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INSERT INTO `articles` VALUES (6,'Inbound Vs Outbound Marketing: Why is Inbound Better','Traditional outbound marketing is losing its attractiveness in recent years – vs inbound marketing. Here is a detailed comparison of the two approaches.','01.jpg','image/jpeg',206453,'2017-08-12 13:04:14',_binary '<p>Traditional marketing involves many different ideas and techniques such as sending out emails to long lists of people, attending trade shows, cold calling, and so on. All these traditional methods have one thing in common; they&rsquo;re a form of outbound marketing. This is any marketing technique that involves you trying to shout out about your company/message. In years gone by, this was highly effective.</p><p><br></p><p>These days, there&rsquo;s a new player on the scene called inbound marketing. This idea revolves around the concept of drawing people into your business and getting found by consumers. It&rsquo;s a very popular concept, and more and more companies are advised to prioritize inbound over outbound marketing.</p><p><br></p><p>But, why?&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>To understand this shift to inbound marketing, we need to look at some of the major drawbacks of outbound marketing in the modern world.</p><p><br></p><h2><span id=\"docs-internal-guid-9710f00e-a814-200b-b3a8-527506ddba5e\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\">Disadvantages Of Outbound Marketing</span></span></h2><p><br></p><p><span id=\"docs-internal-guid-9710f00e-a814-200b-b3a8-527506ddba5e\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\">One of the biggest drawbacks of outbound marketing today is that consumers find it much easier to block your attempts. In the past, you could spam email lists with promotional emails and have a fairly high success rate. Now, people have spam filters that prevent them from even seeing some marketing emails. Likewise, all telephones have caller ID which makes cold calling ineffective. Consumers are sick and tired of being bombarded with marketing material and have adapted to filter it all out.&nbsp;</span></span></p><p><br></p><p><span id=\"docs-internal-guid-9710f00e-a814-200b-b3a8-527506ddba5e\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\">Secondly, the internet came along and changed the way consumers participate. Nowadays, all it takes is a quick look online to find all the information you need on a product. You can watch product demonstration videos and view all the specs without leaving your room. So, fewer people are heading out to business events to gain this info.</span></span></p><p><br></p><h2><span id=\"docs-internal-guid-9710f00e-a814-200b-b3a8-527506ddba5e\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span id=\"docs-internal-guid-310b70f7-a816-fa7b-25f0-6a176b56b465\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\">Benefits Of Inbound Marketing</span></span></span></span></h2><p><br></p><p><span id=\"docs-internal-guid-9710f00e-a814-200b-b3a8-527506ddba5e\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span id=\"docs-internal-guid-310b70f7-a816-fa7b-25f0-6a176b56b465\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\">To do this, you need to create a website and use it as a portal for people to come to and find all the info they need. You should work on making your website more visible in search engines by optimizing it and getting it up the search rankings. Use social media and blogs to reel consumers in and allow them to find your business on their terms.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></p><p><br></p><p><span id=\"docs-internal-guid-9710f00e-a814-200b-b3a8-527506ddba5e\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span id=\"docs-internal-guid-310b70f7-a816-fa7b-25f0-6a176b56b465\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\">It&rsquo;s crucial that marketers and businesses learn to adapt to consumer demands. These days, people hate being bombarded with marketing material, it&rsquo;s too forceful, they&rsquo;re tired of it and ignore it. Instead, they like being the ones in control, they like searching for information and finding companies themselves.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></p><p><br></p><p><span><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\">What you have to do is become a magnet that attracts the right people to your business. Inbound marketing leads to a higher conversion rate as the people that find your business is going to be interested in it, or they wouldn&rsquo;t be searching for relatable keywords! So, not only do you generate more leads, but you convert more of them into customers.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\">&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></p><p><span id=\"docs-internal-guid-9710f00e-a814-200b-b3a8-527506ddba5e\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span id=\"docs-internal-guid-310b70f7-a816-fa7b-25f0-6a176b56b465\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\">In this manner, keeping customer engagement in mind, you can formulate a stringent Inbound strategy that can help your business get found and stand apart from the masses.</span></span></span></span></p><p><br></p><p><span><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><br></span></span><br></span></span></p><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><p><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-94e24c10-3daa-482a-b9c2-aed542cc713c\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-94e24c10-3daa-482a-b9c2-aed542cc713c\" id=\"hs-cta-94e24c10-3daa-482a-b9c2-aed542cc713c\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"></div><![endif]--><a href=\"https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2627927/94e24c10-3daa-482a-b9c2-aed542cc713c\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"hs-cta-img fr-fic fr-dii\" id=\"hs-cta-img-94e24c10-3daa-482a-b9c2-aed542cc713c\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" height=\"206\" width=\"597\" src=\"https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2627927/94e24c10-3daa-482a-b9c2-aed542cc713c.png\" alt=\"Download the Buyer Persona eBook\"></a></span></span></p><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->',NULL,'Karthik Kashyap','Inactive','inbound-vs-outbound-marketing-why-is-inbound-better','2017-08-03 11:47:29','2018-03-15 05:14:19',3,'Inbound Marketing',2,'Awareness','Inbound Vs Outbound Marketing: Why is Inbound Better','Inbound Vs Outbound Marketing: Why is Inbound Better | 7EDGE','Traditional outbound marketing is losing its attractiveness in recent years – vs inbound marketing. Here is a detailed comparison of the two approaches.','Inbound Vs Outbound Marketing: Why is Inbound Better | 7EDGE','Traditional outbound marketing is losing its attractiveness in recent years – vs inbound marketing. Here is a detailed comparison of the two approaches.','7E-OG-InboundVsOutbound.png','image/png',81302,'2017-11-13 12:53:46','4 Min Read',34,1),(7,'Key Inbound Marketing Tactics to Run Successful Campaigns','Digital marketing campaigns require a lot of hard work and can be challenging. Here are the best inbound marketing tactics that can help solve key challenges. ','02.jpg','image/jpeg',186855,'2017-08-12 13:05:02',_binary '<p name=\"10i2\">Digital marketing campaigns require a lot of hard work and effort. Consequently, you want to ensure yours is successful. To do this, it&#39;s important to understand the many challenges that crop up during a campaign and how to solve them. This is where inbound marketing comes into play, as it can be used to solve a lot of the issues and drive your campaign towards success.</p><p name=\"10i2\"><br></p><p name=\"fny1t\">Below, we&rsquo;ve listed some common challenges and how you can get by them:</p><p name=\"fny1t\"><br></p><p name=\"ugzm8\"><strong>Finding A Target Audience</strong><strong>:&nbsp;</strong>The first challenge is finding your audience. You need to find the right audience, as it dictates how you go about the rest of your campaign. Research your industry, look at your company and figure out the key demographic that will be most interested in your business. Now, you have the framework for a campaign that&rsquo;s built to appeal to a certain audience, and increase engagement.</p><p name=\"ugzm8\"><br></p><p name=\"2jlxi\"><strong>Generating Leads:&nbsp;</strong>Lead generation is always a challenge, particularly in the competitive online world. A lot of businesses spend money on online adverts or traditional email marketing. While these ideas can work, they&rsquo;re not amazingly effective at generating lots of quality leads. Instead, focus on inbound ideas like SEO, content creation, and social media. With <a data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/services/digital-marketing/search-engine-optimization\" href=\"/search-engine-optimization-services\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">SEO</a>, focus on certain keywords that are relevant to your business website. These are keywords your target market is likely to be searching for. Then, adapt your site to include these keywords in its content, page titles, headers, meta descriptions, etc. With good keyword density, you&rsquo;ll move your website up the search rankings meaning you&rsquo;re one of the first sites to appear when your target market is searching for these keywords. So, there&rsquo;s an increased likelihood they&rsquo;ll click your link and find your site.</p><p name=\"2jlxi\"><br></p><p name=\"3kywq\">You should also use social media to connect with your target market and direct them to your site. Along with this, creating content via blogs also helps you use keywords and draw in the right audience. With an inbound approach, your campaign is built around drawing in the right audience, helping you generate quality leads that are easier to convert.</p><p name=\"3kywq\"><br></p><p name=\"gcle1\"><strong>Competing With Rivals:&nbsp;</strong>Another challenge you face is competing with your rivals for your leads. As such, it&rsquo;s vital you study your competition and analyze their performance. Make a list of your top competitors for certain keywords in search engines, then look at what they&rsquo;re doing well. By doing this, you can adapt your campaign to do everything your rivals are doing, as well as including ideas that they&rsquo;re missing out on.</p><p name=\"mys3f\">Engaging Your Audience We mentioned the importance of finding your target audience earlier on. Well, it&rsquo;s vitally important that you keep them engaged or your campaign won&rsquo;t have the desired effect. To do this, you need to focus on <a data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/services/digital-marketing/content-marketing\" href=\"/content-marketing-services\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">content marketing</a>. It&rsquo;s one of the best forms of inbound marketing and is focused on creating great content that your audience enjoys and can engage with. With great content, you keep people interested and make your campaign live longer in their memory.</p><p name=\"mys3f\"><br></p><p name=\"ecdu\">As you can see, if you adopt the inbound approach and focus on doing things that attract the right people to your business, your campaign will be far more successful. You&rsquo;ll get over the biggest hurdles and have a campaign that engages a target audience and helps generate quality leads that could be easily converted.</p>',NULL,'Karthik Kashyap','Active','key-inbound-marketing-tactics-to-run-successful-campaigns','2017-08-03 13:02:06','2018-03-15 05:42:04',3,'Inbound Marketing',1,'Consideration','Key Inbound Marketing Tactics to Run Successful Campaigns','Key Inbound Marketing Tactics to Run Successful Campaigns | 7EDGE','Digital marketing campaigns require a lot of hard work and can be challenging. Here are the best inbound marketing tactics that can help solve key challenges.','Key Inbound Marketing Tactics to Run Successful Campaigns | 7EDGE','Digital marketing campaigns require a lot of hard work and can be challenging. Here are the best inbound marketing tactics that can help solve key challenges.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',40,3),(9,'How to Choose the Best Programmatic Buying Platform','How do you choose which programmatic buying platform is going to be the right choice for your business? Here we present a few options based on some key factors.','05.jpg','image/jpeg',209053,'2017-08-12 13:06:35',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"axzq\"><a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/internet-first/martech/an-introduction-to-programmatic-media-buying\" href=\"/blog/elucidating-internet-first-approach-to-programmatic-advertising\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Programmatic media buying</a> can help you to get your adverts seen by the most important people. But how do you choose which programmatic media buying platform is going to be right for your business? There are various factors and variables that you will need to keep in mind when you&rsquo;re choosing which of them to use. You can learn more about those factors, as well as some of the options that are out there, by reading the information below.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"j5u9c\"><strong><br></strong></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"eidjb\">What Are the Important Things to Consider When Looking for a Platform?</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"0i21n\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"58h2\">One of the first things you should think about is how many inventory providers you want to use. If you want to use many, it will make more sense to opt for a customizable platform. Next, you should decide where you want your online adverts to appear. If you&rsquo;re happy with a general inventory pool, then a turnkey platform will be fine for your business&rsquo;s needs.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ifb2a\"><strong><br></strong></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ra1p\">Some platforms are better than others when it comes to targeting a specific audience. You will need to remember this when you&rsquo;re choosing which is best for you. For businesses that want to target people precisely and accurately, a platform like Doubleclick Bid Manager is considered best. That&rsquo;s because it has an onboard list of existing customers that can be used from your CRM. Third party data can also be used to enhance targeting.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"nlofm\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"31lrd\">Different platforms offer different tools. You will need to assess each of the options and decide which of them is going to be best at offering you the tools that you think you&rsquo;re going to need. This is something that will be different for every business out there, so think very carefully.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"31lrd\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"kj8lj\">The Options</h2><h3 class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"j4f2t\">AppNexus</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"rftu\">AppNexus has decent targeting capabilities, and the budget pacing feature means that you shouldn&rsquo;t accidentally spend more than you want to. However, the user interface that you will have to interact with is not the best. And the customer service is lacking slightly compared to other options.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"rftu\"><br></p><h3 class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"zvvvj\">Doubleclick Bid Manager</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"41y1d\">As mentioned above, Doubleclick Bid Manager is a very good platform for businesses that want to target very specific groups of people with their ads. So, if targeting is your number one priority right now, this is probably the one you should opt for. It can also be customized, meaning you will have more control and flexibility.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"41y1d\"><br></p><h3 class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"l43f\">DoubleClick for Campaign Manager</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ghi5e\">Doubleclick for Campaign Manager is different to Bid Manager. It helps you to simplify how your campaigns are run, and you are then better able to stay in control. If media planning and reporting are the things that are most important to you, this rather than Bid Manage is the platform for you.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ghi5e\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">MediaMath&nbsp;</h3><strong><p dir=\"ltr\">The smart algorithm-driven TerminalOne platform of MediaMath brings together digital media and data to form a unified solution that simplifies planning, execution, analysis and optimization of branding campaigns. It helps marketers and advertisers purchase media pragmatically by tracing every customer interaction and identifying the valuable ones from the standpoint of potential opportunity and value. Furthermore, it enables them to integrate and programmatically execute campaigns across various digital channels.</p></strong></div><p><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Adobe Media Optimizer</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"1hbbp\"><a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/internet-first/martech/how-adobe-media-optimizer-can-help-you-realize-more-roi-out-of-your-media-buying-efforts\" href=\"/blog/how-adobe-media-optimizer-helps-realize-ad-buying-roi\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Adobe Media Optimizer</a> is useful if you want to track data closely and ensure that your media buying efforts are turning out as you planned. You can manage your spending and make continual tweaks and improvements to your strategy. The accuracy reporting feature is something many users find very helpful.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"kkbh\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"jrcfh\">Now that you have all the information you need, you can choose and deploy a platform that aligns with your business goals.</p><br><p><br></p></div></section>',NULL,'Karthik Kashyap','Active','how-to-choose-the-best-programmatic-buying-platform','2017-08-03 13:18:55','2018-04-05 07:16:31',2,'Programmatic Media Buying',1,'Consideration','How to Choose the Best Programmatic Buying Platform','How to Choose the Best Programmatic Buying Platform | 7EDGE','How do you choose which programmatic buying platform is going to be the right choice for your business? Here we present a few options based on some key factors.','How to Choose the Best Programmatic Buying Platform | 7EDGE','How do you choose which programmatic buying platform is going to be the right choice for your business? Here we present few options based on some key factors.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',36,1),(10,'How Adobe Media Optimizer Helps Realize Ad Buying ROI','Everyone wants to get as much return as possible from their media buying efforts. Here we explain how Adobe Media Optimizer helps you realize maximum ROI.','06.jpg','image/jpeg',189739,'2017-08-12 13:06:55',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">If you are about to undertake some new media buying efforts, it makes sense to start using Adobe Media Optimizer. The reason for this is that it can help you to maximize your return on investment (ROI) out of your media buying efforts. Everyone wants to get as much return as possible, so it makes sense to think very carefully about this. Here are some of the best examples of how Adobe Media Optimizer can help you do exactly that.</p><p><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">It Helps You to Spend Your Budget in a Strategic Way</h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Efficiency is important when it comes to planning your budget on media buying. You will never succeed in getting more ROI if your money is not spent in an efficient manner. This is one of the things that Adobe Media Optimizer is best at doing for you. On top of that, it can ensure that your money&#39;s always spent in a strategic way. Rather than wasting money on techniques that are not as clever or as efficient as you want them to be, the platform will help you do things differently and achieve success in media buying.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">It Has an Accuracy Reporting Feature</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Accuracy reporting is one of the best features that the platform has to offer its users. If you are struggling to decide how to spend your online advertising budget, the accuracy reporting function will help you with that. It&rsquo;s not just focused on telling you where to spend that budget, though. It can help you to spend it at the right time as well. In many ways, this is something that is just as important as where you spend it. This is something that the people behind Adobe Media Optimizer understand very well. Actionable findings can then be reported to you to help you get your approach right.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">You Can Track Your Campaign Performance</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Once your campaign is underway, you need to be able to track it and its performance. If you can&rsquo;t get this part of the process right, you will never fully understand how your campaign is doing. You&rsquo;ll also not know what your business needs to do better in order to succeed and get maximum ROI out of your media buying efforts. The platform aims to help you see the bigger picture, which includes understanding how customers are interacting with your brand online. All this information is vitally important if you want to improve and advance your efforts.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">It Helps You to Provide Content to Relevant Audiences</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">The most important part of all this is delivering the right and best content to your relevant target audience. If you don&rsquo;t do that, you will clearly never see positive ROI, which is not what you want. If you do decide to start using Adobe Media Optimizer, you will be able to make sure that your adverts only get to the people that matter. Importantly, you can continually test and examine the relevancy of the audiences that you are targeting. By doing this, you will maximize your efforts and ensure you find real success.</p><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Now that you are well-aware about the benefits of Adobe Media Optimizer, you can effectively redefine your media buying strategy and realize maximum ROI.</p>',NULL,'Prasant Roy','Active','how-adobe-media-optimizer-helps-realize-ad-buying-roi','2017-08-03 13:26:25','2018-03-15 05:42:04',2,'Programmatic Media Buying',2,'Decision','How Adobe Media Optimizer Helps Realize Ad Buying ROI','How Adobe Media Optimizer Helps Realize Ad Buying ROI | 7EDGE','Everyone wants to get as much return as possible from their media buying efforts. Here we explain how Adobe Media Optimizer helps you realize maximum ROI.','How Adobe Media Optimizer Helps Realize Ad Buying ROI | 7EDGE','Everyone wants to get as much return as possible from their media buying efforts. Here we explain how Adobe Media Optimizer helps you realize maximum ROI.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',39,1),(11,'What is Programmatic Advertising and Marketing','If you are in the digital marketing space, you would most probably know what programmatic advertising is. Here we explain it to you in detail.','04.jpg','image/jpeg',128784,'2017-08-12 13:06:09',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"f5ztv\">If you work in advertising or know anything about media buying, you will probably have heard of <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/services/digital-media/programmatic-media\" href=\"/programmatic-advertising-services\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">programmatic media</a> buying. It&rsquo;s a term that gets thrown around a lot without many people actually having an in-depth understanding of what it&rsquo;s all about. It&rsquo;s time that you learned about the meaning and the practices behind the buzzword. Read on now if you want to do exactly that.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"f5ztv\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"ot6ol7\">What is Programmatic Media Buying in Basic Terms?</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"od0u\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"od0u\">To put it simply, programmatic media buying is when technology is used to automate and optimise online ad buying. The process can be long and complicated, not to mention repetitive when you try to do it without the use of technology. But many companies are not choosing to use programmatic media buying to their advantage. A simple example of this is AdWords. It uses algorithms, not humans, to get results for the businesses that use it.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"od0u\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"v8cxk\">Targeting Specific Individuals</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ydvip\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ydvip\">Having already mentioned AdWords, it&rsquo;s vital to discuss targeting. These days, businesses want to target specific groups and people and demographics with their adverts. They don&rsquo;t just want to throw them out there in front of lots of people because many of them won&rsquo;t have any interest in what&rsquo;s being offered. Targeting customers is so much easier when programmatic media buying is used. Highly targeted adverts can be put in front of the individuals most likely to be interested in buying what your company has to offer.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ydvip\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"5nzje\">Programmatic Direct</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"uypc\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"uypc\">There are two main types of programmatic media buying; the first of them is programmatic direct. This form of ad buying does not use auctions. Instead, as the name suggests, it&rsquo;s a direct ad buying process. This is when an inventory is guaranteed or reserved, so the buyer of the ad space and the publisher fix all of the terms in advance. This refers to both the price of CPM as well as the scale of the inventory. There are no real-time auction purchases involved at any stage.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"vxiom\">Programmatic RTB</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"mcrfk\">Programmatic RTB is the more common and more widely-used method of media buying out there at the moment. RTB stands for real-time bidding. A demand-side platform is used to bid for advertising that can be used by the company wanting to place adverts online. The publisher is attracted to this kind of arrangement because it allows them to sell remnant inventory. But this is now changing as premium inventory is being sold on these platforms too. It&rsquo;s all automated and is done very quickly.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"po48a\">Why All this Matters &amp; What it Means for the Future</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wml7\">Programmatic media buying matters because it&rsquo;s more transparent and open than other forms of media buying solutions. It levels the playing field while helping advertisers reach their target audience in no time at all. Perhaps most importantly, programmatic media buying is very cost effective for advertisers, meaning they can save money at the same time as improving their advertising setup. It&rsquo;s something that is currently on the rise, and many people believe that programmatic media buying is the future of all online advertising.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"ee9ql\"><br></p></div></div></section>','2017-10-20','Prasant Roy','Inactive','what-is-programmatic-advertising-and-marketing','2017-08-03 13:30:47','2018-03-15 05:13:21',2,'Programmatic Media Buying',1,'Awareness','What is Programmatic Advertising and Marketing','What is Programmatic Advertising and Marketing | 7EDGE','If you are in the digital marketing space, you would most probably know what programmatic advertising is. Here we explain it to you in detail.','What is Programmatic Advertising and Marketing | 7EDGE','If you are in the digital marketing space, you would most probably know what programmatic advertising is. Here we explain it to you in detail.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',28,2),(12,'How Cloud-based digital marketing is Rapidly Booming','Since the cloud-based technology was first used, it has changed the way enterprises do business. Here we see how cloud infrastructure is changing the digital marketing space.','07.jpg','image/jpeg',78158,'2017-08-12 13:07:18',_binary '<p name=\"xmv08\">Since cloud technology was first used it&rsquo;s changed the way we&rsquo;ve done a lot of things. There are many benefits of cloud computing and using a cloud infrastructure to manage your workload. What this article will address is the relationship between cloud infrastructures like Amazon Web Services and the marketing space.</p><p name=\"b5vb\"><br>Specifically, we want to look at the different ways the cloud is changing the world of <a data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/services/digital-marketing\" href=\"/digital-marketing-services\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">digital marketing</a>:</p><p name=\"b5vb\"><br></p><h2 name=\"h4vl\">Scalable Digital Marketing Campaigns</h2><p name=\"9giim\"><br></p><p name=\"9giim\">All digital marketers work tirelessly to make their campaigns work. They put in hours and hours to try and drive more traffic to a specific website or web page. The main struggle is learning how to cope with large streams of incoming traffic. You have to have servers in place to deal with the extra activity, but you don&rsquo;t know exactly when you can use them. But, with cloud software like AWS, you have the ability to auto-scale your campaigns. By using auto-scaling cloud software, your website will be ready for the incoming traffic and can handle it so easily ensuring everything runs smoothly.&nbsp;</p><p name=\"9giim\"><br></p><h2 name=\"mr7h\">Easier Management Of Sales Cycles</h2><p name=\"lqnn\"><br></p><p name=\"lqnn\">It used to be a chore trying to keep track of all the different sales cycles happening at one time. Previously, you&rsquo;d use regular spreadsheet software to try and keep tabs on everything. Now, cloud-based programs like Amazon Web Services mean you can use spreadsheet software in the cloud. This allows you to manage your sales cycles from anywhere at any time as you can access the spreadsheets via the cloud. Consequently, productivity is greatly improved.</p><p name=\"lqnn\"><br></p><h2 name=\"5s419\">Better Analytics Opportunities</h2><p name=\"8y2bi\"><br></p><p name=\"8y2bi\">Cloud-based software has opened a whole world of opportunities for analytics in marketing campaigns. You can use cloud-based software to analyze things in real-time, which is such a benefit for digital marketers. It means you get to see site stats and traffic numbers as they happen. As a result, things can be spotted extremely quickly meaning you can alter your campaign and scale it to make it even better. For example, you could use real-time analytics and find out that you&rsquo;re getting loads of traffic from one source and not a lot through another. Therefore, you know it&rsquo;s right to really push the profitable traffic source and direct more resources there.</p><h3 name=\"12x36\">Support Across Different Channels&nbsp;</h3><p name=\"12x36\"><br></p><p name=\"12x36\">When digital marketing first came on the scene, it was confined to web-based campaigns only. Now, people are using all manner of devices to surf the web, and digital marketing needs to adapt. Cloud infrastructure makes this possible by offering support across lots of different channels such as mobile, etc. You can access the cloud on any device and use it to create campaigns for any device too. This greatly increases your exposure and means your marketing campaigns are seen by larger audiences.</p><p name=\"zgp7\"><br></p><p name=\"qcats\">Cloud-based software such as AWS has helped change the dynamic of digital marketing. Now, it&rsquo;s a lot easier to create scalable campaigns across multiple devices thanks to the wealth of software available. Campaigns are better managed too, meaning there&rsquo;s a greater chance of success if you use the cloud to your advantage.</p>','2017-10-20','Prasant Roy','Active','how-cloud-based-digital-marketing-is-rapidly-booming','2017-08-03 13:37:51','2018-03-15 05:42:04',1,'Cloud Computing',3,'Awareness','How Cloud-based digital marketing is Rapidly Booming','How Cloud-based digital marketing is Rapidly Booming | 7EDGE','Since the cloud-based technology was first used, it has changed the way enterprises do business. Here we see how cloud infrastructure is changing the digital marketing space.','How Cloud-based digital marketing is Rapidly Booming | 7EDGE','Since cloud-based technology was first used, it has changed the way enterprises do business. Here we see how cloud infrastructure is changing the digital marketing space.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',42,4),(13,'Comparison Between the Industry\'s Leading Cloud Platforms','With so many cloud vendors out there, it’s important to make the right choice and use the best one. Here we make a comparison of the three prominent cloud platforms','08.jpg','image/jpeg',86542,'2017-08-12 13:07:40',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"5cnun\">With so many cloud vendors out there, it&rsquo;s important you make the right choice and use the best one. At the moment, Amazon Web Services is out in front as the best cloud vendor on the market. It&rsquo;s reporting increases in revenue and a huge profit increase too.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"95y9\"><strong><br></strong></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"0ut6\">But, what makes it the better option compared to other big cloud vendors such as Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure? In this article, we pit AWS against these other two vendors to see just why it comes out on top.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"0ut6\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"tilmb\">Computing</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"jokq\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"jokq\">All three vendors have computing services that people can use. AWS&rsquo;s Elastic Compute Cloud is by far the most complete and extensive computing service out of the three vendors. It gives you the chance to create your own virtual machines that are either preconfigured or full customized to your desires. It also allows auto-scaling, which is very important as it leads to fewer disruptions and means your computing service scales to your demands automatically.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"jokq\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"c2p2\">Storage</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"m5irj\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"m5irj\">Storage is perhaps what most people think about when they see the words &lsquo;cloud software&rsquo;. Naturally, you want a service that can store a lot of data, securely. AWS has something called Simple Storage Service that allows you to store loads of data and documents in the cloud. It&rsquo;s been running for far longer that Google&#39;s Cloud Storage and Microsoft&#39;s Azure Storage. As a result, it&rsquo;s more reliable and far more extensive. There are even free webinars, articles and tutorials that come with the service.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"m5irj\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"v03nt\">Analytics</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"lbjc7\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"lbjc7\">Analytics is very important when you&rsquo;re looking for a good cloud vendor. Ideally, you want something that handles big data and can analyze things in real-time too. While Google has a lot of products that are useful for handling big data, Amazon EMR (a product of AWS) is a great choice if you want a fast and cost-effective framework to analyze lots of data in real-time. Not only this, but you can also run many of the most popular frameworks like Apache Spark and Presto in EMR too. It&rsquo;s a complete analytics service and offers more variety than Google and Microsoft.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"lbjc7\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"j7h7h\">Data Center Locations</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"2y9q\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"2y9q\">You might not think the data center locations are that big of an issue, but they can be. The closer they are to your base of operations, the better it is. If you want the best user experience, then you&rsquo;ll need to have access to data centers that are relatively close, to minimize latency. Amazon Web Services has by far the most data center locations all over the world. Azure is second, and Google third.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"q7jni\"><strong><br></strong></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"xtpb9\">As you can see, AWS comes out on top in every category, and it&rsquo;s easy to see why. Amazon launched their service before everyone else and has all the experience to make things work better than the competition. It seems as though it was a classic case of the early bird catches the worm - they got their first, and have firmly established their dominance over the rest of the field. At the moment, AWS is the biggest and most complete cloud vendor on the market today, and everyone else is simply trying to play catch up.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"awoml\"><br></p></div></div></section>',NULL,'Prasant Roy','Active','comparison-between-industry-leading-cloud-platforms','2017-08-03 13:41:34','2018-03-15 05:42:04',1,'Cloud Computing',1,'Consideration','Comparison Between the Industry\'s Leading Cloud Platforms','Comparison Between the Industry\'s Leading Cloud Platforms | 7EDGE','With so many cloud vendors out there, it’s important to make the right choice and use the best one. Here we make a comparison of the three prominent cloud platforms','Comparison Between the Industry\'s Leading Cloud Platforms | 7EDGE','With so many cloud vendors out there, it’s important to make the right choice and use the best one. Here we make a comparison of the three prominent cloud platforms','07-Cloud-Computing-Creative.jpg','image/jpeg',181491,'2017-12-12 13:24:33','4 Min Read',41,4),(14,'Creating Scalable Digital Marketing Campaigns Using AWS','With the wide array of cloud-based software and products, AWS helps create scalable digital marketing campaigns.','09.jpg','image/jpeg',268500,'2017-08-12 13:07:59',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"zzff8\">Amazon Web Services (AWS) has indeed become a commonplace for large organizations trying to migrate their websites and campaigns to the cloud. Consequently, this has led to organizations seeing a lot more success in their business operations. As a matter of fact, it largely narrows down to AWS being able to help create scalable digital campaigns; thanks to its massive array of cloud software and products.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"fiayr\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"lv7ra\">Today, we&rsquo;re going to have a look at AWS and figure out what makes it so valuable for many popular businesses nowadays.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"lv7ra\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"5u3i\">Stability &amp; Security</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"lxw5\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"lxw5\">One of the main reasons companies use AWS is due to its incredible stability. There are numerous case studies where businesses have said that the stability of AWS allowed them to focus on their main operations rather than maintaining and managing their cloud infrastructure. Furthermore, AWS has incredible security features which helped companies feel comfortable using the service as they knew it would protect their private information. As a result, they could avoid focusing on things like security and be more mindful of their main jobs.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"lxw5\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"dw94\">Automated Scaling</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"pag1l\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"pag1l\">If you look at all the case studies involving AWS and digital marketing, there is one clear thing that stands out; every business has enjoyed success due to the automated scaling features. AWS is designed to automatically scale infrastructures during periods of peak activity. What this means is that when traffic spikes happen, websites don&rsquo;t crash due to the abnormal overload of activity. This has proved extremely helpful as companies are able to scale their digital marketing campaigns with ease and create ideas that drive lots of traffic to a site all in one go, without worrying about whether their site can handle it.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"pag1l\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2 is-selected\" name=\"kyo6e\">Mobile Solutions</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"yfn3x\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"yfn3x\">In a world that&rsquo;s dominated by mobile technology, many businesses are moving their marketing plans to mobile devices. AWS caters to this with loads of mobile applications and software that plenty of mobile business are using. It allows users the ability to scale their digital marketing campaigns and tailor them specifically for mobile devices. As well as this, they can access data and analytics for all of their mobile activities.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"yfn3x\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"x5zz\">Low-Cost Marketing</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"mrpz\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"mrpz\">AWS enables businesses to create digital marketing campaigns without breaking their budget or being forced to hire new people. By using a cloud infrastructure, a lot of the technical work is done behind the scenes and automated by AWS. Infrastructure costs are brought to an all-time low, which means businesses are able to use their marketing budgets in more effective ways too. Instead of spending a portion of their budget on maintaining a physical infrastructure, they can spend it on revenue-generating ideas. They&rsquo;re able to grow their campaign and include new ideas that they wouldn&rsquo;t be able to afford if they paid for a physical infrastructure. Likewise, this low cost makes it possible for smaller businesses to manage and run a digital campaign.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"7rokh\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"6kln\">It is clear from the countless case studies out there that AWS is a brilliant tool for businesses of all sizes. A lot of popular companies are migrating their infrastructure to AWS in the hope that they&rsquo;ll reap the same rewards being seen by other businesses.</p></div></div></section>',NULL,'Prasant Roy','Active','creating-scalable-digital-marketing-campaigns-using-aws','2017-08-03 13:44:06','2018-03-15 05:42:04',1,'Cloud Computing',6,'Consideration','Creating Scalable Digital Marketing Campaigns Using AWS','Creating Scalable Digital Marketing Campaigns Using AWS | 7EDGE','With the wide array of cloud-based software and products, AWS helps create scalable digital marketing campaigns.','Creating Scalable Digital Marketing Campaigns Using AWS | 7EDGE','With the wide array of cloud-based software and products, AWS helps create scalable digital marketing campaigns.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',33,4),(15,'Key Points to Remember About IT Infrastructure Automation','Agility empowers productivity. Today\'s enterprises are automating their overall IT infrastructure by adopting the cloud.','10.jpg','image/jpeg',118484,'2017-08-12 13:08:23',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"tn6wj\">These days, many businesses and organizations are trying to automate their IT infrastructure to improve the productivity and efficiency of their operations as well as stabilize their entire IT infrastructure. Cloud computing is massive, and it serves to make life a lot easier for these organizations. Consequently, the many cloud providers out there are trying their best to provide the most automated IT infrastructure possible.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"jd7gc\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"a1s78\">At the moment, there&rsquo;s isn&rsquo;t a single tool that is able to offer a completely automated package. This, however, does not mean that you cannot automate your infrastructure. In this article, we will talk about how you can automate cloud IT infrastructures, and why it will benefit your organization.