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?

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

7 Essential Qualities of a Successful Digital Marketing Consultant

What does digital marketing consultant do?

In todays’ ever changing world, you may need to work with a digital marketing consultant to elevate the growth of your business. What does a digital marketing consultant do? A digital marketing consultant is a professional who helps businesses and organizations develop and execute effective digital marketing strategies. They provide expert advice and guidance on various aspects of digital marketing. This will help you achieve their marketing goals and increase their online presence. Here are some key responsibilities of a digital marketing consultant

1. Digital Strategy Development

A consultant collaborates with clients to understand their business objectives and target audience and ideal social media platforms. They develop comprehensive digital marketing strategies tailored to the client's needs. This involves identifying the most suitable digital channels and tactics to reach the target audience effectively.

2. Run Paid Advertising Campaigns

Hiring a digital marketing consultant will assist you in planning, creating, and managing online advertising campaigns across platforms such as Google Ads, social media platforms, and YouTube advertising. They will help you optimize campaigns to achieve maximum reach, engagement, and conversions within the allocated budget.

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

As you know, SEO is crucial for improving a website's visibility in search engine results. You will not be able to execute this alone if you don’t know how to do it. That's why you will need an experienced digital marketing consultant. A digital marketing consultant will help you analyze websites, conduct keyword research, optimize content, and provide recommendations to enhance search engine rankings and drive organic traffic Click To Tweet. Some will even be able to write engaging and informative content for your website.

4. Content Marketing

Content is King! It’s what drives engagement, leads and conversion for any business. A consultant will also help you develop winning content marketing strategies that engage and attract the right  target audience. You can read this article to understand types of content and why it’s important to brands. Consultants often assess the performance of content and make suggestions for improvement.

5. Social Media Marketing

Moreover, consultants assist in developing social media strategies to enhance brand visibility, engage with the audience, and drive website traffic. Right now, we have top social media platforms and emerging platforms. Platforms  like Threads, Lemon8, Bluesky and much more to come. Therefore a consultant will recommend platforms suitable for your business, create content calendars, and provide insights. Also, they will optimize social media posts and advertising to ensure you gain the most from your marketing efforts and return investment.

6. Analytics and Reporting

With digital marketing you can easily track and measure your marketing efforts. To add on, working with a consultant will help you use various tools to track and analyze the performance of digital marketing campaigns. These could be web analytics tools like Google Analytics, In-app social media analytics or third party analytics tools like Semrush, Sprout Social among others. Moreover, They will provide you with reports while highlighting key metrics, trends, and areas for improvement. Consultants use these insights to refine strategies and make data-driven decisions.

7. Digital Marketing Training

Finally, some consultants may offer training sessions to educate clients on digital marketing principles, tools, and best practices.If you are in Kenya and you would like to have in-house training for your team, you can hire a certified digital marketer like Egline Samoei Click To Tweet. She will help you gain a better understanding of digital marketing and empowers them to execute strategies independently if desired. Yo can reach out via email at egline@samodigitalagency.com

In Conclusion

To conclude a digital marketing consultant helps businesses leverage digital channels effectively to achieve their marketing objectives, improve brand awareness, drive website traffic, and generate leads or sales. Lastly, they stay updated with the latest trends and technologies in the digital marketing landscape to provide valuable insights and guidance to their clients.  

How To Create A Successful SEO Content Strategy in 2023

Google keeps updating its ranking algorithm; hence digital marketers and business websites must update their SEO content strategy. The competition to rank better in SEO and attract more visitors narrows to having a winning SEO content strategy. This article guides you on how to create a successful SEO content strategy in 2023.

1. Understand your Target audience

Before creating any content, you must know your audience, interests, and search intent. Audiences visit your page not because they like it but because they need a solution. If you don't offer a solution to their needs, you probably add no value to them, and they will visit other pages.     Understanding your audience can help you create relevant and engaging content that resonates with them, increasing traffic, engagement, and conversions. There are many ways to understand your audience. You can conduct market research, carry out client interviews, create personas, use Google analytics, and analyze your competitors. With the evolving technological landscape, make sure you align your strategies with the industry trends.  

