How Does a Small Business Use Google News?

If you’re looking for more ways to spread content and extend it’s reach, then Google News is worth a look. How does a small business use Google News to spread its content? By becoming a Google News publisher of course.

Before we jump into that topic however, let’s take a quick look at what Google News is and why you’d want to become a Google News publisher.

What is Google News?

Google News has been around in one form or another since 2002. Its mission is simple:

“Google News is a computer-generated news service that aggregates headlines from more than 50,000 news sources worldwide, groups similar stories together, and displays them according to each reader’s interests.”

In other words, Google News wants to be your one-stop-shop for all the personalized news and information you need. There’s not much new in doing so however, two factors make this service stand apart:

1. Personalization: Google News learns your preferences both explicitly (through their personalization center) and implicitly (based on topics you read most often); and
2. Automation: a human does not pick the news displayed on Google News – the entire process is computer-run based on the complex algorithms that the company is known for.

Here’s a look at the front page of Google News:

Why Become a Google News Publisher?

The two factors that make Google News stand apart also make the service a handy spot to publish your content:

1. Automation: once everything’s set up, Google News automatically collects and uses your published content; and
2. Personalization: Google News will present your content to the folks who are most interested in reading it. You know: the people you’re trying to reach with your online content in the first place. That’s powerful stuff.

How to Become a Google News Publisher

So, how do you get your content included in Google News? Their publisher help center lays out the details fairly well, but here’s the quick and dirty:

Step 1: Make Sure Your Site Meets Google’s Webmaster Guidelines

To be included in Google News, your website needs to meet the company’s Webmaster Guidelines. These guidelines were put in place for two reasons:

1. To help assure that Google Search can index your site cleanly meaning that it knows what type of content is on each page; and
2. To prevent site owners from using underhanded methods to promote their site.

Aside from making your site Google News ready, there’s an additional benefit to following these guidelines: compliant sites will also rank higher in Google Search results.

Step 2: Produce the Right Type of Content

Google News focuses on, “timely reporting that’s important or interesting to our audience.” This means that how-to or advice articles will not make the cut.

If your site contains both types of articles (e.g. reporting vs. how-to), Google News provides some recommendations for differentiating them.

Step 3: Produce Quality Content

When creating content for Google News, they ask that you follow some basic guidelines including journalistic standards, accountability, authority and readability. Failure to do so may result in your content’s removal.

Step 4: Submit Your Site For Approval

Once you’ve taken care of steps 1-3, it’s time to submit your site for inclusion in Google News.

This is done through the Google News Publishing Center. As you can see below, submitting your site is as easy as clicking a button:

Getting the Most Out of Google News

Here are some ways to boost the effect of your inclusion within Google News:

Editor Picks

Highlight your best content by submitting a special feed to Google News. Links to this content will appear on the ride side of a newsreader’s page where they can click through the different offerings:

Note that you can also submit section-specific feeds to the editors as well.

Highlight Standout Content

If you break a hot news story or produce one that’s outstanding in quality and depth, you can tag the piece with the “Standout” tag. This will highlight that piece when folks are reading their news.

Include Links to Your Site’s Mobile Apps

If your site offers mobile apps, you can submit them to Google News for approval. If accepted, they will be shown in the right context:

Conclusion

When you’re looking for more ways to extend the reach of your online content, then take a look at Google News.

If you do however, be prepared to meet Google’s standards, not only technically, but as a journalist as well.

Up for the challenge? The rewards will be more online attention, more site traffic and a huge boost in credibility. These are all results that will help your small business.

This article, "How Does a Small Business Use Google News?" was first published on Small Business Trends

How to Leverage the True Potential of Landing Pages

Conversion copywriters are people who write awesome landing pages with specific goals; either to convert readers into loyal followers or convert potential customers into paying ones.

For starters, no one is born as an awesome conversion copywriter. It takes a lot of training and trial and error to create powerful landing pages, regardless of what your goals are.

