Facebook Ad Action: How it works

by Roopali | Apr 19, 2022 | Uncategorized

For every single ad impression, Facebook runs an ad auction wherein its system selects the best ads to run based on the ads’ maximum bids and ad performance.

So every time you as an advertiser, set up an ad and define the audience you want to taregt, there is no guarantee that anyone in that audience will actually see your ad. This is because your ad must first win an auction to be seen.

So how can you ensure that you win the auction?

You might think that putting more money on an ad will solve the issue. That’s only partly true: the ad with the highest total value will win the auction, but the value is determined through different variables.

The highest total value is scored by three major factors:

1. Bid: This is the maximum amount that you will potentially pay to win a bid
2. Estimated Action Rates: This is the estimated action that your target audience will most likely take. An action would be clicking, converting, engaging etc.
3. Ad Quality: This is a measurement based on multiple sources, including relevance, feedback from people viewing or hiding the ad, and assessments of clickbait.

Overall, estimated action rate, ad quality/relevance and bid are key indicators for the success of your ad campaign.

Are you struggling to get conversions or leads from your Facebook/ Instagram ads? Contact our team today for a 30 min discovery call.

Facebook Algorithm in 2022: How Does it Work and How Can You Make It Work For You

by Roopali | Mar 16, 2022 | Uncategorized

Contrary to most common beliefs- Facebook is not dead. The Latest figures from global data show that Facebook is the 3rd most visited website in the world and it’s the #1 world’s most used social platform. Facebook also has 2.91 Billion active users on a monthly basis and in the UAE, Facebook’s eligible reach is 82.4%. ( Source: Global Reports on Digital Trends Jan 2022).

 Facebook has been continuously evolving and changing and the average organic Facebook Page post sees just 0.07% engagement. In order to get your brand up ahead and in front of your audience- you need to understand how the Facebook algorithm works.

So what is Facebook Algorithm?

Simply put, Facebook’s algorithm is the engine behind the scenes that determines your feed. Instead of presenting posts in chronological order, the Facebook algorithm evaluates every post to see if it’s of the user’s interest, scores it according to major ranking signals, and arranges it in descending order of interest. The more engaging posts get pushed higher on your news feed.

Currently the algorithm works of 3 key signals.

1. Where the post come from or who posted it : You are most likely to see posts from sources you have interacted with such as friends, family, business.
2. The type of content: Based on what you have interacted with in past- videos, images, reels, stories.
3. Interactions with the post: Feed will prioritize posts that gained a lot of engagement, especially from people you have interacted with a lot.

In order to get the best out of Facebook for your brand you need to remember these 5 points

1. Know what your audience wants to see and keep your posts meaningful and informative.
2. Make sure your content is genuine  and authentic.
3. Engage with your audience and make sure you are responding to the comments.
4. Use all the features of Facebook, specially the newly launched reels, but don’t forget stories.
5. Lastly, don’t forget the humble status post. The status post ( with no images) actually gets the highest engagement at0.13%. Photo posts are next at 0.11%, then videos at 0.08%, and finally link posts at 0.03%.

The final step of the Facebook newsfeed algorithm is to find a sweet spot between different types and sources of the post so as to make an exciting news feed for every user to scroll through and spend as much as possible.

If keeping up with the latest Facebook algorithm updates is still over your head, try to focus on getting to know your target audience as best you can. Then, if you create content in line with the audience and they react to it enthusiastically, you’ll quickly notice that the Facebook algorithm will actually work for your brand.

If you are still not sure on how to make this work then book a 30 min discovery session with us. Email us on roopali@inboundheart.com

8 Reasons Why Every Business Needs A Website in 2022

by Roopali | Feb 24, 2022 | Uncategorized

We get it. You have been able to manage to sell your products and services online so far and probably have Facebook and Instagram shops active as well. So you might be thinking about why having an effective website is relevant for you. But, and it’s a big but, every business needs a professional website. It’s not an expensive luxury or a frivolous endeavor but a fundamental tool that every company needs.

