Real-time summary reports
for any channel

We have developed our own system for collecting and storing analytics. It quickly processes large amounts of data, immediately calculates and displays analytical reports. You will receive the necessary information for any time period without delay. 14 summary reports and 13 data sets are available for you.

Bring together all the data from every channel and source — including contacts, activity history, target actions, and external CRM actions — into a single customer profile. Gain a complete understanding of each customer and provide personalized interactions when and where they're most effective.

CDP Altcraft — all customer data in one place

Make quick and informed decisions based on a thorough analysis of your clients' actions. By accurately assessing customer behavior, you can create an effective marketing strategy for each segment, resulting in increased average order value, conversion rates, and customer lifetime value.

Any audience in the platform can be automatically synchronized with the external database according to the set schedule. We have implemented this function on request from our customers. It simplifies the life of the marketing department and developers.

Interesting and useful articles about marketing, our product and online communications

Import all customer personal data in CDP Altcraft Platform. This way you will have an undeniable advantage, because there are no limits on the amount of data stored in our marketing platform. The more information you have about your customers, the more targeted your email, SMS and push notifications will be.

Get in touch with Altcraft

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When the software is customized for your individual needs, the job becomes easier. All the functionality your business needs will always be at your fingertips. We offer:

Personalize your content across all channels

customizing-your-content-in-all-channels-image-en.png

Data-driven marketing involves using customer information to optimize business advertising and marketing communications. Collect data and run it through analytics tools in CDP Altcraft Platform.

What data can be collected:

Segment audiences according to accumulated and combined data in the platform and synchronize them with external information sources. Personalize your mailings in different channels using accumulated data and data from external sources.

Download documentation

Content is generated using data obtained from external SQL database

Your customers will be able to grow faster and earn more using the new features of Altcraft Platform. We have prepared for you favorable terms of cooperation. Contact us and find out more.

Collect leads and gain new insights about your customers with our customizable forms and surveys. With up-to-date data, you can stay ahead of your customers' needs and preferences. Regularly monitoring the Net Promoter Score (NPS) allows you to promptly address customer feedback and enhance your services.

Advanced and functional HTTP API in Altcraft Marketing will satisfy the needs of developers. API supports JSON and XML formats. It is possible to use queue servers (such as RabbitMQ) to import large numbers of client profiles in real time.

Language is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground.

Glossary

All functional modules are available to you from the get-go, regardless of your tariff plan. You can send as many messages as you like and store any amount of data for the entire period of use. You can also influence product development by participating in discussions about new features.

Export your customer segments to Google Ads and Facebook Ads Manager and launch targeted ad campaigns. You can also set up webhooks and notify third-party systems about events registered in the platform.

Our self-learning algorithms analyze customer behavior to calculate the optimal time to send messages to each subscriber, resulting in higher open rates. With the help of predictive analytics, you can improve the customer experience and boost marketing metrics.

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Why Altcraft

Notify customers of important events

Expand your range of services and attract new customers

Try out new features in the fast-paced Altcraft Platform. We constantly communicate with our partners, exchange ideas and develop ourselves.

Communicate with your customers through their preferred channels, whether it's messaging or mobile apps, email, SMS, or web push notifications. Consolidate all contact points with your buyers in one place to quickly connect with them when they need you.

Deploying the platform within your business infrastructure resolves all issues related to the information security department. Our use of an Open Source technology stack reduces Total Cost of Ownership. Altcraft Platform provides a reliable and secure solution with a scalable architecture designed to handle high loads.

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About company

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Integration and Webhooks

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Omnichannel marketing

Personalized marketing

Create a theme for the form by choosing the appropriate color scheme. Change the style and color of the text. Add photos and YouTube videos to the form. To do this, insert additional code into the required tag.

Design to your taste

Find out what your customers want through questionnaires and surveys. Getting feedback on time will work in favor of your business. If you respond quickly to customer feedback, you will increase their trust and brand loyalty.

High-quality customer feedback

You can customize the logic of the form so that respondents go to different pages depending on which answer they select. This will make your survey or questionnaire more targeted. Before submitting the form, select the «Actions» tab. If the form is completed successfully, the data are automatically imported into your database.

Flexible form settings

Create forms and surveys in minutes

Questionnaires, customer satisfaction surveys, feedback forms — in Altcraft Platform you can design both simple and complex forms. Any form element can be made mandatory, so you can be sure that the user fills in the required fields.

Work in an easy-to-use visual form builder

The builder is intuitive, so you don't need professional knowledge to work with it. Add different types of questions to the form — short or long answers, one or multiple-choice questions, rating scales.

User-friendly interface

Response statistics are provided in the form of a line graph and chart. It is also possible to download data in MS Excel and CSV format. Analyze the information received and make your business even more successful.

Results and analytics

Forms in Altcraft Platform: create surveys, questionnaires and tests.

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and personal data policy

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Get Started With Altcraft's Software

Why business chooses Altcraft

of companies see a positive return on investment within the first year of implementing marketing automation

Leverage customer data for deep segmentation. Delight your buyers with personalized offers and recommendations. Individual promo codes for regular customers will not only increase sales, but also foster long-term loyalty.

SaaS or On-Premise - all functions are available

processing of personal data

How to set up a tracking pixel

What is a loyalty program

How to create a customer database

How to manually import customer data

You may be interested

Tune your marketing for <0>maximum</0> with Altcraft Platform

Reach your audience with personalized messages through Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp, and other messaging platforms. We can connect any messenger app you prefer to ensure your messages reach your customers without delay.

An event registered on the platform can be redirected to an external system. This provides endless opportunities for integration. Connect external BI, DMP, CRM and other tools.

In Altcraft Platform, you can set up any scenarios for sending messages through various delivery channels. By analyzing the actions of customers, you can anticipate events many steps ahead. Here are examples of scenarios that can be implemented in our marketing automation service:


Email marketing is one of the most important customer communication channels. Four out of five marketers are more likely to give up social media marketing than email marketing. Here are illustrative examples of the email marketing strategy:


Conduct experiments to find the most compelling email, push, and SMS templates. Test multiple ideas simultaneously to identify the one that resonates best with your audience. Additionally, unsuccessful variations can provide insights on how to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

Build messages dynamically based on customer data and specified conditions in the template. This data can be obtained from an external SQL database. Substitute data from an external HTTP service via API or based on data from any web page.

<Img
img="/uploads/alternativy_storonnim_fajlam_cookies_98520ab61e.png"
alt="Alternative tools to third-party cookie"
/> 

Just a few years ago, every marketer relied heavily on [**third-party data**](first-second-and-third-party-data), or cookies from external sources. However, Google's recent decision to cease collecting this information has left marketers searching for new ways to work with customer data. Although they have another year to prepare, 54% of respondents claim to have already taken steps in this direction. According to 85% of those surveyed, their work's effectiveness is directly dependent on cookies, while 77% say that Google's decision has negatively impacted marketing business processes.

## What can replace third-party cookies? 

A recent survey of marketers aimed to identify viable alternatives to third-party cookies. The results showed that the most popular alternatives were targeted social media advertising (mentioned by 55% of respondents) and direct user data collection (54%). Google Topics API was also a popular choice, mentioned by 52% of those surveyed, while 36% saw potential in contextual advertising and universal identifiers. 

<Img
img="/uploads/Grafik_1_0974477339.png"
alt="Cookies alternatives"
/>

Let's take a closer look at each alternative.

## Social media targeting

Love it or hate it, social media platforms offer marketers a powerful set of tools for targeted advertising. Gen Z and millennial consumers, in particular, are highly likely to make purchases through social media, which extends the platforms' influence beyond just communication to sales.

During the period between September and November 2022, 33% of social media users made at least one purchase based on [**influencer recommendations**](what-is-influencer-marketing-how-to-build-strategy). Of these users, 28% placed and paid for their order, without ever leaving the social media site, and 22% engaged with brand representatives via the platform.

<Img
img="/uploads/Grafik_2_a0c0cc4360.png"
alt="Generation Z survey"
/>

## Gathering first-party information

The company gathers users' personal data via its official website, surveys, email, SMS, and CRM systems. This information is utilized to develop the business and tailor offers to individual customers. Some marketers still lack knowledge of their customers' demographic information, making the use of user data especially valuable to them.

