BrandMag | Issue 5 | Aug 2016

Online marketing magazine for SMEs

BRANDMAG ISSUE 05 | AUG / SEPT 2016

Say YES to Success with

Snapchat

It’s hot right now, but is it right for your business?

CANDACE KEEFE

In need of R&R?

We’ve got the perfect location for busy entrepreneurs looking to unwind

Networking Tips

Back-to-Basics SEO

PR Crisis? Never Fear

Got a spot that needs filling?

Struggling to find top talent?

You need Superlative Recruitment!

We specialise in: Recruitment Advertising and Media Relations Content Writing and Compliance Candidate Screening and Selection Pipeline Analytics and Consulting

Contact us today to discuss your needs and we’ll come back to you with a free, no obligations proposal!

Phone us: 07718161836 Email us: info@superrecruit.co.uk Visit us: www.superlativerecruitment.com

BRANDMAG

BRANDMAG ISSUE 5 | AUG / SEPT 2016 EDITORIAL Stacey Kehoe - Editor stacey@brandlective.com Megan Paynter - Editorial Assistant megan@brandlective.com Zenya Smith - Content Editor zenya@brandlective.com Alex Obertelli - Picture Editor alex@brandlective.com

FROM THE EDITOR

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

CONTRIBUTORS Vicky Shaw vicky@brandlective.com Briony Quinn briony@brandlective.com Jamiesh Holait Luke Walker Eric Martin

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.

Rachel Pottle - Graphic Designer rachel@brandlective.com

Plato said, ‘You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation’. For those looking to build stronger relationships or take time to assess goals, an R&R is the way to do it! Check out our travel feature on Tenerife, Spain! Can you imagine a better place to host your summer R&R? For those of us looking to focus on grabbing every opportunity with both hands, our cover feature is unmissable. Very few entrepreneurs make it big with their first idea or business venture. The good news is that studies have shown that positivity can help you become more resilient. Our cover story features Candace Keefe, who is bursting with positive energy. Her business experience is inspirational and in this article her insight into how to generate more opportunities for ourselves is contagious.

How would your business progress if you said yes to every opportunity that presented itself? Have a read and find out!

Finally, a truly inspirational meeting took place with Grant Cardone, international sales expert, New York Times bestselling author and radio show host of The Cardone Zone.

British business owner, Jamiesh Holait travelled to Florida to interview this exceptional entrepreneur. An absolute must-read!

STACEY KEHOE - EDITOR

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SAY YES TO SUCCESS WITH CANDACE KEEFE

Candace Keefe, CEO of health, beauty and lifestyle brand Bioceutica believe that getting out and saying yes to new experiences and integrating with those outside of your circle can boost attitude and foster positivity.

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6. TONE OF VOICE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK! With the majority of consumer research now taking place online, tone of voice becomes a major influence in how they perceive a brand’s image and personality. From the choice of wording used on your website to the copy on your newsletters – we’ve explored how this will influence the way in which people perceive your business.

9. AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC MARTIN We recently sat down with Entrepreneur and CEO at Florida Business Consulting, Eric Martin to discuss his career journey and goals for the future.

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BRANDMAG

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 10. THE BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE TO TENERIFE

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In this edition we review Tenerife, the cultured and civilised island of extraordinary diversity and outline why it is the perfect location for a much needed R&R for busy business owners and entrepreneurs.

16. SEO 101: HOW DOES GOOGLE RANK WEBSITES? Did you know there are over 200 factors that Google considers when ranking a website? So if you’re looking to push your website higher in the search results, make sure you’re implementing some of these tips.

17. WHY I LOVE NETWORKING As an owner of a successful business, Luke Walker has spoken out about the benefits of networking and connecting with fellow industry professionals in the sales and marketing sector.

18. IS SNAPCHAT RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS? It’s hot on the social scene right now, but is Snapchat suitable for your business? Read this guide before committing to using this fast-growing social communication platform.

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20. 3 MAJOR LESSONS I LEARNT FROM GRANT CARDONE After flying out to Miami in June to spend some one-onone time with motivational speaker Grant Cardone, awardwinning business owner Jamiesh Holait reveals the lessons he has taken away after meeting the multi-millionaire.

22. HAVING A PR CRISIS? To help businesses respond to negative press, we have compiled four top tips that, if utilised effectively, can spin a story so the public views the brand in a positive light once again.

