These days, it seems as if a company’s future can be determined solely by its online presence. If a brand has a negative online image, the likelihood of success is slim to none. The same goes for a company that has no online reputation whatsoever.

Any business owners out there hoping to make the most of their online presence can do so with one simple task: start researching digital PR firms and choose the one that suits your needs and aligns with your goals. Before you can even begin to think about choosing the right one, though, you need to do your research on digital PR and how it can help your business thrive and prosper. Start right here with these 4 FAQs on digital public relations.

Question #1: What is digital PR and how is it different from traditional PR?

MediaVisionInteractive says that “Digital PR is a tactic used by brands to increase their online presence through building relationships with key content writers and online journalists to gain ‘press hits’, or citations, and high quality backlinks….”

“…Digital PR, when done properly, increases a brand’s reach and visibility and in turn has a positive effect on search engine visibility through effective onsite SEO, driving increased referral traffic…”

There are quite a few differences between digital PR and more traditional forms of PR. Traditional PR focuses on media outlets that were more common in the past – like newspapers, radio, billboards, etc. Digital PR, on the other hand, focuses more on the media outlets that are relevant today, like social media platforms, blogs, and official online journals.

Question #2: How does digital PR fit into a company’s marketing strategy?

All of your digital marketing efforts should be interlinked with each other. Your social media marketing needs to work alongside your SEO strategy, and digital PR should fit into the mix as well. For example, when digital PR is paired with search engine optimization, you can fully take advantage of keyword optimization. Digital PR pros know about the key search terms that are currently trending around the world, which will help to optimize your site to its fullest potential.

Question #3: What is a “good” PR hit vs a “bad” one?

Public relations professionals often talk about a brand’s “hits”. A hit basically just means that the brand is trending within one source or another. A good hit would be when the brand is trending on a high-traffic site, also referred to as a site with high authority. The higher the traffic, the more people the hit will reach. A good hit also refers to positive publicity rather than something negative.

Question #4: How is digital PR success measured?

Knowing whether a digital PR firm has been successful in its job is fairly easy. You can measure a PR hit through Google Analytics to see how much traffic the hit is receiving. Generally speaking though, a digital PR firm has been successful if your company name is being talked about more than before you invested in the firm’s services.

 

Even though a tarnished reputation isn’t necessarily for a business isn’t necessarily at the fault of the company, it could put a serious dent in sales volume and profits. Something as tiny as a social media post that you found hilarious could start a string of angry comments from followers who found the post offensive in some way or another.

It is never a bad idea to start thinking about online reputation repair, even if there is absolutely nothing wrong with the current state of your brand’s reputation. Trust us when we say that repairing a rep is much more difficult than maintaining one, so start taking the proper measures to keep yours golden.

Whether your main focus is one reputation maintenance or you have some serious fixing to do, you can follow this step-by-step guide for performing DIY online reputation management and repair.

Step 1: Identify the Cause of the Reputation Tarnishing

If you are in the position for some repairing, the first step is to identify the root of the problem. Why are you developing a bad rep in the first place. Sometimes the answer is extremely clear, and in other instances it is not at all. Do some digging to figure out what your customers are saying about you. This will better equip you for developing a strategic plan.

For those business owners that aren’t experiencing any bad reputation publicity, you should still be doing some research. But instead of figuring out what’s not working, you’ll need to determine what is working.

Step 2: Start at the Source

If you do come across any negative content regarding your brand, try to repair it at the source first. ReputationManagement.com says that “articles are often syndicated, so you’ll need to find and correct the issue on the original content….if you successfully correct the issue or remove the content, then you can submit a content removal request to Google.”

Step 3: Replace the Negativity with Positivity

It doesn’t matter how successful you are at removing the negativity, none of it matters if there is nothing positive being said about you. This is something that you shouldn’t rely on your customers to do – although they will leave positive comments if you do your job properly. You need to take matters into your own hands by creating your own original positive content.

