What is post-omnichannel marketing?

In the traditional approach, companies have focused on ensuring consistency across different channels of communication, such as websites, social media, mobile apps, and desktop stores. However, as technology evolved and customer behavior changed, this approach became insufficient. This gave rise to post omnichannel marketing, which concentrates on providing customers with a consistent experience across all channels, regardless of how and when they use them. In practice, this means that marketing is no longer limited to individual channels, but adapts to the needs and preferences of consumers.

Key features of post-omnichannel marketing

Post-omnichannel marketing assumes that customers are “in control” of what content and products or services a company offers, and therefore it is necessary to constantly respond to changing circumstances and consumer behavior. There are several key characteristics of this approach, the most important of which we outline below.

• The importance of data – post-omnichannel marketing is based on the collection and analysis of data on consumer behavior. Companies use data to better understand their audiences and tailor marketing efforts to specific needs and preferences.
• Responsiveness – the company is ready to tailor its strategies to specific customer actions across channels, such as delivering personalized content based on previous interactions.
• Personalized communication – by analyzing data and dynamically responding to customer behavior, companies can deliver personalized messages and offers, which results in greater customer engagement and increased marketing effectiveness.
• Communication channels – multiple communication channels are still taken into account, but there is an emphasis on consistency and adaptation to customer behavior (it is necessary to maintain flexibility in implemented activities).

The benefits of post-omnichannel marketing

The main benefit of post omnichannel marketing is undoubtedly the increased efficiency of marketing activities. By providing customers with more personalized and relevant content based on their history, purchase behavior, and preferences, it is easier to reach them and build their engagement. What’s more, personalized and responsive communication makes customers feel more valued and understood by the company, which can increase their loyalty. Other benefits of implementing post-omnichannel marketing include:

• Cost-effectiveness – by delivering more targeted and effective messages, the company avoids wasting resources on groups that are not interested in its content and offers,
• Enhanced competitiveness – companies that adopt post-omnichannel marketing are more competitive because they can respond more effectively to changing market trends and customer needs,
• Increased sales – a better understanding of the customer’s needs and the provision of relevant products and services also leads to more conversions.

Summary

The emergence of post-omnichannel marketing is a response to changes in today’s business environment – especially those related to digital transformation and rising customer expectations. Undoubtedly, this approach has the potential to help companies across industries achieve success in a competitive market by increasing the efficiency of marketing efforts and ensuring customer satisfaction. However, it is worth noting that its implementation requires advanced data management, continuous analysis, and flexibility to adapt to changing customer needs, which can still be a daunting challenge for many companies.

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E-mail marketing is an area of a company’s advertising and promotional activities that involves sending messages to specific groups of recipients that are tailored to their needs and interests. Thus, it constitutes one of the communication channels used by companies in various industries to, among other things, promote products or services, educate customers or build relationships with recipients. It includes such important processes as:

• creating a database – that is, collecting contacts for people who agree to receive messages from your company (e.g., after downloading a publication, as part of signing up for a newsletter on the first visit to the site, to receive a discount code for purchases),
• segmentation of the list of recipients – people in the database are divided into groups based on selected criteria (including behavior, demographics, and shopping preferences), which allows for delivery of more personalized (i.e. tailored) messages to specific recipients,
• content creation – the messages sent may contain information about new products, special offers, industry news, and tips (all depending on the diagnosed needs of the customer and the area in which you operate), but care should be taken to ensure that they are presented in an interesting and useful way,
• automation – using the right email marketing platform makes it possible to automate many processes, such as sending welcome messages, responding to specific subscriber actions or campaigns based on the customer lifecycle,
• analytics and optimization – thanks to analytics tools, you can track message opens, clicks, conversion rates and other metrics to optimize your campaigns based on them and adjust your strategy to achieve better results (according to your goal).

The best email marketing platforms

A particularly interesting aspect of the issue at hand is automation, which is usually performed when using specialized tools such as email marketing platforms.There are several solutions available on the market that have been developed both with this function in mind only, as well as those that offer this type of automation as only one of the available options. Below we discuss 3 of the most popular tools you can employ to streamline your processes.

1. MailChimp

Mailchimp is undoubtedly one of the most well-known email marketing platforms – mainly because it’s suitable for businesses of all budgets. It offers an easy-to-use wizard for designing newsletters (using the drag&drop function), and at the same time, it also offers several ready-made templates, which make the process of preparing messages for sending much easier.

Moreover, it provides tools for segmenting the list of recipients, automating campaigns (sending personalized messages based on customers’ actions) and analyzing results. At the same time, it is available in a limited free version (the ability to send only 1,000 emails per month), which is a sufficient package for small businesses or companies using the program for internal purposes (company newsletter).


2. GetResponse

GetResponse is an email marketing platform that is very similar to Mailchimp in terms of features. This is because, with GetResponse you can send personalized messages based on your customers’ actions and according to the segmentation you’ve performed, while also getting detailed analytical reports. However, this solution is distinguished by the following:

• a free package to get the business off the ground (2,500 newsletters per month, maximum 500 subscribers),
• plans at reduced prices (30 or even 50%) for foundations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
• expanding the offer to include, among other things, creating landing pages, adding forms and pop-ups, or conducting webinars (one tool for multiple purposes),
• free spam checking tools,
• a free 30-day trial period.

