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6 Healthful Herb Plants You Can Grow in Water (no soil needed)

6 Healthful Herb Plants You Can Grow in Water (no


Most of our food wouldn’t taste the same without the savor of salt, a natural source of vital sodium. However, doctors warn that the American diet leans heavily on the saltshaker, leading to obesity, hypertension, and heart problems. These precautions don’t mean you’ll never enjoy tasty meals again.

If you want your food to take a walk on the flavorful side without a lot of extra salt, consider using fresh or dried herbs. Herb plants can make your dishes taste amazing. Unique blends of herbs and spices can boost the flavor of your meals and could be beneficial to your health.

Our Ancient Ancestors Relied on Herbs

herbs and spices heal your body

Herbs are some of the earliest plants cultivated by humans. As our ancestors observed plants that the animals ate, they gathered these plants to see how they tasted. This prehistoric experimentation evolved into the knowledge of roots and herbs for medicinal purposes.

For millennia, cultures around the world depended on herbs for medicine, hygiene, and religious traditions. Much later in history, people found that many herbs lent flavor and delicious aromas to otherwise unpalatable foods. In ancient times, some herbs and spices were so valued that they were used as currency.

No medieval hut was complete without a small kitchen garden, which included several herbs for medicine and cooking. Some of the first herbalists were monks and nuns, who grew sizeable circular herb gardens on their convent grounds. They began the tradition of growing herbs in a circle pattern.

Most native cultures combined their spiritual traditions with the knowledge they collected from nature. These learned elders were called medicine people, shamans, and other titles according to culture and religion. Throughout Europe and the New World, rootworkers often dispensed their herbal wisdom secretly, fearing that they would be falsely accused of practicing witchcraft.

Today, global cuisines are renowned for their unique flavors and blends of herbs and spices. Many home cooks enjoy growing fresh herbs in their kitchen or their yard for easy access. Most herb plants are so easy to plant and care for that children can do it.

The rootworkers and herbalists of the past instinctively knew what modern science is recently discovering. Many of the herbs we use in the kitchen may have a plethora of health benefits. Countless studies demonstrate positive associations between these green wonders and good health.

The Difference Between Herbs and Spices

We often use these words interchangeably when we prepare food, but there are marked differences. Herbs are usually tender green plants that can be used fresh or dried for consumption. However, spices typically derive from berries, seeds, or bark of specific trees or woody plants and are prized for their scent and flavors.

Starting an Herb Garden at Home

Do you enjoy cooking with fresh herbs? As you wander down the produce aisle in the grocery store, you’ve probably noticed that fresh herbs are pricey. Once you’ve found how inexpensive and fun growing herbs at home is, you’ll probably never buy them at the store again.

All you need is a bright place in your kitchen, such as a windowsill or along a counter facing natural light. You can purchase seeds or herb plants that are ready to be placed into pots of your choice. Before you buy potting soil, this article may change your mind about traditional herbal planting.

How to Grow Your Favorite Herbs in Water

Maybe you’ve already experimented with growing culinary herb plants in your kitchen. What could be cozier and more inviting than a sunny kitchen windowsill lined with potted herbs? Most popular herb choices are a snap to grow in little containers filled with potting soil.

One of the recent buzzwords for avid gardeners is hydroponics. This unique soil-less system uses water to nourish and grow plants, such as leafy greens. Did you know that you can grow some herb plants in containers of water instead of potting soil?

Not every herb is an excellent choice for growing in water. Those that are produced from seeds must be rooted in potting soil. Before you start buying herbs to plant in water, do some research to see which ones can be done successfully.

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Starting to Grow Herb Plants

If you have ever taken the starts of houseplants and rooted them in water, the same process is used for herbs. Use a pair of sterilized scissors to take clippings right about the leaf nodules. Strip lower leaves off and place each cutting in a glass container filled with warm filtered water.

Put your glass containers in a warm place where they will get a lot of indirect natural light. To avoid algae or mold attacks, change the water in each container often. Soon, your herb cuttings will have healthy roots, and you can keep them in their water glasses or plant them in soil.

Just snip off what you need, and the herbs will keep growing throughout the season. Herb water gardens are attractive and a definite conversational starter. Here are six common herbs that you might consider growing.

6 Kitchen Herb Plants to Grow in Water

1. Sweet Basil

Sweet basil is the darling of Mediterranean cuisines, especially Italian. It is native in these warm climates, where it usually grows as a perennial. The word basil derives from the Latin word, which means royal, which is an apt description of this lovely herb.

