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Best WooCommerce Plugins For Your Store
Digital Marketing eCommerce

15 Best WooCommerce Plugins For Your Store

branex-logo Team Branex
If you’re planning to start an eCommerce business, WooCommerce is the perfect platform to get started. WooCommerce offers a range of features that ensure your store runs smoothly. Whether you're selling physical products, digital goods, or both, WooCommerce has you covered. Beyond product sales, it also serves as a content management system, enabling you to add blogs, product descriptions, landing pages, manage user reviews, and even launch email marketing campaigns—all within one platform. When was the last time you thought about customizing your eCommerce store? For those wondering how to create an eCommerce website, WooCommerce provides a seamless setup, and its versatility shines through its vast plugin ecosystem. WordPress for WooCommerce is incredibly versatile, and its diversity stems from the wide range of plugins available. Each plugin serves a unique purpose, whether it’s for dropshipping, product management, marketing, communication, or media/database optimization. With thousands of plugins available in the WooCommerce marketplace, store owners can easily feel overwhelmed by the options. But worry not—we’re here to cut through the noise. Today, we’ll guide you through selecting the best and most essential WooCommerce plugins for your store. So, without further ado, let’s dive in and explore everything you need to know.

We have categorized WooCommerce plugins according to their purpose. 

Let’s dive in and explore what you need to know!

1. WooCommerce Google Analytics Integration

WooCommerce Google Analytics The best way to increase your WooCommerce sales is by understanding user behavior. With WooCommerce Google Analytics Integration, store owners can easily learn about the best channels driving maximum traffic, including sources like search, social media, email, and ads. This way, you'll know where to focus your time and resources. Google Analytics is crucial for identifying areas where your website might be losing money, from product pages to carts, and checkouts.  It also helps pinpoint the products that attract genuine interest, aiding in comparison and revealing when customers are actively shopping versus casually browsing. The WooCommerce Google Analytics Integration is free to use, making it an accessible tool for all store owners.

2. ShopBuilder - Elementor WooCommerce Builder Addon

ShopBuilder - WooCommerce Builder ShopBuilder is an add-on for Elementor that simplifies designing the perfect online store. It comes fully equipped with over 100 flexible widgets to add products to your pages. ShopBuilder eliminates the burden of building a functional store from scratch, offering more than 40 templates and plenty of customization options for a smooth eCommerce experience. With 12+ specialized modules, including Wishlist, Compare, Quick View, Quick Checkout, Sales Notification, Variation Swatches, and Variation Gallery, you can easily choose what works best for your store. Additional features, such as product filters and enhanced pagination, make this WooCommerce plugin a favorite among digital users for its versatility and ease of use.

3. Customizer for WooCommerce

Customizer for WooCommerce WordPress for WooCommerce offers a variety of filters that allow you to customize multiple aspects of your store. You can change button text, add labels, and even write PHP code if necessary. This plugin comes with vital settings that allow store owners to deeply personalize their stores without the hassle of coding or modifying templates. It saves time by letting you customize features such as the “Add to Cart” button text for various product types, sales badge text for product pages, and options like checkout coupons or account creation checkboxes. However, note that this plugin doesn’t support WordPress multisite. This WooCommerce plugin is free to use, making it ideal for store owners who want to enhance their online shops without additional costs.

4. Booster for WooCommerce

Booster for WooCommerce If you're looking to avoid multiple plugins and want an all-in-one solution, Booster for WooCommerce is your go-to option. This powerful plugin packs 110+ features and is constantly updated with more. It’s perfect for non-tech-savvy individuals with zero coding experience who need a simple, setup-friendly tool.  Booster lets you easily add multi-currency pricing, generate PDF invoices, customize carts and checkout pages, and much more. You can choose between the free version or the paid one starting at $8.99/month if you're looking for more advanced features within a single website.

5. Checkout Manager for WooCommerce

Checkout Manager for WooCommerce If you want to customize the checkout process for your customers, Checkout Manager for WooCommerce is a great plugin to customize and edit the checkout page accordingly. The plugin brings more than 20 custom fields to play around with inside the billing or shipping checkout forms.  Optimizing the checkout process is incredibly important because if the checkout page is a mess, it will ruin the entire shopping experience. It eventually leads to a higher cart abandonment rate.  Not only does the Checkout Manager plugin for WooCommerce allow you to avoid these problems, but it also allows you to customize the entire checkout process.  You can add a message of your choice before the checkout to make it more personal. 

6. WP Mail SMTP

WP Mail SMTP The WP Mail SMTP is an email service API which helps your website email to land in your customer’s inbox without going into the spam folder. What’s really good about WP Mail SMTP is how you can integrate the following PHP mailer plugin with your favorite email platforms such as SendinBlue, Constant Contact, Sendlayer, MailChimp, GetResponse, Hubspot, ActiveCampaign and more.  If you’re running an online store, you might want to send and receive emails and also get notified when it happens. Basically, it uses the PHP mail () function where hosting providers are often responsible for setting it up. As a result, they often fail to use the function correctly which leads to email demise. With WP Mail SMTP, you don’t have to write even a single line of code.  WP Mail SMTP was built with email deliverability in mind. It allows businesses to send all sorts of emails like transactional emails, confirmation emails, shipping notifications & more.  To gain access, the pricing for WP Mail SMTP starts at a reasonable price of $49/month. 

7. WPForm 

wpforms With more than 5 million websites, WPForms is a contact form plugin that enables businesses to create & acquire valuable leads. So whenever a visitor comes to your website, WPForms opens appropriate communication lines, answers customer questions, and resolves their burdening issues.  WPForms doesn’t only offer a mode of communication, but if you purchase the Pro version of WPForms, it lets you accept Stripe, Square, and PayPal payments on every order form you fill out.  With WPForm, you can create almost any kind of form for your WooCommerce store. The different types of examples included are contact forms, online surveys, and order forms.  All it takes is just a few clicks, and you will create a form that converts. 

8. OptinMonster

optinmonster OptinMonster is the ultimate lead generation tool designed to help you grow your email list, increase conversions, and reduce cart abandonment. With its easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder, you can create stunning opt-in forms and pop-ups that capture your visitors' attention at the right moment.  Whether you're looking to offer a discount, promote a new product, or simply engage visitors before they leave your site, OptinMonster allows you to do it all without needing any coding skills. You can easily integrate OptinMonster with popular email marketing platforms like MailChimp, Constant Contact, and AWeber. With advanced targeting features, you can display the right message to the right people based on their behavior, device, or location, creating a personalized experience.  OptinMonster starts at $9/month and is billed on an annual basis.  If you want to learn more about which eCommerce platform is the best, here’s an article which we have covered on WooCommerce vs BigCommerce Read More: 

9. PushEngage

pushengage With PushEngage, you can easily reconnect with your WooCommerce customers, especially once they have left your website.  Imagine sending personalized push notifications to inform shoppers about new product launches, sales, or cart reminders—right to their devices.  PushEngage is a plugin that allows easy segmentation of the audience based on their individual behaviors. Let’s assume that your audience belongs to a certain demographic or they have a certain hobby, PushEngage ensures your messages are targeted and reach the relevant audience. When using this particular tool, you not only increase engagement but also decrease cart abandonment. Starting at just$9 per month, PushEngage is a smart investment for businesses who want to stay connected with all their customers, especially once they leave the store. 

10. RafflePress

rafflepress Looking to grow your WooCommerce store’s audience? RafflePress can offer you the best help.  The plugin’s specialty lies in creating viral giveaways and hosting contests. You can design them in any way of your choice to attract as many customers as you want to your website.  RafflePress brings a powerful drag-and-drop builder which enables WooCommerce shops to create visually appealing giveaways, one that encourages users so they can share them on social media.  The best thing about Rafflepress is how you can integrate actions such as 'follow us on Instagram' or 'share this on Facebook,' RafflePress which can contribute to the overall brand awareness.  Whether you're looking to grow your email list or increase site traffic, the plugin delivers results. Plus, with pricing starting at $39.50 per year, it’s an affordable solution to supercharge your marketing efforts.

11. Uncanny Automator

Uncanny Automator We all want to create a store experience that’s smooth and uncanny, and this is what the Uncanny Automator can achieve. With Uncanny Automator, you can automate repetitive tasks and streamline workflows. In fact, you can connect with hundreds of plugins and apps, to perform multiple store management actions. You can update inventory, send out order updates, or offer discounts to trusted customers and the best part is that you don’t even have to write a single line of code.  Whether it’s managing email campaigns or triggering a specified action after a purchase is performance, Uncanny Automater can take care of everything. Pricing starts at $149 per year, which is perfect for businesses ready to level up their efficiency and focus on growth rather than manual tasks.

