Originally posted on: www.carnsight.com

 

By now we all know that having a LinkedIn presence as a professional is important. With over 875 million users, LinkedIn can help you build connections with other business professionals and engage with your network by joining the conversation. For many business owners, it’s both necessary and important to open a personal LinkedIn profile and a business page. In today’s blog, I’ll be outlining the key differences between the two.

Purpose

Whether or not you’re a business owner, a personal LinkedIn profile will allow you to showcase your skills and experience while still being able to highlight the things about you that make you an individual. This is a chance for you to join relevant LinkedIn groups where you can join the conversation, share your more personal views and grow your network by connecting with like-minded individuals in your industry. The purpose of a business page, on the other hand, is usually always to promote a company by building brand awareness, sharing valuable content that is helpful and engaging with a broader audience that includes potential customers/clients.

Content

Personal LinkedIn profiles are typically filled with your career history, education, and other skills that you would like to showcase to other professionals on the platform. This can be handy when job hunting as recruiters can quickly and easily find you based on your skill set. On a personal profile, you are able to share content that is more personalised to you. Whether this is an opinion on trending articles, what you got up to over the weekend, personal hurdles that you’ve overcome, or other professions you might want to talk about that are or are not related to the company you work for.

Content on a business page has more of a focus. A business page should have more of a ‘we’ tone, and branding should be applied throughout. Business pages are a lot less personal. This doesn’t mean that you must keep things boring. Team shots always do well and people to relate better to other people than to a business. What is important, is to weave in posts that promote your services and/or products as well. At the end of the day, businesses aim to sell over socialise.

Analytics

A key feature LinkedIn business pages offer that personal profiles do not are detailed analytics and insights into how your posts are performing. This collection of data can help measure how effective your posts and updates which means you can tailor your strategy to the wants of your audience. LinkedIn’s current algorithm interprets how far they spread your post based on the interaction (likes, comments, reposts) it’s receiving from other users on the platform, so it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on what your audience enjoys engaging with. With LinkedIn analytics, you can also learn what the best days and times to post are to get the most engagement from your followers, which again can help you improve your strategy.

And there you have it. I hope this blog has helped you learn the difference between managing a Linkedin personal profile and a LinkedIn business page.

Guest posting as a tactic within SEO has gotten a bit of a bad rap over the past few years with many using it as an exercise to get links and that’s about it. There are a lot of sites out there that offer paid for guest posts and this has contributed to the bad image of this particular tactic of digital PR.

Despite the image issues, we are still a massive fan of guest posts for clients and provided you are doing it in the right way it can help you get some coverage on some amazing websites and drive some great value links for your client.

In this week’s blog we chat about all things guest posting, and how to do it right to leverage good results for your digital PR campaigns.

What is guest posting? 

Guest posting is the act of writing content for another website, it can come in the form of a writer looking to promote their work or a company looking to add to their field through publications. Sites often indicate that they accept guest posts and these are often good places to reach out to if you are looking to get coverage for your website.

When it comes to SEO, guest posting gives you the chance to link back to your site in relevant content form an authoritative and relevant site, this is a good tactic to use early on when your content may not be getting as many links as you would like.

How do you do guest posting right? 

As discussed, this area of digital PR can be tricky to get right, but following the below dos and don’ts will keep you and your rankings on the right track.

Do focus on content first 

Content is the backbone of any website, and it’s what will ultimately attract and engage your audience. By focusing on creating quality content, you can establish yourself as an authority in your niche and those you are reaching out to will appreciate it, increasing the chances of you earning placements through guest posts.

Don’t pay for the links 

While it may seem like a quick and easy way to build links and improve your search engine rankings, paying for links is a violation of Google’s webmaster guidelines and can result in penalties, including being removed from search engine results altogether.

When reaching out to guest bloggers, be clear that you are after content only placement.

Do include links back to target pages where relevant 

Linking to your target pages can help improve your site’s rankings and drive traffic and SEO value to the pages that matter most. It’s important to ensure that the links you include are relevant to the content and provide value to the reader; this is the key part when it comes to guest posting. Don’t include links if they are not relevant for the reader of the blog.

Don’t focus exclusively on exact match anchor text 

Exact match anchor text refers to the use of the exact keyword phrase you want to rank for in the anchor text of a link. While it can be helpful in improving your rankings for that particular keyword phrase, overusing exact match anchor text can lead to a penalty from Google for over-optimisation, so make sure you are using logical anchor text that incorporates keywords, but not in a spammy way.

