Business Boosting Benefits of Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is a credible and effective way to promote your business on the internet. It gives digital marketers many opportunities to put their brands and products out there to attract customers, get leads and make sales. There are several benefits accruable to your business from digital marketing. They come mostly from its huge effectiveness for increasing brand awareness and generating customer leads and sales.

Here are some tested business-boosting benefits of using digital marketing.

Better Targeting

Digital marketing allows marketers to get their marketing messages across to reach larger audiences easily. When compared to traditional mass media marketing, digital marketing has much lower costs because of that as well as better audience targeting. That gives your business a very huge advantage. With digital marketing, you could set an ad up to target every user across the planet, and it will be available for them to see 24/7. For targeting purposes, digital marketing requires the use of some customer characteristics such as age, gender, education, location, interests, and even some behaviors to create buyer personas. That helps them to specially target buyers with specific ads across social media platforms, search engine advertising, Emails and other ads. With such deliberately targeted ads at buyer personas, digital marketers tend to get better results. 

Easy Adaptability

Digital marketing ads info online can be changed easily and very adaptable too. Digital marketers find it very easy to make changes on their ads depending on the challenges facing such ads at any point in time. They can for instance easily update content on their websites, delete or update social media content and even create brand new ads easily on Google, Facebook, Twitter or any other social media platforms. Same message can be easily adapted to all ads platforms. With analytics data, easily available, digital marketers can very quickly make informed decisions about any marketing issues.

Easy Accessibility

Digital marketing info is readily available anywhere in the globe where there is internet connection. You can even access it on the go with smart mobile devices like mobile phones, IPads and laptops. For this reason, there are indeed very few barriers to entry for using digital marketing anywhere in the world. A computer or mobile phone and an internet connection are all you need to start. Social media accounts are free, personal websites are low cost to set up and run. In addition, on the web, there are a lot of tools to create marketing content free or at very low costs.

Cost-Effectiveness

Digital marketers can create offers and programs that they can customize or personalize based on the profiles or consumer behavior and their preferences. That helps to keep costs low as compared to traditional marketing methods such as TV or radio ads, billboards, or print advertising that can be quite expensive. Digital marketing activities online such as SEO, blogging, content marketing, social media content, are relatively free in comparison and they get very good results for your marketing activities.

Digital Footprints on the Web

The internet is wide and very deep with extraordinary memory. There is a common marketing cliché, “the internet never sleeps or forgets.” Once digital marketing info gets into the internet, it remains there and readily accessible 24/7 around the world. With that, most of your online presence becomes permanently available. Potential customers can consume the information over an interminable period for as long as it remains available. Unlike TV advertising or other marketing forms with a limited time frame, your social media content and website content remain available to consumers until deleted. Even when deleted at source, the information may remain available elsewhere on other websites where it left footprints. With the vast number of social media platforms and other opportunities to share all types of marketing content online, your digital footprint can become very large indeed.

Easy Tracking and Data Gathering

Digital technologies such as website and social media analytics make it far easier to track, collect and analyze data much better than traditional marketing. With Google analytics tools, you can track and collect data about the number of people who visited your website, how many pages they visited, how long they spent on the site, and what directed these people to your website. This is very valuable intelligence info that marketers need to design and rejig their marketing ads from time to time. With these tools, you can directly measure Key Performance Indicators, KPIs such as:

•    Source-based performance: Such as, direct traffic, organic search, PPC, and email.
•    Campaign-based performance:  Such as, lead generation, click-through and conversion rates.
•    Channel Based Performance: Such as, website, blog, social networks, and search engines.
•    General Performance: Such as, traffic, leads, and reach.

To make better-informed decisions about their marketing campaigns, digital marketers need to understand and be able to analyze these metrics. That allows them to identify trends and patterns in consumer behaviors and to learn how consumers research and consume brands online. From that info, a digital marketer can always review his marketing strategy and optimize it by prioritizing marketing channels that are achieving better results for his business.

