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GROWTH HACKS Tips & Tricks

Taktical Growth Hacks -#116

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Growth Hack #1 – What Picodi Did to Boost Their SEO Visibility By 841%:  

Picodi.com was presented in 25 different countries and had low SEO visibility (search volume + the position of ranking keywords). They made one change and it skyrocketed their SEO visibility by 841%.

Here’s the change they made:

1. Before this experiment, they had a local domain for each country.

2. They migrated all the countries from local domains to their main domain (example: domain.com/country).

3. They added 301 redirects from old domains to the main one.

That’s it.

Source: https://en.ryte.com/magazine/one-global-domain-vs-multiple-tlds-for-an-international-brand-841-visibility-boost-case-study

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Growth Hack # 2 – Improve Email Performance +25% With Ratios:

Images aren’t categorically bad for emails. Instead, pay attention to your RATIO of images:text.

A few tips to keep in mind:

– Don’t go below 2:3

– Don’t make your entire email one big image with text on it

– Include descriptive alt text that gets people to expand/view all images (and tracks your opens)

Source: 500 startups

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Taktical tips and tricks

Growth Hack #3 – Boost Instagram Engagement 38% With One Simple Trick:

Georgia Institute of Technology and Yahoo Labs researchers analyzed 1.1 million photos on Instagram and uncovered 1 simple thing that increases engagement by 38%.

Here’s what they found:

1. Pictures with human faces get 38% more likes.

2. And 32% more comments.

Source: https://www.news.gatech.edu/2014/03/20/face-it-instagram-pictures-faces-are-more-popular

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How To Guides

How to Increase Transparency and Establish Trust on Facebook

2019 is the year of trust and transparency.

Scratch that: it’s the year of rebuilding trust and increasing transparency.

The state of distrust towards institutions has experienced its steepest decline in decades, having dropped nine points over the course of last year.

This drop is even more significant (11 points) for social media.

facebook trust - faceook user opinions
Image source: https://www.businessinsider.com/

We’re now in a time when Facebook is rolling out new transparency updates regularly, like the latest Custom Audience feature.

It’s also the era of data privacy concerns and regulations, like GDPR.

These examples and others are proving again and again that customers are demanding to know more when it comes to online ads.

As a result, it is essential to encourage trust across your advertising channels.

facebook trust - trust decline
Image source: https://www.healthpopuli.com/

In this article, we’re focusing on how to build trust with customers on Facebook, specifically.

Considering the platform’s focus on transparency in the past year in particular, it is an excellent place to start the examination of how to build a foundation of trust and transparency.

We’ll explore three key tactics to building trust with your audience on Facebook.

Once you embrace Facebook ad transparency and these strategies, you can leverage this trend for your success.

It’s time to learn how to get customers to trust your brand on Facebook in this age of cynicism.

Adopt a Mixed Content Strategy to Build Trust With Customers

It’s true that user-generated content is a major way to build trust on Facebook with customers.

facebook trust - people trust people
Image source: https://everyonesocial.com/

It’s also true that 85% of consumers regularly seek out expert content before making a purchase.

Branded content, too (e.g. your Facebook Story ad), has been shown to boost trust as a way of connecting with and engaging audiences.

So what’s the best type of content to build trust with customers on Facebook?

All of them!

facebook trust - all content types GIF

With a blended content strategy, you can cultivate trust on Facebook for your brand at every step of the customer journey.

Here’s an idea for how to use each type of content in your strategy:

  • Establish a foundation of Facebook trust with expert content
  • Use branded content to create your brand story and enhance connectivity/engagement with customers
  • Leverage UGC to reinforce the trust you’ve built with customers on Facebook
facebook trust - ugc benefits
Image source: https://www.cision.com/

Get People to Trust in Your Brand on Facebook By Enhancing Your Page

From Q4 2017 to Q1 2018, Facebook deactivated 1.3 billion fake accounts.

Just from this extraordinary statistic alone, it therefore doesn’t come as a surprise that Facebook trust has declined among users.

