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10 Ways Social Distancing Might Impact Your Company Culture

10 Ways Social Distancing Might Impact Your Company Culture


Socialization has always been a critical element in corporate culture. On your job, you probably enjoy chatting with your coworkers over a cup of coffee in the break room. Sharing a tidbit of gossip at the water fountain at work is also a classic example of employee camaraderie–and often part of company culture.

It’s Impossible to Have a Germ-Free Environment

Unless you work from home, it’s nearly impossible not to rub elbows with others a couple of times a day. However, proximity can spread germs and viruses exponentially, and therefore company culture must change. If one of your coworkers has the flu, he could easily share it with you and others by coughing, sneezing, or leaving germs on shared surfaces, like doorknobs and phones.

You already know how to keep your germs to yourself when you are ill. Actions such as washing your hands, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, and keeping your distance from others are common sense. The best advice is to stay at home if you are down with something contagious.

Did you know that when you sneeze, you can expel as many as 40,000 microscopic particles up to 100 meters per second, and a cough can propel up to 3,000 droplets? If you also spray particles in the air when you talk, it is bound to reach those around you.

If you expel tiny particles up to 100 meters in a second, it would be the equivalent of one and a half football fields. In our Western culture, we tend to keep a personal space of about 2-3 feet from others. Even if we sneeze or cough inside our elbow or a tissue, others on your job could still be affected.

ventilator
Read about the selfless act of a 90-year-old woman.

Understanding Presenteeism

It’s easy to assume that people who are sick will stay home until they are better. However, regulations vary by employer, and the solution to contagious employees isn’t that simple. Because of presenteeism, you may be seeing subtle changes in company culture around the nation.

Presenteeism is a newly coined word for those who are sick and decide to come to work anyway. Some of the reasons why suffering people come to work are they have inconsiderate employers, strict absence policies, no sick pay, or job loyalty. While these sick employees may think they are responsible, they are negligent by risking their coworkers’ health.

How can you go to work with the absurdity that someone isn’t going to share their sick germs? Will your company culture limit communication to smartphones and video conferencing? Here are ten ways that social distancing might affect your company culture and ways you can deal with the changes.

10 Changes Many Workers Will Witness in Their Company Culture

1. Closed Cubicles

Most large corporations have already changed to personal cubicle floor plans. Entry-level and middle management usually occupy rows of cubicles, while senior management generally has the traditional corner office space with a view. If this is the arrangement for your workspace, you are probably used to moderate social distancing already.

Closed cubicles may become the norm to protect employees, management, and clients’ well-being. Everyone may work in a plexiglass cubicle, with one person at a time permitted to enter. You would have a desk, and the other person would sit a few feet away from you.

You needn’t feel caged in a while working in a closed cubicle. Make good use of all the natural light you can and fix up your area to be warm, professional, and inviting. If you have a business to discuss with a coworker, try to do it in person rather than over the phone. Just makes sure you are at least six feet apart.

2. Limited In-Person Meetings

Remember watching George Jetson talk to his boss over a computer monitor? What was once amusing science fiction has been a reality for several years now. Video conferencing allows companies to meet with coworkers and clients all over the world in real-time. This technology saves money and time and will enable people to be in virtual meetings no matter where they are.

Video conferencing may replace most in-person meetings due to social distancing and convenience. Connect from a spot that is professional, yet friendly, for that touch of human warmth. If appropriate, a little humor goes a long way in these sterile-like meetings.

3. Regrouping Social Gatherings for Your Company

Traditionally, most companies have sponsored holiday parties and special occasions to keep high employee morale. Haven’t you attended parties at work for promotions, weddings, and baby showers over the years? These events are what often make coworkers feel like close friends and even family.

If social distancing issues prohibit office gatherings for a while, take heart. You can always gather in a public place or invite coworkers to your house. Even if you must leave a small cake and balloons in the honoree’s cubicle, you have shared your thoughts and kindness in some small way.

4. Breaks and Lunch at Your Desk

Every company has a break room or a shared kitchen where employees can rest, chat, and eat. What would an office do without the perennial box of stale donuts and burned coffee? Some of your best times at work may have been sitting around the break table laughing and blowing off steam.

If your workplace no longer offers an employee lounge or kitchen, consider keeping a minifridge in your cubicle for snacks, drinks, and meals. Personal size coffee makers don’t take a lot of space and are quite affordable.

5. Drinking Fountains and Coffee Pot Removals

One thing that will probably go is public drinking fountains and coffee pots. You will be encouraged to bring drinks to work. A public drinking fountain is one of the dirtiest places in the office. Did you know that you can catch E. coli and coliform from those commonly used fountains?

A study was conducted on various school fountains around the country. They found that there was an average of 2.7 million types of bacteria on these drinking stations. No wonder they are keeping these closed off as bottled water is much safer.

