by Francois Muscat | Sep 8, 2017 | General
This year’s mid-term Convention of the Professional Speakers Association of South Africa (PSASA) will be held on the 20th and 21st of October 2017, at the Hacklebrook Conference Centre in Craighall, Johannesburg. The theme of the 2017 mid-term convention is “Creating A Speaker’s Toolbox”. Attendees will learn everything from:
- setting up a winning business model,
- using technology,
- boosting their speaking businesses,
- publishing a business book, and
- managing the search engine optimisation of their websites.
The agenda for the convention is as follows:
Friday 20 October: 12H00 to 19H15
Registration
- 12H15 – Networking Lunch
- 13h30 – Dawn Klatzko: Session 1
Art of The Suit Workshop – Rethinking Your Business Model
- 14h50 – Tea Break
- 15h15 – Dawn Klatzko: Session 2
Art of The Suit Workshop
Wrap Up
- 16H40 – Tea
- 17h00 – 19h15
Networking Dinner: Drum-Power entertainment with Colin Heaney
Saturday 21 October: 07H30 to 16H30
- 07h30 – Registration
- 07h45 – Networking Breakfast
- 09h00 – Cindy Alter: Drive to Thrive
- 09h45 – Ross Saunders: Technology and Your Business Today
- 10h40 – Tea
- 11h00 – Charlotte Kemp: Marketing Your Business Services on LinkedIn
- 11h50 – Leon Lategan: Lead Generation & Building Business Databases
- 12h35 – Lunch
- 13h30 – Dean Murinik: Levelling the Playing Field
- 14H15 – Jacques De Villiers & Jacques Vellerman: Writing and Publishing Business
Books
- 15H05 -Tea
- 15h25 – Francois Muscat: Designing & Managing Your Website and SEO
- 16h15 – 16h30
Convention Wrap-Up and Closure.
Book early to ensure your Early Bird Convention fee of only R1 500 for both days. After the 16th of September, the price will be R 1950.
For more information, contact www.psasouthernafrica.co.za.
by Marelise da Silva | Oct 18, 2016 | Digital Media Marketing, General
In April 2012 Google introduced an algorithm called Penguin with the goal of penalising websites spamming the search results. The particular focus was on sites who used link schemes to manipulate search rankings. Penguin works by seeking out inorganic links i.e. those links which are bought or placed solely for the sake of improving search rankings. Prior to Penguin bad links would be devalued and needed replacing in order to recover search rankings.
The recently released version 4.0 of Google’s Penguin went real time. This means a site will be penalized in near real-time (if it gets unnatural links) as well as recover from a penalty incredibly quickly (if the bad links are disavowed or removed.
Here are some key features of Penguin 4.0
- Penguin 4.0 was released for all countries and languages at the same time making the rules the same for everyone
- Penguin is real-time now. Both the positive and negative impacts of your actions will become noticeable faster
- The real-time algorithm allows you to recover from a Google penalty faster
- From now on, Penguin is a part of Google’s core algorithm, not a separate filter
- Penguin is becoming more granular, the algorithm is now focused on the specific pages toxic links are pointing to, rather than on the whole websites
Here are some quick pointers on how to avoid being penalised by Penguin
- Watch comments on you blogs; when you submit a comment, you’re requested to add a name, email and web address. The blogging system will then turn your name into ‘anchor text’ and use it as a link back to your website. If you add the same thing every time you post, you could find your anchor text ratio hitting dangerously high levels.
- Built your trust by ensuring you do not link with untrusted sites.
- Avoid active link building as this is akin to manipulation. Rather focus on producing great content
- Never buy links: in all likelihood those selling the links are doing so to many others and you risk being lumped together with other sites with the same links.
- Use the services of Digital Marketing Services companies such as WSIOMS who are experts in SEO and who have a track record in the field.
by Francois Muscat | Jan 15, 2013 | General
You may be wondering why I’m writing about Imbalie Beauty. We’re not in the business of “Advanced Fluorescent Technology”, but I wanted to show Imbalie Beauty how powerful SEO marketing can be. I’m always up for a digital marketing challenge and I love showing clients how to harness the power of the internet, so I accepted the challenge of trying to get this post to page one on Google.co.za for the phrase “Advanced fluorescent Technology Gauteng”.
