Digital Boom

Author: Osama Tolba

  • Ureed: How to Incorporate Freelancers in Hiring Strategy

    Ureed: How to Incorporate Freelancers in Hiring Strategy

    Ureed.com offers an unprecedented view on how to incorporate freelancers in your hiring strategy.

    As a business owner, taking on a new project is an exciting time full of potential. Yet, it doesn’t come without challenges. It can be overwhelming figuring out how to cope with the mounting workload. However, businesses in the past year have begun to see the benefits of deviating from the status quo of recruitment firsthand. Hiring full-time workers for fixed hours within an office environment became less of a rule and more of a strategy, among many other alternative hiring strategies.

    Thanks to the emergence of online freelance marketplaces, business owners today have an almost endless array of options for finding and hiring remote talent & freelancers on-demand.

    Why hire freelancers?

    With a fluid work economy, flexibility and adaptability are essential means of survival for your business, and that is one of many benefits attached to hiring freelancers. With a wide pool of talents to choose from, you can work with freelancers from different time zones who can work around your own schedule and be productive at all times of the day, ensuring that your business needs are executed on time.

    Additionally, employers who hire freelancers can leverage freelancers’ expertise, skills, and experience, which allows them to tap into an incredibly high value and diversity level. Not to mention that freelancers require little supervision, which allows you as a business owner to focus on the other tasks at hand without having to constantly micro-manage. This is especially fitted for startups looking for quick and easy hiring solutions and who don’t have time to handle the struggles of onboarding full-time workers.

    The main attraction of freelancers to business owners remains their potential for saving costs and cutting overheads. Integrating freelancers in your workforce is one of the most cost-effective hiring models. That is because employers are not required to pay additional costs to freelance workers such as recruitment and training, taxes, fringe benefits such as medical insurance, paid vacation, equipment, and office space.

    Where to find the right talents?

    Ureed.com is the largest freelance marketplace in the GCC & MENA regions, specifically designed to cater to the regions’ freelancers’ & employers’ needs. The platform was launched in 2017 by Nour AlHassan – CEO of Tarjama, a language & translation services provider – and houses a network of over 54,000 vetted freelancers from over 150 specializations.

    Business owners and managers can outsource their needs to vetted freelance talents from every industry through the platform. Upon posting a project, employers receive pitches from freelancers. They can go through their profiles and portfolios one by one to ultimately hire a freelancer with the right skills, qualifications, experience, and budget. All talents on the platform go through a rigorous vetting process by industry experts before joining Ureed.com and working on projects to ensure maximum value and high returns for businesses.

    The flexible solutions offered by Ureed.com to employers are substantial. Employers can post a project of any size and scope, and the cherry on top is that they get to decide on the budget and the amount they want to pay. Hassle-free and secure, the platform handles the full payment process from beginning to end. Furthermore, knowing how busy entrepreneurs and business owners are, the platform offers an “Enterprise” feature where the employer is equipped with a dedicated success manager – an industry expert – who will handle his project from beginning to end, from hiring freelancers to reviewing deliverables and managing payments. With this feature, and even using Ureed.com’s free-of-charge platform, one can hire an entirely remote team from the comfort of their home and pay them through Ureed.com!

    Start hiring now

    A shift towards remote working and hiring freelance workers is well underway. Businesses looking to survive in this new era of constant change and development must adapt and leverage freelancers’ advantages. Get a headstart today and hire a freelancer on Ureed.com.

  • 8 Tools Every New Business Needs

    8 Tools Every New Business Needs

    Are you wondering which tools you should be using for your new business?

    If so, you’ve come to the right place.

    Because there are tools for every job, especially when it comes to working online.

    But if you choose the wrong ones, your business could miss valuable opportunities, and the results could be costly.

    The good news, you don’t have to pick them at random because we’ve put together a selection of 8 tools every new business needs.

    We’ll look at tools ranging from social media monitoring to slick video-making platforms and provide you with insights to determine which ones will work best for your business.

    1. Mention Monitoring

    Social media offers new businesses an opportunity to gain an affordable foothold in their marketplace, but only if you are consistently up-to-date with what is being said about you and by whom.

