StartupTalky

Tag: 📖 Learning

  • How to Find Freelance Work on LinkedIn?

    The concept of freelancing is essentially working for oneself as opposed to working for someone else. Hence, freelancers are self-employed professionals working on a project-to-project basis. Freelance work entails topics from a wide variety of different fields like writing, editing, consultancy, marketing, designing, ICT, virtual administration, social media management, etc. Most freelance workers are experts in their chosen field of work.

    Skills Required to Become a Freelancer
    LinkedIn – A Platform to Help You Find Freelance Work
    What are the Highest Paying Freelance Jobs?

    Tips for Beginners to Start Freelancing

    Skills Required to Become a Freelancer

    Like any other field of work, freelance work requires a range of skills. While the various hard and soft skills vary depending on the type of freelance work, there are a few common ones that are useful for any kind of freelance work.

    • Writing and Communication Skills
    • Research Skills
    • Editing and Proofreading Skills
    • Project Management Skills
    • Computer Literacy Skills

    LinkedIn – A Platform to Help You Find Freelance Work

    Size of the Global Freelance Platforms Market Forecast
    Size of the Global Freelance Platforms Market Forecast

    As the world’s largest professional network on the internet, LinkedIn is, undisputedly useful for recruiters and job seekers. However, as a platform, LinkedIn is extremely useful even in finding freelancing work. There are many ways in which this platform can be leveraged and maximised to connect with clients looking for freelancers for specific needs.

    Optimising the Profile

    It is important to complete the personal profile on LinkedIn, adding all the relevant professional details and an updated photograph. Wherever relevant, adding work samples is an advantage as clients can peruse and see the quality of work provided.

    Companies, recruiters, or even users searching for specific services use keywords. Someone searching for freelancing services would search using the keyword ‘freelance’. Hence, it is advantageous to include this keyword in some places on the profile like the headline, URL, summary, experience, endorsements and even on the projects, volunteering and other such sections. These strategically placed keywords go a long way to pass the relevant message to the clients.

    Summary – A Perfect Place to Sell

    Adding the services offered in the Summary section is the perfect way to entice future clients, even more so with the option to add media files to establish an online portfolio. Correctly structuring the summary is critical to get this section right. One way to do this is:

    • Summing up the service offerings (elevator pitch).
    • A few key bullet points to highlight the service and its benefits to the client.
    • Providing examples of achieved results by adding testimonials (if available).
    • Call to action.

    Grouping Smaller Projects in the Experience Section

    If the work experience involves doing lots of small freelance projects for a wide range of clients, it is a good idea to group them into one entry under the business name. This entry can then be enhanced by adding details like the type of work it was and the client it was done for.

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    Listing Large Projects Individually

    These can actually be used as a case study and listed as a separate experience. However, ensure that the client is not referred to as an employer, but rather as a freelance client. It clarifies that the engagement was on a freelance or consultancy basis.

    Building LinkedIn Skills and Endorsements

    Ask clients to give LinkedIn endorsement and give recommendations for the skills once the project is complete. It is always advantageous to request the client to use specific terms and words that constitute the search keywords.

    Being Active and Growing Network on LinkedIn

    It is not enough to just have a complete profile on LinkedIn. The chances of being noticed by potential clients increase multi-fold by being active on the platform. The many ways this can be accomplished are taking opportunities presented by LinkedIn notifications, participating in groups to establish self as a subject matter expert, posting comments, and publishing articles. The ideal way is to post 10 to 15 comments every day. Another effective way to reach out to clients is by increasing the network by sending 20 relevant connection requests every day.

    Asking for Referrals

    This is extremely helpful when trying to find freelance work. All it requires is reaching out to an already existing network explaining what are the services offered and the type of clients that look for those services. Then request the members of the network to forward the details to anyone who is looking to hire a freelancer. This move may or may not pay off immediately, however, it does keep the particular freelance worker in mind for any future requirements that may arise.

    Connecting with Potential Clients Proactively

    One of the main advantages of LinkedIn is that it is easy to find people who may require the services provided in the future. For example, if the service provided is video editing, then it becomes necessary to find people or businesses who are in the field of movie-making or advertisement-making. An easy way to find potential clients is to look at the way existing clients describe themselves on LinkedIn. There might be a common job title or level of experience that can help in identifying a potential pool of clients.

    Using LinkedIn Premium Features

    The LinkedIn Premium allows the freelance worker to benefit from this paid service. It allows the freelancer to:

    • Send direct mail to recruiters and hiring managers.
    • Allows the freelancer to view the people who have seen their personal profile. This, in turn, allows the freelancer to reach out to any relevant connection.
    • Allows access to more than 15,000 LinkedIn learning courses which add value to the existing skillset and add course completions to the profile.

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    Using LinkedIn Service Marketplace

    This is a relatively new feature on LinkedIn that was added in 2021 and is a freelancer-specific service. It allows freelance workers to promote their services for business owners to hire them. Using this feature, companies can also list and promote specific projects for which they require freelancers.

    What are the Highest Paying Freelance Jobs?

    Average Hourly Rate of Freelancers by Region
    Average Hourly Rate of Freelancers by Region

    There are a few freelance jobs that constitute the highest-paying jobs within the scope of freelance work. These professions are:

    • Digital Marketing
    • Video Editing
    • Web Development
    • Graphic Designing
    • Content Writing

    Conclusion

    To summarize the best ways to find freelance work on LinkedIn, it requires a         complete resume, work samples, a compelling pitch and last, but not least, the relevant knowledge and skills that apply to the chosen field of work. It is to the benefit of the freelance worker to pay close attention to these details while creating a profile on LinkedIn.

    FAQs

    Is freelance work available on LinkedIn?

    As the world’s largest professional network on the internet, LinkedIn is undisputedly useful for recruiters and job seekers. There are many ways this platform can be leveraged to find freelance work.

    How can I find freelance work on LinkedIn?

    Here are the ways in which you can find freelance work on LinkedIn:

    • Optimizing your LinkedIn profile
    • Create a perfect summary of your work
    • Building LinkedIn skills and endorsements
    • Be active and grow your network on LinkedIn
    • Use LinkedIn premium features

    Which are the highest paying freelance jobs?

    Some of the highest-paying freelance jobs include:

    • Digital Marketing
    • Video Editing
    • Web Development
    • Graphic Designing
    • Content Writing

  • Evolution of Public Relations – How the Industry Started?

    Edward Bernays, one of the pioneers of PR said that the three main elements of Public Relations namely informing people, persuading people, and integrating people with people are practically as old as society.

    Public Relations is defined as the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organisation such as a business, government agency or a non-profit organisation to the public in an effort to influence their perception. Public relations is also a form of marketing communication. It aims to create media coverage through topics of public interest.

    Ancient Origins of Public Relations
    Origins of Public Relations as a Profession
    The Growth of PR Practice and Firms
    The Advent of the Internet in PR
    The Role of the Public, Social Media, and Smartphones in the PR Industry

    How to Do Public Relations?

    Ancient Origins of Public Relations

    Academics James E. Grunig and Scott Cutlip identified early forms of public influence and communications management in ancient civilizations. This was a time when the term “public relations” did not yet exist. Early Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Plato recognized the sophisticated rhetoric produced by ancient Greek cities to influence public opinion. In 469 BC, Socrates publicly spoke to engage young thinkers in a debate. This led to the emergence of ‘sophists’ – essentially philosophers who began teaching the art of persuasive speaking to noblemen who sought public office.

    Egyptian leaders created the obelisks, Babylonian leaders created the pyramids and Persian leaders created statues to promote their divine right to lead their people. Claims of magic or religious authority were also used by kings or pharaohs to persuade the public that they had a right to rule. Magna Carta was created in the early 1200s because of Stephen Langton lobbying English barons to insist that King John recognize the authority of the Church.

    Origins of Public Relations as a Profession

    Many historians identify the early 1900s as the beginning of public relations as a paid profession. This is mentioned in the book “Today’s Public Relations: An Introduction.” Scott Cutlip explained that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date of origin of PR as the concept has developed over a period of time and through a series of events. He continued – “we somewhat arbitrarily place the beginnings of the public relations vocation with the establishment of The Publicity Bureau in Boston in mid-1900.” The Publicity Bureau (the first PR agency) was founded by three journalists and as a profession, PR was first established in the US by Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays. From there on, PR as a profession spread internationally.

    Initially, the print media and radio stations made up the PR outlets. PR firms relied on postal mail and some telephone access to get their stories out to the masses. However, this process was slow and limited.

