have always played safe. In 2017, online marketing is not a luxury or an option. It is a compulsion you need to embrace before your competitors take away all your potential clients. Making yourself more visible on the internet will get you more sales and profit. It will help you make more money and pay off your debts faster than usual. Read Also : 5 Marketing Tips To Help Grow Your Business On Instagram Discovering A New Promotion Position For Your expanding Search Engine Marketing Business Top 8 Benefits Of Professional Business Cards

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Mailing Lists

Best Compilation Of Mailing Lists Of Us Companies

Mailing lists have been one of the most cost-effective methods of targeted business promotion activities. Mailing lists will never become redundant in b2b because of the need for businesses to get in touch with other businesses. Nothing can change the need for soliciting new business through cold calling and email marketing efforts. And without contact details, it would not be possible to get in touch with the targeted entities to promote products and services. Access to information on different categories of b2b entities : One of the most important requirements in mailing lists is the need for having access to specific information about the b2b entities. Details such as the size of the business, exact nature of the business, accurate contact information, the domain of the business and other information are of great importance.  A marketing effort that is targeted has better conversion rates of leads into actual business relationships. This is precisely why it is important to have a mailing list of companies by industry.   Making The Right Pitch To The Right Clientele :   Another advantage of using a segmented mailing list is the ability to create a pitch as per the needs of the targeted company. For instance, a business that needs to sell a service may have options and resources to handle both large-scale operations and operations on a smaller scale to meet the requirements of small-sized entities. However, when mass mailers or brochures are mailed out to clients, it may not be a good idea to mention services that are intended for another segment. By using a mailing list that is clearly segmented as per the size of business and volume, it is possible to send the relevant information alone. This will have a better chance of converting a lead, rather than sharing information that may not be relevant to everyone. Mining Of Information From Credible Sources : By using the services of the featured site, users get the advantage of information that is credible and verified. Most of the databases comprising records of our businesses and other businesses are compiled from public sources, cleaned, and verified before being made available to clients. This process of verifying and cleaning of information needs to be carried out by a dedicated team to offer the assurance of the accuracy of information. The featured site takes care to cross-check the information before making it available for users. This ensures that mail and calls do not bounce due to incorrect information. Data for all industries and business : The featured site offers mailing lists with data on most of the b2b categories of business that will be of use to businesses. Entities keen to tap into new territory will find the availability of credible information to be of great use in their marketing efforts. A business that manufactures products or makes available serves that can be used by all sectors of industries will find the need to make the right pitch to all industries. However, the pitches may itself differ from industry to industry, and this may require segmentation. With the availability of databases containing information about all aspects of the business, it is possible to identify the right resource who needs to be contacted. Marketing efforts differ across hierarchies in business. For instance, a c-level executive will need to be approached in a manner that is different from a manager. Relationship building exercise : Many businesses rely on mailing lists with the understanding that efforts to acquire new business may not actually succeed immediately. However, mature businesses are aware of the need for building relationships with clients over a period of time and using the relationship as a basis for converting the relationship into a business-client relationship. This can be achieved by dispatching informative newsletters and updates on the products and services, in addition to the latest information about the specific industry. By remaining in contact and engaging the b2b clients, it is possible that at some of the time in the future, the clients would find the need to use the service or the product. And it is also important to understand that clients may not necessarily avail of all the services or products, but may make a small beginning through a micro-conversion. This can slowly scale into a full-scale conversion.    