12. Smash Balloon

Smash Balloon Smash Balloon is a robust social media content management tool that allows easy integration into your WooCommerce store. With customizable feeds for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, you can display real-time social proof right on your website. This plugin is perfect for showcasing user-generated content, product photos, or customer reviews, that boosts trust and creates more engagement.  Setting up Smash Balloon is quick and requires no coding. It allows you to engineer posts that easily mimic the brand's appearance. Pricing starts at $49 per year, and that’s what makes it affordable.  If you want to integrate dynamic social content into your website, Smash Balloon is the answer. 

13. SearchWP 

SearchWP SearchWP offers built-in search functionality by delivers accurate and faster results.  Instead of relying on the standard search engine, this plugin indexes every bit of content from product descriptions to reviews, giving customers exactly what they're looking for in no time.  So what happens? You get improved user experience, reduced bounce rates, and higher conversion rates. Customizable and flexible, SearchWP ensures customers find products based on detailed queries.  The plugin starts at $99 per year, a worthwhile investment for businesses looking to improve site navigation and search performance.

14. LiveChat - WooCommerce Plugin 

LiveChat WooCommerce Plugin  The only way to make a customer feel fulfilled and happy is by giving them an interactive experience when they are at your online store. And the best way to engage them is by talking to them directly.  With LiveChat WooCommerce Plugin, you can achieve just that and in fact, do even more.  When you integrate LiveChat into your WooCommerce store, you can establish real-time conversations with your visitors. You can even educate them or guide them, especially when they are confused.  By performing this practice regularly, your customers can feel secure knowing that you have the answer to all their queries. With LiveChat WooCommerce, you can engage with customers in a sure-shot way.  There’s a Free Trial as well as a Premium Subscription starting at a price of $16 per agent. 

15. Genesis Connect for WooCommerce 

Genesis Connect for WooCommerce  Looking for a robust WooCommerce tool to preserve customization settings especially when your WooCommerce store goes on a module update? Well, in that case, Genesis Connect for WooCommerce is the right option for you. All you have to do is put copies of the templates in the child theme’s WooCommerce folder and customize individual copies as per your requirements.  With Genesis, you have plenty of other features available to take advantage of.  For instance, you can create your own template in the child theme’s WooCommerce folder. If there are any folders which are not required in Genesis Connect, you can also remove them.  The Genesis tool is absolutely FREE. 

Concluding Thoughts 

The ecosystem of WordPress WooCommerce is large-scale and brings hundreds and thousands of eCommerce plugins for your website. These plugins have a high adoption rate, and some of them are quite versatile and flexible. If you can’t decide which WordPress WooCommerce plugin can make your online store the best, why not try and test each of them and check for yourself?  While some are available for free, for the paid ones, you can always watch review videos on YouTube and other useful articles. Just make sure that your WooCommerce store is hosted on a proper hosting.  Partnering with a website design and development company can also help tailor the perfect solutions for your store’s unique needs.
Email Marketing vs Social Media Marketing
Digital Marketing Social Media Marketing

Email Marketing vs Social Media Marketing: Which One is Better in 2024?

branex-logo Team Branex
The Internet is all about attracting new customers and turning them into loyal, paying clients. When it comes to quickly grabbing attention and driving conversions, two strategies stand out: email marketing and social media marketing These are the go-to tools for any business owner looking to boost brand visibility, generate leads, and drive profits. But what happens when you're strapped for resources?  Should you invest in social media, or is email marketing the smarter play? If you're torn between the two, this article will guide you through the decision-making process. So, which one will bring in the big bucks—social media or email marketing?  Let’s check it out. 

Email Marketing vs Social Media Marketing - How Are They Useful in Their Own Ways? 

Email Marketing vs Social Media Marketing If you want to connect with your end customers and communicate with them one-on-one, then email marketing is the ideal choice for you. As a brand, you send them offerings through emails, and if they like what you’re selling, they will quickly hop on a call with you. It’s the fastest way to attract users and get connected with them so you can quickly convert them. That’s not the only benefit of email marketing—you can also use it for various other tasks. You can inform clients about upcoming promotions, new product launches, and share other relevant details about your business. On the other hand, social media marketing is great for increasing brand awareness. It allows you to quickly grow your audience and attract new followers. By sharing useful tips for social media campaigns, people can learn more about your business, follow your accounts, and engage with your content through comments, likes, and shares. Over time, your content becomes more visible to a larger audience, increasing your chances of getting more engagement. As more people become familiar with your brand, it eventually grows, and your audience will start taking action in other ways, such as signing up for your newsletters, visiting your website, or even making a purchase.

How Email Marketing Make Prospect Engagement Worthwhile? 

Email Marketing Can Help Businesses Engagement comes in many ways, especially when we talk about email marketing. To help you understand how it fits the puzzle, here are some ways email marketing can help businesses engage better.

1. Let Your Subscribers Know About the New Products 

Launching a new product and not sure if it’s going to be a success? Well, with email marketing, you can greatly increase your chances. However, to make email marketing effective, you need to have a complete subscriber list. Start by sharing all the details of your product within your emails, including its benefits and launch date. To make your emails more engaging, you can also include pictures and add a link to your landing page. These efforts will help your customers make an informed decision by allowing them to learn about the product first-hand before they decide to pre-order and get it dispatched to their place. 

2. Share Promotions & Offer More Discount Coupons 

It’s unlikely that anyone would turn down a good deal, especially from a brand they follow. If you’ve built enough credibility for your business, then sending out an email with a subscriber-only exclusive discount on your products and services is the next logical step. When you keep your subscribers in the loop and stay in touch with them through consistent newsletters and promotional emails, they’ll always be on their toes, especially when there’s an upcoming sale. Such emails work wonders during the holiday season, particularly when you include giveaways. It’s one of those perks that you can’t miss! 

3. Get Valuable Feedback & Insights on Your Brand

When you know how the audience perceives your brand or what they think about it, it becomes relatively easier for you to tweak your brand. Let’s say, that if your business is well equipped to help you understand what they like and dislike about your business, it becomes easier for you to refine your business strategy and meet your client’s expectations most effectively. Email marketing is one of those tools which helps you gather quick feedback on your customers. You can simply start by emailing subscribers survey forms and collecting information from them to learn more about what they want! 

4. Deliver Content That Educates and Engages

There’s a misconception that emails are supposed to be sales-oriented. However, this notion is not entirely true. We all want to send out informative content, that positions your brand as an authority in your market sector. For example, is there a blog or content on your website that’s not performing all too well and it’s just lying around there without any use? You can always pick that content up and change it into a shorter email content, pushing it to your respective customers.

How Social Media Help in Making Engagement Effective?

Social Media Helps in Businesses In the world of social media, the rules are different. Social media is not just about crafting posts; it’s about creating engaging content that resonates with your audience. It’s also about strategically using hashtags to amplify your reach. With every post, you’re not just sharing information—you’re placing your brand in front of countless potential customers, increasing your visibility and opportunities to connect. Social media doesn’t just build awareness; it opens the door to social prospecting—a powerful way to research, identify, and engage with your ideal prospects. This modern approach to relationship building goes beyond traditional marketing. By understanding how your audience interacts—whether they like, share, or comment on your posts—you gain invaluable insights into their preferences and behaviors. The following knowledge helps you to better connect with them on a deeper level eventually nurturing relationships that can ultimately convert daily visitors into long-term loyal customers.   So how does social media contribute to a brand's success?  Here are some techniques that you can implement to boost your likes, comments, and shares. 

1. Start with the Basics 

As humans, we have an instinctive urge to respond when asked even the simplest of questions.  As a social media manager, you can leverage this natural curiosity to spark engagement by asking your audience basic but powerful questions about your brand, service, or even the challenges they face. For instance, if you’re looking to grow your following and your brand specializes in football merchandise, you could ask questions like:
  • Which team do you support?
  • What type of merchandise catches your eye?
  • What drives your passion for football?
These questions do more than just start a conversation—they create a connection. By tapping into your audience’s interests and preferences, you encourage them to engage with your brand, creating a community that’s more likely to convert into loyal customers. 

2. Showcase Your Brand’s Best Content

Have you recently written a blog post or shot a video that puts your brand in the limelight?  Don’t let that valuable content sit idle—share it with your audience on social media!  By adding a link to your latest blog post or creating a social post about your video, you keep your followers in the loop and bring your brand to the forefront. Go deep by discussing the important details within your captions. Give your audience insights, one they definitely don't want to miss. There’s no harm in encouraging your audience to share thoughts on content.  Always motivate your audience so they leave a comment on your social post as it will eventually boost engagement and establish a stronger connection with your followers.  Every comment, like, & share brings your brand a step closer to becoming a success.  

