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The Questions You Need to Ask Before You Join TikTok

Note: This post is based on a webinar hosted by Jay Baer with our friends from Visit California and ICUC Social. You can watch it on-demand, too.

Perhaps you’ve been waiting for TikTok to fade out and run its course as the next “it” app. You expected it to go the way of Vine, Meerkat, and its predecessor, Musical.ly.

Being cautious of “the next big thing” is understandable for social media marketers who likely are already tapped with content strategies for Facebook Lives, tweet threads, Stories, and Snaps–but you may want to join TikTok now since isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Here’s why:

 

TikTok is Now the Most Downloaded App

Since its launch in 2018, TikTok has consistently ranked one of the most downloaded apps worldwide. In 2020, TikTok finally surpassed Facebook as the most downloaded app worldwide and in the United States.

While it has a reputation for being a “Gen Z” space, now 53% of TikTok users in America are 30 years or older, which is similar to how Twitter’s users align.

It’s not just the popularity of the app that is noteworthy. TikTok users spend more time on the platform each month than Facebook users do on Facebook. For TikTok’s users, the app is a primary source of both information and entertainment. It’s just as sticky, if not more sticky than Facebook is today. That’s quite remarkable.

 

Why Users Are Choosing to Join TikTok

TikTok bridges the gap between a social network and a television network. Serving up very short video clips in an endless stream, TikTok became a more social version of video streaming replacing other sources of entertainment including TV time.

Users are actively engaging with videos they see on feeds and the For You Page (FYP), a whopping 92% of users say they take action after watching videos on TikTok.

Impressively, a quarter of users buy or research products immediately after seeing TikTok videos–and that immediacy is something new for marketers who are used to the challenge of assigning attribution for social content.

TikTok users find ads on the platform are more attention-grabbing than other social networks and are more likely to engage or follow up as a result.

 

What Makes TikTok Different?

We can refer to TikTok as a social media kaleidoscope.

While it looks, feels, and acts as a social network, the user experience is meaningfully different from other social channels. The differences are what set TikTok apart, but those differences also pose challenges to social media content creators and brand marketers who must grasp an entirely different way to create and produce video content.

Brand accounts are permitted on TikTok but they work differently than an individual user. The content that is made and published for TikTok was entirely different when it originated than creating for other social networks (until Instagram copied it with Reels).

Engaging with fans happens, but differently. Measuring and tracking success on TikTok also looks different, too.

One of the biggest differences marketers must be aware of is reach. TikTok is based on an algorithm, but the TikTok algorithm itself is programmed differently than creators are traditionally used to.

Content is democratized in a way that Facebook, Twitter, and other channels have never created an opportunity for. On TikTok, this primarily happens on the FYP.

For creators, there is a real possibility for hyper-acceleration thanks to the algorithm and how it allows for viral impressions. Many TikTok users have a similar story of going from a few to thousands of followers literally overnight or with one video.

There are many niche communities that brands and creators can tap into to begin growing their presence.

 

How to Get Started on TikTok

Before you decide to join TikTok, your team should answer these 8 questions:

1.  Should your brand even be on TikTok?

Increasingly the answer is “yes” if you are looking for audiences that are A) more globally driven, B) not just Gen-Z, and C) resources for content creation and testing are available.

2.  How will you measure TikTok’s success?

TikTok views are auto-played and align to a more standard video impression. Other key metrics on the TikTok dashboard include retention, engagement, and followers. Pro tip: the desktop dashboard is far richer than on the mobile app.

3.  How much time and effort can you devote to TikTok management?

Consider what time you must spend to create, publish and engage in vertical video. Consistency is key to TikTok success, and that can be a heavy lift for marketers.

This chart shows four levels of content that Visit California has planned to include on their channel, ranked across a time commitment spectrum.

4.  What should your content strategy be on TikTok?

Boil it down to this — very cool video visualizations paired with strong audio choices. Because TikTok is such a unique channel, it absolutely requires dedicated content.

Repurposing Reels or other videos isn’t going to play for TikTok audiences. A robust content plan must include branded hashtags, branded effects, leveraging creators, experimentation, and testing.

5.  How often should you post on TikTok?

For creators, posting one to three times a day on TikTok isn’t just normal, it is expected. That lift is probably out of range for most brands getting started. It’s okay to ramp up from a few times a week to daily, but be sure to test how consistent posting affects success metrics.

6.  What should your community engagement approach be on TikTok?

No matter how often you are posting, daily engagement is key for staying current with trends and taking advantage of what’s hot–including hashtag challenges, branded effects, and viral music sounds. It’s best to have someone logging in every day to stay current with what’s happening.

7.  Should you use paid TikTok ads?

The first video that pops when the app opens is always a sponsored video called the top view. Sponsored ads also appear through the newsfeed.

Branded hashtags and branded effects are other ways brands can increase reach and engagement. Our recommendation is to get good and consistent at organic before boosting videos or layering in branded content.

