BrandMag | Issue 6 | Nov 2016

Online marketing magazine for SMEs

BRANDMAG ISSUE 06 | OCT / NOV 2016

Facebook

Is listening to your conversations?

BRANDLECTIVE Emojis

Are acceptable in marketing?

Startup Advice

celebrates 5 YEARS in Business

Basic on-page SEO hacks

Business Travel Guide

NOT ANOTHER BORING TRAINING DAY

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In working with dynamic teams across the political, sport, youth and international sectors, 2-3 Degrees offers a fresh and innovative experience for small to medium sized businesses, like no other.

It’s time your team had some fun and took part in an essential personal and team building experience.

@2_3 Degrees @2_3 Degrees Find out more by contacting us on 07946598701 or visiting www.2-3Degrees.com

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ISSUE 6 | OCT / NOV 2016 EDITORIAL Stacey Kehoe - Editor stacey@brandlective.com Megan Paynter - Editorial Assistant megan@brandlective.com Zenya Smith - Content Editor zenya@brandlective.com

FROM THE EDITOR

Alex Obertelli - Picture Editor alex@brandlective.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Rachel Pottle - Graphic Designer rachel@brandlective.com

CONTRIBUTORS Briony Quinn briony@brandlective.com Josh Matthews Tofiq Bolwala Glen Lowes

ADVERTISING Megan Paynter - Advert Design megan@brandlective.com If you are interested in advertising in the next edition of BrandMag, please contact us at sales@brandlective.com for more information about our advertising rates.

CONTACT BRANDLECTIVE Email: info@brandlective.com Phone: +44 0207-407-2672 Address: 73b Weston Street, London Bridge SE1 3RS

DISCLAIMER: THE RIGHTS AND LICENCES FOR ALL SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGERY IN THIS PUBLICATION HAVE BEEN AUTHORISED AND OBTAINED.

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A Time for Celebrations! BrandMag is celebrating 1 Year in print this month, and the editorial team and I could not be prouder! We have featured some incredible entrepreneurs throughout the year and ventured into some interesting topics within the world of digital marketing. This edition is no different, we bring to light some of our research into Facebook’s ethics and ask: Does this social media platform bug our phones? (Page 22) We also discuss whether emojis are acceptable in marketing (Page 6).

Our feature of Tofiq Bolwala, an American businessman who has been in business just 12 months yet managed to grow into three new markets is not to be missed, check out Page 10 to see what he attributes this inspirational success to. Another hot topic for business owners is our feature of Glen Lowes, an entrepreneur who not only survived the recent recession but is thriving in today’s market; he addresses some of the biggest challenges startups will likely face and how to overcome them (Page 24).

Lastly, as the Founder of Brandlective Communications, I am very proud to be celebrating five years in business with my incredible team. See our 6-page feature to learn more about our story and what a few members of our team predict are the next big trends for 2017.

STACEY KEHOE - EDITOR

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14. BRANDLECTIVE CELEBRATES 5 YEARS IN BUSINESS

Founded by Stacey Kehoe in 2011, Brandlective is proudly celebrating five years in business. The firm discusses their journey from being a small startup to acquiring a current portfolio of over 80 clients worldwide.

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6. ARE EMOJI’S ACCEPTABLE IN MARKETING? Emojis can be used to express a whole range of emotions, making digital communications flow without any need for words. We delve deeper to find out whether consumers really relate to emojis in advertising or whether they cringe at each brands’ attempt to be ‘down with the kids’.

8. WHY CONTENT MARKETING & SEO GO HAND IN HAND Content marketing has become an increasingly integral part of how SEO works today and we emphasize why businesses of all sizes cannot afford to ignore the bigger picture of content marketing if they want an effective online presence.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 10. TOFIQ BOLWALA’S JOURNEY TO SUCCESS

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We speak to the young business owner of successful sales and marketing business F.A.S.T. Global Marketing about how his current string of achievements has led him to expanding his business across America’s Mid-West.

12. THE BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE TO LOS ANGELES Nestled on the West Coast of America, we dish the dirt on why LA is a great place for a bit of down time during an important business trip, highlighting that you don’t need to be a celeb to enjoy the city’s fantastic culture.

20. STRATEGY & ON-PAGE SEO Struggling to rank your website in Google? Not getting the relevant traffic you want in search engines? Refer to our basic SEO guide, it contains tips that you’ll be able to start implementing straight away on your webpages!

21. WHY YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS A WEBSITE A staggering number of small businesses still don’t have a website. We promote why growth in today’s competitive market is reliant on having an online presence.

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22. DOES FACEBOOK HAVE YOU BUGGED? Ever noticed that the suggested content on your Facebook timeline seems to be specially tailored to you? We conducted an investigation and our results prove there may be an unnerving explanation behind it…

24. FEEL LIKE YOU’RE FIGHTING A CONSTANT BATTLE AS AN SME? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Successful business owner Glen Lowes shares the biggest challenges every startup faces and how to respond to them in order to reach the top.

