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What is lead generation and how can you achieve it? Lead generation is a widely-used term in digital marketing. Your leads are the people who are genuinely interested in your company’s products or services. Hence, lead generation refers to any activity carried out to attract and engage these people who could turn into potential customers some point down the line.

Lead generation is mainly a numbers game. Every business wants to maximize its leads because when you have more leads, you can collect more information about your target market. When prospective leads visit your website, you can use different tools to find out who they are and what they are most interested in. Using this information on customer behavior, you can come up with a marketing funnel that will help convert these leads into customers.

Now that we know the importance of lead generation for your business, let’s take a look at some of the best ways to generate leads online

1. PRODUCE VALUABLE CONTENT

What is the best way to attract the modern consumer? Create relevant and useful content. The purpose of your content will not be to sell your product but instead talk about topics that are likely to be of interest to your potential customers to get their attention. By regularly posting engaging content, you become a knowledgeable and trustworthy figure in the industry in the minds of your potential customers. In return, they are likely to be interested in finding out who you are and what you do.

2. SEND AN EMAIL

Although it is considered one of the oldest online communication channels, emails are still very much alive and thriving. But for email marketing to be effective, it has to be personalized according to the interests of the prospect. You have to attract leads by telling them about the developments in your business they are likely to be interested in based on their recent activity. For instance, if a visitor was checking out a particular product on your website, you can inform them through email when there is a promotional offer on it.

3. OPTIMIZE YOUR HOME PAGE, LANDING PAGE, AND OTHER IMPORTANT PAGES

Every one of your web pages is important but your home page and landing pages deserve special attention. The landing page is the first page your visitors are directed to when they click on your ads or a social media post and thus, they present the perfect opportunity to create a great first impression about your business. To achieve this, every element of these pages must be optimized. You need to keep your text short and concise, have an appealing layout, and highlight how you can help make your customer’s life easier through your products.

4. BUILD A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

With the majority of shoppers spending considerable time on social media talking about the products they use, reading reviews, and interacting with others about their shopping experiences, social media is currently one of the best places to generating leads. It is where you can start conversations, engage your customers, get their feedback, and answer questions – this level of interaction with your potential customers isn’t possible anywhere else.

FINAL TAKEAWAY

While there are plenty of other ways to generate leads, these are some of the main ones you need to be focusing on in the beginning to get your digital marketing approach set out on the right track. Make sure to use a multi-channel approach to lead generation and seek professional help if you don’t have the expertise in-house. Given their expertise and experience, a professional digital marketing company can play a significant role in giving your business a competitive edge in the market.

Selecting your SEO provider is not an easy task at all. After all, how can you determine whether your chosen company will deliver the results you are after? And when it’s something as important as your online presence that they will be dealing with, the decision is definitely an overwhelming one.

While you can’t judge the quality of someone’s work until you have worked with them, a thorough look at an SEO company’s website content, case studies, and reviews can give you a good idea of whether they are the right fit for your business.

To help make your decision easier, here are our top tips on how to choose the right SEO company for your business:

1. KNOW YOUR SEO GOALS

The first step to finding the right company is to know your SEO goals. For instance, do you need a full range of digital marketing services or do you just want to focus on SEO? Knowing what you need from your SEO provider can help narrow down your options and make your search easier. Generally, it is always a good idea to opt for a company that provides a range of services so that they can meet all your digital marketing needs, should you require additional services at a later point.

2. READ REVIEWS, TESTIMONIALS AND CASE STUDIES

Reviews and testimonials are the only way to find out whether an SEO provider truly offers the quality of service they claim to be offering. You can read reviews on their website, or look for them on Google, Glassdoor, or Yelp. Additionally, you can get in touch with the SEO company and ask them to provide you case studies or references. A reliable agency should have no issues showing you their previous work and connecting you with their existing clients.

3. ARRANGE A CONSULTATION

Before you choose your SEO provider, it is essential to arrange a consultation with them. This could be a face-to-face meeting or a video conference. Make sure to prepare for the consultation by listing down the points you need to discuss and the questions you have in mind. Remember, being a customer, it is your right to ask the company questions about their past performance, their skills and experience, and anything else you wish to know.