8.  How often should you revisit your TikTok strategy?

Stay close to the strategy as a brand channel launches and content ramps up. Know that the channel is also evolving as quickly as the communities and creators themselves.

Sticking to a quarterly review is a good cadence to look at content pillars, micro-influencers, hashtags, and content choices.

Ready to Join TikTok?

No matter when you join TikTok and implement your branded TikTok strategy, give room to experiment and try new things. While this social network isn’t brand new anymore, it certainly is new and different to most social media marketers and creators. While that can be nerve-wracking, it’s also quite exciting.

The post The Questions You Need to Ask Before You Join TikTok appeared first on Content Marketing Consulting and Social Media Strategy.

Source: convinceandconvert.com

Four Trends Driving the Future of Consumer Identity

 

Data privacy and consumer identity have been topics of conversation in the ad tech industry for a long time now. With the widespread use of the internet and the desire for companies to be more transparent with their motives, consumers are getting smarter about how their data is gathered online.

 

This new insight has sparked countless debates over what resources are and aren’t acceptable for companies to use and has led to big-name platforms, such as Apple and Google redefining their privacy policies.

Advertisers are able to reach consumers in new and meaningful ways with so many online channels at their disposal. However, the promise of value-based advertising has fallen short, with several voices calling for changes to the way consumer identity data is handled.

Trends such as consumer action, privacy regulations, the abolishment of third-party cookies, and the rise of the walled garden have all contributed to the rapidly changing landscape of the ad tech industry, and have made it important for companies to innovate their data and identity strategies.

There are currently four trends driving the future of consumer identity that marketing professionals should keep top of mind as they continue improving the brand/consumer relationship:

 

The Consumer is More Than a Participant

With so many data-driven insights comes the tendency for brands to shift away from human-based marketing and instead of seeing consumers as cookies, cohorts and user IDs.

By taking data gathered from consumers to best target them based on their personal wants and needs, companies hope to connect with their audience in more relevant ways.

While the average consumer values personalized marketing, they’re getting much smarter in their ability to recognize what’s truly valuable and what’s simply noise.

As consumer behavior changes, brands must shift towards a conversation-based approach instead of seeing consumer engagement as an end goal to be reached.

With the introduction of AI-based technologies comes the eagerness to automate consumer processes. Brands should be careful in taking this approach. Simply automating all processes can take away the dynamic and responsive aspects of marketing that consumers have come to value.

Instead, companies looking to evolve with consumer wants should be integrating AI with pre-existing ideas of human creativity and intelligence to bring to life answers to the questions consumers search for.

Implementing a creative ad tech system helps to streamline and automate across the creative process, allowing brands to marry large-scale personalization with consumer wants and needs.

Due to the boom of social media, consumers can connect with brands at various touchpoints across the customer journey.

Instead of a blanket advertising approach, brands must take into account the fact that the vast majority of consumers are likely to make a purchase from a brand that puts effort into personalized marketing.

Utilizing a creative personalization solution has the power to create 1:1 personalized experiences at the level the market has grown to demand.

 

Navigating Consumer Identity Privacy

The momentum around consumer privacy regulations has grown in recent years. Privacy regulations such as CCPA and GDPR require the consent of users and a designated opt-out policy and give consumers the right to demand their data be corrected if inaccurate.

Ultimately, these laws require brands to be transparent about how they collect, use and share customer information, bringing even more attention to how consumer data is being handled.

Brands need to take a proactive approach toward data privacy in order to avoid serious consequences.

Identity solutions, such as LiveRamp’s RampID and Unified ID 2.0 (an open-source ID framework using consumers’ anonymized email addresses gathered from a user logging into a website or app), offer brands a way to personalize communications with their audiences across all media channels while still adhering to privacy regulations via acquired consent.

Identity and consumer privacy will continue to be major themes across the industry for years to come. Combining data-driven identifiers with creative automation platforms allows companies to set themselves up for long-term success.

They must ensure that they’re still meeting consumers at the right places with the right messaging with privacy in mind.

 

Cookie and Device ID Deprecation

Consumers have been standing up to demand more fairness and transparency for their privacy online. Browsers and device manufacturers have also been on the same page.

With Google’s decision to moving away from third-party cookies (now delayed until 2023) and Apple integrating key privacy changes into their iOS 14.5, players in the direct-to-consumer market are creating big disruptions in the data-driven advertising space.

The industry is quickly pivoting from a world of ubiquitous consumer data to one where it’s significantly more controlled, managed and safeguarded.

These changes leave brands little choice but to turn away from traditional advertising methods and find new ways to harness consumer data, such as first-party cookies through privacy-compliant technologies.

Companies should keep in mind that traditional use cases for third-party cookies won’t simply disappear, but will instead evolve.

By maxing out the value of first-party data to effectively personalize experiences for consumers, brands will be in a better position to ride out these changes and evolve with the industry.

These changes may seem daunting to an industry that has depended on third-party cookies and device ID methods for decades, but a shift towards first-party data offers an opportunity for companies to take a step back and really dig into their personalization strategies to best optimize their consumer relationships.

