SEO in the Gemini Era: How Google’s AI Updates Impact Search Optimization

At the just concluded Google I/O 2024, Google announced expanded AI features for Google Search. How will this impact search engine optimization? Google has been making changes to Google search to improve how users find information in the search results.

The generative AI has even accelerated the improvement since the introduction of Gemini and the search lab’s search generative experience.

Here are some of the updates coming to Google Search in the Gemini Era

Google Search is introducing a new feature called AI Overviews.

AI overviews are summaries of search results that are designed to give users a quick overview of a topic without them having to click on multiple links. The feature has been tested in Search Labs, and users liked that they could get a quick summary and then links to learn more if they wanted. Google is rolling out AI Overviews to everyone in the US this week and expects to bring them to over a billion people by the end of the year.

Ability to Customize AI Overviews

Google Search will soon let you customize AI Overviews. You’ll be able to choose to simplify the language for easier understanding or get a more detailed breakdown of the topic

Search is getting smarter!

You can now ask complex questions in one go, thanks to a new AI model called Gemini. This means you can include all the details you want in your search, like location, criteria, and comparisons.

Google gives an example “For example, maybe you’re looking for a new yoga or pilates studio, and you want one that’s popular with locals, conveniently located for your commute, and also offers a discount for new members. Soon, with just one search, you’ll be able to ask something like “find the best yoga or pilates studios in Boston and show me details on their intro offers, and walking time from Beacon Hill.”

Plan Ahead!

Search can now help you create meal plans and trip itineraries. You can search for things like “easy 5-day meal plan for a group” and get recipe suggestions. Google says you can even customize the plan by asking for vegetarian options. You can then export the plan to Docs or Gmail. This feature is currently in testing but will be expanded to include other planning categories like parties and workouts.

Get AI-organized Results Pages

They’re introducing AI-organized results pages to help you brainstorm ideas. These pages will use AI to categorize different websites under unique headings, giving you a broader perspective on your search topic. This will be available first for searches related to dining and recipes, with plans to expand to movies, music, and more.

Google Search is getting a video search upgrade!

You’ll soon be able to search using videos. This means you can record a problem, like a malfunctioning record player, and Search will use AI to understand the video and provide solutions with steps and resources. No more struggling to describe the issue with text!

What does this mean for SEO?

The SEO Impact of Generative AI in Google Search

In my view, the question of how generative AI in Google searches will affect search engine optimization (SEO) has been a major concern. Is SEO dead? While the impact is undeniable, I believe SEO will adapt rather than become obsolete.

Firstly, website traffic might be affected. Users may get some answers directly from search results, reducing clicks to websites for basic information.

Secondly, content creators like bloggers and writers will face a challenge in crafting high-quality, relevant content that stands out for AI algorithms. However, Google’s inclusion of recommended articles within the search generative experience suggests that valuable content will still be crucial.

In essence, generative AI offers easier information access for users but presents a challenge for content creation.

What are your thoughts?

Using Generative AI in Digital Marketing: Opportunities & Challenges [Presentation]

Generative artificial intelligence became popular in 2023 thanks to the release of ChatGPT in November 2022. It has become a hot topic for marketers and businesses with each trying to see how they can weave in generative AI in their marketing strategy or day-to-day operations.

On 1st December 2023, I was privileged to give a talk on Using Generative AI in Digital Marketing at the 6th Marketers Conference and Awards 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya hosted by the Top Marketers Club.

What are the opportunities and what are the challenges for digital marketers in Kenya? In this article, I will give a summary of the points that I touched on at the conference. Here is how it started.

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI refers to deep-learning models that can generate high-quality text, images, and other content based on the data they were trained on according to IBM Research. Simply put, it includes language learning models that generate texts like ChatGPT, Bard or text-to-image such as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, and DALL·E 2 among others.

The generative AI market is projected to reach USD 110.8 billion by 2030, and 80% of organizations have already adopted generative AI or plan to do so in the next three years.

What are the Benefits of Generative AI for Marketers in Kenya

I also touched on the benefits of generative AI. I mentioned that generative AI in marketing offers benefits such as:

• Creating high-quality visuals with fewer resources
• Enhanced content creation
• Personalized customer experiences
• Improved efficiency and productivity
• Improved customer service
• Trend forecasting and predictive analytics.

9 Generative AI Opportunities for Marketers in Kenya

Now let’s look at some of the opportunities that generative AI presents for digital marketers 

• Content Generation

Have you started using AI tools to create content? Generative AI presents opportunities for content generation, including content idea generation, converting long-form content to social media posts, creating content outlines, writing the first draft of content, writing press releases, and conducting content research and data analysis. For content generation, you can use tools like ChatGPT or Jasper AI

• Search Engine Optimization

Also, generative AI  can assist marketers with search engine optimization by conducting competitive and keyword research, creating SEO titles and meta descriptions, generating content, and editing and proofreading drafts. You can use tools like Surfer, Bard and ChatGPT to get keywords and cluster keywords.

• Video Creation and Editing

Moreover, generative AI can be used for creating and editing videos, including explainer videos to introduce new concepts or products, promotional videos for marketing purposes, and product demos to showcase features and benefits. You can use tools like Virbo AI, Synthesia, Designs.ai and Rephrase.ai

• Image Creation

You can use AI text-to-image platforms to create images for your social media posts, blog cover ads and even your infographics. It’s time-saving and you can play with different elements. Some of the popular text-to-image websites include Imagen, DALL-E 2, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion

• Voice Generation

Voice generation using AI allows marketers to create unique audio content with customized brand voices for advertisements and marketing campaigns. It also enables businesses to develop AI-generated voice-overs for commercials, podcasts, and interactive advertisements, as well as realistic voice-overs for animations and video games. Examples of AI voice generators include Replica Studios, Lovo, and Synthesys.

• Chatbots and Virtual Assistants

Generative AI can enhance chatbots and virtual assistants by improving natural language processing, personalizing customer interactions, automating content creation, generating insights from data, creating creative content, automating lead nurturing, analyzing sentiment, providing proactive customer service, supporting multiple languages, and continuously learning. This allows marketers to deliver personalized, engaging, and data-driven customer experiences, ultimately driving business growth and success.