At the end of the day, it is all about conversion and how you leverage the true potential of landing pages. As a content marketer you don’t have an option but to figure it out. And if cost is a challenge for you, there are many free landing page services (such as this one from Spaces) that you can use for both blogging and eCommerce purposes.

But having a flexible landing page service isn’t enough. There are many factors which contribute to their success (or failure).

So, here are 8 very simple but powerful ways to create awesome landing page copy which will double your chance of a conversion.

Ready?

1. Craft killer headlines

Headlines are the first thing that your readers see. You know, the big bold words on the top of the page.

Most marketers (including myself) spend merely minutes writing a headline – and after that, you are done with it.

But here’s the thing. People don’t spend 20 minutes reading word by word on your landing page copy. They scan and skim through the headlines … most of the time.

According to this case study, most people only read about 20% of the text on an average page.

Now, take a moment to think about it.

Headlines, sub headlines and sub-sub headlines. You really need to craft the best headlines as those are the ones that readers will most probably read (and only read).

Important takeaway: Spend equal time (or more) creating headlines as you are writing the entire landing page copy.

2. Keep your writing simple (K.I.S.S. method)

Simplicity is the king. There is absolutely no reason for you to ‘run around the bush’ when you are trying to convey a message.

Instead, practice the ‘Keep It Simple Stupid’ (KISS) method when you are writing your next landing page copy.

Quoted directly from HubSpot, “Your most powerful writing skill is simplicity. Simplicity sells.”

One of the leaders in split testing niche, Optimizely does a great job in creating a simple landing page option that is focused on conversion. See below.

This form of landing page is not only simple but highly effectively for what-ever-goal you are trying to achieve.

Here’s another example from Neil Patel’s Quick Sprout blog:

When you land on Quick Sprout’s homepage, you are only given one option which is “Do you want more traffic”. There aren’t other options that you can choose from and this will lead to a better conversion rate.

3. Write like a human and for humans

I am sure you want to crush your competitors and here’s how: You need to write like a human being because your readers are humans too.

Readers feel connected with these pages because it resonates with them. More importantly, readers would want to connect with real people, not just the copy itself.

Here are several ways you can write like a human:

• Construct the landing page using language which is common to you and your target audience
• Make sentences short and precise
• Breaking rules of grammar (from time to time) is recommended if it makes the copy sound natural
• Use expressions to further infuse human touches in the copy (for example, words like “seriously” and “wait a second”)
• Avoid using jargon or industry terminology

4. Emphasize the benefits, not the product or service

One of the biggest landing page mistakes known to mankind is over-emphasizing the product (or service) itself.

For starters, majority of the readers do not care how good your product is. They only care of the benefits or outcomes that the product can provide.

When you promote your product directly to them, you are not going to give them what they want and expect.

So what happens when you promote the benefits instead? They get what they want and more importantly, that is a strong signal to them that he or she is in the right place for a solution.

Take a look at the images below from GoSpaces:

At the top of the copy, the landing page emphasizes the ability to sell jewelry online with ease (with the sentence, “Spaces makes selling jewelry easy”). Right below the landing page is the benefits gained from using their services which goes from different payment methods to automation.

5. Use customer testimonials

Customer testimonials are great purchase motivators for any businesses. The truth is, testimonials are compelling because they show the readers (or potential customers) what they can expect once they take up the service.

Neil from Quick Sprout does a great job in creating customer testimonials by displaying them on his sidebar.

Did you notice the bolded sentence, “500 million pageviews”?

That’s a powerful motivator for the readers to take action since most of Neil’s blog readers are constantly looking for ways to increase blog traffic and the sentence resonates perfectly with them.

PostPlanner, the popular Facebook engagement tool has a testimonial tab which highlights testimonials from influential marketers. This increases the trust level with potential customers.

6. Ask readers to take action

This last part is crucial. This is the gem, climax or whatever you call it.