 

Walled Garden vs. Open Web

The walled garden ecosystem is growing rapidly as big players such as Amazon and Facebook erect walls to protect their data and assets.

These walled gardens are incredibly disruptive to the future of data-driven advertising, as they block the gathering of data from any outside advertisers.

There has been conversation around publishers and ad tech companies banding around a new unified ID, however, it’s too soon to tell whether these efforts will be fruitful.

According to a 2020 Harris Poll, online users spend 66% of their time on the open web, and 34% behind walled gardens.

However, the open web-only accounts for 40% of total ad spend, whereas 60% of brands are putting their money behind walled gardens in the hopes of reaching more consumers.

For publishers and marketers to survive this large-scale shift of content to closed ecosystems, companies need to improve their first-party data and bolster their direct relationships with consumers instead of relying on platforms such as Google and Facebook to connect them.

 

Between You and Me

Advertisers who have consistently viewed cookies as the end-all-be-all for personalization tactics are going to have to get smart about their next move.

Respecting consumers’ desire for privacy, shifting to a first-party data strategy and recognizing customers as more than just a one-size-fits-all audience are all great steps towards creating a trusted, lasting brand.

There’s plenty of opportunity for outside-the-box solutions if only companies are willing to take the leap.

 

The post-Four Trends Driving the Future of Consumer Identity appeared first on Content Marketing Consulting and Social Media Strategy.

Source: convinceandconvert.com

Best Time Tracking Software

Why is time tracking still a source of stress for employees, supervisors, and management? There are only two reasons, really. They’re not using time tracking software.

Or, they’re using a solution that doesn’t fit with their business.

There is no third reason.

I can say that with total confidence because there are so many good time trackers to utilize.

Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.

Because no one should suffer any longer, I’m going to share the top five-time tracking software options on the market today.

The Top 5 Options for Time Tracking Software

• Clockify – Best Reporting Features
• Time Doctor – Best for Employee Monitoring
• Toggl Track – Best for Holding Everyone Accountable
• TSheets – Best for GPS Monitoring
• Tick – Best for SMB Time Management

How to Choose the Best Time Tracking Software for You

If you have searched for time tracking software before, there’s one thing you’ll notice right away.

All of the popular products deliver way more than simple time tracking.

Trying to keep track of all these additional features would be difficult, but they break down into four highly-recognizable areas:

• Scheduling
• Reporting
• Accounting
• Monitoring

Does your time tracker need to be connected to some or all of these areas?

Finding the best time tracking software is about knowing how you want it to sync with your business. Let’s dive into the core features in each area.

Scheduling

When employees clock in, time tracking software automatically logs their hours. In most cases, users fill out a timecard that says what project or client they are working for.

All of that information gets tracked in a timesheet.

In this example, the timesheet from Clockify shows how all the time entries are automatically mapped out over the week.

Some time tracking software comes with built-in scheduling tools that allow you to assign shifts and alert users when there’s a change in plans.

Time tracking software that’s light on native scheduling features usually has tight integration with the best project management solutions.

Look for the product that has what you need out of the box or connects with the tools you already use to manage your schedule.

Reporting

Time tracking software will let you monitor productivity and forecast budget problems well in advance.

The products I like pull all your data into clear visualizations.

In this example from Toggl Track, it’s easy to see how work is progressing and the impact that has on revenue:

Good tracking platforms also let you drill down into each client, employee, and project’s specifics.

The more advanced tools will let users and administrators add more detail, but all of the products on this list come with tools to help you stay on budget.

Accounting

A lot of companies use time tracking software to streamline payroll and invoicing. By integrating with services like Quickbooks and PayPal, these tools can handle the job in a few clicks.

You can forget about long spreadsheets and good ol’ human error. Whenever you generate an invoice or make a payment, there’s a clear record of the work that was done.

Monitoring

Some time tracking software comes with monitoring features that let you check up on employee productivity.

These include location-based monitoring—such as GPS tracking—which ensures that employees are supposed to be.

Time tracking software can also be downloaded to a specific tablet or desktop that serves as a time clock kiosk.

Like a punch card system of old, the kiosk lets employees enter a PIN or takes a picture to prove they clocked in on time.

There are also digital monitoring aspects to time tracking software, which can record the websites and applications a user visits while they are clocked in.

Some products also take screenshots at random intervals to ensure that people are staying on task.

One quick, important word about monitoring and tracking software.

Before you deploy your new solution, have an open conversation with employees about what’s happening and why. Find alignment in the fact that tracking and monitoring will protect employees as much as the company.

The Different Types of Time Tracking Software

Time tracking software really breaks into two separate categories. One important thing to note is that both types of software have integrations for payroll and billing.

Time Clock Software

If you are looking for a basic time tracking functionality, time clock software is a good place to start.

These are great products for companies that need to track remote workers, as they can clock in the right from their phone.

For consultants, freelancers, or small business owners who really need to keep track of billable hours, time clock software can be a solid, cost-effective solution.

