How To Start with Video Marketing

According to one recent study reported by Forbes, more than 82% of all content that people consume online will be video-based by as soon as 2022. If you needed one statistic to help underline the importance of your video marketing campaign, let it be that one.

All told, video marketing brings with it a host of unique benefits that can’t be ignored. Human beings are visual learners, and they tend to have an easier time understanding even complicated topics when presented visually. Likewise, the video itself offers intimacy and an urgency that text alone can never match.

It’s also beneficial, especially these days. Another recent study from Wyzowl.com indicated that about 84% of video marketers say video has helped them increase leads. 87% of video marketers say that video content, in general, gives them a solid return on investment.

But at the same time, there’s something of a learning curve involved in video marketing. If you’re new to this world, you’re bound to make some mistakes – and that might cost you.

Thankfully, putting together a successful video marketing campaign isn’t as difficult as you might think. It would be best if you kept a few key things in mind along the way.

1. Video Marketing Starts With a Plan

By far, the most important thing to understand about your video marketing campaign is that it must be purpose-driven.

This means that you need a plan before you even think about creating content.

What exactly do you need your video marketing campaign to do? Are you trying to increase sales? Generate leads? Increase website traffic? How are you going to track your progress to know what is working and what isn’t?

These are all the types of questions you need to answer before getting started on the content itself.

Based on these unique objectives, you can create the type of content that is laser-focused on those goals. All goals should be specific, achievable (meaning realistic), and trackable for the best results.

Don’t just start creating content, and hope you start to see results, as it will rarely go the way you think it will.

2. Rely on What You’re Familiar With

Once you know what you need your campaign to do, you can get started thinking about the types of content you’ll need to create.

Educational videos may be a good fit for your audience, for example. They include actionable steps (like in how-to videos) or are thought leadership pieces that offer advice and insight that your customers can use.

Inspirational videos are motivational pieces designed to energize your viewers.

Entertaining videos can be funny or heartwarming, but they’re designed to get people to look into your brand further.

When creating video content, try to start using it as an extension of the content you’re already creating. If your website’s blog is filled mostly with educational pieces, for example, you would want to start making educational videos, too.

You can always branch out later, but you should always start with what you’re familiar with if you’re unsure where to begin.

3. Create, Create, Create

Next comes the fun part – you get to start creating the video content that will fuel your campaign.

For each video, try to come up with relevant topics to the people who make up your “ideal” target audience. What do these people like? What do they not like? What questions do they have that you can answer? What problems do they have that you can help solve?

Don’t just create videos for the sake of it. Create them because you’re addressing one of those factors outlined above. Beyond that, try to create as much high-quality, relevant content as you can. The key to success in terms of a video marketing campaign is consistency above all else. Likewise, creating a lot of video content means you’ll only get better over time. Each video will show a meaningful quality improvement over the last.

4. Don’t Forget About Search

While you create your video content, don’t forget to make sure each piece is optimized for search. Your video title, for example, will help determine your ranking on sites like YouTube. This, along with your video’s description section, should incorporate keywords and other SEO techniques to help increase visibility as much as possible.

Resist the urge to keyword stuff, obviously, but don’t throw out SEO completely just because you’re working in a new format. Likewise, make sure that your descriptions accurately explain what your video is to increase click-through rates.

5. Harnessing the Power of Influencers

Another great way to empower your video marketing campaign involves teaming up with influencers to expand your reach. Influencers are exactly what they sound like: those “Internet celebrities” who people in your target audience are already paying attention to.

Maybe they run a successful industry blog, or they have a popular interview show on YouTube. It doesn’t matter. Teaming up with them means that your message is exposed to their audience. This can help expand your reach beyond what you may be initially capable of on your own.

A word of caution, however. Always choose your influencers carefully. If your brand appeals to families, don’t try to build a relationship with someone who is very controversial.

Likewise, make sure you communicate with your influencers and let them inform you about the type of content you should both be working on.

6. Tap Into the Potential of Ads

Finally, understand that both organic and paid traffic will be the key to your video marketing success. On the paid side of the conversation, always use targeting metrics on platforms like Facebook Ads to your advantage.

