When it comes to saving money online and finding the best deals, few people do it better than brand marketers and bloggers. Not only do they know where to look, they also know about the top sites and brands, and how they have special ‘affiliate’ deals in place to secure the best promotions and discounts to their audience.

Appsumo has simply been one of the best in this game as the number one coupon platform for internet marketers for a while now. However, just like everything else on the internet changes and progresses in time, so it the discount and coupon code market for business owners as well.

It appears the story is about to change because im.deals have arrived with a bang, ready to prove their worth to any and every internet marketer who decides to try them out.

What makes IM.Deals stand out from the crowd is that they have exciting offers and features throughout the site that hope to beat anything you can get on Appsumo or any other digital coupon platform.

Im.deals is the latest project by Oliver Kenyon. He was the founder of AffliateFix, the largest Affiliate Marketing Forum with several thousands of members, customers, and brands contributing to the site daily. Let it also be known that Oliver recently sold AffliateFix for seven figures.

This has all happened at a fairly decent pace as well, being that Kenyon has at the young age of 31 built a reputation as a hardworking solution provider. First, with AffliateFix and other various projects, he has shown himself an expert at knowing what people need and giving it to them in the best ways.

Im.deals is looking like a similar solution providing community from this ardent hustler. You don’t have to be told about the stress and costs of internet marketing, especially for small and medium businesses. Im.deals has brought a solution in the form of exclusive coupons and deals that will give you rest from heavy charges. This is the site to go for deals on marketing tools. You can also partner with them to offer your coupons on their site. Terms and Conditions apply, though.

This platform is designed for the benefit of all internet marketers searching for the best online discount coupons on great marketing tools. You might be wondering how this new platform can be an equal player in the market with a veteran like Appsumo. Let us take a step by step examination of how they both compare.

As an Internet Marketer, five areas are very crucial when you want to pick a marketing tool for any purpose. We are going to examine how Appsumo and im.deals stand up to themselves in these five aspects unique to coupon platforms.

Deals

The type of deals offered on a coupons-and-deals platform is very important to the choice of the platform you want to use as an internet marketer. Appsumo offer time-bound deals that you have to use almost immediately or stand a chance on losing out. Im.deals, however, made it better by offering evergreen deals that are not time-sensitive. You can always go back for that marketing tool offer when you have the money.

Contact

Appsumo has impressive customer service. Im.deals are, however, up to the task. They have a simple contact button for you to drop your questions. You can also place a call or mail through contact@imdeals.com. You can also reach out through their social media platforms.

Partnership

You might want to promote your brand by selling coupons on im.deals. They have three things they ask you to take note of the deal, the coupons, and the commission. Then you can fill the form and submit your deal.

Time

Time is a worthy currency in the internet marketing world. Im.deals is a great time saver. Unlike Appsumo, that is not quite to the point on their page, im.deals take you right to the deals. The website also has a fast loading speed.

Simplicity

It is essential to be able to quickly understand the layout and what is being said on a webpage. This understanding is gotten from how simply the pages are designed. Im.deals holds its own when it comes to simplicity.

im.deals is prepared to compete with Appsumo in a bid to bring internet marketers the best value for their money. Im.deals has made saving thousands of dollars very easy for the internet marketer.

Where to Find the Best Money Saving Discounts Online

When it comes to finding the best coupon codes and deals online, word gets around fast. Searching through Google and continually coming across expired coupons is a huge pain. The better solution is to go right to the source and find sites that list only the most recent and active promotions in place.

Internet marketing coupons and deals are now a breeze with more options open to the savvy internet marketer. Im.deals presently has 48 deals, and more are still being added daily. Over 500 deals have been claimed on their site.

You do not want to miss this opportunity. Go to im.deals and start marketing at a more affordable rate.

Webinars have quickly become a dream come true for any marketers or brands that take advantage of them. Not only is it great for email collection and building a strong mailing list, it’s also pretty amazing for site conversions too. Webinars are all about engagement and audience participation.

For anyone who hasn’t been following the world of webinars, a lot has changed in the past year – specifically in reference to how easy and webinars are to set up, and the many ways they can be used to engage with attendees and further increase conversions.

With the global e-learning market being expected to grow from $176 billion in 2017 to reach $325 billion by 2025, the demand for online learning is huge. The best way to increase enrollment and grow your business, is through the use of free/paid online webinars.