3. Don’t Forget Special Discounts & Freebies 

Social media is a powerful tool for sharing limited-time deals and promotions.  Think of it like this… you have a product that’s selling like fire in your brick-and-mortar store, but when it comes to online shopping, sales aren’t as good as expected. So you want to give your followers a chance to purchase it online and therefore, you put it up at a significant discount for a week.  This sense of urgency will eventually drive action and increase the likelihood of conversions.  You can add some eye-catching images of the product and can even include a direct link to a dedicated landing page. When you make the choice effortlessly for your audience to claim the deal, it not only amplifies your reach of promotion but also turns social media into a dynamic sales channel.  

Choosing Between Email and Social Media Marketing

Choosing between email and social media marketing isn’t always an easy choice to make.  Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing This decision truly depends on what your marketing goals are.  Ask yourself, what’s your aim: 
  • Is it building brand awareness? 
  • Is it reaching a wider audience? 
If that’s the case then investing in social media is your best bet. Social media offers a dynamic platform where your brand can engage with potential customers in real time.  However, if your priority is building relationships with new and existing customers to drive conversions, then email marketing is the best option.  It allows for personalized communication and direct outreach.  As a result, you get a boost in sales and earn customer loyalty. As you weigh your options, leverage the pros and cons of each approach. See how it aligns with your overall marketing strategy. 

1. Audience Preference

Knowing where your audience spends their time is key to choosing the right marketing channel.  For example, if you’re targeting a younger demographic, platforms like Instagram might be more effective, allowing you to engage with them through visual and interactive content.  On the other hand, a B2B company offering professional services may find that direct emails and LinkedIn are more effective for reaching decision-makers and building professional relationships. When you’re more well aware of your audience preference, you can maximize your reach and achieve better results. Whether it’s through social media, email, or a combination of both. 

2. Marketing Strengths 

It all comes down to what types of marketing content you typically share.  When you explore different content types, you know which content type offers you what strengths.  Written content, like blogs and newsletters, thrives in email marketing, where you can deliver detailed information directly to your audience’s inbox. Meanwhile, videos and visually stunning graphics perform exceptionally well on social media, where quick, engaging content grabs attention and encourages shares. When you align your content strategy with each platform's strength, you connect better with the audience. 

3. Potential for Combining Strategies 

Many successful brands have found that the key to effective marketing lies in combining the strengths of both email & social media marketing. This combination will keep your audience engaged.  Social media platforms offer a dynamic space where your audience can actively engage with your posts, while email provides a direct line of communication, allowing for more personalized interactions. You don’t need to bombard your audience with daily emails or social media posts to see results.  Instead, aim for a balanced approach that lets your audience naturally gravitate toward your brand. By strategically integrating both channels into your marketing strategy, you can create a cohesive experience. 

What Does the Data Say About SMM vs Email Marketing? 

SMM vs Email Marketing All talk and no data leaves the audience skeptical.   If you want to further decide whether you want to choose email marketing or social media marketing, here’s some data-backed research that will definitely convince you which is the right solution. 

1. Based on Audience Size 

Email marketing only expands as much as the size of your mailing list. The larger the list, the greater will be your chance of converting more customers. Let’s say if you have a handful of subscribers and you want to organize a list, you will have to go the extra mile & invest your efforts more into scraping data off the Internet and organizing them as a subscriber’s list.  However, with social media, you might have to do the same, but at the same time, you’re working on building a followership. It can definitely be a good starting point for your list-building activity.  Based on the monthly active users for each social media platform in 2024, Statista shows: 
  • Facebook stands at 3.064 billion 
  • YouTube stands at 2.504 billion 
  • Instagram stands at 2.000 billion 
Just because social media platforms have billions of users, it doesn’t mean they can all see your posts. Every platform runs on different algorithms, and post visibility mostly depends on the audience size, post engagement, and audience interest in that particular post topic and everything. 

2. ROI - Email vs Social Media Marketing 

According to a study by the Data & Marketing Association, email marketing delivers an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent, making it one of the most cost-effective marketing channels. This high ROI is largely due to the ability to target a specific audience with personalized messages, leading to higher engagement rates. Email marketing benefits businesses with tight budgets.  On the contrary, social media marketing can offer substantial reach & brand visibility, particularly among the youth. However, its ROI is more variable, depending on factors like platform, audience, and ad spend. A study by HubSpot found that social media marketing has a median ROI of about 28%, with paid social ads often requiring a high investment to achieve comparable returns to email marketing. Based on these data-backed insights, email marketing generally offers a better ROI, especially for businesses with limited resources. If your goal is brand awareness and engagement, social media marketing can be a valuable strategy.  

The Bottomline 

When it comes to email marketing and social media marketing, they both have their own strengths and each can be very effective in their own ways.  Email marketing is great for sending personalized messages directly to people. This practice definitely helps in building loyalty and driving more sales.  Whereas, social media is perfect for increasing a brand’s visibility and connecting to a larger audience. If you want to get the most out of your marketing efforts, we advise you to consider both.  They are both worthwhile in their own ways. At Branex, we offer email marketing as well as social media marketing for our customers. Which option are you looking for? 

Let us know and our experts will offer you the best help! 

How To Grow Your Business with Socially Responsible Marketing
Digital Marketing Guide

How To Grow Your Business with Socially Responsible Marketing?

branex-logo Team Branex
We live in an era where consumers are increasingly conscious of social responsibility and diversity. As a social media manager, you understand the importance of creating inclusive and impactful marketing campaigns that not only resonate with your audience but also reflect your business’s values. The goal is to create a positive social impact that leads to scalable business growth. In contrast, staying true to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). In today's day and age, standing out as a socially responsible business is important. It involves more than just a superficial gesture; it requires a deep-rooted commitment to making a positive difference. As you navigate the challenges of running social ads, A/B testing, & crafting effective social media strategies, incorporating a socially responsible and diverse approach will set you apart. As we connect the dots between social impact and diversity, allow us to help you rediscover how you can grow your business by implementing DIEB marketing within your business. 

The Power of Diversity - Transforming Marketing for the Better

power of diversity The world we live in is a vibrant tapestry of diverse cultures, beliefs, and identities, and the heart of successful industries lies in embracing this diversity. This is especially true in the realm of social media marketing, where resonating with a wide range of audiences is pivotal for maximizing business success.  According to industry expert Troy Sandidge, with over 15 years of experience in strategic growth, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are critical components of marketing strategies. Sandidge's marketing implementations are fueled by a diversity-led experiential approach. His work underscores a powerful truth - embracing DEIB drives sustainable growth & establishes deeper connections with target audiences.  The potential of this approach is immense, especially when considering the purchasing power of the BIPOC (black, indigenous, and other people of color) community, which stands at a substantial $3.7 trillion. A multitude of brands and agencies are now recognizing the importance of the DEIB principle. By integrating it into their marketing strategies. They are not only doing the right thing but also unlocking new avenues for growth.  A recent study found that diverse and inclusive ads resonate strongly with consumers, with 64% taking action after seeing such advertisements. This demonstrates the tangible impact of diversity in marketing and its ability to influence consumer behavior. For instance, Coca-Cola's "Taste the Feeling" campaign celebrated diverse cultures and lifestyles, resulting in increased brand loyalty and a more inclusive brand image.  This is a prime example of how inclusive marketing can expand a brand's reach and foster a deeper connection with its audience.  By representing diverse audiences in marketing campaigns, businesses are more likely to engage with a broader spectrum of consumers and drive purchasing decisions. However, embracing DEIB goes beyond the campaigns we see. It requires a long-term commitment, from diverse hiring practices to ongoing education.  Marketing teams must also address their own unconscious biases, utilizing tools and frameworks to ensure that diverse perspectives are genuinely considered in the creative process. This ensures authenticity and respect in the representation of diverse audiences. The impact of DEIB initiatives can be measured through key performance indicators (KPIs) such as increased brand loyalty, improved customer satisfaction, and higher sales among diverse consumer segments. By tracking these metrics, businesses can quantify the success of their inclusive marketing strategies and continuously improve their approach. 

