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Business.com

Survey: Nearly Everyone Is Targeted by Location-Based Advertising

Posted: 22 May 2019 12:58 PM PDT

Every day, millions of miniature computers ride along in our pockets and purses as we go about our daily tasks. From the grocery store to the office and back home, our smartphones are little beacons that track our movements, whether we like it or not. According to a recent survey conducted by The Manifest, our phones help marketers get their location-based ads to nearly everyone.

More than 720 U.S. residents participated in The Manifest's survey after admitting they allow various applications on their iOS and Android devices to track their real-time locations. Of those respondents, just 15% said they "rarely or never see ads" that reference their location. 

Sudeep Srivastava, CEO of Appinventiv, a mobile app development company in India, said accessing that kind of information has allowed his company to reach out to potential customers in a way that traditional advertising methods don't.

"By knowing [the customer's] location, I can get to know what kind of facilities they might have, what kind of connections they might have, and what kind of access to systems they might have," he said. "Based on that, I can show them some offers, some coupons, some products."

While it may be easy to blame that kind of targeted marketing on our phones' tracking features, researchers found a lot of location data is freely given away by users.

Users trade location data for convenience

When downloading a new app, users generally have to give permission for those apps to access various parts of the phone's hardware. For example, if an app needs to take photos, it will ask to be able to use the device's camera(s).

Generally, it's up to end users to decide which permissions they grant on an app-to-app basis. Yet, according to the survey, approximately 66% of people are "comfortable with apps auto-completing their location" rather than having to type out their exact whereabouts. Just 7% of respondents said they were comfortable with that feature, with the remaining individuals saying they were neutral to the feature.

Autocomplete and predictive text features aren't hard to find. A quick visit to Google on a smartphone is the perfect example of the location-based feature. Rather than having users type out long questions, Google's autocomplete function kicks in, adding predictive text that the company estimates reduces typing by 25% and saves 200 years of typing per day among internet users.

"[People] like to have predictive text, and the more you use the app, the better we get it, because we have more data, and we're able to better predict what the user might want to do," said Taylor Bond, vice president of client experience at MindSea, a mobile app development company based in Canada. "This has become the standard."

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Social media gives advertisers wealth of location-based data

In a world where social media has made sharing the minutiae of our lives with friends and family the norm, it's easy to see how marketers can gather location data from apps like Facebook and Instagram to target specific individuals.

Geotagging our photos and posts is often the default, but users also love to tag their locations on posts, since doing so regularly increases interest in a post. On Instagram, geotagged posts generally see a 79% spike in engagement.

Although 91% of Americans feel they have no control over how their personal information is collected and used, they are still willing to give away their location data. According to The Manifest's research, 79% of people said they've used geotags to share their location on social media, though just 18% of people said they "always" tag their location and 24% do so occasionally.

While tagging your posts with your current location can be fun, experts regularly warn against doing so, since malicious actors can figure out when you're not home. For advertisers, knowing a person's location allows them to reach out to that person. If a business's social media page is tagged with its location, any user who starts tagging their location can see that page pop up in a list of possible locations.

Location-based advertising is very effective

Since autocomplete and predictive text based on a user's location is used extensively on smartphones, it makes sense that 96% of survey respondents reported seeing an ad that referenced their location. According to research by New Epsilon, location-based marketing is extremely effective, as approximately 80% of users said they were more likely to make a purchase from a company that offered a personalized experience.

Despite proximity marketing's efficacy, just 17% of respondents said they found targeted advertising ethical in a separate study released earlier this year.

Targeted marketing through location-based tech naturally raises ethical concerns. According to The Manifest's research, a large percentage of respondents (38%) said they'd accidentally shared their location with someone and only realized that they'd done so after the fact. Regardless, only 46% of that group said they stopped sharing their location but kept the app on their phone anyway. Similarly, 40% of respondents said they continued to share their locations through the app. Most people said they weren't worried about sharing their locations, since the "benefits of the app outweigh the potential dangers" of sharing the location data with a stranger.

"From personal experience, there are times where I've granted permission to an app, and I maybe don't recall that I have or why I did," said Adam Fingerman, founder of mobile app development company ArcTouch. "I think Facebook is a good example. Often when you're posting a picture, it can tag it with the location. You might not realize it's doing it. You might forget that it's doing it. I think probably that happens to people a lot of times."

How to Boost E-commerce Sales With Instagram Live

Posted: 22 May 2019 11:30 AM PDT

Instagram allows you to show off eye-catching images of your products to shoppers, and the new Instagram Checkout feature was made to help e-commerce businesses increase their conversions right from the app. With Instagram, you can get your products seen by hordes of shoppers.