The more positive content about your business that’s on the internet, the better you’ll be seen. Not just by your target audience, but by Google as well. Google uses algorithms to determine which sites should be ranked first and which ones should be lower on the results. These algorithms look for many things, including frequency of your name on the internet.

The more content surrounding your brand, the higher you’ll rank. The higher you rank, the more positive attention you’ll receive from potential customers. When creating your content, always make sure that it adds some value to the reader. This is another factor that Google uses to determine your ranking.

 

Whether you’re writing an entry, professional, or executive level resume, the pros of hiring a resume writing service greatly outweigh the cons. There’s nothing quite like having an expert help you develop a resume that pretty much guarantees any job you apply for.

This is even more true when you find a resume writing agency that offers additional services, like interview coaching and online profile optimization. Unfortunately, not all agencies and professionals offer services like these, and some are much better at writing a solid resume than others.

It’s important to do your research, and you can start by reading into professional and executive resume writing service reviews. During this research period, look for these 4 things before hiring a pro to help with resume writing and career coaching.

10+ Years in the Industry

Don’t trust a resume writing company that has just entered the industry. Try to find one that has at least a few years of experience, ideally 10 or more years. A company that just opened is not as likely to employ high-quality writers, but instead they’ll have resume writers that are outsourced from overseas.

Chances are these people won’t have college degrees (and they might not even have the proper certifications for resume writing). A company that has the experience has the right funding and resources to employ top-notch resume writers with bachelor degrees or higher.

Evaluate the Company Website (and Make Sure They Have One)

You need to think of your resume as a marketing tool, and the product that is being marketed is you. That basically means that a resume writing service is a marketing service. The best way to check out their marketing skills is to visit their website and see how it looks. If you are impressed with the way they market themselves through their site, you’ll probably be impressed with the way they market you to potential employers.

Check Into Certifications

Before you hire an agency to help brush up or completely redevelop your resume, you need to make sure that their writers are certified in resume writing. There are specific certifications that go along with this, including ones from the National Resume Writers’ Association, the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches, the Resume Writing Academy, and Career Thought Leaders.

Consider the Cost

Resume writing services vary dramatically in price from one professional agency to another. The cost of the service depends on a few things, like the type of resume you need (entry, professional, or executive), the quality of the writers, and whether or not any additional services are included.

Most companies provide different levels or packages depending on your needs. If you simply need an entry-level resume to get an entry-level job, this will be the cheapest option. However, if you’re looking for something more in-depth and intensive – like an executive resume – this might break the bank a bit. The more costly packages often include other services, like interview coaching, career counseling, and the guarantee of landing an interview.

 

Starting a business out of your van is a great way to make some money on the side. Plus, you get to be your own boss. There are several benefits to starting a business. But there are several things you need to know before starting your business.

#1: Consider the Legalities

The first thing you need to know before starting a business from your vehicle is the legal decisions you’re expected to make. When you’re starting your business, you’ll have to undergo some legalities. First, what kind of business are you setting up? Are you setting up a limited liability company (LLC), partnership, or sole proprietorship?

You’ll also need to acquire a license to operate your business within your state. You’ll also need a federal tax identification number (FIN) as well as an employer identification number (EIN). It sounds like a lot of paperwork, but it’s not that bad. Don’t let the legalities dissuade you from starting a business. Just take care of these matters as soon as possible, so you can focus on providing exceptional customer service.

#2: Get Insured

You also need insurance to protect your business. If you’re using your van for business, then you’ll need some sort of auto insurance. You should also invest in business liability insurance, which protects your business from lawsuits or third-party claims. You shouldn’t let any of these legal issues prevent you from starting a business. These are normal things you need to address early on in your business.

#3: Make Sure You Have Reliable Transportation

You should ensure that your van is operable and ready to conduct business. If you don’t own a commercial vehicle, then what type interests you? Keep in mind that space will be limited if you’re transporting freight into a van. Freight like auto parts, equipment, medical supplies, and overnight supplies will require shorter trips.