Project Management Software

Once scheduling and reporting features are added to time tracking software, it becomes a powerful tool for project management.

Premium subscriptions for products like Clockify are going to come with everything you need to plan, budget, and execute a project. Others, like Tick, work best when integrated with tools like Basecamp, Trello, and Asana.

Working time tracking software into your project management workflow can be a huge time-saver, and it gives decision-makers excellent insight into productivity.

#1- Clockify — Best Reporting Features

Clockify is a wonderfully simple solution for time tracking and project management. The free version is generous, and its paid plans are very reasonable.

I really like Clockify because it is easy for users to get a bird’s eye view of their time entries for the day, week, or month.

Once they clock in—they can do it anywhere—they see a complete list of their time entries.

From there, they can easily check if anything is missing or incorrect. Without opening a new window, they can edit times and additional information or tags to projects. They can also use the timesheet to confirm that everything is correct each week quickly.

The reporting features in Clockify are quite good, bolstered by users’ ability to put so much information into their timesheets.

Administrators can get a real-time view of project budgets and see exactly what each person is working on.

There are many different reporting filters available to slice the data. However, you like. Get a quick read of how things are progressing for every individual, team, and client.

Clockify is loaded with features to help users stay on track like:

Idle detectionTime auditRequired fieldsAlertsBulk editOffline mode

The free version of Clockify allows unlimited tracking, users, projects, and reports. It has all the great viewing and editing capability that make Clockify easy to use.

The paid plans, which are still a bargain, come with features that give administrators more control over who can see what and advanced alerting and reporting features.

Here’s a breakdown of the Clockify pricing:

• Plus: $9.99/month
• Premium: $29.99/month
• Enterprise: $9.99/month per user

Integrations with Salesforce, G Suite, Freshbooks, and more than 50 other web apps make it easy to use Clockify for scheduling and payroll.

Shortlist Clockify if you need a budget-friendly time tracking solution with beneficial reporting features.

It’s not at the ERP software level, for sure, but compared to other time tracking software, Clockify is fairly robust and really easy to navigate.

#2 – Time Doctor — Best for Employee Monitoring

Time Doctor has rich monitoring features. It’s a full-service time tracker that you can use for payroll and project management, but where it really steps away from the competition is the employee monitoring.

Once employees download Time Doctor, they create tasks and begin tracking time. Supervisors can see what tasks people are working on and get insight into mouse and keyboard activity.

They may also enable screenshots taken at random intervals to confirm people stay on task.

Website and app monitoring is another beneficial facet of Time Doctor for both users and supervisors. You can quickly generate reports that show exactly how much time each person is spending on a website or application.

For supervisors, reports surface unproductive behaviors. With Time Doctor, you can set automatic alerts when users spend too much time on problematic websites and apps or block them altogether.

Moreover, users can better understand their work habits and where they are losing time.

There’s a lot more than just monitoring features included with Time Doctor, as it can handle:

Timesheets & payroll project management & budgetingOffline time-tracking productivity analysis daily, weekly, monthly reports

Pricing for Time Doctor breaks down as follows:

• Basic: starting at $7/month per user
• Standard: starting at $10/month per user
• Premium: starting at $20/month per user

There is no free version of Time Doctor, but you can sign up for a 14-day free trial.

#3 – Toggl Track — Best for Holding Everyone Accountable

Toggl Track has a surprisingly feature-rich free-forever version. For a freelancer or a consultant, this free time clock software can be used to track and invoice all their billable hours.

It’s an excellent app for personal accountability. There’s an idle detector, automated reminders, and Pomodoro timer to maintain focus, which may change the way you work forever.

For teams, the paid plans are a little more on the expensive side, but that is because it can collect and report so much information.

I especially like Timeline, Toggl Track’s background tracking feature, which records time entries for any app or website you use for more than 10 seconds. It’s an easy way to see how you’re really spending your time, and you can configure alerts to suggest tracking for specific actions, such as every time you join a certain call.

Automated alerts let you know when projects are nearing their estimated completion or are in danger of running over budget.

You can also automate email reminders for users who aren’t tracking their hours.

Toggl also has a handy time auditing capability that helps you detect incorrect or unassigned time entries.

Some of the other features that help users save time include:

• Time tracking across all devices
• Chrome and Firefox browser extensions
• Team access levelsProject templates
• Google Calendar integration

Like time audits and being able to set required fields, some nice features are only available with paid subscriptions of Toggl Track.

There are three tiers to choose from:

• Starter: $9/month per user
• Premium: $18/month per user
• Enterprise: Contact Toggl sales for a custom pricing plan

The appeal of Toggl is that it really helps people hold themselves accountable. Between automation and robust monitoring, everyone is reminded of how they are spending their time.

#4 – TSheets– Best for GPS Time Tracking

TSheets is a great choice for employee payroll, especially if you have many people working in the field. It’s a favorite for property developers, construction companies, and other field service-oriented businesses.