While you may already be posting product images on Instagram, have you been utilizing Instagram Live? Instagram Live is a feature on Instagram Stories that allows brands to engage with their followers and customers in real time. According to Hootsuite, 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day. Plus, a third of the most viewed Stories are created by businesses.

Want more Instagram users to flock to your online store and buy? Here's how to boost e-commerce sales with Instagram Live.

1. Get personal.

One of the main reasons your customers will tune into your Instagram Live videos is to get to know you and your brand better. The last thing you want to do is create a lifeless video that's all sell, sell, sell. Consumers want to feel a connection with a brand, so seeing the face behind the company is a good start to building that connection. Aside from just showing your face, though, you need to tell a story and get personal.

You don't have to tell your audience your deepest, darkest secrets, of course. All you have to do is give them a little insight into who you are, what's important to you and why you do what you do. Not only do you need to tell your audience why you care, you also need to tell them why they should care. Make it interesting and engaging, though, not like a sales pitch. When you open up to your audience and build a real connection with them, they'll be more likely to buy. [Want help managing your brand's social media? Check out our reviews and best picks for social media management services.]

2. Engage with your customers.

Even though it feels like you're just talking to your phone, you can't forget that you're actually speaking to your customers and potential customers. You can't sit back and read a script or only talk about yourself; you need to engage with your customers. The whole point of tuning into a live video for viewers is the opportunity to interact directly with the broadcaster. Make sure your audience gets the experience they're looking for.

Be sure to read some comments out loud throughout the duration of your Instagram Live video. This shows that you engage with your Instagram followers and that what they have to say is important to you. You could even use Instagram Live to host a Q&A, giving viewers the chance to ask questions about your company and your products.

3. Show products in use.

Of course, if you're selling physical products, you'll want to take the opportunity to show them off live. People love how-to content, and an Instagram Live video that demonstrates how your product works will be useful to your audience. A demonstration video may even ease concerns that prevented them from buying the product sooner.

Be sure that your live video has good lighting in order to show off your product effectively and attractively. You don't have to invest in expensive ring lights – just use natural light. Whether you film outdoors or inside in front of a window, make sure you're showing off your products in the best light possible.

4. Send your audience somewhere else.

If you want to boost e-commerce sales, before you end your Instagram Live video, you need to send your audience somewhere else. If you don't let your viewers know what to do next, they'll simply move on to something else. Instead of having them move on to another brand's Instagram Story, guide them in the direction of your online store. You'll likely want to send them to your website in general, but you could also send your viewers to a specific page on your website, such as a flash sale or a landing page to join your email list.

During an Instagram Live video, you have the full, undivided attention of your audience, so tell your viewers what you want from them. Make the instructions simple and clear, and remember to let them know what's in it for them.

Get started with Instagram Live today.

Instagram Live videos are free and easy to create. Just take out your smartphone and start filming. Just remember to promote your Instagram Live event before it happens. This will get people excited and ensure you have an audience to talk to. With these tips for how to boost e-commerce sales with Instagram Live, you'll be able to build a relationship with your audience. That connection and closeness will make them more likely to head to your website and fill their online shopping carts.

Debt or Equity? Determine the Right Capital Mix for Your Business

Posted: 22 May 2019 11:00 AM PDT

In such scenarios, raising loans through banks for small business or relying on individual investors becomes unavoidable. However, raising small business loans poses a challenge for startups, and business owners struggle to find the right capital structure or funding mix for their company. Differentiating between the two funding options, debt and equity, raises issues. In this regard, a clear demarcation between the two and the cost of capital to be incurred will help entrepreneurs make the right financial decisions, ensuring business growth and higher valuation.

What's the difference between debt and equity funding?

Debt financing is a process of arranging funds for your business through borrowings. These borrowings can be in the form of secured or unsecured loans that will eventually have to be paid back to the lender at a certain interest rate. On the other hand, equity financing is a process of raising funds by selling off part of stocks of your business, or shares. Under this type of funding, ownership of the business is traded off in return of funds.

Is debt or equity better?

While the key underlying difference between the two types of funding structure is clear, further distinctions are vital for an entrepreneur to make the right decision.

In the case of debt funding, the downside is the payment of interest, which results in a greater sum than the amount repayable to the lender, making it a costly proposition. Moreover, the loan has to be repaid regardless of whether your business generates revenue. On the other hand, equity funding dilutes ownership and reduces the controlling stake in the business. The main obligation under equity financing is the need to generate consistent profits to distribute dividends.

Further, debt financing offers the benefit of tax deduction, as interest paid on debt can be deducted from a business's income. Dividends paid under equity funding are not tax-deductible.

What risks are involved?

Both types of financing carry a certain amount of risk that you must account for before making a financing decision.

