Artigos

Online presence is essential to enable or realize a startup. This need for the online aspect results not only from its technical component, that is, from being a company whose activity is done – or only exists – on the Internet, but also from sales strategies or to add value to businesses with physical existence.

SEO is the set of actions and tools for a search engine to select a content and present it in an order that values it. However, the search engine was created to do the job of collecting information searched by its users, but above all to make money from it.

Do not forget that search engines also have their business model, which is based on selling advertising – and to sell advertising you have to offer a service that sets you apart from other search engines – in order to get advertisers to prefer your service instead of others.

DEFINE THE STRATEGY
In genesis, what we have to show must be constructed in order to satisfy the user of the search engine. That is, the content has to be in accordance with the criteria of the search engine, which in turn chooses and presents the content according to the preferences of its users.

So before we build our page and produce content, we must take into account whether they are fit for what users are looking for, and whether that content is legible for search engines. This rule is valid for all internet sites, whether it is an online store, an institutional site, or a business blog.

There are several tools to optimize your website or “cheat” search engines. Some will have more or less success. Naturally, each search engine organizes and presents the results of its search according to an algorithm, whose composition is confidential and periodically revised and altered.

Even so, it is known which are the main criteria (it is the companies that generate search engines themselves that are interested in divulging some of these requirements) and therefore it is easy to find in the market, books, courses or software that help to improve the sites . While it is true that none of them can know exactly the algorithms of the most popular search engines, they will certainly be a good option for those who want to learn more about optimizing websites.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN
However, before you start working on optimizing your website, you have to consider some rules that should be put into practice before focusing on SEO.

So before you start you need to know
What you want to communicate;
Who cares;
What you want them to do.

That is, in the first place you have to define what you are doing, or want to communicate, and in what way this impacts on the research on this topic.

Only after identifying your target audience in a particular search engine should you choose the strategy. And the strategy is related to product and industry-wide choices.

For example, if your company works in marketing, your message may be about “Marketing”, but it can also be about “Digital Marketing” or “Marketing Consulting”.

In any case you should have different content for each category, so that the search engine can differentiate your specific message from other generalists. If you do not, the search engine will eventually forward your content to the bottom of the list.

So before you start investing in online, answer these questions:
What product do you have?
Who will buy it?
Where are you going to buy it? What strategy will you use?
What channels will you use (social networks, search engines, blogs, etc.)?

Once you find these answers, look for the keywords that are related to the product and place them in the contents of your page.

Resist the temptation to fill your pages with keywords, or irrelevant content. Not only do search engines have tools that identify – and penalize – tricks for multiple indexing, such as users, that will reject your site.

The best way is to translate your product or service offer clearly to be read by the search engine user, and thus also be valued by the search engine selection criteria.

Notes from the Lecture by Carlos Mendes at Digitagy Talks May 2019

Carlos Mendes is Business Strategist and Entrepreneurship Mentor, Consultant and Investor with more than 20 years of experience in business growth, market strategy, mentoring and coaching.

To work your company communication should look at the whole ecosystem, not just social networks, or the event. Email marketing is an important communication tool, but it does require constant feedback and regular monitoring of your marketing metrics.

RELEVANCE
Produce the right content for the right people. To achieve this goal, databases should be as detailed as possible, to segment the content, sending concise and specific information to each person or, at worst, to each segment. Create ‘personas’ and produce differentiated content for each of these ‘people’. Does it give more work? It does, but it should work with focus on results and not having less work. However, do not forget that if differentiation and segmentation is important, process integration and automation are critical to avoid errors. There are several tools in the market that can help you think of all types of email automation (from the simplest Mail Chimp to Portuguese Egoi to SMS).

CONVERSION
Whenever a person enters our database (because they have requested a newsletter, or joined a discussion group, for example) we should send an email, even if it is to welcome them, so that they feel integrated into the our ecosystem. Then all email marketing actions must follow the conversion funnels rule, where metrics are critical. You need to know who’s staying, otherwise it’s like taking water out of a flat boat. Retention is the first thing you work on. The goal of retention is always as many people as possible, but we have to be realistic. Not everyone opens the newsletters, and some go directly to the spam page. The opening of the email is the least important, what should be in the email is the invitation to new actions and the last is what is the most important and what we must measure and always follow.

Notes from André Novais de Paula’s lecture at Digitagy Talks

André Novais de Paula holds a degree in Marketing and Advertising from IADE with a specialization in Marketing. He has developed his activity within Relational and Digital Marketing with emphasis on integrated Cross-Media campaigns. Currently he is a trainer of the Atelier Digital of Google and responsible for the curricular units of Marketing and Digital Marketing in the courses of post-graduation and Masters in the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra, IPAM and Polytechnic of Leiria.

First of all, when you are looking for an investment, you have to be clear about what you want: are you thinking about self-employment or building a startup? That makes all the difference. Investors are looking for what has the potential to grow and (as the word “startup” implies) make it happen quickly.

Of course the idea has to be good, the project well structured, and the communication brilliant. All of this is important, but it is not essential for the investor. Sales are the ultimate proof. You can have a great pitch, and win prizes with that, but if the project is not validated and if the team is not competent, you will hardly find anyone willing to put money into your project.

Who chooses the investor is the entrepreneur. The investor has the capital, but whoever acquiesces the investor’s entry into the business is the entrepreneur.

Never expect from an investor just money. Look for a sales helper, opening doors for new business; or a mentor, to help you grow and consolidate your company. Well-connected investors with a good internationalization network are worth much more than the money they put into your project. It is called “smart money”, money that is worth for the company to grow.