The van that you purchase should be reliable, or it’s going to slow down your business. You don’t want to get stuck on the side road when you have packages that need to be delivered. While you don’t need a big van to be successful, you do need some sort of transportation, and a pickup truck, semi-truck, or van can get you anywhere you need with few problems.

#4: Don’t Be Afraid of Constructive Criticism

You don’t want your commercial business to fail or to have complaints, but it’s a common part of handling business. Use this constructive criticism as an opportunity to improve your business. Maybe you should work on your customer service skills. Or, maybe you need to expand on your product line. Don’t forget to check in with your clients to see if they’re having success with your business.

If you’re open and honest with your clients, then they’ll do the same. You don’t want to get into a fight if one of them complains about your business. Instead, apologize and find a way to correct the problem. If you resolve the matter in a timely fashion, then the client is more likely to return your company.

#5: Prepare to Work Long Hours

Starting your business may sound exciting, but there’s a lot of work involved – especially when you’re doing it by yourself. Since you’re in charge, you’ll have to work longer hours than you’re used to. This could take some time away from your friends and family at the start. You may have to work early mornings, overnights, and weekends to become successful.

Do you enjoy making business decisions on your own? Or, would you rather have a meeting of the minds? If you’d rather share decision-making and other responsibilities, then you may need a partner or a team of people to help you out. One advantage of operating solo is that you get to sleep in your own commercial vehicle.

But keep in mind that it can be tight quarters if you’re working with others for several days or weeks at a time. If you want to work as a team, then you need to find people who are a good fit. As you can see, running a business isn’t easy. But if you put time and dedication into it, then your business will be successful before you know it.

These are the five things you need to keep in mind when starting a business from your van. Don’t let them discourage you. They should motivate you to get started. If you work hard enough, then your commercial business will quickly become a success.

 

The world, as they say, is getting murkier every day. We live in the most challenging times in humanity’s history. Many are struggling to make ends meet. Who doesn’t want to have something extra in the pockets?

 

We have a rapidly growing population. The cost of living is skyrocketing. Rents are increasing, and school fees go up. We have not mentioned medical expenses and a myriad of other issues. In this context, thousands of people are seeking new ways to supplement their income.

Happily, the internet age is here. It has never been easier to use a combination of skills to earn some extra money online. Remarkably, some people make up to $20,000 on a single day working online! How can you have a slice of this? Click here to discover three easy ways to earn money working online.

1. Become a taskmaster

Many people out there are willing to pay others to do some tasks regularly. Such jobs include delivering groceries, helping with transportation of furniture, delivering household items, or picking them up. How can you know where to find them? It is simple. Visit the relevant connecting sites. These include Fiverr and Task Rabbit. Determine beforehand what you wish to get paid doing these jobs and decide how much time you can devote to this.

1. Become a virtual assistant

A virtual assistant performs work for an individual or a company in the comfort of his home. All you need to do this is a stable internet connection, a computer, and a reliable phone.

You may be assigned to talk to clients, set appointments, do organizational and filing tasks, send emails, or do similar jobs. Virtual assistants who demonstrate flexibility and reliability can earn anywhere from $15-$25 per hour. It will, however, not come on a silver platter. You may need to work hours that mimic a regular workday.

If you need to be hired, advertise your skills, and you will find several websites that are set up to protect both you, the freelancer and the employing company. You will find that winning a position as a virtual assistant is a beautiful way to make good money without a hassle.

1. Become a freelancer

It is easy to market yourself and become a freelancer if you have a skill or talent that is in demand. Could you work as a writer, a photographer, or an artist? Be sure that a freelance opportunity is available for you.

Certain websites that cater to freelancing offer opportunities for writers, graphic designers, and virtual assistants. If you have a degree in teaching, you can consider offering your services here,either as a teaching assistant or an online teacher.VipKid, for instance, is a website that employs people to teach English to foreigners. Working here, you can earn as much as $25 per hour during your spare time.

