What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. In simpler terms, it’s a set of tools that individuals or businesses use in order to gain more traffic through search engines such as Google, Yahoo and YouTube – which we’re all very familiar with. This can be categorised into numerous branches and has evolved extensively over the years.

Despite its broad description, all branches of SEO share a common goal, which is to help its users engage with an audience. The most important key factor to consider when trying to master this tool is keyword research.

Keyword Research is Key

Keywords are one of the many building blocks of

SEO – this is a common phrase you’ll often hear when people are talking about this branch of digital marketing. Keywords are words or phrases related to the topic you’re writing about, ranked by search trends and volume.

If there’s a trending topic – or you’re anticipating one to do so – you can incorporate the relevant keywords into your content. Knowing how to perform good keyword research can help you unlock the content you have on your website and find new verticals that you could target with your content.

Study Your Competitors 

Take a deep dive into any of your competitors’ data:

• Keywords
• Backlinks
• Ad campaigns
• Top performing content

We are never too good for this, marketing in the digital space will continuously be a highly competitive industry so it’s vital to keep up with the latest developments, be it in the digital world or your competition.

Use Competitor Analysis to see who you’re up against online and what their current strengths and weaknesses are.

Always remember, your competitors are just one click away so it’s important to keep up to date with what they’re doing and how you can upscale them.

How To Boost Your Content

Always Research Topics in order to gather thousands of new topics related to your field of interest. Tune in on the popular headlines in your niche, trending subtopics and on the real questions people ask. These will assist you in navigating through this particular process.

Free SEO Tools at Your Fingertips 

There are a few SEO tools you can use, completely free, for your business or merely to help build your content growth, Wordstream and AnswerThePublic to name a few. 

Another useful tool to use is a Google Chrome extension called SEOquake which helps guarantee that your page fulfils the minimum requirements, also completely free!

Basic Linking

When it comes to linking, always bare in mind that Google uses links as an important ranking factor. One thing to remember, if your website has been linked a lot of websites, the chances are it will rank high in the search engine results pages.

Summary

SEO can be tricky sometimes, but we encourage you not to lose hope! There will be times when it seems like a complete waste of time, but just remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. All successful websites use SEO to their advantage so that it absolutely does work.

Useful SEO resources to help you jumpstart your know-how

• The Ahrefs YouTube channel: Teaches you about the SEO basics in a very easy-to-understand way
• Moz SEO Guide
• YouTube – always make use of this free search engine, there’s absolutely nothing you won’t find here relating to the digital space and improving your knowledge in any field.

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In digital marketing, creating a strong message that connects with your audience is crucial. The use of storytelling can be the most effective way to achieve this.

The Power of Storytelling

Storytelling is a method used for centuries to communicate and connect with others. Storytelling allows brands to connect with their audience on a personal level, creating content that not only informs and entertains but also inspires and moves people into action. In today’s world, where brands compete for attention, mastering the art of storytelling gives you an incredible advantage.

Creating a Compelling Narrative

To engage with your target audience, you must first consider what story you are telling. To create a purposeful narrative that resonates with your customers and speaks to their needs and desires is one way to create compelling content and attract attention to your brand.

Successful Examples of Digital Storytelling

Successful digital storytelling is exemplified by Dove’s campaign for Real Beauty and the Always “Like a Girl” campaign. Dove used real women of all shapes, sizes, and ages to promote their products and focused on the idea that beauty comes in all forms. Always aimed to change the negative connotations associated with the phrase “like a girl” and empowered females to be strong and confident.

Stand Out in a Crowded Digital Landscape

In today’s world, information overload online and shortened attention spans make it challenging for people to focus. To stand out, having a compelling story that grabs the audience’s attention and keeps them engaged is essential.

In Conclusion

The art of storytelling can help you connect with your customers emotionally and create content that resonates with them. A great story can move people into action and help your brand stand out in a crowded digital landscape.

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Here are ways to avoid fake websites and other online scams and ensure that you’re dealing with legitimate companies and safe online stores like iHardware.