Do build long term relationships with bloggers 

Building long-term relationships with other bloggers in your niche can be incredibly valuable for growing your website. By establishing a relationship with other bloggers, you can collaborate on projects, exchange ideas and guest posts, if you are working in an agency you can also write content for different sites depending on the relevance, and having that pre-existing relationship in place will help massively.

Don’t just look at domain authority when assessing sites 

When it comes to assessing the value of a website for your backlink profile, it’s important not to rely solely on domain authority as a metric. While domain authority can provide a general idea of a website’s authority and influence, it’s not always an accurate measure of the website’s quality or relevance to your niche, look at other metrics like Trust and Citation Flow from Majestic and your judgement of the relevance of the website to your niche.

Where do you start? 

If you are unsure on where to start when it comes to guest blogging then get in touch with a member of the Varn team, Our SEO team have been combining digital PR tactics for years and driving great results for clients, just make sure you focus on content and you can’t go far wrong.

Nine Tree Studios, a brand new 10,000sq ft film, television and commercial production studio, has opened in Bristol.

The studios are now Bristol’s largest independent film and television facility, with the venture being backed by JonesMillbank, Bristol-based video production company.

The studios will support Bristol’s creative industries as well as attracting talent and productions from further afield, fuelling Bristol’s existing draw for film, television and commercial productions.

The facility is being launched in phases. Phase one encompasses a versatile production space with attached offices, suitable for a range of dry hire and set build requirements, as well as events and photography, with significant parking for cars, vans and trailers.

Phase two will see the build and fit-out of a state-of-the-art production facility encompassing a 2,600sq ft primary soundstage, two smaller 300sq ft studios, grading suites, wardrobe, sound facilities, and expanded office and meeting space, all housed in a Class-A soundproofed facility.

Located in Brislington (BS4), the studios are perched near the centre of Bristol, servicing productions mixing studio and on-location filming in the region.

The facility will also become home to JonesMillbank, allowing productions to be supported by crew and creatives, whilst bolstering their own in-house production capabilities and resources.

“This is an incredibly exciting chapter in our history. We’ve been based in Bristol for 12 years, steadily growing our team, portfolio and clients, but this represents a huge leap forward and an incredibly exciting development for the region too” said Russell Jones, Co-Founder of Nine Tree Studios and JonesMillbank.

“We’ve already secured funding to develop and expand the space, helping to support not only our own productions but the wider creative community too”.

Adam Millbank, Co-Founder of Nine Tree Studios and JonesMillbank, added that “the continued growth in productions across our region is wonderful. I’ve been blown away by the diverse talent here. It feels fantastic to know we’ll be part of such a dynamic industry, celebrating all the region has to offer.”

The expansion will allow for the creation of numerous jobs, including technicians, crew, studio managers and marketeers, whilst allowing for the provision of work experience and placements.

Phase one has launched, with phase two aiming for 2023 Q3, pending existing bookings.

For booking and press enquiries please visit www.ninetreestudios.co.uk, call 0117 3706 372, or email [email protected].

Working with an SEO specialist can completely transform your company. You may forge a potent alliance that propels your online presence and boosts your exposure by fusing your understanding of the market with their expertise in search engine optimisation. Continue reading to learn more about how to manage this collaboration through effective communication, goal-setting, project management, and other techniques.

Understanding the Role of an SEO Expert in Your Business

Understanding the extent of an SEO consultant’s or expert’s obligations is crucial for maximising your partnership and getting the most out of your collaboration. You can anticipate an SEO specialist to handle the following tasks:

Build a Strong Foundation for SEO Success

To get the most out of your engagement with an SEO specialist, a solid base must be in place. You should collaborate to enhance a few SEO-related factors before implementing any new SEO methods. They consist of:

Establish Clear Communication Channels

Effective communication will always be the foundation of any successful cooperation. There are various things you can do while working with an SEO specialist from Core Web Vitals to develop and maintain open communication and promote future success:

Set Realistic Goals and Expectations

Setting up specific objectives from the beginning will guarantee that all sides are on the same page and pursuing the same aims. There are a few important factors to take into account before beginning to engage with an SEO expert for your business:

Provide Necessary Resources and Information

By ensuring that they have access to all the tools and data they require, you can help your SEO consultant or expert perform their task at its highest level. Offer these to them:

Embrace a Teamwork Mentality

Mutual trust and respect should be the foundation of any successful relationship between your business and an SEO consultant, expert, or agency. You may promote a culture of cooperation and collaborate more effectively in a number of ways, including:

Review and Adjust Your Strategy

Your SEO approach will stay current and efficient if it is often evaluated. Any reputable SEO consultant will inform you that SEO is dynamic and constantly evolving, so it is important to check in frequently to make sure the techniques you have in place are still effective for your company. Think about the following:

Stay Informed of SEO Trends

As was already mentioned, SEO is a field that is always changing. It’s critical to keep up with the most recent business trends and best practises in addition to updating your strategies. As it is their job to stay current on SEO, your SEO specialist will be able to share the most recent information with you. Here is where the effective communication discussed earlier will come in handy. You can also:

Invest in Long-Term Growth

Successful SEO usually involves a long-term commitment and strategy, which takes time. By performing the following, you may maximise the advantages of your collaboration with an SEO expert:

Leverage Your SEO Expert’s Network

Partnering with an SEO specialist can help you and your company gain access to new contacts and prospects within the sector. You may take advantage of your SEO expert’s network in a number of ways, including:

Optimise Your Content Strategy

For SEO to be successful, content is essential. In order to optimise your content strategy, work with your SEO professional by:

Be Adaptable and Embrace Change

Your collaboration with an SEO specialist should always be ready to evolve as circumstances change. By working with an SEO consultant or specialist, you can embrace change in a variety of ways, including:

Working together to develop the best SEO techniques can help you and an SEO specialist ensure that your website is not only optimised for search engines but also stays on the cutting edge of SEO.

Want to  learn more about SEO?  Check out the services Bristechtonic Bristol SEO Company have to offer

From Midjourney to ChatGPT, AI tools are flooding the internet with exciting possibilities, imaginative new imagery and many a meme – from the inspiring and amusing to the downright gruesome.

Possibly the most accessible and widely tested AI tool yet, ChatGPT has got many marketers thinking about the power of this emerging technology. But AI advancement doesn’t come without its critics and controversies – often generating more questions than answers.

So how can marketers make the most of this powerful technology? And should we approach with caution? UX and UI designer Dan Marek explores.

View image in blog here.

Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT feels like absolute wizardry to use.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm recently, with one of the leading players being the natural language processing (NLP) model known as ChatGPT. In just two months, it set a new record for the fastest-growing user base ever to reach 100 million users.

Tools like ChatGPT have already begun transforming our lives. You can’t go more than five minutes without seeing a news article about it, or stumbling upon AI-generated imagery (albeit mostly more disturbing and amusing than beautiful). But make no mistake, this is the very beginning of a fast-moving revolution. So how can businesses make the most of this opportunity?

This article examines how businesses may leverage AI to solve problems more efficiently and gain a profitable advantage. We’ll also look at some of the limitations of AI tools like ChatGPT, so you can avoid making costly mistakes and stay ahead of the competition.

The AI opportunity for businesses

Imagine generating top-notch product descriptions, social media posts, and even entire search-optimised articles in a matter of minutes. How about 3000% returns on ad spend, automatic meeting notes and summaries, or asking AI to generate spreadsheet formulas? It may not all be possible yet – and it certainly won’t replace your copywriting and UX experts in the near future. But there’s certainly a big opportunity here.

“…It may not all be possible yet – and it certainly won’t replace your copywriting and UX experts in the near future. But there’s certainly a big opportunity here…”

With ChatGPT, businesses can streamline their processes, freeing up time and resources to focus on other areas of operations. It might sound cliché, but the opportunities for companies to leverage AI tools like ChatGPT in 2023 are endless.

Top 10 business use cases for AI tools in 2023

The limitations ofAI

Hold on a minute – does this mean we’re ready to replace humans with AI? Not yet. AI-powered tools like ChatGPT are not a quid pro quo for genuine creativity and expertise. For now, it’s far more likely that you’ll be replaced by a human using AI rather than the tools themselves.

Think of ChatGPT as the Iron Man suit to your marketing team’s Tony Stark. Iron Man enhances Tony’s abilities, and ChatGPT can enhance your team’s capabilities. But just as Tony still relies on his human expertise and creativity to save the world, your marketing team should continue to rely on their own skills to resonate with the right audiences and create truly effective campaigns.

Garbage in = garbage out

The capabilities of these tools are quite difficult to comprehend as they are only really limited by our potential to ask the right questions.

“…the emergence of “prompt engineers” indicates the importance of creating the right prompts to unlock the full potential of AI tools…”

Just like calculators, they can only provide the correct answer with the right input, called prompts. The emergence of “prompt engineers” indicates the importance of creating the right prompts to unlock the full potential of AI tools.