Inspired by ClickMeeting’s latest release of a whole new set of tools and features for their users, we thought it would be a cool idea to give a five-step process on how to grow your business and brand through webinars today.

Sound like a good plan? Let’s get started!

1. Join a Webinar Solution Platform

When it comes to finding the right webinar platform to use, it’s a lot like web hosting for your site — as in, there are plenty of solutions out there to choose from, but they all vary based on features, costs, and real reviews and recommendations.

For the sake of saving time, let’s just use ClickMeeting as an example of a reliable webinar solution.

It also makes for a great example, as they allow new users to sign up for 30 days free, with no credit card required.

In either case, when signing up for a webinar provider, be sure to consider the following:

• Free trial to create/setup your account
• Ease of use for attendees to attend webinar
• Built in features and tools to engage with audience
• Costs of webinar solution access and attendee limits
• Available integrations with other business apps you already use

After you’ve taken a look around at the different options out there and have considered each of the data points above, you should then have a much better idea in reference to what direction you want to go with your webinar.

2. Create the Content for Your Webinar

After signing up for your account, it’s then time to play around with the platform and also make your first webinar event content.

In most cases, when running a webinar, it’s often live video or presentation slides that were created in Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides. The good news here is, if you already have marketing and sales pitch presentations built out, then you can start running your webinar relatively quickly, as most of the work is already done.

When you are ready to start playing around with the date, setup and content for your webinar, this can all easily be done right through the webinar platform. You can see an example of how this would look on ClickMeeting in the screenshot below.

No matter how you host your webinar or the type of content you plan to offer, make sure it’s of value and that you’ve had a couple run-throughs by yourself to get comfortable and also have an idea on how long your webinar will last.

3. Start Building a Mailing List with Webinar Registration

With your webinar solution and content now in place, it’s time to start thinking about when you will launch your event and how you are going to get people to attend.

Assuming that you already have a blog or mailing list, you will definitely want to start sharing your webinar sign up landing pages in both. It’s also important to keep promoting and reminding your audience through social media as well.

If ClickMeeting is your platform of choice, then you can easily embed the “webinar room,” including the gated registration experience, on your own website, which not only provides you with more analytics and retargeting capabilities – it also keeps your audience in the same branded domain when they clickthrough, for minimal “context switching” friction.

When someone joins your webinar event, they can also be added to a new (or existing) mailing list segment as well. However, there are plenty of ways you can approach this sign up process for your webinar.

The best, is often through a sales funnel process. You can see how this would all lay out properly through the visual chart below.

No matter if you use a straight registration page or a sales funnel, be sure to give something away for free in your webinar and have some great call to actions and headline in your ad copy. Both will increase the chances of someone signing up and staying through the end of the event.

Most webinars start with a problem their audience has, and then makes their way through to solving that problem and offering it as an up sell at the end of the webinar.

This whole process has become a whole lot easier with ClickMeeting’s new integration of in-webinar polls and popups with call-to-action (CTA) buttons.

4. Go Live with Your Webinar

By this point you’ve likely spent a lot of time and effort on the creation of your webinar, setting up the registration pages and getting as many subscribers to attend as possible.

Now, it’s time to start the webinar and get excited!

Assuming all goes well, after your webinar takes place, you should have a bunch of new leads and sales.

Here are some tips to remember while you are hosting your webinar:

1. Start a little early and engage with anyone who is in the room
2. Progress through your event slowly so everyone can follow – but not too slowly
3. Try to maintain the flow of two-way engagement with the audience is key (these features help)
4. Aim for around 45-90 minutes for your webinar
5. If you have time, stick around to answer all questions at the end

5. Follow Up with Registrants and Attendees

Once your webinar has come to a close, it’s time to think back about how it went and to take some notes on your final thoughts. Did it run too short/long? Were people interested? What do the webinar analytics show you about dropoff points where you apparently lost people’s attention? Did it make you any money or grow your business?

These are all important questions to ask so you can keep improving in time.

However, your webinar process isn’t over yet.