Equity funding is generally classified as high-risk financing because raising too much capital through equity investors would cease your control in the business. The majority owner might try to influence the company and make decisions that are not in sync with your business goals. Similarly, with higher-debt funding, the company's financials represent a high debt-to-equity ratio. To banks, a high ratio is not a sign of a healthy business, and they fear losing money. As a result, taking out loans for the company becomes difficult in the long run, because it suggests the company does not have adequate liquidity and may go bankrupt.

 

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Apart from this, with continued debt funding, the growth of the business is limited and restricted. The loan has to be repaid within a scheduled period of time and eliminates surplus cash that you could otherwise use to expand the business. In the case of equity, on the other hand, the funds are not repaid and can be used to expand your business's horizons. However, based on the agreements you sign with investors, dividends must be paid out within the given timelines. Failure to do this will negatively impact your business.

How should you choose between debt and equity?

To determine the optimal capital structure for your business, you must ascertain the cost of capital involved in raising funds. In the case of debt financing, cost of capital is the interest rate levied on the loan. For instance, a $100,000 loan carrying an interest rate of 6% has been raised from a lending institution. Under this loan class, the cost of capital of about $6,000 will have to be repaid over and above the principal amount.

When you choose equity as your funding method, the cost of capital is calculated through the capital asset pricing model (CAPM). This is the formula: CAPM = (risk-free rate)/(company's beta x risk premium)

This finds the value of the larger investment market and the relative value of the company's stock (represented by beta). Based on these parameters, you can determine the cost of funding debt and equity.

Find a mix between the debt and equity that will yield the best funding option at a reduced cost of capital. The mix should minimize the cost of capital and the risk of bankruptcy.

What your business desires is funds at your disposal, but a capital structure of the company is evaluated with debt-to-equity ratio. If too low or too high, this ratio will have negative implications. Therefore, in the case of business downturns and uncertainties, the ratio has to be lower. Conversely, a business having a surplus cash and capital assets such as land and buildings can be more highly leveraged. Following these key principles will surely help business scale heights and overcome financing impediments.

3 Tips for Building an Investor-Ready Franchise Business

Posted: 22 May 2019 11:00 AM PDT

Franchisees usually benefit from a ready-made, tried-and-tested business model from the franchisor, which often includes a known brand, marketing strategy, and benefits associated with economies of scale when buying supplies and other relevant business inputs. 

That package of goodies, however, doesn't come without a price tag – sometimes a hefty one, depending on the franchise brand you want to associate with. In addition to a franchise fee, which typically ranges from $20,000 to $50,000, franchisees often have to meet contractor and professional fees, as well as costs associated with signage and inventory. As with any other business, they also have to raise sufficient working capital to launch the business and keep it running until it breaks even.

Franchisees must always be on the lookout for funding opportunities to help with some of these costs. Because of the highly competitive nature of business funding, it pays to build a business that will not only get loan approvals from banks and other traditional lenders but also attract independent investors, including private equity firms that might have more favorable lending terms.

 

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Here are a few tips to help you build an investor-friendly franchise business.

1. Cover all your legal bases.

When you're looking to bring investors into your franchise business, remember that you'll be adding another independent party, the investor, into an already complex web of interactions. To ensure things run smoothly, it's crucial to take up the services of a franchise attorney from the get-go who will help with things like the franchise agreement, the franchise disclosure document, and issues of liability that often carry serious implications for franchise businesses.

Liability issues can weigh heavily on any business, making potential investors shy away from partnership. This report, for instance, found that businesses often lose millions of dollars in product liability settlements, sometimes with bizarre figures like $3.5 million in settlements being reported. This happens even when the business in the suit was not involved in the development of the product in question. For franchisees with several units, such liability issues can create a loss-making, highly flammable business environment that potential investors won't want to touch.

In addition to addressing any liability issues and helping with the necessary franchising documentation, a franchise attorney can be helpful when it comes to selecting a business entity (LLC, C-corp, etc.), which in itself is a critical step that determines taxation regimes and legal rights associated with your business.  

2. Create a solid business and marketing plan.

One common misconception among entrepreneurs venturing into the franchise business is that their role as franchisees will be limited to cashing checks and lounging behind an executive office desk. While the franchisor will often require the franchisee to stick by the original business model, no investor will come on board if you don't have your own business plan, detailing the strategic vision and goals for your franchise business, financial projections, and a comprehensive background of the business.

Plus, despite the fact the franchisor will also have a marketing strategy in place – usually complete with logos, banner designs and ad campaigns – it is vital that you develop and integrate your own marketing strategy with the franchisor's marketing plan. Potential investors will often need to see how your establishment plans to interact with potential customers, something that will greatly influence how they assess the profitability of your venture.

To that end, invest in every practical marketing tool that a typical business will use to find and close leads. Marketing strategies such as email and social media marketing can be quite effective for franchisee operators just starting out, thanks to the 58% of potential leads who check their emails every morning. To add to this pool of potential leads, you can use localized ad campaigns and promotion programs that target customers around your area of operation, ensuring your franchisor approves each element of your marketing strategy to avoid trademark and branding issues later on.  

