Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool provided by Google that helps website owners monitor their website's performance in Google search results and will alert of any technical SEO issues. By connecting your website to Google Search Console, you can see how many people visit your site, which keywords they used to find your site, how Google crawls and indexes your website, and if there are any issues with your site that need resolving.
Below are some of the tasks you can accomplish using GSC:
Monitor how your site is performing on Google
Submit Sitemaps and Individual URLs for Crawling: A sitemap is a file that provides information about the pages on your site to search engines. By submitting your sitemap, you help Google better understand the structure of your site and index its content more effectively.
Check Indexing Status: See which pages of your website have been indexed by Google and which ones have not.
Identify and Fix Errors: Google Search Console alerts you to any crawl errors, server errors, or other issues that may be affecting your site's visibility and ranking on Google. By addressing these errors promptly, you can ensure that your website is more search engine-friendly and user-friendly.
And more
Why do businesses need to have Google search console connected to their website?
This is a valuable tool for understanding how their websites are performing in search results and identifying potential issues that could be affecting their website's visibility. By monitoring the data in Google Search Console, business owners can optimise their website's content and structure to improve their search rankings and drive more traffic to their website.
To find out how to connect your site and a comprehensive guide to the various tools within GSC, check out SEMrush’s GSC 2023 Guide
Facebook is a valuable tool for businesses and individuals alike but it's crucial to ensure that your Facebook page is secure from potential hackers. Cybersecurity breaches can harm your reputation, damage your business, put sensitive information at risk and cost you time and money. Therefore, it's essential to take steps to protect your Facebook page from being hacked.
Here are our top ten necessary steps to secure your Facebook Page:
Step #1 Use strong passwords
Ensure your passwords are a random mix of at least 14 to 16 characters - letters, numbers and symbols, and avoid using common phrases or words.
So long as you are using a strong password – along with 2FA – you shouldn’t need to change your password that often. However, some security experts suggest changing your password every 90 days or at least once a year.
You can also consider using a password manager like Bitwarden or 1Password for secure password management across devices. Keep in mind that while convenient, built-in managers may pose security risks if your device is stolen.
Step #2 Enable two-factor (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) – a MUST
Two-factor authentication is an additional layer of security that requires a code to be entered along with your password. This code is usually sent via text message or generated through an app. By enabling two-factor authentication, you can significantly reduce the risk of your Facebook account being hacked.
In fact, if you’re running Meta ads, your ads will quite possibly perform better so long as EVERY admin of your Page has 2FA set up. And you might see an ever so slightly better organic reach for your posts too.
You access 2FA under your Password and security settings.
Although most use SMS to receive a code via text message for 2FA this is actually not the most secure way to set up 2FA as phone numbers can be spoofed.
So, for optimal security, it’s much more effective to use an Authenticator app. Google Authenticator (iOS or Android) and Duo Mobile are among the top authenticator apps.
Many online services not just Facebook - Amazon, Dropbox, Google, PayPal, Slack and Twitter all support authenticator-generated codes as an alternative to SMS-based codes. All the apps can be used for multiple accounts, and you don't need to have a cellular connection, or even Wi-Fi access, on your phone for the codes to work.
Step #3 Do not share your login credentials
Never ever share your login credentials with anyone, for any reason. To share access to your business page, use Business Manager or Business Suite and add Admins with appropriate roles and ensure they also have 2FA set up.
Step #4 Monitor your account activity
Monitor for any suspicious or unauthorised access. Check for any unusual login locations, device types, and login times. Get in-app notifications and emails about unrecognised logins by going to Password and security settings and select ‘Login alerts’.
Also check your old logins and remove all logins on devices you no longer have access to or don’t recognise.
Step #5 Account access
Regularly review who has access to your account and remove anyone who has moved on or should no longer have access.
Also review third-party apps connected to your account. Remove old and unnecessary apps or manage their access to your information.
Step #6 Keep your operating system and software up-to-date
Make sure to keep your operating system and software up-to-date, including your web browser, antivirus, and other security software. Regularly updating these components will protect you from known security vulnerabilities and improve the overall security of your system.
Step #7 DO NOT click on suspicious links
Hackers often use links to gain access to your Facebook account. Avoid clicking on suspicious links sent via DM and/or email – from Meta, an unknown source or even your trusted friends as they could have been hacked. And especially not if they contain a message urging you to click.