2. Conduct Keyword Research

While the SEO algorithm uses several parameters to rank a website, keywords cannot be underestimated. Keywords are the backbone of any SEO content strategy. Conducting keyword research is vital to identify what people are searching for and how to optimize your content for those queries. Simply put, keywords give you the user's intention and subsequently attract an audience looking for your solution.  Finding relevant and high-volume keywords is a game-changer, and high-ranking sites can attest to it. Pull all your strings to obtain the right keywords for your content. While finding these keywords can be an uphill task, things become far much easier with keyword research tools. Input suitable keyword phrases, long-tail, and funnel keywords to generate high-ranking keywords for your page. Finally, integrate the generated keywords into your page and see the magic traffic you will pull. 

3. Create High-Quality Content

Creating high-quality content is a must-have ingredient in your SEO strategies. It never gets old, and there are no signs that quality content will drop its weight in the SERP algorithm. The beauty of quality content is that it provides value to your audience and gives them a reason to visit and stick around your page.  Creating quality content is not a rocket science task. Just make your content error-free, engaging, informative, authentic, factual, and relevant. Furthermore, add visual and multimedia elements to make your content eye-catchy and genuine. You can use charts, graphs, videos, audio, appealing images, and data tables. Well-crafted content enhances user experience and statistically generates high click-through rates (CTR). 

4. Optimize Your Content

Optimizing your content for search engines and devices is an important SEO content strategy in 2023. You ought to make your content visible to search engines by optimizing your content, including keywords in title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and throughout the body of the content. Make it organized and appealing to users.  Also, ensure that your content is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. Remember, millions of users use mobile phones to shop online, and this trend will continue. If your page is not mobile-friendly and takes too long to load, then be ready to lose more leads.   

5. Align your SEO Strategies with Brand Goals

. Aligning your SEO strategies with brand goals is crucial for the success of your business. SEO strategies deviating from your brand goals can waste efforts, resources, and poor ROI. When your SEO strategies align with your brand goals, you create a consistent message across all channels and experience increased brand awareness and recognition. Your brand goals communicate your identity and objectives. SEO efforts can help you reach your target audience, build trust and authority, and drive conversions. By aligning your SEO strategies with your brand goals, your efforts target achievable, measurable, and meaningful results. You create a strong brand identity, gain a competitive edge, and ultimately drive long-term growth and success.

Conclusion

Getting a successful SEO content strategy for 2023 can be tough, especially with the rapidly evolving SEO landscape. Nevertheless, you don't necessarily need to be an expert to pull outstanding SEO strategies for your brand. Many SEO strategies fit your brand and have been well-elaborated in this article. Leverage these SEO strategies and attract massive traffic to your site. 

10 SaaS Content Marketing Ideas for Your SaaS Company

Incorporating SaaS content is vital for the long-term success and growth of your company. However, generating high-quality content that attracts and retains customers can be challenging. To help, we have compiled a list of 10 content ideas that can help your SaaS company drive organic growth. 

What is SaaS in Simple Terms?

SaaS stands for Software as a Service. It is a way of delivering software applications over the internet rather than having users download and install the software on their own devices. With SaaS, the software is hosted on remote servers, and users access it through a web browser or a dedicated application. Examples of Saas companies include Salesforce, Brand Moran, Zoom, and Hootsuite, among others.

Best SaaS Content Marketing Ideas for Your Saas Company

Now, look at some b2b SaaS content marketing ideas with examples.

1. Write Informative Blog Articles

Consumers want solutions, and the right information is the genesis of meaningful solutions. Many internet users browse web pages looking for useful and informative content. Blog articles provide one of the simplest and finest ways to communicate to potential consumers and leads about your products.  Informative content paints a good picture of your product and backs up your social media campaign. Post consistently about your SaaS niche, and you will seamlessly attract more audiences.  Here is an example from the Blue Jeans video conferencing platform

2. Write How to Guides

You can also write guides about your product or service. Customer experience is critical, and it is your duty to provide and maintain high levels of customer experience. SaaS products often prove complex and probably give newbies a rough time. Furthermore, customers want to identify and get the products they need effortlessly. Therefore, adding how-to guides on SaaS blog topics can be the perfect dose for complex product-related issues. These guides should be written simply, clearly, and organized. You can reach out to SaaS growth agencies like Samodigital Agency for high-quality Saas content. You can take some inspiration from how Wondershare PDFelement does it.

