Digital Boom

Category: How To

  • How to build social media marketing strategy in 10 steps

    How to build social media marketing strategy in 10 steps

    While every company strives to develop quality products and services, nobody will buy them if they don’t know they are there. Digital and social media marketing have risen to the forefront of marketing, and every company should take advantage of this.

    What are a few of the ways that businesses can create an effective social media marketing strategy?

    1. Define Goals, Strategy, Objectives, and Tactics 

    The first step in creating a cohesive social media strategy is writing an executive strategy that defines the business’s current goals, objectives, and how this social media strategy will achieve them.

    A common mistake that many marketers fall into is mixing between goals, strategy, objectives, and tasks. Hence, there are clear definitions of them with examples.

    • Goals: Broad social media outcomes.
    • Strategy: The approach you will take to accomplish goals.
    • Objectives: Measurable steps you will take to achieve the strategy.
    • Tactics: The tools or tasks used in processing an objective related to a strategy.

    For instance:

    • Goal: Make our website the #1 news and media category in MENA.
    • Strategy: Increase the amount of content we publish on social channels supporting the website’s topics, ideas, and opinions.
    • Objective: Increase unique visitors from social channels to the website by 40 percent.
    • Tactic: Through the use of pillar articles, leverage the exposure using Instagram Stories, Facebook videos, and Twitter.

    2. Analyze Competitors

    Know your competitors. Take a look at the social media campaigns of the competition. Find out what makes them successful and build off of them. Analyze the comments, the replies, and the graphics.

    3. Use Objective Measurements

    Take the goals from above and the social media strategies from other businesses and create clear, objective benchmarks. Use these measurements to help quantify the progress, like increase the number of social media followers by 10 percent.

    4. Define User Persona

    Next, decide who the target audience is going to be. Who is the customer that is going to purchase this product or service? This will help the company tailor the social media content to the buyer.

    5. The Brand Perception

    After defining the buyer persona, take a minute to define the brand. How should the company be perceived? How should the product be perceived? Is it fun and playful? Or is it business-oriented and serious?

    6. Select the Tools

    So, after defining the buyer and the brand, how are the two going to connect? Is the business going to pay for marketing? Examples include a featured Facebook post or starting a hashtag campaign. What is the best way to get the word out?

    Above all, here are some popular formats: Facebook instant experience (Canvas), Stories, Twitter moments, Facebook Catalog, Carousel, Vertical or horizontal videos, GIFs, multiple images on Instagram, Links, etc…

    7. Think About the Timing

    During certain times of the year (Super Bowl, Ramadan, Black Friday, etc…), it is good to ramp up the spending. Get the ads out during key seasons, themes, and events to increase the marketing investment return.

    8. Quantitate the Return

    To quantify the return on investment, be sure to track the page views, the clicks, and the conversion rate.

    Therefore, use conversion tracking tools such as Facebook Pixel and Google Conversion Tracking, which will help you effectively remarket and deliver your message to relevant users, track conversions, and measure ROI.

    9. Don’t Neglect the Quality

    Of course, it is important to assess the quality of the campaign as well. Hence, you need to ask some serious questions like what are the reviews of the product? What do the comments say?

    You may also need to consider using a CRM tool to track and reply to customers’ comments.

    10. Reassess

    As the campaign continues, it is important to redirect the funds and attention to the strengths and patch up the weaknesses. How can the campaign improve?

    Social Media Marketing: A Business Cornerstone

    In conclusion, companies can talk directly to their customers by using social media, making them feel more engaged than ever before. Why not implement a few of these strategies and watch the rewards pay off?

    Let me know if you have any inquiries. Tweet me @amaherjr

  • Efficient Marketing Tools to Create Viral Campaigns Rapidly

    Efficient Marketing Tools to Create Viral Campaigns Rapidly

    Marketing has always been a subtle companion of trade and e-commerce. It started with word of mouth and later grew into an entire industry with its own methods, techniques, and tricks. With the emergence of social media marketing, the role of marketing has only increased. It has always been associated with huge investments, but now they have grown even more.

