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Blogging with WordPress

Blogging with WordPress

Do you want to start a blog? Blogging with WordPress is great but it can be scary to start especially if you are not technically minded. Don’t worry, you aren’t alone, and many people have the same fear, but it can be so simple. 

If you want to start a blog, then we would recommend using WordPress. No scary coding or jargon here. Whether you are a beginner or a blogging aficionado looking for a new platform, WordPress can be as simple or complicated as you would like to make it. 

Keep reading to find out more about WordPress, tips on how to write a blog and how to upload your very own blog! 

What is WordPress? 

WordPress is the simplest, most popular way to create your own website or blog! 

Yes, really! In fact, WordPress powers over 43.3% of all the websites on the Internet. That means that more than one in four websites that you visit are likely powered by WordPress. 

The best thing about it is that WordPress makes building a website accessible to anyone – even people who aren’t developers. 

You can use WordPress to make all kinds of websites and blogs. You may primarily want to start blogging with WordPress, but if you are a business owner then you can also create:  

  • Business websites 
  • eCommerce stores 
  • Blogs 
  • Portfolios 
  • Social networks 
  • Membership sites 
  • …and pretty much anything else you are looking for! 

There are two forms of WordPress which you need to know the difference between. 

  • WordPress.org, which is commonly called self-hosted WordPress, is the free, open-source WordPress software that you can install on your own web host to create a website that’s 100% yours. 
  • WordPress.com is a for-profit, paid service that is powered by the WordPress.org software. It’s simple to use, but you don’t have as much flexibility in comparison.  

When discussing WordPress, people usually refer to the self-hosted WordPress and if you would like to truly own your own website then it will be the best option for you. 

Setting Up Your Blog 

Firstly, before you can start blogging, you need to set up your blogging platform. We recommend using WordPress.org for your blog. 

All you need to set up your blog is a domain name and web hosting! 

A domain name is what people type to get to your website. It’s your website’s address on the internet. Think google.com or creativeintime.com 

Web hosting is where your website files live. It’s like you’re a house for your website on the internet. Every website NEEDS web hosting. 

We would recommend using Bluehost as your hosting provider as it is one of the oldest web hosting companies on the internet and is recommended by WordPress itself! Let us explain how to set up your Bluehost: 

  1. Open up Bluehost in another tab 
  1. Click the ‘Host Your Site’ button 
  1. Choose your plan (we would recommend the basic plan if you only need one site and are a beginner) 
  1. Enter your domain name 
  1. Fill in required information to create your account 
  1. Confirm how long you want your hosting to be 
  1. Continue to payment 
  1. And done! 

To connect your Bluehost to WordPress, you need to click the tab called ‘marketplace’ and follow it to one-click installs. You need to click install on the WordPress product and select your site name and tagline, and then select your domain name. 

Once WordPress has been installed, you’ll be notified by BlueHost, along with your installation details, username, password, and the option to login to your new WordPress website straight away. Go login to see what your website looks like so far. 

When you have logged in, WordPress will ask if you need help setting up your website, you can select yes or no depending on if you need help. Regardless of your choice, once you are ready to launch your website, simply select ‘Bluehost’ from your navigation bar and click ‘launch’. 

How To Write a Blog 

Blogging is a great way to spread information and there are a few components which you need: 

  • Title: Tell the reader WHAT they are going to read. Avoid clickbait or vague titles as these will cause your readers to bounce off your content, sending bad signals to Google. 
  • Introduction: Introduce the blog, what is it about? What can readers expect to learn? Don’t be afraid to show your personality! 
  • Background Information: Include/explain any information that may be needed before answering the question. Imagine your mum is reading your content, would she understand what you are talking about without any context? Use this section of a blog to explain the details as if this is the first time your reader is hearing about this topic (which it very well could be!). 
  • Answer the Question: Answer the question clearly and honestly. You can voice an opinion however present the facts clearly and without bias.  
  • Outro: Include links to any relevant products, to your shop, your social media accounts or to other related blogs. ALWAYS link to something. Explain what your blog/business is about and why people should keep up to date with your latest content. 

