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In an ideal world, sales teams and business leaders would have crystal balls to help them predict accurate sales forecasts. With these predictions, it would be easier to create budgets, set goals, know when you’ll need to hire more people, and so much more. Unfortunately, crystal balls belong in the movies, and predicting anything in business, especially revenue, can be challenging. Then what’s the best way to go about creating sales forecasts for your business? Firstly, you need to understand what forecasting is. In a nutshell, a sales forecast is your predictions of what you will sell weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. An important element for forecasting is to be more realistic than hopeful. Too often, sales teams will be overly optimistic when setting goals. This, unfortunately, leads to disappointment when you’re halfway through the year and your team starts realizing that you’re still far from reaching your goals. I want better for you. I want you to set goals that you can reach. Goals that will help keep you and your team motivated. Here’s my detailed breakdown of how to predict your business’s future revenue. Pros and Cons of Doing Your Own Sales Forecasting to Predict RevenueSome business leaders and sales teams decide to create their own forecasts. Is this a good idea? Well, let’s have a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of this. Pro 1: You’ll Gain Valuable InsightSince forecasting involves looking into historical and real-time data, you are forced to gain insight into your business’s health and overall growth. This information can help you set better future goals for your business. Pro 2: You Can Decrease CostsIf you have a small business or startup, you’re likely trying to cut costs any way you can. Doing some essential tasks on your own, like revenue predictions, will help you save costs that you can channel into other areas of your business. Pro 3: You’ll Know What to Focus OnThere are many moving parts to a growing business. Understanding each component helps you achieve your overall business goals. When you do your own sales forecasts, you’ll know what you need to focus more on to help your business continue growing. For instance, if you predict that your sales will increase by 5 percent in the next three months, you can then allocate the necessary resources to help your sales team achieve this goal. Con 1: Sales Forecasting Takes TimeAs highlighted above, you’ll need to create revenue predictions that may be weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. To create these forecasts and make an informed decision, you’ll have to look into historical data. This can be time-consuming to do on your own. Con 2: Lack of Input From Outside the CompanySometimes, it’s challenging to see the whole picture when you’re in the frame. Employing a team of planners from outside the organization can help you get someone else’s informed decision on your company. This can give you valuable insight into the health of your company. If you’re the business owner, it’s challenging to be subjective and remove all emotions when creating forecasts. Your business means a lot to you. You’re working hard to ensure that it’s a success. If you’re not careful, your projections have the potential of being more optimistic than realistic. An outsider will be more objective and base each decision on real data. If you’ve weighed up your pros and cons and feel that you would like to create your own forecasts, it’s now time to understand how these can benefit you. Why Use Sales Forecasts?Before we get to how we first need to understand why we need sales forecasts in the first place. What value do they add to your business? When you build a solid sales forecast, you can foresee potential issues and work on fixing them. For instance, if you’re halfway through the year and see that your sales are trending 20 percent below quota, you can quickly assess the situation to figure out what is preventing you from achieving your goals. Figuring out potential problems right away, instead of waiting until the end of the year or the quarter, can make a huge difference in any business. Having you and your sales team be aware of the sales forecast can work as a great motivation tool. You can have weekly or monthly sales updates to let the team know how far you are from reaching your goals. An important thing to remember when building sales forecasts is that they won’t be perfect. By the end of the quarter or financial year, you might be below your goals, or you might have surpassed them. Whatever the case may be, creating forecasts is still a necessary part of your business plan as they help you and your team stay on the same page and work toward common goals. Instructions for Creating a Sales Forecast to Predict RevenueNow that you understand the value of building a solid sales forecast, let’s get into how to get it done. 1. Pick or Create a Sales Forecast TemplateWhat specific information do you want to get out of your sales forecast? This is an important question as the answer will help you decide on the template that makes the most sense for you and your business. You may want to look at information like:
You may be able to find a template for what you’re looking for, or you can create a unique template that includes all the metrics you’re interested in tracking and makes the most sense for your business. 2. Select the Products Included in Your Sales ForecastThe products you include in your sales forecast will depend on what you’re specifically forecasting. For instance, if you decide to create a quarterly sales forecast, you may include all your sales for that period. On the other hand, if you want to forecast sales for specific verticals or products, you’ll probably only have those products. It’s essential to be as specific as possible and also be clear on how you would like to incorporate the products you’ve selected for consideration in your forecast. For instance, if you’ll be forecasting sales across a quarter, you need to decide how to set your actual forecast. You can include a line prediction for each product you sell, and you can include another line item for how much you expect to sell in your different product lines or categories. If you would like to create a medium- to long-term forecast (e.g., over a 12-month period), you can develop monthly forecasts leading up to that period. These forecasts can include the price per unit and units sold for each product. 