Category Archives: Content

The world wide web is a place filled with possibilities. Do you want to know the answer to virtually any question you can think of? No problem. Ever wondered what the quickest way from A to B is? Easy peasy. Have you fallen out of touch with old friends and want to reconnect? The internet is the place for you.

The only problem is, the limitless choices available to you can make deciding how to spend your time online an overwhelming ordeal. If that sounds familiar, this list of the most enjoyable ways to surf the net from the comfort of your own home might just make your decision that little bit easier.

Retail therapy

Home to some of the largest shopping malls in the world, the UAE is renowned as a hub for retail tourism. However, there are times when you might want to browse the wares that your favourite boutique or designer outlet has to offer, without having to contend with the crowds that shopping in Dubai invariably involves. Step forward e-commerce. With every kind of store you can think of selling their goods online and offering home delivery, it’s never been easier to get what you want, when you want it.

Gambling

As a country operating under sharia law, gambling is technically illegal in the UAE. However, there are ways around the issue for those who crave nothing more than the thrill and the flutter of placing a bet or playing their cards right. The only caveat is that you must ensure the casino you visit is owned by an offshore operator; if in doubt, this list of the best online betting sites available to Emirati nationals, ex-pats and tourists should give you plenty of food for thought for where to lay your wagers.

Blogging

Do you have a subject which you’re particularly passionate about? Do you also enjoy a flair for the written word? If so, it’s a good idea to combine those two topics in your very own online blog. Not only can this form of online activity help you to express your individuality and share your knowledge with the world, but it can also allow others to benefit from your expertise. You never know – you might even build up a dedicated following, or even be able to monetise your blog into an additional stream of income!

Education

As well as adding your own two cents to the vast stores of information on the internet, it’s also hugely rewarding to take advantage of the wisdom of others yourself, as well. This can take many different forms, from enrolling in online courses to trawling opinion forums to taking quizzes to simply reading the latest news and current affairs. Time you invest in educating yourself is time well spent – just make sure your sources are reputable ones before you start spouting off facts to your friends, family and colleagues.

There are a thousand and one ways to spend your time online – but some are more enjoyable than others. This handful of suggestions should give you some inspiration for your next surfing session if you’re at a loose end.

In case you did not know, WordPress powers nearly one-third of the world’s websites and tops the list of the three most often used site building packages in the world, followed by Joomla and Drupal.

Consider these stats:

• 400 million people view 24 billion pages hosted by WP every month
• 70 million new posts and 47 million comments are made each month
• WordPress blogs are written in over 120 languages
• WordPress plugin downloads crossed 1.5 Billion total downloads

This is why WordPress is so popular worldwide and deployed for building websites in the government, education, retail, healthcare, and fintech industries:

1. Ease of Use

WordPress is very easy to use and has an intuitive interface.  Adding new pages, blog posts, images, videos, etc. is a breeze and can be done in a jiffy.  Because the technology is so simple, time spent on configuring the website is greatly reduced.

2. Quick to Install

A WordPress site can be installed and up and running in a matter of minutes, even without any technical expertise. All a user needs is a domain name and a web hosting account. The Admin dashboard has all the features needed to customize a site’s layout and to start creating pages and posts right away. WordPress sites use less code and once optimized are quick to download.

3. No HTML Editing or FTP Software Required

WordPress is a self-contained platform and does not require HTML editing software (such as Adobe Contribute or Dreamweaver). You can create a new page or blog post, format text, upload images, upload documents, video files, image galleries, etc. all without the need for additional HTML or FTP software.

4. A variety of themes

WordPress themes offer an array of choices for fine-tuning the appearance and functions of a new site, thanks to its large and growing directory basic and premium of themes. The look and feel of the site can be 100% customized so your brand identity can be reflected on your website and provide a unique experience to your visitors.

5. Plugins Extend Functionality

The WordPress plugin directory includes hundreds of plugins, small pieces of code designed to perform specific tasks that allow users to add features such as shopping carts, galleries, and a contact form. Plugins can be activated or deactivated and uninstalled as needed as a site evolves.

6. WordPress Sites Rank High for SEO

WordPress sites tend to rank high for their keywords, largely because WordPress includes a variety of tools and plugins for optimizing content for SEO. Each page, post, and image can have its meta tag keywords, description, and title, and be optimized for specific keywords, allowing for very precise search engine optimization.

7. WordPress Sites Are Mobile Friendly

Mobile responsiveness is also a factor in Google rankings, so websites need to look good on any handheld device such as mobiles, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. WordPress offers a variety of responsive theme designs, and users can also make a static site responsive with plugins and adjustments to theme files.

