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THE JOURNALISM INDUSTRY IS STRUGGLING: HOW PUBLIC RELATIONS MUST PIVOT

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You probably saw on the news that News Corp is making the move for numerous publications to a primarily digital platform, along with the announcement hundreds of journalists will lose their jobs. Just the week prior the closure of Ten Daily was announced, again resulting in the letting go of dozens of journalists. The industry is struggling, and not just from COVID-19 but also from reduced advertising take-ups in editorials according to Channel 10, the closure of traditional newspaper outlets, and free information consumption. There’s even talk that some journalists will be replaced by robots.

Journalism plays a pivotal role within society, and watching the impacts unfold is devastating.

What can we expect to see?

Many have said the journalism industry has been dying for years, but the topic is controversial. Some say it is just adapting to the changing media landscape; others point out citizen journalism has skyrocketed in the last decade. But what about professional journalists employed by publications?

The loss of jobs in journalism was happening prior to the pandemic, but in the wake of COVID-19 it is only going to have further financial repercussions. As for many other industries, it is likely redundancies and job loss will continue, as well as the closure of newsrooms and traditional newspapers. This won’t mean a reduction in content readily available – after all, anyone can post anything online. The internet is never short of opinions. But what this might mean is a reduction to the quality of content available.

Job losses will mean employed journalists may be overstretched, running with more stories than usual, particularly in regional areas where many publications will only be available in a digital format and as such redundancies will be higher.

Impacts on the Public Relations industry

The role of PR within communications means we are regularly in contact with journalists, pitching clients and seeking earned media coverage. This is of course going to affect our industry, but not all in the ways you might think.

With many journalists being let go and moving into other careers, and some publications ceasing work altogether, this will obviously limit who you can contact, increasing difficulty in pitching. This will also make it harder to get your pitch seen with employed journalists overseeing more stories and fewer resources available. Again, for local news outlets this will particularly apply. The pivot of publications to chiefly digital platforms will also reduce the number of physical papers in publication, potentially impacting on audience reach.

Interestingly, we have also heard multiple times of journalists making a career-change into Public Relations, an obvious move with already-made media contacts and an understanding of what a journalist looks for in a story. For this reason, I expect we may also see many transferring into this industry.

Adapting to the changing media landscape

Like everyone, the PR industry will need to adapt and evolve. Whether you’re helping a client, or you’re a business seeking earned media coverage, here are some things to consider.

  • Have the story ready

Journalists are already overworked, and they will likely have even more stories on their plate at any one time. Make their job as easy as possible through not only providing the main source, for example yourself or a client, but with at least two others readily available who are happy to provide comments or be recorded. This will save them time needing to find other sources with limited resources.

  • Pitch to freelancers

Many journalists that leave large publications may decide to go solo and work as a freelancer. Many of them are incredibly talented, providing work for renowned and highly-credible publications. Don’t think you can only pitch directly to a publication, contact freelancers as well. Again, they will be working incredibly hard, so will likely be appreciative of tips and interesting stories.

  • Subscriptions

This is a bit of a different angle, but remains important: if you are able to, subscribe to and pay for the news subscriptions of value to you. The already-struggling industry is going to face further difficulty stemming from the Coronavirus pandemic, and paying subscription fees can offer a little relief. Help keep these outlets alive.

CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE: GETTING YOUR BUSINESS SEEN IN THE MEDIA

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To a lot of people Public Relations is a bit of a grey area, with many lacking a clear understanding of what it is, and how beneficial it can be to a business. I certainly fit this category when I first started out, with only a vague idea of it being related to the promotion of a business and brand image. It wasn’t until I started working in communications, seeing the results received by our POPCOM clientele, that I came to really understand how powerful it is as a marketing tool.

So, let’s start there: What is PR?

Put very basically, PR is driving a certain message and perception about a brand, and maintaining it. To do this effectively a myriad of strategies are utilised, such as advertising, social media presence and marketing. One of the main ways however is through earned media.

Earned media is exactly what it sounds like – media that is earned. Put bluntly, you don’t pay anything for it, and could be as simple as a mention in a newspaper or blog post.

