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Edward Kost

Hi, I'm Edward, I am a freelance copywriter specializing in crafting engaging and actionable content. I also enjoy martial arts and playing spanish guitar!

Lipstix RemixShark Tank

Lipstix Remix: Shark Tank Updates in 2023

by Edward Kost
written by Edward Kost

The Basics

  • Company: Lipstix Remix
  • Product: A lipstick repair kit that allows users to recycle their old lipsticks and create new shades
  • Owner: Jill Quillin
  • Asking Price: $105,000 for 30% of the company
  • Final Deal: $105,000 for 50% of the company with Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Kevin Harrington
  • Season/Episode: Season 1, Episode 13

Lipstix Remix Before Shark Tank

Jill Quillin is a stay-at-home mom who started Lipstix Remix in her garage in 2009. She was inspired to create the product after she realized how much lipstick is wasted every year. The average woman throws away 12 lipsticks in her lifetime, and each lipstick contains about 1/3 of a teaspoon of product. That’s a lot of wasted makeup!

Lipstix Remix is a simple but effective product that allows users to recycle their old lipsticks and create new shades. The kit comes with a variety of tools and ingredients, including a heating element, a mixing bowl, and a variety of pigments. Users simply melt their old lipsticks in the heating element, mix them with the pigments, and pour the mixture into a new lipstick tube. The result is a new, custom-made lipstick that is both affordable and environmentally friendly.

Lipstix Remix On Shark Tank

Jill Quillin appeared on Shark Tank in Season 1, Episode 13, seeking $105,000 for 30% of her company. She told the sharks that Lipstix Remix had generated $1 million in sales in the past year.

The sharks were impressed with Jill’s passion for her business and her commitment to sustainability. However, they were concerned about the high cost of the kit and the lack of a franchise model. In the end, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Kevin Harrington made an offer of $105,000 for 50% of the company. Jill accepted the offer, and Lipstix Remix became the first company to ever make a deal on Shark Tank.

The Bidding

After Jill Quillin’s pitch, the sharks began to discuss the merits of her business. Barbara Corcoran was impressed with the product and the potential market. She offered $105,000 for 50% of the company. Daymond John was also interested in the business, but he wanted to see more proof of concept. He offered $105,000 for 40% of the company. Kevin Harrington was also interested in the business, but he wanted to see a larger market share. He offered $105,000 for 30% of the company.

In the end, Jill Quillin accepted Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Kevin Harrington’s offer of $105,000 for 50% of the company.

Final Deal: $105,000 for 50% of the company with Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Kevin Harrington

Jill Quillin’s deal with the sharks was a major success for Lipstix Remix. The investment from the sharks helped the company to expand its production and distribution. Lipstix Remix is now sold in stores nationwide, and it has become a popular choice for women who are looking for an affordable and environmentally friendly way to recycle their old lipsticks.

Lipstix Remix After Shark Tank

Since her appearance on Shark Tank, Jill Quillin has continued to grow her business, Lipstix Remix. The company now sells its products in stores nationwide, and it has also launched an online store. In addition, Lipstix Remix has partnered with a number of environmental organizations to promote sustainability.

Jill Quillin is a successful entrepreneur who has built a thriving business from the ground up. She is a role model for women everywhere who are looking to start their own businesses.

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Google My Business

Top 6 Overlooked Google My Business Category Facts

by Edward Kost
written by Edward Kost

The correct setup of your Google My Business listing is imperative to ensure your business is correctly displayed to your future customers in the local pack.

Many business owners and SEO agencies overlook the vital importance of categorization when setting up a GMB profile.

Below we have outlined 6 important facts about GMB categorization you need to know to ensure your listing is set up and displayed correctly.

1. Proper Categorization Could Make Or Break Your Listing.

According to a comprehensive survey by moz proper GMB categorization came in at number 3 in the 2018 top factors affecting local pack listings.

2. Anyone Can Change Your Business Category Without You Knowing It!

Business competition is fierce and tactics are not always ethical. Anyone has the opportunity to suggest an edit by clicking on the “suggest an edit” link on your listing:

 

Figure 1 275x300 - Top 6 Overlooked Google My Business Category Facts

https://moz.com/blog/how-to-optimize-your-google-my-business-listing

 

Once this link is clicked, a visitor has the option of changing the main category your business falls under:

Figure 2 300x183 - Top 6 Overlooked Google My Business Category Facts

https://moz.com/blog/how-to-optimize-your-google-my-business-listing

 

These changes may occur instantly. Although Google has stated that all GMB account managers receive an email notification whenever an edit is suggested, that is not always the case.

