Digital Strategy Consulting

Businesses have always enjoyed a comfortable position when it comes to planning and preparation. 

Sadly, this isn’t the case anymore.

Due to the competitive digital landscape, business owners need to chalk out entire outlines, strategies, and implementation within weeks – or even days. 

So if you can’t keep up with this accelerated pace, somebody else will.

The best way to stay ahead in the competition? Having a carefully drafted digital strategy.

Think of the whole thing as the guiding light. 

Without it, companies will be stuck with their old-fashioned efforts and won’t be able to take advantage of moving online. Plus, a result-driven approach serves as the basis of digital strategy, which can be very beneficial for your company.

If you think that the ongoing pandemic has changed things, you‘re wrong. 

On the contrary, experts at DMEXCO predict that 70% of executives expect the pace of digital strategy to boost further during these unique times.

So yes, you do need a comprehensive digital strategy that works for you. 

And what better way to develop this other than enlisting the help of an expert digital strategy consultant who can do a broad set of activities, each of which is directed towards helping you meet your goals.

In this guide, our team at Neil Patel Digital will take you through the whole process of hiring the best consultant, along with the benefits of seeking a consultancy for your business.

Let’s begin!

5 Ways a Digital Strategy Consultant Can Help Grow Your Business

What is your primary objective for launching a business?

Profit and long-term growth, right?

Well, identifying your digital strategy is the most crucial aspect for attaining both goals. 

After all, it’s a high-level overview that defines and outlines where you are currently and where you would want to be. It also includes milestones set throughout a specific course of your journey, making it a reliable long-term plan.

Keeping this in mind, digital strategy consulting can help you recognize new technologies and services suitable for your platform. And hiring a consultant will make sure you‘re taking advantage of everything that’s out there and reaping the profits.

Boosting Efficiency and Increasing Margins

If there’s one thing that companies want, it’s consistent improvement in efficiency. Whether it’s targeting employee collaboration and performance or better delivery to customers and clients – everything counts. 

You’ll be able to jumpstart your company‘s efficiency with the help of a digital strategy consultant.

You see, being an expert gives them the knowledge to use cutting-edge digital tools that can ensure precise and fast communication within your company. The data they offer will be more accessible and polished. 

Plus, there’s zero risk of anything being lost or repeated due to clear and carefully designed strategies that have been optimized for efficiency.

Getting a consultant can be useful for streamlining client communication too. As a result, you can build long-lasting relationships by giving customers higher value for their investment.

Happier clients translate to higher profit margins and more referrals, so it’s only positives for your company.

Staying Relevant and Important

Turning digital means you‘ll have several competitors – nay, several tough competitors.

Entering a digital culture means your customers do everything digitally, from transactions to information gathering to investing. 

You can stay ahead in your niche industry by offering a unique product that no one else offers, but it still isn’t the endgame.

You have to go beyond your website, electronic device optimization, or implementing best SEO practices. 

A consultant will guide you with the digital changes that are happening around us, equipping you with the newest technologies as they arise, and incorporating the latest market developments into your business direction.

Essentially, the expert will make your business digitally competitive right from the start and establish you as a digital leader.

Give You the Biggest Bang for Your Buck

You must already be on the lookout for investments that can maximize ROI – or get rid of bad investments altogether.

But this isn’t a perfect world.

You have to be careful about the decisions you make and how you run your company.

Working with a digital strategy consultant does require investment, but it’s one that has a greater possibility to pay off – in fact, some might say it’s guaranteed too if you have the right man for the job.

They give you access to a lot of crucial information and are ready to do all the hard work to provide you high value in a short period. 

And not only that, you get a clear idea of the path you should take for your company to maximize your revenue and ensure success. 

Moreover, having a consultant also eliminates the need for other employees, hence, cutting down costs in the long run. This will then contribute towards a boosted ROI in the end.

Gaining New Partnerships

Partnerships with business and corporations are a necessity for long-term growth, no matter how old your business is.

In fact, you can transform your company vision and enter a new frontier in your niche if you choose your partnerships carefully. This, in turn, can relatively increase your customer base as well as present a lucrative alternative to going solo.

In other words, a consultant will point you in the right direction to become digitally competitive.

You might also receive invites from organizations that want to enter into a mutually beneficial partnership, and ultimately, achieve digital leadership. 

Let’s not forget there is also a possibility of turning your competitors into partners that can increase market demand and customer base as a consequence.

A Successful Digital Transformation

Remember all the dinosaur processes that will only be you down today? 

Digital transformation will help you bid farewell to all of them, as well as cut down unnecessary costs for employees, products, and services.

Since a consultant makes you more available and accessible for your customers, you’ll be able to maximize user experience, allowing you to climb to the top of your industry.

A digital strategy will lay down the stepping stones that you and your team can follow to become digital relevant.

How to Get Started With a Digital Strategy Consultant

Good digital strategy consultants have a similar style of working with the odd exceptions as they primarily focus their attention on your customer and company goals.

Hiring the Right Digital Strategy Consultant

Before choosing a specific candidate, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

• Does digital technology impact the businesses you are in?
• How could digital technology improve the way you add value to the businesses?
• Is it possible for digital technology to change your target customer?
• Does digital technology affect the value proposition to your target customer?
• Can digital technology enhance enterprise capabilities, helping you differentiate your brand from your competition? How?

Look for a prospective consultant that can refine your understanding of the above questions further. In addition to this, you should ask to see a list of samples, references, reviews, and case studies to determine their competency.

Holding Meetings to Streamline Strategy Development

A consultant won’t be able to create a digital strategy for your company if they don’t have an in-depth understanding of your business.

So the first thing that they do is ask you a lot of questions to gain a clear understanding of how your business functions and its objectives. For instance:

• Questions regarding your current benchmarks, overall goals, and objectives for every segment and as a whole.
• Questions about KPIs and metrics that you used to measure performances.
• Questions about tactics used to achieve your business goals and objectives and the marketing channels you used to attract customers.
• Customer expectations.
• Questions about platforms with the highest customer engagement.