6. Staggering Work Shifts

To keep fewer people in the office, your company may rotate schedules so that some employees work from home on varying days. You may go to a plan where you work two days at home and three days at the office or vice versa. Consequently, on the days when you are home, other people will be in the office.

It sounds like a big hassle, but one of the advantages of working from home is that you might not have to fight the traffic and other daily commute issues. If you’ve always wanted to try telecommuting, then it might be your chance as corporate culture is changing.

company culture
Learn how to set boundaries when you work from home with the kids.

7. Temperature Checks

One of the downsides to social distancing is ensuring that every employee that comes to work is healthy enough to be there. You may be required to have routine temperature checks and answer a few questions about your health each day.

The goal is to ensure that you are not carrying a fever that could infect others. So a simple temperature check may be all it takes to prove that you’re not harboring an illness. Your company culture may now include temperature evaluations before you begin for the day.

8. Hand Washing

Another change that you will see in your corporate culture is an increased awareness to wash your hands and sanitize. You may see signs all around the building and in the restroom, reminding you of the importance of a good scrub.

Many people don’t wash their hands properly or don’t wash them at all after leaving the bathroom. It’s vital that you wash continuously throughout the day, even if you haven’t used the restroom. If you touch your face at your desk, then use sanitizer. It’s just another way to keep germs at bay and avoid any further changes to company culture.

9. One Way Traffic Patterns

Grocery stores and workplaces across the globe are going to one-way traffic patterns. While this won’t cause much of a problem to smaller offices, it may be a considerable shift in your company culture. You will be restricted to the places you can go and the flow of traffic down that aisle.

10. Wearing Masks

Whether you think they are essential or not, many companies are requiring their employees to wear masks. The best cover to use is an N95 that has capabilities to block every toxin you may breathe, but the homemade varieties are better than nothing.

If you opt for a cloth mask, make sure that you cannot smell anything through it. Also, it should comfortably cover your nose and mouth. While your glasses may fog up and you may feel as if you are suffocating, it’s a lot better than being on a ventilator from contracting a deadly virus.

Final Thoughts on Learning About the New Company Culture

A few small inconveniences are worth your health. Each employer will evaluate the space, the number of employees, and mandates that they feel are necessary for their operation. Cooperation is the key, or it could cost you in terms of wellness.

Health

4 Tips to Help You Find a Vegan Catering Company

4 Tips to Help You Find a Vegan Catering Company


4 Tips to Help You Find a Vegan Catering Company

More and more people are realizing that veganism is the best choice for their health, the planet, and the welfare of innocent animals. Even the most recent Oscars after-party had a wealth of delicious vegan options.

If you’re throwing an event for vegans or people who are curious about improving their lifestyle, then you’re probably wondering where you can get the best vegan food catering.

Keep reading to learn about 5 tips to help you find a vegan catering company.

1. Find Out If They’re Fully Vegan

There is a range of catering companies out there that offer non-vegan food as well as vegan food. If a catering company is not fully vegan, then there might be a much higher chance of cross-contamination.

What you should do is pick up the phone and ask the catering company what measures they take to ensure that their food doesn’t become infected with unhealthy animal products. You might be glad to know that they use separate utensils and pots, for instance.

If you’re still worried about cross-contamination, then your best bet is to go with a fully vegan caterer. You should also double-check their policies and procedures related to specific food allergies, such as gluten. That way, everyone on your roster is taken care of.

2. Compare and Contrast Reviews

When you’re searching for vegan caterers, you can expect those with solid experience to have reviews online. A great way to narrow down your list is by comparing and contrasting those reviews.

That way, you can get a better idea of the quality of their vegan food and more. Just be sure that the reviews are recent because any business can change for the worse or for the better with enough time.

For the most accurate assessment, it helps to read at least a few reviews of each catering company before keeping them on your list or crossing them out.

3. Look at Their Menu

Some vegan catering companies might specialize in sushi, barbeque-style food, Indian dishes, or all of the above.

Depending on the event you’re throwing, you’ll want to make sure that the company you decide on can deliver the perfect vegan catering menu.

It can also be worthwhile to call up the catering company and ask how much flexibility they offer when it comes to creating a menu.

4. Ask Your Family and Friends

If you have any friends or family members who are vegan, chances are they’ll know a lot about where you can get the best catered vegan food.

Reviews online could come from untrustworthy people, but when you can talk with people you know and love, the information will be much more reliable.

Are You Ready to Get Vegan Catering?

Now that you know all about 5 tips to help you find a vegan catering company, you make sure any event you throw is a delicious success.

Do you want to stay up to date on all things related to food, entertainment, and travel? Bookmark our site so that you’ll never miss out.

Business

What to Look for in a Property Management Company Before You Hire

What to Look for in a Property Management Company Before


What to Look for in a Property Management Company Before You Hire

Data shows that there are around 48.5 million rental units in the U.S.