3. Calculate Predicted RevenueNow’s the fun part: calculating your predicted revenue. There are multiple ways you can predict future revenue. You Can Use Historical DataIf you’ve been selling your products or services for a while, looking into your historical data to give you an idea of a realistic revenue you can expect to achieve is essential. While considering historical data can help, it’s not always an accurate predictor of future sales. For instance, you might have been a newcomer in the past, but now you may be well-established in your industry. The sales you received in your first year won’t match the sales you’ll receive in this coming year. While this is true, it’s always important to consider historical data as this is your foundation. You can use this information as a baseline for your sales goals. You Can Consider the SeasonSome products are seasonal, while others sell at a consistent rate all year long. There are also certain times of the year (e.g., Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas season) where consumers generally spend a lot of money. These factors will affect your revenue during these periods. You Can Consider the MarketNo matter how amazing your product or service is, sometimes there’s a ceiling regarding how much you can realistically sell at certain times. For instance, if you sell gadgets, what used to be “cool” five years ago may not be today. The tech space is constantly evolving, and if your products or services don’t get updated to meet consumer demands, your revenue might tend toward a downward trend. After considering all these factors, you can look at the best-case scenario and then predict sales based on that number. Again, it’s essential to be realistic here. If you own a pizza place and your only competitor from across the street sells an average of 50 pizzas per day, predicting to sell 1,000 pizzas per day is more hopeful than realistic. Many professionals use scenario analysis to help them understand what the best- and worst-case scenarios may be for their predicted revenue. 4. Create a Tracking SystemCreating a tracking system is one of the most crucial elements to successfully forecasting. If, for instance, you find that you’ve made predictions that are way off when you’re in the middle of the sales cycle, referring to your tracking system will help you immediately see this. You can then quickly update or adjust your sales forecast. The tracking system you use doesn’t need to be complicated. For example, you can create an Excel spreadsheet and even create graphs, like this one from SmartSheet, to help you see whether your sales are reaching, below, or surpassing your predicted revenue. 5. Ensure Your Team Is AlignedThe value of having a team that’s working toward the same goals can’t be overstated. That’s why it’s essential to ensure that every team member is aware of the sales forecasts and, more importantly, that they agree with them. Why? While you may be the leader, you can’t achieve your predicted sales on your own. You need everyone to work toward reaching those goals and also believe in them. Sharing with your team can also help you get their valuable opinions on the predictions you made. Maybe you missed an important factor that might affect sales for that period. Or maybe there’s a new trend in the market that your sales team recently discovered. Their input is essential before the stakeholders sign off on the sales forecasts. 6. Use Tools to Make Your Sales Forecast Process EasierWe’re well into the digital age, and there are various tools that can help make your life a little easier. For instance, you can use Google Sheets to create your forecasts in a neat spreadsheet. Furthermore, you will be able to access them from any device with internet access. To keep in touch with your team and share regular updates on forecasts, you can use online collaboration tools, such as Asana, Trello, or Slack. All these tools allow you to share links and documents with your team members so that they can access valuable information at any time. When choosing tools, look for options that are easy for you and your team to use and integrate. It’s also important to pay close attention to the privacy policies of the organizations. In addition, consider tools with multiple features to make organization a little easier. ConclusionSales forecasting is an essential part of your business, but sometimes generic templates aren’t relevant. Use the above tips to create an informed sales forecast that will work for your needs. Have you created a sales forecast model before? What interesting tips can you share? The post How to Build a Sales Forecast Model appeared first on Neil Patel. Original content source: https://neilpatel.com/blog/sales-forecast/ via https://neilpatel.com See the original post, How to Build a Sales Forecast Model that is shared from https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home/how-to-build-a-sales-forecast-model via https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home
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Chances are, your brand has data scientists and operations professionals on the team, and while they do their best to collaborate, they each have their own areas of expertise. This could lead to miscommunications and misunderstandings. The data scientists can interpret the data, but they likely don’t have the background to manage business operations. Likewise, the business team can make their side of things work, but they don’t fully know how to interpret and implement data. Here is where machine learning operations (MLOps) come in. In this article, we’ll discuss how MLOps can help with collaboration between your data and business teams, as well as additional immediate and future benefits of implementing it. What is MLOps?MLOps, in simple terms, is a set of best practices for improving communication and collaboration between your employees on the data science and operations sides of your brand. In less simple terms, it’s a combination of machine learning, data engineering, and development operations. The goal is to provide a more streamlined process for developing and creating machine learning systems, allowing business administrators, data scientists, marketers, and IT engineers to cooperate on the same level. It is an extension of what we know as DevOps. DevOps is the process of organizing cooperation between everyone involved in the design and building of big data. This process has been around for a while, but MLOps is still in its youth. MLOps creates a lifecycle and a set of practices that apply to the development of machine learning systems. This includes research, development, operations, and implementation. The process of brainstorming, developing, and implementing machine learning is extensive. Having a set of duplicatable processes to guide each project helps in many ways. 5 Benefits of MLOpsNow that we have a general understanding of MLOps, let’s look at how it can impact our businesses. All new technology has either a positive or negative effect on the digital marketing industry, so it’s crucial we understand what we’re getting. 