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8 Benefits of Cloud-Based Business Management Software

Posted on by Becca Uptmor

It’s no secret that technology is evolving—and the world of business is changing too. Remote working is on the rise, which is forcing conventional workplaces to pivot the way they work.

One way businesses are changing is in the storage, processing, and collaboration of data. While on-premises ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems were traditionally used, today many businesses are turning to cloud-based business management software, including Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS) solutions.

Compared to physical hosting and in-house solutions, these systems are adaptable and easy to use. So how does it work? Put simply, your system is hosted on virtual servers that are easily accessible over the internet. Meanwhile, data is saved on external servers controlled by your service provider rather than on-site servers. 
These cutting-edge data centers are properly managed and feature computer resources dedicated to hosting applications such as digital marketing software on several operating systems. So what other benefits does a cloud-based business management software solution provide?

How Does Cloud Computing Work?

With cloud computing, you can run software remotely via the internet without configuring or maintaining your own server infrastructure. So rather than investing in hardware, you only need a web browser and an internet connection to manage your business’s IT systems. 

Meanwhile, your cloud computing provider handles the installation, maintenance, and upgrades of the software, servers, operating systems, and network switches that make up your cloud.

What Are the Primary Service Models in Cloud Computing?

Remote desktop hosting and data storage are just some of the many practical applications provided by cloud-computing services. The services on offer are divided into three primary models:

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

With IaaS, you can rent servers, storage space, virtual devices, and even networks from a cloud provider on a pay-as-you-go basis. If you’re a small business, this may be a useful option, as IaaS providers offer flexible infrastructure to handle fluctuating workloads. Examples of IaaS providers include Amazon Web Services, Google Compute Engine (GCE), and Microsoft Azure.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS is a model for delivering cloud-hosted applications and infrastructure to developers. This covers everything from web portals to gateway software and APIs. Solutions such as Amazon Web Services’ Elastic Beanstalk and even Facebook are excellent examples.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Chances are you’ve used a SaaS tool before – applications include popular services like Netflix, Quickbooks, Zoom, and Google Workspace. 

This model offers access to various software through the internet. SaaS applications can be accessed via desktop clients, web browsers, or APIs that interface with the user’s operating system. 

Collaborating on projects, sharing data, and accessing specialist software are all made easier with the aid of SaaS applications. Users often pay a recurring cost, either monthly or annually.

8 Benefits of Using Cloud-based Business Management Software

As technology continues to evolve, understanding the latest consumer trends is essential for businesses to stay competitive. One trend that has emerged is remote working, which has forced conventional workplaces to pivot the way they operate. Another area in which businesses are adapting is in the storage, processing, and collaboration of data. This is where cloud-based business management software comes in, providing adaptable and easy-to-use solutions that cater to the latest consumer trends. 

The number of companies using cloud computing is growing. In fact, 69% of businesses accelerated their cloud migration in 2022, and that number is likely to grow. 

Here are some other top benefits of using cloud-based business management software for your business: 

1. Promotes Job Satisfaction 

Cloud-based business management software makes managing who has access to what easier, especially if your workforce is increasingly remote. Employees can log in from wherever they are and use whatever device they like, increasing productivity and allowing for greater autonomy and adaptability across the company. 

With this consolidated method of interaction, your teams will all be on the same page and more motivated to work together. By empowering employees with more autonomy while retaining the necessary level of control, you can increase job satisfaction and employee retention.

2. Improves Data Accessibility

For employees to be as productive as possible, it goes without saying that they need to access data remotely and in real time. Cloud computing gives employees access to company data from any device with an internet connection. With the right credentials, users get immediate access to data by logging in to a single online hub.

Role-based access is also a feature of certain cloud-based services, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive information. These security measures help to ensure that only authorized individuals can gain access to private data. Another advantage is that it enables managers to efficiently manage remote teams, which means that employees in different locations, even across the world, can collaborate on the same projects as their colleagues in the central office.

3. Offers Better Protection

Improving your company’s cyber security practices is essential in modern business, as cyberattacks and hackers pose a threat to corporate data. 

By investing in a robust data security process, you can curb data theft and keep sensitive information safe. This means fewer emergencies and maintaining a solid reputation with your employees and customers.

Switching to cloud-based business management software is an excellent approach for strengthening cybersecurity. A cloud-based business management system helps you keep tabs on sensitive information and ensure its safety.

Some methods used by cloud vendors to guarantee data security include the following:

  • Data encryption
  • Web services security
  • The TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol
  • Network IPSs (intrusion prevention systems)
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Physical server security 

Moreover, software vendors undergo internal and external audits, so your business can be sure that your data is safe and secure.

4. Improves Scalability 

No matter the size of your business, change and growth are inevitable, whether it’s setting up a new onboarding system or exploring complex topics like model drift detection. With this in mind, your enterprise management system must be flexible to accommodate such changes. 

If you need to add or remove users as your company expands or contracts, you can do it with ease when using cloud-based software.

What’s more, you’ll have far more leeway than you would with a legacy system because of the ability to scale your infrastructure to match business demands. Because you only pay for what you use, there’s no chance of overspending or running out of storage space.