• Sentiment Analysis

ChatGPT’s natural language processing capabilities make it a powerful tool for sentiment analysis, enabling businesses to gain insights from customer feedback, reviews, and social media interactions. Marketers can harness this power to uncover customer sentiment trends, identify potential issues proactively, craft tailored customer service responses, predict future customer needs, track brand reputation, and make data-driven decisions that enhance customer experiences.

• Hyper-Personalization

We are now used to personalization but generative AI takes personalization to a new level by predicting and generating content based on customer preferences, allowing businesses to deliver more personalized experiences that customers are more likely to engage with. This can include creating custom promotional offers, personalized shopping guides, or unique user experiences tailored to each customer.

• Automating Process

AI tools that combine public and private AI models with CRM data are becoming increasingly popular for businesses. These tools can help businesses automate tasks, generate personalized content, and gain insights from data. They are often built on robust AI platforms, enabling them to integrate seamlessly with existing business systems. An example of this is Einstein GPT integrated into Salesforce CRM

Challenges of Using Generative AI in Marketing

Some of the challenges that come with using generative AI in marketing include

• Hallucination

Hallucination in AI refers to the generation of outputs that may sound plausible but are either factually incorrect or unrelated to the given context. It leads to misinformation and disinformation and users may lose trust in the

• Copyright infringement

Also, generative AI models can be trained on copyrighted data without permission, generating outputs that mimic copyrighted works or creating counterfeit products.

• Bias, Stereotypes, Discrimination

 While Generative AI is powerful and versatile, can also introduce biases and stereotypes into marketing campaigns if not carefully considered and implemented.

• Data Privacy Issues and Breaches

As you know, generative AI models often require vast amounts of personal data for training and operation, raising concerns about data collection practices and the potential for misuse of this sensitive information.

• Ethical Issues and Regulations 

Lastly, generative AI is a powerful tool with the potential to revolutionize marketing, but it also raises significant ethical concerns and data privacy challenges. To ensure responsible and ethical use of generative AI in marketing, companies must prioritize transparency, fairness, data security, and compliance with relevant regulations.

Conclusion

To conclude, generative AI is revolutionizing digital marketing globally. It allows you to generate high-quality content, personalize experiences, and automate tasks. While it is promising it has inherent challenges that a marketer needs to know such as hallucination, bias and privacy issues. Marketers must stay informed and tap into the power of generative AI

Best SEO For Law Firms Tips: 9 Ways to Improve SEO for Law Firms Website

How can I improve my SEO law firm website?

When people search for something on Google, they are more likely to click on the results that appear at the top of the page. Therefore, it is important to for any business to rank high including your law firm in Kenya.

How will you achieve this? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a pivotal role in ensuring that your law firm’s website ranks well in search engine results and attracts potential clients. With countless law firms in Kenya vying for online visibility, it’s crucial to employ effective SEO strategies to stand out from the competition. 

In this article, we will explore some key steps to improve the SEO of your law firm website and be more discoverable

What is SEO for law firms?

SEO for law firms is the process of optimizing your law firm’s website and online content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This helps potential clients find your website when they search for legal services related to your practice areas.

Why is local SEO important for law firms?

Local SEO is important for law firms because it helps them attract potential clients who are looking for legal services in their area. When people search for a lawyer online, they are often looking for someone who they can meet with in person. Local SEO helps law firms rank higher in search results for local keywords, such as “lawyer near me” or “divorce lawyer in Kenya” or “commercial lawyer in Nairobi”

Here are some of the specific benefits of local SEO for law firms:

• Increased visibility: Local SEO helps law firms show up in the local search results, which is where many potential clients start their search for legal services.
• Targeted traffic: Local SEO helps law firms attract visitors who are more likely to become clients, because they are looking for legal services in the firm’s area.
• Improved credibility: Local SEO can help law firms build credibility and trust with potential clients, because it shows that the firm is active and engaged in the community.
• Higher conversion rates: Law firms with a strong local SEO presence tend to have higher conversion rates, meaning that more visitors to their website turn into clients.

How to Improve Your SEO for a Law Firm Website

1. Have a User Friend Website

To start with you need to have a website for your law firm and not just a website but a user friendly website. A user-friendly website not only improves SEO but also encourages potential clients to easily engage with your firm services. Ensure your website is easy to navigate, has clear calls-to-action (CTAs) and links are clickable. The easier it is for users to find information, the longer they are likely to stay on your website. If you don’t have a website, you can either hire best web designer in Kenya or use a content management system (CMS) like WordPress or Wix to create your own website

2. Do Keyword Research

Start your SEO journey with thorough keyword research. Identify relevant keywords and phrases that potential clients might use when searching for legal services. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, Ahrefs or Keyword Tool that can help you discover high-value keywords. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your website’s content, including blog posts, practice area descriptions, and meta tags.

3. Create High-Quality Content

Content is king in the world of SEO! You cannot rank high on search engines without content.  Therefore, you need to create informative and engaging content that addresses the legal needs and questions of your target audience. You need to use  keywords that are related to legal issues to generate content for your blog. For instance, if you are divorce lawyer, some of the topics that are most searched in Kenya are

• Divorce lawyers near me
• How much does a divorce lawyer cost in Kenya?
• How much does it cost to file a divorce case in Kenya?
• family lawyers near me

By publishing blog posts, articles and guides will showcase your expertise and authority in various legal areas. You can also outsource high-quality content to Samodigital Agency. We will help you create optimized content that not only attracts visitors but also encourages them to stay on your site longer, improving your search rankings.