3. Streamline your franchisee's finances.

One of the biggest turnoffs for investors is a franchisee – or any business, for that matter – whose finances don't make sense, even when the franchisor is a well-known, profit-making brand. While it is quite common for single franchisee units to employ basic accounting systems around the office, franchisees with multiple business units might have a difficult time managing finances via simple financial software, a situation that often makes the business look bad in the eyes of potential investors.

To remedy this problem, put in place a robust accounting system that links up with all your business units, ensuring again that any new software or hardware you introduce meets the standards set by the franchisor, if any. Your system should be able to produce comprehensive financial and accounting reports at a moment's notice in any of the locations under your franchise business. [Wondering which accounting software is right for your business? Check out our reviews and best picks.]     

Additionally, be extremely selective with the bank that you partner with, making sure it understands your business as a franchisee and your intentions to bring an investor on board. A good bank will grow with you by dishing out financial advice and support without interfering in the relationship between your franchisee and your investors.

5 Effective Content Marketing Trends to Improve Your Strategy

Posted: 22 May 2019 10:00 AM PDT

Content marketing is essentially the creation and distribution of content to achieve various marketing goals. If done right, it can be the most potent weapon in your marketing arsenal. It can help you build your brand, spread brand awareness, get website traffic and even drive sales.

This means it's pertinent to keep yourself up to date on content marketing trends and design your content strategy with these trends in mind. Here are five key content marketing trends that can help you shape your content strategy.

1. Content marketing will become more mainstream.

Content marketing will be the single most prominent form of online marketing going forward. This is primarily because content is the key component for all forms of digital marketing techniques, be it SEO, social media marketing or influencer marketing.

Content marketing can be used to accomplish almost all digital marketing goals. According to a Content Marketing Institute (CMI) study, some of the key goals that marketers accomplish with content marketing are spreading awareness for their brand, engaging their audience, generating leads, building customer loyalty and increasing sales. 

2. Visual content will be the most popular format.

Which is more likely to grab your attention as a reader – a long, text-heavy post or a video?

If you picked the latter, you are not alone. Most people prefer visual content to text because it is easier to consume and understand, so you should include more visual content in your content strategy. Be it infographics, photos, videos, memes or gifographics, take your pick and start creating visual content.

 

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Among visual content, video content will continue to dominate. According to a Cisco study, videos will constitute 82% of all online traffic by 2021. This clearly indicates the growing importance of videos for content marketing.

While planning your content strategy, prioritize visual content, especially videos. After all, why wouldn't you want to reach your customers using the most viewed content format?

3. Influencer content will continue to grow.

More brands and marketers will partner with influencers to create and distribute content. In fact, influencer content will be a key part of many marketers' strategies.

Influencers already have a certain level of expertise and good reputations in their industries or niches. They are considered authentic, and their opinions have the power to influence their followers' purchase decisions. Smart marketers realize this and use it to their advantage. Brands will continue to leverage influencers to write blog posts, social media posts, product reviews and more.

Brands are not just asking influencers to promote or mention their products, but also to create branded content to posted on the brands' websites. This essentially means that brands are using influencers as their ad hoc content teams.

Stanley PMI, a retailer of bottles and flasks designed especially for the outdoors and adventure trips, brilliantly uses this strategy. It invites adventure enthusiasts and other industry influencers to write posts for its blog. It also asks them to mention its products and include links to its product pages to drive conversions.

4. Authenticity and relevance will be paramount.

Authenticity and relevance are the key content characteristics that brands will need to focus on. This does not apply just to influencer content anymore: Authenticity and relevance are important to gain consumer trust and build a positive brand image. In fact, according to the previously cited CMI study, 95% of the most successful marketers believe that gaining audience trust is an important success factor.

Relevance is equally important for the success of content marketing. Marketers are realizing the importance of prioritizing their audiences' needs over forcing their promotional messaging. The CMI study also found out that 90% of the most successful content marketers prioritize the informational needs of their audiences while creating content, and 81% ensure that the right content reaches the right audience so that the content is relevant to them.

This trend will continue, with marketers giving priority to relevance over promotional messaging. You should also start focusing on authenticity and relevance if you are not already doing so.

5. Niche content will gain traction.

Brands will create more niche content to target specific, relevant audiences and avoid competition from bigger brands. By writing about niche topics that are not well covered by other industry players, you can build a reputation as an authority in your niche. A lot of brands are trying this tactic to avoid competing on more popular and mainstream industry topics.

Take the example of this digital magazine by Toggl, which covers the very specific topic of time management for digital creatives. The blog focuses on an industry niche that is relevant to the Toggl brand and its time-tracking tool.