Don’t shy away or get irritated by these probing questions. After all, your digital strategy shows you your current situation, tells you where you’re going, and devises ways to help you get there.

Chalking Out the Final Game Plan

After you answer their questions, you can expect the consultant to show you a cohesive strategy that has been tailor-made to suit your business needs.

The plan should include details about the following:

• Media advertising, which includes TV commercials, streaming services, and so on.
• Public relations that focus on strategies to increase visibility and publicity for your business.
• Digital marketing, which includes local search, organic search engine optimization, advertising, and content marketing.
• Direct response tactics like hyperlocal print advertising or geofencing – whichever is a better fit.
• Possibility of future partnerships.

The expert will show you a proposed digital strategy or examples from previous client campaigns, and how they plan on moving forward with your campaign.

You can use this as an opportunity to evaluate the consultant’s work and skillset. Don’t be afraid to suggest specific tweaks and adjustments if you deem it fit.

Here’s what you can do:

• Request performance data for evaluation purposes.
• Carefully observe the campaign elements they consistently prioritize.
• Identify knowledge gaps, holes, or weak points in the strategy.

Another alternative would be to pick a specific part of your business, such as advertising or content, and ask the consultant to build a strategy to accommodate a specific goal. This can be to increase sales for the worst-performing products, double the traffic within a month, etc.

Supplying the Necessities

If you’re happy with the consultant after analyzing their approach, the next step would be to provide them with necessary documents and give access to things that could help them implement the strategy effectively.

This includes an official agreement, brand content (brochures, flyers, images, logos, content), relevant photography (company photos, portraits of key people, location, office space, event photos), and social proofs.

The Final Implementation

Having your consultant create an effective digital strategy is crucial, yes. But it isn’t as important as its successful execution.

So just having a great strategy isn’t enough.

Your consultant should have the experience, expertise, and team back up to implement the strategy and produce results.

After execution, you should ask the consultant to collect, analyze, and provide you with useful insights about the launched campaigns. You can incorporate their suggestions and increase your budget to drive results, if required, as well.

Measuring the ROI of Digital Strategy Consulting Services

Consider this: How will you be able to conclude whether you‘re on the right path without knowing the ROI?

Luckily, figuring out the right KPIs for your business can help you measure the success of a business strategy.

The following are a few KPIs that allow you to analyze the overall performance of your digital campaigns:

Brand Engagement on Website

Your brand is necessary for building customer loyalty, creating a competitive advantage, and just… long-term survival.

It’s what distinguishes you from your direct competitors.

To properly measure brand engagement on your website, you need to consider the more refined KPIs that provide valuable metrics, such as:

• Number of unique visitors
• Number of return visitors
• Popular pages and how customers get there
• Total time spent on the website
• Number of people registering for a specific offering

Traffic Source

Knowing where your customers come from is key to developing a powerful digital strategy since you know exactly what or who is driving visitors to your website.

For this purpose, you need to consider four main traffic sources:

• Direct visitors who visit your website by typing the URL into their browser.
• Referral visitors who ended up on your website after clicking a link on another website.
• Organic visitors who arrived at your site after searching in a search engine.
• Campaign visitors who visited your site via an advertisement or campaign.

Inbound Marketing ROI

Of course, you want to see a return on your investment.

However, it can be difficult to see the full potential and value of inbound marketing if you don’t have KPIs. For this purpose, consider the following formula:

ROI = (Sales growth – Marketing Investment) / Marketing Investment

Social Media Traffic

Social media is an integral part of every digital strategy. If your consultant doesn’t include it, know right away that they don’t know what they’re doing.

At the same time, simply creating accounts on popular social media platforms isn’t enough for success. In this case, the KPIs are as follows:

• Number of leads generated from every social media channel.
• Number of conversions generated from every social media channel.
• Number of customers who reach out to your company via every social media channel.
• Overall percentage of traffic that advance from social media channels.

Landing Page Conversions

You should check whether your landing page is sending your customer on the right path, which is why KPIs are crucial here.

The tricky part here is this metric is a little difficult to measure since the consultant may have a different goal for landing pages. Nevertheless, you can ask the expert to use Google Analytics to gain access to reports that help you measure organic traffic as well as per search traffic.

You can also make changes to your CTA, CTA buttons, revise written content, or add reviews and testimonials depending on the results generated after A/B testing.

4 Point Checklist For Finding the Right Digital Strategy Consultant

If you’re still figuring out how to find the right digital marketing consultant for your company, take a look at our short checklist to know where to start.

Familiarity With the Digital Landscape

Whether it’s setting short-term goals or long-term goals, the digital strategy consultant should have demonstrated knowledge about the market to think of strategies that can enhance your inbound marketing and outbound marketing efforts.

Creating a plan will always differ according to your business. For instance, some businesses require CRMs, while some need ERPs. The expert should know the right way to proceed to help you achieve your business objectives and streamline campaign processes.

We would highly recommend working with industry thought leaders who understand the digital world and have the credentials to back it up.

Processes to Develop and Execute Effective Digital Strategies

As mentioned before, knowledge of custom tools is important for delivering satisfactory results. More so, in the ever dynamic landscape of digital marketing.

You want to hire a consultant that uses relevant marketing techniques which include:

• Content creation
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Social media marketing
• Responsive web design

At Neil Patel Digital, for instance, we have an in-house SEO program powered by content marketing, that can be useful for enhancing the effectiveness of digital campaigns.

Combination of Experience and Expertise

While it’s true that you can find several freelance digital strategy consultants, your main lookout should be to identify the extent of their experience and expertise.

Yes, they say that they can triple your conversions, but do they have the brain and muscle to back their claims?

It’s best to work with seasoned professionals who understand your current marketing strategy and can identify weak spots that require improvement.

Broad Industry Knowledge and Diverse Portfolio

A digital strategy expert must have expertise across several different verticals. The

source https://neilpatel.com/blog/digital-strategy-consulting/

How to Choose The Right Facebook Ad Agency

Facebook isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.