1. MLOps Can Increase Efficiency and AutomationMaking the most of our time is something most of us strive to do. Ironically, we spend a lot of time figuring out how to do this. We may look into all different kinds of apps and books. We could spend days reading articles or even attending seminars on efficiency and time management. But, perhaps automating would be simpler for many people. Automation, by definition, should increase efficiency. Once minute tasks are out of people’s hands, they can focus on big picture issues. An essential but draining task many folks on data science teams spend time doing is data entry. That’s time they could spend focusing on the science rather than passively improving their typing skills (and, we all know, a typo in data entry can bring disaster!). MLOps gives options for automating tasks like data entry. It takes some work upfront, but once things are going, the data scientists can get back to what they do best. 2. MLOps Eliminates WasteMLOps helps businesses improve communication and avoid bottlenecks and costly errors. How much time have you wasted answering the same questions, reiterating a previous point, or working extra hours to clean up an error because someone simply didn’t know what to do—or what someone else was supposed to be doing? If you had a set of operations for each employee or contractor to follow, there would be no need to answer the same question continually. You could send them an operations checklist, and they work through it until completion. The best thing about this is it’s highly duplicatable. I’ll use the example of a content marketing company creating content for its clients. Let’s say you run a site reviewing camping products. Every page should follow the same basic format so your readers can easily compare products or skim to the parts they care about most. Suppose you give your reviewers and editors a template to follow, step-by-step instructions, and information about what the others are doing. In that case, confusion can be lessened, and you can focus on which hiking boots are best in winter weather. MLOps does this, not for content, but for communication. It allows leaders to share “templates” of what should be done on a given day and, after any frontloading, questions should lessen and related waste eliminated. 3. MLOps Focuses on CollaborationAs mentioned, a lack of communication can kill a business quickly. Collaboration between departments is so crucial. Otherwise, work gets lost, notes aren’t passed on, things get missed—and tempers may flare. MLOps creates procedures for passing one task on to another department. The word “lifecycle” is often used to describe this process. As a project moves through the lifecycle, workers should be able to see what has happened, what should be happening now, and what will happen next. This is where we put on our marketer hat and look towards tools like ClickUp and Trello. These are useful for managing large numbers of tasks at the same time. People involved in the project can access things like checklists and previous conversations at all points in the pipeline, eliminating the wait for responses on work chats or dealing with the dreaded group email. Communications come in order, everyone who needs to be in on the conversation can be, and they’re unlikely to get lost in dozens of messages. This process also allows for documentation. Not only does this create a paper trail of who did what so the right people can be given feedback, but it also eliminates miscommunication because it’s all outlined already. 4. MLOps Supports Machine Learning ModelsReducing the amount of variation from one project to another is an important key to scaling any business. MLOps help do this by creating reproducible models you can use as a benchmark at the beginning of each new project. These data set registries help track resources, project data, logs, and metrics. These factors combined eliminate bottlenecks, reduce wasted time, and help move projects through the pipeline faster. Essentially what you’re doing is creating a template that can be used over and over. These machine learning “templates” or “models” help reduce production time and produce a better product by having a benchmark to follow each time a new machine learning model comes out. Having a duplicatable model is vital in marketing because it allows you to input any variable and experience the same result. SEO is an exceptional example of this. Once you have a proven strategy to create content, upload it, optimize it, drive links to it, and re-optimize, you’ll never have to worry about variables because the steps are the same. It wouldn’t matter if you were ranking an article about ergonomic keyboards or funeral home carpeting because the bones are the same. It starts with providing those in need with the resources they want on their own time. We live in a 24-7 connected world where people work all different kinds of hours. Gone are the days of working 9-5 and leaving all your work behind. Every employee or contractor you have should be able to receive an answer to any question when they need it. If they have to sit around and wait for you to come back into the office in the morning, it’s creating a bottleneck, slowing down your process, and ultimately costing you money. 5. MLOps Makes Deployment and Implementation EasierMLOps’ ability to improve communication, create processes, and automate things can make deployment and implementation easier because of the inherently reduced chances of errors. With MLOps at their fingertips, developers can pack models much faster while still maintaining quality control with profiling and model validation. It provides a way for data scientists and administrators to perform at a higher level with confidence in knowing each step was followed and validated for consistency. What is the Future of MLOps in Business and Marketing?MLOps is a new but colossal industry expected to hit $4 billion by 2025. The most significant impact it may have relates to how we manage data. Data is meaningless if you don’t have an understandable way to translate it. Machine learning operations allow you to take that data and turn it into something tangible. For example, if you made some changes to a specific business model and you notice worsening results after six months, you may want to circle back to the original model. Plus, MLOps provides consistency. Producing a consistent product is a tall order because each scenario is different, and you’ll likely run into unique issues each time. Businesses all over the world struggle to put out a consistent product/service time and time again. MLOps helps data scientists and operations managers work together to produce consistent results across a considerable time frame. As the project moves from one end of the pipeline to another, all the people involved need to have a way to ensure quality is maintained. MLOps can even automate the process of quality assurance with routine scans. ConclusionMLOps helps create lines of communication between everyone involved in the process of developing machine learning technology. As marketers, we can learn something from this and implement the same principles in our businesses. Every business can benefit from clear guidelines and processes to follow. If you’re experiencing bottlenecks, slow production times, and a large number of errors, you might want to pull back the curtain and take a look at your procedures as a whole. If that sounds like a lot of work, we can help! How do you think MLOps will impact business and marketing? The post How is MLOps Used in Business and