3. Freshmail

Freshmail is one of email marketing platforms with plenty of capabilities. You can create messages (either on your own or with the help of ready-made templates, of which there are more than 200), segment recipients or tailor messages to the customer’s purchase path, to name a few. Freshmail also has the functionality to conduct A/B tests (comparing message variants to choose the one that works best). What else characterizes Freshmail? As with GetResponse, you can take advantage of a free trial period (lasting 14 days).

After that time, you can switch to a plan depending on the number of recipients. What’s more, above 50,000 recipients the company offers individual contract terms, in addition to the standard available plans.

Email marketing platforms – summary

Each email marketing platform discussed above offers similar features and experiences, supporting businesses in different industries with automation, but has unique capabilities and advantages that set it apart from the competition.

So it’s worth spending a moment to test each one out (especially if they offer a free trial period) and see which one works best for you. When making your final decision, you should consider – in addition to the sheer functionality and intuitiveness of the tool – your individual needs, the size of your company, your marketing goals or your potential for collecting contacts (i.e. the nature of your industry – more or less niche), among other factors. We hope now it won’t be hard!

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Consumers are already accustomed to the speed of new technologies – access to the Internet (checking information), the development of e-commerce (shopping without leaving home), or social media (staying in touch with loved ones). So the most important thing in providing quality customer service is to make sure they can get help when they need it, no matter what time of day or night they contact you.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should hire people to work night shifts, but you do need to make sure that your customer service agents are available as long as possible. It’s also a good idea to hire people on the weekends – consumers often contact you when they have free time and don’t want to wait until Monday for a response.

How to provide top-quality customer service on social media?

The speed of the response provided via social media is undoubtedly the key to consumer satisfaction, but it is not the only factor that matters in this area. Below, we’ve compiled some useful tips for providing top-quality customer service.

1. Use automation

To make it easier to respond to consumer messages posted on social media platforms, it is worth taking advantage of the opportunities offered by automation. Chatbots, or automated responses that a particular platform provides for the most common questions, can be particularly helpful in customer service. For example, if several people ask about opening hours or product availability, you can create an automated response that provides all the necessary information. In this situation, a human being will be involved only if the consumer’s questions go beyond its scope.

2. Respond to all messages

Even if you can’t solve a particular problem right away, don’t leave the question unanswered. Users may see that you read their message but didn’t respond to it, which usually leads to another one in a less friendly tone. A short response, even if it is just to say that you are looking into the issue and will get back to them, lets the consumer know that their problem has been noticed and that you are working on a solution. It’s also a good idea to indicate when they can expect to hear from you again, so they know how long they should wait.

3. Personalize communication

To provide high-quality customer service, prepare response templates that will let you respond to standard questions and issues quickly, leaving you time to focus on other challenges. However, when using templates, try to personalize their content, for example, addressing the customer by name or referring to a specific order number or a situation. Remember to keep calm even if the customer responds more emotionally. In this way, you will show that you treat each recipient individually and respectfully, which will be well-received.

4. Provide training

Do you have a dedicated team responsible for interacting with your audience on social media? If so, don’t forget to train them regularly, both in terms of soft skills (effective, cultural and professional communication) and hard knowledge about the company, its processes, values or the products or services it offers. You can’t forget about this, especially when you hire new people, appoint replacements or make changes (to your offers, user panel, processes, etc.). Consumers may become dissatisfied with the slightest change, and you need to have a team that can properly explain why the change has been introduced.

Summary

High-quality customer service on social media is an ongoing process that takes a lot of time and commitment. However, it’s definitely worth prioritizing, as recipients, especially Millenials and GenZs, prefer to contact companies via Facebook or Instagram rather than email or phone. Therefore, providing top-quality customer service on social media can help build a strong brand reputation, foster a good relationship with the audience, and translate into greater customer satisfaction.

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Most common presentation mistakes

How to become a more successful presenter? Take a look at our list of the most common presentation mistakes to avoid.

1. Inappropriate structure

Each presentation should be divided into three parts, that is, the introduction, body, and conclusion. However, we don’t always remember to follow this structure. Sometimes, we get straight to the point, without filling the audience in. We also often forget about the conclusion and providing key takeaways. Structuring your presentation is then the first thing you should do to make sure that the recipient will understand what you are trying to convey.

2. Low-quality slides

What can you do to shrink the audience’s attention span? Prepare a presentation that has more text than visuals, contains a lot of language errors, uses contrasting colors, and includes everything you are going to say. Poor-quality slides are often one of the biggest mistakes when making school and business presentations. Therefore, make sure that your slides are visually appealing and aesthetic. For example, you can create professional slide layouts with the Designer feature in PowerPoint.