As a business, you can start to build trust with customers on Facebook by taking a closer look at your Page.

facebook trust - lack of trust in facebook
Image source: https://www.reshiftmedia.com/

There’s a reason for people to be skeptical about profiles and Business Pages given the bot fiasco.

So, make sure your Page is a reflection of your business transparency and legitimacy.

Here are a quick three tips for how to do just that:

Verify Your Page

A verification badge is an easy-to-overlook detail.

However, it goes far to build trust with customers on Facebook.

Here’s ours:

facebook trust - taktical digital page

To get one on your Page, follow Facebook’s instructions.

It’s easy to do and yet can be incredibly effective for instilling trust in Facebook and your brand.

Add to the About Section

The About section of your page is essential to fill out.

You don’t necessarily need to add every single thing (e.g. “Menu” won’t be applicable for all businesses).

facebook trust - taktical digital address

However, contact info, website, and a brief description of your organization are the basic blocks needed to build trust with customers.

facebook trust - taktical digital additional info

Contact info, in particular, is a crucial detail for establishing Facebook trust.

64% of consumers want to see contact information on a website.

facebook trust - info people want to see

Additionally, 52% want to see company info or an about section.

Facebook has these sections built in, so take advantage of them to build trust with customers.

Post Consistently (And Often)

There’s some competing evidence when it comes to how many posts is optimal on Facebook.

In general, the consensus is that there’s no “one size fits all” strategy.

facebook trust - facebook post volume
Image source: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/

However, recent research has emerged to indicate that the trend is to post more.

In fact, there’s been a 24% increase in posts per quarter.

One study even found a correlation between post frequency and customer trust in Facebook.

The evidence is out there to suggest posting often can have a positive impact on trust.

But, it’s essential to test your strategy to determine:

  • If this is true and,
  • The optimal number of posts per day or week for your brand

facebook trust - posting time GIF

No matter what, every sign points to the fact that consistency matters.

As you build trust with customers on Facebook through posting, use tools like HootSuite or Buffer to make scheduling and management easier.

Know and Abide By the Rules Governing Facebook Ad Transparency

Ground zero of the loss of trust in Facebook was probably the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Since then, users are more aware of data privacy and how they share on the platform.

facebook trust - facebook scandal trust
Image source: https://www.statista.com/

In a recent survey, 62% of consumers stated that they are more fearful of their data being compromised than they were two years prior.

Meanwhile, 57% of respondents said they were uncomfortable with how companies managed their personal information.

In addition to consumer behavior shifts, there are FTC updates to online advertising regulations.

Additional restrictions like influencer disclosure guidelines and others are all attempts at rebuilding Facebook trust.

facebook trust - ad transparency
Image source: https://technians.com/

As a marketer, it’s now more important than ever to enhance Facebook transparency and abide by the latest advertising rules.

The payoff can be huge: 95% of customers say trust in a company increases their loyalty.

So, here are some easy to implement ways to increase your customers’ trust in Facebook and your brand.

Disclose When an Ad is an Ad

As mentioned earlier, there are now FTC regulations that cover ad disclosure on online platform.

It’s not just the FTC that you’re trying to please by abiding by these rules, though.

facebook trust - influencer disclosure
Image source: https://later.com/

Customers on social media want to know that what they’re viewing is an advertisement or sponsored content.

If they don’t, they are more quick to judge a brand as disingenuous.

Authenticity is a driving force behind building trust with customers on Facebook.

Provide an Explanation

One of the biggest reasons for the lack of Facebook trust when it comes to data privacy is confusion about how personal information is actually collected and used.

In fact, 50% of consumers are confused about how companies use their data.

facebook trust - consumer trust with data
Image source: https://www.salesforce.com/

However, 91% of customers would trust a company more if they were transparent about how their information is used.

Luckily, Facebook has built-in tools that make information disclosure easy.

Recent updates to Facebook ad transparency let users see the ads that are being targeted to them and helps them adjust their preferences.

facebook trust - custom audience permissions
Image source: https://www.facebook.com/

Even more recently (and as we mentioned earlier), Custom Audience terms now let users see the origins of their information and the various businesses that have sold or used it.