Real Benefits of Blogging for Small Business

 The bottom line is always exposure, business exposure. That’s what every blog does for a business. Thus blogging has become one of the most desired and effective forms of marketing strategy, which provides ample scopes for online exposure of any small business. It is one of the most effective ways to promote your small business because it helps small businesses to easily develop their brand awareness among blog readers. This comes about by regularly providing them with relevant and quality content through blogs. In terms of costs, blogging is one of the cheapest ways of driving targeted visitors towards any small business websites resulting in the much needed inbound marketing which small businesses really need to boost sales conversions.


 
Here are more specific benefits of blogging. 
 
Helps Business Reputation

Blogging is a highly innovative way to show your business to your audience. By attracting their attention, you then build trust by providing them regular, relevant, unique and high quality content through your blog posts. If the informative content you provide helps to adequately address customer needs and solves problems for them, you easily gain reputation for your small business. Your customers will just keep coming back.

Easy Connection with Your Brand

When customers get to like what you are putting out there through your blog, they connect. What the blog does is to provide a very unique way of showcasing your small business before your audience.  When people become aware of your brand, if they like it and find it suitable to meet their requirements and needs, they cement the link to become your permanent customers. That’s a great benefit to the business.

Helps to Boost SEO

When your blog becomes popular with search engines, it is easy for it to attain SEO, Search Engine Optimization on the search engines. SEO sends the content high up in the rankings of search engines which helps the blog to get good organic traffic. With fresh content added regularly, your blog can easily beat its competitors to it in search engines results pages. That helps to provide the support for improving your website rankings and driving in targeted traffic.

Enhances Sharing

Easy sharing somehow readily helps blog popularity. With easy sharing of your blog, your business achieves reputation and credibility as a result. A blog is readily one of the easiest ways to create opportunities for sharing vital information with others. The easier it is to share this information, the more the popularity of the business. Most blogs can now be shared easily with free Internet marketing tools like emails, social media networks and the likes. All these help to build quick popularity and reputation.

Building Important Relationships and Engagements
 
Every business is all about building and maintaining relationships. Blogging allows for connecting with people in many and varied ways. With easy two-way communication, you can engage your blog readers in conversation as a way of building trust. Most blogs allow blog readers to make comments and ask questions at the end of every post. With that, you get good feedback on your ideas which you can respond to as a way of building great and beneficial relationships. By promptly responding to their comments and feedback, you can develop a good rapport with them. That allows you to get a credible insight into their needs, concerns and choices. A great business relationship is thus enhanced.


 

How to Understand the Purpose of Social Media

 Yes, social media remains a place of unfettered interaction online. It is a very useful tool for people who know what to do with it. But, you must know how to play in it if you don’t want to make a fool of yourself out there. It takes some thoughtful planning and organization to get things right on social media. All you need is to pay attention because if you don’t use it right, you may perpetually struggle fruitlessly out there.

Here are some salient issues you must understand about the purpose of social media if you want to derive immense benefits from social media’s uses:

#1. Social media delivers your message to the right audience online

Like minds always associate on social media and more likely to do business with one another. You must be an active participant yourself to derive maximum benefits from this relationship. The main thing social media helps you do is to put your message right out there in front of customers and potential new customers. Fact is, you’re unlikely to attract customers to places they don’t already go to. The real reason you must always take the time to figure out where your audience is before trying to reach them. Targeting popular social media platforms like facebook, twitter, instagram and the likes is usually of immense benefits in that regard.

#2. Social media is not a know-all, be-all platform

It sure has its limitations. Some users erroneously expect social media to work miraculously to promote their business. Experience has shown that things don’t usually work out that easily. You must first work hard on your own account before it gets noticed online. If you do manage to get good traction, it is usually as a result of the lot of hard work you’ve put in earlier. Social media does not solve all your marketing problems but it sure takes care of a lot.

