Ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, business enterprises have had to adapt to a “new normal” - with trends like remote working, digital processes, and online communications gaining momentum across the world. The year 2020 has been a major catalyst for a digital revolution in many industry sectors – either through retailers adopting the eCommerce business model or employee training and meetings going into the \"virtual\" mode.
\nThe pandemic has also transformed the Public Relations (or PR) function in ways that were hard to predict previously. Driven by trends like remote working, communications plan and strategy have undergone a significant metamorphosis.
\nCan companies continue to pursue the \"traditional\" form of PR and risk falling behind their brand-building processes?
\nAlong with the masks and social distancing, here are 3 unique PR trends to consider in 2021 – they are here to stay over the next decade. Let us discuss each one of them in detail.
\nTrend 1 – Predictive Analysis
\nBelieve it or not, the future of PR is Predictive Analysis - powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).
\nHow does predictive analysis empower PR professionals and companies?
\nBased on historic data trends, predictive analysis tools can be used to predict topics and issues that are likely to capture audience interest. Plus, it can help in identifying potential customers – through real-time customer data.
\nAnother growing trend is that of data-centric PR professionals who are adopting predictive analytics tools in their day-to-day work.
\nPredictive analytics tools such as IBM Watson Analytics have simplified the process of importing data into AI-based data models – and extracting valuable insights to the benefit of brands and customers.
\nChristopher Penn, Chief Data Scientist at TrustInsights predicts that \"data-driven PR professionals will embrace predictive tools in daily PR work – just as they have embraced Google Analytics and social media monitoring tools.\"
\nWhile predictive analytics can provide PR teams accurate predictions about market responses to corporate decisions and PR campaigns, PR expert, Katie Paine thinks that \"it is too complex a process to apply to most organizations.\"
\nAmong the major challenges, AI-driven predictive analysis requires millions of data volumes and the right technical expertise to maximize its benefits.
\nTrend 2 – Virtual Events and Live Streaming
\nThe ongoing pandemic has all but ensured the elimination of any mass in-person events including large-scale business and press conferences – along with seminars, concerts, and trade fairs.
\nTo keep up, businesses are now moving to a “virtual” or digital form of events using technologies like virtual conferencing and webinars. Coffee table chats or lunch meetings are now being replaced with virtual meetings – that are likely to stay even in the post-COVID “normal” world.
\nPooja Pathak, Managing Director of Media Mantra believes that virtual events have become a “default necessity” during the pandemic. Abhinav Srivastava of SPAG Asia talks about the transition from physical to virtual events as being a “seamless transition.”
\nAnother emerging trend is that of live streaming of events like award shows and industry conferences – that is increasing website traffic and increasing online viewership from a global audience.
\nGoing forth, we may see a hybrid mix of physical and online events that could reshape the way the PR function is being executed.
\nTrend 3 – Impact of Fake News on PR
\nOver 60% of media customers cannot distinguish facts from fiction. In other words, nearly two-thirds of consumers cannot identify good journalism from fake news or misinformation.
\nThe growth of fake news has largely been driven by the emergence of many media outlets and social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
\nHow does this impact the PR domain?
\nWith the spread of misinformation at an all-time high, PR professionals face the challenge of countering fake claims about their company or industry.
\nAccording to Iva Grigorova, a PR communication specialist, “communication professionals can counter the spread of fake news” through methods of accurate storytelling and content marketing – that can help consumers connect with a brand and develop trust and loyalty.
\nAs businesses adopt digital technologies, brand honesty is among the top concerns for customers in today’s times. Through proper communication and transparency, companies can counter the effects of misinformation and mistrust in their brands.
\nThe evolving post-pandemic business world brings both challenges and opportunities to PR and communication teams. With more businesses going remote and to online platforms, it will be interesting to see how corporate PR responds to this change and devise their organizational strategy for the next decade.\n
Your website is perhaps the most crucial entity that can leave an impression on your audience. The way it portrays your brand defines whether you’ll have a client or just another visitor.
\nYour visitors may take action, but most of the time, they don’t. While many of them just ignore your subscription requests, some of them manage to share their details.
\nThe biggest challenge for businesses is not just to increase traffic but to convert the existing ones in a way that they become a client.
\nHere’s where conversion rate optimization (CRO) comes into play.