You can ask if the SEO company has any prior experience working with businesses in your industry, the cost of their services, and when you can expect results from their campaigns. The more you ask, the more you will know about the company’s capabilities and the benefits it can deliver for your business.

4. CHOOSE A COMPANY WITH SOUND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Your SEO company will use numerous tools to measure your online presence and collect significant data about your business in the process. But unless they know how to analyze this data and communicate it to you in an appropriate form, it is of no use. Due to this, it is essential to hire an SEO company that

communicates effectively and is committed to building a productive working relationship with its clients. You could be working with this company for years, so choose a team that you would like to work with due to their transparency and willingness to keep you in the loop every step of the way.

THE TAKEAWAY

In a world where the majority of customers begin their buying journey with an online search, SEO is critical to the success of any business, and so is working with the right SEO company. Finding the right SEO company is a surefire way to take your business to greater heights.

Have you ever wondered why some logos are so affordable and cheap while others cause hundreds of dollars? Have you ever carefully and meticulously observed the difference between the two designs?

In a day and age when entrepreneurs can design their own logos through online tools, such as Canva, why pay for an expensive logo? In fact, why are certain logo designs so expensive?

It’s quite simple: a logo design, like any piece or specimen of creativity and art, is created through a process, and the amount you pay is not for the final result, but in fact, the process that has created it. Naturally, all artists and graphic designers have their own unique processes and creative talents, and the price you pay for a logo can be and must be justified with the final design.

So, why is a logo design so expensive? Let’s find out, shall we?

Creativity

An expensive logo design puts forward a massive punch of creativity that has been perfected and refined through a continuous process of improvement. It starts with a rough design that resonates with the brand identity, and evolves into a masterpiece that will allow a brand to standout in the industry.

It involves a long and strenuous process of sketching, designing and meticulous planning to create a logo design that will capture the consumer audience with its creativity and brilliance. It captures a story and presents it with such finesse that allows the brand to gain a competitive edge in the market.

Research

Entrepreneurs and individuals who are not well-versed in the processes and talents of graphic designing often disregard it as an art that is easy and laidback. That is not true. There is graphic art everywhere around us, as it is propelling customers towards brands, markets and industries and driving branding agendas across the world.

Contrary to what most people think, the process doesn’t start with experimenting with design software. It begins with research, as a graphic designer must begin by understanding the brand and its consumer audience. This requires time and diligent observation to ensure that the final logo design resonates with the brand’s ideology and its consumer audience.

Elements & Colors

When we say that logo designing is an art, we refer not only to the creativity that goes into the process, but more importantly, the impact is creates in the minds of the audience. It inculcates the psychology of colors and the philosophy of elements by using clever and creative placement tactics.

A logo, albeit a minor smudge on the bottom or start of a page, is a powerful branding tool, if only it is designed to deliver an impact. An expensive and creative logo design will help you deliver a

dynamic impact without requiring too many words or elements. It will play upon the minds of your consumer audience and deliver results by utilizing cleverly placed elements, and the right blend of colors

Logos are expensive because of the creativity, expertise and research that has been poured into a design to make it perfect for a brand’s identity. A design must justify its price by speaking volumes about a brand without giving much away!

A logo is a significant element of a business’s brand identity. It serves as a visual cue that allows your consumer audience to resonate with your brand. Naturally, if you want your brand or website to attract attention, the first step is curate an attractive logo.

Popular brands, such as McDonalds, Nike, Coca-Cola and Ikea have a powerful brand identity, which stems from their catchy logos. In this article, we will walk you through some steps to make your logo stand out and command attention.

Here, take a look:

Understanding your Audience

Every single marketing strategy, be it logo designing or content optimization, requires a marketer to understand the target audience. First and foremost, you must select your target audience, and understand the demand for your products and services. Are you producing a mass-produced product or service, or are you catering to a specific niche?

Before working on your logo design, it is important to conduct research on your audience demographic and explore designs that are popular amongst your audience.

Originality is Exclusivity

The significance of originality and creativity simply cannot be stressed enough as it allows a brand to capture exclusivity in its brand identity. A logo is simply not a design element that can be mimicked or copied from another brand. It requires you to study various designs and play around with graphics to create something that is original and unique.