In order to protect your listing from bogus edits, we suggest you regularly log into your GMB profile and review all of the suggested edits.

To view all suggested edits, once logged into your GMB dashboard click on “Google updates”

Figure 3 248x300 - Top 6 Overlooked Google My Business Category Facts

https://moz.com/blog/competitors-edit-listing-google-my-business

 

3. Your Primary Category Fuels Your Overall Rank

Ensure that your primary category is as descriptive of your main service offering as possible.

For example, if you’re a nail salon, your primary category should be “nail salon” and not just “salon”.

4. Use The “Secondary Category Option” Wisely.

Your primary category is the only category that will be visible in your GMB listing:

Figure 4 300x269 - Top 6 Overlooked Google My Business Category Facts

Primary Category: Lebanese Restaurant

 

However, you can also add additional categories to help Google better understand your business.

Though adding a high number of additional categories may increase your visibility in search results, aim at specificity over diversity.

For example, if you own a gym which includes a café, you should not include the additional category “café” but rather include additional categories that are related to the gym to help better define your services.

The café within your gym would need a separate GMB listing specifically for the café.

5. Google Can Add Or Remove Categories At Any Time.

If you cannot find a particular category it may have been completely removed.

To help keep you updated on all current GMB categories, the team at PlePer have developed a dynamic list that is regularly updated every 3 days via the Google My Business API.

Accessing this list is incredibly easy, simply head over to plper tools select your country and you’re done!

To find out which categories were added or removed since the list was last updated; a handy free tool called Diffchecker can be used.

Simply paste different versions of the GMB category listings in each of the two columns in Diffchecker and click “Find Difference”

6. You Can View A List Of The Categories Your Competitors Are Using Without Them Knowing It!

This brilliant technique is presented by the talented Joy Hawkins in her local SEO guide.

It’s a simple 3 step process:

Step 1: Go to your competitor’s map listing.

Step 2: Right click and select “View Source”

Step 3: Press ctrl + F and search for the primary category as displayed on their GMB listing. You will then see their primary category followed by a list of all additional categories:

 

Figure 5 300x161 - Top 6 Overlooked Google My Business Category Facts

https://whitespark.ca/blog/local-search-hacks-you-probably-havent-seen-before/

There you have it, the 6 essential facts you need to know to ensure your Google My Business listing continuously outrank your competitors.

Good Luck!

Sources:

  • moz.com
  • searchengineland.com
  • pleper.com
  • diffchecker.com
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Instagram

2019 Top 3 Instagram Growth Tips To Boost Your Business

by Edward Kost
written by Edward Kost

With over 1 billion active monthly users, Instagram is one of the most popular social network applications available today.

Sadly, many business owners are unaware of how to leverage its colossal marketing potential to their advantage.

We’ve broken down a highly effective 2019 Instagram growth strategy into 3 easy to follow methods you can start implementing today to boost your customer base.

And the best part?

It’s 100% free!

1.) Correctly set up your business profile for success

Solidify your foundation, and your structure will stand the test of time. Start by ensuring your Instagram profile is set up correctly.

Switch to Instagram for business.

Switching to a business profile not only provides your customers with more options to contact you but it will also offer you detailed post engagement analytics.

Switching to a business profile is super simple.

Step 1: Click on settings in your Instagram profile

Step 2: Under “Account settings” Select “Switch to Business Profile”

 

f1 182x300 - 2019 Top 3 Instagram Growth Tips To Boost Your Business

Image Credit: Animatron

Write a stellar bio

The bio is the short description on your Instagram account page beneath your Instagram tag.

You are only limited to 150 characters so it’s important you make the most of it.

Your bio should:

  • Convey your brand’s personality
  • Provide a clear call to action
  • Clearly inform your customers of your products and services.

After reading your bio, your potential customers should have no questions about who you are and what you are offering.

Emoticons work really well to provide visual appeal and structure your information:

F2 195x300 - 2019 Top 3 Instagram Growth Tips To Boost Your Business

Image Credit: @ohjoyco

From the bio above we can effortlessly gather the following information:

  • Oh Joy + co is a home décor shop
  • The brand has a very positive and cheerful personality – “a shop full of happy and beautiful things…”
  • The email of the shop is shop@ohjoy.com
  • The web address of the shop is ohjoy.com

The information above isn’t presented as an ugly paragraph, but rather, neatly segregated with relevant emoticons.