    Since more and more students start their own businesses that are often related to sales of products and services, knowledge of marketing and keeping abreast of its latest tools and techniques are necessary to reach success.

    Such an active business involvement takes over all of the time students have. Thus, they often leave their academic assignments to a custom essay writer they find online, focusing on customer acquisition for their venture. Fortunately, modern marketing tools can help them save even more time.

    Having a desire to learn, young business owners can master several effective marketing tools themselves. It can help them save money while developing a better understanding of how marketing actually works.

    This article is going to shed light on several most successful marketing tools of our time.

    Efficient Marketing Tools to Create Viral Campaigns Rapidly

    Image source: Rhobos IT Solutions

    MailChimp

    Email marketing is almost as old as the Internet. However, it still helps target millions of people to particular products – Marketers should not ignore Email marketing – With a growing number of new tools and techniques, it still ranks high among all other marketing tricks in terms of success.

    MailChimp helps marketers or small business owners create engaging and appealing emails that target the right population of clients, convert visitors into buyers, etc. This tool also helps in planning email sending out, automating as many associated processes as possible.

    Digital Marketing Tuner

    Data is the most valuable asset on Earth right now. If your business does not make use of the customer data it collects, it will surely collapse. Thus, it would help if you had tools like Digital Marketing Tuner to increase the efficiency of data reporting. It can help you get numerical information concerning your marketing campaign to understand whether what you do is right.

    This tool analyzes and optimizes data in a way that makes your business results clear. With such a comprehensive report, you can decide what changes you need to introduce.

    HubSpot

    This tool has outperformed all its competitors in the CRM subfield. If your business is represented online, it is definitely a must-have.

    It helps you order such aspects of online marketing like blogging, SEO, social media, website management, and lead generation. Also, it is indeed an all-in-one marketing software, as it also helps you with landing pages, email marketing, and data reporting.

    Trello

    It is wrong to assume that Trello is merely an organizational tool. It surely is, but it is also about making the most out of content marketing.

    It can help you manage your marketing team 24/7 through task delegation and full transparency guarantee. Every post, content, and idea can be discussed and evaluated by the entire team before it goes live.

    Other similar programs help in organizing teamwork. However, for marketing purposes, Trello is one of the best.

    Wistia

    Every search engine evaluator would say that modern customers demand visuals. Images and GIFs are no longer enough. Thus, you should use video hosting platforms to be able to host video files on your website.

    Wistia is one of those. Apart from playing videos as per the given setups, you can also get detailed analytics on every piece of video material you host through the platform. It really helps one bring marketing to a new level.

    Typeform

    With your business growing, you will definitely feel the need to interact with your customers more. These interactions should be informative to you and interesting to the customers.

    Typeform allows you to create surveys that would be engaging to the audience and valuable to you. One can easily replace a standardized form with a more customer-oriented one to get more answers and feedback. Eye-catching quizzes can help your marketing campaign go viral.

    AdStage

    Managing your advertising campaigns across different platforms can be a challenging task. AdStage helps in monitoring all PPC campaigns by automating and analyzing every step of the way.

    Using this tool, you can also track marketing outcomes and adjust the campaign accordingly. You can also add different engaging features to make advertisements more interesting and informative. In any case, if your business relies on PPC technologies, AdStage is a must.

    Buffer

    Managing and updating social media accounts can take lots of time. However, if you use Buffer, this task becomes much easier.

    This tool allows updating content on multiple social media platforms in a fast and easy way. If your business is present on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, you can use a free plan.

    Google Analytics

    Google Analytics is a universal marketing tool that can help you track the success of all marketing campaigns. You can filter different criteria to see the most relevant analytics.

    Google Analytics helps one stay on track with website traffic and take immediate actions to increase customer acquisition and engagement rates.

