www.brightonmicomputerrepair.com

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, TikTok seemed to create a buzz around the world as millions of people were finding themselves with more free time, watching the latest viral videos on the platform, and sharing it with close friends and family.

What is TikTok?

For those who are not familiar with TikTok, it is a smartphone application that can be used to create and share short videos. ByteDance initially launched it in September 2016 for markets outside of China, which then bought Musical.ly in late 2017. As a result of the merger, TikTok had smooth access to targeting the U.S. teenage market, which previously belonged to Musical.ly. TikTok may have originally aimed at a younger audience, but its influence has spanned all generations. 

As a company, TikTok aims its mission to “to capture and present the world’s creativity, knowledge, and precious life moments, directly from the mobile phone.“ TikTok enables everyone to be a creator and encourages users to share their passion and creative expression through videos. With this mantra, TikTok competes with social media giants like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, all of which have the backing of either Google or Facebook. 

TikTok stands out because it’s more of an entertainment platform instead of a lifestyle platform. It has become popular because of its simplicity, ease of access, and convenience to create content.

Does TicTok have Marketing Potential for Brands? 

Actually, yes, it does. Several companies have already been utilizing the platform, catching the new social media trend that has exploded in popularity and is only expected to increase in its growth. According to Comscore, in March 2020, it added more than 12 million unique visitors, reaching 52.2 million users. 

Between January and March, its U.S. unique visitor count rose 48.3%, and with growth like this, innovative marketers have jumped on the bandwagon to capitalize on its viability. 

How Can You Utilize TikTok as a Marketing Vehicle for Your Brand?

Part art and part science, creating viral content for your brand on TikTok require a few essential components:

• Creativity and Directives – Hashtag challenges are the frame among marketers, which are primarily rooted in the hashtag challenge. Creative brands are joining the “TikTok Billionaire’s Club,” achieving over a billion views in a viral campaign. These hashtag challenges are branded and unique to each company, which are often supported by influencers, musicians, artists, and paid digital marketing ad campaigns. 

Hashtag challenges must start with a clear prompt – what are you asking users to do or be a part of? This prompt must be balanced with a clear invitation for creative interpretation. People want to participate because of the opportunity for creativity, self-expression, and recognition. Keeping the balance between intention and freedom for users is the key to virality when having users participate with your brand on TikTok. 

• Finessing Brand Integration – There is a balance between brand integration and being delicate with users about brand inclusion. The main point is not to be too aggressive with brand messaging or inclusion, as this can decrease virality. You want to include just enough drive KPI (key performance indicators) while keeping it fun and lighthearted. NYX Cosmetics’ #ButterGlossPop, for example, promoted their best-selling “Butter Gloss Lips Gloss” with a song that users could relate with and dance to – all while swiping on the lip gloss to a fancy beat. 

• Music Selection – Choosing the right music for a challenge is paramount to success. Music is so vital to a TikTok challenge that it can make or break it, even if everything else is spot on. Other platforms, music is not necessarily considered a huge deal, but on TikTok, it’s the powerhouse to virality and engagement. Ideally, you want to create each second count within the 15-second track, making it clear what people are supposed to do and inspire the user’s imagination. 

• Influencers – While not necessarily needed for smaller brands and businesses, influencers can have a significant impact on the success of a hashtag challenge. The primary role of the influencer is to model the challenge and inspire people to participate. Many think that reach (the number of people that a video reaches) is the only focus of a notable challenge when utilizing an influencer, which is not the case.

The media buy (paid advertising strategy) coupled with the challenge the influencer brings is the way to jumpstart virality and notoriety. Choose a group of influencers within your market, industry, or location to speak to your brand’s different demographic segments. Doing so will increase affinity with the different personalities of your brand’s demographics and capture the energy of the challenge in many different variations.

If you are interested in learning how we can help you expand your online presence or have questions regarding Digital Marking, give the professionals at CPS a call. Our team of staff is locally employed, in-house, with a dedication to detail. 

Creative Programs and Systems, open Monday – Friday from 9 am to 5 pm (810) 224-5252. 