Not only is it cost-effective, but people are more likely to pay attention to this as opposed to advertorials. In fact, 92 percent of people trust earned media. Think about it: anyone can pay for an advertisement, but only someone credible who the journalist both trusts and finds interesting is going to receive earned media coverage. This will differentiate you from competitors, and is why PR can be a powerful tool in your external communications strategy.

How can you get earned media exposure?

There are various things to consider when looking to attain earned media coverage, but for now we’re going to highlight three major points.

1. Know your audience

Who are the people you want to be seen by? What publications are they reading? Of course it’s great to be featured in big outlets, especially for improving credibility. However, if they aren’t being read by your audience, then your brand isn’t going to be visible to the people you’re trying to reach. Get into the outlets they’re reading. Do your research, and work out what they are.

2. Have an angle

When approaching journalists and editorials, you need to have an angle – and it needs to be newsworthy. Be really honest and critical of yourself. Is your pitch of interest to others, or is it really just of interest to you? Is it a news story, or is it promotional material? Journalists aren’t there to talk about how great your business is, their job is to deliver an angle.

3. Promote yourself

A great way of receiving earned media is through pitching yourself in areas of relevance to your brand, and promoting yourself as an expert in your field. You could do this through offering opinion pieces to editorials, or providing comments on topics in the news cycle that relate to your expertise. Put a face to the brand, and advocate yourself as an industry thought leader.

Pitching and finding newsworthy angles can be difficult, but that’s what we’re here for. If you need some help cutting through the noise and getting your brand seen in the right places, contact POPCOM Director Amanda Lacey at amanda@popcom.com.au.

Article by Sophie Richardson

WHAT WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS DURING COVID-19

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Amanda Lacey, Director of POPCOM answers three questions about the importance of a crisis communications plan, and how to communicate returning to the office.

Why is having a crisis communication plan so important for businesses, particularly now with the COVID-19 pandemic?

Speed. When you don’t communicate with your audience in a timely manner, the narrative gets written for you. COVID-19 so far has been a crisis on steroids.

Initially, when COVID-19 started gaining momentum and we saw Italy closing down, there were a lot of comparisons to the GFC. COVID-19 is bigger than the GFC – for those who were working through that period we all remember how awful that was. I was reminded recently that the GFC was a series of events – essentially, it was caused by people doing the wrong thing in business. COVID-19 is bigger, and we won’t know the full implications for some time, which is frankly, scary.

During scary times, we look to our leaders – not just political but community based. Leaders are your immediate boss, the CEO of your company the old guy who owns the cafe on the next street who everyone knows; in other words, they are the people you look too for opinion and information. We will be looking to these leaders more as we are all hungry for updates. We want to know information as it happens, we want to know the bad news – as we all love watching bad news; but it gets exhausting, we also want to know how and when we will get through it.

What should organisations be doing as we return to the office?

Have a crisis plan and a clear channel for communicating in place. There is a possibility that someone within your workplace will contract the COVID virus. How quickly and clearly you respond will differentiate your organisation. 

When crunch time comes, employees and other stakeholders will compare notes. Having a prepared crisis communications plan in place gives you a leg up during this time. You don’t want ‘Katey from accounts’ being the person to disseminate the news that a colleague has been admitted to hospital. 

You need to plan your communication lines internally and externally to ensure that you delivering the right message, that is coordinated and includes vital information, in a timely manner. 

What are the biggest mistakes businesses can make during crisis communication, both in regard to COVID-19 but also in the future? 

When you don’t communicate with your audience in a timely manner, the narrative gets written for you. COVID-19 is no different. 

If you need to deliver difficult information, such as asking staff to take a pay cut to get through the next six months due to a drop in revenue, don’t dwell for too long, you have the numbers, you know the outcomes, deliver the news. Don’t talk about it broadly during the modelling stage, as information like this will slip. 

Own the bad news, develop appropriate messaging for each stakeholder group, show genuine empathy – as let’s be honest, unless you are actually some sort of corporate sociopath, no one likes communicating bad news, and look to the future or the next steps after the bad news. 

The mistake I am seeing organisations make is developing messaging that is ambiguous around bad news. Don’t do that. Deliver sensitive information in a clear and concise way. If you are really struggling use bullet points: 

  • We are asking all employees to opt in to a 20% reduction of salary.