Bias

AI tools present real risks of biases, such as generating discriminatory content and spreading misinformation. As responsible users of these tools, we must be aware of this and be sure to evaluate any responses provided. The CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, recently acknowledged inherent bias in the tool and assured users that they’re working to improve the default settings to be more neutral.

Plagiarism, relevancy, and factual inaccuracy

AI tools pose a risk of plagiarism and factual inaccuracy. An astronomer recently called out Google’s AI chatbot Bard for making a factual error in its demo. But everyday users may not realise that the output generated by the tool is not original, leading to unintentional plagiarism. You can take measures to avoid this, for example, by including a request for sources of any facts and figures as part of your prompt.

“…everyday users may not realise that the output generated by the tool is not original, leading to unintentional plagiarism…”

The relevancy of information can also be brought into question. While writing this, ChatGPT has only been trained on data from September 2021.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) impact

Google’s guidelines favour genuine, relevant, and reliable content. AI-generated content may struggle to meet these guidelines. This means that sole reliance on AI-generated content might negatively impact your website’s ranking on Google.

Ethical considerations

Using AI tools raises ethical concerns around data privacy, bias, and deception. These tools collect vast data through web scraping – sometimes without explicit consent. So regulations and policies must be implemented to ensure AI tools are used ethically and responsibly.

The future of AI tools

It’s worth remembering that AI tools are an emerging technology, so there are plenty of limitations to consider. But by using them as a starting point to generate ideas and assist workflows, businesses can largely mitigate these drawbacks.

AI is not the enemy. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. As AI technology continues to advance, it’s becoming increasingly clear that tools like ChatGPT will play a crucial role in the future of business, with those early movers able to leverage an unfair advantage over their competitors.

Oh, and if you’re curious whether I used ChatGPT to help me write this…

View image in blog here.

Video and animation will always be at the heart of Proctors Motion Department. And that’s why we’ve been hard at work continually refining our general expertise. But, over the past year we’ve also expanded our offering, to deliver interactive 3D experiences too.

Panasonic – Solutions Drawings

watch the interactive model video here.

Power at your fingertips with interactive 3D models

Overview

Panasonic challenged us to visualise how their extensive portfolio of hardware and software could be combined to create highly-specialised, complete, and integrated solutions.

So we proposed an interactive piece (making use of Babylon.js) that allowed users to explore sectors and areas for themselves – rather than a typical static image that acts as a clickable menu.

This all sat in an angular app, offering up relevant information in the form of whitepapers, product links, tech specs, video and imagery.

We developed a solid workflow that allowed us to: quickly design scenes for sign off; optimise geometry by hand and using AI tools (so the 3D rooms downloaded quickly without putting pressure on end users’ devices); create libraries of Babyblon.js code that could efficiently be repurposed for building out interactivity and the look; deliver a front end where content could be loaded in a simple JSON file, rather than buried away in complex code.

View gif in blog here.

Delivered

Three dioramas for two sectors – manufacturing and education

Explore Panasonic Connect’s solutions in the Manufacturing sector.

Explore Panasonic Connect’s solutions in the Education sector.

Results

With an average dwell time of 5 minutes for education and nearly 3.30 for manufacturing, our interactive models have proven to be a great way of grabbing (and keeping!) potential customers’ attention.

TOUGHBOOK 40 launch collateral

Watch the TOUGHBOOK 40 here.

Delivering a high-octane, high-end product shoot… without the high costs

Overview

Panasonic and Proctors go back a very long way, so when the time came to launch their latest flagship device, the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 40, they knew who to call.

We crafted a concept based around a fast-paced edit of the conditions a truly rugged laptop needs to stand up to. The final film was a mix of 3D, shot footage and visual effects (VFX), recreating the demanding environments where TOUGHBOOK is most at home.

The project could easily have become a very costly multi-location shoot. But we made use of minimal locations, lots of 3D expertise and some heavy post-production work to deliver even more, for a fraction of the time, cost… and carbon.

We demonstrated the TOUGHBOOK 40’s unique features – what sets it apart from the competition – wrapped up in a tight action-packed film.

View the gif in the blog here.

Delivered

One launch film

Four teasers

All part of a suite of marketing materials.

Watch the TOUGHBOOK 40 video here.

Result

Having worked on the numerous Panasonic product launches, Proctors has become the go-to-agency for new TOUGHBOOK launch films and collateral.

TOUGHBOOK S1 – Launch film

TOUGHBOOK G2 – Launch film

P+S Unlocked

Watch the CSR journey video here.