We recommend blogging weekly to build up traction and get ranking on Google. Blogging is a sure-fire way to keep your website fresh and inviting, it keeps your website active and keeps people on your website for longer. A quality blog gives other sites a reason to link back to your site which can build trust. 

Uploading Your Blog 

Once you have written a blog, you need to get it live on your website. To write a blog post, click on ‘Posts’ and then ‘Add New’ on your WordPress dashboard. 

You will see an editor area where you can write your first blog post! 

You need to transfer your blog information onto WordPress and then there are many extras which you can add in such as: 

  • Subheadings 
  • Images 
  • Bullet points 
  • Links 
  • Categories 

And more! 

Once you are done, you can click the preview button at the top right to see how your blog will look and then click publish when you are ready for it to go LIVE! 

And just like that, you have a blog live! Keep posting and marketing your blogs to get readers and rank higher on Google. 

If you think blogging will benefit your business (which it totally would) but you aren’t sure that you can write quality blogs then get in touch now. Everyone knows content is king. From Blogging with WordPress to Infographics and Case Studies, we will get your business noticed. 

Instagram Marketing Strategies for 2023

Instagram Marketing Strategies for 2023

Instagram is a competitive social media platform but it is not impossible to gain traction…if you do it right! 

With an active audience of 1.16 billion people, it is no shock that Instagram can be an amazing place for businesses to gain followers and traffic. 

The potential reach of Instagram is only set to grow and did you know that 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business? 

It isn’t only businesses marketing to consumers that can benefit though, over 36% of businesses use Instagram when researching new services and products. 

Think of this as a cheat sheet to use for your business so that you can get your Instagram strategy up there with the best. 

Setting Up An Instagram Account 

If you already have an Instagram account, then you may not need this section but before you can set up a strategy, you need an Instagram Business account. 

Skip ahead if you have a business account already, or look at step 3 if you already have a personal account. 

Step 1: Download the Instagram app 

Step 2: Sign Up 

  • Open the app 
  • Tap either Create New Account (iOS) or Sign Up With Email or Phone (Android) 
  • Enter your email/phone number and click Next 
  • Choose your username and password 
  • Fill out your profile information and click Next 

Step 3: Switch to a Business Account 

  • Go to your profile and tap the three lines at the top right 
  • Click Settings, then Account 
  • Scroll down and click Switch to professional account 
  • Tap Business and follow the prompts! 

Best Instagram Marketing Strategies for 202

Now that you have your Instagram account set up, it is time to look into how you should be using your account and why. 

1: Choose Your Goals 

Before you start posting, you need to decide why you are posting. You can’t use your Instagram account effectively until you know what you are trying to do. 

Instagram marketing isn’t one size fits all, it can mean different things to different businesses. 

Do you want to: 

  • Improve your brand awareness? 
  • Drive traffic to your website? 
  • Get new leads? 
  • Sell products? 
  • Establish brand authority?  

You can even use multiple of these goals to build a strategy unique to you. If you are unsure of what your strategy goals are then get in touch now to see how we can help you. 

2: Understand Your Audience 

Once you decide your goals, you need to understand your audience on Instagram. 

In the UK, Instagram statistics show that: 

  • 30.36 million people in the UK use Instagram 
  • Instagram reaches 60% of the online population in the UK 
  • 25-34 year olds make up the largest user group 
  • 76% of 15-25 year olds use Instagram 
  • 42.5% of users are male and 57.5% are female 

From these statistics, you may want to market towards these demographics however this does not mean you have to. 

Whatever audience you want to market to, you need to make sure your content is speaking directly to your audience. 

3: Optimise your Profile 

The dreaded Instagram bio, with only 150 characters, it can seem impossible to make a good first impression and convey your businesses personality. 

Those 150 characters really have their work cut out for them! 