How to Connect with More People Through DEIB Marketing 

How to connect people through DEIB Marketing

1. Understanding The 'Conscious Growth Pathways' Framework

Troy Sandidge, the expert we've been referring to, has developed the "Conscious Growth Pathways" framework to guide organizations in embedding DEIB principles into their marketing strategies.  This framework adds an important human-centric layer to traditional marketing models like the "5 Ps" and "7 Cs." The "4 Es"—engagement, exclusivity, experience, and emotion. At the heart of this approach, recognizing that people crave exclusive communities where they feel safe, accepted, and emotionally connected. The "Conscious Growth Pathways" emphasize the intersection of experience, entertainment, education, and empowerment, with a focus on the human element. It's about understanding that consumers want more than just a transaction; they want to feel like they belong and that their values align with the brand. By meeting audiences at this intersection, agencies can form deeper bonds and foster long-lasting loyalty. Troy highlights the importance of starting DEIB efforts internally by examining your organization's capacity, utility, and performance around these issues. It's about practicing what you preach and ensuring your team reflects the diversity you want to see in your campaigns. A diverse team brings a wealth of perspectives, increasing the chances of converting customers who share those viewpoints. The "Conscious Growth Pathways" framework also incorporates a sustainability focus, recognizing that social responsibility and environmental consciousness are increasingly important to consumers. By embracing this framework, agencies can create marketing strategies that not only drive profitable outcomes but also have a meaningful and positive impact on the world. By embracing the "Conscious Growth Pathways," agencies can deliver authentic, diverse, and socially responsible campaigns that truly resonate with their target market. An excellent example of a brand that has embraced the "Conscious Growth Pathways" framework is Ben & Jerry's, the iconic ice cream company known for its delicious treats and progressive values. Ben & Jerry's has long been committed to social and environmental causes, and their marketing campaigns often reflect this. One of their notable campaigns, "Justice ReMix'd," focused on criminal justice reform and racial equity. The campaign centered around a limited-batch ice cream flavor, "Justice ReMix'd - Cinnamon and Chocolate Ice Creams with Gobs of Cinnamon Bun Dough & Fudge Brownie Batter," with a portion of the proceeds going to the Advancement Project National Office, a nonprofit organization working to end racially motivated inequalities in America. In this campaign, Ben & Jerry's utilized the "Conscious Growth Pathways" framework by creating an engaging experience centered around a unique flavor and tying it to a larger social issue. They entertained them with delicious ice cream, educated consumers about racial injustices, and empowered them to take action by supporting organizations working toward change. The campaign also acknowledged the human element, featuring real stories and faces of those affected by the criminal justice system. By doing so, Ben & Jerry's created an emotional connection with their audience, inviting them to join a community advocating for a more just world. 

2.  Integrate the “Conscious Growth Pathway” Framework

The "Conscious Growth Pathways" framework is a powerful tool for brands aiming to enhance their diversity and social impact. Troy Sandidge, the creator of this framework, offers the following guidelines to help organizations implement it effectively:
  • Introspection: Encourage honest self-reflection to identify areas for improvement. Seek external perspectives to uncover blind spots and ensure a comprehensive understanding of your brand's position.
  • Genuine Investigation: Have authentic conversations with a diverse range of stakeholders, including clients, leads, and those who chose not to purchase your product or service. Their insights will provide valuable feedback for strategy refinement.
  • Incremental Initiation: Recognize that embedding DEIB is a journey. Start small with pilot initiatives, adapt based on feedback, and focus on progress. Perfection isn't the goal; it's about continuous improvement and learning.
  • Collaboration: Partner with DEIB experts and individuals with lived experiences. Join diverse communities, attend industry events like Black@INBOUND, and actively participate in conversations to broaden your perspective and stay informed.
  • Accountability: Set clear metrics and regularly go through your progress. Create surveys, host workshops, and pay attention to audience sentiment and indicators of belonging. Evaluating the impact of your DEIB initiatives goes beyond vanity metrics; it's about measuring genuine connections. 
An excellent example of an organization that has followed the "Conscious Growth Pathways" framework to the tee is Patagonia.  As far as introspection is concerned, Patagonia has long been committed to environmental causes, but they regularly engage in self-reflection to identify areas where they can improve. They actively seek feedback and insights from environmental organizations, scientists, and their own employees to ensure their practices are aligned with their values. Patagonia underwent a genuine investigation, where the company frequently engaged in conversations with various stakeholders, including customers, environmental activists, and community leaders. They listen to diverse perspectives and use these insights to shape their strategies and campaigns. For example, their "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign encouraged consumers to reduce their environmental impact by buying only what they truly need. Taking a step as an incremental Initiation, Patagonia understands that change takes time and often starts small. They test new sustainable materials and practices on a limited scale before rolling them out across their entire supply chain. This approach allows for adaptation and ensures that their initiatives are effective and feasible. As a collaborative effort, Patagonia actively partners with environmental organizations and activists to amplify their message and drive change. They've collaborated with groups like Greenpeace and 1% for the Planet, using their platform to support various environmental campaigns. By working with experts and advocates, they ensure their efforts are informed and impactful. For accountability, the company sets clear environmental goals and regularly assesses its progress. They publish annual sustainability reports, detailing their efforts, challenges, and achievements. Patagonia also actively involves its customers in this journey, providing transparent information about its supply chain and the environmental impact of its products.

3. Choose Sustainability; Then Begin with the Scaling Process 

Troy's guidance underlines creating a foundational structure at the onset of your growth journey. "Don't dwell on your current position; instead, focus on your desired destination and the path to get there. Overthinking your present circumstances will hinder your progress towards your goals."  Perceive your enterprise as one driven by ambition, and develop an in-depth understanding of sustaining that growth. More often than not, businesses become overwhelmed by their success, leading to operational bottlenecks, dysfunctional team structures, inadequate employee support, and many other challenges. Without proactive measures, their business empire may go in the dumps.  So what’s the solution that Troy proposes, it’s the one he advocates strongly which is putting sustainability first, then pursuing scalability. It’s where he talks about how one should take a look at the current organizational framework before stepping into the hyperdrive of exploding growth. As soon as things start coming into perspective and goals become more aligned, you can set up the infrastructure and scale up the brand to achieve long-term success.  Forming a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and bias-free community has numerous benefits for any business. When you create an environment where people feel valued, respected, and connected, they are more inclined to support and advocate for your business. By fostering genuine connections, you establish a network of loyal customers, advocates, and brand ambassadors. They become your biggest supporters, willingly providing referrals, positive reviews, and constructive feedback. 

4. Redefine Relationships by Creating a Market for Everyone   

If you want to redefine your relationship with important prospects and leads, "Conscious Growth Pathways" implementation is one of the best methods. We always have this innate drive for more sales, and in pursuit of this goal, we often prematurely sever ties with those who don't make immediate purchases. This is where Troy emphasizes the importance of having a group of not just buyers but also advocates and elevators for your brand. These individuals are just as valuable as those ready to purchase. Troy highlights the idea that agencies must commit to serving and assisting leads, regardless of their immediate conversion rate. Some may become buyers, while others shift into different roles, such as brand advocates or elevators. They may not buy from you right away, but because of your dedication to providing a personalized experience, they may want to add value to your brand over time. By building trust and expanding your network of allies, they can contribute to your resilience and success. For example, Mailchimp, an email marketing platform, understands the importance of building relationships and providing value beyond its core product offering. They recognize that not everyone who interacts with their brand will immediately become a paying customer, but that doesn't mean those leads are any less valuable.  Mailchimp provides a wealth of free resources, guides, and tutorials to help businesses improve their marketing efforts, regardless of whether they are Mailchimp customers or not. Mailchimp offers a freemium model, allowing users to access their platform and send emails for free up to a certain subscriber count. As businesses grow and their needs expand, they may then be inclined to upgrade to Mailchimp's paid plans.

5. Invitation for Introspection 

Last but not least, Troy encourages businesses to begin their journey of introspection & investigation. It opens doors to diversity-led growth that brings your business closer to sustainability. Diversity-led growth can be different for every organization based on its unique context & audience. However, if you have a curious mindset and you’re open to new implementations, you can commit to bold experimentation, and continuous learning and set a humble course.  We believe transformation happens within, especially when you take a courageous step. You can always read case studies of companies such as Procter & Gamble or Microsoft which have sequentially contributed towards diversifying their teams. Based on values such as race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other factors, such companies have created a workforce that reflects the diversity of their customer base. 

Key Takeaways

  • Consumers increasingly value social responsibility and diversity, and incorporating these values into your marketing campaigns can create a positive impact and drive business growth.
  • The "Conscious Growth Pathways" framework, developed by industry expert Troy Sandidge, emphasizes the importance of engagement, exclusivity, experience, and emotion in marketing, recognizing consumers' desire for exclusive communities and emotional connections.
  • Embracing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in your marketing strategies can lead to stronger consumer resonance and unlock new avenues for growth.
  • Diverse and inclusive ads have a tangible impact on consumer behavior, with 64% of consumers taking action after seeing such advertisements.
  • Internalizing DEIB efforts and diverse hiring practices are crucial for authenticity and ensuring diverse perspectives are considered in the creative process.
  • The "Conscious Growth Pathways" framework incorporates sustainability, social responsibility, and a focus on the human element, allowing agencies to create meaningful and positive impacts.
  • Ben & Jerry's "Justice ReMix'd" campaign is an excellent example of using the framework, engaging consumers with a unique flavor while educating and empowering them about racial injustices.
  • Implementing the framework involves introspection, genuine investigation, incremental initiation, collaboration, and accountability, ensuring continuous improvement and learning.
  • Putting sustainability before scalability is key to long-term success, and forming diverse and inclusive communities fosters loyal customers, advocates, and brand ambassadors.
  • Redefining relationships with prospects and leads by serving and assisting them, even if they don't immediately convert, can lead to valuable brand advocacy and elevation.
  • Businesses are encouraged to embark on a journey of introspection and investigation, embracing diversity-led growth and a courageous step towards transformation.