It’s wonderful for shift work and salaries, but the GPS tracking features are where TSheets shines.

Employees clock in from the mobile app, and managers can see exactly where they are in the Who’s Working window.

You can use geofencing to set specific areas for employee clock-in, and they can upload pictures and a digital signature to confirm that everything’s done.

The real-time GPS data is also a boon for company coordination.

Quickly figure out who’s closest to the job-site for optimal deployments. Any changes to the schedule will trigger alerts to let everyone involved know about the new plan.

Some of the other convenient features include:

• Drag-and-drop scheduling tool
• Time clock kiosk
• Facial-recognition time clockOvertime tracking
• Reporting and forecasting
• Alert by text, email, or push notifications

TSheets has dozens of integrations on its App Marketplace, but I want to note that Intuit makes Quickbooks the same company. So, if you are using Quickbooks, know that TSheets is going to plug right in.

Pricing for TSheets is very reasonable:

• Premium: $8/month per user, plus $20 base fee
• Elite: $10/month per user, plus $40 base fee
• Premium doesn’t have geofencing, digital signatures, and advanced reporting features, but it has literally everything else.

In terms of a project management app, TSheets doesn’t let you get too granular, but you’ll be a master of the entire platform within a week. There’s not a lot of education needed for workers to use it, which makes getting buy-in a lot easier.

#5 – Tick — Best for SMB Time Management

Tick is project-based time tracking software. It integrates nicely with tools like Trello, Asana, and Basecamp, helping managers keep projects on time and budget.

In Tick, you create projects made up of tasks. Then, employees select the appropriate project and task, entering time from their desktop, mobile device, or even their Apple Watch.

You can set budgets for individual tasks within Tick, so managers have a better idea of where time is being lost within the larger project.

You can also create recurring projects, which can close at the end of the month and auto-duplicate for the next one. This is great for individuals and companies that use retainers or provide routine services for their clients.

The reporting capabilities in Tick are helpful for budget analysis and forecasting. Searching through data is really easy, by the client, employee, project, or billable versus non-billable.

A lot of users like Tick’s auto-fill search because they don’t have to browse for what they need.

Quite simply, Tick simplifies time management. With very little work on the user-side, those in control of the budget can make decisions based on accurate, real-time information.

Other key features of Tick include:

• Set running timers
• Assign people to projects
• Chrome extensionInvoicing and payroll integrations
• Easy-edit time entryBulk move time entry

A word about these last two features: It used to be that Tick’s editing time entries were a real pain. They’ve since updated it so you can edit time directly in reports and move all entries from one task or project to another.

Tick pricing is based on the number of projects you can create:

• 1 Project: Free
• 10 Projects: $19/month
• 30 Projects: $49/month
• 60 Projects: $79/month
• Unlimited Projects: $149/month

With every tier, you get unlimited users, clients, and tasks. It’s super affordable for any business.

I mean, if Tick saves you 2 hours, it’s already paid for several months of service.

I recommend this product to teams using Trello, Asana, and especially Basecamp, which has really tight integration. It also integrates with Zapier and more than 750 other web apps.

There’s a 30-day free trial of Tick. If you think it could work for your business, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

Summary

I don’t like just to hit expectations; I always want to over-deliver.

But my work has to be on time and budget. It’s impossible to sustain a consistent level of service without a clear sense of how my time is spent.

The same holds for both blue-collar moving companies and white-shoe law firms. Time is money.

Take control with time tracking software.

Individuals and small businesses should check out Clockify, Tick, and Toggl to see how far they can get with a free forever product.

Looking at those three options and thinking about larger teams and paid plans, Clockify is going to offer the best in-house reporting features. This can be really helpful for teams that are trying to track revenue and expenses across many projects.

For time management, SMBs are going to find that Tick has everything they need within an intuitive interface. It delivers a similar experience as Toggl at a lower cost. Choose Toggl if you want employee monitoring features, which you won’t get with Tick.

If you really need robust employee monitoring features, Time Doctor is the product for you. You get a lot more insight into how users spend their time than you will with other time tracking software.

In the field, TSheets outperforms the competition. The GPS tracking features work beautifully, and the mobile app keeps remote workers up to speed.

The post-Best Time Tracking Software appeared first on Neil Patel.

Source: feedproxy.google.com

SEO Isn’t the Only Way to Drive Traffic. Here Are 6 Alternative Strategies.

As marketers, we invest a lot of our time and energy into SEO.

Considering that Google receives over 66,000 searches every second, we’d be stupid not to.

But when it comes down to it, Google and other search engines are just one of the many ways you can drive traffic to your website.

In fact, depending on your target audience and competition, Google may not even be your best traffic source.

Take Upworthy, for example.

This site, which has a reputation for sharing feel-good viral videos, gets almost 43% of their traffic from social and less than 19% from search.

Groups of consumers all use the web differently.

Some like to get their content from friends or influencers on social.

A few depend on their trusted newsletters to tell them what content they need to read.

Others use an alternative search engine like YouTube or even Facebook.

