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Why SEO Should Be An Essential Aspect of Your Business's Promotional Activity?

If you haven’t remained aloof to modern marketing techniques you would have definitely heard and read a lot about search engine optimization. For most people it is a means to improve their digital footprint and grow their brand digitally. But SEO services are often misunderstood in terms of value they add to your promotional activity. They are merely seen from the narrow prism of traffic and rankings on the search engines. On the contrary a SEO services company would offer you much more than mere traffic and visibility and here we take a look at why SEO should be an essential aspect of your business’ promotional activity.

It Adds Credibility to Your Brand

Recall the good old days when businesses would paint the town with hoardings and posters to promote products and services. The reason behind such campaigns was to put the brand in front of the potential customers’ eyes. When done smartly they would strike the right note in the minds of the target audience. SEO does much the same in the digital space. When your brand is constantly in front of the audience it lends credibility. After all most of us like to choose products and services that we know of rather than unknown ones. By tying up with a professional SEO company you would be able to improve brand recognition.

You Don’t Need to Burn a Hole in Your Pocket

As a small business you may have shoestring budget for marketing. This would have so far prevented you from trying out traditional channels of marketing that remain out of reach for most small businesses till date. Search Engine Optimization on the contrary is one of the most cost-effective ways of marketing your brand, products and services. A few hundred dollars each month is all that is required to run an inspiring campaign online. SEO also promises you the lowest customer acquisition cost and garners maximum eyeballs for every dollar spent in the campaign.

Get Insights into Your Potential Customers

Traditional marketing techniques were handicapped by limited means to get insights into your customers. A SEO Company would offer you deep insights into your customers. From who they are, what their age is and where they are coming from you would be able to generate valuable data that helps you run more targeted campaigns in the future. You would also be able to use this data while improving your products and services to meet the aspirations of your customers.

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Cadbury Crispello : Let Something Good Happen !

Brand : Crispello
Company : Mondolez India

Brand Analysis Count: #587

Cadbury recently launched a new brand Crispello in the Indian market. The new product is the company’s second entry into the crispy chocolate segment, the first being Perk. The new brand will be fighting with the likes of KitKat, Galaxy etc. While this segment is dominated by chocolate covered wafer products like KitKat, Cadbury’s Crispello is a wheat crispies covered with chocolate.
The Rs 8000 crore chocolate market is witnessing intense competition with global players fighting it out for the share of the pie. Now the who-is-who of the players are in the market and to be in the game, brands need to constantly innovate. 
Crispello is targeting the new generation of customer who is always looking for a variety of experiences. Crispello is targeting the customers who want light indulgence snacking options. According to company reports, the brand understands that customers of this generation want multi-textured and complex experiences and the brand aims to deliver that option. 
The new brand follows the same brand architecture of other Cadbury brands. The new product is endorsed by the category brand- Cadbury, followed by the family brand – Dairy Milk. 
The brand also follows usual positioning of Dairy Milk centered around the concept of  » Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye « .
The launch advertisement is also in sync with the positioning. Interestingly Crispello is positioned as a healthy diet snack targeting women in Europe.
The strategy followed by Mondolez which has been ruling the Indian chocolate market is to keep the excitement going among the consumers. The Cadbury brand has seen a lot of product launches which had kept the brand in the limelight. Some of the launches have been highly successful in the likes of Dairy Milk Silk. 
With global brands like Mars, M&M etc stepping up the game, the market leader is also making aggressive moves to stay on top. Exciting times ahead in this market. 

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Digital Signages as a Tool of Omni-Channel Marketing

It has long been said that the generation of millennial in the first place is responsible for breaking up the foundations in the traditional marketing due to the habit of its digital technologies. Hereby hangs a tale not that often but X generation and baby-boomers are not that far behind. Rampant development of digital communication, which went through the era of PC to smartphones and tablets, explains why this trend is long-term, but not some kind of short-term devotion. We read up-to-date headlines from the screens but not from the printed sources more often. Digital devices have become so ubiquitous that deliver required information wherever you go.