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"a1s78\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"j837x\">How to automate your IT infrastructure</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wt02a\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wt02a\">The process of automation revolves around finding areas of your infrastructure that need improving and can be done automatically instead of needing human involvement. The more things you can automate, the easier it becomes to manage an IT infrastructure. Consequently, you can deploy more resources in different areas of your business, instead of focussing on this.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"0q9ve\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"lifrb\">Before getting into the task of automating your organization&rsquo;s IT infrastructure, there are two main aspects you should consider regarding cloud automation. The first aspect is automating time-consuming tasks that are usually done by professionals. This is a very popular way of automating your IT infrastructure, as it takes a lot of weight off the shoulders of your employees. It also gets rid of one big potential issue; human error. If humans are constantly managing your IT infrastructure and launching cloud services, then there&rsquo;s a chance they can make a mistake and cause problems. But, if these tasks are automated, the risks are removed.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"3m8kq\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"k71m\">The second aspect of <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/services/devops/infrastructure-automation\" href=\"/it-infrastructure-automation-services\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">infrastructure automation</a> involves automating virtual servers and applications. The whole premise behind this is to make your apps and virtual servers more efficient. They can help themselves if any problems occur that require a change in how they&rsquo;re run.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"k71m\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"yya4p\">Automating Management Functions</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"iny79\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"iny79\">A big way that your IT infrastructure can be automated is by looking for certain functions that take up a lot of time and effort. For most, this is largely going to be the core management functions. Instead of having an administration team look at the<s></s> various parts of your IT infrastructure you can call upon different tools that do it automatically. So much work is now shifted off the shoulders of your admin team and handled very quickly by your automated cloud infrastructure.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"iny79\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"2070i\">Applications/Server Automation</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"hta8l\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"hta8l\">Your cloud IT infrastructure will be built up of various applications that all serve certain roles. You can automate these to avoid any problems occurring when things change. Something could happen that requires a certain server or application to need more resources. When this happens, you want to take action immediately, without taking the time to figure out the best course of action. With application automation, any issues get ironed out as soon as they spring up. They get dealt with automatically, which ensures your applications and cloud servers remain stable and don&rsquo;t fall victim to any issues.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"hta8l\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"p3v5d\">Conclusion</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"zofi7\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"6l20a\">IT infrastructure automation offer you several benefits including reduced costs and improved efficiency. The market today is filled with several tools and solution providers who help you optimally automate your IT infrastructure. With the right understanding of the essentials, you can derive the maximum benefits of automation.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"uzs1g\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"hh1gq\">Several configuration management tools available in the market help you manage and maintain servers easily at one time. Among these, Puppet, Chef, and Ansible are popular.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"khqqj\"><br></p></div></div></section>',NULL,'Harisha V','Active','key-points-about-it-infrastructure-automation','2017-08-03 13:47:54','2018-03-15 05:42:04',6,'Infrastructure Automation',6,'Awareness','Key Points to Remember About IT Infrastructure Automation','Key Points to Remember About IT Infrastructure Automation | 7EDGE','Agility empowers productivity. Today\'s enterprises are automating their overall IT infrastructure by adopting the cloud.','Key Points to Remember About IT Infrastructure Automation | 7EDGE','Agility empowers productivity. Today\'s enterprises are automating their overall IT infrastructure by adopting the cloud.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',43,4),(16,'Comparing the Leading Configuration Management Tools ','A comparison of Configuration management tools such as Puppet, Chef, and Ansible enable enterprises to choose the best option effectively.','11.jpg','image/jpeg',111046,'2017-08-12 13:08:43',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"kpmt5\">Technology keeps on getting bigger and bigger, which has a profound effect on many organizations. In the past, companies could make do with a few physical servers in a data center within their building. Now, thanks largely to cloud computing, organizations have far more servers that need to be managed. Sometimes, these servers could even be dotted throughout the world.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"hwlzc\"><strong><br></strong></p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"f4q7\">The question is, how do you maintain and manage all of these servers and remote data centers? Well, step forward configuration management tools such as Puppet, Chef, and Ansible. These tools make it easier for companies to configure and maintain handfuls of servers all at one time. Now, what we&rsquo;re keen to figure out is which of these tools is the best? So, we&rsquo;ve compared the three against each other to see who comes out on top:</p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"f4q7\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"sal14\">Users &amp; Developers</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"9yg1f\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"9yg1f\">To start off, which of these tools is the most widely used? While Chef and Ansible have adequate user bases, it&rsquo;s Puppet that&rsquo;s the clear winner here. There are far more people that use this tool, which also causes there to be far more developers for the software too. As a consequence, there are loads more third-party additions and support systems in place for Puppet too.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"9yg1f\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"bc9wp\">Platforms</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"hzlnk\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"hzlnk\">Finding a good configuration management tool involves looking at what platforms the tool supports. Again, Chef supports a respectable amount of platforms, including the most common ones, as does Ansible. However, Puppet supports so many different platforms, including older operating systems as well as the most modern ones. This allows any organization to use this tool to configure and automate their server infrastructure.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"hzlnk\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"wxw9h\">User Interface</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"33fwz\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"33fwz\">The UI is another important feature to look for in these tools. Ideally, you want something that&rsquo;s easy to use and allows you a high degree of control. Once again, Puppet comes out on top here. Its web UI is easily the most well-rounded and complete of all the tools. You can control managed nodes in real-time, and there are easy-to-use reporting tools that allow you to keep an eye on everything and see how things are going on. If any changes occur, you&rsquo;ll see them in real-time on the UI.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"33fwz\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"scdqp\">Resources</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"5stm9\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"5stm9\">Nothing in life is ever going to be 100% straightforward. Even configuration management tools like these will spring up problems from time to time. When any problems happen, you want to be in the best place to deal with them swiftly, so that they don&rsquo;t damage your organization. So, you need to use a tool with plenty of resources available to help solve any common problems. Both Ansible and Chef have very little going for them in the resources department. Puppet, on the other hand, has a huge catalog of resources from a wiki that&rsquo;s contributed to by users. Consequently, there are solutions to almost every Puppet problem on the planet.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"auqf\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"bsg3r\">In conclusion, it&#39;s clear that Puppet is simply the most well-rounded tool out of the three. The user interface is clear and easy to use, there are loads of helpful resources, and it&rsquo;s used by so many people which means there are much better development options too.</p></div></div></section>',NULL,'Roopa','Active','comparing-the-leading-configuration-management-tools','2017-08-03 13:50:30','2018-03-15 05:42:04',6,'Configuration Management',3,'Consideration','Comparing the Leading Configuration Management Tools','Comparing the Leading Configuration Management Tools | 7EDGE','A comparison of Configuration management tools such as Puppet, Chef, and Ansible enable enterprises to choose the best option effectively.','Comparing the Leading Configuration Management Tools | 7EDGE','A comparison of Configuration management tools such as Puppet, Chef, and Ansible enable enterprises to choose the best option effectively.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',45,4),(17,'Puppet\'s IT Automation: Improving Business Agility','With the power of Puppet IT automation, 7EDGE\'s strategic solutions help enterprises inject agility into their IT infrastructure.','12.jpg','image/jpeg',80098,'2017-08-12 13:09:02',_binary '<p>IT enterprises are often incredibly diverse and stretch across numerous different data centers. Due to this, the management of said enterprises can be quite complex. Deploying servers can often take days and result in massive time wastage unless the right automated software and tools are used. There are many challenges of an IT enterprise such as agility and visibility, but all can be addressed with the use of the correct software. This is where Puppet fits into a complex, enterprise IT environment.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 18pt; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;\">What Is Puppet?</span></h2><p><br></p><p>Puppet can save IT administrators time and money in the business model. It&rsquo;s a next-gen form of IT software that is able to automate repetitive, time-consuming tasks making the entire model easier to run. However, it doesn&rsquo;t just fix the simple and mundane. Puppet can also deploy critical software to ensure that the enterprise continues to work effectively across a multitude of networks without any network administrator input needed.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>There are multiple areas that automated software should provide a benefit within the complex IT environment. It should, for instance be able to work with multiple OS and provide support for virtualisation. Puppet certainly deals with issues and challenges like this.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 18pt; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;\">Create and Establish New Servers</span></h2><p><br></p><p>Without an automated software, you would need to create and provision new servers manually using a tool of your choice. You could use scripts, but flexibility is usually an issue here. Neither problems are present with Puppet. Instead, this job is handled for you. The agent is able to run and establish a server without any input from you. Within minutes, you have a full model ready to use and operate as you see fit.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 18pt; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;\">Handling Virtualization&nbsp;</span></h2><p><br></p><p>We have already mentioned the heterogeneous environment of modern IT companies. They are often spread across different resources from public and private cloud servers to multiple operating systems and application stacks. As well as this, clients and customers continually demand faster output and production for IT products. Due to this, Puppet and similar tools certainly have a role in the industry today, handling virtualization challenges. Without losing productivity, Puppet is able to benefit VMware deployments. As well as this, the designed configurations can be reused across all areas of the IT environment, without any necessary changes.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 18pt; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;\">Puppet Vs SCCM</span></h2><p><br></p><p>IT administrators will be familiar with the System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) that is a window operating tool, directly connected to the OS. Puppet expands on this with infrastructure as code configuration management. Built for use with a variety of different types of frameworks, Puppet is a brilliant alternative to the typical SCCM.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 18pt; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;\">Monitoring Your Enterprise</span></h2><p><br></p><p>Finally, you can use Puppet to effectively monitor your IT enterprise. With a massive inventory of data, it is possible for system administrators to report on expected or unexpected behavior and react accordingly. By doing this, Puppet is able to help the sysadmin operate on multiple levels by managing policies and automating changes at the same time. With a solution like this, Puppet is able to analyze, adapt and improve the infrastructure of any IT environment where it is in use.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 18pt; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;\">Conclusion</span></h2><p><br></p><p>The IT environments of an organization can be quite complex, diverse and spread out across various locations. Added to these complexities are challenges such as visibility, agility, IT compliance and configuration drift. Puppet is one next-generation IT automation software that allows system administrators streamline the management of IT resources as well as scale workloads efficiently across diverse environments. 7EDGE&rsquo;s IT infrastructure automation services uses Puppet to helps enterprises automate and scale their infrastructure as per their changing business needs.</p><p><br></p>',NULL,'Sajith Ravi TK','Active','puppets-it-automation-improving-business-agility','2017-08-03 13:56:22','2018-03-15 05:42:04',6,'Infrastructure Automation',1,'Consideration','Puppet\'s IT Automation: Improving Business Agility','Puppet\'s IT Automation: Improving Business Agility | 7EDGE','With the power of Puppet IT automation, 7EDGE\'s strategic solutions help enterprises inject agility into their IT infrastructure.','Puppet\'s IT Automation: Improving Business Agility | 7EDGE','With the power of Puppet IT automation, 7EDGE\'s strategic solutions help enterprises inject agility into their IT infrastructure.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',46,4),(18,'6 Industries that Realize the Benefits of Cloud Migration','Identifying the benefits of cloud computing, businesses from diverse industrial realms are trying to migrate their IT infrastructure to the cloud arena.','13.jpg','image/jpeg',190375,'2017-08-12 13:10:20',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"cip8f\">You may think that the benefits of migrating the cloud are only relevant for certain businesses and industries. But in reality, businesses in almost every industry have benefited from switching to the cloud and migrating their company applications. You can see what we mean in some of the examples below, proving that large and small companies benefit from the cloud.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"cip8f\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"ifos9\">Travel</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"cf2oo\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"cf2oo\">The travel industry is now almost entirely based online. When customers head on a holiday, they regularly start with a keyword in a search engine such as &lsquo;Barbados flights.&rsquo; By doing this, they typically reach a site such as Expedia. In the travel industry, it is important to ensure that customers find the results quickly, can make purchases easily and don&rsquo;t run into unexpected delays. A site page that isn&rsquo;t working or an error on a search is one of the most common reasons why companies lose customers. Expedia knew this and that&rsquo;s why they worked to develop a fix and ensure that their applications worked effectively with no error. They were able to do this by utilizing development through the cloud.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"cf2oo\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"iub8l\">Food Production</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wjowc\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wjowc\">Every industry needs to think about marketing and what is proving to be effective through promotion. This is particularly true in the food industry where a single image could impact sales. As such, it is crucial for a company like this to understand what has impacted customer sales. One of the ways to do this is to look at sales reports as well as spending to assess whether money can be cut back in certain areas. That&rsquo;s exactly what Kellogg&#39;s was able to do using cloud applications. They found they could send sales reports out to different sectors of the company in minutes and ensure everyone was on the same page. This led to a more effective marketing campaign based on real-time sale reports.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wjowc\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"vrbp\">Entertainment</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"tm7ms\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"tm7ms\">Everything about entertainment is now in some part based online, and the best example of this would be video streaming. Netflix is quickly becoming more popular than blue-ray or any other type of media output. The reason for this is a catalog of media that worldwide customers can easily access in seconds. Netflix was able to provide this for their customer by operating on the cloud ensuring that everything was kept up-to-date and that new media could be easily added.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"tm7ms\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"j7e3s\">Healthcare</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"gxa1d\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"gxa1d\">Siemens was able to build a healthcare data management system through the cloud that was secure, effective and is now used in multiple medical practices across the world. For them, the main issue was security. But with the software already available through the AWS cloud platform, they found it easy to guarantee protection for their medical company clients.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"gxa1d\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"olu8m\">Media</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"asgm\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"asgm\">The news industry has quickly adapted to focus on online content with news websites, blogs, and apps. However, with so much data coming in and be released businesses find themselves focusing more time on maintenance rather than creation. This was the issue for Dow Jones, a financial news agency with a huge popularity in Asia. By migrating to the cloud, the business was able to make data management simple and focus more time on releasing products instead.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"asgm\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"2fvi4\">Telecom</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"ozh0d\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"ozh0d\">Finally, telecom these days doesn&rsquo;t just mean phone, text or even email. It can include everything from online applications to live video. Vodafone wanted to create an app that could be used for a specific purpose and provide for demand from customers without investing more resources into development. They were able to do this by working on the cloud and created the app, releasing it to customers without the typical expense from a new resource.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"ozh0d\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"73yvs\">Conclusion</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ozwq7\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ozwq7\">It is pretty evident that the cloud offers enormous opportunities for innovation and disruption across various industries. The industries and enterprises given above form just a few of them who have already incorporated the technology and already reaping the benefits in various ways. It is just a matter of time before cloud computing becomes commonplace across industries.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"zfx9g\"><br></p></div></div></section>',NULL,'Harisha V','Inactive','6-industries-that-realize-benefits-of-cloud-migration','2017-08-03 14:03:58','2018-03-15 05:21:51',1,'Cloud Computing',2,'Awareness','6 Industries that Realize the Benefits of Cloud Migration','6 Industries that Realize the Benefits of Cloud Migration | 7EDGE','Identifying the benefits of cloud computing, businesses from diverse industrial realms are trying to migrate their IT infrastructure to the cloud arena.','6 Industries that Realize the Benefits of Cloud Migration | 7EDGE','Identifying the benefits of cloud computing, businesses from diverse industrial realms are trying to migrate their IT infrastructure to the cloud arena.','04-Cloud-Computing-Creative.jpg','image/jpeg',206724,'2017-12-12 13:05:48','4 Min Read',46,4),(19,'4 Benefits of Cloud Computing You Realize Post Migration','Today\'s enterprises identify the key benefits of cloud computing that transforms their business operations post-migration.','14.jpg','image/jpeg',105950,'2017-08-12 13:10:39',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"zvt2v\">There are numerous key benefits of cloud technology. Working with the cloud allows businesses to keep their data and information private and secure. Many experts believe that the cloud provides the most secure storage option for data in the world today. As well as this, the cloud allows information to be transferred and accessed instantly, ensuring that businesses are able to reach their maximum potential. The business world is constantly evolving, growing and changing. With the cloud, it&rsquo;s possible for businesses to stay up to date as the market continues to shift.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"niu3m\"><strong><br></strong></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"jpmye\">That&rsquo;s why businesses should be thinking about migrating their company apps to the cloud. There are numerous advantages of doing this.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"jpmye\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"ez91a\">Simplified Management</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"obvsq\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"obvsq\">Using a platform such as AWS, the infrastructure of a business can be simplified by ensuring that the apps are on a cloud. This guarantees that all the different areas of a company can become one and work effectively together. It also enables a business to be more flexible with employees working from anywhere to the same goal. Not only that but with AWS, you will be able to use data and applications, releasing them to all customers around the world in seconds. If anything does go wrong, it can quickly be resolved because all the tools and resources that you need will be accessible through the cloud.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"obvsq\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"r3elj\">Faster Than Ever</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"ht4h\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"ht4h\">It is absolutely vital that any business on the market today provides a fresh service to customers that are constantly evolving. By using the cloud for business apps, it is possible for business owners to release, review and update applications within minutes. However, it is not just about releasing the applications on to the market. Using tools such as CodeDeploy, you can build and develop an app for your business in minutes. You also get all the benefits of a virtual office without having to set one up for yourself.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"ht4h\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"py6o\">No Breaches</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"sakf\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"sakf\">We have already briefly mentioned how the cloud is the most secure form of data storage. But now, using a platform like AWS there is software in place to combat and prevent breaches in security. It&rsquo;s an active software that is able to pinpoint an attack and set up a defense against it. Today, the threat of a hack or breach to your business systems is constantly changing. But now, when you migrate your business applications to the cloud, your security will be adapting as well.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"sakf\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"lvey5\">Constant Support</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"bzku8\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"bzku8\">The cloud is set up in a way that resembles an ecosystem with different parts to help companies grow and evolve. If you face any issues migrating your applications, you will discover the support you need is readily available. You will be able to get help analyzing your migration portfolio and using companies working on the cloud to make sure that you have everything you need. The cloud isn&rsquo;t just run by one team. There are various partners accessible through the server who can help with your requirements and ensure that you reach the full potential with your company.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"t73ca\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"54fvr\">It is evident that cloud computing offers several benefits for enterprises. While there are a few concerns such as data privacy and security that may put some organizations on the backfoot, the benefits certainly outweigh the concerns and limitations. And this is a good enough reason for organizations to migrate their business applications to the cloud.</p></div></div></section>','2017-10-20','Sajith Ravi TK','Inactive','4-Benefits-of-cloud-computing-realized-post-migration','2017-08-03 14:07:58','2018-03-15 05:21:35',1,'Cloud Computing',1,'Awareness','4 Benefits of Cloud Computing You Realize Post Migration','4 Benefits of Cloud Computing You Realize Post Migration | 7EDGE','Today\'s enterprises identify the key benefits of cloud computing that transforms their business operations post-migration.','4 Benefits of Cloud Computing You Realize Post Migration | 7EDGE','Today\'s enterprises identify the key benefits of cloud computing that transforms their business operations post-migration.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',47,4),(20,'How Can Amazon Cloud Services Add Flexibility to Business?','With a wide array of innovative features, Amazon cloud services render its extended support for enterprises in their cloud journey.','15.jpg','image/jpeg',252412,'2017-08-12 13:10:52',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"mvfc7\">Enterprises should be moving towards incorporating a cloud server into their business model. Using a cloud, you can get your business to operate more effectively and rapidly in the market. As such, you will be able to reduce costs, and this will ensure that your business is more efficient. But that is not the only advantage. With a cloud server, you can take your company to the global market in minutes, dramatically expanding the options for growth. Using Amazon Web Services, it&rsquo;s possible to provide a support for your journey when using the cloud for your business.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"mvfc7\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"nd9mh\">Lead Your Business With Knowledge of The Cloud</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"a2ezn\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"a2ezn\">Using the AWS, you will be able to gain more knowledge of the cloud, understanding its uses and benefits. Once you start using AWS, you will be able to discover what makes a cloud server so beneficial to companies. As well as this, you will be able to explain the benefits to other members of your company and point out why using a private server is not the right answer. Private servers are expensive, time-consuming and complicated. With AWS you will understand the benefits of using cloud servers that are already set up and established.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"a2ezn\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"u4mko\">Choose How You Use The Cloud</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"uf78n\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"uf78n\">Once you have determined that your company will benefit from the cloud, you can use AWS to ensure that it operates to your needs. You will be able to determine whether you want to use the cloud mobile apps, for instance. Using mobile apps on the cloud, you will have access to a wide range of different tools and developers are able to work with a higher level of productivity. Alternatively, you can use the cloud to analyze data and share it with employees. Doing this, you will be able to gain real-time information to improve the performance of your business. These are just some examples of the Use cases you can choose for your business.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"uf78n\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"l4rg2\">Address Security</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"umlqx\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"umlqx\">AWS can help you address any security concerns you have using the cloud by tackling them early on in the process. Once you have identified use cases, you will be able to task an employee with selecting resources to ensure security is a key feature. Working with a multitude of businesses, AWS has always put security as the top priority.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"umlqx\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"b6gpk\">Provide Training</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"dpq4s\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"dpq4s\">You can use AWS to train employees in using the cloud effectively. It is important to understand that when running an enterprise on the cloud, you should not just be training IT employees. Instead, you should be providing training to every stakeholder that could be impacted by IT from legal teams to financial sectors. AWS ensures that provide that right training for different individuals in your enterprise is easy and every part of your enterprise can be on the cloud.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"dpq4s\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"tqvtc\">Drive Fast Outcomes</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"z0hiv\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"z0hiv\">Finally, using the cloud with AWS, you can guarantee fast outcomes for your team. You can design a charter and then form a team around it with operation integration. You will be able to build up your enterprise and deliver quick results with a cloud enablement team. You can do this by examining whitepapers, videos, tools, and resources that are all available through AWS.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"euoq\"><strong><br></strong></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"womrx\">As you can see, there are plenty of ways AWS can support you when integrating the cloud into your enterprise. AWS forms one of the important cloud platforms 7EDGE works with in order to provide powerful cloud solutions to enterprises.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"i0vjf\"><br></p></div></div></section>','2017-10-20','Harisha V','Active','how-amazon-cloud-services-add-flexibility-to-business','2017-08-03 14:10:35','2018-03-15 05:42:04',1,'Cloud Computing',3,'Awareness','How Can Amazon Cloud Services Add Flexibility to Business?','How Can Amazon Cloud Services Add Flexibility to Business? | 7EDGE','With a wide array of innovative features, Amazon cloud services render its extended support for enterprises in their cloud journey. ','How Can Amazon Cloud Services Add Flexibility to Business? | 7EDGE','With a wide array of innovative features, Amazon cloud services render its extended support for enterprises in their cloud journey. ',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',47,4),(21,'5 Effective Ways to Build Brand Awareness','If you are an organization who is trying to build brand awareness among your customers, here are five powerful programmatic brand awareness techniques you should try.','S17615-S17-05.jpg','image/jpeg',107092,'2017-09-13 10:56:19',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"i9eic\">In an increasingly crowded marketplace where businesses are trying to make their mark and capture a sizeable market share, getting recognized is a huge concern for many organizations. They have so much to offer to their customers, but their customers do not know that these organizations even exist. Does this sound familiar?</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"i9eic\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"e19j\">If you are one such organization who is trying to create an awareness of your brand among your customers, here are five things you should try.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"e19j\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"9etz\">Use search engine ads</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"dlv56\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"dlv56\">When creating visibility of your organization or brand is on your mind, the search engines are something you must first target. While you may be already aware of the regular <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/services/digital-marketing/search-engine-optimization\" href=\"/search-engine-optimization-services\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">search engine optimization</a> (SEO) techniques, paid search ads too can help you in boosting a company&rsquo;s brand image.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"dlv56\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"d0w6p\">This is supported by a study conducted by Levi Strauss &amp; Co. in association with Google. The study showed that paid ads helped increase consumer awareness of Levi&rsquo;s brand by 23% and also drove considerable traffic to its website, even though the paid ads did not always generate clicks. This means that search engine ads that may not create enough click-through rates can still boost awareness of your brand amongst your target audience.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"d0w6p\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ypqwb\"><a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/services/digital-media/search-engine-marketing\" href=\"/search-engine-marketing-services\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Search engine ads</a> also offer you the benefits of having control over your budget, your ad messages and tracking audience responses using valuable analytics tools.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ypqwb\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"qawyy\">Attract people to your website through attractive content</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"da2y\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"da2y\"><a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/services/digital-marketing/content-marketing\" href=\"/content-marketing-services\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Creating regular and high-value content</a> offers several benefits to your brand. Writing blogs and creating impressive content is a great way to create brand image among your target customers, attract them to your website and possibly convert a majority of them to customers. In fact, creating regular content is an essential part of the inbound marketing strategy, which is increasingly becoming popular among organizations.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"da2y\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"geb48\">Firstly, a blog is an essential part of an SEO strategy. Google rewards websites that keep adding fresh and high-quality content. Secondly, regular blogging on your website or writing guest articles on other digital platforms such as online magazines and well-known blogs help you establish an identity for yourself as an expert and a thought leader in your industry.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"geb48\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"bahfk\">You can choose to write on issues commonly faced by other organizations in the industry and possible solutions for their challenges.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"bahfk\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"y50t\">Establish your social media presence</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"l106\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"l106\">It shouldn&rsquo;t be news to you that several organizations and brands today are on popular <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/services/digital-marketing/social-media-marketing\" href=\"/social-media-marketing-services\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">social media</a> platforms such as Facebook, Linkedin and Youtube as a majority of the population spends a significant time on these platforms. With these platforms, you can reach out to thousands and millions of your target audience, giving you an opportunity to engage with them and convert them into potential leads.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"l106\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ys6vq\">However, creating a social media profile for your organization is just the beginning. In order to create a powerful social media presence, you should regularly engage with your audience, always be on the lookout for conversations around your brand, products, services, and industry as well as provide your audience with valuable service offerings.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ys6vq\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"1typo\">Create an effective email marketing campaign</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"2267e\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"2267e\">Several organizations tend to ignore the power of email marketing campaigns for telling people about their brands. However, done the right way, email marketing can prove an excellent way of delivering your brand content right across to your audience&rsquo;s inbox. Most often, businesses fail at email marketing due to the wrong approach.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"2267e\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"98lzc\">An email newsletter is more than asking people to download your freebies or avail your services. An email newsletter should keep your audience in mind. It should be relevant and must consistently offer something of value to the consumer. It is a good practice to listen to your customers&rsquo; sentiments and make changes to your email campaign accordingly. This enhances the perception of your brand among your customers, making them your brand advocates.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"98lzc\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"cy7qk\">Collaborate with industry influencers</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"i9z1\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"i9z1\">Influencers have the power to influence a particular section of audience and followers within their circle in making key purchasing decisions. A top influencer in your industry can become your ambassador and promote your organization and brand among their followers. Hence, collaborating and <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.7edge.com/services/digital-marketing/influencer-marketing\" href=\"/influencer-marketing-services\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">building a strong relationship with the right influencers</a> in the industry not only helps you in boosting your brand awareness but can also help you in realizing a few key business goals such as increased conversions and sales.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"i9z1\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"7muihb\">As an organization, one of your key priorities is to get more people to become your customers and brand advocates. Creating awareness of your brand among people is the first step to achieving this goal. Following the powerful techniques mentioned above will not only create much awareness of your brand among your customers but will also lead to increased engagement, leads, customers and return on investment (ROI).</p></div></div></section>','2017-10-20',NULL,'Inactive','5-effective-ways-to-build-brand-awareness','2017-09-04 10:30:08','2018-03-15 05:14:35',3,'Brand Awareness, Brand Image',5,'Awareness','5 Effective Ways to Build Brand Awareness','5 Effective Ways to Build Brand Awareness | 7EDGE','If you are an organization who is trying to build brand awareness among your customers, here are five powerful programmatic brand awareness techniques you should try.','5 Effective Ways to Build Brand Awareness | 7EDGE','If you are an organization who is trying to build brand awareness among your customers, here are five powerful programmatic brand awareness techniques you should try.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',49,2),(22,'Why is Cloud Computing Security More Reliable?','Keeping the customer\'s business-critical data in mind, cloud providers solely focus on staging the best-in-class cloud security practices.','S17615-S17-13.jpg','image/jpeg',79658,'2017-09-13 10:41:38',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"ozv6i\">With endless capabilities, the paradigm shift to cloud technology has indeed taken the world by storm. And as the cloud continues to evolve, enterprises &ndash; large and small &ndash; are trying to reap the most benefits&mdash;such as ease of use, unlimited access, flexibility, automatic software updates, and storage options. All of these at low capital expenditures.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"ozv6i\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"t1yni\">However, even today, there is a lack of trust among some organizations as they are typically concerned about the security aspects of cloud. This fear is reinforced by the fact that they sense data breaches and hackers constantly lurking around them. In fact, security happens to be the prime reason that thwarts most organizations from opting for the cloud.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"t1yni\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ii23n\">It&rsquo;s truly unfortunate, as most cloud providers today stage far more enhanced levels of security than on-premise data centers. You&rsquo;ll get a fair idea only when you think about those security threats and data breaches from the cloud provider&rsquo;s perspective. Now, imagine a situation where numerous organizations are getting impacted by a potential security threat at the same time. Yes, it will indeed be a catastrophic event. This makes evident that cloud providers are more inclined towards taking security far more seriously than other organizations. Their focus always remains on effectively reinforcing their IT infrastructure with best-in-class security practices.