3. Ignoring your audience

When a participant comes to a meeting or a training session, and the material turns out to be too easy or too difficult for them, they quickly lose interest and feel like their time is being wasted, which is not surprising. One of the typical presentation mistakes is not doing enough research to know your audience. If you haven’t done it, you can’t expect to achieve your goal and avoid disappointment.

4. Being too wordy

You’ve prepared 50 interesting slides, full of data and examples, and you are convinced that your audience will be thrilled. They won’t be if you present the material for an hour. Research shows that the average human attention span is between 20 and 45 minutes. Therefore, shorter presentations are more effective. Focus on the most important information, and rehearse what you want to say so you know how much time you’ll need. Don’t extend your speech if you don’t have to.

5. Not preparing enough

Undoubtedly, there are some people who can stand in front of the audience and just start talking. However, if you don’t have such remarkable skills, don’t forget to practice. Practice makes perfect! Rehearsing the prepared material is a way to minimize nervousness, which can manifest itself in stuttering, confusion, or blankness. Do this a few times to feel completely at ease. Simply talk to yourself in front of a mirror or record your presentation.

6. Avoiding eye contact

Avoiding eye contact, and speaking too quickly or monotonously- these presentation mistakes are enough to make your audience lose interest in a meeting or training session. A lecture, although it may have been appreciated at school or college, isn’t necessarily a successful tactic in business meetings. So how do you make sure your meeting or training is interactive? Ask your audience for comments and encourage them to take part in a discussion.

Presentation mistakes – summary

What can you do to improve your public speaking skills? Just like in the case of other competencies, the answer is one – practice. The more often you speak in front of an audience, the better you’ll become. However, avoiding the most common presentation mistakes described above will undoubtedly bring your presentations to the next level and help you deliver an effective message.

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What is a case study?

A case study is a detailed analysis of a specific event, situation, person, group or institution to acknowledge its aspects, context, problems, applied solutions or achieved results. It is a frequently applied research method in such domains as social sciences, medicine, psychology, education and of course, business.

Running a case study aims at providing in-depth analysis and conclusions about a specific situation, which helps to better understand its mechanisms and the effectiveness of taken actions. It most typically includes such elements as:

• Description of the situation – Introduce the issue by providing context, data and information about the people, places or events covered by the analysis.
• Identifying the problem or goal -defining and singling out the main problem, challenge or goal that is relevant to the person or organizationv
• Analysis – careful study of the details, causes, effects, decisions as well as actions related to the selected situation.
• Solutions or approaches – propose possible solutions, strategies or approaches to adopt (or have been adopted) to solve a problem or achieve a goal.
• Selecting the best solution – determine which of the proposed solutions is the most appropriate, reasonable and potentially effective.
• Implementation – discuss how the selected solution or strategy was implemented in practice.
• Results and conclusions – summarize the results achieved after implementing the solution and drawing conclusions from the analysis.

What role does a case study play in business?

In a business context, a case study usually refers to an analysis of the activities of a specific company or organization, as well as a collaboration between two entities. It comes as, for example, a description of an implemented business strategy, team management evaluation, tactics for launching a new product on the market or a story of increasing competitive advantage in one’s industry.

Nonetheless, the main purpose of a case study is typically to show off one’s expertise – that is, to boast about the results achieved for clients or the implementations carried out demonstrating the services offered. In this respect, it is a tool that provides a kind of social proof – that’s why it is commonly used in the B2B industry as part of a summary of activities for a client.

How to write a case study? key steps

A case study can take a variety of forms – from a written report published in the form of a press or company communication channel release to a comprehensive multimedia presentation shown exclusively at internal meetings. How then should you prepare for carrying out a case study? Below we point out the key steps to take.

1. Choose the right situation and define the goal

At the very beginning, you need to think about the situation you would like to describe and the goal of the prepared case study. These two issues are inextricably linked, because depending on what you want to prove (e.g., the benefits achieved for a customer in a marketing campaign), you will need an actual situation where you managed to achieve the expected results. The results must confirm your stated goal (a case study is written “for a thesis”).

2. Present the context

Once you have selected a situation to describe, you should focus on analyzing it thoroughly. This is because the case study should include a description of the situation, i.e., the context, challenges and proposed solutions, and then also present the effects of the implemented actions or lessons learned (depending on the type of situation described). It is at this stage that you make sure you have access to sufficient information and data on the selected issue so that you do not encounter difficulties during the writing itself.

3. Creating a clear and concise text

After completing the previous steps, you can start writing. When creating the text, make sure to:

• Include all the relevant information for an outsider (try to take the perspective of a person who does not know the context and needs the full picture),
• Make it easy to understand (avoid specialized vocabulary if possible, although try to show your expertise),
• Keep it short (in this regard, quality is more important than quantity),
• Maintain a logical sequence (start by describing the situation, then move on to the challenges, next describe the implemented actions, and at the very end focus on the effects and conclusions).

Treat the preparation of the case study as a project, which requires defining the goal and dissecting the steps (tasks). Transparency in its management will provide you with the kanban board available in ¿­·¢k8Æì½¢Ìü.