It’s now time to consider the following last steps:

• Sending out a mailing to your attendees and thanking them
• Offer the ability for webinar sign ups to watch a replay
• Send out a few daily follow-up reminders to act on the offer that was pitched
• Run a retargeting campaign to webinar sign ups
• Manually email people who asked questions, querying them about any additional concerns they might have

To learn more about each of these steps, be sure to read this user guide.

Bonus Tip: Repeat the Process and Keep Improving

Last but not least… don’t forget to keep repeating the process and improving over time.

Some marketers and brands do webinars daily, weekly and monthly. It all comes down to the success of your webinars and how much it helps your bottom line.

Keep replicating the process and try to improve upon areas that you feel are work or could be improved to increase conversions.

Also, don’t be afraid to come out with new webinars or concept designs. I’m sure a good portion of your audience would love to learn from you on many different topics and learn more about yourself in the process.

Webinars are here to stay, and they are now also better than ever. Why not run one of your own today?

Did you know 77% of internet users read blogs? Blogs are a powerful way to reach potential customers.

But how do you get your target client to read your blog?

Crafting an effective post isn’t hard when you follow a blog post structure.

The structure provides a foundation for your post. Once you lay the foundation you can add personality, style, and resources.

Keep reading for tips on writing content that resonates with blog visitors.

Start with an Engaging Headline

Don’t make people guess if they should read your blog. Use active words to convince them to keep reading.

A strong headline with relevant keywords appeals to readers and search engines.

Write a Compelling Introduction

The headline grabs attention. The introduction keeps it. Use the introduction to explain why readers need your information.

Here are three ways to hook the reader:

1. Tell a Personal Story

Give readers a personal account of what the topic means to you. If you’re promoting a product or service, show why you care about it.

2. Offer a Solution to a Problem

Describe a relatable problem. Explain the negative consequences of ignoring the issue.

Offer your blog post as the way to relieve the negative situation. Make sure the problem and solution match the needs of your target audience.

3. Include Relevant Statistics

Readers want statistics that support your topic. State how many people share the problem. Reveal positive results based on your solution.

Use all three methods by relating a personal story backed up with statistics.

Break up Blocks of Text

Create a page people can scan. Break up the text so it’s easy to digest the information. Use the following methods to produce appealing posts.

Subheads

Readers and search engines love subheads. Readers can skim the article and choose to read certain sections.

Subheads add clarity and context that result in good search engine rankings.

Bullet Points and Numbered Lists

Bullet points and lists drive home a point and inspire action.

• Keep Bullet Points Short
• Start with a Verb
• Make Them Consistent
• Describe Benefits
• List Action Steps

A list stands out from the surrounding paragraphs. Use it to help readers see important information.

Graphics and Photos

Graphics, video, and photographs add interest. Show readers your product or service in action. Explain hard-to-understand points with images and video.

If you can’t create original photos and video, hire a photographer or videographer. Use a stock photo service if you’re on a budget.

Calls to Action

People share appealing graphics, memes, and quotes. Encourage people to share your content with links and social share buttons.

Blog Length

The perfect length for a blog post depends on your goal. Here are a few quick data points that are recommended from iWriter:

• Talk to Your Target Audience
• Do Your Keyword Research
• Put Your Headline to Work
• Hook Your Reader
• Add Appropriate Images
• Optimize for Search Engine Optimization
• Include a Call to Action

Do you want something short and shareable? Write a 100-word blog. Include share buttons and appealing graphics to increase exposure.

If you’re explaining a complex task write a long article. Readers looking for a complete explanation appreciate a 2000-word tutorial.

Consider your goal, then write a blog that meets it. Don’t limit yourself to a word count.

Proofread and Revise

Always proofread, edit, and revise your posts. Poor grammar and spelling ruin credibility and web traffic. No one reads a post full of errors.

Attract Readers with a Blog Post Structure

Use the blog post structure outlined here to attract readers. Write content that resonates with your readers and they’ll share it.

Treat blogs as a serious part of your business. They reflect your brand as much as any other published work.

Read the Blogging.org blog for more ideas on positive language.

Content marketing is more important than ever before. Brands in every sector recognize that creating excellent content is the key to winning over customers. In 2019, their content marketing strategies still hinge on the quality of their blogs. One survey showed that 53% of marketers felt that blogging was the most important form of content marketing.

