by Unibit Solutions | Feb 17, 2020 | Digital Marketing |
Are you thinking seriously about buying a digital marketing franchise? We can vouch for the fact that it’s a worthwhile investment. Having said that, you should do your homework before you take the plunge. As with any business investment, there are a number of things you need to research. Start by looking into the following four aspects: Brand Recognition Do some deep research on the brand you’re planning to buy into. How well known is it? How much market share does it have? Look around at the range of clients that use their services. Make sure you’re selecting a reputable brand with a strong history and client base. The point of buying a franchise, rather than starting something from the bottom, is that you get to leverage an established brand and all the benefits that come with it. Once you pick up a good brand, half your work is done. The Market – Local and Global What do you know about the market for digital marketing services? Are you sure it’s a market you can get into and bring something to? Are you sure you can make it lucrative? Examine both the global market and your specific local market. In fact, the latter is possibly the most important. You are taking global services to a specific, local market. Make sure that the market is there and has sufficient opportunities to keep you in business. Franchisee Support Call up some franchisees if you can and ask them about their experience of dealing with the franchisor. Is there a lot of support and training? Are there well-thought-out, successful and easy-to-follow guidelines...
by Unibit Solutions | Feb 10, 2020 | Digital Marketing |
Looking for some inspiration and some fresh ideas for your digital marketing agency? Sometimes, all it takes to inject some revitalising energy into a creative agency is to listen to some new perspectives from fellow industry professionals. A good podcast should do the trick. Why not recommend the following four podcasts to your staff when they’re short of ideas? 1. Duct Tape Marketing Podcast Hosted by author and marketing consultant John Jantsch, Duct Tape Marketing is aimed at junior to mid-level marketers. It is one of the most popular marketing podcasts out there. Jantsch collects some great marketing tips from industry leaders. So, your less experienced staff members are sure to pick up a couple of great ideas they haven’t heard before. 2. The Sophisticated Marketer’s Podcast Every two weeks, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions’ Jason Miller hosts a series of guests for the discussion of the latest trends and topics at the forefront of digital marketing. Some of the key focus areas are social engagement, storytelling and marketing funnels. 3. Search Engine Nerds SEO is probably the biggest topic in the digital marketing world, so it’s no real surprise that there is a podcast dedicated entirely to it. The experts at the Search Engine Journal talk about the latest SEO, social media, paid search and content marketing practices. Having any doubts about SEO? Be sure to give this a listen. 4. Online marketing made Easy Marketing expert Amy Porterfield addresses business owners in this podcast, teaching the profit-expanding power of online marketing. Expert interviews and intimate, behind-the-scenes secrets enable entrepreneurs with real, result-driven strategies. Looking to outsource some or all...
by Unibit Solutions | Feb 3, 2020 | Social Media |
The month of love is here, bringing with it great opportunities for brand engagement. How can you make use of the Valentine’s Day spirit to get the public engaged with the brands your digital marketing franchise is promoting? Here are four tips to get your campaign going. 1. Start by Getting Your Pages All Loved Up Get your social media pages into the spirit by adding some well-designed Valentine’s Day themed elements. Use clever design and try to be different. People may just overlook the usual hearts and arrows, so throw in new design elements that offer something fresh. Get creative and incorporate your brand identity into the decorations. 2. Get Personal Social media offers you the opportunity to engage directly and personally with users. You can encourage people to use your platform to post pictures or messages in line with the holiday. You can link to a Valentine’s Day quiz, along with the posting of, discussion and engagement around the results. Generate hashtags and get people writing, ‘selfying’ and posting. 3. Use as Many Platforms as You Can – and Partner With Other Brands As always, spread your campaign across as many appropriate, available platforms as possible. Look further than the usual platforms like Facebook and Twitter. For example, why not try to see how you could work with a dating website. Also, think about how you can bring other brands into partnership with you for a win-win promotional effort. Consider Starbucks’ partnership with Match.com as an example, where the coffee giant enabled couples meeting on the app to plan their first coffee together. 4. Be Irreverent We...