With its help, you can keep track of the progress of the work, and assign status, priority and stage of completion to each step. It also enables you to share the results of these activities with your stakeholders (thanks to the view-sharing feature) as well as track and control the budget spent.

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Case study – summary

Properly developed case studies are the best way to achieve your goal – to convince customers to use your service, to understand the causes of the problems faced by the company or to analyze the effectiveness of the decisions taken (implemented strategies, business actions).

Following the above-mentioned steps, in turn, will ensure that you develop an effective and successful case study.Just don’t forget that if you create a text describing your cooperation with a client or partner (and, for example, plan to make it public on your channels or enter it in an industry competition), you have to obtain written permission for such actions, and then send the text for authorization.

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Without a doubt, the key SEO and content trend to prepare for – and in many ways understand and accept – is the increasing use of artificial intelligence and machine learning-based solutions. Emerging text generators (such as AI ChatGPT) are changing how different types of content are changed (making the process faster and easier), which is not without its impact on SEO.

However, we should bear in mind that at the same time Google released the Helpful Content Update algorithm last year, which will promote content with real audiences in mind and convey real value to them. So within this SEO and content marketing trends, the key to success concerns keeping the golden mean between exploiting artificial intelligence and adapting to search engine and user requirements.

Voice Search

With advances in technology and the popularity of voice assistants (such as Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, for example), users are increasingly opting for voice commands to find information – hence this is another SEO and content trend that will play a significant role in 2023, forcing changes in the way content gets optimized. Why? Because voice search is different from traditional typing of phrases on a keyboard – queries are longer, more natural, akin to talking to a human.

Long, semantically rich key phrases and answers to popular user questions will therefore be key in optimizing content for voice search (especially for local SEO).

User-generated content

We should also take into account the role of so-called user-generated content, i.e., content created by users rather than by the brand itself (e.g., posts or social media accounts showing the unboxing of packages received, how to apply the product, the experience of interacting with the service, etc.) will not diminish in 2023. This type of often highly differentiated content is sometimes better received by both search engines and customers themselves, as it provides social proof of legitimacy, encouraging them to interact with the brand.

We can observe these SEO and content marketing trends, for example, in Instagram’s new Collabs feature, which allows two accounts to make one of the posts. The created content thus reaches both audiences, increasing the brand’s reach, while at the same time, it’s co-created by actual customers, thus enhancing authenticity and building audience trust.

Video content marketing

In 2023, content created in the form of video will undoubtedly continue to thrive – whether as shorter Shorts on YouTube, Reels on Instagram, or TikTok, or longer videos. Companies in various industries should continue to invest in video as an effective form of communication that keeps the customer’s attention for longer than the text form can. Still, what will matter most is their creativity as well as variety (tutorials, guides, animations, etc.).

The growing popularity of this form of content will also translate into better SEO results – videos are already appearing as answers to typed queries. It will therefore be necessary to optimize uploaded video forms (in terms of metadata, transcription, tags, etc.) to ensure the best possible position in Google.

SEO and content marketing trends in strategy planning

To properly plan your marketing strategy, you need to recognize SEO and content trends and prepare for them. This way you’ll understand and predict both the probable behavior of search engine (in terms of SEO activities) as well as the needs and expectations of users (in terms of activities aimed at them).

Lack of awareness in this regard will lead to actions that will not lead to expected results, which may consequently hinder the building of a competitive advantage. Learning about current SEO and content marketing trends (major predictions we listed above), finding confirmations for them (e.g., in consumer research) and developing strategies tailored to them are the first steps toward satisfactory results.

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What is a communication plan?

A company’s communication plan is a detailed document that is an integral part of the implemented marketing strategy. It describes how the company will create its message externally (and sometimes internally to employees – depending on the size and operation of the organization, for example) across all the channels it runs (website, social media, thematic groups, newsletters, offline venues, etc.).

Its use is aimed at ensuring consistent and effective communication of information to various stakeholder groups. In this way, it helps, among other things, to build a brand, reach and build relationships with an audience, and achieve set business goals.

9 essential elements of the communication plan

How exactly creating a communication plan takes place will depend on the individual needs of the organization. However, you’ll find these common elements in most:

• Analysis of the current situation – including a presentation of how the message to the outside world has been constructed so far and what results it has produced, as well as identification of key challenges and opportunities in the area indicated.
• Objectives – the results the company wants to achieve,
• Brand strategy – outlining the brand’s mission, vision, personality, tone, values and other issues that influence how the brand wants to build its message.
• Competitor analysis – how other players in the industry run their channels.
• Target audience with outreach channels – a description indicating who the company is targeting with its message and where it will be present to reach its customers.
• Anti-crisis strategy – defining how to act in crises (i.e., the appearance of a data leak from the company), under which it is necessary to take a public stance.
• Schedule of activities – an indication of what activities and when they will be undertaken (which includes, among other things, campaigns implemented, posts published on social media, partnerships established, etc.).
• Budget – the amount of money to break down and allocate for the implementation of the written activities.
• Means of evaluation – to determine how the effectiveness of implemented activities will be measured.