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ii23n\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"d9dpo5\">Key Security Features of the Cloud</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"cp7hl\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"cp7hl\">To shed some light on how the cloud outperforms on-premise IT infrastructure, we have come up with some key security features of the cloud:</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"ytlvd\">Top-Notch Surveillance</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"is1yg\">As you already know, if you adopt a cloud option, you need not manage or store your data on-premises anymore. It&rsquo;s the cloud provider&rsquo;s responsibility. And they need to make sure your data stays safe all the time.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"dcpw8\">Unlike on-premise data centers that are vulnerable to unauthorized access and data breaches, the cloud provider&rsquo;s facility is endowed with a multi-layered security. Some of the precautions include - high and rigid fences, barbed wires, concrete barriers, guards and CCTV cameras. Taking security to an unprecedented level, these barriers prevent visitors, employees and even the top-level officials from entering the facility. Which means, loads of your business-critical data is safe and secure&mdash;allowing you to focus on your core business tasks.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"ggvva\">Cloud Expertise</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"mb0k\">This is where the actual aspect of security comes in&mdash;highly skilled professionals work behind the scenes to make sure your business-critical data is free from potential cyber attacks. This involves a 24/7/365 monitoring and maintenance.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"1ag6l\">Regular Audits and Updates</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"xhd1q\">When it comes to regular audits and upgrading your on-premise IT assets, managing legacy systems can be painstaking. But once you go in line with the cloud, the need to undergo these two crucial processes almost vanishes.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"xhd1q\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"okle8\">Today&rsquo;s cloud providers are efficient. They conduct audits on a regular basis to identify the underlying security flaws in the systems. Moreover, they provide essential updates for the applications on the cloud.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"okle8\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"sk02r\">The Future of Cloud Security</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"vzvd9\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"vzvd9\">Envisioning the scope of security on the cloud, <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3744617\" href=\"http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3744617\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Gartner</a> predicts that the cloud-based security services market will reach close to a staggering $9 billion by 2020.&nbsp;</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"vzvd9\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"kfnb\">Ruggero Contu, Research Director at Gartner, says &quot;Email security, web security and Identity and Access Management (IAM) remain the organizations&#39; top-three cloud priorities.&quot; He adds further, &ldquo;Mainstream services that address these priorities include Security Information Event Management (SIEM), Identity and Access Management (IAM), and more offer a significant growth potential. Emerging offerings include cloud-based malware sandboxes, cloud-based data encryption, threat intelligence enablement, Web Application Firewalls (WAFs), threat intelligence and endpoint protection management.&rdquo;</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"kfnb\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"6lr0q\">Although the security features of the cloud are innovative in all aspects, the key to a safe and secure cloud journey lies in how you choose your cloud provider. If you do it right, your cloud journey will lead you towards long-term profits&mdash;driving your overall business growth.</p></div></div></section>',NULL,NULL,'Active','why-is-cloud-computing-security-more-reliable','2017-09-13 10:41:38','2018-03-15 05:42:04',1,'Cloud Security',6,'Awareness','Why is Cloud Computing Security More Reliable?','Why is Cloud Computing Security More Reliable? | 7EDGE','Keeping the customer\'s business-critical data in mind, cloud providers solely focus on staging the best-in-class cloud security practices.','Why is Cloud Computing Security More Reliable? | 7EDGE','Keeping the customer\'s business-critical data in mind, cloud providers solely focus on staging the best-in-class cloud security practices.','02-Cloud-Computing-Creative.jpg','image/jpeg',180254,'2017-12-12 13:01:50','4 Min Read',48,4),(23,'How Cloud Migration Helps You Optimize Your IT costs','Adopting the cloud can help numerous organizations optimize their IT costs in an innovative manner.','S17615-S17-23.jpg','image/jpeg',91007,'2017-09-13 10:51:45',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2 graf--first\" name=\"naynu\">Cloud: Shifting to the Budget-friendly Technology</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"olypm\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"olypm\">Most often, the big question that pops up in your mind is - Why migrate to the cloud? The reasons are plenty, but you already know the basic one&mdash;to inject innovation, agility, and clarity in business operations. As a matter of fact, the cloud adds flexibility and redefines your IT infrastructure in its entirety; letting you focus on what actually matters - your core business. Apart from this, the efficiency of cloud can be leveraged to host almost all types of business applications with minimal efforts.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"olypm\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ny74o\">As you can see, the benefits of <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://blog.equinix.com/blog/2016/11/28/optimizing-your-cloud-migration-for-the-best-possible-outcome-and-roi/\" href=\"https://blog.equinix.com/blog/2016/11/28/optimizing-your-cloud-migration-for-the-best-possible-outcome-and-roi/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">cloud migration</a> are enormous; and they all converge towards a single point &ndash; it saves your money. Large organizations across the globe have already adopted cloud as the heart of their IT operations. And if you are running an SMB (Small and Midsized Business), we bet you are on the right track.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ny74o\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"t10wl\">Let&rsquo;s focus on how can cloud help you <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"http://www.centurylink.com/business/enterprise/blog/thinkgig/optimize-workloads-costs-across-cloud/\" href=\"http://www.centurylink.com/business/enterprise/blog/thinkgig/optimize-workloads-costs-across-cloud/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">optimize your IT costs</a>.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"7600s\">No Capital Costs</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"tyzqx\">Yes, you heard that right. It is an obvious fact that when you adopt cloud, you need not manage servers anymore. Your data resides on the cloud provider&rsquo;s servers. Thus, saving you the capital investment costs involved in installing servers. This is one major turnaround of migrating to the cloud arena.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"95zi\">No Maintenance Costs</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"w4g6d\">If you don&rsquo;t need to install servers on-premises, you are also free from the maintenance costs involved. Apart from staging an entire IT infrastructure on the cloud, cloud providers are also responsible for the maintenance costs. In simple terms, you don&rsquo;t even have to think about the complexity involved in managing a plethora of hardware and server issues; helping you maintain business continuity.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"mh6fu\">Lower Energy Costs</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"yfwp\">It&#39;s a no-brainer that servers consume heavy loads of power even if they are kept idle. But, now that your servers reside on your cloud provider&rsquo;s premises, there will be a considerable amount of energy savings, and of course, the costs associated with it. Whether it is the services, or data storage, or the electricity, you only pay for what you consume; minimizing the TCO effectively.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"8hy\">No Disaster Recovery Costs</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"8m4x\">Disaster Recovery planning and implementation require a great deal of time and money. Moreover, it requires you to store massive amounts of backups that could probably take a long time to access in the event of an emergency. But, moving to the cloud not only helps you with the DR planning and implementation but also accelerates the process and saves costs without interrupting your core business.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"hih2\">Apart from providing a competitive edge in terms of cost optimization, the &lsquo;cloud&rsquo; has indeed become a disruptive technology that adds agility to businesses. Harnessing its capabilities, you can tailor the usage of services based on your specific business needs.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"98gta\"><br></p></div></div></section>','2017-10-20',NULL,'Inactive','how-cloud-migration-helps-you-optimize-it-costs','2017-09-13 10:51:45','2018-01-16 07:34:47',1,'Cloud Migration,Cost Optimization',1,'Awareness','How Cloud Migration Helps You Optimize Your IT costs','How Cloud Migration Helps You Optimize Your IT costs','Adopting the cloud can help numerous organizations optimize their IT costs in an innovative manner.','How Cloud Migration Helps You Optimize Your IT costs','Adopting the cloud can help numerous organizations optimize their IT costs in an innovative manner.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',7,4),(24,'6 Business Benefits You Gain by Moving to the Cloud','For organizations seeking operational efficiency and flexibility, moving their on-premises IT assets to the cloud becomes a prerequisite factor.','S17615-S17-14.jpg','image/jpeg',92306,'2017-09-13 11:06:40',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"sma5s\">It is a no-brainer that the advent of cloud computing has certainly paved a productive path for numerous businesses across the globe; simplifying every aspect of computing. Today, the so called &lsquo;cloud&rsquo;&mdash;powered by the internet&mdash;is well-accepted as a reliable platform for storing and executing applications seamlessly. Identifying its operational efficiency, scalability, and flexibility, more and more organizations are trying to <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://blogs.partner.microsoft.com/mpn/migrate-your-customers-it-environments-to-the-cloud/\" href=\"https://blogs.partner.microsoft.com/mpn/migrate-your-customers-it-environments-to-the-cloud/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">migrate their on-premises IT environments to the cloud</a>. As matter of fact, we are witnessing a full-scale transition towards the &lsquo;cloud era&rsquo; - where hardware devices and cables won&rsquo;t exist on-premises anymore.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"sma5s\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"6v49s\">Recent reports suggest that the cloud services giant <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/04/29/roundup-of-cloud-computing-forecasts-2017/#7900ac7031e8\" href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/04/29/roundup-of-cloud-computing-forecasts-2017/#7900ac7031e8\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon Web Services</a> (AWS) attained a staggering 43 percent of the growth in its revenue compared to 2016. Citing the reason for this growth, AWS states that their customers migrated more than 23,000 databases using the AWS Database Migration Service since it was made available last year.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"6v49s\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"1a57\">Still clueless about why you should migrate to the cloud? Perhaps you should check out the below-mentioned benefits of cloud adoption.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"gzg6\">Operational Agility</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ie7eo\">As we already know, the gist of cloud services lies in its exceptional level of flexibility that it offers. You can scale your cloud-based services according to your fluctuating business needs &ndash; a feature that an on-premise IT infrastructure fails to deliver. For instance, you can increase your cloud capabilities if your needs are high. Similarly, as data reside on remote servers, you can minimize the capabilities when your needs are basic. It is this unique level of flexibility that drives the operational agility of core business operations. The cloud also offers automated software updates, eliminating the need to install them manually.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"kzroq\">Enhanced Security</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"0kske\">Talking about security, most cloud-based services are backed up by a fully-managed Tier 4 data center with best-in-class security; taking data security to a whole new level. In the event of a disaster, you can easily retrieve and access your data anytime as it resides on the cloud. This also comes with the comes with the ability to remotely wipe your data from lost devices.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"cntt5\">User-friendly Interface</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"5qh6u\">When compared with an on-premise IT infrastructure, cloud platforms are easy to manage and administer &ndash; due to its user-friendly interface. For example, you can handle tasks such as managing permissions, adding users, resources and more in a hassle-free manner.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"0y8kc\">Mobility - The Freedom to Work on the Move</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"qtb8a\">We are well aware of the fact that cloud injects an unprecedented level of flexibility in computing. Apart from this, it also offers mobility - the ability to work on the move. Your employees can access and work on crucial business documents and applications from almost anywhere; and from any internet-enabled device.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"a9ti\">Promotes a Collaborative Environment</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"1rixa\">Apart from offering a user-friendly interface, a cloud technology platform stages a highly collaborative environment &ndash; allowing your organization to access, edit and share documents on the move. The entire scenario is supported by cloud-based file sharing apps that enable real-time updates; also portraying full visibility.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"5hi2f\">Zero Server Maintenance Costs</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"lvdek\">Traditional on-premise environment comes along with the hurdle of maintaining multiple on-site servers at high operational costs. Cloud migration can set your organization free from this time-consuming process. All you need is a device that connects to your workload that resides on the cloud. Thus, in an innovative manner, adopting cloud services saves a considerable amount of hardware costs that can be invested in core business operations.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"23uig\">As you can see, the cloud is a package of endless possibilities!</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"7h504\">And now that you are well-aware about the opportunities that a cloud computing platform can open up, it is time to choose best cloud service provider that can instantly streamline your business operations.<br><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"7h504\"><br></p></div><!--<!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code ----><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea\" id=\"hs-cta-c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"></div><![endif]--><a href=\"https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2627927/c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"hs-cta-img fr-fic fr-dii\" id=\"hs-cta-img-c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" src=\"https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2627927/c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea.png\" alt=\"Cloud Migration Solution Sheet\"></a></span></span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --></div></section>','2017-10-10',NULL,'Inactive','6-business-benefits-of-moving-to-the-cloud','2017-09-13 11:05:27','2018-03-15 05:18:44',1,'Cloud Platform, Cloud Computing',2,'Awareness','6 Business Benefits You Gain by Moving to the Cloud','6 Business Benefits You Gain by Moving to the Cloud | 7EDGE','For organizations seeking operational efficiency and flexibility, moving their on-premises IT assets to the cloud becomes a prerequisite factor.','6 Business Benefits You Gain by Moving to the Cloud | 7EDGE','For organizations seeking operational efficiency and flexibility, moving their on-premises IT assets to the cloud becomes a prerequisite factor.','01-Cloud-Computing-Creative.jpg','image/jpeg',176462,'2017-12-12 12:47:34','4 Min Read',51,4),(25,'Cloud Migration: Reinventing Business Computing','With cloud migration, enterprises today are trying to transform their business operations—streamlining data management and analysis.','S17615-S17-07.jpg','image/jpeg',92867,'2017-09-13 11:19:21',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"q9nwq\">It&rsquo;s 2017, and we have reached a point where we can finally ditch most of our physical means of computing to harness the flexible and innovative form of technology - the cloud. Enterprises today &ndash; envisioning the scope of computing on the cloud &ndash; are effectively trying to reinvent their business models, and streamline data management and analysis. Having said that, it is evident that in years to come, we can expect heavy investments in the cloud arena; as reliance on the innovative technology continues to evolve.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"q9nwq\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"rdb4j\">The Cloud-First Policy</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"l8vk\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"l8vk\">As per <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3354117\" href=\"http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3354117\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Gartner&rsquo;s predictions</a>, by the year 2020, a corporate &quot;no-cloud&quot; policy will be a rare phenomenon; just like today&rsquo;s &quot;no-internet&quot; policy. Considering the current scenario, &lsquo;cloud-first&rsquo; and even &lsquo;cloud-only&rsquo; approach are dominating the IT domain. Moreover, the research firm also predicts that, by 2019, 30 percent or more of the 100 largest vendors will have their software investments focused on &lsquo;cloud-only&rsquo; philosophy&mdash;moving ahead of &lsquo;cloud-first&rsquo;.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"l8vk\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"l965\">Although the benefits of cloud computing are enormous, adopting a cloud-first strategy for your organization is definitely not a piece of cake. It requires a great deal of planning.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"l965\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"q02ql\">By now, a plethora of technical challenges might be surfacing on your mind. In fact, to identify and solve those challenges, initially, you need to understand the value proposition of the three tiers of cloud services. This will give you an idea about which one of those tiers best aligns with your specific business needs.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"7319\">SaaS (Software as a Service)</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ymipo\">This tier is for enterprises planning to migrate their existing applications to the cloud, or looking for an entirely new set of applications. However, this tier gives you little or no freedom for customization at all. Moreover, it is not recommended to adopt Saas in mission-critical areas &ndash; as software updates often happen abruptly &ndash; disrupting your workflow.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"fr7zu\">IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"o9udv\">IaaS is flexible in all aspects&mdash;capable enough to virtualize most of your on-premises workloads. However, most of the IaaS providers refrain from managing systems that exist above the hypervisor layer. Moreover, hyper-scale providers and market leaders&mdash;<a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-backup-cloud-first-architecture/\" href=\"https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-backup-cloud-first-architecture/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Microsoft Azure</a> and the <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/aws-named-as-a-leader-in-gartners-infrastructure-as-a-service-iaas-magic-quadrant-for-7th-consecutive-year/\" href=\"https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/aws-named-as-a-leader-in-gartners-infrastructure-as-a-service-iaas-magic-quadrant-for-7th-consecutive-year/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon Web Services (AWS)</a>, are not an option for SMBs. This is indeed a limitation that leaves most enterprise operations like the patching of operating systems and applications, and monitoring unsettled.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"6zof\">PaaS (Platform as a Service)</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"fk5rd\">As a matter of fact, PaaS is considered as the smallest tier among the three. Moreover, it is a suitable option for in-house-developed applications, and open-source solutions&mdash;where enterprises can access the source code. However, the service comes along with some pitfalls - such as outdated runtimes and the lack of freedom to add custom or third-party libraries.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"fk5rd\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"sii3\">Now that you are well-aware about the cloud services, we bring you the two best practices that can broaden your viewpoint. These practices form a base for addressing the key challenges and paves a path towards a successful cloud migration.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"6kj5q\">1. Invest in a Cloud Architect or a Team of Cloud Administrators</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"pynp3\">You simply can&rsquo;t deny the fact that the cloud is getting more and more complex as it evolves. Consequently, this opens a window for numerous technical and legacy issues in areas such as IT operations, application development, security, compliance, finance, procurement, privacy, identity management, data integration, mobility, &nbsp;business development and customer experience. To manage these areas efficiently, you might need to hire cloud architects, or even a team or cloud administrators.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"pynp3\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"d0goq\">Apart from assisting your organization in cloud adoption and migration, the primary responsibility of these cloud architects must be to orchestrate changes across many crucial areas, when required.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"izwod\">2. Organize Training and Certification Programs</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"lrj0j\">Even though it is true that cloud architects transform your cloud infrastructure, it is equally crucial to make sure that your in-house technical team that implements, manages and supports the infrastructure have exceptional skills in cloud technologies. So, you may encourage your system administrators and engineers to upgrade their skillsets&mdash;by enrolling them in various cloud-based training and certification programs.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"lrj0j\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"6jtwo\">You may also prompt your employees to use the free trial offers from cloud providers such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, and the Google Cloud. This will help them gain some hands-on experience.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"6jtwo\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"7zkcq\">Information empowers innovation. Now that you know what matters the most, kick-start your journey and soar to new heights in the cloud.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"7zkcq\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"7zkcq\"><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea\" id=\"hs-cta-c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"></div><![endif]--><a href=\"https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2627927/c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"hs-cta-img fr-fic fr-dii\" id=\"hs-cta-img-c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" src=\"https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2627927/c445a636-98b3-4efc-9718-78a60075f0ea.png\" alt=\"Cloud Migration Solution Sheet\"></a></span></span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><br></p></div></div></section>','2017-10-20',NULL,'Inactive','cloud-migration-reinventing-business-computing','2017-09-13 11:19:21','2018-03-15 05:19:04',1,'cloud migration, infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, software as a service',3,'Awareness','Cloud Migration: Reinventing Business Computing','Cloud Migration: Reinventing Business Computing | 7EDGE','With cloud migration, enterprises today are trying to transform their business operations—streamlining data management and analysis.','Cloud Migration: Reinventing Business Computing | 7EDGE','With cloud migration, enterprises today are trying to transform their business operations—streamlining data management and analysis.','03-Cloud-Computing-Creative-V4.jpg','image/jpeg',192999,'2017-12-14 09:29:27','4 Min Read',52,4),(26,'6 Key Points to Know Before Migrating Applications to Cloud','Today\'s enterprises are migrating their on-premise applications to the cloud. However, to best utilize the cloud, it is crucial to know some key points.','S17615-S17-09.jpg','image/jpeg',102650,'2017-09-13 11:43:07',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"2vcxw\"><a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.slideshare.net/vickimmel/the-4-things-you-need-to-know-before-migrating-your-business-to-the-cloud\" href=\"https://www.slideshare.net/vickimmel/the-4-things-you-need-to-know-before-migrating-your-business-to-the-cloud\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Cloud computing</a> has indeed unleashed a massive wave of productivity enhancements across diverse industrial realms&mdash;a fact that you most probably know already.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"2vcxw\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"5y4f4\">So, can you just dive in to adopt the best-in-class cloud solution available? Just like that? The answer is - A big no. Although moving your IT infrastructure to the cloud may seem like a bold and wise step, it is crucial to consider some key points before you actually hop into the technology. This will help avoid all possible pitfalls that may come in your way.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"5y4f4\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ecwbh\">To make your <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"http://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/ten-factors-to-consider-when-moving-to-the-cloud-02.html\" href=\"http://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/ten-factors-to-consider-when-moving-to-the-cloud-02.html\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">cloud migration</a> planning and execution hassle-free, we have formulated a short yet comprehensive checklist that might come handy.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ecwbh\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"stuh\">1. Understand the 5 R&#39;s of Cloud Migration:</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"1ruxc\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"1ruxc\">Initially, before you even start the migration process, knowing the various cloud migration options is important.</p><ul class=\"postList\" name=\"s94uk\"><li class=\"graf graf--li\"><strong>&nbsp;Rehosting</strong> - This involves deploying your existing applications in a different hardware environment without impacting the architecture.</li><li class=\"graf graf--li\"><strong>&nbsp;Refactoring</strong> - This means executing your applications on a third-party infrastructure.</li><li class=\"graf graf--li\"><strong>&nbsp;Revising</strong> - This gives you the freedom to modify the applications as per your fluctuating needs&mdash;on a third-party infrastructure of course.</li><li class=\"graf graf--li\"><strong>&nbsp;Rebuilding</strong> - Adding flexibility to cloud migration, this option allows you to rebuild your applications by discarding the existing ones.</li><li class=\"graf graf--li is-selected\"><strong>&nbsp;Replacing</strong> - This option is almost similar to rebuilding, except the fact that you can replace a single application or a cluster of applications with commercial applications.<br><br></li></ul><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"qdnzh\">2. Know Your Applications</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"25ubr\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"25ubr\">Understanding how your business-critical applications work&nbsp;is always the key to success. This will help you draw the overall performance metrics of your applications. Moreover, to a considerable extent, it will also help you predict how they will work in a cloud environment. If you manage to get through this initial step, expect some skyrocketing performance metrics&mdash;when your applications start functioning on the cloud.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"25ubr\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"umdk\">3. Be Good at Predicting Your Application&rsquo;s Performance</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"p9dd\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"p9dd\">Now that you know all about how your applications work, put all your efforts in formulating a detailed current performance profile. Moving further, analyze this profile and project the performance of each application&rsquo;s compute and storage resources&mdash;considering multiple &ldquo;what if&rdquo; scenarios.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"p9dd\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"g4ib\">4. Consider Cost Optimization Early</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"zfzq\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"zfzq\">To make your cloud journey profitable and reliable in every aspect, you need to plan your budget and keep your priorities straight&mdash;prior to migration. This means identifying the applications that are not business-critical and costs more on the cloud than on-premises&mdash;driving cost optimization effectively.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wfy9a\">Moreover, you can use the money saved to educate your employees about their new cloud environment!</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wfy9a\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"nrgi2\">5. Implement a Disaster Recovery Plan</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"tu37\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"tu37\">A successful cloud application migration involves - harnessing the ability to manage disasters in the most innovative way. This is exactly where automation plays a vital role&mdash;killing hazardous cloud instances on the go, and creating new ones.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"tu37\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"f5v0s\">6. Look Out for Migration Tools &nbsp;</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"7wdyb\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"7wdyb\">Watch out for the most trusted and best-of-breed migration tools available in the marketplace. Talking about industry trusted tools, the Amazon Web Services (AWS) serves as an all-inclusive solution for application migration.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"7wdyb\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"z34o\">We know, migrating applications can sometimes become a massive hurdle. But, no matter how complex or confusing the entire process may seem, if you do it right, you can reap the numerous benefits that the cloud has to offer.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"wyc9\"><br></p></div></div></section>','2017-10-20',NULL,'Active','6-key-points-to-know-before-migrating-applications-to-cloud','2017-09-13 11:43:07','2018-03-15 05:42:04',1,'cloud migration, application migration',6,'Consideration','6 Key Points to Know Before Migrating Applications to Cloud','6 Key Points to Know Before Migrating Applications to Cloud | 7EDGE','Today\'s enterprises are migrating their on-premise applications to the cloud. However, to best utilize the cloud, it is crucial to know some key points.','6 Key Points to Know Before Migrating Applications to Cloud | 7EDGE','Today\'s enterprises are migrating their on-premise applications to the cloud. However, to best utilize the cloud, it is crucial to know some key points.','05-Cloud-Computing-Creative.jpg','image/jpeg',200237,'2017-12-12 13:09:55','4 Min Read',49,4),(27,'7 Lead Generation Tips to Help Generate More Leads','Many organizations struggle to generate qualified leads who are more likely to convert. These expert tips will help you generate more qualified business leads.','S17615-S17-17.jpg','image/jpeg',120941,'2017-09-14 07:00:51',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"ug8nl\">When it comes to generating business leads, it is a relatively simple task for most organizations. However, where they really struggle is in generating more qualified leads who are more likely to get converted into customers.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"ug8nl\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"0zo0h\">A qualified lead is a business prospect in your company&rsquo;s marketing funnel who has expressed interest in your products or services by giving their contact details and possibly requesting a quote or meeting with your organization. A qualified lead would also have been taken through a lead qualification process and their details would have been verified. These leads can then be passed on to your sales team for them to meet and close.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"0zo0h\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"olee4\">A qualified lead has a higher chance of closing to a customer than an ordinary lead as they have already expressed intent in knowing more about your offerings. Here are seven tips that will help your organization to generate more of these qualified leads.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"olee4\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"7sff\">Create attractive and high quality content</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"y9sw\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"y9sw\">High-quality and targeted content is of paramount importance for creating more qualified leads. And, the more content you have,, the better as it keeps your leads and potential customers engaged. It is also absolutely important to identify your buyer personas and their place in the buyer&rsquo;s journey before creating content. As you do more research, you will be able to unravel their pain points and generate high value and tailored content that addresses these pain points and requirements.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"y9sw\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"l4l5c\">You can create content in the form of blogs, research papers, guest articles, reports and even videos to attract potential customers.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"l4l5c\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"2e0uz\">Make your content visible</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"r8ajc\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"r8ajc\">When people look for solutions to their requirements, they should see your content. This is done by optimizing your content and sharing it on digital platforms where it is visible to your prospects. For example, social media platforms such as Facebook, Linkedin, and even Quora are good platforms where you can promote your content and generate valuable marketing and sales leads.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"r8ajc\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wjwdi\">Search engine optimization (SEO) helps you in your website content being visible on search engines when someone types a search query. However, ensure that your SEO efforts are in line with the latest developments of search engine algorithms, as not complying with these algorithms may damage your page ranking. and reputation.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wjwdi\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"0i4oa\">Leverage your existing customers</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"yj2zzr\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"yj2zzr\">Your existing customers are your best spokespersons. A delighted customer always helps in bringing more qualified leads and customers to your organization. Hence, ask your existing customers for referrals. You can offer them incentives to refer more leads to your organization.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"yj2zzr\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"76szu\">At the same time, you can also interview them to find out what they liked about your product, service or brand so that you can prepare testimonials and case studies. These are valuable content assets for a lead&rsquo;s comparison and evaluation stage which help them make quicker and better decisions about your solution offerings.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"76szu\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"scna\">Nurture your leads</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"gaf8g\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"gaf8g\">You may already have a solid strategy in place to convert more website visitors into leads. However, not all will be qualified leads. Hence, nurturing these unqualified leads becomes an important exercise. Nurturing your leads is done by constantly educating and engaging them so that they can do their homework and self-select your organization to contact when the time is right for them. Content assets such as emails newsletters and case studies are excellent options to nurture your leads.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"gaf8g\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"njo8\">Keep in mind that nurturing your leads is a continuous process as you may want to have a steady flow of qualified leads into your marketing and sales funnel so that your database never goes empty.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"njo8\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"8wep\">Align your marketing and sales team goals</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"gr3l8\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"gr3l8\">Aligning the goals of the marketing and sales team is necessary without which, many leads can wither away without becoming customers. Traditionally, marketing and sales teams often do not get along very well with each other. However, realizing that both teams are really working towards achieving the same revenue goals of the organization can create a productive relationship between these two teams, thereby allowing better information sharing and coordination that can help your organization achieve better conversions.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"gr3l8\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"8fn8w\">Reform your landing page and call-to-actions</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"y6t5h\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"y6t5h\">You may have a great website content, but without a strong contact form and call-to-action, your page visitor will not convert into a lead. A good CTA, landing page and form fields play a huge role in converting a visitor into a well-qualified lead. As per Neil Patel, founder of Crazy Egg, &ldquo;a strong CTA compels people to click on it&rdquo;. An enticing CTA placed in an appropriate place grabs your visitor&rsquo;s attention and compels them to take action.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"y6t5h\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"bvvmf\">A landing page is where you communicate to your lead the benefits of your solution in a clear and concise manner while capturing the essential details of the lead. A good contact form should neither be too short nor too long. It should have all the necessary fields that can capture the appropriate lead information as well as qualify the lead.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"bvvmf\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"6oplx\">These are some of the time tested and most effective ways of generating more qualified leads organizations are making use of.</p></div></div></section>',NULL,NULL,'Inactive','7-lead-generation-tips-to-help-generate-more-leads','2017-09-14 07:00:51','2018-03-15 05:15:36',3,'lead generation, business leads, sales leads',5,'Awareness','7 Lead Generation Tips to Help Generate More Leads','7 Lead Generation Tips to Help Generate More Leads | 7EDGE','Many organizations struggle to generate qualified leads who are more likely to convert. These expert tips will help you generate more qualified business leads.','7 Lead Generation Tips to Help Generate More Leads | 7EDGE','Many organizations struggle to generate qualified leads who are more likely to convert. These expert tips will help you generate more qualified business leads.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',54,2),(28,'5 Tips to Create Brand Awareness Using Inbound Marketing','Inbound marketing is a powerful way of creating brand awareness, attract and convert visitors. Here is how you can use it to build your brand awareness strategy.','S17615-S17-21.jpg','image/jpeg',114109,'2017-09-14 07:12:07',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"3b65o\">One of the common concerns of most organizations is to create awareness of their brand among potential customers in a crowded space. There are multiple ways of creating brand awareness among your potential customers. You can create advertisements for traditional and online media, appear in trade shows and events or apply the inbound marketing strategy among many others.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"3b65o\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"yqfau\">Among the various methods available, inbound marketing appears as a powerful way for not only creating awareness but also in generating more business prospects and converting a sizeable number of these leads to customers in a highly efficient way.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"yqfau\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"sfsjn\">What is inbound marketing?</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"eo5k9\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"eo5k9\">Inbound marketing is a marketing approach employed by several enterprises today to attract more visitors to their website, convert them into valuable customers and generate revenue to the organization, instead of using traditional marketing techniques which are highly interruptive. Most people find traditional marketing techniques annoying and irrelevant, and have found ways to block irrelevant ads.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"eo5k9\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"zuf67\">Inbound marketing, on the other hand, focuses on using user personas, the buyer&rsquo;s journey, and rich content to attract only the right people to the website, convert suitable visitors into leads and eventually, loyal customers. This makes the marketing exercise more efficient in comparison with the traditional outbound marketing.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"zuf67\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"o8932\">How can you use inbound marketing to create brand awareness?