Here at novi.digital, we know it can be stressful and time consuming to juggle your business’ growing needs while also trying to provide top marketing techniques to catch the eye of your target customer. That’s where we fit into things! We’re an award-winning data-driven digital marketing agency. We have a penchant for business strategy, and provide research, consultancy, analysis services to help you thrive. Our SEO and PPC campaigns are first in class and have helped companies across the globe make their mark.

In light of our success, we’ve been named one of the top UK agencies by Clutch, a B2B verified research authority. We’ve been recognized for our highly impactful and brand building pay-per-click campaigns, and we’re excited that our hard work has paid off!

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our lovely customers for helping us win this award. They participated in one on one client interviews to assess how we’ve performed along the lines of quality, attention to project timelines, and overall value for their financial investment. We’re proud to report that we’ve achieved a wonderful 4.6 out of five stars from our clients thus far! Please take a look at one of our recent reviews below from Environmental Consultants Group, one of our clients based out of London:

For those who are unfamiliar with Clutch, they’re a B2B market research firm that employs a one of a kind research methodology towards comparing and contrasting leaders across industries. We’ve also received acclaim from their two sister sites, The Manifest and Visual Objects. The Manifest, a business data and how-to resource, lists us as one of the top SEO firms in London.

Thank you one and all for making this award possible! Please view our contact page and complete the form if you’d like to collaborate on a project today.

Call us today at 0800 955 6684 or send us an email at [email protected]

For a long time, the number one request to Google from Search Console users like ourselves was better, fresher data in report. It turns out they listened! On Monday, Google announced the latest improvements to the Search Performance Report. But does Google mean by Search Console’s fresher data? What are the benefits for us?

What is the update to Google Search Console?

These changes are crucial to webmasters, site owners and our clients. Now, Google is giving us more data to allow us to do the following:

• View data as recent as less than a day old – in previous iterations Google limited the data to 3 day old data.
• Better assess Search and Discover traffic.
• Use content data to assess top and trending search queries for websites.
• Drill down into what makes up a site’s audience – countries, devices, and more.
• Analyse what search formats our websites get. This ranges from article (AMP and non-AMP), recepies, carosels, livestreams, etc.

What is the benefit of Search Console’s fresher data?

At novi.digital, we provide data-driven in the digital marketing solutions we provide our clients. With this improved data output, we are now able to better track the performance of our client’s websites.

For instance, we no longer need to wait until Wednesday to see the our client’s website improvements from the weekend. With this change in Search Console, we’re able to make immediate assessments first thing on Monday. This extends from customer-specific needs such as the launch of a new product, right the way to national holidays and global events.

This alsomeans that we’re able to immediately see the positive impact of technical improvements. It’s no secret that websites need constant maintainance to stay functional and protected. Between CMS updates, Google Algorithm changes and search trends shifting, it’s vital that we stay on top of the curve. With the improved Search Console data feed, we’re able to see the positive impact of our changes within 24 hours of implementing them.

Ready to benefit from Search Console’s fresher data in your reports?

Being able to bring these changes to our reporting as part of our SEO and PPC services is extremely exciting. If you want to find out more about what this means and how we can use these changes to benefit your business, get in touch! We’d love to hear from you. Call us today at 01524 566 736 or send us an email at [email protected]

You’ve probably seen different guides on how to rank high on search engine result pages (SERPs). Alternatively, you’re curious to know what every other person is doing concerning link building and SEO.

In an SEO survey, 41 percent of the executives find link building to be the most challenging SEO practice. 

Since no one can claim to know all the factors that Google uses to rank websites, they can’t explain the algorithms either. Hence, unfounded assumptions continue to make rounds in the SEO world.

Let’s explore ten myths that can hurt your SEO activities and make link building a chore.

1. High Domain Authority Compliments Good Backlinks

Image credit: Michael Callahan

Surely you must have heard this phrase.

Some people believe that a good backlink comes with high Domain Authority. But when you observe an increase in your ranking, is that good backlink the only factor?

Not at all!

You can use Domain Authority and Trust Flow to compare websites, but it doesn’t affect your ranking on search engines. Albeit, it doesn’t signal a good rank or tells you if a website is good for backlink building.