Phishing is rampant these days and the scammers are getting cleverer by the day; it’s all too easy to fall prey to something that looks too good to be true. If in doubt, do not click! And, if sent via email, check the full sender’s email – often the scammers don’t even bother to cover the actual email address – which could look totally suspicious or could look plausible but will have something odd about the address like an extra part to the domain like this “mail.nzpost.co.nz”.
You can check legitimate Facebook emails by going to your Password & Security settings and selecting Recent emails under Security checks.
Step #8 Don’t share password details
These are common are where hackers try to trick you into revealing your login credentials or other sensitive information. Don’t respond to emails or messages requesting your password or other login details.
Step #9 Log out of your account after use
Always log out of your Facebook account after using it, especially if you’re using a shared or public computer.
Step #10 Large following? Consider hiding
You might want to hide your Friends and Followers on your personal profile if you have a large number of them. You can do this by going to your account settings, scroll down to Audience and visibility and manage who can see your Friends and Followers. This is particularly important for profiles that get impersonated as it looks very enticing to a scammer to be able to act as you and try to scam your entire network.
You can also “lock” your profile so that only your friends can see your shared information and posts. Go to your account settings and scroll down to Audience and visibility to see 'Profile locking'.
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Make sure you’re following my Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn page to stay up to date with all things social media marketing.
Instagram has kept us hopping this year! Our team has noticed several new features added to Instagram's reels, posting functionality, API, and more... Let's have a look at the latest updates and how they can work in your favour.
Pinned Posts or Reels
Instagram has launched a new feature to allow users to pin up to three posts or Reels to the top of their profile grid. For users of Facebook, this tool will be familiar as we have always been able to pin posts to the top of the Page.
The ability to pin a specific post to your profile is a welcome feature for users who want to highlight their favourite posts that may have been buried somewhere in their photo grid. The feature could also be useful for those who post frequently but want to highlight a specific post. Currently users have the option to pin Stories to their profile and now also their posts or Reels.
How to Pin a Post:
Select a photo or reel on the navigation page
Click on the three dots in the top right corner
Select “Pin to your profile” and that’s it!
Once you have pinned a post, it will appear on the top of your profile page with a push-pin icon. To unpin a post, enter your profile page, repeat the steps above and select “Unpin from your profile”.
Auto Captions on Reels
Want to watch a Reel without disturbing others? Auto captions function in Instagram can help you do that.
Rolling out earlier in 2022, this feature will let viewers watch a Story or Reel without having the need to turn on their volume. Anyone speaking in the video – their words will be automatically displayed in the caption. By default, it's turned on to make Reels more accessible and easier to consume.
To turn on the auto caption for the Reel you are watching, simply click on three dots on the top right corner of the Reel -> manage captions -> turn on the “Captions” button. To add Auto captions to the Reels you are creating, click the “sticker” button and select “CAPTIONS” in the list.
90 Second Reels are Here
Now you can create a longer video, up to 90 seconds. The time limit expansion should provide users the opportunity to better communicate with their audience and showcase their offerings.
"You will have more time to share more about yourself, film extra behind-the-scenes clips, dig deeper into the nuances of your content, or whatever else you want to do with that extra time," says the official Instagram blog post.
New Stickers for Reels
The Poll, Quiz, and Slider stickers, previously only available in Stories, will now be available on Reels as well.
Try to poll your audience on questions, test your viewers’ skills, and ask them to share their feelings by adding Instagram stickers to your Reels.
No matter the content of your Reels, these will increase a level of interaction for your audience.
Templates for Reels
Instagram now allows you to select the existing Reels and use them as templates to create your own!
When you find a Reel that has a “Use template” button above the poster’s user name, you can click on that button and enter the template editing interface.
Simply on “Add media” button and add or replace media sources inside. You can add both photos and videos as materials for your new Reel. Once you have finished, you add stickers, audio, and special effects as normal.
With this function, it is now easier than ever for you to easily create Reels without having to spend all your time editing and creating them from scratch.
Import Own Audio to Reels
The updated Instagram now allows you to add your own audio (voiceover, sounds, music, conversations, etc.) into your Reel-making!
You can save the desired audio file to your local mobile storage and add it as your own audio to your Reel. You will see the new button called “Import” next to the “Saved” button once you click on the “Music” icon when making your Reel.
API Opened Up for Reels
With Instagram Meta announcing that it is launching the Reel APIs for external uses, the third-party platforms will be able to create and schedule Reels and manage related activities in their Instagram accounts.