Marketing? appeared first on Neil Patel. Original content source: https://neilpatel.com/blog/mlops/ via https://neilpatel.com See the original post, How is MLOps Used in Business and Marketing? that is shared from https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home/how-is-mlops-used-in-business-and-marketing via https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission. A functional online directory plugin will help you deliver business or personal information by location or category for internal or external use. Whether you want to build a glossary of names and terms for your employees or a comprehensive business index, a good directory plugin for your WordPress website will help you do just that. Directory plugins serve a simple purpose: to create a user-friendly database with up-to-date details for both your customers and internal team. Your plugin of choice will give you access to this information along with pictures, location information, and contact details. As there are many directory plugin options out there, I’m here to make it easier for you by narrowing it down to the top five best directory plugins for your WordPress website—so you won’t have trouble finding the right one for you. The Top 5 Options for Directory Plugins
#1 – Business Directory – The Best for Extensive Directory CategoriesIf you’re looking for a wide variety of directory categories to choose from, the Business Directory plugin is an excellent option. This plugin allows you to easily build the directory you want by seamlessly pairing it with any WordPress website. It doesn’t matter what type of directory you wish to build because the Business Directory plugin has it all. The plugin covers the basic local business directories as well as employee, member, restaurant, medical, tour and travel, hotel, software review sites, and book review site directories. Along with its extensive category list, Business Directory offers a simple installation process that WordPress users can rely on. With its easy directory templates, you can change the style and layouts to suit your preferences. This plugin also lets you have full-field control to create your own custom fields for simple list navigation. Some other helpful features include:
Business Directory offers three pricing plans, including:
These pricing plans may be quite expensive for some, so I recommend the Business Directory plugin for those who need a diverse range of categories for their directory. All pricing plans come with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Try it today. #2 – GeoDirectory – The Best Customizable Directory Plugin for WordPressCustomization is important for directory plugins, which is where GeoDirectory comes in. GeoDirectory is an excellent option for website owners who are looking for ultimate flexibility and customization options. With its incredible compatibility, this plugin works with any WordPress theme and allows you to easily customize your page the same way you do for your actual website and theme. GeoDirectory also lets you customize 40+ widgets, shortcodes, and blocks, and all features are available in any format. This plugin offers an intuitive drag-and-drop tool that helps you organize and reorder listing pages while easily adding customized tabs, fields, and content. Custom fields also come with a fully customizable and unique badge system that you can include in your listings. These badges include terms such as new, featured, and recently updated. You can also add badges with counts, video icons, and social links. By using GeoDirectory, your WordPress website will benefit from multiple advanced features, including:
As one of the most comprehensive directory plugins on the web, GeoDirectory offers four different pricing plans:
Every plan includes all products, add-ons, and premium support for the corresponding period. If recurring subscriptions aren’t your thing, GeoDirectory offers single four, six, and 12-month plans. A 30-day money-back guarantee covers all plans, except for the Lifetime tier. Learn more. #3 – Connections Business Directory – The Best Free WordPress Directory PluginWith its high-quality and supportive features, Connections Business Directory is a great free option for those looking for a starter plugin. With over 900,000 downloads, this plugin will help you seamlessly integrate your customized directory with your WordPress website. The Connections Business Directory system and database have been carefully crafted for maximum compatibility with WordPress, so your installation experience is smooth and simple—especially for website owners with little technical knowledge. The plugin is also completely scalable and gives you the option to manage hundreds of entries within your directory. Another outstanding feature of Connections Business Directory is the robust templates. For a free plugin, it offers you a decent range of templates to get you started—with a template pro package available for an additional cost. Apart from it being free, which is a huge bonus, Connections Business Directory has prominent features, such as:
As you can install Connections Business Directory for free, they don’t have any pricing plans. However, you can purchase premium add-ons and extensions for an affordable price. Some of the most popular add-ons include the Widget Pack for $9.99 and the Custom Category Order for $4.99. Template bundles include:
Although these prices are very affordable, it’s also important to create a budget not to overspend on the extras. In that case, you may find a different directory plugin with additional features for around the same price. #4 – Advanced Classifieds and Directory Pro – The Best WordPress Plugin with Multifunctional FeaturesCreate a powerful business directory using the Advanced Classifieds and Directory Pro (ACADP) plugin. With its unique unlimited features, you can build an advanced directory from scratch with little to no effort. Even though this plugin offers customizable settings and layouts for an easy view of your listings, the multifunctional widgets are by far the best feature to take advantage of. ACADP has a wide variety of WordPress-compatible widgets that offer a more convenient way for you to add and manage content on your website without complex code, making it a perfect tool for beginners. ACADP specifically designs the widgets to showcase listing-related information and tools for easy navigation. The widgets include ACADP search/filter, categories, locations, listings, listing address, listing contact, and listing video. Your website will easily support these widgets and all users need to do is hover and click on the widget they need for extra information. Being quite a comprehensive plugin, you will benefit from many features, including:
ACADP has two pricing plans you can pay for monthly, yearly, or with a one-time life fee, which includes:
ACADP offers between three and five sites on the Professional plan, but you will have to pay additional costs according to how many sites you want. They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans and a 20% discount on the lifetime plan. #5 – Name Directory – The Best Directory Plugin for an Online Glossary BuilderName Directory is another free plugin, however, it’s a little different from the other options on this list as it isn’t a standard business index plugin. If you are a beginner looking for a more basic database that can build online glossaries for your WordPress website, Name Directory is an excellent option. With a similar control panel view to the WordPress administration panel, you will have a simple time adding to, navigating, and managing your online glossaries through Name Directory. You can add multiple directories with this plugin with simple shortcodes to copy and paste into the database. Every online glossary you build also has a few customization options to alter the directory’s layout and functionality. Even though this is a basic directory, there are still a wide variety of configuration options you can choose from to help maintain your online glossaries. Some of these include the option to show/hide title, description, and search function, select the number of columns to display, enter the subject of the directory, and limit the number of words in your description with a ‘read more’ link. Because it is an entirely free plugin, there are limited features, but Name Directory includes:
Name Directory is free to download and install. However, the developer team offers paid customization for anyone looking at a more extensive plugin at a low price. What I Looked at To Find The Best Directory Plugin for WordPressNow that you know my top five recommendations for the best directory plugin for WordPress, it’s time for you to look for the right product for your website. To make it easier for you, I narrowed down the top three criteria that helped me find the best options above. All you have to do is weigh up these criteria against your personal needs to find the perfect plugin for you. Not every plugin will have all three criteria, but it’s important to find a plugin with at least one or two of these for you to use your website to its maximum potential. Customization for ListingsBeing able to customize your old and new listings is paramount to the success of your business index. Having a flexible and customizable plugin like GeoDirectory will make sure your listings are up-to-date for your users. Not being able to customize your directory will heavily impact your business due to lack of functionality, so it’s imperative to find a plugin that offers at least some customizing options. Rating and Review SystemA rating and review system is paramount for letting your users express their opinions about your listed businesses. Just like the Business Directory Plugin that offers a rating module, it helps to bring more inclusivity to your website by allowing users to rate businesses on a scale of one to five. Plus, ratings and reviews help users decide on the most trusted service, and you can risk losing business without it. Bookmarking ToolsA plugin that offers any sort of bookmarking tool will help transform your website. ACADP is one of the directory plugins that have this tool alongside advanced searching and filtering features. This tool will allow your users to bookmark individual listings for future reference, making it incredibly convenient while saving time. Your business index won’t completely suffer without it, but it’s a handy tool that will increase consistent traffic for your website. ConclusionFinding the best directory plugin for your WordPress website depends on a few factors like customization, a rating and review systems, and bookmarking tools, among other features. Looking for these elements is a great place to start, as it will ensure you get the maximum support from your desired plugin. I’d recommend the GeoDirectory and Business Directory Plugin to anyone looking for extensive and highly customizable directory plugins for your WordPress website. GeoDirectory is the most customizable option on the list, with excellent WordPress compatibility and an intuitive interface. As a developer-friendly system, anyone can transform and customize the pre-existing databases to suit your every need. Business Directory Plugin is also great for extensive categories. If you have multiple niches and locations you wish to cater to, this plugin has it all in terms of options. It’s also mobile-friendly and has great payment integration options if you want to earn as you go. That being said, the other three directory plugins are excellent options that highly suit beginners. Here’s a quick recap:
The post Best WordPress Directory Plugins appeared first on Neil Patel. Original content source: https://neilpatel.com/blog/best-wordpress-directory-plugins/ via https://neilpatel.com See the original post, Best WordPress Directory Plugins that is shared from https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home/best-wordpress-directory-plugins via https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home Facebook carousel ads offer marketers and entrepreneurs a compelling way to introduce their products and services to customers. Since it can include different images or videos, it seems to be a distinct yet effective marketing strategy. Now, how can you leverage Facebook carousel ads for your own social media strategy? Let’s start with the basics of carousel ads. What is a Facebook Carousel Ad?The Facebook carousel ad format consists of up to ten images or videos. Each carousel card has a URL that users can click to view a specific product page or landing page. Here’s an example of a Facebook carousel ad for bee earrings: Viewers can swipe left or right to view the clickable cards on mobile, while desktop users click the left or right arrow buttons. We bet you’ve seen a bunch of these ads while scrolling down your feed. Benefits of Facebook Carousel AdsCarousel ads have a unique advantage over the traditional single ad format. Let’s take a look at some of the perks you need to know: Showcase Different ProductsCarousel ads enable marketers to showcase various products or services within one ad. An apparel store can post a carousel ad with separate “cards” or images featuring their shoe, shirt, or pants. The photos let you visually present your brand and emphasize the varying usage of your products. Digiday reports that Facebook carousel ads are 10X better than a regular-formatted ad. Consider this Love, Bonito ad, which includes eye-catching dresses that can grab the attention of viewers. Highlight VideosSure, presenting products sounds interesting. But if you want to tell a more in-depth story, you can include videos, too. Similar to the usual carousel, you also have different cards. Rather than an image, the card has a playable video. This feature is handy for in-depth product showcases. You can also add a clip of an event or a destination. Take a look at this carousel ad by Operation Broken Silence, which includes a short clip featuring the dinner, drinks, and carousel rides for their event. Include Different CTAsUnlike the typical ad, Facebook Carousel ads let you add different