You’ll have to consider other SEO factors while building links, such as:

• Site relevancy
• Trust flow and citation flow
• Natural anchor text
• Spam score
• Page Authority (PA)
• Linking Domain high traffic value

2. You Must Spread the Links You’ve Built Over a Few Weeks or Months

Image Credit: GOV.UK Schools Fake Website Campaign

You might have been told to spread links over a few weeks or months, and your fear for Google’s penalty might have gotten the best of you. However, Google’s Penguin algorithm goes for sites that have unnatural links.

Don’t be pushed into the mold of ten-links-a-day that businesses advertise. There’s no specific quota. You’ll only have to worry if your site looks spammy because Google would flag it for manual reviews.

Some websites have gained about a hundred natural backlinks overnight. Especially for viral contents that several publications picked up.

The point is that you don’t need to worry about building many links in a short time if:

• The links you pick are natural
• Instead of getting many links, you focus on the quality of the links
• Your overall backlinks are natural

3. Guest Posting for Link Building Is Dead

Image Credit: Joe The Goat Farmer

This myth assumes that if your SEO strategy involves guest posting, you must be dodgy. But that’s not true. Albeit, you must be picky when choosing a website to post on.

For a rich guest blog, you want to make sure that

• You’re posting on relevant websites
• The website has a strongly-established loyal audience
• You aren’t paying for the links you get
• The content is long-form and meaningful (don’t post contents with spun words)
• The website isn’t part of a Private Blog Network, PBN (these sites or blogs are formed to build links to a sales page without providing value)

Don’t expect great results when your guest post doesn’t meet the above requirements.

4. Nofollow Links Implies Zero Link Juice

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Some leading websites automatically mark external links with the rel=“nofollow” attribute to tell Google not to follow them. You might have heard that these links have no link juice. Albeit, certain factors show that no-follow links produce some results in SEO.

• They’re useful for your backlink profile
• Even no-follow links drive traffic
• They still have a certain level of link juice because Google knows that they exist
• A no-follow link helps in building website authority
• They’re part of organic natural link profiles

In addition to the rel=“nofollow” Google recently introduced additional no-follow link attributes.

• The rel=“ugc” identifies links that are within user-generated content, and
• rel=“sponsored” identify links that you create for sponsorship or advertising

5. Links from Wikipedia and .edu Sites Boast Abnormal Ranking Power

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

It’s believed that if you can get even a single link from any Wikipedia or .edu page, your ranking would sky-rocket. That’s not true.

Though these sites rank high, they get the same treatment that other websites are subject to. You can’t afford to rely on links from these sites as your only SEO strategy.

In response to this misconception, a Google representative, Gary Illyes stated that Google ranks Wikipedia just like other websites.

This goes a long way to say no website receives special treatment when it comes to Google ranking.

So the advice is to consider a combination of SEO metrics when building links. Your focus should be to identify other authoritative sites and diversify.

6. More Backlinks is Better for Link Building

 

You must have heard comments like, “build more links, it’s always good for SEO.” But from all you’ve heard so far, you know that isn’t true.

The reason is simple. You’re an average of the friends you keep.

This also affects link building because if the majority of links you have are from websites with a DA of 10, you’ll also fall within that range too. But don’t be discouraged if your rating has dropped as well. You can still remove them by submitting a disavowal request.

When you disavow a backlink, Google sees that you don’t want to be associated with the website in question. So from time to time, you should run an audit on your backlinks to stop low quality ranks from messing up your ranking journey.

7. External Links Matter More Than Internal Ones

Image credit: Craig R. Kirkby

Your internal links would actually do you more good than external ones if you use them right.

Internal links create a connection between your weak and high ranking pages. What you do here is take the links of your pages that have good content but aren’t ranking, and place them on your highly visited pages. But be strategic with the word or phrase you place the link on.

So when visitors land on the popular page, they’re lured to the less popular pages through the links. Then you’ll see your lazy pages begin to rank higher. This allows link power to flow while increasing your dwell time.

However, Google considers other ranking signals when it comes to external links.

8. More Keywords Would Rank You High on SERPs

It’s true that using keywords can improve your SEO rank. But that doesn’t mean that you should stuff your content with a lot of them. Keyword stuffing is easy to detect and can actually have a negative effect on your website’s performance on search engines. SEO does a world of good to your business but only when done right.

No matter how well you think keyword density can boost your ranking, creating quality content is more effective.