 

6 Alternative Strategies to Drive Traffic

To prove that you don’t need Google to drive traffic to your website, here are six alternatives that can help boost your visits.

 

1. Create a YouTube channel

YouTube has 1.5 billion active users each month, making it the world’s second-largest social platform.

With 1.5 billion active users each month, YouTube is the world’s second-largest social platform.

Over 30 million users log on to watch a total of 5 billion videos each and every day.

These numbers are massive.

However, these numbers still don’t rival Google, which processes about 3.5 billion searches per day.

So, how can you drive even a fraction of the traffic with YouTube that you could with Google?

Well, the beauty of YouTube is that it allows you to share videos.

While Google does display YouTube videos as part of its results lists (Google does, after all, own YouTube), the results aren’t quite the same.

In order to appeal and reach these video-lovers, you need to create YouTube content.

Because YouTube reaches more people from the ages of 18-49 than any cable network, this is particularly true if you’re marketing to younger generations.

Gen Z’s love affair with YouTube runs especially deep.

In fact, 50% of Gen Z-ers told AdWeek they wouldn’t be able to live without the sharing site.

They also shared why.

For Gen Z-ers, YouTube is more than just a video-sharing site. Look at all of the things that they go to YouTube for:

If Gen Z’s love for videos continues as they grow older and start making new purchasing decisions, this may be a major game-changer for marketing in years to come.

Uploading videos to YouTube allows you to appear in front of customers who use the site like a traditional search engine.

Then, with appropriately-placed links, you can drive those users back to your website.

Let’s take a look at how GoPro’s YouTube channel does this.

As one of the most popular YouTube channels around, GoPro uses their high-quality videos to show what their product is capable of doing.

However, simply uploading videos doesn’t drive sales.

That’s why they also make it easy for customers to get from their YouTube channel to a product page.

Here, we have a video shot users shot with the GoPro HERO6:

Right within the first couple lines of the description, viewers have a link that will bring them straight to the product page for the GoPro HERO6.

Interested customers can check out what the new camera is capable of, then easily make their way over to the GoPro website to get additional details or make a purchase.

And this isn’t the only way GoPro pushes traffic to their website.

You can also find a link to their website and their social media profiles within their cover image.

This gives YouTube users who land on the company’s channel an opportunity to get to their website quickly.

You can also add links to your website within your actual video content.

YouTube even offers features that allow users to create interactive video ads.

These features display either over the video itself or at the end of a video, prompting viewers to make the next move.

You’ll see from this chart that both call-to-action overlays and auto end screens help drive traffic to your website.

Here’s an example of a call-to-action overlay from a HubSpot video.

YouTube features the link right within the middle of the video. HubSpot timed it perfectly so that it appears when the viewer has a thorough enough understanding of inbound marketing to start feeling enticed.

Now, let’s compare this to an auto end screen.

Here’s an example from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

This presents the viewer with a number of different options when they’ve completed a video. It includes an offer to head to the NBC website to download the show’s app.

When using either of these interactive features, be sure to provide a clear and direct value to your watcher.

Also, keep in mind that you don’t want to plaster over your video with links to dozens of content pieces.

Instead, focus on just one or two that truly support the contents of your video.

 

2. Start conversations on social

If you do it correctly, social can rival Google as a traffic source.

According to Sprout Social, 48% of Millennials and 48% of Gen X-ers followed a brand on social media in Q1 of 2017.

This means you have less noise to cut through to get to your target audience.

Additionally, social provides you with an opportunity to engage and entertain – something you’ll struggle to do on a search engine.

When social users scroll through their timelines and news feeds, they’re looking for just about anything that will pique their interest.

If you’re capable of providing something high-quality and interesting, they’ll click through to your site to check out more.

However, it’s important to recognize how social is changing for brands.

In 2017, social accounted for 25.6% of all site visits.

But this number is actually down from past years.

From the same study, we can see that from about the end of 2013 to the beginning of 2017, social was outperforming search for driving traffic.

Unfortunately, the changes to the Facebook algorithm led to serious declines in organic reach on the platform.

Compared to the first half of 2017, Facebook saw about a 9% drop in social media referrals in the second half of the year.

However, one social site’s loss is another’s gain.

While Facebook saw a large dip at the end of 2017, both Pinterest and Instagram saw some pretty significant jumps.

Regardless of the social networks, you choose to target, you want to provide meaningful and valuable information.

Remember that users log onto social to engage with their friends – not to have someone sell them something.

You want to find ways to engage your user while they’re still on the platform.

Buzzfeed Tasty does an excellent job at this.

Within their Facebook post, they include it all.

They created a video to grab attention.

They have friendly messages that establish the viewer as their friend.

And they include not one but two links that can either push the user to buy or to check out the recipe from the video.

And they do all of that without making it feel overwhelming!

This tactic has gained the Tasty Facebook page serious attention – almost 95 million followers!

To replicate this for your own audience, know your audience and create social content that blends seamlessly into their timelines.

