What Does IQ Test and IQ Quiz Actually Assess?

If a test or quiz on Intelligence Quotient is accordingly intended to appraise the intelligence of an individual, still one significant question remains: What actually is intelligence? Does this refer to the capability to perform well in school? Or does this simply refer to the competence of an individual to read well, write eloquently, and spell correctly?Controversies as to the exact definition of the word ‘intelligence’ are yet to be resolved. And although there are definitions of the said word as provided by dictionaries, still the question lies in the morass of obscurity seeing that the word intelligence has never been sufficiently and properly delineated and for that reason no one really knows what an IQ quiz or test is assumed to appraise. On the other hand, even if there is an insufficiency of defining the said term, but still the future of a number of children are utterly determined by the outcomes of this IQ test or quiz.Previously, during the early 1920s, the renowned correspondent named Walter Lippmann firmly argued that IQ quiz or tests were actually nothing but a sequence of stunts or aerobatics because according to him one cannot really and exactly quantify the intelligence of an individual especially when the term itself has not yet been clearly defined.However, during the year 1962, Banesh Hoffman revealed something that stunned the American people about the “tyranny of testing” which he further elucidated in his classic book of the same title. This particular book, and also his other scholarly writings that followed, drastically stirred up a number of controversy, which had led the National Education Association in the year 1976 to highly suggest for the abolition of taking group standardized intelligence tests, aptitude tests, and even achievement tests.Furthermore, the National Education Association (NEA), having a huge number of members of roughly two million teachers, has called out for the elimination of standardized intelligence tests seeing that these are at their best, inefficient, and at their worst, detrimental.In the present day, voices calling out for the abolition of standardized tests are not so many. One of these advocates is Linda S. Siegel, a professor in the Department of Special Education and Educational Psychology at the University of British Columbia in Canada. Siegel strongly proposes the abandonment of the IQ test in analyzing the Learning Development or LD of a child.Based on a good number of definitions, intelligence is composed of skills than include problem solving, critical thinking, logical reasoning, and adaptation. This set-up appears undeniably impeccable and reasonable, not until somebody thoroughly scrutinizes the contents of IQ tests or IQ quizzes. As operationally used, the definition of intelligence virtually includes no skills which can be intrinsically identified in terms of the strict definitions of intelligence.

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Learning and Skills in the UK – An Introduction

Learning and skills is a generic term for the plethora of organisations, initiatives and services involved in improving the skills of the UK workforce. The government is providing most of the financial investment but employers and trade unions are also heavily active in this area. However, it is very difficult for the uninitiated and even insiders, to keep up with the activities of all these different stakeholders. Learning and skills even has its own terminology – do you know your LSC from an SSA or even a ULR? How about the NIACE or the SSDA?The sheer complexity of learning and skills services has resulted in the establishment of another specialist niche service known as Information, Advice and Guidance, with its own acronym, IAG. Moreover, not a week goes by it seems without another government White Paper, pilot project or publication on learning and skills. Perhaps the difficulty lies in the fact that no one has yet decided who is responsible for training and educating the UK workforce.Should it be the responsibility of the state through the education system at tax payer’s expense? Or perhaps employers should bare the burden of training – after all they profit directly from the skills of their workforce? How about the workers themselves? Maybe they should take responsibility for their own professional development and employability – no one can count on a job for life any more.Learning and skills has become a high profile issue which is engaging a variety of organisations and stakeholders including trade unions, employers and Sector Skills Councils. Whilst the UK has a strong economy, productivity is trailing compared to our key competitors and poor skills is one of the reasons why. For example, over one third of adults in the UK do not have a basic school leaving qualification and five million people have no qualifications at all.The current Blair administration, and its predecessors, have grasped the skills mantel and have also identified links between skills, economic growth and equal opportunities. Good employers have always valued and invested in skills, and trade union membership has historically conferred the benefits of access to training and education.Meanwhile, Sector Skills Councils were set up by the government to promote and encourage skills acquisition across 25 industry sectors. Learning and skills is one of those rare issues where traditional protagonists share a mutual interest – after all skills are good for employees, good for industry and good for the economy.Let me now take you on a brief tour of the learning and skills landscape in order to sketch out the main players, and nail some of the more unwieldy acronyms. The trade union movement, of which UNISON, Amicus, T&G and GMB are the largest members, is headed up by the Trades Union Congress known as the TUC. Historically, trade unions have been vociferous in demanding greater access to education and training and still today membership benefits include access to subsidised, if not free, training opportunities.In 2002 the government finally passed legislation giving legal status to ULRs (or Union Learning Representatives if given their full title). The relevant passage is covered by Section 43 of the Employment Act 2002. Within two years the TUC estimated that ULRs had empowered 100,000 people to access training in their workplace in one year.Given this success, trade unions are now campaigning for the legislative right to include training in negotiations with employers, mandatory training levies and further statutory powers for ULRs. They are also seeking further influence on Sector Skills Councils, or (yet another acronym) SSCs, and support for more prescriptive learning agreements.However, whilst