\nCRO is perhaps the most important performance metric for any business seeking substantial growth in today’s era.
\nThough driving conversions isn’t a piece of cake, it largely depends on the way your website is conveying a message and building credibility in the first couple of seconds when the visitor lands.
\nHere we’ve clubbed some crucial aspects that will help your business enhance conversion rate through correct utilization of your website in this ever-increasing competitive world.
\n1. Mobile Optimization
\nYou’ve probably heard that mobile optimization is the key to enhance sales and improve conversions, but how you surprise your visitors changes the entire game.
\nOptimizing your website for diverse mobile platforms, devices, and web browsers pave a path for a rich user experience, which in turn helps you to enhance conversions.
\nTo be honest, would you prefer shopping from an eCommerce store where you have to pinch on your smartphone every now & then to find what you’re looking for? Probably no, isn’t it?
\nWhen a website delivers an optimized layout as per the screen size of a device with seamless navigation, a user can be quickly converted and you can expect them to inch towards the next step.
\n2. Enhance Page Loading Time
\nA website that doesn’t load quickly is good for nothing. Yes, everyone is expecting a quick response on the internet and they always strive to consider a website that loads fast.
\nAdmit it, everyone is offering almost similar kinds of services.
\nBe it your competitors or a new player in the market, the ones offering a flawless user experience, especially when it comes to loading speed, will stay ahead of the curve.
\nYour website should be optimized in a way that it doesn’t take more than 4-5 seconds to load. Moreover, rigorously testing post optimization is the right way to ensure your audience isn’t waiting for the landing page to load.
\n3. Optimize Call-to-Action Buttons
\nCall to action (CTA) buttons and effective signup forms play a crucial role in improving conversions. Adding a CTA randomly without an adequate marketing strategy in place is of no use.
\nMost businesses and marketers ignore the importance of a call to action when it comes to increasing conversions and generating more revenues.
\nA well-designed and well-placed effective CTA can enhance the numbers when it comes to conversions. But how do know about the best place to add CTA?
\nWell, you need to understand the user persona of your targeted audience and figure out the actual problems that they’re facing and how your solution solves the purpose.
\nBased on this data, you can add a CTA to your website. For instance, any software development company could provide a brief about their product, its ability to solve a complex problem, and then put a CTA - “book a free demo.”
\n4. Analyze Visitor Data
\nConsumers these days are always on the hunt for a seamless and consistent experience that can be delivered through an omnichannel consumer experience.
\nBusinesses need to quickly work on user behaviour and invest in omnichannel experience across their platform so that users are catered to the best experience ever.
\n5. Reviews & Testimonials for Building Credibility
\nAdding a bunch of reviews and testimonials to your landing page is yet another great way to build trust in your targeted audience.
\nPeople prefer established brands, especially the ones that are trusted by other brands.
\nAdding a couple of reviews and testimonials of happy clients can significantly boost your conversion rate and would surely unfold different opportunities.
\nA business website holds a bunch of opportunities that can be fostered by utilizing the right marketing strategy.
\nMarketers need to put their best foot forward in understanding their targeted audience and what exactly they’re looking for in a business website.
\nThe aforementioned aspects can be quite fruitful for every business regardless of the industry to enhance conversion rates and improve overall traffic.\n
In May of this year, Google is set to roll out the Google Page Experience update. It is critical for websites to meet this update’s criteria to be crawled and retain or improve their position on search engine result pages (SERPs). With this new update, only websites that provide a seamless and sophisticated online user experience (UX) will establish a secure position in online search rankings.
\nResearch shows that users prefer websites with an excellent page experience. The goal of this Google update is to enhance users’ overall web-browsing experience across all devices. Google will be using Core Web Vitals as direct page experience ranking factors. Thus, it is vital to have a solid understanding of Google Core Web Vitals to make sure your website’s user interface design and user experience or UX/UX design, meets the criteria.
\nMany understand how this new search ranking algorithm can make or break a business; however, not everyone has a solid plan on how to ensure their online success. There are digital marketing agencies providing web design services that can help. You can also use tools to check your website’s Core Web Vitals score and create your UI/UX design and an optimized user interface.
\nBefore we delve further into the different UI/UX design tools and Google Core Web Vitals, let’s answer a commonly asked question: What is UI/UX design or UX/UI design? What is UI/UX design for?