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EMOJIS – THE MUCH-LOVED JAPANESE CRAZE WAS MADE POPULAR ACROSS THE WORLD BY PRODUCTS SUCH AS APPLE AND ANDROID. EMOJIS CAN BE USED TO EXPRESS A WHOLE RANGE OF EMOTIONS, MAKING DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS FLOW WITHOUT ANY NEED FOR WORDS. BUT ARE THEY ACCEPTABLE IN MARKETING?

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Are In

Acceptable

Marketing?

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ccording to a survey by Appboy of more than 500 individuals, males are much more likely to have a negative perception of emoji use in general compared with females. Some 72% of women surveyed say they love emojis whereas just 63% of men say the same. Although consumers age 1424 have a more favourable view of emojis overall, people age 25-44 are least likely to express feelings of anti-emoji. A large number of consumers (70%) said that brands using emojis were fun, relatable or normal. However, the overall consensus was that it is not entirely professional and 23% believed it to be childish or inappropriate.

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hen asked whether consumers thought it was acceptable for brands to use emojis in marketing, a whopping 75% said that it was perfectly acceptable and they were open for brands to use emojis when contacting them through social media, text messages or messenger apps.

However people were less accepting towards receiving emojis through email or push notifications.

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o it seems, as with any form of marketing, it really depends who your audience is and where you plan on conveying your marketing message.

Over 45s are not so keen on emojis and definitely don’t want to see them in an email as it’s unprofessional and childish. However, 14-24 year olds are more than happy to get on board with emojis and will relate better to your marketing if you include them on social media or text messages. The key seems to be selecting the right emoji and one that really emphasizes your marketing message. Having an unnecessary overload of emojis that don’t really relate to the brand or marketing message will give your brand a look of ‘not knowing what it’s doing but desperately trying to appeal to a younger market’ which isn’t a good look for any brand. But if done correctly, emojis can have a real positive impact and appeal to a wider audience without expensive marketing tactics.

TOP TIPS WHEN USING EMOJIS IN MARKETING:

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Don’t over-complicate it

You don’t want to share a whole story using emojis which will take longer to decipher than reading a text paragraph. Keep it short and sweet - only use one or two emojis in each post.

Be on-brand

Don’t use emojis just for the sake of it, only use them when they add something to your marketing.

It’s important to stay on-brand with the emojis you choose.

Words by Megan Paynter

Be aware

Remember that emojis look slightly different on different devices and not all devices even have emojis. Be careful not to use an emoji on one device that means something entirely different on another.

Be fun

The main reason people enjoy emojis is because they are fun and they say everything without needing words. So, if you’re using them, make sure you’re having fun!

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MARKETING ADVICE CONTENT MARKETING HAS BECOME AN INCREASINGLY INTEGRAL PART OF HOW SEO WORKS TODAY AND BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE THE BIGGER PICTURE OF CONTENT MARKETING IF THEY WANT AN EFFECTIVE ONLINE PRESENCE. 8

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IT’S NOT SEO OR CONTENT MARKETING, IT’S NOT SEO OR SOCIAL MEDIA - IT’S BOTH, SEO AND CONTENT MARKETING

Why Content Marketing & SEO Go Hand in Hand Words by Alex Obertelli

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ontent is king and there is a need for unique, quality content that keeps the reader interested, while also being rich in keywords relating to your business.

Simply put, regular content (such as press releases or blog posts) serve as a ‘freshness’ indicator to Google when they consider how to rank your website. Truthfully, you’ve got to have a blog if you want your website to rank highly in a saturated industry - it’s incredibly important. Content marketing is also extremely useful for link-building and allows you to create content in all the different ways consumers talk about and search for your products and services online. In this way, optimising the blog to support the anchored content of your website will increase the likelihood of you ranking for customer search terms online.

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et me give you an example, if two websites are competing for the same services - what is it that differentiates them exactly? Well for starters, if one

site has a blog then it’s telling Google ‘hey over here, here, here!’ whereas the one without a blog is silent. Therefore, the one with the blog that is producing fresh content every month is perceived to be more relevant by Google and in most cases will rank higher.

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es, you should be optimising your content for Google if you want it to find your content - but it’s not just about keywords, inbound links or SEO as a single concept anymore. When looking to improve the online presence of a business, don’t fall into the trap of false dichotomies. It’s not SEO OR content marketing, it’s not SEO OR social media - it’s both, SEO AND content marketing.

Keywords, link-building, meta tags and unique content are all going to be good for both your website visitors to read and for Google’s ranking purposes.

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BRANDMAG

TOFIQ BOLWALA’S JOURNEY TO SUCCESS:

DOMINATING THE MID-WEST TOFIQ BOLWALA, THE YOUNG BUSINESS OWNER OF SUCCESSFUL SALES AND MARKETING BUSINESS F.A.S.T. GLOBAL MARKETING IS CURRENTLY DOMINATING THE MID-WEST WITH EXCITING EXPANSIONS ALL ACROSS THE AREA. THE HARDWORKING BUSINESS OWNER HAS SPOKEN EXCLUSIVELY TO BRANDMAG ABOUT WHAT FACTORS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HIS SUCCESS. Words by Megan Paynter

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aving had no previous experience in the sales and marketing industry, Mr. Bolwala started in the industry in 2015 and made quick progress, opening his own business in Chicago within 20 weeks of his start date. Having laid strong foundations in this short time, F.A.S.T. Global Marketing has now been open for just under a year but is making phenomenal waves within the industry.

