How to Grow Your Instagram Followers For Less than $100 Month

When it comes to modern advertising and marketing, there’s no tool quite as powerful as social media. And as Instagram’s user base continues to grow and rival powerhouses like Facebook and Youtube, the app is proving itself to be one of the top platforms around.

But if you want to use Instagram to share your message, build a fanbase, or sell your products, the first thing you need to do is gain followers. This will ensure your posts are seen by as many people as possible, and that these people care about the content you share. However, followers won’t just appear on their own.

So where does that leave you?

Fortunately, building an Instagram following for your personal brand or business is both easy and affordable. That is if you do it right.

Building Your Social Media Presence

Creating a profile and posting content isn’t enough to gain influence or brand recognition. Instead, you need to develop a semi-captive audience — in the form of followers — to get the most out of your social media usage.

To create your semi-captive audience, you need to attract users to your profile and convince them to follow you for future content. While you’ll get a few followers without much effort, you probably won’t break the thousands (or even hundreds) without a little work.

Yes, Instagram users can easily unfollow your account at any time. But keeping a follower is much easier than gaining one in the first place.

Why does an Instagram account’s follower count matter?

The importance of gaining Instagram followers depends on how you choose to use the platform.

For instance, if you’re an influencer, then your number of followers is essential to landing sponsorships and other brand deals. As your content reaches more eyes, you gain more inherent influence.

If you’re a business, then your number of followers adds credibility to your brand and shows new customers that you’re a popular choice within your industry. After all, why would someone trust a company with only a few measly followers on their official page?

Because the number of followers is one of the first things you see on an Instagram profile, many individuals and businesses pay a pretty penny to keep their follower count high. However, this practice often does more harm than good.

Is buying Instagram followers really worth the price?

With an account’s follower account being so important, it’s no surprise that some users have turned to buying followers. Just do a quick search and you’ll find countless services offering to increase your follower count for a small fee.

While using one of these services might seem like a quick way to boost your followers, they aren’t as effective as they seem.

Yes, they’ll add to the number of followers on your profile. But usually, these new followers aren’t actually real people.

Purchasing followers can actually hurt your engagement — or the number of users who like and comment on your posts versus those who follow you — because these fake accounts aren’t actively looking at and consuming your social media content.

Plus, Instagram has grown wise to these fake follower services. If you ever notice a popular account lose thousands of followers in a single day, it’s probably Instagram clearing out fake profiles.

Worst case scenario? If Instagram catches you buying followers repeatedly, you’re at risk of losing your account completely.

How to Grow Your (Real) Instagram Followers

Since buying followers isn’t an effective strategy for growth, how do you increase your Instagram follower count? It might actually be simpler than you think.

Of course, gaining an organic Instagram following does take some time and effort. But by following one or all of the methods outlined below, you can fill your follower list with real people instead of automated bots.

While some of these methods utilize paid services, they aren’t required. Either way, we promise you’ll see an increase in followers and engagement without breaking $100 per month:

Post quality content

The most straightforward method for gaining Instagram followers is to post content that users want to see. This might seem obvious, but it’s true.

Not only does this content need to be interesting on its own, but it also needs to appeal to your target audience as a whole. You can’t post anything and everything, without any cohesive theme, and expect to see an increase in engagement.

However, posting quality content doesn’t need to mean creating quality content. Plenty of popular Instagram accounts repost content from photographers, artists, and other creators that matches their own brand or aesthetic.

Just make sure you credit the original creator, and you’re all good.

Scope out the competition

Keeping an eye on the competition is essential to success, no matter what you’re trying to achieve. In the Instagram world, this is especially true.

By following, liking, and commenting on content from accounts similar to your own, you can actually draw followers to your own content.

Followers of the account you interact with will see your profile in the list of likes and comments. If your account looks interesting, they’re likely to click over and follow your profile as well.

The more engagement a competitor has, the more chances you have of sniping some of their followers. So it’s a good idea to stay up-to-date on popular accounts and hashtags.

Too busy to keep an eye on the competition yourself?

With a service like SocialSteeze, you can actually hire an account manager to access your account remotely and like, comment, and interact with other Instagram users and content.

Depending on your budget and how quickly you want results, you can choose from packages for as low as $38/month and put your Instagram follower growth on auto-pilot.