Here are 8 reason why

1. Having a website makes you look professional and increases trust. Most people don’t trust a business without a good website. A clean, modern page that is regularly updated and pops up in search engines is an instant credibility boost.
2. Your website is the anchor for your marketing. Your marketing efforts begin and end with your website. It’s the place where you centralize all of your business information and marketing messages.
3. This is your own digital tool. Off all the other digital channels you use ( social/ google etc), your website is the only asset that you really own and control. With the other social media channels, you do not control the way the algorithm works or how your content will be prioritized. You don’t have to follow the constantly updated rules of social platforms.
4. It’s an essential part of the consumer journey. An effective website is where you want your audience from different channels to end up. It’s on the website that you’ll inspire action from your potential clients.
5. You can sell online via your website. Ecommerce sales are exploding and are projected to hit over $5.4 trillion in 2022. To scale your online business you will need.
6. Website allows you to interact with your consumer, even if its post business hours.
7. Once you’re online and have an SEO-optimized website, you have a chance of showing up in Google search results, thereby gaining leads and sales via organic traffic.
8. Potential customers can learn more about your business. Around 90% of website visitors first look for a company’s products/service page. Other sections of the site are then browsed.

Customers are online, your competitors are online, and if you’re not there to intervene, your competitors and your customers will connect, leaving your business behind. So build your website to improve lead generation, visibility, social proof, and authority for your business.

Still not sure where to start? Contact us our team today. We have several cost effective solutions for website build.

How the TikTok Algorithm Works in 2022

by Roopali | Feb 18, 2022 | Uncategorized

The TikTok algorithm is a complex system designed to serve users content based on what it believes to be of high interest. The highly personalized TikTok algorithm that fuels the For You feed is what makes the app so addictive. According to TikTok, the For You Page’s algorithms are based on the preferences and activity history of individual users. So no two users will see the same videos on their For You page, and the videos you see might change over time based on your viewing preferences and even your current state of mind.

There are 3 main factors that influence TikTok recommendations.

• User interactions- such as video likes, shares, account follows, comments, videos flagged as “not interested”, creators you hide.
• Video information- runtime, sounds, stickers, and hashtags
• Device and account settings- TikTok also puts your device and account settings into consideration, although not to the same level as user activity and video information

One more factor that does influence the FYP is Subject Matter. TikTok is great at categorizing content based on user interests, so the subject matter is an important factor when it comes to reaching potential on the app. Each of the above factors is used by TikTok’s recommendation system to generate a completely unique For You Page.

Here a 7 tips on how to make the TikTok algorithm work for your business and brand in 2022

1. Switch to a TikTok Pro account: TikTok offers two types of pro accounts, depending on whether you’re a creator or a business. Creator or Business account gives you access to metrics and insights that can help guide your TikTok strategy
2. Create Shorter Videos: The algorithm rewards videos that are watched from start to finish, so aim to keep at least some of your videos short to increase your chances that users will complete them. 15-20 seconds is a good target to shoot for.
3. Focus on a Subculture/Niche: As subject matter holds weight in the TikTok algorithm, it’s important that you consistently create content in a relevant niche. The more videos you create in your niche, the better your chances of showing up in the For You pages of the right users.
4. Adapt your brand/ content to the latest trends: Following trends is a great way to increase your audience and get on the FYP.
5. Make the First Few Seconds ( say within 3 seconds) Count:
6. Use Popular Hashtags: Prioritize hashtag challenges that use trending effects for best results.
7. Make Your Captions Relevant and Engaging: You can now add a caption of up to 300 characters, which gives you plenty of space to write a relevant and engaging caption that describes your video or adds context. Make sure you insert relevant keywords.

Lastly, remember that being consistent and building a strong presence is the most powerful way to “hack” the algorithm.

Want to learn more about how to make the best use of TikTok for your brand? Contact us today to ‘tok’ with an expert!