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THE HARDER THE CONFLICT, THE MORE GLORIOUS THE TRIUMPH

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ofiq Bolwala has not only delivered exceptional results but has recently expanded into Indianapolis as well as branching out into two further locations in Chicago. This is a truly incredible feat for someone who has been in business for such a short period of time. With statistics often discouraging entrepreneurs, with 1 in 3 startup businesses said to be doomed to fail, Mr. Bolwala is stamping out these claims and proving how time and experience are not the main factors to success when launching a business.

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his incredible achievement is something which entrepreneurs from every industry hope to accomplish but many are unsure how to do so, or unwilling to take the necessary risks. Tofiq Bolwala has revealed to BrandMag how he is confident that this kind of success requires a strong mentality and undeniable focus for the task at hand. We asked the successful business owner what he felt allowed him to maintain this mentality and focus and we discovered the 3 main factors for Mr. Bolwala’s success:

MENTALITY FAMILY

MENTALITY

ADVICE

“I have an unwavering desire to help my family constantly,” Tofiq Bolwala informed BrandMag. The young entrepreneur highlighted how throughout his journey he has focused on bettering not only his own life but the lives of his family also.

“I have been able to maintain a student mentality which has allowed me to ask the right questions and learn as I go.” Mr. Bolwala shared how having a student mentality means being prepared to learn and to accept advice, “It is important to accept that you don’t know everything yet and therefore welcome advice from those more experienced.”

“I also learned to apply everything that I was taught at the start of my entrepreneurial journey,” Tofiq Bolwala told BrandMag. “It is not enough just to listen to advice, it must actually be applied in a real-life situation.”

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aving spoken to Mr. Bolwala about his success, it has become clear that every individual must have an end vision or goal which motivates them to continue through the risky decisions and the bad days as equally as when things are going well. In Mr. Bolwala’s case his reason for not giving up when things got tough was his goal to better his family’s lives as well as his own. We believe that a person’s purpose for wanting to be successful will motivate them in multiple ways to reach their goals.

it note with your ‘why’ written on it onto your computer, so that you see it every day. It could mean, having your favourite family photo hung in your office, or a photo of that holiday destination, or nice car that you are working towards.

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ofiq Bolwala focuses on his ‘why’ on a daily basis and has shared how this has motivated his current business success. The business owner has also revealed future plans to oversee 10 offices in the Mid-West area and beyond.

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t BrandMag our advice to business owners is to remind yourself of why you started the business in the first place on a daily basis. This could be as easy as sticking a post-

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BRANDMAG

The Business Traveller: Words by Josh Matthews

A Guide To

Los Angeles

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ust thinking of Los Angeles conjures up images of celebrity parties, Oscar ceremonies and the Hollywood sign but there is more to the City of Angels than just the entertainment industry. Historically, Silicon Valley in

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San Francisco has been the tech hub of California but Los Angeles is starting to see a dramatic increase of tech startups – Snapchat and Tinder, two of the biggest apps of all time, are based in LA.

Muscle beach on the Venice Boardwalk showcases buskers, street dancers and magicians, not to mention the fitness crazed inhabitants of LA. The well-known Hollywood Boulevard and Universal Studio tours are an engaging way to learn about the city’s film industry.

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After a busy day For a bit of culture of meetings and visit the Museum of conferences, head Contemporary Art (free orbi id pharetraon leo.Thursdays Pellentesque vestibuto the Staples Centre between lum arcu est, non gravida massa gravida vel. where you can watch 5-8pm!) and for a mindVivamus at dolor lobortis, placerat erat eget, vulthe Lakers in their blowing, astronomical putate and massa. Proin suscipit tellus facilisis famous purple education, checkligula mattis, a scelerisque tellus ornare.

Duis gold jerseys or spend out the world’sin velit vel sapien mattis vulputate.

Phasellus tristique. a summer’s evening most advanced star relaxing at Dodger projector at Griffith stadium with a hot-dog Observatory. and a beer watching baseball.

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WHERE TO EAT IN LA? STK Los Angeles W Los Angeles, West Beverly Hills, 930 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024

STK Los Angeles is the perfect spot for a sophisticated meal; the modern steakhouse, blended with a luxurious bar and lounge, creates the perfect atmosphere for a Friday night treat.

Forever the social hotspot, the STK vibe makes for an amazing night out on the town. Oh, and don’t forget to keep an eye out for the occasional celebrity cameo!

GETTING AROUND The city boasts over 1,500 buses and a subway system that can take you from Downtown LA to Hollywood in just 15 minutes. It’s recommended that you use Metro Trip Planner before arriving to check if your accommodation is near a Metro Route/Station.