Search and verify reviews

Doing a simple Google search (merchant name plus “customer reviews”) is often enough to bring up extensive reviews of any retailer. Take individual reviews with a grain of salt; instead, look for red flags such as repeated failure to fulfill orders, fulfillment of the wrong items, attempts to call customers post-purchase to sell a variant or multiple instances of poor customer service. If the online company is a legitimate website (not a scam site) and has been around for a while, there should be authentic third-party reviews from previous customers. Review sites include Google My Business, Amazon, and Yelp. If the reviews are uniformly bad, on the other hand, you have another type of problem to confront.

Check the company’s social media presence

It’s worth checking a company on social media to see if they appear to have a genuine following and legitimate post. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) also has suggestions for spotting fake social media accounts, including those on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You should look for: Accounts with poor or no content and stock or recycled images, poor engagement with followers, and lack of transparency about who runs the account. DM Digital can help your e-commerce business on this https://www.dm-digital.co.za/digital-marketing-services/

Another way to test the legitimacy of an online retail store is to check its contact information. Does it have a physical address, phone number, and email contact? Does the email address on the contact page have the company domain name in it, or is it generic (like a Gmail address)? If you send an email, does it get delivered?

Analyze the overall look of the website

Check to see if the e-commerce site looks as if it has been professionally produced or whether it has been thrown together with slapdash results. Are there typos, grammar errors, poor-quality images, and a sloppy design? Does it have a poorly worded return policy or no return policy at all? All the things that undermine the professional appearance and authenticity of a site should be red flags and convince you that you’re on a scam website. You can check our services if you want trusted website https://www.dm-digital.co.za/digital-marketing-services/.
Scrutinizing retailers is a fair bit of work and not something most people have the time or inclination to do—Happy shopping!

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Short video and a TikTok

Out of all the social media platforms, YouTube is the leader in online video content, with 92% of marketers viewing it as a vital part of their marketing strategy. Interestingly, TikTok has thrived. Short, entertaining videos are increasingly popular among younger audiences. Generation Z is leading this trend, but other generations have followed suit. In a bid to heighten interest in video, Instagram introduced the 15-second video format as Instagram Reels.

Authenticity is the key

This shift in content is evident in the popularity of TikTok and BeReal–two platforms that allow people to share unfiltered, unedited videos with each other.

Micro-influencers and their effectiveness

This year, more than ever before, brands will be working with influencers to reach their target audience. Despite its effectiveness as a social marketing strategy, influencer marketing can be costly.

Social commerce on the rise

Facebook and Instagram were among the first social media platforms to introduce shopping capabilities. The growth of online retail and the popularity of social media makes it likely that Facebook’s Shop feature and Instagram’s Storefront will become very popular.

Social media networks for customer service

As businesses adopted social media networks, they realized the channels were more useful than they initially anticipated. As social media has become a vital part of commerce, it makes sense that these platforms would also be used to provide customer service. You can use Facebook’s features like a common inbox, automated responses, and chatbots to help out your business.

Social media trends change rapidly, in ways that would have been hard to predict just a handful of years ago. That said, here are 5 trends that we think will continue to take shape over the next several years.

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Common AI tools used in Digital Marketing

The use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) creation tools in digital marketing is controversial, but they can still be useful for ideation and planning. Think of it as the ultimate time saver to help you cut down on tasks and free up some much-needed moments for yourself. These tools are not just for big corporations, they’re perfect for small business owners. Let’s dive into your options.

 AI Content Writing

Copy.ai and Anyword for example can help you create all kinds of content you may need, such as:

• Generating blog intros
• Write better digital ad copy
• Creating catchy email subject lines
• Quickly generate eCommerce product descriptions

AI Image Creation

Some of the most intriguing Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are those that generate images from text. No one can predict what the future holds for AI in image generation, but tools such as Midjourney and DALL-E-2 generate stunning images without requiring a design department.

AI for SEO

If you’re looking to supercharge your SEO strategy, look no further than AI-powered SEO tools like SurferSEO and Outranking. They help you stay up-to-date with best practices and increase your search engine ranking chances.

There’s no doubt that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being adopted into all parts of the business, and marketing is no different. Finding target audiences has never been easier, and you don’t have to be a data scientist to get started on your AI journey. This is just the beginning of our AI future, and it will take a while to reach its peak. But when it does, it will have entirely changed the way we live and interact with each other.

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Let’s dive into Search Engine Optimisation and why you need it for your business website.