With more than 2.6 billion users worldwide – or nearly 28.5% of the total global population – the platform has seen unprecedented success.

This also translates to several other advantages that you may not be familiar with:

• Approximately 1.65 billion users see Facebook ads, out of which 1.21 billion are between the ages of 13 and 34.
• An average Facebook user clicks on 12 ads per month.
• Facebook users watch around 100 million hours of video a day.

Plus, nearly 70 million businesses have a Facebook page, which sheds ample light on its importance in today’s world.

In short, Facebook is still a force to be reckoned with – at least where ads are concerned.

With such excellent stats, converting visitors into customers should be easy, right?

Wrong.

You see, there can be various reasons why your Facebook ads don’t convert.

One of the more prominent reasons is the lack of expert guidance – something that hiring the best Facebook ad agency can help overcome.

This brings us to our next question: How do you choose the right Facebook agency for your needs?

Our team at Neil Patel Digital has created this guide to walk you through the whole hiring process that can help you generate more leads and score higher conversions.

Know Your Goals and Desired Outcomes

Remember the saying that knowing your destination is half the journey?

Well, the same logic applies when you‘re looking to hire a Facebook ad company.

Every ad agency has different specialties, along with budget and project sizes. This is precisely why you should know your business goals and the objectives you want to achieve by working with a specific agency.

Once you get the right lens to evaluate different agencies, you’ll be able to determine your perfect match easily.

The following are a few examples where you can break down the whole process by using a deliverable-goal-end result approach. In other words, you understand your deliverables, then determine the goals of these deliverables, followed by the outcomes you hope to achieve.

Example #1: Getting More Leads Despite Tight Budget

You want to hire an agency to develop an efficient Facebook advertising strategy for your company. The catch here is that you only have $500 per month to spare, but you want more leads.

So, in this case:

• Deliverable: Using unique, eye-catching ads to get high-quality leads.
• Goal: An agency that has the expertise and is open to accepting clients who have a tight budget.
• End Result: Generating more leads without overstepping the $500 threshold.

Example #2: Expanding Reach Through Visually Appealing Videos

You want to create engaging video ads that you can use on Facebook. The problem here is that you don’t know where to start.

So, in this case:

• Deliverable: A series of on-brand ad videos that increase brand awareness and click-through rates.
• Goal: An agency that has the expertise to create engaging videos, which talk about your new offers and encourage the viewer to click on the link.
• End Result: A finished set of effective video ads.

If you see both examples, you’ll find there are different limitations and requirements.

While the budget is super strict in the first case, it’s more flexible in the second. Similarly, there aren’t any specifications with regard to the ad type in the first example, but the second one explicitly states video advertisements.

Essentially, when you know what you want, finding the right agency for your businesses will become very easy. Plus, it’s much better to avoid the disappointment of hiring someone only to realize that they can’t give you what you want.

Another way to vet Facebook ad agencies is by looking for specific characteristics that are relevant to the business and can understand your goals and desired outcomes.

4 Characteristics That Make a Great Facebook Ad Company

There are all sorts of ad agencies operating on the market today, with everyone claiming to be the best.

That said, you should know the characteristics that make up a good Facebook ad agency to find one that can provide tailor-made solutions as per your requirements.

Team Members With Relevant Experience

Everybody claims to be the best, but only a few have the experience to back its claims. 

You must hire a Facebook ad agency that is well-equipped with the brain and muscle to help you achieve your goals.

For instance, if you want to carry out paid social media campaigns with minimal to no effort from your side, you need a team that has the experience and knowledge to carry out these campaigns.

Additionally, they should also take care of customer targeting, keep in touch with your customers and prospects, as well as recommend creative, and copy best practices.

You can find out more about a company‘s team by going through their ‘About‘ page or LinkedIn ‘People’ page.

While this may not show you every contractor or freelancer that the agency might work with, it‘s still an excellent place to start. You can always ask follow-up questions during your consultation if you want more clarity.

Their Arsenal Should Include Latest Technologies and Best Practices

Ad agencies need to be familiar with the latest software. For Facebook, in particular, Facebook Pixel, Facebook Ad Manager, and so on are useful tools that can assure faster results through in-depth insights.

Having ad software expertise, along with familiarity with third-party data sources and creative testing tools, is also helpful. Ultimately, this will help your brand gain more popularity through better ads – both in terms of creativity and effectiveness.

Skills to Create Engaging Ads that Fulfil Your Objectives

Why do you want to hire a Facebook ad company? Results.

The only way that you can get results is if you enlist an agency that knows the art of producing engaging and objective-specific ads.

The company should have the skills to help you fulfill your goals – whether it’s getting more quality leads, boosting engagement, increasing store visits, or getting more click-throughs.

The idea here is to hire an ad company that can help you meet your goals, and the best way to ensure this is to look for a diverse portfolio.

Plus, the portfolio is the best way for the agency to show off their best work. This will help you get an idea of the type of work they do and the type of clients they choose.

Since it‘s FB advertisements that we’re talking about, give brownie points to agencies that have Facebook on their client list.

Solid Social Proof in the Form of Client Testimonials

Having social proof, such as testimonials and previous client reviews, can be an excellent way to gain insights into an agency’s work ethic.

Considering that 93% of customers go through testimonials and customer reviews before purchasing something, it can also be beneficial from the agency’s point of view. 

In fact, displaying social proof is an effective tactic to convert visitors into buyers. So if you don’t find any testimonials on websites, it means the following:

• One, the company may not have previous clients
• Two, they aren’t the experts that they claim to be

Good testimonials are indicative of a similar experience for future customers. Also, getting testimonials shouldn’t be difficult for agencies who have satisfied clients.

How to Work With a Facebook Ad Agency 

When you narrow down your options – or even make a final choice – you should be aware of the working etiquette to follow.

The following are a few steps that can ensure you enjoy a fruitful partnership for the well-being of your business.

Filling Out the Inquiry Form

No Facebook ad agency will send you a contract without understanding your pain points – if they do, run (not walk) as far as you can.