2.) Use effective Instagram hashtags

Hashtags, though difficult to read at times #areimportanttoimplementcorrectly.

Think of hashtags as a means for Instagram to correctly identify and categorize your posts. The correct implementation of hashtags will ensure your posts are discovered by your potential customers.

But how many hashtags should you use for each post?

The max you can use is 30. There are some Instagram users that suggest only 7 hashtags and others that suggest to keep it In the low 20’s.

The number of hashtags you use is up to you and depends on the level of engagement you are capable of achieving with your chosen number.

We’ll talk more about tracking engagement in point 3 of this post.

Try to keep your hashtags as close to your business offering as possible and avoid using overly popular and broad hashtags such as #love or #joy.

For example, if you are a web design company and you are publishing a web design tip post, the hashtag #webdesigntip would be more relevant than #marketing

Searchers of the hashtag #webdesigntip are searching for just that – tips on web design, whereas it is difficult to gauge the intent of the searchers of the hashtag #marketing.

Satisfying searcher intent should always be the motivation behind your choice of hashtags

3.) Write Engaging captions

It is important to remember that Instagram is an application centered around user interaction. The Instagram algorithm therefore highly regards content that promotes user engagement (likes, comments, shares and friend tags).

Any business has the capability of creating content that generates user interaction, it just takes a little creativity.

Identify a pain point. Ask questions, Be Human.

Your caption should resonate with your potential customer’s pain points and stimulate positive human emotion – humor is a great choice, but for some businesses, (like counselors) empathy may be a better option.

The fingerprint of human authorship in your captions will make your business more appealing over the robotic emotionless captions your competitors may be implementing.

Finally, always aim to end your captions with a relevant question, to get your customers talking to you.

Here is a great example:

Let’s say you are an accountant and you have taken a photo of the mountain of receipts your client has given you.

In your caption, you could mention how funny it was seeing your client enter your office with a cereal box full of receipts and that you are transitioning them to a clean cloud-based paperless receipting system.

You could then conclude by asking readers to share the funny places they keep their receipts in.

Do you see how such a caption would make your business much more appealing over a competing accountant that simply writes “Switching client to a paperless system. No more stress of paper”?

The level of engagement you achieve through your posts can easily be tracked. You can then use this information to help tweak your marketing efforts (change the number or choices of hashtags used etc).

To see your engagement analytics, follow the following process:

Insights > Content > Posts > See All

This will filter your posts by the number of engagements.

Final thoughts

There are currently hundreds of thousands, if not millions of your potential customers currently using Instagram. Getting your business page in front of them is just a simple matter of mixing a little effort, with a little creativity, and a little human touch.

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3 Powerful Strategies To Boost Your Blog Click Through Rate
Blog PostsConversions

3 Powerful Strategies To Boost Your Blog Click Through Rate

by Edward Kost
written by Edward Kost

There are a lot of dynamic variables one must keep in mind when undertaking Search Engine Optimization.

One of which is increasing the number of clicks to your web page within the Google results list (click through rate).

We’ve pieced together 3 powerful tactics you can start implementing to help fatten up your click-through rate metrics.

 1.) Inflate Your Title

Let’s say you’re not the best cook and your search intent is to find a web page that provides easy recipes.

Take a look at these two organic results.

Which one would you be more likely to click on?

Figure 1 300x56 - 3 Powerful Strategies To Boost Your Blog Click Through Rate

or

 

Figure 2 300x72 - 3 Powerful Strategies To Boost Your Blog Click Through Rate

The second one of course.

If you are searching for ‘easy recipes’ the more ridiculously easy the better right?

This title is using what are known as ‘power words’

Power words add an element of over exaggeration to your blog titles which makes them practically beg for attention.

For an exhaustive list of power words to choose from click here

2.) Embarrass The Searcher

Admitting you have made a mistake is never fun, and usually very embarrassing.

Realizing that you are making a mistake as early as possible is ideal since it could avoid possible public embarrassment.

Take a look at these two organic results:

Figure 4 300x51 - 3 Powerful Strategies To Boost Your Blog Click Through Rate

and

Figure 3 300x71 - 3 Powerful Strategies To Boost Your Blog Click Through Rate

Which of these two results would you be more inclined to click on?

The first one right?

‘If I am having trouble losing weight maybe it’s because I am doing something wrong?’

‘Maybe there’s a stupid mistake I am making that’s preventing my weight loss!”

These are the typical thoughts that might race through a searcher’s mind when they see this title.

