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Guest Post: How Animated Videos Can Help Your Business Reach More Customers

Today, companies have a bevy of tools they can use to interact and engage with their customers. But those same tools can compete for the attention of the same target audience, posing a unique challenge for companies and their marketing team.

Study after study indicates that the attention span of the average consumer found online has been dwindling. Online interactions can be cut short by a variety of reasons, ranging from slow loading of a website to lack of engaging content.

Another tool to add to your arsenal

When it comes to drawing (and holding) the attention of your target customers online, whether it’s on your social media pages or even on your website, one powerful tool that you can use is the animated explainer video.

Why should you invest in the production of an animated explainer video?

As the old adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Videos engage both the senses of sight and sound, making these superior to text or even infographics.

Humans are physiologically and psychologically wired to take in and process visual information thousands of times faster compared to a block of text. But apart from that, that processed information is more likely to be retained compared to merely reading something.

It doesn’t take much to reap the benefits of an animated video. Even just a few minutes of footage can pack in much information. Compare that to reading a 700-word article that can take anywhere between three to five minutes to read.

How can you use animated videos?

Another unique advantage of animated videos is their versatility.

Marketing is one key aspect where animated videos shine. With these videos, your imagination is the limit. Untethered from the limitations of ordinary videos, you can tell your animation studio how exactly you want your brand to be represented.

Animated videos are almost peerless in terms of storytelling. Whether you are introducing your company to the public or new employees, or telling customers how your products work, the diversity of animated videos makes other platforms pale in comparison.

Animated videos can also be used to boost your SEO rankings. For one, these videos can increase the time a user spends on your website. And the more time site visitors spend on your website, the more search engines like Google see this as a sign of the quality of your website and its pages.

And if you post these videos on YouTube, the second largest search engine, your search engine ranking is more likely to move up.

Live vs. animated

How do animated videos compared to live videos where you have human actors? In order to better answer that question, it is critical to look at a few factors.

Animated videos contain various elements. Typically, the process of making one begins with a script and a storyboard. From there, the process moves toward the actual animation and the addition of music, voiceovers, and sound effects.

Production times can range from weeks to months, depending on a few considerations, including requests for revisions. Live videos can take just a few days to shoot.

Like animated videos, live videos start with a script and a storyboard. From there, you will need to cast actors and put together a production team for various elements, including props, costumes, and sound.

In terms of savings in both time and money, animated videos almost always win over live videos. That’s because everything is made from scratch. An animated studio does not have to deal with hassles like the fickle weather, finding a suitable location for a shoot, or even the temperament of actors.

On top of that, animated videos have a higher click rate compared to their live counterparts.

On the converse side of the coin, live videos exude an authentic vibe. When viewers hear and see emotions from the actors, your company can quickly gain their trust. Live videos can also be produced faster.

However, these videos can be quite expensive and can take a substantial amount of work to produce.

Which should you choose?

That will depend heavily on your budget and intended purpose. For companies that aim to reap the benefits of videos, but want something that can be produced quickly and at a fraction of the cost of a live video, animated is the way to go.

AUTHOR BIO: Anthony Lam is the founder of Punchy Digital Media, a creative agency that helps organisations grow using animated videos and creative visual content. Punchy has a team across Australia and Asia and has worked with clients such as Apple, Westpac and the Australian Government, running campaigns and reaching millions of people.

Guest Post: The Importance of Evergreen Content

Creating content that is unique and relevant to your business and will drive traffic to your site is an important part of any business’ marketing strategy. You want to create quality content that people will appreciate and keep coming back to over and over. This type of content is called evergreen content.

This article will discuss what evergreen content is, why it’s important for your business, how your businesses can create and incorporate evergreen content into their marketing strategy.

What is Evergreen Content?

While you may have never heard of the term evergreen content, you surely have browsed the internet and came across some examples of it before. So, what exactly is it? Evergreen content is simply relevant, quality content that will continue to be relevant even years after it’s posted. The type of content that you keep coming back to and referencing time and time again.

This type of valuable content can include actionable tips, how-to guides, case studies, resources and tools, everything you need to know about a niche, infographics, lists and more. Avoid time-sensitive subject matters such as seasonal content or content related to a specific date. The more information you can provide to your viewers the better. People like having all the information they need to know at the tip of their fingers.