Fun animation and stop-motion…for good

Overview

2022 saw the launch of the first series in ‘P+S Unlocked’ – a new major initiative, designed to help audiences to tap into their full marketing potential with our latest insights, strategies and thought leadership content.

Series 1 took on Corporate Social Responsibility, specifically, how to communicate your progress and demonstrate your accountability.

We riffed on a Terry Gilliam style of animation, using a stop-motion collage approach to demystify explainers, illustrate some easy to implement CSR tips and generally add some humour and fun.

The P+S Motion Department went on a whistle-stop tour of Bristol to see our friends at Calibro and Burges Salmon to find out what CSR meant to them and document their progress in becoming the best citizens they can be.

Read about how businesses can make sure their CSR claims are honest and authentic.

Delivered

Three videos

A host of ads, gifs and lotties (think responsive vector images that move)

An interactive online model of our offices, highlighting some of our own CSR initiatives.

Watch the sustainability marketing video here.

Result

Lots of shares, new business enquiries and email signups. Now, time to start preparing Series 2 – Branding marketing.

Thrio: A stunning rebrand, with the moves to match

Watch the Thrio brand video here.

Creating a toolkit that allows the client to produce their own slick videos

Overview

Meet Thrio. From voice to chat to email, bots and beyond, Thrio’s cloud-based, AI-powered tech helps take the customer experience to a whole new level.

This film was the brand’s first foray into the world of motion design, and we wanted to showcase it simply but powerfully – conveying how Thrio’s offering enables seamless interaction using a calm and collected visual style, communicating clarity in a noisy market.

We developed a graceful motion language to complement their new brand. We conveyed a sense of measured confidence, showing how Thrio’s all-under-one-roof solution simplifies the complex by avoiding the use of multiple vendors. This was elevated with delicate sound design, adding timbre to Thrio’s message in a confident but considered voice.

But this wasn’t their only step into the world of motion. Using the style of the brand film as a guide, we’ve since worked on multiple video projects with Thrio, including a video toolkit – a cost-effective tool that allows the client to produce their own slick branded and social media videos.

Delivered

Brand film

Video toolkit

LinkedIn adverts

Website

ABM campaigns

Watch the Thrio LinkedIn ads video here.

Result

The full campaign received:

5+ million impressions

300+ thousand clicks

85% website acquisition from paid media

196+ thousand new users on the website

231+ thousand website sessions

Trelleborg: Capital Markets Day

Watch the Trelleborg Capital Markets Day video here.

Illustrating highly technical processes… without overcomplicating them

Overview

Trelleborg is an engineering company specialising in polymer solutions that seal, damp and protect. From smart anti-slip mattress covers to trenchless pipe lining, it was our job to create several animations, displaying how various Trelleborg engineering solutions work – all in time for their annual Capital Markets Day.

Trelleborg’s products are often hidden within industrial equipment and machinery, so we needed to deconstruct them to showcase each in action.

Because these animations were to be presented at an event, it was vital to ensure the design and animation was effective and easy to follow. It was a great opportunity to explain and illustrate highly technical processes without overcomplicating them, with clear supporting copy.

Delivered

Five technical animations

Result

The project began with two animations to cover a couple of products, Trelleborg were so happy with the results that the final project was extended to five.

…And that’s just the beginning.

Our team of videographers, animators, motion designers and scriptwriters have been making award-winning, show-stopping video for decades.

We believe each of our clients has something really important to say – from tech behemoths and multi-national market leaders, right down to local, grassroots charities. Whatever story you want to tell, we’ll help you share it with the world. Talk to Proctors today.

At the end of last year, Open AI released ChatGPT, a first-of-its-kind machine learning chatbot. The revolutionary chatbot experienced explosive growth, reaching 1 million users in just 5 days.

In January we posted our blog “How ChatGPT will impact search marketing”, here we explored some possible use cases for ChatGPT across the four core teams at Varn. We also wrote about some of the potential limitations of the technology. Over a month on, we have now had some time to experience using ChatGPT to aid in our SEO work.

As a team at Varn, we have identified three key use cases where we have seen the most value in using ChatGPT.

1: Writing Regex with Chat GPT:

No matter if you love Regular Expressions or are terrified of them, this tip will help all of you!

Regular Expressions (Regex) can expand the possibilities of important SEO tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog and more. For example, we recently wanted to filter out all the URLs in Screaming Frog so that only those containing a query string would display. This is exactly where we would want to reach for a regular expression.

However, with all the rules and complexities, writing Regex is very difficult. Even using documentation, writing a simple regex string can be incredibly time-consuming. This is where AI tools like chat GPT can come in extremely handy. Because AI has an understanding of what a user is asking, and can use this to write the Regex for us.