## Google Topics API

This is a service that tracks which resources users visit when searching for information on a specific query. Although it is not yet widely used, marketers are beginning to consider it a promising alternative to cookies.

How does it work? For example, if someone frequently visits sports streaming websites, Google algorithms will offer that person as an audience for sports-related ads. The user's privacy is maintained at a high level, and advertisers cannot know which specific pages the person visited. Additionally, users can edit their list of interests in the settings.

## Universal identifiers

These are unique IDs assigned to website visitors, which marketers use to distinguish between individuals on websites. They are a close alternative to third-party cookies, as they have a lot in common in the way they work. However, universal identifiers have several advantages:

* Users can be tracked simultaneously across multiple devices, improving the customer experience and eliminating the risk of data loss.
* Duplicate entries are automatically removed, resulting in a higher quality sample.
* Personal data collected through this method is suitable for targeting while ensuring privacy.

## Contextual advertising

Contextual advertising is a different approach compared to the methods described above, as it allows the placement of the right advertisement at the right time and in the right place, without relying on obtaining [**user data for targeting**](what-is-retargeting). Instead, contextual advertising takes into account the current content on the website or platform where the advertisement will be placed.

For instance, an advertisement for headphones can be displayed in the feed of a music blog, where it is relevant to the content. With contextual advertising, advertisers prioritize the context in which the advertisement will be displayed, rather than relying on past user behavior or personal data.

## Why marketing budgets are growing

After the abolition of third-party cookies, marketers had to urgently change their working strategies. On the one hand, there was an incentive to master new targeting methods, and on the other hand, there was a need to ensure the security of user data.

The requirements for preserving customer data confidentiality have become stricter worldwide. This is mainly what led to the increase in marketing budgets. 71% of marketers claim that marketing expenses have increased.

But not everything is so bad. Of course, businesses will have to allocate additional resources to find a reliable alternative to cookies and to retest and find effective ways to achieve their goals and objectives. However, those who go down this path have every chance of improving familiar business processes.

30% of marketers claim that these events have been beneficial to their business and have had a positive impact on the quality of marketing in their companies.

## Future of data privacy: what to expect

The work of marketers is becoming more difficult as they have to adapt to constantly changing rules for collecting and using personal information about customers. On a legislative level, the [**policy on data privacy is becoming stricter**](customer-data-privacy-issues-in-digital-marketing), and users themselves are questioning how their personal information is being used.

Currently, it is unclear what standards companies will have to work with in the near future. Due to this, many firms are allocating a budget for research and seeking new solutions. The first step is to find alternatives to third-party cookies. Ultimately, those who are adaptive in the dynamically evolving world will win.

Learn about the alternatives marketers are turning to instead of third-party cookies and their effects on budgets.

medium_alternativy-storonnim-fajlam-cookies.png

small_alternativy-storonnim-fajlam-cookies.png

thumbnail_alternativy-storonnim-fajlam-cookies.png

alternativy-storonnim-fajlam-cookies.png

For those who are already looking for ways to replace cookies.

What Alternatives to Cookies Are Marketers Exploring

5 Alternative Tools to Third-Party Cookies

<Img 
img="/uploads/marketing_s_ogranichennym_byudzhetom_6c4bd72c27.png"
alt="9 Budget Ways to Do Marketing"
/> 

Effective marketing campaigns are important for large corporations as well as for medium and very small companies. They are all interested in promoting their business, attracting new customers and increasing sales. The only difference is the amount of money a business can afford to spend on advertising.

In this post, we will talk about how to properly position yourself in the market if you are limited by a small budget.

## 1. Use guerrilla marketing

This is a creative and low-budget way, which is based on strong emotions of potential consumers. Your task is to come up with such a marketing move that is sure to memorize and surprise customers. This way they will show interest in the brand, and they will want to personally try your products. At the same time customers will tell all their friends and acquaintances.

<Img
img="/uploads/Mister_proper_ddbe35bc6f.jpg"
alt="Guerrilla marketing"
/>

You need to [**study the target audience**](creating-a-customer-profile), determine the location of a large number of potential customers and come up with a good idea. Only then will guerrilla marketing bring tangible results.

The more unusual the idea and the placement, the more people will turn their attention to it. As with a crosswalk, hundreds of people pass through it every day, and many of them will want to post a custom zebra crossing on social media.

## 2. Use social media

Modern users spend a lot of time on their phones. People are always in touch on [**messengers**](messenger-marketing) and social networks. Learn what social networks your audience prefers. If you don't have a Twitter or LinkedIn account yet, it's time to get one. In some channels, you need to take an active position in promoting your products and services. While in others you need to interact with buyers through a question and answer.

Post useful materials: posts, videos, quotes, and etc. How-to videos, tutorials, and interviews work well to engage potential customers. Hashtags designate places and headings, large buyers and partners. This way you will increase your audience reach.

## 3. Hire a PR-manager

If you don't have a PR-manager in your company, fix it right away. The main task of a PR manager is to maintain a high reputation of the brand, including through the history of the brand. This specialist gives the company publicity, increases its recognition. Due to this, trust in the brand and product among customers grows. Trusting relationships with customers is a very important factor in successful sales.

In a PR strategy, specialists focus on those problems that can be solved through a promoted product. For the best result, [**involve bloggers or influencers**](what-is-influencer-marketing-how-to-build-strategy) in cooperation. Such partnerships can be expensive, low-cost, or free (for example, through barter). It depends on the size and goals of the company.

Segment the audience, find communication channels for each segment and gradually warm up the leads to the desired level. This is where a good PR-manager comes in handy.

## 4. Improve your content marketing

The right content strategy moves the business forward. Content is the first thing a user gets to know when they come into contact with a brand. It matters how you present information. Content marketing is at the core of good communication.

First of all, check your official website: how SEO works on it, especially on the [**blog page**](https://altcraft.com/blog). The ranking of the domain in search engines will depend on this. Try offering different content to your customers and see what works best. In most cases, storytelling is a good way to attract an audience.

Also, make sure that your resources provide answers to frequently asked questions. Let customers know that you are aware of their needs and ready to offer them a solution. Use an interactive blog, do not hide data, visualize boring numbers through infographics.

<Img
img="/uploads/marketing_podcasts_5c40ce4d9a.png"
alt="Marketing podcasts"
src="Marketing podcasts"
/>

[**Publish podcasts**](https://altcraft.com/blog/podcast-marketing) — users like them a lot. Pay attention to the **guest post**. This is an option for sharing valuable articles with a link to your company website on other resources. Backlinks increase traffic to your site. The method indirectly affects the reputation of the brand. The more often your company name is shown on the Internet, the better your brand looks.

## 5. Run giveaways

Draws and contests attract the attention of a large number of people. Existing customers increase their loyalty to the brand, and potential buyers start to get interested. The prize doesn't have to be expensive. Any useful device will do. The main thing is that the conditions for participation in the competition should be as simple as possible. For example, mention friends under the post; like a post; share the post on your page; tag the brand. At the end of the competition, be sure to award the winner.

For [**honest reviews**](how-to-use-customer-feedback-to-increase-sales), offer the client a discount or give a free gift. To increase brand awareness, use merchandise with your logo (mugs, pens, notepads, t-shirts).

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Hudi_d1a65afb7d.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/Hudi_d1a65afb7d.jpg"
description="Merchandise by Altcraft"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Ryukzak_2938adc512.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/Ryukzak_2938adc512.jpg"
description="Merchandise by Altcraft"
/>
</Gallery>

## 6. Create partnerships

Look for allies in the market. [**Partnerships**](https://altcraft.com/partners) work best with brands that make products that complement yours. Collaborating with competitors will not bring benefits, but the right allies will strengthen your business and their own positions. Place a partner's ad on your site, and in return ask them to publish your material and get additional traffic. Expand the production chain, make friends with suppliers and consumer firms. The smaller the firm, the more useful it is to collaborate with similar businesses. But even the largest companies should maintain a reputation and fame.

## 7. Get to know GMB

Google My Business is a free service where you can advertise yourself so that potential customers can see you. The GMB account is easy to create. It is enough to provide contact information, address and work schedule. Small businesses receive free promotion through Google services and Google Maps using this tool. But you should always keep your company information up to date.