ONTENTS

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BRANDMAG © SERGEY NIVENS / SHUTTERSTOCK

MARKETING ADVICE

Tone of Voice is More Important Than You Think!

NOWADAYS, A LARGE PART OF THE CONSUMER RESEARCH PROCESS TAKES PLACE ONLINE, AND THIS IS WHERE THE VAST MAJORITY OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE NOW EXPERIENCED. MANY CUSTOMERS ARE UNABLE TO VISUALISE THE BODY LANGUAGE OF SALES REPS THROUGH THEIR LAPTOP OR IPHONE SCREENS, SO TONE OF VOICE BECOMES A MAJOR INFLUENCE IN HOW THEY PERCEIVE A BRAND’S IMAGE AND PERSONALITY. IN THIS WAY YOUR WRITING AND CONTENT BECOMES PART OF YOUR BRANDING. FROM THE CHOICE OF WORDING USED ON THE WEBSITE TO THE COPY ON YOUR NEWSLETTERS – IT’S ALL GOING TO AFFECT AND INFLUENCE HOW PEOPLE PERCEIVE YOUR BUSINESS. Words by Alex Obertelli

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oice can draw your audience in or drive them away. Here’s how to strike the right tone.

Know and communicate your values

The first step in guiding your marketing voice is to understand the company itself. If your brand were a person, what would they be like? By examining the products / services you provide and by speaking to both employees and customers you will be able to gain an understanding of the brand’s core values, and even what differentiates them from other competitors in the market. Identify 3 core values (preferably human) that are appropriate to your business.

Differentiate yourself

If your business sits in a saturated or competitive market then use tone of voice to set yourself apart from the rest of the competition. Tone of voice can demonstrate your expertise, sense of humour, or any other attribute that you want to exhibit to potential consumers.

Use a tone for your target market

Express your brand’s personality through carefully chosen vocabulary and terminology that resonates with your target audience. Tone of voice has the ability to single-handedly attract or deter customers, so it is important to choose a tone that matches the interests and needs of your market. If your primary customers are professional businessmen and women, your tone might be authoritative and direct, but if you’re targeting teenagers then it should be light-hearted, quirky and on point.

Keep your tone coherent & consistent

Just like other forms of branding like logo design and colour schemes, it is important that your consumers believe all your media comes from one source. Having the same tone across all of your customers’ touch points with your brand increases familiarity, and sets the bar for what customers should know and expect from you. Although different media platforms require different ways of speaking (i.e. social media in comparison to a press release), it is still important to maintain a degree of consistency with tone of voice across the board. Having consistency over time is what will help build your brand image and make it likeable. Make sure you don’t ‘fake it’, or try to deceive your customers. If you’re not a fun brand, don’t try to be.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VOICE AND TONE? Tone: A subset of your brand’s voice.

Tone adds specific flavour to your voice based on factors like audience, situation and channel.

Essentially, there is one voice for your brand and many tones that refine that voice.

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Brands that have nailed tone of voice

1) Mailchimp 2) Sephora 3) Innocent Smoothies 4) Paddy Power 5) Taco Bell 6) O2 7) Intrepid Travel 8) Cards Against

FREE DOWNLOAD! Download our free tone of voice template from our website: www.brandlective.com/tone-of-voice

Voice is a mission statement. Tone is the application of that mission.

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BRANDMAG © HAVE A NICE DAY PHOTO / SHUTTERSTOCK

WORDPRESS IS THE SMARTEST WEBSITE OPTION FOR SMES WE ARE FIRM ADVOCATES OF THE WORDPRESS CMS (CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM) DUE TO ITS SIMPLICITY AND EXTENSIVE SUPPORT COMMUNITY, MAKING IT A SENSIBLE CHOICE FOR STARTUP BUSINESS OWNERS WHO LACK PHP OR HTML KNOWLEDGE. Words by Alex Obertelli

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stablished in 2001, WordPress is a database that allows users and web designers to develop a broad spectrum of websites, ranging from simple blogs to intricate enterprise websites. WordPress has gained credibility following its use by some of the world’s most recognisable brands, such as CNN, New York Times Blogs and People Magazine. It’s hardly surprising then that WordPress claim they power ‘more than 24% of the web’, a figure that apparently rises with each day (WordPress, 2015).

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e believe that the characteristics of WordPress mirror the ethos of the SME business environment and their subsequent requirements. Website design, layout and content can be

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tailored through WordPress to suit the business landscape and brand imagery of the company. If a user is in need of a feature specific to their business that is not already included in the database, there are thousands of open-sourced ‘plugins’ that are easily accessible and designed to cater to their needs.

