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REDDOG SPECIALISES IN HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES IMPROVE CASH FLOW AND INCREASE PROFITABILITY. WE HAVE OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN MARKETING & MANAGEMENT
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REDDOG ARE LEADERS IN E-COMMERCE MARKETING & DISTRUBUTION
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When they were first introduced banner ads literally became a rage. Everyone wanted to click on those colorful, flashy ads. One could throw in a couple of cool looking banners in a website and voila, there you have clicks and tons of money generated through them.
The more appealing the banners, the more was the surety of clicks. Apart from being an excellent alternative to television advertising, banner ads also provided an enhanced visual appeal to the website. The money that the banners generated with clicks acted like a cherry on top!
In today’s world, the things are a little different, with passage of time, people have learnt to ignore or simply pass by a banner ad. Internet users have matured since the late nineties and now they know what it does and why it is there. This phenomenon is known as banner blindness and is one of the biggest headaches faced by a webmaster or a web designer in deciding which or what banner ad to place. Unless the website visitors really need a product, they won’t click on that banner.
Conversion ratio relates to the conversion of a viewed banner to a clicked banner. I.e. the number of times a banner viewed by a visitor is actually clicked by a visitor.
The answer to these questions lies in effective selection, management and placement of a banner advertisement.
Placement – Proper usage of banner ads would still fetch money for your bank account. Well many companies are still doing it, and so can you. Initially, when the banner ad era came, banners were just available in standard sizes only. This created problems in proper placement of banner ads. To tackle this problem, there were only two possible solutions, either you place them anywhere and carry on with a haphazard looking website design or build your web design around the banner ads. Most of the professional webmasters chose the latter but because of lack of proper web design skills, many rookies were stuck with the first choice.
Size – A big change that has come since the time when banner ads first came is that back then they were usually of one common size. People grew over them and learnt to ignore them which caused banner blindness to many websites. Different sizes and shapes of banners ads were then conceptualized to tackle this problem. Research has shown that people click some banner ads more than other banner ads because of their size and shapes.
Choose Wisely – A greater variety in banner ads not only means that banner ads would become more ‘clickable’, it also means that now even rookie webmasters are able to better incorporate these banner ads into their website without compromising their web design. Now, instead of putting banner ads in common places, we can have them in headers, footers, sidebars and in-between the content also. Doing this takes the visitors by surprise and because they are not hoping to see a banner there and as such are likely to be more open to the idea of clicking on a banner advertisement.
An excellent article on how Scribe Videos or Whiteboard Animation are not only a secret weapon in the savvy marketers marketing mix, they actually help with learning.
Psychology behind whiteboard videos – how they increase learning by 15%
All the research shows that scribe videos improve learning. What do they do to the human brain that make them so effective? One leading psychologist thinks that he knows.
Dr Richard Wiseman knows his stuff.
He’s a scientific-award-winning professor of psychology whose research has been widely published. He often talks about psychology on the TV, radio programmes and in the papers. He’s written 10 books and amassed millions and millions of views on YouTube. He even discovered the world’s funniest joke. Seriously.
Dr Wiseman is the kind of scientist who we’d love to ask about whiteboard videos. About why they outperform ordinary videos in memory tests, problem solving, shareability and overall impact.
But we never will ask him.
Why?
Because he’s done that research already.
‘Absolutely massive’ increase in memory
In 2012 Dr Wiseman took a video of himself talking and created a scribed version using exactly the same audio. He tested viewers’ memory after they watched one or the other, to see which one helped them learn the best.
He was astounded by the results.
Overall, there was a 15% rise in recall across the memory questions for those who had watched the scribe video. He said:
Anyone involved in education or research will know that is absolutely massive. Normally you have to work incredibly hard to get 5, maybe 10 percent increase in any kind of behavioural measure like that. Simply by animation you’re seeing a 15 percent increase.
On one of the questions in Dr Wiseman’s research, 92% scribe viewers recalled the answer correctly – 22% more than those who had watched the ordinary video.
This research closely matches our own A/B testing.
What reasons does the scientist give to explain the ‘massive’ increase?
Scribe videos gain and hold attention
‘Simply because people are more engaged in the process,’ says Wiseman.