## 8. Don't forget email marketing

An old but still effective way to communicate with customers. It is used both to keep existing customers engaged and to [**attract new ones**](what-is-a-lead-magnet). Try to make your email newsletters as useful as possible. Tell them about new products, discounts, promotions and hot offers. From time to time develop educational materials (product guides, useful article recommendations and life hacks).

<Img
img="/uploads/image_2023_01_11_14_49_49_f580241e5c.png"
alt="Рассылка от известного магазина"
src="An example of a newsletter from Casper"
/>

## 9. Develop referral programs

Imagine how your popularity will increase if at least a third of your existing customers introduce your product to their friends. [**Referral programs**](affiliate-marketing-for-beginners) provide rewards to clients for attracting new users. With the help of them, the sales market expands and the brand is popularized. We can say that this method is based on the principle of word of mouth.

## Resume

We have described nine great ways to do low budget marketing. Expensive doesn't always mean good. Get creative, use the ideas described here to surprise your customers.

Find out how to promote your business, increase brand awareness and attract new customers with a limited budget.

medium_marketing-s-ogranichennym-byudzhetom.png

small_marketing-s-ogranichennym-byudzhetom.png

thumbnail_marketing-s-ogranichennym-byudzhetom.png

marketing-s-ogranichennym-byudzhetom.png

For those who want to promote their business, but are limited by a small budget.

How to Market and Promote Your Business on a Small Budget

9 Budget-Friendly Ways to Market Your Business

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast_marketing_bc95cead53.png"
alt="Podcast Marketing"
/>

Podcasts have taken over the world. There are over [**four million podcasts**](https://www.thepodcasthost.com/listening/podcast-industry-stats/), and the average person listens to eight podcasts per week. Podcasting is like radio, but it's much more convenient because the episodes are available at any time and on different devices.

Podcasters create content for businesses, talk about social and cultural topics, and make entertaining series of podcasts. As a marketing tool, podcasts are a native format that attracts a new audience and increases the loyalty of the existing one.

In this post, we will tell you how a business can use podcasting for promotion, how to create your own podcast. We will also give some examples.

## What is a podcast and why do you need it

A podcast is a pre-recorded audio program that is uploaded to one of the digital platforms. 

The process of creating and promoting podcasts is called podcasting. The word "podcasting" comes from a combination of "iPod" and "broadcasting". It was first used by journalist Ben Hammersley in an [**article**](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/feb/12/broadcasting.digitalmedia) for The Guardian in 2004. So it was not Apple who invented podcasts. It is just that the iPod was one of the MP3 players for listening to audio files. Although the podcasting boom didn't happen at the beginning of the 2000s, useful podcasts began to gain millions of listens in the 2020s.

People often compare podcasts to 21st century radio. The format is similar. Podcasters take interviews, have discussions with multiple people or record monologues on a topic. The only difference with radio is that you can save podcasts as mp3, aac or ogg/vorbis, and listen to them at any time. Separate episodes are released on different topics or set one per season, as in TV shows. Usually podcasts are only audio, but there are YouTube podcasts, where the conversation of the participants is also recorded on video.

Topics for podcasts are not limited by any rules. Podcasters talk about everything that is interesting to listeners: business, psychology, marketing, history, fashion, sports, cinema. They share the latest news and discuss other interesting topics.

Podcasts make it easy for users to get information. Listening to a recording is more convenient than waiting for an online broadcast in the fast pace of life and in a huge flow of information. This format does not tie the user to time, place and device: a person chooses when, where and how to listen to a podcast. Special listening platforms have desktop and mobile versions. Also, any user can download an audio file to the device and not depend on the network. 

Through podcasts, people get news, learn, search for answers to questions, and just have fun while listening in the background, which saves time.

## How marketers can use podcasts

Podcasting in marketing is an additional promotion tool that:

**Expands the target audience of the brand.** People find a podcast on the platform by interest or recommendation, listen and learn about the company that produces or sponsors the episodes. Then users go to the site —  the business gets new leads.

**Increases loyalty.** Podcasts often show the informal side of the company, which humanizes the brand. Live stories of employees, their internal affairs form additional loyalty: people empathize with people. When people are listening to a podcast, they have a sense of presence, and customers become closer to the company.

**Natively advertises.** During the conversation, participants mention the company's products, tell examples and cases in the context of other stories.

Types of podcasts that work as marketing tools:

- **Branded podcast**. This format sometimes replaces brand media or complements the usual blog. Podcasts analyze topics relevant to the audience that are related to the company's product: cases, news and trends.

- [**Affiliate podcasts**](affiliate-marketing-for-beginners). The company's experts come to other podcasters with related topics and make a joint project or a regular feature from their brand. This is how the partner audience learns about your brand, and you get additional traffic to the site.

- **Sponsorship of podcasts**. The company pays for the creation of the project, and the authors regularly advertise the brand. In podcasts, the audience is more loyal to advertising and doesn't scroll through it as often as in a video. Sometimes this is simply inconvenient. For example, when the user listens to an audio broadcast while driving.

## How to create and promote your podcast

### 1. Looking for a topic

Think about what topic the brand will talk about in the podcast to promote your product. Broadcasts should not be only advertising, you should give your audience some value. For example, a fitness clothing brand may invite trainers, nutritionists and other professionals for interviews to talk about sports and healthy eating. Don't talk about everything, be specific about the topic.

### 2. Determining the format and preparing a plan

Decide how to convey information. You can do a classic interview, choose a format with one narrator, or come up with a detective audio series with musical accompaniment. Write an outline with the number of episodes and the names of the guests. Specify whether you want to add welcome music beats or sound effects.

### 3. Writing a script

The best improvisation is good preparation. Even in a live conversation, you need a script, an understanding of how the conversation will be moderated. If the podcast is planned to be narrative (for example, in the format of a series), the script needs to be accurate.

### 4. Recording the broadcast

Broadcast recording is resource and capacity dependent. If the participants are in different locations, recording a phone call can be a way to go. If podcasters can get together offline, they go to professional studios, record audio in a quiet room using microphones, or even use voice recorders to get started.

### 5. Editing an audio file

The sound quality of a podcast is important. Clean up the recording from pauses, sighs, noises, and even filler words from speakers. The audience should enjoy listening to you. You can use one of the editing programs such as Audacity. Add a jingle. It is a short audio intro, that you can find on free resources or recorded by yourself.

### 6. Publishing on podcast platforms

The podcast is uploaded to a website or special hosting service via RSS technology. RSS feed connects to podcasting platforms and automatically submit content each time a new episode is published. You will also need podcast covers and descriptions in order to add a podcast to the service. Here are popular podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, SoundCloud.

## Podcast promotion

Regularity is important for podcasting. This way platform users will see your activity. Set a rule to publish a new episode once a week or two, or set a different frequency of publications.

**Here are the methods of promotion:**

**Through podcast platforms**, that put new or interesting episodes at the top of the list. Learn the rules of the site: somewhere you have to pay for advertising, and somewhere you just need to explain why your podcast deserves attention.

**Publication on social networks.** Leave a link to the podcast on social networks: personal or brand accounts. Ask the audience to rate and share the episode. There are also ads on social media that promote any content formats.

**Promotion through the media.** Contact the editor of a publication that writes about your business niche. If the journalist finds the podcast interesting, you will receive free advertising.

## Podcast examples

There are thousands of podcasts on the platforms. Let’s take a look at some of them.