Reputable agencies will want you to fill an inquiry form to understand your objectives and requirements. After filling the form, the team will get in touch with you to hear your vision and then think of ways to achieve it.

You have to communicate properly here, being as explicit as possible. Remember, the agency wants to meet your expectations and goals.

Hearing Out the Best Practices for Effective Results

After understanding your pain points, the external team should use their expertise and experience to create a campaign framework. This, of course, should be done after carrying out in-depth research to figure out the best practices for better results.

The idea behind creating this draft is to make sure your target audience, niche, and business are all on the same page. You should expect multiple meetings focused on making strategic recommendations.

Receiving Project Deliverables

In the world of business, everything needs to be in writing – even the contract. Since every campaign spans over a couple of weeks or months, a well-drafted contract needs to be in place.

So if both you and the agency are comfortable with each other, you can expect to receive a contract, along with project deliverables from the agency, before kicking off the campaign.

Final Onboarding

After signing the contract, you’ll have to introduce the external team to your in-house staff. Agencies will also ask you for access to your website, social media platforms, relevant software, analytics tools, etc.

Once this is done, the Facebook ad company will chalk out timelines and task lists to organize and manage the whole project.

Aligning Your In-House Team With the Agency

Your chosen Facebook ad agency doesn’t have to replace your in-house team.

Instead, you can have both the teams working in sync to maximize results. For this purpose, you can do the following:

• Holding frequent meetings.
• Elaborating the scope of the agency’s as well as the in-house team‘s work, and clearly communicating the importance of both.
• Appointing additional employees, if required, to work with the external agency.

In the end, the agency will be fully aligned with your company‘s values and culture, making it an extension of your in-house team.

How to Find The Right Facebook Ad Agency For You

With so many available options, choosing the right Facebook ad agency can be a bit difficult. 

Nevertheless, you should always prioritize a good reputation with a specialized approach. In addition to this, we would recommend the following:

• Work on determining your business goals and desired outcomes.
• Look for agencies that satisfy our above-listed characteristics – each one of them is essential.
• Make sure the agency is in sync with you and your in-house team.

To make it easier for you, we reviewed hundreds of agencies to bring the five best Facebook ad companies. No matter who you choose, you’re assured of excellent service and unmatched expertise.

The 5 Top Facebook Ad Agencies

#1: Neil Patel Digital – The Best Overall Facebook Ad Company

You need access to top-level expertise and experience if you want advertisements that convert – something that Neil Patel Digital specializes in.

Our team of top-level and in-house marketing managers, led by our co-founder, Neil Patel, know the ins and outs of Facebook. 

We can deliver ad campaigns that suit your marketing objectives without overstepping your budget. Plus, we take care of everything: brainstorming attention-grabbing headlines, choosing the right graphics and CTAs, and carrying out A/B testing.

We also have a dream clientele, which includes Facebook, who are more than happy with what we’ve done for them. We’re also fully transparent with what we can deliver and how we work our magic.

#2: Hibu – The Best Facebook Ad Company for an All-in-One Solution

Hibu can be an excellent option if you’re looking for a comprehensive Facebook advertising solution, which includes campaign set-up, management, optimization, and reporting.

It also has a very flexible pricing strategy, offering services that start at $250 per month. The company has a dedicated team that works hard to create highly targeted ads that are capable of converting visitors.

#3: Voy Media – The Best Facebook Ad Company for À La Carte Services

Voy Media comes highly recommended. More so, if à la carte services and maximizing returns are your top priority.

The team uses proprietary AI software that can help you optimize and scale your Facebook campaigns in addition to crafting carefully thought-out strategies. You can join the likes of Lacoste, Big Life Journal, and Paw.com too – provided you have a minimum $5000/month budget for advertising.

#4: MuteSix – The Best Facebook Ad Company for Innovation Graphic Design 

MuteSix really needs no introduction when it comes to churning out creative ads that can drive conversions. It’s a full-funnel ad agency that has an in-house video studio and graphic design team to widen their clients’ reach.

Over the years, the company has added many renowned companies to its portfolio, and has received quite a few accolades as well! However, MuteSix is better suited for larger companies, preferably ones with budgets over $20,000 in ad spend.

#5: Lyfe Marketing – The Best Facebook Ad Company for Small Companies

https://neilpatel.com/blog/facebook-ad-agency/

Page Authority 2.0: An Update on Testing and Timing

Posted by rjonesx.

One of the most difficult decisions to make in any field is to consciously choose to miss a deadline. Over the last several months, a team of some of the brightest engineers, data scientists, project managers, editors, and marketers have worked towards a release date of the new Page Authority (PA) on September 30, 2020. The new model is exceptional in nearly every way to the current PA, but our last quality control measure revealed an anomaly that we could not ignore.

As a result, we’ve made the tough decision to delay the launch of Page Authority 2.0. So, let me take a moment to retrace our steps as to how we got here, where that leaves us, and how we intend to proceed.

Seeing an old problem with fresh eyes

Historically, Moz has used the same method over and over again to build a Page Authority model (as well as Domain Authority). This model's advantage was its simplicity, but it left much to be desired.

Previous Page Authority models trained against SERPs, trying to predict whether one URL would rank over another, based on a set of link metrics calculated from the Link Explorer backlink index. A key issue with this type of model was that it couldn’t meaningfully address the maximum strength of a particular set of link metrics.

For example, imagine the most powerful URLs on the Internet in terms of links: the homepages of Google, Youtube, Facebook, or the share URLs of followed social network buttons. There are no SERPs that pit these URLs against one another. Instead, these extremely powerful URLs often rank #1 followed by pages with dramatically lower metrics. Imagine if Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James each scrimaged one-on-one against high school players. Each would win every time. But we would have great difficulty extrapolating from those results whether Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or Lebron James would win in one-on-one contests against each other.