We know that in order to remember something, you need to attend to it in the first place. If you haven’t got people’s attention, you’re not going to get the information in. I think what the animations do is hold that attention. They hold it in an incredibly engaging way.
We've all been there. The bored faces might be colleagues, delegates, or students. The presentation might be a health and safety talk, a product demo, or a lecture on physics. But the question is the same – how can I win the attention of the people in front of me? How can I get my message across?
Dr Wiseman has given us the answer – use whiteboard videos. They grab attention. They hold attention. They make sure that the information sinks in.
People learn better when something is fun
The second reason Dr Wiseman gives is that scribe videos are fun.
Can that really make a difference?
You do anything better when you’re in a good mood … creativity, productivity, learning. … One thing [whiteboard animation] does is make me laugh, and it puts me in a good mood … Suddenly, it’s not so much work. It not only makes them have a better time, more importantly it means the information is just going in.
Let’s face it – your students would rather be watching a video. Your colleagues would rather not sit through yet another Powerpoint presentation. Your website visitors are getting tired of reading all that text.
If all whiteboard videos did was put people in a better mood – they would be worth it.
But add the increase in information retention and memory – and you've got a winning combination.
Scribes stimulate something called viewer anticipation. In the same way that a crowd gathers around a street artist to guess what is being drawn, watching the images in a scribe video emerge is exciting.
As the hand draws out an image, ‘your brain is trying to anticipate what the final form is going to be,’ says Jonathan Surdo of TruScribe.
When the final form is revealed the brain experiences SURPRISE and releases dopamine. *pop* Experiencing the unexpected increases the levels of dopamine in the brain, which is a pleasure chemical and in turn increases the engagement of the viewer.”
TruScribe discovered that the chemical response to viewer anticipation makes their whiteboard videos pleasing to watch gets the message across. Read more about this in the book Video Scribing.
It certainly tallies with Dr Wiseman’s idea about how fun scribe videos are to watch – and explains why even the simplest scribe can mesmerise viewers.
1) Avoid letting your video turn into a commercial. People see commercials all day long on TV and are sick of them, by the time they get to your video. If you plan to sell a product, do it in a fun way which seems more like a personal video than a sales pitch.
2) Make sure that your videos and voice are clear. Nothing will turn away viewers faster than not being able to see the video or hear the audio correctly. Check your video before you let it go live to ensure everything is working correctly. It is much easier to fix these problems before you publish your video and it can save you some embarrassment as well.
3) Inform folks that you have special promotions on the mobile-marketing platform. Use fliers, business cards and social media to get the word out about your mobile-marketing campaign. Blog about your promotions and urge people to fire up their favorite smartphones to get in on the exclusive fun, coupons and discounts.
4) One way to build your mobile customer database is to offer them exclusive discounts or content that you are not sharing with everyone. You can have them sign up for texts and give them a 10% off coupon. This will encourage more people to sign up, and your mobile marketing efforts will pay off quickly.
5) Treat your customers like people. Instead of just bombarding them with sales information constantly, consider messaging them occasionally with relevant information to their everyday lives. If you find an interesting blog on saving money, for example, send them a link. This lets them know you are not just considering them to be a source of income for you.
Well, hopefully the aforementioned collection of tips were enough to give you a great start on what to do and expect, when it comes to marketing your own website. This collection was carefully constructed to add another resource in your arsenal, so that you can begin honing your internet marketing skills, which will then begin growing your online presence.
Make sure your mobile marketing has a clear path to unsubscribing. There are legal ramifications to not having an apparent opt-out on every single piece of mobile and digital marketing, so develop your opt-out system at the same time that you are developing your subscription system. Each system handles this differently, but opt-outs can be done by clicking a hyperlink or by texting a word like ‘unsubscribe’ to a mobile short code.
In conclusion, there is a lot more that goes into mobile marketing than just the concern of your own business. Along with all of the other tips provided, you learned that the success of this type of marketing, relies on everyone who uses it as a whole. Hopefully, this will help guide your use of mobile marketing.
Check Out These Wonderful Ideas To Help With Video Marketing
Video marketing is one of the best techniques you can use to improve your business.
It is a huge mistake not to utilise this highly effective marketing method. This article contains several great video marketing tips. By studying them carefully and applying them to your business, you are sure to enjoy tremendous success.