However, there is a shining light, you also have some other fields on your profile which allow you to showcase your brand such as: 

  • Name: up to 30 characters 
  • Username: up to 30 characters 
  • Website: a clickable URL 
  • Category: A business feature where you can tell people what your business is about without using precious bio characters 
  • Contact information: A way to show people how to contact you 

Make sure that all of these features are being utilised and showcase your brand in the best light. Many people will form opinions about your brand from your social media profiles. 

4: Create Content 

Instagram is a very visual platform and therefore your posts need to look the part.  

You don’t need professional photographs or fancy cameras to take good pictures. Just make sure that they are clear, well-lit and in focus. If you are photographing a product then it needs to be well-composed with a simple backdrop reflecting the product. 

If you are using other images such as infographics then make sure that your text is easy to read and not too small, that your colours are cohesive and that they are crisp. 

Once you have some amazing images, you need to make suer that they are serving a purpose. You wouldn’t cook a 5* dinner if no one is hungry! 

Your images need to tell a story, get people engaged or excite people. You need quality posts to make the most out of your images. 

If you are stuck on what content to create then don’t fear! Check out this list of content ideas to get your started: 

  • Videos 
  • Reels 
  • Behind-the-scenes posts 
  • Infographics 
  • Reviews 
  • Quotes 
  • Instructional posts 
  • Company events 
  • Share blog content 
  • Industry news 

5: Use Hashtags 

Hashtags are a great way to increase your visibility and get your profile found by new users. When you use a hashtag, your post will appear on the page for that hashtag. People can also choose to follow hashtags which means you could shows up on users feeds even if they don’t follow you (yet!) 

You are able to use up to 30 hashtags in a post however we would recommend using around 11 per post.  

Make sure that your hashtags are relevant to your business and specific to your niche. 

6: Use Instagram Stories 

Video is quickly becoming a large focus of social media strategies and over half of business use stories. 

A third of the most viewed stories on Instagram are posted by businesses! 

Stories are a great way to be open and raw with your audience as they disappear after 24 hours. It allows you to post whatever content you want without it clogging up your social media profile. 

There are a few uses for stories which we think all businesses should make use of: 

  • Show behind-the-scenes clips of people at work 
  • Answer FAQs 
  • Link out to your website or useful resources 
  • Tell a story 
  • Talk to other people 

Let’s Summarise Instagram Marketing

In your social media strategy, you should: 

  • Use a business account 
  • Choose your goals 
  • Understand your audience 
  • Optimise your profile 
  • Create valuable content 
  • Use hashtags 
  • And use Instagram stories 

Do you need help creating an Instagram marketing strategy for your business? Get in touch now to see how we can help your business to flourish on Instagram. 

Why Is Digital Marketing Important 

Why Is Digital Marketing Important 

We all know that the internet is big right? Right?! So, what if I told you that the number of people who go on the internet every day is STILL increasing? 

That’s right, “constant” internet usage among adults has increased by 5% in the past 3 years. This has also meant that people are shopping and purchasing more online than ever! 

You need to market to where your customers are looking, which means if you aren’t already, it’s time to go DIGITAL with your MARKETING

Digital marketing is important for a variety of reasons because it connects your business to your online presence and your ever-growing digital customer base.  

Digital marketing is effective in all industries and all businesses should utilise it as such, if you aren’t using digital marketing then it is time to jump onto the bandwagon and get rolling! 

Utilising digital marketing allows you to connect with ideal customers through search engines such as Google using search engine optimisation, through social media using social media marketing and through email using email marketing

So Why Is Digital Marketing Important? 

1. Affordability 

If you want bang for your buck, then digital marketing is for you. It is considerably less expensive than more traditional forms of marketing, however, this is dependent on what you are doing, but generally, overall spending tends to be lower with a higher impact. 

It is also more affordable as you can narrow down where your money needs to go by selecting the correct platforms. If your followers are most active on Instagram, then you should focus your efforts there and not on Twitter. If you are looking to advertise to other businesses, then try LinkedIn rather than Facebook.  