Benefits of creating a communication plan

The lack of a proper outreach strategy can result in chaotic and sometimes also contradictory messages, which ultimately weaken the company’s image while affecting the trust of customers and business partners. Below we point out the most important benefits that its development provides to companies operating in various industries:

• Ensuring consistency of message – helps build the right (consistent with values, mission, vision, personality, etc.) corporate image at all levels and through diverse channels,
• Increasing awareness – allows you to reach different target groups more effectively, resulting in greater brand awareness and increased message reach,
• Tailoring the message to the target audience – thanks to proper analysis, it is possible to know the needs and expectations of consumers and, consequently, tailor your message to them (offering them value), which increases recognition and builds customer trust in the brand,
• Crisis preparedness – a properly drafted communications plan includes a crisis management strategy that allows for a quick and effective response to unforeseen situations, minimizing potential negative consequences,
• Saving resources – the plan makes communication activities more organized and efficient, saving staff time and other necessary resources.
• Increased sales – consequently, all of the above benefits lead to the fact that (thanks to a better message to customers) the company can sell more.

Summary

Creating a communication plan that’s customized, implementing it, then developing and updating undoubtedly require a lot of time and effort. However, you have to treat it as an investment that may bring many benefits (especially in terms of building relationships with key audiences) and boost the success of the company in an increasingly competitive business environment.

Keep in mind that creating a communication plan takes place more than once as it’s a tool that requires regular updating (e.g., once a year), especially in the area of goals and whether the needs and expectations of the target audience (as well as the market situation) change. It is also important whether the implemented activities achieved the expected results – so don’t forget to run the plan’s evaluation and draw both positive and negative conclusions from it.

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However, to make the most – as a company – of its potential, it is not enough just to generate your content and reach users organically. It is also worth taking advantage of the opportunities to implement a performance campaign on this platform. Here are five effective tips to help you create TikTok ads that stand out from the crowd, that engage and attract attention, but most importantly – convert.

1. Match the method of communication to the receiving group

Users are looking for authenticity, freedom and creativity on the described platform in the form of short, but usually very dynamic videos. To win the sympathy of those categorized as the youngest target group, therefore, you need to abandon traditional slogans and opt for a relaxed and friendly tone.

Take advantage of popular memes, slang language or unique sound effects to gain engagement. At the same time, remember that your creation must not, however, be immediately recognized as TikTok ads, but stop the eyes only as interesting and funny content (which will make us not focus on the information that this content is sponsored).

2. Tailor the content to the platform

TikTok is a very different platform from Facebook or Instagram – content published on this social media must be dynamic, fast-paced and adapted to the short format of videos (which last between 15 and 60 seconds). For this reason, avoid overly complicated concepts and focus on one key message.

Keep in mind that the platform offers many editing features that allow you to add varied visual effects that attract attention and give your creations a professional look. Visual appeal is of the utmost importance – so make sure you upload a high-quality video as well.

3. Try out the possibilities of storytelling

The youngest target group is particularly receptive to content that generates strong emotions – both positive and negative. Thus, telling compelling, audience-approaching stories can be the key to gaining audience engagement and increasing trust, and ultimately, taking the desire to act (i.e., convert).

Moreover, creating engaging narratives extends the time spent using this social medium, which is also important in building engagement. For this reason, when looking to prepare compelling TikTok ads, consider how your products and services affect the lives of your audience and try to present these facts in the form of an exciting story.

4. Take advantage of current trends and beliefs

A characteristic feature of the described social medium is the fast-changing trends and challenges, which are worth using in the creations you create. After all, participating in them will make your TikTok ads more understandable by the community, which will increase the chance of them reaching a larger audience and ensuring conversions.

To stay on top of the challenges, keep an eye on popular hashtags, and when you see a space to engage, make sure to get the creative done as soon as possible (while the trend is still there). But don’t do it at all costs – viewers will pick up on the lack of authenticity and conviction very quickly.

5. Remember the CTA

Even the most engaging TikTok ads don’t have the intended effect if they don’t contain a clear call-to-action – that is, the effect your creation is designed to achieve. So it’s mandatory to remember to point your audience in the direction of action with a CTA that is unambiguous, fully understandable and precise (it won’t confuse viewers).

Such a message can take the form of, for example, “click here,” “buy now” (with a link to an online store), “watch us” or “join the challenge,” depending on what effect you care most about. It is also important to try to test different versions of the CTA to determine which one works best.

TikTok ads – summary

To create engaging TikTok ads that convert, you need to be flexible, creative and adapt your approach to both the characteristics of the platform and the preferences of your youngest target audience.

By following the above-mentioned tips, you can achieve success in building brand awareness, generating engagement and conversions on this dynamic social platform. Keep in mind, however, that the key to achieving the expected results – that is, ensuring the effectiveness of your TikTok ads – will be to regularly monitor the results and evaluate them, and then make changes to the implemented strategy (when creating further creations).

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Micromanagement – what does it consist of?

Micromanagement is a style in which a supervisor controls and monitors the activities of his employees in detail, focusing on the smallest details and making decisions on their behalf. In practice, such approaches mean excessive interference by team leaders in day-to-day activities and processes which employees should handle on their own.

