SEO vs PPC: A Quick Guide to Online Marketing

Search engine marketing is better than Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing on almost every occasion. However, there are many times when the search engines are not your friend, in which case the SEO vs PPC argument starts to apply. Here are the answers to the questions you haven’t asked yet but should and which will guide your marketing strategy.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Ranking up the search engines is just as important as being seen on the search engines. Nevertheless, your main priority should be to get yourself on the search engines like Google, Bing, and Ask, (Yahoo uses Bing’s index). Once you are on those search engines, your website will also become available on every app, online crawler, and search website that uses the same indexes.

PPC (Pay Per Click)

If you are paying for clicks so that people land on your website, then you need to get value for money. Sometimes, the value doesn’t come back via a profit, but through brand dissemination, social validation, or whatever marketing goal you are trying to achieve. For example, you may want to promote your YouTube video. You pay for clicks to it with the hopes that people clicking “Like” will help improve the video’s position in YouTube’s search engine results.

Can PPC Power a Website’s Traffic on Its Own?

PPC can power a website on its own, but you have to be very good at it. You need to be able to convert your traffic on a regular basis, and you have to make a profit on your sales on a very consistent basis. If your PPC is not paid for by the profits it produces, then it is not powering your website–it is propping up your website.
All of this brings up the question as to if SEO can power a website on its own, and in many cases, it can, and it can do so without the help of Google. You may be result #140,000 on the Google search engine results, but there are many web crawlers, online tools, and mobile apps that use the Google index. Your site may be last on Google’s results, but first on an app’s results.

Is It Always an SEO vs PPC Issue?

Let us not forget that search engines and PPC are not the only methods for getting traffic. There are many ways to generate traffic, but SEO and PPC are the most consistently dependable. For example, you could generate epic amounts of traffic via Twitter, but once you stop posting, or once you start losing your Twitter followers, you suddenly (and sharply) lose your web traffic. That is not to say that PPC and SEO cannot let you down, but not as often or as devastatingly as other traffic-generation methods.

Search Engine Marketing Wins

PPC can open many doors that search engines cannot, however, in terms of broad reach and long-term success, search engine optimization wins in most cases. Yet, do not forget that some websites and some online businesses simply cannot profitably function using search engines to generate traffic, in which case the SEO vs PPC question comes into play. A ready mixture of both may help your website grow at a steady rate.
There are hundreds of amazing articles full of brilliant tips and advice at Searchengineguide.com. Browse through a few of the other articles right here on our site, you will not be disappointed.

https://www.articlecity.com/blog/seo-vs-ppc-a-quick-guide-to-online-marketing/

7 Ways to Use Videos for More Engagement on Instagram

In the digital world, social media has become a very important part of a successful marketing strategy. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. offer a lot of opportunities for brands to showcase their products. These platforms are free to use and you can directly interact with a larger audience at once. You don't need to invest a lot of money in building a marketing strategy that includes social media videos. No matter whether you have a small or a large business, it's time that you take social media marketing seriously.

Based on statistics shared by Lyfe marketing, 93 percent of videos on Twitter are accessed from mobile phones. Views of branded video content on YouTube has doubled in the last three years. Moreover, Facebook live videos receive 10 times more comments that a regular video. All these statistics show that video content is in demand on social media networks. This is because millennials connect more to videos on social media. Web Marketing Video Council has found that more than 60 percent of brands are using social media videos actively for promotions. Thus, it is highly likely that your competitors are also leveraging the power of social media video to expand their customer base.

Instagram is a very powerful social media platform that allows you to share images and videos online. Techcrunch has been studying Instagram trends since its launch. As per their study, Instagram crossed the threshold of 1 billion monthly active users in 2018. Moreover, Instagram is currently growing at a rate of 5 percent per quarter, the highest among social media platforms. So, Instagram should be your first choice in showcasing your brand's product and services. In this article, we will take you through some ways to use Instagram videos for engaging more audience.

Short Commercials

Create short, valuable videos that represent your brand. You can showcase your product in an artistic way through these videos. The commercial can be inspirational, funny, or emotional. Instagram currently allows you to share a 60 second video on your timeline. With such short videos, it is easy to grab the attention of the target audience. Also, short videos are best to share crisp information about your products. You can share the commercial in Instagram stories, IGTV or in the Instagram timeline.

Product details

Showcase your product's specifications or a 'product in action' video to demonstrate its capability. Focus only on important features to keep the viewers engaged. Keep the video more informative and less descriptive. Attention to detail is the key to creating a cool and sexy video. You can put the product video in your brand's Instagram page's timeline for the audience to see anytime. Creating such spontaneous videos attracts a lot of attention.

Do it yourself videos

An effective way to use Instagram videos is to create instructional content. 'Do it yourself' or 'how to' videos share your products working. This helps the users to understand the product's usage. You can also create troubleshooting videos related to any problem that your customer might face. To the point videos are liked by the target audience as they get relevant information within a short span of time. By sharing such videos from time to time you can build a relationship with your existing customers.

Behind the scenes video

Customers have become picky in choosing a product, hence it is important to establish a connection with them. You can create behind the scenes videos that take them through trivia related to your product. You can even conduct quick learning sessions about tips and tricks related to your product usage. The fast forward video that Sheryl Cole has shared about her work will give some idea. You just have to be creative and smart in capturing the right moments for your Instagram video.

Instagram Stories Video

Instagram launched Insta stories in August 2016. Through stories, you can share images or videos with your followers for a 24-hour duration. This short span creates a sense of urgency and people tend to view the stories as they see one active. You can use stories to promote your business as follows:

1. Sharing short-time deals is a good way to attract people to your products and services. You can set up the offer so that it can only be redeemed during the story's lifespan. Once people get to know about such deals, they will come for more.
2. Let an influencer take over your Instagram handle to share a sneak peek of the products and discount offers. A familiar face is sure to attract more audience.

Live on Instagram

The best feature on Instagram is that you can stream live video on it. Once you go live on Instagram, you are at the forefront of your follower's feed. Hence, there are high chances of your followers engaging with your live stream. They get to see your stream even if they aren't physically part of the event. Product previews, product releases, Q&A sessions, educational streams, etc. are some ways in which you can engage with your online audience. If your event is pre-planned, then you can promote it through emails and other social media platforms.

Bring in the makers

Give a personal touch to your stories by introducing your employees who have created your products and services. You can get the team members to share their journey in product development. Also, you can let your employees handle your brand's Instagram account for a day. They can then share details about their work life and the hard work that goes into making the product. The employees can even conduct a Q&A session for the audience to educate them about the product. Such video sessions create an emotional connect with the target audience and more views to your Instagram account.

Conclusion

If you aren't incorporating the power of Instagram into your digital marketing campaign, then you are missing out on something big. Instagram's potential if exploited properly, can take your products to new heights. There is no perfect way to use Instagram video, the techniques mentioned above will help you in getting started in doing so. You can even hire social media management agencies that will help you promote your products by creating some amazing video content.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10200394