### Branded Podcasts 

[**TRAINED by Nike**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trained/id1414073313)

The podcast focuses on healthy lifestyle topics such as mind, move, nutrition, recovery and sleep. Host Jaclyn Byrer talks to athletes, psychologists, researchers, doctors, coaches and other experts.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast7_1a81c69419.png"
alt="TRAINED by Nike"
/>

[**Wireframe by Adobe**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wireframe/id1437677219)

The podcast explores the principles of good design and discusses tips on how to make great branding.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast8_4dd6e3ce96.png"
alt="Wireframe by Adobe"
/>

[**2 Minutes of Zen by Zenduim**](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/2-minutes-of-zen/id1462196753)

The Host discusses with leading health experts quick and easy health hacks you can do while brushing your teeth to keep your mind, body and mouth healthy.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast5_5d1cd27dc4.png"
alt="2 Minutes of Zen by Zenduim"
/>

### Other podcasts

[**Best Interview Show: Entrepreneurs On Fire**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/entrepreneurs-on-fire/id564001633)

On the podcast, John Lee Dumas interviews successful entrepreneurs, celebrities like Tim Ferris and Tony Robbins, as well as lesser known people. The episodes cover how to build a business with just an idea, how to improve overall productivity, and how best to use Facebook ads.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast2_c284994727.png"
alt="Best Interview Show: Entrepreneurs On Fire"
/>

[**Best from the Ivy League: HBR IdeaCast**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hbr-ideacast/id152022135)

The short episodes highlight the concepts that major companies around the world are thinking about and using to increase their competitive advantage and productivity. Recent topics include how to manage someone who is too fond of interacting with their co-workers, challenges minorities face at work, and out-of-the-box ways of thinking.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast3_773268180f.png"
alt="Best from the Ivy League: HBR IdeaCast"
/>

[**Best Practical Tips: The $100 MBA**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-%24100-mba-show/id906218859)
 
In the podcast, Omar Zenhom teaches everything you need to know about building a business: how to invest in your business, how to set your rates, email list growth strategies, and a seemingly endless list of other topics.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast6_862463f6aa.png"
alt="Best Practical Tips: The $100 MBA"
/>

[**Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-school-digital-marketing-and-online/id1138869817)

In this podcast, Neil Patel and Eric Siu, CEO of marketing agency Single Grain, cover a wide range of marketing topics. The duo discusses [**NFT in relation to marketing**](what-is-nft) and why Web3 is the future of marketing.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast4_3d30ccdde0.png"
alt="Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips"
/>

[**Everything Is Marketing**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-marketing/id1549291757)

Here you will find a variety of themes presented. For example, cold email tactics with Laura Lopuch or buying and growing a Shopify SaaS app with Daniel Mitchell and Andrew Gazdecki.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast1_e840e7c88a.png"
alt="Everything Is Marketing"
/>

## Conclusion

A podcast is an audio program on a specific topic in the format of an interview, discussion or author's monologue. This type of media content is similar to radio, but episodes are available at any time on different types of devices. Podcasting expands the brand's audience, natively advertises the company's products and increases customer loyalty. When it comes to marketing, businesses can create branded podcasts, partner projects, or simply act as sponsors.

To create your own podcast, you need to come up with a topic, think over the format and write a script. The next step is to record an audio file, edit it and upload it to hosting platforms via RSS (a technology that automatically shows a podcast from a host on connected sites). Then all you have to do is to promote your podcast on podcasting platforms or through social networks and media.

Podcasting is easy-to-consume content that doesn't take up a lot of your time. Users often listen to recordings in the background when they are doing other things, so they are less likely to rewind ads.

In this post, we talk about what is podcasting, how to use podcasts in marketing, and how to create and promote your podcast.

medium_podcast marketing.png

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podcast marketing.png

A podcast is easy-to-consume content that helps businesses grow. Learn how to create and publish your first episode.

Podcast Marketing: How to Use Podcasts for Promotion

Podcast Marketing: How to Use Podcasts to Promote Your Business

<Img 
img="/uploads/qr_code_2_692f1ded4f.jpg"
alt="QR Codes for Business"
/>

During the Covid-19 pandemic, QR codes began popping up everywhere. The technology first appeared in the 90s, but the beginning of mass vaccination made it known for people all over the world and showed new prospects for business. The pandemic has sped up the penetration of technology into business processes. QR codes are used for contactless payment, they store marketing offers and product description, etc. A QR code is easy to use. A large amount of data can be encoded in it, so it seems to be a magic wand (e.g. there is no need to print a restaurant menu if you can print only a QR code leading to a web page with it). However, the technology sometimes can harm business. In this piece, you will learn how and where QR codes work, why it's profitable to use them and when it's better to abandon them. 

## What are QR Codes

A QR code (a quick response code) is a square-shaped pixel barcode. Unlike a simple barcode, a QR code is two-dimensional, which means that it’s read horizontally and vertically. A QR code stores more information than a barcode:

- links to the company's website, product pages or [**mobile app**](mobile-app-as-a-marketing-channel);
- payment details;
- data for verification or access to certain information (password, logins).

Masahiro Hara, an engineer at Denso Wave Inc., a subsidiary of Toyota invented a QR code. Barcode resources were not enough with the rapid economic growth of Japan and the increase in the number of goods in the 90s. New codes stored more information. The first QR code appeared in 1994, it was used in the automotive industry. Later, Denso Wave made the technology available to everyone. In the 2000s, the entire world recognized QR codes — the technology ensured transparency in production with tracking of every detail. The QR code received ISO certification, which means that the company's products meet international standards.

## How does a QR Code Work

A QR code has information encoded in one of the following ways: byte, numeric, alphanumeric, kanji (hieroglyphs). The scanner recognizes data by black and white cells, which are grouped in patterns. 
 
In the original Denso Wave technology, the scanner first reads three squares in the corners (finder pattern). There is also a small square in the lower right quarter. Next, other small square-shaped monochrome elements are recognized. But such a code is not the only option. There are others that look different but perform the same functions. Let's compare a few examples.
 
<Img 
img="/uploads/types_of_qr_codes_74f8072b5c.png"
alt="QR Codes"
/>

## Types of QR Codes

QR codes can be:

- **Static**. They store information that cannot be edited once the code is created. You can use them for fixed actions: encoding of Wi-Fi settings, identification of staff members, registration for events, transfer of details. 
- **Dynamic**. Information can be updated at any time. Companies choose such codes to collect statistics, [**feedback**](how-to-use-customer-feedback-to-increase-sales) and marketing campaigns. 

## Where QR Codes are Used

QR codes can be used in any sphere. Some examples: 

- **Marketing tasks** — promotions, additional information about products, digital business cards. 

- **QR code payment** — it's an alternative to a cash register and acquiring. 

- **Control of goods** in production and by inspection authorities.

<Note>
Example. The «[**Chestny ZNAK**](https://chestnyznak.ru/en/)» system for labelling goods: checking their originality and quality. 
</Note>

- **Staff members control** — access to some premises or files, identification.

- **Movement of people** — movement during the pandemic within a country and when crossing borders. 

- **Navigation** — self-guided tours.

<Note>
Example. In Abu Dhabi (UAE), there is a system of tourist navigation by QR codes: a tourist can see not only the address of the building but also a historical reference.  
</Note>

- **Educational purposes** — attendance control or access to learning materials. 

<Note>
Example. The «[**Mobile Library**](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/03/sp-moscow-metro-russian-classical-literature)» project - stands with QR codes that lead to virtual bookshelves. The user selects a book and gains free access to it.
</Note>

- **Transition to augmented and virtual reality.** The user scans the code and goes to the product page. 

<Note>
Example. Kinder has added an AR QR code to its delicious products. Now both children and adults are scanning codes to open a portal into Africa. 
</Note>

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/11_2667db07ef.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/11_2667db07ef.png"
description="QR-код для демонстрации товара"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/22_d7661aeb57.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/22_d7661aeb57.png"
description="QR-код для демонстрации товара"
/>
</Gallery>

## How to Create and Read QR Codes

Most modern smartphones can scan QR codes online using special applications from Google Play or App Store. Some smartphones can even scan QR codes with a camera. It's not necessary to scan the code from some surface, a photo or digital image is enough. This is how desktop QR code scanners work, for instance, [**Aspose QR Code Scanner**](https://products.aspose.app/barcode/recognize/qr). Apps also recognize codes from uploaded images.

<Img 
img="/uploads/qr_code_generator_app2_9404def8aa.jpg"
alt="Example of a QR code reader"
/>

### How to create a QR code

To create a QR code online, just select a QR code generator — an app or service on the website. Examples: [**QR Code Generator**](https://www.qr-code-generator.com/) and [**ME QR**](https://me-qr.com/). Just enter the data to be encoded and the size of the code image. Some services offer an unusual design. 

## Advantages of QR Codes for Business

### Easy to create and use

No special devices are needed, only an app on a smartphone. It's possible to take a picture of a QR code and then scan it online for free. After scanning, the user will go right to the resource. They won't have to enter the website address and other data manually. This speeds up access to information and purchase. 