Follow up hard news with future or forward looking statements. You want to move the mindset of the receiver past the negative message. 

  • It is our commitment to you that we will repay any remuneration forgone as soon as we can. We are asking for this sacrifice so we can secure our future.

You also need to show that you are sacrificing above and beyond what you are asking employees to do, which you more than likely are. This won’t make you look weak, this will accurately reflect just how much you care about the organisations and the individuals within it.

Lastly, it is essential you deliver news internally first. No one wants to read about their company news for the first time from an external source – it is disrespectful. Internal and external relations will obviously read differently, but the message should be synchronised.

If you need help communicating with your employees during COVID-19 or to develop a crisis communication plan on returning to work, please reach out directly to Amanda Lacey at amanda@popcom.com.au.

WHAT TO SAY AND HOW TO SAY IT – COMMUNICATING WITH CUSTOMERS DURING COVID-19

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Effective external communications throughout the Coronavirus crisis is pivotal, even if your business has to temporarily close.

But, you need to do it right.

One of the first things to recognise before communicating with your clients is that you cannot continue business as usual. Your content plan for the next few months needs to be examined with a critical eye to ensure your brand does not come across as insensitive and tone-deaf. 

It is also uncharted territory for the audience – you want to use your platform to build trust and a reputation of being reliable. 

Everything you communicate needs to be succinct, direct, genuine and empathetic. All content will need to be checked repeatedly to guarantee that you are always sending the right message, and displaying the brand in the right way. You need to look to the future. 

Why should you be keeping engaged with your customers?

Many businesses are moving their operations online, allowing customers to continue buying their services and products. If this applies to your business, then maintaining engagement is obviously essential so your customers are made aware of these changes – and use them.

Additionally, when normal business resumes (and keep optimistic, because it will) you need to be ready to hit the ground running. This will particularly apply to businesses that are forced to temporarily halt all services, and may miss out on revenue for a while.

Perhaps most importantly, as a brand you will have major influence over your customers and how they respond to the pandemic. Use your platform to spread accurate information to promote good hygiene, health and self-isolation. Yes, maybe it is good for brand image, but put plainly it’s the right thing to do. Engage with your customers by communicating positively and prevent the spreading of misinformation.

Understand that times have changed

As said prior, it’s paramount that you understand that times have changed. All your content, whether it is planned or you are beginning to produce it now, needs to be heavily scrutinised. 

Deliberate over whether to proceed with planned campaigns. You should do this by taking an objective view to consider the possible responses it may provoke from your audience. How would they view this content? What might their reactions be? Does it come across as heartless or indifferent? Is there a better way to pitch this idea or a better time to deliver?

If it is necessary for your business to proceed with a launch be honest, concerned, transparent and cautious with your audience. All the same rules apply, you need to illustrate the value your product provides – which may be harder to do in a COVID-19 environment. 

With more people working from home, there is a larger audience now active across all social media platforms. Take advantage of this. If your content is sensitive – and it’s accompanied with a balance of non-promotional, genuine and empathetic content on topics such as staying healthy, the importance of self-isolating, hopeful quotes etc. – then post away. Let your customers see your products, and remind them you exist. 

 So, how can you engage with your customers – sensitively?

  • Be positive and look to the future

It’s likely your audience is already scanning the news throughout the day, so they probably aren’t turning to your Instagram feed for more upsetting updates (unless of course this is relevant to your area, e.g. a Law firm offering legal tips and advice).

Instead, engage with your audience through spreading positivity. Upload hopeful quotes; talk about some of the positive stories from the week that your audience may have missed; upload fun memes or interesting things to do to stay productive in isolation; and use your platform to celebrate the heroic work of our healthcare workers.

Although, this does not mean spreading overly optimistic, or worse false and inaccurate information. All your content must be completely truthful, and sources of your information must be authoritative and credible.

  • If you’re doing something to help

It has been amazing to see so many businesses using their resources to do good, and if you’re in a position to do this then you absolutely should. Make sure you tell your customers if you’re trying to help, and how.