The psychological power behind this tactic is that it plays upon the fear humans have of being classified as a loser.

It is this subconscious fear that motivates searchers to click on such results.

3.) Provide Value

Ask yourself :

Why should a searcher click on your link?

What value will you be providing?

Never forget that the entire Google algorithm is built upon the principle of meeting searcher intent.

In other words, Google wants searchers to find the information they are seeking as quickly as possible.

If your webpage successfully satisfies searcher intent, Google rewards you with golden SEO points!

Your title is an opportunity for you to scream out to the searcher that you have what they are looking for and it is amazing!

Take a look at some of these web results:

Figure 5 300x49 - 3 Powerful Strategies To Boost Your Blog Click Through Rate

This result to the search query “Stargazing” claims that it provides 100 things to identify in the sky within a beginners guide.

 

Figure 6 300x51 - 3 Powerful Strategies To Boost Your Blog Click Through Rate

This result to the search query “Snowboarding Tricks” is offering a comprehensive list of tricks ranging from intermediate to advanced.

The value that is being offered on the web page’s of the above two results is clearly indicated within the titles.

Just keep in mind that if you are promising to provide value in your blog title, make sure you deliver it!

Otherwise a searcher will click on your page, skim through it and then click out of it to find something more wholesome.

This would result in negative SEO and decrease your ranking.

If your primary focus is to create content that meets searcher intent, you will not have to worry about that.

Final Thoughts

If your webpage boasts amazing content but you are struggling with improving your Google ranking It may just be a matter of slightly tweaking your title.

Incorporate these 3 powerful tactics to make your titles impossible to resist!

Sources

  • Moz
  • Conversion XL
  • Hubspot
  • Optin Monster
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Backlinks

3 Hot Tips To Help You Build Quality Backlinks

by Edward Kost
written by Edward Kost

A healthy backlink profile is an integral element of successful search engine optimization.

Receiving backlinks from authoritative domains is, unfortunately, a very daunting task.

We have pieced together 3 strategies to help make achieving backlinks that little bit easier for you.

1.) Create Link-worthy content

Figure 1 1 300x200 - 3 Hot Tips To Help You Build Quality Backlinks

Meaty content that offers its readers incredible value is very tempting to link to.

Content writers love linking to such content because it makes their own content seem more authoritative and data-driven.

By how do you create content others would want to link to?

Start by finding articles within your niche about a certain topic.

Make some notes about what these articles are missing and how they could be improved.

After you are done, write an article that’s better than all of them!

Here are some ideas:

If these articles offer 10 tips to tackle a certain problem, write an article that offers 20 or more!

If these articles poorly break down the information they are presenting, write an article that’s more clear and palatable.

One way to ensure you create something link-worthy is to strive to write the best article possible on the topic.

To add an extra layer of irresistibility to your content, including free downloads or free tools that may benefit your readers.

Once you have created your pillar content, it’s then a matter of finding websites currently linking to the poorer competitor content you originally researched and letting them know that you created something better they may want to link to.

Finding the domain’s linking to a piece of content is easy:

  1. Paste the domain of the competitor article into a tool such as ahrefs.com
  2. Save the populated list of the sites linking to the content.
  3. Starting with the higher domain authority websites, systematically contact the webmasters to let them know you have created something better than what they are currently linking to and then offer them a link to your content.

2.) Create a link-worthy infographic

Figure 2 1 300x200 - 3 Hot Tips To Help You Build Quality Backlinks

Creating an infographic to complement the link worthy content you create is a very powerful method of achieving backlinks.

Infographics are fun to read because they compress information into a fun and very visually appealing display.

Infographics are also some of the most shared and linked-to pieces of content on the internet!

This method is very simple.

You will be seeking content similar to yours and then offering the webmasters your infographic to help illustrate their content.

Ideally, you will be focusing on the web pages with very poor graphics, to make your offering very irresistible.

When webmasters agree to publish your infographic to their webpage, ask them to include attribution in the form of a link to your content.

When they agree…BOOM…you’ve achieved your backlink!

Again, try your best to pursue websites with high domain authority to get as much value out of these backlinks as possible.

3.) Create a share-worthy video

Figure 3 300x208 - 3 Hot Tips To Help You Build Quality Backlinks

This method will only work if the video is done REALLY well.

The method is as follows:

Create a video to compliment the link-worthy content you created in point #1.

Make it fun, vibrant, engaging and SUPER entertaining.

At the end of the video mention that viewers can click the link in the description of the video to learn more (this will be the link to your link-worthy content).

