Bourne Digital

Category: Blog

Latest blog posts from Bourne Digital – Bournemouth-based SEO, SEM, and digital marketing agency

  • 7 tips for better B2B copywriting

    7 tips for better B2B copywriting

    B2B (business-to-business) copywriting is a specialized form of writing that focuses on creating compelling content for businesses to promote their products or services to other businesses. Effective B2B copywriting can make a significant impact on the success of a business, helping to generate leads, increase conversions, and ultimately drive revenue. In this article, I will provide some tips for B2B copywriting that can help your business create compelling content that resonates with your target audience.

    B2B copywriting tips

    1. Identify your target audience

    The first step in B2B copywriting is to identify your target audience. This involves understanding who your ideal customer is, what they are looking for, and what challenges they face in their industry. By understanding your target audience, you can create content that speaks directly to their needs and helps them understand how your product or service can help them overcome those challenges.

    2. Focus on benefits, not features

    When creating B2B copy, it’s important to focus on the benefits of your product or service, not just the features. While it’s important to highlight the features of your product or service, your target audience is ultimately interested in how your offering can help them solve a problem or achieve a goal. Focus on how your product or service can make their job easier, save them time or money, or improve their bottom line.

    3. Use clear and concise language

    B2B copywriting should be clear and concise, avoiding jargon or technical language that may confuse your target audience. Use simple language and avoid using complex sentences or phrases that could make it difficult for your audience to understand. Keep in mind that your audience is likely busy and may not have the time or patience to decipher complicated language.

    4. Use social proof

    Social proof, such as customer testimonials or case studies, can be an effective way to build trust with your target audience. By showcasing how your product or service has helped other businesses, you can demonstrate that you are a credible and trustworthy partner.

    5. Focus on the customer journey

    B2B copywriting should focus on the customer journey, from the initial discovery phase to the final purchase decision. Consider the different touchpoints that your target audience may have with your brand and create content that speaks to each stage of the journey. For example, you may want to create content that educates potential customers about the benefits of your product or service, as well as content that helps them compare your offering to competitors.

    6. Use data and statistics

    Using data and statistics can help to reinforce your messaging and make your content more compelling. Consider incorporating data that supports the benefits of your product or service, such as the ROI that other businesses have seen from using your offering.

    7. Use a strong call-to-action

    Finally, B2B copywriting should always include a strong call-to-action (CTA). A CTA should be clear and compelling, encouraging your target audience to take action, such as filling out a form, downloading a resource, or contacting your sales team. Make sure your CTA is relevant to the content and that it’s easy for your audience to take the desired action.

    In conclusion, B2B copywriting is a crucial part of any business’s marketing strategy. By understanding your target audience, focusing on benefits, using clear language, using social proof, focusing on the customer journey, using data and statistics, and using a strong call-to-action, you can create compelling content that resonates with your target audience and helps drive business success.

  • 7 Google advanced search operators and how to use them

    7 Google advanced search operators and how to use them

    Google advanced search operators are a set of special commands and symbols that you can add to your search query to filter and refine the results. These operators allow you to search the web more efficiently, quickly, and accurately. In this article, we will explore the most common Google advanced search operators and provide examples of how to use them effectively.

    Site Search Operator

    The site search operator allows you to search only within a specific website. To use this operator, simply add “site:” followed by the website you want to search, followed by your query.

    For example, if you want to search for the keyword “technology” only within the website “www.apple.com”, your search query would look like this:

    “site:www.apple.com technology”

    File Type Search Operator

    The file type search operator allows you to search for specific file types, such as PDF, DOC, PPT, or XLS. To use this operator, simply add “filetype:” followed by the file extension you want to search for, followed by your query.

    For example, if you want to search for PDF files containing the keyword “technology”, your search query would look like this:

    “technology filetype:pdf”

    The link search operator allows you to search for pages that link to a specific website or URL. To use this operator, simply add “link:” followed by the website or URL you want to search for, followed by your query.

    For example, if you want to search for pages that link to the website “www.apple.com”, your search query would look like this:

    “link:www.apple.com”

    Definition search operator

    The definition search operator allows you to search for definitions of specific terms. To use this operator, simply add “define:” followed by the term you want to search for.

    For example, if you want to search for the definition of the term “technology”, your search query would look like this:

    “define:technology”

    Intitle Search Operator

    The intitle search operator allows you to search for pages with specific keywords in the title. To use this operator, simply add “intitle:” followed by the keyword you want to search for, followed by your query.

