'Made for TikTok' Series to Help Marketers Run Better Ads Campaigns

TikTok has launched a new video tips series called ‘Made for TikTok’. The new series will highlight key lessons from experts, starting with an initial ‘workout program’ series hosted by David Ma.

Australian agency E-Web Marketing is using the series in their staff training to deliver high performing TikTok ads campaigns for clients. The video series is designed to help marketers understand the key elements of the app, and create better TikTok campaigns.

The campaign launch video incorporates all of the workout series clips, showing the new series will explore various aspects of TikTok engagement, including subcultures, comments, co-creation and more.

Each of these elements can also be viewed in isolation on the TikTok for Business profile.

The video lessons themselves are not in-depth, but they do provide ideas on how to understand TikTok more broadly, which advertisers can use to better align their content to key usage behaviors and shifts.

Blake Smith, digital strategist at Australian agency E-Web Marketing, says "TikTok now has 1 billion users and has quickly become the key platform to reach younger consumers. We've identified a good growth opportunity for our clients using TikTok. As we approach the holiday period, businesses should now be mapping out TikTok strategies and implementing a TikTok ads campaign."

TikTok recommends taking 10 minutes to watch the whole series, as it will provide key insights to better manage the app. The company also says that it will publish more 'Made for TikTok' tips videos soon.

To learn more about advertising on TikTok or to launch a TikTok ads campaign contact E-Web Marketing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNncAA68evA

SEO for Lawyers Explained by SEO Consultant Blake Smith

Australian search engine optimisation (SEO) consultant Blake Smith recently explained the importance of SEO for lawyers and law firms.

Blake recently contributed to an article by legalsites titled "Blogging For Lawyers (2021 Starter Guide)" to provide expert insight into how ranking high in search engines is a huge benefit to lawyers looking to attract high-quality client leads, boost their website’s traffic and increase referrals.

Blake says SEO is good for lawyers to gain credibility in their industry. "SEO helps you improve your authority and credibility as a trusted source. Google and other search engines are doing their best to showcase credible sources in the search results, too. So when people search for legal services over the Internet, they are more likely to trust the law firms that appear on the first page of their search results."

"I encourage my law firm clients to stop worrying about publishing short articles every week. Many lawyers say they need 2 articles a month based on an ‘imaginary’ deadline they’ve set themselves. For SEO purposes I recommend going more in-depth with articles that explore a topic in detail," says Blake.

Reeva from Cutting Edge Digital agrees with this sentiment, saying, "You don’t have to write over 2,000 words to rank. This just isn’t true. Shorter content can rank as long as it’s well-written, and is relevant to the keyword phrase you want to rank for."

Data from Search Engine Journal shows that typically longer content ranks better, but SEO experts argue that is because long-form articles usually get more backlinks. The data shows that longer content usually receives more links. Backlinks are one of the ways that search engines judge the quality of a webpage.

A 2017 study by Accuranker also found the legal niche to be the most competitive when it comes to SEO. The study examined 111,000 local keywords for the three largest US cities – Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. The data showed that legal keywords have the lowest number of search engine results without local map packs. Combine this with the fact that the industry has high cost per click keywords in search advertising and the outcome is a very competitive industry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7tso0_X51Y

For lawyers and law firms looking to generate more clients, get in touch with SEO consultant Blake Smith to start an SEO campaign and generate more organic traffic.

E-Web Marketing CEO on TikTok Advertising in Australia and its New Features

Advertisers in Australia can now look forward to enhanced features in TikTok ads. TikTok recently presented its new plan to ramp up advertiser investment in its social media advertising platform with the expansion of e-commerce, a new promise of “brand safety” and the launch of several new and interactive ad formats.

The new ad formats range from clickable stickers to “Choose Your Own Adventure" type ads, “super likes” and more.

The additions, the company says, will make TikTok’s advertising more interactive and creative, much like the TikTok experience itself.

The company demonstrated its new additions at an online conference aimed at the advertising and marketing community.

TikTok also announced several new e-commerce partnerships beyond its pilot partner Shopify to make online shopping a more native experience, with the ability for users to go from product discovery to checkout without leaving the app. It noted it’s making live shopping available to brands and offered several ad products made just for e-commerce brands. And, in some markets, TikTok is offering to take on the responsibilities of shipping and fulfillment, as well.

Meanwhile, TikTok’s broader ads business is getting a jolt with the launch of several new products designed with the goal of making TikTok better differentiated from other social media rivals.

On this front, TikTok introduced a new product called “instant page,” which is a quick-loading landing page that the company claims will load 11 times faster than a typical mobile website. This allows a user who clicks through on an ad to be immediately taken to a page where they’ll be able to see more information from the brand, watch more videos and swipe through other content — all without leaving the TikTok app. This could compete with Instagram’s Link Sticker which recently stepped in to replace the swipe-up gesture in its app.