### Contactless payment

The customer doesn't need cash or a card to pay with a QR code. There is no need to enter account/card details or phone number for money transfer. It reduces the risk of errors. QR code payment is easy. The user immediately goes to the payment details if the code is static. A dynamic QR code allows you to personalise payments and give the user a link to a payment with a specific amount. This method will speed up and simplify payment, protect users from phishing sites and errors.

### Bonuses for marketing

Coupons, additional information about products, links to contests are encoded in QR codes. QR codes store invitations to events or information about them. People can register for an event using a QR code. 
 
QR codes allow marketers to track places in the selling area that are attractive to customers. The more scans, the more visible the codes. This is a working tool for evaluating the effectiveness of outdoor advertising and [**tracking the customer journey**](stroim-customer-journey-map).
 
<Note>
Example. The user sees a printed advertisement of a product and the website address. Then they search for a website and make a purchase. Analytics will show that the customer came by direct search, when in fact they learned about the product from the advertising booklet. If you place a QR code containing a link and a UTM tag, then analytics will display the correct source that attracted the user.
</Note>

### Curiosity marketing

What is hidden in QR codes is always a mystery. Explain to users what they will get if they scan the code but do not forget to create intrigue. Tell them that they will get some surprise or bonus. 

### Economy 

During the pandemic, restaurants began to make digital menus to reduce the number of contacts with surfaces. This can also be used beyond the pandemic.

<Note> 
Example. The company doesn't spend money on printing and updating materials. The customer doesn't have to wait for the menu. It's convenient to choose dishes on the smartphone screen. You can take screenshots so as not to forget what you want to order.
</Note>
 
QR codes can also replace print advertising. Especially when leaflets are printed for a short-term promotion. Codes instead of offline materials simplify marketing and reduce company costs.
 
If there is not enough space in an offline store, a QR code will show the entire range. And the company doesn't need to rent a bigger space to accommodate all the products. 

### Easy printing and placement

QR codes are black and white and do not require colour printing. They can be scanned from different angles, which means that you can place them on any surface: banners, paper cups, printed leaflets, cars and so on. Even damage by 30% will not hurt - the scanner will recognize the code.

## Disadvantages of QR Codes for Business

### Inexperienced users

Not all people understand how to use QR codes. First, the company will have to conduct research and find out how advanced the target audience is and whether users will have difficulties.
 
<Note>
Example. Seniors are suspicious even of bank cards. Some senior people don't have modern smartphones with QR code scanners, so it will be impossible for them to use QR code payment. 
</Note>

### User distrust 

New things are often met with skepticism and suspicion. Customers can decide that you want to steal their money in such a «tricky» way. It's connected to a lack of digital literacy. You'll have to explain to distrustful users why you switched to new technology, how to scan QR codes and why it is safe. Sometimes it's not easy.

### QR codes are ineffective if they are the only option

QR codes are not always convenient even for advanced users. If the user doesn't have a QR code reader on their smartphone, they will have to spend time downloading it. The user can also forget the code for payment. You [**risk losing your customers**](warning-signs-of-customer-drop-off-from-your-digital-service) if you have only the QR code option of payment and receiving information.

### No access to the Internet 

[**90% of people**](https://www.qrcode-tiger.com/qr-code-statistics) worldwide had access to fast Internet in 2021, and mobile traffic reached [**millions of terabytes**](https://www.statista.com/statistics/271405/global-mobile-data-traffic-forecast/) in 2022. However, there can be some errors that lead to unstable Internet connection. This situation is familiar to everyone. This can happen due to a lack of money in the account, unsuccessful location or simply due to problems with a mobile operator or provider if the connection is via Wi-Fi. It is impossible to scan a QR code without access to the Internet. In this case, Google Pay/Apple Pay wins. 
 
## Conclusion

QR codes open up new avenues for business. You can use them in advertising campaigns, for contactless payment, presentation of your business or products and so on. QR codes store more information than users can find offline.
 
The main advantages of QR codes are their speed and simplicity. A smartphone with a special application is enough to scan the code. Besides, QR code payment doesn't require a point-of-sale terminal. QR codes save the company money on printing materials and provide accurate analytics of the effectiveness of outdoor advertising and product locations.
 
The major disadvantage of QR codes is that they are not accessible to everyone. Some people do not know how to use them or are simply not ready for this technology. You need access to the Internet to scan QR codes, while Google Pay/Apple Pay work without it.

In this piece, you will learn how and where QR codes work, why it's profitable to use them and when it's better to abandon them.

large_qr code 2.jpg

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qr code 2.jpg

Learn how and where QR codes work, why it's profitable to use them and when it's better to abandon them.

Qr Codes: How They Work and How to Use Them in Business

QR Codes for Business: Pros and Cons

<Img
img="/uploads/Nonprofit_Marketing_3e865f1453.jpg"
alt="Nonprofit Marketing"
/>

Marketing for not-for-profit involves the careful development of a plan to increase awareness and donations. For-profit companies often use marketing to sell their products, but nonprofits use marketing to generate support for their efforts. Nonprofits can use traditional marketing methods along with modern Internet-based approaches to create an effective marketing campaign.

## What is nonprofit marketing?

Simply put, it's the process by which nonprofits acquire, retain and grow their base of supporters.

It might sound like a simple task, but it can be pretty complicated. Nonprofit organizations are complex, and as such, a nonprofit marketing plan needs to be detailed, [**data-driven**](data-driven-marketing), multifaceted, and goal-oriented.

### Nonprofit marketing examples

Many successful nonprofits have made great strides by crafting a solid plan that identifies their target audience and targets them with a message that resonates with them. Here are some examples of nonprofit organizations that have crafted powerful messages and gained massive support for their causes:

- Feeding America: [**Ibotta Stock Up for the Big Game**](https://www.feedingamerica.org/about-us/partners/current-promotions/ibotta-stock-big-game)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: [**Bigger Together campaign**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=qID8DqI057M&ab_channel=BBBSofAmerica)
- The Humane Society of the United States:  [**Fur-free Campaign**](https://www.facebook.com/HSUSFurFree/)
- Unicef USA: [**Mission Unstoppable campaign**](https://www.ispot.tv/ad/qsdu/unicef-mission-unstoppable-song-by-raphael-lake)

## Marketing Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations

Like any other business, nonprofits need a marketing strategy to get their message out. The difference is that nonprofit marketing doesn't have a product or service to sell; instead, it focuses on an idea or mission. Because of marketing with a nonprofit, there is an additional layer of considerations when building a strategy. Here are several nonprofit marketing ideas that work:

### 1. Start with the mission

The best marketing strategy for nonprofit organizations involves telling your organization's story and getting people engaged in your mission. This means that you have to build your strategy from the ground up, starting with why you exist and what you have to say. Every aspect of your marketing should support this central message.

Even if you are promoting an event or asking people to donate, it all has to tie back into your mission to understand how they are a part of something bigger than themselves.

### 2. Create objectives and goals

The next step in building a solid nonprofit marketing strategy is identifying specific objectives and goals that can be easily measured. This will help define what needs to be accomplished and also set a standard by which success can be determined. For example, if one of your objectives is to increase donations, you could set a goal to raise $10,000 per month in donations within six months.

### 3. Know your audience

Every successful marketing strategy begins with a deep [**understanding of your audience**](creating-a-customer-profile). This is especially important for nonprofits because you need to know who your supporters are to reach out to them directly. Who will be most interested in your cause? Are they male or female? How old are they? Where do they live? What do they care about? Once you understand who these people are and how to reach them, the rest of your strategy will fall into place.

### 4. Develop a strong brand

Your brand is not just something you have — it's something you do. A [**strong brand**](the-why-and-how-of-personal-branding) will help you stay focused and make better decisions about what you put out there and how you represent yourself. Plus, donors like brands because they give them confidence in their investment, so take time to develop yours.

### 5. Create content that resonates

Your donors and other supporters want to know what makes your organization special. Content marketing is the perfect way to tell your story and highlight how you're different from other charities. It's essential to focus on how you're making a difference in your community or around the world — not just on the work that still needs to be done.

### 6. Engage your community

A strong presence is a must for success in nonprofit online marketing. Your website is the central hub for all your digital efforts — it's where people find out about you and get involved in your mission. Make sure it's updated regularly with news about what you're doing and how others can participate.

Facebook Pages and Twitter accounts are also great ways to reach out to new prospects, keep existing supporters informed about what's going on, and engage in conversations about your work.