You can use tools like BuzzSumo and Google Trends to find topics and keywords to create niche content. It's time to find your niche and start creating relevant and specific content for your target audience.

Do you know any more trends that can help marketers ace their content strategies? Let us know in the comments below.

What 'Game of Thrones' Can Teach Us About Corporate Leadership

Posted: 22 May 2019 06:00 AM PDT

The corporate world is not so different from the world of Westeros; there can be battles in the boardroom just like the battles to take the Iron Throne – but, hopefully, with less bloodshed. Whether you're pro Lannister or Dothraki, backing the Iron Fleet or fighting for the North, or even Team White Walkers, one thing each group has in common is the fact they are all united under one leader. 

And each leader has their own distinct leadership style. Just as the characters of GOT divide and conquer, strategize or deliver empowering speeches to head their armies, so do business leaders. 

Daenerys Targaryen: The Democratic Leader 

Daenerys leads with grace and fairness – and a certain fierceness that just naturally comes with having dragons at your command. Like a true democratic leader, she is equitable in considering advice and opinions as she communicates all the way through the chain of command but still holds final decision-making responsibility. 

Mastercard president and CEO Ajay Banga could be considered an everyday democratic leader. Banga is known for being able to break down traditional barriers between executives and middle management, promoting inclusivity. Under Banga's leadership, Mastercard ranked fourth on DiversityInc's 2018 list of the top 50 most diverse companies and has committed to closing the gender pay gap. 

Cersei Lannister: The Autocratic Leader

Autocratic leadership is based on the idea that there is one boss, and that boss generally embodies the 'my way or the highway' mantra. Cersei is Queen, and she doesn't care what others think of her and stands by her choices. Autocratic leaders often make decisions on their own, communicate those decisions to subordinates and expect prompt execution – with little to no flexibility. 

In his time heading the Trump organization, Donald Trump has been labeled an autocratic leader.

The Night King: The Transformational Leader 

The Night King literally transforms individuals into someone else entirely. Creating change throughout an entire organization is what transformational leaders do best, often setting challenging goals at both a group and individual level to drive high performance.

The Night King wants to bring winter to all of Westeros – it's ambitious, but there is no denying that every one of his White Walkers are dedicated to fulfilling his vision, even if it means fighting to the death. Plus, he's got a dragon he's managed to convert into his band of followers. 

Not all transformational leaders are evil like the Night King, of course. Nelson Mandela is considered by some an example of transformational leadership, known for motivating his followers to achieve more by engaging with "charisma, inspiration, individualized attention and intellectual stimulation."

Jon Snow: The Servant Leader 

Jon Snow wants to serve everyone else before himself, with his actions underpinned by a strong sense of ethics and morality. A servant leader focuses on driving the growth and wellbeing of the people and communities to which they belong. 

Rather than placing power at the "top of the pyramid," the servant leader shares power, prioritizes the needs of others and seeks to develop and support individuals so that they can lift their performance to new levels. Servant leaders are also empathetic – just look at Jon Snow's relationship with Sam Tarly. 

My view is that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is a servant leader who has empathy at his core. Under Satya's leadership, Microsoft's vision has become "to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more." He also believes empathy makes a better innovator. 

Focusing on empathy and consciously trying to see things from others' perspectives is the leadership style I also abide by. I've also embodied karmic leadership principles, which relates to cause and effect and the notion of karma: "what goes around comes around." And so far, it's hugely benefited my business and our diverse organizational culture. 

So what type of leader are you? If you're not getting the results you want, maybe it's time to reassess and try out a new leadership style. 

10 Tips to Host a Productive Video Conference

Posted: 22 May 2019 05:00 AM PDT

Between poor internet connections, annoying background noise, participants not knowing what is being discussed and off-topic conversations, a video conference call can quickly run off the rails.

With remote work on the rise, video conferences have quickly become the meeting method of choice for many organizations. Joe Manuele, CEO of video conferencing service provider Highfive, said conference calls are subpar because they don't give participants the opportunity to see those who are speaking and get the full meaning of what is being said.

"Seeing someone face-to-face in a video ensures they can communicate verbally and nonverbally and create an in-room feeling for remote callers that allows them to feel comfortable and fully participate," Manuele said.

As with any other type of meeting, though, no one wants to sit through one where nothing is accomplished. Any video conferences you hold should be a productive use of everyone's time.

"Hosting productive video meetings is mission-critical in today's current work environment," Manuele said. "When meetings become time sucks, they lead to frustration for everyone involved and waste money for the business."

Unfortunately, he said, video meetings are often unproductive. Research Highfive conducted found that it takes eight minutes to start a typical video call, while two-thirds of those surveyed have calls with audio issues. Overall, just 17% of workers are satisfied with their video conferencing systems.