Rather than going after the biggest possible audience, you need to go after the most precise one. Use the included tools to target people based on factors like age, gender, location, and more.

In other words, target the types of people who are most likely to become one of your customers in the first place. Use the information you have about your existing audiences to build “look-alike” audiences to target.

Yes, this will help you get your video content in front of people who are more likely to enjoy it. But it will also dramatically increase your return on investment, which is the most crucial goal of all.

 

About Leamon Crooms

Leamon Crooms is the CEO and Founder of Strategic Growth Advisors, LLC. For nearly 30 years, he has helped small and large companies with strategic advice, debt financing, company sales, mergers, and acquisitions.

The Importance of Digital Marketing in 2020

Are you looking to implement a digital marketing strategy for your growing business? There’s never been a better time! With so many different digital marketing options, ranging from search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) to content marketing and social media campaigns, you can find the best combination of strategies for your business.

No matter which route you go, there are several benefits to using digital marketing for your business.

digital marketing

Potential For Global Reach

Unlike many forms of marketing, like radio and television ads, a digital marketing campaign can reach a global audience. Search engine optimization, for example, can improve your page ranking on popular search engines like Google. This, in turn, makes it easier for potential customers to find you regardless of where they may be located. And, of course, if you wish to target a more localized audience, there are plenty of tools and resources for this as well.

Excellent Return on Your Investment

When you spend your marketing dollars on digital marketing, you’ll enjoy a high return on your investment. While exact ROI figures can vary from one specific type of digital marketing to the next, the fact remains that this form of marketing is one of the best ways to allocate part (or all) of your advertising budget. Email marketing, for example, can yield an ROI of 122%, while social media marketing can achieve an ROI of 100% or more! If you’re looking for a low-risk way to utilize your marketing funds, digital marketing is certainly the way to go.

Completely Measurable and Adaptable

The success of a digital marketing campaign is effortless to track and measure, allowing you to determine what’s working versus what may not. Using free tools to generate analytics and reports is an excellent way to measure the success of your digital marketing campaigns with confidence, which takes out some of the guesswork. And because digital marketing is so easily adaptable, you can make changes to your campaigns quickly and easily in most cases.

Take Advantage of the Digital Shift

There has never been a better time to get started with digital marketing for small businesses, especially considering how the coronavirus pandemic shifted many business operations online in 2020. Because of COVID-19, digital business transactions are on the rise, and more people are working remotely. As a result, your target audience is more likely to respond to your digital marketing efforts than ever before.

Ready to Get Started With Digital Marketing? StratGrow Can Help!

With all of the advantages digital marketing has to offer your business, why not get started today? If you’re looking for some professional guidance on launching your first big digital marketing campaign, our team here at StratGrow is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do to take your business to new heights!

Does Your Website Need a Privacy Policy?

What is a Privacy Policy?

A privacy policy is arguably one of the most essential legal agreements for your business. Your company’s website needs a clearly stated privacy policy, even if all of your business isn’t conducted online. You also need one regardless of where your internet traffic comes from. 

Your privacy policy is a showcase of your transparency. Simply put, it states what data you use, store, and share from your customers and why. It should not be a complex document filled with legal jargon. 

Privacy Policy Service Documents Terms of Use Concept

Who Needs a Privacy Policy? 

Privacy Policies are required by law. In The United States, according to the CalOPPA: California Online Privacy Protection Act, any business that collects personal information from California-based users (i.e., email addresses, phone numbers) must have a privacy policy.

Considering that California is such a large state and anyone with an internet connection can visit any site, this translates to virtually every business website needing one. Canada and Australia have their own privacy laws as well.

So even though this topic varies slightly by country, the world wide web connects us regardless of geographical location. So that’s why privacy policies should protect consumers everywhere, all the time. 

Other Considerations

Third-party services such as Google Analytics may also require a Privacy Policy from your business. App developers and social media giants like Facebook require them too. 

lock on laptop

How Do I Create a Privacy Policy?