You are only considered successful in creating a landing page when your readers take a specific action, which could range from clicking the sign up button to purchasing a product.

And what matters most here is using the right words. The choice of words used on the Call-To-Action button will determine the chance of you getting a conversion.

Some words would indirectly encourage the person to click on it while other words may just turn the reader off.

So, what type of words encourage readers to take action?

There is only one trick in this, which is your action words should always correspond with your offer.

Here are some examples:

• Download This eBook
• Reserve Your Seat
• Buy Now

Udemy serves as a portal for selling online courses and the most common Calls-To-Action (CTA) that they use are “Take This Course”.

The CTA that Udemy use is a great offer-related action which potential buyers will resonate with.

Sum up

Leveraging the true potential of a landing page is not that hard and many professional marketers are using landing pages to take their business to the next level.

Are you constantly trying to hack conversions of your landing pages? Leave a comment below on the tricks you use and let’s talk about it!

Guest Author: Reginald Chan is a creative writer residing from Asia, loves all aspects of digital marketing and social media. In his free time, he is either researching for marketing topics or planning for his next travel destination. Take a peek at his blog or follow him on Twitter. 

The post How to Leverage the True Potential of Landing Pages appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.

How to Create a Facebook Video Ad That Moves People to Action

Are you using Facebook video ads for your business? Want to improve your conversions? Well-structured video ads command viewers’ attention and prompt them to take action. In this article you’ll discover five steps to crafting the perfect Facebook video ad. Why Facebook Video Ads? Facebook’s head of ad product Ted Zagat recently said that a […]

This post How to Create a Facebook Video Ad That Moves People to Action first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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7 Fundamental Security Errors Bloggers Must Stop Making

Security should be a top priority for you as a blogger.

A single hack can set a blog back months if not ruin it entirely.

These are the reasons you should keep security as a primary concern:

• Readers won’t trust a blog that is a known location where cyber criminals lurk.
• Readers rightfully demand that any information they give you is kept safe.
• If your blog is taken over by hackers, there is no guarantee you can get it back.
• Thousands of websites are hacked every day, many of them with stronger security than your own, due to human error and basic mistakes.

You might understand if a hacker gained access to your blog through a series of clever and intricate actions, but unfortunately, in most circumstances, a compromised website is the result of an easily avoidable mistake.

Bad habits are the death of countless blogs, and bloggers looking to make their websites among the best in the world need to kick the bad habits early on.

Here are seven of the most severe security errors bloggers need to stop making:

1. Neglecting to use a virtual private network

Bloggers often update their blogs while they are in cafes, travelling or otherwise using public networks. This is convenient and allows for fast response, but public networks are extremely risky to use from a security standpoint.

Cybercriminals often set up shop on a public network and use a “sniffer” program to intercept any data being sent over the network. This means, without protection, hackers can gain access to your passwords, usernames, personal information and reader information. None of this is acceptable, therefore you need to use protection whenever you use a public network.

The best protection is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which connects your device to an offsite secure server using an encrypted connection. Using an offsite server to handle your requests means that no one will be able to track your online activity and that any hackers on public networks won’t be able to see a thing.

There are quite a few VPNs on the market for bloggers to choose from, so I recommended you read reviews from a website such as Secure Thoughts or Computer World to help you make a decision.

2. Using a vulnerable device to administrate your blog

It is important to remember the basics necessary to secure a device, such as the following:

• Use a strong password on any account or device you use. One account breach can easily lead to many others, including your blog. Your email is especially important.
• Any other verification measures should be to the highest standard you can provide. Make sure no one can guess your security questions, and try to personalize your other measures as much as possible.
• Any device used to administrate your blog should have a security suite or program installed. They should be updated as often as possible, and free programs are not recommended.
• Manual checks of all files should be done regularly, so that you can detect intrusion and gain a better knowledge of the files on your system.