To drive more clicks you might want to create a free download or free tool they will be able to access on the same page.

Next, paste the video into forums and groups that are likely to have members within the same niche you would like backlink’s from – such as Facebook groups and subreddits.

A video is a very effective illustrative tool to complement written content, so if your video is done really well, other webmaster’s will want to embed it into their content.

This will mean more video shares, which in turn will mean more clicks on the link to read your content.

And the more people that read your link-worthy content the higher the chance of achieving links to it!

Final thoughts

The power behind these tips is that you are offering potential backlinkers value in exchange for a backlink.

If you follow these tips and keep a strong emphasis on providing value before you receive it, it should make the pursuit of backlinks much easier for you.

We understand that achieving high-quality backlinks takes time and A LOT of effort if you prefer to outsource the difficult SEO process to the experts in the field, contact our friendly team today!

Sources:

  • Backlinko
  • 10x Marketing Formula
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Branding

4 Steps To Building A Powerful Personal Brand

by Edward Kost
written by Edward Kost

Whether you’re a business owner or an employee, you will always be faced with competition. In fact, you may even notice that with every round of competitor research you perform there always seems to be one or two new competitors you had not noticed before.

Competitors will try to take your potential clients or your prospective job position.

But with so much of the odds stacked against you, how is it possible to stand out and ensure clients and employees are continuously choosing you?

Two words:

Personal Branding.

Personal branding is a very powerful arsenal many do not take advantage of. It is your key to creating an aurora of irresistibility around you.

What is Personal Branding?

Think of branding as a reputation.

Personal branding is your personal reputation made very public.

It is different from company branding but maintains the same principles.

When building a company brand you are creating a unique characteristic for your company and set your company apart from its competitors by clearly defining your unique (and superior) offering.

When establishing a personal brand, you are positioning yourself as an expert in your field. Your aim when building your personal brand is for your desired audience to favor your thoughts and opinions about a certain topic over those of your competitors.

Why is this important?

If you own a business, by establishing yourself as an authority figure in your field, you could very easily convert followers to clients.

A potential client will trust your service offering because of your demonstrated expertise. Once this trust is established a small nudge (if any at all) is all that is required to entice clients to sign up to your services.

If you are an employee, establishing yourself as an authority figure in your field will secure your employability, and keep your inbox bloated with job offers!

But what is the process of actually building your personal brand?

We have broken it down into a simple 4 step framework:

1. Identify Your Skillset

Narrow it down and try to be as specific as possible

Are you a web designer establishing yourself as an expert in website UX design?

Or do you want to be known as an overall expert in web design?

Perhaps you are a software developer.

Is there a particular coding language you want to establish yourself as an expert in?

It is much simpler to establish yourself as an expert when focusing on a singular facet within your industry; of course, there is nothing wrong with taking a general approach.

2. Identify your unique personality.

Your personal branding is, well, your personal branding! So aim to make it as unique to you as possible.

Your unique personality, or voice, should effectively reflect your passion for your chosen field.

Would you like to come across as quirky and humorous or more serious and corporate?

Study the videos, tweets, and posts created by successful experts that exhibit a similar personality you are aiming at.

Take notes on their method of video production and post design and replicate their strategies.

Just be sure to replicate only their strategies (video production style, Instagram post style etc) and always aim to be as unique as possible.

3. Connect with your audience

It is essential that you are active on as many social media platforms as possible in order to give your potential followers as many options of following you as possible.

These include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram YouTube and LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a very underutilized platform with ALOT of potential.

Create a solid profile that clearly demonstrates your expertise and experience in your chosen field.

Then, regularly create posts and build your following! If you upgrade to some of the paid LinkedIn subscriptions, you can increase your connection options and build your audience.

If you are comfortable with making videos of yourself, all of the above special media platforms will support either direct uploads or embedment.

Once your social media platforms are set up, it’s time to start engaging!.

4. Engage with your audience.

The primary motivation behind all of your engagement should always be to provide your audience with value.

You should, therefore, focus your efforts in areas where people are seeking answers to their questions.

  • Responding to YouTube comments

Find competitor YouTube videos and aim to answer as much of the questions in the comments as possible. Not all YouTube comments receive a response. If you provide valuable responses on a regular basis you could very easily steal your competitor’s subscribers!

  • Responding to Quora questions.

If your response to a question in Quora receives a high number of upvotes, it will be shown at the very top of the list and may even be featured in Google’s featured snippet. Just keep in mind that Quora answers are usually quite lengthily and in-depth

  • Respond to Reddit questions.