Termaggedon

Termaggedon is an online service that crafts a privacy policy for you. However, their pricing plans may vary depending on the needs of your business. It’s one of the most accessible and most convenient options available. Once it’s ready, you can create a page for your new privacy policy on your website. 

Compare & Contrast

Another strategy for crafting a thorough privacy policy is comparing it with examples online or even with other business owners that you are familiar with. It wouldn’t be wise to copy, but other examples are good to use as a rough template when first starting out. You can also check out our own website’s Privacy Policy. Feel free to use it as a general template for your own!

Next Steps

If you already have a privacy policy in place, it’s critical to keep it updated regularly. Your company’s website will evolve, just like your marketing strategy and cyber laws will, too. 

2020 & Beyond

We will likely see more of these data privacy laws in the near future. If your business needs to step up its online presence, contact StratGrow today. We specialize in digital marketing, web content, social media, and much more. 

Social vs. Physical Distancing: A Closer Look

For the past few months, states across the country have begun to enact mandatory social distancing guidelines to help curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). This swift wave of action has also included closing non-essential businesses and even schools.

Since there are already thousands of confirmed cases here in America, the best defense so far has been social distancing, or measures taken to get individuals to self-isolate as much as possible. When out in public for essentials such as groceries, individuals are encouraged to remain at least six feet apart at all times.

Places such as New York City are even beginning to double the fines associated with breaking social distancing rules, such as hosting a house party or other large gathering. NYC has seen an explosion in COVID-19 cases due to its densely packed population. Hospitals are overwhelmed and even have a shortage of medical supplies. Despite endless media coverage of this chaos, there is still hope. 

social distancing concept in wood type

Social vs. Physical Distancing

Limited physical contact doesn’t have to mean limited social contact. Experts have already weighed in on how this period of self-isolation will (potentially) negatively affect mental health. Social media news feeds are filled with day-to-day updates on the spread of this new virus. 

Technology connects us in more ways now than ever before. We still have the ability to call, text, or video chat with each other. We can also connect through a variety of social media platforms with those we care most about. You can catch up with an old friend, call a parent, or check in on a coworker. 

That’s why the World Health Organization has promoted labeling these new practices as physical distancing, not social distancing. You shouldn’t have to cut your social ties during these current times; you should actually be strengthening them. Public health officials have already begun to advocate that groups adjust their wording accordingly.

social distancing word cloud on tablet

Sacrificing your mental health to preserve your physical health isn’t exactly a fair trade-off. You can always reach out to friends and family because communication keeps us connected during these uncertain times. Long gone are the days of flip phones and ten cents per text message. Most people now have at least a phone, wifi, email, the list goes on. Staying connected and informed is easier than ever. 

2020 & Beyond:

These uncertain times have shifted much business into the online realm. If you need help transitioning certain aspects of your business online, contact StratGrow today. We are a Tucson-based digital marketing agency specializing in content, branding, search engine optimization (SEO), social media management, website design, and much more. 

The CARES Act: What You Need To Know

There has been a myriad of recent media buzz regarding the coronavirus stimulus package or the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. Social media is regularly flooded with comments, memes, and news articles about the infamous $1,200 relief checks adults will supposedly be receiving in the near future. 

But how is this $2 trillion bipartisan relief package broken down exactly? StratGrow is here to assist you.   

LUMP SUM PAYMENT:  

This stimulus package includes direct payments of $1,200 for every adult, and $2,400 for every married couple, plus an extra $500 per child. Note: these payments may be affected if your gross income is over a certain threshold: 

  • $75,000 for single filers 
  • $112,500 for single heads of household 
  • $150,000 for married couples filing jointly 

CARES relief checks

STUDENT LOANS:  

 If you’re a college graduate burdened by student loan debt, you may be in luck. All federal student loan payments have been suspended until September 30th, 2020. This is optional, and you can still continue to pay your loans if you so choose. However, there will be no late fees or other penalties if you don’t pay them through September. Please note that this does not include private student loan borrowers. If you have any private loans, you’ll want to check on the status of those separately.  