    Efficient Marketing Tools to Create Viral Campaigns Rapidly

    Final Words

    Marketing plays an important role in developing and promoting any business operating in B2B, B2C, and C2C formats. Even though it has grown into a single industry with all its complexities, many tools are being created daily to ease marketing planning for business starters.

    They not only help one organize marketing activities but also allow you to save time and effort and dedicate energy to more inspiring and creative tasks.

  • 6 things you can do to create a better working environment

    6 things you can do to create a better working environment

    A big part of having a successful business is having happy and content employees. And while it’s true you can’t please everyone all of the time, there are definitely things you can put in place that will certainly improve the day to day working life of your employees.

    Creating and providing a good working environment shows that you care about your employees, they aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet or people “on the floor”. They’re on the front line of your business and if they’re feeling underappreciated it will show in their work, and more importantly, it won’t go unnoticed by your customers.

    So, what can you do to create a better working environment? Read on for a little inspiration.

    1. Make their life a little easier

    There’s nothing worse than computers and systems that aren’t fit for purpose. It makes employees frustrated and less likely to work to their full potential. Make sure their equipment is well maintained and up to date and don’t forget that proofreading systems and grammar and spell checking software will go a long way in productivity and efficiency, you can check out Scribbr’s plagiarism checker. If you want your employees to be happy in their work, then give them the tools to do so.

    2. Bring in more natural light

    Artificial light is tiring, intrusive and in some cases, depressing. There’s a scientific link between natural lighting and quality of sleep, so it’s something to bear in mind when you’re creating a better working environment. Let the blinds be open, allow in as much light as possible and encourage your employees to take breaks outside in the fresh air.

    3. A clean, comfy space

    Flickering lights, faulty air-con systems, inadequate heating solutions, bathrooms with bad plumbing and ventilation… all these annoyances might seem minute, but when you’re faced with this environment for up to 10 hours a day, it’s going to get on your nerves. Make sure all these issues are dealt with and try to focus on making a clean and tidy environment that is clutter-free, has plenty of space, ergonomic furniture, and maybe even a few potted plants.

    4. Quiet rooms

    Sometimes to-do lists and tasks can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you’re in a customer-facing role. Providing quiet rooms where your employees can reflect on issues or just gather their thoughts will certainly improve morale. These kinds of areas are particularly beneficial for those who work long hours.

    5. Make sure you’re approachable

    Yes, they’re your employees and they work for you. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be able to come to your with their issues and problems work-related or not. Having an “open-door” policy creates a level of transparency within the business and shows that you’re approachable and personable. So, always leave your office door open – literally!

    6. Treat your employees

    That huge order they’ve got out on time, or the targets they’ve totally smashed this quarter. Show your appreciation by treating your employees. You could buy them all lunch, or let them leave early on Friday.

  • Don’t Overlook the Importance of Your Shipping Materials

    Don’t Overlook the Importance of Your Shipping Materials

    We live in an advanced world where technology seems to be everywhere. Pretty much every device that you use in your daily life has at least some aspect of technology involved in the manufacturing process, or it may even contain at least some aspect of technology.

    If you are in the business of manufacturing parts for computers or other delicate technical items, you probably need to ship your products to the customer. Since they are very delicate and can become damaged if not handled properly, it is important that you package them properly so that they can withstand the shipping process. You want to make a good impression on your customer, so you want your product to arrive in perfect condition.

    If your product arrives broken, it will not only make a bad impression on your customer, but they are not likely going to order from you again. You may have the very best products on the market, but unless you can ship them properly, that doesn’t matter.

    The Different Types of Cardboard

    Cardboard is also very versatile and there are different types of cardboard. Some cardboard is very thin while other types of cardboard are thicker. The thicker type is used for making strong boxes, and the thinner type can be used to wrap items to protect them so that they do not get broken when they are shipped.