Having said this, do not try and come across as a hero if what you’re doing is not going to make a significant impact. This is not a marketing opportunity, so you again need to be critical to ensure your brand does not come across as tone-deaf.

Not all businesses will be able to offer products or services that are going to dramatically help in the fight against COVID-19; some businesses might not be able to afford to. Even if it’s just spreading positivity on your social media accounts, or uploading advice for your viewers that is accurate and from credible sources, do what you can.

  • Update your audience on any changes to your business operations

Many businesses have begun moving their operations online so business can continue if physical stores have to close. This is fantastic, and it’s inspiring when you see small businesses persevere in such bleak times. But, if your audience doesn’t know you’ve changed tactics, how will they continue to use your services and buy your products?

Tell them on every platform. Social media, newsletters, email – make all your customers aware so you can continue operating as best you can in the circumstances.

  • Create a page on your website dedicated to COVID-19 updates

If not already, your business should have a go-to page on your website for customers to easily access for any queries or questions regarding how Coronavirus will impact your business. It should include information on store closures, what you’re doing to protect your customers and your team, a contact for further concerns and any other relevant information.

POPCOM Director Amanda Lacey is experienced in crisis communication, so if you’re unsure please reach out on amanda@popcom.com.au. These are difficult times for businesses, and maintaining the right kind of engagement can be difficult. However, it’s important to look to the future and remain optimistic.

BUSINESS RESPONSIBILITY DURING COVID-19

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As a brand you have a responsibility to act responsibly and ethically, fundamental to business success for so many reasons. However, in wake of the COVID-19 crisis, this is now an urgent requirement in aid of public interest for all businesses alike.

That seems a little melodramatic?

It may seem that way, but consider this: businesses have major influence over their audiences, both in how they think and how they act. This means that the spreading of disinformation, misinformation or inaccurate content regarding Coronavirus could have detrimental effects.

This is incredibly concerning considering how easy it is to upload content on heavily saturated platforms like Instagram. While social media platforms are trying to regulate this content to remove inaccurate or misleading information, in the space of just minutes content can reach hundreds of people – if not thousands, depending on the size of your brand and following.

You have a duty as a brand to ensure you are not part of the problem.

Why else will this benefit your business?

If this is not enough reason for you to ensure all internal and external communication is taken seriously, we will now consider some of the additional benefits.

  • You will earn yourself a reputation as a trusted brand

If the content you produce is continuously accurate and backed by credible sources, customers will recognise you as a brand that can be trusted. Trustworthiness has become an essential factor for consumers to consider when deciding whether or not to purchase a brand’s products and/or services. So put bluntly, if you want to get – and retain – customers, you need to build this reputation.

  • Improve SEO

Search engine algorithms favour content that includes outbound links to credible sources, for example in your site’s blog posts, consequently improving SEO. Articles with information and advice to customers should be taken directly from authoritative sources like the World Health Organisation (WHO) or the Australian Government website, with links included to take readers directly to their page. Strong SEO is necessary as it helps your website maximise exposure, thus increasing conversion rates.

How you can make sure all your information is accurate

Now that we’ve established why you need to distribute accurate information, let’s consider how.

1. Only distribute information from authoritative, official and credible sources

We’ve already touched on this a little above, but it’s worth mentioning again that information regarding COVID-19 should be sourced from WHO and the Australian Government. Include links to these sources whenever you do so to allow your audience easy and quick access to the whole material.

2. Don’t re-share without thinking

Everything you re share needs to be considered with a critical eye. First of all, look at the source. Is it legitimate? Is the source who they say they are? Do their comments add up and make sense? To be safe, don’t re share content from an account you are not completely familiar with, and if you are not certain they are credible.

3. Criticise everything repeatedly

Even top journalists and politicians make mistakes, whether they misread data or misunderstand a statement. This is why you should also critique authoritative sources before you make the decision to circulate it across social media and expose it to hundreds, or potentially thousands of users. If what they say turns out to be incorrect, their mistake could reflect poorly on your brand for your role in distributing it amongst an even larger audience.

4. Report misinformation and disinformation

As mentioned above, regulating content online is difficult, so as a user you have a duty to alert the platform to users spreading misinformation or disinformation.