trade unions are effective at campaigning for improved learning resources in the workplace they have yet to really exploit the potential of learning and organising. This represents a golden opportunity for trade unions but they have been slow to realise it. In the meantime the establishment of Unionlearn, the new trade union learning academy, may help convince more senior union officials of the value of learning and skills, and learning and organising.Unionlearn is funded by the Department for Education and Skills, the European Social Fund and the TUC, and its three main priorities are to help trade unions become better learning organisations. It intends to do this by helping unions carry out a range of learning and organising activities including brokering learning opportunities for members, establishing a kite mark quality standard, researching union learning priorities and promoting learning agreements.This includes increasing the number of ULRs from 14,000 to 22,000 by 2010. Unionlearn will also take over operation of the Union Learning Fund often referred to as the ULF. This fund was established in 1998 to help unions play a greater role in promoting learning and organising in the workplace.Sector Skill Councils, or SSCs as they are also known, are independent, employer led organisations which cover a specific industry sector. Their specific aims are to cut skills gaps and shortages, improve productivity, business and public service performance, expand opportunities to boost skills and productivity, and improve learning supply through apprenticeships, higher education and National Occupation Standards – or NOS for short.These 25 SSCs form the backbone of the Skills for Business Network and are licensed by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. Together they cover around 85% of the UK workforce. Industries not included in their remit are covered by the Sector Skills Development Agency. This agency, also known as the SSDA, is a non departmental body which funds, supports and monitors the work of the SSCs and collates high quality labour market intelligence.Although SSCs are employer led they have at least two seats on their Board of Directors allocated to trade union officials. Each SSC is required to draw up a Sector Skills Agreement, or SSA for short, in collaboration with other stakeholders such as government departments, the SSDA, trade associations, employer bodies, the ULF, Unionlearn, and learning organisations. This agreement sets out how the SSC will address the skills gaps and challenges posed by their particular industry.In addition to the key players mentioned previously there are vast number of other organisations linked with learning and skills. These include qualification authorities, learning delivery organisations, brokering services, economic development agencies, further and higher education services, government departments and funding agencies. It would take far too long to list all of these organisations and their relevant acronyms in this article but there are a few you should be aware of.First of all there are the Regional Skills Partnerships, or RSPs, which have a regional responsibility for improving skills; and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) which is responsible for regulating qualification standards, and also the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, or NIACE for short, which is a charity dedicated to helping adult learners. Another important organisation to be aware of is the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) which funds vocational education and training.The government has launched a number of initiatives, strategies, proposals and pilot projects all designed to increase relevant skills in the UK workforce. These include two White Papers which form the cornerstone of its national Skills Strategy. The second White Paper, entitled “Getting on in Business, Getting on at Work” was published in March 2005 and further developed a strategy for expanding the UK skills base.In February 2006 the government published a Further Education White Paper, entitled “Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances”. This latest White Paper takes forward recommendations made by the Foster Review and has also been produced by the Department for Education and Skills. The Foster Review was an independent review into the future role of Further Education colleges and took place in November 2004.The Further Education White Paper recognises the importance of these colleges and the need to strengthen the role of the sector by focusing on employability and learner progression. It also recognised the role of trade unions and Unionlearn, included a £20 million per annum skills package for women, outlined plans for free tuition to first full level 3 qualifications for 19 to 25 year olds and proposed bringing forward the national roll out of an Adult Learning Grant. I should point out here that level 3 qualifications equate to A-Levels, NVQ 3 and Advanced Extension Awards.Further White Papers are likely to be announced when the results of the Leitch Review are published later this year. The Leitch Review was commissioned by the government to identify the UK’s optimal skills mix in 2020 in order to maximise economic growth, productivity and social justice. An interim report has already been produced but the final version will not be ready until summer 2006.There are two other important skills initiatives that should be mentioned in the course of this speech. The first is Train to Gain. This is a new service introduced by the LSC aimed at enabling businesses to find relevant training services for their workforce. It will be introduced across England in 2006 and was originally known as the National Employer Training Programme (NETP) but rebranded in early 2006. Train to Gain includes free brokered training for employees without a level 2 qualification (such as GCSEs or NVQ 2) and will trial some subsidies for level 3 and level 4 (or diploma level) qualifications.Meanwhile in March 2006 the government published its second round prospectus setting out proposals for a network of 12 National Skills Academies by 2008. The first four national academies will be established in construction, food and drink, manufacturing and financial services.Of course what is yet to be seen is how this extremely diverse array of services and organisations will operate in partnership with one another, and to what extent there will be unnecessary duplication. Hopefully, however, the alliance of traditional adversaries namely trade unions, employers and governmental organisations will produce significant results that will benefit individuals, businesses and the economy.Copyright 2006 Rowena Slope (Redkite Research)