Retailers feel constrained to expand the boundaries of traditional interaction with customers. Millennial change the system using their mobile devices for searching for more profitable proposals, communication with brand, purchase and products discussion. In addition, availability of a brand in the ordinary for them virtual environment is as important, as the pricing policy.

Data on tendencies in traditional shopping represented on the webinar of the Blackhawk Engagement Solutions, Inc:

  • 89% of millennials use their smartphones for Internet access daily.
  • 55% rely on social media as the main source of news and information (television is on the 6th place).
  • 95% keeps a high sensibility for a price.
  • Majority compares purchase conditions in different stores by means of smartphones.
These tendencies led to an active development of omnichannel marketing. It assumes integration of all the way of communication, online and offline, and delivers an advertising directly to a customer. It suggests personalization so a user can get information, which fits in his/her style of life. Digital signage is an effective tool of omnichannel marketing, they target advertising, gather detailed information about customers, serves as means of effective brand communication and customers on the sale spots. It is a logical continuation of online in an offline environment. Traditional retail approach and the virtual world are impossible to imagine without effective digital signage.
Here is what the latest studies say about digital signage:
  • In accordance with Arbitron study, videos displayed on public attract the attention of 70% customers.
  • According to Samsung, 84% of retailers in Great Britain believe, that a digital signage significantly increases a brand visibility, which emphasizes the importance of keeping a complete, focused on digital technologies image of a brand.
  • Price-Waterhouse-Coopers study shows, that retailers may decrease a customer`s stress using digital signage to inform and entertain clients, waiting in a queue.
  • In accordance with NCR Global Consumer Research, 87% of customers would want no matter where in the world you are (no matter, online or оoffline) to have an equal access to services.
Change and use all the opportunities for effective interaction with your clients. Digital signage perfectly fits for implementation of the omnichannel marketing concept. It is an important tool to engage customers resonating with their way of life.
About the author

About the author: Melisa Marzett who is into marketing and keeps track of events currently writing for http://smartessayrewriter.com. looking for more guest post opportunities. If you happen to be an enthusiastic reader who enjoys her article with a website accepting guest posts on a free basis, her is the email

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How Facebook Messenger Bots Can Elevate Your Online Business?

facebook marketing

An online presence has become paramount in the prevailing global economic conditions. Unless you have been living under a rock, you have watched Facebook evolve from just an online ‘meet me’ spot to a staple in business. This phenomenal online platform has instituted steady improvements over the years and one of the latest ones being, Facebook messenger bots.

Facebook messenger bots are autonomous messages that can interact with clients on your behalf using automated responses. How are they beneficial to my bottom line? – you may ask. These bots provide a number of benefits such as:

1. Saves You Some Face Time
You no longer have to be glued to your monitor, Facebook messenger bots can interact with customers on your behalf through words, videos and pictures depending on customer queries.

2. Help Gather Customer Information
Facebook messenger bots can read and interpret customer queries through artificial intelligence after which, they will deliver relevant answer templates or furnish you with the information needed to respond to the customer query yourself.

3. Easy Customization
These bots amplify various Facebook resources such as chat extensions, sharing capabilities and visual components to help extend your reach. These bots can also be customized to accept customer payments in the messenger window.

4. Broadens Your Reach
Customers are seeking to patronize businesses with bots, which exposes your businesses to a larger audience. Ensure you retain your patrons by giving them a memorable experience.

5. Helps in Delivery
Bots also come in handy in dropping your product offerings and ads right into customer inboxes.

Statistics show that more than 100,000 businesses are using bots with that number set to rise. Customers have also expressed an affinity and preference for businesses they can message effectively. These two facts alone highlight the importance of incorporating Facebook messenger bots into your online business.

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3 Content Strategy Lessons from Seattle Interactive Conference

Recently, the team from Portent attended the latest installment of Seattle Interactive Conference, a fantastic digital conference just down the block from our shiny new home office. Thousands of attendees flocked to downtown Seattle and listened to dozens of speakers share their insights about the digital marketing landscape. (Portent’s own Tim Mehta spoke at SIC about friction in UX and how it affects a user’s journey.) As with any conference, some talks were riveting and others just missed the mark. I attended 11 talks during the two-day event. Here are three content strategy insights I took away from those SIC discussions.