    It Offers Protection

    Cardboard offers a lot of cushion for shipping items, especially for fragile items, and protects your product from getting damaged during the shipping process. The corrugated layers makes cardboard boxes more durable and eliminates the need for a lot of additional packing materials. It is also less expensive to manufacture, which means that it will help to keep your costs low. A large portion of the budget for many companies goes towards shipping and packaging costs. If you can reduce those costs, you will be able to keep more money in your pocket.

    Shop For Shipping Materials From the Professionals

    High-quality boxes, such as Bolt Boxes, let you customize the style and size of the box that you need so that you can put your best foot forward and present your product and company the way that you want to. When you order your packaging materials from a company that specializes in creating custom boxes, you will have more say as far as customization goes. The people at Bolt Boxes have capabilities and expertise in flexo, litho, and digital printing that allows them to offer solutions for a range of print quality needs. You will also be able to buy in bulk to help reduce the cost of your shipping materials.

    Choose the Right Shipping Materials

    Shipping plays a very big role in the success of your business. You want your shipping materials to be made of high-quality materials and to be durable enough to withstand the transportation and shipping process. You also want your packing materials to convey the message that your product is also of high-quality and that you care about customer service. In other words, your shipping box should tell your customer that you want them to be happy from the time they order your product to the day that it arrives on their doorstep.

    Cardboard is very easy to seal as well since you can stick glue or tape to it easily. It is not difficult to work with. This means that you won’t have a hard time getting your products wrapped up and ready to ship. They will also stay sealed until they reach the customer.

    Packaging Doubles as Another Way to Advertise

    Not only does packaging offer protection for your products, but it is also another way that you can advertise your product and company. It is essentially another selling point. You could even display how to use your product and other information about your product on the packaging so that your customer will have easy access to that important information. Many companies use their packaging materials to tell a little more about their product; to tell the story of how their company began or to display their company logo.

    Cardboard Boxes Are Environmentally Friendly

    Using cardboard boxes for your packaging material helps to reduce the impact on the environment since cardboard is recyclable and is also biodegradable. It can even be made of recycled materials.

  • 8 Ways You Can Train Your Brain to Outsmart Decision Fatigue

    8 Ways You Can Train Your Brain to Outsmart Decision Fatigue

    Even if you aren’t a morning person, staying sharp throughout the workday can be difficult if you’ve had little sleep. But did you know, your brain can also become tired from making too many decisions? Decision fatigue happens when you lose energy and focus because of the mental drain from making decisions.

    We make anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 decisions each day, from deciding what to eat (or not eat) to deciding whether we can make it through that stoplight. You can imagine that even more important decisions that involve relationships or higher risks can cause us much more stress. Decision fatigue can also lead to poorer decisions and lower productivity. At work, you may make careless mistakes causing you more effort later.

    Luckily, there are some ways to combat decision fatigue by training your brain and organizing aspects of your life to take some of the work out of making decisions. Mint created this infographic that includes 8 tips to avoid decision fatigue so you can be more productive and stress-free. From altering your diet to planning your schedule, you can make small changes to simplify your day.

     

    8 Ways You Can Train Your Brain to Outsmart Decision Fatigue, credit: www.mint.com
    Credit: www.mint.com
  • 3 Things You Should And Shouldn’t Do To Make Meetings Productive

    3 Things You Should And Shouldn’t Do To Make Meetings Productive

    It is necessary for every company to hold a workplace meeting every once in a while. The meetings are essential because it allows interaction for different departments within the company. However, there’s the truth that a lot of meetings are a waste of time when not done properly. On the other hand, a lively, collaborative, and productive meeting can help the company move forward. Here are the three do’s and don’ts that a manager should consider before, during, and after meetings.

     3 Do’s For Productive Meeting

    1. Use of a Conference Room Scheduling System

    A conference room scheduling system is a software that notifies people who are needed in the meeting real time. It also includes features that lets involved parties to know in real time if the meeting was canceled or if the location was changed. This way, miscommunication should be avoided and the meeting would start without any additional problems.