Naturally, the majority of staff usually find this kind of behavior annoying. Among the key characteristics of such behavior, one can notice:

• Lack of autonomy – the supervisor makes decisions on behalf of employees, even in matters that are within their competence (does not take into account the knowledge and experience of employees, and does not give them space to carry out activities independently),
• Lack of trust – evident in the lack of freedom, excessive control (the supervisor checks the progress of the work, all tasks or the time of completion) and the inability to make decisions independently,
• Over-reporting – micromanagement often means that an employee has to report in detail on every activity performed, which takes up time that could be assigned to subsequent tasks (focuses attention on writing instead of actual work).

Remote working and the best strategies for avoiding micromanagement

When a supervisor controls every stage of work and focuses on the little things instead of looking at the overall result, employees may experience many negative feelings from neglect to low self-esteem or frustration. It may lead to a decrease in motivation or even abandoning the company.

Such a situation will be reflected in the results of activities, efficiency and productivity. Leaders should recognize such symptoms and look for ways to avoid micromanagement also (or perhaps especially) when working remotely. Here are 3 strategies you’ll find helpful in such scenarios.

1. Set clear goals and expectations

To avoid micromanagement when working remotely, a key element is to set clear goals and expectations from the supervisor. Jointly agreeing on such issues (along with indicating tasks to be performed and deadlines for completion) makes it possible to indicate priorities and plan the implementation of activities. This reduces the need to control whether the employee knows what is expected of him. It is imperative to try to make the goals measurable and achievable, allowing employees to evaluate their progress and focus on the results.

2. Schedule regular meetings

Excessive real-time monitoring of work (e.g., through daily status inquiries) means a lack of autonomy and trust for employees. The best way to avoid such feelings is to schedule regular meetings to share information, discuss progress and solve problems (not one person, but all team members simultaneously). In the meantime, you can use a particular program to improve team collaboration – such as ¿­·¢k8Æì½¢Ìü – which will provide constant insight into work progress, reducing the need for direct contact with the employee.

3. Trust your employees

The basis for avoiding micromanagement is trust toward employees, which means first and foremost recognizing their competence, skills, experience and ability to act independently. The supervisor should demonstrate this attitude by giving employees the freedom to make decisions and carry out their assigned tasks. This type of delegation of responsibility is the best way to motivate employees to work effectively – and give them a chance to be judged on their performance and work results, not on the speed or manner in which they complete tasks.

Micromanagement – summary

Undoubtedly, the opening up of companies in various industries to the possibility of remote work has brought many benefits (especially by providing employees with greater time flexibility), but at the same time, it has “created an opportunity” for excessive control by superiors.

Team leaders should dutifully remember that micromanagement has a detrimental effect on the psychological well-being of employees, translating into a decrease in work motivation and achieved efficiency, and try to avoid this type of behavior. After all, in some cases, they can even lead to quick quits – after all, everyone wants to have some freedom at work, to feel trust from their supervisor and to make their own decisions on issues that fall within their area of responsibility.

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Online reputation – why does it matter so much?

By online reputation we should understand the image (opinion, opinion, perception) that Internet users have about a particular person, company or organization. This type of evaluation has been formed on the basis of data from various sources (social media, search engine, news portals, etc.).

It significantly influences whether customers will buy our products or use our services, candidates will be interested in available job offers, potential partners will want to establish business cooperation, etc. Social proof and the available information about the brand on the web are therefore of strategic importance in the context of the conducted business – and within different areas.

What builds online reputation?

The essential thing is that online reputation can be created by two types of activities – both internal and external. Internal activities include, for example, social media publications about ongoing projects. This is because self-created content is the main source of knowledge about the brand for Internet users, allowing them to identify with it.

However, the importance of external activities is no less important, i.e. articles published about the brand (which may have negative overtones), opinions of customers and candidates appearing on platforms specialized in this area, or discourse about the brand conducted in social media of entities unrelated to the company.

How to improve online reputation?

The important thing is that reputation is not a constant that can never change. On the contrary, you can work to improve it with various types of activities aimed at building a positive external image of the brand. Below we give you the top 5 tips for doing this.

1. Ensure constant monitoring

Constant monitoring of what is being said about your brand is the most important step in the area of online reputation building – without it, any subsequent ones will be pointless, as only selective opinions and reviews will reach you. In this regard, the best idea is to invest in a professional tool designed for monitoring, preferably for different channels (not only social media but also blogs, sales platforms, etc.). In this way, you will always be up to date with the emerging information and opinions about the brand, and thus – you will be able to respond to them promptly, taking corrective action. After all, in the case of this type of situation, reaction time is significant.

2. Respond to every comment

Whether the opinion posted online is positive or negative, it is always worth ensuring that it does not go unanswered. In the case of positive comments, by thanking them in kind words you build a positive relationship with your audience, while in the case of negative reviews, you can thus show that your audience’s opinion matters to you.