by Unibit Solutions | Jan 27, 2020 | Digital Marketing |
“International experience, especially in other developing countries, shows us that economic growth is sustained through small businesses. Many, if not most, small and medium businesses already make use of technology products in their businesses, and actually making tech their businesses,” stated President Cyril Ramaphosa in his 7 November 2019 speech during the SMME Programme of the Second South Africa Investment Conference. We are encouraged by the South African Government’s commitment to supporting small businesses in the following ways: Simplifying the tax regime for Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprises (SMME’s) by requiring annual rather than bi-annual tax returns, making grants received by SMME’s tax-exempt and enhancing the venture capital company tax regime to encourage investment in small businesses and junior mining companies. Improving the legal and regulatory environment to ensure access to markets, finance, skills training, and quality infrastructure. Compliance with the 30-day payment period by Government. Roll-out of small business incubation centres to provide youth-driven start-ups with financial and technical advice. Establishment of a Township Entrepreneurship Fund, finalised by the Minister of Small Business Development, aiming to stimulate the township economy and create dynamic markets in high opportunity sectors. We can empower your small business with a digital marketing strategy that includes social media marketing, content marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO). SEO helps you optimise your website through keyword search, keyword placement and making sure you have high quality, engaging content on your website. Contact us today to see how we can help or if you are interested in buying a digital marketing...
by Unibit Solutions | Jan 13, 2020 | Digital Marketing |
The year 2020 offers a fresh decade for growth opportunities within the franchise industry. Some franchise categories such as food and anything related to children will always be in demand. The continued sharing of cat pictures, where to buy a favourite pair of sunglasses or the best place for a holiday makes franchises offering digital marketing services a big trend in 2020 once again. Here are some exciting franchise trends that will set the scene in 2020. Franchises are following their customers Many franchise brands are following their customers beyond the mall or shopping centre to sports, cultural or social events. They are even co-locating with major fuel retailers to reach their customers outside standard shopping hours. Most everyone today uses the internet to find products and services, so franchisees are also following their customers onto mobile and other digital platforms. More franchises understand the value of social media Whether a franchise decides to reach customers via storytelling, creation of a persona or personalisation through shoppable posts, social media marketing continues to be the best way to reach customers. Franchises are beginning to understand the importance of a digital marketing strategy that includes content marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO). Franchises are focusing on customer experience (CX) Customers are at the centre of every business and how they feel about a brand or service is easily shared on social media platforms. A positive customer experience, whether through quality service or a good product, can build brand loyalty. Franchises look towards enhancing their customer’s experience by understanding their needs and managing their expectations. Wondering how a digital marketing franchise can...
by Unibit Solutions | Jan 6, 2020 | Digital Marketing |
Entrepreneurship is seen as a desirable, high-status career in South Africa according to a recent survey. This makes a digital marketing franchise the perfect fit for South African entrepreneurs interested in engaging with customers on their preferred digital platforms and devices. Here are 5 great reasons why a digital marketing franchise is for entrepreneurs in South Africa. You can work outside office hours Digital marketing allows you the freedom to set your own working hours, promoting a better work-life balance. With a digital marketing franchise you can work from home, saving on transport costs; and minimise data costs by doing much of your work during off-peak hours. The franchise is South Africa ready The start-up costs for any business can be extensive and risky in South Africa’s unique economic conditions. A franchise not only offers a pre-designed business structure and access to a strong international network, but also someone to talk to that understands the South African market. Focus on an industry you enjoy Whether you intend to focus on sport, entertainment, retail or general business, working within an industry you enjoy could build good relationships. Your passion and digital marketing expertise gained through a WSI franchise will ensure business-to-business marketing (B2B marketing) clients consider your business favourably. You already own the basic tools required to set up your business If you have a mobile phone, laptop and internet connection, you already have the basic tools required to set up a digital marketing business. Add to that an interest in business trends and practices whilst learning new innovations and technologies, together with great communication and problem-solving skills, and a...
by Unibit Solutions | Dec 17, 2019 | Digital Marketing |
Hiring and training the right people is probably the main challenge faced by any digital marketing agency. You might start off as a one-person operation or work with a handful of trusted collaborators. However, as the business improves and you start seeing the need to scale up, you need to face the task of bringing in the right crew. The minute your ads hit your networks, you will be inundated with applications from scores of copywriters, SEO practitioners, social marketers, and so forth. You need to be able to sift through them all and find the right ones. Here are two key tips to help you. Look for Specialists You have probably already established your core team at this point, so don’t bother looking for generalists now. With most key competencies covered, you should have worked out where your gaps are. Maybe you need someone who is great at B2B work, or perhaps a seasoned wiz at social media. Look for specialised expertise. This will not only narrow the field, but it will also help you to set more decisive and focused recruitment criteria. Consider Entry-Level Posts On the other hand, with digital marketing being such a new field, there will be times when taking in entry-level employees will be the best option. Entry-level posts can be very hard to fill. This is often because employers don’t have strong training programmes in place and don’t have the time to train new staff. It is worth investing in a good training programme and taking on entry-level staff. This is the best way to develop a great team that is fully...