If you own one of these rental units, you might find yourself struggling to cope with the responsibilities of being a landlord.

If that’s the case, you may want to think about hiring a property management company. In doing so, you can enjoy the benefits of being a landlord, without having to deal with the stress that comes with managing tenants.

This post will provide you with some tips on how you can find a reliable management company. Use these tips, and you’ll be able to lower the amount of stress you experience as a landlord.

Let’s begin!

Verify Their Reputation

Before working with a management company, you should try to learn as much as you can about the experiences of their clients.

One way you can do this is by reading the reviews posted by past and existing customers.

Perhaps the easiest way to find such reviews is by typing the name of the company into a search engine. You might even want to see if the management company has a presence on dedicated review sites such as Trustpilot.

Check Their Policies

When speaking to management companies, it can be a good idea to ask about their policies. In doing so, you can work out the steps that they’ll take, should any problems occur.

Such policies might describe how they’d deal with a tenant that’s taking a long time to pay rent. The policy might also describe how the company will keep the property in good condition. 

You also want to find out what the management company will do should an emergency occur outside of traditional office hours. 

When reviewing their policies, you should also inspect the rules they have in place when it comes to hiring.

It’s vital that you work with a company that provides their staff with sufficient property management training. Failure to verify this might lead to you working with a company that’ll cause a lot of problems down the line. 

Be Careful When Signing Contracts

You often have to sign up to a contract before you can use the services of a management company. However, it’s vital that you read the contract carefully before you sign anything.

This is because you might have to sign up for three to six months of service at a time. If you’re not aware of the terms of the contract, you might find yourself stuck with a management company, even if you’re unhappy with the service on offer.

That said, you can also use contracts to protect yourself from large, unexpected bills. The best way to do this is by including a clause that describes how much the company can spend without having to seek permission from you.

Time to Hire a Property Management Company?

If you use the tips in this post, you should find it easy to hire a property management company that’ll provide a good service.

You might be under a lot of stress, and so you might want to hire a management company as soon as possible. However, it’s critical you take your time, as hiring an incompetent company can create more problems than solutions.

Doing things this way will probably add a couple of months to the entire process. But if you want to work with the best, this approach is the right way to go about things.

Did you enjoy this post? If you did, make sure you read some of the other content on our blog!

Business

5 Benefits of Using Company Brochures for Your Small Business

5 Benefits of Using Company Brochures for Your Small Business


5 Benefits of Using Company Brochures for Your Small Business

Companies in the United States spend approximately $207 billion in marketing every year. They spend most of the money on televised ads, product events, and online promotion.

When searching for effective marketing materials, look no further than company brochures. Brochures offer a myriad of marketing benefits to your small business.

Here are five important reasons why you want to use brochures for your small business.

1. Brochures Are Easy to Distribute

Unlike newsletters, distributing brochures is easy. They are light enough to place in a variety of locations within a building.

You can bundle tangibles such as t-shirts with brochures to market your business.

Many people appreciate handling information in small packages such as brochures. Resources such as newsletters and company journals can be overwhelming.

2. Brochures Are Cost-Effective for Small Businesses

Most print shops will not turn away your business due to budget. In most cases, they will adjust their work to fit the bill.

You will also realize these cost savings using brochure templates, which help save time. There is a wide range of free and paid templates available on the internet.

There are numerous web resources available used to design marketing material. This will allow your small business save costs even more.

You should be aware that high-quality professional designs don’t come cheap.

3. Company Brochures Personalize Communication

Using a brochure gives you an opportunity to communicate with your audience easily and quickly. Personalized messages are more effective than those meant for a larger audience.

As your small company grows, adjusting the message on a brochure will be quite easy.

Many small companies have limited resources until they become profitable. Additionally, clients perceive brochures as professional tools common in established businesses providing quality products or services.

4. Business Brochures Are Effective for Marketing Purposes

Brochures will allow you to distribute important news about your products or services.

You can print a map on a brochure to direct potential customers to your business location.

A small business can use brochures to announce upcoming events such as sales and expos. This works if your business deals with niche products or services. The method is cheap and convenient for any small business.

The adage goes that “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Any well-designed brochure will prove this point. Many businesses use charts in brochures to announce important news to potential customers.

5. Brochures Provide Consistent Branding

Whenever an ad is out of sight, it’ll be out of mind. This applies to both televised and online marketing platforms.

Businesses that use brochures don’t face such a problem because the target audience carries them home or places of work. This is an important aspect of creating a brand identity.

Get Started!

Often, all the information that can lead to a sale is well-summarized in a standard brochure. A small business can rely on these tools to generate engagement through such a tool.

Brochures are versatile tools which are necessary for every small business. Company brochures will supplement your small business efforts allowing it to grow. Contact us today and learn more.