Advanced fluorescent technology for hair removal
Advanced fluorescent technology is a pain-free hair removal treatment. Thanks to the patented IN-Motion technology, clients can even treat sensitive areas without the discomfort of other systems. By using a sweeping, paintbrush technique, the procedure is shorter, more comfortable and clients will see results with fewer visits than ever before.
How advanced fluorescent technology works?
Using carefully controlled pulses of light, the Diode Laser System’s proprietary IN-Motion technology selectively and gradually heats the hair follicles within the dermal layer of the skin. The heat is limited to just the area of follicle and eventually damages the cells that would otherwise reproduce new hair. The surrounding tissue remains healthy.
This technology is also used during skin treatments and can be used to improve dull complexions, uneven pigmentation and large pores, as well as red flushing skin and rosacea. When you book an advanced fluorescent technology (AFT) skin treatment, the light is applied in a series of gentle pulses over the treatment area. Without damaging the skin, the light penetrates the sub-surface skin layers and is absorbed by the blood vessels’ or by pigmentation. The heat impairs the vessel or lesion and the body begins its natural healing process.
Advanced fluorescent technology Google results
If you Google “Advanced fluorescent technology Gauteng” you get this result as of the time of writing this post (14 December 2012).
What I am hoping for is that after publishing this post, I will be able to get a page one position for the “Advanced fluorescent technology” keyword that we are targeting. Let’s see what happens.
by Francois Muscat | Apr 19, 2012 | General
IT Web recently reported that Absa tried to demote nearly 200 IT staff and prevent them from receiving bonuses or pay hikes. Last week, a union prevented them from following through with these plans.
The digital magazine also claims that it is in possession of a mail (sent in 2011) by Absa’s Africa CIO, Alpelsh Patel, in which Patel told the IT leadership team that the bottom 10% of the IT staff needs to be forced into a lower rank.
Crisis can lead to opportunity
Retrenchments are sometimes unavoidable. Even in countries such as South Africa (where we have advanced labour laws that go to great lengths to protect the rights of employees), there are still many people left without jobs due to struggling businesses who are grasping for a way to make ends meet and keep their businesses economically viable.
Entrepreneur Magazine interviewed Dion Chang, trend analyst and editor of The State We’re In: The 2010 Flux Trend Review. According to Chang, the most significant and dominant trend to emerge after the economic downturn is the rise of civil society – “it’s a movement that is giving rise to new opportunities for entrepreneurs,” said Chang.
While retrenchments have devastated many, there are also a large number of people who saw this as a golden opportunity to start their own business and stop working for a salary. It might seem scary and daunting – but there are many franchising opportunities that will make the transition smooth and easy.
One type of franchise opportunity that people from an IT background (such as those at Absa) could consider is digital marketing. WSI Internet Marketing is the #1 Internet and Technology Services Franchise in the World – there are already a few in South Africa and we are looking to expand into Africa.
We are currently accepting applications from motivated, entrepreneurial-minded individuals. One of the benefits of investing in this franchise is the fact that WSI is a Global Internet Marketing Giant, which will give you immediate credibility (and you’ll also receive comprehensive operational and marketing support).
Being retrenched doesn’t have to signal the end of your career – take the leap and invest in a franchising opportunity such as WSI today
by Marianna Muscat | Nov 23, 2010 | General
Tracking ‘word of mouth’ referrals is essential for figuring out which tools and topics are working and which aren’t.
There are some great partners out there who can help you, but here are three quick ways to get started right now:
First off a quick and easy way to start getting some insight into how many of your customers are coming via word of mouth is to simply…. Ask them. Try adding a line to your contact and order forms asking visitors how they heard about you.
- Add simple share tracking
Adding basic sharing tools to your online content is both a way to make it easier for the word to spread as well as easier for you to track the buzz. Both Facebook and Twitter offer simple HTML codes for tracking that can be added to any content. You’ll not only see the sharing of your content increase, but you’ll also have instant numbers for it as well.
The next time you run a direct mail or email campaign, try giving each recipient a unique coupon code — and then watch for how many people other than those who received the code use it. More than some instant overall WOM data, you’ll potentially be able to analyze who your most influential talkers are.
Sure, it requires a little more planning than a simple form tweak or some HTML on a website, but you’ll quickly be able to show how your word of mouth is directly driving sales.
by Francois Muscat | Sep 27, 2010 | General
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