With API access, third-party platforms like Hootsuite, Later and Sprout Social can keep track of their social posts much easier and they can track cross-platform posts and activities in one place. The current API enhancements include Content Publishing, Insights, Comment Moderation, Hashtag Search, Business, Discovery, Mentions, Promote API, and Instagram Basic Display API.
Reels Cross Posting
Want to create a Reel for different platforms? Instagram’s new cross-posting function makes it easier to do that. Now you can automatically cross-post Instagram posts, Stories, and videos (Reels) to Facebook.
To check your cross-posting settings, tap your profile picture, then the menu icon. Choose “Settings” -> “Account” -> “Sharing to other apps” and then you can see the accounts liked to your IG account.
A great way to re-purpose your content and extend your reach!
More NFT Testing
Another new feature coming on Instagram Meta! Instagram Meta is now testing non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The token collection is expected to include art, images, videos, music, and trading cards. The initial test involves a small select group of U.S.-based creators and collectors. For this test phase, they're expanding access to more countries, so it won't be long until NFTs are widely available on Instagram.
Provide/Get Quotes for Services on IG
One more new function on Instagram Meta – they are testing a “Get Quote” button with select businesses. This button will allow the users to create questions in their profile or add a “Get Quote” sticker to their Stories to ask their customers questions.
Once customers fill out the questionnaire, they can then quickly request a quote from the business about a product or service. This new feature facilitates e-commerce leads and business-customer conversations.
Instagram's New 'Notes' Test
Instagram is also testing a new message function called “Notes”.
On the top of your inbox page, the user can create notes and see the notes created by their followers whom they have also followed back. You can create and share a note by clicking on the “+” button, inputting the message (no more than 60 characters), and sharing it with whoever you want to send the messages to.
Replying to a note will trigger a chat thread with the note creator, which will be private and only accessible to two of you. The notes are going to remain on your page for 24 hours and will be deleted automatically after that.
As it is still in the testing stage, it may not appear on all the users’ devices now but it is already on its way!
Cre8ive Marketing offers services that are registered with the Management Capability Development Fund where small businesses may quality for up to 50% of the cost of training.
Small businesses may qualify for funding to help pay for services such as training workshops, courses and coaching that build the management capabilities of their owners and key managers. Management Capability Development funding is only available through the Regional Business Partner Network (RBP) Growth Advisors and can be used with service providers registered with the RBP Network.
Funding may be provided to a business where the Growth Advisors have identified a need for management training as part of an action plan to support the business owner to grow and innovate their business. Business owners are then able to select a service from a registered Service Provider.
For more information on the Management Capability Development Fund or to find your local Growth Advisor go to www.regionalbusinesspartners.co.nz
We know there are a multitude of benefits that video can have for businesses. However, more often than not people feel out of their depth when creating video content. Inshot is a video editing app which can be a game-changer for businesses wanting to create engaging content for their audience but just don’t know where to start.
InShot is a feature-rich app that lets you drill down into all sorts of editing and enhancement options. Just about everything you’d want to edit on a video can be done within this one app, and there are all different payment options so you can invest as much or as little as you want.
Some of the video editing features that InShot includes are:
Video trimming
Video splitting
Merging video clips
Importing photos or images
Applying various filter effects
Adjusting speed of video
Adding music or sound effects
Adding voice-over effects
Adding animations, stickers or text to videos
Steps to using InShot Video Editing App:
1) Download the app
First off, you’re going to need to download the free app from either the Apple store or Google play.
2) Import and edit videos and images
The InShot app serves as a 2-in-1 editing tool because you can also edit photos. When you open the app, you’ll be asked to choose between importing photos and videos, editing photos and videos, or making a collage.
Once you select a photo or video to edit you should first adjust the canvas. For example, we recommend 1:1 or the square aspect ratio for video posts on Facebook and Instagram and 9:16 for Reels/Stories. From here you can crop it, trim it, add a background or integrate other visual and sound effects. These basic video editing tools are pretty decent for a business but there are far more exciting tools on offer.
3) Add sound and music
After you’ve made basic edits to your photo or video, you can then add sound effects, voice-over effects or music. InShot gives you the option to import a song from your device, or choose from the app’s music collection.
After you’ve selected sounds and music, you can control the volume of each using sliders.