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Talent Management, Acquisition and the Importance of Role Consultancy

IntroductionIn all businesses today, aligning human resource management with business strategy has become an important element to succeed. Organisational restructuring, managing key resource requirements, performance management systems, career and succession planning have all been re-aligned to form synergy with the company’s overall business strategy.With increased competition, changing workforce demographics, talent shortages and increased globalization, many organizations are now proactively studying leadership, demographic and economic trends, to prepare for their future workforce needs. HR departments are developing comprehensive workforce plans and talent management strategies centered on attracting, assessing, selecting, engaging, and retaining talentThe practice of Talent Management is more important in today’s economy than it has ever been. Now in the new millennium, we find ourselves in the talent age. In the new millennium the only unique asset that many companies have to maintain a competitive edge is their people. In the global market place and every industry around the world, it is the talent and its management that differentiates and sets the tone for success or failure
To achieve organizational goals, one must synchronize their business strategy and human capital strategy. Successful organisations have the right talent in place at all levels – people who look beyond the obvious and take the business into the future. The basis for ensuring this is an integrated approach to talent management.Finding and keeping the right people has an enormous effect on one’s organization’s financial performance. Identifying these talents and hiring people whose talents are similar to those of top performers are crucial steps toward achieving individual and organizational success Talent management and leadership development remain the biggest Human Resources challenges. The two issues are rated “highly critical for success” Talent management means aligning talent strategies with organisational needs; attracting and selecting the right people, identifying and shaping their potential and fuelling their enthusiasm and commitmentEffective talent management is a critical business goal for all leading organisations in today’s economy. Human resource management is a process of bringing people and organizations together so that the goals of each other are met. The role of Human Resource manager is shifting from that of a protector and screener to the role of a planner and change agent. The knowledge age moved the basis of economic value to information assets through integrated communications and computer technology. Now the competitive battlefront is for the best people because they are the true creators of value. PEOPLE provide unique knowledge, an inherent component of the value-proposition that PEOPLE bring to an organization; knowledge gained through education, training, and experience. Investment in PEOPLE will position organizations for continual innovation in an increasingly diverse, competitive and ever-changing climateHuman capital is the most vital resource in any organization and also the most difficult to manage. Today the success of Human Resources professionals is directly linked to the quality of talent and its productivity and they are being held accountable to deliver on stringent and measurable performance metrices. Building a competitive talent pool is a function of attracting, engaging and retaining the right mix of competencies. Companies are also increasingly hiring employees whose personalities and values reflect those of the organizationTalent Management is more and more business critical to organizations, bringing with it, new visibility and challenges. For Human resources people, employees are the face of company’s brand and the most vital asset of one’s business. They drive organisation’s productivity and profitability. Aligning Talent Acquisition to the organization’s strategic objectives is imperative to the success of the organization and Human Resources tend to concentrate in recruiting those key people and focus their attention and resources on developing them. Indian organizations are also witnessing a change in systems, management cultures and philosophy due to the global alignment of Indian organizations. There is a need for multi skill development.It would be apt at this juncture to recapitulate on the nuances on Talent Acquisition and RecruitmentRecruitment and Talent Acquisition are used synonymously but there is quite a lot of difference between the two. Recruitment involves the process of filling up of the vacancies where as talent acquisition shows the strategic hiring of talent not only for the current requirement but also planning for future. McKinsey & Company (1997) that coined the term ‘the war of talent’, predicted that there is high demand for managerial talent in future. The survey report insisted on five elements for tapping the successful talent such as talent mindset, growing great leaders, employee value proposition, continuous top talent recruitment and differentiation. Hence the companies need to be forearmed to anticipate and determine the talents.Recruiting- been viewed as a transactional, commodity based business function to fill job openings with qualified people. In contrast, Talent Acquisition is distinct elements of the Talent Management continuum, a proactive, strategic function, procuring talent for the organization’s value add. Talent Acquisition is no longer a silo in the human resource function, but collaboration with specialists from other functional areas within Talent Management to posture a company for talent who will evolve and become strategic partners within the organization. Talent Management/Acquisition asks: do we have a strategy in place to attract and retain qualified employees; do we know what business is in the pipeline, what the staffing needs are for the next six-twelve months, bill rates that determine potential candidate salaries, etcOn moving to a Talent Acquisition model there is a significant difference between those organizations that practice recruiting and those that have a talent acquisition practicesRecruiting- To identify & select a person for a position.
Talent – A special often creative, artistic or mental gift.
Acquisition – To gain possession of something as a result of effort or experience.Strategic Talent Acquisition takes a long-term view of not only filling positions today, but also using the candidates that come out of a recruiting campaign as a means to fill similar positions in the future In the most enlightened cases of Strategic Talent Acquisition, clients will recruit today for positions that do not even exist today but are expected to become available in the future. Recruiting is involved on the front end of the process; Talent Acquisition would be as a collaborative business partner. Aligning Talent Acquisition to the organization’s strategic objectives is imperative to the success of the organizationRole of Consultancy in Talent Acquisition and Talent Management.The Talent Acquisition needs of companies are becoming more and more intricate – which means more focus and effort for proper functioning. Cross location, multiple skills, blend of technologies and personal attributes makes the hiring process a very involved effortBy outsourcing Talent Acquisition function, the organisation can focus on core business issues, while they have a reliable framework of Talent supply. This is a new emerging paradigm which is making a lot of companies tread this path. Nurturing Human Capital via Talent Management, would be the focus of Talent acquisition and recruitment. Recruitment Support includes activities from pre- and final- screening, interview management, Offer Management and Data Management. Recruitment is integral to talent management and requires considerable executive management mindshare. Recruiting is changing fast, with myriad challenges facing those responsible for attracting, hiring and retaining top talent.The role of human resources has shifted within most leading organizations and Human Resource practitioners are now required to demonstrate value to the business. Talent acquisition platform can be configured to fit the size and structure of any recruiting organization Working closely with the business, Talent Acquisition Consultant- would manage all Experienced Hire RecruitmentTalent Acquisition Consultancy would work in cohesion and coordinate with the respective & assigned business function(s) to source, recruit and select the best Talent for the organiationTalent Acquisition Consultancy – would work in the role of a partner to align strategies that would support business objectives and create processes, tools and cultures that attract, motivate, engage and retain strong, high-potential Talent.Talent Acquisition Consultancy- with the background and exposure of global competence in executive recruiting, and also country specific knowledge; will be in position to play a critically important role in identifying high profile executives and recruiting top global talent. Talent Search Service would range from single assignment to regional or global and could include multiple positions in various locationsTalent Acquisition Consultancy Would Play A Significant Role InIdentifying Top/Senior level Talent for all business groups and be responsible for identification, recruitment and on-boarding of senior level leaders throughout the organization utilizing direct sourcing techniques including personal networking, online search, and leveraging internal tools and resourcesResponsible for providing creative sourcing solutions to customers in a consultative role. Recruiting through a variety of sources, including Internet, professional associations, networking, advertisements, job fairs, university relations, etc. Function as a full business partner to develop staffing processes, identify business issues and recommend innovative solutions.Find, assess, engage, hire, and on-board the highest quality candidates, especially in the critical skill areas. Assess candidate skills, background and fit so as to predict performance levels and styles with a high degree of accuracy.Manage the full life-cycle of the recruiting process – Recruit / Source, contact, screen candidates.Assess candidate’s competency to include job fit, motivational fit and culture fit.Source, identify, and screen candidates to determine if their technical ability, attitude and personality make them a fit for the Client’s cultureDevelop candidate talent pipelines through sourcing channels, recruitment campaigns, internet searches, networking groups, social media, database searchTalent ManagementOnce the Talent Acquisition process is completed the human resource professionals have to concentrate on the next level of Talent Management- Talent Development. It is necessary to develop the skills of the employees through Training and Development Talent Management in organizations is not just limited to attracting the best people from the industry but it is a continuous process that involves sourcing, hiring, developing, retaining and promoting them while meeting the organization’s requirements simultaneouslyTalent Management, as the name itself suggests is managing the ability, competency and power of employees within an organization. The concept is not restricted to recruiting the right candidate at the right time but it extends to exploring the hidden and unusual qualities of one’s employees and developing and nurturing them to get the desired results. Hiring the best talent from the industry may be a big concern for the organizations today but retaining them and most importantly, transitioning them according to the culture of the organization and getting the best out of them is a much bigger concernTo achieve success in business, the most important thing is to recognize the talent that can accompany one in achieving one’s goal. Attracting them to work for you and strategically fitting them at a right place in your organization is the next step. It is to be remembered that placing a candidate at a wrong place can multiply one’s problems regardless of the qualifications, skills, abilities and competency of that personTalent Acquisition and Talent retention are like the two sides of a coin that are critical in the human capital management. Innovative technologies are to be adopted to enhance the process of Talent Management. With the dynamic situation prevailing in the global employability status, the role of human resource managers is very imperative in maintaining the talent balance. Holistic cum participatory approach is to be followed for harnessing the real benefits of Talent Management system. The Talent Management system that acts as a driver to performance excellence has to be integrated with the rest of the areas in the company and through effective Talent Management strategy.The practice of talent management would involve no of strategies used in the management of human capital resources and their application. We shall dwell on few critical issues that are imperative in the management of talent and their significance:- i. e for Talent Management Best Practices:-Key points & factorsTalent Acquisition