DID YOU KNOW? Los Angeles was part of Mexico until 1847 when it was officially declared to be American land.

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estled on the West Coast of America, LA is a great place for a bit of down time during an important business trip. The appealing climate and vast array of activities make it an extremely popular destination for tourists with over 6.5 million international visitors each year!

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BRANDLECTIVE celebrates 5 years in business!

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FOUNDED BY STACEY KEHOE IN 2011, BRANDLECTIVE IS PROUDLY CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS IN BUSINESS. OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY HAS BUILT STRONG PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH ITS STARTUP AND SME COUNTERPARTIES.

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rom modest beginnings, when Ms Kehoe launched the business from her home in Bermondsey, the firm has grown year on year and now serves clients worldwide.

Founder and Communications Director, Ms Kehoe said the keys to staying in business in a competitive industry are the dedication of her team and their creative ideas, loyal customers and remaining focused on the business’ vision. “It’s important to me to enjoy what we do, so we choose to work with clients that share similar values and keep communication channels open to ensure every party feels connected to the role as a marketing agency. We exist to create experiences between brands and customers that are memorable and generate curiosity,” added Ms Kehoe.

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he agency boasts a client base of over 80 clients; their style is fun, edgy, and attention seeking, they shy away from technical babble and are renowned for their direct approach. randlective work relentlessly to give brands the most compelling, creative and savvy marketing campaigns possible. By defining a tone of voice for your marketing,

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OUR TEAM IS BURSTING WITH IDEAS, SOME ARE WACKY, SOME ARE INSPIRATIONAL AND OTHERS SIMPLY PORTRAY A CLEAR, CONCISE MARKETING MESSAGE TO YOUR AUDIENCE.

Brandlective can give your brand a personality that entices customers to purchase from you. This voice can be extended across your social channels and throughout your ad copy. Oh, and don`t forget your visuals, Brandlective’s team of graphic designers are brilliant at building an entire brand identity.

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WE EXIST TO CREATE EXPERIENCES BETWEEN BRANDS AND CUSTOMERS THAT ARE MEMORABLE AND GENERATE CURIOSITY. 15

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OUR CLIENTS ARE SMART, THINK OUTSIDE-THE-BOX AND WANT TO GET NOTICED. THE ENTREPRENEURIAL TYPES WHO KNOW THEY NEED TO RUFFLE FEATHERS TO GET RESULTS.

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tacey Kehoe describes the agency’s clientele, “Our clients are smart, think outside-the-box and want to get noticed. The entrepreneurial types who know they need to ruffle feathers to get results. That is where Brandlective steps in! Our team is bursting with ideas, some are wacky, some are inspirational and others simply portray a clear, concise marketing message to your audience.”

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his bold approach has led the industry to notice Brandlective. A finalist at the 2016 Federation of Small Business Awards and a nomination for 2016 NEXT: Woman of the Year are just two industry accolades Brandlective have received in recent months. But the agency takes these nominations in their stride and suggests getting results for their clients is where they gain their ‘sense of achievement’.

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With 90% of clients coming through referrals, Brandlective are clearly doing something right.

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he agency is due to launch a new website to celebrate their 5th Birthday which will highlight case studies and demonstrate their range of digital marketing services.

This new stylish site is set to make waves in the industry by providing evidence of their successful online marketing campaigns, a bold move at a time when most of the agency’s competitors are holding their cards close to their chests. So it seems 2017 is set to be another successful year for Brandlective.

WITH 90% OF CLIENTS COMING THROUGH REFERRALS, BRANDLECTIVE ARE CLEARLY DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.

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Are you business ready for 2017?

BRANDLECTIVE LOOKS AT THE LATEST TRENDS IN DIGITAL MARKETING AND HOW THEY WILL IMPACT MARKETING IN 2017.

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t the end of each year, there is always a lot of interest in predictions for the year ahead and the latest marketing trends. “What’s Hot?” and “What’s Next?”

Here, some of Brandlective’s key players are giving their insight into their areas of expertise and what we expect to happen in 2017.

MERGED MARKETING MEDIUMS Content marketing, SEO, PR, social media and PPC all blending into one skillset. No longer is the need for numerous niche agencies, as these named disciplines are all interdependent upon each other with today’s techniques.

STACEY KEHOE 32-year-old Director of Communications, Stacey focuses on client relations, business development and campaign execution.

Intrepid Travel Blogger, foodie and loyal online shopper.

I expect in 2017, entrepreneurs and businesses of all shapes and sizes will move towards consolidating their marketing mediums. The significance for the modern marketer is that it is dangerous to assume that things will remain the same. You will need to watch the changing landscape and

keep reinventing your tactics. This means, yes, we should pay attention to new up-coming trends but it is not enough to over-hall your digital marketing strategies once a year to get results, as we shift into merged marketing mediums and crosschannel marketing, regular tracking, reporting and updates must be made to keep up with this fast-paced evolution of modern marketing.