</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"28s2t\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"28s2t\">The ultimate goal of an organization&rsquo;s marketing efforts is to bring more traffic to its website so that prospects can be converted and closed. Unlike traditional marketing, inbound marketing helps in bringing a steady stream of traffic from people who are looking out for services and solutions that the organization has to offer.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"28s2t\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"h8o1\">In order to utilize inbound marketing strategy to create brand awareness, you should do the following.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"zzp7k\">Understand your user persona</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"6nwb\">Before you embark on spreading awareness of your brand, it is absolutely necessary that you first identify who your ideal customers are, which can be done by creating user personas. This helps you understand your customer demographics and their potential goals or challenges they are trying to solve, so that you can target them better and come up with suitable awareness-building strategies. Doing this also helps in reducing unnecessary wastage of time and money in targeting people who are not your target customers.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"y0ckr\">Create valuable content</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"0d48\">Creating valuable content is the second major aspect of inbound marketing for spreading brand awareness. However, before jumping into creating content, it is important to identify your user persona and identify where in the buyer&rsquo;s journey your potential customer is - whether they are trying to find a solution to their challenge, considering alternatives or deciding on a particular solution and a provider. Coming up with a content offering that suits your user persona and addresses their needs is key to attract a customer.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"0d48\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"23wbj\">The most common content offerings used to create brand awareness are blogs, guest articles, videos, white papers, expert content, eBooks, and reports, which provide valuable information and solutions that address the problems and challenges faced by prospects. Offering this type of content helps in building a reputation for your brand as an expert and authority in your field. However, maintain caution that you do not overly promote your brand or solution at this stage.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"186rm\">Distribute your content and actively engage</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"fffva\">Once you have created content, it is important to distribute it so that it reaches a wider audience. The most common way of distributing this content is through social media platforms and search and optimization (SEO). Not only should you look at distributing your content, but do it in a consistent and regular way. In addition to distributing your content, it is also important to actively and strategically engage your potential customers on these social media platforms. This improves the visibility of your brand as well as user engagement.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--h3\" name=\"5y9y\">Optimize your website</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"e8j0r\">SEO remains one of the key components of attracting more people to your website. To achieve success, you must think from the perspective of a prospective customer and optimize your website accordingly. Google algorithms have become smarter and rank website content based on search intent rather than pure keywords-based search. For example, people often look for a long-tail keyword or ask a question on Google. Tailoring your content so that it can address such queries can help website or blog rank higher.</p><h3 class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"e8j0r\">Analyze results</h3><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"c3an\">It goes without saying that you should measure everything you do so that you can identify what works and what doesn&#39;t, so that you can make appropriate changes in your approach to achieve better results. Hence, in order to improve your brand&rsquo;s outreach, it is a good practice to collect relevant data using some of the popular tools and analyze the data so that you can optimize your content as well as awareness creating strategies to attract more visitors.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"c3an\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"zufu\">Conclusion</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"k4kv\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"k4kv\">The key to successfully creating awareness of your brand through inbound marketing is to create and distribute the right content to the right people at the right time while maintaining consistency. Following these simple inbound techniques can undoubtedly help you attract more visitors to your website and convert them into potential leads and customers.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"k4kv\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"k4kv\"><br></p></div></div></section><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><p><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-3e053a39-a0ad-4f06-9069-c612b4ca1e9e\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-3e053a39-a0ad-4f06-9069-c612b4ca1e9e\" id=\"hs-cta-3e053a39-a0ad-4f06-9069-c612b4ca1e9e\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"></div><![endif]--><a href=\"https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2627927/3e053a39-a0ad-4f06-9069-c612b4ca1e9e\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"hs-cta-img fr-fic fr-dii\" id=\"hs-cta-img-3e053a39-a0ad-4f06-9069-c612b4ca1e9e\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" height=\"206\" width=\"597\" src=\"https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2627927/3e053a39-a0ad-4f06-9069-c612b4ca1e9e.png\" alt=\"Inbound-Marketing-Checklist\"></a></span></span></p><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->','2017-10-10',NULL,'Inactive','5-tips-to-create-brand-awareness-using-inbound-marketing','2017-09-14 07:12:07','2018-03-15 05:14:46',3,'Inbound Marketing, Inbound Marketing Strategy, Brand Awareness',2,'Consideration','5 Tips to Create Brand Awareness Using Inbound Marketing','5 Tips to Create Brand Awareness Using Inbound Marketing | 7EDGE','Inbound marketing is a powerful way of creating brand awareness, attract and convert visitors. Here is how you can use it to build your brand awareness strategy.','5 Tips to Create Brand Awareness Using Inbound Marketing | 7EDGE','Inbound marketing is a powerful way of creating brand awareness, attract and convert visitors. Here is how you can use it to build your brand awareness strategy.','7E-OG-Brandawareness-071117.jpg','image/jpeg',178123,'2017-11-17 12:02:30','4 Min Read',55,1),(29,'7 Inbound Marketing Best Practices to Boost Your Sales','To make your inbound marketing successful, you should follow certain fundamental practices. As part of the inbound marketing strategy, here are the best practices you should follow.','S17615-S17-08.jpg','image/jpeg',112117,'2017-09-14 07:22:06',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"yl29\">By now, you may have already considered taking the inbound marketing approach to bring in more business leads, convert them into sales and grow your business. If you have not yet considered inbound marketing, you should read our <a href=\"/blog/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing-why-is-inbound-better\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">blog</a> to understand why this is the best marketing approach to grow your business.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--first\" name=\"yl29\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"9ql3\">In order to make your inbound marketing successful, you should follow certain fundamental practices. Here we list seven best practices for inbound marketing you should follow in order to grow your website visitors, leads, and sales.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"9ql3\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"ljmdw\">Identify your buyer personas</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"2txh2\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"2txh2\">Developing a user persona is fundamental to the success of inbound marketing. A buyer persona gives you an idea of your target audience and helps you tailor your offerings and campaigns accordingly. Do some research about your target customer&rsquo;s background, their general lifestyle, goals and pain points, and create a person around this. In case you have multiple types of potential customers, create multiple user personas. it is also a good practice to identify who drives the most revenues and profits for your organization and create your personas and campaigns accordingly.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"2txh2\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"hz5ed\">Identify your buyer&rsquo;s journey</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"cwgxn\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"cwgxn\">Identifying where a customer is in the buyer&rsquo;s journey is another fundamental practice for the success of inbound marketing. Most prospects today don&rsquo;t like to have prospected. They try to look for additional information about a problem or solution that can&rsquo;t be found anywhere else. They may be at different stages of their journey - becoming aware that they have a challenge or a need, looking or comparing possible solutions, or about to make a decision about the solution or solution provider. Understanding this helps in tailoring information and your sales process to the buyer&rsquo;s context.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"cwgxn\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"vz6l\">Create and publish valuable content</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"uolzs\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"uolzs\">Content is another cornerstone of a successful inbound process. This should not be just any content but should be educative, of high quality and add value to the prospective buyer. It should also be contextual and relevant to the buyer persona and the buyer&rsquo;s journey. Depending on the type of customer and the stage in their journey, you can offer content in various formats such as blogs, emails, research papers, videos, thought leadership articles, whitepapers and much more. One thing you should keep in mind is to refrain from blowing your own trumpet or hard sell your services as much as possible.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"uolzs\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"1bou\">Ensure visibility</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"n00et\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"n00et\">Once you have created high-value content, it is essential to distribute it across various digital platforms so that it is visible to the maximum number of prospective customers. However, content distribution is not a random and disorganized process. Content needs to be marketed in an organized and strategic manner. The right timing, platform, context and the right audience are crucial to successful content marketing.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"n00et\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wh6xb\">Besides marketing your content, you should also ensure that your website is visible to people on search engines. Following the best practices of digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) helps your website and content rank higher on search results.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"wh6xb\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"j6bw\">Build effective CTAs and landing pages</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"e693a\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"e693a\">The ultimate goal of your organization is not just attracting visitors but also converting them into leads and sales. Effective call-to-action (CTA) and landing pages play a huge role in doing this. A simple and attention-grabbing CTA placed strategically along with a valuable content offering in return such as an eBook or case study, compels visitors to take action while enabling you to make them willingly give you their contact information. &nbsp;</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"e693a\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ua2k\">Landing pages play an equally important role in the conversion process. Having a minimum of 15 high-quality landing pages helps you in improving your lead conversion rates. A landing page should consider the stage of the buyer&rsquo;s journey, clearly communicate what is on offer and should have a form length that mirrors the perceived value of what is being offered.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"ua2k\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"cz55a\">Nurture your leads</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"fbby\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"fbby\">Most leads you get on a regular basis are not sales-ready at a given point of time. However, this does not mean that you ignore them. Nurturing your leads is one of the things you should do regularly so that you can have a steady pipeline of leads you can close to sales when the timing is right. An effective lead-nurturing program using rich content and email helps your leads remember you when it is time for them to make a purchase. As per Forrester Research, organizations that excel at nurturing leads produce 50 percent more sales-ready leads at 33 percent lesser cost per lead.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"fbby\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"vl2lu\">Align your marketing and sales teams</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"141f\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"141f\">Lastly, the alignment of the two key functions of marketing and sales is critical to your inbound marketing success. Alignment promotes better understanding, cooperation, developing better definitions, share common goals and streamline processes. Research shows that higher return on investment (ROI) is achieved through a marketing-sales service level agreements.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"141f\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p is-selected\" name=\"lxb0o\">Inbound marketing is not a random process but is something that requires discipline and following the best practices so that you can see success. If you follow these practices, you can be sure that your organization will witness seamless sales and business growth.</p></div></div></section>',NULL,NULL,'Active','7-inbound-marketing-best-practices-to-boost-your-sales','2017-09-14 07:22:06','2018-03-15 05:42:04',3,'Inbound Marketing, Inbound Marketing Best Practices',1,'Consideration','7 Inbound Marketing Best Practices to Boost Your Sales','7 Inbound Marketing Best Practices to Boost Your Sales | 7EDGE','To make your inbound marketing successful, you should follow certain fundamental practices. As part of the inbound marketing strategy, here are the best practices you should follow.','7 Inbound Marketing Best Practices to Boost Your Sales | 7EDGE','To make your inbound marketing successful, you should follow certain fundamental practices. As part of the inbound marketing strategy, here are the best practices you should follow.','7E-OG-7waystoinbound-071117.jpg','image/jpeg',189836,'2017-11-14 04:27:40','4 Min Read',51,2),(30,'5 Things to Check Before Hiring an Inbound Marketing Agency','If you are looking to take an inbound marketing approach, check these five things before hiring an inbound marketing agency for your organization.','S17615-S17-16.jpg','image/jpeg',119038,'2017-09-14 07:31:15',_binary '<p name=\"o4lyf\">If you have decided to take the inbound marketing approach to build your business, then congratulations. You have taken the right step towards growing your business which many organizations today are taking up or have already implemented.</p><p name=\"o4lyf\"><strong><br></strong></p><p name=\"4npyg\">The next step for you is to identify whether you have the necessary inhouse capabilities to do it yourself or if you would like to approach a consultancy who could help you do it in a fast, efficient and cost effective way. If the latter is your choice, then hiring the right partner could be tricky, with so many agencies and consultancies claiming expertise.</p><p name=\"4npyg\"><br></p><p name=\"ym2q7\">However, let us make it is easier for you to choose your marketing partner. We have listed here five things you should check before selecting the right inbound marketing partner for your organization.</p><p name=\"ym2q7\"><br></p><h2 name=\"vv9nh\">1. The ability to understand your business</h2><p name=\"x1djq\"><br></p><p name=\"x1djq\">It goes without saying that you cannot hire someone who does not understand your industry and business. A good partner is one who will try to understand your business requirements by asking the right questions during the assessment process. A good consulting firm or agency will understand your pain points and offer solutions accordingly. It should also help you understand more about your business and identify your blind spots.</p><p name=\"x1djq\"><br></p><h2 name=\"dtxa\">2. Full service or specialized offerings</h2><p name=\"btdz3\"><br></p><p name=\"btdz3\">There are several types of consultancies and agencies available in the market today. While there are companies who offer the full range of inbound marketing services from buyer persona research, regular blogging and SEO to lead scoring, analysis and reporting, there are other organizations which offer only certain aspects of inbound marketing. There are also companies that offer only advisory services while the actual work will have to be done by your organization in-house.</p><p name=\"btdz3\"><br></p><p name=\"bel3r\">Hence, it is better to first ask yourself what in-house capabilities you have and what you would require or if you need a complete solution. You should also check what aspects of inbound marketing the agency you are considering specializes in.</p><p name=\"bel3r\"><br></p><h2 name=\"v0zko\">3. Practicing what they preach</h2><p name=\"lqpm\"><br></p><p name=\"lqpm\">While so many agencies and consultancies claim to be experts in inbound marketing, very few actually practice what they preach. Log onto their website and spend some time on it checking how they define their user personas, how many landing pages they have, how they come up with content, how consistent their blog posts are and so on. It should become apparent to you if the organization is practicing inbound for their own business or not. A company which is not practicing what they preach can hardly do a good job executing it for you.</p><p name=\"lqpm\"><br></p><h2 name=\"ckgrq\">4. Organization&rsquo;s capabilities and certifications</h2><p name=\"d1i8\"><br></p><p name=\"d1i8\">Your inbound marketing strategy is only as good as the people who implement it. A great inbound marketing company has top shelf talent including content creators, marketers, SEO professionals, web designers and, developers. Certifications from market leaders such as Hubspot provide additional credibility to the professionals as well as the marketing agency.</p><p name=\"d1i8\"><br></p><p name=\"wb5g3\">The reputation of the marketing automation platforms these organizations use such as Marketo, Infusionsoft and Hubspot can also help you in identifying the potential partners you would like to work with. If you already have an automation software, see if the consultancy is able to work with it.</p><p name=\"wb5g3\"><br></p><h2 name=\"kqleb\">5. The ability to understand the sales process</h2><p name=\"xlod8\"><br></p><p name=\"xlod8\">The ultimate goal of executing an inbound strategy is not to establish a robust marketing process but to generate more sales in a faster and efficient way at a lower cost of acquisition. To achieve this, it is necessary to have an alignment between the marketing and sales functions. The marketing partner you are looking for should have a deep understanding of your sales without which, there will be no alignment between these two important functions. The company&rsquo;s sales knowledge is crucial for your organization&rsquo;s success.</p><p name=\"xlod8\"><br></p><p name=\"5rug\">Inbound marketing is a relatively new approach that is gaining rapid popularity in the recent years. Hence, it is critical that you hire the right partner who understands the in and out of this marketing strategy and can help you achieve your sales goals.</p><p name=\"5rug\"><br></p><p name=\"x20we\">At 7EDGE, we work with our clients to understand their business and sales goals, and help them achieve the desired results through our deep knowledge and hands-on experience of implementing the inbound marketing strategies and techniques.</p>','2017-10-20',NULL,'Active','5-things-to-check-before-hiring-an-inbound-marketing-agency','2017-09-14 07:31:15','2018-03-15 05:42:04',3,'Inbound Marketing Partner, Inbound Marketing Strategy',5,'Decision','5 Things to Check Before Hiring an Inbound Marketing Agency','5 Things to Check Before Hiring an Inbound Marketing Agency | 7EDGE','If you are looking to take an inbound marketing approach, check these five things before hiring an inbound marketing agency for your organization.','5 Things to Check Before Hiring an Inbound Marketing Agency | 7EDGE','If you are looking to take an inbound marketing approach, check these five things before hiring an inbound marketing agency for your organization.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',52,2),(31,'3 Crucial Ways to Reduce Your Cloud Migration Costs','While enterprises migrate their IT assets to the cloud, cost optimization becomes a major concern. Considering some key points can change this scenario.','S17615-S17-03.jpg','image/jpeg',164438,'2017-09-14 11:25:13',_binary '<section class=\"section--first section--last\"><div class=\"section-divider layoutSingleColumn\"><hr class=\"section-divider\"></div><div class=\"section-content\"><div class=\"section-inner layoutSingleColumn\"><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"x4xm\">By now, you might probably know about the countless possibilities that the cloud has to offer; and how it can transform your IT infrastructure&mdash;injecting innovation on the go. This is true, undoubtedly. But you might also be concerned about the <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"https://www.stratoscale.com/blog/cloud/cloud-migration-savings/\" href=\"https://www.stratoscale.com/blog/cloud/cloud-migration-savings/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">unexpected costs</a> and workflow delays that may come in the way during cloud migration.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"x4xm\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"aj5oq\">According to leading research firms such as Gartner, Forrester and 451 Research, 50 percent and more cloud migrations result in an exceeded budget - causing unexpected disruption in the overall business. As a matter of fact, although the cloud is flexible in every aspect, formulating a stringent <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" data-href=\"http://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/feature/Cloud-migrations-often-but-not-always-reduce-app-TCO\" href=\"http://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/feature/Cloud-migrations-often-but-not-always-reduce-app-TCO\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">cloud migration strategy</a> can sometimes become a hurdle. But if you do it right, the entire migration scenario can turn out to be a cost-effective one.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"aj5oq\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"nfqy5\">Let&rsquo;s make it simple. Your cloud migration efforts should focus on these three factors&mdash;Your ROI goals; your individual assets that you are moving to the cloud; and the level of support your cloud provider can offer.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"nfqy5\"><br>Moreover, the below-mentioned key points can shed some light on how effectively you can make a headway in cloud cost optimization.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"nfqy5\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"e2mss\">Know Your Applications And Map Them</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"mfven\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"mfven\">The prime reason that thwarts the success of most cloud migrations is the company&rsquo;s inability to understand their applications&mdash;how they work, and how they communicate with other on-premise applications. This paves a path towards unstable applications post-migration. Moreover, identifying the underlying errors may require strenuous efforts, and can be costly and time-consuming. Before you even start migrating, mitigating the risk holds vital importance.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"mfven\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"su2hi\">All you need to do is map all your application dependencies; also making sure that you are migrating its resources simultaneously. Now that you have accuracy and clarity, executing this entire procedure helps you troubleshoot the applications post-migration.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"su2hi\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"53ebr\">Inject the Right Technology</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"edg8t\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"edg8t\">In order to make your cloud migration a success story, you need to keep analyzing your cloud infrastructure&mdash;in a bid to identify and rectify loopholes that may occur over time in your cloud journey. An effective solution - blending your cloud with the right technology and tools that not only streamlines your initial workload migration but also helps you maintain its stability altogether.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"edg8t\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"z5g6l\">For instance, the cloud technology solutions you choose should inhabit features such as:</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"z5g6l\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"0fghn\"><strong>Automated Migration:</strong> Powered by automation, this feature migrates your on-premise applications to the cloud&mdash;allowing you to worry less and focus on your core business.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"0fghn\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"4yfwl\"><strong>Performance Monitoring:</strong> As this involves real-time monitoring, you will be able to identify and resolve issues quickly; or even before they occur.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"5unok\">Analytics: This feature enables you to understand the overall performance, and have enhanced control over your cloud platform&mdash;helping you optimize your cloud costs effectively.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"5unok\"><br></p><h2 class=\"graf graf--h2\" name=\"fkn1\">Know Your Cloud Storage Needs</h2><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"mutur\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"mutur\">It is true that the widespread availability of storage options such as Azure, AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Google is often confusing. During migration, you are likely to over-provision, under-provision, or even end up adopting the wrong cloud storage. The trick is to evaluate the IOPS (Input-Output Operations Per Second) and choose the storage option that best suits your IT infrastructure.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"mutur\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"c8r2na\">Although these points can help you make a positive impact, at the end of the day, the key to cost-optimization in the cloud narrows down to how well you understand your IT infrastructure and the applications within. This also involves being constantly updated with the features of best-of-breed cloud solutions that are available in the marketplace; such as AWS, Azure, IBM, and HP.</p><p class=\"graf graf--p\" name=\"c8r2na\"><br></p><p class=\"graf graf--p graf--last\" name=\"t1hif\">Now that you have the information you need, go ahead and make your journey to the cloud a great success.</p></div></div></section>',NULL,NULL,'Inactive','3-crucial-ways-to-reduce-your-cloud-migration-costs','2017-09-14 11:25:13','2018-03-15 05:20:54',1,'cloud migration, cost optimization',6,'Consideration','3 Crucial Ways to Reduce Your Cloud Migration Costs','3 Crucial Ways to Reduce Your Cloud Migration Costs | 7EDGE','While enterprises migrate their IT assets to the cloud, cost optimization becomes a major concern. Considering some key points can change this scenario.','3 Crucial Ways to Reduce Your Cloud Migration Costs | 7EDGE','While enterprises migrate their IT assets to the cloud, cost optimization becomes a major concern. Considering some key points can change this scenario.','08-Cloud-Computing-Creative.jpg','image/jpeg',186162,'2017-12-12 13:20:07','4 Min Read',59,4),(33,'Digital Transformation: Adopting The Internet First Approach','Today, companies are realizing the importance of digitally transforming their business to stay relevant. Here\'s an Internet First way to enable digital transformation.','Digital-transformation.jpg','image/jpeg',159541,'2017-11-13 09:08:34',_binary '[binary data, 24346 characters]','2017-10-11',NULL,'Active','digital-transformation-adopting-the-internet-first-approach','2017-11-07 10:50:07','2018-03-15 05:42:04',10,'',1,'Awareness','Digital Transformation: Adopting The Internet First Approach','Digital Transformation: Adopting The Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Today, companies are realizing the importance of digitally transforming their business to stay relevant. Here\'s an Internet First way to enable digital transformation.','Digital Transformation: Adopting The Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Today, companies are realizing the importance of digitally transforming their business to stay relevant. Here\'s an Internet First way to enable digital transformation.','OG-Consulting.jpg','image/jpeg',239142,'2017-10-27 06:18:53','4 Min Read',38,1),(34,'Mastering Digital Advertising: An Internet First Approach','Today, brands need to strengthen their online media presence to connect with their customers. Here is the Internet First approach to master digital advertising.','Digital-media-Ad.jpg','image/jpeg',180796,'2017-11-13 09:08:13',_binary '[binary data, 39534 characters]','2017-10-10',NULL,'Active','mastering-digital-advertising-an-internet-first-approach','2017-11-07 10:50:07','2018-03-15 05:42:04',9,'',1,'Awareness','Mastering Digital Advertising: An Internet First Approach','Mastering Digital Advertising: An Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Today, brands need to strengthen their online media presence to connect with their customers. Here is the Internet First approach to master digital advertising.','Mastering Digital Advertising: An Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Today, brands need to strengthen their online media presence to connect with their customers. Here is the Internet First approach to master digital advertising.','OG-DigitalMedia.jpg','image/jpeg',202452,'2017-10-27 06:19:18','4 Min Read',44,1),(35,'Advanced Big Data Analytics: An Internet First Approach','Today, the volumes of data have become massive. Enterprises are adopting big data analytics to capture the data and gain actionable insights.','Big-Data.jpg','image/jpeg',187505,'2017-11-13 09:07:54',_binary '<h2>What is Big Data Analytics?</h2><p><br></p><p>Decades before the term &lsquo;big data&rsquo; came into existence, businesses used basic data analytics &ndash; numbers in spreadsheets &ndash; to gain meaningful insights on customer behaviour. Today, the advancement of technology has reached a point where the volumes of data have become considerably massive. And as enterprises &ndash; large and small &ndash; are well-aware of the fact that data empowers most of their business operations, they are adopting big data analytics to capture and gain actionable insights from all the data that streams into their businesses.</p><p><br></p><p>Unlike the yesteryears, big data analytics now brings new benefits such as agility and efficiency; transforming the way enterprises delve deep into the ocean of &lsquo;data&rsquo;. Precisely speaking, Big data analytics is described as the use of advanced analytic techniques such as machine learning, text analytics, predictive analytics, data mining, statistics, and language processing to declutter and arrange massive, diverse data sets. This is because these data sets have become complex, making it impossible for traditional databases to capture, manage, and process with agility.</p><p><br></p><p>Endowed with the efficiency of numerous sensors, devices, applications, networks, log files, web, and social media, big data analytics processes data sets in real time; and on a large scale. Eventually, it is this streamlined analysis that enables data analysts, researchers, and enterprises to make better and faster business decisions.</p><p><br></p><h2>What are the Basic Characteristics of Big Data?</h2><p><br></p><p>Due to the complexity of data and analytics procedures involved, big data is plainly categorized into three V&rsquo;s:</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Volume:</strong> The massiveness of data has caused enterprises to face numerous challenges when it comes to its storage and processing. In fact, today&rsquo;s ongoing popular trends such as e-commerce, social media and the Internet of Things (IoT) are constantly producing large amounts of complex information; making the volume a matter of concern for almost every organization across the globe.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Velocity:</strong> Velocity is another key feature associated with big data. Organizations generating new data at rapid speeds oftentimes need to make business-critical decisions in real time. Injecting the power of analytics, big data offers this velocity with its fast-paced data processing capabilities.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Variety:</strong> When it comes to big data, it is quite obvious that the massive volumes of data come in a variety of formats &mdash; such as email messages, images, videos, spreadsheets and the data that resides on structured databases.</p><p><br></p><h2>Why is Big Data Analytics so Important for Businesses?</h2><p><br></p><p>As we already know, big data paves a productive path towards greater profits and happy customers for organizations worldwide. Although the benefits are numerous, below mentioned are the key ones that make the maximum impact.<br><br></p><div class=\"digital-benefits-content\"><ul class=\"benefits-list\"><li><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3\"><div class=\"min-height-holder\"><br></div><img src=\"https://cdn.7edge.com/file_managers/images/000/000/056/original/Exceptional-Accuracy_.svg?1509187005\" class=\"img-responsive fr-fil fr-dib\" alt=\"improved efficiency\"></div><div class=\"col-md-9\"><div class=\"benefits-content\"><h4><strong>Exceptional Accuracy</strong></h4><p>In an ideal scenario, working with data brings the imminent risk of inaccurate or incomplete data that misleads businesses to make bad decisions. But, when it comes to accuracy, big data analytics has incredibly reduced these risks by generating more accurate and holistic view of business data. With the right analytics platform, businesses can gather data from a plethora of trusted sources.</p></div></div></div></li><li><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3\"><div class=\"min-height-holder\"><br></div><img src=\"https://cdn.7edge.com/file_managers/images/000/000/057/original/Cost-Reduction.svg?1509187017\" class=\"img-responsive fr-fil fr-dib\" alt=\"improved efficiency\"></div><div class=\"col-md-9\"><div class=\"benefits-content\"><h4><strong>Cost Reduction</strong></h4><p>Ever emerging technologies such as Hadoop and cloud-based analytics is cost-effective when it comes to data storage in massive amounts. Additionally, these technologies help identify smarter ways of doing business; boosting the overall revenue.</p></div></div></div></li><li><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3\"><div class=\"min-height-holder\"><br></div><img src=\"https://cdn.7edge.com/file_managers/images/000/000/058/original/Scope-New-Products-Services.svg?1509187028\" class=\"img-responsive fr-fil fr-dib\" alt=\"improved efficiency\"></div><div class=\"col-md-9\"><div class=\"benefits-content\"><h4><strong>Scope for New Products and Services</strong></h4><p>Big Data analytics closely analyzes the customer&rsquo;s behavior data, preferences and browsing habits. In an innovative manner, this process helps organizations identify their customer&rsquo;s fluctuating needs and enables them to introduce new products and services &mdash; to give the customers exactly what they want.</p></div></div></div></li></ul></div><h2>Big Data Challenges</h2><div class=\"digital-benefits-content\"><ul class=\"benefits-list\"><li><br></li><li><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3\"><div class=\"min-height-holder\"><br></div><img src=\"https://cdn.7edge.com/file_managers/images/000/000/059/original/Staying-DataGrowth.svg?1509187042\" class=\"img-responsive fr-fil fr-dib\" alt=\"improved efficiency\"></div><div class=\"col-md-9\"><div class=\"benefits-content\"><h4><strong>Staying Ahead of the Data Growth</strong></h4><p>As we already know, dealing with big data clearly means constantly dealing with the exponential data growth. This obviously involves monitoring and processing the massive pool of data on a regular basis; also keeping the security aspects in mind.<br><br></p><p>Considering the current situation, enterprises are trying to adopt a wide array of technologies &mdash; to tackle data growth. Talking about storage, they are implementing converged and hyper-converged infrastructure, and software-defined storage that streamlines the way companies scale their hardware. Moreover, technologies such as compression, deduplication and tiering help them reduce the amount of space and costs associated with big data storage. Focusing on management and analysis, enterprises are deploying NoSQL databases, Hadoop, Spark, big data analytics software, business intelligence applications, artificial intelligence and machine learning tools.</p></div></div></div></li><li><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3\"><div class=\"min-height-holder\"><br></div><img src=\"https://cdn.7edge.com/file_managers/images/000/000/060/original/GeneratingReal-timeInsights.svg?1509187053\" class=\"img-responsive fr-fil fr-dib\" alt=\"improved efficiency\"></div><div class=\"col-md-9\"><div class=\"benefits-content\"><h4><strong>Generating Real-time Insights</strong></h4><p>When it comes to big data, the final goal of every organization is - to make quick and better decisions that drive business processes. And, generating insights based on reports is the first step to achieve that feat. Organizations are constantly in search of the best-of-breed analytics tools that can effectively reduce the timeframe of report generation. This can only be made possible with software integrated with real-time analytics capabilities that empower agility.</p></div></div></div></li><li><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3\"><div class=\"min-height-holder\"><br></div><img src=\"https://cdn.7edge.com/file_managers/images/000/000/061/original/Hiring_SkilledBigDataAnalysts.svg?1509187063\" class=\"img-responsive fr-fil fr-dib\" alt=\"improved efficiency\"></div><div class=\"col-md-9\"><div class=\"benefits-content\"><h4><strong>Hiring Skilled Big Data Analysts</strong></h4><p>Most business decisions rely on big data analytics, enterprises are exploring new ways to make the most out of the technology. However, as the data gets more and more complex, big data analytics requires being handled by experienced professionals. Today, enterprises &ndash; apart from training their employees &ndash; are also hiring big data analysts who can manage data in a streamlined manner. Consequently, this has paved a path for numerous job opportunities worldwide &mdash; filling the void for fresh talents.</p></div></div></div></li><li><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3\"><div class=\"min-height-holder\"><br></div><img src=\"https://cdn.7edge.com/file_managers/images/000/000/062/original/DataIntegration.svg?1509187072\" class=\"img-responsive fr-fil fr-dib\" alt=\"improved efficiency\"></div><div class=\"col-md-9\"><div class=\"benefits-content\"><h4><strong>Data Integration</strong></h4><p>Technically, the variety of data formats associated with big data oftentimes lead to challenges in data integration; meaning - combining that pool of data to generate reports is an incredibly difficult task. To tackle this, numerous big data solution vendors are offering the best-in-class data integration tools to simplify and add agility to the overall process.</p></div></div></div></li><li><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3\"><div class=\"min-height-holder\"><br></div><img src=\"https://cdn.7edge.com/file_managers/images/000/000/063/original/DataValidation.svg?1509187088\" class=\"img-responsive fr-fil fr-dib\" alt=\"improved efficiency\"></div><div class=\"col-md-9\"><div class=\"benefits-content\"><h4><strong>Data Validation</strong></h4><p>In big data analytics, with large data streams, comes the risk of inaccuracy and incompleteness of data sources. To be precise, the trustworthiness of big data is negatively impacted by these 4 key factors:</p><ul class=\"devops\"><li>Errors in incoming data that goes undetected</li><li>Desynchronized data sources</li><li>Operating on multiple big data platforms</li><li>Structural change in the data</li></ul></div></div></div></li><li><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3\"><div class=\"min-height-holder\"><br></div><img src=\"https://cdn.7edge.com/file_managers/images/000/000/064/original/DataSecurity.svg?1509187098\" class=\"img-responsive fr-fil fr-dib\" alt=\"improved efficiency\"></div><div class=\"col-md-9\"><div class=\"benefits-content\"><h4><strong>Data Security</strong></h4><p>Data security is another obvious challenge when it comes to dealing with massive amounts of data. Analytic tools that handle unstructured big data and databases like NoSQL are newer technologies that are still undergoing development. Hence, protecting the new data sets can turn out to be a strenuous process for most security software.</p><p>So, in a bid to avoid potential breaches of business-critical data, enterprises are now trying to adopt and deploy big data solutions that are integrated with the latest security features.<br><br></p></div></div></div></li></ul></div><h2>Open Source Big Data Analytics Tools</h2><p><br></p><p>Although the availability of big data analytics tools &ndash; focused on specific tasks &ndash; is enormous, open source tools are also flexible in all aspects. As for today, the below mentioned open source tools are widely implemented by enterprises:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>&nbsp;Apache Hadoop</li><li>&nbsp;Apache Storm</li><li>&nbsp;Apache Samoa</li><li>&nbsp;HPCC</li><li>&nbsp;Lumify</li><li>&nbsp;Elasticsearch</li><li>&nbsp;RapidMiner</li><li>&nbsp;R-Programming</li><li>&nbsp;MongoDB</li><li>&nbsp;Talend Open Studio</li></ul><p><br></p><h2>Techniques used in Big Data Analytics</h2><p><br></p><p>Enterprises are leveraging the efficiency of big data analytics by deploying some innovative techniques; such as:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>&nbsp;Association Rule Learning</li><li>&nbsp;Classification tree analysis</li><li>&nbsp;Machine learning</li><li>&nbsp;Genetic algorithms</li><li>&nbsp;Regression analysis</li><li>&nbsp;Sentimental Analysis</li><li>&nbsp;Social network analysis</li></ul><p><br></p><h2>Applications of Big Data Analytics in Diverse Industries</h2><p><br></p><p>As big data analytics continues to evolve, industries are gradually accepting the fact that this can be a game-changer for them. Over the past few years, big data analytics has been used in the diverse industrial realms to achieve a common goal - declutter their underlying data and gain meaningful insights that could lead them towards higher productivity.</p><p><br></p><p>The industries are:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>&nbsp;Banking</li><li>&nbsp;Communications, Media, and Entertainment</li><li>&nbsp;Healthcare</li><li>&nbsp;Manufacturing</li><li>&nbsp;Education</li><li>&nbsp;Government</li><li>&nbsp;Retail and wholesale Trading</li><li>&nbsp;Insurance</li><li>&nbsp;Energy and Utility</li><li>&nbsp;Transportation</li></ul><p><br></p><h2>Things to Consider Before Implementing Big Data Analytics</h2><p><br></p><h4>Analyze your Enterprise Needs</h4><p><br></p><p>Before you even start considering big data analytics solution, try asking this simple question: Do we really need this?