Another way to get a conversation started is to use Twitter threads.

Twitter threads allow you to share insights, tips, and thoughts that connect by replying to yourself – and they have the power to bring you viral attention.

Check out what happened to travel blogger Hey Ciara.

On January 1st, she started this thread.

With this one thread alone, Ciara gained over 13,000 new Twitter followers, 6,000 new Instagram followers, and a 10x increase in her blog traffic.

Threads like these provide a distinct value to followers in a relatable way.

After sharing her secrets, Ciara drops a link to a blog post on her website containing more information.

Though the engagement with the link is significantly less than the first post, it was still able to drive traffic.

She already established authority with her followers in the thread. They trust her and know that she has information worth sharing. That gives them a reason to click on the link.

Creating a Twitter thread typically takes minimal effort. However, you want to be prepared to keep the momentum going.

Know the direction you’re going to take before you begin and be ready to share images, videos, or links that support your claims.

 

3. Partner with influencers

There are a lot of scams on the web, making shoppers wary about who they choose to purchase from.

If they’ve never heard of a business, they’re not going to pull out their credit cards after seeing just one ad.

Before they’re ready to shop, they need to trust you.

Unfortunately, it takes time to build trust organically.

However, you can speed up that process by working with influencers.

Almost nine out of ten individuals say that they trust online recommendations as much as personal recommendations.

Influencer marketing gives your content a “stamp of approval” from someone your audience already values. This dramatically cuts down on the trust-building process.

There are two main ways that you can get in touch with influencers.

First, you can use the more traditional pathway of having influencers share sponsored posts.

Here’s an example of a sponsored post from Emma Blackery.

The National Citizen Service (NCS) sponsored the ad. In the UK, they offer kids from 15-17 years old a camp-like, professional development opportunity.

By sharing this post, Emma is bringing awareness to NCS while also vouching for its validity.

She also includes a link to the company’s homepage, encouraging her followers to check out the organization more.

Within just five hours, Emma’s post gained over 480 likes, 38 retweets, and 24 comments.

Compared to the handful of likes NCS’s own posts get, this kind of attention is huge.

Paying for advertisements can give you more control as a brand.

If you’re a small business or you have a limited marketing budget, it might not be right for you.

But even if you don’t have money to invest in influencer marketing, you can appeal to influencers for free by featuring them in your own content.

Posts like this one from Comm100 are a great way to connect with several influencers at once.

This not only gives you free promotion, but it can also help you create long-term relationships with influencers and experts you might want to partner with in the future.

If you choose to use this kind of content, have realistic expectations.

It isn’t likely that each influencer you mention will share the post, especially if they already have a large following.

However, reaching out to each expert to let them know that you’ve featured them might help you get a few new shares and a boost in web traffic.

One way of reaching out is to present a quote.

In this Twitter post from Jitesh Patil, he pulled a quote from Robbie Richards and then tagged him in the tweet.

This gained Robbie’s attention, so he retweeted it to his own audience.

This kind of outreach makes it easy for the influencer to share your content. With just one click of a button, they’ve done their job.

You can also reach out via direct message. This is one of Gary Vaynerchuk’s favorite ways to network.

According to Gary, “the key is to connect first, provide value, and THEN given the right opportunity presents itself, ASK.”

This kind of relationship can help you establish long-term relationships with influencers.

 

4. Take advantage of your email subscribers

The conversation about whether or not an email is dying has been happening for years.

Many markers are quick to support social or mobile apps over email marketing.

However, in Adobe’s 2017 Consumer Email Survey Report, they found that email was the preferred form of contact for 61% of survey participants.

In fact, email was the only contact method that actually improved between 2016 and 2017.

But user preference isn’t the only thing that email marketing has over other contact methods.

The average click-through rate is also much higher.

For email, the average click-through rate is 3.42%.

While this might seem low, the average click-through rate for Facebook Ads is only 0.90%.

This means that you’re much more likely to get web traffic from your email subscribers than your social profiles.

And that starts with personalization.

Here’s an example of personalization from LinkedIn.

LinkedIn takes a user’s location, job title, and qualifications and provides unique job recommendations for them.

This goes far beyond simply changing the name at the top of a message. For best results, you need to personalize the email’s body, too.

According to research, personalizing email bodies has a dramatic effect on open rates and click-through rates.

Open rates are almost 7% higher with a personalized email body, and click-through rates jump by over 1.3%.

You can also personalize the sender name for even stronger click-through-rate results.

Take this example from HubSpot.

When they sent a message from “Maggie Georgieva, HubSpot,” there was a 0.50% higher open rate and 0.25% higher click-through rate than when they sent the email from just “HubSpot.”

For HubSpot, this meant that a personalized sender generated 292 more clicks.

To improve click-through rates even further, you also want to optimize your emails for mobile.

In the study from Adobe that we looked at above, we see that users are much more likely to check their personal email on a smartphone than a desktop or laptop.

Make it easy for your email subscribers to get back to your website regardless of the screen they’re viewing your message on.