    1. List the Meeting Agenda Before Starting

    A meeting is an activity where a team discusses things that are important and essential in the company’s operation. To save time, it is recommended to list the agenda of the meeting before it even starts. Add the meeting agenda in the announcement so the involved parties can prepare additional documents when necessary. This way, the team will not be wasting time figuring out what are the things needed to be discussed.

    1. Make The Meetings Concise And Brief

    When you and your team members can sort problems and plan for solutions quickly, it gives you more time doing more things. Making meetings unnecessarily long will not make it more productive. It can even lead to a lot of distractions, like the discussion straying from the original topic. If there are a lot of topics to be discussed on the agenda, you can opt to divide the topics into different meetings. If a long meeting is needed for clarifying details or brainstorming, make sure to let your team have a break once in a while.

    3 Don’ts To Avoid In Meetings

    1. Hold Meetings For The Sake Of Schedule

    Department meetings every Wednesday or Friday? Weekly management meeting every Monday morning? Monthly meetings at the end of the month? Although it is a good habit to check the teams from time to time, meetings without an agenda and just for the sake of scheduling are time wasted. Only hold a meeting if there are things needing to be discussed.

    There are ways to check your teams for notable problems, like talking to the leader and checking on the problems in the department. If there is a notable problem, then that’s the time you’ll need to hold a meeting.

    1. Waiting For Other Meeting Participants After The Time Started

    All meetings should be started on time, regardless of who can attend or not. Running late is never a valid excuse to wait for someone during a meeting unless the key person is the one who’s running late (it happens in rare cases because of the unforeseen circumstances).

    It is also important to mention that holding the time of other people just to wait for a person is not a good idea. If the key person failed to show up 15 to 30 minutes after the meeting started, postponing the meeting and moving it to another time might be a better choice. This is because time is a precious asset, and making the most out of it is essential to the company’s growth.

    1. Letting Something Disrupt The Meeting

    During a meeting, the focus of everyone participating should be on the topic or issue being discussed. Therefore, meeting disruptions such as a sudden ringing of phones or people doing other jobs while in the room should be avoided. The task of taking notes should be designated to a member of the team and they should focus on it. Notebooks and notepads are good things to have during a meeting.

    A meeting is an essential part of the company’s planning and development of projects that will help it grow and expand its operations. In order to improve cooperation, face to face interaction is needed. To call it a success, the agenda listed should have solutions and finalization by the end of the meeting.

  • How to Start A Digital Marketing SEO Agency?

    How to Start A Digital Marketing SEO Agency?

    Starting your digital marketing agency sounds like an exciting thing to do; however, it can also seem a little bit daunting. Digital marketing is viral nowadays, mainly due to the demand that it enjoys. As the population on the Internet continues to grow, so do opportunities for growth and businesses on the web. If you have the skills related to the same, starting your own Digital Marketing SEO Agency might be great for you. Here’s how you can get a headstart on yours today:

    1. Create a lead generation team

    As a newbie, it is natural that you are not yet as popular as your other counterparts. Because you have only started with building your name, you will need to have exposure to possible clients that can be your regular customers. This process is what lead generation is all about.

    Lead generation is the process where a team is tasked to look for leads or potential clients for your business. Here’s how you can be successful in your lead generation campaign:

    • Identify your target market and narrow down your options to limit only those within your market, as this can comprise your lead.
    • Inform your target market, or your leads, of what your services are.
    • Practice affiliate marketing or partner with other SEO agencies that might need digital marketing services
    • Please enter into the practice of cold calling, which refers to calling or emailing your potential leads, to reach out to them.

    Learn more about lead generation through webmarketing123.

    2. Create your website

    As a digital marketing SEO agency, you probably know by now that the best way for you to reach clients is through creating a website. The population on the Internet is vast, and almost all your advantages are on the tip of your fingers. With just one click through your website, you become visible to the whole world. Therefore, you must include a website as one of your modes of marketing, especially since you are in the digital marketing community.