Business

7 Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring an SEO Company

7 Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring an SEO Company


SEO Service: 7 Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring an SEO Company

Getting your website online is only the first step. Now you need to bring people to it.

SEO is one of the best ways to do that.

93% of all online experiences start with a search engine. You need to get in front of the people looking for your services.

Coming up with an SEO plan takes a lot of work. That’s why it’s important to find an SEO service that is up for the job.

But there are a lot of companies out there. Not all of them will be good, so you need to do your research to find the right one.

Ask the seven questions below when you are picking a new SEO service.

1. What’s Your Process for Improving SEO Rankings?

There are good ways to improve your off-site SEO, and then there are bad ways. You don’t want to hire a company that uses shady tactics to get your site ranking in Google.

In the past, webmasters used to be able to rank their websites by posting a lot of spam links to their websites. Google wasn’t as sophisticated back then, so it was easy to game the system to make your site look like an authority.

But things have changed. Linking to your site like that today can get your site penalized and hurt your rankings.

Make sure you understand this when a company explains their SEO strategy to you. You want to be above the board on all your SEO strategies.

2. What Types of SEO Will You Do?

There are several types of SEO you can do to improve your rankings. The two methods below are the most common ones you will see used.

On-Site SEO

On-site SEO is the process of modifying the pages on your website to be more friendly with the search engines. Much of this involves optimizing each page for a keyword.

There are tools, like the Google Keyword Planner, which will show you the search volumes of keywords people use to search Google. Your pages should be optimized to reach as many of these terms as possible.

An SEO will do this by changing your text to include that keyword and it’s variants, optimize your page title, and optimize your page description.

Off-Site SEO

Google isn’t smart enough yet to rank sites based purely on content. It still uses backlinks as a factor.

If an SEO service engages in off-site SEO, they will work to build links back to your website. These links can be in the form of resource links, guest posts, or any other method available to them.

3. Do You Guarantee the #1 Spot?

If you want to weed out the low-quality SEO services, ask the question above. Nobody can guarantee that you will get the number one spot on Google.

The only thing you can do is optimize your chance that Google sees your website as the best result.

Even if you do manage to get the first spot, there isn’t a guarantee that you’ll stay there. The Google algorithm changes all the time. What works today to rank you at number one won’t necessarily work tomorrow.

Find a company that will be honest and realistic with you.

4. What’s Your Reporting Process?

You shouldn’t take search engine optimization services at their word. They should provide you regular reports about what they’re doing.

Your SEO company should be able to provide you several reports detailing their progress. If you want a simple overview, an activities report should be enough. It will tell you all the work a company accomplished during the month.

If you want to track things on a deeper level, you’ll need to ask for ranking and traffic reports. These reports will show you how the work being done is impacting your website.

Yes, you may not see results for a while. But if you don’t see any results after a long time, it may be time to switch to another provider.

5. Is There a Content Strategy?

Doing on-page SEO can make a big difference, but putting together a content strategy can set you apart from your competitors.

You can only say so much about your keywords on your product and service pages. A blog will allow you to target your audience with information posts.

Doing this will give you more visibility on Google, so check to see if your SEO company provides this service.

6. What Changes Will Be Made on the Website

There are a few simple on-site SEO techniques you can make to improve your website for search engines.

But you don’t have to limit changes to the basics.

Ask your SEO company if there will be any significant changes to your website that you need to know about. These changes can be anything from web design to website programming.

If they do handle major changes, check to see if they do things in-house or outsource them. If you want to work with someone local to your area, you may not want to have your work outsourced.

7. Do You Have Case Studies?

While you can’t guarantee results with SEO, you can measure the results. Because of this, SEO companies should be able to provide you case studies from work they have done in the past.

You can also ask to talk with the people who are part of the case studies. This will give you a chance to speak with people about what it’s like to work with a company.

A company can get results but still not be a great fit for your business. You’ll learn both the pros and cons of working with an SEO company.

Pick Your SEO Service Carefully

Doing SEO takes a lot of time. Be careful of anyone that guarantees results and do your research before hiring an SEO service to work for you.

Getting traffic is half the battle. You need to convert your visitors into sales after that. Head over to our marketing section to learn how you can optimize your website to bring in sales.

Business

What Is Content Writing for a Security Company? 5 Writing Tips to Know

What Is Content Writing for a Security Company? 5 Writing


What Is Content Writing for a Security Company? 5 Security Writing Tips to Know

With more than 2 million blog posts being written daily, it’s hard to know how to stand out. If you’re still wondering what is content writing versus what is blogging, you need to look at a few sites currently promoting your industry. Writing for a security company means doing research and it should start with learning about how to write content.

Here are five tips to get you started.

1. Headlines Mean a Lot

How many times have you shared an article after just reading the headline? Don’t be ashamed, we’ve all done it.

That’s because in our fast-moving era of scrolling feeds and “hot takes”, there just isn’t enough time to read every article that gives us a strong emotion. Your headlines need to trigger emotions and make readers want to learn more about given topics. 