“All these solutions are a part of our goal to enable advertisers to create the most engaging ads in ways that taps into their creativity and fun that exists on the platform,” said Jaclyn Fitzpatrick, TikTok Product Strategist, Global Business Marketing, when introducing the new lineup.

Of course, performance and measurement capabilities are just as important to marketers as the ad creatives themselves. To address these concerns, the company touted its TikTok Ad Manager, editing suite, trends and insights, and other new tools for buying, scaling and analyzing their campaigns. It launched a new buying type called Reach & Frequency, which allows advertisers to target a higher volume of users through extended reach, or get more impressions with the same number of users by opting into a higher frequency for their ad placements.

TikTok also made a commitment to brand safety — an issue that’s plagued YouTube in the past — with the launch of a proprietary brand safety inventory filter.

The solution leverages machine learning technology to classify a video’s risk based on the video’s content, text, audio and more, so advertisers can make decisions about which kind of inventory they want to run adjacent to, the company explained. TikTok says the new filter is aligned with the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM)’s industry framework and it partnered with Integrate Ad Science (IAS), Zefr and OpenSlate to help it to ensure ads run next to brand-safe content.

E-Web Marketing CEO Sam Shetty sees the benefits of the new TikTok ads options. "We feel that TikTok is saying to advertisers that they should be considered not only because of its huge global audience, but also because of the advertising options available on their platform."

To date, marketers haven’t dedicated as much budget for TikTok compared to other major platforms, like Facebook and Instagram. But TikTok parent company ByteDance has been making inroads in the global ad market, with annual revenue across its apps more than doubling in 2020 to reach $34.3 billion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb0O-lvBYcc

To learn more about advertising on TikTok or to launch a TikTok ads campaign contact E-Web Marketing via ewebmarketing.com.au.

Google Explains How to Approach Small Business SEO

Google’s John Mueller recently explained how small business SEO is shifting during the Google Search Central SEO office-hours hangout recorded on October 8, 2021. In the show Mr Mueller explains how industry experts can adapt to keep up with their needs.

Mueller says, "Much of the content on the web aimed at helping small businesses is based on an “old school” way of doing things."

A viewer of the show wrote in for more information, as they just started to learn SEO in preparation for the launch of a small business website. They ask Mueller for some guidance in this area, which leads to him commenting on the old school nature of the advice they’re likely to find online.

In response to the question, Mueller says there’s many helpful SEO starter guides published on the web by industry experts, but some of them are too technical for beginners.

“The tricky part with all of these starter guides, at least the ones that I’ve seen, is they’re often based on an almost old school model of websites where you create HTML pages.

"For the most part, small businesses when they go online they don’t create HTML pages anymore they go into WordPress, or into Wix, or into any of the other common hosting platforms, and they create their pages by putting text in, and dragging images in, and all of these things.

"And they don’t really realize that in the back there’s actually an HTML page.”

While many guides on SEO for small businesses talk about writing HTML code to adjust title elements, small business SEO is primarily filling in fields.

“So sometimes when you go through these starter guides it can feel very technical, and not really map to what you’re actually doing when you’re creating these web pages.

"Because when we talk about title elements, for example, you don’t look at the HTML anymore and try to tweak that. But rather you try to find the field in whatever hosting system that you have and think about what you need to put there.

"So that’s something where I think, over time, things will probably shift a bit to cover that area a little bit better.”

Stefan Novic, consultant at small business marketing company Digital Burst, agrees. "I think many small business owners are using tools to market their business. They're not concerned with HTML or coding - they are simply taking their business online. SEO for small businesses should be focused on making the online experience for their customers as good as possible."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd0rEQrwHDc

To learn more about small business SEO visit digitalburst.com.au/seo-for-small-business

Australians' Tax Deadline is November 1, $1100 Fines Apply for Missing Deadline

November 1 is the last day Australians can enter their 2020-21 tax return without risking a fine from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), with the potential $222 ‘failure to lodge’ penalty growing the later the submission occurs.

ATO assistant commissioner Tim Loh said late lodgement fines are usually reserved for those who owe money, and not the 80 percent of people who receive a tax refund.

“There’s a four in five chance you’ll be getting a refund anyway, so the odds are better than backing a Melbourne Cup winner,” he said. “The longer you wait, the chances are you’re missing out on a refund. And if you’re receiving childcare support, CCS or the family tax benefit, you’re required to do it so you get those benefits.”

Mr Loh warns those relying on work-related car use, accommodation, and travel to boost their tax return cold be in for a nasty surprise, with the ATO reportedly cracking down on these claims.

CPA Australia senior manager of tax policy Elinor Kasapidis said those who need more time to complete their tax return should engage a tax agent before November 1.

“Don’t rush through your tax return as this may lead to mistakes,” she said.