Use CTA buttons rather than in-text links and keep your messages short and to the point.

Provide enough information to pique your reader’s interest, but your end goal should always be to push subscribers back to your site.

 

5. Provide assistance on forums and question sites

People have a lot of questions.

And they don’t exclusively turn to Google to get their answers.

Users turn to forums and question sites.

Participating in conversations on sites like Reddit for Quora can help you attract individuals looking for answers beyond what Google can provide.

With over 330 million users, Reddit is the fourth most-visited website in the US.

Although Google, YouTube, and Facebook outrank the site in terms of popularity, Reddit beats them all based on the average amount of time that users spend on the site.

Reddit can be a great place to promote your site. However, you need to be strategic with how you go about it.

Most subreddits have strict rules about what you can and can’t say in their comments.

Each subreddit has a moderator. If you post the wrong material, they’ll delete your post and potentially even ban your account.

Users turn to forums like Reddit for help – not to have someone sell to them.

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t use Reddit to drive traffic to your site.

One of the best ways to do it successfully is through an “ask me anything” session, or an AMA.

Here’s an example of a successful AMA from Student Loan Hero.

While the post is promoting the business, it’s more focused on providing Reddit users with valuable information about paying off debt.

By answering questions, Student Loan Hero is able to improve trust with Reddit users and get them interested in the brand.

They also find ways to link to their content and tools as they answer questions.

Here is an example.

Student Loan Hero isn’t using this platform as a way to spit out ads.

Instead, they’re framing their content to fit the unique needs of each individual asking questions.

If you’re trying to be spammy on Reddit, users will be quick to call you out.

However, you can still see a lot of success from the platform by making your value clear.

Jeff Callahan, the creator of one of the most successful Reddit posts, says that success on the platform begins with a “non-clickbaity” title.

He begins his post by sharing who he is and how he relates to the other users. Then, he communicates exactly what he has to say and why he’s credible enough to say it.

He then follows these same ideas throughout his post, always relating back to the user before providing tips or insights he can back up with personal experience.

If you use it wisely, Reddit can be a great place to bring visitors to your website.

You can also use Quora, which has 200 million unique monthly visitors, to answer questions from potential audience members.

Here’s an example of how I responded to a Quora question.

Like Reddit, Quora allows you to engage with individuals who are asking questions. Answering questions helps you prove your value to them before they head to your website.

This can encourage more traffic to your page.

Kevin Lee, the founder of Product Manager HQ, attributes his business’s start and growth to Quora.

According to his post about how Quora changed his life, Kevin explains that Quora brought thousands of new subscribers to his blog.

He says that people in public have even recognized him from his Quora answers.

If you’re in a niche industry, there are other forums you may want to take advantage of.

For example, marketers may want to become active on Inbound.org while lawyers should check out Avvo.

 

6. Take advantage of guest posting

Guest posting can be a powerful way to bring new traffic to your website.

About 57% of business bloggers use guest posting as part of their content strategy.

Some major brands even used guest blogging to get their platforms off the ground.

For example, Buffer used guest blogging to grow their site to 100,000 users in their first nine months.

When looking for guest posting opportunities, you want to find sites that are within your niche but aren’t direct competitors.

Hosting a post on another website puts your content in front of a new audience, driving new leads back to your page.

Check out this example of a guest post on Entrepreneur.

As you can see, Dan Dowling, the guest author in this example, has links to his Facebook page, Twitter account, and website homepage.

Guest posting on other websites isn’t the only way to use the strategy to drive traffic.

You can also feature guest posts on your own site.

This not only gives you a bit of a break in your content schedule, but it also encourages guest posters to share links to your page.

Here’s an example from ProBlogger.

ProBlogger benefits from this post because the author, Larry Alton, will want to advertise that they’re featuring him on their site.

Each time Larry promotes the piece, ProBlogger gets a new wave of traffic.

But blogging isn’t your only option.

You can also appear on podcasts or webinars to share your opinion and expertise.

Here’s an example from SEMrush’s Search Marketing Scoop with David Bain.

In this episode, both Barry Schwartz, News Editor at Search Engine Land, and Richard Fergie, a consultant at E-Analytica, jump on the podcast to talk about paid and organic search.

These types of partnerships typically take more time, but they can provide serious returns in the end.

You want to think of what podcasts or webinars your audience may be engaging with that aren’t your direct competitors.

 

Conclusion

You don’t need Google to drive traffic to your website.

Sure, it helps.

But it shouldn’t be your only traffic source.

In fact, for the most success, you should have multiple pathways bringing new traffic to you.

Use these six traffic-generating sources as a starting point for diversifying how you bring in new visitors.

Pay close attention to your customers and target audience.

If they’re not responding to a particular pathway, don’t waste your time.

When you provide what they’re looking for in an avenue they’re already engaging with, traffic will flock to your page.

What are some of the best traffic sources for your website outside of SEO?

About the Author: Neil Patel is the cofounder of Neil Patel Digital.

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