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unning a startup or smallmedium sized business can prove to be a real juggling act of time management. We believe that adopting WordPress as your CMS can help save time through ease of use and browserbased accessibility (can be accessed from any computer connected to the internet). WordPress is also very SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) friendly and is effortlessly navigated by Google, Bing and Yahoo - meaning that pages

can be easily indexed in the search results. This is significant as it gives businesses a chance to naturally achieve higher rankings prior to adopting more complex SEO endeavours.

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nother benefit of using WordPress is the ease at which website content can be created and edited. WordPress started out as a blogging tool, so content marketing is in its blood and it still includes a built-in blog feature today (Wood Street, 2015). It is important to remember that through the production of good quality and regular web content, SMEs are also able to increase their SEO ranking (Business 2 Community, 2015).

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e believe that WordPress has become a revolutionary tool in the online business community and has allowed us to offer amazing cost-effective website packages at a fraction of the price compared to those coded from scratch.

There is often a need for us to tailor web content and create personality for our clients, and we believe that WordPress provides us with the best platform to do so.

BRANDMAG

© STEPHEN COREY MELTON

AN INTERVIEW WITH:

ERIC MARTIN

ENTREPRENEUR AND CEO AT FLORIDA BUSINESS CONSULTING, ERIC MARTIN WAS RECENTLY RECOGNISED FOR THE FIRM’S ACHIEVEMENTS BY BEING NOMINATED FOR A ‘BUSINESS OWNER OF THE YEAR’ AWARD AT A PRESTIGIOUS SALES AND MARKETING GALA IN JULY. WE RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH ERIC TO DISCUSS HIS CAREER JOURNEY AND GOALS FOR THE FUTURE. Words by Briony Quinn

How long have you been in business?

I have been running my own business since September 2011. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 5 years already!

What did you do before you launched Florida Business Consulting?

Before launching my business, I worked in two different job roles. The first was in accounting, where I worked in an entry-level role at a CPA firm and the second was selling Health Insurance.

I also completed two Masters; one in Accounting and an MBA in International Business. I have always had a real student mentality and hunger for knowledge, and I believe these are the core characteristics that helped me develop into the successful entrepreneur I am today.

What has been your biggest lesson?

Always stay humble. I entered the direct sales and marketing industry with a huge ego and I quickly realised that whatever you’ve done in the past doesn’t matter; it’s all about what you’re doing

now. Being a business owner is a great mental test. I am constantly having to reinvent myself and keep Florida Business Consulting innovative. I decided to become the best student and this is when things started happening and my career began to take off.

The past 12 months have been huge for you, what has influenced this growth spurt?

When I launched my business 12 months ago, I started the company with just a small group of people and made a commitment to build the best team there ever was. My colleagues Sasha and Jovana, who have been with me from the beginning, partnered in the administration/HR side of the business and we started to grow at a rapid pace.

My reason for wanting to be successful has changed from when I first pursued entrepreneurship. A huge motivator was the birth of my first daughter, which created a much bigger goal since it wasn’t about me anymore. My sense of urgency is greater and my work ethic is stronger now that I’ve become a father.

You were recently nominated for a ‘Business Owner of the Year’ award, what did that mean to you?

I was honoured and excited! The sales and marketing industry as a whole has seen such rapid growth and being nominated as one of the best business owners is a good pat on the back. It’s amazing recognition for the work the team has put in and the results we’ve generated.

What are your future business plans?

Short-term: I want my organisation to double in size within the next 12 months and create opportunities for other business professionals.

Long-term: As a business consultant I would like to improve the results of the offices I oversee to a point where they’ve grown so big that I can just work from a cell phone and a laptop and not have to put on a suit everyday and go into an office.

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BRANDMAG

Just because you run your business and can work anytime doesn’t mean you should!

The Business Traveller: Words by Stacey Kehoe

A Guide To

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eserve set times in your schedule for activities that allow you to recharge and that add value to your business and personal life, such as daily exercise, a weekly date or an annual R&R. You’ll not only have something to look forward to, but also extra motivation to manage your other time more effectively.

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enerife is the striking (and slightly saucy) grand dame in the archipelago family. Attracting over 10 million visitors a year, the island’s most famous southern resorts offer

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Tenerife

a famous club scene, combined with sandy beaches and allinclusive resorts. But step beyond the lobster-red tourists and what you’ll find is a cultured and civilised island of extraordinary diversity which is perfect for a much needed R&R for us busy business owners and entrepreneurs.