    Mention Monitoring is a tool that enables businesses like yours to monitor what’s happening online, so you can listen to your audience and update your social media as it happens. These are the main features:

    • Social media monitoring: Mention monitors over one billion sources daily from across the web, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, review websites, blogs, news, and social media forums, so you can uncover conversational trends and analyze data about your business and market place.
    • Scheduling calendar: Pre-plan your social media strategies and content release times using their multi-channel editorial scheduling calendar.
    • Audience insights: That will help you build your media strategies based on the latest audience insights.
    • Competition analysis: Monitor what people are saying about your competition.
      Brand management: Know how your brand is perceived online, and respond in real-time when needed.

    2. Tailor Brands Logo MakerTailor Brands Logo Maker

    Every business needs to establish a connection with its customers; this is why you must create a brand. But it’s impossible without a visual vocal point that runs throughout all your marketing platforms, creating a cohesion that customers will come to know and trust; this is why you need a professionally designed logo.

    The Tailor Brands logo maker helps you do just that with remarkable ease; click one, two, three, and you’re done!

    Their AI algorithm asks you for details about your business and marketplace, you then choose your design preferences, and the logo-making tool will create a logo based on your decisions. It’s fully customizable with infinitive revisions, and you only pay when you’re happy with the result.

    3. Google Analytics

    For any business to succeed, you must first gain a deep understanding of your customers.

    Google Analytics provides you everything you need to know about your viewers and your website. Together, this information enables you to adapt your strategies accordingly, so you can optimize every piece of content you put online, providing you with the maximum ROI.

    Here are some of its features:

    • Website visitor statistics
    • Visitors location
    • What pages they visit
    • What they’re searching for on your website
    • What content they click on the most
    • Lowest performing page identification
    • Online campaign traffic conversion statistics

    4. Name Check

    Before you jump in and choose your domain name, save yourself time and heartache by checking if it’s available using the free name check tool.

    It checks every corner of the web, from brand names, apps, and trademarked terms, providing you with a detailed outline of your chosen name’s availability; it’s fast, it’s free, it’s perfect for a new business.

    5. MailChimp EmailMailChimp Email

    Email marketing is still one of the leading marketing strategies for boosting brand recognition, increasing community followings, and providing, on average, a $30 return on every $1 spent, but it doesn’t happen automatically!

    Well, that used to be the case, but now we have MailChimp; their service provides you with a range of innovative email marketing tools all under the same roof. Some of their platform features are:

    • Audience Management
    • Marketing CRM (customer relation management)
    • Creativity Tools
    • Marketing Automation
    • Insights & Analytics
    • Email templates
    • Landing page templates

    As far as email marketing goes, Mailchimp is pretty much the king of the jungle.

    6. Magisto Video Editor

    The speed at which consumers turn to social media to fulfill their shopping needs is, at the moment, exceeding technologies’ ability to meet them. But this will soon change with the rise of AI. But for now, it’s all about imagery, especially video.

    Consumers no longer accept a pixelated image with some blatant sales pitch beneath advertising their product of desire; they want high-quality video.

    Magisto enables you to give it to them. Their online video editing platform provides you with access to a comprehensive media library, free music, all fully customizable, and allows you to upload your images and videos to suit your business’s video needs. It also has lead generation capabilities so that you can turn views into leads.

    Video is no longer the future of personal branding, it’s the present, and Magisto’s tool enables you to take full advantage of this opportunity.

    7. Hootsuite Social Scheduling

    Hootsuite Social Scheduling

    Monitoring what people are saying about your business on social media (AKA Mention) is only one part of the equation for online success; the other is having the ability to manage, schedule, and track your content.

    Hootsuite is a social media marketing tool, enabling businesses to manage, track, and schedule their social media content’s online engagement across a range of social media profiles. With over 18 million customers, they can deliver the global-scale insights every business needs to succeed.

    Their open platform seamlessly integrates with a host of other popular tools, like Google Drive, Adobe, Salesforce, and Dropbox. With apps such as Talkwalker, and Brandwatch, both of which provide social analytical statistics, you always have the insights you require.

    8. Asana Project Management

    As planning systems become ever more popular for personal achievement, organizational tools are equally essential for successfully branding your business.