Assessing organizational talent readiness and execution capability
Identifying talent gaps
Identifying mission critical positions
selection- identification- & recruitment- of right people
assessment- assessing competencies of apt profile
Retaining TalentIn the current climate of change, it’s critical to hold onto the key people. These are the people who will lead the organisation to future success, and the organisation can’t afford to lose them
Employees are more likely to join stay within an organization if they believe the prospects are good for longer-term career and leadership developmentTo realise this and to attract and retain Talent -Organisation need to have aWorkforce planning ·building a road map for implementationDiversity programmes designed to develop, retain and promote diverse TalentCareer Planning- – scope of advancement in career for employees- their effort being valued and recognized-Selecting Talent:- Management should implement proven Talent selection systems and tools to create profiles of the right people based on the competencies of high performers. It’s not simply a matter of finding the “best and the brightest,” it’s about creating the right fit – both for today and tomorrow.

Coaching and Mentoring- development of-new competencies.
Using development to drive business objectives
Building an effective development plan
Development of employees – for a elevated and key position
Developing processes for Succession Planning and Talent pipelinesManaging Succession: Effective organisations anticipate the leadership and Talent requirement to succeed in the future. Leaders understand that it’s critical to strengthen their Talent pool through succession planning, professional development, job rotation and workforce planning. They need to identify potential Talent and groom it.The cost of replacing a valued employee is enormous. Organisations need to promote diversity and design strategies to retain people, reward high performance and provide opportunities for development.
It’s imperative to assess existing talent within the organization. Talented and ambitious people are more likely to stay with their current employer if they receive positive development, motivation and encouragement to reach their potentialOrganisation need to focus on managing the needs of individual employees, in alignment with organizational objectives, while identifying and deploying top performers accordingly.a) For the individual: Coaching and mentoring based on discovered needs.
b) For the work team: Identifying top performers, or “stars,” and capitalizing on their talent.
c) For the organization: Maximizing return on investment by putting the right person with the right skills in the right job at the right timeIdentification & selection of – high performers- represent the requisite competencies of the organisation and also inspiration to others to follow suit.Focusing on Core TalentCompanies are increasingly looking at bringing exceptional talent on board for those roles that are core to their business and·building a business case for inclusion in the organizations strategic policy
In an increasingly global business world, where teams work across borders, understanding different work cultures is the key to success.In India, there is a high demand for good talent and hence a lot of attention is being given to retaining and engaging that talent. Retaining talent for Indian companies has become a key factor in their growth strategies.We shall just give a brief sketeh of talent management systems adopted in an Indian organisation.Mahindra and Mahindra — A US $12. 5 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, with more than 137,000 people in over 100 countries, in the business of utility vehicles, information technology, tractors, and vacation ownership- – created a robust Talent Management system to attract, nurture and promote employees.Anand Mahindra, the group’s 57-year-old vice-chairman and managing director has been grooming some key leaders to replace the ageing stars. A Talent Management programme conceptualised in 2004 to chart out the succession plan for top executives, has already produced eight key leaders.For the group, organisational restructuring posed the greatest challenge keeping in mind the changing dynamics in the business especially the tractor and automotive division. the re-alignment was necessitated by changing dynamics in the business environment. the objective was to grow leadership positions in the UV and tractor market and developing successful businesses in relatively new business areas like IT, financial services, realty and infrastructure development and also service industries like Time share (Club Mahindra). “Keeping in mind the new business objectives the challenge was to re-orient the human resource management towards these objectives. “To achieve these objectives the company began a full reassessment of organisation and management structure with the help of consultants like Mckinsey’s, Arthur Anderson and Korn Ferry. The outcome was, clear roles and responsibilities were identified and the competency required for each role was mapped. The officers went through individual assessments of competencies against the requirement of each role. External consultants as well as internal assessors ran assessment centres and each individual was then placed based on competency and role fitmentTHE RETIREMENT OF ARUN NANDA (Executive Director – 2 Years ago) marked the beginning of the end of a long reign of stalwarts. New leaders are already rising and showing every sign that the group’s succession planning initiatives will help fill the void. Most are in their forties, rising rapidly and are being thrown into different roles in the group – clues that they are being groomed for greater responsibilities.Many emerging leaders were inducted onto the group’s apex-decision making body Group Executive Board in 2010 in preparation for the retirement of six members on the board.Anita Arjundas, the 44-year-old head of the real estate business and the lone woman member of the group executive board, mirrors the emergence of a quiet transition that is taking place inside the automobile-to-aviation group.Conclusion.Today, companies have become fiercely competitive when it comes to attracting and retaining Talent. The present scenario with abundant opportunities has triggered a wave of employees, perpetually “on the move”, forever seeking better opportunities whenever, wherever and however they canTalented people want to be a part of something they believe in and not just a fat pay package. A culture of commitment is the key to employee retention- a culture that concentrates on vision, mission, values and ambitious goals to attract and hold on to talented people. This culture of commitment can only set in if there are guiding principles or core values that are of intrinsic importance to those in the organisation.Cultural dimensions as a tool to retain talent zeroes in on functional, technical and control aspects, while simultaneously dealing with inspiration, emotion, energy, enthusiasm, collaboration and camaraderie, openness and a sense of belongingAt the end of the day, creating and delivering a great employee value proposition is clearly the best way to retain good people. Research shows that companies which have recognised the need to give priority to its people management-driven strategies are the winners

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10 Content Marketing Trends Everyone Is Talking About