BUSINESS LOANS: 

It’s no secret that many small businesses have been greatly affected in the wake of the coronavirus. Due to social distancing protocols, many have had to close their doors, leaving employees uncertain about their financial future.  

Fortunately, of the $2 trillion stimulus bill, $350 billion has been allocated for small businesses. This provision has been dubbed the Paycheck Protection Program. Until June 30th, 2020, small business owners can apply for a loan to cover 2.5 times the cost of their average monthly payroll. This money can also be used toward debt obligations and other expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities, etc. If the business keeps all of its employees, the loan will be forgiven. If they still have to lay off employees, then the loan forgiveness will decrease by the percentage reduction in overall staff.  

 Any business with under 500 employees can apply, as well as sole proprietors and self-employed individuals. The loan amount that businesses are able to receive is maxed out at $10 million, and the interest rates are capped at 4% as well. 

This measure is a comprehensive step towards keeping our country’s diverse small business environment afloat during this chaotic time period. 

CARES Act 2020

RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS:  

 The international coronavirus outbreak has also wreaked havoc in the American marketplace over the past few months, causing many people’s retirement savings and other investments to suddenly dwindle overnight.  

So, if you’re looking to cash out your 401k, you may also be in luck. The CARES Act has also waived the infamous 10% penalty fee associated with cashing out your 401k too early (before the age of 59 and a half). This penalty fee waiver applies if you’ve experienced financial hardship due to being either diagnosed with COVID-19 or been out of work because of it. 

Note that these distributions of funds will also be reflected in your gross income, and subject to regular income tax. These funds can also be re-distributed into your account within three years.  

While this sudden 401k withdrawal may be a financial lifeboat for some, it should be seen as a last resort to avoid crippling your hard-earned retirement savings. 

If you are subject to RMDs, you are not being forced to take them out this year. 

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS:

As of April 2020, a record 6.6 million Americans have applied for unemployment during this crisis. This relief bill expands unemployment benefits by adding up to $600 per week on top of state benefits. The specific rules and other guidelines vary from state to state. This will help keep workers afloat during this period of uncertainty. By spending this money on essentials, they’ll be directly contributing back to our economy, as well.  

2020 CARES Act Infographic

HOW TO APPLY:

In most cases, no action is required in order to receive your check. If you’d like, there is a direct deposit option instead of just receiving it in the mail. They will be sent out over the next three weeks.  

However, if you have not filed your 2019 taxes, then you should do so immediately, as that may affect the amount you receive. As stated before, if your income eclipses a certain financial threshold, you may not be eligible for this economic relief check.  

LOOKING FORWARD: 

 There are already several coronavirus therapies in development as we speak. There’s a broad focus on the separate areas of diagnostics, treatment, and vaccines. Researchers, scientists, and other experts are breaking new ground every single day. 

With an inherent emphasis on online business today, we are here to take your internet presence to the next level. Contact Strategic Growth Advisors today. We specialize in social media management, website design, SEO, content, branding, and much more.  

Zoom for Business: The Essential Guide

Due to the current coronavirus outbreak, many businesses have been forced to close, and those still going have become obligated to work remotely. These changes are where alternate communication methods come into play. Apps like Skype are great for one-on-one informal conversations, but what about business meetings? Zoom has entered the chat.

What is Zoom? Zoom Video Communications, founded in 2011, is a remote conferencing services company. It allows you to conduct business meetings with any individual(s) around the world, as long as they have a strong wifi connection, of course. There are options for audio-only and traditional video chatting.

Business team in video conference

Strategic Growth Advisors is here to share a definitive guide to using Zoom for business. So how do you get started using Zoom? Let’s dive right in:

Account Setup

STEP 1: 

Visit Zoom.us and select “Sign up for Free”

zoom account

STEP 2: 

Enter your work email address (example: name@company.com), and click “Sign up.”

A confirmation link will be sent to your email address.

STEP 3: 

Click the “Activate Account” button in the Zoom email.

activate zoom account  STEP 4: 

Continue signing up for your Zoom account by filling out the form and selecting “Continue.”