9. Images and Videos Don’t Affect SEO

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

To improve user experience, you might want to use images and videos that are lightweight on your website. You want to make sure that the images are relevant to the content and not just a decoration. In other words, your images or videos are part of the content.

So to say that they have no effect on your SEO isn’t true. Once you’re able to integrate your images or videos in a meaningful way, you’ll boost your ranking.

For meaningful integration:

• Only use videos or images if they’re relevant
• Compress videos and resize images for better site speed
• Don’t use too many colors
• Search engines can’t link an image directly to keywords, so use Alt-tags.

10. Avoid Communities: Forums, Blogs Comments, and Directories

Image credit: William White

Black hat SEO takes advantage of blog comments, forums links, and directories to build backlinks. So this has given the strategy a bad reputation

When done correctly, however, your contents get more search rank which tends to increase traffic to your site.

But as you already know, not everything in the SEO world is that simple. You can’t just drop links randomly and expect a speedy result. You don’t want the link you build to put your reputation on the line.

To benefit from links you get from directories, forums and blog comments, pick a relevant website. For example, it makes sense when a beauty shop’s website links to a cosmetic site.

Leave meaningful comments that show that you actually read the content. Not just the usual “wow!’ or “nice one!”

To Wrap Up

It’s easy to underestimate or overvalue SEO strategies.

That’s why you should filter out the truth from the lies. It’s only then that you’d know where to focus your attention.

Tulip Turner –

Tulip is a Content and Inbound Marketing expert at Snewscms. Over the years, she has helped dozens of businesses in defining their content strategy. She believes that creativity doesn’t inspire customers anymore. A true story when recited well, is enough to build a connect.

Twitter – @snewscmss

Facebook – @snewscms

Search engine optimisation is a fundamental concept and continues to grow in importance daily. Here at novi.digital, we are an award-winning data-driven digital marketing agency that provides research, consultancy, analysis and managed services for SEO and PPC to clients across the U.K. and internationally. We have started gaining the recognition and market popularity we dreamed about when we started this business. Recently, Clutch recognised us as one of the 1,000 best B2B service providers worldwide. With over 160,000 company profiles listed on Clutch, the Clutch 1000 makes up the top 1% of companies due to the high number of positive reviews. Being acknowledged as one of the leading U.K. marketing firms by Clutch has helped us gain popularity throughout the industry.

For those unfamiliar with Clutch, they are a top B2B ratings and reviews website based out of Washington, D.C. Clutch’s reliability and credibility have taken off within the last few years due to its trustworthy process of gaining insight into its company ratings. Through market research and interviews with former clients, Clutch has developed real-life examples of the thoughts and feelings of various companies. It has gained increased validity in the industry. Below is an example of a positive review we acquired from a past partner who needed help with SEO and PPC services. 

“The most important thing that novi. Digital has given us a framework and clarity on what to do next. I appreciate their depth of knowledge, even if they push back on ideas that we have on our side. We have a very healthy working relationship. They steer my ambitions in the right direction.” – Senior Marketing Manager.

Clutch has been a real asset to achieving growth; we are incredibly thankful. Furthermore, Clutch’s sister website, The Manifest, named us one of the top London agencies specialising in digital marketing and SEO. On top of that, Visual Objects, a portfolio-sharing platform, recogniseds us as one of the leading B2B companies in the U.K.

We are incredibly thankful for our increased market recognition due to our partnership with Clutch, The Manifest, and Visual Objects. We would not be where we are today without these businesses and the great people who work there. Cracking the list for the Clutch 1,000 is an incredible honour and only motivates us to continue to pursue our goals of becoming the best digital marketing company worldwide. If you have any questions regarding our business function and want to learn more, please get in touch with us! 

Behind any successful email marketing campaign is the right software. To refine your email marketing strategy for total efficiency, you’ll need access to the right tools. Core email features, like personalisation and analytics, are essential to your success. Popular ESPs like MailChimp, will grant you access to those tools. Lately, though, users have been considering other email marketing alternatives, which presents a new question: Which of the many MailChimp alternatives will provide me with the tools I need to succeed?

Why Seek MailChimp Alternatives?

Many marketers have been using MailChimp as their go-to for digital marketing campaigns. Because of this, many have noticed changes in its business model and service levels. Some of the biggest shifts occurring recently include the following:

Service Quality – Millions of MailChimp’s users scratched their heads when they experienced outages and connection interruptions. Some struggled to log into accounts, others reported pages loading slow, and many couldn’t contact customer support.