Unlike other services that automate your Instagram profile with generic comments, SocialSteeze is always handled by a real person.

So if you’re on a budget and want to grow your Instagram followers (instead of buying fake bots), this can be a great option for time-strapped businesses and entrepreneurs.

Research your hashtags

Speaking of hashtags, an effective Instagram post wouldn’t be complete without one (or several). But there are good and bad ways to utilize hashtags in your content.

For a hashtag to be effective, it must be both popular and relevant. Putting #graphicdesign on a vacation photo of someone skiing won’t draw in interested followers.

Instead, think of hashtags like keywords. What would your intended audience search for to find the content you post?

Choosing hashtags is just half the battle, though. If you really want to see the impact and develop an effective hashtag strategy for your content, you can invest in a monthly management service like Buffer for just $10 per month.

On the other hand, hashtags can actually hurt your content. Instagram routinely monitors and bans seemingly harmless hashtags that are being used to post offensive content, such as #easter or #womancrushwednesday.

If you inadvertently use one of these hashtags on your own content, you might find your posts aren’t reaching the audience you expect.

Host giveaways or promos

Creating a giveaway or promotion is an excellent way to increase both your follower count and engagement.

If your Instagram profile represents a business, products or gift cards are great giveaway items that won’t break the bank.

If your profile is focused on social media influencing, you can reach out to some of your favorite brands for a cross-promotion or purchase goods to giveaway using your own money.

Either way, you’ll be surprised by how many people will follow and share your profile for a chance at a $20 gift card or small gift basket.

Using Instagram as a Marketing Tool

After Facebook acquired the image-sharing mobile app in 2012, Instagram quickly became one of the leading marketing platforms on the Internet. From sponsored influencer posts to official brand profiles, Instagram users are constantly inundated with advertisements.

In many cases, they don’t even realize it.

But that doesn’t mean that Instagram users are mindlessly scrolling through the mobile app or website, unaware that marketers are trying to target them. In fact, 53% of users reported following brands and using the social media platform to find new products.

Who uses Instagram?

When deciding to launch an Instagram marketing campaign for your business or personal brand, you first need to ask yourself:

Is my target audience using Instagram?

In most cases, the answer will be yes. After all, Instagram has racked up over 1 billion monthly users (500 million of which log on almost daily).

By breaking up Instagram’s current users by age, it’s pretty clear that 18 to 34-year-olds make up the vast majority of accounts:

Age Range	% of Instagram Users
13 – 17	7%
18 – 24	32%
25 – 34	32%
35 – 44	15%
45 – 54	9%
55+	5%

And by looking at Instagram’s users by their reported annual income, we can see that many users make at or above the national average:

Annual Income	% of Instagram Users
<$20k	5%
$20k – $49k	32%
$50k – $75k	32%
$75k+	31%

What does this mean for influencers or marketers?

It means that Instagram is an easy way to gain direct access to consumers within these demographics. And with targeted posts, you can ensure your content reaches the exact demographic of users for which you intend it.

The post How to Grow Your Instagram Followers For Less than $100 Month appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

How to Put Your Business on Autopilot With DIY Branding Tools

The dream of every business owner is to see their business grow — and grow — and grow.

Sometimes that dream seems unattainable. At least, not without a lot of work!

Building a business is not for the faint of heart. It requires time, money, and effort, and sometimes demands blood, sweat, and tears. There isn’t really a way to avoid the requirements of setting up a business. And it’s true that anything worth doing is worth doing well.

But!

Throughout your setup and initial branding, there are also available tools that can help to build your business — even when you’re not actively working on marketing and branding.

Using these tools puts your branding, and growth, on autopilot so you have enough time to focus on your products too.

For do it yourself branding tools that keep working for you, keep reading!

·       DIY Logo Design

Logo design is a signature part of overall branding. In fact, logos are most commonly what people think of as a brand.

Your brand is much more than that, of course. Your brand is, put simply, everything about your business and how it interacts with consumers. It encapsulates the customer experience, public opinion, follow-up, and overall customer satisfaction.

But your logo is a very important, very visible part of your brand. It’s usually what people see first when they come into contact with your brand, whether it’s the first time ever or they have an established relationship with your company.