&nbsp;</p><p>If the answer is yes, you might also want to consider the following questions:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>&nbsp;What issues are we trying to address the solution?</li><li>&nbsp;Does the solution support/streamline business-critical operations?</li><li>&nbsp;Will the solution drive profits in the long run?</li></ul><p><br></p><h2>What Does the Future Hold for Big Data Analytics?</h2><p><br></p><p>According to IDC, the worldwide revenues for big data and analytics is expected to reach a staggering $203 billion mark in 2020, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.7 percent. The firm further adds - industries such as banking, manufacturing, government, and professional services will drive a major part of this growth.</p><p><br></p><p>Dan Vesset, Group Vice President of Analytics and Information Management at IDC highlights:</p><blockquote><p><br></p><p>The availability of data, a new generation of technology, and a cultural shift toward data-driven decision making continue to drive demand for the big data and analytics technology and services market.</p></blockquote><p><br></p><h2>The Final Say</h2><p><br></p><p>Data &ndash; as we know &ndash; is transforming the way enterprises deal with business operations; due to the rapid advancements in three major areas - bandwidth, processing power, and storage. Looking into the future, today&rsquo;s &ldquo;big data&rdquo; will definitely be incomparable with respect to the massiveness of data that will be generated &mdash; by billions of devices, and ever-evolving tech products such as smartphones, wearables, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.</p><p><br></p>','2017-10-13',NULL,'Active','advanced-big-data-analytics-an-internet-first-approach','2017-11-07 10:50:07','2018-03-15 05:42:04',8,'',1,'Awareness','Advanced Big Data Analytics: An Internet First Approach','Advanced Big Data Analytics: An Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Today, the volumes of data have become massive. Enterprises are adopting big data analytics to capture the data and gain actionable insights.','Advanced Big Data Analytics: An Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Today, the volumes of data have become massive. Enterprises are adopting big data analytics to capture the data and gain actionable insights.','OG-BigData.jpg','image/jpeg',208596,'2017-10-27 06:20:03','4 Min Read',32,4),(36,'Simplifying IoT Technology: An Internet First Approach','As the world adds simplicity to almost everything, technology is no exception. IoT is rapidly evolving to make it happen—connecting a wide array of devices.','IoT.jpg','image/jpeg',178715,'2017-11-13 09:07:38',_binary '[binary data, 12747 characters]','2017-10-02',NULL,'Active','simplifying-iot-technology-an-internet-first-approach','2017-11-07 10:50:07','2018-03-15 05:42:04',7,'',1,'Awareness','Simplifying IoT Technology: An Internet First Approach','Simplifying IoT Technology: An Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','As the world adds simplicity to almost everything, technology is no exception. IoT is rapidly evolving to make it happen—connecting a wide array of devices.','Simplifying IoT Technology: An Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','As the world adds simplicity to almost everything, technology is no exception. IoT is rapidly evolving to make it happen—connecting a wide array of devices.','OG-IoT.jpg','image/jpeg',231613,'2017-10-27 06:20:30','4 Min Read',50,4),(37,'Leveraging DevOps Automation: An Internet First Approach','Addressing the evolving trend of DevOps, enterprises are adopting the internet first approach to stay ahead of the curve in software development and delivery.','Devops.jpg','image/jpeg',132232,'2017-11-13 09:07:24',_binary '[binary data, 15281 characters]','2017-09-01',NULL,'Active','leveraging-devops-automation-an-internet-first-approach','2017-11-07 10:50:07','2018-03-15 05:42:04',6,'',1,'Awareness','Leveraging DevOps Automation: An Internet First Approach','Leveraging DevOps Automation: An Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Addressing the evolving trend of DevOps, enterprises are adopting the internet first approach to stay ahead of the curve in software development and delivery.','Leveraging DevOps Automation: An Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Addressing the evolving trend of DevOps, enterprises are adopting the internet first approach to stay ahead of the curve in software development and delivery.','OG-DevOps.jpg','image/jpeg',193785,'2017-10-27 06:20:54','4 Min Read',34,4),(38,'Developing Digital Marketing Strategy: An Internet First Approach','As more enterprises go online, only the right approach ensures a brand\'s digital success. Here is how to develop a digital marketing strategy using the Internet First approach.','digital-marketing.jpg','image/jpeg',183270,'2017-11-13 09:07:09',_binary '[binary data, 31421 characters]','2017-09-10',NULL,'Active','developing-digital-marketing-strategy-an-internet-first-approach','2017-11-07 10:50:07','2018-03-15 05:42:04',5,'',1,'Awareness','Developing Digital Marketing Strategy: An Internet First Approach','Developing Digital Marketing Strategy: An Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','As more enterprises go online, only the right approach ensures a brand\'s digital success. Here is how to develop a digital marketing strategy using the Internet First approach.','Developing Digital Marketing Strategy: An Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','As more enterprises go online, only the right approach ensures a brand\'s digital success. Here is how to develop a digital marketing strategy using the Internet First approach.','OG-Digital.jpg','image/jpeg',258701,'2017-10-27 06:21:20','4 Min Read',53,1),(39,'An Internet First Approach to Web and Mobile App Development','In today\'s world, the necessity for developing exceptional web and mobile applications has increased. Here is an Internet First approach to develop web and mobile apps.','web-and-mobility.jpg','image/jpeg',191007,'2017-11-13 09:06:47',_binary '[binary data, 33145 characters]','2017-10-08',NULL,'Active','an-internet-first-approach-to-web-and-mobile-app-development','2017-11-07 10:50:07','2018-03-15 05:42:04',4,'',1,'Awareness','An Internet First Approach to Web and Mobile App Development','An Internet First Approach to Web and Mobile App Development | 7EDGE','In today\'s world, the necessity for developing exceptional web and mobile applications has increased. Here is an Internet First approach to develop web and mobile apps.','An Internet First Approach to Web and Mobile App Development | 7EDGE','In today\'s world, the necessity for developing exceptional web and mobile applications has increased. Here is an Internet First guide to develop web and mobile apps.','OG-Web_Mobility.jpg','image/jpeg',152155,'2017-10-27 06:21:40','4 Min Read',54,4),(40,'Inbound Marketing: Leveraging the Internet First Approach','Inbound marketing is today overtaking traditional marketing as the preferred way of acquiring customers. Here is a guide to successfully implement inbound marketing.','inbound-marketing.jpg','image/jpeg',112920,'2017-11-13 09:06:32',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">Every organization has a marketing department whose major efforts involve generating leads and driving sales. Most of the traditional marketing activities include cold calling, sending emails to prospects, putting up billboards or advertisements on various media platforms. However in recent years, these traditional marketing activities are losing their effectiveness as more people are getting frustrated with the invasive nature of these activities and are finding ways to block ads from reaching them.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">With this being a common scenario today, organizations need to take up a new approach to attract customers and drive business growth. Inbound marketing has become this new approach for more organizations due to the various advantages it provides enterprises over traditional marketing.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">What is Inbound Marketing?</h2><p><br></p><p>Traditional outbound marketing focuses on getting the organization&rsquo;s message out to as many prospective customers as possible with a hope that a few people will resonate with the message, buy into it and become actual customers. However, people are smarter today and they do not want to see advertisements or read mails that are irrelevant to them. This leads to blocking these ads or inaction on the part of the viewer.</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"/blog/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing-why-is-inbound-better\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Inbound marketing offers several advantages</a> over outbound marketing. It not only promises more business leads, prospects and sales, but also better experience for customers throughout their buying journey, thus making them your brand ambassadors. Moreover, this is done in a non-invasive way.</p><p><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Inbound Marketing Methodology</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Inbound marketing is essentially pull marketing where it uses certain methodologies along with the right content that addresses the problems and needs of potential customers. This builds trust and credibility for your brand among your target customers thereby generating more conversions.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Inbound marketing employs a 4-step methodology to convert strangers into customers and your brand promoters. The following is the 4-step approach.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><img src=\"https://cdn.7edge.com/file_managers/images/000/000/066/original/InboundMarketing-1.png?1509191498\" style=\"width: 595px; height: 519.273px;\" class=\"fr-fic fr-dib\" alt=\"4 - Step Inbound Methodology\"></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Attract</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Attracting people to your web properties does not mean attracting random strangers. It means attracting the right visitors who can become potential leads and ultimately customers. We excel at creating buyer personas of your ideal customers to understand their goals, challenges and pain points so that you can build your offerings around them. We also make use of appropriate tools and techniques to help you attract these buyer personas to your website.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Convert</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Once the right audience has come to your website, it is important to convert them into leads by collecting their information. However, in order to obtain their details, you need to offer something valuable in return, which is usually in the form of content. We help you come up with the right content offerings such as eBooks and whitepapers as well as provide you the tools necessary to convert your website visitors to leads.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Close</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Once you have the right visitors coming to your website and getting the right leads, the next logical step is to convert the right leads to customers at the right time. We can help you implement the right tools and techniques such as emails, marketing automation and closed-loop reporting to accomplish closures more effectively.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Delight</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Our inbound marketing methodology does not stop at helping you obtain customers. It goes one step ahead to help you get satisfied customers who can become your brand promoters and help your business grow. We accomplish this through tools such as surveys, emails, smart content and social monitoring.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Overcoming Digital Marketing Challenges</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">In an era where more organizations are competing online to get noticed by their potential customer, digitally marketing your company&rsquo;s services can be quite challenging. However, given that the digital marketing has become an essential part of an organization&rsquo;s effort, you want to ensure that your efforts are successful. Inbound marketing plays an excellent role in <a href=\"/blog/key-inbound-marketing-tactics-to-run-successful-campaigns\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">solving a lot of these issues</a> and driving your digital marketing campaigns towards success.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Scoring your marketing and sales leads</h2><p><br></p><p>Marketing teams in most enterprises use lead scoring to qualify a lead so that the right leads are sent to the sales team. This is done through a qualification process that helps determine whether pursuing the lead makes business sense. However, scoring every lead manually can be a tricky and difficult process. Predictive lead scoring eliminates this problem by automatically bucketing your leads helping you to identify qualified leads.</p><p><br></p><h2>Setting up an automated workflow</h2><p><br></p><p>Marketing automation is increasingly becoming popular among marketers across industries due to its ability to improve the efficiency of marketing activities. Automated workflows are a great way to nurture your leads so that they are sales-ready when the time is right. Not only this, but they can also help you tackle several administrative marketing tasks.</p><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">In a simple way, automated workflows trigger certain actions automatically based on your lead&rsquo;s contact details, their behavior or both together. However, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that you have set up a proper automated workflow in order to effectively nurture your leads.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Inbound Marketing Best Practices</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">While inbound marketing offers a lot of advantages as you may have already seen, it takes following certain practices to become successful at this approach. Some of the key pillars of inbound marketing include identifying your buyer personas, identifying your customers&rsquo; buying journey and create high-quality, attractive and relevant content that keeps your customers hooked to you.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Read in detail about the inbound marketing best practices <a href=\"/blog/7-inbound-marketing-best-practices-to-boost-your-sales\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Inbound marketing is a relatively new approach gaining popularity among organizations across the world. Having said that, it requires a certain effort on the part of organizations. While some organizations may be more than willing to dedicate certain resources for this effort, others may not. In the latter case, it is critical that you <a href=\"/blog/5-things-to-check-before-hiring-an-inbound-marketing-agency\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">hire the right partner</a> who understands the in and out of this marketing strategy and can help you achieve your sales goals.</p><p><br></p>','2017-10-28',NULL,'Active','inbound-marketing-leveraging-the-internet-first-approach','2017-11-07 10:50:07','2018-03-15 05:42:04',3,'',2,'Awareness','Inbound Marketing: Leveraging the Internet First Approach','Inbound Marketing: Leveraging the Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Inbound marketing is today overtaking traditional marketing as the preferred way of acquiring customers. Here is a guide to successfully implement inbound marketing.','Inbound Marketing: Leveraging the Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Inbound marketing is today overtaking traditional marketing as the preferred way of acquiring customers. Here is a guide to successfully implement inbound marketing.','7E-OG-360-Inbound-Marketing.png','image/png',72913,'2017-11-28 05:07:32','4 Min Read',37,1),(41,'Elucidating the Internet First Approach to Programmatic Advertising','Programmatic offers several advantages over traditional digital advertising and is hence gaining popularity. Here is a complete guide to programmatic advertising.','programmatic-ads.jpg','image/jpeg',130756,'2017-11-13 09:06:16',_binary '<p>Top organizations as well as leading marketers and advertisers across the world today are moving away from the traditional ways of ad buying, and are rapidly moving towards automated or programmatic ways of buying ads due to the several advantages they offer. As such, it is important for us to understand what this new form of ad buying is all about and how it can help your organization gain a competitive edge.</p><p><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">What is Programmatic Media Buying?</h2><p><br></p><p><a href=\"/blog/elucidating-internet-first-approach-to-programmatic-advertising\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Programmatic media buying</a> or automated media buying simply refers to the process of buying digital ad inventory using algorithms instead of taking the traditional ad buying route. The traditional process of ad buying is complex and tedious involving long-drawn negotiations. On the other hand, programmatic advertising eliminates the requirement of having these lengthy negotiations by employing automation.</p><p><br></p><h2>Benefits of Programmatic Advertising</h2><p><br></p><p>The main reason programmatic advertising is gaining more importance among not only marketers and advertisers but also publishers today is due to the number of benefits it offers over traditional ways of buying and selling digital ad inventory. For starters, programmatic makes the ad space buying and selling process far more efficient. Marketers can even choose to place their bid in real-time within the budget they decide. They can also gain key insights about their ad performance in real-time and optimize them for better performance. For publishers, programmatic advertising helps to extract the maximum revenues from their ad space.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h2>Publisher and Agency Trading Desks</h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">While advertisers and ad agencies are preferring programmatic ad buying bidding for ad spaces in real-time and reaching a wide audience base successfully requires understanding the publisher&rsquo;s traffic data and their relationships. In these scenarios, a specialized agency trading desk helps them get the maximum bang for their buck. Agency trading desks help them not only connect with the right publishers and audience but also help them improve their ad performance and gain maximum value for their budget and advertising efforts.</p><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Similarly, publishers too need the necessary capabilities to analyze their audience data in order to understand their audience better as well as the true value of their audience information, so that they can maximize their revenues through their ad inventory. A publisher trading desk empowers them in making real-time decisions by analyzing the data and helping them realize the true potential of their audience data so that they can charge advertisers the right price for gaining access to the precious audience across web properties they own and operate, thereby maximizing their revenues on each impression they sell.</p><p><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Choosing the Right Media Buying Platform for your Organization</h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">With programmatic advertising gaining popularity among enterprises, more and more platforms are coming into the market. While some of these platforms help advertisers, some of them help publishers and some - both. Some of the popular platforms available in the market today include AppNexus, Google&rsquo;s DoubleClick and Adobe Media Optimizer. Each of these platforms have their own features and serve different organization requirements.</p><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">For example, AppNexus offers good targeting capabilities and offers features such as header bidding also known as advance bidding or pre-bidding. However, it has a smaller reach than DoubleClick. <a href=\"/blog/how-adobe-media-optimizer-helps-realize-ad-buying-roi\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Adobe Media Optimizer offers benefits</a> such as allowing you to manage your ad spending and allowing you to make manual tweaks to your campaign.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Since each platform offers various features and has its own advantages and limitations, it is extremely important for you to <a href=\"/blog/how-to-choose-the-best-programmatic-buying-platform\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">choose the right platform</a> that suits your organization and its requirements.</p><p><br></p>','2017-10-28',NULL,'Active','elucidating-internet-first-approach-to-programmatic-advertising','2017-11-07 10:50:07','2018-03-15 05:42:04',2,'',1,'Awareness','Elucidating the Internet First Approach to Programmatic Advertising','Elucidating the Internet First Approach to Programmatic Advertising | 7EDGE','Programmatic offers several advantages over traditional digital advertising and is hence gaining popularity. Here is a complete guide to programmatic advertising.','Elucidating the Internet First Approach to Programmatic Advertising | 7EDGE','Programmatic offers several advantages over traditional digital advertising and is hence gaining popularity. Here is a complete guide to programmatic advertising.','OG-Advertising-Cloud.jpg','image/jpeg',181178,'2017-10-28 14:20:52','4 Min Read',55,3),(42,'Cloud Computing: Embracing the Internet First Approach','Identifying the operational efficiency, scalability, and flexibility of cloud computing; today\'s enterprises are effectively migrating their on-premise IT to the cloud.','Cloud-computing.jpg','image/jpeg',131802,'2017-11-13 09:03:00',_binary '<p>Cloud computing has certainly paved a path towards higher productivity for numerous businesses across the globe; simplifying every aspect of computing. Today, the so-called &lsquo;cloud&rsquo; &ndash; powered by the internet &ndash; is well-accepted as a reliable platform for storage, and executing applications seamlessly. Identifying its operational efficiency, scalability, and flexibility, more and more organizations are trying to migrate their on-premise IT environments to the cloud. In fact, we are witnessing a full-scale transition towards the &lsquo;cloud era&rsquo; - where the use of hardware devices and cables will be drastically minimized.</p><p><br></p><h2><strong>The Cloud-first Policy</strong></h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;\">Gartner predicts that, by 2020, an enterprise &quot;no-cloud&quot; policy will be non-existent. Today, &lsquo;cloud-first&rsquo; and the &lsquo;cloud-only&rsquo; approach is gradually taking the IT landscape by storm.</span></p><p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;\">To identify and solve those challenges, initially, you need to understand the value proposition of the <a href=\"https://7edge.com/blog/iaas-paas-saas-which-cloud-model-meets-your-needs/\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">three tiers of cloud services</a>, which are:</span></p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;</span></strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">SaaS (Software-as-a-Service)</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service)</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service)</span></li></ul><p><br></p><h2><strong>Why Migrate from On-Premise IT Infrastructure to the Cloud?</strong></h2><p><br></p><p>As you can see, the possibilities in the cloud are limitless and innovative. Still clueless about <a href=\"https://7edge.com/blog/6-business-benefits-of-moving-to-the-cloud\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">why your business should migrate to the cloud?</a> Perhaps the below-mentioned benefits of cloud adoption can shed some light:</p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;</span></strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Operational Agility</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Enhanced Security</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;User-friendly Interface</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Mobility</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Promotes a Collaborative Environment</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Zero Server Maintenance Costs</span></li></ul><p><br></p><h2><strong>What Makes the Cloud More Secure than On-Premise IT Infrastructure?</strong></h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">It&#39;s an undeniable fact that where there are massive amounts of data, the risk of security breaches arise. Irrespective of the platforms, on-premise or cloud, data security holds paramount importance at all times.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">You already know the benefits of cloud migration, now its time to focus on the <a href=\"https://7edge.com/blog/why-is-cloud-computing-security-more-reliable\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">security aspects of cloud</a>. Below mentioned are the key security features that make the cloud stand apart from the traditionally deployed on-premise IT infrastructures:&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;</span></strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Top-Notch Surveillance</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Cloud Expertise</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Regular Audits and Updates</span></li></ul><p><br></p><h2><strong><strong>How Can Cloud Migration Help Optimize Your IT costs?</strong></strong></h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">It is evident that the benefits of cloud migration are numerous. Moreover, they all point towards a crucial point &ndash; it drives cost savings. Large and medium-sized organizations across the globe have already realized this. So, <a href=\"https://7edge.com/blog/advantages-of-cloud-computing-how-it-helps-reduce-costs\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">how can cloud optimize your IT costs?</a></span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Mentioned below are some crucial areas where the cloud saves big bucks for businesses.</span></p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;No Capital Costs</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;No Maintenance Costs</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Lower Energy Costs&nbsp;</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;No Disaster Recovery Costs</span></li></ul><p><br></p><h2><strong><strong>Benefits of Migrating Applications to the Cloud</strong></strong></h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Business applications are on the rise - a fact that most enterprises are gradually getting acquainted with. Indeed, cloud is the most flexible option available for staging those applications in today&rsquo;s technology landscape. Simply put, the <a href=\"https://7edge.com/blog/4-Benefits-of-cloud-computing-realized-post-migration\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">benefits of migrating applications to the cloud</a> are:</span></p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Simplified Management</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Faster Than Ever</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;No Breaches</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Extensive Support</span></li></ul><p><br></p><h2><strong><strong>Key Points To Know Before Migrating Applications to the Cloud</strong></strong></h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Migrating applications can be a tricky process sometimes. But, if you adopt the right approach, you can definitely see the brighter side of cloud technology.</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The following <a href=\"https://7edge.com/blog/6-key-points-to-know-before-migrating-applications-to-cloud\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">checklist explains everything</a>:</span></p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Understand the 5 R&rsquo;s of Cloud Migration</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Know Your Applications</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Be Good at Predicting Your Application&rsquo;s Performance</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Consider Cost Optimization Early</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Implement a Disaster Recovery Plan</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Look Out for Migration Tools</span></li></ul><p><br></p><h2><strong><strong>Cloud Migration Best Practices</strong></strong></h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">A lot has been said about the potential benefits of cloud migration. Now, let&rsquo;s focus on the best practices that enterprises need to consider before they initialize the cloud migration process.</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Step 1 -&nbsp;</span></strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Invest in a Cloud Architect or a Team of Cloud Administrators</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Step 2 -&nbsp;</span></strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Organize Training and Certification Programs</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\"><strong>How to Cut Down Cloud Migration Costs?</strong></span></h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Cloud migration, apart from being a sophisticated and time-consuming process, it also requires businesses to shell out a considerable amount of money. Indeed, budget planning is a crucial task that has to be carried out before initializing the migration.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">In a gist, your cloud migration efforts should effectively cover the three areas&mdash;the company&rsquo;s ROI goals; the company&rsquo;s assets that are planned to be migrated to the cloud; and the cloud provider&rsquo;s efficiency.</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Moreover, the below-mentioned key points can shed some light on how effectively you can make a headway in <a href=\"https://7edge.com/blog/3-crucial-ways-to-reduce-your-cloud-migration-costs\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">cloud migration cost optimization</a>.</span></p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Know Your Applications And Map Them</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Inject the Right Technology</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Know Your Cloud Storage Needs</span></li></ul><p><br></p><h2><strong><strong>Industries that Realize the Potential Benefits of Cloud Migration</strong></strong></h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">You may think that the benefits of cloud migration are only relevant for certain businesses and industries. But in reality, businesses in almost every industry have benefited from switching to the cloud. You can see what we mean in some of the examples below, proving that <a href=\"https://7edge.com/blog/6-industries-that-realize-benefits-of-cloud-migration\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">large and SMBs from diverse industrial sectors benefit from the cloud</a>.</span></p><p><strong><br></strong></p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">T</span><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">ravel</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Food Production</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Entertainment</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Healthcare</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Media</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Telecom</span></li></ul><p><br></p><h2><strong><strong>AWS vs Google Cloud vs Microsoft Azure</strong></strong></h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">With so many cloud platforms out there, it is important for enterprises to make the right choice and choose the best one. At the moment, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is out in front as the best cloud vendor available in the marketplace.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">But, <a href=\"https://7edge.com/blog/comparison-between-industry-leading-cloud-platforms\" rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">what makes AWS stand apart from other major cloud platforms</a>&mdash;such as the Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure?</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Precisely speaking, following are the key benefits of AWS that give businesses a competitive edge in the marketplace:&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;</span></strong><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Exceptional computing capability</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Massive storage</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Best-in-class analytics</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Data Centers spread across the globe</span></li></ul><p><br></p><h2><strong>How Can AWS Support You In Your Cloud Journey</strong></h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">The cloud era, as we know, is dominated by the AWS&mdash;embedded with the best-of-breed cloud features. However, most enterprises are unclear about the level of flexibility and efficiency rendered by the industry-leading platform. It is this lack of clarity that comes in between AWS implementation and the success of enterprises. Perhaps the below-mentioned points can help understand AWS better.</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Engineered with an ability to foresee the future, AWS can...</span></p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Lead your business to the knowledge of cloud</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Choose how you use the cloud</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Address security</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Provide training</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Drive fast outcomes</span></li></ul><p><br></p><h2><strong>Parting Words</strong></h2><p><br></p><p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">It is undeniably true that in years to come, the scope of cloud computing will continue to evolve as the need for innovation, flexibility, and ease of use increase. Unfortunately however, for many enterprises and budding startups, cloud migration and security will still be a challenge for quite some time. To reap the maximum benefits of cloud and stay ahead of the curve in business, overcoming these challenges with a strategic approach will be the only viable option.</span></p><p><br></p>','2017-10-10',NULL,'Active','cloud-computing-embracing-internet-first-approach','2017-11-07 10:50:07','2018-03-15 05:42:04',1,'',1,'Awareness','Cloud Computing: Embracing the Internet First Approach','Cloud Computing: Embracing the Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Identifying the operational efficiency, scalability, and flexibility of cloud computing; today\'s enterprises are effectively migrating their on-premise IT to the cloud.','Cloud Computing: Embracing the Internet First Approach | 7EDGE','Identifying the operational efficiency, scalability, and flexibility of cloud computing; today\'s enterprises are effectively migrating their on-premise IT to the cloud.','OG-Cloud-Computing.jpg','image/jpeg',133036,'2017-10-28 14:18:40','4 Min Read',35,4),(43,'Inbound Marketing Methodology: The Key Components','Inbound marketing employs a specific methodology to convert strangers into customers and brand promoters. Here are the key components of the inbound marketing methodology.','inbound-methodology.jpg','image/jpeg',145444,'2017-11-28 06:35:33',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">The marketing world is rapidly changing with increasing digitalization and traditional marketing is being rapidly being pushed down by the more popular inbound marketing. So, what is inbound marketing? Inbound marketing is pull marketing whereas traditional outbound marketing is push marketing. The key benefit of inbound marketing is that, unlike traditional marketing which involves chasing customers and using interruptive methods, it uses certain methodologies along with the right content that addresses the problems and needs of potential customers. This builds trust and credibility for your brand among your target customers thereby generating more conversions.</p><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Inbound marketing employs a 4-step methodology to convert strangers into customers and your brand promoters. Let us understand these stages in depth.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Attract</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">The first stage of acquiring customers to any organization is to attract them. Hence, attracting people becomes the first stage in inbound marketing. Attracting people to your web properties does not mean attracting random strangers. It means attracting the right visitors who can become potential leads and ultimately customers.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">The attraction stage involves creating buyer personas of your ideal customers to understand their goals, challenges and pain points so that you can build your offerings to address them. You can also make use of appropriate content, tools, and techniques to help you attract these buyer personas to your website. Some of the common forms of content you can use in this stage are blogs and simple guides and some of the common ways to attract people is to optimize your website and make use of social media platforms to promote your content organically.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Convert</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Once the right audience has come to your website, it is important that you convert them into leads by collecting their information. However, in order to obtain their details, you need to offer something valuable in return, which is usually in the form of content. In this stage, you can come up with content offerings such as eBooks and whitepapers. You also need to ensure that your call-to-actions (CTAs), landing pages and forms are made attractive and appropriate in a way that your website visitors are willing to give you their information.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Close</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Once you have the right visitors coming to your website and getting the right leads, the next logical step is to convert these leads to customers at the right time. To do this, you need to use the right approach. Remember that all leads are not in a position to be closed. That is why you need to nurture them. Emails and social media play an important role in helping your prospects close better. You can offer content such as vendor or product comparison, case studies, and product literature or offer trial downloads and live demos.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Besides this, you also need to make use of tools, techniques, and processes such as lead scoring, workflows marketing automation, monitoring, and closed-loop reporting to accomplish closures more effectively. One of the best approaches to close leads faster and better is to align your marketing and sales teams so that they are on the same page and achieve better results.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Delight</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Inbound marketing methodology does not stop at helping you obtain customers. It goes one step ahead to help you get satisfied customers who can become your brand promoters and help your business grow. You can accomplish this through tools such as surveys, emails, smart content and social monitoring.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">The remarkable thing about following this methodology is that you are able to obtain results almost entirely organically and without having to invade any of your prospects&rsquo; privacy as results are achieved through content, channels, and tactics that attract your potential customers rather than pushing them away.</p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Inactive','inbound-marketing-methodology-the-key-components','2017-11-28 06:35:33','2018-03-15 05:14:05',3,'',5,'Awareness','Inbound Marketing Methodology: The Key Components','Inbound Marketing Methodology: The Key Components | 7EDGE','Inbound marketing employs a specific methodology to convert strangers into customers and brand promoters. Here are the key components of the inbound marketing methodology.','Inbound Marketing Methodology: The Key Components | 7EDGE','Inbound marketing employs a specific methodology to convert strangers into customers and brand promoters. Here are the key components of the inbound marketing methodology.',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,'4 Min Read',23,2),(44,'Advantages of cloud computing: How it helps reduce IT costs','The advantages of cloud computing are endless. Adopting the cloud can help numerous organizations optimize their IT costs in an innovative manner.','S17615-S17-Advantages-of-Cloud-Computing.jpg','image/jpeg',118546,'2017-11-28 12:28:51',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">Most often, the big question that pops up in your mind is - Why migrate to the cloud? The reasons are plenty, but you already know the basic one&mdash;to inject innovation, agility, and clarity in business operations. As a matter of fact, cloud adds flexibility and redefines your IT infrastructure in its entirety; letting you focus on what actually matters - your core business. Apart from this, the efficiency of cloud can be leveraged to host almost all types of business applications with minimal efforts.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">As you can see, the benefits of <a href=\"https://blog.equinix.com/blog/2016/11/28/optimizing-your-cloud-migration-for-the-best-possible-outcome-and-roi/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">cloud migration</a> are enormous; and they all converge towards a single point &ndash; it saves your money. Large organizations across the globe have already adopted cloud as the heart of their IT operations. And if you are running an SMB (Small and Midsized Business), we bet you are on the right track.</p><p><br></p><p>Let&rsquo;s focus on how can cloud help you <a href=\"http://www.centurylink.com/business/enterprise/blog/thinkgig/optimize-workloads-costs-across-cloud/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">optimize your IT costs</a>.</p><h3><strong>No Capital Costs</strong></h3><p>Yes, you heard that right. It is an obvious fact that when you adopt cloud, you need not manage servers anymore. Your data resides on the cloud provider&rsquo;s servers. Thus, saving you the capital investment costs involved in installing servers. This is one major turnaround of migrating to the cloud arena.</p><h3><strong>No Maintenance Costs</strong></h3><p>If you don&rsquo;t need to install servers on-premises, you are also free from the maintenance costs involved. Apart from staging an entire IT infrastructure on the cloud, cloud providers are also responsible for the maintenance costs. In simple terms, you don&rsquo;t even have to think about the complexity involved in managing a plethora of hardware and server issues; helping you maintain business continuity.\\</p><h3><strong>It&rsquo;s Environment-Friendly&mdash;Low Energy Costs</strong></h3><p>It&#39;s a no-brainer that servers consume heavy loads of power even if they are kept idle. But, now that your servers reside on your cloud provider&rsquo;s premises, there will be a considerable amount of energy savings, and of course, the costs associated with it. Whether it is the services, or data storage, or the electricity, you only pay for what you consume; minimizing the TCO effectively.</p><h3><strong>No Disaster Recovery Costs</strong></h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Disaster Recovery planning and implementation require a great deal of time and money. Moreover, it requires you to store massive amounts of backups that could probably take a long time to access in the event of an emergency. But, moving to the cloud not only helps you with the DR planning and implementation but also accelerates the process and saves costs without interrupting your core business.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Apart from providing a competitive edge in terms of cost optimization, the &lsquo;cloud&rsquo; has indeed become a disruptive technology that adds agility to businesses. Harnessing its capabilities, you can tailor the usage of services based on your specific business needs.