    3. Create a brand identity

    As an agency, you are still functioning in the same manner as a business would. What sets you apart from other competitors is the specific brand name and identity that you are creating for your SEO agency. In this manner, it becomes easier for your clients to remember your agency and to feel like you are indeed a legitimate business.

    Here are some aspects related to branding through SEO that you would have to fulfill:

    • Your brand name
    • Your brand logo
    • Your brand’s vision and mission
    • Your brand’s slogan or motto
    • Your brand’s domain name and business email address

    4. Assemble your workforce

    One of the advantages of a digital marketing SEO agency is that you do not have to hire a team of full-time employees by the nature of its work, and you can even outsource the same. Because the services you offer are intangible and can mostly be completed remotely as long as there is an Internet connection, you can eliminate the hassle of having to maintain a full-blown workforce daily.

    Through outsourcing, you can have a team comprised of digital marketing and SEO experts from all over the world. Plus, the payment terms are flexible, as most of these offer freelance positions. It means that you will only have to pay them for every piece of work they have completed. In this manner, you can save on the costs of employing a full-time team and maintaining an office.

    5. Create your business portfolio

    Creating your business portfolio is a task that you will have to do if you want your digital marketing business to remain successful and to stay in the industry. Your business portfolio is what you will put up on display on your website. It is here that your clients can benchmark their decision-making process to decide whether you are trustworthy enough to take on the responsibility.

    You should include the following in your portfolio:

    • Previous digital marketing and SEO services provided
    • Feedback and ratings by former clients
    • Recommendations by the general public
    • Comments and suggestion section
    • Goals and targets for all of your future clients

    When you have a business portfolio posted on your website, it will create an aura of professionalism, where first-time clients have more trust and confidence that you are a digital marketing agency that means business.

    Conclusion

    This article gives you the best tips to follow to get started on your digital marketing agency. However, you will learn the ins and outs only when you get your business up and running. With these tips to help you out, you can be assured that your venture of turning your skills into a profit-earning opportunity will work out for you. Digital marketing is enjoying increasing popularity, and it is here to stay.

  • Top Six Digital Supplies that Businesses Should Order

    Top Six Digital Supplies that Businesses Should Order

    Businesses are currently operating in an era where digital incorporation is a critical factor in the success of the entity.

    As a business leader, you need to migrate your organization from the paper and manually driven operations to a digital era. Where most of the activities are carried out by robots and automated office equipment.

    Therefore, there is a need for new supplies that will be supporting and helping your business to embrace the digital era.

    Here are some of the digital supplies that you need to order from your business supplier.

    1. Accounting Software

    One area where you would want to revamp and make it more digital is the accounting and finance department.

    Thus, you need essential accounting software that will help you to process payments within a short period.

    Every aspect of the accounting department should be automated. With the sole purpose of serving the customers and suppliers within a short period.

    Some of the common accounting software that you can consider include QuickBooks, Peach Tree, and Sage among others.

    2. Supply Industry

    Personal selling, printing media, and broadcast media are not as effective as they once were.

    Although they remain relevant in the industry, there are other effective marketing strategies that companies are using.

    Coastal Business Supplies has been in the supply industry for a longer period, and it may be better suited to recommend some of the best uses of vinyl, heat presses and sublimation blanks that you should buy.

    3. Human Resource Management Software

    After managing the human resource department for a longer period through manual practices. It is time to incorporate a comprehensive digital software that can help your business to organize and manage its human resource.

    Supplying agencies will provide customized software that meets the specific tastes and preferences of your business.

    Human resource management software is an important digital tool. It keeps critical details about your employees in a secured storage and quick retrieval.

    A comprehensive human resource management software should also support web-based online recruitment among other tools.

    4. Stock/Inventory Management Software

    The era of managing stock manually is over.

    You should make sure that your business has an inventory management system that will be used to track the stock at hand at any given time.

    Stock control is a crucial concept in any business that wants to remain competitive and relevant in the industry.

    Manual inventory management has proved fatal in some cases where stock at hand gets depleted without notice. Leaving the business with no option but to turn customers away.