CTAs to different landing pages. Include a URL to specific product pages of featured products or your mobile app download page. According to Facebook, this ad format leads to 30-50 percent lower cost-per-conversion and 20-30 percent lower cost-per-click as compared with single-image link ads. Hence, it is a cost-effective way to advertise your products. For example, this Domestika ad features a “Shop Now” CTA connected to the page of the discounted courses. When viewers find a card that piques their interest, they can click the CTA and get redirected to the website to learn more information or buy the product. When to Use Facebook Carousel AdsWhat are the circumstances that would make a company create a carousel ad? Here are some ways brands can use them to improve their results. Increase TrafficWhat if you want to boost brand awareness and increase traffic to your website? Some brands use the carousel format to share their initiative. Macy’s carousel ad for their “Buy A Coat & We’ll Donate One” aimed to increase awareness by growing the amount of traffic on their website. The carousel had successfully generated more than 14 million impressions and helped the brand contribute 35,000 coats to Clothes4Souls. Increase ConversionsNaturally, ads are only effective when they drive conversions and sales to your business. Check out this amazing carousel ad that drove results for Pura Vida Bracelets. Their handmade bracelets and accessories let artisans get full-time jobs. With a compelling copy and images, their carousel ads led to a 4X increase in orders in two months. They also had an astounding 70 percent boost in conversion rate and a 40 percent lower cost-per-acquisition with dynamic product ads. Create Better EngagementBesides products, Facebook carousel ads can also be used to promote blog posts, infographics, and downloadable content to engage with your target audience. Let’s take a look at this Precision Nutrition ad that includes fitness-inspired images linked to their downloadable guide, blog post, and infographic. Their workout nutrition myths and recommendations encourage health-conscious consumers to sign up for their newsletter. How did it go? The campaign led to a whopping 6,000 new newsletter sign-ups! Generate LeadsWe all want to generate more leads, and carousel ads can also get this done. Solar Energy company Living Skies Solar created carousel ads to generate leads for their solar panel. To attract people’s attention, they emphasized the electricity rates and Canada’s carbon taxing policy. How did it go? The ad generated around 600,000 to 700,000 impressions with an ad spend of $4,000. Get Brand RecognitionIn addition, Facebook carousel ads can be used to generate interest and awareness. Z & Y Restaurant creates hype for their Chinese food by showcasing their delicious menu. It also helps to share that their patrons include former President Barack Obama and foreign ministers. How to Create Facebook Carousel AdsThe Facebook Ads Manager lets users create a Facebook Carousel ad with two or more videos or images, links, and headlines. Desktop users can click the arrows on the ad to view the rest of the cards, while mobile users can scroll through the cards. If you want to create your own, here are the steps you need to follow: Step 1: Visit Facebook Ads Manager. Step 2: Hover on the top-left corner and select the + Create option. Step 3: Select an objective that supports your chosen carousel format. Some common objectives include brand awareness, reach, traffic, app installs, lead generation, messages, conversions, catalog sales, and store traffic. Step 4: Fill up the Campaign Details, Campaign Budget Optimization, and A/B Test. Afterward, click the “Next” button. Step 5: Add your Audience, Budget and Schedule, Placements, and Optimization and Delivery information, then click Next. Step 6: Head to the Identity section, and choose the Facebook Page that you will use for the ad campaign. You can also add your Instagram account if necessary. Step 7: Head to the Ad Setup section, then select Carousel. Step 8: At the Ad Creative section, you can opt to select links or images for your carousel cards. Here’s the process for manually adding this information:
Step 9: At this stage, you’ve successfully created your carousel card. Next, it’s time to add your CTA and Primary Text. Step 10: To ensure you got everything right, preview your ad. If you would like to make any changes, select Edit Placement. Step 11: Complete the Tracking Section, if necessary. When everything is good to go, click Publish. 5 Tips for Creating Great Facebook Carousel AdsMarketers will know that creating a successful Facebook Carousel ad is a lot harder than it looks. However, there are tips and tricks that you can execute to ensure it’ll be a success. 1. Use Eye-Catching ImagesAccording to 3M, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text. This proves that using high-quality visuals, especially on the first carousel card, will be the key to your success. For example, Mastercard’s “Start Something Priceless” initiative includes an eye-catching black-and-white drawing of sushi chef Oona Tempest. Since the image easily draws attention, viewers are compelled to browse through the other carousel cards to learn more about her. 2. Follow Facebook RecommendationsJust like every other social media ad, you should abide by the recommendations of the platform. For Facebook Ads, here are the design recommendations and technical requirements:
Text Recommendations
Technical Requirements
3. Modify the Order of Your Cards Based on ResultsThe first carousel card is very important because it is the first thing that people see. It will determine whether viewers will browse through the other cards or click the CTA. While it may be challenging to determine the best card that should be placed on the front, Facebook can analyze each card’s results and change the order based on the performance. 4. Add a Link to Relevant Landing PagesAn effective Facebook carousel ad can grab people’s attention, but what matters is conversions. Since Facebook Carousel ads let you add multiple CTAs, you can add links to the specific landing page so interested customers can make a purchase. For example, ALOHA FROM DEER has CTAs linked to product pages in each card. It also includes the discount and the price of the clothes. This reduces the steps in the purchase process and encourages interested consumers to buy. 5. Write Great CopyImages are very important, but headlines, CTAs and descriptions are equally valuable. Not only does it add context, but a compelling story or goal can entice people to click as well. Crafting great copy doesn’t take rocket science. Just think about how your brand can stand out from the crowd. You can share an interesting story or a compelling fact. For example, Extinction Rebellion discusses the rapid acceleration rate of extinction among a million species. They include a link to their press releases that readers can click to learn more about the issue. Facebook Carousel Ads vs. Other Paid Ad TypesHow do Facebook carousel