On May 4^th, Google started its first day of a several week rollout initiative for its new core algorithm update. There have now been two core updates since 2020, the first one being in January. Both updates have been substantial with significant moves in website search engine placement ranks (SERPs) in nearly all industry verticals.

While January’s update only produced an average of 8 volatility points, a few days after the May 4^th rollout, SERPs saw volatility rates from 9 to 9.4 points. Thus, the May 4^th core update seems to be significantly more substantial and more influencing of SERPs and their positions. Broad core algorithm updates are designed to bring about noticeable changes within all search results across all countries and languages. We can only really know the full impact of the updates influence several weeks after the process has begun.

The coronavirus added another layer of intense SERP fluctuation as search volume was dramatically affected in nearly all industries due to the nationwide stay-at-home orders and mandated non-essential business shutdowns. We expected to see user queries related to travel, tourism, live events, restaurants, etc., to be significantly down. Not surprisingly, many of the category’s volatility did just that.

Unfortunately, this update’s highest impact has occurred across several industries that were already affected by the pandemic. The most influenced categories are Travel, Real Estate, Health, Pets & Animals, and People & Society – this is for both desktop and mobile searches. The top verticals with the best SERP performance are News, Business & Industrial, Online Communities, Arts & Entertainment, and Health. The biggest winner of these is the news industry. As everyone has been shut-in for quarantine and fixated on the latest pandemic updates, it’s no surprise that news outlets have come out on top.

On the other end of the SERP coin, websites that services and orchestrate travel and events have dropped to the bottom of the search volume barrel. When you’re locked in your home with limited options for essential services, your last thought is that vacation or trip you want to take. 

What can you do if your site has been negatively affected?

May 18^th marked the last day of completion for the update and the following weeks will allow us to assess the full extent of the changes that have taken place. It’s important to review your Google Analytics (website traffic), to see if there have been any significant changes to your site traffic in May.

Keep in mind that negative ranking does not always indicate that something is wrong with your website. However, in case it does, Google offers a list of questions to consider if the core update has adversely impacted your site. Visit  https://searchengineland.com/google-advice-on-improving-your-sites-ranking-for-future-core-ranking-update-320184 for more information. If you have seen a noticeable drop in traffic in the month of May, it is beneficial to read this article prior to making any website changes.

If you need assistance in improving your website and increasing your digital footprint and marketing, we are here to help! Our team of staff is locally employed, in-house, with a dedication to detail. Call Creative Programs and Systems; open Monday – Friday 9 am to 5 pm (810) 224-5252.

There are many digital marketing activities that can expand your brand’s presence and increase your visibility online. The most recognizable way to increase your brand’s search authority (non-digitally) is television, radio, billboards, and direct mail. However, these channels tend to be unaffordable for most small businesses. Below is a list of alternative marketing avenues that can create brand awareness at affordable prices.

1. Remarketing – Is when display or text ads are shown to a user after they have visited a website. Remarketing ads are usually called “the walking billboard” and can be a great way to maximize your brand exposure without spending a fortune. 

2.      Social Media – Facebook is the 2nd most popular website in the world, with billions of logins every day; it just makes sense to get in front of this audience. The cost-per-click (CPCs) are significantly less expensive than Google search ads and can be highly effective in growing your brand, website traffic, and followers. 

3.      Webinars – Are a great way to feature your expertise to your prospects and can be very informative. They also allow you to connect with your audience in a way that cannot be done with any other vehicle. Webinars can later be used for social posts or advertising campaigns. 

4.      Email Marketing – Email is still a very powerful medium in today’s digital marketing world and is an excellent way to communicate with your customers. The good thing is that it is still relativity cheap to send out thousands of emails and strengthens customer loyalty.

As mentioned, there are many other types of traditional marketing strategies that a small business owner can partake in to expand their brand recognition. Still, they are typically cost-prohibitive and hard to track in terms of ROI. The digital marketing channels mentioned above are an excellent way to grow not only your digital footprint but also your customer base at affordable prices. 

If you are interested in learning how we can help you expand your online presence, or if you have questions regarding Digital Marking, give the professionals at CPS a call. Our team of staff is employed locally, in-house, with a dedication to detail.