3. Not using security plugins (or using the wrong ones)

You are likely already using plugins of some sort on your blog, but the plugins currently available to you are greatly varied and not all are to your benefit. Many could actually be malware or exploits waiting to happen, containing security holes built into the programming so hackers can get into your website.

On the other hand, there are plenty of good security plugins out there if you are careful about looking. They can often protect you from different types of attacks and solve security problems WordPress has ignored thus far.

I recommend every blogger utilize at least one of the following plugins:

• Wordfence is the most popular security plugin on WordPress, and with good reason. It has advanced scanning for your blog, malware protection, the ability to look for backdoor entry points and a lot of other smaller options that will shore up the defenses of your blog. Many would call this a must-have plugin, and it would be wrong to disagree. There is a premium option, but either version will do your blog good.
• WP Security Scan is one of the best and simplest tools available for free. It will scan your blog and let you know of any potential weak points. In most cases, it will then allow you to make easy changes to solve those particular problems. It is a great option for new users looking to learn more about security while protecting themselves.
• Sucuri WordPress Security’s main advantage is that it will log any and all activity on your blog. If there is an intrusion, you will know and be able to respond. It also has suggested actions that you can activate easily in case you are new to WordPress security. It is absolutely worth your consideration!

From the Wordfence Website.

4. Not updating plugins

Just because you downloaded a plugin doesn’t mean that you can ignore it from there on out. Plugins are no different from any other programs, and they require constant monitoring and updating in case any new exploits arise. Hackers will take advantage of anything that comes up and use it to take over your blog.

Any plugins that aren’t updated frequently are worth abandoning. Chances are you can find a suitable replacement that keeps the safety of your blog in mind. It is recommended that you do a check of any relevant plugins every couple of months. Just compare the version you are using with the current version.

5. Having “Admin” as a username

This one is short and simple. Many blog administrators still have “admin” as their username (the default). This makes the lives of cybercriminals so much easier, as they don’t have to guess your username. They’ll also assume you didn’t put much work into the security of your blog if you didn’t change your username, and thus they will think it is easy to attack.

Double check this right now, and make the change to something less common.

6. Neglecting to moderate your comments section

The community that forms around your blog is a greater indicator of security than you think. Not only will a well-moderated comments section improve retention rates among readers and give you ideas on how to improve your blog, it will let you know if there is a problem. Your readers might be the first people to notice an oncoming threat, and if you catch it in time, you can prepare.

You also need to be wary of attacks that come about via comments on your website. Cybercriminals can post links in comments that lead to problematic websites, malware, ransomware and other things your readers might blame you for if they are attacked. Delete them as soon as possible, and remember to check your comments every day or get notifications sent your way on the matter.

7. Not having a backup of your data

No matter what preparation you have, there is the inevitable fact that you are going to encounter problems when administering your blog. Whether these problems are based on malice or result from nature doesn’t matter. You need to have a plan of action should your blog go down, so you can get going again.

Every blogger should have a backup of their data. This will allow you to safely take your blog down if you detect problems or a breach and start again from a recent record. There are several ways you can store your data in a safe manner:

• You can use the cloud so that your blog will not be in danger of any damage to your computer systems or external storage devices. The problem with this option is that the cloud is notoriously unreliable when it comes to security. Your data is out of your hands, and you have to decide whether that is a good or bad thing.
• You can get a flash drive or external hard drive to store all of your blog’s information on. What exactly you will need depends on the size of your blog, but just make sure that it is a sturdy piece of equipment. Hackers won’t be able to get to it if it is locked away in a safe!
• If you are extra concerned about something happening to the data on your blog, you can get both solutions. You will still need to worry about the data security of the cloud, but you can nearly guarantee the safety of your blog’s information.

This little stick might be one of your best tools.

Sum up

When it comes to protecting your website, time is of the essence. Cybercriminals aren’t going to wait, and many of the mistakes mentioned above can be rectified quickly. An investment of time and resources in blog security now will pay dividends in the long run.

What are you doing to protect your website? Are there any bad habits you think you can break yourself out of?