    By 1912, post office mail was delivered using aeroplanes. The use of telephones in business and residences was becoming more common and by 1915 coast-to-coast calls were made possible. News travelled faster comparatively due to the available technology of the time.

    It was only during the 1920s that public relations gained entry into the private sector. In his book, published in 1923, ‘Crystallizing Public Opinion’, Edward Bernays introduced the ‘two-way-street’ idea of communication which defied the popular misconception that Public Relations was deceptive and manipulative. He explained that the idea of public relations was to explain the ‘public’ to the client and vice-versa. This was a two-way approach that allowed the integration of the public’s experience and opinions with the practice of PR.

    As revolutionary an idea as it was at that time, advancing technology has made it an easy reality of the current time.

    The Growth of PR Practice and Firms

    Forecast for the Global Public Relations Market Value
    Forecast for the Global Public Relations Market Value

    As public relations grew, expanded, and gained recognition as a profession, trade associations and PR industry publications began emerging as did the guidelines for the functioning of PR. Universities began offering curriculums built around public relations.

    Then came televisions in the 1950s, which became common in homes, offices, and various other institutions across the US and UK. It very quickly became the primary medium for influencing public opinion. Unsurprisingly, it increased people’s engagement as they were being addressed live by another human being. Televisions created a whole new platform for PR firms. This required a new skill set creating more job opportunities within the sector.

    1980 saw the launch of the first television network to broadcast 24 hours a day – CNN. This was a time when radio and television typically operated between 6 am and 11 pm. This changed the existing perception of the news as people realized that the news could be reported live as and when it developed.

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    The Advent of the Internet in PR

    The Public Relations sector turned on its head with the advent of the internet. Universal access to anyone at any time became a reality. It built on the CNN 24 hours broadcast platform making it possible to access websites, online magazines or online news channels at any hour of the day or night. This changed the speed at which news travelled on the super information highway creating more outlets for PR activities.

    The role of Public Relations and its professionals underwent a change again as they scrambled to learn about websites, online advertising, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

    The Role of the Public, Social Media, and Smartphones in the PR Industry

    Top PR Strategies That Will Shape the Industry’s Future
    Top PR Strategies That Will Shape the Industry’s Future

    The internet paved the way for instant, two-way conversations. This shifted the balance of power and changed the role of the audience as well as the role and responsibilities of PR professionals. The role of PR professionals has increased from pitching stories to monitoring stories continuously and being ready with damage control strategies in the event of a negative public reaction to them.

    Social media has expanded the number of channels and formats with individuals now able to upload blog posts, and create videos, channels and podcasts. This has further expanded the roles and responsibilities of PR professionals as each platform requires unique management abilities. Advanced smartphone technology allows the easy capture of high-resolution photos and videos which can be broadcast without any delay.

    PR firms and PR professionals use these multiple formats to craft and pitch stories and also find ways to invite the public to create their own stories. As technology is evolving so is PR and its tactics.

    Conclusion

    What has remained constant through time is the need to tell stories and for businesses to manage their images and communications. What continues to evolve is the how, what, and where the stories are shared.

    It’s difficult to predict the advances in technology in the future or what shift they will create for the public relations sector. The future will reveal itself with time.

    FAQs

    What are Public Relations?

    Public Relations is defined as the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organisation to the public in an effort to influence their perception.

    What are the main elements of public relations?

    According to Edward Bernays, one of the pioneers of PR, the three main elements of Public Relations are informing people, persuading people, and integrating people with people.

    What is PR in social media?

    On social media, public relations simply means making use of different social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc. to enhance and promote the image of an individual or a company and get people talking about it.

  • What is Meant by Registered Trademark and How to Get One?

    In today’s world, there are so many products and services in the market.

    Don’t you think we need a way to differentiate all these products otherwise, there will be a lot of confusion among the general public.

    The solution to this problem is trademark.  

    There are two types of trademarks: Registered trademark and Unregistered trademark.

    We will discuss both of these in great detail and also tell you the procedure for registering a trademark.

    What is a Registered Trademark?
    Advantages of a Registered Trademark:
    What is an Unregistered Trademark?
    Disadvantages of Unregistered Trademark:
    Trademark Registration Process Steps:

    Trademark Registration Cost in India

    What is a Registered Trademark?

    Registered Trademark Symbol
    Registered Trademark Symbol

    Registered Trademarks are those that have been registered with the Trademark Registry after completing the entire Trademark Registration Procedure.

    In India registration is not mandatory. But, you should always register because it comes with many benefits.

    Trademarks in India are registered under the ‘Indian Trademark Act, 1999’.

    A registered trademark is an asset for your organization.

    Advantages of a Registered Trademark:

    • No person can use the wordmark or logo which is registered by you in the trademark. However, if someone uses it without your permission, you are given legal protection and you can also sue that person.
    • On your logo, you can use the ÂŽ symbol which indicates that your trademark is registered and no one else can use it.
    • Customers are able to distinguish your product from others in the same category.
    • Your company gains more trust and your trademark makes your organization prestigious.
    • You can also sell or transfer the rights to use the trademark.
    • The cost of registration is low.
    • Once you have registered your trademark you just need to pay the maintenance cost and renewal cost that is done after 10 years of registration.
    Number of Applications Forms Filed for Trademark Registration (2018-2020).
    Number of Applications Forms Filed for Trademark Registration (2018-2020)

    What is an Unregistered Trademark?

    The Symbol of Unregistered Trademark
    The Symbol of Unregistered Trademark

    An Unregistered Trademark is not registered with the Trademark Registry under the ‘Indian Trademark Act, 1999’.

    An Unregistered Trademark acts as a barrier for your organization in achieving goals.

    Disadvantages of Unregistered Trademark:

    • Trademarks that are not registered don’t get any protection by any statutory law. But, they are protected by common law in India.
    • You don’t get any protection against infringement in the common law. Although, you do get the right to sue for passing off.
    • What is the meaning of passing off? In simple terms passing off is the act of conducting unfair practices to gain benefits from the goodwill of other businesses.
    • You cannot use the ÂŽ symbol.

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    Trademark Registration Process Steps:

    Official website of Intellectual Property India
    Official website of Intellectual Property India

    Indian Government has a official website through which you can register your trademark.

    The steps for trademark registration are explained below:

    Website for Trademark Search
    Website for Trademark Search

    Registering a trademark that has been taken by someone else is of no use.

    Hence, you should first check if the name which you have decided is taken by someone else or not.

    Official Website for Class Search
    Official Website for Class Search

    You should first know under which class your business falls. To find your class use the official ‘Indian Trademark Registration Website’.

    After learning about the class, search for trademark availability.

    Filling the Trademark Application Online

    Website for Filling Trademark Registration Form
    Website for Filling Trademark Registration Form

    Form TM-A, the registration application form, can be submitted in person at the Trademark Office or online through the official IP India website.

    If you wish to submit the documents in person then you have to wait for at least 15 -20 days to receive the receipt of the acknowledgement.

    Although if you fill the form online you would immediately get the receipt on the website.

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    Examination of the Trademark Application

    Website to Check Trademark Status
    Website to Check Trademark Status

    Your trademark application is then examined by the government authorities.

    The authorities will examine your brand name to ensure that it complies with the law and that you have adhered to certain terms.

    It takes 30 days for the examination report to be issued by the trademark authority.

    If your application gets rejected the objections will be mentioned in the examination report.

    You will have 30 days to fulfil those conditions or give evidence for those objections.

    Reply to the Examination Report

    Once you have replied to all the objections mentioned in the examination report, the trademark authority may appoint a hearing if they are not satisfied by your reply.

    After the hearing, the trademark authority may accept your response and proceed with your registration or completely reject your application.

    On the other hand, if they are satisfied with your evidence or application they will proceed with your trademark registration process.

    Publication and Advertisement of the Trademark

    Once the registration application has been approved, the trademark is advertised and published in the Trademark Journal for 4 months.

    This is done to invite the general public to file an opposition against your trademark.

    If you receive any objection or notice then you need to file the counter-statement application.

    In this application, you need to provide all the evidence to get your trademark registered.

    Registration Certificate and Renewal

    Website for Certificate Checking
    Website for Certificate Checking

    Once your trademark gets published in the Trademark Journal you will be eligible to accept the registration certificate from the authorities.

    This certificate needs to be renewed within the time span of 10 years.

    Conclusion

    As you can see the process for trademark registration in India is simple and straightforward.

    Trademarks can positively impact your business. But, still many people don’t consider this as important.