When tasked with revisiting Domain Authority, we ultimately chose a model with which we had a great deal of experience: the original SERPs training method (although with a number of tweaks). With Page Authority, we decided to go with a different training method altogether by predicting which page would have more total organic traffic. This model presented several promising qualities like being able to compare URLs that don’t occur on the same SERP, but also presented other difficulties, like a page having high link equity but simply being in an infrequently-searched topic area. We addressed many of these concerns, such as enhancing the training set, to account for competitiveness using a non-link metric.

Measuring the quality of the new Page Authority

The results were — and are — very promising.

First, the new model obviously predicted the likelihood that one page would have more valuable organic traffic than another. This was expected, because the new model was directed at this particular goal, while the current Page Authority merely attempted to predict whether one page would rank over another.

Second, we found that the new model predicted whether one page would rank over another better than the previous Page Authority. This was especially pleasing, as it laid to rest many of our concerns that the new model would underperform on old quality controls due to the new training model.

How much better is the new model at predicting SERPs than the current PA? At every interval — all the way down to position 4 vs 5 — the new model tied or out-performs the current model. It never lost.

Everything was looking great. We then started analyzing outliers. I like to call this the “does anything look stupid?” test. Machine learning makes mistakes, just as humans can, but humans tend to make mistakes in a very particular manner. When a human makes a mistake, we often understand exactly why the mistake was made. This isn’t the case for ML, especially Neural Nets; we pulled URLs with high Page Authorities under the new model that happened to have zero organic traffic, and included them in the training set to learn for those errors. We quickly saw bizarre 90+ PAs drop down to much more reasonable 60s and 70s… another win.

We were down to one last test.

The problem with branded search

Some of the most popular keywords on the web are navigational. People search Google for Facebook, Youtube, and even Google itself. These keywords are searched an astronomical number of times relative to other keywords. Subsequently, a handful of highly powerful brands can have an enormous impact on a model that looks at total search volume as part of its core training target.

The last test involves comparing the current Page Authority to the new Page Authority, in order to determine if there are any bizarre outliers (where PA shifted dramatically and without obvious reason). First, let’s look at a simple comparison of the LOG of Linking Root Domains compared to the Page Authority.

Not too shabby. We see a generally positive correlation between Linking Root Domains and Page Authority. But can you spot the oddities? Go ahead and take a minute…

There are two anomalies that stand out in this chart:

1. There is a curious gap separating the main distribution of URLs and the outliers above and below.
2. The largest variance for a single score is at PA 99. There are an awful lot of PA 99s with a wide range of Linking Root Domains.

Here is a visualization that will help draw out these anomalies:



The gray spaces between the green and red represent this odd gap between the bulk of the distribution and the outliers. The outliers (in red) tend to clump together, especially above the main distribution. And, of course, we can see the poor distribution at the top of PA 99s.

Bear in mind that these issues are not sufficient to make the new Page Authority model less accurate than the current model. However, upon further examination, we found that the errors the model did produce were significant enough that they could adversely influence the decisions of our customers. It’s better to have a model that is off by a little everywhere (because the adjustments SEOs make are not incredibly fine-tuned) than it is to have a model that is right mostly everywhere but bizarrely wrong in a limited number of cases.

Luckily, we’re fairly confident as to what the problem is. It seems that homepage PAs are disproportionately inflated, and that the likely culprit is the training set. We can’t be certain this is the cause until we complete retraining, but it is a strong lead.

The good news and the bad news

We are in good shape insofar as we have multiple candidate models that outperform the existing Page Authority. We’re at the point of bug squashing, not model building. However, we are not going to ship a new score until we are confident that it will steer our customers in the right direction. We are highly conscientious of the decisions our customers make based on our metrics, not just whether the metrics meet some statistical criteria.

Given all of this, we have decided to delay the launch of Page Authority 2.0. This will give us the necessary time to address these primary concerns and produce a stellar metric. Frustrating? Yes, but also necessary.

As always, we thank you for your patience, and we look forward to producing the best Page Authority metric we have ever released.

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source https://moz.com/blog/new-page-authority-timing

Best Video Conferencing Software

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Video conferencing software has exploded in popularity over the last year. With people working from home and remote work becoming the new normal, businesses rely on video conferencing services to communicate. 

But not all video conferencing software is the same.

The tools you use to video chat with your friends and family across the across aren’t necessarily the best business communication options.

Which video conferencing software is the best for you? I’ll break down my top picks in greater detail below. 

The Top 6 Options For Video Conferencing Software

1. BlueJeans
2. Cisco Webex
3. Lifesize
4. Whereby
5. RingCentral
6. GlobalMeet by PGI

How to Choose the Best Video Conferencing For You

As you’re shopping around and evaluating different options, there are certain criteria that must be taken into consideration. Keep these factors in mind to ease the buying process and narrow down the best video conferencing software for your business. 

Call Size

The first thing you need to consider is the call restriction limitations. How many people can be part of the video conference?

Entry-level plans might restrict you to 25 or 50 callers while the highest tiers can be 10,000+. 

If you’re running a small business or just need to occasionally meet with a small team, you probably won’t run into problems with restrictions. But for those of you who plan to give presentations to your entire enterprise-size organization, a large call size capability will be a top priority. 

Simultaneous Video Streams

Even if you get a plan with a large call size, it doesn’t mean that everyone on the call will be able to stream their webcam simultaneously. 

Let’s say you have 500 people attending a video conference; there won’t be 500 videos on the screen. You might be limited to just 10 or 20 streamers. The rest will be view-only. 

Video Quality

There’s nothing worse than being on a video conference with a poor stream. It can really distract from the purpose of the conference. Everyone is worried about disconnecting and then reconnecting, hoping that fixes the issue, which wastes valuable time.

Each participant’s individual Internet connection will obviously impact the quality as well. However, some software is definitely better than others in this category.

The best way to determine the video quality of the software is by experimenting with free trials and reading reviews from current customers. 

Team Collaboration Features

If you’re using video conferencing software for work, it’s useful to have an all-in-one collaboration solution. 

I tend to look for features like file sharing, cloud storage, screen sharing, presentation mode, and integrated live chat. You should also look for features that integrate with tools you’re already using for CRM, site analytics, or whatever else your team is working on. 