So if you’re just starting up, or if you’re rebranding, an effective, enduring logo is a must.

Not everyone has the creative chops for creating a logo from scratch, of course, which is why online logo maker services exist, to help you create your ideal logo.

How does your choice of logo contribute to the growth of your brand?

An effective logo is:

• It helps your brand to stand out in the minds of those who see it.
• Effective logos can actually motivate consumers to seek out a brand, using appealing aesthetics and color psychology.
• On message. Your logo contributes to the overall message and personality of your brand, sending a clear signal to everyone who sees it about who you are and what you do.

·       DIY Social Media Accounts

Social media platforms are increasingly being used to promote brand identity and businesses of all shapes and sizes — over 77 percent of small businesses use these platforms for marketing.

This only makes sense, since more than one in every three users on the internet report that they turn to social media in order to find out more about a particular brand.

So using social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram is a pretty surefire way of spreading awareness of your brand.

But doesn’t it seem like managing and maintaining social media accounts will require extra time for marketing? That’s like the opposite of “autopilot,” isn’t it?

Your business social media accounts will definitely require some maintenance. One suggestion is to set aside time, maybe half an hour, twice each week to post content.

But aside from that, your existing social media accounts will help to grow your brand, even when you’re not actively posting content.

How so?

Social media accounts do the following:

• Make your business more searchable. When someone searches for your business name, it lends legitimacy and user-friendliness to your company if there’s more than one official result.
• Make your business more accessible. Social media excels at fostering sociability. Using platforms like Facebook and Instagram gives your customers a place to leave comments and questions.
• Create conversation. It’s easy to respond to questions or concerns via social media. And your viewers can look through conversations to find out if their questions have already been answered.
• Build your popularity. People do pay attention to follows and likes on social media platforms. It’s a way of legitimizing and popularizing your business that’s relatively easy to attain.

·       DIY Website Design

Websites may seem overwhelming, but in fact, there’s no better time than now to look into building one. Sites like Wix offer a simple walkthrough to help you put together a functional, attractive site to market your business.

But that’s not all there is to it.

Websites may be perceived as “static,” or not frequently changing. But creating a rotating roster of content, such as featured articles or blog posts — about which more next — keeps interested in your website high, even if you aren’t actively adding new content all the time.

Your website is like the home of your business, so its appearance says a lot about your brand. Design a site that is in keeping with your company’s personality, and don’t forget about including the relevant information: contact info, company history and mission statement, products, and services.

How does your website keep growing your business?

• Featured content keeps the interest of your audience.
• Inclusion of the necessary information makes your company accessible.
• The site itself contributes to the tone of the brand.

 

·       DIY Blog Posts

In terms of branding tools that will almost certainly guarantee the growth of a brand, blogging is just about number one. Tools like WordPress are famous for facilitating the creation and management of blogs.

That “almost” is there because blogging does have to be done right. Just slapping some generic content up on your blog each week won’t make the blog work for you.

But for content that is well researched, helpful, and full of SEO keywords, blogging can make an incredible return on your investment of time.

According to statistics, companies which have blogs attached to their websites receive up to 97 percent more links back to their official sites.

And because of how search algorithms work, sites with frequently updated content are more likely to rank higher than others — so including a blog actually gives you a staggering 434 percent better chance of a boost in search rankings. It also renders it more likely that people will share your posts with others.

As an added bonus, content can be adapted and repurposed for use on your business social media accounts.

Again, blogging obviously does require some time and effort. But once the content is there, it continues to contribute to the growth of your brand. How?

Effective blogging:

• Gives you “featured” content for your main website.
• Increases your SEO keyword usage.
• Is more likely to be shared and linked back to.
• Gives you a very significant boost in search rankings.
• Helps you to add to the reputation and personality of your brand with helpful, fun, informative content.

 

·       DIY Automated Responses

This may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to branding — in fact, it may not even make the list.

But setting up an automated response to contacts and inquiries can actually establish your brand as being customer-centric and service oriented.

Automated responses are often used via email, but can also be set up for comments on blogs or website posts. While a generic “Your comment has been received,” probably won’t do a lot to promote your brand, automated responses are another point of contact between you and the consumer — so they are another opportunity to grow your brand.