Here is an example chat log with chat GPT:

As you can see, we simply asked the chatbot (in plain English) how we would like to sort our URLs. Within seconds it gave us the working regex code, along with a handy description of how it works. By copying and pasting this regex into the Screaming Frog filter, we were able to sort URLs so that only those containing query strings were showing.

The true power of this feature comes from its flexibility. As SEO professionals, we could easily be presented with any number of pages or queries that we may need to filter down. But with the analytical abilities of AI, we can convert any written command into a working regular expression in seconds.

This use case has improved the way we use Regex at Varn, but it does come with limitations. ChatGPT will always try to do the best job with the prompt you have provided, but it will rarely ask for more information if it feels your query is inadequate. This means that when writing your prompts for ChatGPT you should always be as specific as possible, leaving no room for a different interpretation.

Additionally, you should be very careful to not just copy and paste this code if it’s being used for something important, like a client-facing Looker Studio filter. Instead, you should use a tool like regex101.com to test the regular expression against any unusual edge cases it may encounter.

2: Planning Blog Ideas:

One of the most challenging parts of writing SEO-friendly blogs is coming up with an engaging idea. But Chat GPT can help!

Chat GPT is extremely versatile, and it is also able to assist with more creative processes, as well as technical tasks such as writing Regex.

Blogs can be a great way to improve the Search Engine ranking of a site. They also provide value to visitors which helps to keep them engaged. However, we will often find ourselves racking our brains for a blog idea that is both engaging to a user and will also tick all the boxes for SEO.

Here is an example of where we have used Chat GPT to assist in the ideation of new blogs on the Varn website.

Here you can see that as a result of our request, we have been provided with a bulleted list of ideas for potential blogs on the Varn site. It is important to remember to give a very descriptive prompt for chat GPT – In this example, we found that we needed to specifically state that we wanted the answers in a bulleted list. Otherwise, we were presented with completed blogs, rather than blog ideas. We also provided a list of keywords that we could potentially use, but needed to make it clear that using these keywords was optional. Otherwise, GPT would just cram as many keywords as possible into each bullet point. This extreme level of specificity is vital if you want to unlock the true power of chat GPT.

There are a range of ideas in this list of potential blog posts (some of which are better than others), but overall this list could be a valuable resource when coming up with new blog topics. For example, the 8th blog in the list brings up an interesting idea about deciding when to reach for PPC or SEO for your web promotion. There are some ideas in this list that are too broad, or which lack a certain context, but overall there are many good prompts that you could use when creating a future post; They may just need some work to progress them into a workable blog title.

3: Writing Metadata and Headings:

Writing Metadata and headings with SEO in mind can be time-consuming, but Chat GPT can help streamline this process.

In the previous section, we showed how we have been using chat GPT to assist in generating blog ideas. However, we can also use Chat GPT to create content for these blogs.

Here is an example of how you can generate metadata and headings using Chat GPT.

Once again within this section, we found it was very important to be hyper-specific with our prompts to Chat GPT, even going so far as to state the desired length of the metadata we wanted. The results are very interesting, the meta and headings are all well related to the blog topic we gave, and they do a good job of including keywords we might want to optimise for. In addition to this, the content reads well and tells a good story of what kind of content the rest of the blog might include.

Despite the fantastic quality of this AI-generated content, there are some problems.  Firstly, the metadata actually exceeded the character limit we provided, this is because GPT cannot directly count the number of characters it is generating. For this reason, the character counts are often not what we asked for, even if it’s usually not off by much.

The biggest limitation preventing us from using Chat GPT to generate content like this is the risk of search engines picking up on our use of AI-generated content. Historically, Google has explicitly given guidance to avoid the use of “automatically generated content”, and this is what makes us so cautious about using AI-generated content on websites.

However, over the past year, Google has been slowly changing their guidance on AI content to appear more in favour of its use. Last month, the company properly clarified their stance on AI-generated content, essentially saying that it doesn’t matter how the content is produced, it will be judged based on the content’s quality. This suggests that AI content could be usable in SEO, provided it is user-friendly and meets the E-E-A-T guidelines set out by Google. Despite this statement by Google, we still tend to air on the side of caution and remember that AI-generated content is not perfect. It is also important to remember that as SEO experts, we have a fully formed understanding of the specifics and will be able to produce higher-quality content than a chat bot. For this reason, we tend to use AI generation as a tool to help inform our own content and will never copy and paste anything directly from Chat GPT.