Digital marketing can save you time and money by excluding people who would never buy from you and digital marketing agencies can often be more affordable than hiring a marketing team for your business. 

2. Mobile-Friendly 

Mobile-friendly - Why is digital marketing important?

Did you know that over 48 million people in the UK use their mobile phones to go about their business such as mobile shopping and social networking? If you are looking to reach this large audience, then you will need to hone in on this mobile market. 

When someone is interested in your niche, business or product, the first thing they will do is take to the internet to research you. In the age of mobile phones, this can be done with just a few taps on a screen making it even more important to take care of your online presence. 

If your customer can’t find you online or finds you have a subpar online presence then they may assume your business is illegitimate, inactive or just not worth buying from. 

You need to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly so that visitors can experience your content easily. You do not want large blank areas or cut off text boxes, no one likes having to scroll to see full images or menus. This may involve creating a different page structure for desktop vs mobile. 

Look at your website from a user perspective, what would you change? 

3. Flexibility 

When you market yourself digitally, you open a wide range of possibilities for strategies, and with your marketing strategy at your fingertips, you can make real-time changes such as stopping poorly performing campaigns. 

You can make tweaks and changes depending on the interest you receive; this is something you would not be able to do if you used a different form of marketing such as using paper leaflets. 

Flexibility also means that you do not have to wait to produce leaflets, flyers and posters. You can create content and post it immediately, perfect for keeping up with special dates, doing flash offers and even amending typos. 

4. Creativity 

Creativity - Why is digital marketing important?

If you are looking for creativity, then digital marketing will steal your heart! You have the opportunity to create banners, email campaigns, social media posts, blogs, and the list goes on and on! With digital marketing, you have the creative freedom to bring your visions to life using your brand colours and style. 

Your creativity should flow across all of your digital marketing streams to create a cohesive brand image. When a user views your social media or a blog post, they should instantly know it is your business. If you are interested in creating a social media strategy, then click here to find out the best strategies for social media marketing in 2022. 

Top Tip: Avoid using different names, colour schemes and writing styles as this can give the impression of different businesses which have the same/similar names. 

5. Tracking 

As well as connecting and communicating with customers, digital marketing allows you to track their activities. You can see how many people open your email campaigns, how many people engage with your social media platforms, where people spend time on your website and how they get to your website amongst other things. 

This is valuable information to hone in on your target audience and find out what is or isn’t working and adjust your strategies accordingly. 

When dealing with an audience, a marketing strategy which you think will do amazing could flop or vice versa so it is vital to keep track of how each part of your strategy is performing. 

Digital marketing is a valuable asset to any business and is important in all the previously mentioned ways, it can however be time-consuming to get right especially since you will need to research and implement an effective digital marketing strategy to get the full potential out of your marketing. 

Yes, unfortunately, digital marketing isn’t a one-hit-wonder and needs constant work

If you are a business owner who wants to improve their digital marketing but doesn’t have the time or expertise, that is where digital marketing agencies such as CREATIVE in TiME come in. 

We understand the people, the resources, the processes, and the tools that go into making your business run smoothly and we get the struggles which businesses experience in the world of digital marketing. 

Do you need help with your digital marketing? Get in touch now to find out how we can help you. 

Strategies for Content Marketing in 2023

Strategies for Content Marketing in 2023

Picture this, you have a business (old or new), and you are ready to smash your target market but have you considered your content marketing strategy? 

Your strategy, which worked in 2020, may have been successful then, but the likelihood is that it will not be successful in 2023. Traditional marketing methods of the past are becoming less desirable, irrelevant paid ads are a great example of this.  

People want to search for solutions as and when they need to. This is where content marketing is king, and creating an effective strategy can leave you victorious. 

So, what is content marketing and why does your business need an effective strategy? 

What is Content Marketing? 