"This means that today's workers are feeling bogged down when their technology doesn't work – and even more so when the meeting itself isn't productive," Manuele said.

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To help you host productive video meetings, we sought out advice from those who regularly host and participate in these types of meetings. Here are 10 tips they offered on how best to boost productivity in video meetings.

1. Offer different service options.

As a freelance small business and communications consultant, Rob Swystun participates in numerous video conferences. To make sure the meetings run smoothly, he is flexible in the video conferencing software. For example, some clients may prefer Skype, while others use Zoom.

"I always let the clients choose so they are comfortable," Swystun said. "This guarantees that there won't be any fumbling around and wasting of time with a service that they are unfamiliar with."

2. Choose a proper setting.

Christopher Westfall Sr., owner of MedicareAgentTraining.com, said choosing a quiet and appropriate location is critical for those who are hosting or participating in video calls from outside of the workplace.

"The environment where the participant will be connecting to the meeting is important," Westfall said. "Babies crying, dogs barking, kids running through the house are not conducive to a productive exchange."

3. Be on time.

Shannon DeJong, owner and CEO of House of Who, said there's a lot of wasted time when latecomers join and give the obligatory apology.

"This takes significant effort, since punctuality is deeply rooted in a company's culture, and especially apparent with inter-company calls," she said.

To develop video conference punctuality habits, DeJong suggests having meetings start at five past the hour, or at another odd time so people take more notice of the start time. She said to put in the description of the agenda, "We will start exactly at 9:01" or "Please be punctual."

"If punctuality is difficult, begin the meetings on time anyway, and embed a culture of 'don't be late, but if you do, come in quietly' to avoid all the small talk and apologies," DeJong said.

4. Use the right tools.

Video conferencing tools like 360-degree cameras, screen sharing and virtual meeting hosts help ensure all employees can follow what's going on and stay engaged, said Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs.

"But most importantly, these tools will help remote participants feel like they are in the room, instead of just a fly on the wall," he said. "Remote participants are more likely to contribute to the meeting when they don't feel like their presence was an afterthought."

5. Make sure the tech is working properly.

Dave Crenshaw, a productivity and leadership consultant and instructor on LinkedIn Learning, said that, to ensure the meeting starts on time and runs smoothly, it is important to make sure the conferencing service is working properly before the meeting starts.

"Ensure your face is visible and clear, that you are able to screen-share for easy collaboration, and that background noises are minimized by being in a quiet, private space," he said.

6. Turn on your video.

Too often, video conference participants don't turn on their video stream during meetings. Suz O'Donnell, a portfolio leader at Point B, said this is a huge miss.

"The whole conversation changes when your face is also on the video," she said. "You can see each other's expressions, feel more like a team, and it will prevent almost everyone from multitasking."

O'Donnell said multitasking is significantly more difficult when others can see you. "This means your remote workforce cannot be in a meeting with you while also checking email, finishing a spreadsheet or checking their phone. This will kill your organization's productivity."

7. Keep everyone muted.

Background noise can be particularly distracting during a video conference call. That's why Ciara Hautau, a lead digital marketing strategist at Fueled, believes it is critical that everyone turns their audio off when they aren't talking.

"You can't imagine the things that we hear in the background: other employees chatting, people typing, street noise, etc.," she said. "It's super distracting. Ensure that the only person who has their audio on is the person speaking. This helps keep the meeting more focused, and everyone can clearly hear and communicate."

8. Have an agenda.

Preparing an agenda and sending it out prior to the meeting is a step nearly every video conference expert advises. A set agenda lets everyone attending know exactly what will be discussed. That way, they can come prepared to weigh in on those topics.

Daniela Andreevska, marketing director at Mashvisor, said an agenda helps people prepare for the meeting and follow along with the discussion.

"For maximum productivity, it is recommended to have not only the topics which you need to go over but also how long you plan to stay on each," she said. "This will show participants the importance of each issue and the level of details in which you'd like to discuss it."

9. Put someone in charge.

For your meeting to be organized throughout and conclude with specific results, you have to have one person in charge of the discussion, according to Andreevska.

"This doesn't necessarily have to be the person who hosts the meeting or who has organized it," she said. "You can delegate the task to your colleague with the most expertise in the issue that's the focus of the meeting."

That being said, the host should coordinate with that person to help prepare the agenda, she said.

"At the beginning of the meeting, if you are the host, start out the meeting by introducing the topic and the person in charge, and then let him or her lead from there on," Andreevska said. "Of course, if you see that the meeting is losing focus, you can intervene, but try to keep your interventions to a minimum."

10. Keep it professional.

One way to keep video conferences productive is to stay on topic and limit the non-work-related chatter, said Carlo Borja, head of online marketing for Time Doctor.