    For example, if you want to search for pages with the keyword “technology” in the title, your search query would look like this:

    “intitle:technology”

    Intext Search Operator

    The intext search operator allows you to search for pages with specific keywords in the body of the page. To use this operator, simply add “intext:” followed by the keyword you want to search for, followed by your query.

    For example, if you want to search for pages with the keyword “technology” in the body of the page, your search query would look like this:

    “intext:technology”

    Inurl Search Operator

    The inurl search operator allows you to search for pages with specific keywords in the URL. To use this operator, simply add “inurl:” followed by the keyword you want to search for, followed by your query.

    For example, if you want to search for pages with the keyword “technology” in the URL, your search query would look like this:

    “inurl:technology”

    Are there any old Google advanced search operators that still work?

    Yes, many of the older Google advanced search operators still (sometimes) work, but some of them may have been modified or deprecated over time.

    The following are some of the most common older search operators that might still work:

    “-” (minus) search operator

    Allows you to exclude specific words from your search results. For example, if you search for “technology -computer”, the results will show pages containing the word “technology” but exclude those containing the word “computer”.

    “OR” search operator

    Allows you to search for either one keyword or another. For example, if you search for “technology OR computer”, the results will show pages containing either “technology” or “computer”.

    “”” (quotation marks) operator

    Allows you to search for an exact phrase. For example, if you search for “”technology and computer””, the results will show pages containing the exact phrase “technology and computer”.

    “*” (asterisk) operator

    Allows you to search for a wildcard, or a missing word in a phrase. For example, if you search for “technology * computer”, the results will show pages containing the phrase “technology something computer”.

    It’s important to note that Google may change the functionality or availability of its advanced search operators at any time, so it’s a good idea to periodically check for updates.

    Are there any old Google advanced search operators that no longer work?

    Yes, there are some old Google advanced search operators that are no longer supported. Some of these operators include:

    “info:” search operator

    This operator used to allow you to search for information about a specific website or page. However, it is no longer supported by Google.

    “stocks:” search operator

    This operator used to allow you to search for stock information. However, it is no longer supported by Google.

    “define:” search operator

    This operator used to allow you to search for definitions of specific terms. It has been replaced by the “define” function within the Google search results page.

    This operator used to allow you to search for pages that link to a specific website or URL. It is still supported, but its functionality has been reduced.

    Change is inevitable…

    It’s important to note that Google may change the functionality or availability of its advanced search operators at any time, so it’s a good idea to periodically check for updates.

  • 7 Free WordPress plugins you need right now

    7 Free WordPress plugins you need right now

    Okay, so, you’ve got your shiny new WordPress site up and running.

    Next, you’ll want to make sure your new website has all the latest bells and whistles to make it fast, efficient, secure and essentially, to make it everything you want it to be.

    To achieve that, you’re going to need some plugins. Plugins are add-ons for WordPress that allow you to improve the functionality of your website without having to code everything yourself.

    In this article, I’ve picked out what I consider to be the most useful free WordPress plugins currently available. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that these WordPress plugins are absolutely essential.

    1. 404 Solution

    If you’re seeing lots of 404 errors in your Google Search Console, you probably need this plugin. For the uninitiated, a 404 error is the error code you get back from a web server when the page you are looking for is not there. These errors can arise when web pages move to a different URL or get deleted. Over time, you’ll find this true of your WordPress-based content.

    Forget Google Search Console (for 404s)

    The first thing 404 Solution does is to catch any 404 errors generated when people find themselves somewhere that content used to be on your site. This saves you having to go to the Google Search Console to find them.

    Automatic Redirects

    The really clever part of 404 Solution is the automatic redirect function. When the plugin catches a 404 error, if the URL is similar to something on your site, it assumes that this is the right content and automatically creates a 303 (permanent) redirect pointing to the new location of the content.

    Where non-obvious redirects are concerned, in the short term, the person following the link will be redirected to a custom 404 page. In the longer term, the WordPress admin can see all of the errors caught and create permanent redirects with a simple wizard.

    Get 404 Solution

    2. Yoast SEO

    Speak to any SEO expert and they will tell you that on-page SEO is only a small part of the overall picture. They are, of course, absolutely right. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not important. That’s where Yoast comes in.

    On-page SEO

    While Yoast may not be the be-all and end-all of SEO, it does serve as a handy on-page SEO checklist. For the simple, but easily forgettable stuff like making sure your keywords are featuring in all the right places, there’s nothing better.