You can take additional measures to disclose information by including a privacy policy on your Page.

When you show customers your dedication to data protection with both Facebook’s built-in features and your own content, you’ll build trust with customers more effectively and efficiently.

Ask Permission

User-generated content is an effective way to build loyalty and enhance trust on Facebook.

facebook trust - t-mobile breakup
Image source: http://www.braddechter.com/

UGC campaigns like T-Mobile’s breakup letters and others have proved time and again that this strategy works.

However, earned content should always come with permission.

If you come across content from a customer that you want to use, send them a quick direct message.

Include a quick thank you for using your product or service, and then ask if you can share it on social.

facebook trust - ugc
Image source: https://sproutsocial.com/

In all likelihood, they’ll be flattered you asked and it’s as easy win for your brand.

Not only does your brand get an authentic, humanized edge, but also the customer whose content you featured is likely to feel an enhanced sense of loyalty and appreciation.

The Future of Facebook Transparency

Don’t expect trust in Facebook to return to the same place it was five years ago.

The impact of the data leaks and other user information scandals is going to be long-lasting, if not permanent.

Additionally, we are entering an age when data privacy concerns and consumer awareness regarding their information is higher than ever.

facebook trust

This isn’t a bad thing.

When you focus on building trust with customers through Facebook ad transparency, you can earn greater success than ever.

Facebook and its associated apps are still among the most profitable and effective advertising platforms.

Focus on improving the type of content you post, enhancing your presence on the platform, and going above and beyond to abide by all ad and posting regulations.

With these tips, you can help customers build trust in your brand on Facebook with the creation a transparent and legitimate marketing strategy.

Categories
GROWTH HACKS Tips & Tricks

Taktical Growth Hacks -#115

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Taktical growth hacks

Growth Hack #1 – 21 Ideas for Getting People to Trust You With Social Proof:  

So your product/market is a fit. Your copy, images, product, urgency, pricing, etc. are also all great. . .but conversions are still low. There is a big chance that it’s because people don’t trust you. In this case, you need to add social proof.

Here are the 21 ways to do just that:

1. Customer testimonials

2. Celebrity endorsements

3. Case studies

4. Media mentions

5. Who are your customers

6. Trust seals

7. Certifications and badges

8. Platform integrations

9. Social share count

10. Subscriber/user/customer count

11. Screen shots from social media

12. Public ratings and reviews

13. Test scores

14. “Best seller”

15. Results of surveying your customers

16. Number of orders

17. Real time stats

18. A list of popular posts/products

19. Customer showcase

20. Customer photos

21. Customer stories

Source: https://optinmonster.com/11-ways-to-use-social-proof-to-increase-your-conversions

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Growth Hack # 2 – Earn Customer Reciprocity in 3 Steps:

The most effective way of earning reciprocity from customers is through indirect requests. AVOID overtly salesy language.

Here are the 3 separate steps, along with the language to use, that will get customers to respond to your calls to action:

1. Give: “Free offer”, “free service”, “surprisingly good”, “no strings attached”.

2. WAIT: Create a distinction/separation of Give step from Ask step by taking a step back. If you’re too aggressive or quick with your follow-up, you’ll lose your audience.

3. Ask: “Sign up”, “purchase”, “refer your friends”.

Source: https://500.co/

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Taktical Growth Hacks

Growth Hack #3 – Invest $0 and Recover 11.5% of Your Lost Customers:

Ninja Outreach is a SaaS. When people clicked “14-Day Free Trial” they needed to input their credit card data. A lot of people get lost at this stage.

Then, the team applied the magic, and here’s what happened:

1. 11.5% of abandoners finished their trial sign up.