If you are planning on revamping your own blogging strategy, it is a good idea to learn from companies with a great track record. We decided to create a case study on some of the best blogs in various industries, so you can use them as inspiration for your own website. Here are seven great examples to follow.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola has dominated its industry for over 130 years. The company’s success isn’t attributed so much to its product innovation, as to its ingenious approach to marketing.

Coca-Cola has always evolved with technology to make the most of its marketing strategy. It started the Coca-Cola Conversations blog to engage with its customers in a unique way.

The blog mostly focuses on talking about Coca-Cola collectibles. They make sure that every blog post is short and to the point. While longform content works in some industries that need to educate their target customers, Coca-Cola recognizes that its customers don’t want to read long walls of text when looking at old Coca-Cola products. They have made their blog more engaging by keeping the posts more concise. This strategy has paid off for them, because they have already earned well over a million visitors. The blog has been growing steadily since, which is especially impressive considering Coca-Cola had one of the largest brands in the world before this campaign started. 

Grammarly

Grammarly is a company that publishes software products to help people improve the quality of the writing. They serve a number of different types of customers, including college students, law clerks and copywriters.

Grammarly manages a blog that provides basic writing tips. This helps the company into ways:

• The blog helps Grammarly brand itself as an authority in its market (after all, who would want to buy a grammar checker from a company that didn’t understand the mechanics of the English language?)
• They use the blog to generate more exposure for their brand
• By helping customers develop basic writing skills, Grammarly is able to help them get the most out of the product

Grammarly covers a large number of topics on its blog. It helps customers with a variety of challenges that they face with writing.

WayKen Rapid Manufacturing

WayKen Rapid Manufacturing is a company that uses prototype manufacturing services from China. They have a great blog that talks about amazing innovation breakthroughs in their industry. 

Sweet Leaf Tea

Sweet Leaf Tea is a lesser known company, but it has clearly mastered the art and science of blogging. Unlike most brands in various industries, Sweet Leaf Tea recognizes that the effectiveness of a blog is not limited to the quality of its articles alone. They have created a holistic blog design that clearly conveys the company’s core branding message.

Sweet Leaf Tea uses older fonts. It also has a color scheme and pictures that help convey an earthy message. They do a good job cultivating the warm, nurturing emotions that they want customers to experience.

Nuts About Southwest

The airline industry is not particularly well liked by many customers these days. Southwest seems to understand that, so they have created a blog that helps change customer perception.

The Nuts About Southwest blog discusses customer experiences with both Southwest and the airline industry as a whole. They have done a good job getting customers to engage with them through social media. The blog has a social feed that any customer can reply through. The Southwest blog is optimized to share content through social media, so customers can spread the word about new developments at Southwest and events affecting the airline industry.

Intercom

Intercom is a messaging software publisher that provides a variety of different types of products for various customers. Intercom recognizes that each classification of customer has unique needs. Therefore, it creates blog posts around different categories of customers.

What lessons can we learn from these successful blogs?

These examples show that brands in a variety of industries can get a lot of traction through blogging. Creating blog content is a great way to expand reach and position a company’s brand image in a positive way. Here are some lessons that we can pick up from these companies.

The length of your content should be based on customer expectations

If you read blogging guides, they often propose a lot of rigid rules of thumb when recommending the length of an article. Since the Google Panda update, they tend to recommend writing longer articles (ideally over 1000 words). These articles often are based off of those bloggers’ own experiences, which may not be universally applicable. The problem is that these bloggers often fail to consider that customers of different companies have their own expectations when reading blog content.

The blogs listed here all do a good job understanding the expectations of their customers. Coca-Cola writes much shorter blog posts, because they realize that people don’t want to read a couple of thousand words of content when they want to learn about a simple, fun topic like Coca-Cola collectibles. Meanwhile, other companies like Grammarly and Intercom write longer posts, because they have to educate their customers about complex topics.

Make the layout of your blog match your branding message

There is another commonality between the blogs we covered here. They all have optimized the user experience around their core branding messages. These companies realize that customer perception is determined by more than the content of their articles. The color schemes, font styles and header images are also very important.

Have a clear goal in mind

One of the biggest mistakes that brands make his writing content without a clear direction. You need to establish a list of objectives first. Every blog post needs to be written with these goals in mind and you need to make sure that it advances them in some way. Southwest has made sure that its blog posts improve the perception of the airline industry. Grammarly wants to educate customers about writing better and make sure that they have the necessary foundation to make the most of their product.