However, you must make sure that the responses you give are characterized by a professional and balanced tone (appropriate choice of words required). Also, remember to avoid engaging in unnecessary discussions. You should focus on solving the problem each time while showing your openness to constructive criticism and willingness to take corrective action.

3. Establish partnerships with influencers
If you find an influencer who matches your corporate or personal brand (e.g., in terms of adhering to the same values), such a partnership can contribute to the positive reception of the activities you implement.

After all, influencers are individuals who not only gather around them a circle of audiences that trust them, but, most importantly, are characterized by their high power of influence. Their recommendations can significantly increase trust in your brand, and thus improve, for example, sales results. Now you can see the benefits of working with such people not only in the marketing (image) dimension.

4. Create your online presence

You can’t just control what information about your brand appears online – you must also create your presence. Activity on social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or Tik-Tok) significantly affects your reputation. In this regard, what matters is not only what kind of content you publish, but most importantly, how you communicate with your audience. Therefore, make sure that all your publications are as thoughtful and polished as possible, with engagement visible at all times. This is how you will build an image as an expert and professional in your industry.

5. Keep an eye on data security

When it comes to the Internet, audiences are particularly sensitized to any incidents related to the protection of their privacy and personal data. For this reason, any mistakes in this area (especially data leaks, identity theft, etc.) can not only expose a company or users to financial losses but also significantly damage a brand’s online reputation. To avoid such negative consequences, it is worth implementing appropriate cybersecurity procedures (including passwords and two-factor authentication, installation of antivirus software or regular updates).

Online reputation – summary

The aforementioned tips can be useful in improving online reputation (taking care of a positive online image) for both individuals building their brand, as well as smaller and larger businesses. After all, regardless of the type of business, it is necessary to take care of what can be found on the Internet about the subject.

Online reputation has become an integral part of digital society, and its importance with the further development of technology and social media will only grow. Still, remember that building a positive image is not only a matter of controlling the information that circulates about us online but also of creating valuable content and engaging in positive relationships with other users.

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Brand equity is a concept that is critical to a brand’s value, making it unique, recognizable, and worthy in the eyes of customers. Positive brand equity also shows the strength of a company’s competitive advantage and increases the chances of higher sales of goods or services.

What makes up brand equity?

The elements that matter in building brand equity are:

• Loyalty – do customers come back, do they buy our product, or service again?
• Awareness – are we recognized in the market, do consumers know our brand?
• Image (associations) – what feelings, qualities, and images do consumers associate us with? Maybe they with trust and reliability, or maybe because of a recent advertisement that made them laugh?
• Value – can be intangible (how we are perceived by consumers) and tangible (it is the amount of money customers can and want to spend for the purchase of a product, or service).

How do you build brand equity?

Below we will point out some aspects you need to pay attention to when building positive equity in your brand.

1. Establish brand awareness

Your potential customers need to know that a company like yours even exists in the market and offers solutions that can meet their needs, and give some value (USP). This is an important element in building trust and a long-term relationship with the consumer. Above all, be present in the places where your potential audience is – i.e. social media, for example.

Remember though that there are many channels of communication, and your target audience may use different forms of them. Therefore, at the very beginning, gather information about the people you want to sell to – who they are, what they do, what they like to do, how they communicate, etc. Based on this, it will be easier for you to choose the most effective forms of contact with them. You can also expand brand awareness through valuable materials describing your products (e.g., in the form of Youtube videos, shorter formats on Tik Tok, blog articles, free e-books, and more).

2. Try storytelling

This applies not only to the presentation of the genesis and origins of the company but also to a tool for marketing communications. In this way, you can arouse a lot of emotions in the audience, interest and engage them. With the help of stories, you can build a positive brand image, share expertise, dispel customer doubts, and what follows – create a relationship.

3. Pay attention to the data

Quantitative and qualitative data can provide a lot of information about your customers, their buying behavior as well as their attitude toward your brand. That’s why it’s worthwhile for you to pay attention to data analytics and draw the correct conclusions from it. You can do this by tracking conversions on your website or conducting research in the form of surveys or focus studies.

4. Increase commitment and trust

An engaged customer will be more likely to purchase your products. Focus on improving the quality of service, which often determines whether a customer will return to you. Establish interactions through social media, answer consumer questions regularly, and share content that will interest your audience. Apply tools that allow you to measure KPIs, create loyalty programs, offer discounts, etc.

5. Take care of the Customer Experience

Customer Experience is the experience of the customer from the moment of contact with the brand. It is an extremely vital part of building its capital because depending on how the interaction goes, it affects the further relationship with the consumer. Even though you offer the best product, if there is an error on the website making it impossible to place an order – you’ll face customer dissatisfaction.

Sometimes even the complete abandonment of the use of your services in the future. On the other hand, if, for example, there is a mistake during order picking and the wrong goods go to the customer, but you react quickly enough and correct your mistake – the consumer, despite some inconvenience, will most likely appreciate that you resolved the matter efficiently and will positively associate the interaction.

