Social media advertising can have a big impact on a brand. Digital marketing ads may encourage people to try a product, a free trial could lead to a purchase, and a purchase could lead to a person actually using a product. During this process, brand-centric conversations usually develop on social networking websites, which can be discovered through search. These conversations become a vital factor when it comes to making purchase-related decisions, as most buyers usually check out comments on social networks like Facebook before coming to a buying decision.These digital marketing conversations are usually driven by two factors, which are both controllable. The first is product design, and the second is the communications between customers and customer service agents. There is a strong connection between ROI and customer service. For instance, if an internet marketing professional takes the time to understand the relationship between the number of fans and the number of ‘likes’, together with conversations on Twitter between customers and service agents, they will get a true picture of the impact of their digital marketing campaign on social networks.A simple way to get such an understanding is to connect customer service actions with incremental ‘likes’, by tracking responses of customers to the digital marketing messages of your customer care agents. You may also begin tracking incremental revenue, either directly through your Facebook business page or other social media profile. So, what is incremental revenue? Incremental revenue can be in the form of subscription renewals, product up-sells, and customer saves collected through the actions of social care agents.Incremental revenue can also be calculated from the expense side, just like a phone interaction. Once you track the shift of call deflection, you will get a measure of the change in expenses connected with your digital marketing effort, together with its cost. Your digital marketing programme on social networks will now be connected to real money, offering a great way to calculate ROI.As an Internet marketing professional continues to build their marketing programme on social networking websites, it is important for them to think beyond marketing. A social media profile should also link to other functional areas of a business, which also take part in social media-based conversations, such as customer service. Take into account revenue, expense change and directional KPI’s, before setting up various ROI goals. Therefore, there are a number of ways in which you can also improve product promotion through Social media.
Digital Marketing – Incremental Revenue
Losing Large Amounts Of Weight Through A Nutritional And Healthy Diet Plan
Are you one of the thousands upon thousands of people who are 60, 80, or 100 pounds overweight, and have tried diet after diet only to discover they didn’t work?Have you stuck to a diet and lost 10 or 20 pounds only to find that once the diet ended, you gained all your weight back and more?If so, you are definitely not alone. In fact, if you are one of the people who medical experts refer to as obese, chances are that a traditional diet isn’t going to work for you, and certainly the latest ‘fad’ diet isn’t going to work.By focusing on changing your eating habits to include more nutritional and healthy foods, rather than on weight loss and calorie counting, will help you to lose much more weight that any so called “Diet”The Problem With DietsThe main problem with diets is that they are designed for quick short term weight loss. This means that by their very nature they radically cut calories, and in doing so cut many of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to maintain good health.While this may have little effect on those looking to only lose 5 or 10 pounds, for anyone who tries dieting long-term, they experience unrelenting hunger pangs, food cravings, and even begin to feel weak and more unhealthy than ever before. In addition, many of these diets end up robbing you of energy and make you feel depressed.And all of this leads to quitting the diet, possibly gaining even more weight back, while feeling that you have failed once again.Don’t Focus On Weight Loss Focus On Eating HealthyRather than focusing on weight loss, start focusing on eating more nutritional and healthy foods. By shifting your focus you are improving your overall health, while ‘shedding’ those pounds for good. Eating more nutritionally isn’t a diet, it is a lifestyle change that not only helps you lose weight, but makes you feel and look better from the inside out.Start By Learning All You Can About NutritionMost of us think that we know all about good nutrition, but in fact we really know little at all. For example, most people believe that low fat food is better for you than their fattier counterparts. Why? Because this is what we have been told.However, low fat food is often worse for you than the full fat versions. Take a look at the label on whole milk, or cheese, and then compare the low fat versions of these products.The low fat version may contain less fat, but they are extremely high in sodium that not only adds water weight, but causes a variety of health problems as well – and the processed low fat food products are notorious for replacing some of the fat with high fructose corn syrup so they can be called ‘low fat’ and ‘sugar free’.Additionally, you also need to learn how to prepare foods so they keep more of their nutritional value. Fresh raw fruits and vegetables are more healthy than cooked, and micro-waving robs almost all foods of their nutrients. Once you have learned more about nutrition, you can then also look for foods that are considered to be fat burning or anti-inflammatory, as well as nutritional.Why You Lose Weight With Nutritionally Sound FoodsOne of the reasons you lose weight when eating nutritionally sound foods is because many of these foods are naturally lower in calories. This means that you can actually eat more actual food and still consume less calories.And this is especially the case when comparing to foods like pasta, bread, cereal, and other high calorie processed foods that are often full of sugar – none of these are nutrient rich and healthy, and you can’t lose weight with ‘nutritionally empty’ foods.When you eat nutrient dense foods, you are also giving your body what it needs to function properly. This results in feeling more sated, so you are less hungry and have fewer cravings for your problem foods. And all of this results in eating less.Eating foods that are high in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can help you feel better overall. When you feel healthier you have more natural energy – which makes it easy for you to increase your activity levels, which helps to burn off even more calories that results in more weight loss. And the beat goes on!Best of all you,can begin making small changes in your diet to include more nutritional foods, and then add more and more of these foods as you go along. This will give your body time to adjust to your new way of eating, while allowing you to change your diet in a manner that doesn’t send your body into shock and starvation mode.And whatever you do, don’t try to lose weight by fasting or eating ridiculously low amounts of calories. Each small healthy change you make, will result in more weight loss, and you can consistently meet your weight loss goals in a way that is healthy and will enable you to keep the weight off.
Alternative Financing Vs. Venture Capital: Which Option Is Best for Boosting Working Capital?
There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.
In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.
But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.
Different Types of Financing
One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.
Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.
But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.
Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.
Alternative Financing Solutions
But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:
1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.
2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.
3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.
In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:
It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.
A Precious Commodity
Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).
Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.
Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?