#3. Social media doesn’t help in all issues

It doesn’t always help in all things because of its own short comings. Sometimes, having a social media profile doesn’t make much of a difference for your business. It may not even help at all depending on the type of business you are into. You must get fully involved too if you want to be taken seriously as a participant. If you don’t participate actively, you don’t get good results. Participation is what brings results not by just being a dormant player. If your social media profiles are not updated often enough, they may actually be hurting your online presence without your knowing it. 


 

Silent Health Benefits of Eating Fish

Although lead study author Audrey J. Gaskins, a research associate at Harvard, speculates that seafood might improve semen quality and egg release for ovulation, scientists can’t really say exactly what the mechanism is for the improved pregnancy rates in regard to higher fish consumption.

She notes, however, that if eating fish has anything to do with bringing couples together, it’s more of a behavioral pathway rather than a causal one. A reader commenting on the article suggested that it’s the selenium that may have something to do with the “baby-making merit” of eating seafood, and cited a study published in International Journal of General Medicine, which observes:

“A significant development in the last 10 years in the study of human infertility has been the discovery that oxidative sperm DNA damage has a critical role in the etiology of poor semen quality and male infertility. Selenium (Se) is an essential element for normal testicular development, spermatogenesis, and spermatozoa motility and function.”

Scientists in this study found that among 690 men suffering from idiopathic asthenoteratospermia (reduced sperm motility), who’d been given a combined supplement of 400 units of vitamin E and 200 μg of selenium daily for at least 100 days, 52.6 percent of the men (362 of them) had “significantly improved” sperm motility, morphology or both. There were also 75 cases of “spontaneous pregnancy.”

A case-controlled study in the U.K., published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, targeted the selenium status of women with a history of recurrent miscarriage and found evidence that selenium deficiency was also a factor when study participants who couldn’t carry a pregnancy to term were compared to women who’d had little or no trouble becoming parents.

While the researchers found that the “difference was seen in hair samples but not serum samples and therefore may not represent a simple nutritional deficiency,” there was also a “significantly greater proportion of women in the control group who ate cereals, vitamin supplements and liver or kidney.”

That said, it’s interesting to note that, according to Nutrition Data, while a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) piece of cooked beef liver contains 57 percent of the daily value or Reference Daily Intake (RDI) of selenium, the same amount of wild-caught Alaskan salmon provides 67 percent of the RDI in selenium.

Article Source: Dr Mercola at Mercola.com  

Health Benefits of Ginger Tea

One easy way of obtaining ginger’s advantages is making your own ginger root tea, and it is one of ginger’s most commonly prepared forms. In its simplest sense, ginger tea is made by boiling sliced ginger root in water.

Another method for making ginger tea is using powder or teabags bought online or from your local store. If this is your preferred method, make sure that the product you’re buying uses high-quality ingredients from a reputable company. But if you have the time and resources, I strongly suggest growing your own ginger roots because this approach is healthier and safer.

What is ginger tea good for, anyway? Throughout history, it has been prescribed by healers and herbalists to help their patients alleviate a variety of conditions. Drinking it regularly may help:

Relieve nausea: If you feel nauseous due to whatever reason, drinking ginger tea may help you feel better.	Promote stomach health: Drinking ginger tea may help boost stomach health by reducing the effects of chronic indigestion.
Manage inflammation: Ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties have been well-known throughout history. Taking it as tea may help you remedy muscle and joint pain after a strenuous workout.	Ease respiratory conditions: Ginger tea may help relieve inflammation related to the respiratory system, such as asthma, allowing you to breathe better.
Boost brain function: In a study conducted among healthy middle-aged women, researchers discovered that ginger may help improve attention and cognitive processing without causing any side effects.	Relieve menstrual discomfort: The muscle-relaxing properties of ginger may help provide relief for women suffering from menstrual cramps, as evidenced in one study.
Strengthen the immune system: The numerous antioxidants found in ginger tea may help boost your immune system, thereby helping reduce your risk of contracting infectious diseases.