The desired result of most online content begins with a click. If you can’t get that click, then you can’t get the rest of the results you’re looking for. Take the guesswork out of headlines and just hit the nail on the head whenever possible by going for the reader’s gut.

2. Make Your Hook Sink in

Once you get a click, you then only have a few seconds to attract your reader to learn more. The first sentence needs to be informative but leave them asking more questions. It should either be a strange fact or a question that you propose to answer.

However, it also has to be emotional. Capture their attention and then lead them into the first point. This ensures that they’ll read more. 

End each major section by iterating a clear point and you’ll get them through to the end. This will bring your rankings up in search results, as you get people to spend more and more time on your site.

3. Research Matters

Law enforcement has lots of data all about security issues. If you’re writing about home security, personal security, or cybersecurity, you’ll find no shortage of info.

Use this to your advantage by adding stats and memorable information. It gives your writing credibility and shows that you’re willing to back up your claims. 

Make sure to link back to the content that you use. This is just part of building a good rapport with other websites but also gives your readers the ability to learn even more.

4. Optimize Everything

Search engine optimization is vital to survival online. If you want to ensure that you get to the top of search results, your content needs to contain lots of short paragraphs that are snackable.

It also has to include your most important keywords as many times as possible. Keep it easy to read, well organized and use reputable links.

5. Don’t Forget to Edit

In the world of editing and especially online content, nothing is sacred. Don’t be afraid to toss out some great ideas for the sake of brevity. If they’re good, turn them into another post.

Check out docurex.com for more ideas on keeping it short.

Still Wondering “What Is Content Writing”?

If you’re wondering what is content writing and how it should be different than anything else you write, try looking at other sites and blogs. There are some great security websites out there to help you learn more.

For an example of great security writing, keep browsing our blog.

Business

In the Business of Selling Tours? Unique Ways to Promote Your Tour Company

In the Business of Selling Tours? Unique Ways to Promote


In the Business of Selling Tours? Unique Ways to Promote Your Tour Company

International tourism is a widely popular industry, and the US is right in the thick of things. In fact, tourism spending in America has risen to $210.7 billion in recent years, making it one of the most lucrative sectors of the US economy.

When people visit awe-inspiring US venues, they’ll likely want to go on a tour. Group tours are the best way to see everything at a tour site, including areas with restricted access. Plus, they give people a lot of information about the place they’re visiting to make sure that the experience is both educational and memorable.

Whether you’re looking for international tourism business ideas or local ones, whether you’re looking for customers to tour a national park or an office building, you’re going to need some good marketing.

Here, we’re going to give you some awesome ideas to get your tour business off the ground!

Think About Your Type of Tour

There are a lot of different types of tours that you can offer, all catering to different audiences. If you’re trying to entice international tourists to come to check out a famous monument or natural wonder, you’re going to want to market in both more languages and on a broader platform.

On the other hand, if you want to market something for a niche audience, you’re only going to need to get the word out to others in your niche. Want to offer tours of a work plant? Websites like https://www.plant-tours.com/ are great models to look into if you want to have great marketing.

Basically, as with most businesses, the first step to marketing is identifying your target audience and making strides to connect with these specific individuals.

Partner With Other Businesses

One way you can market to a lot of people is by partnering with other businesses. This can mean that you will be doing business with another company that offers things you can use on tour.

For example, if you want to hire a business to cater lunch while on your tour, you can ask them in exchange to advertise for your tour to customers in their restaurant.

Partnering with other businesses could also mean offering mutual discounts. This would mean that people would be given specific coupons when on your tour to go and use the services of another business in the area that you have partnered with. Likewise, the business would be giving out coupons and flyers advertising discounts for your tours.

Basically, partnering with another business means that you’ll be establishing a mutually beneficial professional relationship with a company that operates within a different niche than you do!

Include Images on Websites

Did you know that 64% of people are visual learners? Well, it’s true!

This means that when you’re marketing in flyers or online, you’re going to want to use images and graphics to promote your business. Think about including some shots of the most interesting parts of your tour. Photos of people having a good time while in your venue are also great.

If you’re marketing online, also try including videos and snippets of a virtual tour. These media are sure to leave potential clients wanting more by making them curious… thus causing them to book a tour of your site.

Use E-Marketing Strategies

Since online marketing is so important in today’s day and age, let’s elaborate a little more on what e-marketing entails.

The first thing you need to do is design a website all of your own. This will make your business look professional and knowledgeable. It’s also a great place to include a section where people can book tours and contact you. Don’t forget to also include a review section where satisfied customers can recommend you!

To get this website to target the right people in your niche, search engine optimization (SEO) services are a must-have. These will get your website in front of the eyes of your target audience since it uses key words that people have searched to show them relevant information.