STEP 5:

It is not necessary to invite colleagues to sign up for their account. We use one Zoom account at StratGrow, and team members can set up meetings from the central account. However, if you’d like your team members to have their own accounts (they can also sign up for free), go ahead and add their emails here.

invite workers

STEP 6:

Select “Go to My Account” to complete your account setup.

zoom account  STEP 7:

Upgrade your account to the “Pro” plan.

  zoom account

Select “Upgrade Account” on the next screen.

We recommend signing up for the “Pro” plan, but you can compare the plans and their features and choose what is best for you.

zoom plans  You can choose to be billed monthly or annually and add any plan add-ons. If you plan to record your webinars for future playback, you will either have to upgrade the cloud storage or save the recordings locally to the computer used for the webinar. zoom plans

Continue through to the payment and billing details and select “Upgrade Now.”

Manage Users

STEP 1: 

Sign in to your Zoom account online. By default, you are taken to the Meetings page.

Navigate to the User page under the “User Management” section of the left menu.

zoom users 

STEP 2:

To add a new user(s), select “+ Add Users” in the top right.

zoom account

Add the email address(es) of the user(s) you would like to add to your account. Basic users are users with free Zoom accounts; Licensed users are users with paid Zoom accounts.

zoom account

STEP 3:

Newly added users will be sent an email to accept the request. Until they have accepted the request, these users can be found in the “Pending” tab.

 

STEP 4:

Once the new user has accepted the request, you can edit roles. By default, new users will be “Members.”

There are 3 roles in the accounts:

  • Owner: Has all privileges, including Role Management. (Cannot be assigned to any other users.)
  • Admin: Can add, remove or edit users. Can manage advanced features like API, SSO, and Meeting Connector.
  • Members: Has no administrative privileges.

To edit a user’s role, click the “Edit” button next to their information on the Users page. zoom account

STEP 5:

If you need to remove a user from your account, you can delete, deactivate or unlink them.

  • Deactivating a user will prevent them from signing in to their Zoom account or utilizing any features.
  • Unlinking a user will give them their own basic, free Zoom account. It will not be associated with your account, and they will be able to purchase their own licenses. Before disassociation, you can transfer the user’s data (meetings, webinars, and cloud recordings) to another user.
  • Deleting a user will permanently remove the user from Zoom, including their settings, meetings, webinars, and recordings. Before deletion, you can transfer the user’s data (meetings, webinars, and cloud recordings) to another user.

Select the three dots next to their information on the Users page.   zoom accountSchedule & Start a Meeting

STEP 1: 

Sign in to your Zoom account online. By default, you are taken to the Meetings page.

zoom login page

STEP 2: 

Select “Schedule, a New Meeting” to create a new meeting.

STEP 3:

Fill out the applicable fields for the new meeting and click “Save.” For a detailed explanation of the meeting options available, please read this Zoom help article.

  zoom meeting setup

STEP 4:

Once you have created your Meeting, copy and paste the invitation to distribute to the attendees. (Example: add the invitation to a calendar invite or send via email.)

STEP 5:

When you are ready to start your meeting, you can navigate to the meeting in your Zoom account and start the meeting from:

The Meetings page:

The Meeting details page:

You can also start your meeting by using the Join URL (https://zoom.us/j/#########) provided in the meeting invitation.

This will prompt you to either download the Zoom software (if this is your first meeting) or to open the Zoom software (if already downloaded).

 

STEP 6:

Once the Zoom software launches, you will automatically start and join the meeting as the host. You can join with computer audio (recommended) or call in using the information provided in the meeting invitation.

 

Looking Forward

StratGrow or Strategic Growth Advisors LLC is a one-stop shop for all of your digital marketing needs. We specialize in Social Media Management, Content, SEO, branding, and much more. Feel free to contact us today.

Young businesswoman discussing project details with clients via video call.

The Paycheck Protection Program: What You Need To Know

In recent weeks there has been a steady media buzz surrounding the news of the $1,200 stimulus checks going to every American in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. However, what’s not really being mentioned are the BILLIONS of dollars being set aside for small businesses right now. Strategic Growth Advisors, LLC is here to help keep you educated and informed.