2. Those that returned are now trying out plans ranging from $29/mo to $249/mo.

Here’s how they achieved it:

1. Instead of asking their payment details after hitting the trial button. . .

2. They asked for just their email.

3. After a user submitted their email, they were redirected to a page asking for their payment details.

4. If a user abandoned the form, they received an automated email reminder.

5. These emails recovered 11.5% of abandoners

Source: https://medium.com/@GetDrip/case-study-how-ninja-outreach-recaptures-65-lost-saas-trial-sign-ups-per-month-with-amazon-like-5c94a512cff9

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GROWTH HACKS Tips & Tricks

Taktical Growth Hacks – #114

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Taktical growth hacks

Growth Hack #1 – Part II to the Pinterest Experiments:  

In last week’s issue, we discussed how Pinterest earned 50% more sign-ups with one, simple experiment. Crazy! Well, there’s more…

Another experiment helped them figure out how to activate those new users:

– First they created an email flow to help understand how the service worked.

Result: more people unsubscribed than installed their app. Fail.

– Then they started to send emails with relevant content, matching with the reasons why people joined Pinterest in the first place.

This experiment worked much better and increased activation. Success.

Source: https://www.reforge.com/blog/casey-winters-pinterest-retention-seo

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Growth Hack # 2 – How to Overcome a 75% Bounce Rate:

 

In 2009, over 75% of Twitter’s users weren’t coming back. So, they brainstormed a 4-step process for better retention.

1. The team separated out the engaged users from those who dropped off.

2. Then they studied: Of those people who stay, what’s different about them?

3. They discovered patterns that indicated if you follow at least 30 people, you’re likely to remain engaged.

4. So they redesigned the product to help everyone get to this number faster.

Source: https://medium.com/growth-hacker/reading-josh-elman-on-growth-6d379a6c153d

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Taktical Growth Hacks

Growth Hack #3 – $25K in Revenue From Blog Comments:

Neil Patel ran an interesting experiment. For 1 month, he commented on different blogs.

Here are his findings:

1. Short 1 to 4 word comments generated 3.2 visitors per comment.

2. Long 4 to 17-sentence comments drove 17.4 visitors per comment (5x more).

3. Mainstream, broad blogs drove visitors but no conversions.

4. When his comment was higher on the page it drove more traffic.

5. Only comments on guest posts he wrote generated real leads. He generated 7 leads, which resulted in $25,000 in revenue.

Source: https://www.quicksprout.com/2014/11/10/how-i-generated-25000-by-leaving-249-comments

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Tips & Tricks

The Biggest Amazon Advertising Challenges (And How to Overcome Them)

It was another record-breaking year for the e-commerce giant, Amazon.

Perhaps the most telling is that before the start of 2019, the company earned a valuation of $1 trillion.

This makes it only the second U.S. company in history after Apple to hit such a milestone.

Amazon stock price trend
 Image source: https://www.nasdaq.com[/caption]

There’s also their Q3 2018 results to consider, which revealed $56.6 billion in revenue.

This represents close to 30% YoY growth, and much of this is attributed to the popularity of Prime.

To attest to this, in 2019, it’s predicted that over half (51.3%) of U.S. households will be Prime members.

Amazon Prime households

All this goes to show the importance of Amazon for marketers well into the future.

But, advertising on Amazon isn’t so straightforward.

Just like any other PPC campaign, an Amazon marketing plan comes with challenges and obstacles.

Though some of these will be unique based on your products and industry, there are common Amazon advertising challenges every marketer should know.

We’re discussing what are these universal challenges and how best to overcome them.

Amazon advertising challenges HIMYM gif

This allows you to understand how to advertise on Amazon in a more effective, efficient way while seizing every opportunity to maximize your ROI.

When you know what to expect, you can tackle these obstacles head-on.

Proving Your Amazon Advertising Strategy Performance With the Right KPIs

Reporting has been identified as the number one Amazon advertising challenge by advertisers using the platform.

biggest Amazon advertising challenges

For many, the biggest pain point lies in the lack of customization of categories and dimensions for reporting.

Though there’s still a ways to go for e-commerce in terms of advanced capabilities, there are some common KPIs worth tracking for anyone advertising on Amazon.

Click-Through Rate

Just like with any other PPC campaign, the CTR of your Amazon ads is an essential metric to analyze performance.