Since most people also are on social media like Twitter and Facebook, setting up pages on those platforms is also a great idea. People can follow and share your pages to get them on the screens of other interested parties.

Give Out Discount Codes

Another great marketing technique is giving out discount codes!

When people have had a great time and finished your tour, hand out discount codes at the end. These discount codes will give deals to the person that they give them to if they book your services, too. Since the people giving them out will have had a positive experience, you’re bound to get more customers who are in for a discounted, well-priced good time.

You can also give people discounts on future tours for giving out the coupon code! Just make sure that you offer a way to know who referred to new customers, and you’ll end up with a lot of satisfied people looking for tours at low prices.

Get More Tourism Business Ideas

It can be difficult to make it in the tourism industry. If you use good marketing strategies, include enticing pictures on your web page, and cater to the specific customers in your niche, though, you should do just fine.

Now that you know the best tourism business ideas, visit the content strategy section of ArticleCity. We’ll help you come up with more unique and effective ways to promote and grow your business.

Have fun getting out there and showing people around!

 

Technology

9 Ways Your Company Can Avoid a Massive Cyber Attack in 2019

9 Ways Your Company Can Avoid a Massive Cyber Attack


9 Ways Your Company Can Avoid a Massive Cyber Attack in 2019

Cybersecurity attacks cost businesses over $1.3 million in 2017. That number is only set to rise in 2019. Though this is horrifying it’s also preventable. 

If you don’t want to become another statistic and then you need to make cybersecurity a priority.

With so many cybersecurity options how do you stop the next massive cyber attack? 

First, stay calm and then check out these tips to help secure your data.

1. Monitor Mobile Device Usage

When you let your employees use a mobile phone for work purposes you introduce a whole new level of threats to your company. 

A vital option to protect sensitive data is using a centrally controlled system. This means that if your devices are stolen or lost your IT team the option to wipe it remotely. 

You should also be performing regular audits on mobile devices to asses any security risks and depending on the user. For example, if you have an employee that travels they may be connecting to public Wi-Fi putting your data at risk.

These audits usually consist of a questionnaire given to each employee about phone usage.  

2. Watch Over Employees with Access to Sensitive Data

The threat is coming from inside the house.

When people list of types of cyber attacks one area that gets overlooked are employees or company personnel. Though most people deeply trust their staff and employees often present the greatest threat to security. 

For example, phishing scams can cost your company millions. They use your employee’s email account to gain access to your system and seal information.

This may seem obvious to avoid but many hackers have become more complicated. Hackers use personal information taken from social media to make these fake emails more convincing. 

To prevent these kinds of attacks provide employees with safety training and regularly check to make sure that they’re following proper protocols.

3. Get Web Filtering Technology to Prevent Massive Cyber Attacks

The best way to prevent a massive cyber attack is to stop threats before they gain access to your system.

These programs monitor any URLs coming to and from your computer and prevent any unwanted access. They help stop any malware from gaining access to your computer. 

They are often referred to as content control software and usually restrict what kinds of sites the user gains access to. You can set up either a blacklist or a whitelist.

A blacklist restricts access to certain sites based on parameters set up by the program. While whitelist allows access to certain sites based on a list created by the systems administrator. 

More advanced filters have the option of blocking information that you send out over the internet. This prevents you from sending out sensitive information.

4. Update as Often as Possible

Threats to your cybersecurity are always evolving. And your cybersecurity business needs to keep up.

This makes it important to take advantage of new software updates. Make sure that your applications and operating systems are up to date with different enhancements and patches for bugs.

5. Retire Any Services You Aren’t Using

When products with a limited duration expire or when you’ve stopped using them you should deactivate any account or delete any information associated with it. 

6. Use VPNs for Every Connection

If your company is expanding and has employees working in offices across the country then your going to need a way to safely share data. Enter a VPN.

A VPN or virtual private network allows you to disguise your IP address to prevent anyone from being able to see the information your sending to others.

These should be mandatory for any employee using mobile devices and for most people it’s an invaluable part of protecting their identity online.

There are also options for anonymous collaborations that will help keep your data safe from threats. This is called a virtual data room and they are the future of cybersecurity. They provide protection for all data from bidding information to contract terms.

7. Make Password Security a Priority

Most people hate changing their password and won’t do it unless the rules are strictly enforced. But this simple step can be one of the most important in keeping your data safe from a cyber attack today. 

Implementing programs like a mandatory password change every couple of months. As well as having strict rules for how complex passwords have to be can help prevent major treats from getting into your system.

You should also make things like 2-factor authentification a requirement for all employees.

8. Use Real-time Threat Detection 

These programs allow you to stop threats that are just starting to form. You can also monitor any weakness in your current system and repair them before they cause larger problems.

9. Have Regular Security Assessments

With security, it’s easy to set up a system and then forget about it until the next massive cyber attack. 