Let us know in the comments below and share with your fellow readers.

Guest Author: Cassie Phillips is an internet security enthusiast and blogger. She has learned a lot about blog security from running her own blog and enjoys sharing her knowledge with other bloggers so they don’t make the same mistakes.

The post 7 Fundamental Security Errors Bloggers Must Stop Making appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.

Endurance International to Acquire Constant Contact in Billion Dollar Deal

Endurance International Group this morning announced it will acquire all the stock of email marketing company, Constant Contact.   The price for Constant Contact’s stock will be $32 per share, making the value of the deal $1.1 billion.

Together, as a combined group, they will serve more than 5 million small businesses.

Endurance International (NASDAQ: EIGI) operates a variety of website hosting brands, including BlueHost, Hostgator, A Small Orange and iPage.  In addition to hosting companies, it also owns and operates the Typepad blogging platform, the Homestead website building tool, and the Mojo Marketplace of premium WordPress plugins and add-ons, as well as some other brands.

Constant Contact (NASDAQ: CTCT) is best known for its email marketing software. In recent years it has branched out with online survey tools, social media marketing tools, and other marketing applications.

The Boards of Directors of both companies have approved the deal. The deal now needs various legal approvals. It is anticipated to close in the first quarter of 2016.

Both companies are publicly traded and listed on the NASDAQ.  The acquisition price of $32 per share is substantially higher than the $26.10 per share that Constant Contact’s share price closed at on October 30, 2015, the last day of trading before this announcement.

It’s double the price of Constant Contact’s stock at its IPO debut in 2007.

Gail Goodman, the CEO of Constant Contact, told us she is delighted by the deal.  “It definitely exceeded my expectations. I couldn’t be more excited to take the Constant Contact team on this journey,” she told us in an interview this morning.

Two Companies Already Serving Small Businesses Together

The companies are no strangers to one another. Both are headquartered in the Boston area. Goodman said she has known the CEO of Endurance International through professional networking circles. “Our roots go way back. As early as 1999, when Endurance International was still called BizLand, we were part of a CEO breakfast group,” Goodman said.

That networking connection eventually led the two companies to enter into a business partnership about a year ago.  The arrangement involved joint marketing of Constant Contact products with Endurance’s BlueHost, Hostgator and iPage products.

“About nine months ago we started to see the benefits of working together. Eventually it became clear that while we were doing great in that joint marketing arrangement, we could do even more if the two companies were closer together,” Goodman added.

That led to today’s acquisition announcement.

Endurance International in the past has kept its brands separate.  Consistent with that approach, Goodman anticipates that Constant Contact will keep its brand identity.

Perhaps even more important than brand identity is that she anticipates the core values toward serving small businesses will remain the same. “When we put the value statement of Constant Contact next to the value statement of Endurance International Group, the number one value is exactly the same. It’s ‘customers first’,” Goodman added.

Goodman acknowledged that Constant Contact has had other corporate suitors over the years. “For us it was about finding a partner that was a good fit culturally. Our BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) is to revolutionize the success formula for millions of small businesses. Together with Endurance International we can meet that goal.”

She anticipates Constant Contact’s 650,000 customers will see no changes.

“It’s business as usual as far as customers are concerned,” Goodman assured us.

By combining with Endurance International, Constant Contact will be able to reach more small businesses earlier in their life cycle, said Goodman.  That will help small businesses become more successful, she believes.

“Historically Endurance International has reached small businesses a bit earlier in their life cycle than Constant Contact,” Goodman said.

By combining the two companies, Goodman said they have the potential to help small businesses start building a customer contact list from day one, instead of later. That customer contact list is crucial to marketing success, she added.

Hari Ravichandran, president and chief executive officer of Endurance, said, “We know that once small businesses have a web presence, they look for other products and services that will help them to grow their business. We see an opportunity to help our growing subscriber base meet their goals through an integrated suite of solutions, and we are excited to add this talented team to our roster.”

