The TSA Blog: TSA Week in Review: 44 Firearms Discovered This Week (35 Loaded)

The TSA Blog: TSA Week in Review: 44 Firearms Discovered This Week (35 Loaded)

Google Panda Running Instantly & In Real-Time?

by Barry Schwartz | Filed Under Google Search Engine Optimization

Last night at SMX West during the Meet The Search Enginespanel, Google's Gary Illyes was supposedly quoted as saying that Panda, the Google algorithm, is constantly running, instantly.

Rae posted on Twitter, "@methode (who is Gary Illyes of Google) says panda happens "pretty much instantly":

But what does processed mean? After they are crawled by Google?

We do know that Panda is a rolling update now but it has been over four months since a Panda update, at least based on my records. By update I mean, Panda sites seeing any ranking benefit or decline in over four months.

So it is possible that Panda is no longer a rolling update, no longer running instantly or so. 

What Salespeople Need to Understand About Social

You should be using social media. Period. If you are in sales, you need to learn it. It’s the number one tool you have at your disposal right now. But a lot of salespeople misunderstand my recommendations; they get on social and start using the platform, but they’re using it all wrong.

So here’s a solid tip for all salespeople when it comes to social: Stop being so impatient, and start providing value.

Everybody is trying to close too early. You need to have that patience to set up the sale. It’s just as if you were closing a deal in real life; nobody comes up straight away asking someone to buy something. Social is about not only having a conversation but also creating a space in which you are continuously providing interesting content to your consumer. While specific functions and tactics will change depending on how the digital landscape evolves, one thing will always remain true: focus on providing value. Focus on what your consumer wants from you before you focus on what you want from them.

One, understand Facebook ads manager, unpublished posts, and audience insights. The segmentation on Facebook is incredible. It’s my number one platform right now, and it should be yours, too. If you only have the budget for one social media platform, please make it Facebook. Two, Twitter search. Twitter is a listening platform. Go listen to your consumers and potential new customers. You can pull people out one by one. Talk to them. Don’t just sell to them. Engage in a conversation. Additionally, don’t feel like you can only reply. Twitter is a great place to push out your content, especially multiple times a day. Because of the speed and noise on the platform, there is a constant diversity in content. So go ahead and post that link to your article twice.

But be careful with both these platforms. You don't want to spam people. Be tactical. Keep checking your actions against your core goal which is the aforementioned value. If your actions are lining up with that principle, you're on the right track.

So, what can your free content for consumers look like? Well, that’s the fun part. Stories. Free product. Entertainment. And don't just hit up the people who have more followers than you. Talk to everyone. Once you spend some time putting out that content and talking to the people who are consuming it, you can go in for that sale. It takes time, but it’ll be worth it. Customers get great content for free, and you make more sales because the incentive is already there. Everybody wins.

Call-Only Ads – 5 Reasons Why They Should Be Part of Your PPC Strategy

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• By Diane Pease 
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She might be a little young, but she will never know what it’s like to not have a smartphone. The mobile landscape continues to expand and grow. Google statistics show:

• 79 percent of smartphone owners use their devices to shop.
• 82 percent of mobile shoppers are using search to help determine what they are going to shop for. Mobile users are mobile shoppers, and it’s all the more important to have your paid search ads front and center.
• 70 percent of people searching on mobile will call a business directly from the search results.

Last month, AdWords announced a new ad format for phones with call-only campaigns. This is an "upgrade" from the call extensions that we have been using. While call extensions are an effective way to promote your business number in an ad, call-only campaigns have taken it a step further. And it’s specifically targeted for businesses whose focus is phone calls. But – even if part of your business relies partially on phone calls as opposed to clicks, it’s a strategy that you should seriously consider putting into your marketing mix.

And it’s easy to set up. When you create a campaign in the Settings tab, you simply select the Call-Only option:

And I know what you are thinking – but now I have to create more campaigns to support another new AdWords feature. Do I really need this? And what’s the advantage over call extensions? Why should I change over?

Here are five compelling reasons to migrate to this new feature:

1. Phone Number Is at the Top of the Ad

Unlike call extensions, the phone number is the first thing you see in the ad – and with the word "Call" incorporated. This ad format on a mobile device is more likely to get the user to take an action. It’s also highly visible with bigger font size and blue text:

2. Prominent Call Button

The call button is readily displayed next to the ad. This enables an immediate call to action for the user – they are one click away from contacting you, and you are one click away from a potential sale.

3. A Click = Phone Call

With call-only ads, a click is directly translated into a phone call. Instead of someone clicking on an ad and going to your site, you put the potential buy directly to someone they can talk to. Therefore, it’s crucial to maximize the value of each call. You can bid based on what the value of the call is for your business. For example, you can set a bid based on the ROAS for the call.