Integration Losses – MailChimp recently lost one of their biggest integration partners due to disagreements about data privacy. Shopify, which powers a multitude of e-commerce stores around the globe was one of the lost integrations.

Pricing Problems – This is possibly the biggest frustration for some users. MailChimp changed pricing models for all free and premium users, imposed limits on key features. and required users to pay for unsubscribed contacts. They also hiked prices for legacy customers, many of whom were not informed.

Luckily, MailChimp isn’t the only tool out there that can get the job done right. Many software providers exist, offering the same features as MailChimp. It’s a matter of finding the perfect match for your organisation’s unique goals, processes, and budget. Here are some of our picks for the best MailChimp alternatives around.

6 of the Best MailChimp Alternatives

Never neglect your campaign’s goal when choosing a potential email marketing provider. They go a long way in assisting conceptualisation. A good MailChimp alternative will have all the features you need to achieve that goal.

Below is a list of five popular email service providers with descriptions to help you make the most informed choice.

1. Campaign Monitor

CampaignMonitor serves more than 250,000 customers worldwide and sends out millions of emails each day. The platform’s signature features are its visual journey builder and customisable drag-and-drop email creator.

The visual journey builder uses similar techniques to drag-and-drop email layout creation but goes a step further with custom automation triggers. Users can map out a multi-step customer journey for campaigns—all in one place.

The drag-and-drop email builder offers mobile-responsive templates that are easily customizable. But, if users also want a more granular look into the back end of their email, it’s also possible to edit the code.

It also offers flexible pricing plans and advanced tools for higher subscriptions.

One user review says: “ CampaignMonitor is easy to use and accessible for every employee regardless of their skillset. The client service team responds quickly when there are issues to be resolved.”

2. GetResponse

GetResponse is another popular email tool. It offers both small business and enterprise-level plan options. They’re best at catering to smaller businesses because of their massive library of responsive email templates. They also offer a drag-and-drop email builder and the option to access the email’s code for further customisation.

GetResponse also provides integrations with many other programs. It’s ideal for businesses that already have software solutions in place. This ranges from e-commerce such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and Etsy, to social media networks like Facebook and Twitter, to full marketing CRM solutions like HubSpot, and more.

For users who are on the search for robust data and analytics, GetResponse is the way to go. According to one user review, “One of the things that I like the most is its reporting and statistics functions since they are very detailed, easy to understand and provide enough data to understand what works best for our landing pages and which campaigns need a readjustment in the strategies to generate more conversions.”

3. ConstantContact

Do you often struggle with digital marketing methods and need time to get your bearings? ConstantContact is a good MailChimp alternative for users who find it difficult to analyse and time-consuming to learn. Although ConstantContact trades away some more advanced features, it works well for smaller businesses and nonprofits.

Customers are happiest with this ESP when sending batch-and-blast newsletters. It also assists you in creating your own website and landing pages and has the option to integrate “donate” buttons into emails.

ConstantContact also encourages learning, offering regular training sessions and webinars for their users. As reviewer Stephanie H. puts it: “I think Constant Contact is a really straightforward software suite that even the most tech-averse clients will be able to figure out and use to its fullest extent. There are many organizations who are simply looking to keep in regular contact with clients or potential donors (as in our case), and Constant Contact is a simple, clean interface that allows us to communicate with volunteers and donors on a regular basis.”

4. Emma

Looking for an email marketing provider tailored to your specific industry? Emma might be the one. It caters closely to multi-location businesses and franchises, especially gyms, universities and restaurants. Emma is unique in that it was designed collaboratively with a client-turned-partner. “The fact that I can manage 2,000 accounts from one dashboard is fantastic,” says one customer.

Though, if you’re looking for transactional emails or feedback survey materials, opt out of this option. Emma doesn’t provide these features. But it does have an email approval feature that locks locations to their associated pre-approved design elements. Many marketers handling each franchise spot aren’t bogged down by unnecessary approvals. Email creation and delivery are much more streamlined.

It also offers up hundreds of integration partners and automation and personalisation features—e central to campaign-building.

5. AWeber

AWeber’s selling points are affordability and simplicity. That’s echoed in user reviews: “If you are a small business owner, AWeber provides a simple and cost-effective tool to build relationships with your target market.”