Going forward…

So far chat GPT has had an extremely positive impact on our SEO work at Varn. It has allowed us to speed up some tedious technical tasks and allows us to put more time into other areas of our work. Even now, we still believe we could find other uses of the technology to better improve our workflow, and we are excited to explore these possibilities.

However, we also believe that it is best to think of Chat GPT as an (albeit very powerful) tool in our toolbox, not a superpower that will do all of our work for us. This means it is still important to have a good understanding of the task you are trying to accomplish, so that you can review the quality of the response and provide Chat GPT with accurate information and context.

‘Momento mori’ – Latin – a symbolic trope which acts as a reminder of the inevitability of death.

Death. Just thinking about it is uncomfortable, let alone using the word. Most of us actively avoid dwelling on it. But as marketers, we can’t shy away from difficult topics.

At Flourish, death is never far from our thoughts – and we’re okay with that. Comfortable, even. Because when we make people aware of their own mortality, we can spur them to do great things. To take actions that truly reflect who they are. Like updating their Will to include a gift to a charity.

The brilliant thing about legacy giving – meaning gifts in Wills – is it enables people to align themselves with your cause without spending anything right now. For many people, including a gift in their Will to a charity is a way of ensuring their beliefs are honoured when they’re no longer here. Whilst some people will donate a proportion of their estate, others will pledge a set amount. Others may never get round to updating their Will to reflect their wishes, which is why ‘always on’ legacy campaigns are so important.

For many of the larger charities, legacy gifts make up 1/3 of their total income. So whilst legacy gifts may not come to fruition as quickly as individual giving, they are still an extremely valuable source of income. Guaranteed income, nonetheless, which is essential for future proofing.

With an effective legacy programme, charities can capture the attention of supporters who recognise a gift in their Will as an extension of their values. Whilst we believe legacy programmes should be embedded in every charity fundraising strategy, there’s never been a better time to start prioritising gifts in Wills than right now.

In today’s financial climate, charity fundraising is becoming more difficult. The cost-of-living crisis has left household budgets stretched, and subsequently, individual giving has plummeted. But people’s values remain the same, and the desire to support causes close to their heart is still very much alive for supporters.

So knowing how to talk about legacies – and when – is crucial. It can be hard to talk about death in the first place, and even harder to talk about legacy giving without immediately mentioning gifts in Wills. Servicing enquirers with a useful information booklet and a user-friendly website are good places to start, but there’s much more to successful legacy fundraising than simply passing on information and hoping for the best. That’s where we come in.

Flourish have a long history of successful legacy marketing campaigns for charities. Over the years we’ve inspired hundreds, if not thousands, of people to support a cause they care about with a gift in their Will. How? By working with charities to develop messaging that resonates with their supporters. Producing assets, acquisition campaigns and supporter nurturing programmes.  Ensuring charities maintain highly engaged relationships with prospective pledgers. All of this begins and ends with being mindful of death.

If you’re ready to futureproof your fundraising, get in touch with Business Development Manager Aimee Blakemore today at [email protected]. We understand that budgets are tight for charities at the moment, so we’re offering a free legacy comms review worth over £1000.

Do you know what “user experience” means? It’s a term that’s frequently used in the context of web design, and for many good reasons. A user’s first impression of your company can make or break their perception after they visit your website. The navigation of the website is another crucial component of the user experience. Learn more about the significance of navigation in web design and what to look for in a web design firm that prioritises strong navigation by reading on.

What does web design navigation entail?

The term “navigation” describes how a user navigates a website. It has buttons, menus, and links that users may utilise to access the site’s various pages and functions. The navigation of a website functions essentially as a map for users.

Why Is Proper Navigation So Critical?

As you will see in the reasons listed below, navigation should be given priority in web design:

1. Enhancing user experience

The user experience is important when it comes to web design, as was already established. A professional web development company is aware that effective navigation enables people to quickly access the information they are looking for on a website. If a user is unable to find what they need on your website quickly and easily, they are likely to leave the site and never return to it. On the other hand, users are more likely to interact with the website and perhaps even make a purchase when they encounter smart, user-friendly navigation.

2. Improve SEO

While selecting a web development agency in the UK, search engine optimisation (SEO), which is the process of optimising a website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), should always be given top consideration. Since search engines utilise it to scan and index the site’s pages, effective navigation is essential for SEO. The navigation of a website can make it difficult for search engines to comprehend the site’s structure when it is disorganised or unclear. The ranking of the website may suffer as a result.