Try outlining the path of your video. Great videos make it clear early on what will be discussed during the video. Just diving in your content will not help the viewers understand the benefits of watching it. Start with an outline like you would an essay to explain to viewers early on what to expect during the rest of the video. What are your customers asking? Do they want to know how to use your products? Would they like to know how you create each item? To answer them, formulate a video which provides a 3-minute peek into whatever it is they wish to know, you'll find they appreciate your efforts.
You should create a video to document your typical day at work to give your customers an idea of how products are created and shipped. Introduce your colleagues, show your workspace and follow the different steps you go through to complete an order. The goal of this short documentary is to convince viewers that you are a trustworthy professional. Do you find that customers are emotional about your brand? Put them on video! That's a great way to show potential customers what it's like to buy from you - show them how they will be purchasing a life long bond with your company which is already changing lives around the nation. Even though you are trying to market a business, it is a good idea to get a little personal with your video delivery. This means that it is okay to share personal stories that may help you connect with others. Make sure you stay professional, since being otherwise may cause you to lose users. If you are posting videos on a regular schedule, you have to stick to it. Over time, people will begin to anticipate videos from you and your company. The same way people follow television programs, they expect your videos to be released at a specific time and on a specific day. Let them know if there will not be an update or new video coming.
Even hardened video marketing professionals can learn a thing or two from the viewer comments. If people are telling you about issues with your videos, listen to them. Maybe on slower connections your videos are loading too slow. Listen to what they have to say so that you can adjust your videos and make them work for all viewers. YouTube is a great way to share your videos but do not expect all your customers to have YouTube accounts. Some people will use their YouTube account to comment and subscribe to your videos, but you should make this content accessible by sharing your videos on your site and social media. Post your videos to a host of different sites. While YouTube should be your number one choice, don't rely on it entirely. Other sites, like Break and Vimeo, could all be beneficial to you. You may even be able to find a site that caters to your type of business. As was talked about in the opening paragraph of this article, video marketing is a terrific, highly effective way to improve your business and boost profits. By taking advantage of the great information you've learned by reading this article, you can see higher profits than you ever imagined. Don't wait any longer, start working on your video marketing strategy today!
Many businesses will simply not survive in their current format and will need to be ready to adapt to fast changes in coming technology should they wish to remain viable.
Gone are the days where a small business can rely on a physical office or retail location to attract new customers. Research clearly shows that those small businesses who are bucking the economic trend and are experiencing growth can attribute most of the growth from online marketing or having an online presence.
Shoppers now have more choice at their fingertips than ever before. Statistics tell us that nearly 50% of people will not do business with a website that does not load correctly, is cumbersome and slow to use or is not designed to be viewed on the persons device. Coupling this is the fact that consumers will use a number of different devices across numerous platforms throughout the day. Mobile is now expected.
A quite remarkable number bandied around is that approximately on 30% of Small Businesses have an internet offering that can not be viewed on any platform and even more astounding is that close to 30% of small businesses in Australia do not have a dedicated website for their business. With over $92 Billion transacted in 2013 via mobile gateways a figure that is over 300% higher that 5 years ago these retailers are missing the opportunity to capture sales from this group of people. They are in fact promoting their business to a little over half of their available markets.
Don’t be fooled by the latest trend or gimmick. Sustained Activity aimed at the correct audience will get you far better results than any tool or software
When the internet first arrived it took many years for people to feel safe enough to purchase and pay for things online. Sites like Ebay were the pioneers that made online purchasing an everyday event. With the introduction of the internet, there were benefits for small business owners in that it allowed a particular organisation to reach many prospective clients wherever those clients may be.. Even if you have one store or location you could now advertise your goods/services anywhere in the world.
The hard part for Small Business Owners though is the fact that getting your business on the internet and getting noticed is not an easy task. Think of the Internet as the biggest shopping mall in the world with new shops opening and others closing every millisecond. Each operator ever more keen to promote their products and services with the latest gadget or plug in.
Think back 20 years ago; having a small flyer designed and printed was a two week-long event – if you were lucky! Today you can order printing from any where in the world and have it delivered to your door within a few days. Not only do you have a product and service far more superior than 20 years ago you also have literally thousands of competitors worldwide all trying to get your business.