Caffeine Content and Other Nutrition Facts of Ginger Tea

Ginger is a caffeine- and sugar-free plant that contains a mixture of vitamins and minerals working together to benefit your health. Furthermore, ginger contains gingerol, a unique compound that may help boost cardiovascular circulation.

Article Source: Dr Mercola at Mercola.com 

Benefits of Guest Blogging

For the sake of my small business, I blog. Maybe, you blog too for same reasons. These days, nearly everyone who is doing business online blogs. Many people blog for one main reason, business exposure. Everyone else blogs for business exposure and customer attraction. Business exposure is what everyone blogs for. Besides updating your small business blog with fresh content that resonates with your website visitors, contributing articles to other blogs can further enhance your brand’s image. That is what is known as guest blogging. It attracts some good measure of exposure when properly done. Guest blogging offers several benefits which include:

– Building your reputation as an expert in your chosen field.
– Introducing you to industry leaders and influencers in your business field.
– Helping you increase the social media following of your business.
– Increasing the exposure of your brand.
– Providing the opportunity to link back to your business website.
– Helping your Search Engine ranking for SEO benefits.


 

Health Benefits of Carrots

Carrots are so common in the US that it's easy to overlook their potentially powerful benefits to your health. It is now a popular snack food to eat with dips or add to fresh vegetable juice, or as an addition to soups and stews. Carrots have been valued since ancient times for their medicinal properties.

According to the US Department of Agriculture:

"Thought to be native to central or western Asia (likely Afghanistan), cultivated carrots first arrived in North America with the early Virginia colonists. Carrots are an important member of the parsley family, which also includes celery, anise, and dill.



Like many vegetables, the early history of carrots centered on various medicinal attributes thought suitable for curing a wide range of conditions and maladies."

Beta-Carotene and More: What Nutrients Are Found in Carrots?

A serving of carrots (one medium carrot or ½ cup chopped) will provide about:
210% of the average daily recommended amount of vitamin A
10% vitamin K
6% vitamin C
2% calcium

The high vitamin A content, for which carrots are best known, comes from beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in your liver. Interestingly, there's a reason why 'carrot' and 'carotene' sound so alike. The word carotene was devised in the early 19th century by a German scientist after he crystallized the compound from carrot roots.

Carrot seed oil also contains potassium, vitamin B6, copper, folic acid, thiamine and magnesium. I generally recommend eating carrots in moderation because they contain more sugar than any other vegetable aside from beets,

However, when eaten as part of an overall healthy diet, the nutrients in carrots may provide you with protection against heart disease and stroke while helping you to build strong bones and a healthy nervous system.

From Heart Disease to Cancer: What Does the Research Say About Carrots?

There's good reason to include carrots in your regular diet, as the science is very strong that they may help reduce your risk of chronic disease.

Heart Disease

Eating more deep-orange-colored fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). In particular, carrots are associated with a 32 percent lower risk of CHD, leading researchers to conclude:

"… a higher intake of deep orange fruit and vegetables and especially carrots may protect against CHD."

The consumption of carrots has also been associated with a lower risk of heart attacks in women.

Cancer

Antioxidants in carrots, including beta-carotene, may play a role in cancer prevention. Research has shown that smokers who eat carrots more than once a week have a lower risk of lung cancer, while a beta-carotene-rich diet may also protect against prostate cancer.

The consumption of beta-carotene is also associated with a lower risk of colon cancer while carrot juice extract may kill leukemia cells and inhibit their progression.

Carrots also contain falcarinol, a natural toxin that protects carrots against fungal disease. It's thought that this compound may stimulate cancer-fighting mechanisms in the body, as it's been shown to cut the risk of tumor development in rats.