And since automated responses are generally sent out when you’re out of the office or on vacation, they’ll definitely be working for you on “autopilot.”

Add extras to your responses — a tip, a joke, a personalized acknowledgment — and make sure to include a projected timeline for a personal response.

Automated responses:

• Promote conversation.
• Assure the customer that their contact has been received and will be addressed.
• Should focus on customer service.
• Are another opportunity to grow your brand?

GROWING AND BRANDING ON AUTOPILOT

If your dream really is to grow your brand while focusing on products and services, using the tools above can definitely be a help to you.

But remember, your brand is more than just your logo, your name, or any other single aspect of your business. Your brand is all of that and more — your brand is every point of contact between you and the consumer.

 

So although each of the points above do require a certain amount of time invested, the return on the investment is definitely worth it.

Each of the tools mentioned can be used together to create “autopilot” growth for your business — a constantly improving enhancement of your brand, even when you’re busy with other aspects of running a company.

Marketing concept– stock image

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Sell Your Products and Services With a Strategy

We live in a competitive world. Individuals alone do not face competition but companies selling their product and services also face competition in the market. We can rarely see a monopoly in the market and in a way it is good for the customers because they can get goods and services with affordable rates. Earlier when a company used to enter into a market, it used to only focus on the sales of their products or services because there were fewer competitors in the market for the same product or service but as the years go, we can see that the company focuses more on the marketing of the product instead of the quality of the product.

Companies outsource their sales and marketing work to other companies to get good and effective results. The first step in the marketing strategy is to set an appointment with other clients. The appointment setting is important because it is after that the main deal is fixed. After many cold calls and taking follow-ups with the client, finally, an appointment is set to discuss the deal along with mutually agreed terms and conditions. Today, if the company wants to outsource the sales and marketing work then it has to find the best appointment setting companies for their appointment setting with the important clients. You can try www.manageyourleads.com for the same. 

Sales Strategy

A strategy which focuses on the sales of the product and services with a good profit margin is called sales strategy. The strategy should be such that the consumer would relate to the product which will make them buy the product if they can relate to it. Sometimes if the company does not want to outsource such works then they hire their own sales team. It is accepted from the sales team to have good knowledge of the product or services and also good knowledge of the market in which the product or services are sold. The sales team after analyzing the consumer demand should make a sales strategy which will benefit the consumer as well as the company manufacturing it.

Sales strategy usually comes after marketing strategy but it is equally important. The sales strategy is made keeping in mind the competition the product or the service faces in the market. The sales team should look into detail the strategies used by their competitors even if it is success or failure. After considering the same, if needed changes should be made in their own sales strategy. The sales team should be updated with the new trends and the old trends which are no longer in the market. The product or service should not go out of style. The important factor in developing a sales strategy is to understand such trends. It is necessary to be prepared if the product becomes less popular and how to bring it in the new trends.

Marketing Strategy

Building a marketing strategy is very important when you produce a product or service. The marketing mix is the center of a marketing strategy. The 4Ps- product, price, promotion and place of the marketing mix should be kept in mind while creating a market strategy. The company should keep in mind the strength and weaknesses of the product while making the marketing strategy. The marketing strategy should focus on their target market.

A target market is something on which the company focuses to sell their product or services where they know that sales will be good. The customers of the target market are most likely to buy the product. So it is necessary to do research on the customers and their needs. Research can be done by the product testing where the company will know how to sell its product or service better to the customers. The next step is to decide ways to promote or advertise the product or services. There are different mediums where you can contact the customers like through phone, mail or through emails. Some companies also try the face-to-face method but it depends on the salesperson as to how it presents the product or service to the customer.

Types of Sales Strategies

The forward-thinking sales team has to develop an endless number of sales strategies in order to keep the company on the top in the competition. There are types of sales strategies that we can discuss in which most of the sales strategies fall into like focusing on a new target market, launch new products or services, a rise in up-sells and cross-sells and enhancing the repeat business.

 

Business analytics– stock image

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The Benefits of Classroom Training

Many business owners are already aware that training is an essential part of their business strategy. Choosing the right type of training for your company, however, may not be an easy decision. Whether your decision comes down to cost, the size of your business or the type of industry you work in, choosing the right training methods for your staff can significantly affect how successful they are as a team.