INCREASED REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

RACHEL POTTLE 25-year-old marketing professional focusing on website development, brand reputation management and magazine design. Lover of theatre, stand-up comedy and live music.

Online reviews play an incredibly influential role in shaping the way consumers perceive your brand, using them as a means of confirming your credibility as a business. The rise in social media, especially in review sites like Amazon, Trip Advisor and Glassdoor, has provided consumers with an easy platform to share their experiences and judgements about your company online.

It’s reported that a whopping 92% of consumers now read online reviews before making a purchase, with 40% of those forming an opinion about

a business after reading just one to three reviews. This doesn’t give your brand much of an opportunity to earn a consumer’s trust, so it’s vital you go the extra mile to enhance the consumer experience to ensure positive reviews are written about your brand. With the market saturated with competing brands, these reviews give consumers a reason for choosing your product, rather than your competitors.

Your brand reputation value is irreplaceable so it’s essential you are always taking action to protect it.

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BRANDMAG PERSONALISATION BECOMES ESSENTIAL Social media has already come a long way since the days of Myspace and Bebo; the social media hype is no longer just for your everyday updates, now your favourite brands are starting to fully optimise social media for their own benefit. Social Media Marketing is set to continue to evolve steadily to allow customers access to more personalised content.

MEGAN PAYNTER 22-year-old social media manager focusing mainly on creative writing, graphic design and content management. Listener of poppunk music, writer of short-stories and proud crazy cat lady.

Private Messaging: Snapchat has started the movement, but Whatsapp, Facebook and LinkedIn will be close to follow the more personalised marketing approach.

Social Media Marketing is set

to switch to private messaging!

Be prepared to connect with your favourite brand via private messaging and private groups.

Story Telling: Instead of spamming users with offers and product updates, brands will use social media to tell a story and evoke emotion in their consumers, leading to a far greater reach and more authentic relationships with consumers.

Visual Content: Smart brands will include visual content strategy as an integrated part of their marketing, not just an afterthought.

MAKE GOOGLE YOUR FRIEND

ALEX OBERTELLI 25-year-old marketing professional focusing mainly on Graphics, SEO and content. Big fan of the Foals, the scenery in New Zealand’s south island, Japanese food and True Detective Season 1.

Social media has required brands to become content marketing machines. Creating good content now rewards you with SEO benefits, more engagement on social platforms and more value to new and existing customers reading up on your business. Don’t fall into the traps of false dichotomies - it’s not SEO OR content marketing, it’s SEO AND content marketing that will increase the likelihood of you ranking well in Google.

have to talk about, you’re influencing Google by producing content that will help your ranking. People need to remember that Google doesn’t judge you or your business - it’s an algorithm. You’re talking to Google by generating content marketing through press releases, blog posts etc. and helping to substantiate yourself to the search engine as valuable.

You also shouldn’t be put off if you’re a B2B business. Even if you don’t think anyone cares about what you

CONTENT TRANSPARENCY BOOMS

ZENYA SMITH 26- year- old marketing professional with a special interest in graphic design and content writing. Music festival fan, novice baker and self-confessed stationery hoarder.

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When it comes to creating content for your brand, you really do get out as much as you put in. Research has shown time and time again that customers purchase from brands that they can identify with, which means it is crucial for your brand to accurately communicate your values through your content.

If you’re unsure how to engage through your content, try leaving your audience with a question that keeps your brand in their mind.

People usually decide whether a piece is worth reading based on the first few sentences, so focus on making these snappy and full of personality.

The key to creating great content is to keep it original – ideally you want to produce content that generates some level of emotional response, rehashing old ideas will create little meaning for your audience to latch on to.

Unfortunately, you only ever get one chance to make a great first impression, so creating content that is clear and engaging is an ideal way of hooking your audience’s attention.

BRANDMAG SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE I like the fact that when I walk into the café each morning, the barista knows I want a skinny vanilla latte, regular size. People enjoy the warm touch that personalised service brings. But when I see the adverts for products appear on my mobile Facebook feed that I Googled on my work computer, I don’t get the same warm feeling.

VICKY SHAW 30-year-old Business Development Manager with an aptitude for creating engaging online content. Passionate about sport and fitness with a bug for running half marathons.

Research from Digital Marketing Magazine has shown that personalised treatment incentivises 42% of consumers to engage with brands, which is phenomenal, yet I fear there is a fine line between being

personal and being creepy.

In 2017 it will be important that digital marketers can find the right balance.

When executed appropriately, personal digital marketing is very effective. I believe our focus for the next 12 months should ensure consumers remain at the forefront of our digital marketing strategies; we should be adding value to consumer’s online experience while protecting their personal data.

WORDPRESS STILL DOMINATES Wordpress has come a long way since its conception in 2003 by its founders Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. It was born out of a desire for an elegant, well-architectured personal publishing system built on PHP and MySQL.

ADAM DRAKE 34-year-old Web Designer working predominantly with Wordpress. Family man that likes to spend his free time running around after his kids or otherwise immersing himself in all forms of music.