4) Add text
Next, you’ll be able to add text onto the video. There is a wide array of font styles and colours to choose from. The text can be moved around the screen to get the perfect placement. InShot allows you to select start and end times for when you want the text to appear and disappear in your video.
5) Add animations and stickers
Inshot allows you to add custom animations, stickers and GIFs to your video for that fun, personal touch.
6) Save and share
Once you’ve finished editing your video, all you need to do is hit the ‘save’ button in the InShot app. This will begin the rendering process, which may take some time. Once rendering and conversion is complete, the video will be saved and can be easily accessed in your Inshot gallery. From here you can share it directly to your social media channels.
InShot Pricing
The free version of InShot has a wide variety of tools you can access. However, if you like the app and plan to use it a lot, you’ll probably want to upgrade at some point, or at least spend some money on the enhancement packs you’ll use over and over. You can either do one-off purchases of enhancement packs or be a subscriber.
InShot Pro is the app’s premium version and it doesn’t have any limits on the effects, filters, stickers and transitions you can use. Plus, you won’t see the InShot watermark on your creations and there aren’t any ads.
It is a common mistake for a business to think that the more products and services they offer, the more revenue they will make. An increasing body of studies indicate that this isn’t actually the case.
It all has to do with choice. Intuitively we consider choice to be largely beneficial as it indicates that we have autonomy over our decisions and it ultimately gives us a sense of control. However, the relationship between choice and well-being isn’t so straight-forward. The paradox of choice was first discovered in 2000 by two Sanford psychologists. Their study was conducted at a local food market. On the first day there was a display table with 24 different kinds of jams. The following day at the market, people were only given a selection of 6 jam flavours. The larger display attracted more interest than the smaller one however, when it came to purchasing, people who saw the large display were one-tenth as likely to buy as people who saw the small display.
This study, as well as others, has provided evidence for the idea that choice ‘paralyses’ consumers. Overloading a customer with choice will lead to them being far less likely to make any purchase at all. What is more, if they do end up making a decision, the choice overload will reduce their satisfaction with that decision. Even if it was the right choice!
It is important to ask yourself whether or not you are offering too many choices to your clients. Ultimately, there is a diminishing marginal utility in providing alternative choices. If you can understand that each new option will subtract from the feeling of well-being your client walks away with, then you may realise that you’re offering too much. Psychologists have shown us that more options to decide between requires increased time and effort and can lead to anxiety, regret, excessively high expectations, and self-blame if the choices don’t work out. By reducing the amount of choice you offer, these impacts become negligible.
Obviously choice does provide some benefits, the more shoe sizes a store offers, the wider their customers base will be. However the paradox of choice requires us to think about the balance of how many products or services businesses create. You can overwhelm your customers with too many options and this could lead to indecision and consequently nothing purchased. A business that can understand the fickle balance of choice will be amply rewarded.
With over 1 billion users, Instagram has grown to be one of the most influential social media platforms in the world. It is known to generate the highest engagement rates out of any platform, because of this, it pays to keep on top of all the movements and evolutions that are occurring within the site.
Here are just a few of the latest updates that all digital marketers should be aware of.
Reels Expands to 60 Seconds
While Reels were originally limited to 15 seconds and then quickly expanded to 30 seconds, we've been limited to that for a while. But now, all users should have access to the option to create 60 second Reels.
New Reels Effect Grid
In another move to imitate TikTok, Instagram Reels have a new ‘Effects’ area and the grid where you choose your effect looks very TikTok-esque. If you haven't noticed it yet, go to Reels and select ‘Effects’ to see the new layout.
Facebook Shops
Facebook (owner of Instagram) has recently made a huge step into eCommerce by introducing Facebook Shops that are accessible though both Facebook and Instagram. Put simply, businesses can now create customisable catalogues of their products that users can browse, save, share and purchase from.
Insights for the Last 60 Days
IG insights in-app previously only gave you the last 7 days in the overview section. But now there is 60 days of data in the overview section and they'll be expanding this to 90 days in the coming months. On top of this, stories archives seems to have also been extended from 14 days to up to 2 years old.
Instagram Video Ads up to an Hour Long
Instagram is now allowing video ads up to an hour length for Feed, Stories, and Explore placement. While an hour-long video ad won’t be that appealing, this does at least mean you can use video ads longer than 2 minutes (the previous limitation). This will also allow you to include your Facebook video ads (that are longer than 2 minutes) in Instagram placements for more exposure.