Every year seems to bring a new set of marketing trends, those “can’t miss” opportunities that scream out for attention. If we were to hop on every trends, we’d certainly grow dizzy from exhaustion. Nevertheless, there are some trends that we’d be foolish not to recognize.As we begin the last chapter of 2017, many companies are still working through the creation of a bona fide content marketing strategy. If that’s you, here are some hints: Native advertising continues to be the gateway drug to success, and mobile continues to be the flavor of every month.That said, Smart Insights reports that content marketing is THE single most important technique for driving incremental sales in 2017. In an industry that’s all about experimentation, some key trends stand out.Here are 10 content marketing trends that everyone is talking about.1. Brands Will Continue to Invest in Original ContentRecently, it became public knowledge that tech giant Apple is planning to invest of $1 billion in original content. Though some gossip states that Apple is making this move to take on Netflix, we believe there’s more on Apple’s mind than video streaming. As competition in this space heats up, brands need to stay relevant. Valuable, original programming can help companies grow an audience and keep current customers satisfied.Google is also purchasing original content from media companies and brands to fill in content gaps, while Facebook is investing huge amounts of capital on original video. Not to be outline, online shopping giant Amazon will perhaps be the largest investor of all. Though the consequences remain to be seen, one thing is for sure: content marketing is taking the spotlight.2. Transparency Will Reign King (or Queen)Consumers are becoming increasingly desensitized. We want — and often expect — companies to be transparent, authentic, and dedicated to giving back. After all is said and done, however, many consumers are reporting frustration with brand advertising, environmental claims, charitable contributions, and corporate support for various causes. Though such efforts have been successful for some brands, this type of promotion is increasingly being perceived as desperate or dishonest.Moving forward, brands need to focus on transparency and disclosure to close this gap as much as possible. Enter: Influencer Marketing.Yet, working with influencers can be sticky. The Federal Trade Commission continues to take measures to protect consumers from companies who aren’t transparent enough, including work with influencers. Take what happened with Machinima. In 2015, the FTC slapped Machinima, a YouTube gaming network, with a warning for not disclosing paid endorsements to YouTube influencers.And this is far from the only instance. A quick Google search shows that a lack of disclosure and transparency have caused trouble for many brands. To build (and maintain) the trust of your audience, the next phase of influencer marketing and branded content needs to ensure that every piece of content created is transparent.3. Content Marketing Budgets Will Continue to IncreaseAcross the globe, companies are spending huge amounts of money on content marketing. What serves as great news for content marketers also presents challenges for businesses with a limited staff. This is propelling the likelihood that companies turn to freelance writers and others who can produce content for a price.4. Content Marketing Duties Continue to OverlapOften, it’s difficult to determine exactly who is in charge of content within a company. Roles and duties shift within marketing departments and even in other areas of the business. PR and communications may have separate content creators, social media managers, and other writers that are not integrated with the official content team, leaving no one really in charge. Such disarray can lead to a very disjointed content strategy.5. Internet of Things Will Take Content Off-ScreenCustomers are no longer limited to the screen in the way that they view content. Although different content formats have long been available, the IoT has made it so content is interwoven into our lives in brand new ways. Consider how we current interact with technology, such as Apple’s Siri. When users speak, Siri responds with call-and-response content wherever and whenever they need it. Alexa, Amazon’s voice service, is becoming a digital doorway to content as well.Many organizations already use Alexa to share content with their audience beyond a laptop, tablet, or cell phone screen. For example, the American Heart Association uses Alexa to provide details about performing CPR, including step-by-step information on how to perform the process in an emergency situation. This content is further embellished with information about warning signs of a stroke and heart attack.With IoT, most content is becoming digital. Beacon-based proximity marketing, sensors, device pairing, and other features usher in the opportunity for marketers to invest in endless types of content interaction. This type of highly targeted content can help you reach your audience at the right place and at the right time.6. Pre-Recorded Video is So… YesterdayIt isn’t exactly time to write the obituary for pre-recorded video, yet it is being overshadowed by live video. According to Buffer, 80 percent of marketing respondents to a 2016 survey want to create more video content, with 42 percent specifying live video as their preference.While live video really exploded in 2017, we predict that it’ll become even more mainstream in 2018. According to Facebook, users spend three times more time watching live videos than videos that are pre-recorded. More, they comment 10 times as often during live videos. A Livestream survey confirmed this, with 80 percent of respondents indicating a preference for live video over reading a blog post. This presents modern-day marketing specialists with a unique chance to hop on the live video bandwagon before competitors do.7. Blurred LinesIf you look at how content has changed over the past decade, you’ll notice that it has evolved outside of its original “container” of owned media. As social media expands, as well as the ways we interact with and engage audiences, the lines between owned, earned, and paid begin to blur so that they’re almost indiscernible from one another. Content can no longer be confined to these silos.With the entire buyer’s journey in mind, the content shifts to take on the form of all three approaches. This underscores the importance of each form working seamlessly together to support a company’s growth strategy. That means you must adjust your internal and external teams to handle content development, deployment, and promotion.8. Strategic DocumentationAsk a marketing specialist about the effectiveness of content marketing, and chances are he or she will be able to pinpoint what makes the cogs turn effectively. That’s because companies are becoming laser-focused on developing thoughtful content marketing strategies.In 2015, only 32 percent of marketers had a documented content marketing strategy. The following year, this grew to 37 percent. This year, however, the number has ballooned to well over 40 percent. Our prediction for 2018, then, is that developing an effective, efficient strategy will be a job expectation.To remain competitive in the upcoming year, what strategies will you include? You may want to consider more targeted content, expanded content, more efficient content creation, or other elements that will help you foster greater growth.9. Interactive Visual ContentWe all know that live video is engaging and responsive, yet there’s another type of visual content that allows you to craft an entirely different experience for your audience.Virtual reality.VR offers new opportunities for content marketing, as well as customer engagement. Shopify, for instance, has taken this to heart and developed a VR app that allows online shoppers to customize clothing from the comfort of home.International Data Corporation reports that, based on sales and forecast models, revenue for augmented reality will grow from just over $5 billion in 2016 to more than $160 billion by 2020. Revenue forecasts from Digi-Capital are equally optimistic, reporting an estimated growth to $108 billion by 2021.While the prospect of virtual reality may seem daunting, it will likely be worthwhile for anyone willing to give it a go. Forbes Global shows that up to 30 percent of consumer-facing brands will experiment with virtual reality marketing by the end of this year.Keep in mind that it isn’t solely for consumer advertising and marketing, however. Consider what the Golden State Warriors did when they wanted to recruit Kevin Durant to the team roster. Using content marketing in VR, they immersed him in the “Warrior’s Experience,” thereby placing him courtside at Oracle Arena as well as in the thick of talks with coach Steve Kerr in the locker room.10. Distribution, Distribution, DistributionWhile most marketers recognize how instrumental content is for companies now, what still remains uncertain is the means of which content is distributed. And though there are countless other blogs, newsletters, and email campaigns out there, the sure way you’ll have your message heard above the rest is through optimum content distribution.If you want the attention of the 2.789 billion active social media users, you need to adopt a strategic distribution plan. Smart brands are going to make investments in not only acquiring content, but in distributing it strategically through multi-channel approaches as 2018 unrolls.Think out of the box for profitable rewards.