</p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Inactive','advantages-of-cloud-computing-how-it-helps-reduce-costs','2017-11-28 12:28:51','2018-03-15 05:19:41',1,'',6,'Awareness','Advantages of cloud computing: How it helps reduce IT costs','Advantages of cloud computing: How it helps reduce IT costs | 7EDGE','The advantages of cloud computing are endless. Adopting the cloud can help numerous organizations optimize their IT costs in an innovative manner.','Advantages of cloud computing: How it helps reduce IT costs | 7EDGE','The advantages of cloud computing are endless. Adopting the cloud can help numerous organizations optimize their IT costs in an innovative manner.','S17615-S17-Advantages-of-Cloud-Computing.jpg','image/jpeg',118546,'2017-11-28 12:28:51','4 Min Read',26,4),(45,'IaaS, PaaS, SaaS: Which Cloud Model Meets Your Needs?','Understanding the three forms of cloud services – IaaS, PaaS and SaaS – can help enterprises lay the foundation for a successful cloud journey.','S17615-S17-IaaS-PaaS-SaaS.jpg','image/jpeg',163162,'2017-11-28 12:57:01',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Cloud computing has been around for a while. And, it&rsquo;s a no-brainer fact that it is one of the most innovative and flexible forms of technology out there. But, even today, few businesses prefer to fill their office spaces with in-house data centers. That&rsquo;s truly unnecessary; wasting enterprise resources when they can opt for the cloud. By injecting the simple &lsquo;plug and play&rsquo; concept into data centers, cloud adds agility and transforms most of your &lsquo;chaotic&rsquo; business scenarios into hassle-free ones.</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">However, intriguing as it may seem, when you finally start considering&nbsp;cloud computing, the availability of so many options oftentimes lead you into a state of turmoil. This is why sticking to the basics is always the initial step to do anything that brings success. And this rule applies while learning about the cloud as well.</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"><br></span></p><p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Currently, the three ever-evolving forms of cloud offerings include - <a href=\"http://technologyadvice.com/blog/information-technology/iaas-vs-paas/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service)</a> and Saas (Software-as-a-Service). Let&rsquo;s take a quick glance at the differences between the three&hellip;</span></p><p><br></p><h2><span style=\"font-size: 30px;\">IaaS vs Paas vs SaaS</span></h2><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">With an exceptional level of control and flexibility, the IaaS stages an automated and scalable environment. On the other hand, PaaS facilitates a framework for effectively developing and deploying applications&mdash;by automating infrastructure provisioning and management. Lastly, SaaS eliminates the need to install and run programs on individual devices&mdash;makes applications available via the internet.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">So the big question is - Which one of these is the best cloud service that aligns with your business needs?</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Let&rsquo;s find out.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Why Choose IaaS?</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">If your organization is a startup, you probably wouldn&rsquo;t like to spend your valuable time in procuring software and hardware. IaaS eliminates this entirely; which makes it ideal for your organization. It can also give enhanced visibility and control over your high performing applications. As an added advantage, this option helps when you are unsure about how your applications will perform and evolve in future&mdash;saving a considerable amount of software and hardware resource costs.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Why SaaS?</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">SaaS is an ideal solution if your applications demands fluctuate between high and low. Moreover, this option is suitable for effectively launching applications on both&mdash;web, as well as mobile platforms. Talking about ease of use, SaaS facilitates a highly convenient pay-as-you-go model that can be helpful for short projects that require collaboration.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Why PaaS?</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">You must know the fact that PaaS is not much different from SaaS. The only difference is - PaaS doesn&rsquo;t deliver the software, it stages a platform for software development. Moreover, in a unique manner, PaaS offers unprecedented levels of agility and flexibility for multiple developers working on a development project. Ideally, this option should be preferred if - 1) you have a large organization, and/or 2) you need the freedom of customizing applications.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Now that you have a clear idea about the service that matches your business environment, you might be thinking about the best cloud vendors available in the marketplace. And, you might probably know this fact - the industry-leading cloud providers are none other than AWS (Amazon Web Services), Microsoft Azure and the Google Cloud.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Among these, AWS is the most preferred platform as it offers a comprehensive set of solutions and services; which includes all three - IaaS, SaaS, and PaaS. Undoubtedly, the best way to determine a vendor&rsquo;s efficiency is by evaluating its revenue growth. According to <a href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/04/29/roundup-of-cloud-computing-forecasts-2017/#4a64f54931e8\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon&rsquo;s latest quarterly results</a>, AWS achieved a staggering 43 percent year-over-year growth; contributing 89 percent of consolidated operating income and 10 percent of consolidated revenue.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">However, no matter how successful an industry-leading cloud provider may seem, your decision should always narrow down to one point - Which vendor&rsquo;s offerings best syncs with my business priorities?</p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Inactive','iaas-paas-saas-which-cloud-model-meets-your-needs','2017-11-28 12:57:01','2018-03-15 05:19:22',1,'',6,'Awareness','IaaS, PaaS, SaaS: Which Cloud Model Meets Your Needs?','IaaS, PaaS, SaaS: Which Cloud Model Meets Your Needs? | 7EDGE','Understanding the three forms of cloud services – IaaS, PaaS and SaaS – can help enterprises lay the foundation for a successful cloud journey.','IaaS, PaaS, SaaS: Which Cloud Model Meets Your Needs? | 7EDGE','Understanding the three forms of cloud services – IaaS, PaaS and SaaS – can help enterprises lay the foundation for a successful cloud journey.','S17615-S17-IaaS-PaaS-SaaS.jpg','image/jpeg',163162,'2017-11-28 12:57:01','4 Min Read',25,4),(46,'How Can AWS Managed Services Boost Operational Agility?','While migrating to the cloud, security is always a priority. Our AWS managed services can help enterprises to secure their cloud infrastructure.','S17615-S17-AWS-Managed-Services.jpg','image/jpeg',141415,'2017-11-28 13:10:42',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Amazon Web Services (AWS) is undoubtedly turning out to be a game changer for most businesses out there&mdash;irrespective of their sizes. But, although there is a wide-scale availability of AWS features that are innovative and customizable in all aspects, chances are you might get puzzled in certain areas during your AWS journey. This is because processes such as initial cloud migration, security, architecture, and operations are complex. Moreover, these processes can distract you from your core business. You definitely don&rsquo;t want that to happen. This is exactly where 7EDGE comes in; we add agility and simplicity to your <a href=\"https://www.slideshare.net/AmazonWebServices/aws-deployment-best-practices-47899341\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">AWS journey</a>.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Now before we move further, let&rsquo;s have a quick glance at the benefits of AWS:</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">AWS is&hellip;</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;User-Friendly - Allows application providers and software vendors to host applications in a flash.</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Scalable - Leveraging innovative AWS tools, Elastic Load Balancing, and the Auto-Scaling feature, you can effectively scale your cloud performance.</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Flexible - Flexibility empowers ease of use. Thanks to AWS, which grants you the freedom to choose your operating system, web application platform, programming language, &nbsp;database, and other services as per your fluctuating business needs. Moreover, it stages a virtual environment that effectively allows you to load software and services for your applications. Consequently, the entire scenario simplifies the migration of existing applications and helps build new ones.</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Secure - AWS focused on exceptional levels of security. It deploys an end-to-end methodology to secure and strengthen your cloud-based IT infrastructure.</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Cost-effective - This perhaps is a crucial benefit that the AWS platform has to offer. You only pay for the compute, storage, and other resources that you use&mdash; excluding long-term contracts and other extra expenses.</span></li></ul><h3 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">How Can We Manage Your AWS?</span></h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Our technical team is endowed with AWS certified engineers and architects who are constantly focused towards supporting your AWS environment&mdash;24/7/365, while you focus on your core business.</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Still wondering how?</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">We serve our expertise for enterprises in the following areas:</span></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">AWS Migration</span></h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">This is perhaps the first and the most important area you need to focus to make headway in <a href=\"https://aws.amazon.com/cloud-data-migration/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">AWS</a>. The problem is, if you try to do this process yourself, most probably you might move away from your core business-critical operations. With the help of our AWS professionals, we empower a smooth transition to AWS cloud in a comprehensive manner.</span></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">Building Architecture Design</span></h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">A well-designed architecture acts as a rigid foundation for your applications on AWS. We design and builds an architecture that effectively aligns with your evolving application needs. The architecture is based on detailed and accurate diagrams, cost models and best-practice AWS templates.</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Apart from this, our AWS certified experts regularly provide recommendations for improving your architecture.</span></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">AWS Security</span></h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">As you already know, without managed security, all your efforts to maximize the benefits of using AWS will go in vain. Not anymore. Our&rsquo;s extended AWS support includes security management which constantly monitors your systems; making sure everything is secure and stable. Precisely speaking, the functions include automated compliance checks, centralized management of accounts, permissions, and more.</span></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">Automated Cost Optimization and Integration</span></h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Cost optimization and integration do make a difference. We manage these two functions effectively and ensures that you reap maximum benefits from your AWS environment. Moreover, the company conducts regular performance reviews and recommends the latest upgrades for your AWS platform. These recommendations are purely based on the analyzed performance data and industry best practices.</span></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">So now you know the significance of AWS adoption, and how can we help you inch closer to higher productivity and perfection!</span></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','how-aws-managed-services-boost-operational-agility','2017-11-28 13:10:42','2018-03-15 05:42:04',1,'',1,'Decision','How Can AWS Managed Services Boost Operational Agility?','How Can AWS Managed Services Boost Operational Agility? | 7EDGE','While migrating to the cloud, security is always a priority. Our AWS managed services can help enterprises to secure their cloud infrastructure.','How Can AWS Managed Services Boost Operational Agility? | 7EDGE','While migrating to the cloud, security is always a priority. Our AWS managed services can help enterprises to secure their cloud infrastructure.','09-Cloud-Computing-Creative.jpg','image/jpeg',201511,'2017-12-12 13:29:38','4 Min Read',31,4),(47,'5 Effective Ways to optimize your cloud costs using AWS','Before migrating to AWS, it is crucial for enterprises to consider the best practices that can help them cost optimization.','S17615-S17-Optimize-Your-Cloud-Costs.jpg','image/jpeg',139660,'2017-11-28 13:20:20',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">Ever since its genesis, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has indeed managed to transform numerous businesses from vivid industrial realms. Considering today&rsquo;s scenario, the rate of AWS deployments is constantly on the rise. This is solely because organizations are realizing the essence of flexibility and innovation, and are trying to instill AWS as the fulcrum of their IT infrastructure.</p><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Gartner predicts that the overall <a href=\"https://www.snowsoftware.com/int/blog/2017/01/10/true-cost-aws\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">IT spending</a> is expected to rise from $3.5 trillion in 2015, to $3.9 trillion by 2020. This indicates a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.0 percent. Moreover, the highlighting fact is - during the same period, the aggregate market for <a href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/04/29/roundup-of-cloud-computing-forecasts-2017/#665ff98e31e8\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">public cloud services</a> is expected to grow at an enormously higher CAGR of 17.5 percent.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Cost optimization on the cloud can be painstaking. AWS solves this effectively. In an innovative manner, AWS&#39;s wide array of services and pricing models offer the level of flexibility you need to manage your costs; while keeping your business performance intact. Apart from this, AWS offers other forms of innovative services such as the Amazon Redshift and Amazon RDS for Aurora. These services were developed keeping affordability and efficiency in mind&mdash;helping you run enterprise-grade solutions at rates far cheaper than the on-premise alternatives.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Deploying AWS gives you the ability to right-size your services effortlessly, utilize the reserved instances, and use best-of-breed cost management tools to monitor your cloud expenses. In short, you will be constantly updated with your cloud costs; opening the window for cost optimization as you proceed in your cloud journey.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">So what measures have to be taken to effectively&nbsp;control your costs with AWS?</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Read the following steps to gain further insights.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Tailoring Your Services</h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">AWS allows you to tailor your services according to your specific capacity requirements. This avoids the risk of under-provisioning or over-provisioning the capacity. With AWS, you can adapt your services to address actual business needs at any time, with no penalties or incidental fees. Focusing on flexibility, AWS enables you to choose and change the services whenever you need&mdash;as per your fluctuating business needs. This also involves the freedom to run multiple services simultaneously.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Boosting Savings with Reserved Capacity</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Services such as Amazon EC2 and Amazon RDS allows you to choose reserved capacity. This can help you save a considerable amount of costs when compared to on-demand capacity.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">With AWS, you can avail reserved instances in 3 ways:</p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;All up-front (AURI)</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;Partial up-front (PURI)</span></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&nbsp;No upfront payments (NURI).</span></li></ul><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Utilizing the Spot Fleet</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Amazon&rsquo;s EC2 Spot instances allow you to bid on the spare Amazon EC2 computing capacity. As a matter of fact, spot instances are offered at a discounted price, helping you save the costs of running your applications on AWS. On the other hand, with the &lsquo;spot fleet&rsquo; feature, you can request a set of spot instances from multiple availability zones and instance types by triggering a single API call.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Dig Deeper into Your Expenses with Cost Explorer</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">AWS&rsquo;s Cost Explorer is staged as an innovative platform that helps you analyze your costs and usage instantly. Technically speaking, it portrays a set of default performance reports that help you identify the usage trends and major cost drivers on AWS.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Finally, Leveraging the TCO Calculator</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Now that you have made all efforts to achieve unprecedented levels of cost optimization with your AWS, it is time to calculate your savings. AWS also provides a TCO calculator. The calculator allows you to evaluate the savings gained by using AWS&mdash;making an end-to-end comparison with on-premise environments.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">The gist of a successful cloud cost optimization lies in the ability to understand the key features of AWS, and how they work in a collaborative manner. In case you are still clueless about optimizing costs on AWS, 7EDGE is at the forefront of guiding your organization towards higher productivity. With a proven expertise and experience in AWS implementation, our AWS professionals are constantly focused on formulating a stringent cost optimization strategy.</p>',NULL,NULL,'Inactive','5-effective-ways-to-optimize-your-cloud-costs-using-aws','2017-11-28 13:20:20','2018-03-15 05:21:14',1,'',6,'Decision','5 Effective Ways to optimize your cloud costs using AWS','5 Effective Ways to optimize your cloud costs using AWS | 7EDGE','Before migrating to AWS, it is crucial for enterprises to consider the best practices that can help them cost optimization.','5 Effective Ways to optimize your cloud costs using AWS | 7EDGE','Before migrating to AWS, it is crucial for enterprises to consider the best practices that can help them cost optimization.','10-Cloud-Computing-Creative.jpg','image/jpeg',179106,'2017-12-12 13:33:55','4 Min Read',23,4),(48,'What is Account Based Marketing - An overview','ABM is a marketing approach that is gaining attention from many B2B marketers. So, what is account based marketing and why is it popular? Learn more about it here.\r\n','Account-Based-Marketing_01.jpg','image/jpeg',64994,'2018-01-15 12:00:59',_binary '<p>B2B marketing keeps evolving and marketers come up with new and better strategies and approaches to attract customers and improve the organization&rsquo;s ROI. Account-based marketing is one such marketing approach that is gaining attention from a lot of B2B marketers. According to a 2016 State of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) <a href=\"https://www.demandbase.com/press-release/siriusdecisions-2016-state-of-abm-study/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Study by Demandbase</a>, more than 70 percent of the surveyed companies had sales staff that were either dedicated fully or partially to drive ABM-specific programs, and more organizations are investing in this effort.</p><p><br></p><p>So, what is account-based marketing and why should an organization consider including it as part of their marketing and sales efforts? Here is what you should know.</p><p><br></p><h2>Account-based marketing&mdash;What is it?</h2><p><br></p><p>Account-based marketing, also often referred to as key account marketing is a strategic approach in B2B marketing, which focuses on a clearly defined set of prospects in key accounts and create highly personalized marketing campaigns that resonate with these accounts. Instead of focusing on the open market, an organization treats a key customer account as the market or a market of one. It then focuses on the pain points and needs of the different stakeholders in the account to provide the solutions that can address their requirements.</p><p><br></p><p>If regular B2B marketing can be compared with casting a net in the hopes of attracting as many clients as possible, ABM is a highly targeted approach that looks at attracting clients within specific organizations that may be the best fit for the product or solution. While traditional marketing works on attracting and generating leads, qualifying them and converting them into customers, account-based marketing starts with existing customer accounts&mdash;identifying the right accounts and then working outwards.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Account-based marketing is particularly useful for organizations who have multiple organizations as their accounts, which are typically enterprise-level organizations.</p><p><br></p><h2>Why you should consider including it in your marketing efforts</h2><p><br></p><p>ABM is witnessing increasing take-up among B2B service and consulting organizations as it offers them several benefits. Here are a few key benefits it provides.</p><ol><li dir=\"ltr\"><h3>It is highly targeted</h3></li></ol><p>Unlike the &lsquo;spray-and-pray&rsquo; approach of traditional marketing, ABM is highly focused where marketers aim at creating highly personalized campaigns, including content and emails, that are specific to the key decision-makers&rsquo; problems and requirements in an account, so that they can be moved all the way down the sales funnel. Creating this type of individualized campaigns requires team collaboration as well as good research on the needs of the stakeholders to ensure communication that is meaningful to them.</p><h3>Brings alignment between the marketing and sales team</h3><p>Talking about team collaboration, one of the pre-requisites for the successful implementation of ABM is the alignment between an organization&rsquo;s marketing and sales team. Traditionally both teams are siloed and have little communication and coordination between them. However, similar to inbound marketing, ABM requires the two teams to work together to identify target accounts, understand the requirements, create a marketing and outreach strategy, and track the campaign&rsquo;s progress. This effectively means that the two important teams are working together towards organization goals and not independently.</p><h3>Reduces wastage of resources</h3><p>Traditionally, when focusing on an open market, the marketing team is pulled in various directions and hence, the resources are scattered. As ABM is targeted, the marketing resources and efforts become structured and get utilized efficiently. Additionally, when the marketing and sales teams work together, it will maximize the utilization of the B2B marketing and sales resources.</p><h3>Defined ROI from marketing efforts</h3><p>As per a survey conducted by the <a href=\"https://www.slideshare.net/itsma/itsma-abm-survey-fueling-the-account-based-marketing-fire-abbreviated-summary\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Information Technology Services Marketing Association</a>, 84 percent of the companies that participated in the survey told that ABM delivered a higher return on their investment compared to other forms of marketing. This means that ABM clearly drives ROI.&nbsp;</p><h3>Helps in clearly tracking and measuring goals</h3><p>Besides measuring ROI, it is also important for an organization to track and measure the effectiveness of its campaigns, emails, content, and events, in order to identify what is working and what needs to be improved. Using account-based marketing, it is simpler to measure and draw clear conclusions, based on how prospects in an account are responding to the campaigns.</p><p><br></p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p><br></p><p>Account-based marketing has certain prerequisites such as team collaboration and customer-focused approach if it has to be implemented successfully. Organizations should keep an inbound marketing approach in mind, which focuses on identifying the buyer and attracting them through the right content and campaign, only in the context of a customer account. The task of implementing ABM may seem daunting for organizations but has clear benefits for them. Naturally, organizations should consider making ABM an integral part of their marketing efforts.</p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','what-is-account-based-marketing-an-overview','2018-01-15 07:15:06','2018-03-15 05:43:14',5,'',5,'Awareness','What is Account Based Marketing - An overview','What is Account Based Marketing - An overview | 7EDGE','ABM is a marketing approach that is gaining attention from many B2B marketers. So, what is account based marketing and why is it popular? Learn more about it here.','What is Account Based Marketing - An overview | 7EDGE','ABM is a marketing approach that is gaining attention from many B2B marketers. So, what is account based marketing and why is it popular? Learn more about it here.','Account-Based-Marketing_01.jpg','image/jpeg',64994,'2018-01-15 07:15:06','4 Min Read',26,1),(49,'Top 3 Benefits of Adopting B2B Influencer Marketing','B2B Influencer Marketing leverages the right influencers to expand your brand reach—converting prospects into loyal customers. Here are the top 5 benefits it offers.','Influencer.jpg','image/jpeg',59985,'2018-01-15 11:59:09',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">Influencer marketing has been there for quite a long time; and its popularity is spreading rapidly among B2B marketers. This is truly because they are now realizing how it can be a smart alternative to traditional advertising practices that are expensive and unreliable. However, the main reason is - consumers are getting smarter, and they don&#39;t like to be advertised to and receive messages daily. On the other side, the buyer&rsquo;s journey has also changed dramatically ever since the advent of the internet&mdash;impacting the B2B sales and marketing space worldwide.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">So what exactly is B2B Influencer Marketing? and how does it help?</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Technically speaking, influencer marketing happens when an organization leverages the efficiency of paid influencers to promote their brand. These are usually individuals with a well-recognized expertise; and most importantly, a well-established presence in social media platforms. The process can happen in two ways - either the influencer may create the promotional content themselves, or the brand may co-produce it. Ideally, the right influencers should have these three qualities that can prove beneficial for b2b marketers:</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Reach:</strong> The ability to deliver a message to a large audience or to a specific niche audience.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Relevance:</strong> The strength of connection with brands, industries or topics.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Resonance:</strong> The ability to&mdash;be heard, inspire the audience, and drive desired behavior.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">That&rsquo;s a lot of talk about the basics. Now let&rsquo;s dive deep into the key benefits that influencer marketing has to offer; for organizations looking to amplify their brand reach and attract more customers.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Draws in Highly Targeted Traffic to the Company Website</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">You may attract a thousand visitors to your website; per day. And that&rsquo;s indeed a great goal to achieve. However, you must also understand a fact that if those visitors aren&rsquo;t targeted, there are fewer chances of them getting converted into customers. This is because they are likely to lose interest when they realize the website does not contain the products or services they are actively looking for. Consequently, this can lead to low conversion rates and high bounce rates; which affects the website&rsquo;s search engine rankings negatively.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Thanks to influencer marketing. It utilizes the influencers&rsquo; marketing channels in a particular industry that the business is targeting. Gradually yet definitely, massive volumes of highly targeted traffic get directed to the company&rsquo;s website; offering them exactly what they are looking for.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Promotes the Game of Backlinks</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Apart from offering brands and businesses with highly targeted traffic, influencer marketing also provides some valuable backlinks. Technically, when an influencer publishes a content &ndash; on their blog or social media channels &ndash; regarding your company&rsquo;s products or services, they will create backlinks to your website. This works because influencers usually own websites that have incredibly high ranking metrics. And their high-quality backlinks can eventually boost your website&rsquo;s Google rankings.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Makes Your Brand Authentic and Trusted</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">It&rsquo;s a no-brainer. When influencers are trusted by their audience, connecting your business with them will make your brand authentic and trusted. This is because customers hate being sold to, and influencer marketing does it in the right way&mdash;promoting your brand in a way that doesn&rsquo;t make it look over promotional.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">All in All</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Although there are numerous tactics to implement Influencer marketing, it takes time and a great deal of dedication and focus. The influencer will, and should talk about the pros and cons of your products. That&rsquo;s exactly how it should be&mdash;honest, credible and transparent; far better than traditional ad campaigns. All in all, when done right, B2B influencer marketing can be a smart way to showcase your product to the customers.</p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','top-3-benefits-of-adopting-b2b-influencer-marketing','2018-01-15 07:40:25','2018-03-15 05:43:02',5,'',6,'Awareness','Top 3 Benefits of Adopting B2B Influencer Marketing','Top 3 Benefits of Adopting B2B Influencer Marketing | 7EDGE','B2B Influencer Marketing leverages the right influencers to expand your brand reach—converting prospects into loyal customers. Here are the top 5 benefits it offers.','Top 3 Benefits of Adopting B2B Influencer Marketing | 7EDGE','B2B Influencer Marketing leverages the right influencers to expand your brand reach—converting prospects into loyal customers. Here are the top 5 benefits it offers.','Influencer.jpg','image/jpeg',59985,'2018-01-15 07:40:25','4 Min Read',11,1),(50,'7 Steps to Implement Account-Based Marketing Plan','For ABM to be successful for an organization, there are certain prerequisites that need to be in place. Here are 7 steps to implement an account-based marketing plan.','Account-Based-Marketing_02.jpg','image/jpeg',44712,'2018-01-15 11:58:32',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">Account-based marketing or ABM is a marketing concept which is rapidly catching up among organizations that are in B2B space due to <a href=\"/blog/what-is-account-based-marketing-an-overview\" rel=\"\">several benefits it offers</a> them. For starters, companies having multiple customer accounts can witness a significant improvement in the annual contract value for large and strategic accounts. Organizations that have a small addressable market and depend on winning a large percentage of the market to benefit from ABM.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">However, for account-based marketing to be successful for an organization, there are certain prerequisites that need to be in place. Here are the 7 steps an organization should focus on to successfully implement and execute account-based marketing.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Align your marketing and sales team</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">While identifying the right accounts for your marketing efforts is logically the first step, a key prerequisite for the implementation of ABM strategies is the tight collaboration between the marketing and sales teams of your organization. There needs to be a complete alignment between these two important teams, from the moment of identifying the right customer accounts to target, to developing the content that is tailored to and resonates with the key decision-makers of the account and running a successful campaign. WIthout teamwork, your ABM efforts is headed towards failure. Hence, aligning these two teams becomes the first step towards the implementation.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Identify your target accounts</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">One of the cornerstones of implementing successful account-based marketing is to identify the right accounts that fit your organization&rsquo;s product or service. This step is similar to that of developing user personas for inbound marketing, however not the same. In inbound marketing, you are developing personas for people, who can be either organizations or the public. However, in ABM, you already know your customers and these are organizations.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Identifying your target customer requires the marketing and sales teams working together as data is needed from both teams. Data of these accounts include both qualitative as well as quantitative data such as location, size of the company, the position of the decision-makers and organization goals among others.&nbsp;</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Do a thorough research of your target accounts</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Once you have identified your target accounts, the next step is to do an in-depth research of the account. When it comes to ABM, research is not an option but a necessity. Remember that in account-based marketing, you are creating content and campaigns that are tailored for your accounts. This means that you need to research your account as much as possible including elements such as the account structure, the level of authority the decision-maker has and so on, to identify how you can position your offering to the target.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Develop a marketing strategy</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">When you have an aligned marketing and sales team as well as the required account-related insights in place, it is easier for you to develop a strategy to connect with your customers. Creating a marketing strategy involves creating a content strategy, identifying the right channels to deliver the content and reach out to them, the kind of objections they may raise and the response you would provide.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Create tailored content</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Once you have identified the accounts, done your research and have a marketing strategy in place, the next thing is to create the content. This may sound repetitive but it is important to remember that you are targeting individual accounts here and different stakeholders in these accounts respond differently to your content. Hence, it is absolutely necessary to keep the content specific to the account and the stakeholders if they need to respond positively.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Run your campaign</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Your campaign is now ready to be delivered to your target accounts. Running your marketing campaigns requires a little care. Your campaigns need to be coordinated across channels in order to ensure that you are sending out a consistent message without ambiguity and repetition to a decision maker in an account. Hence, ensure that you are leveraging the channels you have wisely.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Measure the Campaign&rsquo;s Success</h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Finally, it is time to measure the performance of your marketing campaign. You need to check if your campaigns were effective in achieving your goal or if they need any improvements. The metrics that need to be measured in ABM are, however, slightly different from those of inbound marketing. For example, unlike inbound marketing or traditional marketing where you need to measure the number of new leads, you need to measure engagements here. Similarly, you need to see if the right decision makers within an account are reading and engaging with your content. A few other KPIs you may want to measure include opt-in permissions from the accounts, the sufficiency of the coverage, appointments, and conversions.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Conclusion</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Implementing account-based marketing may seem a little daunting. However, if you break it down into simple steps and follow these steps, it should be less overwhelming and relatively easy to execute it successfully.</p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','7-steps-to-implement-account-based-marketing','2018-01-15 07:52:04','2018-03-15 05:43:17',5,'',5,'Consideration','7 Steps to Implement Account-Based Marketing Plan','7 Steps to Implement Account-Based Marketing Plan | 7EDGE','For ABM to be successful for an organization, there are certain prerequisites that need to be in place. Here are 7 steps to implement account-based marketing plan.','7 Steps to Implement Account-Based Marketing Plan | 7EDGE','For ABM to be successful for an organization, there are certain prerequisites that need to be in place. Here are 7 steps to implement an account-based marketing plan.','Account-Based-Marketing_02.jpg','image/jpeg',44712,'2018-01-15 07:52:04','4 Min Read',27,1),(51,'How to Plan Your Programmatic Advertising Strategy?','Businesses thrive on advertising strategies. Programmatic advertising injects a unique level of automation and agility into the B2B marketing campaigns.','programmatic-ads.jpg','image/jpeg',130756,'2018-01-15 11:57:18',_binary '<p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">As we already know, Programmatic media buying takes automation to a whole new level. It deploys software &ndash; during an ad campaign &ndash; to purchase, place, and optimize specific media using a bid based system. This streamlines the way businesses showcase their products and services; saving the sheer amount of time which can be effectively used for other tasks. However, as most processes are data-driven, businesses must understand that they need to define a clear data strategy before they even think about implementing programmatic advertising. No matter how complex the implementation may seem, data strategy is indeed considered as a panacea for all the mistakes &ndash; that could be avoided &ndash; in your campaign.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">That&rsquo;s a lot of fuss about programmatic. Now let&rsquo;s focus on how you can create a comprehensive strategy&mdash;based on a plethora of data if you want to make the most out of your advertising budget, and the campaign altogether.</p><p><br></p><p></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Know What You Want to Achieve</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">It is true that analytics help you gather massive volumes of customer data. However, categorizing them in a way that best aligns with your specific business goals can sometimes be a massive hurdle. So ideally, your future programmatic buying strategy and efforts will depend on what you want to achieve with your customer data. This can help you pinpoint and rule out the irrelevant data.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">To shed some light on this, for instance, if your primary goal is to boost the CTR of your business website, you can use the gathered data to gain insights on which platforms and ads are performing well; i.e. delivering the most click-throughs. On the other hand, if your aim is to lower your ad spends, you can leverage the data to identify the ads that give you the best ROI on your marketing efforts. Knowing what you want to achieve can help you set up the right KPIs which you can measure and improve.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Develop a real-time mindset</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Programmatic using real-time bidding (RTB) allows marketers and advertisers obtain data which helps them analyze, optimize and execute their campaigns in real-time. Such a quick availability of data enables them to serve the right ads to the right audience at the right time. As such, marketers and advertisers making use of RTB should learn to take advantage of this aspect of RTB. It is no more sufficient for them to understand the data they obtain but also to utilize it at scale and speed to achieve their goals. This creates a necessity to break away from the mindset of static auctions and learn to create strategies and develop an &lsquo;always-on&rsquo; mindset.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Invest in the right platforms</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Programmatic advertising makes use of various platforms and technologies such as data management platforms (DMP), supply-side platforms (SSP) and demand-side platforms (DSP). The minimum requirement for a marketer or an advertiser to use programmatic is to have a DSP. Today, there are several platforms available in the market with varied features and capabilities. Moreover, there are also hybrid DMPs available which combine certain features of a DSP and a DMP. Hence, it is important for an organization to understand which platform can help them achieve their programmatic goals. Having a bit of technological understanding additionally helps them understand whether they are getting what they are paying for.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Analyze and leverage the Available Data</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Programmatic provides access to a plethora of data about the publisher, the kind of audience on the publisher&rsquo;s web assets, the effectiveness of your campaign, the channel or format of advertisement that made your campaign successful and much more. This data can be utilized effectively only if there is a strong reporting and analytics system that provides deeper insights. Such a system helps you monitor the progress, make quick adjustments, use the right creatives, channels and ad formats to enhance the effectiveness and relevance of your future campaigns and deliver them to your target audience at the right time.&nbsp;</p><p></p><p><br></p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p><br></p><p>Today, programmatic advertising has transformed the way businesses buy ads. However, it&rsquo;s an undeniable fact that it involves a plethora of processes that have to be mastered with the best-of-breed tools and practices. If you find this as a challenge, there are numerous solutions out there in the marketplace which you can implement&mdash;to gather data and reap maximum benefits as you move further.