Emphasize Data Transparency (Multiple Speakers)

In a GDPR world, we are the product for many global companies, like Facebook, Twitter and Google. Old news to digital marketers, but still very much worth repeating. Knowing what data these companies collect about us and how it’s used is of monumental importance. Look at the Cambridge Analytica scandal as an example of how data gets abused when users are kept in the dark or mislead.

Nathan Kinch, the author of “Designing for Trust: The Data Transparency Playbook,” says data transparency is crucial because user trust is at an all-time low. His solution is for brands to tell users exactly how they intend to access and process their data. This includes discussing who else (external companies, partners, etc.) has access to the data and what benefits users gain from this data exchange.

Among companies that do provide this transparency, many of them don’t present the information in a user-friendly fashion.

Ask yourself this question: Is any “average user” going to scroll through 15 pages of legalese that they can barely understand, let alone use in an actionable way? I highly doubt it.

Data transparency must be easy-to-digest information that involves users from the get-go. Not just checkboxes and an “I Agree” button.

So what does that interactive process look like?

If users create a new account with your brand, hold their hand and guide them through visual and interactive steps that discuss exactly what happens to their data. If at all possible, give users the option to opt out of data collection entirely. If you do give users this option, provide a caveat that teaches them what services and benefits they’re going to forfeit for withholding the data exchange. An important reminder for this step, teach your users in plain language what they’re giving up but don’t guilt-trip or shame them into giving data access.

This interactive process builds trust and allows users to create a positive connection with the brand. The opt-in, opt-out method allows users to become partners instead of just a data piggy-bank.

Unlike a bad navigation or slow website, data collection is not an in-your-face UX concern for many users. But unlike aesthetic UX snafus, if a brand misuses, loses or abuses data, users lose trust in the brand as a whole. Ultimately, user experience is all about trust, communication and ease-of-use. And data transparency is among the most important pieces of that puzzle.

Congratulate Your Users (Multiple Speakers)

Receiving a high-five feels good, right? It’s a celebration that you did a great job or achieved some task worthy of congratulations. But when is the last time a website or app gave you a high-five for visiting, making a purchase or being a returning customer?

Unfortunately, you probably don’t get to experience high-five moments online very often.
A high-five moment in UX, also known as a “delighter,” occurs whenever you provide users with a fun, congratulatory experience for completing a given task.

For example, MailChimp uses a literal high-five GIF after users send off a survey. The GIF is cute, funny, and makes the experience more fun overall.

Ultimately, high-five moments provide users with a more human experience and allows them to feel more connected to a brand, product or website.

If high-five moments are so beneficial for a user’s psyche, why don’t more websites use the tactic?

The simple answer is that properly executing a high-five moment is really damn hard. And there is no “look at their elbow” cheat in UX.

As UX Planet writes, the MailChimp high-five GIF works as a delighter because the underlying MailChimp product does a great job of fulfilling user needs. MailChimp has fine-tuned its service so it’s useful and easy to use.

The totality of product functionality and the service’s UX is what makes-or-breaks a delighter.

“In order for your delighter to have a positive effect, you must first meet or exceed the user’s basic expectations,” the UX Planet article states. “Otherwise that moment will likely add a layer of cheese on top of the original disappointment.”

There are countless examples of cheesy delighters, but one high-five moment gone horribly wrong stands atop the garbage heap: Clippy, your “favorite” helper from Microsoft Word. Clippy is obtrusive and annoying when it congratulates you for writing in a Word document. Instead of providing a helpful service or making you feel accomplished, Clippy creates aggravation and diminishes Microsoft Word as a whole.

Too often, designers and UX’ers alike focus on ensuring designs are aesthetic and practical. We forget that users love delightful experiences, too (just don’t go overboard and create something like Clippy). So the next time you’re designing or evaluating an experience, ask yourself three questions:

  1. Does this product/experience/website/etc. meet my users’ basic expectations?
  2. Do I think the product/etc. can be innovated or improved enough to provide a performance payoff?
  3. What change to the product/etc. can make the intended innovation more delightful for users? The answer becomes your “delighter.”