    It increases your organization’s goodwill in no time. You will also get essential rights and trademark protection.

    Use this opportunity and take your business to the next level.

    FAQs

    Is trademark registration mandatory in India?

    No, trademark registration is not mandatory in India. Although you should always register as it has a lot of benefits.

    After how many years you can renew a trademark?

    Trademark can be renewed in the time span of 10 years.

    How much time will it take to register a trademark?

    After the application and advertisement processes are complete, it takes roughly 6 to 8 months for a trademark to be registered without any objections.

    Trademarks in India are registered under which act?

    Trademarks in India are registered under the ‘Indian Trademark Act, 1999’.

    Why trademark registration is important in India?

    Trademark registration provides differentiation between different products of similar categories and also assists the brand with its unique identity.

    What is a registered trademark symbol in India?

    The trademark registration symbol is “ÂŽ”.

  • The Influencer Marketing Industry – How It Started and What Is Its Future?

    Endorsing or promoting a brand or a business using celebrities or well-known public figures is a well-established practice for decades. Recently, brands have shifted and turned their focus to influencer marketing. The captive audience those influencers enjoy has not gone unnoticed by savvy businesses.

    At a fundamental level, influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that uses endorsements and product mentions from individuals who have a dedicated following. These individuals are viewed as experts within their niche.

    These influencers have a loyal fan base that believes in their suggestions for particular products and services. Brands can utilize this popularity to influence purchase decisions and increase conversion rates.

    The Beginning of Influencer Marketing
    The Modern Concept of Influencer Marketing
    The Spotlight on Influencers
    The Future of the Influencer Marketing Industry

    How to Launch an Influencer Marketing Campaign?

    The Beginning of Influencer Marketing

    Although in its present avatar, the influencer marketing industry is social media-oriented, fast-paced and globally inclusive, the industry itself goes back to the time of the Queen and the Pope in the 1800s. In fact, they were the very first influencers promoting the use of medicine to people who weren’t believers yet.

    1890 – Nancy Green is the face of ‘Aunt Jemima’

    Nancy Green - The Face of 'Aunt Jemima' Pancake Mix
    Nancy Green – The Face of ‘Aunt Jemima’ Pancake Mix

    Hired by R. T. Davis Milling Company, Nancy Green was to be the face of their pancake mix called ‘Aunt Jemima’. She was playing the popular character of Aunt Jemima from a local minstrel show. She is considered the first African-American model to have influenced an entire generation of buyers of the pancake mix.

    1905 – Fatty Arbuckle and Murad Cigarettes

    Fatty Arbuckle and Murad Cigarettes
    Fatty Arbuckle and Murad Cigarettes

    This renowned actor, director, comedian and screenwriter was roped in to endorse Murad, a Turkish brand of cigarettes.

    1931 – Coca-Cola gets Santa Claus

    Santa Claus in Coca-Cola's Advertisements
    Santa Claus in Coca-Cola’s Advertisements

    The basis of influencer marketing as we know it today was established when Coca-Cola introduced the image of Santa Claus in their advertisements. People loved this white-bearded, friendly, plump grandfather-like figure dressed in a red outfit and hence, they liked the product too.  

    1950 – The Marlboro Man Era

    The Marlboro Man
    The Marlboro Man

    The Marlboro man was one of the biggest influencers of that era, showcased as the masculine, macho man. This icon was portrayed by various actors to make smoking look trendy. This campaign ran till 1999.

    The Modern Concept of Influencer Marketing

    The influencer marketing industry as we know it today came into existence in the year 2005 with the advent of YouTube.

    Influencer Marketing Effectiveness Worldwide 2021, by Industry
    Influencer Marketing Effectiveness Worldwide 2021, by Industry

    2005 – YouTube was Established

    This was the year when social media was just beginning to take root and YouTube was formed. Initially launched as a video-sharing platform, it quickly grew to have more than 2 billion users each month. As its popularity soared, many hopeful artists and musicians began posting their creative works in videos in the hope of kickstarting a career. Prime examples of the success through YouTube videos are Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber.

    2009 – The Phenomenon of an Influencer

    YouTube saw a huge influx of bloggers and vloggers in 2009. People like Alfie Deyes, Zoella, Tanya Burr and PewDiePie kickstarted the influencer phenomenon. It started as a hobby and quickly led to highflying careers making them industry leaders.

    2010 – Instagram’s Arrival

    Instagram was the game changer for influencers, brands and customers. Influencers were able to move their social standing onto a newer platform, cross-promote their social media platforms and reach a wider audience.

    Instagram, itself, also evolved from initially being used to post images of food and scenery to allowing brands to tap into influencers’ following. It allows brands to pay influencers and create sponsored posts and content. Instagram has allowed followers and consumers to gain insight into influencers’ lifestyles. It has also allowed followers to get product recommendations and inspirations – all at the click of a single button.

    Instagram has grown as an influencer-led platform and evolved into an industry of its own. It has deepened its audience penetration and engagement by introducing features like Instagram stories, Instagram Live and Instagram Reels, which allow the consumption of content and shoppable ads in a variety of different forms.

    2013 – The Growing Power of Influencers

    Influencers had gained a massive and active fandom over social media. So strong was their presence that their posts had the power to substantially impact brand sales. When Kylie Jenner mentioned how little she used Snapchat, the company shares dropped by 6% on the same day – an estimated loss of nearly USD 1.6 billion. Known as the ‘Queen of Skin care’, any mention of a product by Caroline Hirons on her blog, YouTube Channel, or Instagram post can result in either a total sell-out of the product or a marked increase in the sale figures.

    2014 – 2016 – The Rise in the Influencer Marketing Stats

    Such was the power of influencers and social media marketing on consumers that 71% of the marketers believed that ongoing ambassadorships were the most effective form of influencer marketing. Approximately 70% of the influencers were convinced influencer marketing platforms were the most effective way to collaborate with brands. 74% of the people turned to and relied upon guidance and recommendations from influencers on purchase decisions. 40% of the people purchased items after seeing them being promoted by an influencer on various social media channels. And all this was during the time, the influencer marketing industry was just getting started.

    It has since then become one of the most impactful forms of marketing.

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    The Spotlight on Influencers

    There are several arguments ongoing with regard to influencers and their paid endorsements. Some feel that the role of influencers in promoting brands, products and services deserves closer attention due to their influence on young adults. Others feel that influencers should be required by law to disclose when they are being paid to promote by brands via #ads.

    There is no doubt that social media, however fleeting, has a powerful influence on people. Influencer marketing already has millions of followers and sells a variety of products and services. There is, currently, no difference between an authentic voice and paid sponsorships.

    There is an immediate need to bring regulation to this industry in terms of functionality, operational discipline, and financial transparency.

    The Future of the Influencer Marketing Industry

    Influencer Marketing Market Size Worldwide from 2016 to 2022
    Influencer Marketing Market Size Worldwide from 2016 to 2022

    Influencers are here to stay and not going anywhere, anytime soon. It is a rapidly growing industry, set to reach USD 16.4 billion by the end of this year. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is working towards standardising the functions by setting up guidelines and amending older ones. With more and more influencers emerging on social media platforms, businesses have realized their value and are queueing up to work with them in this futuristic form of marketing.

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    Conclusion

    What began as a value addition to the world of advertising in terms of cost-effectiveness and support to mainstream marketing has taken over as one of the main forms of promotion. What does the future of influencers look like? Bright, successful and busy.

    FAQs

    What is influencer marketing?

    Influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that uses endorsements and product mentions from individuals who have a dedicated following on social media platforms. These individuals are viewed as experts within their niche.

    Is influencer marketing a growing industry?

    The influencer market has already grown from USD 1.7 billion in 2016 to USD 9.7 billion in 2020 and USD 13.8 billion in 2021. It is a rapidly growing industry, set to reach USD 16.4 billion by the end of this year.

    What is the role of influencer marketing?

    Influencers have a loyal fan base that believes in their suggestions for particular products and services. Brands can utilize this popularity to influence the purchase decisions of customers and increase conversion rates.

  • How Does the Famous Indian Yogi and Mystic, Sadhguru Earns?

    Jaggi Vasudev, fondly known by his devotees as ‘Sadhguru’, was born in Mysore, Karnataka on September 3rd, 1957 to a Telugu-speaking family.

    As a child, Sadhguru was intelligent, curious, and drawn to nature. He spent much of his youth trekking and wandering in the forest, just observing as life around him went on. Academically, Sadhguru holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Mysore.