Over the years there have been multiple revamps and great additions (such as plugins!) and we’re now onto version 4.6.1 at the time of this writing (Oct 2016) and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. It’s now supporting over 60 million websites around the world, that’s 23% of the worldwide web!

The future looks bright for Wordpress with version 4.7 coming soon along with the brand new theme – Twenty Seventeen. This new theme sports a modern look and will make a great template for a serious young business site. It will also take advantage of new features that will be included in version 4.7. These include a better flow for using a static page as your front page, expanding custom header images to include video and dummy content for live previews.

All in all, very exciting times to be involved with this great platform Wordpress.

SOCIAL VIDEO WINS Video and marketing go hand in hand. From traditional television advertisements to today’s online platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook Live, video marketing has become a staple of our everyday lives. Video marketing provides a shareable medium for marketers to reach their audiences, across a multitude of platforms.

BRIONY QUINN 29-year-old social media manager focusing on original and engaging content. Music lover, documentary fan and conspiracy theorist.

There is no doubt that consumers respond well to visuals and a recent study by Diode Digital found that online video is 600% more effective than print and direct mail marketing combined, a staggering figure which

suggests that video marketing is not to be ignored!

With consumers’ attention spans continuing to drop, brands need to captivate their audience in a mere matter of seconds, and that is why video marketing is becoming an incredibly powerful marketing tool.

In today’s business world, content marketing rules the marketplace and video content is leading the way when it comes to boosting brand awareness and ROI. Brands need to take action and capitalise on the impact that video content can have.

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BRANDMAG

SEO 101:

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STRATEGY AND ON-PAGE SEO

ON-PAGE SEO IS THE PRACTICE OF OPTIMISING INDIVIDUAL WEB PAGES IN ORDER TO RANK HIGHER AND EARN MORE RELEVANT TRAFFIC IN SEARCH ENGINES. THE GOOGLE PANDA UPDATE INCREASED THE NECESSITY FOR UNIQUE AND WELL-WRITTEN CONTENT AND WE BELIEVE THIS ALSO NEEDS TO BE SUPPORTED BY WELL-CHOSEN KEYWORDS AND THE CORRECT PAGE TAG STRUCTURE. Words by Alex Obertelli

Keyword Research: Before deciding to spend money on Adwords and other forms of online advertising - or even a website – it is important to identify the keywords that are going to be associated with your business online. Although this will require some due diligence and knowledge of your industry, identifying keywords should cost you nothing other than your time.

When looking to establish a set of 5-7 suitable keywords for your business, you can use the free tools of Google suggestions, Google Keyword Planner, related searches and auto-complete to help find additional keywords that you

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might not have previously considered.

This will also help you identify the transactional wording consumers are using to search for products / services within your industry.

Page Tags: Learning how to talk to Google through page tag structure will help you get to the top of Google searches. Problems with website tag structures are some of the most common SEO issues that smallmedium sized businesses encounter with their websites. The good news here is that it often only takes a few important changes to the backend tags of your visible content here and there to boost the overall ranking of your website.

The title tag is the boldest, most obvious element in a search result and therefore a major part in the decision-making process of whether a potential visitor will click through to your website or not. The purpose of the given web page should be directly stated in all of the following areas: • • • •

Title tag URL Content of text on page Image alt text

We recommend putting your most important keywords at the beginning of your title tags and ensuring that page text and visual content tags match those in the title.

BRANDMAG

WHY YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS A WEBSITE

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A STAGGERING NUMBER OF SMALL BUSINESSES STILL DON’T HAVE A WEBSITE. WORD OF MOUTH CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH FOR A SMALL ENTERPRISE AND DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY, BRANDLECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS WERE EAGER IN A RECENT BLOG POST ON THEIR WEBSITE TO PROMOTE WHY GROWTH IN TODAY’S COMPETITIVE MARKET IS RELIANT ON HAVING AN ONLINE PRESENCE.

3 KEY BENEFITS OF HAVING A BUSINESS WEBSITE: APPEARING IN THE CONSUMER RESEARCH PROCESS With more and more customers using the internet to search for information about companies, products and services, even small businesses will benefit immensely from having some form of presence online. Brandlective states that this is because it is now second nature for consumers to research a company’s information and presence online before making a purchase and do their due diligence.

Words by Briony Quinn

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he internet plays a key role in helping businesses of all sizes reach new customers, irrespective of industry. For a small enterprise, to not have what is now considered a fundamental aspect of marketing up and running, it will stunt their growth.

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t’s vital for businesses to invest in a website – and customers may be missing out on businesses due to their lack of visibility. Reaching consumers in the fastest way possible is essential for any business’ success and a website is a fantastic way to achieve that.

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or a small investment it’s now possible for SMEs to sell themselves attractively to target customers using their professional websites. Whilst having an online presence is a must for today’s businesses – it does not mean it needs to break the bank. User-friendly, mobile responsive web designs can be obtained for just a few hundred pounds so even those with small budgets can benefit from them.