Find a Sub-reddit related to your industry and build a reputation for being a helpful and knowledgeable member. Once this reputation is established you can then direct members to either your website or other social platforms.

Though personal branding does require a lot of time and effort, it is always a very valuable investment. Make sure you incorporate personal brand development in your marketing plan to elevate yourself above your competitors.

Sources:

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BusinessMarketing

4 Free Online Tools For Entrepreneurs

by Edward Kost
written by Edward Kost

It is vital for entrepreneurs to have access to tools that make their day to day duties as simple and streamlined as possible.

Ideally, these tools will also be as cheap as possible.

What could be cheaper than something that is free?

We have a compiled a list of  4 free online tools all entrepreneurs can benefit from.

1.) Fotor

Fotor Image 300x188 - 4 Free Online Tools For Entrepreneurs

Fotor is a free online photo editing software. With Fotor you can add visual effects to your photos, such as filters, text overlays, as well as cropping and resizing your images.

Though the platform offers some very professional photo editing options, its text overlay abilities seem to look quite amateur.

So it would not be a platform we recommend you use when creating YouTube thumbnail’s that include text.

For producing professional text overlay images to use for YouTube thumbnails, a more suitable software option would be “BeFunky.”

2.) BeFunky

BeFunky 300x162 - 4 Free Online Tools For Entrepreneurs

BeFunky allows you to add text to any image effortlessly. We particularly like its ability to smoothly drag and position text wherever you want within your image.

BeFunky offers a variety of font options to choose from to ensure your YouTube thumbnails are clear and readable – the font “Bebas Neue” is particularly good for such applications.

3.) Canva

CANVA 300x225 - 4 Free Online Tools For Entrepreneurs

Canva is an online drag and drop design tool. Its impressive functionality caters to a variety of design requirements:

  • Logos

When designing a logo, you have the option of working off a design template or creating one from scratch.

There are a variety of elements to choose from including graphics and shapes. Items can be seamlessly dragged around the canvas and resized.

You have the option of also adding text to logo designs. The font options offered by Canva are stunning.

  • Social Media Posts

The beauty of Canva’s social media post design capability is the appropriate dimensions that are automatically applied to accommodate the social media platform you are designing for.

This alleviates the painful process of manually resizing all of your designs to accommodate for different platforms.

There are many templates for social media designs to choose from, making it very easy to select a theme and stay consistent with it.

  • Infographics

Infographics are growing in popularity and for good reason – they provided a stunning and concise visual summary of lengthy information.

With Canva you have the option of designing an infographic from scratch or working off a template.

Creating an infographic from a template makes the design process much simpler by only having to edit the appropriate data points while maintaining the overall design structure.

4.) Grammarly

Grammarly on Gmail 300x169 - 4 Free Online Tools For Entrepreneurs

Grammarly is a free writing assistant that can be installed into your chrome browser.

Grammarly helps you avoid embarrassing spelling and grammatical errors by identifying them and offering suggestions for correction (similar to Microsoft Word’s process)/

The beauty with Grammarly is that it gives you this assistance on every page you write on within a browser – so that includes emails, website forms, Google documents, etc.

In a world of flashy expensive products, it is a breath of fresh air to have some highly capable free options to choose from.

Use these tools to help shape your business pursuits without breaking the bank.

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SEO

3 Quick SEO Tips that Work in 2019

by Edward Kost
written by Edward Kost

SEO can be a complicated and long process but there are some quick and easy strategies you can implement to make a significantly positive impact on your rankings. We’ve made a list of 3 quick SEO strategies you can implement today to boost the rank of your web pages.

1.) Sign up for Google Search Console

Google offers webmasters a comprehensive tool that provides tips on how to rank your content on the number 1 page of Google.

And the best part? It’s 100% Free!

This tool is called Google Search Console.

You may need the assistance of a web developer to set it up because you will be pasting some HTML code from Google Search Console to your website to verify that you are the owner. Once you have set it up, give the console a few days to populate some data.

After this time has passed, log into the console and select Search Analytics and then click on Pages.

This will populate all the pages of your website that are driving your search traffic.

By clicking on a particular page followed by “queries” you will see a list of the search queries that are causing this particular page of yours to be displayed within Google’s results.

Now it’s a matter of naturally blending these keywords within the content of your web-page.

Make sure you don’t keyword stuff but aim to add value to your page by adding additional content based on these search queries.