According to MOZ: SEO stands for search engine optimization, which is a set of practices designed to improve the appearance and positioning of web pages in organic search results. Because organic search is the most prominent way for people to discover and access online content, a good SEO strategy is essential for improving the quality and quantity of traffic to your website.

Why You Need It: More Traffic

In simple terms, you need people to find your business, easily. If you think about it honestly, how often do you go past the first page of Google? Whatever you search for, you’ll probably choose from the first 5 results that pop up.  SEO is a fundamental part of digital marketing because people conduct trillions of searches every year. 

If your website isn’t ranking near the top, you’re losing out on traffic, leads, sales, and revenue.

SEO drives higher ROI than other marketing strategies

The whole point of website traffic is possible conversion. Once your potential customer finds your page, you’re hoping they buy your product or service. Ensuring you are on the first page of Google positions you to get money in your pocket.

According to Terakeet, websites that rank high on search engines:

• Increase a blog’s business value by 429% 
• Decrease customer acquisition costs by 87.41% 
• Bring in $12.20 of revenue per $1 spent on marketing 

Eswatini and SEO

As digital marketing starts making its mark on the kingdom, SEO is gradually a concept that businesses are willing to spend on. There are over 450K emaSwati on the internet, building a website and ensuring that you’re top of the list is not only necessary but crucial.

To learn how your business can organically rank higher on Google, contact us at info@dm-digital.co.za or read more blogs on the digital marketing world within Eswatini.

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This month, our business shoutout is Cardinal Magazine, an online luxury travel & lifestyle magazine that showcases the hidden gems of Africa & Eswatini. Managed by a group of 20-somethings, Cardinal magazine is a visual experience that captivates you from cover to cover. The clean & classy aesthetic positions it as the go-to lifestyle mag for people on self-development. Enjoy fashion tips from Eswatini’s most talented models, discover new travel destinations, and learn how to improve your money management. 

Why The Magazine Matters

What makes the magazine so great is how it’s creating a platform for Eswatini creatives to showcase their talents. Photographers, writers & models have their work on display for everyone who reads, allowing them to reach people beyond our borders. This is something that did not exist in this country before. 

We’ve said it so many times, Eswatini is behind in many things but not when it comes to creatives. If you ever feel like Swazi’s lacks talent, scrolling through the magazine shuts that thinking down almost immediately. Expect world-class fashion photography & insightful articles from young Swazi who have dedicated their lives to showing the world that Africans are capable of competing on the world stage.

Support proudly Swazi businesses like The Cardinal Magazine. A space made for Africans, by young Africans.

https://www.instagram.com/catgmag/

We’ve covered a few more online businesses in blogs including 3 online stores you can trust in Eswatini.

The post Cardinal Magazine – An Eswatini Travel & Lifestyle Magazine The World Needed appeared first on DM Digital.

Health is wealth, right? Right! Women in Eswatini, like everywhere in the world, feel the effects of age knocking on their doors. Skin loosens, work & home stress then suddenly your body & health is just not what it used to be. So, as a digital marketing agency that’s female-owned –  we wanted to find Eswatini online brands that cater to the physical & mental enhancement of women and men and give them a little more recognition.

Let’s check out a few health and beauty shops in the country that you can find online.

The IV Hydration Lounge

A hidden gem that many may not know of is The IV Hydration lounge. They offer a unique way to help clients get high amounts of nutrients injected directly into the bloodstream, improving several health concerns. A quick & natural immune booster & stress reliever to help you make it through your next meeting or workout. Visit their website and browse different drips that help you become more radiant, burn calories and even cure a nasty hangover. For those who aren’t afraid of needles and want to try something new, visit their site:  theivhydration.com

From a digital marketing perspective, the website is informative and straight to the point and most importantly they offer a service that is very exclusive. How many other places in Eswatini do you know that offer such an elite service? For health and beauty pick me up, book yourself an appointment.

Vijana Spa & Beauty

Every now and then we deserve to splurge on some relaxation & rejuvenation and a new spa in Eswatini has blazed the trail in the way to launch a brand online. A tranquil place to get a massage, facial, or even a professional wax has opened its doors in Ezulwini.