Of all the different training methods available to you, classroom-based training is one of the most traditional options. While it is true that many companies, especially those with high staff turnover, are opting for e-Learning as their main training platform, it may be worth considering the old-school methods. With a greater emphasis placed upon teamwork, group learning, and social interaction, classroom training doesn’t only help to teach valuable skills and information – it can also improve working relations amongst your staff.

Social Interaction

The biggest difference between classroom training and e-Learning is the benefit of social interaction. For some of us, the first thing that comes to mind when we think of group learning is the countless days of group work that were inflicted upon us while at school or university. However, it turns out that there’s a method to the madness: group work is, in fact, an extremely effective way of learning.

At its core, group learning enables us to think more creatively and improves our problem-solving abilities. When it comes to employee training, the practicalities of problem-solving with your colleagues also allows you to see firsthand how your fellow employees learn, what methods they use to problem solve and how they perform under pressure. These sorts of sessions can also allow management a chance to observe how fellow staff members work together and foresee any problems that may translate into the workplace.

On a social level, group learning can help to foster stronger relationships between employees that can translate to the workplace, as well as improvements to their general wellbeing. For businesses that often hire people in larger groups rather than on an individual basis, this sort of arrangement can also help to break the ice for any newcomers and make their transition into the company as smooth as possible.

For many people, especially younger generations, creating meaningful relationships in the workplace is more important than chasing a higher salary. Classroom training can be a great opportunity to foster this sort of interaction and can help to create a happier workplace.

Personalization

E-Learning may have the benefit of being completely mobile and available to employees in their own homes, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are getting the most out of their training. Everyone learns differently, and while a computer-based system may be just fine for some, others may need a more personalized approach to their training. Perhaps understandably, this is much easier to provide in a classroom environment, where an instructor is able to change their approach and teaching method based on the group of people in front of them.

In a classroom environment, employees are able to ask questions and interact with the instructor, or even ask their fellow employees if they do not understand something. Employees using digital platforms may be able to learn at their own “pace”, but they cannot easily ask further questions or clarify the phrasing of a question or resource.

With a classroom-based programme, both employees and managers can rest assured that all their questions can be answered. With expert tuition and the help of their peers,  nobody should be left in the dark about important information that might make them feel stressed later on, or compromise their ability to do their job

Lack of Procrastination

The other downside to an e-Learning programme is the possibility of procrastination. Though there will be many diligent employees willing to complete online lessons straight away, this will not always be the case.

E-Learning often takes place at home and some employees may simply forget, or will not have the time to complete courses outside of work hours. This will often lead to specific courses not being completed, or management having to use their valuable time chasing up individual employees in order to ensure that their training is completed.

Classroom-based training eliminates this problem, as all (or a select number of)  employees are invited to complete the same training course, outside of both the home and the workplace. This separation between work and home can make employees feel more encouraged and motivated, rather than asking them to sacrifice their personal time to complete a work-related task.

A Welcome Break

Separating training programmes from the home and workplace has the added benefit of allowing your staff a break from their day-to-day work duties. Many training rooms and conference centers feature comfortable facilities and offer refreshments and catering, which should be a pleasant treat for your staff.

For larger companies or industries that operate under shift work, it may also be a welcome opportunity to interact with staff members that they may not see due to their busy schedules. This can further help to foster healthy working relationships between employees, and even shed light on fruitful new partnerships.

Taking the extra effort to invest in a classroom-based programme like this, rather than getting your staff to take a 30-minute online class after work, sends a message that you are invested in their workplace wellbeing. Employees are far more likely to feel taken care of when they know that their employer has put this kind of effort into their training programme.

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Through classroom-based training may be more expensive and more logistically challenging than an e-Learning programme, the benefits should speak for themselves. This investment can not only help your employees receive the best training possible but also encourage healthier communication and improve teamwork.

For employers hoping to get the most out of their employees – and to assess which individuals work well together – classroom-based training can be a great way of showing them that their training is a priority for your business. This investment should them motivated, and ensure they are learning the skills they need to thrive in the workplace

Presentation– stock image

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The Cloud vs. In-House Server: What’s Best for Your Business?