4. Mobile Optimization

How does your website behave when viewed on a mobile device? Google puts great emphasis on mobile-friendliness when ranking websites. Ensure that your law firm website is responsive and optimized for mobile devices. A mobile-friendly website not only provides a better user experience but also boosts your SEO rankings. You can run a mobile friendly test for your website and improve it 

5. Page Speed Optimization

Page speed is another crucial factor in SEO. Slow-loading websites frustrate users and can lead to a high bounce rate. Incfact, statistics show that 83% of people expect a website to load in 3 seconds or less. Use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to identify and rectify issues that may be slowing down your site. You also need to optimize pages that you upload. Compress images, leverage browser caching, and minimize unnecessary scripts to improve load times. You can install relevant plugins to make your work easier.

6. Local SEO

Law firms often serve specific geographic areas for instance, Nairobi, Kisumu or Mombasa or Kenya. The goal then is to attract local clients, optimize your website for local search. One way to do so is to claim and complete your Google My Business profile. 

Statistics show that 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information. Therefore, ensure that your firm’s business name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online directories. Encourage clients to leave reviews, which can significantly impact your local search rankings. In your descriptions, also use local keywords and remember to add social media profiles to Google My Business.

7. Link Building

 Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to your website. It is one of the most important factors in search engine optimization, as it helps to improve your website’s authority and ranking in search results.

You need to create good quality content to build high-quality backlinks from authoritative legal websites, directories, and local blogs. Guest posting, partnerships, and participating in legal spaces and events can help you earn valuable backlinks that boost your website’s authority.

8. On-Page SEO for Law Firm

Another way to improve SEO for your law firm is doing on-page optimization. Optimize your website’s on-page elements, such as title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags. These elements should contain your targeted keywords and provide clear and concise information about your services. Having well-structured content with proper headings not only helps with SEO but also enhances readability for people seeking services at your law firm

9. Regular Analytics and Monitoring

Once all the essential SEO for a Law firm is implemented, you need to regularly monitor your website’s performance. Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Analyze user behavior, track keyword rankings, and identify areas for improvement. Use this data to refine your SEO strategy and stay ahead of the competition.

Conclusion

Improving your law firm website’s SEO is an ongoing process that requires dedication and continuous effort. Implementing on page and off page  optimization will enhance your online visibility, attract more potential clients, and ultimately grow your legal practice. Also, SEO is a dynamic field, so staying informed about the latest trends and algorithm updates is key to long-term success in the digital landscape.

If you need help with writing monthly blogs and optimizing your law firm website in Kenya, contact us at Samodigital agency at info@samodigitalagency.com

8 Effective Ways To Use Twitter to Grow Your Business

How To Use Twitter to Grow Your Business

Twitter is one of the most powerful social media platforms that you can use to raise awareness about your business, engage with customers, and generate leads. Twitter boasts 229 million daily active users as of April 2022. So, if you are still wondering if you should use Twitter to grow your business, the answer is “Yes.”

All you need to know is how to set up your account and connect engagingly with people. Remember, people, go to Twitter to discover what is trending and not to be marketed to by brands. Therefore, when your business is on Twitter, you need to have conversations that matter to your community that will help your business grow and thrive.

This article looks at ways to use Twitter to grow your business. But first, let us look at what account you need.

Types of Accounts Available on Twitter

In the past, Twitter used to have one general type of account. However, in the recent past, Twitter introduced the following:

• Twitter for Professionals is meant to provide businesses, creators, publishers, and developers of all industries and sizes to showcase and highlight their content, products, and services directly on Twitter for free.
• Twitter Blue which is a monthly subscription that gives the most engaged people on Twitter exclusive access to premium features

Tip: Set your regular Twitter account and switch to Twitter Professional.  This will help you  specify the category and account type as a business. It will be easier to grow your business on Twitter.

Ways to Use Twitter to Grow Your Business

Create an Outstanding Profile

Begin by setting up your business account. Choose a display name that is easy to read. Also, use and handle that is consistent with your brand. You may not get the handle that matches your brand name because it’s been taken, but try to use something that still aligns with your brand name. For instance, @SamodigitalAgency was taken, we used @SamodigitaA

Next, you need a cover photo that compliments your brand colours and acts as an ever-changing billboard showcasing what’s new with your business. If you have offers or promotions or are celebrating a season, you can change it accordingly. Also, have a profile photo which preferably should be your company logo. The ideal dimension of a Twitter profile photo is 400x400px, whereas the cover photo dimension is 1500×500.

After that, you need to create a memorable bio that provides Information like your business mission statement, value proposition, location, branded hashtag, or operating hours.

Pin a Tweet

Once you have set up your profile, it’s time to send out Tweets. You will have to create different tweets daily or weekly. If you had created a tweet showcasing your brand, it would get overshadowed by the latest tweets. Therefore, it’s advisable to pin the tweet. A pinned tweet will appear on top of your Twitter profile, and you can change it anytime you have something new you want to inform your audience.

Here is an example of pinned Tweet

Why should you monitor social networks as a brand/ business?
Social media monitoring is the process of tracking hashtags, keywords, and brand mentions in order to stay informed about your audience and industry trends & topics
We can help you do social media monitoring in Kenya pic.twitter.com/20CHEc88XK

— Brandmoran- Social Listening Tool (@BrandmoranKE) December 17, 2021

 

Create Engaging Content

You need to create engaging content to capture the attention of your followers and target audience. Try and  express this through different supported formats like texts, videos, images, infographics, GIFs, and memes.

You can also combine all the formats, as Twitter now lets you post images, videos, and GIFs in a single tweet.  Be creative in how you create your content. Ensure they are informative and educational and add value to your clients.

Also, add some humour to your content. Humour humanizes your brand. It’s also memorable and easily shareable. A brand like Mwango Capital uses memes to recap and share news about the business in Kenya.

????? ???? ????’? ??? ???????? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??????? ?? @CAK_Kenya:

1. KRA is set to come down hard on Kenyans as the President has set them a target of doubling double tax collections by the end of his first term.#MwangoMemes pic.twitter.com/7gtRjY04pr

— Mwango Capital (@MwangoCapital) October 29, 2022

Work with Influencers

Influencer marketing has proven to be one of the most effective marketing strategies. Influencers help create brand awareness, reach a new target audience, raise brand advocacy, and increase sales. Moreover, people trust consumer recommendations. You must work with the right influencers within your industry and niche, even when they have a small following. According to a blog post by Twitter, brands are now shifting to working with micro-influencers over mega-influencers since they offer trusted reviews and have built a strong following that can be valuable to brands.