Vision

A deficiency in vitamin A can cause your eye's photoreceptors to deteriorate, which leads to vision problems. Eating foods rich in beta-carotene may restore vision, lending truth to the old adage that carrots are good for your eyes.

Brain Health

Carrot extract has been found to be useful for the management of cognitive dysfunctions and may offer memory improvement and cholesterol-lowering benefits.

Liver Protection

Carrot extract may help to protect your liver from the toxic effects of environmental chemicals.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Carrot extract also has anti-inflammatory properties and provided anti-inflammatory benefits that were significant even when compared to anti-inflammatory drugs like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Celebrex.

Cooking May Increase the Health Benefits of Carrots

Carrots eaten raw are an excellent food, but there is some research showing that cooking them may actually help to boost their nutritional content. Interestingly, one study found that cooked carrots had higher levels of beta-carotene and phenolic acids than raw carrots, and the antioxidant activity continued to increase over a period of four weeks. Adding carrot peels to a carrot puree also boosted antioxidant levels.

So while I generally recommend eating your vegetables raw or fermented for the most nutrition, carrots may be one case where gentle cooking, such as steaming, is preferred.

As for storage, keep them in the coolest part of your refrigerator in a sealed plastic bag or wrapped in a paper towel, which should keep them fresh for about two weeks. Avoiding storing them near apples, pears or potatoes, as the ethylene gas they release may turn your carrots bitter.

Facts Source: mercola .com

Incredible Health Benefits of Eating Broccoli

Perhaps, you already know broccoli is good for you, but recent information from the scientific community has revealed that broccoli, the tasty, tiny tree doppelganger, is even better for you than previously thought.

Scientists already knew broccoli and other Brassica vegetables could protect against cancer.

Sulforaphane, a naturally occurring organic sulfur compound within the isothiocyanate group, has caused cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in colon cancer cells and exterminated breast cancer stem cells. Some other study explained:

"Epidemiological studies suggest that intake of cruciferous vegetables including broccoli reduces the risks for the induction of certain forms of cancer.



This protective effect has been linked to the presence of glucoraphanin, a glucosinolate precursor of sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate that influences the process of carcinogenesis."

The same study referenced some of the ways this takes place, including the inhibition of tumor development, cell growth, proliferation and apoptosis.

In other studies, broccoli has played a part in lowering risk factors in lung cancer, one of the most common cancer types in the U.S., as well as prostate cancer, the most common type of cancer in U.S. men (other than skin cancer), due to its isothiocyanate content. It's important to know that you have to get these compounds through your diet.

In the newest revelation, scientists at the University of Illinois identified the "candidate" genes that influence phenolic compounds such as flavonoids in broccoli and found that eating them is strongly associated with a lower risk of several other diseases, including asthma, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, as well as several cancer types.
Researchers crossed two broccoli strains, analyzed their offshoots and used "quantitative trait locus analysis"5 to find the genes responsible for both the highest phenolic production and the ability to annihilate free radicals.

Significantly, the scientists reported that the more people eat these compounds, the less they tend to contract these and other diseases. According to Jack Juvik, Ph.D., a geneticist at the University of Illinois, in Phys.org:

"Phenolic compounds have good antioxidant activity, and there is increasing evidence that this antioxidant activity affects biochemical pathways affiliated with inflammation in mammals.

We need inflammation because it's a response to disease or damage, but it's also associated with initiation of a number of degenerative diseases. People whose diets consist of a certain level of these compounds will have a lesser risk of contracting these diseases."

What scientists hope to do with this new information is interesting: they plan to breed broccoli and other vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower and kale, and essentially infuse them with "mega-doses" of phenolic compounds. However, as Juvic noted:

"It's going to take awhile. This work is a step in that direction, but is not the final answer. We plan to take the candidate genes we identified here and use them in a breeding program to improve the health benefits of these vegetables. 

Meanwhile, we'll have to make sure yield, appearance and taste are maintained as well."

Facts Source: mercola.com