Its thick green leaves have a sweet, peppery taste that makes it ideal for pesto or other savory dishes. Basil has many cultivars, each with a unique scent and flavor. It is also a natural anti-inflammatory and can aid in digestive issues.

2. Chives

This fertile member of the onion family grows like a bouquet of grass. They have a mildly sweet onion flavor that is perfect for finishing fish, stews, or vegetables. Sour cream and chives are a perennial pairing that is tasty on baked potatoes.

This herb shares some of the health benefits of their more pungent cousins, onions, leeks, and garlic. They have natural antibacterial and antiviral properties and may boost your immune system. They can be chopped and consumed fresh or dried.

3. Mint

This herb family is a treasure trove of herbs valued for the cool, sweet flavor they add to savory foods and confections. Whether you prefer peppermint, spearmint, or other classics, you probably love them for their scent and taste.

This herb is often used in dental products as well as many medicines for its cooling properties in the mouth and digestive system. Studies have shown that peppermint can quench heartburn and help other digestion problems. It also makes a lovely herbal tea that may bring restful sleep or soothe breathing problems.

4. Sage

A whiff of this earthy, peppery herb takes your mind back to your family’s Thanksgiving feasts. It’s one of the quintessential herbs for mild meats like poultry and fish. The ancients associated it with wisdom from the gods and used it in cooking, medicine, and spiritual rituals.

This venerable herb isn’t just for turkey anymore. Health experts believe that because sage is rich in vitamins and minerals, it can fight free radicals in the body that damage cells. It may also boost immunity and fight certain cancers.

5. Oregano

This zesty herb may be the star ingredient in many Italian sauces and dishes, but it was first cultivated in Greece. Associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, the Greeks believed that it was a powerful love potion. This herb has traveled from the Mediterranean throughout the world as a delightful spice for sauces, meats, and greens.

Many healthcare professionals tout the power of oregano oil for its high antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It fights harmful bacteria and is a natural anti-fungal agent. Add fresh leaves of this herb to your salad to help your immune system.

6. Lemon Balm

A balm is a natural substance that soothes and heals an apt name for this fragrant member of the mint family. For years, people have grown this lemon-scented beauty to attract honeybees and for making a tasty tea. It is a perennial that thrives in gardens, pots, or water containers.

If you adore this herb, then you will also love some of its health benefits. Research has shown this herb can bring more restful sleep and may ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. If you drink a cup of lemon balm tea each day, it may improve your brainpower.

Final Thoughts on Growing Herb Plants with Ease

Remember that just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s always right for you. Talk to your professional healthcare advisor about any herbs that you are considering for medicinal reasons. Some herbs shouldn’t be consumed if you have a disorder or are taking certain prescription medications.

You needn’t be a master gardener to grow herb plants in the water at home successfully. These are a few of the flavorful herbs you can consider for pool growing. With a few cuttings, glass jars, and some water, you can have an inside herbal garden that will reward you with fresh herbs and improved health.

Business

How to Grow Your Business With Targeted Email Marketing

How to Grow Your Business With Targeted Email Marketing


How to Grow Your Business With Targeted Email Marketing

Do you regularly send out emails to your list only to hear crickets? That’s not unusual to hear. People are bombarded with email marketing messages every single day.

An office worker can get up to 120 emails a day. How can you make yours even get noticed? You can use targeted email marketing.

Read on to find out what targeted email marketing is, why you should use it, and how to jump-start your email campaigns.

What is Targeted Email Marketing?

Targeted email marketing is a way to segment your email list, which allows you to deliver personalized content to your customers.

One reason why your emails are missing the mark is that you’re probably sending out one newsletter to your entire list, assuming that everyone in your audience will be interested.

You’re treating everyone like they’re all at the same place at the same time. The reality is much different. They are at different points along their customer journey.

It’s like sending an email to your entire audience telling them about your product that they need to buy. About a third of your list already bought that particular product.

That is something that they feel that you should know and you might lose a little credibility with them by sending that email out to them.

Benefits of Targeted Emails

It may seem like a lot of effort to create segments out of your list. It is a little more work, but the reward is worthwhile. Here are some of the reasons why you want to have targeted email campaigns.

People Love Personalization

Your customers don’t want to feel like their everyone else or like a number. They want to be special and like they matter.

Personalized content can help businesses increase sales, whether you’re a B2B firm or you have a consumer package goods company.

Personalization doesn’t mean adding a person’s name in the subject heading. That can feel a little inauthentic. People would rather have discounts and offers that are just for them.  

Higher Open Rates

How many people open your emails? Of course, there are a number of factors that you have to consider when you compare email open rates.