Conclusion

The internet has made it easy to make money online. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner. You need a little ingenuity and persistence to succeed. In this article, you get to learn simple ways that anyone can use to get such appointments and make a better future for your family.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.

Are you a baker? Do you have a bakery? Are you planning to open a bakery? If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, then you should consider many things before the opening doors to your business. Carefully making sure everything is ready before opening could make a big difference in how customers view you and if you will be successful with your new business.

Obviously, people will be coming to your bakery because of the treats you are baking. Whether you are selling cookies, cakes, pies or specialty desserts or a combination of all of these, your food must be good. Make sure before you open the recipe has been perfected. Make sure you have all the supplies and resources in order to operate your new business. Make sure you have what you need from the administrative end and for baking your confections. Perfect these delicious confections. You want treats that are completely different than what the other bakeries are offering. Create an iconic flavor of giving one of your delicious creations a unique name. Doing all of this will set your bakery apart from other bakeries. This will also help customers to remember your bakery by having something special in it.

Pests like sweet treats. Check your bakery before your grand opening to make sure no pesky pests have hidden anywhere in your bakery. It is always safe to have your business treated for pests before you open. Pest control services St. George businesses trust can help with controlling pests and making sure your new bakery is free of pests. You will want to treat your business regularly. A customer finding any pests, especially in an establishment that serves food, would cause a customer to not want to return. Multiple customers finding pests would cause your bakery to gain a reputation for not being clean and professional. This would ultimately slow down business and your revenue could decline significantly. The health department would rightfully get involved and may shut your business down for a temporary amount of time until you could meet their standards and regulations.

Marketing is vital to all businesses but especially new businesses. Before opening, get the word out about your new bakery. Create flyers and pay a team of people to pass out these flyers. Consider having your flyers be apart of the mail. Run a commercial on television. Develop a social media advertising campaign to reach people in your local area. Truly understand the customer who wants your products and reaches out to those people. Give special offers for the first few customers. Marketing will create buzz around your new business and will help with branding.

Before opening, make sure your finances are right. Have accurate prices for all your delicious baked treats. Check out what our surrounding bakeries are selling for the same product. It’s best to be close to their prices. Make sure you have calculated how much it costs to run your business and put at least fifty percent markup in your prices.

Staff is important. Hold a meeting a few days before you open with anyone that will be working at the bakery. You need to have enough staff to bake your sweet treats. You don’t want to run out on the opening day. Make sure everyone on your team is dedicated and hard working.

You will have to have enough inventory before opening your bakery. Not enough inventory means you will run out of supplies and equipment and may not be able to fulfill orders for customers. Having too many supplies or too many perishable food items could potentially be a waste of money. Have enough to get you started, then order more supplies and food items and eventually you will have to carry a large stock of items due to the demand from your growing customer base.

Most importantly, before you open the doors to your bakery, remember to have fun. You began a bakery for a specific reason. If this is your passion. If you are trying to do something good for your community or if you like the entrepreneurial side of running a bakery, remember why you began and allow that to push you forward when things get hard.

Do you need to fix or replace your roof?

You may not be familiar with the process involved in roofing until you need to fix or replace your roof. Although there is a need for urgency after a damaging wind or storm, there’s a whole lot to learn about the process involved, the products to use and the procedures that meet your roofing needs.

Using a professional roofing company instead can make your life much easier but finding a roofing contractor who is professional, honest, and trustworthy may be a difficult task. However, reading this guide will help you know the most important things to be aware of with choosing a professional roofing contractor for your next roofing project.

The following guidelines will help homeowners choose a reputable and trustworthy roofing contractor that will give you a value for your money.

1. Proof of Insurance

Asking for proof of insurance is important because you wouldn’t want to pay for a lot more than a roof. If an underinsured or uninsured company have an accident on your property, you may be liable for the accidents.

It’s essential for any roofing contractor who wants to work on your home to have both liability and workers’ compensation insurance – it will ultimately protect you in case an accident occurs.