    Legibility is your friend

    One, often overlooked search ranking factor is what happens when people get to your site. If people tend to hang around, read, follow links and so on, Google sees your site in a better light (I’m oversimplifying here so if you want to know more, check out what Google says). One thing that can really make a difference here is how readable your content is. Yoast checks your copy against the criteria of the Flesch reading ease test to help you make your content more accessible.

    Get Yoast SEO

    Broken Link Checker does exactly what it says on the tin. If there are any broken links on your site, this WordPress plugin will find them for you. Like most website problems, broken links can hurt your search rankings. More importantly (and the self-same reason they hurt your rankings), they are downright irritating for the reader. Install Broken Link Checker and this will no longer be a problem for you, your readers or Google’s spiders.

    Get Broken Link Checker

    4. Akismet Anti-Spam

    Are your WordPress comments full of spam? Perhaps you’ve switched them off or locked them down to prevent it. Well, it sounds like you need Akismet Anti-Spam. Once installed, you’ll forget you ever had a problem. Most of the spam goes straight to trash and anything that Akismet isn’t sure about (which I’ve found to be very rare) will end up in a moderation queue for you to decide for yourself.

    Get Akismet Anti-Spam

    5. Contact Form 7

    If you’ve got a WordPress site, you’ve probably got a reason for people to get in touch with you. A nice way to do that is to have a contact form on your website. Most web users are comfortable with this form of communication and giving the option to contact you without leaving your site can be the difference between contact and no contact.

    Contact Form 7 allows the reader to simply enter details (of your choosing) into a form on your WordPress website. This information is then sent as an email to the addresses specified by the WordPress site administrator.

    Get Contact Form 7

    6. Google XML Sitemaps

    You’ve spent all that time creating content, why make it hard to find? In order for your content to be found by people searching the web, search engines like Google need to know where it is. In most cases, Google will eventually find your content by way of other links pointing towards it but there’s no guarantee when or even if this will happen.

    One way to make sure that search engines know where to find your content is to submit a sitemap. Sitemaps are XML documents that contain an index of all content on a website. This document allows search engines to easily find and index all the content on your site. The Google XML Sitemaps builds this document and serves it to the web, creating a live continually-updated index of all your public WordPress content. Once the sitemap is created, you can then submit it via Google Search Console to enable Google to better index your WordPress site.

    Get Google XML Sitemaps

    7. Redirection

    Why wait for a 404 error when you can prevent it? Sometimes you might want to move a piece of content or change a URL. The problem with this is that there may be other content linking to the content on its current URL. The solution to this is to create a 303 (permanent) redirect. The Redirection plugin allows you to manually create 303 redirects from within the WordPress dashboard.

    Get Redirection

    In conclusion

    WordPress is a great blogging platform and CMS (content management system) right out of the box but thanks to a massive community of independent developers and the plugins they make, it can be almost anything you want it to be. Think of any feature you might want to add to your website and you can almost guarantee that someone has created a plugin for it.

    The above list is by no means exhaustive but it does contain the WordPress plugins I personally find that I can’t live without. If you’ve got any favourites, let me know in the comments. I’m always keen to see what others are using.

  • 10 steps to improve your effectiveness on social media

    10 steps to improve your effectiveness on social media

    The road to social media nirvana need not be as hard going as you think. This simple 10 step process will help you build a killer social presence.

    So, you’ve got a website and you’ve got content. Your social channels are primed and ready for action. What you now need is a killer formula for creating social media updates that help you achieve your key business objectives. But where do you start? Let me help you out with that:

    Step 1. Know what you want to achieve

    Before diving straight into posting your content on social media, think about your business objectives. What are you trying to achieve? All of your activity on social media should help you achieve your key business objectives. If it’s not doing that, what’s the point?

    Step 2. Know your audience

    Once you know what you want to achieve, you need to work out how to grow and leverage your audience to help you achieve your objectives. Build audience personas and get to know your core audience. Find out their desires and needs. Can you meet their needs whilst achieving your objectives?

    Step 3. Test the water

    Now that you know your audience, you can test the water. By now you should have a good idea of what to post, to where and for whom. Play with things like posting time and try different headline formats. Make sure you’re regularly collecting data!

    Step 4. Measure your effectiveness

    Now it’s time to put that data to work. With a few simple spreadsheet exercises, you should be able to work out which posts resonate most with your audience.