As your system changes, you become more vulnerable to new threats. You need to have a security plan in place and to schedule periodic assessments. You need to ask what is cybersecurity weakness and how can we fix it?

In fact, depending on the industry an assessment may be necessary to ensure you’re following government mandates. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires regular system and cybersecurity audits. 

Want More Ways to Protect Your Company’s Data?

Preventing a massive cyber attack can be one of the smartest business decisions your company will make. But if you own a company there are a lot more steps to keeping your company safe. 

If you want to understand how to prevent the next data disasters or how to recover if you’ve just undergone a major attack then check out our blog. 

Technology

5 Company Intranet Ideas That Your Employees Will Love

5 Company Intranet Ideas That Your Employees Will Love


5 Company Intranet Ideas That Your Employees Will Love

The American workforce is largely disengaged. As many as 70% of American workers aren’t giving their best to their companies. Employees have increasingly divided interests and resent feeling overworked.

Studies show that employees with strong social interactions are more productive. In fact, social technologies can increase productivity by more than 20%.

But how do you make an intranet for your employees that they’ll look forward to using? Read on for five company intranet ideas that do just that.

1. Make it Personal

Employees will make a stronger connection to a business intranet that’s personalized for the company. Give it a name, and set the color scheme to something that makes sense for your brand identity.

Keep the vibe from going stale by freshening the design every now and then. Think of how amusing a new Google doodle is. It’s a simple boost, but it makes for an immediately positive interaction.

Make seasonal changes. Play up holiday spirit with Valentine and Christmas colors and sentimental banner imagery.

2. Create Content

Keep people coming back by giving them something to come back for. Create unique content for your internal company website.

Link to articles with industry information. Use your own expertise to write monthly articles. Keep it casual but informative.

Do a weekly roundup. Include funny work memes, pertinent news, and local events. Post a lunch schedule with pictures to break up a potential wall of text.

Human interest pieces are interesting to humans. Interview your employees and let them tell their stories. Company intranet is about developing community.

3. Shout Outs

Make your employees feel valued by giving public shout outs for good work. It’s amazing how far a public high-five can go.

Whether it’s professional or personal, make a big deal over accomplishments. Maybe someone was recently published in a journal or periodical. Maybe someone won a chili competition. 

Words of affirmation are motivating. 

4. Job Opportunities

Since the intranet is for employees, use it to help your employees move up in their careers. Post job opportunities internally first to give deference to your loyal staff.

Hiring from within saves you time and money. And it’s good to feel like everyone’s on the same team.

5. Training and Resources

The most practical intranet idea is making it a portal for training and job resources. Having it all in one place takes the guesswork out of company practices and expectations.

Catalog your training media and tutorials so employees have easy access whenever they need a refresh. Upload your company handbook and FAQ so people can search for answers at the touch of a button.

If you need help building a robust network, you can outsource your intranet development to streamline the entire process.

Increase Employee Involvement with These Company Intranet Ideas

Your internal network can be a vibrant hub for employee relations. Keep employees engaged by implementing easy but effective company intranet ideas. Personality, original content, and a focus on employee needs will make things more interesting.

Do you need help getting your intranet column started? Check out our writing articles for ideas, tips, and tricks for overcoming writer’s block. 

Business

5 Things That Every IT Marketing Company Should Know About

5 Things That Every IT Marketing Company Should Know About


In It to Win It: Here’s 5 Things That Every IT Marketing Company Should Know to Be Successful

As an IT marketing company, you know that how you connect with your customers online makes a huge difference.

You know that you need to come up with an effective marketing strategy, but you’re just not sure how to make that happen. After all, with so much competition out there, it can sometimes feel overwhelming.

Still, you know you have the quality of service and commitment to excellence in IT marketing that would make even the toughest and most demanding client happy.

In this post, we’re sharing some of the most effective IT marketing strategies that will help you to take your company where you’ve always dreamed it could go.

Read on to learn how to get the kind of attention you deserve, from the clients you’ve been waiting to work with.

1. Local Doesn’t Mean What It Used To

We know that you’ve worked hard to create a strong local marketing strategy for your IT company.

But, as with any technology marketing trend, location-based marketing is almost constantly in flux.

You may have heard of the concept of “hyperlocal marketing,” but you still have questions about what exactly that means.

As the name implies, hyperlocal marketing is about getting as specific as possible — we’re talking within a mile or so — of where a potential customer is currently located.

This means your keyword phrases will need a bit of a makeover. Instead of a keyword phrase like, “best IT services New York,” you need to switch to things like, “IT services upper west side” or “IT services near Empire State building.”

So, instead of referencing just your city or state in your location-based keyword phrases? Make sure that you focus on talking about the name of your street, your neighborhood, and even landmarks and tourist attractions within your service area.

Remember that, as consumers have more options when it comes to IT service providers, location plays a huge role in their final decision. They’re often looking for the company that’s closest to their company, which is what makes hyperlocal marketing so important.