Here is an example of how ShowmaxKenya worked with one of the top social media influencers, Janet Machuka to promote their shows

On my Twitter Spaces tonight sponsored by @ShowmaxKenya!

A chat on a documentary called “Love Crimes of Kabul.”

Joining link: https://t.co/KEVR2sj9qb #Showmaxing pic.twitter.com/BTjFOSZYEy

— Janet Machuka (@janetmachuka_) October 31, 2022

Be Consistent

Another way to grow your business effectively on Twitter is by being consistent on the platform. Tweet at a specific frequency, depending on what works for your brand. For some brands, tweeting three times a week works for them, while tweeting daily works for others. Choose what works for you and stick to that.

Connect with People

As a business, you are also free to follow other accounts. Follow the people within your industry, thought leaders, partners, stakeholders, brand advocates, customers, and fans. These groups of people will likely follow back and engage with your content and eventually help to create brand awareness.

Leverage Twitter Spaces

During the Covid-19 pandemic, social audio content emerged that helped people connect while keeping their distance. We saw the emergence of platforms like Clubhouse, Facebook audio rooms, and Spotify Greenroom among others. To keep up with this trend, Twitter introduced Spaces. Spaces are live audio conversations on Twitter.

As a business, you can host spaces to discuss industry topics, get feedback about your product or answer questions about your product. Twitter Spaces helps you get real-time engagements, build a community, connect with cultural moments and get instant feedback. Try to host spaces consistently or one of your team could participate in other spaces within your niche.

Below is an  example of how Synnefa a Kenyan Agribusiness Startup is using Twitter Spaces

The future is calling, and it is here to stay. With the development of new innovative technologies, farmers are leading the way.

Join us tonight at 8PM as @taitangetich shares his journey with @FarmersStories!

Twitter Spaces Link: https://t.co/5ru8oPOqw7#Agri4Value pic.twitter.com/h35GU5ghli

— Synnefa (@synnefa_KE) March 16, 2022

Promoted Tweets

You can also promote your tweets through Twitter ads to reach a wider audience. Twitter ads campaigns allow you to achieve your marketing goal, like brand awareness, increasing followers, driving consideration, or delivering conversions. Twitter lets you quickly promote your posts, grow your followers, and increase your reach if you build brand awareness.

Conclusion

Twitter offers you immense ways to grow your business. Whether you are a solopreneur, a small business, or a large business, you can connect with fans, communities, audiences, and partners and grow your brand. Just understand the platform and use the above ideas to grow your business, get leads and make conversions.

If you need help with creating social media content or blogs, contact us at info@samodigitalagency.com.

Quote Tweet vs. Retweet? 5 Reasons Why You Need Retweet Posts

The engagement metrics on Twitter are retweets, quote retweets, likes, link clicks and impressions. However, retweeting is viewed as an important metric on Twitter, not just for a marketing campaign but even for Tweep(user). In this article we look at the difference between a retweet, a quote tweet and then look at the importance of retweeting a post.

Let us get started!

What is a retweet?

Twitter defines a retweet as a re-post of a Tweet. The Retweet feature helps you and others quickly share that Tweet with all of your followers. You can Retweet your own Tweets or Tweets from someone else.

Some users disagree with Retweeting your own Tweets and even made hilarious Tweets About Retweeting Your Own Tweets, but you have heard from the horse’s mouth; You can retweet your own tweet!

What is a Quote tweet?

On Twitter, you can retweet or quote a tweet. When you quote a tweet, you are retweeting a tweet and adding your comments. It could be a recent Tweet post that you want to add your perspective or an old post that is relevant again.

Twitter introduced Quote Tweets in 2020 as temporary tweet format ahead of the November 3rd US presidential election, to help prevent abuse and the spread of misinformation.

Tweets about a Tweet add more to the conversation, so we’ve made them even easier to find.

Retweets with comments are now called Quote Tweets and they’ve joined the Tweet detail view. Tap into a Tweet, then tap “Quote Tweets” to see them all in one place. pic.twitter.com/kMqea6AC80

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) August 31, 2020

 

In both cases you just retweeting but quote retweet you can add your comment.

Why Do You Retweet on Twitter?

So why do we retweet? Now that we have distinguished between the two types of retweets available on Twitter, you need to know the importance of retweeting.

1.      To quickly share information

Many will agree that they retweet as a quick way to share information while attributing it to the source. Assuming trusted source posts a piece of breaking news, you will likely retweet the post instead of creating a new one of the same content.

The news could be about a winner of an event, say the Tokyo Olympics, the death of a popular figure, natural calamities, court ruling or any other news. Below is a poll I conducted on the reasons why people retweet.

Hey Tweeps, why do you retweet a Tweet?

— Egline Samoei (@EguarEglin) July 9, 2021

 

2.      To amplify information

People also retweet tweets so that they can amplify the information to their followers. Also, it is a means of sharing information, but this time, it reaches a new audience or your audience.

Assuming there is a post by Samodigital Agency on tips on content creation, I would retweet the post so that it can reach many people interested in the marketing tips.

3.      To add your perspective

You may come across a post that you may want to add your sentiments different from the sources. In this case, you will quote a tweet with your sentiments. If an old tweet has become relevant again, you can retweet it and quote with the current context.

You can also quote a tweet poll to give the results or a finding of a poll. Here is a good scenario by social media marketing strategist and Founder of Africa Tweet Chat Janet Machuka

Wow! According to this poll, most people can comfortably quit Instagram.