While this may seem challenging for businesses that need to constantly update their site to show no longer available or new inventory, such as a car dealership site or an online furniture store, there are other places they can house evergreen content. For example, Audi Bellevue has all of their current inventory on their site, but also hosts articles on their site that will remain helpful to readers, such as an “Audi Wiper Blade Replacement Guide”.

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When creating evergreen content ask yourself if it will still be relevant in a year or two. Of course, it may need to minor updates from time to time depending on your industry trends, but evergreen content is timeless. Remember to think long-term when creating these types of pieces.

Why Evergreen Content is Important for Your Website

If you’re creating a high-quality post, chances are you’ve taken the time to optimize it for it to rank higher in search engines. Because of the quality content and its relevancy, it will continue to move its way up on search engines. Evergreen content is never outdated, so search engines will continue to view it as valuable. Which brings us to our next point, higher rankings in search engines means higher website traffic. When your content remains relevant, people will keep coming back to it, which means a high volume of eyes will see it even after you’ve published it. The higher you rank in search engines, the more traffic your content and website will receive, which will lead to more potential leads. Creating great content can always generate leads, but evergreen content will continue to bring in leads over time. Think of it as a piece of content that keeps on giving. Since it will continue to remain relevant, people will continue to search for it, link to it and share it.

How to Create Evergreen Content

So now that we know what evergreen content is and why it’s important, let’s dive into how you can create your own evergreen content that will continue to drive organic traffic to your business. When thinking of topics of focus to create content around, make sure you’re coming up with ideas that are relevant to your specific industry. There will always be multiple versions of a topic, so it’s up to you to put a unique spin on it.

First things first, brainstorm topics you want to center your content around. Focus on topics that are niche-specific and receive consistent traffic. Do keyword research for that topic and see what keywords you will be able to rank for. Again, when looking up keywords, make sure the topic you are searching for has a high search volume over a long period of time.

After you’ve decided on a topic, you need to figure out what angle you are going to take that will make readers read your content over others. Once you start creating the content, whether that be an article or infographic, make sure the content is of high-quality. High-quality content is easy to read, provides useful advice or tips, is interesting and provides readers with actionable takeaways.

For example, let’s look at this hiring process checklist infographic created by ShareAble for Hires.

For starters, this is a handy guide for employers that will always remain relevant, and the title and content don’t include any jargon that will go out of date. Since it’s an infographic, it’s a piece of content that websites can easily integrate into their blog posts.

The content provides readers with actionable steps, is easy to read and is visually appealing- a great example of evergreen content.

Promote Your Content to Uphold the Evergreen Status

So now you have a great piece of evergreen content that you know will stand the test of time, but how can we get it to uphold its status long after it is published? It’s up to you to put in the work to get the content where it needs to be, and the rest will follow. Here’s how you can get more traffic to your evergreen content:

Build Links

In order for your content to gain the exposure it deserves; people need to be able to find it. Build relationships with other bloggers and websites that would benefit from your content. Obtaining backlinks from other relevant, authoritative sites in your niche can drive more traffic to your content.

Refresh Content When Needed

Take the time every few months to refresh any of your content to ensure it remains relevant. This could be as simple as changing the publishing date, reposting on your blog or social media, or adding new, high-ranking keywords into the piece.

Share on Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool, so take advantage of it. Post your content across all social media platforms to reach a wider audience and drive traffic to your business. Many businesses also create content within their site that include social media share widgets, making it easier for their audience to share their work. One perfect example of this is I Am Net Worthy’s website. Within their site they have a comprehensive blog, then from the information fund on the blog, they create finance “nuggets” for their readers to share on social, in turn increasing their brand recognition and SEO.

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Track Content Rankings

Check the rankings of your content often using tools like Ahrefs and SEMRush. See what keywords you are currently ranking for, how much traffic your content is driving to your site and who’s sharing your content. These tools are a great way to figure out what adjustments you need to make to your content in order to uphold its evergreen status.

In Summary

To get consistent traffic to your site over time, evergreen content is the way to go. By taking the time to create this valuable content, your business will continue to reap the benefits for a long time to come.

Author Bio: Emily Banks is a Bay Area native who got tired of San Francisco’s cold beaches, so she moved to San Diego. She is currently the Editor for the HR section of 365 Business Tips. When she is not typing away on her keyboard, she can be found eating street tacos in the sunshine.