</p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','how-to-plan-your-programmatic-advertising-strategy','2018-01-15 09:15:26','2018-04-06 07:21:07',2,'',6,'Consideration','How to Plan Your Programmatic Advertising Strategy?','How to Plan Your Programmatic Advertising Strategy? | 7EDGE','Businesses thrive on advertising strategies. Programmatic advertising injects a unique level of automation and agility into the B2B marketing campaigns.','How to Plan Your Programmatic Advertising Strategy? | 7EDGE','Businesses thrive on advertising strategies. Programmatic advertising injects a unique level of automation and agility into the B2B marketing campaigns.','programmatic-ads.jpg','image/jpeg',130756,'2018-01-15 09:15:26','4 Min Read',28,1),(52,'Remarketing: A Smart Way to Re-Engage with Your Prospects','Remarketing helps businesses tailor their future emails - in a bid to retrieve lost customers. Here are the crucial benefits for the B2B space.','Remarketing.jpg','image/jpeg',80182,'2018-01-15 11:56:37',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">&lsquo;Remarketing&rsquo; has been there for a long time indeed. However, today&rsquo;s situation is quite different from what it used to be in the yesteryears. Most marketing efforts are now taking the route of internet-based ads. And this gradually gave rise to a new term - &lsquo;Retargeting&rsquo;. For instance, remember that moment when you searched for something on google and got a similar ad displayed on the side of your webpage?</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Both &ndash; remarketing and retargeting &ndash; are closely related to each other, and oftentimes, people get confused between the two. In simple terms, both differ in the strategies deployed to reach the prospects who previously left the website without making a purchase. While retargeting depends on cookies to deliver ads, remarketing usually involves delivery of emails.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">In this post, let&rsquo;s dive deep into remarketing&mdash;what it is, and it&rsquo;s benefits that help the b2b landscape.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Technically speaking, with remarketing, you can refine your future emails to serve each and every potential sale which was lost. This means every client that leaves your website empty handed will receive a tailored email that mentions your products or services they once considered&mdash;systematically. This is because you are already aware of their genuine interest in your product or service, and by Remarketing it, you are helping them recall your brand; in a bid to retrieve the lost opportunity of converting into a customer.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">That said, let&rsquo;s focus on how it helps businesses. Mentioned below are the three crucial benefits that remarketing has to offer.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Lower Cost Per Click (CPC)</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">When it comes to Cost Per Click (CPC), remarketing is a lot cheaper than direct advertising &mdash;such as AdWords or Facebook Ads. The core benefit that remarketing brings for businesses is - it rules out the traditionally used push/pull marketing strategies and focuses on a highly valuable demographic of people who visited your website. This &ndash; in a smart way of course &ndash; builds rapport and creates a strong connection between you and your prospects.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Your Ads Can be Customized to Serve Specific Audience</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Once you know your target demographic, you can customize each advertisement based on where the remarketing pixel was previously activated. Accordingly, you can make higher bids for ads to specific visitors who previously reached your website&rsquo;s sales checkout page. And the best part is - you can categorize your ad copy for different age groups, based on their interests. Innovatively, this process will make your overall marketing efforts more targeted.</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Higher Conversions Rates</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">In a market where most businesses compete on the internet, converting visitors for the first time indeed becomes a rare possibility. To be precise, visitors looking for a specific product or service are more likely to click away and visit other competitor sites. Chances are, they may completely forget about your website in the process.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">This is where remarketing plays its role. It brings those visitors back to your website by making your brand more popular. Moreover, you get a window of opportunity to give exclusive offers to capture and engage with them more effectively.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">To Conclude</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Simply put, remarketing is marketing made smarter to re-engage with the prospects. Although this involves a wide array of procedures, if you do it right, you can bring back those lost opportunities&mdash;not immediately, but definitely.</p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','remarketing-a-smart-way-to-re-engage-with-your-prospects','2018-01-15 09:45:32','2018-04-06 05:34:08',3,'',6,'Awareness','Remarketing: A Smart Way to Re-Engage with Your Prospects','Remarketing: A Smart Way to Re-Engage with Your Prospects | 7EDGE','Remarketing helps businesses tailor their future emails - in a bid to retreive lost customers. Here are the crucial benefits for the B2B space.','Remarketing: A Smart Way to Re-Engage with Your Prospects | 7EDGE','Remarketing helps businesses tailor their future emails - in a bid to retrieve lost customers. Here are the crucial benefits for the B2B space.','Remarketing.jpg','image/jpeg',80182,'2018-01-15 09:45:32','4 Min Read',29,1),(53,' How Growth7 Helps You Grow Your Organization\'s Revenue','In contrast to traditional marketing, Growth7 offers clear, actionable strategies for businesses to grow. Here is how Growth7 helps you grow your company\'s revenue.','Growth7.jpg','image/jpeg',82735,'2018-01-15 11:55:41',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">As customers begin their buying journey, they need to be delivered a consistent message across all digital touchpoints throughout their journey. Traditional digital marketing techniques fail to achieve this as they are fragmented. Additionally, they lack a data-driven approach required to understand their customers and deliver the right message at each stage of the customer lifecycle.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">In order to achieve sales growth, businesses need a holistic, data-driven understanding of their customers. This is where growth marketing comes in. In contrast to traditional marketing, it offers clear, actionable strategies for business growth. It enables organizations to harness data, analytics, and technology to develop and execute effective marketing strategies that yield enduring customer relationships.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">What is Growth<sup>7</sup>?</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">7EDGE Growth<sup>7</sup> is a strategic growth marketing solution designed to help businesses achieve higher growth by generating more sales and revenues while reducing operational expenses. Growth7 takes an Internet First approach, combining the latest of internet tools and technologies as well as the right strategies and techniques at each stage of the customer lifecycle.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Growth<sup>7</sup> aims at not only helping organizations witness an instant stellar growth but also to sustain this growth over a long period with minimum operational expenses.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Why Growth<sup>7</sup>?</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Growth<sup>7</sup> distinguishes itself from other digital marketing solutions owing to several factors. The following are a few factors that differentiate Growth<sup>7</sup> from others.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Powerful customer engagement framework</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Growth<sup>7</sup> takes a 4-stage approach to engage customers. This, combined with the right digital channels and engagement strategy to communicate with customers at each stage, creates a powerful marketing framework.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Optimal utilization of digital channels</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Traditional digital marketing follows the spray-and-pray method when it comes to utilizing digital platform and channels. Our solution utilizes strategies that make optimal use of digital media platforms along with precise targeting and right techniques to help organizations achieve quick results.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Quick results combined with sustained growth</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Growth<sup>7</sup> employs strategies that help organizations achieve quick results and at the same time achieve long-term sustainable growth by organically attracting and retaining the right customers for their business. With Growth<sup>7</sup>, organizations can achieve up to 88% percent growth in revenue while reducing operational expenses above 20%.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Machine learning to solve complex marketing problems</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Highly personalized communication is the need of the hour and traditional digital marketing fails to achieve this. Growth<sup>7</sup> leverages the latest development in machine learning to gain valuable customer insights so that organizations can create personalized offers that suit their customer needs.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Growth<sup>7</sup> Benefits</h2><p><br></p><ul><li dir=\"ltr\">Reduces the need for multiple partners and platforms in every step</li><li dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;In a single investment, it offers the right people and tools for the job&nbsp;</li><li dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;Get updates on all your marketing processes from a single source</li><li dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;Scalable solution that can be adapted to your specific business needs</li><li dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;Reduces resource costs through automation and machine learning.</li></ul><p>Want to learn more about how Growth<sup>7</sup> can help you achieve better sales and grow your business?&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Contact our growth consultants today.</p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','how-growth7-helps-you-grow-your-organizations-revenue','2018-01-15 09:48:56','2018-04-09 05:31:21',3,'',5,'Decision',' How Growth7 Helps You Grow Your Organization\'s Revenue',' How Growth7 Helps You Grow Your Organization\'s Revenue | 7EDGE','In contrast to traditional marketing, Growth7 offers clear, actionable strategies for businesses to grow. Here is how Growth7 helps you grow your company\'s revenue.',' How Growth7 Helps You Grow Your Organization\'s Revenue | 7EDGE','In contrast to traditional marketing, Growth7 offers clear, actionable strategies for businesses to grow. Here is how Growth7 helps you grow your company\'s revenue.','Growth7.jpg','image/jpeg',82735,'2018-01-15 09:48:56','4 Min Read',30,1),(54,'How Can B2B Predictive Analytics Reinvent your Business?','SaaS-based predictive analytics tools are changing the way B2B marketers formulate their strategies. Know where it can be applied to maximize the benefits.','Predictive.jpg','image/jpeg',86666,'2018-01-15 11:54:51',_binary '<p>Mining meaningful and actionable insights from business data are oftentimes a massive hurdle for marketers. However, technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are changing this scenario for better outcomes; by spreading their innovation across diverse industrial realms. One such innovation is SaaS-based predictive analytics &ndash; an effective tool that enables B2B marketers to reinvent and ameliorate their go-to-market strategies and marketing efforts. How exactly does it help marketers?</p><p><br></p><p>Looking from a business standpoint, predictive analytics aims to narrow down an organization&rsquo;s overall marketing efforts. It uses predictive modeling, machine learning, and data mining to analyze current and historical data to generate meaningful insights and predict future business outcomes. Thus, marketers can see a clear path laid in front of them. All they need to do is create more relevant content, and marketing campaigns targeted at each customer segments&rsquo; specific needs&mdash;focusing on the prospects who are most likely to convert into high-value customers. Consequently, the entire process becomes more precise and targeted.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">According to <a href=\"https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/predictive-analytics-market-1181.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">MarketsandMarkets</a>, the predictive analytics market size is expected to grow up to USD 12.41 Billion by 2022, rising from USD 3.85 Billion in 2016 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 22.1%. This pinpoints the industry&rsquo;s growing inclination towards advanced analytics focused on predicting future business outcomes.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p>So, how does predictive analytics help your business build a better marketing strategy? Here is how it helps your marketing and sales teams utilize the available data in an intelligent way and focus their efforts accordingly to drive better ROI.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Identifying patterns and acquire prospects</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">One of the features that makes predictive analytics powerful is its ability to identify prospects and leads that exhibit similar behavior patterns through their actions and create an identification model based on these patterns. These actions may be making a purchase intent, downloading a certain content offer or even renewing an existing contract. Such predictive models can help the marketing and sales teams identify similar prospects early in the sales cycle, prioritize them, reach out to them faster, and create new opportunities and markets for their offerings. &nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Prioritizing prospects and leads</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">The primary and an important feature of predictive analytics is predictive scoring. Contrary to traditional lead scoring which uses experimentation, speculation, and iteration to derive weightings, predictive lead scoring takes a scientific and mathematical approach to assign weightings and scores to your prospects and leads. This type of scoring helps the marketing and sales teams to identify accounts and leads who have a higher chance of making a purchase, prioritize and focus their efforts on them while spending less time on leads who have a lower chance of converting.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Automating lead segmentation</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Traditionally, most B2B marketers tend to segment their prospects and leads based on generic attributes such as industry and job role. Moreover, most of this segmentation was manual and laborious. However, predictive algorithms can take segmentation one step further and automatically identify as well as create valuable and meaningful segments. This enables the marketing teams to create and deliver campaigns and communications that are targeted and meaningful to the leads.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Although the applications of predictive analytics are endless, CMOs first need to identify their problem statements that they are trying to solve or the business goals that they are trying to achieve. Adopting this approach can help them make the best use of predictive analytics.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','how-can-b2b-predictive-analytics-reinvent-your-strategy','2018-01-15 09:56:32','2018-04-10 07:41:20',3,'',6,'Awareness','How Can B2B Predictive Analytics Reinvent your Business?','How Can B2B Predictive Analytics Reinvent your Business? | 7EDGE','SaaS-based predictive analytics tools are changing the way B2B marketers formulate their strategies. Know where it can be applied to maximize the benefits','How Can B2B Predictive Analytics Reinvent your Business? | 7EDGE','SaaS based predictive analytics tools are changing the way B2B marketers formulate their strategies. Know where it can be applied to maximize the benefits','Predictive.jpg','image/jpeg',86666,'2018-01-15 09:56:32','4 Min Read',12,1),(55,'The Beginner’s Guide to Intent-Based Marketing','Intent-based marketing is a digital marketing tactic several digital marketers are using these days. If you are looking for creating targeted ads, this is a concept you should know.','intent_based_marketing.jpg','image/jpeg',193002,'2018-02-02 10:28:14',_binary '<p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">As an individual, you may have noticed an interesting phenomenon. You recently browsed the web about a product or a service but stopped short of purchasing it. And suddenly the next time you logged onto the internet, out of nowhere, you started seeing content and advertisements related to that product or similar products flashing on almost all portals you went. Wondering how it happened? This is the magic of intent-based marketing.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Intent-based marketing is a digital marketing tactic that is gaining rapid steam in the B2B marketing and advertising world. If you are a digital marketer or an organization looking at creating highly targeted and effective campaigns and advertisements to your intended customers, then this is a concept you should know. So, let us get straight into it.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">What is intent-based marketing?</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">The concept of intent-based marketing is very simple. It is simply offering the prospective buyer a relevant product or service based on what they are looking for i.e., when a person or corporate decision maker shows an intent of buying a particular product or service, organizations can gain insights into the person&rsquo;s intent and can deliver product or service offerings to the user accordingly. Companies can predict the lead&rsquo;s purchase intent either by capturing his/her behavioral data or the data obtained when the prospect explicitly makes a purchase intent but falls short of making the purchase for some reason.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Intent-based marketing brings down the overall cost of creating campaigns and leads to better ROI, as the organization does not have to take the person or decision maker through the entire buyer&rsquo;s journey from the stage of awareness since the prospect is already at a consideration or decision level. The tactic is very powerful especially in inbound marketing as it makes use of content which is created around certain long-tail keywords the prospect is searching for. Hence, when a prospect looks for that particular keyword, it reveals tons about his intent.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Having said that, just user intent is not sufficient if you need to find success with this tactic. For intent-based marketing to work, there are a few other parameters required. Here are a few things that are required to make intent-based marketing successful.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Prospect&rsquo;s identity</h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">The first thing a digital marketer needs to know even before creating a campaign is the prospect&rsquo;s identity. Unless you know who it is that you should target the campaign at, there is no point in creating one. A marketer can obtain either direct data provided by the prospect while filling a form or from other external sources as well as validation of data records. The exercise of creating a user persona hugely helps in this regard.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Prospect&rsquo;s interest</h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Once the marketer obtains the user identity, it is also necessary to tie that identity with their interests so that you can create a campaign that is relevant to them. Marketers can obtain this data by understanding user behavior or their activity on various channels such as activity on social media pages, the organization&rsquo;s website such as eBook downloads, response to outbound emails, and blogs as well as third-party publishing platforms. Both 1st party data obtained through direct interaction with the customer and 3rd party data play an important role in understanding the prospect&rsquo;s interests.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Making sense of data</h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">A prospect&rsquo;s purchase intent can be interpreted by tying up and analyzing the user identity, interests and behavior. Once the data is analyzed, it can be organized in a way that can be used to create campaigns. However, many times the data is vast and comes in an unstructured way from various sources. This is where big data analysis can help analyze this sort of data, while helping you make sense of it and utilize it to create the right offers.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Relevant content</h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">To utilize the user intent obtained to create effective campaigns and offers, marketers need to utilize content effectively. Intent-based marketing is built on a premise of delivering content to the prospect at a point where he/she is looking for more information about the product. Hence, the content you create must not only be relevant but also resonate with the deep intent of the prospect so that it appears on top when the buyer is searching the web for information. This means that customer&rsquo;s intent should be at the heart of the content you create.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Intent-based marketing does have a few challenges such as tying up the fragmented user information marketers receive from various channels. However, this can be mostly overcome in a B2B context by doing an in-depth research about your intended targets and creating effective user personas coupled with effective processes. If done right, you can prioritize your marketing spends effectively and reap great ROI through intent-based marketing.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','the-beginners-guide-to-intent-based-marketing','2018-02-02 07:01:34','2018-03-15 05:42:04',5,'',5,'Awareness','The Beginner’s Guide to Intent-Based Marketing','The Beginner’s Guide to Intent-Based Marketing | 7EDGE','Intent-based marketing is a digital marketing tactic several digital marketers are using these days. If you are looking for creating targeted ads, this is a concept you should know.','The Beginner’s Guide to Intent-Based Marketing | 7EDGE','Intent-based marketing is a digital marketing tactic several digital marketers are using these days. If you are looking for creating targeted ads, this is a concept you should know.','intent_based_marketing.jpg','image/jpeg',193002,'2018-02-02 10:28:14','4 Min Read',9,1),(56,'Multi-touch Attribution: What You Need to Know','Marketers are increasingly using multi-touch attribution to assign credit for conversions along the marketing funnel. What is multi-touch attribution? Is it better than last-touch attribution?','multi-touch-attribution.jpg','image/jpeg',177406,'2018-02-02 11:15:56',_binary '<p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Marketers and advertisers use various metrics and models to determine how various campaigns and efforts contribute to the organization&rsquo;s revenues. An attribution model is commonly used to assign the credit for conversions and sales to various touch points along the marketing funnel and the buyer&rsquo;s journey. An important method of attribution many digital marketers have used for a long time is the last-touch attribution where the credit of prospect&rsquo;s conversion is typically attributed to the last campaign with which they interacted. Marketers then try and allocate the maximum marketing spends on such campaigns.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">However, many of them have now started realizing that last minute attribution may not be the best way to assign credit to a campaign in all cases, and have hence started relying on a better attribution model -- multi-touch attribution.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">What is multi-touch attribution?</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Last-touch attribution is a good way to assign credit to a campaign if you are running a very limited number of campaigns. However, if you are using several touchpoints and several campaigns, this form of attribution becomes highly misleading and doesn&rsquo;t allow you to allocate marketing spends in the appropriate way. Moreover, crediting only the last campaign with a successful conversion is like thanking only the last person for helping you win a lifetime achievement award though there were several others who contributed towards your success.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">On the other hand, multi-touch attribution focuses on understanding the role of each touch point and campaign leading to a conversion. This helps marketers and advertisers understand what campaigns and touchpoints have actually contributed to the conversion. They can then assign their marketing spends accordingly.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Multi-touch attribution assigns a weightage to different channels and touchpoints, which can be done in various ways. However, the best way to assign weightage is by considering the channels being used, customer touch points, and the value of customer interaction and conversion. For example, a prospect downloading a guide carries more weightage than reading a blog as it signals that he may be much more ready to talk to the sales team.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Is multi-touch attribution the silver-bullet?</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">As we now know that a multi-touch attribution model is better for identifying the campaigns that contributed to conversions, should you jump in and start using multi-touch attribution for allocating your marketing spends?</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Before diving in, marketers should understand that every attribution model has a few limitations and shortcomings. It is the same reason why multi-touch attribution too should not be the sole technique you should rely on to allocate your digital marketing funds. Here are a few limitations the model has:</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Offline to online effects:</strong> For starters, when looking at the impact of campaigns, organizations should consider both digital as well as offline media efforts. For example for a paid search campaign to work, there should be enough search engine queries and for that, there should be sufficient interest. This interest is in turn, influenced by a complete marketing effort, including offline marketing. Hence, it is tricky for statistical and algorithmic techniques to totally disentangle the online from the offline channels.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>External influence:</strong> Taking the previous point a little further, no attribution model can account for external factors such as pricing, season, economy, and recommendations that can influence the marketing effectiveness as well as customer&rsquo;s decision. These kinds of external influences can have a significant impact. It can also lead to biased decisions over the effectiveness of certain touchpoints and channels while sidelining other important parameters.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>ROI measurement:</strong> Attributed ROI may not always give an accurate measure of the organization&rsquo;s real ROI. Most businesses have a customer database that is built up over time that can contribute a portion of the organization&rsquo;s revenue. Additionally, brand equity and offline activities too can contribute to the company&rsquo;s revenues which an attribution model cannot measure.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">So, why use multi-touch attribution?</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Despite the shortcomings of the attribution model, multi-touch attribution is a fairly good model to assign your marketing expenditure for digital channels and touchpoints. The first reason is that is far better than the first-touch, last-touch, and other attribution models. It brings you one step closer in understanding the real impact of the campaign or channel.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Secondly, there are a few other approaches such as media mix modeling that can address some of the above-mentioned issues. Yet, multi-touch attribution is the only model that can give marketers an insight into the digital marketing impact in a short period of time. Moreover, it is an agile as well as a quickly actionable model.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">To conclude</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Multi-touch attribution does have a few limitations when it comes to understanding the true impact of various digital touch points on customer decisions and conversions. Having said that, it is much better than other attribution models. Despite its shortcomings, it still helps in reaching a recommendation on relative budget allocation. Moreover, with more businesses understanding the various aforementioned challenges, they are working towards continuously improving the model to help get closer to understanding the true impact of the marketing efforts.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','multi-touch-attribution-what-you-need-to-know','2018-02-02 07:07:39','2018-03-15 05:43:07',5,'',5,'Awareness','Multi-touch Attribution: What You Need to Know','Multi-touch Attribution: What You Need to Know | 7EDGE','Marketers are increasingly using multi-touch attribution to assign credit for conversions along the marketing funnel. What is multi-touch attribution? Is it better than last-touch attribution?','Multi-touch Attribution: What You Need to Know | 7EDGE','Marketers are increasingly using multi-touch attribution to assign credit for conversions along the marketing funnel. What is multi-touch attribution? Is it better than last-touch attribution?','multi-touch-attribution.jpg','image/jpeg',177406,'2018-02-02 11:15:56','4 Min Read',20,2),(57,'5 Tips to Increase Your Website’s Conversion Rate Instantly','While your company\'s website has great traffic, are you experiencing low conversion rates? Here are a few tips on how you can increase your website\'s conversion rates.','conversion_rate_optimization.jpg','image/jpeg',159182,'2018-02-02 10:27:32',_binary '<p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">When you create your organization or brand&rsquo;s website, the next thing you probably think of is nailing search engine optimization (SEO) so that you always have a phenomenal website traffic. This is indeed a good move. However, while you are so focused on gaining website traffic, how many times have you focused on what percentage of your website visitors are actually converting and feeding into your marketing funnel?&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Many a time, it so happens that organizations with great traffic have a very poor conversion rate, be it people filling out a form, downloading an eBook, or signing up for your product. And as any organization realizes, it is ultimately the conversions and not just the traffic, that drives revenues and ROI.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">So, how do you enhance the percentage of people taking the action you desire them to take on your website? Here are five tips that can help you increase your website&rsquo;s conversion rate within a short period.</p><ol><li><br></li><li dir=\"ltr\"><h2>Track your conversion rate</h2></li></ol><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">The age-old proverb &ldquo;what you don&rsquo;t measure cannot be improved&rdquo; holds true when it comes to improving your results. To optimize your website conversion rates, you need to first know what aspect of the website such as the landing page, design, structure or content that needs to be improved. It is, however, interesting to see that very few organizations actually have a proper conversion tracking system in place. According to a <a href=\"https://www.disruptiveadvertising.com/adwords/2000-adwords-audits/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">survey conducted by Kissmetrics</a>, only 29% of the respondents who use AdWords had an effective conversion rate tracking system. Out of those, the top 25% well-tracked businesses had a conversion rate of over 7%. The remaining respondents had a poor conversion rate. Hence, it is necessary to have a right way of tracking your website conversions.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Make your CTA visible</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Your call-to-action (CTA) is what takes your visitor or lead to the next level of sales conversion. Hence, you need to ensure that it is visible to them when they land on a particular webpage, be it a blog, product page or a landing page. Make sure that the CTA is attractive and is in people&rsquo;s natural eye path. Studies have shown that most visitors follow an F-shaped pattern while viewing a particular page. Hence, it is a good practice to place the primary CTA on certain key spots of this pathway.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Apart from placing the CTA in the right place, a copy that stands out, attracts visitors and compels them to take the desired action. A good idea is to include tangible and definitive action verbs that compel visitor activity. Just ensure that the copy of the CTA is relevant to the visitor.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Maintain the flow</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Visitors may come to your website from either organic sources such as search engine queries or through inorganic sources such as social media ads. However, when they land on your website or landing page, they should have the sense of familiarity. Considering that your website landing page plays a critical role in conversions, you must ensure that consistency is maintained so that when a visitor lands on the page either from an ad or a query, he doesn&rsquo;t find himself out of place.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">A few good practices to follow include matching the title tag with the H1 header and creating an attractive design as well as a layout structure. It is always a good practice to perform A/B testing to identify which CTAs lead to better conversions.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Use compelling content</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">You nailed your PPC, SEO and social ads and ensured that the traffic to your website has increased. Congrats!! However, once they land on your website, is the content compelling them to stay for a longer duration on your website or making them leave within a few seconds?&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Content is a key factor that determines whether your website visitors will perform the necessary action or just leave, thus increasing bounce rates and in turn affecting your SEO rankings. Hence, it is not sufficient to maintain the consistency of your landing pages alone, but also to ensure that your website content is in line with what you offered on search engines or social platforms.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Use pop-ups and slide-forms in a non-disruptive way</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Pop-ups, drop-downs, and slide-forms on websites have gained a not-so-favorable reputation over the last few years among a few digital marketers. However, this is only because several websites place them in a disruptive way that irritates visitors. The truth is that they still work &ndash; only if you place them in a way that attracts and helps website visitors. For example, if it is a blog post, many people would like to scroll down to read the article. Hence, consider using the slide-form after the reader has scrolled down a certain percentage of the page. On the other hand, if the visitor is reading a product page, it is good to make a pop-up or drop-down appear after the reader has spent some time on the page.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Besides the right placement, ensure that these forms and CTAs are consistent with the webpage on which they are placed.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">The takeaway</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">While focusing on improving your SEO rankings and website traffic is important, it is also necessary to optimize the conversion rate of your website and landing pages as it is the combination of these what drives revenues. Following the tips given above and some of the best practices can certainly increase your website&rsquo;s conversion rates, thus improving results and your company&rsquo;s ROI.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','5-tips-to-increase-your-websites-conversion-rate-instantly','2018-02-02 07:18:35','2018-03-15 05:43:07',5,'',5,'Awareness','5 Tips to Increase Your Website’s Conversion Rate Instantly','5 Tips to Increase Your Website’s Conversion Rate Instantly | 7EDGE','While your company\'s website has great traffic, are you experiencing low conversion rates? Here are a few tips on how you can increase your website\'s conversion rates.','5 Tips to Increase Your Website’s Conversion Rate Instantly | 7EDGE','While your company\'s website has great traffic, are you experiencing low conversion rates? Here are a few tips on how you can increase your website\'s conversion rates.','conversion_rate_optimization.jpg','image/jpeg',159182,'2018-02-02 10:27:32','4 Min Read',21,2),(58,'A Marketer\'s Guide to People Based Marketing','Fragmented nature of user data stops many digital marketers from creating highly targeted ads. People-based marketing eliminates this challenge.  So, what is people based marketing?','people_based_marketing.jpg','image/jpeg',44712,'2018-02-02 10:27:10',_binary '<p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Digital technology and digital marketing have evolved over several years. For a long time, digital marketers and organizations have been trying to create ads that targeted towards their intended customers. However, due to the fragmented nature of digital platforms as well as the user data they obtained have created limitations in creating highly targeted ads. However, the emergence of people-based marketing has started eliminating this challenge.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">What is people-based marketing?</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">For some time now, digital marketers have been serving ads to people depending on the various devices they use. Marketers place cookies and track pixels on the devices people use to explore the web. They then use this data to understand people&rsquo;s preferences, likes and dislikes, habits and identities. However, this practice has its own inadequacies. The data marketers receive is fragmented and hence, gives an incomplete picture of a person&rsquo;s identity as a consumer. While fragmented data has traditionally helped marketers and advertisers obtain some picture of the intended buyer, it does not give them the complete picture.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">This is where people-based marketing comes in. With this form of marketing, advertisers can focus on displaying ads to the actual unique individual irrespective of the devices, locations or digital channels they use. It goes beyond user personas and targets actual users.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">People-based marketing is a very powerful form of targeted advertising and behavioral marketing as it combines user intent or customer&rsquo;s buying behavior, customer&rsquo;s persistent identity which is acquired from all channels and devices they use anywhere, and their role in making decisions in order to deliver them the right campaign and message. Moreover, as opposed to regular behavioral marketing, it takes a proactive approach to engage the user in real-time across all channels and devices. People-based marketing enables marketers and advertisers in unlocking new sources of revenue as well as an omnichannel business.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">The Persistent ID</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">The true power of people-based marketing lies in the fact that it focuses on a business&rsquo;s ultimate target - the consumer, as opposed to a device or channel, to deliver ads and campaigns relevant to them. And what really makes this possible is the consumer&rsquo;s persistent identity.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">The persistent identity of a person can be drawn based on several factors such as common IP addresses, user&rsquo;s online behavior, login information, digital transaction information, and user profile across various platforms. Based on the user&rsquo;s information obtained across various digital and physical touchpoints, the user&rsquo;s persistent identity can be created and a connection can then be made between the various devices such as laptop, smartphone, and tablet the person uses.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">For example, the person may use the same email address or phone number to login to his social media profile as well as make a purchase online. The person may also use the same email address to log into his social media account from his laptop and his mobile device. Such factors help marketers to connect these different identities and develop the complete persistent identity of the real-world individual.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Data</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Many organizations collect both online and offline data and store this data in their database for the purpose of customer service, research or surveys. This data can include details such as the different devices he/she uses, the person&rsquo;s buying patterns, behavior, interests and intent, the person&rsquo;s functional role and much more. Data marketers who venture into people-based marketing utilize these data points as well as a person&rsquo;s persistent identity to run highly targeted campaigns to these people.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Automation</h3><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Besides persistent data and other key user data, automation plays an important role in people-based marketing. In most cases, similar to marketing campaigns, automation is siloed, primarily due to the limitation in customer identification. However, people-based marketing empowers automation with people-based targeting rather than cookie-based or device-based targeting. The result is that organizations can automate their approach to target individuals across devices and channels.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">In closing</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Unlike cookie-based marketing which targets devices, people-based marketing targets the actual people who are using these devices with their persistent ID playing the critical role in identifying them. Acquiring this persistent ID does come with a few challenges such as difficulty in data acquisition, privacy, and real-time data integration. However, many ad-tech companies are already taking up the challenge to address these organization concerns. Moreover, an increasing demand for personalized experience and better targeting has made marketers and advertisers optimistic about the future of people-based marketing</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','a-marketers-guide-to-people-based-marketing','2018-02-02 07:27:42','2018-03-15 05:42:56',5,'',5,'Awareness','A Marketer\'s Guide to People Based Marketing','A Marketer\'s Guide to People Based Marketing | 7EDGE','Fragmented nature of user data stops many digital marketers from creating highly targeted ads. People-based marketing eliminates this challenge.  So, what is people based marketing?','A Marketer\'s Guide to People Based Marketing | 7EDGE','Fragmented nature of user data stops many digital marketers from creating highly targeted ads. People-based marketing eliminates this challenge.  