Mentioned in reviews and on their website is their award-winning customer support team. They hold many live demonstrations of the product to assist customers. Their assortment of help articles makes it easy to set up and get started.

6. Omnisend

Omnisend is a rising star in terms of Mailchimp alternatives, as its user-friendly drag-and-drop builder makes Mailchimp users feel at home.

However, that’s where the similarities between the two platforms end, as Omnisend brings that same simplicity and ease-of-use to sophisticated omnichannel features that go much further than email marketing.

From robust automation that you can create in the same, visual way, you can add several channels within the same workflow: email, SMS, push notifications, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and more. This means that you can reach your customers via a variety of channels without having to leave the workflow.

Omnisend’s smart segmentation and easy SMS creation make this tool a must-have for anyone who wants to give an extra kick to their email marketing.

Omnisend offers a free version for basic email marketing, and then their Standard Plan starts at just $16 per month. The Pro plan starts at $99 per month and includes some of the best features from this tool. These plans are based on subscriber count and make it easy to scale upwards as your business grows.

Wrap Up

Are you thinking of making the switch? What do you think about all the options above? Choosing a new email marketing provider will eventually mean going through an adjustment period. It’s likely that many of the best alternatives to MailChimp have a radically different UI. They might even lack features you’re used to.

If you’re on the fence, many tools offer free demos and trials. Narrow the list down, test what you’re interested in, and see for yourself. If a test campaign does well, you have a winner.

novi.digital joins the NHS trust affiliated charter that is dedicated to positive mental health in the workplace.

Psychology-focused and data-driven agency novi.digital, who was recently recognised by B2B review platform Clutch as being in the top 1% of the UK’s B2B, SEO and PPC service providers and for its integrity and professionalism, has joined the Mindful Employer Charter as part of its mission to improve mental wellbeing for staff.

ABOUT MINDFUL EMPLOYER

By signing the charter for Employers who are Positive about Mental Health, novi.digital aims to destigmatise the conversation surrounding mental wellness in the workplace. The charter is a part of the Mindful Employer campaign, which is focused on spreading awareness about mental health at work and supporting organisations in the growth and retention of staff.

Launched in 2004, Mindful Employer is run by the Devon Partnership NHS trust. As a UK wide initiative, Mindful Employer provides businesses across the country with access to practical support, training and guides for employee advocacy.

The training resources that Mindful Employer provides is extensive, covering topics like depression, learning disabilities and health conditions.

MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK

Through signing the charter, Novi.digital has agreed to uphold the Mindful Employer values of providing non-judgement support to staff who are experiencing mental ill-health and to be an equal opportunities recruiter of new staff in accordance with the 2010 Equality Act.

Novi.digital’s Managing Director Aaron Crewe is focused on the continuous improvement of employee wellness policies and feels that Mindful Employer can help to achieve that.

“Joining the charter is an obvious step in our company journey as it aligns with our business focus of putting people first. At Novi, we believe that everyone should find satisfaction in their work, which is why we continually improve upon our already existing measures to ensure positive wellbeing for all of our team members.”

The agency has been granted access to a variety of helpful mental health information and workshops. The training programmes range from learning how to be a mindful manager, to learning about Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) and applying it to the work setting. All classes are designed to improve understanding of common mental health disorders like anxiety and depression.

In addition, novi.digital will make use of the publications that Mindful Employer provides, like the line manager guide to understanding mental health.

A year of excellent client acquisitions at the agency has led to several new hires, with novi.digital recently welcoming digital marketing executive Matthew Selby and account manager Jessica Mitchell. As part of the Mindful Employers charter, novi.digital will continue to support the emotional wellness of all staff and work towards building a mindful environment.

At novi.digital, we emphasise the importance of putting people first and ensuring our communication with our clients is crystal clear. We do this to create the best possible product for our clients, and while this may seem very simple, it has been incredibly effective for our clients in the U.K. and abroad. The positive effects of AdWords companies on businesses around the globe are being seen more and more with each passing day; doing the work we do is incredibly important to our clients and the global economy. After being reviewed by Clutch as one of the Top Google Adwords Agencies, we are very proud to see the success of our mission-oriented company that always puts the people involved and our customers first.