3. Leverage Questions and Surveys

Have you thought of answering frequently asked questions? People don’t like normal boring tactics. However, getting out of the box to leverage surveys, questions, and polls is one of the finest b2b SaaS content ideas.  Questions and surveys provide insights into customers’ behavior and other critical information about your SaaS product. The beauty of these surveys and quizzes is that they are cheap, fast, accurate, flexible, and less biased. 

4. Publish Case Studies and Customer Success Stories

Consumers want to see the product working or at least be certain they are investing in something that solves their needs. Convincing a potential client about your SaaS product is not a plain sailing process. While there are several proven ways to market your product and convince buyers, one of the effortless methods is using case studies. Create a case study detailing how your SaaS product has impacted a customer. Find a loyal client and request important details on how your product brought a positive difference in their matrix. Remember, do not exaggerate the testimonial because clients might consider it a red flag. Here is how Salesforce is doing

5. Be Smart with Landing Pages

Landing pages are marketing pages that you are redirected to when you click an ad, link, or email. They are designed specifically for advertisement or marketing campaigns.  Create a suitable, engaging, trustworthy, effective, and relevant landing page for your SaaS product. You can include a lead capture form and a clear call to action to capture visitors and their details easily.  Nowadays, people use multiple landing pages for different products. This makes navigating and attracting the target audience to respective pages easy.  

6. Create SaaS Podcasts and Webinars

Podcasts and Webinars are extremely useful in marketing virtually all types of products, including SaaS. These are a series of downloadable videos about certain topics. Create SaaS podcasts and use the platform to communicate facts and figures about your product. Make the podcast entertaining, brief, and conversational.  See how HootSuite hosts webinars on social media marketing

7. Use Comparison Posts

Comparisons posts compare your SaaS products in the same niche. With these comparisons, it is easier to read and understand the information presented. Use tabular formats to bring visualization home and make clients memorize the information.  You can also make use of shareable infographics.

8. Write Alternative Posts

Alternatives posts are a popular content marketing strategy for SaaS companies.  They can help attract and engage potential customers searching for solutions to their business needs.  Writing alternative articles lets you showcase your unique value proposition and differentiate yourself from the competition. It also helps your target audience make informed decisions about their software investments.

9. Product updates and announcements

Last but not least, invest in writing about product updates and announcements. This kind of content keeps existing customers informed, attracts new customers, showcases innovation and expertise, and encourages engagement and feedback. Also, you can start writing product updates and announcements. Canva, the online design tool, is a good example of a SaaS company making use of product updates and announcements.

10. Try Informative e-books

Lastly,  you can also create ebooks as one of your SaaS content marketing strategies. The beauty of e-books is that the target audience can easily access them on the same device.  As a SaaS company, you can publish this informative technical e-book and use them to spread your message. Moreover, e-books are good lead generation tools, offering them as a free download in exchange for contact information. This allows the company to grow its email list and nurture leads through targeted email marketing campaigns. Additionally, e-books can help increase brand awareness and drive traffic to the company’s website.

Wrapping up

In conclusion, these content ideas can grow your SaaS business organically. Have a content marketing strategy and start with content with ideas you can easily achieve as a company. You can create content internally or outsource to SaaS content writing experts like Samodigital Agency You can contact us if you want help with writing and creating SaaS content for your company at egline@samodigitalagency.com

Facebook Page vs Profile: Is it Better to Have a Facebook Page or Profile?

Facebook Page vs Profile: Is it Better to Have a Facebook Page or Profile?

Facebook allows anyone to create a Facebook page or personal profile. So, which one is better to have? If you have a business, it is always advisable to separate your personal profile from a Facebook page. When scrolling through a Facebook feed you will see posts from personal profiles who are friends, pages you have liked and even groups you have joined.  A few weeks ago, a friend was venturing into photography and I received a friend request from a name that looked familiar. Looking through the profile, it was the brand name of his photography. This never sounded well for me and urged them to create a Facebook business page instead.  Remember he already has a Facebook personal profile and is now creating another Facebook profile under his photography name. So, why have a Facebook page not a Facebook profile for business? First, we need to distinguish between a Facebook profile Facebook page

Facebook Profile

A Facebook Profile is your personal account on Facebook, where you tell people about yourself, add friends and share personal updates. A profile is what you first create when you sign up on Facebook by providing personal information and creating a password. With a Facebook profile, you can connect with friends, family, colleagues, and follow brands and organizations that are of interest.