4. Direct Line to Your Business

Think of call-only ads as a direct hotline straight into your business. Ensure that when someone calls in, your call support team is well versed in the ad copy that is being used, so they understand what people are looking for when they call in. This is important because people are not relying on your website – they are relying on the person in your call center. What you are saying in your ad is the reason someone is calling in – so be sure that you have the right answers.

5. Ability to Create More Targeted Ads

It’s important to develop a strategy with call-only ads. Because the call to action is going to be the call itself, you are not focused on messaging that is promoting a call to action. This is very different from when you are generally writing ad copy, so it requires a different focus. Ensure your ad lets people know that they can reach you directly, and that they are not going to a website. Use messaging such as "speak to a rep today," "call for free estimate," or "talk with a consultant."

Call-only ads are a great way to promote your business by targeting your mobile customers. Have you started incorporating call-only ads? Would love to hear from you.

Want to keep up with the latest news from AdWords? Google now has a features section that shows all of the new stuff from AdWords, and it’s broken down by month. The features section can link to blog posts about a new feature, or link you to the Help or Policy Center if the update is related to changes with AdWords.

8 Ways You Can Create a Winning Instagram Profile

Do you want to attract more attention from fans and followers?

Have you considered Instagram as a key marketing tool?

If you’re not on Instagram or haven’t applied your resources there, it’s time to start.

Instagram has 75 million daily users and multiple opportunities to reach your target audience.

In this article, you’ll discover eight ways you can use Instagram to increase your reach, engagement and sales.

Tap into Instagram’s highly engaged audience to promote your products and services.

#1: Use High-Resolution Photos

Striking visual content grabs the attention of potential buyers, and it’s the most important factor in fan engagement on Instagram for brands like Zappos.

High-resolution photos are more likely to catch someone’s eye.

To that end, I recommend posting only high-resolution photos on Instagram. Smartphone photos are good for in-the-moment action and instant uploads, but consider hiring a professional photographer to take HD images of your products.

#2: Make It Easy for Fans to Buy

Part of the reason people follow your company on Instagram is that they like your products and want to know about new products and discounts.

Include a link in the image description to make it easy for fans to buy your product.

When Nike posts product pictures, they use the image description to include a link to the relevant product page on your website. Your followers will appreciate how easy it is to buy or find out more about the items they’re interested in.

#3: Use a Soft Sell

It’s no secret your endgame is a sale, but you don’t have to make it obvious. Use your photos to tell a story that resonates with your followers and subtly features your product.

Use subtle marketing and showcase user pictures when possible.

Sharpie‘s Instagram stream is a great example of subtle selling. They don’t show their products as much as they show what people can do with their products. Sharpie gets in front of their audience with compelling content while selling their product, but they do it in a way that’s not intrusive.

Much of Sharpie’s content is actually shared by their followers and reshared by the company, and their fans look forward to seeing the inspiring pictures.

#4: Create a Personal Bond

Don’t feel like everything you post needs to be a product picture. The NHL knows that behind-the-scenes photos that reveal your company’s personality help build a personal bond with your audience.

The NHL takes their fans and followers behind the scenes, on the ground with Instagram.

The more you share those in-the-moment photos and engage with your fans, the more your fans feel like part of your company community. That kind of bond is what creates loyal fans who later become brand evangelists.

#5: Use Instagram Direct

Instagram Direct allows Instagram users to send pictures and video to others privately; a direct message (DM) on Twitter or a private message (PM) on Facebook. Only you and the person or group you send a message to can see the content and subsequent conversation.

With Instagram Direct, you can reach your most engaged fans via a personal message. In fact, you have the option to reach out to individual followers or create a group message of up to 15 followers. You can even segment your group based on location and demographics. What an opportunity!

To find your most engaged fans, look through your photo stream and see which followers stand out. Perhaps there are fans who comment a lot or favorite your photos more than others. Your most active fans are the most likely to buy your products.

When you’ve identified your most active fans, you can create a group message to introduce new products, announce giveaways and contests, drive traffic to your website and more.

You can also use Instagram Direct as a chat forum. You can invite a group of people to attend a Q&A session, introduce a product with quick how-to advice or even handle customer complaints.

Keep in mind that you still have to send a picture out to the group to get started. Instagram Direct doesn’t support text-only messages.

When you use Instagram Direct as a marketing tool, it’s extremely important to send something creative and interesting. Anything that appears remotely spammy will end with those users unfollowing you.

#6: Share Offers and Discounts

One of the main reasons people follow brands on any platform is to get information about sales and discounts. Like WalMart, you can capitalize on that by rewarding your fans with exclusive deals, either publicly via the Instagram feed or privately via Instagram Direct.