    From Jaggi Vasudev to Sadhguru – The Journey
    The Isha Foundation
    Sadhguru’s Ways and Means of Earning

    Of Contradictions and Controversies

    How Sadhguru built Isha Foundation?

    From Jaggi Vasudev to Sadhguru – The Journey

    As a young man, Sadhguru quit education after his bachelor’s in favour of business. His first business was a poultry farm in Mysore, which he set up with borrowed money. While still in the midst of constructing his farm, he also ventured into construction with a company named Buildaids. His poultry farm soon turned profitable, allowing Sadhguru to focus his time on his other activities like writing poetry, reading, swimming, and relaxing. Although a practitioner of yoga asanas and pranayama, it was during his time at the poultry farm that he began meditating in an established way.

    At the age of 25, deeply immersed in yoga and meditation, he rented his business to his friend and spent time travelling for a year. Sadhguru’s spiritual awakening came around the same time while meditating on Chamundi Hills in Mysore. In the year 1983, Sadhguru began teaching yoga with his first class in Mysore with seven participants. He continued teaching yoga by travelling across Karnataka and Hyderabad.

    He rose to fame through his teachings and public speeches. He frequently speaks in public forums and has been invited to address many prestigious forums and conferences across the globe, like the United Nations’ Millennium World Peace Summit, the British House of Lords, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the International Institute for Management Development. Sadhguru has also spoken at the World Economic Forum thrice—in 2007, 2017, and 2020.

    He has written several books, including Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy, Karma: A Yogi’s Guide to Crafting Your Destiny, Mystic’s Musings, and Death: An Inside Story.

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    The Isha Foundation

    Isha Foundation by Sadhguru
    Isha Foundation by Sadhguru

    The Isha Foundation is Sadhguru’s brainchild. It is a non-profit organisation, registered as Isha Foundation Inc., in the United States of America. In India, it was founded in 1992 and is located at the foothills of the Velliangiri mountains, 40 km away from the city of Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

    The Isha Foundation hosts the Isha Yoga Centre, which offers yoga programs under the name Isha Yoga. The foundation is almost entirely run by volunteers. It is a platform for Sadhguru’s spiritual, environmental, and educational activities.

    The foundation aims at improving the quality of education in rural India through an initiative known as ‘Isha Vidhya.’ Over the years, the Isha Foundation has launched various projects and campaigns that are focused on environmental conservation and protection, including Project Green Hands, Rally for Rivers, Cauvery Calling, and Save Soil. In a bid to raise awareness about his Save Soil campaign, Sadhguru recently completed his motorbike journey from London to India.

    Sadhguru’s Ways and Means of Earning

    The Isha Yoga Center

    Isha Yoga and Meditation Programs
    Isha Yoga and Meditation Programs

    As with any other business, the various services that Isha Foundation offers under the umbrella of Isha Yoga Centre carry a monetary value. The most well-known program offered by The Isha Yoga Centre is “Inner Engineering.” In addition, the centre offers various other yogic programs that are focused on specific prana energies like Shoonya Meditation, Chit Shakti, Bhava Spandana, Bhairavi Sadhana, Sadhanapada, etc. There are special programs focused on children like Children’s Hatha Yoga, Nature Awareness, Isha Yoga for Children, etc. All these programs carry a certain fee for participation. The centre also offers residential programs that focus on health and wellness.

    The Online / Offline Store

    The Foundation has also added items like clothing, home dĂŠcor, body care, food items, and various temple and consecrated items to its online shopping website. These items are also available at the centre itself.

    Events & Donations

    Pancha Bhuta Kriya Event - Isha Foundation
    Pancha Bhuta Kriya Event – Isha Foundation

    Various health and wellness events that are carried out globally also carry a charge for participation. Apart from this, most of its earnings come through financial donations, which carry taxation benefits. According to a report, Sadhguru’s net worth in 2021 was USD 25 million.

    However, the Isha Foundation carries on its work towards education, empowerment, and enrichment in rural India free of cost. By all accounts, the money that comes in is spent on their various upliftment and enrichment projects and campaigns that work towards bettering the condition of our planet.

    Of Contradictions and Controversies

    Sadhguru and his Isha Foundation have faced their own fair share of controversies over the years. With his rising fame, sprang reports of the foundation’s expansion encroaching on forest land. It was also hinted that one of Sadhguru’s initial projects – Project Green Hands – had been funded by George Soros. George Soros was a name that leaked in the Panama Leaks alongside Davos. There have been questions raised about the fate of all the donation money that was collected to plant trees alongside the Cauvery basin. There have been demands raised for Sadhguru to reveal the total donation amount that has been collected for the ‘Save Soil’ campaign.

    Sadhguru has, a few times, retaliated with the assertion of innocence and a challenge for producing proof of the various allegations made against him and the foundation. As of now, there is no proof of any wrongdoing.

    FAQs

    Who is Sadhguru?

    Jagadish Vasudev, aka Sadhguru, is an Indian yoga guru who is also a spiritual leader, philanthropist, author, and motivational speaker. He is famous for his brainchild, the Isha Foundation, through which he spreads knowledge about yoga and the overall well-being of people.

    What does Isha Foundation do?

    The Isha Foundation is a non-profit spiritual organisation founded by Sadhguru. The foundation helps people with the integration of body, mind, and spirit for their overall development by conducting various public well-being programs.

    What are the ways and means of earning for Sadhguru?

    The ways and means of earning for Sadhguru are:

    • The Isha Yoga Centre
    • The Online / Offline Store (Isha Life)
    • Events & Donations

  • SaaS Content Strategies that Drive SaaS Product – Bistriti Poddar, CCO, uKnowva

    The article has been contributed by Bistriti Poddar, Chief Communication Officer, uKnowva

    SaaS or software as a service makes use of cloud technology that allows users to access the software virtually from any location with the help of a device connected to the internet. With the proliferation of the SaaS market over the past few years, SaaS providers are eyeing to develop a solid marketing strategy that helps their products to stand out from the competition. Content marketing is a big part of the SaaS marketing strategy which if used effectively can produce the desired conversions and leads. However, the challenge comes in the form of offering engaging, relative and creative content in the $157 billion SaaS market. With millions of SaaS content already available on the internet, most companies make the mistake of repeating the same content over again or bore their audience with technical jargon. However, there are ways through which one can step up their content marketing strategy. Read on to know how!

    Ways to Create an Effective SaaS Content Marketing Strategy

    Ways to Create an Effective SaaS Content Marketing Strategy

    Software as a Service Market Size Worldwide from 2010 to 2020
    Software as a Service Market Size Worldwide from 2010 to 2020

    Creating good content for SaaS requires effort and time, however, it is an investment that can provide good results and generate leads in the future. Here are some of the ways to devise to step up the content marketing strategy:

    Define the Target Audience

    The most important strategy in SaaS content marketing is to first identify the target audience. When the audience is identified, it becomes easy to create a content strategy suited for them. Identifying the audience at first is important since different people have different preferences.

    To better know the audience, businesses must look at audience metrics or surveys that were conducted previously. Alternatively, they can seek market research to understand more about the people they are targeting.

    For instance, as uKnowva provides 360-degree AI-backed HR solutions, our target audience usually includes the HR fraternity, CXOs, CHROs, CEOs of businesses, HR leaders, and decision-makers.

    Identify the Issues or Pain Points of the Target Audience

    While learning about the target audience, it is also crucial to pay attention to their issues or pain points. These are actually the issues they wish to address through a SaaS product or service. For this to happen, deeper research is required so as to visualise the main obstacles that are holding them back from realising their goals.

    We identified the pain point by analyzing the industry and surveying with the help of our entrepreneur friends. The overall aspect of business growth is dependent on the kind of effort one puts in to make it stand out from the crowd. Human resources play a crucial role in making a business grow and prosper. When it comes to workforce management, the administrative burden is often projected onto the human resources department. To ensure easy management and smooth functioning of data, human resources, and different business processes, we have developed our AI-enabled HRMS. uKnowva HRMS allows businesses to create an AI-driven and on-cloud HRMS platform for modernising daily HR activities on one platform. These include Core HR, Payroll & Expenses, Employee Management & Collaborations, Recruitment, Training and Development, and more. uKnowva HRMS is a comprehensive tool for HRs to successfully acquire, manage, develop, and engage their employees with transparency, security, and fun.