Now everyone can collaborate from a single platform, instead of bouncing back and forth between different software while on a video conference call.

Industry and Specific Use Cases

What exactly do you need video conferencing software for?

There are plenty of general-purpose solutions out there. But in some instances, certain software is geared towards purposes like remote work or international calls. There are even industry-specific tools for healthcare or education. 

So if you fall into one of those categories, make sure you choose a software that accommodates your unique needs. 

The Different Types of Video Conferencing Software

As previously mentioned, not all video conferencing software is the same. I’ll quickly name and explain the most popular options, so you have a better understanding of what to expect as you’re shopping around. 

Cloud Video Conferencing Software

Cloud software or browser-based video conferencing software is extremely flexible. Participants can join a call from anywhere, simply by logging in through a web browser. 

This software is supported by open WebRTC (real-time communications) standards. 

If you’re going to have conference calls with participants outside of your organization, then you’ll definitely want a cloud solution. Then you can invite people to join with a URL link, and they won’t have to download any software. 

For example, let’s say you have a sales team that uses video conferencing to communicate with prospects. Forcing those potential customers to download software would add friction and confusion to the sales process. 

Desktop Applications

Desktop apps are commonly used for in-house video conferencing. The best video conferencing software will support all major operating systems. 

Call quality and features are usually enhanced with a desktop app. For example, you might not be able to share your screen on a cloud version of a software, but you’d access that feature by downloading the desktop app. 

Mobile Video Conferencing

Mobile video conferencing is crucial for people who need to join calls on the go. Busy professionals can’t always be tied to a desktop or laptop computer. But this type of software allows people to participate from smartphones and tablets.

If you’re using cloud software, you can usually join from a web browser on your mobile device. However, the experience is definitely enhanced by downloading the mobile application from your video conferencing provider. 

Nearly all of the best video conferencing software on the market today will have some mobile conferencing features. 

Meeting Room Systems

Some businesses require a complete meeting room system for video conferences. These solutions require additional hardware, like external cameras, microphones, speakers, and more. 

A meeting room system is typically designed for physical conference rooms. If you’re having a video conference call in an executive board room with a dozen people present, a laptop at the end of the table isn’t going to cut it. 

These really aren’t necessary for home offices or remote work. They’re designed for large spaces and large groups in a single location. 

#1 – BlueJeans — Best For Remote Work

BlueJeans has a wide range of video conferencing options for businesses of all sizes. It’s trusted by global brands like ADP, Facebook, Zillow, Intuit, and National Geographic. 

For small and large businesses alike, BlueJeans can help your organization and employees communicate by providing them with the right tools for remote work.

Depending on your needs, there are actually four different BlueJeans video conferencing products for you to choose from. Here’s a quick explanation of each one:

• BlueJeans Meetings — Video, audio, and web conferences from any device
• BlueJeans Rooms — Single-touch audio and video conference rooms
• BlueJeans Events — Host and stream interactive events for large audiences
• BlueJeans Gateway — Access Microsoft Teams calls from any meeting room system

BlueJeans was recently acquired by Verizon, so the video call quality is exceptional. You’ll also benefit from features like enterprise-grade security, meeting transcriptions, automated alerts, meeting management tools, analytics, and more. 

Pricing starts at $9.99 per host per month.

The entry-level plan comes with unlimited 1:1 meetings, unlimited group meetings, unlimited meeting lengths, and five hours of recording. You can host video conferences with up to 50 participants on this plan as well. 

Try it free for 7 days.

#2 – Cisco Webex Review — Best For Healthcare

Cisco has been an industry leader in the telecommunications space for 35+ years. So it should come as no surprise to see Cisco Webex rank so high this list. 

In addition to basic video conferencing, Cisco has tools for contact centers, online meetings, cloud calling, online training, team collaboration, and more. But what really stands out is the industry-specific solutions offered from Webex, including video conferencing for healthcare.

As more and more medical practices make the transition to telehealth, Cisco Webex has been growing in popularity. It’s a top solution for practices that need to meet with patients online, make administrative calls, collaborate with care teams, and healthcare IT teams. 

From virtual consultations to training and security, Webex has everything healthcare organizations need for video conferencing. 

Here are some of the highlights of using Cisco Webex:

• End-to-end security with strong encryption
• High-quality video and audio calling
• Virtual training capabilities with recording and on-demand viewing
• Share your entire screen or just share a single app or document
• AI powered web assistant
• Integrations with tools like Slack, G Suite, Salesforce, and more
• Compatible on web, desktop, mobile, and video systems

For anyone that prioritizes quality and security, Cisco Webex will be a top choice for you to consider. 

Plans start at $13.50 per host per month. Sign up for free to try it out; no credit card required.

#3 – Lifesize Review — The Best Zoom Alternative

Zoom has quickly become a household name over the past year or so. But it’s not for everyone, and lots of businesses are looking elsewhere for a video conferencing solution. 

If you’re searching for a similar setup and feature list, Lifesize will be your best option. 

Lifesize is a cloud video conferencing solution and team collaboration platform that’s compatible with any device. You can use the software to meet with co-workers, clients, employees, and anyone else, from anywhere.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits and highlights of Lifesize:

• Ultra-high definition and 4k screen sharing
• Unlimited guest invitations to meetings
• Large meetings with up to 500 participants
• Broadcast live events with up to 10,000 viewers
• Manage users and room settings from a web-based admin console
• High encryption standards for robust security
• Interoperability with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and more

For those of you who need a complete meeting room system, Lifesize has all-in-one conferencing solutions with hardware as well. 

Lifesize is free for up to 10 participants with unlimited meetings. The entry-level plan starts at $12.50 per host per month. This plan comes with SSO support and allows you to host meetings with up to 100 participants. 

#4 – Whereby Review — The Best Simple Video Conferencing Software

Whereby is arguably the simplest video conferencing solution on the market today. There’s no app installation required. Just choose a personalized meeting URL, and participants can access the same link every time.

The software was actually built in Norway, and it’s a popular choice for Europeans. So it’s GDPR compliant and follows some of the strictest data protection and privacy laws globally.