Content marketing is a form of marketing that involves creating and sharing online content such as blogs. The objective of content marketing is not to explicitly promote your brand but to pique interest in your services/products and build your authority on the topic. 

When people consistently notice your content being informative and worthwhile, your business will be at the top of their minds when they need to buy what you sell. 

Now, you may be thinking, “Great!” but still be wondering what content marketing actually entails. 

Different Types of Content Marketing 

There are many forms of content marketing but that does not mean your business needs to utilise every single one to be effective. You need to know which forms of content marketing are appropriate for your business, audience and products. 

To help you along this journey, let’s look at the most common and effective forms of content marketing which you may wish to implement for your business. 

Blogging  

When you think of content marketing, I’m sure the first thing that came to mind was blogging, and for good reason, blog posts are the most popular form of content marketing and the easiest to start with. 

All you need to create blog posts is a website and content. 

Blogging is an ever-growing market and the need for information from the internet is constantly increasing. There are currently over 600 million blogs in the world! 

Well-written blogs are key for both your business and your users. For you, they provide more traffic to your website, increased lead generation and build site authority. For your users, they provide useful information, create trust and become a source of information in the future. 

The main reason businesses avoid blogging is because they don’t know where or how to start. If you want to find out how to start blogging in 2023, just click here

Video content 

Video content is the up-and-coming new kid on the block in terms of content marketing. It has swiftly become one of the most popular forms of content marketing, and that is down to one platform, YouTube. 

Where blog posts can often lack creativity and engagement, videos soar and thrive on their interactivity and ease of distributing information.  

Some of the best ways to use video in content marketing are: 

  • Behind-the-scenes videos: people love seeing the people behind the brand. It allows for a human connection and shows authenticity. Customers get to experience your brand and may view it in a new light, especially if you are a small business. 
  • Demonstrations: whether your product is simple or complicated, has two steps or 20, you can bet someone out there needs help using it for the first time! These should be descriptive, informative and clear- imagine you are explaining it to your mum. Would she understand it? 
  • Customer Testimonials: never underestimate the power of a review. Videos of customers are high-quality pieces of content marketing that you can use on all platforms. 

Podcasts 

Following the use of video, another form of content marketing is podcasts. 

Podcasts have the opposite pull than videos as they are solely focused on audio instead of visible information. 

A podcast is the most convenient form of content marketing, all you need to do is press play and listen! This allows your listeners to multi-task whilst listening especially since 69% of podcast listeners use a mobile device to listen. This can be especially important if you are marketing your product to another business, busy people need accessible information otherwise they won’t listen. 

Podcasts are also a vital way in which you can become a thought leader in your industry and build credibility in your business. If you are providing valuable content which helps or educates your listeners, then they will begin to think of you and your business as an expert in the field. 

Try answering customer questions, problem-solving, discussing how the product is made, any industry news which could be relevant, having guests on your podcast to bring in new listeners, and making sure your podcast is engaging and entertaining. 

Infographics 

Infographics are another engaging form of content marketing due to their eye-catching and fun nature. 

This makes them great to use in all forms of content such as the previously mentioned blogs and videos. Being able to repurpose your content is key to success, spreading it to all platforms is vital to reaching the widest audience. 

Infographics have another benefit…they make you look smart! Sharing content that is both colourful, valuable and informative is a sure-fire way to gain interest from other people in your industry, especially on social media platforms such as LinkedIn. 

They are also a great way to show tangible data in a digestible way that people can understand without technical knowledge. Similarly, they can be a game-changer in niches that could be called “boring” as they capture and retain user attention. 

Why is Content Marketing Important? 

We have just explained to you the most prominent forms of content marketing to begin your journey, but why is it important? 

Content marketing is a vital form of marketing, did you know that 70% of marketers actively invest in content marketing? This is because, in comparison to other forms of digital marketing, it has a greater return on investment (ROI) in the long run, exactly what you want to hear! 