### 7. Nurture leads effectively

One of the biggest mistakes nonprofits make is assuming that people will immediately donate the first time they hear about your organization. But that's rarely the case. It takes an average of nine [**touches**](marketing-attribution-models) before someone donates. This means, as a nonprofit, you need to be prepared to reach out multiple times before you get a lead to convert.

An essential step in online marketing for nonprofits is [**to create an email list**](how-to-build-an-email-database) with everyone who has expressed interest in your mission. Then, create a series of emails to keep these potential donors engaged over time.

### 8. Measure success

If you can't measure it, you can't improve it: That's one of the most important digital marketing for nonprofits strategies to keep in mind.

For example, if you're trying to raise awareness about an issue and your organization, try setting up a Google Alert for specific terms related to your cause. See how many times media outlets or other organizations mention your organization.

If you've launched a new website or [**social media campaign**](self-marketing-how-to-promote-yourself-on-social-media), track the number of unique visitors and conversions. Tools like Google Analytics help with this.

As a bonus, here are some useful nonprofit marketing facts from a survey conducted by [**Campaign Monitor**](https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/the-data-backed-guide-to-nonprofit-marketing/#:~:text=truly%20effective%20campaign.-,Donor%20survey%20results,-Below%20are%20the).

<Img
img="/uploads/Nonprofit_marketing_statisctics_e76630b191.jpg"
alt="Nonprofit Marketing stats"
/>

## In a nutshell

Marketing strategies for nonprofits are different from those used by for-profit businesses. Your goal isn't to sell a product or service but to promote your mission and get people excited about how you can make a difference in the world.

Nonprofit marketing doesn't have a product or service to sell — it focuses on an idea or mission. Nonprofits need a marketing strategy to get their message out. 

large_Nonprofit Marketing.jpg

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Nonprofit Marketing.jpg

For-profit companies often use marketing to sell their products, but nonprofits use marketing to generate support for their efforts.

Nonprofit Marketing: What Is It and How to Build a Strategy

Nonprofit Marketing: Marketing Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations

<Img
img="/uploads/Affiliate_Marketing_For_Beginners_f124a21651.jpg"
alt="Affiliate Marketing For Beginners: Getting Started in 2022"
/>

Making money online is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to earn a living. This is not only because people have become more tech-savvy but because the recent pandemic has shown us just how fragile traditional economic models can be. Content affiliate marketing is among the most popular models in this category.

Affiliate marketing in 2022 continues to grow as a viable business model, which is why every budding entrepreneur looking to make money should be aware of it and what it has the potential to do. In this piece, we’ll be taking a good look at affiliate marketing for beginners, types of affiliate marketing, how to get into it, and more. Consider this your affiliate marketing 101.

Let’s get right into it.

## What is Affiliate Marketing?

The basic concept behind affiliate marketing is helping companies make sales for monetary compensation on a commission basis. The more sales you generate, the higher your earnings will be. Today’s vast online landscape has made the internet a great way to reach potential clients, as almost everyone resorts to it for their shopping needs.

## How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?

Affiliate marketing ecommerce ventures work relatively simply. With little more than a website, Youtube account, blog, or even [**Instagram account**](how-to-promote-on-instagram-in-2022), you can be well on your way to raking in the big bucks. 

Here are examples of referral links:

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Referal_link_of_Jarrod_Tech_4f7b950f70.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/Referal_link_of_Jarrod_Tech_4f7b950f70.png"
description="Jarrod'sTech"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Referal_link_of_Reader_Witch_88214744a7.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/Referal_link_of_Reader_Witch_88214744a7.png"
description="Reader Witch"
/>
</Gallery>

When you create content such as a blog, or video, you can have a unique link assigned to you, which will help the company trying to sell its products or services know that you are the one that led to the sale. Should a potential client spot the advert placed on your page and click on it, their device will remember this, whether or not they make a purchase immediately. 

Later on, should they log on to the retail site, e.g., Amazon, and make the purchase directly, you will still be given credit for directing the client to the sale and receiving your commission. In many instances, you can get a commission on all the purchases made in that session, even if they were unrelated to what you were promoting. 

<Img
img="/uploads/how_does_affiliate_marketing_work_1a8724366a.jpg"
alt="How does affiliate marketing work?"
/>

## Getting Started

If you’re trying to figure out how to start affiliate marketing with no money, then you’re in luck because it has never been easier than it is today. There are so many [**social media platforms**](self-marketing-how-to-promote-yourself-on-social-media) with massive user bases that affiliate marketers have plenty of opportunities to reach potential clients. Pick one that most suits you.

What you’ll need to do now is pick out a suitable niche. Do your research here, and pick out an area that is not overly saturated, has earning potential, and which you hopefully are familiar with or interested in. A bit of passion on your part will help you convince your readers and viewers to listen to your recommendations. 

Next, you will need to select which program to promote on your platform. You can either choose low-paying, high-volume programs, high-paying, low-volume programs, or high-paying, high-volume ones. Each of these has its pros and cons. 

## Making Affiliate Marketing Work For You

As you might imagine, this is a sales-driven enterprise, which means getting to as many people as possible with your message. This means that you will have to learn how to get traffic for affiliate marketing to be successful in this field. 

Below are some of the most effective ways to do this:

- **SEO**: Search Engine Optimization refers to crafting your content to make it more attractive to search engine algorithms.
- **Great Content**: Content, as they say, is King. Whether you’re carrying out affiliate marketing without a website or with one, having quality content on your platform will attract more views, shares, engagement, and potential sales.
- **Paid Traffic**: For many successful marketers, paid traffic, which charges you o get views, constitutes a large chunk of their affiliate marketing costs. This can be a significant expense for beginners, especially in the early days, but it is often a necessary nonetheless.

### How Much Money Can You Make Through Affiliate Marketing?

Those who have figured out how to succeed in affiliate marketing make hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars each year. Just as with any profession, success, whatever that will look like for you, comes with hard work, persistence, and smart thinking. You might start off earning a couple of dollars initially, but one of the great things about affiliate marketing is how rapidly scalable it is - you can pick up momentum quite fast.

## Final Thoughts

If you’re trying to figure out how to start an affiliate marketing business, you’re in luck- because you live in an excellent time for online businesses. There is vast information online that can help you along this path, and the entry costs for most platforms or websites will run you as little as a couple of dollars each month. Don’t hesitate - find a platform and niche that works for you, and simply go for it. What have you got to lose?

In this piece, we’ll be taking a good look at affiliate marketing for beginners, types of affiliate marketing, how to get into it, and more.

large_Affiliate Marketing For Beginners.jpg

medium_Affiliate Marketing For Beginners.jpg

small_Affiliate Marketing For Beginners.jpg

thumbnail_Affiliate Marketing For Beginners.jpg

Affiliate Marketing For Beginners.jpg

Affiliate marketing continues to grow as a viable business model. This is why every budding entrepreneur looking to make money should be aware of it and what it has the potential to do.

Affiliate Marketing for Dummies | Getting Started in 2022

Affiliate Marketing For Beginners: Getting Started in 2022

<Img
img="/uploads/Customer_Data_Privacy_Issues_in_Digital_Marketing_d468361b4f.jpg"
alt="Customer Data Privacy Issues in Digital Marketing"
/>

In the era of digital marketing, the issue of personal data protection is particularly acute. For example, the CLOUD Act, adopted in the United States in 2018, jeopardized the confidentiality of information stored by American companies, regardless of their geolocation. This Act shows that the government of the country has become a regulator of digital data exchange, and this cannot fail to affect business.

Let's talk about which laws on protection of confidential data have come into force, and how companies are reacting to this.

## The Struggle for Data at the State Level

### GDPR in the EU

**On 25 May, 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force.**

GDPR provides EU citizens and residents with full control over their personal data. Even if a person's data is located in another country, they can easily control it. In case of violation of the regulation, the EU may impose a fine of up to €20 million or to recover 4% of total revenue for the preceding financial year.

The largest [**fines**](https://www.tessian.com/blog/biggest-gdpr-fines-2020/) over the past three years have been received by the following companies:

**1. Google — €50 million in 2019.**

Users complained that the company had no legal right to process their personal data to show ads based on it. Later it turned out that people hadn't given full agreement on the data processing.