In today’s digital world, the server setup you work on can be considered as the lifeline of your business process as all the data and application are installed on it.

However, whether to have a cloud-based or in-house server infrastructure is a big decision to make. While the selection may sound like black-or-white, many factors should be considered before making the selection.

Below are some pros and cons of both that can help you guide through this tricky decision.

Cloud-Based Servers

A cloud server is a virtual server that is created, hosted in a cloud computing environment and can be accessed remotely via the Internet.

The pros of cloud servers include:

• Security: Cloud service providers have the expertise to make sure that your data is secure. Provided you keep the credentials confidential, only you have access to the data.
• Scalability: With the help of cloud technology, you can easily and quickly add more memory, storage, and computing power without the hassles of hardware replacement.
• Low Capital Expense: While you still need to purchase software licenses, there is no need to invest in hardware with cloud technology. This particularly benefits small companies and allows them to get up and running quickly with significant cash outlay. Moreover, most cloud providers charging you only for what you need.
• Automatic Backup: With cloud servers, you get peace of mind that, no matter what happens, you would not lose the data or files as the cloud providers deploy automatic backup.
• Accessibility: Cloud gives you the flexibility to work from anywhere and at any time as long as you have an internet connection.
• Eco-friendly: Cloud benefits not only your business but also the environment. To minimize their carbon footprint, data centers are now going green. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, data centers in the US now account for 1.5% of the electricity consumption and by the year 2020, carbon emissions will be quadrupled to 680 million tons in a year.

The cons of cloud servers include:

• Time-consuming data recovery: While the cloud makes data backup easy, restoring large amounts of data can take a lot of time even with a fast internet connection.
• No access without Internet: If yours or your cloud provider’ Internet goes down, you won’t have access to the data or files. However, as soon as the Internet is restored, all the data is synced automatically.
• Services outages: All cloud service providers have them, even Amazon or Facebook. And when they go down, you can’t access your applications and data which aren’t stored. Although the major cloud providers guarantee an uptime of as high as 99.999 percent, for most cloud providers, the downtime value is significant.

In-House Servers

As the name suggests, an in-house server is installed on the premises (usually the office, studio, etc.). It provides all employees access to the stored data and applications using the local systems.

The pros of in-house servers

• Total control: With an in-house server, you have the complete physical control of updates, backup and of, well everything, which means that you can tailor it to fit your business’ requirements.
• Compliance: In-house servers allow you to keep all the critical data and information in-house – no third party has access to it. This is highly beneficial for businesses dealing with strict regulations or has highly sensitive data.
• No dependency on the Internet: You don’t need to be dependent on the Internet to access your data. Even if your Internet is inaccessible, you can perform operations on your server, thus no loss of productivity.

The cons of in-house servers include:

• Disaster Recovery: One of the main concerns with in-house servers is that it won’t survive in worst-case scenarios like natural disasters and is more susceptible to data loss.
• Space Considerations: Servers take up space, need a lot of power and generate heat. To run efficiently, they need a safe location, power, and cooling system in place.
• Cost: Cost of an in-house server isn’t as low as one may think. Companies need to pay for dedicated IT staff, hardware, maintenance, upgrades, and renewing licenses. Moreover, when things aren’t done automatically, you need to spend time. We all know, time is money.
• Downtime: There is no up-time or recovery guarantee with in-house servers, making your business more susceptible to downtime.

Striking the Right Balance Between the Cloud and In-House Servers

To decide whether to store your data on the cloud or in-house doesn’t have to be a strict matter of selecting among the two. In some cases, a combination of both (hybrid) works well. For companies having budget constraints, the cloud can be a good option. Other companies may want to run in-house servers to take care of usual tasks and move to the cloud for additional capacity.

The adoption of hybrid cloud is also increasing. According to Markets & Markets, by 2023 the hybrid cloud market would be worth almost $100 billion.

However, companies should consider their needs and type of business process before making a choice. This includes prioritizing their requirements for computing, security, performance, storage, data transfers and, of course, the amount they are willing and able to spend.

Final Recommendations

An important factor while considering whether to use a cloud-based or in-house server is the extent to which the security and privacy of critical data are maintained. Here are some of the options for maintaining the highest level of confidentiality and control over your data.

