Check out some blogs I've written, geared towards small businesses and marketers to help grow their business and stay up to date on marketing trends.
Looking for a New Podcast to Try? Here are our Top 5 Picks from the Toast Team
Oh, the world of podcasts. It’s the overcrowded space of YouTubers, celebrities, entrepreneurs, and just about everyone else who talks for an hour about, well… anything! With their rise in popularity and the sheer number of podcasts available to listen to now, it can be difficult to narrow down what are the good ones - and what ones aren’t worth your time! This International Podcast Day, our team wants to show you 5 podcasts we’ve been loving!
THE SCARY PODCAST
Boo! We scared ya, didn’t we? Well, maybe we didn’t, but this podcast sure will! If you’re a horror movie lover, this podcast is screaming your name. Inside the Exorcist goes in-depth about the real horrors that shape the popular horror movies we know and love today. Our recommendation: don’t listen to this podcast when you’re home alone.
THE CHILL PODCAST
Take a chill-pill and settle down with Get Sleepy -- a podcast dedicated to helping listeners fall asleep. Comprising of voice actors, superior sound effects, and a calming story, this podcast is sure to have you sleeping and well-rested in no time.
THE NOT-SO-SERIOUS PODCAST
Looking for something a little less deep? Call Chelsea Peretti is the podcast to beat! Basically, it’s comedian Chelsea Peretti having her own little “Call-in Show,” where she plays little games with her callers and keeps the conversation light.
THE MONEY-SAVY PODCAST
Are you looking into investing your money, but aren’t sure where to start? Stacking Benjamins might be the podcast for you! It’s all about how to start being wiser with your money, creating more streams of revenue, and tips for beginners on investment strategies.
THE YOUTUBER PODCAST
Ah yes, YouTubers have encroached on the world of podcasts and taken their fair share of the industry. However, before you knock ‘em, try ‘em! We’re recommending one from Simply NailLogical with her podcast, SimplyPodLogical. Her and her boyfriend offer unsolicited relationship advice, discuss glitter conspiracies, and how she built her own nail polish line, Holo Taco.
Didn’t think you were a podcast person? Well, try taking a listen to some of the podcasts the Toast Team has lined up for you, and you may just change your mind!
Digital Marketing 101: Benefits of Social Media for Your Business
If you think your business doesn’t need social media, maybe some stats can change your mind.
Just for some insight, on Facebook, over 60% of users follow a brand. That’s a promising number, right? Well, on Instagram, over 90% of users are following a brand’s account.
Oh, and did we mention that Instagram has over 1 billion active monthly users?
Let that sink in for a minute.
Social media is absolutely crucial for any brand to be on today and is no longer optional.
How to Use Social Media for Business
You probably think that social media is a hassle, a waste of time, or involves too much work. Or maybe you believe that even after all of your efforts, you’ll only have 50 followers and no sales. Well, we’re here to show you that social media isn’t equivalent to wasted time and to give some tips on how to grow your brand with social media!
Be Relatable
Brands can come across as inhuman, rather than something people feel they can relate with or even talk to. However, with the use of social media, you can create a brand voice that really engages your customers. Some tips to being more relatable on social media include:
- Showing the face behind the brand. Studies show that your engagement can increase by 38% when you show a face. Whether it’s your team, yourself, or a model posing in your store, a face will help your brand presence on social media.
- Give a sneak peek into the “behind the scenes” of your business. This can make your audience feel like they’re getting exclusive insights no one else will see!
Use Humour (When Appropriate)
Take, for example, Wendy’s twitter. Wendy’s is a fast-food restaurant where you can get a burger, fries, and their signature Frosty. However, on social media, they’re on fire (literally, because they roast all their competitors there).
A Step by Step Guide to Writing Instagram Captions for Your Small Business
When you start your business and realize the benefits social media can give, it makes you want to hop on and start making posts right away! However, once you start, you may find it hard to get followers (and even ‘likes’) on your posts. This can be especially challenging when it comes to Instagram. This is because Instagram constantly has their algorithm updated. With more and more people jumping on social media, it can be hard to keep up — especially for a small business just starting out.
Writing is… Hard
If you’re posting on social media and seeing little to no results, it can seem intimidating to run your social media accounts effectively. As well, posting regularly and consistently can be a struggle. However, writing for social media isn’t all that difficult and shouldn’t be the task your dread. If you’re just starting out want to learn the basics, here are some tips to help make the writing process for Instagram captions easier:
The First Sentence is Critical
On Instagram captions, only a small portion of the text is shown before it’s hidden behind an ellipsis (“…”), which means you only have a few words to catch users’ attention before they scroll past your post. This is why it’s so important to make sure that those first few words a user sees are interesting.
Why Voice Search Is the Future for SEO and How to Optimize for It
Thought voice search was just a trend? Think again! Voice search is booming more than ever, and it’s time your business began adapting to this new way of search.
Continue reading to discover more about voice search, and how you can optimize your business for it!
What is Voice Search?
Voice search is, to put it simply, using your voice to search for things. Rather than sitting down and typing up your question on Google, you can just ask your question aloud. This can be done by beginning your question with “OK Google,” “Hey Siri,” or “Alexa,” (depending on your device) to prompt an answer.
You can use voice search in your car, at home if you have a smart home device, search engines on a desktop with a mic, or on your mobile device. Voice search using a home device (Google Home, Amazon Echo, etc.) provides a way for users to browse the internet without actually having to use a website. This means they only get the number one ranked website to answer their question.
Using voice search with mobile, however, will still provide the user with the top websites. It’s basically a standard search, but you use your voice instead of typing it on your phone.
With all this being said, how will it affect SEO and rankings if searchers don’t have a list of websites to view?