CTR on Amazon
Image source: https://www.adbadger.com/

Across industries, the average CTR on Amazon is 0.33%.

Click-through rate is calculated by dividing the total number of clicks on an ad by the total number of impressions.

This Amazon marketing metric tells you how effective your ad is at capturing user attention.

Though this doesn’t indicate actual sales, the general rule of thumb is that the more people click, the higher the likelihood of conversion.

clicking gif

Also, a high CTR indicates people are engaging with your brand and thereby boosting brand awareness.

If you’re experiencing a low CTR with your Amazon marketing plan, consider the following tips:

  • Examine your keywords and try targeting ones that are more long-tail/specific.
  • Change your price: A product costing $X.95 may attract more clicks and sales than one that costs $X.99. That 4-cent difference will be more than made up for when you see greater conversions.
  • Attract more, positive reviews on your Amazon product page.

All Metrics in Amazon Campaign Manager

Amazon’s marketing tool does provide useful metrics already built-in.

Don’t overlook these when determining the most essential KPIs of your Amazon advertising strategy.

built-in metrics when advertising on amazon

There are four major performance indicators reported in the campaign manager:

  • Budget
  • Spend
  • Sales
  • ACoS (advertising cost of sales)

Of these, ACoS is of particular interest.

ACoS is the measure of your Amazon advertising costs divided by the total number of sales generated.

It is similar to ROI but is not entirely accurate because does not take into account the share of revenue handed over to Amazon in the course of the transaction.

amazon advertising challenge: maximizing ACoS
Image source: https://sellics.com/

However, it can be an incredibly helpful metric when marketing on Amazon to determine the effectiveness of an overall campaign or ad set in comparison to spend.

In general, the lower the ACoS, the better.

The essential tip to achieve your best ACoS is to adjust your CPC/campaign bid (depending on if you are doing manual or automatic targeting).

Pay close attention to your profit after ad spend to determine what is performing best.

Amazon Sales Attribution

Amazon sales attribution is the latest addition to the platform’s suite of marketing metrics

Amazon attribution graphic
Image source: https://codisto.com/

This tool is one of the most effective at proving performance because it lets you measure the impact of your ads across platforms.

From their first click on your Amazon ad, the attribution tool tracks their online behavior to determine if they return to your page and make a purchase within a given window of time.

Beyond just looking at conversions from your Amazon advertising campaigns, this tool is also helpful for examining how customers behave across platforms.

internet browsing gif

You can analyze every action leading to their engagement with your brand on Amazon.

Tracking the traffic to your page even when it’s off-platform means you can optimize your Amazon marketing plan more effectively.

Dealing With an Increasingly Saturated Amazon Marketing Environment is a Major Amazon Advertising Challenge

There’s no doubt that Amazon is a profitable platform for marketers.

As a result, advertisers are flocking to the platform.

Amazon marketer intention
Image source: https://marketingland.com/

In fact, 80% of those currently marketing on Amazon plan to increase their ad budget in 2019.

Thus, one of the greatest Amazon advertising challenges is making sure you stand out in the crowd.

Do Your Product Research

Finding a new niche that has clear consumer demand and profitability is an Amazon advertiser’s dream.

The best way to determine which products to start selling is with the various Amazon product research tools available to marketers.

Jungle Scout
Image source: https://support.junglescout.com/

JungleScout and Scope are two popular options for analyzing what products offer the best profit margins, along with what competitors are doing.

Once you determine which products to sell, you can start developing effective Amazon ads.

Keywords Are. . .Key

Keywords for advertising on Amazon are as important for visibility as in any SEO strategy.

When people search on Amazon, you want your product to appear at the top of the list.

Sure, Sponsored ads will ensure you get prime placement, but this will only happen if you’re targeting relevant search terms first.

AMZ tracker
Image source: https://www.amzfinder.com/

Two tools to assist with this are AMZ Tracker and Keyword Inspector.

You can optimize your product listings, track competitor’s keyword rankings, and more.

Additionally, you can create more effective Amazon ads that integrate keywords your customers are searching for.