Clutch is an established B2B ratings and review firm headquartered in Washington D.C. What separates Clutch from its competitors is Clutch’s incredibly in-depth review process before they release the final rating on the company. The process starts with Clutch analysts performing market research and analysis and, most importantly, concludes with the analysts conducting interviews with the company’s clients. The product of this process is an incredibly unbiased review and rating of the company and is an inherent reason why we are so happy to have been reviewed by Clutch. Our profile currently has 16 client reviews, and we are pleased to include some of our client’s thoughts below:

“Their overall professionalism, integrity, and trustworthiness are impressive.” – Executive PA/Marketing Manager, 3-1-5 Health Club.

“The team demonstrated a vast wealth of knowledge in their specialist areas, which allows you to trust any decisions and suggestions they put forward.” – Senior Sales Engineer, Mainstage.

Clutch also has two sister sites, The Manifest and Visual Objects.

The Manifest is similar to Clutch, providing potential clients with the company’s size, location, and services at a glance. However, The Manifest accomplishes this by providing all this crucial information with just one quick click underneath the company’s name. Moreover, The Manifest has a How-To Guide designed to aid clients looking to employ the services of a 3rd party business on the site. We are proud to be ranked on The Manifest in the Top 10 of their Top 30+ SEO Consultants list.

Visual Objects is Clutch’s newest sister site and derives its name from the website’s design, which builds a graphic portfolio for each company found on the site. This portfolio helps potential clients quickly compare and contrast the creative design and advertising companies found on the site and allows the client to make the best possible choice based on the company’s past works. Visual Objects has rated us as one of the Best Digital Marketing Agencies on the site, and we invite you to check out our work!

The team at Novi. Digital is incredibly proud of our rankings on all three of Clutch’s websites! It is an honour and a privilege to have been featured on each of these sites, and we appreciate our clients taking the time to review us with Clutch and its sister sites. We would certainly not be where we are today without our clients and their dedication to our company.

We look forward to working with our clients in the future and can’t wait to see more client reviews pile up on Clutch’s website!

The Top 10 Sources of Digital Marketing Funding in 2019

The keys to financing your new advertising strategy with digital marketing funding

Most business owners will be aware of the immense value that digital marketing can provide to their company. In fact, Salesforce research suggests that by 2021, over 75% of marketing spending will be digital. Whether you are a micro-business or a technology giant, digital marketing funding is likely to be an essential factor in the success of your company.

With intelligent digital marketing, businesses can create a positive feedback loop of profitability and customer engagement. When these digital marketing channels have been optimised to deliver a positive ROI, exponential business growth can often follow.

A difficulty that many small businesses will be familiar with is raising sufficient funding to begin their marketing journey. A considerable upfront investment can often be required to discover an effective marketing strategy.

This article examines the most likely ways in which your business can secure digital marketing funding in 2019. Common funding sources include:

• University innovation vouchers
• Innovate UK
• Crowdfunding
• R&D tax credits
• Bursaries
• Loans
• Knowledge transfer partnerships
• Grants
• Chamber of commerce funding
• Peer-to-peer lending

Together, these funding sources provide a valuable set of financial tools to ensure your business’s marketing success.

Digital Marketing Funding in 2019

1 – University Innovation Vouchers

For small to medium-sized enterprises, universities can supply both capital and expertise for your digital marketing. Forging an alliance with a university can provide your employees with access to expertise in data analytics, business development and other essential marketing disciplines.

Some universities also provide grants for consultancy with external digital marketing specialists. One example is Coventry University’s ‘Digital Advantage’ scheme, which provides grant opportunities for consultancy in areas including digital strategy, web usability and e-commerce.

 2 – Innovate UK

Innovate UK is a public body dedicated to providing investment to pioneering businesses with new ideas. As well as contributing capital, they connect businesses with customers and other investors.

You can also read more about how Innovate UK have provided valuable digital marketing training to the businesses that they work with. These programs and workshops ensure that companies can put their digital marketing funding to best use and secure a greater return on investment.

3 – Crowdfunding

Unlike many other digital marketing funding sources, crowdfunding provides much more than a lump sum of capital to promote your business. Crucially, it connects you directly with the people that are most interested in what you have to offer.

Due to the fact that many of your crowdfunding investors are likely to become customers, you’ll be gaining valuable insights into who your target market are and how they behave. You can then apply this understanding for greater success in your wider digital marketing campaigns.