8. WordPress Sites Have a Built-In Blog

Since WordPress is a content management system software, it has multiple features that make publishing content easy. One of these is a built-in blog feature that can be accessed from any device, at any time, so that users who want to add a blog to their website don’t have to create one separately.

9. The WordPress Community

Because WordPress is an open-source architecture, it is supported by communities around the world. This community of WordPress members is responsible for making changes to the source files and keeping WordPress updated and secure.

10. Sharing ability

Sharing content is easier than ever in the huge WordPress community. You have widgets for social media, plug-ins, APIs, and everything you need to connect your social media accounts with your website and share your content on various platforms.

WordPress is today used to run complex sites for large multinational corporations, manage small businesses, and create personal blogs. WordPress sites can power eCommerce stores, online marketplaces, trading platforms, or host a social network, webinars, or podcast. Thanks to its many themes and easy access to its source files, WordPress is also endlessly adaptable to a company’s changing needs.

 

 

Content marketing is used by many businesses as a means to promote products and services, building a brand image, and reaching out to a new audience. Content marketing can be very effective when the focus is on creating original content that appeals to the target audience. AIDA can help grab the attention of the people and guide them through the content to the extent that they take action on what they read.

The AIDA model is a tested marketing methodology that has been used by various organizations. It can be effectively used to improve the content marketing strategy of any business and drive sales.

What Is AIDA?

A = Attention

I =  Interest

D = Desire

A = Action

AIDA, when carefully followed in a piece of content can help consumers along the experience funnel. It starts with getting the attention of the target audience, engaging them, getting them curious and excited with the content for them to continue reading. The next step focuses on building their interest in the offering to the point that they relate to the product/service/ information being offered. By this time, as a business, you build on their desire to purchase the product, service, or experience and finally nudge them to the point that they take the action.

Let us dive deeper into understanding the AIDA model for Content Marketing. We will explore the different concepts and how they can be applied to different pieces of content.

A = Attention

This is the toughest stage in the AIDA model where it is all about getting the attention of the reader. To capture the attention, the focus needs to be on a relevant concept for the target audience. When planning the content be it an article, a post, or a landing page, you need to think about the target audience and how the content is going to make them take the necessary action. Focus on asking a question like

• Who is going to be reading the content? Develop a persona to describe them to get a better understanding of the target audience.
• What is the pressing problem that you wish to address through your content?
• What kind of solution will your content provider to the target audience? Will the content introduce them to an idea that can make a shift in the way they address the problem, or buy a product or service? To what extent can it help solve the problem?
• How does the audience address their problem? What is the most effective way to get the message across?

One of the best ways to capture the attention of your prospects is by creating a catchy headline and having a highly engaging lead paragraph. Think out of the box and adopt a tone that resonates with the audience. Many different writing styles can be used, but you should focus on using the language and terminology that is well understood by the target audience. If you feel that the content strategy is not working as per plan, audit the headline and the lead paragraph.

I = Interest

Once the reader is hooked, the next challenge is to maintain their interest. It is time to help them see how well you understand their problem and engage them deeper. Use the information you have and try and hold the reader’s attention. By crafting content that informs, educates, and makes the reader feel that the content was written for them on their pressing issues, you will be able to generate an emotional reaction. Use research statistics, expert views and analysis, and case studies to support the claims you make. Sometimes sharing personal experiences can reassure the reader and make them feel more connected.

D = Desire

For people creating content, it can get difficult to distinguish between interest and desire. Having your audience interested is key to reaching the next stage where the reader starts to think about desiring the product or service being offered. In other words, reading about something and then thinking that the product or service being offered by the business is great, to deciding that it is something that you as a reader need to address your issue. To understand this better, let us look at an example of a business providing social media solutions in a B2B setup. Here the audience that you are trying to target is the social media managers for big companies whose main concern is to quantify the impact of social media campaigns and its impact on sales. There are many tools available but none as the product you offer which can get the results with a few clicks. As a content marketer, it is your job to capture the interest of the audience by pitching a catchy headline that appeals to the audience. Then through your content which is based on scenarios faced by the targeted audience, you can explain how best your product will help them achieve their objective of tracking and quantifying every interaction. This will hold their interest and help you tap into the emotion that the social media manager feels- mainly the desire to control the outcome or the fear of being caught in a situation where they are not able to achieve their objective-thereby creating a desire to have access to your offering.