    Asana planning tool helps you keep your team and brand on track. You can organize your entire schedule, from setting tasks, assigning team members or groups, enable in-house online collaboration, and set due dates and reminders.

    Success is due partly to visualization. Asana provides you with the means of keeping a clear picture so you can stay focused and motivated.

    Conclusion

    We’ve covered tools ranging from free name check, insightful website analytical data, social media monitoring, content management, scheduling systems, advanced AI logo makers, master-class video editing platforms, innovative email marketing tools, and project management software systems.

    By using some, if not all, of the tools discussed today, you’ll equip yourself with a fully loaded toolbox.

    Your next step is to assess your business needs and apply those tools. All are easy to use and affordable for new businesses. If you don’t, you might be left wondering why your business didn’t succeed!

  • Comscore study: increase in corporate credit card demand

    Comscore study: increase in corporate credit card demand

    Comscore’s white paper “The COVID-19 Impact on Small Business Credit Card Applications in 2020” revealed that small business card application has improved in June after a significant decline in the first half of 2020.

    The number of small business credit card applications submitted in the first quarter of 2020 declined by 6% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and 41% in the second quarter.

    This is partly due to small business owners’ focus on relief funding and credit card issuers’ decision to pull back on paid marketing strategies such as paid search and affiliate sites.

    But in June, searches for small business credit cards started to improve slightly, indicating small business owners’ renewed interest in the last two quarters of 2020.

    Comscore is an American media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises; media and advertising agencies; and publishers.

    With servicers like Tribal Credit, startups and small business owners can apply for credit cards and control their spending at the same time with spend management tools and real-time dashboards.

  • SellAnyCar.com Expands into Saudi Arabia

    SellAnyCar.com Expands into Saudi Arabia

    SellAnyCar.com, the UAE pioneer and leader in online auto marketplaces for used car sales, announced today it is expanding into Saudi Arabia used car buying market with the launch of Kayishha.

    Kayishha will integrate the SellAnyCar.com core value proposition and advanced technology engine with an international dealer buying network and auto inspection locations to enable people across the country to sell any make, model or year car in any condition within 30 minutes at fair market value.

    The company’s entry into the Saudi market is supported by the recent $35 million investment from Sanabil Investments, a unit of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which has recently invested in a number of high-growth technology and e-commerce platforms as part of advancing the national economic diversification strategy.

    “We see tremendous opportunity for Kayishha to redefine how used cars are bought and sold in Saudi the same way SellAnyCar.com totally disrupted the UAE used car marketplace,” said Saygin Yalcin, founder and CEO of both SellAnyCar.com and Kayishha. “We’ve taken the pain points out of the process for both the seller and buyer and effectively levelled the playing field so both parties get what they most want and need. Dealers can get a daily list of available cars to keep their lots well stocked. At the same time, the sellers get a simple, stress-free and transparent way to immediately get fair market value for their cars. Everybody wins.”

    The SellAnyCar.com auto marketplace was created to address used car seller pain points when selling directly through a classified advertising or to dealers. Through predictive data analytics, the SellAnyCar.com website has a documented ability to assess the fair market value of any car with 92% accuracy.

    With Kayishha, the company is investing in both talent and infrastructure to achieve similar growth results in a much larger market opportunity. Kayishha is investing heavily in job creation through an expansion plan that calls for hiring more than 300 people across the country over the next 18-24 months.

    At launch, the company will have locations in high-traffic and easy to access shopping malls and retail centres in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam with a rapid expansion plan designed to open more than 100 locations within one year. In addition, the company is building its headquarters and customer service centre in Riyadh. While Kayishha will employ both Saudi nationals and expatriates, the company will emphasize the hiring of local citizens, particularly in the customer service centre which will be staffed entirely by Saudi nationals.

    “We built a proven model with SellAnyCar.com that we are absolutely confident will bring great value to both used car sellers and buyers across Saudi Arabia. At the same time, with Kayishha we are committed to building a distinctively Saudi company that invests locally, hires locally, respects and embraces Saudi culture, and contributes to the economic and social development pillars of Vision 2030. We even chose the name Kayishha due to its unique meaning and popularity in local slang for paying me cash now,” Saygin Yalcin said.