Guest Post: Green Biz: 5 Ways to Save Your Business Money After COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic likely is not like anything you have ever experienced before. And if you oversee a business, then you have been forced even more to adapt and make changes.

Of course, you have been trying to make sure you save money during the global crisis, but what you are going to do when all the COVID-19 restrictions are removed? How do you plan to save money then?

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Guest Post: 12 Ways to Disaster-Proof Your Business

Maybe your business has never experienced a natural disaster. But the truth is that hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and floods are happening more and more often and inflicting billions of dollars of damage on businesses and economies each year.

It’s critical that your business prepares for the worst. That may seem pretty obvious, but the shocking fact is that 70% of small business owners say they don’t have a written disaster plan in place. And, without a detailed disaster plan in place before a crisis, your business might not reopen after. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reports that 40% to 60% of small businesses don’t reopen after a disaster.

There are a number of simple things you can do before a disaster happens, from backing up your important documents and contact information, to verifying your Google My Business listing, to installing smart devices to ensure that the small business insurance claims process is easier. There are also a number of best practices during and after a disaster.

Check out this infographic to learn 12 tips to prepare your business for a disaster and to get up and running after.

Bio: Meredith Wood is the editor-in-chief at Fundera. She has specialized in financial advice for small business owners for almost a decade, and is sought out frequently for her expertise in small business lending. Meredith’s advice has appeared in the SBA, SCORE, Yahoo!, Amex OPEN Forum, Fox Business, American Banker, Small Business Trends, and more

New Video: The Firecracker Foundation – Take a Tour

In this video, Tashmica, the executive director, invites you into the facility and introduces you to the space and some of the staff.

For more information: http://thefirecrackerfoundation.org/

Guest Post: What Kinds of Retirement Benefits Should a Small Company Provide?

An easy way to obtain the best employees in your field is by offering workplace benefits. Retirement benefits are something that workers all want to have to ensure their financial stability in their older years. Here are some of the most common types of retirement benefits you should be offering employees at your small company.

MyRA

If you’re looking for simplicity, then MyRA is right up your alley. This is as simple a retirement account as you’ll find anywhere. MyRA provides Roth IRA accounts for employees. They contribute their after-tax income into their IRA account. There’s no matching on the employer’s end when it comes to funding a MyRA account. Your employees can contribute up to 5,500 dollars per year to this account or 6,500 dollars if they’re over the age of 50. Interest earned is based on the G fund of the government’s Thrift Savings Plan.

Simple 401k

A simple 401k plan is another popular choice of small businesses. Simple means that this is a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees. It requires employers to contribute to their employees’ 401k accounts each year. As a good 401k advisor can tell you, employees are not required to contribute to their 401k account on an annual basis. The main difference between a simple 401k and a simple IRA is that the 401k plan can allow for loans while the IRA cannot.

SEP-IRAs

Simplified employee pension plans allow employers to contribute to an IRA for their employees without the hassle of filing paperwork with the government. Most optimal for sole proprietorships and partnerships, employers are required to provide the same contribution to every employee. Employers can contribute annually up to 25 percent of an employee’s net compensation. Employees can contribute up to 5,500 dollars per year or 6,500 dollars if they’re over the age of 50.

Simple IRA

The last retirement account we’re going to discuss is the simple IRA. Again, simple stands for Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees. This type of IRA account works for businesses that have 100 employees or less. Your employees can opt to contribute if they so choose, but they’re not required to. The employer is required to contribute on an annual basis for this type of account. Employees are allowed to contribute up to 12,500 dollars per year.

As a small business owner, planning your retirement and the retirement of your employees is a must. Many employees will turn down job offers due to a lack of proper retirement benefits. Be sure that you stick to offering one of the main benefit programs above so you don’t lose viable talent.

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter: @BrookeChaplan

New Video: DayStarr Communications – What to Expect When You’re Expecting…Fiber Internet

In this video, we help DayStarr carefully detail what customers should expect when they get their fiber internet installed.

For more information: https://daystarr.net

Guest Post: Resources for Business: How to Manage Marketing Data

The appropriate management of marketing data ensures the future success of your business model. If your data gets lost or corrupted, you’ll have to start over from scratch. Here are some of the techniques that you should invest in to streamline the management process.