Here’s a quick overview of the features and benefits you’ll get by using Whereby for video conferencing:

• Live chat and reactions during video calls without interrupting the speaker
• Rooms are locked by default, so admins can choose who to let in
• Fit up to 50 participants in a room at the same time
• Host has control to mute members and end the meeting for everyone
• Participants can open other tabs and explore websites during a meeting
• Add company branding and logos to your meeting rooms
• Integrations with Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar
• Record meetings that you can download and share
• YouTube integration for watching videos during a meeting
• Screen sharing, Google Docs integration, and mobile support

Again, even with all of these great features, Whereby is as simple as it gets. It’s easy for anyone to use and figure out, regardless of their technical skill level.

There’s a free forever plan for personal use that can host small meetings with up to four participants. Paid plans start at just $9.99 per month. 

#5 – RingCentral Review — Best All-in-One Communication Suite

If your business needs more than just video conferencing, look no further than RingCentral. Unlike other software options that accommodate personal use, RingCentral is built specifically for businesses.

They offer an all-in-one communication suite for integrated video meetings, phone calls, team messaging, file sharing, and task management.

The software is trusted by 400,000+ organizations across the globe, making it one of the most popular video conferencing solutions on the market today. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the features, benefits, and highlights of RingCentral:

• Enterprise-grade security and a 99.999% uptime SLA
• Easy to set up, deploy, add new users, and manage teams
• Works from any device
• Solutions for small businesses, enterprises, and everything in between
• Tools for remote work and remote customer service
• Cloud phone systems and contact centers
• Solutions for managed service providers

RingCentral even has industry-specific solutions in categories like education, healthcare, retail, financial services, high tech, contact tracing, and more. 

Plans start at $19.99 per user per month. You can try RingCentral for free with a 15-day trial. 

#6 – GlobalMeet by PGI Review — Best For International Video Conferencing

GlobalMeet is another popular business communications platform. As the name implies, the software is built to accommodate international calls. 

They have 160+ points of presence in over 60 different countries. This allows for exceptional call quality, even with participants streaming video calls from different continents. 

Here are some other top reasons why I like and recommend GlobalMeet:

• They offer hardware solutions for complete video room integrations
• Join calls on the go through the mobile app
• Record your meetings and play them any time with cloud recording capability
• Single-click to join video calls from an intuitive user interface
• High definition video with simultaneous screen sharing functionality
• 24/7 customer support via live chat, phone, and email in 12 languages

For organizations with an international presence, whether it be internally or with clients, GlobalMeet by PGI is the clear winner.

There’s a free plan for basic use, and paid plans start at $12 per user per month. 

Summary

What’s the best video conferencing software?

With so many options to consider, naming just one as my top pick isn’t very practical. It all depends on what you’re looking for. 

Regardless of your business size, industry, or video conferencing needs, you can find what you’re looking for using my methodology and recommendations listed in this guide. 

The post Best Video Conferencing Software appeared first on Neil Patel.

source https://neilpatel.com/blog/best-video-conferencing-software/

The 8 Best Social Media Marketing Companies of 2020

Social media marketing is essential for any business. There are now 3.8 billion social media users worldwide and, for most of us, social media is part of our everyday lives.

What this means is, if you want to reach your target audience, social media is the place to do so. 

Plus, social media is a highly effective marketing channel. In fact, around nine in ten consumers say they will buy from a brand that they follow on social media.

To get the most out of social media, it’s a good idea to let the experts do their thing. After all, there’s a big difference between checking what your pals are up to on Facebook and using it to achieve your business objectives.

So, here’s a breakdown of the best social media marketing agencies and companies that can help you smash your goals:

The 8 Top Social Media Companies in the World

#1 Neil Patel Digital — Best For Paid Social

At Neil Patel Digital, we know what we do best – our co-founders and top-class marketing managers have mastered their skillsets. And we know what works thanks to our decades of experience in the marketing trenches.

That’s why we specialize in creating epic paid social campaigns. We use data-driven analysis, in-depth customer research and your unique business objectives to create campaigns that will have an impact.

We’ve worked with huge global brands on their audience targeting, messaging and creative across multiple social channels. Here are some of our favorite clients:

Not too shabby, eh?

Of course, we’re going to brush our shoulders off and say we’re amazing. But we’re not the only ones who think so. The folks at Talk Business say,

“Neil Patel Digital takes a discriminating, high-level view of your marketing efforts to make effective suggestions for advanced marketing strategy.

You’ll also witness astonishing passion and dedication to digital marketing, as the company truly lives up to its values. This exemplary team loves the process as much as it enjoys seeing the results.”

Learn how you can get results from your paid social campaigns at Neil Patel Digital.

#2 Viral Nation — Best For Influencer Marketing

Viral Nation is the world’s number one specialist influencer marketing agency. They create ROI-driven, viral campaigns across a number of categories, such as gaming and e-commerce, and all social platforms including Instagram, Twitch and TikTok.

Viral Nation also has its own talent agency, meaning they’re able to source all manner of influencers from brand ambassadors and nano-influencers all the way up to celebrities.

They’ve worked with major brands, such as Victoria’s Secret, Aston Martin, Baidu and Match.com. And Match describes their work together as “creatively inspiring and effective.”

But, it’s not just the big brands that think they’re great. Viral Nation has an average 4.8-star rating.

Influencer marketing is still enormous these days. If you want to get in on the action, check out Viral Nation.

#3 Pan Up Productions — Best For Social Video

Pan Up is a super cool creative production company. In the commercial space, they create a range of social video campaigns.

They work with various brands from e-commerce stores to events venues. But, what’s really impressive is the big names they’ve produced videos for, such as Netflix, Tinder, Square, Southwest and even Apple and Amazon.

To give you an example of the kind of creative stuff they do: For one of Netflix’s social campaigns they co-created and filmed an Umbrella Academy-themed wedding pop-up event in New York City:

You can’t deny the quality of Pan Up’s work and if you have the budget for a professional production, you should absolutely go for it.