    Step 5. Create your formula

    Now you have the data to create killer social updates and know how best to use them, it’s time to codify that. Try to boil the process down to one simple sentence. Apply that simple process to all of your future social updates.

    Step 6. Test your formula

    Now it’s time to reap what you’ve sewn by putting your formula to work. Run it for a long period to build an even more comprehensive data set.

    Step 7. Tweak it

    You’ve been up and running for a while and you should still be collecting data. Use the steps above to further tweak your process.

    Step 8. Run it

    Now it’s time to get your game face on. This is where you go from beta to release. Your social updates should already be delivering real value. Collect the data that matters most in terms of your business objectives.

    Step 9. Measure it

    It’s measuring time again. You should by now have a comprehensive dataset that should show a direct impact on your business objectives.

    Step 10. Repeat it

    Over time, things change and you’ll need to make allowances for that. Build the time into your schedule to continually revisit this process and keep your social media updates optimised ad infinitum.

    In conclusion

    Now you should have everything you need to start building a process for creating social media updates that really impact your business objectives. If you’ve got this far but want help delivering something special to your social audience, get in touch.

  • Why brands need to bring social media management in-house

    Why brands need to bring social media management in-house

    Social media has been a thing for a decade and a half but brands still think it’s black magic. This post explains why it ain’t so and how bringing it in-house will pay dividends.

    I think it’s safe to say that day-to-day social media management for most brands isn’t difficult these days. If you’re reading this, chances are that you found it on Facebook, X (Twitter) or some other social platform. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily make you a social media specialist but that’s okay. You don’t need to be.

    Whatever the size of your business or budget, you can and should bring your day-to-day social media management in-house and here’s why:

    Social media agencies are expensive

    Expensive is an understatement. If you’re a large brand and you need 24/7 monitoring, you’ll probably be paying agency day rates that could be anywhere from £300 to upwards of £1,500 depending on the agency and level of service. That’s JUST for the day-to-day management of your social channels. Campaigns, design work, content… all of these things will be added on. You could build a kick-ass in-house team for that kind of money. Your already in-house marketing team would love having the extra budget to play with. Just imagine what they could do with all that extra money.

    If you’re a smaller brand and you’ve only got a few thousand pounds a month (or less) to spend, you’re literally going to get a few minutes a day from an agency. Trust me, I know. I’ve worked across many accounts with budgets of varying sizes at various agencies. With the best will in the world, social media agencies with expensive overheads just can’t produce the kind of value you should expect for that kind of money. Again, a few thousand pounds a month will probably pay for an in-house social media executive.

    If your budget is virtually non-existent, you can probably do everything you need to do yourself. You might not have much time but you’ll know that time equates to money and unless your day rate is higher than that of an agency, you’re throwing money away by employing one.

    I don’t have time

    Nobody has time to do their own marketing. I certainly don’t. However, I make sure I plan about half an hour into my day to get things done. You can even do it on your coffee break. If you don’t want to splurge out all your updates at once, there are tonnes of free tools for advance scheduling. For smaller businesses, I’d recommend Buffer for this. It’s free, easy and even allows you to track how well your posts are doing by tracking clicks on links. For larger businesses with bigger budgets, there’s a lot more available but if you hire an in-house social media manager, they will no doubt already know what the best tools and techniques are.

    Doing it better

    Let’s say you’ve already got an in-house social media team but you want to take your social media marketing to the next level. Perhaps you want to build your audience with high-quality followers and/or influencers. Maybe you want to drive sales for a product launch or want a campaign to drive engagement; that’s where agencies and consultants are useful. When you want to do something that’s outside of your ability or comfort zone, that’s when to get help. What social media agencies and consultants can offer is experience, specialist knowledge and resources above and beyond your own. That’s where the smart money is.

    Getting started with social media management

    I’m not just going to leave you dangling. If you’ve read all of the above and think it makes sense but don’t know how to get up and running, again, agencies or a consultant like myself can help you out by looking into what you want to achieve and making a plan to help you do it. Get in touch.

    In conclusion

    Day-to-day social media isn’t as hard as many agencies would like you to think but like anything, there may be aspects that you need help with. Stop wasting money on things you can do yourself and hire experts to do the experty stuff.

    If you need help getting started, or want to run a kick-ass social campaign but don’t know how, get in touch and we’ll work out a plan of action that suits your budget and provides real business value. If you’re already farming your day-to-day stuff out to an agency, I can also help you transition to an in-house model. Doing it yourself doesn’t necessarily mean doing it alone.