Goodman plans to stay around around for six to nine months, at least until the deal is finally closed and through a transition period. She estimates it will take three to four months just to get necessary legal approvals and close the deal.

Goodman will not be taking on an operating role with the combined venture. “It’s time for me to move on to the next stage of my career journey,” she told us.

It hasn’t been decided yet who will be in charge of running the Constant Contact brand after the deal closes.

But Goodman didn’t sound concerned. “I’ve built a very strong pool of executive talent here at Constant Contact,” she said.

Image: Endurance International/Small Business Trends

This article, "Endurance International to Acquire Constant Contact in Billion Dollar Deal" was first published on Small Business Trends

Want Your Video to Go Viral? Threaten the End of the World

If you’re like most marketers, you understand a great video can work wonders for your business. You also know that your ultimate goal is to ensure the video goes viral to achieve the results you want. The question is how?

An unconventional yet surprisingly effective way is to post a video with certain amount of controversy or mystery attached. just look at a recent video posted by Florida resident Melissa Hoffman.

Mysterious Planet Generates Buzz

The video was not apparently posted for any particular marketing purpose (except perhaps to gain attention). Yet the 33-second YouTube clip has currently racked up 795,396 views — and in just three weeks!

So what’s so compelling about Hoffman’s video that it could so overwhelmingly take the Internet by storm? Well, in a nutshell, it’s created a lot of buzz about the end of the world. Take a look at the complete video below.

In the video, Huffman captures what appears to be a mysterious planet-like object hovering above the sun. The video was shot at the Sanibel Causeway, a three-mile bridge on the west coast of Florida.

“Just look at that planet beaming and shining right now. Somebody tell me what it is,” urges Huffman, speaking over her video.

But what seems to have drawn even more attention than the video itself are the comments it provoked from viewers all over the world.

One wrote, “It’s definitely Nibiru. It’s time to freak out, the makers are coming.”

O.K., it’s time for a few explanations here.

Many comments seem to refer to a fringe theory claiming that a previously uncharted body called Planet X or Nibiru, orbits the edge of the solar system.

According to these unsubstantiated theories, Planet X’s gravitational pull could spell doom for humanity by disrupting the flow of energy on Earth.

The implication of some of the comments, and perhaps of Huffman herself, may be that the strange looking object that seems to hover just above the sun in the video could be Planet X. A further implication might be that the appearance perhaps represents some kind of disastrous final approach.

Debunking the Planet X Theory

Fortunately for the inhabitants of Earth, there seems to be no evidence to support this story. And there is perhaps every reason to suspect the video is either capturing something else entirely or is a deliberate hoax.

Many other comments, by comparison, have suggested rational explanations for what appears in the video.

Perhaps just as important, NASA has maintained that claims about the so-called Planet X are simply untrue.

Going Viral

While it’s comforting to know the Earth is safe for now, it’s also worth noting the incredible impact such a piece of content could have over a relatively short span of time.

Imagine if your brand or product were somehow linked to such a message.

Of course, no one is suggesting you create deliberately misleading content or threaten a global apocalypse just to gain attention for your business.

But creating content that stimulates debate and creates discussion and interest should be the goal of any marketer.

For your next video, ask yourself what you could do to provoke a conversation and cause people to willingly want to share your message — short of threatening the end of the world, of course.

Brainstorming on how to create such content might be the single most important step in the process. Be sure your team doesn’t miss it.

Image: Melissa Huffman/YouTube

This article, "Want Your Video to Go Viral? Threaten the End of the World" was first published on Small Business Trends

Google Embraces Podcasting: This Week in Social Media

Welcome to our weekly edition of what’s hot in social media news. To help you stay up to date with social media, here are some of the news items that caught our attention. What’s New This Week Google Play Music Welcomes Podcasts: “Along with direct searches and browsing for podcasts, the service will connect new […]

This post Google Embraces Podcasting: This Week in Social Media first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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