Coronavirus financial stimulus bill individual checks and cash from U.S. government

What is it?

Written into the $2 trillion stimulus bill is the Paycheck Protection Program, or a $350 Billion forgivable loan program for small businesses.

Title 1 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is the Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act. This provides a safety net for both employers and employees who have been negatively affected by the recent coronavirus outbreak.

Application Process & Eligibility

Any business with under 500 employees can apply. Sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals are all eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program. This one-time business loan can be applied for any time between now and June 30th, 2020.

Other Loan Details

Businesses can borrow up to 2.5 times their average monthly payroll costs, up to a maximum of $10 million. This amount is designed to cover eight weeks of payroll expenses, plus a little extra. This money is eligible to put towards debt obligations, i.e., mortgage, rent, leases, utilities, etc.

If you keep all of your employees through the end of June, then the entire loan will be forgiven. If your business still has to lay off employees, the loan forgiveness will be reduced by the percentage decrease of your employees.

Gold money coins with jar

Next Steps

The Paycheck Protection Program is a lifeline for many struggling businesses that have had to close their doors recently in the wake of the mandatory social distancing guidelines. These protocols enacted by local and federal governments to help curb the spread of the coronavirus are essential to maintaining public health but have also negatively affected the economy in the process.

Depending on the events of the next few months, this economic relief plan for small businesses may be extended or expanded depending on how this first round goes. Until then, there will inevitably be a greater emphasis on online business. Contact StratGrow today for any of your digital marketing needs. We specialize in SEO, branding, website design, content, social media management, and much more.

Five Effective Customer Acquisition Strategies

People are and always will be at the heart of doing business. Regardless of industry, companies of all shapes and sizes have to consistently acquire new customers to stay healthy, relevant, and profitable.

Businesses have long prioritized the need to make customer acquisition more cost-effective and increase the return on investment (ROI) for their marketing efforts. In light of rising marketing costs and growing distrust among consumers, however, companies must now work harder and smarter to acquire new customers. This can be accomplished by staying on top of emerging trends and technology, leveraging loyal clients, and developing a sustainable process for gaining new ones.

shaking hands at a business meeting

What Are Effective Customer Acquisition Tactics?

For companies looking to improve their client conversion rate—both to keep their investors happy and cover regular operational costs—here are five customer acquisition strategies to consider:

1. Content Marketing

Content marketing consists of creating and disseminating relevant, informative, and high-value content, which could include blog posts, e-books, guides, and videos. Content marketing is suitable for all types of businesses. In addition to being a vehicle for self-promotion, quality content is also a gesture of goodwill through which companies express their passion for what they do and share their expertise for free. Businesses can create marketing content in-house or partner with an agency that provides copywriting services to make these content upgrades.

2. Social Media

Digital marketing is more important than ever. When people hear about an unfamiliar business, one of the first things they do is search for the company’s website or social media accounts, including Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, or Twitter. It’s critical for companies to have a robust online presence and invest in both paid and organic social media marketing. Companies also can use these free accounts to leverage their other marketing efforts, such as promotions and content they created.

3. Search Marketing

Search marketing also has organic and paid features, both of which can be used by companies across industries. Organic search marketing is known as search engine optimization (SEO), where companies prioritize creating digital content that shows up near the top of search engine results pages (SERP). Companies can help their content rank higher by incorporating indexable content, putting main keywords in post titles, adding alt text to images, linking internally to other credible sites, and employing other SEO tactics.

4. Email Marketing

As new digital marketing tools emerge, some people may view email as an outdated acquisition channel. However, email remains a relevant and highly effective way to stay in front of prospective customers and connect with them individually. Businesses can build an email list and use it to promote content, discounts, events, and product information. Another benefit of email marketing is that it gives companies a way to monitor consumer behavior based on which links they click or if they unsubscribe. Some companies are also using text messaging as a similar way to have a direct inroad to customers.