“Remember, you can cut your own hair, but you’ll get a better result if you see a professional. It’s the same with completing your tax return.

“If you see a tax agent, you can be confident you’re paying the right amount of tax and getting the maximum refund you’re entitled to.”

The penalties for failing to lodge one's own return or become a client of a registered tax agent by the due date can also accumulate over time.

"You become immediately liable for a $222 penalty if you do not lodge by November 2 in this instance. That $222 penalty increases by a further $222 for every 28 days you continue to be late," said Mark Chapman, Director of Tax Communications at H&R Block.

"It can potentially go all the way up to five times $220 or $1110. That's the maximum penalty you can get if you continue to not lodge your tax," said Mr Chapman.

EW Partners is an Ascot Vale accounting firm ready to help Australians with their tax returns. To learn more about tax consulting and tax returns in Melbourne visit ewpartners.com.au/tax-consulting/

Strathmore Neighbourhood Project Deemed a Success by Locals

The Strathmore Neighbourhood Project has helped revitalise the popular Woodland Street trader strip and encourage the residents to experience their local community, announces Moonee Valley City Council.

The project has included the delivery of a parklet, street beautification works, and a mobile library service over the past 18 months, something Moonee Valley Mayor, Cr Cam Nation says is a key part of Council’s long-term MV2040 vision for 20-minute neighbourhoods.

“These significant works and activations in Woodland Street not only add to the overall streetscape but encourage locals to visit and utilise services in their own neighbourhood,” Mayor Nation said. “The Library on the Move is one of many Community Lounge initiatives. The mobile library will be a huge win not only for the Strathmore community, but for all neighbourhoods within the City, making it easier for them to access a range of library books, resources, programs and events.”

The project has also been complemented by a COVID-19 Recovery Arts Initiative with artists Yuria Okamura and Jack Rowland creating a series of site responsive artworks along Woodland Street. The public art project was funded through the State Government’s Working for Victoria initiative.

The project and activations aim to support the Woodland Street trader strip, encouraging the community to live and shop local during the pandemic and beyond.

“These are real examples of how art is used to support recovery, how we deliver commitments within MV2040 in ‘Beautiful and Thriving’, and more importantly, how we’re creating a healthy city” Mayor Nation said. “As part of MV2040, our aim is to have a thriving city with the vision of having diverse arts projects available to community members of all ages throughout our neighbourhoods.”

A spokesperson for Accountant Moonee Valley said, "The Strathmore Neighbourhood Project has helped revitalise the area, and I suspect it will have a positive economic impact on local businesses in Strathmore and the city of Moonee Valley."

Council has been delivering the Strathmore Neighbourhood Project as part of State Government funding from the Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions, and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

Arthur Murray Crows Nest Welcomes Dancers Back to the Dance Floor

Sydney - Arthur Murray Crows Nest have reopened their doors as per the NSW guidelines and are ready to welcome dancers on the dance floor once again.

Arthur Murray Crows Nest is one of the founding studios for Arthur Murray in Australia, being established in 1968 by the Australasian Chairman Nicholas Romano. They have been teaching the Lower and Upper North Shore of Sydney how to dance for over 50 years. They offer classes in a wide range of dance forms, including: Ballroom, Latin, Waltz, Tango, Salsa, Swing, Rumba, Mambo and much more.

Throughout its long history, dance has offered a multitude of benefits to both physical and mental health. The topic of mental health has been especially relevant in current times, as the world deals with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the mental health crisis which many people are facing due to repeated lockdowns, loss of employment and being apart from loved ones. As NSW starts to open up again after over 100 days in lockdown, people are eager to return to their regular routines and experience new things.

Dance classes are a great way to shake off all the heavy emotion from the past year and a half, and have some fun.

Some of the many proven benefits of dance include improved posture and flexibility, increased energy levels, improved muscular strength and motor fitness, improved muscle tone, better coordination and agility, increased confidence and self-esteem, improved mood, and reduced stress and anxiety levels. Dancing is also a great way to make new friends and to feel part of a community.

Researchers have stated that mood-improving chemicals are released within the body when a person is dancing. According to The Arts in Psychotherapy, when unleashed, these chemicals help improve a person’s mental state. A study carried out by the University of Hertfordshire Psychology Professor Peter Lovatt showed that the happiness levels experienced while dancing are still increased one week after the last dance.

As October is also Mental Health Month, there is no better time to take care of one's self and one's mental health. People are encouraged to put themselves first and do something that makes them feel good.

Arthur Murray Crows Nest is open for lessons from Monday to Friday (2pm-10pm) and on Saturdays (10am-2pm). They welcome singles and couples, beginner dancers and people who have been dancing for years. To find out more information, please visit their website: https://www.arthurmurraycrowsnest.com.au/ or contact them on (02) 9439 2061.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp7hvMiU28Q