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WHERE TO STAY? The natural beauty of Tenerife is combined with an intense passion for service in the most superior luxury hotel on the island. With the Atlantic Ocean at its feet and the majestic Teide as a backdrop, the stunning scenery and eternal spring climate allows the Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora to provide guests with endless magical moments.

Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora

The hotel has taken care of everything down to the very finest detail in each of its rooms, creating a personalised

setting to ensure your total satisfaction.

Imagine the experience of viewing the sun setting over the ocean from one of the magnificent suites in this fantastic resort, the best 5-star hotel in Tenerife.

Located to the south of Tenerife, the hotel Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora has rapidly earned the reputation of being the best resort in Europe; thanks to its luxurious and elegant facilities, exclusive and personalised services and the most beautiful views on the Canary Islands.

© CHASDESIGN / SHUTTERSTOCK

WHERE TO EAT? © LUCAS MAES

Lucas Maes Address: Barranco de la Arena 53, La Orotava, 38300, Spain Telephone: 922 32 11 59 Website: http://www.restaurantelucasmaes.com/en/ Lucas prepares and presents sensually succulent cuisine on a menu that changes weekly and features the best seasonal produce.

Believing food is art, he combines contemporary with traditional in his

dishes and his dining room – both of which are sublime.

This restaurant is the first choice of some of Tenerife’s top chefs.

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BRANDMAG © LORI BRYSTON

SAY YES TO SUCCESS! WITH CANDACE KEEFE 12

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CANDACE KEEFE, CEO OF HEALTH, BEAUTY AND LIFESTYLE BRAND BIOCEUTICA FIRMLY BELIEVES THAT WE COULD ALL GAIN GREAT THINGS FROM SAYING YES A LITTLE MORE OFTEN, AND SHE SHOULD KNOW. AFTER RECENTLY ORCHESTRATING THE ‘JUST SAY YES’ CAMPAIGN FOR BIOCEUTICA, THINGS HAVE SNOWBALLED FOR THE BRAND – WHICH LOOKS TO BE GROWING AT A RECORD RATE. CANDACE KEEFE RECENTLY SPOKE TO BRANDMAG TO SHARE HER REASONS BEHIND LAUNCHING THE CAMPAIGN AND EXPLAINED WHY SHE IS ON A MISSION TO ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO ‘JUST SAY YES’.

Words by Zenya Smith

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I THINK IT’S UP TO THOSE WITH INFLUENCE, SUCH AS CEO’S AND ENTREPRENEURS TO SHARE THE BENEFITS OF TAKING A CHANCE AND SEEKING OUT NEW OPPORTUNITIES.

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andace Keefe has held a number of important roles within the health and lifestyle industry, clocking up over 25 years of experience in developing and marketing the very best nutrition and skincare products.

During this time, Keefe has worked alongside some of the world’s greatest nutritionists, entrepreneurs and scientists; the most notable of which being Pierre Bottiglieri who boasts 35 years of experience formulating natural health and beauty products. However, despite her impressive credentials for developing quality products, Keefe has broadened her horizons and set herself an even greater challenge since joining Bioceutica back in 2012 – helping people transform their professional lives by embracing new opportunities.

“Opportunity is what you make of it. It knocks every day. Are you willing to open the door?” asks Keefe.

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eefe believes that everyone has the potential to make something of themselves, however many fail to fulfil their true business potential through a fear of taking that first crucial step. This is partly why she felt compelled to launch the ‘Just Say Yes’ campaign for Bioceutica. “I think it’s up to those with influence, such as CEOs and entrepreneurs to share the benefits of taking a chance and seeking out new opportunities. The first step is always daunting but I was keen to promote how with the right mind-set, the positives greatly outweigh the negatives.”

To support the growth of business professionals and help them on the road to success, Candace Keefe wants them to embrace the idea of saying yes more.

© LORI BRYSTON

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BRANDMAG © LORI BRYSTON

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aying yes is the greatest remedy for stagnation – all the great things that have happened to people in their lives so far, have happened because they have said yes to something at some point.” The gesture doesn’t have to be big either; as Keefe points out, even saying yes to something small, such as an invitation to reconnect with an old friend over coffee or attending a free networking event in the local area can kick start a chain of positivity and create a mind-set which is more open and accepting of new opportunities.