With liability insurance, contractors are covered for job-related damages or accidents to your home. While workers’ compensation insurance covers the employees in case they get injured during the job.

2. Contact Information

You should know the location of your contractor in case there’s trouble. The physical address is important because a contractor with a nearby office is likely to offer better service. They’re usually more informed about local roofing requirements and also provide valuable feedback on the performance of different products.

Having confirmed a contractor’s permanent place of business, ensure you check their tax identification number, phone number, and where applicable, their business license.

3. Evidence of License

Ensure the roofing contractor is appropriately licensed. Although some states have particular licensing requirements, others do not. You can confirm this information with your state’s Department of Professional Regulation or Licensing Board.

4. References

You can only get detailed feedback from real-life experiences through references. You have a less chance of potential scam once your roofing contractor is able to provide you with several referrals or references from previous jobs.

Online reviews may be inaccurate or incomplete. Communicating with an actual reference can give you the facts that you need based on their experience with the roofing contractor and feedback on products used since installation.

5. Never Choose A Contractor Based on Price

While you want a fair price on your roof fixing or replacement, you also need to understand that price isn’t everything. Choosing contractors with cheap bids (without ample experience or proper insurance) will end up in cheap service – getting what you pay for.

In the long run, you’ll end up spending more to fix issues that’d have been covered by a reputable roofing company under warranty.

6. Recommended Products

Since you have gotten tips on how to choose a professional roofing contractor, you shouldn’t spend your precious time researching the roofing options anymore. A roofing contractor should walk you through the shingles, flashing, decking, and related products that are a right fit for your needs and budget.

If you need more information about general roofing service, you may want to contact a professional roofing contractor.

We’re a professional roofing contractor with a guaranteed rest of mind on your property!

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.

Being self-employed is one thing, but running your business from home can be an incredibly personal venture. A company that is operated from the very place you live can create a uniquely close relationship with your chosen industry. This dedication to your line of work should be reflected in your efforts to market your company. Ensuring your personal business is noticed will give it the custom and notoriety to thrive.

Kitsch custom gifts

Any promotional material that leaves your company should be uniquely branded. For a company that has been forged from personal devotion, you should want any marketing to reflect that one-of-a-kind mentality. Rewarding new and loyal customers alike with unique but inexpensive gifts that are branded with your logo or name will show that their custom is appreciated and that your business is as generous as it is hard-working. Finding something kitsch and has more than one use, such as a custom magic 8 ball, will be a fun reminder of your business’ personal brand.

Create a blog

What’s the story behind your business? How did you discover your passion? Writing a blog that reflects the personal touch to your business could be a brilliant promotional tool. Showing what makes your company so unique and offering a personal perspective on your chosen industry can help drop the façade of a faceless business. A blog is also a good opportunity to ask yourself what you can bring to your industry:

• Could you offer customers online help?
• Could you give industry-specific insights?
• Could your business experience help others in a similar boat to you?

Create a well-run website

In the absence of a physical shop or a separate business building, a website will have to function as the shop floor for your company. Your website should be visually appealing and easy to navigate, as, in the era of social media and smartphones, there’s no excuse for an online platform with sloppy page furniture. Don’t panic, though, as there are plenty of DIY website options and hosts that do the web design element for you for very little expense. From your perspective, it will be more like assembling a jigsaw and displaying it when it’s ready.

Find active communities

To get your business into its target audience and in front of potential customers, you may wish to ask yourself if there’s an active online community. For example, if you make soap for a living and find that there’s an active presence online for those who want homemade, artisan toiletries, you should make yourself known in these online forums and social media communities. Giving a friendly introduction to who you are and how you can help is just one way that you can endear people to your brand.

Running a business from home has plenty of benefits: being able to make your own coffee, go for walks when you want, and plan your schedule around you. However, reaching out can feel like a bit of a stretch sometimes. By thinking laterally and connecting with new communities, you can promote yourself with relatively little expense.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.