If you’re worried about your content being too long, you shouldn’t be if adding length deepens the satisfaction of the searcher’s query.

Once you’re done, submit your page into Google’s search console for crawling to ensure your updated page is refreshed in Google’s results ASAP.

2.) Optimize your URL.

Make sure you incorporate your target keyword within your URL in order to help Google correctly classify the content on your page.

Aim to keep the URL as short as possible

A comprehensive study of Google search results has concluded that short URL’s tend to rank better than long URL’s.

This could be due to shorter URL’s looking more professional and seeming less ‘spammy’

3.) Increase your Click Through Rate (CTR)

Increasing the clicks to your web page increases its rank in Google.

Here are some powerful tips in increasing your click-through rate:

  • Use numbers in your headlines.

Numbers, when included in a worded sentence, make the sentence stand out and call for attention.

A recent study by conductor has concluded that numbered headlines are 36% more likely to get clicked on than headlines without numbers

  • Use brackets in your headlines.

Use brackets or parenthesis to give searchers a preview of what your content will be offering.

For example, if your content includes an infographic you could include “[infographic]” within your headline. This will intrigue searchers not only to read your content but also to view the visual infographic associated with it.

If you update some content to make it more relevant to the current year you could add (updated for 2019) within your title.

Outdated content is of little interest to internet searchers. When a searcher performs a query they are seeking the most up to date solution for it, so identifying your content as being the most up to date could win you clicks over your competitors.

Mastering SEO is all about making sure you are continually pleasing searchers with your content offering.

Follow our 3 quick SEO tips to keep your content ranking high in 2019.

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YouTube

How to Do SEO for YouTube

by Edward Kost
written by Edward Kost

YouTube is the second most visited site in the world, only second to Google.  But with so many videos being uploaded daily, how is it possible to have your video appear on the first page for a given search query?

We have simplified the process into 5 actionable tips to get your videos rankings ASAP.

1.) Find The Right Keywords to Rank For

Since YouTube is a search engine, you must begin the SEO process by finding the right keywords to target.

There are two places you can conduct your keyword research:

  • Google

Type in a string of keywords into Google and analyze the search results. If you find a query that is poorly answered by the list of search results you have found your golden keywords.

Ideally, your keywords will not generate any video results within Google, this will then provide you with the opportunity of ranking your YouTube video within Google for that search query.

When a YouTube video is suggested for a particular Google search query, it is situated at the top of the page and very difficult to ignore, this is real estate worth pursuing.

  • Youtube’s Search Engine

You can also use the search engine within YouTube to find the best keywords to use.

Start typing your search query into YouTube. Before you press enter, the search bar will auto-complete your sentence with suggested search queries. These suggestions are based on actual performed searches.

Whenever you press enter for a search query, watch as many of the videos as necessary for you to get a feel as to whether the provided content satisfies the search intent.

If you find that most videos poorly meet the searcher intent, you may decide to create a video that best satisfies that search query, which, over time, will outrank other results.

2.) Strategically Incorporate Your Keywords

Your keywords should be included in two areas:

  • The Headline

Write a headline that includes your keywords while at the same time clearly summarizing the solution or information you will be offering.

This will eliminate any surprises and increase the chances of viewers choosing to view your video because it meets their search intent.

For example, typing the search query “how to build big triceps” within YouTube will yield a series of exercise videos.

If you perform this search, a video encountered on the first page is titled:

“4 Exercises for Bigger Triceps (Dumbbells Only)”

The title of this video suggests that the exercises presented in the video will only require a pair of dumbbells.

If I am a searcher that only has a pair of dumbbells, I would most likely choose to click on this video over the others because I will instantly conclude that it has a high chance of satisfying my search intent.

  • The Description

Use your focus keyword as early as possible within your video description. Make sure you incorporate it naturally without it sounding too robotic or forced.

3.) Increase ‘Watch Time’

Increasing the watch time of your videos is a powerful indicator to YouTubes algorithm that your videos are satisfying user intent.

The key to increasing watch time is for searchers to be aware of the information being presented in your content as soon as possible. This will ensure that the viewers that watch the video until the end are doing so because they are interested in the information being presented

This can be achieved by writing a relevant title (as mentioned in point 2 above) and also by summarizing the information you will be provided in the video within the first 20 seconds of the video.

A great tip is to also ‘hook’ your audience with an added sense of intrigue in your introduction.

Here is an example:

“Today I will be talking about the top 5 tips for overcoming your public speaking fears, and also how simply eating an apple could be your most powerful defense against nervousness.”