\nUX design and UI design are two different elements that work together and impact the web experience. UX design means “user experience design,” while UI design means “user interface design.”
\nUX design focuses on how an item works and how users interact with it. It is the invisible side of design and involves usability and function. UI design is centered on the visual, graphical and layout aspects of design. In the web design space, UX and UI designs go together to provide users with an enjoyable online browsing experience.
\nCore Web Vitals quantify a user’s page experience through metrics that measure website speed, functionality and responsiveness:
\nOther page experience factors affect your search rankings:
\nThese page experience ranking factors and the newest addition - Google Core Web Vitals - are set to make pages safer and more enjoyable.
\nThere are several developer tools you can use to test your site on its user-friendliness and Core Web Vitals performance.
\nThese tools can give you the information needed to optimize your page. They can also expose security vulnerabilities and errors. While website owners should now start paying more attention to user experience, ensuring high-quality content is equally important. There needs to be a balance between providing excellent content and optimizing the UX/UI design for a great user experience. What is UI/UX design without quality content, after all?
\nSome tools can help you build your UX/UI design. You can use prototyping tools to create beautiful and trendy user interface and user experience designs.
\nUser behavior and expectations constantly evolve, so designers need to adapt and provide solutions to ensure that their websites can meet these changing needs. These tools should help you design your website on your own or if you have an in-house team that handles your website’s user interface design, you could suggest these tools to them.
\nYou can also work with a web design agency that provides comprehensive web design services to create an excellent user interface and user experience design. This also helps ensure your website retains or improves its current search rankings after the Google page experience update.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"April 19, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":"In the current situation in 2021, with so many designing tools in the market, it has become difficult to choose the perfect one. Let’s get the insights of the top UI/UX design tools, compare their features, and choose the perfect fit for you!","title":"Top UI/UX Design Tools 2021","tags":null,"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/1a66a85128f15aa64cbc44c9b1cd5448/14b42/best-ui-ux-design-loginradius.jpg","srcSet":"/static/1a66a85128f15aa64cbc44c9b1cd5448/f836f/best-ui-ux-design-loginradius.jpg 200w,\n/static/1a66a85128f15aa64cbc44c9b1cd5448/2244e/best-ui-ux-design-loginradius.jpg 400w,\n/static/1a66a85128f15aa64cbc44c9b1cd5448/14b42/best-ui-ux-design-loginradius.jpg 800w,\n/static/1a66a85128f15aa64cbc44c9b1cd5448/8dcf7/best-ui-ux-design-loginradius.jpg 910w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"The most critical job of a marketer is to find out creative ways to draw both existing and potential consumers’ attention. You need to…","fields":{"slug":"/growth/why-video-testimonials-are-a-marketing-must/"},"html":"The most critical job of a marketer is to find out creative ways to draw both existing and potential consumers’ attention. You need to invest resources, time, and effort to brainstorm tactics that don't fade away and remain relevant over the years. And most importantly, convert quality leads.
\nMarketers have embraced consumer reviews for ages. In online marketing, consumer testimonials that include brand reviews and product reviews have become essential aspects of a company's marketing collateral. Video testimonials are a new addition to it, and they are playing a significant role in allowing companies to increase their consumer reach.
\nLet's understand how video testimonials can help you dominate the marketing scene.
\nResearch has shown that humans aren't purely logical beings. Emotions also play a significant role when we make decisions. What better medium than videos to express emotions?
\nAnyway, text is static and emotionless. But that isn't the case with videos. Videos are super dynamic. They include a mixture of each medium, including photos, audio, and text. Nothing beats them in evoking the right emotions in the users' minds and hearts.
\nAlso, text is a time-consuming medium. Many users don't like reading books because it demands critical thinking and interpretation skills. But why is it that way?
\nScience explains that our brain consists of mirror neurons that fire under two circumstances. Firstly, when we do an action. And secondly, when we watch another person doing an activity.
\nWhile watching videos, we observe others acting on the screen, which activates our mirror neurons and keeps our interest alive. These neuroscientific pieces of evidence prove why video marketing for business is multiple times better than writing consumer reviews.
\nDo you know that people remember about 80% of what they see compared to only 20% of what they read? This eye-opening statistic indicates why video testimonials are better than written reviews. Many reasons explain this unusual statistic.