Most businesses use well-known crowdfunding sites such as Indiegogo or Kickstarter.

4 – R&D Tax Credits

Is your business developing a product in the science or technology sector? R&D tax credits can cut your development costs by up to a third. The UK government provides tax relief for businesses that have a clear research goal in mind. Businesses can then invest this saved capital into a coherent digital marketing strategy.

For early-stage companies, incorporating this strategic element can often be the difference between success and failure. The Harvard Business Review identified that businesses that focus on digital strategy are able to scale faster, minimise risk and typically survive longer than their non-digital counterparts. The R&D tax credit provides a perfect opportunity for businesses to allocate a portion of their capital to improving their digital marketing.

5 – Bursaries

There are many organisations that provide free training to develop your business. In particular, many of these schemes have a keen focus on developing marketing skills. One such example is the AMA which helps creatives connect with a wider audience.

In 2018, the AMA gave out 30 bursaries to support their members in their professional development. This included access to digital marketing training and a range of complementary skills.

6 – Loans

Assuming you meet the relevant criteria, many companies can benefit from business loans. Schemes such as the British Business Bank provide businesses with an affordable loan option. This government-run scheme aims to address the imbalances in business funding.

The British Business Bank has lent over £165 million to small businesses since 2013. Their loans have helped drive marketing and business growth for 74,000 UK companies.

7 – Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (or KTPs) make it less expensive for your business to recruit a graduate who can develop your digital marketing. Normally part-funded by grants, a graduate will come to work for your company, focusing on your chosen area of strategic business development. Your graduate will also be backed by the university, ensuring that the expertise of the faculty is shared with your business.

One example of a university that has participated in marketing KTPs is the University of Brighton, which has led projects in a broad range of disciplines and sectors.

8 – Grants

There are a multitude of grants available to UK businesses looking to grow their operations. Many of these grants are directly related to marketing or can free up capital for your advertising.

Examples of UK grants include:

• Horizon 20/20 Grants (also available throughout the EU)
• Prince’s Trust grants, including test marketing grants
• Apprenticeship grants
• Local marketing grants such as the ‘Incentive to Grow Grant’ in Eastleigh
• The Small Business Research Initiative grants
• Heritage Lottery Fund start-up grants

9 – Chamber of Commerce Funding

Chambers of commerce are local organisations that provide support for the growth of businesses in their region. With digital marketing overtaking traditional marketing as the most popular advertising stream, many chambers are now providing training and investment to help local businesses thrive online.

One example of an organisation that is providing financial assistance to businesses going digital is the East Midlands Chamber. ‘The Digital Growth Programme’ offers grant funding, business support and digital marketing workshops to businesses in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.

10 – Peer-to-Peer Lending

Sat halfway between crowdfunding and a business loan is peer-to-peer lending. Sites such as Funding Circle connect investors with businesses in need of investment.

Funding Circle alone have lent over £4.6 billion to 46,000 UK businesses. The average annual turnover of a business on Funding Circle is around £800,000. Like many of the funding sources mentioned, they also provide basic digital marketing training to stimulate business growth.

What are the next steps after securing digital marketing funding?

In conclusion, there are a vast range of options for securing digital marketing funding. In fact, nearly all businesses can benefit from one or more of the funding sources listed above.

If you’ve successfully raised the finance you need to promote your company, the next step is to put that money to use as efficiently as possible.

Put your digital marketing funding to work with novi.digital

novi.digital is an award-winning SEO and PPC agency with over a decade of experience in transforming the online success of our clients. Our focus is on delivering on the metrics that matter most to you. Whether you’re looking to stimulate rapid growth or improve your marketing margins, novi.digital can help you discover the opportunities that can provide a greater return for your business.

You can read what our former clients have said about us on independent review site Clutch and learn more about our approach on our achievements page.

How To Refine Your Email Marketing Strategy

Email marketing has an incredible ROI: According to the report by Campaign Monitor, every dollar you allocate to email nets you $44 in revenue. You would be hard pressed to find another digital marketing channel that offers this level of return. However, if you want to gain the revenue that email marketing provides, you have to make sure that you have a sound email marketing strategy.

Campaigns that will enhance your email marketing strategy

Looking to improve your email marketing strategy but unsure of where to start? Don’t worry. We can help you there. Here are six email campaigns that you need to send if you want to elevate your email marketing in 2019.