Conclusion

In today's socially conscious landscape, businesses have the opportunity to create meaningful change and drive growth by embracing social responsibility and diversity.  The "Conscious Growth Pathways" framework provides a powerful tool for agencies to connect with their audiences on a deeper level, fostering emotional connections and a sense of belonging. By integrating DEIB principles into their marketing strategies, businesses can expand their reach, strengthen consumer resonance, and create a positive impact in this digitally savvy world.  Are you ready to take your business to the next level with impactful and socially responsible marketing? We understand that embracing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) is about more than just campaigns; it's about a long-term commitment to making a positive change. Get in touch with us today and let's work together to create a brighter future for your business and the communities you serve! Schedule a call with Branex, your next step towards digitalization. 
Clubhouse App Infographic
Digital Marketing Infographics

All You Need To Know About The Clubhouse App – Infographics

branex-logo Team Branex

The social media landscape is rapidly evolving. We saw social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter slowly losing ground against social media networks such as LinkedIn and Pinterest. Instagram and Snapchat dominated the photo-sharing space before TikTok stole all the limelight and kickstarted the short video trend.

You might be wondering what’s next? Clubhouse, the new kid on the block, is making waves and has taken the social media world by storm. What is Clubhouse and how does it work? Does it offer something for businesses or is it focused on individuals only?

Here is an infographic by Branex - a Mobile Application Development Company in the USA, that will answer all these questions and more and tell you everything you need to know about the Clubhouse app.

 

New Year Social Media Marketing Ideas
Digital Marketing Social Media Marketing

8 New Year’s Social Media Marketing Ideas for Startups

branex-logo Team Branex

The holiday season and New Year is that time of the year when businesses of all types and sizes put their best efforts into creating amazing marketing campaigns to delight their target audience. In this digital era, where every brand is offering discounts and promotions, delighting your fans and followers is easier said than done. With the help of some creative social media marketing campaigns. You can fuel your branding efforts and provide your existing and potential customers with something of value.

For startups and small businesses, coming up with some killer marketing ideas to reach new markets, build brand awareness, and boost sales can be tough. You can help your startup or SMB stand out from hundreds of thousands of brands by simply following some creative new year social media marketing ideas for 2021.

If you haven’t planned something for the New Year, don’t worry, it’s not too late.

Here are some amazing New Year social media marketing ideas that will spice up your brand’s feed and boost your business.

8 Amazing New Year Social Media Marketing Ideas

Let’s check them out.

1. New Year Giveaway

Card Design for Social Media

Giveaways are an amazing way to skyrocket user engagement, and brand awareness, and increase your brand reach. New Year is the right time to run a giveaway and encourage your audience to take action to get a freebie. For instance, you can run contests and ask people to share their images using your products, share some funny quotes, write a testimonial, or anything that can increase user engagement.

Make sure the prize is worthwhile so more and more audiences will participate to win the free stuff. The more users engage with your post, the higher the chances of reaching new users and growing your following base.

2. Share Your New Year’s Resolutions with Your Audience

Create your New Year’s resolutions and share them with your social media fans. Ask your fans and followers to share their New Year plans and goals with you. It is an amazing way to engage your audience and help them feel more connected to you. You can share your plans on how you will be moving your startup forward and encourage your audience to send in their own resolutions to foster a sense of community by sharing their stories on your social media feed.

3. Share Festive-Themed Content

Celebrate New Year with your audience by encouraging them to share their holiday activities and images. Believe it or not, user-generated content is an effective way to promote your products and services. Though it won’t drive too much traffic to your website or bring more sales. It clearly shows that people are satisfied with your brand and quality products.

So, if you want to strengthen your relationship with your existing and potential customers. You can start retweeting and uploading images and posts in which your brand or products are mentioned.

Retweeting or reposting brand-related content from fans and replying to their questions is an effective way to show your social media audience. You really care about what your fans and followers say about your brand.  

4. Use Stories to Promote Your New Year Offer

The holiday season and New Year are the best time to offer a special discount and exclusive coupon codes. You can make the most out of your Instagram Stories and Facebook Stories to share your New Year discount deal or coupon code with your followers. While your holiday coupons may have expired, some customers are still waiting for the New Year's Day sale.

It is a great time to attract those customers by offering flash sales to clear your holiday inventory. You can give out exclusive discount coupons to your customers to increase your chances of getting more conversions and sales.

5. Launch New Products

In this competitive business world, the timing of your business launch matters a lot. If your startup wants to grow in 2021 and ahead, then launch a new product on New Year’s Eve. This is one of the best social media marketing tactics that can give you the desired results. People are already in a generous mood, and if your product meets their needs, they will definitely try your product.

6. Host a Live Campaign

There is no denying the fact that live video is one of the most engaging types of content that marketers are using to garner the attention of their fans and followers. Your brand can also make the most out of this cutting-edge social media trend by going live on Instagram or Facebook.

You can describe your product's unique features, conduct a live interview, hold a question and answer session, announce an exclusive discount on your service, or do anything interesting that your audience finds interesting for the New Year. The real-time interaction of your live video will improve your social media marketing efforts, engage your audience, and drive interest in your brand.

7. Send a Handwritten Note

Sending a hand-written customer thank you note, along with a customized holiday package is an amazing way to appreciate your customers and encourage them to return and recommend your brand on social media. When your loyal customers talk about your brand on social media and share pictures of the thank you note and the special New Year package. It will serve as social proof that you can share on your social media feed. In short, a thank you note is a proven way to earn your customers’ loyalty and get an authentic customer review that you can post on your social media and website.

8. Use Trending Topics and Hashtags

Brands can use hashtags to foster and build highly engaged and loyal communities of brand advocates and followers. You can ask your followers to post about your brand or encourage them to participate in contests by using branded hashtags or uploading images on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook with branded and trending hashtags.

A Brief Recap

Social media is undoubtedly an amazing place that allows you to promote your products or services to a wider audience. And the New Year is the right time to do so. You can use these killer New Year social media marketing ideas to excite your customers about your small business in 2021 and ahead. These social media marketing ideas, if implemented right, can increase your sales and brand awareness.

Happy New Year!

Halloween Marketing Ideas
Digital Marketing

4 Spooktacular Halloween Marketing Ideas To Increase Customer Engagement

branex-logo Team Branex

Want to make the most out of your brand this Halloween? here are some Halloween marketing ideas to help you increase customer engagement.

The pandemic has caused quite a devastation around the world. It's like the bubonic plague killing scores of individuals and spreading like wildfire globally. As we found ourselves at the mercy of this growing plague, there's just too little that we can do other than quarantine ourselves at home.

Unlike every year where we have parties and trick or treating, this year Halloween is going to be a whole lot different. It wouldn't be held in traditional large gatherings of people dancing away at rave parties or exercising the traditional trick or treating. It would be celebrated with people fixing themselves a hot coffee cup, wearing costumes at home, and celebrating it with their few loved ones still living.

With people locked indoors, many would seek the chance to enjoy Halloween from the confines of their homes. They will more likely spend more time on social media and the online world. Many would consider hosting virtual parties, and here's where you, as a brand, can make the most of it. 

Do you wish to capitalize on the Halloween season this year digitally? Here are four spooktacular Halloween marketing ideas to effectively promote your brand & engage your target audiences. 

Halloween Marketing Ideas

If You Can't Decorate Outside, then Decorate Your Social Media.

What is that one way how brands can easily connect with their target audience? My answer is social media. Social media is the most remarkable and effective way to communicate with your customers.

If you want to make your social media presence more lively, changing the design from time to time is the best way to show that you, as a brand, are alive. And what other time would be most suited and more fun than the Halloween season itself? Add some graphics with the good ol' jack of lanterns, use a full moon theme with a werewolf, or blood red theme with vampires and bats; make the most of what you can this Halloween by setting the right stage for your customers to get into the feels of the holiday season. You can also change the color of your profile images to something more suitable.

You can also change the logo temporarily.

If you have a company website, then you can implement those changes on your website as well.

Here are some website inspirations to help you get an idea of how to transform websites for Halloween.

People Love Discounts and Halloween is the Best Time to Offer Some

It doesn't matter if your brand has anything to do with Halloween or not. As long as the season is here, you can capitalize on it by offering some attractive Halloween discounts to your customers.

Is there a trendy product/service which people typically purchase from you? Add a coupon or a discount offer on that particular product/service and see how people love to buy from you. It will not only increase your chances of getting repetitive sales, but you will also get the opportunity to score new customers. Although you will get lower profits on making each sale, you will observe increased traffic and many new buyers who will eventually experience your product/service. If it's good enough, they will come back, again and again, to purchase from your brand in the future.