Make sure that your content warms readers up for future calls-to-action

You don’t want to take an ad hoc approach to writing content. Too many content marketing. They believe that as long as they get readers onto their website, they will be able to visibility for their brand. They believe that is all they need to do to get a future sale.

Unfortunately, it is rarely this easy. Your visitors are going to evaluate the entirety of your brand when deciding whether or not to make a future purchase. Inconsistent messages are not going to solidify your brand image in their mind. Low quality content is going to make your brand less appealing as well.

Whenever you are creating new content for your site, you need to think about brand positioning with the goal of future conversions in mind. This means that you need to think of future calls-to-action while generating any new content.

You need to make sure that your content sets the stage for future landing pages, so readers know what to expect. Here are some things that you will want to keep in mind:

• The general layout of your content should not be too different from your other landing pages. You might need to trim the length of the content a bit, but you are going to want to otherwise make the presentation as similar as possible.
• You need to think about the types of CTAs that you will have on your sales pages. Are you going to use buttons with a specific color? Then you might want to use similar colors in other images on your blog posts. That is going to help readers get used to those colors. When they make the transition to your landing page, they will be more comfortable interacting with them.
• Your other content should reinforce the key points on your landing pages. If you are emphasizing the importance of affordability and accessibility on your sales pages, then you want to discuss them in detail on other pages as well.

There are a lot of other factors that you might need to consider, but hopefully this gives you a good idea of what you need to keep in mind. Before you start creating any new content, you should ask yourself how it will support the rest of your strategy.

Don’t be afraid to change course if your content isn’t resonating with your readers

Consistency is one of the most important aspects of any content marketing strategy. However, it doesn’t make sense to be consistent about following a template that isn’t working.

There is a lot of testing involved in any online marketing strategy. You will probably start off with some preconceptions about the types of messages and content that will appeal to your readers. However, your data is probably going to show that a lot of your assumptions missed the mark.

Your content marketing strategy is going to be a work in progress at the beginning. You will need to pay close attention to your analytics to see what content your readers are most interested in. Don’t be afraid to stop writing content that they aren’t engaging with. Otherwise, you will just be wasting your time and money.

Go after a broad range of keywords

You can learn a lot from major blogs like these by looking at their general layout, but you can see even more when you look under the hood. Take a look at the keywords that these blogs are ranking for. 

You will see that Grammarly, Sweet Leaf and Coca-Cola are all getting traffic from a lot of different keywords. They have taken a very broad content marketing strategy, rather than focusing a few select keywords. 

There are several benefits to this approach:

• You can attract a lot of traffic from less competitive keywords. This is especially important for new blogs, because they don’t have a high domain authority yet. However, it is also beneficial for large blogs as well. They can receive a lot of traffic from random, long-tail keywords that they might not otherwise have thought to focus on.
• You may find that some of the less obvious keywords actually convert better. By targeting a wide range of keywords, you can find a number of hidden gems. 
• Targeting a wider range of keywords can help you expand the demographics that you want to target. 

You may be surprised by how much traction your blog will get by focusing on a large number of keywords.

Use a strong internal linking strategy

All of the blogs that we reviewed here have done a great job with their internal linking strategy. They often have at least a couple of links on each page. This is a good way to improve SEO. However, it also improves navigation and helps readers find the content they are looking for. 

Don’t underestimate the importance of a great logo

Creating great content is important, but it is not enough by itself. Every blog needs a great logo. Some companies have spent millions of dollars on their logos, so you don’t want to overlook it.

The blogs we reviewed all have excellent logos and they are prominently featured. You want to keep this in mind.  You can always reuse the logo elsewhere, such as with branded water bottles. 

Use These Blogs as Your Guide!

It is a lot easier to create a successful blog if you follow templates from others that have been successful. The blogs on this list have become very successful, because they have an excellent layout and a well-thought out content marketing strategy. You should keep this in mind while developing your own blog.

Everyone who knows what it’s like to earn money online uses several payment systems that allow them withdrawing money they have earned. Certainly, all the passwords and logins are saved on the computer, so any hacker is able to enter the system and use it. Even if the data is not stored on a laptop, but in a notebook, it can still be stolen if you connect to Wi-Fi in public places.