1. Welcome series

People who sign up to be a part of your email list are interested in learning more about your brand and what you can offer. Leverage this momentum by using a welcome email to make a great first impression.

With a welcome email, you can do the following all at once:

• Thank new subscribers for signing up to your list
• Make new subscribers feel valued at the onset of their customer journey
• Encourage new subscribers to make their first purchase by offering exclusive “new subscriber” discounts

In short, you need to send welcome emails if you want to build and maintain good relationships with your customers.

2. Email newsletters

Sending email newsletters on a regular schedule is the best way to keep your subscribers updated with information such as:

• Latest promotions and offerings
• Events
• Important company news

In addition, the links you include in your email newsletters help drive valuable traffic to your website.

3. Purchase confirmation emails

When customers purchase from you, it shows they trust you. You can further build on that trust with a confirmation email.

By sending purchase confirmation emails, you reassure your customer, showing you’re a legitimate brand. Sending a purchase confirmation email also boosts your credibility. This makes customers feel more inclined to refer your brand to their friends, family members, and colleagues.

4. Feedback emails

It’s important for customers to feel heard. Giving them an opportunity to voice their thoughts regarding your product or service is key to validating their experience with your brand. And there’s no easier way to do this than a feedback or survey email.

When customers receive survey or feedback emails, they feel that you actually care about their happiness. This will go a long way in fostering customer loyalty.

Furthermore, the feedback email serves as an ideal barometer of customer satisfaction with your brand. The responses you receive from customers will give you an indication of areas that need improvements.

5. Product announcement emails

Existing customers are an amazing source of revenue. This is because they’ve already demonstrated their interest in your brand. Capitalise on this interest—and boost sales in the process—by sending new product announcement emails to your existing customer base.

A well-designed announcement email amplifies excitement for a product. Include high-quality images of the product as well as a compelling call to action in your email. Doing so will help increase your customers’ anticipation, making them more inclined to purchase the new product.

6. Re-engagement emails

A brand’s email list decays at an average rate of 22.5% per year. As a business owner, you can’t avoid losing a percentage of your customers each year. With that said, what you can do is keep this attrition to a minimum.

To manage email list decay, send re-engagement emails to:

• Subscribers who are inactive and have not made recent purchases
• Subscribers who haven’t opened or clicked through your campaigns in a while.

Engage with these subscribers again and encourage them to purchase from you by making them special offers. Only offer a maximum discount of 20% in your other promotions? Then re-engage inactive subscribers by offering them 25% or 30% discounts. The extra incentive will entice them to become active subscribers again, thereby preventing email list decay.

Tips to make your email marketing strategy more effective

Now you know the types of email campaigns that make the foundation of a great email marketing strategy. Now it’s time to ensure that you take full advantage of the power of these emails. Here are three tips you need to follow.

1. Optimise your subject lines for conversions.

Write your subject lines using words that boost open rates. Include powerful words such as:

• Back in stock
• Exclusive
• On sale now
• Today only
• Expiring

Also, try to keep your subject lines to three or more words and 17 to 24 characters in length. This ensures that your subject lines display in full across a wide range of devices.

2. Personalise.

Another way to increase both engagement and conversion is to personalise your emails. Even a basic personalisation trick like including the subscriber’s first name in the subject can increase open rates by 26%.

You also need to personalise your email offers. For instance, if your brand sells both men’s and women’s shoes, send promotions from your men’s line to your male subscribers and promotions from your women’s line to your female subscribers.

3. Automate.

Don’t waste time manually sending emails to each and every one of your subscribers. Use email automation instead. With automation, you can send hundreds, if not thousands of emails in the span of a few seconds. You just have to set up the email once and establish the triggers that subscribers need to meet to receive the email, and you’re good to go until it’s time for a refresh.

Emails you can automate include (but are not limited to):

• Welcome series: sent after a user subscribes to your list
• Purchase confirmation: sent once a customer completes the checkout process on your website
• Feedback emails: sent to existing customers after confirming they receive your product.

Wrap up

The campaigns outlined in this article are sure to take your email marketing to the next level. To maximise the effectiveness of these campaigns, make sure that you optimise for conversions, personalise your message, and automate your emails.

Searching for ways to strengthen your marketing or SEO efforts? Contact novi.digital today and find out how they can help you achieve your goals in 2019.