Do You Own a Mobile App? How About Sending Over Some Spooky Ghouls

If you have both a website and a mobile app, don't forget to add spooky ghoul elements to your mobile app. Just like Christmas, Halloween is a great way to add some themed features. Give a slight change to your existing app logo as well. A little tweak, such as including a jack-o-lantern in the background using a cobweb, or turning the main character into a vampire by giving it fangs, is all you have to do to show your commitment to the season. It will prompt your users to click and check the product out and see what you have to offer to your customers this Halloween season.

When you change your mobile app's look, people are excited to see what new offers have to offer to them as their customers. So when rolling out new Halloween themes on your mobile app, make sure to add some specific offers, promotional content, new Halloween-based products, etc.

Among many Halloween marketing ideas, here's one that works for gaming businesses in the custom mobile app world. They can quickly sell costumes and skins, new weapons, and much more.

Want to Make Things More Engaging? How About you Host a Halloween Contest

User-generated content has become a hallmark for many industries aiming to grow their customer base. When people observe other people confirming that the brand offers amazing products/services, they become more convinced to purchase. It's one of the reasons why UGC has become quite a popular marketing strategy among small and medium-sized businesses. One way to make the most out of user-generated content is by running a Halloween-themed contest.

Why do I believe this strategy, among many other Halloween marketing ideas, will significantly work? Everyone in the holiday spirit would choose to dress up and decorate their homes with different holiday decoratives. Ask your customers to share their home snapshots and let your customers decide which is the best-looking one. You can do the same for pets! For instance, ask your customers to share pet snaps wearing crazy Halloween costumes. Let the audience decide who wins!

You can choose a variety of other contests and let customers bring your digital presence to life. By displaying the UGC through social media walls on your website or storefront, you can further boost engagement and get even more people excited about participating.

Why Choose Halloween to Feature Your Brand?

Halloween is a big season in the Western world where many shoppers come alive. In the wake of purchasing costumes, candies, and decorations, people are filled with the holiday spirit and love to make new purchases. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, 64% of customers search for discounted sales and promotions; that's more than 50% of the shoppers!

As a small or medium-scale business operating in the digital world, you must make the most of this holiday season. Try different engaging Halloween marketing ideas to bring your digital products to life. At Branex - Digital Marketing Company, we aim to bring Halloween's true essence to our customers' products. Are you searching for the right Halloween marketing ideas? Let's connect. A world of Halloween-themed business ideas awaits you.

Online Side Hustles
Digital Marketing Guide

4 Online Side Hustles To Help You Make $1000 Monthly During COVID 19

branex-logo Team Branex

In this pandemic situation that has taken its toll around the world, who wouldn't like to earn a few extra bucks on the online side, right?

And when we are all sitting indoors and are left with not many options. Earning online is the only best option we have.

Whether you are saving money to pay off a debt, perform a wedding, or go on a world tour with your better half. A few extra $1000 every month is just the amount you need to make your lifelong dreams come true. While your day job might contribute to paying off your essentials, freelance or side hustle can help you fill up your wallet with enough to take that leap you always wanted to make.

Now, it might sound challenging, but trust me, it's not. It's just something that you're going to do when you've time on your clock and in fact. I know some people who have left their jobs just because they grew so much with their side hustle that it became their primary source of income. Are you interested in doing the very same? Guess what! There's no investment involved. It all depends on how quickly you learn a new skill & how effectively you adopt it.

Here are four side hustles to look forward to this year.

1. Freelance Copywriting

Online Side Hustle through Copywriting

If there's one way you can make good money in less time, it's by adopting the art of freelance copywriting. Copywriting is the art of converting the desired audience type through a sales copy page or a web copy page, convincing them that your business is the best there is in the market.

A good copywriter can add value to your client's life and convince them to purchase.

There are several ways he can create powerful hooks to convert the audience. There are hardline facts, statistical analysis, emotional story-telling, compelling business pitches, promises, and discounts.

It's up to you what type of copywriter you want to become and what your client's product is all about.

Most copywriters often undercharge and it's one of the reasons why they easily burn out too soon. If you're planning to become a freelance copywriter, my advice to you is that you do a couple of gigs at a low pay rate. Once you have seen the success ratio of one of your copies, take the statistics from the client and use them to market your service at a better price. You can easily land a sales copy, web copy, or an email copy for an easy $500 - $1000. Just two of these jobs will be more than enough.

2. Amazon Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Marketing

Don't have the creativity to create a website or sales copy, yet you want to earn $1000 easily. If you can invest in creating a review website, then affiliate marketing is your way in. All you have to do is select a niche and perform research on the products that are trending and selling hot in your niche. And then add these product affiliate links to your website. If you can't afford to review these products on your own, then hire a professional writer at Branex who charges a minimal cost to write good reviews for you.

You can easily find these writers in abundance on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, or Freelancer.

Employ them, ask them to write a review article for you, and publish it on your website.

Now here's the tricky part, several eCommerce stores are selling the exact product through Amazon, which you're and the affiliate percentage which you will get on these products will be significantly low. So my advice to you is that you search for some tech giants who are offering good affiliate profit rather than settle for eCommerce stores online. To give you an example, if you become an affiliate partner of a good tech company. You can easily make $1,500 - $2,000 a month.

3. Start a Side Gig for Extra Earns

The pandemic is pretty harsh on almost every one of us. One of the saddest bits is that there is a financial emergency going on in different corporate sectors of the world. As a result, many individuals are facing salary cut downs. At times such, as when we have debts, rent, and bills to pay, what is the best option we are left with to pay off ourselves? The answer lies in freelance gigs.

Have you heard about freelancing websites such as Fiverr, Freelancer, or Upwork?

Some exciting platforms can help you earn that few extra bucks on the side even when the pandemic is on the rise. Yes, you heard me right. Just create a profile on all three of these platforms and if you've got a skill, make the best use of it. There are several online jobs available on these platforms and your talent is good enough to speak for itself. Do the jobs, create a portfolio, get better ratings and reviews from clients, and before you know it. You will quickly be making $1000 - $2000.

Whatever you do, make sure that you get positive ratings. It's the only way clients will trust you.

4. Become Instagram Influencer

Instagram Influencer

Can you sing, or can you act or do you look good, there's no better time than now to cash on that. Become an Instagram Influencer amid the pandemic and let the world observe your talent. Once you've gained a significant amount of followers, there are plenty of ways how you can earn bucks.

Don't feel like the kind of person who enjoys being in the spotlight, and it's totally fine.

Instagram is a diverse platform. You can use photography or your pet as the spotlight and create a powerful profile with a great number of followers. Once you've gathered enough followers, the next thing is to find the right way to monetize your profile. It's not that good of a hustle like the rest unless you have at least 100k followers. But you can easily make $500 - $1000 a month once on the roll.

In a Nutshell

There's no single way of earning when it comes to the online market. While I have discussed a few handfuls of such talents. I am sure there are countless many that once you start exploring, you will easily find them. The Internet is full of opportunities, and people like you and I are already cashing into it.

When we are purchasing stuff online, aren't we capable of redeeming it back? It's just the mindset that stops us. Imagine there are thousands of businesses that are specifically focusing on the above-discussed ways and have established themselves as a successful brand.

Tips to Keep Social Media Safe
Cyber Security Digital Marketing

Is Your Social Media Account Hacked? 5 Tips to Keep Social Media Safe

branex-logo Team Branex

Don’t you wish that your social media security is so future-proof and well-protected in encrypted security layers that if a hacker ever tries to enter into your private files, it just backfired on them?

We live in a day and age where cybersecurity has become a major concern. Right after the great debacle of Cambridge Analytica, it has shocked many to the core that nothing is safe on the Internet.

Stay Safe on Social Media

Staying-safe-on-Social-Media

Hackers nowadays have found countless new & innovative ways to hack into your social media profiles and extract valuable personal information such as your pictures, videos, and messages. They can even hijack your social profiles and perform identity theft when you are inactive or not using them.

While you can’t keep yourself present constantly online 24/7, the only way you can save yourself is by taking adequate security measures. Here are five ways how you can keep your social media safe.

Now you certainly don’t want to fall victim to an anonymous hacker, do you?

Then read on.

Tip # 1: Don’t Use “Easy to Crack” Passwords

secure-passwords

The first tip of the day is to avoid using weak passwords for your social media account.

Do you know some people use passwords as easy as 12345678?

A friend of mine who is working as an ethical hacker at a confidential firm revealed this information. What was more interesting was the number of people found using such password protection.

If you’re someone who is using such an easy password, then there’s a high chance that you are the first one to easily fall victim to these modern-day hackers and get your social media profile hacked.

So first things first, get your weak password changed to a better and stronger one.

When creating a password, make sure that it is alphanumeric and contains uppercase/lowercase letters. It is a very basic practice in the online world that will ensure that your profile gets unhackable.

Nowadays, even novices can use brute force techniques to guess passwords in words & phrases.