What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? Step-By-Step Guide

by sramadan | Mar 31, 2019 | Uncategorized

So, you have heard about the SEO (Search engine Optimization) and you have been informed that SEO is important and that it works very well for online business. But at some point, you have probably thought about what makes SEO so important.

What exactly is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of generating organic traffic to your website from major search engines through non-paid methods. The most popular search engines such as Google, Bing etc use multiple factors to determine which are the best results to display. Here is where SEO comes into play. The SEO process optimizes your website so that it?s content can be easily indexed by the search engines.

?Is SEO only for large online business?

Absolutely not. If you have a website, whether you are an online retailer or an offline store, it is important that you have an optimized website. Think about it, where do most people begin their search- it?s on the internet. In fact, 80% of the people research a company or brand online before dealing with small business. In a way, SEO turns your website into your super star salesman and this in turn helps you generate leads and qualify prospects.

So essentially SEO is not just about your website ranking, it also about getting more clicks and views, or keeping ?bounce rates? optimal.?In addition, an optimized website will help build your credibility and make your brand stronger. Apart from being an essential tool in your overall digital marketing strategy, SEO is also a very cost-effective tool. How so? Well, effective SEO can attract hundreds of targeted prospects to your business website and increase your conversion rates by delivering a solution to the problem that they were facing.

What basic steps do small business have to take for SEO?

Here are some of the basic SEO steps that you need to take to ensure that you have an optimized website. These are the most important factors to consider when optimizing your site

• Keywords:?Each page should have two keywords that are most relevant to the overall content. Choose a primary keyword and a variation of that keyword.
• Page Title:?Choose a unique page title of not more than 60 characters for your web page. Ensure that the selected primary keyword is part of the page title.
• Meta Description:?This description appears just below the Page title in the google search. Consider this as the call to action that will help potential customers decide whether to click no your link or not. Keep this meta at about 160 characters. Ensure that the primary keyword is part of the meta description.
• URL:?the web page URL should have the primary keyword that has been chosen for the page. Each word in the URL should be separated using dashes (-).
• Content?of the web page should contain the primary keyword a few times. Try to bold or underline the keyword at least once.
• Internal Links:?if you have mentioned the keyword of the web page on other pages then link to this page using the primary keyword as the anchor text.
• Images:?Any images used on the page should be optimized so that search engines can ?read? the image. Optimize the most prominent image on the page using the primary keyword, and then use the primary and secondary keywords for any other images. There are two ways to optimize images on your page.
  • Filename: Each word should be separated with dashes (-),
  • ALT text: The alt text should match the file name, without dashes

Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Yep, that is actually a thing to consider, specially if you are a small or mid size business owner! Local SEO is focused on providing results that are relevant to a searcher based on their current location. If you search for ?best Thai restaurant?, then Google will provide you with results that are the closest to you. The most important step in local SEO strategy is to claim your?Google My Business?page. Next step is to complete all the information Google asks for.

Just filling the information does not complete the task. You need to login to your Google My Business dashboard regularly to ensure that no one has made any unwanted changes to your listing. Yes, you did read that right, someone/anyone can make edits to the information you have filled in. So, don?t forget to go back to your dashboard and check the details you filled in on regular basis.

Now you have to optimize your listing. You can do this by

• On the contact page show your NAP- Name, Address and Phone number
• Ensure that your phone number is clickable on mobile devices
• Add your location map
• Add testimonials or reviews
• If you have a blog, then create local content (local is the keyword here!)

Special Tip: You?ll also want to set up profiles on the social media channels relevant to your target demographic.

?Final tips to boost your SEO Ranking

Some quick tips that will help with your website ranking

• Think mobile first when designing your website. Google algorithm gives priority to mobile friendly websites
• Don?t forget the Sitemaps: Google uses the sitemap to index your web page.
• Speed matters: A fast loading site will fare better on Google ranking.
• Add keywords and image file name to all the images on your site
• Backlinks are important, including internal linking

But remember

• Higher content length does not mean better rankings. Quality in content matters way more than quantity.
• Quality of backlinks matter.
• Don?t believe anyone that says SEO is dead. SEO is very much alive and an integral part of your strategy.