TorGuard VPN Review will make it possible for you to avoid such a situation. VPN encrypts information sent by the user, and scammers can no longer get it. In other words, if you buy a VPN, you can be sure that all your data will be protected, and no one will be able to monitor your network activity.

Privacy Policy And Its Significance

If you are a political activist, journalist or blogger, you live and work in a country with an authoritarian government, your freedom and safety may depend on being able to keep your online activities in secret. If you have to work with private or secret information, make sure it is encrypted.
Nowadays, loss of personal data threatens anyone who surfs the web. But there are people for whom this issue is especially important – bloggers. Creating, maintaining and monetizing a blog is a hard job taking years. Safety is critical here: confidentiality loss may destroy the reputation created over the years, and often destroys the entire project.

Anyone surfing the web is constantly exposed to the possibility of losing privacy. User’s data may be seen by third parties who want to use the information obtained with the maximum benefit for them. If the passport is the main identifier in life, IP address has the same function online. And every website user visits saves this address. VPN service hides the real IP from third parties, and neither the person nor the computer can identify it. It is replaced by one of the multiple IP addresses that are located throughout the world. Due to a special connection, you may access any content, visit websites that are available only to residents of certain countries.

Nowadays, online privacy is at risk. Are you concerned the provider is watching you online? Do you want to protect your personal data? Or maybe you just want to access blocked sites? The online privacy issue is becoming increasingly significant since hacker attacks become more frequent, network censorship develops, and providers monitor users on the web.

TorGuard is an excellent security service with a zero log policy that will impress those who value their privacy. Also, the service is a catch for users working with torrents. Visiting TorGuard website, you are able to also find a lot of useful information, such as a YouTube channel.
Unlike lots of analogs, TorGuard offers very interesting solutions: a proxy server based on BitTorrent designed for secure file sharing. It also supports Socks5 with access to more than 100 servers, and the traffic is sent through several dozen IP servers in multiple countries allowing you hiding your identity. There is also a VPN network supporting OpenVPN and LT2P.

256-bit encryption provides a high level of security. There are also such protection means as MITM and G / PGP. No user actions are seen even by the provider. Using firewall rules, you are able to set up a spam block. The service, however, collects some personal information when signing up for marketing purposes:

• Unlimited speed;
• unlimited traffic;
• SOCKS5/SSH/HTTP/SSL;
• 1600+ servers;
• OpenVPN/SSTP/L2TP/IPsec;
• safe web surfing;
• 5 devices can be connected simultaneously;
• protection against hackers;
• 2000+ IP addresses in 50+ countries of the world;
• free customer support.

Entering the data of your bank card or mentioning personal data in correspondence, you put yourself at risk; that’s exactly why you have to install at least free VPN service which will encrypt your data.

Why Bloggers Need VPN

Nowadays, there are lots of places where you can blog. But almost all of them are united by one thing: zero security. That’s why it’s essential to use a VPN when creating an online blog. Let’s see why security and VPN access are so important for a blogger.

Almost any blogger blogs from different locations. At least in their own city, as well as many bloggers travel a lot making traveling a part of their personal brand. That means they actively use public Wi-Fi, and almost all of these points are known for extremely low security. VPN is a must; every time you connect to the network through public Wi-Fi, your personal data can be seen by scammers. So the first reason why you need the service is safety.

VPN is also important for other reasons. The second reason why you need VPN access is visiting blocked websites. In different countries, the government has a different understanding of what people can visit on the web and what they can’t do online. It becomes possible for you to access blocked content only via VPN. Even a free service allows viewing blocked sites.
Another reason why you need to install

Online reviews are one of the most effective and powerful ways to influence sales, conversions, and customer confidence in your brand or product. With millions of people now heading to Google to search for reviews and customer feedback before purchasing pretty much anything, your business will likely be heavily influenced by what your potential customers see in the search rankings even before they get to your site.

When looking at the internet as a whole, this affects businesses of all sizes – whether you are in the travel industry, sales, customer service, ecommerce or even a person brand.

With sites like Yelp, Google Local, and Trip Advisor often ranking at the top of Google for most review related search results, it’s not just about making sure your site ranks at the top of Google, it’s also about making sure you have positive reviews and a trusted reputation across all of the mediums as well.