If numbers 1 and 2 are a “yes,” then consider how to incorporate number 3 into your design or recommendations. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a well-earned high-five?

Use Authentic, Emotional Stories to Inspire Action – Paul Norris

Storytelling is humankind’s natural form of communication. Stories teach us morality, entertain us, and even help our societies evolve. They’re also crucial components in any marketing strategy because an excellent, authentic story compels users to satisfy whatever emotions or desires the story inspires.

So how to do you create a compelling story? The best place to start to place a modern twist on Aristotle’s classic storytelling framework.

At SIC, Paul Norris spoke about emotional storytelling in UX. Below is his modern twist on Aristotle’s formula.

  • Vision: Present your users with a scenario. Help them imagine how life is in the world.
  • Problem: Teach your users about what’s wrong in the world you’ve presented.
  • Inspiration: Show users how the problem has changed the world in this story, and give them a glimpse of hope for how these villainous circumstances can be repaired.
  • Involvement: Present users with the solution you hinted about earlier.
  • Fascination: Allude to (or show) how the world has changed or can change now that users are involved and adopting the solution.

During the presentation, Norris used this framework to explain a recent Airbnb advertisement.

As you can see, within 30 seconds the video tells a compelling story that successfully follows this formula.

Importantly, viewers are left with one defining message: travel keeps the world moving forward and you should participate. With a posteriori knowledge of Airbnb, the argument that Airbnb helps people travel is unstated but readily apparent, too.

This type of storytelling is powerful because it empowers users to see the story as aspirational and shows how they can have a positive effect in the world by getting involved and traveling.

This formula works because it triggers three distinct responses in users:

  • Inherent Response: an immediate feeling that influences your instinctual perceptions about a scenario.
  • Reflective Response: how you believe this scenario affects your life or the lives of people you care about.
  • Behavioral Response: the actions you take based on the outcome of your reflective response.

Tapping into these three responses helps guide users toward a specific behavior. It’s a stellar method to use while developing your user journey map.

If you missed SIC this year but you’d like a taste of what it was like to be in the room for a standing-room only presentation, you can watch Portent’s own Tim Mehta give his full talk on finding and fixing friction in user experience here.

Finding and Fixing Friction in User Experience - Link to Tim Mehta's SIC 2018 Video Presentation

The post 3 Content Strategy Lessons from Seattle Interactive Conference appeared first on Portent.

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Brand Update : Hamam ladders up to women empowerment

Hamam which has a rich legacy dating back to 1931 is charting a new course in its marketing communication strategy. This 300 crore brand from HUL has been positioning itself on the basis of its ingredients – Neem and Tulsi since its inception. 
In 2017, the brand tried to change its course moving from the functional benefit platform derived from its ingredients to a higher order benefit. In marketing parlance, it is called brand laddering. 
According to news reports, this is the first time that Hamam is moving away from the functional benefit positioning. 
The 2017 campaign #GoSafeOutside aims to use the  » women empowerment » as the platform for brand promotion. The brand is taking up the cause of safety of girls for its promotion. 
The ad shows how a shy young girl is motivated by the mother to stand up on her own.
The concept of women empowerment is nothing new in the Indian marketing scene. Many brands including some soap brands like Lux have taken up this platform for brand promotion. 
In this campaign, Hamam encourages the young girls to take up self-defense courses that would give them the necessary confidence to go out of their safe zone. 
In 2018, the brand went further ahead with the campaign and tried to create a network of mothers called Hamam Mothers Safety Force. This network is intended to provide a watchful eye on the safety of young girls. 
HUL is known for such ground level activation in its various cause marketing campaign for its brands. The brand should be lauded for identifying a potent issue regarding women safety and doing something about it. The brand runs the hashtag  » GoSafeOutside for this initiative. 
The success of a cause marketing campaign revolves around the relevance, brand connect and the impact. This campaign is very relevent in today’s times. It needs to be seen how HUL carries this forward to create a lasting impact on the consumer’s mind. 

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