**2. Clothing retailer H&M — €35 million in 2020.**

In 2020, H&M was fined for violating its employees' privacy. Supervisors of the company collected information about vacations and medical diagnoses of employees on sick leave. Even data from workers' personal conversations was recorded and stored. The collected information was stored on H&M servers, and at least 50 managers had access to it.

In October 2019, a server error made the information publicly available, which caught the attention of regulators.

**3. Amazon — €746 million in 2021.**

In 2021, Amazon received a huge fine for collecting and transmitting personal data using cookies. This was not the first company's fine for violating GDPR data protection rules.

### The CLOUD Act in the USA

The CLOUD Act came into force on March 23, 2018 and immediately caught public attention. The fact is that the CLOUD Act violates the balance in data protection. How? Let us tell you.

In 2020, The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) recognized that US service providers did not adequately protect the personal data of people from other countries. The CLOUD Act allows law enforcement agencies of the United States to require access to information about US citizens or residents from US providers located outside the country. They need a warrant, a subpoena or court order to require it. **However, there's no guarantee that these requests will concern US citizens only, and providers will side with their customers in such a situation.**

This Act particularly affected the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB), an independent European body, concluded that service providers from the USA, also subject to the EU GDPR, cannot legally justify the disclosure and transfer of personal data to the United States on the basis of a warrant or other court order. Personal data can be transferred outside the EU only on the basis of a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT).

<Note>
Therefore, the EU regulation and the CLOUD Act contradict each other in terms of the strict GDPR rule to have solid legal grounds for data transfer.
</Note>

### Data protection law in China

On August 20, 2021, the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) came into force in China.

Network resources are now required to provide users with automated processing options that ensure customer privacy.

On August 22, the People's Bank of China (Central Bank) [**fined**](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202108/1232148.shtml) four financial institutions of the country 11.53 million yuan ($1.77 million) for illegal collection of personal data. Four banks were found to be in violation: Postal Savings Bank of China, Huaxia Bank, Bank of Communications and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

## The Struggle for Data in the Digital Sphere

### In 2020, Google restricted Third-Party Cookies in Chrome via the SiteName directive.

In early February 2020, Google released Chrome 80 that supports blocking third-party cookies (called SameSite cookies). This feature is fully available to all Chrome users until 2022.

A year later, on March 3, 2021, David Temkin made the announcement that even after removing third-party cookies from Chrome Google would not build [**alternative identifiers**](https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/a-more-privacy-first-web/) to track people who browse the web. The company operates within Privacy Sandbox, which means it creates a product that both protects people's privacy on the Internet and provides developers with the tools to create a thriving business in the digital environment.

### Starting from March 24, 2020, Apple blocks the installation of Third-Party Cookies.

On March 24, 2020, Apple released an Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) update for Safari 13.1. The browser now blocks all [**third-party cookies**](https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-blocks-third-party-cookies-in-safari/) by default. This means that advertisers and analytics companies cannot use third-party cookies to track users' online activity.

On the one hand, this is a big step towards user privacy. On the other hand, without analyzing user online activity, it will be difficult for companies to offer relevant products and services to customers.

### Since April 26, 2021, Apple has been requesting tracking permission from customers using iOS 15.

On April 26, 2021, Apple introduced a new version of iOS (14.5) in which it banned iOS apps from direct access to IDFA (The Identifier for Advertisers). Apps are now required to request confirmation, and people will decide for themselves whether to use IDFA or not.

Thus, Apple has broken the current advertising traffic system. If iOS user refuses to use the identifier, it leads to a decrease in the quality of mobile traffic attribution and an increase in the cost of customer acquisition.

Apple has offered the market an alternative — its [**privacy-safe traffic attribution system**](https://gopractice.ru/ios_14_idfa_changes/). It allows you to add information about installations to advertising networks, but it does not explicitly disclose information about the visitor. Therefore, the capabilities of the system are very limited and do not cover the basic needs of marketers.

The main problem of the system is that developers and advertising systems will not have data at the user level. The data will be only in aggregate form in ads account.

## The Global Trend: Privacy First

Big data is popular with organizations because it promises improved operations and new business opportunities.

<Note>
More customer data means more sales.
</Note>

Customer data gives us:

- new insights;
- improved products;
- understanding of the audience;
- [**trustworthy communication**](customer-trust) with customers;
- improved marketing strategies;
- more personalized offers;
- increased conversion and sales.

At the same time, big data is easier to leak, which in turn compromises people's privacy and violates data protection laws.

Today, users are concerned about the safety of their personal information. They are increasingly asking companies questions about data privacy. Companies are responding by blocking access to customer data on their platforms.

With the Privacy First approach, the user's privacy comes first. This means that companies are no longer collecting unnecessary personal data about their customers.

*For example, when buying a jacket in an online store, you do not need to enter passport data or place of birth, but debit or credit card data is required. When you register for a webinar, you should not be required to enter your workplace, unless it is a webinar in your speciality and the organizers need to know the position of the visitors.*

## Conclusion

So, as you may have noticed, today the struggle for data has reached the national level: GDPR in the EU, the CLOUD Act in the United States, the Personal Information Protection Law in China, and ecosystems shutdown can completely monopolize the customer data market.

This suggests that in the current situation, there is one right solution: to build an independent system for collecting and managing customer data for direct and secure communication with customers in the digital environment. We'll talk more about it in next week's article.


Read about how government laws are forcing companies to look for new solutions to protect customer data.

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Let's talk about which laws on protection of confidential data have come into force, and how companies are reacting to this.

How to Win the Struggle for Personal Data in Today’s World

Customer Data Privacy Issues in Digital Marketing

<Img
img="/uploads/kak_raskrutit_instagram_2022_478a3704b1.jpg"
alt="How to Promote on Instagram in 2022"
/>

There are [**1,3 billion users**](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-social-networks-worldwide-by-users/) of Instagram now. The service of photo and video content is among the top social networks in the world. Instagram brings money to brands and bloggers. It was  [**the most effective platform**](https://www.businessofapps.com/marketplace/influencer-marketing/research/influencer-marketing-costs/) for influencer marketing in 2020 and 2021. Bloggers earn [**up to $ 10,000**](https://www.businessofapps.com/marketplace/influencer-marketing/research/influencer-marketing-costs/) per ad post. Brands increase their audience, loyalty and sales — [**90% of Instagram users**](https://business.instagram.com) subscribe to commercial accounts.

Instagram is a rapidly changing social network with unpredictable algorithms. There is huge competition here, but the question of how to promote Instagram for brands and bloggers remains relevant.

In this piece, we are going to tell you what will work and what will not work in 2022: how to promote a blog on Instagram using free and paid promotion methods.

## Before starting promotion

There is no point in starting development without a strategy and account preparation. So first:

1) Create [**an Instagram account**](https://www.instagram.com/altcraftllc/) so that the user immediately understands what your account is about and what you offer.

What is important!

- Account name that matches the theme of the account.
- Description in the page header: USP, benefits, name (if the account is a personal account).
- Location if you run an offline business or work in a specific area.
- Link to the website or your other materials.
- Page navigating in Instagram stories highlighting prices, location, FAQs and other information.

2) Clean your account of inactive subscribers if you have been using the account for a long time. Subscribers who do not react to your content are harmful to promotion.

*Example. Instagram sees: only 10 out of 1000 subscribers watch your content. The social network realizes that the content is not interesting and stops showing it. It is not the number of subscribers that matters, but the engagement of the audience.*

3) Switch to a business account to get statistics and analyze audience reaction to content.

4) Prepare a promotion strategy. Any progress is a plan and regularity. One-time actions will not bring results. Define goals. Why do you need promotion on Instagram? What do you want to get: followers, sales, advertisers or something else? Prepare a content plan with regular posts, stories and reels. 

## Free promotion methods

### Reels

Reels are short, entertaining videos (15-30 seconds) that Instagram launched around the world in the summer of 2021. The social network also promised to promote this video format. No wonder Reels are now the most effective way to promote your account for free. Instagram gives Reels external reach. Stories and posts work for an existing audience (although posts also sometimes get into recommendations). At the same time Reels have more options. Now getting a million views for an account with a couple of thousand subscribers is real.