5. Customer Retention

It’s also a good strategy for companies to keep their current clients satisfied. When businesses lose existing clients, known as customer churn, they have to spend time and money to find new ones. Retaining clients is less expensive than adding new ones, which is why all companies should focus on decreasing churn. Customer satisfaction is also important because businesses can empower existing clients to promote their products and services. Happy customers will share their stories and opinions through positive reviews, testimonials, case studies, and user-generated content, which effectively bolsters the company’s customer acquisition strategy while saving them money.

person holding figures to create customer personas

Strengthening Marketing Strategies in Tucson

An effective customer acquisition strategy should be flexible, targeted, sustainable, and diversified. To achieve these characteristics, companies should experiment with different customer acquisition tools and methods and recognize there is always room to analyze, improve, and change their strategy. It also can’t hurt to partner with a digital marketing agency, such as Strategic Growth Advisors, to streamline this process. StratGrow has a variety of tools and services to help companies in Tucson and the surrounding area strengthen their customer acquisition strategy, improve the ROI of their marketing dollars, and grow their business.

Web Security for 2020

Auto-fill enabled entry fields are convenient. They enable you to skip a repetitive activity that is a mental drain in your daily life. But there are significant risks associated with this time-saving feature. In brief, auto-fill fields are a prime target that data thieves and hackers can use to steal passwords and access accounts, sensitive information, trade secrets, and more.

When an attack via an auto-fill field hits an individual- it can be a major personal setback. But when such an attack strikes at the heart of your business- it can cripple trust among your partners and clients. Worse still- if an attacker drains the right account, you may never even have a chance to recoup the financial losses.

building links

How Hackers Breach Auto-Fill Fields and Steal Login Data

When hackers gain access to your sites, they can install an invisible capture widget right over the top of your password input fields. Once it’s in place, all they have to do is wait for you to enter your password, and this insidious piece of malware will record the password and deliver it to the attacker. Most web users use the same password for multiple entry forms. If you use the same user name and password for more than one entry field, that means digital attackers can have their way with your information. They will visit every site you use and leverage your logins to capture everything on the net that belongs to you.

It Doesn’t Take a Hacker to Mine an Entry Field

These entry field ciphers can be downloaded and used by anyone with the will to steal from and harm others. These digital devices can be found for a fee or for free on the dark web. But that’s not all. Ad networks have some of the most powerful entry field readers in existence. Major ad networks can steal personal information with impunity because they have massive resources to pour into these types of insidious software assets and legal defense resources. Large, unscrupulous entities can muster just about any defense to protect themselves from litigation, even if they are found out – which they rarely are. They have the benefit of credible deniability, low-level employees who can take a fall, and the ever-plausible excuse that an unknown hacker hijacked their network to disguise his identity.

Holding the lock and key

Cybersecurity Preventative Measures You Can Use to Protect Your User Names and Passwords

The good news is, you are not defenseless. You can deploy proven defensive measures. Once attackers realize you are defending yourself, most of them will follow the path of least resistance and select another target.

Defensive measures you can take include:

  • Multi-factor authentication for logins
  • Secure business accounts
  • Advanced browser security settings

In addition to these simple but effective measures – there are also several cultural hardening techniques you can use to protect your personal information and your organization’s mission-critical data. To learn more, and secure your privacy and data integrity over the long term, get in touch with StratGrow today. Our professional web security consultants are standing by.

The Importance Of Figuring Out Who Your Target Market Is

Imagine for a moment that you are selling a local food product in Tucson, and only have a certain number of samples to hand out to potential customers for the day. You distribute them freely, and just half of the people who try those samples end up buying from you. Now imagine you had a superpower that magically showed you which individuals were allergic to one of your ingredients, or disliked the type of product you’re offering. You would then be able to hand “their” samples to people that would like the product. Suddenly, the amount of product you sell increases substantially.

It’s the same product, the same number of samples, and the same style of marketing. The only difference is that “superpower” you put into action. That’s what researching and discovering a target market can do for small businesses.