AN INCREASE IN CUSTOMERS The internet offers a global community. By being available online, a business will be reachable by customers who are not only in the local area but anyone that is searching for the products or services you provide across the globe. This opens up a range of new opportunities, with expansion and development being just some of these. With a website, a company’s business will be visible around the world any time of day or night.

TRUSTWORTHINESS If a company’s website or social media channels are lacking, the discovered deficiency may well be enough to put the customer off through a lack of trust. Consumers may feel suspicious when it comes to buying from that business due to their lack of existence online. Having a website provides a resource or 24-hour online brochure about what the business does.

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BRANDMAG

DOES FACEBOOK HAVE YOU BUGGED? 22

THE INTRIGUING THEORY SURROUNDING HOW FACEBOOK TAILORS ITS SUGGESTED CONTENT EVER NOTICED THAT THE SUGGESTED CONTENT ON YOUR FACEBOOK TIMELINE SEEMS TO BE SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO YOU? THERE MAY BE AN UNNERVING EXPLANATION BEHIND IT. Words by Zenya Smith

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here have been claims floating around the digital world for a while now that Facebook is using people’s phone activity to gather information on their likes and interests – and then using this data to push through tailored suggested content through the site. For those who use their mobile phones for web browsing, this may not come as a surprise, and in many cases can even be helpful and direct users of the app to products and offers of interest. However, an increasing number of users are logging in to find ads for things they have talked about and not searched online for. This has raised questions as to the extent that Facebook is monitoring and using mobile activity, with theories arising that the Facebook app is accessing mobile phone microphones to listen in to our conversations and find out that little bit more about us.

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o, does Facebook really have us bugged? And to what extent is this information being used to push out promotional, suggested content? The internet is full of conflicting claims from the social media giant. In an article in the Telegraph (Facebook is using smartphones to listen to what people say, professor suggests - Andrew Griffin, 31st May 2016) it was stated that Facebook has admitted that it’s app does listen to what’s happening around it, but only as a way of seeing what people are listening to or watching and so that it can suggest that they post about it. However, in a later article by Forbes ( Facebook Says It Is Not Listening To Your Conversations For Ads Using Microphone Access -Amit Chowdhry, June 7th, 2016), the company released a statement denying the use of mobile phone microphones to collect data for advertising and promotional use. In the statement, Facebook addressed that the app does have access to the microphone function, however, claimed that this is only used for recording videos, or to allow users to include music or other audio in their status updates.

The company also reiterated that these functions are also only available if the user has given the app permission to use the microphone.

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eing no closer to a definitive answer, Brandlective Communications conducted an experiment to find out exactly how the microphone function is being used by Facebook. Using a range of mobile devices, the agency held conversations on random, unrelated topics, with at least one device being present for each discussion. Over the coming weeks, Brandlective Communications tracked the suggested

content and advertising that appeared on Facebook on these devices and looked for a correlation between this and the topics they had previously discussed. The overall results of the study were mixed; however, the agency noted a definite increase in relevant suggested content – for example, after discussing yoga with a Chiropractor a member of the team found their Facebook feed filled with yoga advice and classes, despite never actually searching for it online.

Another member was greeted with guitar shops in their local area on Facebook following conversations about potentially buying a family friend a guitar for Christmas. Finally, the RSPCA dominated another member’s feed following conversations about adopting a cat. The results of the experiment suggest that Facebook is using its app to monitor conversations, with Brandlective Communications reporting that the process made them more aware of specific, relevant content being added to their Facebook timelines. However, Brandlective Communications did also indicate that some of this content might have been sourced through internet browsing – therefore Facebook may not be listening all the time.

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lthough the degree to which Facebook is listening to our conversations seems to be sporadic, the ultimate question remains -Is this an invasion of privacy or helpful to users of the site? At the end of the day, the answer to this issue is entirely unique to each user of the app, some may feel that Facebook has taken sourcing data a step too far, while others could find this type of tailored content useful and time saving.

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emember, it is possible to deactivate the microphone on the Facebook app. On an iPhone, go to Settings, then Privacy, then Microphone and you will be able to withdraw Facebook’s access to the microphone. Similarly, on Android Facebook’s access can be revoked by going to Settings, then Privacy and then changing the permissions of the Facebook app.

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BRANDMAG

BRANDMAG

Feel like you’re fighting a constant battle as an SME?

You’re not alone!

STARTUP ADVICE

COMMON CHALLENGES STARTUPS FACE: Hiring new talent

It’s all well and good at the beginning to take on all business responsibilities to save costs but the reality is it’s impossible to do everything yourself. From creating products and managing finances to building an online presence, there’s far too much for one person to handle. So if you’re looking to grow your business, it’s going to require people power. But finding the right fit for your company can be difficult, after all it’s your baby and you need people that will help make the business prosper, not hinder it. Plus you’ve got all the extras that come with increasing a workforce such as salaries, training, resources etc. It’s a lot to think about, so make sure you’re financially stable and have a sufficient amount of work to outsource before bringing new people on board.