Once crazy response was, “I don’t have clothes for Instagram.” Well, please wear that one dress all the time. https://t.co/cpHqagVVdV pic.twitter.com/NfKiTsonSu

— Janet Machuka (@janetmachuka_) September 7, 2021

 

4.      To make one’s presence as a listener visible

You can also show support to a person on Twitter by retweeting their post and making them visible.  Mark Trammell, a design researcher at Twitter, says, “People also retweet to introduce their followers to someone new or to shine a spotlight on someone deserving…The retweeter becomes the person who brings the new cool kid in town to the party.”

5.      Build relationships

When you retweet a person’s tweet, you are not only sharing information or amplifying their tweet but also building relationships. Yes, that is how online relationships are built and nurtured.

You may have come across a situation where a person retweets your tweet, and you go ahead and check their profile and even follow them. With time you get to build meaningful connections.

Wrapping Up

Engagements on Twitter vary but retweeting a tweet is seen to be more powerful. It is an easier way to share and amplify information. It also gives you a chance to gain followers and attract relevant personalities. Keep tweeting, keep retweeting. Eventually, build and grow your network!

Follow Egline Samoei Twitter and LinkedIn as well as Samodigital Agency on LinkedIn and Twitter for more engagements.

 

The Rise of Memes and Why You Need to Start Using Meme Marketing

Today, you can’t miss to come across a meme as you scroll through  your favourite social media platform.  People relate with memes and they will often share them from one social media platform to another. You will even find pages or accounts dedicated purely to memes. Some social media users have even branded themselves as king and queens of meme-making. Since memes are being embraced globally and they communicate humorously, you should start incorporating meme marketing in your digital marketing strategies.

What are Memes

Going by online definition, memes pronounced as /meems/ are images, videos, pieces of text, typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by internet users, often with slight variations.

One of the most popular memes in 2021 is a photo of US Senator, Bernie Sanders sitting with legs and arms crossed comfortably has been superimposed into images from around the world. This photo went viral and I bet you must have seen it.

 

What is Meme Marketing?

Meme marketing is the use of memes by brands to promote their product and services Click To Tweet. Some brands have taken lead in meme marketing as one of their social media strategies since they are free, easy to create and are sharable.

According to the 2021 Social Media Trends report, meme marketing is one of the social media marketing trends in 2021.  The report says “memes are spreading across the internet as a fun way to engage communities. They’re not all positive and cute, however. As per any communication, they can be used to manipulate the mindset of viewers. They can be used to normalize extreme behaviour, like external agencies interfering with elections or other major events. In 2021, you need to be ready to protect your brand from memes.”

The report further says thatin the coming months and years, expect memes to be used more to persuade consumers, both on key issues such as these, and the ones that could impact your brand Click To Tweet.

 

Worldwide mentions of the term “meme” has been increasing over time according to Google Trends

 

Also Read: Tips for using hashtags on Facebook  for a Wider Reach

What to Consider when Creating Meme for Marketing

Here are some tips to consider when creating memes for marketing

1.      Know Your Audience

The first thing to consider before making a meme is to analyse your target audience. If your target audience is millennials or baby boomers you can craft content and caption what is relatable to them.

2.      Be Trendy

You need to keep up with trends and hijack your social media posts with memes of what people are talking about what is usually known as memejacking.

Take for instance, on March 29, 2021 the Ever Given ship was freed in the Suez Canal by days after being since March 23 causing traffic in the canal. A number of brands were keeping an eye on the trending event and once it was freed they posted memes around their brands on Ever Given ship. Here are some examples trendy meme marketing on Ever Given

Don’t worry. We’ve got this. pic.twitter.com/JwOBhJtu4h

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 29, 2021

A quick solution to the #Evergiven problem in the #Suez…

We give you, BATTAASH ⚡ pic.twitter.com/KH4xe1NM7Y

— World Horse Racing (@WHR) March 29, 2021

However, be aware not to use meme on sensitive topics like violence, rape, race, assault etc that may damage your brand.

3.      Make Sure the Meme Matches Your Brand Voice and Personality

Just like any other brand content that you post on social media, from post to stories it should match your brand personality and voice.  It makes it easier for your audience to relate it to your band. Neil Patel emphasizes that, no matter what you decide to do with your memes, be consistent with your brand persona and stick with it. Otherwise, you risk confusing (and losing) your audience.

What should guide you in creating memes that are in line with your brand voice and personality, you need to define the target persona.  Here are some guiding questions by Julia Enthoven in a Social Media Examiner article on how to use memes for marketing.

• What content does your customer consume?
• What music, TV shows, or celebrities do they like?
• How can you delight and entertain them?
• What problems do they face that are common to their community?

Note that the worst thing to do with memes is to add  a call to action (CTA) such as subscribe, purchase, or follow. Memes are a fun way of engaging with your audience therefore they will share them, which will then create awareness and eventually generate leads. Click To Tweet

4.      Repurpose Popular Memes

Creating original memes might be difficult.  At times you may not be able to create one that matches the current moment of what is happening. As a result, you can reuse existing GIF or Meme libraries online.  Some of the popular meme online libraries include GIPHY, imgflip and Meme High Res Stock, and iStock just to mention a few. You can visit these meme libraries and repurpose exciting memes by adding captions, brand font and logos.

 

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5.      Be Cautious About Your Memes and Research Well

Research your memes well and understand the cultures so that you don’t offend online users. On one occasion, the Chelsea football club had to delete a meme after some fans took offence to the Kante meme shared by Chelsea. Chelsea had created a meme in wake of the huge container ship, the MV Ever Given, finally being freed after being stuck in the Suez Canal in Egypt since last Tuesday

Also Read: What is Doomscrolling and How To Avoid Doomscrolling?

Benefits of Meme Marketing

You will notice that the most successful brands across the globe are incorporating meme marketing in the social media content strategy. This then begs the question of why you should use memes in marketing. Here are some benefits of using memes in marketing.

Memes Are Easy to Create and Cheap

Creating memes is easy since you can find existing ones on online memes libraries like GIPHY and  imgflip.  From there, yours is just to repurpose them to align with your brand voice and personality.

Meme Humanize Your Brand

When people are interacting with a brand online, they don’t want a robotic kind of engagement. They want to feel they are engaging with a human behind the screen. Memes give you that opportunity to humanize your brand through memes.