Reward followers with discounts and special offers.

You already know word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful thing. When your followers get exclusive discounts, they tell their friends. Those friends are likely to follow you as well to get the discount.

#7: Host Giveaways and Contests

Giveaways and contests are always popular with fans and brands. And why not? They generate buzz and each side benefits. Your fans have an opportunity to win something and you have an opportunity to reach a wider audience and gain new followers.

Keep your giveaway or contest theme simple, fun and brand-related. If it’s too broad, you’ll get irrelevant photos from people who aren’t interested in your brand or products. If it’s too narrow, people won’t bother to take and share pictures.

KitchenAid used a branded hashtag so they could track entries and reinforce their brand.

When you host your giveaway or contest, use a unique hashtag. Without a hashtag, you won’t see all entries or be able to track your success. Using a hashtag that includes your brand’s name gives you the added benefit of clearly branding your campaign.

Above, you can see how KitchenAid included key information in their image and made their brand stand out.

#8: Stream Instagram to Your Website

Did you know you can stream Instagram photos to your website? Cool, right?

Sharing Instagram photos from campaigns (like a giveaway) is great for exposure and sharing. Even if you’re not hosting a giveaway, ask followers to share Instagram pictures of themselves using your product (don’t forget to have them use your hashtag!).

Lululemon promotes their #thesweatlife hashtag by streaming Instagram photos shared by their fans. They’ve even segmented their apparel with additional hashtags.

Ask fans to share pictures of your products, then stream them to your website.

Here’s an important tip: You must be familiar with and follow Instagram’s terms of service. In this instance, you need to know that you can’t save submitted photos. Just because someone submits a photo does not mean you own it.

When you embed an Instagram photo stream on your website, you may only use the appropriate Instagram URL. If a user removes his photo from Instagram, the photo will no longer show on your website.

The Takeaway

Not only is Instagram perfect for connecting with customers, its image- and video-based format is ideal for increasing brand awareness and user engagement. It’s a goldmine of promotional opportunities. The more your company participates in the community and shares compelling photos, the larger its community will grow.

Once you have a sizeable audience, you can start generating buzz through public and private campaigns, as well as giveaways or contests.

What do you think? Is Instagram an effective marketing tool for your brand? Have you reached out to customers via Instagram Direct? Leave your comments below.

By Kinjal Adeshara

Conversion Rate Optimisation

Main goal of conversion rate optimizer(CRO) is to increase the traffic to your website ,Conversion optimization was born out of the need of e-commerce Internet marketers for lead generation and to improve their website's results. As competition grew on the web during the early 2000s, Internet marketers had to become more measurable with their marketing tactics. They began experimenting with website design and content variations to determine which layouts, copy text, offers and images will improve their conversion rate.

We should care about CRO for a few reasons. First, you are most likely paying for traffic to your site in one way or another, and a high conversion rate means a better return on that investment (ROI). It’s also much more cost-effective to convert a higher percentage of the visitors you already have than to attract more visitors. In addition to improving your ROI, optimization helps to defend against the limited attention span of your average visitor by giving them what they want before they tire of looking for it and move on.

CRO Is Important Because:

• Higher conversion rate = better ROI
• More cost effective than finding more visitors
• Defends against limited patience of visitors

Watch More Updates Visit Us: www.dmdigitalmarketing.in

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Competitive Analysis For SEO

             The foundation of any SEO campaign should be a careful examination of who your competitors are, what they’re ranking for, and how they achieved those rankings. Based on this analysis, you can structure your own SEO efforts to keep pace and remain competitive.
Following is a 4-step process for performing your own competitive analysis for SEO.
1.   Identify your keywords
Although it goes beyond the scope of this article, it’s obviously important to first have a firm handle on the keywords you’re targeting; if you don’t, your competitive analysis simply won’t have legs. That said, you’re likely to discover many more new and profitable keywords in your competitive analysis, so approach the process with this in mind.
2. Identify your competitors
You likely already have a good idea who many of your competitors are; but be aware that business competitors are not always SEO competitors. From an SEO perspective, your only competitors are the ones who are ranking in the first or second page of Google for your top keywords.
3. Determine the authority of your competitors 
A key aspect of competitive analysis will be determining how authoritative your competitors’ sites are. Without this information, you may find you have unrealistic expectations or aspirations for your own site. Some factors you’ll want to consider include the age of a domain, the number of unique linking root domains to the site, and the “Domain Authority” of the site.
4. Compare your site and pages with those of your competitors
Now that you have a good idea of who your competitors are and how difficult it will be to compete against them, it’s time to perform a detailed analysis of how your site compares to theirs. You’ll likely want to run this analysis at both the page and site-wide level.

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