by Unibit Solutions | Dec 13, 2019 | Digital Marketing |
Digital marketing franchises are on the rise. With the increasing prevalence of SEO and social media marketing, these franchises are very lucrative business opportunities. Every business needs not only digital marketing, but also large volumes of content to maintain their online presence. It is well worth looking into these opportunities and purchasing a franchise. But, which one should it be? We May Be Biased But… When considering the various international and local digital marketing franchises currently operating in South Africa, WSI is by far the best. But we’re not just biased; the reasons all add up, as we think you’ll agree in light of the 5 compelling reasons below: International Recognition WSI is recognised by several authorities as one of the world’s top franchises in any field. Entrepreneur magazine, Bond’s and Franchise Direct have consistently rated WSI among their top 100 franchises for years. Powerful Network WSI has established an incredible network of big-name supporters, partners and suppliers. Adobe, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are only some of the names in the WSI network. A Solid, Proven, Easy-to-Follow System WSI has set up an easy-to-follow marketing system called the INTERNET SOLUTIONS LIFECYCLE®. This process is simple and proven and provides a well-established framework for your business while also giving you a great deal of autonomy. Low Financial Commitment Compared to other franchises, WSI requires a very low financial outlay. Having made the initial expenditure, your investment has very high ROI possibilities, limited only by your capacities and motivation. Have we convinced you? Looking for a new business investment opportunity? Why not consider purchasing a digital marketing franchise. Contact Unibit Solutions...
by Unibit Solutions | Dec 9, 2019 | Digital Marketing |
The festive season is here and the new year will be arriving before you know it. So, if you haven’t put a plan in place for your digital marketing agency for the year ahead, you really need to get started. We are happy to offer some step-by-step tips on how to go about it. Take Stock Start by looking back at this year. What went well? What could have been better? What can you take with you and what needs to be left behind? What could you simply do differently? Make comprehensive lists answering these questions and any others you can think of. Celebrate your successes and think about how you can repeat them and improve on them. When it comes to perceived failures, don’t beat yourself up over them, just focus on what you can learn from them. Set Realistic But Aspirational Goals Having taken inventory of your past year and worked out what you need to repeat or change in the year ahead, brainstorm and refine goals for the coming year. Do you want to increase your client base? By how much? Do you want to focus on increasing your revenue? Set a definite target either in currency or a percentage. Set a Theme for the Coming Year Having decided on your goals, set a theme for the coming year to narrow your overall focus. Is this your double revenue year or your international expansion year, for example? Think big and give everyone something to aim for. Now Devise a Plan of Action You have your theme, you have your goal. Now put definite steps in place...
by Unibit Solutions | Dec 2, 2019 | Digital Marketing |
No matter what business you operate, be it a digital marketing franchise or an online retail company, you are sure to be faced with increased expenditure during the festive season. Here are a few simple tips to help you keep your December spending under control. Draw Up a Budget and Communicate it to Your Employees It’s not difficult for spending to get out of control at any time of the year. But, during the festive season, it’s particularly easy. Before you even let a single cent go, draw up a detailed budget for December. Itemise it in terms of what your business really needs and what it can afford to splash out on. Once you have it set up, do not waver from it. Also, remember to communicate the budget to your employees. You could also break up the budget in departments, and make sure that each department knows what they can spend. Introduce Spending Controls – If You Haven’t Already Keep a close watch on each and every cent, and keep your receipts. Your finance department may generally check receipts once a week. Over this season, rather let them check it once a day or every two days. Add up the spending and check it against the budget constantly. If you allow certain staff members to make purchases with company credit cards, place limits on the cards so that spending is automatically stopped when the limit is reached. Keep Credit Cards for Emergencies Speaking of credit cards, remember that they really should only be used in emergencies. You may feel tempted to increase spending over this month and...