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Digital Marketing Agency: What Makes Them Effective?

Digital marketing agencies play a big role in helping personal brands and businesses make their mark online. Without the help of digital marketing, it would be difficult for a business to achieve its full potential – in terms of customer reach, relevancy in the industry, and branding.Brands do not grow overnight. They require marketing and advertising to establish their presence in the industry.Growing Your Brand with Effective Digital Marketing AgenciesSimilar to traditional marketing strategies, results from campaigns from digital agencies can be dramatic. Blogging can bring in 67% more leads compared to brands that choose not to do so. Conversion rates are also higher through online marketing efforts compared to traditional advertising campaigns.Effective Digital Marketing Agencies are AdaptiveMost brands invest in digital marketing agencies looking for immediate results. Afterall, they are paying for such services to improve their lead generation and brand recognition. However, a true effective digital marketing agency does not only deliver fast, they can also deliver accordingly even during changes in the marketing environment.A responsible agency will immediately adjust their marketing campaigns and inform their clients during significant changes in the digital marketing climate. They continuously test their own assumptions and provide high value to their clients, helping them get ahead of the competition.They will never stop testing and reworking campaigns and strategies to boost your brand’s ROI and maintain a balance between the marketing efforts and the results that come together with these campaigns.Creates a Balance Between Advertising and Content CreationAdvertising is an effective marketing strategy to connect to people for your business. However, advertising involves cost. The more people you want to reach out to, the higher your expenses will be. Although it is an essential factor required to market your business, there are other options in generating organic traffic and leads to your website without having to pay for advertising – content marketing and link building.If a marketer fails to mention the importance of link building and content creation for your brand, you can say that you are with the wrong partner to help you with your business. Content marketing is an essential area in digital marketing that fuels brands with “free organic traffic” from the web.In a generation that relies on the internet as its main source of information – for news, brands, ideas, and knowledge, failure to tap into content marketing is a waste of resources. Getting listed in search engines, for free, is only possible through content marketing and link building efforts.Communicates RegularlySuccessful online marketing agencies do not limit themselves with regular reports that they facilitate to their clients. On top of the reports that they do, they communicate regularly with clients, informing issues that require immediate attention or approval from the client’s side.A partner agency will have a hard time running a campaign for a client if they are not equipped with the right methods in communicating with their client. There should be a personal rapport between the team and the clients to ensure a smooth flow in the whole marketing processes. Communicating through digital means can be complicated at times, thus building and establishing relationships that would remove these communication barriers is a must.Digital Fluency and Strong Problem Solving SkillsDifferent clients require different types of marketing campaigns and strategies. Fluency in digital marketing, in all its aspects, whether in print, television and social media is a must. Mastery in the use of technology, together with the latest tools of the trade should also be one of the prerequisites brands should look out for when dealing with internet marketing agencies.The people behind a digital marketing agency should be able to adapt changes in the internet scene as well as technological changes in marketing and advertising efforts. If your digital marketing partner fails every time Google releases a new update, you might want to re-evaluate and consider looking for a different team to help your brand.Working within deadlines, recognizing and dealing with problems as they develop and quickly placing things in order during unexpected issues are strong points every successful marketing agency poses. Without problem solving skills, it would be difficult to help a brand achieve their goals and build a strong online presence for the brand.As a brand, take time to find the right people to trust for your digital marketing needs.Working with successful digital marketing agencies helps fast track your goals as a brand. Find one similar to your work culture to easily build a good working relationship and rapport with their team. With due diligence, you’ll be able to find a digital marketing agency that works for you.

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Short, Intermediate, And Longer – Term Impacts On Home Sales, When Rates Rise!

For many reasons, some, economic, while others, related to the pandemic – related, so – called, fatigue, etc, home prices, in most areas, have gone up, at, or, near, record amounts! Because of the prolonged period of artificially – created, low – interest rates, mortgage rates, have been at historic lows! Since, for most home buyers, using financing is essential to affording a purchase, when a low rate, causes cheap money, and, thus, the ability to afford more home – for – the – buck, prices usually rise! It permits qualified buyers to qualify for more money/ loan, because the ratio of monthly mortgage, to overall income, is artificially – reduced! How long will this trend continue, will it become the new – normal, will previous trends/ cycles return, and how will pricing be affected, in the immediate, intermediate, and longer – run, are, all factors, to consider! With, that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, some possibilities, to consider, and understand.

1. Short – term: Since, the Federal Reserve Bank, announced, they planned to raise rates, three times in 2022 (of course, this was before the potential implications, and ramifications, from the Omicron variant), many feel pressure, to act quickly, to take advantage of today’s low rates, before they go up! Three increases will probably translate to, at least, a 0.75% higher rate, which will translate, for most mortgages, to hundreds of extra dollars, per month. Some things to consider, and pay attention to, is, this rate of increased home prices, will, probably, not continue, especially, at such a large degree! How longer one, expects to keep a specific house, is, one issue, to consider, thoroughly, and wisely, before proceeding!

2. Intermediate – term: Although, many believe, to – know, the precise timing of any projected rate – hike, is uncertain! The Fed has changed, and/ or, altered its strategies and approaches, in the past, What the intermediate – term, may bring, including potential inflationary pressures, how long the economic conditions, and unknown factors, related to the pandemic, etc, will determine, largely, what this phase, may bring! In addition, the attitude, and perceptions of buyers, and their confidence, etc, largely impact this real estate market!