\nFirstly, as explained in the above point, videos activate our brain's emotional centers that substantially increase our retention capacity. Secondly, storytelling is a time-tested way of making deep impressions on the human mind.
\nAsk yourself the following questions:
\nThere is a high probability that you would have watched the movies mentioned above and neglected reading the novels. This short experiment proves why video testimonials are an excellent alternative to text for creating a compelling brand message.
\nHow do you define the success of a particular marketing tool? By the number of times, it gets shared, right? Companies have been playing on this data to increase their sales by creating more video marketing collaterals that are share-worthy.
\nSome examples include Intel's \"Meet the Makers\" and the critically acclaimed \"So Yeah, We Tried Slack\" campaign by Slack.
\nThe most significant challenge that businesses face is the inability to develop a personal connection with their clients.
\nMost websites have a static page that displays a list of products and services along with their price. Others have an additional section for consumer testimonials but without the client's profile or picture. These are unauthentic ways to capture attention.
\nOn the other hand, video testimonials lend a human face to your products. When consumers see and hear how others benefit from your company's vast range of products, it creates a positive effect on their psyche. It provides them an added reassurance that your company has the perfect solution for meeting their needs.
\nBy now, it must be clear how important it is to develop video testimonials and the impact they can generate. In today's interconnected world, videos can prove to be an effective way of developing robust and long-lasting consumer relations, increasing brand bandwidth, and boosting the prospect-to-consumer ratio.
\nHowever, creating impactful video testimonials isn't a cakewalk. It requires a potent mixture of creativity, understanding of user needs, and digital marketing methods. So, start focusing more on video testimonials instead of investing resources for developing text-based marketing collaterals. With time, you will get better at it and create a massive impact on your audience.\n
Everyone knows how the coronavirus pandemic took hardly any time to spread worldwide. And how, in its wake, countries across the planet initiated a series of lockdowns to save their citizens from this deadly virus.
\nSince professionals couldn’t venture outside and had to stay home, remote work or work from home became the new normal.
\nAnd just when the world was gradually recovering from the impact of COVID’s first wave, and offices were planning to open after a long hiatus, the second wave of infections crashed on the shore of human wellness.
\nSo, what does the picture look like now?
\nAccording to statistics, 25-30% of the workforce will be working from home by the end of 2021.
\n
Living at home has its pros and cons. You can enjoy quality time with your family, save on travel expenses, and focus more on your kids.
\nOn the other hand, you might get bored after a while, miss those chats with your colleagues near the cooler, or yearn to go outside and breathe in fresh air to get your grey cells working better.
\nHowever, since heading to the office is not really an option now, coming up with ways to get more creative and productive in a work from home setting can be helpful.
\nHere are ten tips you can try, whether you are new to the industry or a leader.
\nTechnology has become the backbone of every kind of business. Nobody could have conceived the idea of working from home without using the latest digital tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Skype for brainstorming effective strategies through video conferencing.
\nOn the other hand, it also allows team members to share critical documents in real-time through cloud-based software like Google docs and OneDrive.
\nTechnology enables leaders to learn about employee experience and get a comprehensive understanding of their challenges. In this way, leaders can identify employees' pain points and figure out what works best for enhancing their creativity.
\nIdentity is all in the modern world, and the cyber threat to businesses is at an all-time high. With the world at a standstill as a result of the pandemic, the concept of stable data governance and flexible identity management in a volatile environment should be considered.
\nDeadlines play a significant role in developing a sense of accountability, whether you are working from home or office. The best practice is to create a timeline before assigning the work to an employee and then constantly monitoring their performance.
\nStrict timelines generate a sense of urgency in the employee and motivate them to find creative solutions to finish the task in a specified duration. Creativity allows them to judge their capabilities well, increase productivity and submit deliverables on time.
\n
Do you conduct separate meetings for each department? Do you only discuss deadlines and who is responsible for a particular task?
\nIf your answer is yes to both those questions, it's time to change your definition of the word \"meeting\".
\nTo promote creativity, you need to understand the perspective of every individual. Start by including members from teams who aren't necessarily considered in the creative lot, such as quality managers, finance managers, and operation analysts.
\nSometimes, people are too shy to express their thoughts in front of others. You can have one-to-one sessions with them through Skype and learn about their views in such cases.
\nCommunication plays a substantial role in sparking creativity amongst team members. You can do it by breaking your meeting into several parts.