Of course, besides providing a clear and intriguing summary, the best way to ensure viewers watch your videos until the end is to provide a highly valuable response to their search.

4.) Outbound Links to Your Videos

Getting outbound links from related niche sites to your videos will give you an authoritative boost in rankings.

These outbound links could be from your website if you embed your YouTube video on your blogs, or from social media platforms.

If your video is answering a particular question or centered around a topic prone to discussion, posting your video within a Quora post could yield highly valuable (and qualified) traffic.

Just keep in mind that in order to entice Quora users to actually click on your video, you must also supplement its posting with highly valuable and relevant text that answers the question at hand.

Give them a reason to trust you and want to learn more.

5.) Have A Really Good Thumbnail.

Searchers click on the thumbnail they find most visually appealing.

But never sacrifice visual appeal. Clickbait is never appreciated, and so your thumbnail should never attempt to allude to content that will not be presented in your video.

There are a few things you can do to ensure your thumbnail is appealing and clickable:

  • Incorporate Text and/or Symbols

Text and symbols within your thumbnail help the content stand out. Your choice of text should help summarize the content within your video.

  • Add Aesthetic Appeal.

Your thumbnail should be visually appealing and ideally evoke a particular human emotion. If your video is presenting a particular concept with humor, your thumbnail should encourage your searchers to laugh while at the same time staying true to the content message.

Like any search engine, the key to achieving a high rank for your YouTube video is by successfully satisfying searcher intent. Keep that as your main focus and all the other SEO elements will align naturally.

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Email MarketingMarketingWriting

Turn Your Bland Email Subject Lines Into Something Delicious

by Edward Kost
written by Edward Kost

If your email campaign stats are looking malnourished, one way to bulk them up is by implementing a creative email subject strategy.

We have broken down some of the most effective email subject strategies complete with examples.

1.) Pain Point Highlighters

The purpose of these subject lines is to resonate with a particular pain point your recipient is experiencing.

Such subject lines make the recipient’s feel like their problems are understood, motivating them to open the email and consider the offered solution.

Here are some examples:

“Stop wasting money on clothes” – This particular email might offer cost-effective clothing store alternatives or a guide on how to make specific clothes.

“We think you’re beautiful, don’t listen to your negative thoughts” – This email may include self-love motivations or an advertisement for a counseling service.

“Your cooking isn’t THAT bad is it?” – This email could include some free recipes and links to cookbooks

2.) Curiosity Triggers.

These subject lines stir up a sense of curiosity that beckons recipients to open the email in pursuit of closure.

Just be sure to use these types of email subject lines wisely, you don’t want your emails seeming too ‘spammy’ and ending up in the junk mail folder.

Here are some examples:

“Eat this often to lose weight.”

“Help me if you can (I know you can)”

“You’ve been using Excel incorrectly.”

BuzzFeed utilizes a similar curiosity triggering strategy for its articles titles.

3.) Humorous Subject Lines

People are usually busy and stressed as they struggle to fulfill their demanding list of daily tasks. A funny email subject line could be the cheering up your recipient needs to brighten their day.

Recipients will reciprocate this gift of positivity by opening your email and giving it serious consideration.

Here are a couple of examples:

“What Did One Snowman Say To The Other Snowman?” – Your email could start with the punch line of this joke – ‘Do you smell carrots?’

“Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew, Steve)” – This active email subject line was used by Groupon.

4.) A Sense Of Urgency

Creating a sense of urgency in your email subject line will encourage your recipients to take action to avoid the possibility of missing out.

Urgent subject lines usually include time-sensitive words such as:

Expiring, Soon, Important, Breaking, Too Late, Limited Time

Here are examples of some of these words within a subject line:

“[URGENT] You’ve got ONE DAY to watch this…” – An email by Digital Marketer.

“Free E-Book Download Expires Tonight!”

“Social Media Package Free For A Limited Time!” – How do you add desirability to a free item? Make it free for a limited time!

5.) Use Numbers

To increase the open rate of your emails, consider using numbers in your subject lines,

Numbers disturb the monotony of text in an email browser and will make your email stand out.

Numbers can be incorporated in any of the email subject categories mentioned above.

Here are a couple of examples:

“10 Jaw-Dropping Drift Videos on YouTube” – An email sent by YouTube

“3 Ways To Improve Your Pins” – An email sent by Pinterest

With so many emails being received each day, there is a very high competition for open and click-through rates.

Use our email subject strategies to ensure your emails are noticed AND opened.

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