3. Enhance Accessibility

Accessibility should be taken into account while creating websites. When a website provides clear navigation, people with disabilities—like those who use screen readers to navigate the site—will find it easier to use. Always work with a web design company that is aware of how well-organised and labelled websites are simpler for screen readers to traverse.

4. Decrease the Bounce Rate

The amount of visitors to your website that leave without interacting with it is referred to as the “bounce rate.” A high bounce rate frequently indicates that users are having problems accessing the website. Users can locate what they’re looking for more easily when the navigation is improved, which also boosts engagement and lowers the bounce rate.

5. Increase Conversion Rates

The basic objective of a website is to turn visitors into paying clients. By making it simpler for visitors to carry out desired actions, such filling out a contact form or finishing the checkout process, effective navigation can play a significant role in this.

A successful website must have effective navigation since it affects a number of variables, including user experience, accessibility, and SEO. It’s crucial to pick a web design company that prioritises and sets a high value on effective navigation.

Learn more about WeAgile, the leading UK app development agency.

 

 

Without an excellent website, your business simply cannot develop in the current digital era. It would be simple if all you required was a website, but what you actually need is a strong and effective online presence. Nonetheless, many business owners are still ignorant of this fact today. Some people still give little thought to whether a website’s claims about its goals, its vision, and the services it provides are accurate.

Fortunately, you are not one of them, and you have come looking for information and solutions. You are probably wondering why working with a skilled web development company is the best method to achieve the desired outcome, which is an excellent website.

We are available to you to discuss the advantages of working with a web design and development company like WeAgile when creating a new website or redesigning an existing one.

Let’s start by responding to some often asked queries:

What does a web design firm do?

A web development business with expertise may build a website from the ground up. Professional programmers and web designers at WeAgile have a wealth of experience creating digital goods (such as websites, applications, e-commerce sites, and software) for a variety of sectors. In order to find the best solution for you, web designers and web developers work together. They construct frameworks and databases, come up with innovative concepts, and decide on a language for both front-end and back-end development. The task of a web designer is to create the user interface or user experience. The team at WeAgile is skilled in many areas, including testing, deploying, and maintaining digital products.

Why can’t I simply pick a freelance web developer or web designer?

First off, WeAgile has a team of web developers, web designers, SEO specialists, project managers, testers, and more. As a single freelancer just cannot have all of this knowledge, you will undoubtedly receive a product that is subpar. Not because they are not professionals, but simply because it is difficult for one person to be an authority in so many different fields.

Second, even after the website is launched, the WeAgile team will be able to give you ongoing assistance and maintenance (indefinitely). Many people are unaware that even after the website is launched, it will need to be updated frequently for a variety of reasons. For example, if your website is built in WordPress, there are frequent updates to the platform and plugins; if you want your website to rank well on Google, Google regularly updates its algorithm; etc. You need to stay on top of all of this, and more often than not, a freelancer won’t be able to support you long-term due to other commitments.

Thirdly, clients will obtain the best level of service possible because a web development agency sets a great value on both its reputation and its long-term goals. Because you won’t be able to post a Google review or a Trustpilot rating for an independent freelancer, work is frequently finished a little sloppier and, most likely, no one will ever find out if your website is not functioning as intended. It is not even an exaggeration to say that we work with the best freelancers in the world. They are each true experts in their respective fields, but when it comes to web design and development, it takes a team (designers, developers, project managers, SEO experts, testers) to produce a top-notch outcome.

Fourth, your website will be delivered quickly and efficiently, and it will be a well-rounded final product because many professionals will have had input in the end product, often coming up with innovative ideas that will greatly benefit your company’s digital presence. This assumes nothing completely unforeseeable happens (like a significant change in the scope of work). For instance, if a freelancer you are working with experiences a personal setback (such as illness or a holiday), your project will be completely abandoned.

Let’s add another “layer of safety” for choosing a web design agency over a freelancer if the list above hasn’t already persuaded you. An agency is always a legitimate firm with owners, directors, insurance, etc. They won’t suddenly vanish one day or stop returning calls while the project is still in process.

Is it possible to create a website without a web development company’s assistance?

Certainly, there are platforms like Squarespace or Wix where you can try your best to build a straightforward and appealing website. No matter how much you know about designing and constructing websites, you will never be able to match the experience of a web development business.

Working with a web development company like WeAgile has a lot of benefits. Here is a succinct list of them:

We trust that we have clarified some of your concerns and dispelled any uncertainty you may have had over hiring a web design and development company. However, if you still have any questions about WeAgile, the leading UK Web Design and Development Company, don’t hesitate to contact us, and we’ll get back to you right away.