    Having an automatic stock management system will help your business to keep track of the stock at hand. As a result, there is no time the business will have to turn away customers.

    5. Digital Printers

    Old printers have now been replaced with modern and sophisticated printers.

    The new gadgets are energy efficient and can print many documents within a short period.

    They have self-diagnosing strategies. Which means that businesses will not be using huge resources for repair and maintenance. They are also easy to operate and can perform multiple functions such as photocopying, faxing, and scanning among others.

    Moreover, digital printers can print a document through a wireless medium. Which means that it is now possible to print a document in the phone without cable connections.

    6. Cloud Computing Services

    At this digital stage, cloud computing is a vital aspect of the success of any business.

    Issues with cybercrime have brought a scenario where organizations have to store their data securely.

    The only realistic and secure way is sourcing cloud services from various digital suppliers.

    Cloud computing will help your business to store critical data safely where it cannot be accessed by unauthorized personnel. Cloud computing is a vital business acquisition as it will help employees to work on the move.

    Digital transformation is an essential aspect of the growth and success of any business. Organizations that want to attract customers and offer extreme competition to other entities in the same industry must embrace digital migration.

    Many business suppliers are ready to supply various digital products to companies. So, companies need to prepare a transition platform and move with speed before they become irrelevant in the industry.

  • 5 Software Programs for Small Businesses in 2019

    5 Software Programs for Small Businesses in 2019

    The hardest part of running a small business is using the right software to help it run. The right software can take care of tedious and monotonous tasks so you can free up your time for what’s important. So, how can you tell which software you should be using aside from Aspira campground management software?

    Here are the five software programs that every small business needs to operate.

    Microsoft Office

    Microsoft Office is one of the most essential software programs for small businesses. It’s one of the programs that you’ll find yourself using the most throughout the day. It’s an all-in-one program that includes Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word. Consumers, employees, and vendors also expect you to use Microsoft Office to open and view attachments via e-mail.

    Outlook is always looking to improve its e-mail program. Word is ideal for creating contracts, invoices, and more. It also has tools to help you improve your writing. Excel is a spreadsheet program that’s great if you want results. PowerPoint is an important tool for most salespeople to use in their presentations. Don’t make negotiations without Microsoft Office in your arsenal.

    Only the Microsoft Office Home and Business version come with Excel, Outlook, and Word. This version of Excel has a “Tell Me What to Do” link that you can use whenever you’re not sure how to approach a certain task. The only disadvantage to this feature is that it won’t tell you which command to use.

    QuickBooks

    Financial management is important when it comes to running a small business. QuickBooks is an accounting software program that gives you control of your finances. It provides you with accurate tracking of your expenses and earnings, automatic data backup, consolidation of all of your tax information, and extensive financial reports. QuickBooks is run by Intuit, a major company in the personal financial industry.

    Don’t let this software program fool you. QuickBooks wants to help small businesses and entrepreneurs with its software programs. Their programs include hundreds of templates for any report you need. It also helps you plan a budget and focus on your payroll – although this feature is an add-on that costs extra.

    QuickBooks lets you do anything you need to take control of your finances. The only downside to this program is that is has too many features that it requires a professional to master it. Phone support is available, but for an additional fee. You can buy a one-time download or download the Pro version for more money.

    QuickBooks Pro is available for up to three users, but the additional two will cost you more money as well. This software program is only compatible with Windows.

    TurboTax Self-Employed

    TurboTax is king when it comes to tax software. It has received praise and awards over the years. It even updated its Home & Business version, calling it Self-Employed. It doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles that QuickBooks does, it’ll help you prepare your business tax returns.

    The “It’s Deductible” feature help you determine which items you can write off, making tax time less stressful. The “SmartLook” feature connects you to a tax expert you can talk to in real-time whenever you come across an issue. Whenever you grant the tax expert access, they can see what you see on your monitor so they can help you.