The lesson for small business is don’t regard the internet as a medium for advertising your business, if you look at it from that angle you might as well take a classified advert out in every paper in the world. Obviously there needs to be some narrowing down of target markets, research needs to be conducted and testing and improvement is extremely important to develop a profitable distribution channel. All of these things are part of the core principle of Marketing, Product, Price Promotion & Price.
People often confuse marketing as being only advertising related, they feel a catchy slogan or an amazing offer will be enough to sway people to their product or service over their competitors. However Marketing is far more of an exact science that relates to getting a product to market whilst earning the greatest amount of return on your investment of time and money.
Think of Marketing as the recipe to product success; just like with baking a cake some ingredients suit better than others.
The answer and solution is working out what ingredients and at what amount need to be added to your cake mix to bake that award winning masterpiece. Sacrificing water for milk or cream for eggs does not work just as mixing the wrong marketing tools together will not work either.
To succeed online you have to harness and maximise the unique qualities of the web, this includes being able to find a way to offer your clients or customers a better way of doing things or a better experience than they can get elsewhere.
The words Online marketing – these two simple words placed together cover an enormous amount of subject matter, This is where a good marketer will understand that this raw data needs to be filtered and targeted to a point where you now have a method to communicate effectively to those who may be seeking your product and services and what you are promoting is an enticing offer that in some way is better than your competitors.
Remember as a Small Business you do have some leverage over large competitors in terms of speed to market and the ability to be adaptable without a big bureaucratic noose around your neck. As a small business owner you need to maximise these weaknesses in your competitors Armour and cement your place in the market place before someone in a far far distant place finds your customers and begins to drag them away.
REDDOG Business & Marketing Strategies is an agency that differs from many other marketing consultants as we are salespeople and small business owners ourselves and first and fore most we agree and understand that having the biggest glossiest website or the best pay per click budget is worth nothing unless they are proven to be the right ingredient used at the right time in the right way.
I can not see a lot of confidence in the market, yet prices are rising ?
Perhaps we are at an equilibrium where we will see a more balanced market going forward? Interesting thought, Are we more motivated by making money or does the fear of losing money outweigh our greed?
In my opinion the main problem with any investment at the moment is affordability. Whilst inflation may be under 3% overall, do some research on essential services and see what high inflation is about.
You cannot rip an extra $5000 -$10,000 out of the average families cash flow and expect no flow on effect.
What is the easiest thing you can do to keep in the black,easy forget about the future and stop saving or investing- you need a house to live in, a car to drive, clothes, gas, electricity TODAY, not in 10, 15 or 20 years.
So if you are short on money after losing so much on extra essential services charges what do you think you will give up to make up for it?
Of course, your future financial goals are first on the list. They don't come around to cut the power off if you don't pay unlike your power provider.
Hence it is pretty hard to save your way to Financial Freedom living in a society where boundaries move and you have absolutely no control.
Obviously, this scenario is nothing new, 20 years ago it was oil and petrol, prior to that building materials etc, there will never be a perfect storm in an economy with natural disasters, financial crashes and market cycling happening everyday.
Savvy investors are usually people who make well researched decisions based on reliable modelling, whilst you can never totally remove risk you can plan for it. A plan that takes into account the what if's and provides a strategy that is based on worst case scenario integrated with good risk management and reporting is the most safest, secure and predictable way to success.
Whilst it may take a little longer your journey is going to be so much more relaxed and enjoyable.
If you are struggling to get ahead financially and feel that you are caught up in a scenario where you have the least amount control over your money then perhaps you may need to consider making an effort to stop being reactive and become proactive.
A simple phone consultation can often save our clients over half their term in mortgage payments and still have more cash flow coming in than previously.
It really depends on your circumstances and what you want to achieve, not everyone wants to buy and own investment properties or shares, however you need to find something to reduce the amount of interest and tax you will pay in your lifetime if you want any chance of financial freedom and don't want to be be another million dollar sucker paying your banks CEO's yacht off for them.
Book a Free Consultation during September using our Online Appointment Scheduler & Reminder System and Receive a $50.00 SHELL Fuel CARD as a Free Reward to pay for next weeks fuel bill.even better it may change your life....
On one of the questions in Dr Wiseman’s research, 92% scribe viewers recalled the answer correctly – 22% more than those who had watched the ordinary video.