An example of positive brand equity

Examples of companies that are successfully building positive brand equity include:

NIKE

Nike is known not only for its products, which have become a part of our culture for good, but also for its advertisements, focusing on, among other things, promoting sports, motivation, and achieving goals. These are values that many consumers want to identify with. Its logo and the slogan Just Do It are also widely recognized. In addition, they also cooperate with many, famous athletes who, by lending their image in advertising, positively influence Nike’s brand equity. It is thanks to these factors that the company boasts great success, and in 2022 it was ranked 13th in the ranking of the world’s most valuable brands (Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Global Brands report).

Example of negative brand equity

The case of Toyota, on the other hand, shows how certain circumstances can affect the creation of negative brand equity (even if it is temporary).

TOYOTA

The scandal involving Toyota erupted in 2010 when problems with malfunctioning gas pedals in its cars began to be reported. The media quickly publicized the whole affair, contributing to a sharp loss of confidence in the company. Toyota had to recall 8 million cars from the market, and in the process paid hefty fines totaling $50 million, and some 400 lawsuits were filed against it. However, a little later, a study by the U.S. Highway Traffic Safety Agency found that the accusations were wrong and no irregularities in the system were detected. Despite this, the media vilification had a significant impact on the brand’s image and capital, contributing to a 16% drop in the company’s value.

Summary

The opinion and perception of your brand by consumers have a direct bearing on the success of your business. Especially nowadays, brand equity, reputation, and credibility are of particular importance and when developing a business, it is worth keeping these issues in mind. After all, a positive image enhances your market advantage over competitors and increases the value of your company.

Read also: How to turn failure into success? 3 entrepreneurs share the best advice

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YouTube thumbnail – what is it?

A YouTube thumbnail is a small image (only 1280×720 pixels in size) that displays in two places where a YT user starts searching for content of interest – either on your channel’s homepage above the video title or next to the video title on the search results page. Thus, it is the first element a potential viewer comes across, as graphics always draw the eye faster than text alone.

This is confirmed by Curata’s research, which shows that including an image in an article increases click-through rates by 47% compared to articles containing text alone. A similar principle applies to videos on YT – we look first at the thumbnail, a visual representation of what we will see in the video, and only then at the title. It is for this reason that you need to design this small image in the right way.

5 Tips for Perfect YouTube Thumbnail

What should you do to ensure that the image you create will catch users’ attention and make them go to the video’s page? Here’s our list of the 5 most important considerations on YT thumbnails:

1. Ensure consistency with the topic of the video – the image has to show what the video you uploaded is about, it cannot be detached from it. This is because if you don’t keep it coherent, you may end up with someone interested in the topic not clicking on the thumbnail and reading the description. After all, they will already initially reject the video as not matching their needs or interests.
2. Think about graphic elements – the thumbnail should be eye-catching to encourage the viewer to click and watch the video. So try to find an attractive graphic or photo or create one yourself, thinking about using distinct colors, contrasts and other visual elements. On the other hand, if you run a channel regularly and use the same template for each video (e.g., only with your photo, without any additional graphic elements) and you see that such a solution works, focus more on content.
3. Provide captivating text – while remembering to follow the principle of minimalism, as too much content has a rejecting effect on the Internet user. It is best to choose simple, short sentences or words that are easy to understand. Also, ensure the font is large enough to display properly even on smaller screens.
4. Don’t forget your logo or channel name – you also need to be aware of the so-called “curse of knowledge,” that is, the mistaken belief that an external user knows exactly who you (your brand) or your company is. Still, you may end up (for example, through search results) reaching a completely uninformed person. By using your logo or channel name, you will increase brand recognition as part of building brand awareness among YouTube users.
5. Focus on the power of emotion – the thumbnail should evoke emotion (e.g., joy, curiosity, intrigue or interest), as it is the feelings that best encourage a potential viewer to click. You can try using humorous or surprising elements to make it stand out from the numerous other videos available on the platform.

What else to keep in mind when making a thumbnail for YouTube?

When working on a thumbnail for your YouTube video, be sure to also reach for professional tools. Importantly, you don’t have to be a professional graphic designer to create it properly from scratch (using Photoshop, for example). You might as well reach for layperson solutions (such as the very popular Canva, for example), choose the best template for you and customize it to your needs. That’s not all, though – once you’ve created one version, plan another one as well, and then apply them interchangeably, checking which one provides you with better results in terms of grabbing the viewer’s attention.

This kind of A/B testing will show you very quickly which creatives are more interesting to your subscribers. Perhaps they will allow you to find the most suitable version and thus ensure that you improve your results.

YouTube thumbnail – summary

If you’re running your own or a company’s YouTube channel, don’t underestimate the importance that a thumbnail that matches the video’s subject and is visually appealing can have. Remember that this is the first element your potential viewer will see. He or she will most likely use it to judge whether it’s worth moving on and seeing the creation you created, which will consequently affect the number of views, reactions, comments or subscriptions. By taking greater care of the user experience at this level, you can expect better results in your marketing efforts. Follow our top tips when uploading more videos to YouTube, and you’ll see a significant change in viewership very quickly.

Read also: Corporate event planning in 6 steps.

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