ads fare over other types of social media ads? Most ad formats, such as PPC and mobile ads, have one headline and one image or video. While it may seem simple, the message is clear and straightforward. This makes it ideal for introducing a specific product or service. In contrast, carousels let you show multiple images or videos in one ad. It is highly recommended for product demos and highlighting product features or specs. From a marketer’s perspective, the multi-image format ensures that the brand won’t be limited to discussing one product or feature. Meanwhile, consumers can discover more information about the brand and generate engagement. ConclusionFacebook carousel ads have a unique format that can offer distinct advantages. Not only can you advertise different products, but you can also use carousel cards to share various aspects of your brand. Publishing your carousel ad can help you increase traffic, increase conversions, generate leads, and create better engagement. As long as you know the right steps, you can easily create an ad within the Facebook Ads Manager. Take advantage of the unique format and include multiple CTAs, high-quality images and compelling copy. Then, you’re good to go! How will you use Facebook carousel ads for your business? The post 15 Lucrative Ways to Use Facebook Carousel Ads appeared first on Neil Patel. Original content source: https://neilpatel.com/blog/facebook-carousel-ads/ via https://neilpatel.com See the original post, 15 Lucrative Ways to Use Facebook Carousel Ads that is shared from https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home/15-lucrative-ways-to-use-facebook-carousel-ads via https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home See the original post, Learn to Grow Your Shopify Store This Year Through SEO that is shared from https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home/learn-to-grow-your-shopify-store-this-year-through-seo via https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home See the original post, How to Reduce Customer Acquisition Costs with SEO that is shared from https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home/how-to-reduce-customer-acquisition-costs-with-seo via https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home Resilience: from cliché to learning that has forced entrepreneurs again to start from scratch2/25/2021 See the original post, Resilience: from cliché to learning that has forced entrepreneurs again to start from scratch that is shared from https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home/resilience-from-cliche-to-learning-that-has-forced-entrepreneurs-again-to-start-from-scratch via https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home See the original post, Is Your Offer Not Selling? Try These 3 Fixes to Make It Irresistible. that is shared from https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home/is-your-offer-not-selling-try-these-3-fixes-to-make-it-irresistible via https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home See the original post, 19-Year-Old Scottish Teen's Cancer Motivates Entrepreneurial Success that is shared from https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home/19-year-old-scottish-teens-cancer-motivates-entrepreneurial-success via https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home Banner advertising is everywhere. So prolific on so many pages of the internet you probably visit regularly, you may hardly notice them. Which is kind of the point. Banner ads are a type of paid ad designed to sit seamlessly on the top, sides, or bottom of a website. In many cases, they fit so well they look right at home. Of course, their actual purpose is to drive you to click. Let’s cover what banner advertising is, how to create them, and then explore examples of successful banner ads. What Is Banner Advertising?Banner advertising consists of placing a designed ad on another website. As the name implies, the ad is a banner shape, a long rectangle, either horizontal or vertical. Banner ads are usually at the top or bottom of a website or vertically along the side of a website, next to the main content. Banner ads have been around since the dawn of the internet, allowing website owners to sell ad space, much like a billboard or bulletin board owner would. While some website owners sell ads directly, most contract with advertising services, like Google AdSense, that create the ads, decide how much to charge, and then display them on your website. What Makes an Advertising Banner Successful?Before digging into creating a successful banner ad, we need to talk about what banner ads do. There are two primary goals for banner advertising: impressions and clicks. Impressions refer to how many people actually see your banner. While these people may not actually click over to your website, impressions help increase brand awareness. With click-throughs, your goal is to get people to click through to your website or to a landing page. You may generate leads, capture email sign-ups, make sales, or other specific engagement goals. In this case, you will be tracking how many clicks you get on your ads. You might also be thinking about retargeting. Retargeting helps you target someone who already visited your website or engaged with you in some way. You can think about these people as a sort of warm lead. They interacted with your brand at some point, and this is your chance to draw them back in. For this purpose, you’ll be interested in both impressions and clicks, as you make people more aware of your brand and entice them back to your website. What Elements Help Increase Impressions or Clicks?The best banner advertising is the one that draws attention to itself. Keep in mind the person visiting the website came for a specific reason. Maybe they are scrolling through their favorite news site or looking up a new recipe. Whatever their purpose, your goal is to capture their attention and draw them away. Visual Elements That Fit in, but Stand OutWhen it comes to the colors and visuals you choose for your banner ad, think about the modern styles of the websites your ad may be on. While you can’t match everyone, you can use design styles that will fit in well with modern websites and will feel at home. Lean toward the eye-catching and bold. You want to be attractive but not overt. Bold Text, but Not Too MuchThis is your time to make a statement, not write a novel. Don’t try to tell viewers everything there is to know about your brand. Instead, choose one item or concept you are selling and focus on that message. Get creative, but keep it simple. Relevant ImagesImages are a great way to draw people in, but they need to be very related to the message you’re sharing. If you’re selling a product, the clearest picture of that product is your best bet. If you’re conveying a message or emotion, people or animals or even landscapes can be evocative, but just as with the text, keep it simple and clear. Strong Call to ActionWhat do you want them to do next? Use the call to action to tell them. The shorter, the