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aying yes in business means stretching your comfort zone and overcoming your insecurities in order to rise above fear, get through failure, criticism and rejection with a positive spirit. Saying yes more often increases opportunities, which in turn increases success. But perhaps more valuably, saying yes allows a professional to learn more about themselves, identify what they need more of in their lives to not only reach their goals, but to also live a more fulfilled and happier life.

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SAYING YES IS THE GREATEST REMEDY FOR STAGNATION – ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES SO FAR, HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE THEY HAVE SAID YES TO SOMETHING AT SOME POINT.

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eefe is a great believer in the power of happiness and its ability to fuel success. “There’s no point waiting to be happy, happiness comes from you. You need to go out and seek out its source,” states Keefe. When we are happy, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated and resilient, allowing us to be more productive. So how can we become happier? Well, by saying yes! Getting out and saying yes to new experiences and integrating with those outside of your circle can boost attitude and foster positivity.

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ltimately, Candace Keefe is confident that finding new opportunities and living a more successful life is within reach of all of us. “It’s all about making a conscious effort to make small changes to how you live your life and interact with the world around you, pretty soon you will start to see more opportunities and your positive mindset will become the catalyst for great success.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT MAKING A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO MAKE SMALL CHANGES TO HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE AND INTERACT WITH THE WORLD AROUND YOU, PRETTY SOON YOU WILL START TO SEE MORE OPPORTUNITIES AND YOUR POSITIVE MINDSET WILL BECOME THE CATALYST FOR GREAT SUCCESS.

Candace Keefe’s 5 Reasons to Say Yes Experience something new or different

For people who find it hard to accept change, meeting new people and embracing unfamiliar situations is tough. However the more they put themselves out there, the quicker they will realise that saying ‘yes’ can be fun. Saying ‘no’ is unlikely to lead to change and whilst it may feel safe, it offers little opportunity for progression.

Find opportunities

By declining invitations or meetings you may be missing out on fantastic and unexpected opportunities. Whilst not every ‘yes’ will lead to something wonderful and unexpected, can you really afford to take the risk?

Overcome fear

Fear is the biggest reason people turn down amazing opportunities; many people don’t want to break from the safety of their routines. However the more you say ‘yes’, the more you’ll face this fear head on and be able to beat it.

Meet new friends

You never know who will be on the other end of that ‘yes’. You may end up meeting some fantastic people who share your values, ambitions and outlook. An incredible amount of many friendships begin on the basis of random coincidence, so don’t miss your opportunity to connect.

Leaving your comfort zone

Stepping out of your comfort zone from time to time keeps you mentally sharp, teaches you new life lessons and introduces you to different things that may one day become a passion.

Saying ‘yes’ more is a good way to introduce yourself to the world outside of your comfort zone.

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BRANDMAG

SEO 101: HOW DOES GOOGLE RANK WEBSITES?

Words by Megan Paynter

1) Keyword as a First Word in Domain: A domain that starts with a target keyword has an edge over sites that don’t have their keyword in their domain or has the keyword in the middle or at the end of their domain.

2) Domain registration length: Valuable domains are often paid for several years in advance, while illegitimate domains rarely are used for more than a year. Therefore, the date when a domain expires can be used as a factor in site ranking.

3) Keyword in Subdomain Name:

SEO FACTORS webpage. But going overboard can hurt you!

7) Magnitude of Content Updates: The significance of edits and changes acts as a relevance and freshness factor.

Adding or removing entire sections is a more significant update than switching around the order of a few words.

8)How recent are your Content Updates: Google favours recently updated content, especially for time-sensitive searches.

A panel of SEO experts in 2011 agreed that a keyword appearing in the subdomain can boost rankings. E.g. keyword.ABC.com

9)Keyword Prominence:

4) Keyword appears in H1 Tag:

10)Image Optimisation:

H1 tags are a “second title tag” that sends another relevancy signal to Google.

5) User friendly layout: The page layout on highest quality pages makes the main content immediately visible.

6) Keyword Density: Although not as important as it once was, keyword density is still something Google uses to determine the topic of a

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WITH GOOGLE HANDLING MORE THAN 3 BILLION SEARCHES A DAY, ‘GOOGLE IT’ HAS BECOME AN EVERYDAY TERM FOR MANY OF US. BUT WHAT IF YOU’RE LOOKING AT IT FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE AND YOU WANT YOUR WEBSITE TO RANK HIGHER IN GOOGLE? WELL, THERE ARE OVER 200 FACTORS THAT GOOGLE CONSIDERS WHEN RANKING A WEBSITE. I HAVE REVEALED 18 FACTORS THAT YOU CAN START WORKING ON TODAY.