For more information on business responsibility, during COVID-19 and otherwise, please contact POPCOM Director Amanda Lacey at amanda@popcom.com.au.

WHY ARE CONSUMERS LOSING TRUST IN BRANDS, AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

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Consumers are losing trust in brands – and that’s a fact according to multiple statistics. With 81 percent of consumers placing more trust in the advice of family and friends, businesses face an increasingly large obstacle if they want to achieve long-term success.

Before we look at ways of addressing this consumer distrust, lets first discuss what factors might be prompting it.

Breaches in privacy

In the past few years we have seen global businesses buckle to the news media cycle, with shocking scandals regarding privacy and the distribution of our personal information coming to light. Most notably perhaps was back in 2018 with Cambridge Analytica.

News broke in early 2018 that Facebook had allowed a data breach in which the private information of thousands of users had been leaked to other companies without consent. This included to Cambridge Analytica whom had used it for political advertising purposes in the 2016 Presidential campaign.

Facebook’s role in the scandal is particularly alarming considering it is a renowned and trusted social media platform with 15 million active users in Australia alone.

There was also serious doubt in the innocence of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbeg, generating grievous concerns for users and the expense of their privacy at the hands of large companies seeking personal and financial gain.

Misleading the public through false advertising

Many businesses have been caught out misleading the public, often through false or misleading advertising. One such practice is ‘greenwashing’, in which a company falsely claims to be acting in an ethical and environmentally sustainable way.

Examples include cosmetic companies like Avon that speak out against animal testing, yet sell their products in China – where cosmetics must be tested on animals by law (although this law may soon be lifted).

This kind of deceptive information has severely damaged consumer trust in brands. It has left many with the belief that anything circulated by brands about its processes has the potential to have been either manipulated or completely made-up.

The misuse of consumers’ personal information, along with false or deceptive advertising are just two of the factors that have generated widespread mistrust in brands. So, what can we do about it?

Transparency and credibility

It’s pretty obvious from the above examples that much of consumer mistrust stems from the unethical actions of other brands. So the first tip is pretty obvious: don’t be like them.

Don’t exaggerate your claims, try and fool your own consumers or make out your brand is something that it’s not. Perhaps it will work short-term, but the truth will eventually leak and damage the brand severely.

Instead, be transparent. Own up to your faults. Be realistic and open about how you will fix them. Say you will make ethical changes – except, actually fulfil them. Let consumers see you’re a brand that can be trusted, and develop a relationship from there.

Micro-influencers – putting a face to the recommendation

We noted above the amount of trust that is placed in friends and family for recommendations and advice, which is why micro-influencers can be incredibly effective.

Micro-influencers commonly focus on niche content, leaving followers with shared interests, hobbies and opinions feeling a stronger connection with them. Additionally, having a much smaller audience compared to macro-influencers (with just 1,000 to 80,000 active followers on a single social media platform) strengthens this connection, resulting in high engagement rates.

Brands are often seen as faceless corporations, which can make them hard to trust. Using micro-influencers, real people that users trust and admire, to recommend your brand can help build confidence.

Be active online

Particularly if you’re a small or relatively new business, getting set-up online and being active on all platforms is an easy and effective means of instilling confidence in your brand.

  • Encourage people to leave reviews and questions on your business Facebook page

  • Post frequently to your feed and stories on Instagram

  • Update your business website and introduce a blog with your expertise and comments

Create an identity for your brand using online platforms, and offer a warm and friendly demeanour to humanise it.

There are a myriad of other ways to build a trusting relationship between consumers and your brand. For more information and advice, contact POPCOM Director Amanda Lacey at amanda@popcom.com.au

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FOR PR IN 2020?

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So, with 2019 wrapped up, what can we expect for 2020?

Vertical focus

Founder of O’Brien Communications Tim O’Brien predicted in an article with Muck Rack that while horizontal focus will remain fundamental to the industry in 2020, including content development and social media management, “we’ll see an increased emphasis on vertical focus for pros with specialized experience”. This includes areas such as crisis management and legal PR.

At POPCOM, we agree with O’Brien on the increased demand for vertical or niche PR services in 2020.