    We also emphasize a lot on addressing ongoing topical content around workplaces/HR with our perspective and industry-backed data. We inform and educate our potential customers about how HRMS can greatly transform their business functions and digitally transform their organizations. Apart from that, we create content nuggets around tapping into key questions customers may have in their minds before they opt for an HRMS.

    uKnowva HRMS – Founders | Business Model | Competitors
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    Analyse the Competition

    Competitor research is one of the key aspects of a successful content marketing strategy. However, it isn’t as easy as it sounds. Competing in the content space is totally different from competing with other companies in the SaaS space. That’s why it becomes all the more important to analyse a competitor’s backlinks as well as their content for topics and keywords. The data, when combined with intuitive browsing, can help businesses to get a better understanding of their competitor’s content marketing strategy. This data can be crucial to understanding weak links in a competitor’s content strategy, and this can be utilised to outcompete them in the market.

    We, at uKnowva, do a competitive content marketing analysis, taking a list of our content marketing competitors and following these three steps:

    • Take inventory of our competitors’ content (capture everything from blog articles to videos on and off their website. Each content type gives insight into the level of content investment, the format types their audience enjoys, and the range and relative importance of topics and keywords).
    • Evaluate content quantity and quality (Take stock of how many types of media and channels they are leveraging, as well as how frequently they are publishing that type or on which channel. We look for trends in engagement levels—shares, comments, etc.—to understand how well the content is performing.
    • Tag and analyze content topics (Tagging and analyzing the topics of each content piece helps surface content marketing gaps, which become opportunities for us).

    Besides that, we also factor in the most popular and trending/viral content assets that global organizations are pursuing in our space.

    Now, once the audience and the competition have been identified, it is time to start developing content, which takes us to our next point.

    Identify the Keywords

    Every SaaS business has its associated keywords. While developing content, it is essential to be aware of every keyword so as to make a strong impact. It is important to understand that these may not be just words that people use to search for SaaS businesses. It can be phrases as well. The Google AdWords Keywords Planner can be a good tool to understand how often people search for certain phrases on Google. Other than that, there are various other tools as well which can be used to identify what the audience is searching for.

    At uKnowva, we do our keyword research organically through Google-related searches, and we also use effective tools like Semrush and Sitechecker for audits and keyword ranking.

    Consider the Vision of the Business

    Every company has its own set of visions, which play a crucial part in its content marketing strategy. The content strategy must align with the vision of the business. For instance, if a business believes in education, then the way to go is to educate potential customers. This can involve teaching the audience about the different aspects of SaaS products or services so that they become more knowledgeable and, in turn, use a business’s product better. By empowering the audience, one can attract trust and faith in its own products or services.

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    Create Relevant and Interesting Content

    Content has to be relevant and interesting so as to engage people in it. If the content fails to be interesting and out of context, the audience will quickly move over to some other content. However, this doesn’t mean that the content has to be sales-focused always. To create a position of authority in the industry, businesses can also commission white papers and research.

    One has to take the time to understand what the target audience wants to read and then create content based on the same. While blogs are the preferred method for most companies to disseminate information, podcasts can also be leveraged to create a growing interest in a SaaS service or product.

    For uKnowva, we focus on relevant brand-oriented content paired with niche PR targeting, which helps to establish ourselves as an expert in the HR tech field. The goal is to be seen in publications and blogs that write about our industry, thus, maximizing our exposure to anyone searching and reading for their terms. We work on long-form or “deep-dive” content that provides customers with in-depth answers to the questions they are searching for. Other than that, we do a lot of thought leadership content on trending popular opinions across different platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook groups, etc. Whitepapers, case studies, blogs, and Slideshare are some other mediums we use to explain a topic to an interested audience.

    Monitor the Results

    To understand how the content strategy is working, one must keep a watch on the results. Depending on the results, the content marketing strategy can be altered or adjusted accordingly to bring a valuable experience to the customers. You have to come up with a set of KPIs that you should focus on. It is different for all.

    At uKnowva, the most important KPIs that we use to gauge the performance of our content strategy are:

    • Website Traffic
    • Organic website traffic
    • Keyword rankings/blogs ranking
    • Impressions
    • Engagements
    • Link clicks
    • Views and upvotes on Quora

    Conclusion

    If all these steps are properly adhered to, businesses can certainly excel at creating a winning content strategy. With a strong content marketing strategy in place, building online credibility and brand awareness becomes a lot easier. This can help businesses to get a step closer to their strategic goals and establish a strong foothold in the market.

    FAQs

    What is the value of the SaaS market?

    In 2020, the public SaaS market had a total value of $157 billion.

    How to create an effective SaaS content marketing strategy?

    The following are the ways in which one can create an effective SaaS content marketing strategy:

    • Define the Target Audience
    • Identify the Issues or Pain Points of the Target Audience
    • Analyse the Competition
    • Identify the Keywords
    • Consider the Vision of the Business
    • Create Relevant and Interesting Content
    • Monitor the Results

    How to define a target audience?

    To better know the audience, businesses must look at audience metrics or surveys that were conducted previously. Alternatively, they can seek market research to understand more about the people they are targeting.

  • Different Types of Franchise Business Models

    A franchise can be defined as a license that is granted by a brand owner, known as the franchisor, to an individual or a corporate, known as a franchisee, to access business proprietary knowledge, process, and trademarks and to sell products or services under the brand name within a specified territory or region.

    The franchisee gets access to a few things from the owner to conduct business.

    • To operate under the franchisor’s brand name.
    • Use of the franchisor’s trademarks.
    • Operations Manual.
    • Marketing support from the franchisor.
    • Software and other operational requirements depending on the nature of the business.
    • Relevant proprietary knowledge and materials.

    How Does a Franchise Operate?
    Types of Franchise Business Models
    Company Owned Franchise Operated (COFO)
    Franchise Owned Company Operated (FOCO)
    Franchise Owned Franchise Operated (FOFO)
    Hybrid Franchise Model

    What is Franchising?

    How Does a Franchise Operate?

    Generally, a franchise business is fairly simple. A franchisee purchases a licence to operate a business using the franchisor’s proprietary knowledge, process, trademarks, and brand name. The licence cost depends upon the size of the business, its brand goodwill and the demand for its products. Apart from this initial investment, the franchisee is also required to pay an ongoing annual royalty, which is usually a certain percentage of annual gross sales.

    The business processes and operations of a franchise are defined by the operations manual and is a part of the franchise contract. The franchisee is required to uphold the terms and conditions of the contract and maintain set standards of hygiene, quality, visual merchandising, products, pricing, offers, etc.

    Types of Franchise Business Models

    Examples of Different Types of Franchise Business Models
    Examples of Different Types of Franchise Business Models

    There are essentially three different types of franchise business models:

    1. Company Owned Franchise Operated – COFO
    2. Franchise Owned Company Operated – FOCO
    3. Franchise Owned Franchise Operated – FOFO

    The type of franchise model that a brand offers is dependent on the nature of the business. Of course, there are associated advantages and disadvantages of each one.

    Company Owned Franchise Operated (COFO)

    The company invests in the franchise business, which then runs it as per the guidelines issued by the company. This model of a franchise business is not very common, as companies that invest in expanding their operations through a franchise model usually prefer to operate it themselves. One example of a COFO business model is call centres that handle phone calls for the company.

    Advantages of the COFO Model

    • The operational expenses are borne by the company.
    • The productivity and efficiency of employees is high as the outlet is managed by the entrepreneur.
    • The company has the advantage of opening outlets where it is otherwise difficult to find franchisees.

    Disadvantages of the COFO Model

    • The customer experience is dependent on how the franchise chooses to manage its operations. It can harm the company’s goodwill if it is not managed properly.
    • In the event of the franchisee exiting the contract, it can leave the company with no alternative.

    Franchise Owned Company Operated (FOCO)

    In this type of model, the franchisee owns the property and is responsible for all the resultant additional capital expenditure. The daily operations of the store or the outlet are managed by the franchisor. A prime example of this type of franchise model is Bistro 57.

    Advantages of the FOCO Model

    • The end customer experience is controlled by the company or the brand and hence better in quality.
    • The expenses are well distributed as the company does not pay for the set-up expenses and the franchisee does not pay for the operational expenses.

    Disadvantages of the FOCO Model

    • It is not a suitable option for property owners who want to rent their properties.
    • It is a continuous, collaborative business model, and the franchisee has no say in the day-to-day operations of the business.

    Franchise Owned Franchise Operated (FOFO)

    The term is self-explanatory in which the company allows the franchisee to use its brand name, process, and trademarks in its franchise outlet. The contract involves a non-refundable franchise fee and is for a pre-determined period, which can then be renewed. The product price is decided by the brand, and the franchise owner bears all the operational costs of the store. The franchisee is required to pay an annual royalty, which is essentially a percentage of the profits to the company. This is the most popular type of franchise model that is used in the market.