One thing that’s not disputable is that email opens are higher when you target your marketing campaigns. Reebok is a great example of a brand that saw massive success from using a highly targeted campaign.

Higher Conversion Rates

The purpose of email marketing is to get your list to convert into customers or to encourage them to buy again.

Not only can targeted emails increase open rates, but they increase your conversion rates, too. Customers are more likely to buy when they have timely and relevant offers in front of them.

Examples of Targeted Emails

You have probably seen a lot of targeted emails. Have you ever put items in a shopping cart only to have to leave the website? Did you get an email reminding you to complete your purchase?

That’s an example of targeted email marketing.

Another example is when you sign up for someone’s list and they put you into an automated email funnel. You open up a couple of the emails and based on those opens or link clicks in the emails, you get a product offer.

You can segment your list based on the offer that convinced them to subscribe, when they subscribed, or their location.

For subscribers that haven’t interacted with your emails in a while can be sent a re-engagement email. You can ask them if they still want emails from you.

It seems counterintuitive to do that because you can lose subscribers. If they’re not engaging with your content, they’re not likely to buy from you anyway. You might as well keep the good brand perception and give them an out.

How to Create a Targeted Email Campaign

How can you apply targeting to your email marketing? Here are the steps you need to take to set up a targeted email campaign.

Scrub Your List

When was the last time you sent an email to your list? If it’s been a while, you want to reach out to them to ask if they still want emails.

If you don’t have an email list yet, you’ll want to start building one right away. Make sure that you have signups on your website. You can also use a database of your old prospects and current customers.

You don’t want to assume that it’s ok to add them to your list. You want to give them the option to sign up and ask for their permission.

Create Your Segments

There are countless ways to segment your list. For example, if your company is targeting PDM professionals, you can target by location.

If you’re a clothing retailer, you may want to create targeted emails by gender. How can you get that information? You will need to collect that customer data either on your signup forms./

Create Content for Each Segmented Audience

This is the fun part. You need to create content for each audience. This may seem like extra work, but it’s worth it.

How can you create relevant content for each segment? It depends on how you segment your audience. If you segmented by gender, you can showcase products on sales that are for men and for women.

A shopping cart reminder is a simple email reminder to return to your site and finish the purchase. Think about each segment and what’s important to them. That will help you develop content that’s relevant and will get results.

Make Targeted Email Campaigns Work for You

Targeted email marketing campaigns are a great way to get more bang out of your email marketing efforts. Personalized content can go a long way to create loyal customers and increase sales.

There are many ways to segment your email list. You want to find the ways that will allow you to send the most relevant content to your list.

Do you want to know more about writing great content? Check out this site often for more articles that show you how to create a content strategy. 

Business

Attract Major Crowds! How to Promote an Event and Grow Your Audience

Attract Major Crowds! How to Promote an Event and Grow


Attract Major Crowds! How to Promote an Event and Grow Your Audience

Are you in the process of creating the next big event in your area?

If this is the case, you want to attract the biggest audience possible. Although it might seem like you need to have a lot of contacts to make this happen, it’s not always the case. 

In this article, we’ll show you how to promote an event and grow your audience with only a few simple steps. 

1. Create a Multifaceted Marketing Plan

The first step if you want to attract more people to your event and grow your audience is to create a multifaceted marketing plan. 

You will not achieve the results you want unless you focus your efforts on more than one platform. The marketing plan should include diversification such as email marketing, social media, and a website for the event.

2. Partner Up With Other Organizers

Although it might seem like other organizers are your competition, it’s very unlikely they will be promoting an event like yours. 

If other event organizers in your area cover different topics but have similar audiences, you might benefit from a partnership with them.

Partnering with other organizers is a two-way street and you can make excellent connections.

3. Use an Event Hashtag 

It’s no secret we now live in a world with hashtags. If you want to promote your event and see results, it’s important you create a hashtag for your event. 

Encourage your event-goers to use the hashtag whenever they post a photo or share your event on social media. This will create more buzz around your event and increase the chances of it going viral. 

4. Use SEO to Your Advantage

Many people use Google to find events around them and see what’s going on in their city. Since this is the case, you need to make sure you use SEO to your advantage.

You need to make sure your event’s page is optimized and you use the right keywords. For example, if your event is a wine tasting in Chicago, your keyword “Chicago wine tasting” should appear a few times on the page. 

5. Create Signage to Complement Your Online Campaign

You’re more likely to attract people to your even if you make the signage visually appealing. Having a graphic designer to take care of your event brochures will ensure people will notice.