Managing cash flow

Business shouldn’t solely be focused on making a profit, after all consumers are much more likely to buy from you if you can offer something of value.

However, we’d be lying if we said increasing profits wasn’t important, after all making money is the backbone to any thriving business. However, it’s not uncommon for new businesses to run into issues outside of their control when it comes to managing cash flow such as clients stalling payments, unexpected outgoings and outstanding bills. The good thing to know is that there are many solutions that have been designed to help businesses achieve better budgeting and invoicing; the key is finding one that fits your business.

Staying motivated

As a new business you’ve got the passion and motivation to work until 4 in the morning as you’re in the middle of launching something truly unique; but as the weeks go on and fatigue starts settling in, tiredness can lead to irritability and this is when rash decisions are made that could have a detrimental impact on your business. Create a work pace that works for you, remember to take regular breaks to avoid burn out and never lose sight of the reason you started the business in the first place.

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MANAGING DIRECTOR GLEN LOWES HAS SPENT YEARS BUILDING HIS COMPLETE ONE EMPIRE INTO THE SUCCESS IT IS TODAY AND HAS SPOKEN TO BRANDMAG ABOUT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES EVERY STARTUP FACES AND THE BEST APPROACHES TO RESPONDING TO THEM IN ORDER TO REACH THE TOP. Words by Rachel Pottle

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ho said business was easy? Even the most successful of brands had to overcome barriers before they became global successes. As a new business owner, it’s so easy to get bogged down feeling that you’re the only one having a tough time that you fail to recognise that your competitors are probably going through the exact same problems.

Launching a new business is always going to come with its obstacles, but it’s how you respond to these challenges that makes all the difference.

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anaging Director Glen Lowes of face-to-face marketing firm Complete One was formerly a construction worker that was affected by the recession. He went in search of a new

BRANDMAG

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years on, Complete One is now one of the fastest growing sales and marketing agencies in the North East of England. After a hugely successful start in Newcastle, the firm’s continued increasing success enabled them to expand their market reach over the years to now having offices also in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Sheffield. The firm is also currently on track to achieving their goal for 2016 which is to break the £1million turnover barrier. “We have experienced huge success over the years, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t come with its struggles. The journey to success is always the hardest, but for every hurdle you overcome it makes you stronger,” states Glen Lowes.

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len Lowes has shared the three most influential attributes that he believes have been crucial to his success at Complete One:

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opportunity in the sales and marketing industry. By having a positive mindset, perseverance and commitment he acquired the fundamental skills and knowledge that allowed him to open his own company, Complete One just 12 months later.

Glen Lowes

Perseverance:

Mindset:

Risk-taking:

In business there is no simple plan to follow. Things change all the time and it’s likely that most things don’t come out as anticipated, so having the perseverance to find another solution and carry on is essential. Don’t give up when things get tough!

The first part to achieving success is believing that you can. You need to learn to develop a positive mindset and remove any negative thoughts, fears and limiting beliefs, as positivity helps set you up for success.

Success is all about how you respond to the obstacles. Having the ability to take risks and identify opportunities is going to help propel you forward.

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s you can see, everyone experiences bumps in the road as a new startup, but they won’t last forever.

Take Glen Lowes advice; with the perseverance to keep going, a positive attitude and the confidence to go beyond your comfort zone, you’ll smash through the restricting walls and you’ll soon be back on track to surviving your first year in business.

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BRANDMAG

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All Leaders are

Readers!

IT’S ALL IN YOUR MIND: Successful people have the ability to understand why they think the way they do and how their thoughts govern every action and decision they make. It is this introspection that increases their chances of being able to understand, motivate or inspire others. To get your brain really thinking, we recommend starting with the following books:

1) Who Moved My Cheese by

Spencer Johnson

2) Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill 3) As A Man Thinketh by James Allen

WITH ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMES RESPONSIBILITY: Being a successful entrepreneur is more than developing and executing a unique business idea. Entrepreneurship requires individuals to take risks and manage a business venture in a competitive market, which without a doubt always comes with some difficult challenges. Hence why entrepreneurs are regarded to be pioneers, innovators and leaders. If you are interested in sociology and psychology, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell will provide you with one of the best evaluations of human behaviour where Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink takes you on a journey to demonstrate how trusting your instincts and making a snap judgement can prove to be far more beneficial than executing a cautious decision.

SELL, SELL, SELL: Sales is the backbone to any business. All businesses need customers, so mastering the art of selling is fundamental to any business professional, no matter what industry you work in. Here’s 3 fantastic guides to get you started that will help you understand the basics of consumer behaviour and how to persuade people:

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1) Selling 101 by Zig Ziglar

2) The Art of Closing a Sale by Brian Tracy 3) Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer

START THE NEW YEAR WITH A FRESH MARKETING OUTLOOK www.brandlective.com info@brandlective.com +44 (0) 207-407-2672

Head into the New Year with a brand new marketing setup. Brandlective can help you re-design your website, social media, SEO and marketing materials! New Year, New Look, New Customers, New Heights.