Memes are relatable hence Increase Engagement

The beauty of memes is that they are relatable with people and tend to share them willingly. How many memes have you seen today on social media? A number of them, right? probably you have even shared them or reacted to them. By nature, memes are widely shareable hence it increases engagement.

Memes create a sense of community

Memes create a sense of belonging among your followers and audience when you use memes that your community can relate to.  You must have seen comments like “I can relate” on a meme.

Conclusion

Meme marketing is still new and a few brands have embraced it.  You should also start using memes in your marketing strategy since they create engagements, allow brands to communicate their brand personality funnily, humanize a brand and create a sense of community.

Connect with Egline Samoei on LinkedIn and Twitter

What is Doomscrolling and How To Avoid Doomscrolling?

Do you find yourself scrolling through negative news over and over again? Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, people have been using social media to connect with friends, family, get news, etc.  However, you will find that the timeline on social media is full of sad news, many deaths daily, a spike in cases of Covid-19, rape cases, murders and you keep scrolling from one sad story to another. You even go to comment sections to read the comments. Well, that is doomscrolling. So, what exactly is doomscrolling?

Doomscrolling

According to Merriam Webster, Doomscrolling or doomsurfing are new terms referring to the tendency to continue to surf or scroll through bad news, even though that news is saddening, disheartening, or depressing. Click To Tweet Many people find themselves reading continuously bad news about COVID-19 without the ability to stop or step back.”

Why are we Doomscrolling?

Lockdowns across the globe has led to an increase of social media users to 4.20 billion. According to theDigital 2021 report, it shows that 1.3 million new users joined social media every day during 2020 and they spend 2 hours and 25 minutes daily. Click To Tweet What are people searching or scrolling on social media? Some people say they are doomscrolling in a bid to find answers about the pandemic or feeling the need to stay informed about what is happening around them and around the world. The loop of going through social media posts, to comments, to searching articles to videos also makes people get and understand a story in different angles. Strangely, doomscrolling tends to be satisfying to for some people, but studies have shown to have negative impacts on your mood and brain.

“Many people think that they’ll feel safer by staying abreast of the latest news. Yet, they don’t realize that consumption of the negative news only leads to greater fear, anxiety, and stress,” Dr. Carla Marie Manly Click To Tweet, a clinical psychologist and author of “Joy from Fear: Create the Life of Your Dreams by Making Fear Your Friend,” told Healthline.

 

Also Read: 7 Privacy and Safety Tips on Social Media during Covid-19 Pandemic

How to Stop Doomscrolling

Before we look at how to avoid doomscrolling, it is vital to ask yourself this question. How does doomscrolling make you feel after getting the information you wanted? Is it satisfying? Are you anxious, hopeless, empty or stressed?  If it leaves you stressed and hopeless, then you need to stop doomscrolling now. Here are some ways on how to stop doomscrolling.

1.      Set time Limits

One way to stop the nerve-ending Doomscrolling is setting certain time limits on the time you want to spend on social media. For apps like Facebook and Instagram, you can use inbuilt time limit features so that you can know when to log out of social media. Once you hit the time limit you will not be able to use the social media app doomscrolling.

I’ve started limiting my social media time with timers on my phone. Instead of just telling me TIME’S UP and letting me keep doomscrolling, my android phone gives me warnings of how much time i have left and then REFUSES TO OPEN THE APP, which, is hilarious to me.

— vicki nerino (@vickinerino) March 21, 2021

 

2.      Avoid using your Phones in the Morning and Bedtime

Do you sign in to social media platforms the first thing you do in the morning or the last thing you do before going to bed?  It’s at any of these moments that people tend to spend a lot of time doomsurfing on social media. Learn to make your morning and nights sacred and avoid using your phones to doomscroll. Here is a reminder from Karen K. Ho, a global finance and economics reporter for Quartz based in New York who emphasizing the importance of rest and screen breaks. Her Twitter Bio reads “part-time Doomscrolling Reminder Lady”

 

Hi, are you
doomscrolling?

There’s been a lot of bad news
this week. A lot of fear, sadness, and grief. A lot to take in and
figure out. I know you’re doing your best. Try not to stay up
too late tonight. You still deserve time to rest.

—
Karen K. Ho (@karenkho) March
19, 2021

3.      Practice Gratitude

It’s with no doubt we are living in tough times and there are sad stories daily. However, it would help if you practiced gratitude. Look for something positive things around you and be thankful for them. It can be something minor like appreciating the cup you are using, the sweet breakfast you have had, the plants in your house, good weather, or the people that make you happy. With time you will have positive thoughts even when things are tough.

4.      Turn off Push Notifications

If you have notifications of social media platforms or articles turned on, you can consider switching them off. Truth be told. Some articles or news blogs have crafted the art of catchy headlines that you will be prompted to open once they appear on your phone.

5.      Consider Social Media Detox

Social media detox is consciously taking a break from social media consumption for a given period, usually 30 days. Social media detox helps you live the moment, reconnect with yourself, people and things around you and prevent you… Click To Tweet While detoxing, you will stay away completely from doomscrolling. This might not be practical for social media managers and digital marketers.

6.      Get a Hobby/Engaging Activity

Another way to avoid doomscrolling is caving to an activity that you like. You can choose to read books, do exercise, gardening, or watch a movie. Any meaningful activity that will distract you from doomsurfing on your phone.

This is all I had the energy to do today and hey it kept me from doomscrolling for a whole hour. pic.twitter.com/KFLcrN8sQi

— Rachel ? Kelso (@thehappysnaps) March 24, 2021

7.      Do Joyscrolling

You can also opt for joyscrolling or hopescrolling on a social media platform. Remember, amidst all the happenings, there is still positive news and positive stories on social media platforms. Engage in more positive stories rather than sad stories

Conclusion

Hopefully, you will cultivate a habit that will stop you from doomscrolling during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the future. Also, have you been doomscrolling? Have you stopped it, or do you want to stop? Let me know in the comment section how you are dealing with doomscrolling.