#4 Joseph Studios — Best For Organic Social

Joseph Studios specializes in social media services that encourage organic growth. As well as posting content on your social media pages, the company strives to engage customers and participate in relevant communities to grow a loyal following.

The company has achieved impressive results for their tech, B2B and B2C clients. Here’s an example from one of their case studies in which they were able to drive up impressions, engagement and profile actions tremendously:

They have an average rating of 4.6 stars. Here’s what one client had to say,

“The vendor is flexible and responsive to the ongoing results of the engagement. Engagement metrics have increased each month. They are a transparent, reliable team with a prompt communication style.”

So, if you’re looking to take the organic route then Joseph Studios is an excellent choice.

#5 Social Media 55 — Best For Niche-Specific Marketing

What makes Social Media 55 stand out is their specialized expertise in a number of niches, ranging from real estate to skin products to plumbing. With this know-how, they’re able to make focused moves that are specific to each industry. 

Here’s an example from their real estate section:

On top of their niche-specific services, Social Media 55, offers a broad spectrum of social media services, including social media management, paid ads and influencer marketing.

They generally work with small to medium-sized businesses and clearly to much success as they have remarkably positive ratings from customers (4.8 stars based on 236 ratings).

If you’re looking for a social strategy that’s geared towards your industry specifically, then choose Social Media 55.

#6 Sculpt — Best For B2B

The folks at Sculpt are experts in social media marketing for B2B clients. As such, they zero in on social media strategy and aim to help their clients acquire more leads and customers from social.

The company works with brands both large and small across a number of B2B industries, such as SaaS, Finance, Healthcare and Legal. If their case studies are anything to go by, Sculpt is able to achieve remarkable results for their clients.

Work with Sculpt if you’re in the B2B space and your main objective is lead acquisition.

#7 Sociallyin — Best For Community Management

Sociallyin is a renowned social media agency that offers a range of services, including social media strategy, production and influencer marketing. 

But, where they really shine is community management. Under this umbrella, they offer customer support, social media monitoring, engagement and data-driven analysis. 

What makes Sociallyin different from other agencies is that they also offer multilingual social media management:

They work with brands in both the B2B and B2C spaces. Notable clients include Toyota, Dick’s Sporting Goods and TGI Fridays.

Sociallyin is a great choice if you’re looking to nurture and grow a community on social media.

#8 Brafton — Best For Package Add-Ons

With Brafton, you know exactly what to expect thanks to their straightforward social media marketing packages. You also have the option to customize your package with add-ons.

These consist of unique offerings that you don’t see from a lot of agencies, such as live Tweeting and custom Snapchat geofilters: 

This shows that Brafton is on the ball when it comes to social media trends.

As a large agency, they are able to work with brands of varying sizes across a number of industries. One client in the education management space said,

“I liked the quality and communication so much that I tripled the amount of volume we were doing with them.”

All in all, Brafton is the right choice if you want unique services that are on-trend and that you can’t find elsewhere.

3 Characteristics that Make a Great Social Media Marketing Company

The sheer number of ad agencies and marketing companies out there these days is astounding. Clutch, for example, lists 9,481 firms in the US alone:

So, it’s no surprise you want to know how to find a great company in this sea of digital agencies. Here are a few things to look out for:

1. They Offer a Personalized Experience

Some agencies simply rinse and repeat for every client they work with. But, honestly, that sucks. A particular social media strategy may work for one company but not for another. Work with an agency that delivers a custom strategy based on your target audience and goals.

2. They’re Specialists

Because there are so many social media marketing companies out there, things can get a bit samey-samey. If everybody offers the exact same broad range of services then they’re not focused on their specialism. Choose a hyper-focused company that excels at what they do.

3. They Get Results

This is ultimately what you want, right? To get results from your social media campaigns. Hence, you need to choose a social media marketing company that you can trust to help you achieve success. At Neil Patel Digital, for example, all of our staff are trained in the proven marketing strategies that have helped NeilPatel.com become a global thought leader.

Overall, you need a credible group of experts that are able to meet your needs.

What to Expect from a Great Social Media Marketing Company

The proof is in the pudding as they say. When choosing a social media marketing company you also need a good understanding of how they’ll work with you to achieve the outcomes they promise.

Here are some of the essential processes and outcomes you should expect:

1. Thorough Audience Research

One goal of social media marketing and advertising is to expand your reach to new followers. However, this doesn’t include everybody. #sorrynotsorry

It’s important to target the most relevant users that are likely to be interested in your niche, who will eventually become customers and even become brand evangelists.

A great social media marketing company will define and gain a deep understanding of your target audience. This will inform strategic decisions and make your campaigns more effective.

2. Quality Content

There’s a lot of noise on social media. It’s estimated that over 90% of US companies use social media for marketing. So, the question is, how on earth are you going to stand out?

It all boils down to the content and campaigns that you create. The most successful social media companies produce compelling content that target audiences will find impossible to ignore.

3. Utilizes Multiple Channels

Different demographics use different social media channels. For instance, millennials and Gen Z dig Instagram, while Facebook is used by a variety of age groups.

Furthermore, users will interact with your brand in different ways on different platforms. For instance, they might seek customer support or air their grievances on Twitter but will use Instagram for shopping inspiration.

The social media marketing company you work with must have expertise across all of the major social media channels so that they can help you reach your specific target audience where they hang out and engage them accordingly.

To sum up, what you should expect from a great social media marketing company is comprehensive, high-quality work.

Conclusion

Social media should be an essential part of your marketing mix. If you don’t have the time, resources or skills to do it yourself then, naturally, you’re going to want to hire a social media marketing company.

There are tons of companies that offer these kinds of services out there. But, there are ways to separate the wheat from the chaff.

When researching social media marketing companies, look for credible pros that offer services catered to your needs. And expect nothing but the best in terms of planning, creation and execution.

The post The 8 Best Social Media Marketing Companies of 2020 appeared first on Neil Patel.

source https://neilpatel.com/blog/social-media-marketing-companies/