Having a keyword appear in the first 100 words of a page’s content appears to be a significant relevancy signal.

Images on-page send search engines important relevancy signals through their file name, alt text, tile, description and caption.

11)Page Loading Speed via HTML: Google and other search engines alike, use loading speed as a ranking factor.

Search engine spiders can estimate your site speed fairly based on a page’s code and file size.

12) Duplicate Content: Identical content on the same site (even slightly modified) can negatively influence a site’s search engine visibility.

13) Grammar and Spelling: Proper grammar and spelling is a quality signal.

14) Syndicated Content: Is the content on the page original? If it’s copied from another indexed page it will never rank as well as the original.

15) Multimedia: Images videos and other multimedia elements may act as a content quality signal.

16) Broken Links: Having too many broken links on a page may be a sign of a neglected or abandoned site, causing it to drop in quality and therefore rank lower.

17) Contact Us Page: Google prefers sites with an appropriate amount of contact information.

18) Number of Tweets: Like links, the amount of tweets a page has may influence its rank in Google.

BRANDMAG

WHY I LOVE NETWORKING (AND YOU SHOULD TOO!) BUSINESS OWNER, LUKE WALKER COMMITTED EARLIER THIS YEAR TO VISIT 2 NEW CITIES OR TOWNS EVERY MONTH IN ORDER TO MEET WITH OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS FROM HIS SECTOR. Words by Megan Paynter

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s an owner of a successful business, Luke Walker has witnessed firsthand the benefits of networking and connecting with fellow industry professionals. The entrepreneur points out that not only is there a lot to learn from others but he has a lot of knowledge that he wants to share too. It is this positive circle of helping and guiding each other which helps industries and individual businesses to thrive.

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uke Walker has spoken out about the benefits of networking and here, discusses the top 5 reasons why everyone should be doing it.

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Opportunities

“I believe that a motivated group of business owners create an abundance of opportunities,” revealed Luke Walker. Networking creates several opportunities including joint ventures, client leads, partnerships and speaking opportunities – the opportunities within networking are limitless. However, it is always important to make sure you jump on board with the right opportunity for you and your business.

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4Connections

“It’s not what you know, but who you know.” This is particularly true for business; to have a successful business you need a great source of relevant connections in your network that you can call on when you need them. “For me, networking with business leaders within my sector has allowed me to make connections with some highly influential people and learn valuable industry skills,” shared Mr Walker.

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Raised Profile

“Networking is valuable for building your reputation as a knowledgeable, reliable and supportive person - this is great for people trying to get recognised or progress within their business or industry,” revealed Luke Walker. As you share your knowledge and help others, you are also more likely to get leads and referrals as you will be the person that pops into their head when someone needs what you offer.

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Positive Influence

“The people you hang around with influence who you are and what you do. So you need to choose wisely and choose those who are positive, uplifting and help you thrive as a business owner.

I have always been sure to network with people who are similar to me and who I have a real connection with and add a positive aspect to my life,” discloses Luke Walker.

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Satisfaction helping others

“I love helping people and networking is a great way for me to share information and knowledge with others that I know will help them achieve great things. Networking is full of business owners that have problems which needs solving. There is great satisfaction from being the one to help them solve it and see them get a fantastic result from it,” shares Luke Walker.

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uke Walker has found networking to be a very positive experience.

The business owner believes that his relationships with other business owners is stronger and has led to more opportunities and speaking engagements being thrown his way.

Engaging with successful people has also lifted Luke’s enthusiasm for business as he states he has been inspired to think bigger and push harder.

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Let’s Get Social!

IS SNAPCHAT RIGHT FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?

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BRANDMAG

IT’S HOT ON THE SOCIAL SCENE RIGHT NOW, BUT IS SNAPCHAT SUITABLE FOR YOUR BUSINESS? READ THIS GUIDE BEFORE COMMITTING TO USING THIS FASTGROWING SOCIAL COMMUNICATION PLATFORM. Words by Vicky Shaw

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napchat has a huge audience of potential customers; 58% of college students are likely to purchase a brand’s product or service if they received a coupon via Snapchat.

In today’s market, Snapchat is increasingly being used by businesses as part of their marketing strategy. It can be an appealing marketing technique for the right type of small business (especially if the business targets young people).