\nFor example, before you start discussing business issues, lighten your team's mood by asking them about the weather, sharing a piece of critical news, or cracking a joke.
\nShare the recipe of your favorite cuisine or talk about the song your kid sang last night. You can gradually shift the focus towards more essential issues once you see people actively participating in the conversation.
\nLearning a new approach will set your creative juices flowing and unlock a new perspective. In the present scenario, it would be best if you learned the basics of data security. Do you know that about 95% of cyberattacks are caused by human error? This number can significantly reduce if you pursue a course on data security best practices. Know what you are best at? Then figure out how you can contribute to others. If you have a lot of free time after work, you can use it to educate others and form a niche audience. Write guest blogs for reputed websites and share your skills and expertise with others. If people like your content, you can create a personal website and charge a fixed fee to users wanting to consume what you write. Webinars are one of the best ways to learn a skill that you always wanted but didn't have time for. Start with free webinars and gradually move towards paid ones where the host shares their personal experience and secrets of becoming an expert. The best part about webinars is that you can clear your doubts in real-time and interact with other participants in a live setting. Are you an expert in your field? Do you like solving doubts in real-time? Do people feel comfortable while interacting with you? Then this is the right time to start your webinar or podcast, whichever format you are more comfortable with. If you have enough knowledge on the selected topic and have excellent presentation skills, you will gain a massive audience in relatively less time. Use your creative skills to design an eye-catching webinar that provides the best quality content engagingly. We live in an age driven by information where data plays a significant role in companies across industries. Data collection and analysis have become essential for each business as they allow creating unique customer personas. But data alone doesn't lead anywhere. You need to have storytelling skills that will help you see the bigger picture, unearth valuable insights, and forecast future trends. As the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has spread across the world, work from home is here to stay, at least for a while. So, this is the best time to identify your strengths, polish your skills, and learn something new. Follow the ten tips given in this article to enhance your creativity while working from home and make the best use of your skills, time, and money during the pandemic.\n In today's digital world, the demand for robust identity proofing solutions is greater than ever. As businesses strive to protect their systems from increasing cyber threats while maintaining a seamless customer experience, orchestration has emerged as a powerful tool. By integrating comprehensive identity proofing solutions through orchestration, companies can enhance security, improve compliance, and deliver a smoother user experience. Let’s understand the aspects of comprehensive identity-proofing solutions. With the rise of digital interactions, businesses face significant challenges in verifying the identities of users, customers, and employees. Cybercrime is rising, and organizations must protect sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access. This has made identity proofing an essential component of modern business operations. Traditional identity verification methods, such as passwords and security questions, are no longer sufficient to combat sophisticated attacks. Businesses must adopt more advanced techniques that leverage biometric data, machine learning, and real-time analysis to ensure accurate and reliable identity verification. Orchestration in identity proofing involves integrating various verification tools and processes into a single, cohesive platform. This approach allows businesses to automate and streamline identity verification tasks, making them more efficient and effective. By utilizing orchestration, companies can: Comprehensive identity proofing solutions offer advanced security features that help businesses protect their digital assets and user data. By leveraging multiple verification methods, organizations can create a robust defense against identity theft and fraud. Orchestration allows these security measures to be applied consistently and automatically, reducing the risk of human error. Businesses must navigate a complex landscape of data protection and privacy regulations, such as GDPR, CCPA, and PSD2. Comprehensive identity proofing solutions help companies stay compliant by integrating regulatory checks into their workflows. Orchestration ensures that these checks are performed consistently and accurately, minimizing the risk of non-compliance and associated penalties. A streamlined and efficient identity verification process is crucial for providing a positive customer experience. With orchestration, businesses can reduce the time and effort required for users to prove their identities, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty. Automated processes also minimize the risk of false positives, ensuring unnecessary security hurdles do not inconvenience legitimate users.7. Create a blog
\n8. Sign up for webinars
\n9. Start your webinar or podcast
\n10. Become a data specialist and a storyteller
\nConclusion
\nThe Growing Need for Identity Proofing
\nWhat is Orchestration in Identity Proofing?
\n\n
\nBenefits of Comprehensive Identity Proofing Solutions
\n1. Enhanced Security
\n2. Regulatory Compliance
\n3. Improved Customer Experience
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