Avoid Overly Complicated Designs

A logo that is too complicated to understand will not fulfill the due purpose of a visual cue. Consumers find it difficult to relate with or even remember logos that are overly complicated and complex. You need to create a symbol that will easily stick in the minds of your consumer audience. Remember, when it comes to logo designing, less is always more. The key is to make a dynamic impact with a design that is simplistic and attention-grabbing.

A Hidden Message

A logo must convey a story by adding hidden messages into its design. This message will convey the story behind the brand’s identity and existence. You can achieve this by adding a strong one-liner, such as the Nike logo. Or you can play around with words and phrases, or even symbols and other design elements.

Again, this is where creativity and originality comes into play. However, the underlying principal remains the same: a well-designed logo must convey a message and a purpose.

The Psychology of Colors

Colors are one of the most significant design elements of a logo, and they play a powerful impact in brand positioning and brand identity. You can make an impact with an attractive color scheme, but that doesn’t mean you should underestimate the impact of a grayscale logo design.

It all comes to down your brand identity, the preferences of your consumers, and the color palettes that resonate with your brand story. Each color and color palette reflects a series of emotions and feelings. It is important to understand these emotions and feelings in order to create an impact on your target audience.

COVID-19 has impacted all online and offline industries across the globe, and search engine traffic is certainly not immune to its impact. While many digital platforms and websites have experienced a surge in traffic, many ecommerce websites have witnessed a marked reduction.

In this article, we will explore 7 ways in which COVID-19 has impacted search traffic and how SEO experts can respond to this pandemic.

Here, take a look:

1. The Sale of Essentials has Increased

Ecommerce sites that are selling essential items have witnessed marked increments in traffic and impressions. People are turning towards ecommerce sites to shop for basic essentials and cleaning products, particularly hand sanitizers, toilet papers, wipes and more. While the demand for essentials are increasing, people are avoiding buying makeup products, clothing and luxury items.

SEO experts can respond to this surge in demand by curating segments and pages for products that are high in demand. It is important to keep a close eye on traffic data and impressions, and observe keywords and log files.

2. Increased Demand for Health & Wellness Information

In the wake of the ongoing pandemic, Google has developed stricter content policies for informative and advice articles pertaining to medical issues. There is a huge surge in the demand for health and wellness sites, as people are looking for information that they can incorporate in their everyday lives.

SEO experts must focus on designing easy to navigate and immersive websites that provide reliable and scientifically backed information.

3. Cooking Recipes are high in demand

Since more and more people are cooking at home instead of eating out, and cooking is also a healthy hobby, there is a greater demand for food and recipes-related content. This demand is likely to continue until the coronavirus pandemic is well behind us.

SEO experts can respond to this surge in demand by providing elaborate websites with immersive recipes. Structured data and content optimization will help boost the search results. It is also important to focus on recipes that do not require fancy ingredients.

4. Increased Traffic on Travel Websites

While the pandemic has shut down all possibilities of traveling and vacationing, people are still visiting traffic websites in huge number. They are looking for “cheap flights” and hotel discounts in hopes that the pandemic restrictions would prove helpful in scoring valuable deals. SEO experts can respond by pooling all relevant data into streamlined and structured websites.

5. Greater Demand for Publisher Websites

Publisher websites are facing an incredible surge in demand as people are constantly seeking updates on the worldwide impact of the pandemic. Needless to say, we have all been glued to news lately, and SEO experts can offer valuable support in terms of news and factual updates.

6. Decreased demand for restaurants

Restaurants have experienced a marked reduction in demand, while many are operating on a pick-up and delivery basis. If you are working as an SEO expert for a restaurant, perhaps you can push the audience to focus on delivery options. If your restaurant is closed down entirely, you can help your audience by starting a cooking show and teach them to prepare their favorite dishes at home.

7. Reduced Spending on SEO Campaigns

Businesses all over the world have had to cut down on their spending for SEO campaigns. These budget cuts have urged SEO experts to focus on organic search and content optimization, which has made SEO more significant than ever.

A business logo establishes the visual identity of a brand, and this identity is created by incorporating various elements of design and consumer psychology. A logo defines a business, reflects its ideology, and presents a visual identity that attracts and appeals to the tastes of consumers.

In this article, we will explore the essential elements that create a business logo.