A = Action

Once the desire is stirred up amongst your prospects, the next stage involves taking action. The main focus here is to have a call to action which makes the intentions clear and points the reader in the right direction. Call to actions should be simple statements that let the readers know what to do next like signing up for a newsletter, buy a product, watch a video, etc. Remember that every content should have a call to action. Carefully plan and design the call to action- the layout, button structure amongst other things. There may be concerns about privacy related to sign-ups and parting with payment details. Ensure that the privacy policy is clear and offer a guarantee. Address all issues that may stop the target audience from taking action.

A good content strategy is one of the most effective ways to grow your business. Focus on getting your content read by more people, keep them hooked, and direct them towards taking action. Use the AIDA model effectively for your content marketing.

 

How does the idea of making money while sleeping sound to you?

Affiliate marketing is how you get started. The main idea behind this kind of marketing is to promote other people’s products through an affiliate network, earning a commission if people buy these products thanks to your marketing efforts. This is a revenue-sharing model where if you have a product and want to increase the sales, then you offer the promoters a financial incentive through an affiliate program. Let us now look at the definition of what affiliate marketing is. “Affiliate Marketing is a process of earning a commission by promoting other people’s or company’s products. Choose a product that you like, promote it to others, and earn a piece of the profit for every sale that is made by you. In today’s online scenario affiliate marketing programs provide you with offers that can be promoted online. People can sign up for these programs online, use the existing marketing material and/or links with a unique URL, and convince others to click on it. In the event that someone signs up for the product or service using the URL, you can earn a commission.

Some of the best known Affiliate Marketing Programs can be found below:

1. Amazon Associates – Amazon is a great platform for affiliate marketing and especially for beginners. The vast marketplace takes care of most of the sales process, bringing the leads to you. Signing up for the Amazon Affiliate program is an easy process and is free of cost. Once accepted, you can sell any Amazon products, including third-party ones without getting into individual programs. It is a great way to make money without having a strong background in affiliate marketing.
2. CJ Affiliate – One of the largest affiliate networks since 1998 with expertise that shows in every aspect of their work. It is a great program for experienced marketers, featuring 300 brands. It has a very stringent selection process where you need to apply with your website which needs to be found worthy of becoming a partner based on traffic, quality of content, and optimization. However, this is just the first step. The next step involves applying individually to each vendor for their products to sell and you may or may not be accepted. The program has shown a 43 percent year-on-year growth in commission making it an attractive option.
3. ShareASale – It has been in business for nearly two decades and is also one of the largest affiliate networks with a lot of trust in the industry. It is a well-loved program due to the user-friendly interface, easy free sign up and supports for the affiliates running multiple websites. A major advantage for this program is the standard and digital payout options with digital payouts being rare among the popular affiliate programs. With over 5000 vendors, you get a huge library of products to choose from. The only drawback with this program the pay-out threshold of $50 may be difficult to reach for newer websites who are still struggling to build their traffic.
4. ClickBank – With 6 million digital products across 20 categories and with a reach of over 200 million people worldwide, ClickBank is an attractive choice for affiliate marketing. It offers a very high commission and has a reputation for regular payouts. The product base is easy to navigate making it easy to find products to promote. Unfortunately, they do not offer digital payments.
5. eBay Partner Network – Offers a great way to tap into the massive affiliate potential of the eBay market. The sign up to this program is simple. As an affiliate marketer, you need to advertise eBay products through your social media, blog, or website to earn a commission for every product sold via your link.
6. JVZoo – Relatively a newcomer with only 6 years of experience using the SaaS approach. The products can be listed in the marketplace for free and JVZoo earns a 5 percent standard commission on anything that sells. The affiliate marketers are paid instantly as the item is sold. Affiliate marketers stand to make more money when affiliates that they recruit sell products. Another advantage of using this program is that when a buyer referred by you purchases another product that may not have been referred by you, you get the commission for that sale as well.
7. Fiverr Affiliates Program – It pitches itself as one of the world’s largest digital service marketplace with over 11 million users spread across over 190 countries. It offers a substantial commission plan and has no limit on referrals. It is user friendly and has an attractive portfolio of creative resources to promote.
8. Shopify  – It is one of the leading e-commerce programs used by online retailers and bloggers. It offers a great partnership for affiliate marketing and you can earn a lot per referral. Shopify is known to be the leading contender in its space with very few other eCommerce platforms coming close to it. While the pay-outs are good, the audience needs to be selling things online for the platform to be relevant to them.
9. PartnerStack – An affiliate program that focuses on promoting software products and tools including well-known popular software. 30 percent of the software sales can be attributed to the channel partners so if there is an audience for a particular software, then it has great potential for an affiliate marketer. PartnerStack focuses on building partnerships between the product owners and the affiliate marketers which is an advantage.
10. Affiliate – This is a top choice for affiliate marketers looking to have access to many verticals which means a large variety of products and offering to choose and focus on to get the best results. Once accepted to the program, it gives you access to your very own affiliate manager that helps in optimizing the traffic and create a bonus program to gain the maximum.