Check out these brochure templates from Adobe Spark if you want your next event brochure to be top quality.

6. Think About Paid Ads

Those who want to give their event a little extra boost can also consider paid ads. Choose the platform that most resonates with your audience and choose a paid ad option.

Many social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat offer paid ad services. They make it easy for you to target your audience. 

How to Promote an Event: The Bottom Line

Now that you know how to promote an event and grow your audience, it’s time you put those skills to the test. 

Start by creating a multifaceted marketing strategy, optimize your page, create an event hashtag, and partner with other organizers. Try these tips and watch your audience grow. For more great advice, head over to our business section. 

Business

5 Steps You Should Take if You Want to Grow Your Consulting Business

5 Steps You Should Take if You Want to Grow


5 Steps You Should Take if You Want to Grow Your Consulting Business

The global consulting industry is worth 262 billion dollars and growing.

As a consulting business owner, there’s no doubt you’re in a lucrative market. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re bound to make the big bucks. There are thousands of consulting firms in the United States alone, which means competition for clients is fierce.

So, how do you position your consultancy for growth in a competitive market?

That’s where we come in!

In this article, we’re fleshing out the various strategies you can use to grow your consulting business and pull in the profits.

1. Work on Your Professional Reputation

A consultancy is only as good as the people behind it.

If you have a poor professional reputation, not many people will want to be associated with you. Your business is an extension of your professional brand.

As such, it’s important to keep working on your professional reputation even as you as strive to set up and grow the consulting business. And talking of reputation, we don’t mean just polishing up your profile on LinkedIn and other social media platforms.

In the world of consulting, credentials matters. Clients want to hire firms led by industry leaders who are highly educated. So if you currently have a master’s degree, it’s time you enrolled for a doctoral program or other professional courses that can enhance your expertise.

2. Don’t Be a Jack of All Trades

Consultancy is a wide field. There is:

  • Management consulting
  • Strategic consulting
  • Business consulting
  • Healthcare consulting
  • Manufacturing consulting
  • Information technology consulting
  • HR consulting
  • Marketing consulting.

Common wisdom dictates that offering an array of consulting service is an effective way to increase the size of your target market. Technically, this is true, but as a small consultancy, it’s best to focus on a specific field. This should be the field where you have expertise.

For instance, if you’re a healthcare professional, naturally you will open a healthcare consulting business. You have no business offering, say, IT consulting.

Yes, you can hire in-house IT pros to offer this type of consulting under your firm’s roof, but many clients looking for healthcare consulting services will be wary of working with your firm.

Why?

You guessed it. Jacks of all trades are masters of none.

That said, you can expand your service as the business grows, just as long as you don’t stray too far off your niche. If your business offers management consulting, for example, you can gradually expand into strategic consulting, because the two are closely related.

3. Build a Competent Team

You might have started your business as a one-man band, but as clients start streaming in, you’ll need more people pulling the strings.

Now, recruitment is one of the tasks many consulting business owners do wrong. There’s lots of talent in the labor market, meaning it can be difficult to pick the right job applicants, especially if you’re not a human resources consultant.

Just because a job applicant has stellar academic qualifications and meets your experience requirements doesn’t mean they’re a good fit for your company. Yet, if you go ahead and make a wrong hire, your company will pay the price. Replacing a worker can cost you up to $15,000.

This is why you need to put a lot of focus on your recruitment strategy. Look for workers who’re also a good cultural fit and have a real passion for consulting. Alternatively, you can outsource the task to a recruitment firm in your niche.

4. Build a Strong Online Presence  

Americans aren’t just purchasing physical products online. They’re also looking for service providers on the web.

If you want potential clients to find you, your business needs to be where they are: online.

You’re probably thinking, “But I have a business website and the company has social media profiles and sales aren’t getting any better.”

Well, having a website and being on social media is just a starting point. What are you doing to, for instance, ensure your website ranks on Google’s first page? Do you have a blog where you share your expertise with the world?

To build a strong online presence, you’ve to invest in digital marketing services. This way, you’ll have professionals who will craft and implement an online marketing strategy for your business. Gradually, your business will be easily found on the web and sales will pick up.

Another benefit of having a digital marketing agency on your team is your company gets real-time reputation monitoring and management. These pros will deploy online listening tools that will catch negative reviews and comments about your firm.

5. Keep Up with Industry Trends

The consulting industry might not be as fast-changing as other industries, but every new year comes with a couple of trends.

For instance, the advancing technology means consulting firms have to stay abreast of tech innovations and integrate them into their operations. If a client is tech-savvy, they will also want to work with a company that’s up to speed tech-wise.