We all like to feel connected to a brand, and Snapchat can be used to take you behind the doors of a company you care about. The immersive video experience is more powerful than a simple Tweet or Instagram photo. Restaurants in particular are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the benefits of Snapchat. ‘Snaps’ of food preparation or daily specials can be shared to customers; this sharing can be timed to coincide with lunch/dinner to entice people to go when they are hungry.

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ut before using Snapchat as part of your marketing strategy, it is important that you are aware of the potential dangers that the app can have on your brand.

Building a relevant and engaged audience on Snapchat is difficult compared to other social media networks and because

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the content isn’t searchable, you can’t build on it. So far, brands have stayed away from Snapchat due to a lack of analytics and targeting opportunities, but seeing as Snapchat has the highest growth rate of any social media app, I am of the opinion that this will improve at some point in the not too distant future.

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owever, the one thing that must not be ignored when incorporating Snapchat into your marketing strategy is professionalism. When using Snapchat for business purposes, it is really important to think about whether or not the images being sent to clients/competitors/customers are professional. The tone of the image or video being sent will influence how other people perceive your business; there is a big difference between the content you would share with your friends verses content what you would share for business purposes, so always be conscious of the messages your content could be promoting.

BRANDMAG

DID YOU KNOW? With 100 million active users and 77% of college students using it daily, Snapchat is a mobile photo-messaging app that allows users to take photos and short videos that remain viewable to recipients for approximately 10 seconds; after that, the ‘snap’ disappears and cannot be retrieved.

SO WHAT’S THE VERDICT? HERE ARE THE BENEFITS AND PITFALLS OF USING SNAPCHAT TO HELP YOU DECIDE WHETHER IT IS THE RIGHT PLATFORM FOR YOU TO BE USING FOR YOUR BRAND.

PROS

CONS

1) MARKET REACH - A huge audience of potential

1) LACK OF ENGAGEMENT - Building a relevant and

customers

engaged audience is difficult

2) ON TREND - Beneficial for firms targeting a young audience

2) NO SEO VALUE - Content is not shared, so it cannot be found in search engines

3) PERSONALISATION - Can help customers feel

3) PROFESSIONALISM - Content must be closely to

connected to a brand

managed to maintain professional reputation

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BRANDMAG

BUSINESS ADVICE

by Jamiesh Holait

© KURT REBRY

3 major business lessons I learnt from Grant Cardone AWARD WINNING BUSINESS OWNER, JAMIESH HOLAIT FLEW OUT TO MIAMI IN JUNE THIS YEAR TO SPEND SOME ONE-ON-ONE TIME WITH MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER, GRANT CARDONE. HERE, THE SALES AND MARKETING ENTREPRENEUR REVEALS THE LESSONS HE LEARNED FROM THE MULTIMILLIONAIRE BUSINESS OWNER AND AUTHOR. Words by Megan Paynter

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he business owner often shares with his own firm the impact of spending time with successful people and was therefore particularly excited to have the opportunity to network with one of his own extremely successful, business heroes. “In June 2016 I had the amazing opportunity to connect with one of my all-time business heroes at his office in Miami.

I was able to not only spend one-on-one time with Grant Cardone but actually interview him and really get to know what makes him tick,” revealed Jamiesh Holait.

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amiesh Holait reveals that spending time with successful people can help to boost your own performance as it is inspiring and encourages you to match their performance, if you want to experience the same success. The entrepreneur

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I HAD THE AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH ONE OF MY ALLTIME BUSINESS HEROES IN MIAMI

highlighted that those working in an average environment or surrounded by negative people will have that same negative attitude because that’s what they have been exposed to and nothing else is expected of them. However, those surrounded by successful people will be forced to push themselves to match or even exceed those results or they will not meet expectations.

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fter spending some one-on-one time with New York Times bestselling author, Grant Cardone, Jamiesh Holait revealed that he had taken away three valuable lessons from his networking experience. “The biggest things I took away were that in business to be successful you have to spend money to make money,” outlined Jamiesh Holait. Grant Cardone taught the young business owner that you can’t just hope that your business will grow without investing both time and money into it; whether that be buying the latest gadget to make the day-to-day running of business more efficient, or employing new people to help free up more of your time for other tasks.