    Advantages of the FOFO Model

    • There is a wide variety of business and franchise opportunities available.
    • A successful franchise operation translates into an excellent return on investment.

    Disadvantages of the FOFO Model

    • This model of the franchise has a higher percentage of failure in comparison to the others.
    • The return on investment in this type of franchise model may not be very high due to the higher investments and fees.

    Within the FOFO type of franchise business model, there are two variations –

    Stock purchased by the Franchise

    This Franchise Owned, Franchise Operated business model works with brands by purchasing the stock from the brand and then selling it to the end consumer. There might be a contractual clause between the parties to return a part of the unsold stock and purchase new stock.

    Franchise Outlet Stocked by Brand

    This franchise model, while being owned and operated by the franchise owner, receives stock on a consignment basis. The brand provides the merchandise as per their indent to ensure a correct representation of the stock in the franchisee outlet.

    Steps to start franchise business
    Franchising is the way ahead for most of the businesses. Franchise business grow faster than any other start-up as the starting up franchise is quite inexpensive.
    StartupTalkyAditi Chawda

    There is a fourth variation which is not really a franchise model but is called Company Owned Company Operated (COCO). Just as the name suggests, the store unit is owned and run by the brand. The outlet is entirely funded by the brand and run by the employees of the brand. Some examples of a COCO model are Reliance JioMart and Big Bazaar.

    Advantages of COCO

    • The brand earns and keeps the total profits as there are no channel partners to share.
    • The company can expand into geographical locations where franchises are difficult to find.
    • A COCO model allows the company to showcase its outlet and product range.

    Disadvantages of COCO

    • The only major disadvantage is that the company spends monetary and manpower resources on activities that are not its core business.

    Hybrid Franchise Model

    This is a relatively new concept within the parameters of the franchise business model. It combines physical and digital franchises where traditional enterprises are digitally turned into multi-functional hybrid franchise platforms.

    This type of franchise gives the franchise owner scope of expansion while working within the concept and structure of a larger corporation. This business model can include running a brick-and-mortar store while also keeping an internet store and employing catalogue sales to generate orders via mail.

    Conclusion

    A franchise business model is a great option for a new and budding entrepreneur as the systems and operations are already set. The base platform is ready for the entrepreneur to then focus on expansion and building a customer base within their geographical boundaries.

    FAQs

    What is a franchise?

    A franchise can be defined as a license that is granted by a brand owner to an individual or a corporate entity to access business proprietary knowledge, process, and trademarks and to sell products or services under the brand name within a specified territory or region.

    What are different franchise business models?

    Different franchise business models are:

    • Company Owned Franchise Operated – COFO
    • Franchise Owned Company Operated – FOCO
    • Franchise Owned Franchise Operated – FOFO
    • Company Owned Company Operated Model – COCO
    • Hybrid Franchise Model

    What is a hybrid franchise business model?

    The hybrid franchise business model combines physical and digital franchises where traditional enterprises are digitally turned into multi-functional hybrid franchise platforms.

  • Best Resources to Learn Ecommerce Marketing

    Do you know that there are about 12 to 24 million eCommerce sites worldwide? When there is too much competition in this eCommerce field, it is difficult to make your place and thrive day by day. That’s why upskilling is necessary to develop in this digital market.

    There are countless resources through which you can get access to knowledge of eCommerce marketing. But reading everything is pretty impossible. However, reading important aspects of online marketing which are in trend to keep up with modern market strategies is mandatory. Good resources provide a thorough understanding of marketing automation, inventory management, product sourcing, consumer service optimization, and many other marketing aspects.

    That’s why we have brought you some best resources to learn about eCommerce marketing in 2022. You can opt for either podcasts, blogs, guides, websites, etc. as per your interests and convenience. Instead of hyping up anymore, let’s see what are these golden resources to get thorough knowledge of eCommerce marketing.

    Ecommerce Marketing Strategies

    Learn Ecommerce Marketing From Blogs
    Learn Ecommerce Marketing From Podcasts
    Learn Ecommerce Marketing From YouTube Channels
    Learn Ecommerce Marketing From Educational Resources

    Ecommerce Revenue Growth in India (2018-2025)
    Ecommerce Revenue Growth in India (2018-2025)

    Learn Ecommerce Marketing From Blogs

    The very first resource for learning different aspects of eCommerce marketing is blogs. Here are some popular blogs from where you can learn eCommerce marketing:

    Blogs to Help You Learn Ecommerce Marketing
    Blogs to Help You Learn Ecommerce Marketing

    The Shopify Blog

    Nowadays, eCommerce is incomplete without the name, Shopify. A large number of merchants land on Shopify blogs to collect ideas for their eCommerce business. From limited liability companies to B2B and B2C guides, Shopify blogs have solutions for every single term related to eCommerce businesses.

    Beeketing Blog

    Beeketing blog is an incredible blog specifically for beginners who are trying to fit their feet in eCommerce marketing. It offers three major guides for beginners in the field of eCommerce. The first guide instructs on how to sell elements digitally. The second directory guides you toward aspects of Facebook and advertising. Last, but not least is the beginner’s guide to successfully establishing a business on Instagram.

    The BigCommerce Blog

    Another resource for efficient eCommerce techniques is the BigCommerce blog. Despite furnishing valuable blogs, BigCommerce has a lot to offer. It has productive webinars, guides, events, case studies, ebooks, and live reports to make you perfect for monitoring your digital business. The best part about their blogs is the regular updates and explanations of new trends and strategies that can help you sharpen your online business.

    Jungle Scout Blog

    Jungle Scout releases blogs specifically relating to expanding online businesses in association with Amazon. You can get the slightest information about starting and selling products on Amazon. As an established FBA seller, Jungle Scout blogs take you to the deepest knowledge of Amazon product analysis to keep you at number one in seller’s positions. It has the power to convince why one should opt for Amazon as their next online selling platform.

    A Better Lemonade Stand

    Richard Lazazzera who started his career as a marketer is now an established founder of many startups. A Better Lemonade Stand is a platform of practical blogs started by Richard, where he shares his aptitude and experience on how to become a successful, online marketer. His site, ABLS has profited more than 100,000 active entrepreneurs as its readers.

    Learn Ecommerce Marketing From Podcasts

    Podcasts to Help You Learn Ecommerce Marketing
    Podcasts to Help You Learn Ecommerce Marketing

    The following are some of the most popular podcasts that will give you insights into eCommerce marketing:

    Shopify Masters by Felix Thea

    The podcasts of Shopify by Felix Thea are popular for capitalizing on some eCommerce marketing strategies which you can implement in your digital business. The strategies put more stress on increasing sales and traffic on websites for their Shopify listeners.

    The eCommerce Fuel Podcast by Andrew Youderian

    Let me tell you that this ecommerceFuel Podcast is not designed for every eCommerce marketer. It is especially for those marketers who are already established in their eCommerce business and looking forward to taking their business one step forward by upskilling. These podcasts contain master blueprints to start earning six or seven-figure incomes in your online profession.

    My Wife Quit Her Job by Steve Chou

    Steve Chou, the owner of BumbleBee Linens, shares his insights on how to expand your legs as a retail marketer of an online business. Their target audience remains the persons who are thinking of starting their career in eCommerce. Such individuals fear investing their whole money in their digital enterprise. That’s why Steve furnishes strategies to enhance business while keeping financial security, in their 200-long episodes of the “My Wife Quit Her Job” podcast.

    Nerd Marketing Ecommerce Podcast by Drew

    Nerd Marketing’s host Drew seems more like an eCommerce influencer and has furnished more than 40 podcasts on his website. He can successfully convince you and change your mindset toward becoming a millionaire through an eCommerce business. No wonder why his followers earn 7 figure incomes by digital business as boasted by Drew in his podcasts.

    The Ecommerce Influence Podcast by Austin Brawner

    We can bet you that after listening to eCommerce influence’s episodes, you will be too fueled up to obtain a mindset of taking your digital business to the moon and stars. The methods and strategies shared by Austin every single week, work as fuel for knowledge and experience for eCommerce marketers.

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    Learn Ecommerce Marketing From YouTube Channels

    YouTube Channels for Ecommerce Marketing
    From left to right Brian Dean, Travis Marziani, Neil Patel, Ritoban (Flying Start Online), Jake Alexander (Casual Ecommerce)

    Flying Start Online

    The best part of Flying Start Online YouTube channel is that it always remains ready to bring new challenges to its viewers. Recently, Ritoban, the curator at Flying Start Online took up a challenge where he created an online student store and committed to bringing his first customer in just 7 days. The whole challenge was seen live by viewers. Moreover, he keeps coming up with further interviews, reviews, and entrepreneur talks.