Therefore, it’s vital to monitor developments in your niche. Read industry magazines, follow niche leaders on social media, and attend conferences and other events.

Take Your Consulting Business to the Next Level

The demand for consulting services will always be there. As a consulting business owner, the key to success lies in knowing how to tap into this demand.

Lucky for you, we’ve outlined effective strategies that can help take your business to the next level. Your responsibility now is to put them to use.

All the best and keep reading our blog for more business tips, hacks, and insights.

Business

Tutoring Ads 101: How to Effectively Grow Your Tutoring Business Online

Tutoring Ads 101: How to Effectively Grow Your Tutoring Business


Tutoring Ads 101: How to Effectively Grow Your Tutoring Business Online

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 brought more attention to tutoring, but tutoring has been an important learning tool for years.

If you’ve noticed the need for tutoring and want to fill it, you know you need to drum up customers. While referrals are a great source of leads, that doesn’t help if you don’t have anyone to refer you yet.

One of the ways you can gain more attention online is through tutoring ads. Continue reading this article to learn how to advertise your tutoring business online.

Setting Yourself Up for Success With Tutoring Ads

Whether people are trying to find an online math tutor, someone to help their kids through science or history – you need to show up for your specialty. If you only want to tutor in one subject, you can still make a good amount of money.

Speak to Your Audience Directly

Avoid the marketing mistake of talking to everyone in your ads. If you speak to everyone that wants a tutor, you’re not going to get attention.

Think of the exact person that you want to help. Is this person an 8th grader that is having trouble with math? Maybe the person you want to help is someone trying to improve their SAT score.

While you should think about the student you’ll be tutoring, you should also keep in mind that the parent is most often the one paying. Speak directly to the parent when you’re writing your ads.

Offer an Outcome

Before you run your ads, check to see if they offer an outcome. Many tutoring ads simply say something like, “tutoring for xyz city” or “Math tutor in xyz city.” While the ad is descriptive, it doesn’t give the person an idea of what result they will get when they work with you.

If you’re tutoring in math, then your ad could say something like, “Help your child improve their math test by one grade.” Make sure you’re confident in whatever claim you put in your ads because people will hold you to it.

Choose the Best Place to Post

When you’ve honed your ad and are ready to post, you can put it on sites like Craigslist and the local classifieds.

Check to see if the local schools have a specific site you can post your services as well. The more places you have your ads, the more likely it is that you will be able to snag a good tutoring job.

Promote Your Business Through Content Marketing

If you decide you want to add content marketing to your strategy on top of tutoring ads, you can drum up even more business. If you are a solo tutor, you may even have to bring in some help.

The internet allows for a wide variety of opportunities. We have put together an article library to help you get the most out of those opportunities. Check out our articles on content marketing strategy today.

Business

7 Plumbing Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Business

7 Plumbing Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Business


Piping the Town: 7 Plumbing Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Business

If you’re one of the more than 120,000 plumbing businesses out there, you know how crowded the market is getting. While the demand for plumbers is rising, so is the number of businesses.

This can make it difficult to stand out from the crowd. If you want to raise awareness of your company and get more customers, you need to dive into the world of plumbing marketing.

We hear you: You don’t have the budget to hire an agency and you’d rather deal with a backed up toilet than the ins and outs of marketing.

Don’t stress! We’ve got the perfect plumber advertising guide that will make you a marketing pro in no time!

1. Build a Website

This is a basic one but it’s better to address it. You won’t survive in the modern world without a website.

There are services, like WordPress, that provide easy-to-use templates. All you have to do is plug in your relevant information and you’re good to go.

2. Be Social

Getting a social media account is second in importance to getting a website. Over half of marketers report that using social media boosted sales.

A basic Facebook account is a great place to start. Remember to take a few minutes out of your day to add content and engage with customers online.

3. Ready for Reviews

Once you’re on social media and listed on Google, you’ll start racking up reviews. Addressing all of them shows potential customers you care and gives them a good feeling about using your services.

Remember to always keep it professional and don’t pick fights with negative reviews. Give angry customers a customer service email to take their grievances offline and deal with them directly.

4. Referrals

Referrals are a great real-world way to generate sales and earn repeat business. A plumber marketing referral doesn’t have to be complicated, it could just be a percentage off.

For example, if a customer refers a friend, the friend will get 10% off their plumbing and heating service. The customer also receives a 10% discount off their next service — a win/win/win!

5. Community Oriented

Attend community meetings to drum up business. Showing up at town halls, school meetings, and corporate promotional events with business cards in hand helps get the word out.