To help with this process, today we are going to highlight some of the best tips from Neil Patel on how to boost your business with reviews. Whether you’re after the SEO benefits or the trust-building conversion optimization benefits of customer reviews, there’s a lot that you can do to proactively improve your brand’s digital footprint with proactive management of reviews, and Patel has a lot of killer advice on the subject.

Let’s get started.

Get Creative with Your Customer Recommendations and Testimonials

When it comes to gaining the trust and business from a new customer, recommendations and testimonials go a long way – even if the audience doesn’t know that person recommending the product or service directly.

With this in mind, you will want to get as many testimonials for your brand and business as possible. If you are going to wait around for random positive emails and comments to come in, they’re likely going to be far and few between.

Instead, you are going to need to get creative with not only how you collect feedback from your customers, but also how you showcase them as well.

Here are a few recommended tips from Neil on how to best accomplish this.

1. Facebook Reviews
2. LinkedIn Recommendations
3. YouTube Video Reviews
4. Local Search Directories
5. Niche Review Sites
6. Rewarding Customers Who Review
7. Google Alerts and Social Mentions

Each of these recommendations can be used differently, but the most important thing is to try and make it as easy, quick, and fun as possible for your audience to leave feedback. Social media platforms like Facebook make this extremely simple, as users can visit your Facebook Page and click a star rating, and also leave their own feedback.

He also wisely recommends that you set up alerts for new social posts or web pages that include mentions of your brand name, so that you can be notified when a new review goes live. This way, you can jump in on the conversation, thank the reviewer for his or her feedback, and perform some “damage control” if there’s anything negative in the content.

And finally, Neil advises his audience to consider incentivizing customers to leave reviews for your business with some kind of reward program. This can help steer the conversation towards vibes of delight and positivity, while simultaneously maximizing the volume of reviews that your business has amassed.

If you would like to learn more about each of these methods, you can read his full resource guide on this process here.

Connect with Other Industry Experts You’ve Worked With

We’ve already stressed the importance of getting reviews out there for people to see when they start searching for your brand or business. But there are many other ways to make a great first impression and gain new customers as well.

One such way is to connect with any influencers or industry experts that you may already be working with. For example, check out this Neil Patel review that was written up and posted on the blog from one of his previous customers. They found so much value in his courses and consulting, that they took the time to let their audience know about it and share it with others.

The benefit here to a business or brand is HUGE — and not just in the aspect of getting another testimonial.

When someone writes about your business or brand in a positive way, it works wonders across the board. It can help with social media exposure, search rankings, and also be used as yet another testimonial.

Even better, if that person is an influencer or has a following online, their recommendation or feedback is likely to go even further and could result in an immediate impact to your business and brand.

Use Social Profiles to Rank in Google

As previously mentioned, one of the most immediate first impressions that someone is going to find when they search for your name or brand online, is through the many different premium rating sites in Google. In most cases, you aren’t going to be able to controlled the feedback or ratings left on these sites, but what you can do is try to rank above them with your own websites and social profiles.

Since Google loves sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, it’s in your best interest to try and rank these pages for your name and brand. If you were to visit Google and type in “Neil Patel”, you would see something like this… with his main websites and social profiles ranking for his personal name and brand. This is what all businesses and brands should be striving for.

Not only will this help with getting people directly to your own sites and brands, it can also help improve your reputation and customer loyalty in the process.

By making it easy for your audience to find your main websites and brand online, they will be more likely to shop or purchase right away. At the same time, by having potential customers hit your websites, blog, or social profiles first, it’s another great way to showcase your best customer feedback, reviews and rating, and also any awards to top achievements you might want to be known for.

To learn more about how to start ranking your social profiles higher in Google, you can do so by reading this social media SEO expert guide.

How to Grow Your Business and Brand with Online Reviews

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits to using online reviews, ratings, and customer testimonials to grow your brand and business.

At the same time, you shouldn’t just be focusing your efforts on sites like Google Local and Yelp.

The more ownership you have over your own sites and where your reviews and customer feedback is posted, the better control over the first impression that will be delivered to your audience.

Follow these steps and start putting more emphasis on the power of online reviews and customer feedback to increase ROI and new business for your brand.