Importance of a Facebook Profile

• You will be able to create posts, share videos, photos
• You can share information and stories with your friends and family
• Like, follow and get updates on businesses and organisations that interest you

Facebook Page

A Facebook Page is your business's digital presence on Facebook that you create using your personal profile. A Page has tools to help you grow your business, connect with customers and see how people interact with it. With a Facebook business page, you add details of your website like contacts, website, services and get analytics. Facebook page is ideal for businesses, organisations, charities, public figures Previous Post: What is Doomscrolling and How To Avoid Doomscrolling?

Why You Should Have a Facebook Business Page for your Brand or As A Brand

Imagine a brand like Nike sending you a friend request, or you sending a friend request to a company like Coca-Cola? You find it odd, right? Now, imagine how many friend requests those companies could be receiving if they created a Facebook profile instead of a Facebook page where their fans could just like and follow within a click! Tip?

A facebook business page should be part of your social media strategy, not a replacement for your website Build your authority in Industry Own a website #websiteisimportant #websitedesign pic.twitter.com/ztqxeLh7D4

— Av (@GameSpells) April 24, 2021

That is exactly why brands need a business page no matter how small your business is. Try and look at the future. Your fanbase, community or customers will grow over time. Here are other benefits of having a business page over a profile

Get  A Wider Reach

With a Facebook page, you get an advantage of a wider reach on your posts. Page’s content is often public and Facebook users can search and view your content. When your followers share or comment on your page, their friends will get to see your posts. Some will be prompted to follow you back.  Tip: When posting content on your page, add relevant trending hashtags within your industry so that you can get a wider reach. In 2020, Facebook Promoted the Use of Hashtags on Posts with a promise of Wider Reach

Unlimited Follows/Likes

Unlike a Facebook profile that limits you to 5000 confirmed friends and 1000 friend requests in the queue, pages allow millions of people to follow your brand. You can invite friends to like your page and  grow your community. Moreover, you can also manage your followers by banning disrespectful followers or muting insensitive words on your page.

Target Your Market

The beauty of having a page is that you can market your page to a specific targeted audience. Also, you can boost posts to the targeted audience or lookalike audience. A lookalike audience is customers who are similar to your current audience. Moreover, with a targeted audience you can target people:

•  According to their interests, gender, age, location, behaviours and demographics
• That  like your page
•  Who like your page and their friends
•  In your local area

Tip Facebook Page Posts: The Rise of Memes and Why You Need to Start Using Meme Marketing

A Cheap Way to Market and Advertise Your Brand

Facebook pages offer you an affordable way to advertise and market to your target market. Within less than $2 you can reach about 443-1.3k people per day with 68-195 engagements! Facebook promotions are affordable and allow you to target the right audience. NB: My Ad Center settings are in Kenya currencies for the pages I manage.

Get Free Analytics

With a Facebook page, you will get free overview analytics and detailed insights into your posts. You will get insights on total page followers, organic followers, paid followers, daily page views, organic vs paid reach, page likes among others. Another free detailed page insight you get on the Facebook page is the People insights. You can know your fans, followers, people engaged, people reached by age, gender, location and language. What a free useful insight!

You Can Schedule Posts

Sometimes you may have a busy schedule but you still want to engage your customers on Facebook. At times, you want to have your post published when most of your page followers are online but you will not be online then. Here is where the Facebook Schedule post feature comes in. You can schedule posts to any day and time, unlike a Facebook profile.

You can allow other People to Manage your Page

Teamwork is paramount! A Facebook page allows you to add other people to manage your page such as comments, create ads and delete comments. You can assign your friends or your team with roles like editor, moderator, analyst, advertiser or a custom role.

Conclusion

If you are a personal brand or have a brand, consider creating a Facebook page over a Facebook profile. Although you must have a Facebook profile to create a Facebook page, you have a Facebook and grow it.  With a business page, you will enjoy a pool of privileges in marketing, get data insights and manage your community easily. For more tips on digital marketing,  follow Egline Samoei on Twitter and LinkedIn   

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

Definition of SaaS Content Marketing and Why You Need to Hire a SaaS content Writer

What is SaaS Content Marketing?