“Most of our new business in late 2019 were clients seeking specialised experience in crisis communications and legal PR. The underpayment of wages across Australia has been huge, both in its scale and in the media attention it has received. This won’t be slowing down in the immediate future,” says POPCOM Director Amanda Lacey.

For her outstanding work in legal PR, Amanda was named a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards in 2018 and 2019 for Marketing Communications Professional of the Year.

Looking long-term

Experts in the industry will need to continue to guide and educate clients on the importance of taking the time to execute public relations correctly, says consultant and writer at Garrett Public Relations, Michelle Garrett.

The trust consumers have in companies is significantly low, exemplified by how 81 percent of consumers have greater trust in the advice of family and friends. Garrett believes working long-term to create “consistent” and “thoughtful” campaigns will help build trust in companies.

“There is no denying that word of mouth and personal recommendations will trump any advertising or PR campaign, which is why we have seen success with the use of micro-influencers,” says Amanda.

“The influencer is only one part of the PR equation however, the campaign as a whole needs to be synchronised to ensure that the messaging in on point – consistency will create authenticity and increase trust in a brand.”

It is up to the PR professionals to remind clients that seeking short-term fixes and results isn’t going to help the development of their company. Companies must aim to develop relationships with their consumers that go beyond their products and services with specific and longstanding messages.

Being famous with the right people

In 2019, many companies focussed on achieving ‘internet fame’ to drive and secure success. Meredith L. Eaton, Director of the North American division of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, predicts this to diminish in 2020.

Businesses need to be famous, yes – but with the right target market. Eaton noted that ‘internet fame’ is brief and short-lived, so businesses should focus on directing content to the people that are actually going to use their products and services.

Corporate Social Responsibility

With the increased focus climate control received in 2019, CEO of Babel PR Ian Hood noted how this will impact on the PR industry: companies moving in the right direction will only see reward if it is accompanied with effective demonstration and communication.

The progress of a company should be documented with continuous updates via social media, publications from journalists, press releases and so on. Not only is Corporate Social Responsibility a positive movement businesses should want to be a part of, but it can also provide a differentiator to competitors.

Final comments from Amanda

“The start of 2020 has been tremendous for Australia. We have a global audience for the climate change debate and a trending hashtag #AustraliaBurns. The outpouring of support from the community and businesses during the environmental tragedy has been heartwarming, initially. If those businesses who have been loud – including government – don’t follow up with an articulated vision and action plan as to how they will improve and positively contribute to climate change, they run the risk of losing trust.

“Employment Law will remain a hot topic for 2020. In 2019 we saw the tip of the iceberg with organisations being affected by the underpayment of wages and also the Mondelez decision; Mondelez v AMWU which affects how the Fair Work Act calculates over time, which will also be a major factor for many businesses in Australia. 

“2020 will need to be a time of taking responsibility and positive action for businesses large and small, to regain trust and position themselves favourably in the consumers mind.”

For more predictions for the industry in 2020, have a read of this great article by Muck Rack.

For more information contact Amanda Lacey Director of POPCOM Communications on amanda@popcom.com.au

WHAT IS A ‘MICRO-INFLUENCER’?

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The rapid growth of the internet has given way to a new icon: make way for the ‘influencer’.

Influencers are generally regarded as individuals or groups that are highly influential in affecting the choices of their followers and audience. Brands will often sponsor them to promote their products and services through their social media platforms such as Instagram to prompt others to use or purchase them.

A common perception of an influencer is an individual with a large follower base. While this is often true, there are many influencers with fewer followers that maintain a highly engaged and impressionable audience, often called a ‘micro-influencer’.

SO HOW MANY FOLLOWERS DOES A ‘MICRO-INFLUENCER’ HAVE?

There seems to be some debate surrounding the number of followers that determine an individual as a micro-influencer.

Some organisations such as scrunch believe it consists of an individual with a social media follower range of 2,000 to 50,000.

 while others define them as having between 1,000 to 100,000 followers as seen in cmswire.

As it’s a relatively new concept, having only really emerged in the past few years, it isn’t surprising its definition remains a bit of a grey area.