Tip # 2: Choose a Difficult Answer for your Security Question

security-question

Another interesting way how a hacker can penetrate your social profile is by guessing the security question which you have kept for your profile protection. They do it by performing social engineering.

By simply visiting your profile and following your public posts, they can identify what your security question can be. For example, if you have a pet then you certainly love to post its photos and videos on your social media profile. You may sometimes forget important names and security pin codes, but what you can’t forget is your pet’s name. Hackers usually cash upon this element to hack your profiles.

Most security questions are like, “What is your pet name?” or “Where did you go for schooling?

Such information is commonly present on your social profile and by going through it once, the hacker equips itself with the right knowledge to hack into your social profile and extract your information.

Now there are two things that you can do.

  • Don’t keep your personal information so openly on social media platforms
  • Or choose a much better and more powerful security question & answer to stay safe

The choice is yours.

Tip # 3: Avoid Clicking on Suspicious Links on the Platform

how-to-check-if-a-link-is-safe

Plenty of times, when we are scrolling through our Live Feeds, we come across certain enticing offers only to realize that the offer on which we have clicked takes us to a very stupid and useless website.

So was the website designer stupid to create such a stupid website and publish it on social media?

What do you think?

It’s probably because this is a phishing scam through which the hacker is trying to collect info.

By clicking on that interesting offer, you’ve just ended up exposing yourself to the hacker.

They will now have access to your personal information, and may even access your profiles to change your privacy settings, steal your images/videos, and then later use this information to blackmail you.

Hence, it is best advised that you don’t click on any such suspicious-looking links or offers online.

Even if you see any such link recommended or posted by a friend of yours. You may think it is an act of effective networking through social media, but it is definitely not. So make sure you don’t click!

Create a mental note if you have to, but just DON’T CLICK!

Tip # 4: Don’t Log Into Your Social Media Accounts From Cafes/Universities

social-media-use-in-cafes-universities

One of the worst mistakes which we often commit unknowingly is that we log into social media profiles through entrusted public computer systems. These can be computers at cafes/universities.

Here’s a bit of advice, don’t do that. Public systems are prone to get hacked by professional hackers.

They usually use these public computer systems as nodes to perform different hacking activities.

Hackers install keylogger software on these public PC setups to track the keystrokes performed. A keylogger software stores information on keystrokes in a small file that can be accessed later on. 

Hackers may automate them to send these log files to their email accounts once the person logs out.

So if you ever plan on logging in to a public PC setup, doublethink before you log in with social media.

Tip # 5: Remove Stored Cookies From Your Browsers Now and Then

delete-cookies-from-browsers

Keeping cookies might make social profile log-ins more user-friendly, but if your browser data falls into the wrong hands, then you can immensely suffer some great setbacks such as risking passwords.

It sounds scary, doesn’t it? Well, it’s how it is.

If you don’t remove cookies from your browsers too often, some professional hackers are so talented that they can easily pull out your password from the saved cookie data just using the right knowledge.

The best thing to do here is not to opt-in for the “Remember Password” option.

It may become easier for you to log in the next time but at the risk of making your account vulnerable.

Don’t take the risk. It’s best to keep your memory sharp and remember passwords yourself.

Summing Things Up

Keeping your social profiles safe is a priority concern, one that must be governed at all times. If you are not taking the best safety precautions to keep your social media accounts safe, you’re risking your personal information and hence, the very lives you live. Just imagine if your personal info falls into the wrong hands. How unattractive it will be if you’ve to pay a ransom on a monthly basis to stay secure. 

Don’t become a victim! Follow some basic practices to make sure you stay safe.

Do you need help with social media marketing, we are a team of social media experts at Branex - the Best Digital Marketing Company in the USA who know all the ins and outs of social profiling and social media marketing. Need help? Get in touch.

What are Quality Backlinks and How Google Evaluate
Digital Marketing SEO

What Are Quality Backlinks and How Google Evaluate Them?

branex-logo Team Branex
Most of your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts focus on earning high-quality backlinks.  Links that bring traffic to your website from external sources are also called Inbound links. Backlinks create a significant impact on your website’s overall search performance.  It also establishes authority and increases your site’s exposure across the Internet.  Google prioritizes useful information. It ranks websites which are credible, trustworthy, and authoritative. Many websites achieve such results more efficiently with effective link building.  However, link building isn’t the only factor; there are many others such as internal linking, quality content, organic SEO, technical SEO, website’s UI/UX which play a significant role in building your website’s authority and making it rank high-up on the SERPs.  While many website owners often fall under the false pretense of creating a lot of backlinks irrespective of focusing on its quality. In the wake of doing so, they often create plenty of low-quality backlinks.  This can often hurt your website’s overall search rankings.  In fact, bad-quality links can potentially harm your business online instead of doing more good. And here’s what makes us wonder, where do we begin? How do we acquire high-quality backlinks?  In this article, we are going to talk about the nature of high-quality backlinks & how Google evaluates them. Interested? Let’s read everything about high-quality backlinks we know so far. 

What Are Backlinks? 

The simplest definition of backlinks is incoming links that one website places on another.  For example, you’re a news website and you’ve recently covered a piece of important news. However, this news which you’ve covered also includes elements where you have to cite sources from external sources.  As it is with the case of news, people often want to fact-check whether the information is true or a hoax. Therefore, you create an anchor text on your website citing the original source.  To help you understand the concept, let’s take a look at the following illustration:  What are Quality Backlinks

Why Backlinks Are Important For Google? 

When your site earns backlinks, it impacts your website’s search visibility and increases its ranking position overall. Google takes a backlink as a “vote of confidence” when authoritative websites link back to your domain. Here are a few ways how backlinks can benefit your position in Google SERP. 

1. Improved Organic Search Ranking

Creating backlinks dramatically improves your organic search visibility. The more web pages link back to your website, the better your site will appear on the searches. A website with a strong backlink profile authenticates Google how your site content is relevant.  Also Read: How To Optimize Your Core Web Vitals To Improve Website Performance

2. Increased Website Visibility

The greater the backlink profile of your website, the more visible your website is going to become for search engines such as Google. High-quality backlinks will enable search engines to discover your content faster and increase your website’s chances for quick indexing. 

3. Builds Website Online Credibility

Google favors websites which hold significant credibility online. If you want your website to perform better in the SERPs, you should always invest in effective link-building. It gives your site a more authoritative appeal and eventually increases the site’s trustworthiness. 

4. Drive More Referral Traffic

Backlinks can often bring direct traffic to your website from external sources. You can get links from new aggregators, third-party reviews, and from many other online sources. Eventually, you bring more traffic to your website when a user reading the post with your link, clicks on it. 

5. Increase Website’s Domain Authority

The greater the backlink’s profile, the stronger will be your website’s domain authority. Your site’s domain authority and your website’s page authority define how your overall SEO performance score is going to impact your overall search rankings. 

How Does Google Evaluate High-Quality Backlinks? 

Google Evaluates High Quality Backlinks When it comes to receiving high-quality backlinks, Google keeps a regular check to update its algorithm. That’s why it's important to stay abreast with the latest SEO developments.  Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind when working on quality backlinks: 
  • Relevance: The backlink should come from a site relevant to your content. Google values links that make sense contextually and are from related industries or topics.
  • Authority: Links from authoritative sites carry more weight. A backlink from a well-established, trusted source is more valuable than one from a low-quality or unknown site.
  • Anchor Text: The text used in the link (anchor text) should be relevant to the linked page’s content. Google sees descriptive and relevant anchor text as a signal of a high-quality link.
  • Diversity: A natural link profile includes backlinks from a variety of domains and sources. Google views a diverse set of links as a sign of organic link-building.
  • Editorial Placement: Links that are editorially placed, meaning they are naturally embedded in content by the site owner or editor, are more valuable than links that are bought or added in a manipulative manner.
  • Link Position: Links placed within the main content of a page (as opposed to sidebars, footers, or comment sections) are considered higher quality.
  • Traffic: Links that drive actual traffic to your site are more valuable. Google can infer the quality of a backlink based on how much traffic it generates.
  • No Spammy Behavior: Backlinks from spammy or penalized sites can harm your rankings. Google values backlinks from clean, well-maintained sites.
  • Recency and Freshness: Recently acquired links or those from regularly updated sites can be more valuable, as they indicate current relevance.
  • No-follow vs. Do-follow: While “no-follow” links don’t pass PageRank, a healthy mix of do-follow and no-follow links is natural and seen positively by Google.
The above discussed aren’t the only factors. Google also evaluates the quality of backlinks by covering other technical aspects of the website as well such as: 
  • Nofollow 
  • Redirects 
  • Alt attribute 
  • Anchor text
  • Robots.txt

How to Get Quality Backlinks for Your Website? 