The term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS companies such as Google Apps, MailChimp, Salesforce, Zoom are transforming our lives, and people are looking for content about them and how to use them. This has been very evident during the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the world. In one way or another, you must have used a SaaS tool to enhance your communications or productivity while maintaining social distance. SaaS content marketing we can simply say it is marketing for SaaS tools.  It could be use blogs, articles, guest posts, videos or any form of content that helps educate users about your product.  With the SaaS  content marketing you choose, you should show customers or users how the software will solve their problems; hence you need a SaaS content writer. Also Read: SaaS Content Marketing: 8 Effective Habits for Quality Content

Why Hire a Saas Writer?

A SaaS writer will help you produce content for your blogs, guest post, and digital PR that clearly shows customers how the SaaS product will solve their problems and guide them on using the software.  A great SaaS writer is one who understands your audience, customer journey, and your competitors. With great SaaS content, you will earn trust, credibility, increase conversions, and provide value to your customers. Therefore, it is vital to hire a SaaS writer who will help you curate content for your SaaS product and communicate the correct message to your target audience.

Where to Get SaaS content Writers

In an era where remote working is the new norm, digital marketers and content creators are shifting to remote working. You can get freelance SaaS content writers through their websites, content mills, and even LinkedIn or other social media platforms.  To cut the chase, hire Egline Samoei, a SaaS content writer who has vast experience in SaaS content writing. She has over eight years in content writing for SaaS, Platform as Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Check her SaaS content writing portfolio, and feel free to shoot an email via egline@samodigitalagency.com.    

Facebook Promotes the Use of Hashtags on Posts with a promise of Wider Reach

Do Hashtags Work on Facebook 2020?

Yes, using Facebook hashtags in 2020 work! When you login to Facebook today you will notice posts, photos, and ads with different hashtags like #FirstBornChallenge #hotmomchallenge  #JerusalemaDance among others. Why? Because Facebook is now promoting use of hashtags with a promise of wider reach.   Facebook introduced hashtags in 2013 and updated them in 2016. However, the use of Facebook hashtags in posts had not really been effective not until 2020.  According to a screenshot shared  Facebook Marketing Mari Smith, taken by a Heather Coy Moonka some of the users had reported seeing a notification by Facebook that said you could increase reach by using hashtags. “You may have seen a notification on Facebook like this prompting you to add hashtags to your posts to improve your reach? LOVE that! Thank you, Facebook. Many members of my Social Scoop Facebook group are starting to report seeing a slight increase in reach with the use of hashtags now.” Wrote Mari Smith a Facebook Marketing Expert The use of hashtags is now available for users and page admins.  You might have scrolled through your Facebook feeds, and you may have come across trending hashtags such #Jerusalemachallenge, #Firstbornchallenge, #Hotmomchallenge. Below those hashtags, you will notice that Facebook is prompting you try them. Moreover, with the hashtags on Facebook in 2020 it has gone an extra mile to show hashtag count preview as noted by Social media commentator and leaker Matt Navarra

New? Facebook shows a hashtag count preview when creating a new post pic.twitter.com/3Agg33iD6W

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) September 4, 2020

  By knowing the popularity of the Facebook hashtags is helpful for brands to know which hashtags to use when posting photos, posts and ads. Read: How Social Media Consumption in Kenya looks Like in 2020

How are Facebook Hashtags effective?

But what do we mean when we say Facebook hashtags work?  When you use hashtags in Facebook posts, you will get several benefits as a brand mentioned below.

• You will get a wider reach
• Your posts will be searchable and clickable
• It encourages engagements
• Users can find you using branded hashtags
• Allows you to monitor trending topics

Tips for using hashtags on Facebook in 2020

As you have seen, hashtags are now effective on Facebook, and you should start using them. So, what are some of the tips you need to know when using Facebook hashtags?

• Participate in the challenges. Just click on “Try it” on a relevant challenge and be creative. Many brands have tried out the #jerusalemadancechallenge
• Just like Twitter and Instagram, you can compose or discover hashtags on Facebook by typing in the hashtags
• Use Instagram to discover trending hashtags, although Facebook has now allowed users to see the hashtag count.
• Don’t go overboard with hashtags on your post. It is recommended that you use 3-5 hashtags per posts
• You can create your branded hashtags that you will be using on your posts.
• When scheduling posts on creator studio, remember to add hashtags.

Conclusion We hope that you will start using hashtags in Facebook posts and searching topics articles and posts using hashtags. If you have used hashtags in 2020, what is your experience? Kindly share with us your experience.

How Social Media Consumption in Kenya looks Like in 2020