  • Snap celebrates its unique community in its first ever B2B marketing campaign

    Snap celebrates its unique community in its first ever B2B marketing campaign

    Snap launched its first brand-facing marketing campaign under ‘Meet the Snapchat Generation’, targeting marketers and advertisers across the region.

    Celebrating the unique and special Snapchat community, the campaign spotlights the region’s Snapchatters with data about how their habits drive new ways to use technology and improve the culture.

    Kenny Mitchell, CMO at Snap Inc., said: “The Snapchat Generation is the most informed, tolerant, active, and diverse group in history. Our first marketer-focused campaign showcases what is so special about our community, from their strongly held values to their unique behaviors.”

    The campaign is built around five key themes developed with supporting stats for each by studying Snapchat users: taking social responsibility, building community, celebrating individuality, nurturing friendships, and communicating in new ways. It aims to highlight the impact of the Snapchat community on businesses and shed light on their values and behaviors.

    Hussein Freijeh, General Manager of Snap Inc. in the Middle East, said: “The young generation comprises a large majority of the population in the Middle East, making it one of the unique regions for any business. We are committed to providing them a platform that constantly enables new paths for their creativity and helps them stay connected. The response to our efforts has been amazing. Our new campaign allows us to introduce Snapchatters to the region while showcasing how Snap can take businesses to the next level.”

    The campaign announcement also follows a recent report done by Snap in collaboration with the National Research Group that captures the evolving role of mobile video in next-generation consumers’ lives, specifically in Saudi Arabia, the region’s biggest consumer market.

    The study showed that 87% of consumers watch more videos on their smartphones than a year ago.

    90% of consumers said full-length TV or video series is too much of a time commitment and are spending 4 hours and 5 minutes on mobile devices for entertainment, compared to just one h 58 minutes for TV.

    A staggering 94% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers said mobile video has helped them cope with new anxieties and stay in touch with loved ones while physically apart.

  • A Short History of Influencer Marketing

    A Short History of Influencer Marketing

    Promoting or recommending a product is commonly seen all over the internet, particularly on social media or bloggers pages. Influencer Marketing has become one of the top ways that companies and brands generate interest in their products and services.

    This form of marketing can work wonders for both businesses and potential influencers. Businesses get exposure by those who have already built up a fan-base. Influencers then either receive monetary payments for their promoting or they receive free products from the business that hired them.

    Influencer marketing is believed to have started around 1760 when a tea set was made for the Queen of England. This allowed the company to market its products as being royally approved, which increased the demand. It was because of this that Wedgewood pottery and china became a household name that became a staple in upper-class households.

    Other than this, one of the earliest influencers would have been Nancy Green in 1890. She was hired to become the face of Party Pancakes, as the character Aunt Jemima. Not only did she make the mix more unique than her competitors, but she also became the first African American model to appear in such a role, paving the way for future generations.

    Influencer marketing also has the potential to go viral, where it will be seen by far more people than initially expected. An example of viral marketing is the 2010 Old Spice adverts, featuring former NFL star Isaiah Mustafa. Within the first day, the advert had over 5.9 million views on YouTube alone. By the end of 2010, sales had increased by 125% and Old Spice was the most popular men’s body wash in the United States, showing proof of how successful influencer marketing can have a positive impact on sales of a brand.

    In the present day, influencer marketing is seen across social media, especially on the platform Instagram. One of the most successful and well-known influencers in 2020 is Kylie Jenner. Other than promoting her own brand, Ms Jenner also collaborates with other businesses in the form of sponsored posts. Due to her following, businesses know that getting Kylie Jenner to wear, use, or discuss their product is an easy way of drumming up business. In short, fans and followers may aspire to use a product that has been advocated by their role models. The majority of businesses would probably not be able to afford to use a celebrity for these means, however other bloggers or influencers would also be able to achieve marketing goals, albeit on a smaller scale.

    Incorporating influencer marketing alongside promotional codes can also drum up sales quickly, particularly if there is a designated expiry date on the code. Making sales time-gated means that fans and followers will need to be quick to make a purchase. This method can be especially successful if the influencer is a role model that people aspire to be more like, rather than simply a named figure.

    It is expected that, in the coming years, the usage of influencer marketing will increase as a means of advertising and promoting products.