Now you are all set to start on your SEO. Don?t let your business get left behind.

Stay tuned to our blog. Our next one will explore the Pillar pages concept and how this can help your search engine rankings.

5 Easy Steps for SEO Audit ? A Quick Reference Guide

by sramadan | Mar 31, 2019 | Uncategorized

So, in our last blog, we set out to demystify this scary, little understood area in the Digital marketing-Search Engine Marketing (SEO). Now its time to put some of the learning from the last blog to use. Its time for the (dreadful) SEO audit! Don?t worry, we will make it as simple for you. After all we know that most SEO audit are

• Either too technical
• Or takes days to complete

Lets understand why a SEO audit is important. One simple reason! Things change too fast in the digital space. What works today, may not work a few months from now. This makes it necessary to perform a SEO on your site at least 2 times in a year.

Convincing enough? Well then, lets get started.

1.Getting ready to SEO.

First up, make sure there is only one site version that is browseable.

Next, start a website SEO crawl. You can do this by using tools such as Beams Us Up? its free). You will have a detailed report ready once the manual process is complete.

2.Checking Indexing Status

Google is the biggest search engine. And if Google can?t find your website, well then no one can. You can use the Index status report in the Google Search Console to check the number of pages Google has crawled from your domain

Google Search Console?> Google Index > Index Status.

Alternatively, you can simply search the site in google by typing in ?Site:<your domain name>. While this will show how many of your pages have been indexed by Google, it is not going to be as accurate as the Google Search Console report.

3.Securing your site

And HTTPS site is better than the HTTP site. What?s the difference? An HTTPS site is a secured site and Google ranks secured sites better. So go and get that SSL certificate and secure you site. HTTPS provides encrypted communication with a web server. If you are an ecommerce site, then a secured website is a must.

4.Ranking for your brand name

Ideally when you type in your site name in the google search bar, your site should be the first organic one. Until unless you site is a very recent one, or if you have used a generic word as your brand name.

5.On-Site SEO Checklist

Here are a few more factors that you need to take into account in order to ensure your site is optimized.

• Page titles, Descriptions and URL Structure
  • The Title and description for each page should be unique and well within the characters limits (70 for the title and approx. 160 for the description. Titles and meta descriptions should be optimized to entice potential customers to click. You also need to make sure that the URL is unique and properly formatted. A good URL includes the keywords, use hyphens(-) to separate the keywords.
• Content- Consistent, Relevant and Quality
  • The content on each page has to be unique. It should contain the keyword 3-4 in the nature way. Keyword stuffing is not really encouraged. The content should drive value for the reader and it needs to be relevant to your product, industry and service. Remove any duplicate content from the site.
• Mobile First
  • Given that more than 50% of the people now use their mobile devices to search online, a mobile optimized website is a must. Ensure that your web design is a responsive design that adapts to different displays/ devices- mobile, tablet etc.
• Speed matters
  • A slow loading page can really bring down your SEO rank as search engines favour faster sites. Use Google PageSpeed insights to check site speed on your mobile and desktop version of the site.
• Links
  • Internal and external links are important. Make sure you have the relevant internal linking structure that are valid and easy to follow. External links can help with your website ranking but ensure that you focus on quality backlinks and not low quality spammy links. The links should not be ?broken? as this affects the ?link quality?
• Images
  • Search engine bots can?t read or understand an image (yet) so it?s our job to describe images to them using alt text. Therefore, when it comes to an alt text, we check to make sure each image is labeled clearly and concisely.
• XML Sitemaps
  • XML sitemaps help with listing of pages with the search engines. This is especially helpful when you have new content that may not have many inbound links pointing to it yet, making it tougher for search engine to find that content.

There you have the basic steps for conducting your site SEO. Not so scary now, is it? If you are still stuck or need the experts to step in then drop us an email on sales@inboundheart.com