Creative Programs and Systems, open Monday – Friday from 9 am to 5 pm (810)224-5252.

COVID-19 has forever changed the U.S. and the world. Even though these current times may seem isolating and somewhat distressing, we can still help our fellow friends and family members. Our state and local community patrons could use our help too.

Here are several ways we can all help:

For Michigan:

The COVID-19 Community Response Fund: Hosted by United Way in partnership with corporate, nonprofit, and foundation entities. This fund will allow you to rapidly deploy resources to community-based organizations that are offering emergency relief to families and individuals in need within the southeastern Michigan areas. Learn More.

Become a Michigan Medical Volunteer: If you are a qualified health professional or related to the health industry, Michigan could use your help. If you are willing to support Michigan’s efforts in volunteering, go to Michigan.gov  to complete your registration. The state does not guarantee positions for any medical personnel, but they will contact you should the need arise.

CDC Foundation: The CDC Foundation Supports the critical health protection work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC Foundation is raising emergency response funds to enable the CDC to conduct its responses to COVID-19. Learn More.

For Your Local County:

The American Red Cross: Due to the cancellation of blood drives, the American Red Cross faces severe blood shortages and could use your donation. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS to find a local donation site. Go here to learn how you can help.

Local Food Banks: People more than ever before are at risk for hunger due to this pandemic. Most school districts are continuing their breakfast and lunch programs, which disperses food to children who qualify even while school is closed. Local food pantries are available in almost every county. Go here to find one near you. https://ampleharvest.org/find-pantry/

Reach Out: We could all use a pick-me-up, especially during these times, and a personal phone call can go a long way in cheering someone up. So, pick up the phone and make that call!

Michigan and the United States may be reaching the peak of the outbreak, but our job as caring human beings has just begun. We can do this, and a little help can go a long way!

The coronavirus continues to spread worldwide, causing panic and uncertainty for everyone as we deal with the pandemic. With health and safety remaining a top concern during this time, people continue to stay home and avoid commuting to work and going to stores, restaurants, and other public places. Customers are now secluded to their homes, spending more time on their computers and phones than ever before.
 
In-store foot traffic has almost completely disappeared, which is why digital marketing may be the best answer to business advertising options. According to this article, businesses and brands that are e-commerce based will most likely do better than traditional brick-and-mortar companies. As many of us are working from home, our shopping habits will start to develop into more online-based buying patterns that could stay with us even after the pandemic.
 
Online retailers and marketers need to use proper tools, knowledge, and strategies to meet customer expectations effectively. As the pandemic continues to change elements of our life daily, your marketing team must also be ready to act quickly when new obstacles come into this unstable business environment.

Monday, February 24th marked the 9-year anniversary that Google unleashed the first Panda algorithm update. On February 24th, 2011, the Google update – later known as Panda, rocked the SEO world. Highly regarded as one of the most significant algorithm updates in the history of Google, the Panda update drastically changed the SEO landscape and how Google deems a website (and page) to be relevant in search results.

According to this article from Search Engine Land, 12% of Google’s search results were drastically changed on that cold day in 2011. Google made it clear in the SEO space that they aimed to drop sites that had “low quality” and “shallow” content. The change had a significant impact on a lot of sites making money and relying on organic traffic as their bread-and-butter.

In fact, Google used to run Panda updates quite frequently during that period. The aim was to hit new websites (several times) that didn’t fit into the new standards of how Google qualified useful sites and quality content. As Google kept running the Panda algorithm over questionable or low-quality sites, their rankings would drop lower and lower – eventually making a low-quality site become “unsearchable.” Now, Panda is a part of the core ranking algorithm and Google does not run standalone updates for Panda anymore.

One of the main things that Panda ended up influencing was how website owners approached their site structure and wrote content for their pages. It forced website owners to not focus on keywords and dubious ranking strategies (grey/black hat SEO) to manipulate Google’s ranking factors. Website owners and content creators now had to take the emphasis off ranking strategies and more on quality, original content, and user experience.