Accumulate Positive Reviews

The quality of your reviews and your seller rating both have a huge impact on both conversion rates and your organic Amazon marketing success.

Amazon reviews
Image source: https://blog.markgrowth.com/

Consider the fact that 74% of consumers trust a business more if they have positive reviews.

Building a good reputation through positive customer feedback is essential.

It’s also one of the greatest Amazon advertising challenges.

We recommend a tool like FeedbackGenius for this.

Feedback Genius

After your product is delivered, FeedbackGenius automatically sends them an email politely requesting their review.

Plus, the tool automates the process to make the entire process even easier.

Selecting the Right Type of Amazon Ads to Run

There are a few different types of ad placements that marketers can choose from when advertising on Amazon.

5-star review graphic
Image source: https://fbacoaching.com/

You should weigh the pros and cons of each, while also considering an Amazon marketing plan that incorporates multiple types.

As with any PPC campaign, your best results will come through continuous testing, optimization, and results-tracking.

The three major Amazon ad placements are:

  • Sponsored Products
  • Sponsored Brands (aka Headline Search Ads)
  • Product Display

Sponsored Products Offer Big Rewards to the Experienced Amazon Marketer

Sponsored Product Amazon ads are keyword-focused advertisements that appear among search results.

Sponsored product ads
Image source: https://advertising.amazon.com/

When clicked, this type of ad drives customers directly to a specific product page.

Sponsored Product ads usually appear at the top or bottom of search page results.

With this Amazon advertising strategy, you can set either automatic or manual bidding.

Since you pay on a cost-per-click basis, this is where experience with Amazon advertising can be a big advantage.

With the right know-how, you can manually control your bidding options to maximize the profitability of a Sponsored Product ad.

Sponsored product example
Image source: https://www.wordstream.com/

Keyword targeting is the name of the game here.

So, the more comfortable you are with keyword optimization (or with the right Amazon marketing agency by your side), the better the outcome can be.

Headline Search Ads are a Great Place to Start Your Amazon Marketing Plan

Headline ads, also called Sponsored Brand ads, appear above search results as headline banner ads on the page.

They feature your brand logo, a tagline, and up to three product images.

headline search ad
Image source: https://advertising.amazon.com/

Unlike Sponsored Product Amazon ads, Headline Search ads can take customers to the destination of your choosing.

This can be a designated landing page, a specific product listing, your Amazon Store, etc.

Similar to Sponsored Products, though, they are keyword-focused.

This means your Headline ads will only appear in search result pages of relevant terms/products.

headline search example
Image source: https://www.wordstream.com/

The reason why Headline Search ads are better for beginners who are just starting to advertise on Amazon is the ease of customization and optimization.

Plus, you’re guaranteed to stand out among search results with prime placement at the top and center of the page.

Advertising on Amazon With Display Ads is Ideal for Niche Targeting

The last major ad type, Display ads, are unlike the previous two in that they are not keyword-focused.

Instead, they use interest or product targeting as the basis for appearing to customers.

display ads
Image source: https://advertising.amazon.com/

Also, Amazon Display ads can appear both on and off Amazon, making them a useful complement to a cross-platform advertising strategy.

Considering this type of ad is interest or product targeted, it helps to have a specific audience in mind to display these to.

This format also offers an excellent opportunity to target competitors.

You can run an aggressive Amazon marketing plan and have your ad appear on a competitor’s product page.

Amazon display ad example
Image source: https://www.wordstream.com/

These again offer a range of customization options in terms of the ad image and text.

Embrace the Challenges of Amazon Advertising This Year

There’s nothing like the feeling of overcoming a difficult challenge.

Amazon marketing is no different in terms of the satisfaction you can gain by tackling these obstacles head-on.

amazon advertising challenges

It’s not just the emotional win, but also the tangible boost to your bottom line that makes Amazon advertising success even sweeter.

Now that you know the most common Amazon advertising challenges, you’ll be better prepared to deal with them.

As a result, you’ll have both the experience and the foresight to handle additional obstacles as they happen (because they will happen).

It’s time to embrace the challenges of advertising on Amazon.