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I LEARNT TO NEVER EXPECT YOUR TEAM TO DO SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULDN’T DO YOURSELF

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IN BUSINESS, TO BE SUCCESSFUL YOU HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY

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hilst Mr. Holait evidently learned some valuable insights from Grant Cardone, it is clear the young business owner also had an impact on the experienced business mogul as well, as Mr. Cardone uploaded the video from the interview onto his own YouTube page, which currently has more than 5000 views.

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aking these lessons back to England, Jamiesh Holait has been implementing these skills into his own business and has been sharing this knowledge with his own team to help them hone in on these techniques and improve their chance of success. © KURT REBRY

“He’s [Grant Cardone] able to push his guys and get them to fulfil their potential because at some point in his career he did everything they’re doing. I learned to never expect your team to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself,” highlighted Jamiesh Holait. The business owner stated that his own business model reflects this lesson and means that he has been through everything he expects his team to do. “Whilst it is something I try to work on already, Grant Cardone reemphasised the importance of self-development and why you have to consistently find ways to make yourself better,” stated Jamiesh Holait.

Why Self-Development is vital for success Taking valuable insight from his time with Grant Cardone, Jamiesh Holait has revealed the 5 reasons he believes self-development is crucial for any person wanting to succeed, no matter whether they are an entry-level employee or a multi-millionaire business owner.

Conscious of your weaknesses

Know yourself better

Set career and life goals

You will have the ‘X’ Factor

Your relationships will improve

Jamiesh Holait reveals that the better understanding you have of your weaknesses the more you know about where you need to improve and the better you can become at whatever you set your mind to.

Self-awareness is vital for self-development.

By understanding what motivates you and makes you happy you will know how to go about goal setting and making plans you can actually stick to.

People who do not work on personal development often set goals, but rarely end up with the results they want. Those who do work on themselves know what they are working towards and why.

This means that you have more than just talent, outlines Jamiesh Holait. Having the ‘X’ Factor means you have confidence and a magnetic personality that engages others and makes them want to work with you.

Jamiesh Holait states how personal development will help to maintain better relationships as well as relationships with people who are actually good for you, have a positive attitude and are helping you to achieve success.

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BRANDMAG

PR CRISIS?

4 Reputation Saving Tips for Spinning a PR Nightmare IT’S THE MOMENT BUSINESSES FEAR THE MOST, A PR NIGHTMARE; BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THE END ONCE THIS MOMENT OCCURS. TO HELP BUSINESSES RESPOND TO NEGATIVE PRESS, I HAVE COMPILED MY TOP FOUR TIPS THAT, IF UTILISED EFFECTIVELY, CAN SPIN THE STORY SO THE PUBLIC VIEWS THE BRAND IN A POSITIVE LIGHT ONCE AGAIN. Words by Rachel Pottle

© DOTSHOCK / SHUTTERSTOCK

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e’ve all heard the saying, “any press is good press,” but is this really true? Sometimes businesses make mistakes, and unfortunately when constantly in the public eye, there’s no escaping the negative PR of a blunder. But is it possible for brands to salvage the damage?

Of course they can, it’s all about being honest, creative and strategic with their next move.

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ake the BP Gulf Coast oil spill for example in 2010, the largest marine oil spill in history. The damage caused to wildlife, residential areas and the ocean was catastrophic, leaving BP’s reputation in tatters and a lot to answer to.

But did they give up? No they fought back and are renowned for their actions following the disaster, proving that it is possible to bounce back.

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To help other businesses spin negative PR I’ve outlined four key steps every owner should follow:

OWN UP

Ignoring the situation isn’t going to make it better, so the first thing a business must do is own up to the problem. This action of honesty will help restore respect in the public eye, moving you one step closer to being allowed to build your reputation back up again by the public.

DO GOOD Demonstrate a commitment to repairing the problem. This will show the public that you are willing to be part of the solution to help rectify the issue. This is an area that BP excelled in by assisting with the clean up, paying the fines they were issued and developing a presence in the communities affected.

STICK IT OUT

So you’ve made your commitment to offer a solution to the problem, now you must honour it! Do not break the promises you have made to the people affected, as this will only make the situation worse. So be sure to set realistic and honest goals - get this wrong and there will be detrimental consequences to your reputation and your pocket!

BE CREATIVE Take control and start focusing on producing content that shows you in a positive light and rectifying the problem. Before you know it, the public will have forgotten all about it! BP in particular were extremely creative and strategic in their response and purchased key search terms from Google, Bing and Yahoo so that their response website ranked highly in Google.

Doing this meant that searchers could read about their efforts to assist with the oil spill, rather than only having access to the problem.

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