    Neil Patel

    When it comes to marketing, Neil Patel is one of the best people to learn from. Neil has introduced an eCommerce marketing course on his YouTube channel, named “E-commerce Unlocked.” In this series of YouTube videos, he covers aspects like SEO, CRO, paid ads, and more. His channel will help you learn about every aspect of eCommerce marketing.

    Brian Dean

    Brian is the founder of Backlinko’s blog and YouTube channel. His YouTube channel is a great source of learning eCommerce marketing as it helps marketers and business owners to take advantage of the search engines for their business growth in an easy and efficient manner.

    Casual Ecommerce

    Casual Ecommerce pays more heed to run a successful Shopify store. The channel is full of live Shopify tutorials where Jake Alexander talks about Facebook ads and store-running discussions. By following Casual Ecommerce strategies properly, you can just fuel up your monthly sales and earn out of your thinking.

    Travis Marziani

    The reason why you should follow Travis Marziani as your eCommerce learning resource is its owner, Travis. Travis lost his full-time job in 2013 to run an eCommerce business and ended up generating $700,000. You can find the best profit plans, eCommerce trends, and strategies on his channel. Travis’s YouTube channel will help you get aware of the latest marketing trends and take advantage of them.

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    Learn Ecommerce Marketing From Educational Resources

    Educational Resources to Help You Learn Ecommerce Marketing
    Educational Resources to Help You Learn Ecommerce Marketing

    Hubspot Academy

    An established excellent source of learning eCommerce marketing is Hubspot academy. You can learn various skills on this platform including Facebook marketing, graphic design, content writing, SEO, etc. You also get certification after course completion.

    YouTube Creators Academy

    YouTube is one of the greatest platforms that help brands gain immense popularity, and that too, on a budget. It offers an amazing combination of Google’s search engine features and social media engagement. It is important for an eCommerce brand to market on YouTube to stand out in the market. Therefore, YouTube Creators Academy is another major source that will help you learn how you can market your eCommerce store and reach potential customers with YouTube.

    Google Academy for Ads

    Searching for some excellent resources to master the ad outputs of Google? Google Academy for Ads is the best place to master. You can grasp almost every single topic of Google Ads including display, shopping, search, advertisement exchange, DoubleClick, etc. It also provides specialized courses on online advertisement.

    Meta Blueprint (Facebook Blueprint)

    Ecommerce business remains incomplete and unprofitable without taking it to the heftier platform, Facebook. That’s why mastering Facebook to run your digital business is a must nowadays. Meta blueprint provides access to various free series of courses where you can learn and earn Facebook systems strategies and credentials.

    Coursera

    Coursera was founded by two computer science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller with a vision to provide an exclusive learning experience to learners all around the world. Now Coursera is getting extremely popular because of its resourceful and wide variety of courses that includes marketing, product promotion, SEO, email marketing, and many more. The cost of courses starts from $20 and reaches up to $100.

    Conclusion

    Hence, this was about the best resources to learn eCommerce marketing. Whether you love reading, listening, watching, or obtaining information step by step from educational resources, we brought you every option to choose from. So start grabbing information from any of these platforms and rock your sales of eCommerce business by implementing the strategies learned from the above-mentioned resources.

    FAQs

    What is eCommerce marketing?

    Ecommerce marketing simply means any marketing effort made for the promotion of an online store and generating more sales. It covers the aspect of customer acquisition as well as retention of existing customers.

    Which are the best educational resources to learn eCommerce marketing?

    The best educational resources to learn eCommerce marketing are:

    • Google Academy for Ads
    • Meta Blueprint (Facebook Blueprint)
    • YouTube Creators Academy
    • HubSpot Academy
    • Coursera

    How can I promote my eCommerce website?

    There are many ways in which you can promote your eCommerce website. These include:

    • Blogging
    • Podcast Advertising
    • Partnerships with Brands
    • Offer Deals and Discounts
    • Social Media Marketing
    • Create Interesting content

    Which Blogs are the best for learning eCommerce marketing?

    The following are some of the best blogs for learning eCommerce marketing:

    • The Shopify Blog
    • The BigCommerce Blog
    • Beeketing Blog
    • Jungle Scout Blog
    • A Better Lemonade Stand

  • What Is Edge Computing? | How Can It Enhance the Customer Experience?

    The world is becoming more digital, and your customers are starting to expect a personalized experience with you.

    Customers love to chat with companies over the phone, but they also expect to get instant answers and personalized interactions with their favourite brands. That’s why they look for ways to engage with your company in new ways.

    The first thing mobile customers want is simple access to information while sitting on a couch or relaxing at home — even for those with limited data plans. Edge computing will help you solve this problem by delivering advanced services right where your customers already spend their time — whether it’s on their laptop, tablet, or smartphone, Let’s get started.

    What is Edge Computing
    Features of Edge Computing
    The Key to Delivering a Delightful Customer Experience
    Three Ways Edge Computing Can Impact Customer Experience
    Why Is Edge Computing Crucial for CX??

    What is Edge Computing

    Simplified Process of Edge Computing
    Simplified Process of Edge Computing

    Edge computing is the technological advancement that enables customers to interact with your website and products without going through the internet. Now, that’s a big deal when you think about it!

    Edge devices such as smart speakers and smartphones can significantly impact how your customers interact with you, resulting in more personalized experiences. Let’s experience some features of Edge Computing.

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    Features of Edge Computing

    Edge can reduce bandwidth bottlenecks and improve response times. When you’re a small business, you don’t have the resources or workforce to handle everything independently. That’s where edge computing comes in.

    Edge computing uses the internet from the edge of your network—anywhere within your local area network (LAN). This means that instead of sending data through your central infrastructure, you can use it directly without going through the rest of the network.

    This can help reduce bandwidth bottlenecks and improve response times. It’s also easier to deploy because it doesn’t require much extra hardware or software.

    Edge computing helps protect against data loss.

    As you know, the internet is a scary place. It’s full of viruses, malware, and attacks from hackers looking to steal your information or cause you harm. We want you to use edge computing for all your online security needs!

    Edge computing is one way to protect your data from getting into the wrong hands by keeping it on your local device instead of on the cloud. With edge computing, you can keep your personal information safe and secure with no worries about someone else snooping around in your data—significant concerning sensitive information like health records or financial records.

    Edge can help you achieve compliance and reduce costs.

    Edge computing can help you achieve compliance, increase security and reduce costs. You can use data to improve your compliance with regulations. This helps you get rid of the risk of fines and penalties.

    By using edge computing instead of traditional servers or cloud storage services like Amazon Web Services (AWS), you can save money while also increasing efficiency and productivity since fewer resources are required for processing tasks at once rather than having multiple servers working together all at once just like how companies would do before with their servers within their networks which require more overhead costs for maintenance,  etc.

    Edge computing aids in improving customer experience management.

    Regarding customer experience management, edge computing is one of the most important trends. Edge computing refers to a new wave of technology that allows companies to run their business processes at the network’s edge.

    This means that instead of having all their data and processing power in one centralized location, companies can now run their own high-speed processing power in their needed neighbourhoods.

    Helps in a real-time conversation between different parties

    This has enormous implications for customer experience management because it allows companies to serve customers better and faster. For example, suppose you have a team responsible for customer support.

    In that case, you might be able to give them more information about your customers so that they can provide better service—and do it faster than ever before!

    And not only does this make life easier for your customer support team (or whoever needs access), but it also makes life easier for everyone else who works at your company: no more waiting for information from headquarters or another office before responding. Edge computing is already transforming how we live our lives in ways that are hard to imagine–but it’s just getting started!

    The Key to Delivering a Delightful Customer Experience

    Benefits of Edge Computing
    Benefits of Edge Computing

    Understanding how edge computing works is the key to delivering a delightful customer experience. For example, let’s say you’re a jewellery store and you want to send a customer an email offering them a discount on their next purchase.

    You could try sending them an email when they check out—but that would mean the customer has to wait until they’ve checked out before getting their discount. Or maybe they won’t see the email at all!

    With edge computing, however, you can send the email immediately after checking out (and even before leaving the store). This will ensure that your customer gets their discount as soon as possible. And because it’s happening in real time, no one has to wait for anything—they get what they need fast!