Looking for investment implies strategy and planning. You need to know what you need the money for and who you are looking for as an investor. Sometimes a partnership can be better than an investment.

A good tip: Never look for desperate money, you run the risk of being forced to accept what you do not want. Remember that there are good investors and “predators” that will make you employed.

Notes from the lecture by Tiago Vargas in the first edition of Digitagy Talks

Tiago Vargas holds an MBA from Manchester Business School and has a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico. His extensive international professional experience includes European, African, South American and Asian clients, having lived in the United Kingdom and Angola. He is currently the managing director of a fund of Business Angels and Venture Planet, which is a Venture Builder and raises capital for startups.

We live in a time when people want to become “brands” and “people” brands. To do this, both try to convey an “image”, or sell an “idea”, using communication. But people today no longer want advertising and have installed ad blockers that identify and exclude advertising from computers.

But there are ads that become viral on social networks. They are shared and commented upon by thousands of people, because they are well told stories that convey emotions.

A story is always the best way to get attention. It needs to have “beginning”, “middle” and “end” and conflict is essential. There are no stories without “heroes”, “villains” and “victims” and all seek to convey a message, which will be the “moral of history”.

To draw attention to a company you also need to tell a story, keeping in mind that the brand is the message (or carries with it the message) that will resolve the conflict. When you tell stories you create empathy, so you need to know how to use it in favor of the brand, even because all brands have stories.

Those who work in social networks need to know their audience, create “personas” and tell you the stories they want to hear. Video is the best support for conveying emotions, but the main thing is to be a good storyteller so you can capture the attention of your audience, driving brand equity and driving the business.

Neuromarketing and emotional intelligence are fields of scientific knowledge that can be deepened by those who want to know more about how to work the emotions in business communication, but the essential thing to keep in mind is that “Publishing is easy, the difficult thing is to make it happen. visa”.

Notes from Martim Mariano’s speech in the first issue of Digitagy Talks.

Martim Mariano holds a degree in Childhood Education and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism. Worked as Journalist and Editorial Producer / Coordinator of Sports Programs at SIC Notícias. He is currently a trainer and specialist in Social Network Management, Digital Marketing and Digital Storytelling.

Your email Marketing is not getting the results you expected?

Check the 10 Biggest Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Email Marketing 

Everyone says that “money is on the list,” that the return on investment in email marketing is high. Maybe you’ve even heard that it’s the most cost-effective channel.  All this is true. But has anyone told you what NOT to do to get started in the right way? 

1. You are sending emails without permission 

Without permission on the part of the user there can be no email marketing campaign. Simple. If you bought emails or managed through another “smart” way, then you may forget: it has already started the wrong way. Just send emails to whoever PERMITTED you to do so. 

2. You do not have a segmented Mailing List 

If you do not have a targeted mailing list, even if they are emails that are allowed, your campaigns will not succeed. If you work with varied products and services, work with several segments. 

If you only work with one product or service, you can target according to the variety of audience that uses your product / service. In short, target, target, and target. 

3. Your content is not interesting 

Uninteresting content, (my God!), How many companies send me emails like this …  Those who send me e-mails  with interesting content, I always look forward to the next. 

Have to know what is interesting for your audience, and provide them with a good experience. If your audience wants informative content, give them this, if they want great deals, give them that. It’s simple! 

 Interesting content is the content you want. 

4. Your registration form is VERY large 

Be as simple as possible when creating your registration form. In most cases the company only needs two things: the name of the person and the email. And ready! But many insist on asking several things and this way your membership fee will be minimal. Think like this: “What is trivial?” 

Answer this question and use only what is trivial, which is usually just “Name” and “Email“. 

5. Dont test A / B 

The internet is a powerful medium and one reason for this is the A / B test.  This feature allows you to test with your audience what really works. If you do email marketing and do not use the A / B test you know you are losing money.  Do A / B testing on EVERYTHING, titles, e-mail format, landing page, etc. 

6. Does not use call to actions 

What do you want the user to do after reading the email you sent? Do you want him to read more on your site? Do you want him to buy it? Do you want him to call? 

Whatever he does, make it clear and simple, or rather, become OBVIOUS. Do it in a way that the user does not need to think about, make life as easy as possible. 

7. Donot use the correct landing pages 

Extremely simple error, but some still commit. The user enters the email and sees something that catches his attention, for example, a product.  Then click on the product and it will be sent to … the home page. 

As well? If he clicked on the product he wants to go directly to that product’s page,  he does not have to get to his site and look for what he wanted to see! Do not do it! 

8. Emails in image instead of HTML templates 

Only send emails in HTML templates, otherwise half of your list,  or more, will not even see the email. Use HTML email templates with a good distribution of texts and images. 

9. Lost the “Timing” 

Think you can send your emails only once in a while? Wrong!  They should have a periodicity.  If you send an email today and another one in 2  months,  the user can interpret as SPAM. 

The same thing if the person subscribes to your newsletter today and only receive an email 2 months later: do not do it! The person will not even remember. 

10. You are ignoring people who no longer want to receive your emails 

It is common when some people ask not to receive the emails anymore, and even then many companies continue to send.  Can not!  If the person asked not to receive, should not send more. 

Another thing is when neither gives the option of opt-out in the email.  This way, the user will end up putting it on a black list, so do not do this and let the person free to do what you want. 

What about you? Have you made any of these mistakes in Email Marketing?