At POPCOM, we define a micro-influencer as an individual with anywhere between 1,000 to 80,000 followers that are highly responsive to their content.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A ‘MICRO-INFLUENCER’

The content of a micro-influencer is often niche and targeted towards a specific area or topic – just a few examples include fitness, fashion, makeup or travel.

Followers of a micro-influencer can often feel more engaged with their content, likely because they are appealing to a smaller audience and as a result feel a greater and more genuine connection. This is suggested through a Takumi study which concluded that as follower size increases, engagement decreases.

For more information, contact POPCOM Director Amanda Lacey at  amanda@popcom.com.au

HOT TIPS FOR KEEPING USERS ON YOUR WEBSITE LONGER

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One of the best ways to improve your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is through increasing the time spent by visitors on your website. Search engine algorithms use this time as an indicator for the quality and trustworthiness of your content and thus has become an important factor for determining the ranking of your site. Of course, the higher your rank, the greater your exposure, leading to a larger audience and increased conversion rates. Therefore, we can easily conclude why methods for keeping users on your site for longer should be considered a high priority.

Although, this is a lot easier said than done. As we’ve discussed in previous blog posts, the average human attention span is dwindling, indicated through a study conducted earlier this year. Its results suggested that ‘the collective global attention span is narrowing’ due to the mass of information that is so easily accessible. As mentioned in the Guardian. With many users finding it increasingly difficult to focus for a prolonged duration, you will need to implement time and effort into your site to see noticeable and positive results.

Include a blog

This is such a simple and effective tool that many websites continue to overlook. Dedicating a page to regularly updated and relevant content is a great way to get a user’s attention – and maintain it. As your audience scours through your various articles, their time spent on the website increases, which the search engine’s algorithm will register. Plus, you can have some fun choosing between topics that not only relate to the products or services you are offering but will also interest you and your audience.

However, it’s crucial to ensure your content is relevant and engaging. There’s no point spitting outposts that are uninteresting to your target audience and lack depth or detail. Blogs have the potential to do wonders for your SEO, but only when it’s done properly.

Make it visually appealing

Including videos and images on your site is a given. No-one wants to spend time looking through chunks of plain-text without any variation, and since the majority of people are visual learners, as mentioned by inc these mediums will help in maintaining their attention.

For more information contact :

Amanda Lacey POPCOM Director amanda@popcom.com.au

Kylie Deans POPCOM Account Manager kylie@popcom.com.au

TIPS FOR CREATING THE PERFECT BLOG POST

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Having a blog on your website is a fantastic way to boost your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), as we’ve advocated in many of our other posts. But, that doesn’t mean you can slap together an irrelevant, unprofessional post with inaccurate information and expect to be seen on the first page of search results – if at all.

To boost your chances of success, and create posts your audience will love, you need to consider how search engine algorithms index your work, so you can receive maximum reward for your site.

Below we’ve put together a list of tricks and tips to help you out.

Accurate information

The information you publish on your site should be accurate anyway, but if credibility in the eyes of your customers isn’t enough, it’s worth noting how it can help search engines determine your search engine ranking. When the content you circulate is trustworthy, it increases the chances of other websites backlinking to it. These ‘inbound links’ – from other credible sources – are extremely valuable, as search engine algorithms use them when deciphering the reliability of your site, and thus your search engine ranking.

Hyperlinks

Both internal and external hyperlinks can be profoundly beneficial to SEO. Internal links are when the post includes links to other pages on the site, while external links are when the post includes links to third-party sites.

As discussed above, search engines highly regard external links: if credible sites consider your blog posts worthy of a backlink, it indicates to the search engine your content is trustworthy and valuable. Hence, you will receive a higher search result ranking. These links are also much harder to manipulate than internal links, creating results more likely to be impartial, which algorithms, therefore, respond positively too.

Internal links not only provide easy navigation for your users so they can move effortlessly through the site, but they also form a website-structure for search engines to recognise. Additionally, as users can click on links, this is more time spent on your site, in turn boosting your SEO. For more in-depth information on internal links, check out this post by Yoast.

For more information email us:

Kylie Deans Account Manager kylie@popcom.com.au
Amanda Lacey Director amanda@popcom.com.au