better. Make it obvious how they can learn more or take the next step. Words like “Shop,” “Buy,” or “Find out how” let people know exactly where they’re going if they click on your ad. How to Create Banner AdsTo create a banner ad, you first need to choose a display network, such as Google Ads. You’ll work with them to create your ad, with the relevant link, and choose parameters, such as how much you want to pay per click, etc. They will distribute to relevant websites, and you will pay them. They will also share data on how well your ad is performing. Learn more about Google Display Ads here. To create the image for your ads, you’ll need to find out the size dimensions from the display network you are working with. Then you can either design on your own or use a template, such as those provided by Canva. Upload your image into your campaign within your display network, and be on your way. Real-Life Examples of Successful Banner AdvertisingWant to see what others are doing before you start designing your own? Here are 15 real-world examples of banner advertising. Let’s talk about what makes them work and how you can emulate some of these elements in your own advertising banners. Ashley Homestore Successful Banner AdThey have a clear message here. You can trust their products to be stylish and affordable and make your living space feel like home, they argue. With an evocative image and a clear call to action, you know exactly what to do next if you want that experience. Also, the neutral color palette makes it ideal for a range of website placements. Nutrisystem Successful Banner AdNutrisystem is betting on the idea that you’ll find that price point alluring. They’ve made it really bold so that even when your eyes are looking at something else on the page, you can’t miss the “$249” message. The other really bold items are the yellow jacket on the smiling woman and the orange “Shop Sale” button, which implies you’ve got a limited time to act. Visible Successful Banner AdThere is a bit too much text on this ad, but the bold text grabs you with a big promise. The bright blue background and white text makes it stand out on the page. The “Learn more” button is clear and enticing. Chicwish Successful Banner AdThis looks like two ads in one, giving viewers two chances to click and learn more. On the left, Chicwish showcases some of their popular items and some selling features, such as free shipping and easy returns. On the right, there’s a precise text message about how you really only need a few items to have an ample wardrobe. Either way, you’re encouraged to click and start shopping. Outskirts Successful Banner AdThe neutral color palette makes this ad at home on a range of websites. They used the two font colors to highlight what they are really about—making books. On the other side of the ad, Outskirts highlights what makes them stand out from their competitors. The call to action is clear, but creative. Square Successful Banner AdTrue to their own branding, this banner ad from Square is simple and almost monochromatic. The text is clear, with a blue call to action that really stands out. The picture showcases their product in a real-life environment. While the product is the primary object, there are other items in the photo that draw your eyes in. discovery+ Successful Banner AdWith this discovery+ banner ad, the offer is clear. The message is simple and creative, encouraging people to give a subscription instead of buying one for themselves. The ad stands out with a bright, on-theme color palette. IT Cosmetics Successful Banner AdIn this IT Cosmetics banner ad, the product takes the spotlight. This is a prime example of staying focused on one product. The text and the photo highlight the selling points, while the call to action invites the viewer to learn more about it. Nike Successful Banner AdHere’s another example of a banner ad that focuses on a single product to entice viewers. Without a lot of background visuals, the shoe takes all attention. As you’re scrolling through, you can quickly see the details. The text makes an enticing claim, to learn more about these new shoes. The call to action is simple and clear. AARP Successful Banner AdThis AARP banner advertising is a GIF, flashing through several program benefits. The bright red color reflects their brand and stands out on many websites. The evocative photo remains the same, and the call to action at the end is paired with a compelling discount. Pottery Barn Kids Successful Banner AdHere’s another example of GIF banner advertising. This Pottery Barn Kids ad keeps the branding and message the same while switching between two photos. The photos showcase several products in this category. By focusing on the partnership between two brands, it keeps both brands clear, with an obvious call to action right in the middle. American Eagle Successful Banner AdThis American Eagle banner ad is all about keeping it simple. With very little text, only the brand name and a short call to action, all the focus is on the models and the clothes. It also keeps the color palette united by using similar tones for the clothing and landscape. The Ridge Successful Banner AdThis banner advertising does more than just show off the product. It also attracts attention with a side-by-side of the competition. The copy explains what makes this wallet different and then provides a simple call to action. The colors are neutral, making it at-home almost anywhere. Planet Fitness Successful Banner AdThe bright purple and yellow colors make this ad from Planet Fitness hard to miss. The text is bold with big promises of sales prices and benefits of membership. The call to action is clear on the bottom, and even the branded image on the top has an active tone. VRBO Successful Banner AdThis banner advertising started with several pictures then landed on this image, which persisted until the viewer scrolled away. The light text on a dark background made the whole image stand out on the website, and the text pops. The creative call to action is enticing. ConclusionGrowing your brand is no easy task. As you consider different marketing strategies, don’t forget tried and true options like banner advertising. Get creative and focus on what your target market is looking for, their pain points, and make sure to keep your message clear. These strategies will help you overcome banner blindness, which can occur when internet users see too much of the same visual noise again and again. Keep it fresh and keep them clicking. What kinds of successful banner advertising have you seen out there? The post 15 Examples of Successful Banner Advertising appeared first on Neil Patel. Original content source: https://neilpatel.com/blog/banner-advertising/ via https://neilpatel.com See the original post, 15 Examples of Successful Banner Advertising that is shared from https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home/15-examples-of-successful-banner-advertising via https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home |
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