Backlinks are basically references. They work the same way as citations do on academic or Wikipedia pages. They make your content more authentic and establish your website’s brand authority.  Here’s a cool infographic that we have put together:  Quality Backlinks for Your Website

1. Create Useful & Information Rich Content

Believe it or not, everyone loves a page that’s informative. If you want to earn backlinks to your website, you can always create well-detailed content with highly interactive visuals. Some content types which are remarkably great for your website to stand out are infographics, scannable content, unique industry-specific blog posts, and websites that cover unique trends with interactive data. All such content types assist in linking back to the authoritative web. 

2. Build Nurturing Relationships

Link-building activities are great for reaching out to industry influencers and webmasters. This practice is great for expanding your network & promoting web pages. 

3. Broken Link Building Method

Usually, broken links are mended by reaching out and contacting webmasters and red-flagging broken links on a certain website. It’s a great way to highlight opportunities & make the necessary recommendations to a web page so broken links can easily be replaced. While doing it, SEO marketers often capitalize by asking the relevant webmaster to offer them a chance to build quality backlinks. In this way, the broken link is recreated benefiting both parties. 

4. Find Competitor Backlinks

It’s always a good idea to keep track of competitor’s SEO strategies. You can start by identifying their existing link building strategies and reverse engineer them. For example, you perform a link-building profile search on your competitor and check out relevant sources from where they have previously created web links. Assess these links and see which website owners to connect with. Discuss with them what opportunities are available to add your particular business to their page. 

5. Convert Mentions to Links

There are many websites which mention a specific brand or product by adding a hyperlink to one or two of their posts for you. These are your business followers and therefore, it’s always great to have a chat with them. Connecting with them is easy as they are already convinced you are worth the mention. You can always request them for a backlink or two to increase your credibility. 

6. Guest Blogging

It’s always great to write about an industry trend or something amazing and get it published on one of the popular blogs within your particular industry. Guest blogging opportunities are present in abundance. You can easily find these opportunities on social media, or simply check the “Write for Us” section for different websites. When going for a guest post, it's always best to do your research. Determine their existing strategy, understand their target market, and evaluate which of the guest posts are top-performing on social media. In this way, you can get a few good backlinks to your website. 

Good Backlinks vs Bad Backlinks - Understanding the Difference! 

Good Backlinks vs Bad Backlinks Backlinks which are coming from relevant and authoritative sources are termed good-quality backlinks. They usually come from websites which have a high domain authority. More or less, these websites publish content that works incredibly well on the Internet. They are not only well-researched & informative but are well-optimized on primary and secondary keywords.  One good example of a high-quality backlink is the “Natural” editorial links. Such inbound links often exist on sources like news sites, large publications, opinion pieces, and blogs.  Such content is not only information-rich but the context is high-relevant. Whereas, bad or low-quality backlinks are links coming from unreliable and irrelevant online sources. They are possibly websites which are penalized for violating Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.  Getting backlinks from such sites hurts your online credibility. 

The Best Way to Improve Backlink Quality 

Since then we have learned how Google evaluates backlinks and what is the difference between good-quality and bad-quality backlinks. Here are a few tips on how you can improve the backlink quality. 
  • Optimize your content
  • Leverage guest blogging
  • Reach out to reputable directories
  • Participate in conferences
  • Optimize your email marketing tactics
  • Follow the best Google practices

Want to Build High-Quality Backlinks & Boost Your Digital Marketing Efforts? 

Finding the best sources to earn high-quality backlinks for your brand can be a bit of a challenge. In fact, good SEO truly depends on what kind of websites are linking back to your business.  You can achieve all that and much more by reaching out to Branex, a complete digital marketing agency. We can help you optimize your website and acquire high-quality backlinks so your digital presence thrives. Call now to schedule a consultation with our SEO experts so we can guide you better. 
How to Perform SEO Questions During COVID-19
Digital Marketing SEO

How To Perform SEO On Questions That Are Asked During the COVID-19

branex-logo Team Branex

It is getting scary out there. Who could’ve thought that an insignificant virus that started spreading in the Wuhan district of China would slowly consume the entire world? But now, it has engulfed the whole world in its devastating grasp. COVID-19 has spread worldwide and has forced almost the entire world to go into lockdown.

People all around the world have put themselves in self-quarantine and the roads are now completely deserted. Amid the havoc, marketers are working hard to adjust their SEO strategies to make businesses survive. They now understand COVID-19’s impact on the search interest of the average user. And in the wake of doing so, it is essential to understand what kind of questions people can ask on Google Search. What can be their daily queries and how they are going to approach us?

There are just so many newer dimensions in which COVID-19 has funneled SEO marketers.

The Essential vs. the Non-Essential

Now when it comes to the market, there are two kinds of retail markets. There is one that sells essential goods and may comprise grocers, drugstores, and general merchandisers. And then there is one that sells non-essential goods such as apparel, home goods, and other luxury items.

While the businesses of those who are in the essential goods market have seen positive growth on the Internet, businesses that fall in the non-essential category have seen a significant decline.

So if you fall into the category of an essential good market, then your business might be running casually. However, if you do fall in the non-essential category, then you must make use of COVID-19. If you don’t want to fall short in the rat race, it’s time to publish content using the COVID-19 aspect as an integral part of your content marketing strategy.

When it comes to publishing COVID-19 content on your website, you can’t just cash the pandemic to favor your business strategies. You need to make sure that you’re using the term correctly.

When doing so, ask the following questions,

  • Is the content that you’re about to publish on the Internet using COVID-19 relevant to your target market?
  • Will targeting the coronavirus keyword have a positive or negative impact on your business?
  • Will it be ethical to use the COVID-19 keyword search phrase as part of your content on the Internet?

As much as the idea of cashing the website traffic searching for COVID-19 is lucrative, it is also important to understand the impact such content can have on the image of your brand.

How Should One Proceed with SEO Marketing?

SEO-Marketing

The answer is simple. Base your content around questions that are more commonly asked by people on Google related to COVID-19. People are getting anxious every day; their saved-up incomes are running low. The world economy just might collapse and amid the chaos, you must find questions related to COVID-19 that will complement their search intent. At the same time, you’ve to strategize how you’re going to sell your product/service as well. So it’s a double-edged sword that you have to deal with.

Some of the questions that are more commonly searched than others are “How did the coronavirus spread” or “How did the coronavirus begin”. By basing your content around such questions, there’s a strong chance that you can grab the attention of your visitors and then pitch your offer to them.

Perform Coronavirus Keyword Research

The easiest way to perform your coronavirus research is to find out questions surrounding coronavirus keywords. To do so, you can use just about any keyword research tool which you’ve already been using. In our case, we usually use AHREFs to perform our keyword research.

The idea is to find keywords that are most relevant to your audience. Then you have to find what specific twist you can give to that keyword in your content so it can complement your own business.

For example, if you’re a B2B business, then you can ask a question such as…

What Does Coronavirus Mean for B2B Business Owners?

If you’re working in the medical industry, then a question like,

How Are Medicare Institutions Making the Best Use of COVID-19 Outbreak?

And if you’re just a digital marketing agency like we are, then a question like,

What Marketing Strategies Can Work Wonders Amid the Coronavirus?

It can work incredibly well for your search audience.

So when you cover these topics, you can add some more important search terms that can create the bulk of your content. For example, you can introduce the element of how COVID-19 originated and how it is so widely spread across the world. While picking your favorite keywords, just make sure that you double-check the search volume and the keyword difficulty. Keywords or key phrases with higher search volumes and strong competition will be relatively hard to rank compared to the easier ones.

Perform Research on Your Target Audience

Before you decide on performing your research on the important questions to search, you should first understand who your target audience is. Consider your audience and learn what kind of content they are searching on the Internet.

Now, if you’re wondering how you can carry out such research, then I have a very easy way.

How about you ask the people yourself? If you have an active Facebook fan following or you have an email list of subscribers, or you’re very active on Quora or Reddit, just send them questions that will help you decide what content will have the best results.

Believe me; your audience can be the perfect source of giving you the insight you desperately require. Engage with them, learn from them, and then use that information to retarget them and sell services.

Lastly, Create a Coronavirus Page for Your Business

Last but not least, create a dedicated page for coronavirus to help create awareness. It can cover all the coronavirus-related questions and can serve as a pillar post through which you can market your other content. Bear in mind that your pillar post shouldn’t be focused on marketing your brand.

Instead, it should be solely focused on creating awareness and helping people out in the hour of their need. If you can add some other value to your audiences, such as a free giveaway or tutorial courses, it will contribute to your overall marketing strategy. Interlink your services within that pillar post and see if it converts your visitors. Use a mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords that are already ranking.

Add more contextual internal links as you see that your content has started rising in the SERP.

So that’s all folks, here’s everything I have to share with you on how to perform SEO on questions that can complement your COVID-19 marketing strategy. Stay tuned as I will soon be publishing more content.

Until next time.

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