Telegram was Most Downloaded App Globally in January 2021 as WhatsApp Drops to 5th

Telegram was the most downloaded non-gaming app worldwide for January 2021. It had more than 63 million installs, 3.8 times its downloads in January 2020. Click To Tweet The countries with the most significant number of Telegram installs were India at 24 percent, followed by Indonesia at 10 percent, according to the latest data provided by Sensor Tower Intelligence.

Why the Sudden Surge in Telegram Downloads?

Ever since WhatsApp announced their new privacy policy in January 2021 that WhatsApp users would essentially be sharing more of their in-app data with Facebook, users were not comfortable with the update and began looking for alternative messaging apps.  The most favourable WhatsApp messaging apps became Telegram and Signal.

December 2020 Vs. January 2021 Non- Gaming Top Apps Worldwide

As you can see from the top apps worldwide for January 2021 Chart, Telegram became the most downloaded app globally. It was then followed by TikTok and Signal in the third position. WhatsApp was the fifth most downloaded app down from 3^rd position in December 2020.

If you break it down per digital distribution service,Telegram was the most downloaded app on the Google play store, while Signal was the second most downloaded app, with WhatsApp dragging at the sixth position. On the contrary, TikTok was the most downloaded app on the App… Click To Tweet

In December 2020, TikTok was the most downloaded non-gaming app worldwide for December 2020, with close to 56 million installs. According to analytics by Sensor Tower, the countries with the largest number of TikTok installs were from Douyin in China at 11 percent, followed by the United States at 10 percent.

WhatsApp was topping at top 3, while Telegram was the 9^th most downloaded app and the Signal app is missing out in the top 10

Bottom Line

The WhatsApp privacy update backlash led to an increase in downloads of Telegram and Signal messaging apps.  Since WhatsApp announced a three-month delay of a new privacy policy initially slated to go into effect on February 8th, how will it impact the February downloads? That is something worth watching!

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7 Privacy and Safety Tips on Social Media during Covid-19 Pandemic

Have you ever thought of your safety on social media? What content are you sharing online? Who are your friends or followers?  The use of social media platforms is on the rise. Covid1-19 has even accelerated social media usage as a means of communication since most people are working from home.  People are using social media for different reasons. According to the Global Web Index report, the following are the top reasons why people are using social media during the Covid-19 pandemic are to:

• Stay up to date with current news and update
• Fill up spare time
• Find funny or engaging content
• Keep in touch with what friends are doing.

With more people using social media platforms, it is also good to ensure your safety and privacy on social media. What content are you consuming? What personal information are you sharing online and how will that affect your privacy?  Well, this article looks at some safety measures you need to exercise to stay safe on social media.

1.     Use Strong Passwords

For your social media accounts to be more protected, use strong passwords. Your passwords should entail letters, special characters, numbers and make it at least 8 characters. For your social media accounts to be more protected, use strong passwords. Your passwords should entail letters, special characters, numbers and make it at least 8 characters. Click To TweetMoreover, be creative with your passwords. Do not use your names, place of birth, parents’ name, your school, which are passwords that malicious people can easily guess. Other tips related to passwords for you are:

• Use different passwords for different social media accounts
• Do not share your passwords with anyone
• Use two-factor authentication that adds an extra layer of authentication
• Set up security questions

 

2.     Familiarize Yourself with Privacy Settings for Each Platform

Each social media platform has privacy settings that allow you to control or customize your privacy settings. You can control what should be visible to your connection, what people can share, your social media activities or manage how a social media platform uses your data. You can also choose to keep your social media account private or visible to everyone.   Have a look at the privacy settings of LinkedIn on what you can control.

3.     Be Selective on Friend Requests

Be selective on friend requests and do not accept friend requests of people that you don’t know.  The friend request you could accept could be a fake account or a malicious person who wants to get hold of the information you share online. Be selective on friend requests and do not accept friend requests of people that you don't know. The friend request you could accept could be a fake account or a malicious person who wants to get hold of the information you share… Click To TweetMoreover, do not shy away from cleaning your friends list or connection.

Last year, I noticed that I had many friends on my Facebook account that I didn’t even know that I had accepted in the past. I took the initiative of unfriending strange people just to secure my account. Remember, you have the power to control the people whom you want to be your friend online and never feel guilty about rejecting some friend requests.

Also Read: A Look at Social Media Universe in 2020

4.     Be Cautious of What you Share

“Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t want to be plastered on a billboard with your face (or logo) on it.”-Erin Bury Don't say anything online that you wouldn't want to be plastered on a billboard with your face (or logo) on it. Erin Bury Click To Tweet As you type on “What is on Your Mind” on Facebook, “What do you want to talk about” on LinkedIn or “What is Happening on Twitter,” remember what happens on social media stays on Google forever.   You may delete what you have posted but remember somebody might have taken a screenshot of it and saved it. So be careful before you hit that “Post” button.

 To add on, be calm on what you post or share on social media. Do not share everything and anything going on in your life on social media. From what share, say a location malicious person can take advantage of that information and even come to where you are.

Also, do not share sensitive information like your phone number, bank details, passwords, date of birth, account numbers on social media that hackers can use against you. When you have a complaint that you are raising to a company through their social media platform, learn to inbox them your personal details rather than posting the complaint with your personal details on their wall.Don't share sensitive information like your phone number, bank details, passwords, account numbers on social media that hackers can use against you. When you have a complaint that you are raising to a company through their social media… Click To Tweet Hackers and malicious will take advantage of that information.

5.     Avoid signing Up on third-party apps with your social media credentials

You must have come across sites or apps that allow you to sign up using your social media accounts or email.  Avoid signing up on third-party apps using your social media accounts because you will be granting those sites more information about you.