No matter the size of your business, the area you’re in, or where you’re geographically based; understanding where you’re placed within a market is extremely important for your business’s success. Without this key information, the next steps you take with your business won’t be fully informed. In the world of business, information is always power, this article will look at what brand tracking specifically does, and how this helps all sizes of businesses.

Put very basically, brand tracking provides regular snapshots of how your brand is performing with consumers. It also shows you how that brand performance ranks with other key competitors. It is important to understand the value of your brand. It is the way in which your company presents itself to the public domain. So the brand tracker shows both strengths and weaknesses of your brand with specific demographics of consumers. These insights allow you to form a strategy of how to improve those strengths and the way in which you’ll answer those weaknesses. The problems uncovered by brand tracking will be recent and up to date. Therefore, this allows you to make real-time changes and decisions, instead of playing catch up by working out limited information from something such as sales figures.

This brand tracking relies on surveys being carried out with consumers. The regularity of these surveys is very much up to you. With different markets relying on different levels of up to date information. Yet no matter the size of your business, brand tracking is worth considering. This is because brand tracking, just by the nature of surveying, will make it a lot clearer who your key competitors are. The first thing that might come to your mind, is the revealing of a brand a similar size to your own. However, there might be more nuanced connections than this. For example, finding a smaller or larger company that seems to have the same USP as your current company. Or a company similar to yourself that is excelling in a specific area such as customer service.

Gaining this sort of information is vital at any stage of a business’s life cycle. Without key up to date information, the chances of making a pivotal mistake grow exponentially by the day. In markets that can change completely within days, this type of information is the lifeblood of a brand. So seriously consider brand tracking if you need a deeper insight than just sales figures, and want the most accurate, up to date, information possible.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.

Technology is transforming companies large and small across multiple industries. The right idea can, therefore, be incredibly lucrative when executed well. However, as there will be much competition in the market and many factors to consider, you mustn’t rush into launching your tech firm.

If you want to establish your business as an innovative, forward-thinking brand, find out how to successfully start your own tech company in 2019.

Hire the Best Engineers

It is impossible to develop an innovative tech product without expert engineers on staff. Enlist the help of various engineers in PCB design, injection molding and programming to bring your tech vision to life. Not only will they be able to use their knowledge and experience to-date to design a superb product that dominates a market, but they could also make appropriate recommendations regarding the best electronic circuit drawing software and how to improve the user experience.

Be Prepared for Failure

No tech device is perfect, which is why many developers create regular updates or upgrades to provide their customers with the best possible product. During the designing and manufacturing process, many mistakes might arise or ideas might fail. However, each failure will present an opportunity to strengthen a device’s design or features, which can eventually lead to your company’s success.

Fill a Gap in the Market

Consumers are looking for the next best tech product on the market. If your hardware or software reflects the many average products or services across the industry, they will be unlikely to buy from your business. Instead, you must aim to identify a gap in the market and fulfill a consumer need, which could help you to attract more customers and gain much-needed press attention.

Gain an understanding of the products or services customers want or need by:

• Conducting market research
• Monitoring your competitors
• Reading tech forums
• Hosting focus groups

Recruit Staff for Your Future Needs

Once your product hits the market, it is likely you will receive a steady stream of calls, emails, social media comments and more, which can place great pressure on your business. For this reason, you must recruit staff based on your future needs to ensure you can keep up with demand should a product prove popular with your target audience.

Secure Technology Partners

Many customers might be wary of your company and products initially, as they will be unfamiliar with your devices and services. However, partnering with an established, reputable tech brand will evoke confidence and trust in your brand, which can help you to attract more customers and grow your revenue.

Make Decisions with Your Head

It is likely you are filled with passion for both your brand and products. However, you must ensure you always make decisions with your head over your heart, as running a tech business requires careful planning and investment. One wrong move could ruin your finances or reputation forever, so make informed choices and quickly learn from any mistakes along the way.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.