You should also attempt to hyperlocalize your content.

For example, when you’re creating a blog post, why not do a write-up of a local IT conference, a volunteer cleanup day at a local park, or another community event?

You could even go live (more on that later) at a local music festival.

It’s not just about gaming the system when it comes to local SEO.

Hyperlocalization proves to your target market that you keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your local community.

2. Offering a Variety of Services Is Key

Another important thing that you need to take into consideration when creating a solid IT marketing plan?

Make sure that you offer as many different services as you can.

After all, you want your market to know you can help them with social media, blogging and content creation, web design, and much more.

For example, Be Structured Technology Group offers lots of different solutions that use a variety of technology in marketing.

Follow their lead and offer services like email campaign management, cloud-based services, managed hosting, and of course, data backup.

The truth is that the more you can pitch yourself as a “one-stop-shopping” place for a business to get all of their IT needs taken care of, the more successful you’ll be.

Of course, you want to ensure that you’re only offering services that you have experience with, and the right people on staff to make it happen.

While your ultimate end goal should be to expand the types of services you offer to consumers, there’s absolutely nothing wrong by starting out serving a smaller niche market.

3. Take Your Reputation Management Seriously

You know that your company’s reputation can make or break your success in the IT marketing business.

The problem?

Right now, you feel like you don’t have any sort of a reputation at all! You need an effective way to get the word out to your target market about your services.

One of the best ways to make sure you’re building up a brand reputation is by claiming your listing on review sites and apps.

But especially if you’re a smaller and newer IT marketing company, a few bad reviews can cause serious damage to your reputation.

You need to make sure that you get out ahead of the bad press that a few unhappy customers can often bring.

One way to do just that?

Make sure that you read your company’s review page every day, or at least set up an alert that lets you know when someone has posted a new review to your page.

You need to respond to every review that you can, whether it’s positive or negative. Doing so proves to your market that you care about the satisfaction and opinions of your clients and that you’re always looking for ways to improve your business.

Of course, it’s important to keep your cool.

Never lash out or get defensive when it comes to negative reviews. Instead, thank them for the feedback, and let them know that you’re planning on following up with them in a private message.

4. Re-Marketing is Non-Negotiable

The concept of re-marketing has quickly emerged as one of the most important marketing strategies of the moment.

In brief, re-marketing is the concept of re-connecting with leads that viewed your website and clicked through your services list, but for whatever reason, never set up an appointment or made a purchase.

By having ads for your IT marketing company show up in their social media feeds, you send a gentle “nudge” to your target market to complete their transaction or send you a message.

The best marketing technology companies understand that re-marketing is non-negotiable if they want to stay ahead of their competitors.

In fact, studies have found that a whopping 98% of consumers don’t end up buying anything at all the first time they visit your site. So, if you don’t take re-marketing opportunities, you’ll only make about two percent of the sales you could be.

Of course, we understand that you might have concerns about whether your leads could see re-targeting as “hounding” them, or even as an invasion of privacy.

The good news is that only around 11% of shoppers say they’re annoyed by re-targeting — meaning that most would prioritize getting a good deal.

In other words?

Re-targeting is definitely worth the (negligible) risk.

5. When in Doubt, Go Live

Over 90% of consumers say that watching a video about a product or service has helped them to decide whether or not they want to do business with a company.

But the truth is that, just as with location-based marketing, the world of video marketing has changed drastically since its inception.

This is partially because YouTube is now the second biggest search engine in the world, meaning that videos about technology marketing services need to be indexed for SEO.

However, the types of videos that people are the most likely to watch have also changed. In other words? That quick tutorial video or 15-second ad about your IT marketing firm is no longer enough.

Instead, we suggest that you embrace live videos and livestreaming.

This promotes an enormous sense of trust between yourself and your consumers, as it shows that you’re comfortable speaking off the cuff. Live video also allows your leads to get answers to their questions in real time and promotes direct interaction between your company and your target market.

This is an excellent way to make people who are on the fence about your IT company convert into customers. Plus, going live is an excellent brand-building strategy.

You can hype up your live video on your social media accounts, send out email reminders, and even have your employees wear branded clothing while they chat.

After the video is done, you can save it and optimize it for SEO. This way, even those that missed the livestream can watch it — and it’s not a “one-shot” marketing tactic for your IT firm.

Make Your IT Marketing a Success with These Tips

We hope that this post has inspired you to take your IT marketing company to the next level by understanding the best ways to connect with consumers.

Remember to embrace video marketing, offer as many different services as you can, and get serious when it comes to reputation management.

Of course, there are countless other ways to improve your SEO score, increase your conversions, and make genuine connections with your target market.

When you’re ready to learn more about how to make all that and more happen, keep checking back with our blog for the latest marketing tips and tricks you need.