3. Longer – term: In the longer – run, will things, restore, to what we have seen, so often, in the past, which is, alternating cycles, between, Sellers, Buyers, and Neutral Markets? The possibilities, include: a continued large escalation; a more – gradual, but persistent – one; some leveling; and/ or, will we see, at least, in certain areas, some sort of falling prices, for a period.

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Affiliate Marketing Coach – Speed Up Your Affiliate Progress With A Coach

An affiliate marketing coach is someone who can help you lift the invisible ceiling which may be holding your affiliate business back. So much in business it is the limits of our thinking which stop us from achieving the things we set out to achieve.

In affiliate marketing this is very much the case. You don’t know what you don’t know! You may even be running down a rabbit hole in the complete wrong direction. I did this for years before finding an affiliate marketing coach who helped me.

Before this point I was trying to do everything alone. Many affiliates are doing the same but don’t realise their actions aren’t aligned with their desired outcomes. For me, I was focusing only on the things I liked to do, not the things which would drive my business forwards.

A clear perspective from a coach who isn’t so myopic in their thinking can change everything. If you keep doing what you’ve always done as an affiliate, your results will likely be the same. But if you’re prepared to step outside your comfort zone, you can make far greater changes in a small amount of time.

Much of affiliate marketing is about trial and error. You try several things and focus on the things which work. This is Pareto’s principle, or the 80:20 rule. But if you have no results to draw from, you could easily be focusing on strategies which will take years to gain any traction.

A few of the small shifts I made in my affiliate marketing endeavours are: shifting to promoting products which offer recurring commissions, I stopped promoting small value, low commission products, and I started using high ticket digital products instead.

These steps alone hugely helped me start generating tactics in my affiliate business. But I also got coaching and mentoring, and decided to take affiliate marketing more seriously. In the beginning, it was just a hobby, and I treated it like a hobby. But if you look at your affiliate business like a hobby, you’ll earn a hobby wage from it. Treat it more seriously, and focus on building a sustainable income which can replace existing work, and you can achieve much more. You get what you focus on!

Goals are useful signposts for affiliates too. For such a long time I was without a rudder as an affiliate. A goal gives you a specific destination you can measure and work towards. If you don’t have either a goal, or a strategy you can stick to with affiliate marketing, it’s easy to lose purpose and drift off in another direction.

When you’re looking for results and don’t have any, it can become completely demoralising! You need to stoke the fire of your own enthusiasm continually or you’re likely to become disillusioned and drop out. This happens to around 95% of affiliate marketers.

But you need to be in the 5% who stick at it and eventually break through and start making consistent sales. When this occurs will depend on the actions you take and how long you keep going for. If something isn’t working, try something else. Focus on the small wins like a hit on a website, or an email lead. Keep your enthusiasm high and you’ll be able to surmount the obstacles which come with the territory. But if you allow yourself to become dissatisfied, it’s much more difficult to keep going.

Affiliate marketing isn’t easy. It’s performance related which means that if you don’t make a sale, you don’t make any money. This is tough in the beginning because you can do a lot of activity which is unrewarded. But once you make a sale, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. This is the goal of many new affiliate marketers – to make their first sale.

Once you have some positive feedback in terms of success, you can focus on the activities which brought it about. But until this happens, you very much need to trust the process. If you’re also paying a membership fee while this is happening, there can come a point where you decide it’s simply not working! This is common, and people drop out. But if you have a coach you can trust, things are so much more sustainable.

An affiliate marketing coach can help you overcome negativity, indecision, hesitancy and self belief issues. A coach can help you see things in a different light and to notice limitations in your thinking.

For me this has been a complete game changer, and not just for affiliate marketing. When you notice your own self talk is talking away your success and happiness, you realise you are the creator of your own outcomes. As you remember to change your self talk and thinking habits, you realise without belief there is no action. So belief is everything.

The person we listen to more than anyone else in life is ourselves. We talk to ourselves in our head constantly. Re reaffirm what we think and believe about ourselves continually. If we can learn to tap into this power, and start giving ourselves more positive commands, then we can grow both personally and professionally in a much more congruent way than simply through thinking, planning and attempting things in only the physical aspect of our affiliate business.

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7 Benefits of Custom Aluminum Cases

If you want to carry your expensive electronic items or any type of fragile instrument, we suggest that you be on the safe side. We suggest that you pack your expensive stuff in a reliable case. In other words, you may want to invest in a dependable custom aluminum case to carry your items with you. After all, you don’t want your stuff to get damaged during transportation. In this article, we are going to talk about some major benefits of custom aluminum cases. Read on to find out more.

1. Durability

First of all, one of the major advantages of these units is that they are extremely durable. In this case, we suggest that you go for a case that is splashproof, air-tight, and watertight. This is essential if you want the unit to stand the test of time. If it is not strong enough, your stuff inside may not be safe.

2. Withstand Extreme Conditions

Another major advantage of these units is that they are designed to withstand extreme conditions. Even if you use them on a daily basis, they will be good for years to come. In other words, you don’t need to worry about the durability aspect of these units.

3. Customizable

Some of these cases are designed to be customized. The idea is to make sure that you get a unit that you can customize to cover your requirements and needs. Since one size cannot fit everyone, we suggest that you get a customized aluminum case.

For example, you will need a specific type of case to store your tools. Similarly, there are specific aluminum cases if you want to carry delicate items. And the beauty of these things is that they are available in different sizes and shapes.

4. Custom Interior

If you want to protect your delicate items, we suggest that you get a case that comes with custom interiors. In this case, your delicate items will be safe even if the road condition is extremely bad.

5. Timeless Look

We suggest that you get an aluminum case that features a timeless look. After all, you don’t want to get a case that looks ugly or unappealing. So, if you are worried about the aesthetic aspect of these units, we suggest that you get a unit that seems appealing.

6. Corrosion-Resistant

With the passage of time, metal cases tend to face corrosion. Therefore, it is better to get an aluminum case as they are corrosion resistant.