No two affiliate programs are the same. Depending on your niche, your audience, and your personality different affiliate programs may be better suited for you. The different affiliate programs covered here offer a range of possibilities for a beginner to an advanced affiliate marketer.

 

Producing content is easy for anyone. But content without any objective has no value and is ineffective. For content to qualify as engaging it needs to be original, valuable, rich, and should trigger a measurable response in people. Content should be impactful on the target audience for it to be considered as engaging be it in the form of an article, a blog post, a video, report, podcasts, or visual content. It is all about generating results such as an increase in traffic, clicks, conversions, sales, comments, mentions, opt-ins. These metrics help in measuring engagement.

There are certain prerequisites to keep in mind before creating engaging content for your organization.

1. Know your Audience – The technology-driven era gives a better chance to know your audience. Presence on the web and through social media platform presents an opportunity for a business to interact with its target audience and understanding their interests. Knowing what the target audience is looking for online helps in devising the content that will lead to higher engagement.
2. Create with Intent – The preparation phase for creating compelling content that connects with the audience is of prime importance. Know the objective that you want to achieve with the content, be it creating brand awareness or increasing conversions. Understanding what the audience is looking for, understanding what you want to accomplish with content, experimenting, and altering content to best suit the audience and the organization objectives will lead to creating engaging content.
3. Be original, tell a story, and make it valuable – Creating unique content is a challenge in today’s day and age. The main goal should be to create content that stands out. Focusing on being original and making a connection with the audience by sharing your experience and expert insights on topics is the key. This connection with the target audience will make it more likely for them to read the content and know where to look for when the content in the future as well. This is a great way to create a target audience into loyal customers. E-books and newsletters are some of the tools offered by organizations to offer value to the target audience.
4. Produce content that is actionable – As an organization you need to be aware of what objective will you achieve when you engage your audience with the content. For example, writing a blog on the new product launch highlighting its features and benefits and how it can improve the lives of the target audience will drive them to make a purchase. Ensuring a hyperlink on the page that redirects them to a landing page where they can make the purchase will achieve the action required.
5. Focus on the strengths – One of the most effective ways to create engaging content is to focus on the strengths. If as an organization, you are good at something, make sure to use it to your advantage. If social media is your strength, make it attractive, and use it to get your content across to your target audience to engage them. Similarly, if the blog posts gain more traction, then the focus should be on that medium. Make sure to be consistent in your method of engaging with the audience to make a lasting impression on the audience.
6. Diversify content – The content marketing strategy for any organization should not focus on one medium. Vary the content with visuals through the use of images, infographics, videos, etc. as they impact the audience more. Infographics and videos are used to enhance content and take it to the next level. The possibilities with video content are endless. Video content can be shared on the website, through newsletters, and across social media channels to generate higher engagement.
7. Focus on creating a compelling headline and use subheadings – Before your audience engages with the content, it should be attractive enough for them to click it. Focus on creating a headline that is clickable as that is what people will see first. It should generate curiosity amongst the target audience to learn more and explore the topic you are presenting. Some of the popular top-performing headlines by engagement metrics on Facebook by BuzzSumo are “can we guess”, “that is why”, “the reason is”, “will make you” amongst others. After getting the attention of the audience to ensure that content is presented in a way that is easy to follow. Content should be presented with clear headings and subheadings, lists, bullet points to ensure the audience stays on the page and consumes the entire content.
8. Mix up the content to make it more engaging – Putting out the same type of content is boring. Mix up the content by using articles based on research followed by a video, writing about recent events, and promoting a product. This keeps the customers excited about the content leading to higher engagement levels.
9. Share the content – Great content serves no purpose if no one gets to see it. When planning the content, think of ways how best it should be distributed and shared to achieve its objective. Planning a detailed schedule or a calendar will add consistency and ensure that the content is shared to engage with the target audience.
10. Use Artificial intelligence – All the elements stated above help in creating engaging content but we cannot ignore the role AI can play in making content engaging and successful. It not only helps in identifying the audience but also helps in understanding the performance of the existing content. AI-powered solution helps in predicting the best performing content for each audience to guide and improve content planning. It also helps in giving insights for every content to better understand who it attracts. It provides key metrics like top content views, conversions, and more to measure the impact of each content on the business.

Creating engaging content is not an easy task and presents its own challenge. Connecting with the target audience through compelling and original content is what drives engagement and turn them into loyal advocates for your organization. Focusing on the steps mentioned above will surely lead you to create engaging content.