Another advantage of Reels for promotion is their lifespan. Unlike other Instagram stories that disappear after 24 hours, the post is shown for a couple of days. Reels "spin" even after a while. And what’s more, one video in Reels can "pull" others along. How? Instagram sees that a particular video is interesting to the audience and shows the ones created earlier.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/reels_subway_2_3efb1a9352.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/reels_subway_2_3efb1a9352.jpg"
description="Subway Reels"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/reels_h_and_m_3ffcd88bed.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/reels_h_and_m_3ffcd88bed.jpg"
description="H&M Reels"
/>
</Gallery>

### Comments 

Do not confuse this method with the same spam comments for everyone. Automatic commenting remains popular but useless. This method can lead to off-topic comments or even to situations when the text “what a beautiful photo” appears under the mourning post with a candle. Don't do that.

**How to get followers on Instagram through comments:**

- Comment deliberately and stick to the point. Chat in a friendly and honest way. Try to make friends, not advertise yourself.
- Communicate in the comments under the posts of personal accounts of ordinary users, bloggers and brands. A user with a small number of followers is more likely to notice you and visit your page. Big bloggers and brands are unlikely to subscribe, but other subscribers will see an interesting comment.

### Hashtags

Hashtags are a promotion method that is unlikely to give a huge reach but will still attract some part of the audience. Instagram has a separate hashtag search and subscription to them.

**Hashtags to use for promotion:**

- Thematic hashtags that relate to your area, and localized if you are tied to some territory.
- The hashtag topic should coincide with the topic of the post and photo. This way, Instagram better understands what your post is about and shows it to the right audience.
- Don't choose high-frequency hashtags (500 thousand or more). The more often a hashtag is used, the less likely your post will be seen.
- Check the relevance of hashtags. If they were last used two years ago, they don't work.

<Img
img="/uploads/hashtags_8b7606f8c5.png"
alt="Examples of hashtags onInstagram"
src="Hashtags on Instagram"
/>

How many hashtags should you add? There is no definite answer. Instagram allows you to add up to 30. But this "list" does not always work. [**Irrelevant hashtags**](8-social-media-etiquette-rules-for-business-save) will reduce reach and minimize the impact of relevant ones. We recommend that you experiment. Do not copy the same hashtags from post to post – this is ineffective. And one more thing, Instagram can take you for a robot and block your account.

### Cross-promotion

This method will not match the query "How to promote Instagram from scratch?" The account for cross-promotion or mutual PR must already have an audience.

What to do next:

- Look for an account with a similar or related topic. This account should have approximately the same number of subscribers.
- Exchange content: contribute guest posts, do live streams or take part in joint marathons.

*A cross-promotion example: an account of a sportswear brand launches a workout marathon with a fitness trainer.*

### Promotion on other platforms

If you are actively running another channel (YouTube, Medium and others), invite your audience to subscribe to your Instagram.

<Note>
Important! Users should understand why they need another account of yours. It is unlikely that subscribers are interested in watching the same content. Work with different formats and themes.
</Note>

### User-generated content

It works for brands and individual users who want to promote their accounts.

- An option **for brand accounts** is to invite users to post a photo with their product and a special hashtag. Then the brand reposts these publications to its page.
- An option **for personal accounts** is to mention brands. This way there is a chance that your Instagram page will end up in reposts in the brand's account. It is a win-win situation. The user gets more reach, and the brand gets content.

### Location

Another way is to add locations in account descriptions and posts. It is especially relevant for local businesses and events. But remember, it will not work just to set the location and wait for thousands of subscribers.

## Paid promotion methods

### Targeted advertising

Official Instagram ads are an opportunity to reach an audience with specific interests. The algorithms decide whom to show your Reels or post to. When it comes to advertisement, you choose the audience on your own. Instagram offers to advertise in the feed, Stories and Reels.

You can configure advertising directly on Instagram or use Facebook Ads Manager (if your account is linked to the page). For Instagram Ads, such goals are available as profile visits, website visits and increasing engagement – more messages. The audience can be selected automatically or customized, but the criteria are limited.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/boost_post_on_instagram_ad_select_a_goal_579eefe709.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/boost_post_on_instagram_ad_select_a_goal_579eefe709.jpg"
description="Setting up an advertising campaign on Instagram"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/boost_post_on_instagram_ad_select_target_audience_030a086b64.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/boost_post_on_instagram_ad_select_target_audience_030a086b64.jpg"
description="Setting up an advertising campaign on Instagram"
/>
</Gallery>

On Facebook Ads Manager, there are more opportunities to designate an audience.

<Img
img="/uploads/campaign_objectives_on_facebook_ads_manager_15c5874ece.png"
alt="Рекламный кабинет Facebook"
src="Campaign objectives on Facebook Ads Manager"
/>

The disadvantage of advertising on social media is an impressive list of restrictions that are constantly changing. For violation of the rules, advertising is stopped, and sometimes the account is blocked without explanation.

### Influencer marketing

The blogging market is growing, so no wonder [**influencer marketing**](what-is-influencer-marketing-how-to-build-strategy) entered the list of marketing trends in 2022 again. Instagram promotion through influencers is still relevant. When bloggers, famous figures and experts advertise something, people perceive it as a recommendation from a familiar person. They trust this opinion. There are two options for influencers ads: native (doesn't look like advertising) or direct.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/caspar_lee_154a752331.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/caspar_lee_154a752331.jpg"
description="Influencer on Instagram"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/laura_meacheam_185edb8373.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/laura_meacheam_185edb8373.jpg"
description="Influencer on Instagram"
/>
</Gallery>

## How NOT to promote on Instagram

You ask: "How to promote an account on Instagram?”. They say: “Cheating and giveaways”. There are two steps after this answer. Read about these options. Forget about them. These promotion methods are not only useless, but they can even destroy your account. 

### Giveaways

Giveaways are contests from influencers. The sponsor supplies a blogger with his product or service. The blogger promises to give the gift to the followers who subscribe to his account and the accounts of the sponsor. Subscription is a prerequisite for participation. This is how sponsors recruit a new audience. However when the giveaway is over: 

- Users unsubscribe because their interest is a prize, not a sponsor's account;
- Instagram algorithms notice a large number of unsubscriptions and reduce your page reach;
- It is difficult to save such an account.
- Even during the giveaway, the received audience is ballast. Prize-catchers are not drawn into the content. This is a sign of irrelevant content for Instagram algorithms.

### Cheat bots and comments

Instead of real subscribers, you get fake accounts — bots that create visibility, but in fact "drown" the account. For algorithms, the more subscribers, the more engagement should be. If the subscribers are bots, there is no activity from them.

Instagram makes a conclusion that this account is not interesting and stops showing it not only in recommendations but also to subscribers. In addition, the social network fights bots and suspicious activity by banning accounts engaged in cheating.

### Activity chats

They create the illusion of involvement, show social networks and other subscribers' interest in the account. These are groups where users gather to like, comment on posts and watch each other's stories. The main disadvantage of the method is an irrelevant audience. 

The method is possible in an account from scratch. However, after growth, it will rather harm, because you won’t be able to see real engagement and interest in the content. As a result, you won’t be able to understand how to improve it.

### Mass follow and mass like

You subscribe to many accounts that can be the target audience. You like the posts of different people. This is the point. The goal is to draw attention to your page. The user will notice your activity and subscribe in response. 

But the methods are no longer relevant. Users do not react, but Instagram punishes for such a promotion. The social network has a limit for subscriptions, unsubscriptions, likes, comments, mentions, and even for the number of publications. The user can be banned for suspicious activity.  If you decide to seek help from automated third-party services, the risk of losing your account forever will grow.

## Summary

The most promising free way to promote Instagram is shooting Reels. Combine it with other methods: commenting, cross-promotion with accounts of similar topics, user-generated content and advertising your Instagram page on other platforms. Add thematic hashtags to publications and geolocation, if the account is tied to territory. 

To reach a larger audience, launch targeted ads or find influencers who will remain a popular paid channel in 2022.

Do not use cheat promotion methods: giveaways, activity chats, cheat boost, mass-follow and mass-like. Promoting by legal methods is a reliable and proven way.

Learn how to promote a blog on Instagram using free and paid promotion methods. Be aware of what will and won't work in 2022.

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Read about what will and won't work in 2022. Learn how to promote a blog on Instagram using free and paid promotion methods.

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