Enable Security Features

Software and hardware updates should be completed in a timely fashion. This is what protects your systems to data breaches and loses. Making security your top priority is more than just good customer service. If you manage sensitive customer information as a part of your marketing database, having this information stolen gives your company a bad reputation in the industry. You don’t want to have to inform your customers that their information was stolen when you could have prevented it.

Invest in Database Management

Database management can be a time consuming task if you don’t have the right tools in place to help you handle it. Using cloud managed services for cloud data and IT support gets you started down the right path. What this essentially does is takes those tasks off of your plate so that you can focus on the matters of running your business. Queries for information can be formulated for the specific needs of your business and eliminate lost productivity time.

Focus on Backups

Backups can occur in a variety of manners. Using cloud based software is becoming one of the more common ways to store your information offsite. This can be especially important if one of your systems crashes or introduces a virus into your whole network. Restoring from these backups takes out some of the risk that may be associated with doing business. Another reason for a backup is that you won’t lose data from your server platform.

Clear out Obsolete Files

When marketing files or profiles are no longer valid, clearing them out saves on the amount of data that you need to store. It also eliminates the chance of sending out old data to your customers. You won’t make the mistake of not being able to anticipate the needs of your customers if you’ve kept your marketing files up-to-date. Another aspect to this involves developing a user interface that’s intuitive so that your customers can update their own information in a reliable manner.

The importance of managing your data works to increase your chances of success in the business world. Use these strategies to keep performing at an optimal level when it comes to your marketing platform.

Bio: Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700

Guest Post: 3 Threats Every Company Faces at Some Point

As if the normal challenges of running a successful business weren’t enough, it’s likely that your business will face certain major threats during the course of business that could bring your business to its knees. Fortunately, by understanding these threats in advance, you can adequately prepare for them to ensure you’re able to weather them successfully. Here are three threats that every company faces that you should look out and prepare for now.

IT Threats

Businesses of all sizes face IT threats of all kinds. As your business grows, it becomes a more attractive target to hackers who want to profit from the theft of your proprietary information. Unprepared, a successful hacking can suspend business operations and lead to lawsuits from customers who have their information stolen.

That’s why it’s crucial that you instruct your employees on proper protocol for safe web and email browsing. In addition, it’s important to invest in quality security tools for all aspects of your business’s IT exposure. This includes network security, individual workstation security, and database security, among other solutions.

Injury Threats

If your business has a physical location or sells a physical product, your business will likely face the threat of a customer lawsuit at some point. Whether it’s a lawsuit resulting from a trip and fall at your business’s storefront or a lawsuit resulting from damages resulting from a product you sell, litigation comes in all shapes and sizes. It’s important, then, that you do all you can to minimize any threats through the use of proper quality control.

When it comes to a physical location, you must do all you can to encourage your employees to report and correct any slip, trip, or fall hazards as soon as they see them. When it comes to physical products, proper testing is vital before shipping a particular product to your customers. Ultimately, though, adequate business insurance is the best protection against threats in this area. Without insurance, the assets of your business itself, and even your personal assets could be at risk if a lawsuit should occur.

Lack of Demand

There are plenty of variables that can cause a lack of demand for your business’s products or services. Whether it’s a localized or national recession, changing customer tastes, the appearance of a viable competitor, or a range of other issues, a lack of demand can cause an insurmountable disruption that results in the closure of your business. To help mitigate this risk, you should do your due diligence as a business owner to constantly be aware of changing market conditions.

This includes reading business reports from the region and the nation, understanding current consumer tastes and trends, and seeking how to differentiate and diversify your business to protect it from competitors. Though these steps don’t guarantee success, they certainly help provide confidence when you face rough waters.

Press Ahead

Every business is bound to experience ups and downs over its lifetime. When your business is in a slump, then, it’s important to step back and work to get the big picture. This will help alleviate concerns you have about current struggles by placing them in the context of the long-term success of your business. When you take on the right mindset regarding the struggles your business faces, you’ll be better prepared to take on these struggles successfully.

Anica is a professional content and copywriter from San Francisco, California. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she’s used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty. You can connect with Anica here.

New Video: Child and Family Charities – Thank You Devin!

This year at their fundraising breakfast, Child and Family Charities honored Devin, the Angel House therapy dog, for his 8 years of service. This is his story.

For more about Child and Family Charities: https://www.childandfamily.org/