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Every Dollar Counts

While your marketing reach may be broad at some points, e-commerce, in particular, has been trending towards a more customized approach. With so many options readily available at your fingertips, the importance of determining your target audience is abundantly clear. When you know who is likely to buy from you, there is room to avoid wasting marketing spend on ads that fall flat on non-interested parties. Small business owners can instead focus on digital marketing created to engage and succeed. No matter what your marketing plan may be, you should always be aware of ROI (return on investment). It’s relevant for each ad placement you select or social media campaign you create.

Some problems that may arise with using a marketing strategy that’s too broad is that it:

  • Is statistically likely to have a higher failure rate, requiring greater spending for the same amount of sales.
  • Makes retargeting efforts expensive and potentially even impossible.
  • Requires investment in platforms and creative work (graphics, content, etc.) that may be ineffective.
  • Risks muddling brand identity, doing long-lasting harm to future targeting, and brand recognition.

woman talking on cell phone while writing on a package

Informing and Enticing

Content, particularly blogs and articles, is an excellent way for a company to capture the interest of potential customers. Certain content, such as instructions, about us pages, and new product launches are a necessity. Yet they could still benefit from targeted search engine optimization (SEO). This proven process incorporates words and phrases that a customer is likely to search for, in an easy-to-read way. For our imaginary Tucson-based food company, a blog about their new and improved keto-friendly formula might include phrases like “keto food manufacturer in Arizona” or “Tucson keto food manufacturer” to help connect them to their demographically targeted customers.

How Do I Target the Right Demographic?

If you’re anxious to put these methods into action for your own business but aren’t sure where to start, the first step is partnering with a pro. StratGrow can help accelerate your sales growth through smart marketing research and target audience implementation. By working with us to discover your target market, ad language, and tone, you’ll obtain the peace of mind that your marketing budget is always spent wisely. Additionally, you’ll be able to determine which social media platforms are worth your time and energy, and which have the most efficient ROI. The end result is a streamlined approach to speaking with your customers, and sales numbers that tell you yes, you’re on the right track.

How Often Should You Update Your Website Content?

View your business website as a static, unchanging entity, and your business itself may become just as static and unchanging. You may be stuck in a rut with low levels of traffic or, worse yet, even lower levels of revenue. The savvy digital marketing team here at Strategic Growth Advisors has come to the rescue in such situations time and again.

The key to a successful online presence is to update your website content regularly. This keeps your business fresh and appealing to visitors and search engines alike. While there are no set-in-stone rules for website updates, we’re sharing recommendations we’ve seen lead to success:

Two women work on their website

Website Content: Blogs, White Papers, Downloads

The online crowd is hungry for information, and you can consistently feed them by updating certain website content as frequently as possible. Optimized blog posts can play an integral role in driving targeted traffic to your site. It’s important to post new blog content weekly if possible, monthly at the very least.

White papers, e-books, and other downloadable content can be updated on a regular basis as well. This allows you to add new information to existing downloads or to create new downloads for additional topics or digital marketing campaigns.

Website Content: Pages, Tags, Keywords 

Updating existing website pages, tags and keywords can be done on an ongoing basis for best results. Set aside time daily to review your existing pages to see if you can make any improvements. Chances are, you can. Improvements can include things like updating:

  • Existing information that’s out of date
  • Language that feels stale
  • Title tags and headings to ensure they’re relevant and include keywords
  • Alt text to ensure every image contains descriptive text that points back to your business
  • Meta tags for both keywords and descriptions
  • Keywords to make sure they match the content or to rank for new ones
  • Keyword placement and proximity, both of which can affect results from search engines
  • Anchor text for inbound links to make sure it matches the content

A woman visits a website

Setting aside time each day to tackle a page or two can work. You can also opt to do a thorough review of all existing pages every three to six months.

Website Content: Services and Products

You don’t want to wait three to six months to make sure your services and products are up to date with everything you offer. You can miss out on customers if you don’t provide timely info on the latest products, services, and specials you’re offering. And nothing can annoy a potential customer quicker than trying to order a product or service that you no longer offer.

Keeping your website content regularly updated is one part of the equation. The second part is reviewing your website stats to ensure the updates you’re making are making a difference. For additional help keeping your website and business thriving, contact Strategic Growth Advisors today.