6.     Avoid Playing Online Games and Quizzes

The most relatable games and quizzes are those fun games on Facebook like Nametests and Meaww. You may or may not have participated in those quizzes and names, but from today avoid participating in those games if you care about your personal security and privacy. All those clicks and taps give the Quiz company information on you. Avoid participating on social media games if you care about your personal security and privacy. All those clicks and taps give the Quiz company information on you. Click To Tweet

If you check the privacy terms of Nametests, an Instant game website available on Facebook, they say they process user’s data such as name and profile picture.

“When users create a user account with us, we store so-called inventory data, such as the first names of users or app-scoped IDs (“player ID”). Depending on which of our Online Services, our users use, other data, such as profile pictures or text entries may also be processed. We also process data on the use of our services, such as contents that have been viewed, times of use, their duration and technical details, such as browsers or devices used, in order to make our offer user-friendly and secure.”

Therefore, if you are mindful of your online data and don’t want to share with third-party apps like this quiz site, stop participating in those games.

Also Read: 8 Effective Habits for Quality  SaaS Content Writing

7.     Learn to Logout from Public Computers

To wind up, if you must use a public computer or device to log in to your social media account, learn to log out from those devices.  Failing to logout from the public device, a person who will use it after you will definitely be gaining access to your social media account and your personal information, which is not good.  For personal computers, ensure that you install antivirus software to protect your computer.

Wrap Up

To conclude, observing the above social media tips ensures your personal data safety and your safety on social media. If you need a technical writer who can write similar topics on security, the Internet and social media, kindly feel free to shoot an email on egline@samodigitalagency.com. For more topics on content marketing, kindly check out Samodigital Agency blog

 

 

SaaS Content Marketing: 8 Effective Habits for Quality Content

Why Quality Content?

“Google only loves you when everyone else loves you first.” – Wendy Pier.Google only loves you when everyone else loves you first. Click To Tweet To rank on Google’s top page, you should create content that is in line with Google’s Algorithm. It is not just about ranking top on the Google search engine but creating authentic and valuable content for your target audience

“Google wants to reward high-quality sites that contain original content. So not only does great content make a better website, but it also improves your site’s rankings, which can have a very positive impact on your business.t that is useful to your audience.” Says Neil Patel, the co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar and KISSmetrics.

Therefore, there is a need to create quality content for your website or blog post. Now, let us look at habits you need to have to create quality content for any SaaS tool

1.     Have a SaaS Content Marketing Strategy

Having a strategy is a key ingredient in producing quality content.  Set out your goals, establish KPIs, profile your target audience, choose content type, and determine how you will measure the results.  As a content marketing team, ensure that you meet weekly or daily to discuss your content marketing strategy. The meetings have proven to be yield good results for content marketing. According to the B2B content marketing report, effectiveness is greater among teams that meet more frequently (61% of the most effective B2B marketers meet daily or weekly).

With the Covid-19 pandemic forcing organizations to work remotely, you can still have meetings virtually via video conferencing tools like Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, etc.

If you are a sole content marketer, you still need to evaluate your content marketing strategies and plan.

2.    Create Original Content

Always create original content that resonates well with your brand audience. Google does not like plagiarized content, and you will be punished for that. As a matter of fact, there many contents out there that you can reference but do not copy and paste the content to your website.

3.      Update Your Content

Effective SaaS content marketing is not always about creating new content only. It is also about updating the existing articles, How-to topics, blog posts or any content on your website.  Google Search Console is a great platform to give you clues on what you need to update on your existing articles.  You will find new search terms that will enable you to add or remove from your existent article. Take, for example, if you are into the SaaS industry and your company has added a new feature that is useful during the Covid-19 pandemic or software user interface has been updated. You have articles written base on the old interface. Is it not time to update them?

4.      Your Content Should Provide Answers

When writing SaaS content, write content that provides solutions to your readers or clients. Write educational content and avoid promotional content. When writing SaaS content, write content that provides solutions to your readers or clients. Write educational content and avoid promotional content Click To Tweet A person clicks on a link to your article because they know the article will provide an answer to what they have queried on the search engine.  Neil Patel adds by saying that “people don’t just want answers, they want answers fast. So, make your content easy to scan so people can pick up the juicy, important bits quickly.”

5.      Monitor Brand Mentions

There are plenty of reasons why you need to track your brand mentions online. An online user can review your product or service and they fail to link back to your site. In this case, you will have a great reason to reach them out and request them to link back. On the other hand, if it is a negative review, you will reach out to them and handle the situation before it gets worse.

Use tools like Google Alerts, Brand24, Brandmentions, Semrush Branding monitoring, among others, to monitor your brand online.Use tools like Google Alerts, Brand24, Brandmentions and Semrush Branding monitoring tool to monitor your brand online. Click To Tweet

6.      Incorporate Images and Videos

The best way customers can learn and feel about your product or service is by adding images and videos to your website content. Using the visuals graphics illustrates the point you are making clearly.  For instance, you are writing an article on installing or using your app or software. Using images for each step provides the reader with a clear step on what they need to do.

7.      Share your Content

After writing your content or creating those beautiful infographics, you need to share them with your communities. Publish the content on your blog, share the content on social media and forums like Quora. Sharing content creates engagement, brand awareness, generates a lead, increases sales, and leads to upselling or cross-selling.

With that in mind, always add a call to action in your articles.

8.      Monitor and Evaluate your Content Performance

Now, you have created your content, published it and shared it with your community. What next? What follows is for you to monitor and track the performance of your content. A good web monitoring tool you can use is Google analytics. It well helps you monitor your website activities such as real-time traffic, pages per session, bounce rate, traffic channels, user’s behaviour and devices they use etc.

From the Google web insights, you will be to understand your target audience, improve your site performance, and improve your SEO content.

Wrap Up

Quality and creativity are key to SaaS content marketing that you can infuse into your overall digital marketing strategy.  When creating content, always provide value to your customers and be simple and straightforward. Keep updating your content, and remember to evaluate your content performance.

In an event where you want a SaaS content writer or tech writer to write articles, blog posts, guest posts, press release or editorials, Samodigital Agency can do that for you. Send an email at egline@samodigitalagency.com. You can also follow Egline on LinkedIn and Twitter.