Here’s everything you need to know:

Clarity of Vision

A masterfully designed logo reflects clarity of vision with its simplicity. A great logo design is not cluttered or overly bright. It is simple and reflects its message with clarity. Simplicity is always the focal goal while designing a logo, as incorporating too many elements, colors or images will only create chaos. Logo designs must appeal to the consumer, as opposed to overwhelming the consumer and failing to leave a memorable impact.

Logos that are excessively complex and cluttered look unprofessional, and they do not convey a coveted brand image of confidence. Simplicity and clarity leaves an impact on the consumer, and reassures the target audience of a brand that is worth-remembering.

Relevance to the Brand

A logo is not a random image or blend of colors and fonts. It is in fact, the symbol of a brand’s corporate identity, therefore, it must be relevant to the business ideology and vision. A cool design is not enough to capture the consumer’s attention. The design must stand for a clear and inspiring message, and it should reflect the offerings of the brand, in terms of value and commodities.

Relevance gives the logo a purpose, and transforms a cool design into a corporate symbol. Designers need to focus on creating a design that speaks to the targeted consumer audience and encourages their buying decisions.

Pinch of Versatility

The use of a business logo is not limited to marketing material or formal correspondence. It is used for a wide array of purposes throughout its lifecycle. The logo is added to the website, social media marketing material and content, business cards, promotional gifts and giveaways, brochures and much more. Therefore, it is important for the design to adapt to different scenarios, and fit seamlessly well with a wide array of color palettes and designs.

Originality of Design

Uniqueness and originality are two important elements that simply cannot be ignored while designing a logo. Taking inspiration from other designs and logos always helps while churning out ideas, but when it comes to business logos, imitation is not the best form of flattery. The design must be unique and original to ensure that it stands out from the competition across the industry.

Unforgettable

Logos serve the purpose of a marketing tool that is capable of forming an imprint in the minds of the consumers. Therefore, the design must be memorable and infused with an intelligible charm to leave a lasting impact on the targeted audience. A consumer is likely to see a logo on TV or on billboards for a few seconds, and with a powerful design, these seconds are enough to deliver a lasting impression that is unforgettable.

A logo is an integral ingredient of a brand’s corporate identity and marketing mix. It lays down the foundation for an immersive visual brand identity, and emerges as a symbol that resonates with the offerings of a business. We all know what they say about first impressions-they go a long way in establishing a brand identity that consumers will remember.

Needless to say, a logo influences the brand perceptions of a consumer, alongside shaping an attitude that encourages consumers to invest in the products or services of the brand. Modern-day society is painted with an abundance of brand logos. These logos are constantly competing against one another to engage consumers and capture their attention.

Have you ever thought what makes the McDonald’s logo or the Nike logo better than its other counterparts? It is their uniqueness and exclusive flair for creativity that allows them to stand out. You see, a logo is an amalgamation of various design techniques and trends that allow a brand to set itself apart in the industry.

In this article, we will take a look at the ingredients and factors that create a catchy and attention grabbing logo.

Here, take a look:

Flair for Uniqueness

A logo has to be unique and exclusive as its underlying purpose is to distinguish a brand from its competition, and create an image that stands out and grabs attention. Many brands that fail to realize the importance of uniqueness and use basic templates or imitation end up struggle to carve out a sphere of influence in the corporate realm.

Imitation may be the best form of flattering, but as far as logos are concerned, it is the death of a brand’s visual identity. It is important to create something unique and exclusive to ensure that it creates a dramatic ripple amongst the consumer audience. Consumers appreciate originality and creativity, and a logo is the first step towards appealing to the tastes of the brand’s targeted audience.

Capture the Brand’s Vision

A logo may seem like nothing more than a tiny image that can be added to marketing materials and emails. But it is a great deal more, it is in fact an introduction into the brand’s philosophy. It is a token of design that can capture the vision and philosophy of the brand, and present it to the consumer audience with masterful strokes of graphic creativity.