    You can download TurboTax for a small fee or you can buy the disc at most retail stores. This software is compatible with both Mac and Windows operating systems.

    Adobe Photoshop

    Don’t assume that Adobe Photoshop is just for graphic designers. Every small business needs a log for their website, marketing graphics, products, and more. Adobe Photoshop allows you to create the photos you need for this line of work. It also makes it easier for your graphics team to create the visuals you have in mind. Make sure that your team is comfortable with using this tool since it’s complicated for beginners.

    Salesforce

    Salesforce is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool that allows you to keep track of your customers and sales leads. It gives you the proper tools to manage your sales and improve your forecasts. This is important if you have a high sales turnover. It’ll show you the complete history of each of your customers, so you can reduce the turnover rate.

    Norton Antivirus

    You want to ensure the safety of your computers by using antivirus software. Keep your computers and employees safe from bots, malware, spyware, Trojans, viruses, and worms with Norton Antivirus by Symantec. This software program prevents the loss of time and money that a virus can take away from a productive business day.

    There are hundreds of software programs to improve your small business These five programs can help you effectively operate, protect, and run your business.

  • How recognizing employees can enhance performance

    How recognizing employees can enhance performance

    There are many employees that have been forced to work the same mundane job day in and day out. An employer may feel like there’s something he can do to boost employee morale. Their job performance among other employees is the key to a highly functioning work environment. Your employees gain their work ethic from each other.

    However, there are some employees that excel above others despite the standard work environment. If you’re a proud employer, you may consider giving your employees incentives. There are several ways you may choose to show employee appreciation as an employer.

    Why Awards Are A Great Way To Honor Your Employees

    An award is a great way to honor your employees. You have the option of choosing from several award types. Your typical award is like a plaque engraved with an employee’s name. However, giving away glass awards is a great way to hand out a prestigious award for employee appreciation. A glass award is a high industry award that can include their name, years of service, and the company name or logo. A glass award will look good in a home display case or on their desk.

    You can consider giving your award away at a hotel conference room among your employees, including your corporate professionals. An employer can cater food at the event that’s being offered by the hotel. Best of all, they’ll do all the work for you including the cleaning when the award ceremony is over. You should use your employee expenses account to pay for the event. The Better Business Bureau suggests never spending more than you can afford to avoid depleting company funds. The event should also be hosted in an area that will allow all of your employees to attend including those using public transportation.

    What Are The Other Employee Appreciation Awards

    How would you like to honor your employees? Would you like to honor them on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly scale? The most popular recognition award is an employee of the month. You have an opportunity to move the award among your employees based on the top job performance among everyone that works for your company. You can also display their picture on a plaque with the employee of the month written on the plaque. Decide what type of award you would like to give to each of your employees based on an employee survey.

    Awards boost employee morale and give your employees the confidence to do their best. In these challenging economic times, it’s a good idea to show your employees how much you appreciate their dedicated service. In fact, giving employee incentives for a job well done will help you keep long-time employees. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says that employee incentives are a great way to motivate employees to stay with your company. There are a lot of people that participate in employee incentives to keep their employees loyal to their company for many years.

    In a tough economy, your employees like to know they’re being appreciated. An employer could also choose to honor their employees with a professional letter included on company letterhead. You can include their name, years of service, and what you respect most about their job performance. You should include a professional tone along with a heartfelt message. If you really want to impress your employee, you can include signatures from the corporate office. You can also include a bonus check with the letter. Your employees will appreciate the extra cash for a family vacation, emergency expense, or to add to their savings account.

    A sports team that allows all of your employees to meet at a certain time is also a great way to show your appreciation. You can form a softball team, golf tournament, or other sporting event and honor the winning team. They will enjoy getting together and being honored with an award for being the winners. Plus, you can award your employees for stellar job performance. You should also award trustworthy employees for their commitment to your job. If they’ve done excellent work on a business deal, you can honor them with an employee award. You can also take notes from other employers on how they award their employees for excellence in their job performance.