Content marketing has many benefits for you and your customers, let us tell you some now: 

  • Improve ranking in search engine results (SEO) 
  • Builds a community 
  • Builds customer relationships 
  • Helps with lead conversion 
  • Raises brand awareness 

So, does content marketing sound like it could benefit your business? Depending on your business, you may wish to implement one of these forms of content marketing or all of them! There is no right or wrong amount as long as they are relevant to your business. 

If you want to start but need some expert help to get you off on the right foot, get in touch now! 

Top 4 Best Keyword Tools for SEO 

Top 4 Best Keyword Tools for SEO 

When running your own business, using keyword tools for SEO can save you lots of precious time and they are often free or inexpensive. 

Do you know what an SEO keyword is? If not, click here to find out. 

As a small business owner, your time is valuable, and time spent finding keywords for your SEO and blogging can feel like it is taking you away from other responsibilities. We understand this and have created a comprehensive list of our top 4 keyword tools for SEO to help streamline and improve your SEO.   

Learn from the experts, this is what we do! 

Ubersuggest 

Ubersuggest is a free to use keyword tool which assists in keyword idea generation and aids in search engine optimisation (SEO). You can also pay for it which unlocks more useful analytics and allows you to search for keywords without a limit. 

When used to search for keywords, you can see search volume, keyword suggestions, how difficult it will be to rank for the keyword and even more.  

You can use Ubersuggest to analyse your competitors and see what keywords they rank for. This allows you to see what is working for them so that you can adopt your strategy accordingly.  

As well as seeing related keywords, you can also see a table of 100 Google search results for that keyword. It included estimated visits, a domain score, backlink numbers and how often that page is shared on social media. 

A useful feature of Ubersuggest is the ability to analyse your websites SEO as it can tell you any SEO issues which need fixing such as headings and meta descriptions. 

AnswerThePublic 

Do you ever want to create a blog post but need help knowing what people are searching for? Or not know what questions people REALLY want the answers to?  

AnswerThePublic is a free online keyword tool where you input a keyword and it will tell you the most common questions searched in relation to this keyword.  The information can be viewed in a list or as a visualised infographic such as in the image below. 

This is a useful tool as the keyword suggestions are based on Google and Bing’s auto-suggest feature. The free version of AnswerThePublic is great but you can also pay to be able to complete more searches per day. 

SEMrush 

SEMrush is an SEO tool used to perform keyword research. Using the keyword overview tool, you can find out everything that you need to know about your selected keyword such as how many people are searching for it per month, how its trend is changing and all sorts of other useful information. 

You can also use it to find out similar keywords to use alongside your keyword and it also shows a list of organic search results for competitor research. 

Using the topic research tool can give you an extensive set of related topics to your keyword which can guide you with your content and blogs to improve SEO. 

Google Trends 

You can use Google Trends in two ways to perform keyword research, let’s look at the first. 

The first way is to enter a specific keyword and then take a look at the “related queries” section to find out what other people have been searching for regarding this keyword. This can help you find more keywords, questions that people need answering and what everyone is searching for. 

The second thing you can do is view whether your keyword is growing or declining in popularity. Take the image below as an example… 

In blue is the term “digital marketing” and in red is “content marketing”. You can see that digital marketing has been growing and staying at a steady search rate whereas content marketing has plateaued and is no longer gaining momentum to improve.  

Now, this doesn’t mean that content marketing is a bad keyword, it is searched less which means you will have more chance at ranking highly for it whereas for digital marketing you may struggle to make a dent. 

Keeping track of keyword trends allows you to switch up keywords if suddenly another keyword has a rise in searches. 

All of these keyword tools for SEO are brilliant but you may wish, and we would also recommend, using multiple tools as they all serve an individual purpose. AnswerThePublic does not show the amount each keyword gets searched whereas a tool such as Ubersuggest does show keyword traffic. 

If you need help with your SEO keywords and want our marketing agency to work on your keywords then get in touch now. 

CREATIVE in TiME
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