6. How-to Videos

Entertaining and education your customers makes your brand seem authentic and knowledgeable. Making how-to videos is a great way to promote your business and educate people about common plumbing problems.

Don’t be shy — just talk about what you know and it’ll all come naturally.

7. Work on Word of Mouth

Ultimately, former customers and their opinion of you will be the best plumbing marketing company you could ask for. That’s why delivering exceptional customer service is so important.

If your customers are unhappy, try to resolve their issues politely and quickly. If they’re happy, ask if they’d submit a testimonial or review to your website or social media accounts.

Plumbing Marketing Made Easy

As you can see, plumbing marketing doesn’t have to clog up your brainpower and drain all your time. These simple tips and tricks are sure to make a difference in your business.

Want a little — or a lot — of help? We’re here for you!

We’ve got tons of digital plans to boost your business. Contact us and find out how we can help market your company!

Business

How to Promote a Podcast and Grow Your Audience

How to Promote a Podcast and Grow Your Audience


No More Podcasts: How to Promote Your Podcast and Grow Your Audience

About 68 million Americans listen to podcasts on a monthly basis. This form of data sharing is particularly popular among millennials who hold college degrees.

If you’re starting a new podcast, creating and marketing it can feel a bit overwhelming. But with our 10 tricks, you’ll successfully spread the word about your new podcast and recruit new followers.

Want to know how?

Here, we’ll share the best tips about how to promote a podcast.

How to Promote a Podcast in 10 Easy Steps

Maybe you’ve already aired a few episodes. Maybe you’re just tossing the idea around. Either way, following these guidelines will spread the word about your upcoming or available podcast.

1. Create a Website

If you haven’t created a website for your podcast yet, do it.

Websites are an easy way for listeners to access the recording itself, view upcoming news and topics and find out more information.

Additionally, you’ll find as you create episodes there’s more information you would like to share with the audience. Perhaps you interviewed an author and would like to share a link to his or her book. Whatever the case is, for these frequent occurrences, your website will come in handy.

Try to pick a domain that involves the name of your podcast to encourage brand recognition and use a responsive web design. Writer Mike Taylor recommends using WordPress because it automatically creates the proper RSS feed for your audio. Furthermore, it’s easy to use.

2. Compile an Email List

Many entrepreneurs and podcast creators assume email lists are an ancient method of communication. Quite the opposite is true: these lists remain a valuable marketing asset.

Email lists have several advantages, the most pronounced being they are a convenient way to keep in touch with listeners and reach out to new audiences. But their convenience also lies in the fact that they are not social media.

Social media sites are owned by other companies, who change their algorithms regularly. That means for any podcast creator attempting to get word of their new show out there, they have to change everything about their social media profiles and comments frequently.

Furthermore, emails allow you to reach up to 85% of the world’s population.

3. Use Social Media

It’s true social media can be a bit of a hassle, but it’s an invaluable marketing tool.

First off, it’s mostly free. Small podcasts can squeeze in their information to attract new listeners.

But it also reaches about 62% of the world’s population. In fact, 75% of marketers report social media exposure increased traffic for their company. It can do the same for your podcast.

Using social media correctly takes more than a quick post. Comments should be brief, contain images and be posted regularly. Always pay attention to posting times, as each site has optimal days and hours where your comment, tweet or post will get the most exposure.

Facebook, for example, has the highest click-through rate between 1 and 4 p.m. on Wednesdays.

4. Make It Accessible

Make your podcast easy to listen to on all devices, convenient to download and available for individuals with a disability.

On your website, use a plugin that will detect the device being used. These software programs reconfigure your site to fit whatever device it’s being viewed on.

For the audio, utilize a media player that uses Javascript and HTML5. If it has fallbacks, even better; this will offer greater compatibility.

Finally, don’t forget about individuals who may not be able to hear your podcast or individuals who might not have earbuds handy. Include professional closed captioning to reach a wider audience.

5. Choose a Good Podcast Hosting Platform

Your hosting platform makes a huge difference in the quality of your podcast. Let’s face it: no one wants to listen to shoddy audio. If you have a professional, high-quality podcast, you’re more likely to engage and retain listeners.

Platforms can offer easy editing methods, data information and storage options. They also allow you to distribute your podcast and share it on social media. Always try out free platforms before committing to paid ones to make sure you like the interface and options.

If you aren’t the greatest with technology, don’t sweat it. Companies offering podcast production services can do all the work for you to make your audio sound professional.