7. Withstand Temperatures

The good thing about an aluminum case is that it can withstand extreme temperatures. Since aluminum features high thermal conductivity, this type of metal can easily transfer heat from your fragile items. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about the effects of the elements when it comes to getting your expensive or fragile items from one place to another.

Long story short, these are just some of the benefits of customized aluminum cases. If you have never purchased one, we suggest that you get one today. The beauty of these units is they are much better than other types of metal out there. So, the next time you need to purchase one, you may consider one made from aluminum.

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How Cromacoin Functions to Enhance Businesses Productivity?

Instead for entire details relevant piece of information in this world of modernized technology Cromacoin usually operates on wide-spread public ledger known as Blockchain where entire confirmed transactions. Entire ways where users are aware of each transaction avoid stealing and spending the same currency within stipulated time. This process also supports Blockchain as it is trustworthy for an appropriate piece of content. Cromacoin is one of excellent digital currency which has been stepping up to correspond with better digital currencies exchanges.

Where to store your new ICO’s tokens after procure?

There are diversified applications which one should utilize while obtaining new ICO’s tokens some of the vital key elements are visualized below for better appearance:-

• Full Client Satisfaction- It is one of email server which is encountered without dependent upon third-party servers. It also controls whole transaction from start to an end.

• Trivial Clients- The mandatory vital piece of server surely rely upon customer’s satisfaction as everyone acquires access to the network for uppermost transactions.

• Web Clients- It is the opposite of full client resembling which totally dependent upon the third-party server and operate entire transactions instantly.
Where can you find Cromacoin?

In order to get evolved with this cryptocurrency digital exchanges one can firstly purchase Cromacoin from steps involved below:-

• Cryptocurrency Exchanges where one can exchange regular new ICO tokens.

• One can find a seller or just by SING UP process available for procedural module.

• After Signing up Cromacoin is precious for customers for better investment plans.

Input important credentials to obtain freeway service to your account by SIGN UP process.

• It is recommended to utilize a strong elongated password with a mixture of letters, alphabets and other special characters.

• One will be able to find information about the product in our whitepaper which proffers an extreme most reliable piece of information rapidly.

• Get a proper financial report as ICO’s can be started with crowdfunding.

• Companies utilizing ICO at an earlier stage for traditional businesses acquire whitepaper which is the most likely concern.

One needs explanations about Cromacoin just by examining the whitepaper in ICO’s.

• Get a ratio for cryptocurrency along with procedural modules in accordance to digital currency exchanges.

Where are your tokens? Know more from defined information evaluated

Firstly, it is important to bring tokens for your ICO which is associated with your tokens available as per needs and requirements. It can suffer bit of project keeping in mind a trustworthy project which one can send for Cromacoin analyzed. It is suggested to deposit your new ICO tokens where tokens actually bare and help for your new token repeatedly.

• Set up for a coin and participate in ICO to buy tokens.

• The need of wallet which supported tokens for purchase.

• Participate in ICO to buy tokens from Cromacoin.

• Send ETH for a token purchase and one will be tied to private key of wallet.

• Acquire few pieces of information to accomplish with Cromacoin.

• Send ETH address for ICO and proffer tokens constantly.

• Don’t ask for a deposit which wallet supports for a new token or one can access to your New ICO tokens on Blockchain with appropriate security enabled policies.

How to import ICO tokens into a supported wallet?

If one has contract address for token one can import tokens into wallet. Likewise, our wallet has the capability to hold numerous tokens keeping in mind entire terms accuracy, precise along with efficiency which play a vital role to enhance one’s business productivity. Our wallet is encompassed with unique wallet address which is thereby sent just by input for tokens.

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Why Business Owners Seek to Enter Foreign Markets

It is no longer news that business investors from around the world look at entering foreign markets in order to expand their local business operations or diversify their investments and establish new operations in the international market.

Every year, hundreds of entrepreneurial and growing companies consider international expansion as a marketing and growth strategy.

If you have been successful in your business for some time and you have already mastered everything about running a business, overseas expansion may just be the logical next move you have to make.

On the flip side, for a majority of others, just having an overseas registered company and business address makes more sense to them than moving over to these foreign countries to establish a brick-and-mortar office.

Whichever the case is, there are at least 7 reasons entrepreneurs incorporate an overseas company, subsidiary or a representative office.

1. EXPANSION. About 95% of the world’s consumer’s reside outside Nigeria. Entrepreneurs whose vision and target market is a global one would consider to enter new markets abroad thus increasing their company’s overall market share and growth potentials.

2. POSSIBLE UNTAPPED MARKET. The possibility of an untapped market in foreign jurisdictions may motivate a Nigerian entrepreneur to incorporate an overseas company, subsidiary or representative office of his/her local company. Nigerian entrepreneurs who produce and package local foodstuffs for sale abroad fall into this category.

3. PROXIMITY TO INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS/CUSTOMERS. Truth be told, the Internet hs done enough to bring businesses closer to buyers. However, for some reasons, several business transactions may still warrant a traditional business presence in the city or country of operation. An overseas office of a local company need not be that big, and may be a home business address, a paid virtual office, or a small/liaison office just for the sake of getting customer feedback and linking back to the Nigerian office.

4. CORPORATE IMAGE. In order to boost their corporate image in the eyes of customers, suppliers, investors and businesses, some entrepreneurs just register an overseas subsidiary of their Nigerian company. This gives their target audience an impression that they are a company with international networks. In situations like this, the “international entrepreneur” need not set up a brick-and-mortar office abroad, he/she only pays for a virtual registered office in such country plus a mailing and telephone forwarding service.

5. COMPETITION. The fact that competing businesses or brands are entering the overseas market and are doing well motivates entrepreneurs in similar businesses to follow suit.

6. INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT. There are quite a number of international banking options available to companies registered in overseas jurisdictions – whether you are currently established in the overseas country or operating the overseas company from Nigeria. Having a corporate checking account abroad makes international payment much more easier by direct deposits, cheque or international wire transfers.

7. MIGRATION. Entrepreneurs considering a migration or move to an overseas country may incorporate a company in the destination country pending the time of their travel.

The United Kingdom, for instance, grants an Entrepreneur Visa to persons outside the European Union to gain entry to the UK for business reasons.

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