Option 1: Go with a cloud provider that can effectively minimize the unintended disclosure of critical and confidential information.

Option 2: Go with an in-house server and have policies, and infrastructure in place to minimize unintended disclosure of critical and confidential information.

Option 3: Use in-house servers for sensitive and confidential data and cloud-servers for data which is not frequently accessed or need the lowest level of latency.

Breaking It Down

It would be great if we could say that one is better/faster/cheaper than the other, but there are many factors to consider. The type of application, business requirements, and many other features come into play.

Regardless of what you choose, it’s important to equip and train your staff with the information and security tool to help them keep their systems, accounts, and your business secure in this digital era.

 

cloud computing diagram– stock image

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Your Guide to the Top Big Data Certifications Today

The need for expert professionals in big data and data analytics is growing more impressive by the day. With big data being cutting edge technology, companies are now being open to big data and its usage. However, finding the right set of technologies can be daunting. But finding the right candidate with the relevant set of skills can be more daunting.

Candidates with specialized skills in big data are often proclaimed to be a secret weapon for organizations to help identify business concerns and draw positive insights out of it. The demand for big data professionals is said to increase by 40% in the year 2020. Although the demand for big data professionals keeps soaring, there is still a limited supply of skilled candidates in big data technologies. No doubt why these professionals are high in demand. Organizations are now in a hunt for professionals skilled in data science and analytics with an expertise in new age technologies and experts who can analyze data.

If you’re looking to stay ahead of others and become job ready, a certification in big data is a great option. Having a certification demonstrates your skills and knowledge against the industry. It keeps you align with the happenings in the technology world. Nonetheless, these certifications are the best benchmark to prove to the employers that you have the right set of skills.

Below is a guide to the best big data certifications for you to choose from:

• Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)

This certification (Certified Analytics Professional) offers an end to end understanding of the analytics process. This includes framing business, analytic problems, model building, deployment, and methodology. The CAP is basically for professionals starting their early career in analytics.

• Data Science Council of America (DASCA)

The Data Science Council of America (DASCA) credential provides one of the best certifications to candidates who get certified from this platform. The initiatives and programs offered here help build a credible portfolio that most employers are seeking today. Whether you’re an early bird learner or a professional, getting yourself certified from DASCA can be a good career choice.

• Cloudera Certified Associate (CCA)

Cloudera Certified Associate is targeted for professionals who are good with coding, maintaining and optimizing Hadoop projects. Candidates looking to take up this certification should have skills in transferring data between external and internal systems, usage of Spark SQL to interact with data-sets, and configure applications from the command line.

• Cloudera Certified Professional (CCP)

This certification (Cloudera Certified Professional) CCP aims at candidates looking to prove their data engineering skills. This program tests technical skills and recognizes a candidate’s mastery and only professionals with prior skills in big data will be benefited from this program.

• Certified Big Data Professional, SAS

This Certified Big Data Professional certification program is meant for professionals seeking to build their basic programming skills by learning how to gather and analyze data in SAS. This program focuses on SAS programming skills, transforming, assessing and manipulating data.

• Certified Data Engineer, IBM

The IBM Certified Data Engineer certification is generally intended for expert professionals such as big data engineers looking for a bigger vision. A professional looking to work directly with big data architects and converting the big data vision into reality must take up this certification.

The future data professionals can be specialized in tackling the most business-critical and complex challenges that will revolutionize businesses. Most certainly, as technology advances and businesses evolve, big data and analytics associated career will continue to rise. This causes a surge in demand for big data professionals and the only desirable way today is to gain certification and stay in sync with the IT market.

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4 Epic Ways to Drive Customer Loyalty and Revenue Growth With Packaging Inserts

A packaging insert is considered an additional item that retailers often put into shipments before dispatching them to the customers. However, this unexpected item can be used to build rapport with new customers. It’s something that brands leverage to spread the word about their campaigns and promotions.  This makes packaging inserts a versatile gesture and cost-effective solution to build a relationship with your customers.

How Do Packaging Inserts add Value?