6. Incorporate SEO

You don’t have to be a pro to increase your search engine optimization (SEO). Research common keywords and phrases associated with your podcast’s subject and integrate them into your website and podcast.

Use a podcast title that appeals to your subject and audience to further increase ranking. Episode names, titles and tags should also incorporate keywords.

Simply ensuring your recordings can be downloaded is another great way to boost ranking, as experts suspect episode plays and downloads factor into podcast SEO.

Don’t forget your reviews. Periodically ask listeners to review your podcast to get ranked higher than the competition.

7. Add to Directories

If you’ve followed the previous steps, you’re well on your way to attracting more listeners.

But this is a big step: add your podcast to directories everywhere you can. Doing so will get your podcast’s name out there when individuals search for your subject.

Add your podcast to at least the following:

  • iTunes
  • Google Play
  • Spotify
  • SoundCloud
  • TuneIn
  • iHeartRadio
  • Podtail

8. Reformat Your Podcast

Blogs are an excellent addition to a website and a podcast. They provide the information you share in your show in another format, increasing the likelihood of being noticed.

But blogs aren’t the only thing to consider. Add some YouTube videos or infographics. Keep things spicy to engage all types of audience members and encourage them to hit that “play” button.

9. Remind Audiences to Subscribe

In every episode, ask your listeners to subscribe to the podcast so they can conveniently enjoy your show. Doing so lets listeners automatically download your latest episode or connects them directly to it.

This is an easy way to keep a solid audience base.

10. Team Up with Podcast Pals

Do you know anyone else in the business? If so, ask them to mention your podcast and do the same for their company, site or show.

This is an excellent way to promote your show and help our others in a similar circumstance. While some companies or podcasts offer this with a fee, chances are you know someone out there who has a website, podcast, blog or some other format that reaches audiences.

Make Your Podcast Pop

These ten steps offer several ways you can increase the audience base for your podcast and encourage listeners to flock to your show.

Knowing how to promote a podcast is the first step to success, but with the fierce competition in the market, it’s not easy. Instead, join 40,000 other marketers to learn the ins and outs of promoting your content at our website.

Whether you’re into podcasts or blogs, the information you find will push your shows and sites to greater heights.

Technology

How to Grow Your Blog in 5 Simple Steps

How to Grow Your Blog in 5 Simple Steps


How to Grow Your Blog in 5 Simple Steps

You’ve come up with the perfect subject for your blog, you’ve taken a few beautiful photographs, and you’ve even brainstormed your overall site design.

But after you write and publish your first post, you realize that no one is reading it. Your blog traffic is consistent — but it’s consistently at zero.

You need to learn how to grow your blog — before you give up on it altogether.

Keep on reading this post to find out how to make it happen in as few as five simple steps.

1. Conduct Keyword Research

The first step in learning how to increase traffic to your blog?

Make sure that you’re taking the time to conduct thorough and relevant keyword research.

You can use tools like this one to help you to figure out exactly what people are typing into search engines in order to connect with the products and services you offer. You’ll also better understand the most popular keywords relating to your industry as a whole.

For example, if you’re a bridesmaids dress shop, keywords might be things like “bridesmaids dress trends,” “best bridesmaid dresses,” or even “affordable bridesmaid gowns.”

When it comes to the placement of those keywords?

You won’t get the traffic generation that you want by just peppering them randomly in your content. You’ll also need to put them in image file names, titles, video descriptions, and even image captions.

Also, ensure that you’re properly optimizing your keywords for local searchers. This means you should include a few longtail phrases that contain your main keyword followed by the city, state, or general service area that your business operates within.

2. Share on Social Media

As you’ve likely already expected, you can’t write a post on how to get blog followers without discussing just how much of an influence social media has on your overall traffic.

After you finish a blog post, share it on your social media accounts, like your Facebook Business page or link it in the bio of your Instagram account. Be sure that you select a captivating and relevant thumbnail image to accompany the posts.

This will encourage more people to click on it.

Keep in mind that social media is an especially effective way to learn how to grow your blog because it allows your followers and friends to share the content you create.

This leads to a cost-effective advertising strategy that allows you to broaden your target market and get serious mileage out of every post you write.

3. Don’t Forget the Comments Section

So far in this post, we’ve discussed blogging techniques that will help you to learn how to build an audience.

However, if you want to continue to generate traffic and ensure that you have loyal readers, you’ll also need to focus on engagement.

That’s where the comments section comes into play. Here, we mean both the comments section in your own blog, and how you utilize comments sections of popular industry blogs to your advantage.