"It's OK to talk about personal stuff in between, but it should not distract everyone from the agenda," he said.

The Best Text Message Marketing Services 2019

Posted: 21 May 2019 11:14 AM PDT

Text message marketing companies offer small businesses another marketing channel to reach customers. While text message marketing might not immediately jump to mind when small businesses think of ways to reach customers, there's certainly value in reaching customers on their phones through SMS marketing.

According to Pew Research Center, 92% of adult Americans have a cellphone capable of receiving text messages. Chances are, your customers use cellphones. With the amount of content available on smartphones today, people spend hours per day using their mobile devices. Nielsen research shows that the average U.S. adult spends nearly four hours using their smartphone, computer or tablet. As time spent on phones continues to increase, it's no surprise that businesses are looking to implement an occasional text message campaign.

While the sheer increase in people using phones is a positive for the text message marketing industry, it brings its own challenges. As people spend more and more time viewing content, they also become selective about what they're using. Mobile phone users are inundated with feeds, popups and various notifications. Texting a customer about your business may either get lost in a person's notifications, or it may turn them off to your business if the text is unsolicited or unrelated to their wants and needs.

That's where text message marketing services become valuable. If you're going to use a text message marketing service, you want to select the best solution for your business. There are dozens of quality solutions on the market, and a few stand out above the rest, especially for small businesses looking to please subscribers.

Best Overall: EZ Texting

Key Features: Analytics, contact management, advanced tools like drip campaigns and a user-friendly dashboard.

EZ Texting stands out among its peers for a variety of reasons, including fair pricing and a fantastic selection of tools. The company offers eight different pricing plans, which makes it a company that can provide affordable services to businesses of all sizes. The pricing flexibility and variability is one of EZ Texting's best perks. The cheapest plan starts at $0.05 per message and $25 per keyword, and the other plans offer monthly rates, with the most expensive plan costing $2,000 a month.

A user-friendly interface and an assortment of features also make EZ Texting our selection for the best overall text message marketing solution for businesses. It's an intuitive user interface that won't take long to learn, which is an important consideration when deciding on a text message marketing service. 

Customization aspects are also a positive, as it's easy to make your recipients feel special by easily sending them personalized messages. EZ Texting makes text message marketing feel more like a genuine interaction than other companies.

Read the full review on business.com.

Easiest to Use: SlickText

Key Features: Nine different pricing plans, a detailed assortment of features and thorough videos explaining how to use the platform.

Small businesses don't want to spend weeks learning how to operate their text message marketing service. With SlickText, businesses can quickly go from having little to no experience with text message marketing to being quite adept. The user interface is intuitive, but it's the detailed explanations on the platform that stand out the most.

The company's website includes videos explaining how to create an account, how to reserve a keyword and how to set up autoreply. These explanations are detailed enough for even the most inexperienced text messaging marketers to understand. They're also readily available if you forget how a function works. Additionally, SlickText does a good job of being available to help answer your questions. You can reach a company representative via their toll-free phone number, email or live chat.

Read the full review on business.com.

Best Pricing Options: SimpleTexting

Key Features: Eight different pricing tiers, analytics, autoresponders and templates.

SimpleTexting offers a variety of quality product features, but the pricing plan is what makes the company an enticing option for small businesses. The company offers extremely flexible pricing, which is advantageous for businesses of all sizes. SimpleTexting won't charge you an unreasonable amount of money for a service you may use sparingly, as the pricing is determined through a credit system.

A standard SMS text message costs one credit, while an MMS message costs three credits. The least expensive plan costs $25 per month and gives businesses 500 credits. The most expensive plan offers 50,000 credits for the price of $625 per month. Additional charges for going over your monthly credit limit apply, and those vary by plan.

The wide range of pricing options makes SimpleTexting a good option for businesses of varying sizes.  

Read the full review on business.com. 

What to Expect in 2019

Expect continued growth for text message marketing, but it's important to understand where the service falls in line with your other marketing channels. Some customers feel more comfortable with email marketing or social media marketing. Those forms of marketing require a potential customer to go somewhere – either to their email inbox or a social media platform. Text messages show up without the customer navigating anywhere, which can be both beneficial and harmful for businesses.

Your business should monitor regulations governing text message marketing and ensure that you only send messages once you receive opt-in approval. With the number of people using their phones in 2019, it's not a stretch to think that text message marketing will continue to increase in popularity, but it still needs to be done properly, and legally, to be effective.

Companies like Ralph Lauren are learning the hard way that poorly run text message marketing campaigns can lead to legal trouble. The company recently wrapped up a dispute for sending a customer 188 texts. The customer claims he consented to six texts per month, but the company would routinely send more messages than he opted into receiving on a monthly basis. He also said that the company failed to send opt-out messages for roughly 80% of the texts they sent. The key takeaway is to have, and follow, specific agreements with a customer. It's one thing to receive an opt-in confirmation for a few messages, it's another to send dozens of texts without the customer's consent.