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tactics to acquire

5 Proven tactics to acquire more quality leads

Leads are the foundation for sales. While we all wish that everyone we come across as brands would convert right on the spot, that's not how it works. People need to "think about it", some need to actually see the benefits of what it is you're offering, and others just haven't been convinced yet. People are in different stages of your conversion funnel, and how they are convinced to ultimately purchase can vary a lot. To convert these individuals, you first need to gather leads, and then impact them time and time over, until they finally buy from you. Everyone is talking about the importance of collecting leads and then working to get people farther and farther down the conversion funnel, but very few people actually talk about how it is done, and what goes into doing it effectively. Additionally, there's a huge misconception about collecting leads that people make. Many people focus on acquiring as many leads as possible, and in doing so, they put zero thought into who those people actually are, which, means neglecting quality for quantity. Then, when they've gathered thousands and thousands of leads, they celebrate and cheer, without realizing that the leads they gathered were completely irrelevant and that the reason for acquiring leads in the first place is not done for the sake of having lots of leads, but to ultimately get people to buy. In this post, you'll learn how to build an email list from the people who come to your website, not by increasing the people who come to your site, but by optimizing the lead-generation process to increase your conversion rate of your visitors. And most importantly, you'll learn how you can improve the quality of the leads you get, and ensure that the ones you do get are laser-targeted to your brand and niche, and thus likely to convert into customers. 1. Create appealing subscription forms : When working to collect leads, you almost always have some sort of subscription form. Through this form, you collect information about your prospect such as email address, name, profession, etc. You've probably come across subscription forms that only ask for your email address and you've probably experienced the type of subscription-forms that ask for your name, profession, habits, and so on, where you're wondering when the number of fields is going to end. We'll go more into detail about the reasons to why some brands choose to do this further on, but now, we're going to focus on improving the format of the subscription form to give it a better visual appeal. When you're working to collect leads, you need to ensure that the subscription form is inviting and encourages people to sign-up. If the form just looks overwhelming and cluttery, you risk making your visitors confused, and ultimately losing them forever. As an example, here's Send pulse subscription form: As you can see, it is clear, concise, and asks for the most important information without coming off as intrusive or overwhelming. An important part of this is eliminating unnecessary elements of the subscription form which can risk confusing visitors. A challenge that many marketers face when they are going to set up their lead-generation form to acquire leads is that they have absolutely no expertise in coding or designing, and most importantly, they have no idea how they're going to create a subscription form to maximize conversions. The good news is that no longer, you need to have coding experience or be very good at designing in order to create a subscription form that performs well. The reason for this is that tools like Send pulse have done all of that for you. The absolute best part is that Send pulse gives you the option you to choose from their many pre-designed forms and then optimize it according to your brand and style. This means that you don't have to spend countless hours trying to figure out the format for a successful subscription form. Because with Sendpulse's subscription forms, you already have access to tried and true formats right at your fingertips that have proven to drive the best results. 2. Ask for relevant information : Here comes the answer to the cliffhanger that presented earlier about including lots of fields where you ask for information about your prospects (and why it can actually be a good thing). You might think that the fewer fields you have that your prospects need to fill in, the better, because obviously, the more people will be willing to invest their time, but that's actually not always the case. The fact is that while having a few fields can increase the number of registrations, it can also mean that many of the registrations you get are of higher quality. This is very relevant considering the fact that 61% of B2B marketers struggle to generate high-quality leads. And remember, ultimately, it's not about how many leads you can collect, it's about how many quality leads you can generate. Because ultimately, these are the only individuals who will do what you want them to do in the future, which is, become paying customers. Now, obviously, there's a fine balance between simply including too many fields that bring no value and having a high amount of fields that filter away irrelevant people, and to find the ideal length, you simply need to experiment and learn through trial and error, but the best part is that the SendPulse subscription forms allow you to add as many or as few fields as you'd like. Even better, it also allows you to add or remove whichever fields you'd like, whenever you'd like. This allows you to have full control over your lead-generation subscription forms, and at the same time be able to change and optimize them with ease within a  matter of seconds. Since you are after quality leads, not quantity, don't be afraid of asking for a lot of information about the people signing up. The more relevant questions you ask, the more certain you can be that the leads you generate are very hot. 3. Include images : Humans are visual creatures, and so I cannot emphasize just how important including visual content in your subscription form is. When it comes to creating appealing subscription forms, visuals play a huge part, and they also play a huge part in people's first impression of it, and if they decide to complete it or not. Just creating a subscription-form with text can be very overwhelming for your visitors, and this means that you risk losing people in the process. If you do, however, include images in your subscription form, you can grasp your audience's attention, and convince them to sign up. Again, if you are designing your lead-gen forms manually, including images, changing formats, and optimizing them can be a full-time job due to its complexity, but using the Send pulse subscription forms allows you to effortlessly upload and store images in any format on their server. The best part? It can be done free of charge! 4.Create responsive subscription forms : Believe it or not, but people are still using unresponsive lead-gen forms. Some just don't know how to optimize them for all devices, others just don't believe or know that it is necessary. But with the increased usage of mobile devices, making your forms responsive is crucial for increasing the number of leads you generate, because if your form isn't responsive, you can be sure that almost 100% of the people who experience an unresponsive form will leave without signing up due to a terrible experience (or because they're just not able to sign up). Manually creating forms that are responsive can be difficult, to say the least, but when using Sendpulse's subscription forms, you don't have to pay a single thought on that, because all forms are responsive. 5. Use subscription formats that are relevant to your needs : The format of your subscription forms and where they are presented have a huge impact on its performance. Sendpulse offers four different types of forms that you can use for your sign-ups, all of which support different needs. Based on how your visitors use and navigate your website, different forms can work differently well. The best part is that using this subscription forms service, you don't have to guess or ponder what might work the best. Simply put each and every one of these subscription formats into practice, and see for yourself which format works best for you. Read Also : 7 Proven Marketing Tactics To Increase Your ROI In 2018 Social Media Marketing Role In Technology Role Of Messaging Apps In Enhancing A Company’s Market Prospects