First of all, always respond to comments that people leave on your blog. This will help your readers to feel like you don’t just post and walk away, and will let them feel like they’re getting to know you as a person.

This promotes a sense of transparency, which is especially essential within the millennial market.

Additionally, when you read industry blogs, you should always include a link back to your own blog in your comments signature.

After all, if people are already reading a blog that’s in some way related to your industry, chances are, they’ll want to read yours, too.

This will help you to grow your traffic organically.

4. Increase your Linkbuilding Strategy

If you want to compound your traffic growth, make sure that you’re linking internally and externally on your blog.

This means that you should link back to your previous content in your posts. You should also link out to other authoritative sites. This means that, soon, those sites you love to read will also link back to your own blog.

If you feel like you can’t manage authority link placements on your own, this company can help to do it for you.

Outreach Base works to build high-quality links on and to your blog, while also ensuring that you can land guest posts on competitive sites.

Guest blogging can expand your audience and help you grow your traffic.  It can be a time consuming process, which is why sometimes it’s best to go with a guest post service to take care of the hard work.

5. Keep a Consistent Posting Schedule

Above all, mastering how to grow your blog means ensuring that, once you decide to create one, you can keep your overall posting schedule consistent.

You should aim to put up a minimum of one post every week, though three to four a week will allow you to grow traffic more quickly.

If you sense that you’ll struggle with this, we recommend writing a content calendar. Generate your ideas for the month in one sitting, and dedicate a weekend to writing as many posts as you can.

Then, use an automatic posting schedule to put up your posts on a regular basis, while you go on to write the next month’s topics.

How to Grow Your Blog: Wrapping Up

As you can see from this post, understanding how to grow your blog isn’t as complicated as you might have initially thought.

It just takes consistency, proper keyword research and linking, and engagement with your readers on social media and in the comments section.

On the hunt for more ways to generate traffic for both your blog and your brand’s overall website?

We can help.

Check back with us for more of the digital marketing strategies you can’t afford to miss.

Business

How Link Building Can Help Grow Adult Website Traffic

How Link Building Can Help Grow Adult Website Traffic


How Link Building Can Help Grow Adult Website Traffic

The art of link building is not learned overnight. It takes multiple tries to see results from mastering your content. We’ve established our own approach to growing adult website traffic through the power of link building.  

Are you interested in finding out how you can spice up your website with some much-needed sex appeal?

Read on to discover the process of attaining more website traffic within the next year. 

Get To Know Your Audience

It’s been said before in the best marketing classes available — get to know your demographic. Understanding who your audience is comprised of can boost your link building power. Once you’ve narrowed down who makes up your audience you can use this information to market to them.

Your adult website audience is most likely going to be sexually active adults. Marketing how to use a bathmate to them would be a prime example of relevant content to add to your website. 

Another tip for improving your audience? Involve social media to carefully place your links throughout your website content. Focus on learning where your demographic spends most of their time. Do they like to stay on your home page? Place your links on your sidebar or underneath your posts.

Do they like to stay on your home page? Place your links on your sidebar or underneath your posts.

Redirecting your audience around your website is also helpful to do. Link everywhere you can to grow exposure on all areas of your website. If your audience scrolls through your posts, will they find working links to show them more? Consider following your Google Analytics data to find this information out. 

Create Visual Appeal 

By creating content that is visually appealing, you can organically grow your adult website traffic. You want to provide your audience will a first glance at what they will expect from your website or brand if they click through a link.

You’ll need to add striking visuals for your adult website to stand out from competitors.

It’s also important to get people involved in the sharing process by creating visually appealing photographs. When you combine high-quality photos with catchy titles or captions, you will instantly attract a specific visitor who is intrigued by your brand.

Continue the sharing process by adding these visuals onto multiple platforms. To attract even more adult website traffic to your site on a daily basis, you need to constantly update your content to stay relevant. 

Adult Website Traffic Improves With Links

Back in 1989, the discussion of linking was a hot topic. The world wide web was proposed as a pillar of HyperText and was discussed as a place to connect documents. Don’t hesitate to add links to beef up your current content.

If you want to see authentic results, revisit those old blog posts and add relevant links to boost your overall SEO ranking. Share the old posts on your social sites to take the extra step.

Achieve organic search rankings by building trustworthy links in all of your blog posts for the highest SEO optimization.

Let’s Drive More Traffic 

Link building can be difficult to master. However, it’s necessary to understand how crucial it is to building loyal visitors. Having powerful links will drive traffic and will ultimately lead to more revenue. 

Have some link building knowledge to share? Or tips for boosting adult website traffic? Leave a comment below.