    Three Ways Edge Computing Can Impact Customer Experience

    1. It will allow you to analyze the data from your customers’ real-time interactions with your products or services. This means you can use that information to improve your products and services and give your customers more personalized experiences.
    2. It will allow you to simultaneously collect and analyze data from different devices—including mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PCs, and even wearables! You can use this information to identify trends among your users to tailor their experiences as closely as possible.
    3. Edge computing will allow for better security because it gives businesses access to all information about their users’ online activities without storing it on their servers. This means that even if someone hacks into one company’s servers or data centre (which often happens), they won’t have access to any private information about that company’s customers—which is good news for everyone involved!

    Why Is Edge Computing Crucial for CX?

    Advantages of Edge Computing
    Advantages of Edge Computing

    When it comes to customer experience, you want to ensure your customers are having a good time. And when it comes to making them have a good time, there’s no better tool than the Internet of Things (IoT).

    But there’s a problem: the IoT is slow and unreliable. It takes up too much energy, and it’s not able to process transactions quickly enough. And since there are so many IoT devices in our homes and bodies, we need better ways for them to communicate with each other.

    That’s where edge computing comes in. Edge computing is where all the processing happens—where machines handle things like machine learning algorithms that can help us understand what our customers are doing online or shopping for with us—and where all these communications between devices happen simultaneously as they’re happening in real-time. It’s an exciting new frontier in tech that will allow us to make our products more valuable and relevant!

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    Conclusion

    The edge computing revolution is in its early stages, with many practical constraints and obstacles to overcome before its potential can be fully realized. But it’s worth keeping tabs on this technology and how it’s likely to affect the e-commerce world. We hope that the points we’ve made here will help you to keep up with ongoing developments and lead you to success in a dynamic marketplace.

    So, in conclusion, Edge computing is undoubtedly an exciting new technology that probably won’t impact your company for a couple of years—but the tech world is so rapidly changing these days that companies are advised to keep their eyes peeled and their ears to the ground.

    FAQs

    What is edge computing?

    Edge computing is the technological advancement that enables customers to interact with your website and products without going through the internet.

    What are the features of edge computing?

    Edge computing uses the internet from the edge of your network—anywhere within your local area network (LAN).

    What is the main purpose of edge computing?

    Edge computing has more than one purpose. But the main purpose remains one only. The main purpose of Edge computing is to reduce long-haul data transfers.

  • 5G Launch in India and Its Impact on the Internet of Things

    With the expansion of the urban ecosystem since the beginning of the 21st century, there is a tremendous technological shift that drives the country forward. India is all set to put its digital revolution game on a higher pedestal through the launch of 5G services in the country. Heralding the dawn of instant connectivity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services in India on 1st October 2022 in New Delhi at the 6th edition of the India Mobile Congress.

    With the rollout of these services, it is expected to benefit more than 98% of internet users. All the telecom giants, including Reliance Chairman, Mukesh Ambani, Aditya Birla Group Chief, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Bharti Enterprises Chairman, Sunil Bharti Mittal, and others, look forward to this development with a lot of hope and optimism. The fifth-generation wireless technology will provide connectivity with higher speed and lower latency, with a capacity greater than that of 4G LTE. 5G will give huge leverage to IoT, AI, AR/VR, and private LTE, all of which will inadvertently support industry 4.0. As a result, IoT service provider will be able to offer users a more seamless experience.

    This article will discuss the impact of 5G on the Internet of Things.

    Internet of Things (IoT)
    IoT After 5G
    Things to Look Out for at the Advent Seamless Experiences

    Which Companies Will Provide 5G Technology in India?

    Internet of Things (IoT)

    According to Ganti and Lei, the basic concept of IoT is to “enable objects of all kinds to have sensing, actuating, and communication capabilities, so that locally intrinsic or extrinsic data can be collected, processed, transmitted, concentrated, and analyzed for either cyber-physical goals at the collection point (or perhaps along the way), or for process/environment/systems analytics (of a predictive or historical nature) at a processing center, often “in the cloud”. These objects range from those that can be employed in infrastructure, critical-infrastructure support, healthcare, education, households etc.

    As per reports, the number of IoT connections will triple to reach 25 billion and the global IoT revenue will soar to reach $1.1 trillion by 2025. As far as India is concerned and its goal of being a $5 trillion economy by 2025, investing more in the expansion of IoT and 5G will be a wise decision. According to McKinsey, the effective rollout of 5G technology alongside IoT in mobility, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail can increase the global GDP by $1.2 to $2 trillion by the end of 2030, which can have an impact of $1 trillion on India by the year 2035.

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    IoT After 5G

    Size of 5G Infrastructure Market Worldwide (2020-2030)
    Size of 5G Infrastructure Market Worldwide (2020-2030)

    As per the projections by the International Data Corporation (IDC), there will be 41.6 billion IoT devices by 2025. In fact, this surge in numbers is also a clarion call for launching 5G services in India as it will demand wireless connections with more reliability, ultra-low latency, high network capacity, and improved availability. 5G will ensure stable connections for the hassle-free functioning of IoT. The latency will be reduced to as low as 1 millisecond, which is 10 times less than 4G. The network hyper densification laid out by 5G networks is going to be commendable, which will result in a traffic-free digital space. With an efficient processing system in place, 5G will ensure optimised network energy consumption.

    The transmission of data through sensors will become more and more efficient. One problem that happens when multiple devices are connected is the menace of erratic connection. 5G can largely solve this problem by bringing together its nuances.

    5G is also going to bring a sea change to the domain of heavy machinery. With the help of advanced data transmission and precise technology, IoT can be employed to operate heavy machinery to better employee safety and protection, especially in hazardous environments. It will also enable better control over those machineries that have to be operated remotely.

    The IoT is also expected to revolutionise the medical industry with the advent of 5G. Through thorough exploitation of technology, telesurgery and remote surgery will become a daily affair. With a speed that could peak at 10 Gbps, it can totally bring about revolutionary changes in the ways in which IoT is managed. It can also penetrate into the diagnostic systems so as to facilitate faster diagnosis and reports with fewer errors.

    At a time when automatic and autonomous cars are on their test runs, the rollout of 5G will have a catalytic effect. The benefit of low latency and high connectivity has far-reaching implications beyond GPS and driving alone. It can reduce accidents and the risks of accidents to a great extent. The unique sensing and connecting facilities can be employed to detect and avert any potential roadblocks. The inadvertent effect that it has on overall traffic goes without mentioning.

    As far as the domestic space is concerned, the confluence of 5G and the Internet of Things will change the way in which a regular household functions. They can be effectively employed to do cleaning and cooking. Floor cleaners and home robots have already become regular purchases in upper-middle-class houses. 5G integration will make them smarter and thus more reliable. Automated gates, cameras, and other security systems will enhance the pursuit of safety within the home to a great extent.

    Things to Look Out for at the Advent Seamless Experiences

    5G is going to be all about immersive experiences rather than just speed and smoothness. It comes with its own threats and vulnerabilities, which need to be simultaneously taken care of while the benefits are enjoyed. With so many integrations going on at the same time, the threat of data leakage is prominent. It is important to know who has access to your data and how it is used. When it comes to the medical industry, this data usage and storage issue has become a more pressing issue.

    The need of the hour is to develop policies that will equip the telecommunication industry and its customers to use 5G technology and IoT in a safe manner. The developments that are stemming only from the technological domain can have far-reaching consequences on the users. The recent discussions on the data protection bill are an excellent attempt in this regard. Through a holistic advancement of technology and awareness, the Indian community can harness the most out of 5G and IoT in all walks of life.

    Conclusion

    The launch of the 5G network is all set to bring a revolution as it will offer ten times faster speed than the current networks. The increased speed will allow the IoT to share and communicate data faster, helping different industries work more efficiently. Thus, the 5G launch in India is going to be a great contributor to the overall success of the economy.

    To get more details on IoT and to know how your business can use it, reach out to CBNITS at business@cbnits.com.

    FAQs

    Is 5G launched in India?

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services in India on 1st October 2022 in New Delhi at the 6th edition of the India Mobile Congress.

    How can a faster network like 5G impact the global GDP?

    According to McKinsey, the effective rollout of 5G technology alongside IoT in mobility, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail can increase the global GDP by $1.2 to $2 trillion by the end of 2030, which can have an impact of $1 trillion on India by the year 2035.

    Where will 5G launch in India?

    At first, the 5G network will be launched in 13 cities in India. These include Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Gurugram, Chandigarh, Gandhinagar, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Jamnagar, Chennai, and Kolkata.