Companies that provide personalized and genuine text messages are likely to experience success with the marketing channel in coming years. The most successful businesses will also follow legal restrictions regarding text message marketing.

Our Methodology

To determine the top text message marketing solutions in 2019, we spent dozens of hours researching the options. Here is an explanation of our selection process.

Locating the Best Services

We started with over 20 reputable companies offering text message marketing services. We found these companies based on detailed internet research and online customer reviews.

Choosing the Best Services

We eliminated vendors that lacked key features that make up the best text message marketing solutions. These features included drip campaigns, automation, customization and many more. We also eliminated companies with old websites or user dashboards that we believed would be overly confusing for businesses, especially smaller firms. We looked for businesses that could deliver effective text campaigns for businesses in different industries.

Researching Each Service

Once we narrowed our list down, we took a deep dive into the features, customer reviews and pricing of each service. It was imperative that the platform's interface was user friendly and that the service offered flexible pricing so that small business can take advantage of text message marketing.

We signed up for free trials and contacted a few of the top companies on our list, posing as small business owners. This gave us a more authentic feel for the customer service teams of each business.   

Analyzing Each Service

Upon analyzing each business's offerings, we selected EZ Texting, SlickText and SimpleTexting as the best text messaging services available to small businesses. We analyzed key features, pricing and customer service when making our best pick selections.

Full List of Services

The following services are some of the best text message marketing solutions available in 2019.

Avochato - Avochato is a comprehensive text message marketing service that offers a variety of tools to help businesses send successful text message campaigns. https://www.avochato.com

Cheapest Texting - Cheapest Texting lets you get the word out about your business to clients, customers and others via SMS messages. The company offers four pricing plans, including its Starter plan that allows you to test out the service for 14 days (sending up to 100 messages) free of charge. https://www.cheapesttexting.com

EZ Texting - EZ Texting is an excellent service to help you control your text message marketing campaigns. Its many tools and resources are easy to find and use in the software's dashboard. It's our choice for best text message marketing service overall – it has flexible packages, an easy-to-use dashboard and a variety of advanced tools. https://www.eztexting.com

Gleantap - Features of Gleantap's text message marketing services include automated text campaigns, autoreplies, personalized messages, link tracking and more. https://gleantap.com

Heymarket - Heymarket is a mobile and web-based application designed to help businesses create and carry out marketing campaigns through SMS and MMS (iOS and Android) and Facebook Messenger. Each subscription includes a shared inbox (text and Facebook); templates; integration with G Suite, Facebook, and Slack; and website widgets that text-enable your business's website. It offers a 15-day free trial. https://www.heymarket.com

Mobile Text Alerts - Mobile Text Alerts allows your business to craft and deliver text messages in as little as 30 seconds. The control panel used to manage subscribers is reasonably user friendly. The variety of pricing plans is one of the best perks of using this service. The company offers over seven different plans. https://mobile-text-alerts.com

Mobiniti - Mobiniti is a text message marketing service to help you build two-way communication with your customers with a simple and affordable platform. http://www.mobiniti.com

Mozeo - Mozeo is a good choice for businesses that need basic text message marketing capabilities for a low price on an easy-to-use platform. https://www.mozeo.com/services-pricing.php

ProTexting - ProTexting lets you run automated campaigns and send multimedia SMS messages to connect with customers. https://www.protexting.com

SimpleTexting - SimpleTexting is a straightforward SMS service that connects you to your customers. It offers helpful tools, an easy-to-use dashboard and flexible plans. https://simpletexting.com

SlickText - SlickText offers multiple options for your text message marketing campaigns. It establishes two-way communication with your consumers and offers packages to meet the needs of small business owners. https://www.slicktext.com

SUMOTEXT - SUMOTEXT is a top text message marketing service that performs well in many types of campaigns. http://sumotext.com

Text Magic - TextMagic is a bulk SMS text message marketing service. Pricing varies substantially based on which country the texts are being sent in. https://www.textmagic.com

Textedly - Textedly offers text messages services with an assortment of features like scheduled messages, mass group texting, built-in link sharing and automatic text replies. Pricing varies depending on the package you select, but the starter package provides a free, 14-day trial. https://www.textedly.com

Trumpia - Trumpia is an SMS marketing and mass text messaging service. With Trumpia, you can send messages by SMS, MMS, email, social media and voice through one convenient platform. https://trumpia.com

TXT 180 - TXT180 is a straightforward SMS marketing platform with good texting service. https://www.txt180.com

Wire2Air - Wire2Air lets you add unlimited contacts and groups in its online texting platform. http://wire2air.com/sms_messaging.asp
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