Added Alt Text Feature
Instagram has introduced a new option of adding alt text to images. Not only does adding alt texts to website images help to better SEO ranking, it also means people with visual impairments can enjoy the social media platform more.
Stickers to replace ‘swipe-up’ links on Instagram
Instagram has just removed (end of August 2021) the ‘swipe up’ link in Instagram Stories in favour of a ‘link sticker.’ This link sticker will behave much like the poll, question and location stickers in that creators will be able to resize it, select different styles and place it anywhere in their stories. Ultimately this will enable greater engagement between audiences and creators.
If I could only share one single tip with marketers and business owners around the world, it would be to enable 2 factor-authentication across your most important accounts, right now. I have heard so many stories of Facebook Page’s being lost because someone was able to hack into an Admin’s email.
Why is 2-Factor Authentication so important?
It’s far easier than you think for someone to steal your password. Common actions like using the same password on more than one site, downloading software from the internet, or even clicking on links in emails can put you at risk of having your password stolen. There are a variety of harmful things a hacker can do once they gain access to your account. First and foremost they will lock you out of your own account. By having the 2 factor authentication in place means hackers can’t get into your account, even if they have the password.
How It works
If you set up two-factor authentication, you'll be asked to enter a special login code or confirm your login attempt each time someone tries accessing Facebook or Google from a browser or mobile device isn’t recognised. This login code will be sent to your phone via text, voice call or through the sites mobile app. You can also enable either Facebook or Google to send you alerts when someone tries logging in from a browser or mobile device that the site doesn’t recognise.
There are slight differences in the way each website’s 2-factor authentication works. It's best to follow these links and the instructions they give when setting them up.
Don’t lose control of your Facebook page that you have worked so hard to build. Make everyone who is an Admin on your Facebook page use 2-Factor authentication. It takes less than a minute, do it today.
The age of social media has meant that attention spans have been dwindling. To market effectively, it's becoming more and more crucial to do so in a concise yet entertaining manner. Instagram Reels is fast becoming a popular marketing tactic to convey messages in an easily digestible, fun way.
What is Instagram Reels?
Reels was developed by Instagram as a direct reaction to the popular Tik Tok platform that gained huge momentum during 2020. Instagram realised they needed a new feature to gain back some of the market share it had lost to Tik Tok.
Reels’ design is very similar to that of Tik Tok; bite-size video clips (15, 30 or 60 seconds) which can be edited with text, filters, stickers and music.
Unlike Instagram stories which are temporary photos or videos that expire after 24 hours, and IGTV long-form videos, Instagram Reels are short-form videos that can live on your profile indefinitely. The casual format of Reels and the editing features within the Instagram app makes it much more feasible to create clips which don’t require high-end production. Reels offer a place to share informal, behind the scenes glimpses into you and your brand. The feature can be a very useful tool to a business wanting to share information in an engaging way.
Instagram Reels is Currently the Favourite Child
At Facebook’s Q2 earnings call in July 2021, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Reels is the largest contributor to engagement growth on Instagram. Facebook, which owns Instagram, will be doing all it can to promote the new feature among its users. Uploading a Reel to your account will likely mean that it will get pushed to the Explore page of your followers. This will reach more of an audience than a normal Instagram feed post would. In order to maximise your reach and exposure, utilising Reels is definitely something to try given its current status as the favourite child.
Improved Engagement on Reels, is this the case?
Engagements such as views, comments, likes and reshares are important in order for your post to rank in the feeds of Instagram users. Many companies have seen their engagement skyrocket since switching to Reels - although it is not as straightforward as uploading a reel and forgetting about it. Improving engagement on Instagram through Reels can be done, however it requires careful care and attention. The Instagram algorithm will give your Reel more exposure but it's your job to create relevant, engaging content. The more likes/comments/shares you receive on a reel, the more Instagram will increase the reach of your Reel which means more eyeballs on it. It eventually becomes a self-perpetuating cycle. Its also important to try and cultivate conversation on your reels. This can primarily be done by responding to comments on your Instagram Reels, or at the very least ‘hearting’ them.
Instagram Reels are currently one of the hottest topics in the world of digital marketing. This is party due to the fact that Instagram has been pedal-to-the-metal since releasing the feature. In a bid to compete with Tik Tok they’re doing everything in their power to promote the feature. This plays into the hands of any digital marketer. Through careful attention to the content you create, using Reels is currently the best tool you have to increase your organic, free reach.