When it comes to online presence, Vijana Spa is a  consistent brand that keeps the same style & message throughout all its platforms. The website allows you to directly book your appointment and lists all its packages in a clear & on-brand manner.  The brand’s social media presence highlights those same services and gives people a visual peek into what they can expect when booking with them. They really sell the experience, which is a great marketing tactic.

If you need to unwind with facials, nail care, waxing, body scrubs, or massage., visit https://vijanaspa.com/

As a digital marketing agency, we’re excited to see so many brands building an online presence.  Eswatini businesses are only scratching the surface of what the internet can do to grow a business. We’re looking forward to more proudly Swazi brands investing in digital tools. If you’re trying to grow your brand online read our blog on  Social Media Marketing: Expectations vs. Reality or contact us for an air-tight digital marketing strategy.

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Obsessories

A trailblazing store that you’ve probably heard of is obsesseries. A proudly Swazi and female-ran store that offers a wide range of wooden accessories e.g earrings, gifts and kitchen accessories. All the products are not only beautifully designed but are completely customizable. What’s not to love?

From a digital marketing perspective, the brand has taken advantage of the gap in the market and dominated the industry with a consistent social media presence. The website is easy to navigate and instead of home deliveries, they have pick-up points across the country for products.

Visit their website here: https://obsessories.gift/ 

Quazi Design

Now this store is the epitome of environmentally friendly. Quazi Design transforms waste magazines and newspapers into originally designed jewelry, bowls, lampshades, and more. They have a variety of designs that would add a chic touch to your home decor. 

The site is very easy to navigate and the prices are reasonable. Although this is a proudly Swazi business and all products are made in Mbabane, most products are sold in Europe as it’s more popular overseas.  We think it’s time emaSwati start jumping on the bandwagon and showing support. 

Shop handmade Swazi jewelry with just one click on the Quazi Design website.

Luxe Beauty House

The beauty industry is one of the fastest-growing e-commerce industries in the world. Over the years the world has witnessed small independent makeup & skincare brands catapult into worldwide stardom with the power of social media and Eswatini has its very own online beauty store.

Lux beauty house offers a wide range of products e.g makeup brushes, eyeshadow palettes, lipsticks, and more.

Instead of getting your monthly supply of makeup products from international brands, support local and shop Lux beauty house. Their website is currently under a bit of renovation, however, pop over to their Instagram and order from their page luxebeautyhouse.

Check out a few more online stores in Eswatini we love, that sell some pretty good food >>> : 3 Fast Food Shops In Eswatini You Need To Try.

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Let’s take a look at a few campaigns that took “being home” during the pandemic as the perfect time to advertise to its customers. We’ll break down their unique selling point and success to see how Eswatini brands can implement the same practices.

Travel Marketing – Expedia

The tourism industry clearly took a heavy hit from the pandemic, across the globe borders closed and vacations were no more. Expedia took this opportunity to get people excited for the next year when travel resumes with the campaign “Let’s take a trip”. The ad shows a couple recreating holiday experiences at home. Directed by Victor Haegelin and developed with agency TeamOne, using household items the couple goes on a road trip, hikes up a mountain, dives into a swimming pool, and enjoys room service – all the things people have missed out on as a result of Covid – all from the comfort of their living room. A brilliant idea, executed so well.

The lesson Eswatini brands can take from this ad is to be relatable. Everyone had to adjust to this new normal and Expedia took that idea and ran with it. The long and short versions of the ad have racked up nearly 20 million views on YouTube since being launched in September. It is entertaining, relatable & gives hope that we might soon go back to the status quo & enjoy the holiday that we all deserve.

Heinz – Heinz to Home

While most businesses took the coronavirus outbreak as a time to shut down, Heinz took this time to restrategize. In only 3 weeks, Heinz to home online store was created to form a direct-to-consumer experience. It became part of a broader movement towards business models that circumvent traditional retailers. Consumers could now buy their favorite products online, safely away from the anxiety of going outside to the grocery store. Genius right? Check it out: Heinz-to-home

The lesson Eswatini can learn here is to invest in e-commerce. Make your business products available with the click of a button. Don’t look at it as an expense, it’s not. E-commerce is the best investment any retail business can ever make.

Need more tips that can be instantly implemented into your business? Read our blog on the possibility of an e-commerce store in Eswatini.

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