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Advertise Coupon Codes

Ways On How to Advertise Coupon Codes in Social Media

For most e-commerce websites today, be it a small one or a big one like Verizon Wireless, Coupon Codes are essential to have the business advertised on the right portals. Most coupon sites promote your brand and keep it top in the competition with similar brands. If you thought that coupon codes essentially sacrifice your revenues to get more sales, you could be quite wrong. Sometimes, even a huge discount coupon code could help drive a major sales hike. The best way to get more traction with your audience and stand out is by using effective social media strategies. Wondering how to get it done? Check out here Set Your Goals : Before you start working on your promotional campaign on social media channels, it is crucial to set your goals. Apart from getting you new customers, coupon codes can also retain existing customers when you place them right on social media. There are many interesting ways to set up your social media promotional coupons. If you are intending to clear out stock, you could start a buy one get one offer. If you would want to do it on a regular basis, the best way to do it is by setting a weekly or monthly clear out sale for your social audience. Your weekly or monthly promo cycle could help your audience look forward to your posts on social channels. This also aids customer retention. By offering a promotion on the most popular product in your shop, you can attract new customers. Set specific goals and plan your coupon code offer that suits best. Here are some of the most popular offer types: Offer Types using coupon codes: Percentage off on a specific product - 20% off all shirts Percentage off on a sale cart - 5% off on your cart at checkout Dollar off on a specific product - $10 off on your first product purchase Dollar-off on a sale cart - Buy for $100 or more and get $10 off Free shipping coupon code Buy Two Get One offers or Buy One Get One offers Coupon codes promotion on social media at regular intervals would make your brand more popular and sought after. With short-life coupon codes, you can get a good brand following. Promotion helps you fix any market gaps that your brand might face. A perfect promo plan can help you work positively towards your goal. Create Your Coupon Codes : If you are using Shopify or Bigcommerce, creating your coupon codes is pretty simple. Amazon also offers a promo code feature that is designed for social media platforms. You might also consider using tools like Snipcart to create your coupon codes and promoting them. Platforms like Rignite offers one-stop for coupon codes on social media, you can create, share as well as track the effectiveness of your coupon code that you use. It does not matter how you create your coupon codes, what matters is tracking and monitoring the campaign to derive results. Designing Your Social Media Posts : It is important to create engaging and interesting social media posts to promote your coupon codes. When you schedule your posts, make sure that they go live at the same promotional period that you have set in the system All About Creating Your Promotional Posts : When you create promotional posts for coupon codes, place your coupon codes both on the image as well as text. When your audience sees your promotion, make it clearly standing out to help them see the value. Adding a sense of urgency like short-life coupon codes or setting up a set number of codes can help to make better conversions. Adding relevant hashtags also help to promote your posts and taking them up in the right direction. Spend On Social Media Advertising : Paid promotion on social media websites like Facebook and Twitter help reach your campaign to a specific target audience outside your main followers base. Micro-Influencers Promote Your Business : Micro-influencers are a great way to promote specific niche related coupon codes. Although their audience may be smaller in number they are usually more involved and attentive to posts. Promoted posts hold more value as the base audience are usually peers who trust the micro-influencer. To partner with micro-influencers, you can use Dealspotr to find your perfect match. Branded Videos Impact On Promotion : Another effective way to promote your coupon code is by creating relevant branded videos. One of the overlooked platforms to advertise your product is YouTube. If you find creating a video difficult, you could also contact a micro-influencer from YouTube to promote your brand. Famebit is one of the popular channels to connect you with the right influencer. Tracking and Measuring ROI : Always monitor your social media promotions to find out what works best for you. Tracking down the platform that brings you more conversions is one of the most effective ways to focus your time and money on what's most effective for your brand Social media is one of the places to find the right target audience for your brand. Instead of using bargain shopping websites like Groupon and Coupon.com, promoting your coupon codes on social media is the right way to target potential buyers. Read Also : Advantages And Disadvantages Of Coupon Codes In Your Business Ways To Spice Up Your Online Shopping Of Apparels 5 Actionable Mobile Marketing Tips That Drive Sales

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