So, what is people based marketing?','people_based_marketing.jpg','image/jpeg',44712,'2018-02-02 10:27:10','4 Min Read',10,3),(59,'3 Effective Strategies to Qualify Your Leads','Lead generation has always been a painstaking and time-consuming process. Not anymore. Know how to qualify a lead by implementing few game-changing strategies.','lead-generation-strategies.jpg','image/jpeg',159270,'2018-02-02 10:47:23',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">The whole point of business has always been &ndash; and will always be &ndash; acquiring sales qualified leads who can drive business reach and growth. Needless to say, profitability totally depends on the number of leads in the marketing funnel. Ever since the internet became a viable hub for businesses, it has been flooded with marketers trying to advertise their products, acquire new customers, and nurture the existing ones. The competition is stiff indeed. They are forced to find new and unique strategies to reach their goal. However, all those strategies may be useless unless they stick to the basics.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Initially, marketers need to paint a clear picture of who their customers are; before even thinking about executing a lead generation strategy. The more information they gain about their customers--such as age, gender, interests, income, and location, the easier it becomes to target them.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Using machine learning and analytics tools, marketers can execute a thorough customer analysis to determine your customers get attracted. For instance, if they find a majority of customers come through referrals, they&rsquo;ll probably need to focus on lead generation strategies like customer referral programs. On the other hand, they can also focus on email marketing, if that worked best.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Once this is done, let&rsquo;s dive deep into the three effective strategies that satisfy one question - how to qualify a lead?</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Use Google AdWords to Gain Insights on Search Data</strong></h3><p dir=\"ltr\">When it comes to content creation for attracting customers, keywords play a dominating role. Using Google AdWords, businesses can target specific keywords - that have a high search volume - and can bring their services in front of their prospects; at the right time. The results can also be made location-specific. However, due to the competition, this strategy usually comes with a high cost per click for the targeted keywords.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">That&rsquo;s not all. AdWords also allows marketers to create an account, and display specific ads that drive relevant traffic to the business website.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Create Intriguing Content Using Long-Tail Keywords&nbsp;</strong></h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Search is getting more and more complex, and competitive these days. IN order to keep pace, marketers need to create content by targeting long-tail keywords that focus on business-specific solutions or services; and can convert their readers- or in this case prospects - into customers. They can use online keyword research tools like <a href=\"https://answerthepublic.com/\" rel=\"nofollow\">answerthepublic</a> to get some ideas. For better results, they can create content focused on long-tail keywords based on the commonly asked customer queries about the services/solutions.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">The content can be of any format - a blog post, image, video, podcast, webinar, Slideshare or anything that can be searched for and consumed on the web. In just a matter of time, this approach can effectively drive high-quality traffic to the business website, which can later be converted into leads.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Interact with the Prospects on LinkedIn</strong></h3><p dir=\"ltr\">LinkedIn, as we know, is a platform where marketers find high-quality leads. It provides them the essential tools and opportunity to reach out to the prospects directly. All they need to do is build trust using their content; before sending a connection request to get in touch. Once this is done, they can talk business, or perhaps offer a demo.&nbsp;The overall process is quite simple, but it requires time and dedication. It requires a regular follow-up until they (the prospects) finally convert into leads.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">As you can see, lead generation can be tricky, as new strategies and techniques boom out from time to time. To stay ahead of the curve and achieve success in business, marketers need to be constantly looking for the latest and best-in-class tools available in the marketplace.</p>',NULL,NULL,'Inactive','3-effective-strategies-to-qualify-your-leads','2018-02-02 10:47:23','2018-03-15 07:02:59',5,'',6,'Awareness','3 Effective Strategies to Qualify Your Leads','3 Effective Strategies to Qualify Your Leads | 7EDGE','Lead generation has always been a painstaking and time-consuming process. Not anymore. Know how to qualify a lead by implementing few game-changing strategies.','3 Effective Strategies to Qualify Your Leads | 7EDGE','Lead generation has always been a painstaking and time-consuming process. Not anymore. Know how to qualify a lead by implementing few game-changing strategies.','lead-generation-strategies.jpg','image/jpeg',159270,'2018-02-02 10:47:23','4 Min Read',15,2),(60,'Enhance Your Marketing Efforts with Predictive Lead Scoring','Analytics is rapidly transforming businesses—even in the B2B space. Know what is predictive lead scoring, and how it helps acquire and nurture more leads for businesses.','predictive_lead_scoring.jpg','image/jpeg',59985,'2018-02-02 10:57:36',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">B2B has always been a tough arena for marketers. And with every passing day, they constantly ponder on a single question - How to separate qualified leads from the unqualified ones? Indeed, there is no doubt that their aim is to find an automated solution that could significantly save their time, as well as efforts. Perhaps the answer to the question already exists - Predictive Lead Scoring.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">What is Predictive Lead Scoring and why implement it?</h2><h1><br></h1><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Let&rsquo;s keep it simple. The reason why organizations &ndash; like yours &ndash; are inclining towards Predictive Lead Scoring is that it can perform tasks humans simply cannot. Basically, it is a platform/tool that uses AI and Machine Learning to analyze large volumes of data (on prospects), find and identify patterns in them, and predict future outcomes that go far beyond an average professional&rsquo;s marketing prowess.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">All those insights can help organizations determine which customers they are about to lose, who might enter into the funnel, and who are more likely to make a purchase decision. Oftentimes, it could even suggest the minimum discount they need to retain a lost customer.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Now that you have a fair idea about what predictive lead scoring is, let&rsquo;s dive deep into this. Below mentioned are few ways to leverage the technology and watch your business grow over time.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Identifying and Nurturing High-Value Targets</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">It&rsquo;s an undeniable fact that gathering and nurturing unqualified leads is a waste of time. Predictive lead nurturing tools include an advanced feature, known as profiling, that can score and sort all your prospects by comparing them with your current customers. In this way, you will be able to narrow down your marketing funnel &ndash; with high-value targets &ndash; before forwarding the list to the sales team. Not only does this save time, but it can also bring you valuable prospects who are most likely to make the final buying decision.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Bringing Sales and Marketing Teams Together</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">It&rsquo;s true that sales and marketing teams are known to be the supporting pillars of any organization. However, it is also true that there is a lack of collaboration between the two, which can be a major setback for small and budding organizations. Thanks to predictive analytics tools. Today, sales teams are automatically notified about which customers are receiving their campaigns; while the marketing teams are able to re-arrange those customers based on the predictive scoring process.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Identifying New Markets</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Previously, it was nearly impossible to gain insights on the market performance&mdash;in which market is your business is likely to grow. Business leaders spent several hours in deep research to know about the various market trends and to determine if their company would fit in a new market. Not anymore, predictive tools have indeed managed to flip the situation for good. They help companies keep an eye on the market, and their potential customers well in advance.</p><p><br></p><p>According to <a href=\"http://www.b2bmarketingzone.com/gartner/lead-scoring/?open-article-id=4903505&article-title=new-gartner-report-examines-why-predictive-intelligence-is-a-must-have-for-b2b-marketers&blog-domain=6sense.com&blog-title=6sense\" rel=\"nofollow\">Gartner</a>, with high volumes of leads from inbound channels and events, predictive lead scoring has now become a must-have for B2B marketing leaders. Predictive tools can truly be a game-changer for businesses. However, all attempts to leverage its productivity will go in vain if your CRM data is inaccurate. So, it is crucial to rectify your CRM data before you even think about implementing a predictive technology.</p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','enhance-your-marketing-efforts-with-predictive-lead-scoring','2018-02-02 10:57:36','2018-04-09 07:12:18',5,'',6,'Awareness','Enhance Your Marketing Efforts with Predictive Lead Scoring','Enhance Your Marketing Efforts with Predictive Lead Scoring | 7EDGE','Analytics is rapidly transforming businesses—even in the B2B space. Know what is predictive lead scoring, and how it helps acquire and nurture more leads for businesses.','Enhance Your Marketing Efforts with Predictive Lead Scoring | 7EDGE','Analytics is rapidly transforming businesses—even in the B2B space. Know what is predictive lead scoring, and how it helps acquire and nurture more leads for businesses.','predictive_lead_scoring.jpg','image/jpeg',59985,'2018-02-02 10:57:36','4 Min Read',23,2),(61,'How to Leverage Personalization in B2B Marketing','The B2B marketing space is booming, with new strategies being implemented frequently. Personalization is just one among them. Know how it can help your business acquire targeted leads.','personalization.jpg','image/jpeg',173917,'2018-02-02 11:05:04',_binary '<p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Today&rsquo;s customer journeys, as we know, are fully internet-based. Customers have indeed come to a point where they can expect highly personalized experiences that are tailored to meet their specific needs. Even in the B2B space, most businesses are inclining towards this trend. They want to be approached with the right solutions or services, at the right time (when they need them the most). This indeed corroborates the <a href=\"https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/walk-a-fine-line-with-personal-mobile-offers/\" rel=\"nofollow\">predictions put forth by Gartner</a> in 2015. The research giant stated that - by 2018, companies that have fully invested in all types of personalization will outsell the companies that have not by 20 percent.</p><p><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">From a B2B standpoint, personalization will not only help businesses acquire targeted customers, but will also help build a relationship with the existing ones. It plays a dominating role in today&rsquo;s marketing landscape. To shed some light on this, let&rsquo;s focus on an ideal scenario for instance. Your company&rsquo;s website content portrays your business story and the solutions/services you offer to your customers. But what attracts and makes a prospect stay on your website? Talking about emails, why would a prospect want to open your company&rsquo;s email? What would make them click your free trial button? The answer is - personalization. The hard fact is - prospects are most likely to put their personal information on your website only if they find a connection with your company.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">So what exactly is personalization in B2B marketing?</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Simply put, it is a process of tailoring content &ndash; emails, blogs, website, social posts &ndash; with respect to the customers&rsquo; demographics, browsing habits or preferences. It drives the company&rsquo;s sales and helps you learn more about your target market, and the increasing customer base. Further, it can be leveraged by numerous forms of businesses&mdash;from SMBs to large organizations. If done wisely and appropriately, they can make a headway in sales acquisition, and also retain their lost customers.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Now that you are well aware of the significance of personalization, let&rsquo;s talk about its various types.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Personalization of Website/Blog Content</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">As mentioned earlier, a company&rsquo;s website holds the key to attract target audience in just a matter of time. Making the website user-friendly and personalized hold utmost importance. However, it is nearly impossible to personalize all elements for every customer; especially when you don&rsquo;t have enough information on your visitors, or when you are dealing with first-timers. With minor additions &ndash; like improving the readability, user interface, adding transparency into your services/solutions&rsquo; pricing &ndash; can attract and simplify a visitor&rsquo;s journey. In fact, applying personalization can significantly help you better organize your content and direct your prospects to the information they actually want to see.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">At the end of the day, if you manage to deliver a smooth user experience, it will guide users through the process of making important sales decisions.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Personalization of Emails</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">As we already know, email has always been the easiest way to connect with the valuable prospects. Personalization becomes a crucial factor in this. Emails can now be personalized by using the prospect&rsquo;s name, data on the account and search history or almost anything that your CRM can churn out. Unlike websites/blogs, however, the wording used in emails is very crucial when communicating with the prospects. The key is to remind them about your previous interaction with them &ndash; on call or by any other means &ndash; or a recent website visit and extend the chain of emails to keep them engrossed.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Personalized emails can also help in lead nurturing campaigns. Once you know what your prospects or target audience are searching for, shoot them a mail right away. This may also help you regain lost customers.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">The marketing landscape is constantly changing, ushering new strategies that solely focus on expanding the customer base. However, the best strategy can only be applied when a company fully understands and stays abreast of it&rsquo;s customers&rsquo; changing needs. It&rsquo;s a basic rule that &ndash; if followed correctly &ndash; can take the prospects to the next level.</p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','how-to-leverage-personalization-in-b2b-marketing','2018-02-02 11:05:04','2018-03-15 05:43:08',5,'',6,'Awareness','How to Leverage Personalization in B2B Marketing','How to Leverage Personalization in B2B Marketing | 7EDGE','The B2B marketing space is booming, with new strategies being implemented frequently. Personalization is just one among them. Know how it can help your business acquire targeted leads.','How to Leverage Personalization in B2B Marketing | 7EDGE','The B2B marketing space is booming, with new strategies being implemented frequently. Personalization is just one among them. Know how it can help your business acquire targeted leads.','personalization.jpg','image/jpeg',173917,'2018-02-02 11:05:04','4 Min Read',24,2),(62,'Can Marketing Automation Workflows Boost Lead Nurturing?','Marketing automation workflows are rapidly gaining popularity among B2B marketers. Know how it can reinvent your business and help you achieve your goals.','marketing-automation.jpg','image/jpeg',134993,'2018-02-02 11:14:42',_binary '<p></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Long gone are the days when marketing and sales executives gathered contacts manually and used the &lsquo;cold call&rsquo; approach to get in touch with their prospects. Technology has indeed come far enough&mdash;transforming everything that came in its way. Today, companies probably have their databases filled with thousands of contacts. However, they are also aware of the fact that those contacts are meaningless unless they have a definite strategy to convert them into customers. So how can they begin to nurture their prospects in a better way? The answer is - Marketing Automation Workflows.</p><p></p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Time is precious for business. The more you save, the closer you get to your goals. This is exactly what marketing automation workflows can do for your business&mdash;preventing the need to apply manual efforts in lead nurturing. Although the primary focus is on automating emails, setting up workflows can also help you automate other crucial functions. This may include adding or removing a contact from the list, updating a contact&#39;s lifecycle stage, and other administrative tasks that enable more targeted marketing to prospects and existing customers.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">How to Set Up Email Marketing Automation Workflows?</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Sending emails can be tricky and time-dependent. You need to set a workflow that shoots intriguing emails to your prospects; to the right ones at the right time. There are numerous software providers in the marketplace who can help you tackle this hurdle. Although the features &ndash; and customization models &ndash; offered by these software may differ from vendor to vendor, the end goal remains the same&mdash;generating high quality leads.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Now that you pretty much know how can marketing workflow automation trigger lead generation, let&rsquo;s dive deep into the various types of email workflows (managed by the software) you can send to your prospects right away.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Newsletters and/or Blogs Sign Ups</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">This workflow triggers whenever a prospect signs up for your email newsletters or blogs. Using this workflow, initially, you can thank your prospects for signing up and guide them to the next level. &nbsp;If they are signing up for further notifications about your blog posts, your following email workflow should be tailored to address their need. In regular time intervals, you start sending emails to them&mdash;constantly reminding them about your brand as they move forward in their journey.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">When Prospects Download Your Content&nbsp;</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">This is the type of workflow that focuses on any type of content offers. For instance, when a prospect downloads your content offer, your software should automatically include them in an automated email workflow.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">The process is quite simple. The first email can include a message thanking the prospects for downloading your content. The later emails can include some related content &ndash; additional offers, videos, blog posts or webinars &ndash; that is relevant to the downloaded content. Finally, your workflow may include follow up emails that offer leads some more relevant content.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Purchase Reminder Emails&nbsp;</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">For most businesses in the B2B landscape, most of the final purchase decisions are predictable and repeatable. Your ultimate goal will be to bring your prospects to purchase your service/solution.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Setting up a workflow that reminds the prospects of signing up for your service/solutions can significantly boost and repeat the purchases. If you are dealing with existing customers, send them a survey to receive a feedback, or simply ask for a review. Further, the email can also include some other relevant offerings.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">To Conclude</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">There is a widespread availability of lead nurturing workflows for B2B marketers; with a wide array of strategies that can be implemented. However, the challenge lies in choosing the best among the rest&mdash;which workflow best aligns with your business, and is effective enough to expand your customer base. If your business is getting started with marketing automation, considering the above-mentioned workflows can definitely give you a kickstart.</p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','can-marketing-automation-workflows-boost-lead-nurturing','2018-02-02 11:14:42','2018-03-15 05:43:09',5,'',6,'Awareness','Can Marketing Automation Workflows Boost Lead Nurturing?','Can Marketing Automation Workflows Boost Lead Nurturing? | 7EDGE','Marketing automation workflows are rapidly gaining popularity among B2B marketers. Know how it can reinvent your business and help you achieve your goals.','Can Marketing Automation Workflows Boost Lead Nurturing? | 7EDGE','Marketing automation workflows are rapidly gaining popularity among B2B marketers. Know how it can reinvent your business and help you achieve your goals.','marketing-automation.jpg','image/jpeg',134993,'2018-02-02 11:14:42','4 Min Read',25,2),(63,'Why Cloud Migration Should Be Your Top Priority in 2018?','Identifying the benefits of cloud computing, businesses from diverse industrial realms are trying to migrate their IT infrastructure to the cloud arena.','benefits_of_cloud_migration.jpg','image/jpeg',190375,'2018-03-15 05:16:18',_binary '<p dir=\"ltr\">It&rsquo;s 2018, and we have reached a point where we can finally ditch most of our physical means of computing to harness the more innovative and flexible &lsquo;cloud&rsquo;. However, even today, few businesses prefer to fill their office spaces with in-house data centers. That&rsquo;s truly unnecessary; wasting enterprise resources when they can opt for the cloud. By injecting the simple &lsquo;plug and play&rsquo; concept into data centers, cloud adds agility and transforms most of your chaotic business scenarios into hassle-free ones.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">However intriguing as it may seem, when you finally start considering cloud computing, the availability of so many options oftentimes lead you into a state of turmoil. This is why sticking to the basics is always the initial step to do anything that brings success. And this rule applies while learning about the cloud as well.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">The Cloud First Policy</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;As per <a href=\"http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3354117\">Gartner&rsquo;s predictions</a>, by the year 2020, a corporate &quot;no-cloud&quot; policy will be a rare phenomenon; just like today&rsquo;s &quot;no-internet&quot; policy. Considering the current scenario, &lsquo;cloud-first&rsquo; and even &lsquo;cloud-only&rsquo; approach are dominating the IT domain. Moreover, the research firm also predicts that, by 2019, 30 percent or more of the 100 largest vendors will have their software investments focused on &lsquo;cloud-only&rsquo; philosophy&mdash;moving ahead of &lsquo;cloud-first&rsquo;.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">6 Business Benefits You Gain by Migrating to the Cloud</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Recent reports suggest that the cloud services giant <a href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/04/29/roundup-of-cloud-computing-forecasts-2017/#7900ac7031e8\">Amazon Web Services</a> (AWS) attained a staggering 43 percent of the growth in its revenue compared to 2016. Citing the reason for this growth, AWS states that their customers migrated more than 23,000 databases using the AWS Database Migration Service since it was made available last year.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Still clueless about why you should migrate to the cloud? Perhaps you should check out the below-mentioned benefits of cloud migration.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h4 dir=\"ltr\">Operational Agility</h4><p dir=\"ltr\">As we already know, the gist of cloud services lies in its exceptional level of flexibility that it offers. You can scale your cloud-based services according to your fluctuating business needs &ndash; a feature that an on-premise IT infrastructure fails to deliver. For instance, you can increase your cloud capabilities if your needs are high. Similarly, as data reside on remote servers, you can minimize the capabilities when your needs are basic. It is this unique level of flexibility that drives the operational agility of core business operations. The cloud also offers automated software updates, eliminating the need to install them manually.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h4 dir=\"ltr\">Enhanced Security</h4><p dir=\"ltr\">Talking about security, most cloud-based services are backed up by a fully-managed Tier 4 data center with best-in-class security; taking data security to a whole new level. In the event of a disaster, you can easily retrieve and access your data anytime as it resides on the cloud. This also comes with the comes with the ability to remotely wipe your data from lost devices.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h4 dir=\"ltr\">User-friendly Interface</h4><p dir=\"ltr\">When compared with an on-premise IT infrastructure, cloud platforms are easy to manage and administer &ndash; due to its user-friendly interface. For example, you can handle tasks such as managing permissions, adding users, resources and more in a hassle-free manner.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h4 dir=\"ltr\">Mobility - The Freedom to Work on the Move</h4><p dir=\"ltr\">We are well aware of the fact that cloud injects an unprecedented level of flexibility in computing. Apart from this, it also offers mobility - the ability to work on the move. Your employees can access and work on crucial business documents and applications from almost anywhere; and from any internet-enabled device.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h4 dir=\"ltr\">Promotes a Collaborative Environment</h4><p dir=\"ltr\">Apart from offering a user-friendly interface, a cloud technology platform stages a highly collaborative environment &ndash; allowing your organization to access, edit and share documents on the move. The entire scenario is supported by cloud-based file sharing apps that enable real-time updates; also portraying full visibility.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h4 dir=\"ltr\">Zero Server Maintenance Costs</h4><p dir=\"ltr\">Traditional on-premise environment comes along with the hurdle of maintaining multiple on-site servers at high operational costs. Cloud migration can set your organization free from this time-consuming process. All you need is a device that connects to your workload that resides on the cloud. Thus, in an innovative manner, adopting cloud services saves a considerable amount of hardware costs that can be invested in core business operations.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Although the benefits of cloud computing are enormous, adopting a cloud-first strategy for your organization is definitely not a piece of cake. It requires a great deal of planning.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">By now, a plethora of technical challenges might be surfacing on your mind. In fact, to identify and solve those challenges, initially, you need to understand the value proposition of the three tiers of cloud services. This will give you an idea about which one of those tiers best aligns with your specific business needs. Currently, the three ever-evolving forms of cloud offerings include - <a href=\"http://technologyadvice.com/blog/information-technology/iaas-vs-paas/\">IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service)</a> and Saas (Software-as-a-Service).</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Let&rsquo;s take a quick glance at the differences between the three.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">IaaS vs Paas vs SaaS</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">With an exceptional level of control and flexibility, the IaaS stages an automated and scalable environment. On the other hand, PaaS facilitates a framework for effectively developing and deploying applications&mdash;by automating infrastructure provisioning and management. Lastly, SaaS eliminates the need to install and run programs on individual devices&mdash;makes applications available via the internet.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">So the big question is - Which one of these is the best cloud service that aligns with your business needs?</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><h4 dir=\"ltr\">Why Choose IaaS?</h4><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">If your organization is a startup, you probably wouldn&rsquo;t like to spend your valuable time in procuring software and hardware. IaaS eliminates this entirely; which makes it ideal for your organization. It can also give enhanced visibility and control over your high performing applications. As an added advantage, this option helps when you are unsure about how your applications will perform and evolve in future&mdash;saving a considerable amount of software and hardware resource costs.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h4 dir=\"ltr\">Why SaaS?</h4><p dir=\"ltr\">SaaS is an ideal solution if your applications demands fluctuate between high and low. Moreover, this option is suitable for effectively launching applications on both&mdash;web, as well as mobile platforms. Talking about ease of use, SaaS facilitates a highly convenient pay-as-you-go model that can be helpful for short projects that require collaboration.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h4 dir=\"ltr\">Why PaaS?</h4><p dir=\"ltr\">You must know the fact that PaaS is not much different from SaaS. The only difference is - PaaS doesn&rsquo;t deliver the software, it stages a platform for software development. Moreover, in a unique manner, PaaS offers unprecedented levels of agility and flexibility for multiple developers working on a development project. Ideally, this option should be preferred if - 1) you have a large organization, and/or 2) you need the freedom of customizing applications.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Now that you are well-aware about the cloud service models, we bring you the two best practices that can broaden your viewpoint. These practices form a base for addressing the key challenges on the cloud and paves a path towards a successful migration.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h4 dir=\"ltr\">1. Invest in a Cloud Architect or a Team of Cloud Administrators</h4><p dir=\"ltr\">You simply can&rsquo;t deny the fact that the cloud is getting more and more complex as it evolves. Consequently, this opens a window for numerous technical and legacy issues in areas such as IT operations, application development, security, compliance, finance, procurement, privacy, identity management, data integration, mobility, &nbsp;business development and customer experience. To manage these areas efficiently, you might need to hire cloud architects, or even a team or cloud administrators.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Apart from assisting your organization in cloud adoption and migration, the primary responsibility of these cloud architects must be to orchestrate changes across many crucial areas, when required.</p><h4 dir=\"ltr\">2. Organize Training and Certification Programs</h4><p dir=\"ltr\">Even though it is true that cloud architects transform your cloud infrastructure, it is equally crucial to make sure that your in-house technical team that implements, manages and supports the infrastructure have exceptional skills in cloud technologies. So, you may encourage your system administrators and engineers to upgrade their skillsets&mdash;by enrolling them in various cloud-based training and certification programs.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">You may also prompt your employees to use the free trial offers from cloud providers such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, and the Google Cloud. This will help them gain some hands-on experience.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Information empowers innovation. Now that you have a clear idea about the service models that can match your business environment, you might be thinking about the best cloud vendors out there in the marketplace. And, you might probably know that the industry-leading cloud providers are none other than AWS (Amazon Web Services), Microsoft Azure and the Google Cloud. Among these, AWS is the most preferred platform as it offers a comprehensive set of solutions and services; which includes all three - IaaS, SaaS, and PaaS. Undoubtedly, the best way to determine a vendor&rsquo;s efficiency is by evaluating its revenue growth. According to <a href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/04/29/roundup-of-cloud-computing-forecasts-2017/#4a64f54931e8\">Amazon&rsquo;s latest quarterly results</a>, AWS achieved a staggering 43 percent year-over-year growth; contributing 89 percent of consolidated operating income and 10 percent of consolidated revenue.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Facts speak for themselves. But it&#39;s up to you to decide which cloud service provider swiftly solves your business challenges and best aligns with your goals.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','why-cloud-migration-should-be-your-top-priority-in-2018','2018-03-14 05:23:33','2018-03-15 05:43:06',1,'',6,'Awareness','Why Cloud Migration Should Be Your Top Priority in 2018?','Why Cloud Migration Should Be Your Top Priority in 2018? | 7EDGE','Identifying the benefits of cloud computing, businesses from diverse industrial realms are trying to migrate their IT infrastructure to the cloud arena.','Why Cloud Migration Should Be Your Top Priority in 2018? | 7EDGE','Identifying the benefits of cloud computing, businesses from diverse industrial realms are trying to migrate their IT infrastructure to the cloud arena.','benefits_of_cloud_migration.jpg','image/jpeg',190375,'2018-03-15 05:16:18','4 Min Read',13,4),(64,'6 Key Benefits of Programmatic Advertising','Programmatic advertising has gained prominence in recent times due to the benefits it offers. Here are six benefits of programmatic advertising you should know.','programmatic_advertising.jpg','image/jpeg',128784,'2018-03-15 05:12:48',_binary '<p>If you work in advertising or know anything about media buying, you will probably have heard of programmatic media buying or <a href=\"https://7edge.com/programmatic-advertising-services\" rel=\"\">programmatic advertising</a>. It&rsquo;s a term that gets thrown around a lot without many people actually having an in-depth understanding of what it&rsquo;s all about. It&rsquo;s time that you learned about the meaning and the practices behind the buzzword. Read on now if you want to do exactly that.</p><p><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">What is Programmatic Media Buying?</h2><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">To put it simply, programmatic media buying is when technology is used to automate and optimize online ad buying. The process can be long and complicated, not to mention repetitive when you try to do it manually and without the use of technology. A simple example of programmatic advertising is AdWords. It uses algorithms, not humans, to get results for the businesses that use it.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Targeting Specific Individuals</h2><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Having already mentioned AdWords, it&rsquo;s vital to discuss targeting. These days, businesses want to target specific groups and people and demographics with their adverts. They don&rsquo;t just want to throw them out there in front of lots of people because many of them won&rsquo;t have any interest in what&rsquo;s being offered. Targeting customers is so much easier when programmatic advertising is used. Highly targeted adverts can be put in front of the individuals most likely to be interested in buying what your company has to offer.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Programmatic Direct</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\">There are two main types of programmatic media buying; the first of them is programmatic direct. This form of ad buying does not use auctions. Instead, as the name suggests, it&rsquo;s a direct ad buying process. This is when an inventory is guaranteed or reserved, so the buyer of the ad space and the publisher fix all of the terms in advance. This refers to both the price of CPM as well as the scale of the inventory. There are no real-time auction purchases involved at any stage.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Programmatic RTB</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Programmatic RTB is the more common and more widely-used method of media buying out there at the moment. RTB stands for real-time bidding. A demand-side platform is used to bid for advertising that can be used by the company wanting to place adverts online. The publisher is attracted to this kind of arrangement because it allows them to sell remnant inventory. But this is now changing as premium inventory is being sold on these platforms too. It&rsquo;s all automated and is done very quickly.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h2 dir=\"ltr\">Why does programmatic buying or advertising matter?</h2><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">Programmatic media buying matters because it offers several advantages over traditional advertising. For example, it is more transparent and open than other forms of media buying solutions. It levels the playing field while helping advertisers reach their target audience in no time at all. It is also very cost-effective for advertisers, meaning they can save money at the same time as improving their advertising setup. Most importantly, It is something that is currently on the rise, and many people believe that programmatic media buying is the future of all online advertising.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">According to a <a href=\"https://www.iab.com/85-of-advertisers-and-72-of-publishers-use-programmatic-auction-strategies-according-to-a-new-survey-of-digital-marketing-leaders/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">joint study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)</a> and Winterburry Group, more than 85% of advertisers and 72% of publishers across the digital marketing industry are embracing programmatic or automated ad buying, and this is set to increase in the future.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><ol><li>Here are six major benefits programmatic advertising offers to marketers and advertisers.</li><li dir=\"ltr\"><br></li></ol><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Improved efficiency</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Automated ad buying has greatly improved the efficiency of digital advertising, which is possible due to several factors. For starters, it eliminates the requirement for long-drawn negotiations and Request for Proposal (RFPs) between advertisers and agencies which would otherwise cost both time and money. The use of artificial intelligence and algorithms makes the process of placing ads a lot simpler and efficient. The ability to measure the performance of campaigns in real-time also helps advertisers in making the necessary changes to their campaigns, which improves the efficiency of the campaigns.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Real-time data and insights</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">As mentioned above, programmatic provides advertisers real-time data and insights into how their ads, creatives, and campaigns are performing. With programmatic marketing, advertisers don&rsquo;t need to wait till the end of the campaign to make changes but can obtain data as soon as the campaign is launched. They can see where their ads are being displayed, how much engagement the campaign is receiving and other important insights. They can also measure, analyze and optimize their ads and campaigns in real-time so that the campaigns perform better.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Flexibility</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Programmatic marketing offers advertisers great flexibility for customizing their ad campaigns. Advertisers can decide how they want to place their ads as well as their budget. For example, they can choose to either pay only for the relevant impression that they actually receive or sign up for a minimum budget. Programmatic ad buying also enables to opt for a minimum number of impressions as well as ad inventory across publishers. Advertisers also have the option of optimizing their campaigns mid-way based on views, clicks, and conversions from the campaigns.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Better targeting</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Programmatic advertising uses extensive data and algorithms that allow advertisers to place targeted ads with high precision and accuracy. It allows marketers and advertisers to target audience based on a number of factors such as the audience geolocation, age, behavior, search terms, categories and site visits or even IP addresses. It also allows them to retarget customers after the site visitors have visited the advertiser&rsquo;s site, which helps in better conversions.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Wider reach</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">Programmatic allows marketers and advertisers to reach out to a wider spectrum of target audience across multiple platforms and multiple publisher websites at a lower cost when compared to traditional forms of display advertising. Not only this, but marketers are also able to track the campaign&rsquo;s reach. They can find out how many people have looked at the ad, where the audience was located, the demography of the audience, time of the day they saw the ad and much more.&nbsp;</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">Time for strategy development</h3><p dir=\"ltr\">This can be considered as an indirect advantage of using programmatic advertising. As programmatic eliminates the necessity for manual RFPs and long-drawn negotiations due to automation, the process of buying and selling of ads becomes less time-consuming and streamlined. This, in turn, gives the marketing and sales teams more time to develop and test their strategies as well as sales programs for their biggest assets.</p><p dir=\"ltr\"><br></p><p dir=\"ltr\">In short, more advertisers and marketers are realizing the benefits of programmatic advertisements and hence rapidly adopting this technology to improve the efficiency of their ads and campaigns. No doubt that it does have a few challenges. However, partnering with the right solution partner and platform who has a strong technology expertise and can offer strong support can help advertisers stay ahead of the curve.</p><p dir=\"ltr\">Want to know which are some of the top programmatic ad platforms available in the market today? <a href=\"/blog/how-to-choose-the-best-programmatic-buying-platform\" rel=\"\">Click here</a>.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>',NULL,NULL,'Active','6-key-benefits-of-programmatic-advertising','2018-03-14 05:23:58','2018-03-15 05:43:07',2,'',5,'Awareness','6 Key Benefits of Programmatic Advertising','6 Key Benefits of Programmatic Advertising | 7EDGE','Programmatic advertising has gained prominence in recent times due to the benefits it offers. Here are six benefits of programmatic advertising you should know.','','Programmatic advertising has gained prominence in recent times due to the benefits it offers. Here are six benefits of programmatic advertising you should know.','programmatic_advertising.jpg','image/jpeg',128784,'2018-03-15 05:12:48','4 Min Read',14,1),