It’s always the little extra things that help you stand out and surpass customers’ expectations. And using the right packaging inserts is one of these extra things. Let’s look at how packaging inserts add value:

• Run Highly Targeted Campaigns: Custom packaging inserts can be used to run highly targeted campaigns where the intended audience are already your patrons and you know what their favorite product is. Bearing this in mind, you can tailor your insert to the exact customer receiving it.
• Liquidate Hard-to-Move Merchandise: Inserts can be a great way to liquidate slow-moving merchandise and convert excess inventory into hard cash. Most of all, it provides you the opportunity to bolster your relationship with existing customers.
• Increase Cross-Selling: When you know exactly what your existing customers like, you can use custom packing inserts to grab their attention and avail the highly targeted cross-sell opportunities.
• Boost Customer Loyalty: With the right inserts, retailers can drastically increase loyalty because customers are more likely to opt for a product or brand that appreciates them. And packaging inserts can help you do just that.            

However, there are many other ways to use inserts and deliver value to building greater loyalty. Here are the most popular types of inserts that are frequently used by retailers.

  Exclusive Discount Offers

One of the popular types of inserts is a discount offer. Though many retailers deliver these by email, sending them off right in the box ensures your patrons will get the discount offer right in their hands rather receiving it in their spam folder. Above all, the printed insert provides a tangible reminder of the discount program.

Shea Brand is a prominent example in this regard. The online beauty brand uses a variety of packaging inserts to boost customer loyalty. Along with the custom packaging inserts customers receive a coupon code of 20% off on their next purchase.

This is the most economical way to create a deal or offer a generous discount as coupon codes can be printed at business card size. The business card is one of those rare commodities that are extremely inexpensive.

Using a service like The Legacy Printing will allow you to design and create your custom packaging and discount cards in your desired material and printing option. In addition, you will get free shipping and unlimited design revisions option that’ll make things more economical. This may also allow you to test out different types of printing options to determine which one your customers respond best to.

    Small Surprise Gifts

Small surprise gifts can be another way to delight your customers without pushing them to purchase other products from you. It’s not necessary for the gift you give should be expensive. Since it’s unexpected, a lot of them will be pleasantly surprised by an additional gift.

Take Girl Grills for instance. The leading smokers and grills seller has seen how well packing inserts can impact the customer experience. Grilled Grills frequently include a couple of free gifts in their packaging to leave patrons with a smile and add value. They also give a handwritten thank-you note to each customer.

Galen Leather, a handcrafted leather goods manufacturer in Turkey also share free surprise gifts with its customers from the country to round out the brand experience. These small and inexpensive gifts make their customers feel special.

More importantly, it puts the law of reciprocity into effect. Use this psychological trigger and make customers want to return the favor. This will increase repeat business and leave everyone feels great about the transaction.

    Personal Notes & Thank You Cards

A handwritten note or thank you card is the most personalized and least expensive insert you can add to your packaging. This thoughtful gesture can build loyalty and drive sales. Cards can be really effective, especially when you are starting out. This gives you a competitive advantage as large-scale businesses can no longer use them to their advantage.

The premium menswear service, TrunkClub is one such business that is known for its personalized packaging inserts. Their custom inserts include handwritten notes from stylists who’ve handpicked the products for their customers.

Eager to follow their footsteps? Use these quick tips to write a thank you note to your customers:

• If feasible, use high-quality stationery.
• Make sure to use the customer’s name.
• Express your gratitude.
• Clearly, state the reason for sending the note.
• Share the details of your experience with each customer.
• Refer to your future interactions with them.
• Choose the right greeting and sign off. i.e. Kindest Regards, Cheers, Sincerely, etc.

  Request to Review your Product or Share on Social

For most vendors, shipping a package represents the end of the transaction. However, using a packaging insert gives you the opportunity to ask your customer for a product review or share their experience on the social platform.

Frank body, an original coffee-based scrub, encourage customers to interact on social channels at almost every touch point. This includes printed marketing material like packaging inserts which further bolster their identity and inspire buyers to share their experiences on social media.

As a result, the brand is able to build a massive community of 684k followers on Instagram, which promotes their product and provide social proof to others. This, in turn, has increased brand exposure.

Conclusion    

The bottom line is, inserts can provide great value by surpassing customer expectations. So prepare your inserts and drive customer loyalty, sales and profit for your brand. Because unique inserts and different offers can help you build your own successful program.

 

 

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