A catchy logo resonates the ideology and philosophy of the brand, and presents this ideology with delicate strokes of imagery and an inviting blend of colors. These aesthetics create the visual identity of a brand-an identity that encapsulates a much deeper, and profound meaning. A logo must be original and unique, and it should represent the attributes of the brand through its design elements and colors

The Psychology of Colors

The psychology of colors reveals that each and every color palette reflects profound meanings and emotions, and the art of logo designing is all about playing with colors that reflect the ideology of the brand. Colors define the personality of a logo and vis-a-vis, the personality of the brand. Bright and bold colors work wonders at grabbing attention, but for certain brands and services, they may appear harsh and unflattering.

While bright colors work for certain brands, other need to create a more sophisticated palette of colors. You see, each color has its own distinctive influence and adds a deeper meaning to the message. For instance, red reflects a bold and sexy energy, while sunny yellow reflects optimism and positivity. Orange is a friendly hue that reflects creativity while green is all about sustainability and growth. Blue reflects an image of trustworthiness, black is powerful and reliable, while the fun and flirty pink exudes a youthful ambiance.

A catchy logo incorporates the psychology of colors to create a design that is visually appealing and reflects emotions of trust, excitement and creativity.

Now that 2020 is here, there is a lot that needs to be done to up your social media engagement game. You will need to keep adapting to trends so that you stay ahead of the curve. But what can you actually differently this year? What strategies and/or tricks will boost your social media engagement in 2020? To find out, read on.

Boosting Social Media Engagement on Facebook

To get more engagement on Facebook, you should go live more often than not. According to a survey it was found that live videos performed better than the usual Facebook videos. In order for this to work, you will need to plan your video and notify your viewers beforehand. Do not forget to write a short description for your video, and give answers to questions your viewers are posting so they know they matter. Most importantly, be yourself.

Another great way to increase engagement on Facebook is by creating a private group. You may have a page for your brand, but that will not cut it. You will need a Facebook group to create a community that is all about your brand, which will in turn increase visibility and boost engagement. Just remember to keep posting, and avoid being salesy all the time.

Boosting Social Media Engagement on Instagram

When it comes to boosting social media engagement on Instagram, you will need to utilize all its features to their fullest potential. Features like mention sticker, question sticker, location tag, etc. can do wonders if you play your cards right. Use Instagram stories to keep your audience hooked as well, just be unique and fun about whatever it is that you end up posting.

To get more comments on your Instagram posts, you should post more videos, it really is that simple! Of course, people generally do not leave comments on posts on Instagram, but you can rectify that by posting more videos. Studies have shown that videos actually get more comments than the usual Instagram posts.

Boosting Social Media Engagement on Twitter

For Twitter, you will not have to do much to boost engagement. You can start with using hashtags wherever possible. Believe it or not, hashtags are a powerful way of increasing your reach and engagement. It will without a shadow of a doubt increase your exposure on Twitter. As long as you use them wisely, your Twitter account will get to the top in no time.

If you were not using GIFs before, then the fact that GIFs getting 55% more engagement on posts will get you started right away.

Other useful tips include interacting with other users’ content, retweeting whenever you are mentioned, responding to people who tweeted you, and sharing useful articles.

Boosting Social Media Engagement on LinkedIn

LinkedIn can be a bit tricky, and there is nothing to be ashamed about if you were not working extensively on this social media platform in particular. It can be intimidating, and not a lot of individuals and businesses know how to boost social media engagement on LinkedIn.

Since the social media platform has over 300 million active users, you will need to take advantage of the professional networking app, but the good news is you have the following tips to count on for phenomenal results:

• Much like Facebook, you will need to go live here often as well. As soon as you go live, your followers will be notified. Just choose a topic, any topic, and talk about it. Provide unique insight, and encourage your viewers to ask questions so that they interact with you.
• One of the best things about LinkedIn is that it has support for hashtags. So use them wherever you deem appropriate. Remember, you can’t use them sparingly like on the platforms mentioned above.

Other useful tips for boosting engagement on LinedIn include writing LinkedIn blogs and articles, engaging with others, creating your own LinkedIn group, joining other LinkedIn groups, and the most important of them all, and sharing content that is relevant to your target audience.

Social media is a place where you can always count on your consumers to be present and active. There is absolutely no reason why you should not use this to your advantage. Reach your target audience more easily, by simply being active and responding to queries and concerns on all social media platforms. If you are not present on all social media platforms, then it is high time you create your presence.

Boosting your social media engagement really boils down to how effective you are in showing you care about your target audience. When you show them they matter, and you take their comments seriously, there is no way your social media engagement will not grow. By doing something so simple, you can actually make a big difference, so much so, your target audience will opt for you rather than your competitors each and every time.

For over fifty years, a vibrant multi-colored bird has been a prominent feature of NBC’s logo. Based on the changing styles and preferences of its audience along with different marketing strategies, the logo has gone through several transformations over the years.

The Evolution Of The NBC Logo

The design of the NBC logo has wonderfully transitioned from a conventional Laramie Peacock to a more conventional-styled peacock. The popular peacock emblem was, however, not always a part of the NBC logo. Here is how the NBC logo made its journey over the years:

The First NBC Logo

The network’s first logo consisted of a black microphone instead of the vibrant looking peacock emblem. It was launched in 1943 and lasted for more than 10 years.A look at NBC’s logo and the history behind it will tell you that NBC started off as a popular radio station and eventually transformed into a successful TV network.

So, the image of a microphone in the logo sent the message across that the channel embodied the spark and enthusiasm along with the expeditiousness conventionally associated with radio.

A New NBC Logo

In 1954, the network launched a new logo that featured an image of a xylophone and a mallet. The company prefered to use the abbreviation NBC instead of using its entire name.

The Birth Of The Peacock Logo

Shortly, with the revolution of colored TVs, the channel decided to incorporate this trend in their new logo.

The designer, John J Graham decided to design a peacock emblem. The original emblem had a total of six colors. The eleven feathers of the peacock’s tail were given tips like a drop to look like a graphical representation of real feathers. The peacock image was also given feet. Surprisingly, the peacock in the logo was never given a name.

Finally, in 1956, the Peacock emblem was launched. The logo would appear during the start and finish of color casts to make the audience get used to the new color technology. One year later, the logo was animated for the first time where the white feathers of the peacock would immediately turn into brightly colored ones.

A Different Version

The NBC logo was soon revamped which featured a conventional Laramie Peacock. In 1962, this peacock had colorful feathers as the tail opened out with the vivid colors of the background.

NBC Team Goes Minimalistic

Several years later in 1975, the makers decided to focus more on the text of the logo and removed the iconic Laramie Peacock emblem.

Soon in 1980, the peacock was again incorporated in the channel’s logo. The design was modified to get a more conventional styled logo. The colorful feathers in the logo remained the same;, however, the drop-shaped tips were removed to give it a minimalistic look.

The entire peacock’s body was also simplified and the feet of the peacock were removed. The new peacock emblem also went perfectly well with the channel’s new slogan, “Proud as a Peacock.”

A Drastic Uplift in 1986

The network gained immense popularity during the 80s, and the network decided to again modify the logo. In 1986, the peacock emblem was completely changed. The primary focus shifted from the font to the modernized peacock emblem. The peacock’s feathers were reduced to a total of six which represented the network’s six different branches.

Modernized Versions in the 90s

During the early nineties, the network decided to modify the logo with the help of different artists and designers. All the creators designed their own animated versions of the NBC peacock.

A look at NBC’s logo and the history behind it shows that the network’s logo displayed different colors and was also animated multiple times. Since the network had another company that used to build color TV sets, the new technology depicted the growing trend of color TVs. The colors also represented NBC as a powerful brand in media broadcasting.

NBC’s logo was often changed to depict its technological advances. Till date, the logo has gone through several transformations and the iconic peacock was changed numerous times as well.

Symbolism of the Latest Version 

In the network’s current logo, several aspects were strategically designed. For instance, the peacock is shown as looking to the right; depicting the futuristic stance of the channel. It reflects the philosophy of looking at what lies ahead instead of living in the past.

Also, as mentioned earlier, the peacock’s feathers symbolize NBC’s six different divisions; news, entertainment, network, sports, productions and stations. It is clear that NBC kept modifying its logo and each logo represented a unique achievement of the network.

Final Word

One major reason not a single NBC logo sustained for a long period of time is that the network wanted to depict its technological advancements through the logo. With constant technological changes and advancements, the network kept changing its logo accordingly. This also represented the network’s attitude for keeping up with changing trends in media technology.