A flexible system that can adapt to technological developments and market shifts is crucial to thriving in competitive marketplaces. When compared to a proprietary system, cloud-based business management solutions’ flexible upgrades and new features are affordable and offer significant growth potential.

Furthermore, cloud-based solutions enable greater opportunities for integration, either between applications from a single provider or third-party software, allowing you to customize your technology to your organization’s specific demands.

5. Offers a Cost-Effective Solution

Cloud management software helps you store data without the hassle of purchasing and maintaining hardware and other equipment. Setting up cloud-based business operations also requires less of an upfront financial commitment than setting up in-house infrastructure and employing a full-time IT department.

The majority of cloud-based services only charge you for your consumption. Like with other services, data storage space is often priced per unit of storage space used. These services are reasonably priced and contribute to reduced costs and a higher ROI.

6. Supports Data Backup and Recovery

Reducing downtime and preventing data loss are key priorities for successful businesses. However, both targets can be difficult to achieve and maintain. Taking measures to limit the severity of data loss and downtime as much as possible is an important first step.

Unnecessary expenses and losses can accrue quickly when even minor problems arise. Data backup and disaster recovery are crucial in the event of unexpected problems. Data recovery and backup functions are built into cloud-based software to mitigate the effects of emergencies such as power outages or natural disasters.

If your company’s data is safely backed up in the cloud, you can rest easy when unexpected situations arise and your system is compromised in any way.

7. Offers Automatic Updates

Speaking of loss of productivity and unanticipated downtime, both are possible results of overlooking software updates. 

Traditional software needs regular manual upgrades to function correctly. This is often a tedious, costly, and challenging task that might require an IT professional’s help or input. 

By using cloud-based software, your business can benefit from the time savings and peace of mind that come with having the most recent software upgrades applied instantly. This automation eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming third-party IT support. If your employees don’t have to spend time on mundane tasks like maintenance, they’ll have more mental bandwidth for more critical projects.

8. Supports Work Synchronization

It’s easy for mistakes to be made when several people are working on one digital file. 

However, if your files are stored on the cloud, you’ll always have access to the most recent version, regardless of what device you’re using and who else is modifying the file. 

This feature is valuable for organizations that prioritize continuity in communications, such as a virtual customer service business. Changes are updated in real time and synchronized across all accessible devices, allowing your employees to make key business decisions using the most recent data.

Take Control of Your Business

The best part about cloud computing is that it simplifies complex business systems and saves you time and resources. 

You don’t have to struggle to maintain vital business systems by expending scarce IT resources. It handles all that, allowing you to focus on more critical business goals thanks to your cloud computing provider.

Nevertheless, cloud computing also has certain drawbacks that you should be aware of before making the switch. To get the most out of a cloud business management system, it’s important to do your research on the services you’re considering, learn about security measures and compliance requirements, and provide your team with appropriate training on how to use the new system.

The Impact of AI on ERP Software

Posted on by Pohan Lin

Artificial intelligence has been changing the world around us in many ways. No, we aren’t quite living in the matrix, but we are interacting with Artificial Intelligence (AI) all the time. Many organizations are now turning to AI to improve sluggish Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). AI can provide the processing power to deal with the increasing complexity of modern business needs.

This article will explore the impact of AI on ERP software and how it is revolutionizing this decades-old system.

Current Trends and Future Needs

Before considering the implications of AI in ERP, let’s crunch some numbers about the current use of AI and how this will change in the coming years. According to a recent study, the enterprise AI market size in 2022 was estimated at $16.81 billion. By 2030, it’s predicted to grow to $102.9 billion as a CAGR of 47.16%.

According to a report by IBM, AI adoption by businesses as a whole is at around 35%, a rise of 4% from the previous year. Such evidence indicates the importance attached to this by companies all over the world. And why is this? 

One application of AI in ERP is increasing workplace efficiency and productivity to make companies more competitive. For instance, it is thought that 40% of the work of a sales representative could be done by AI, allowing these valued members of staff to focus on more complex tasks.

Such innovative technologies can put a company in a prime position for the future and in line with businesses that already have the right software engineer talent and are looking to use AI to help their ERP systems.

Businesses who currently use AI in any format, or are working towards having it.

What Is An ERP System?

Whilst the term itself dates back to the 1990s, companies have actually been using ERP management systems since the 1960s. It’s evolved greatly over time—and to many, AI is the next new innovation to improve efficiency.

An ERP system is the organized storage and use of information for the benefit of a company or organization. In layman’s terms, this allows enterprises to create a single database for all departments in an office or organization, uniting finance, accounting, supply, warehouse management, customer service, marketing, and more. 

It offers services like simplified data entry, business processes, automation, reporting, and forecasting, all integral to driving profit. Combining this with AI will fundamentally change how these operations are managed.

Image sourced from trustradius.com

Will More AI Actually Help?

Britannica defines AI as the “ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with humans.” AI services currently available to enterprises include chatbots, intelligent process automation, AI-enhanced financial planning, and automated data entry.

Using AI can benefit many departments and business processes, like accounting, analytics, data mining, sales automation, and warehouse management, by increasing productivity. It can also reduce human error when inputting data, cut operational costs, and enhance human capabilities by streamlining routine processes. Ultimately, this will reduce staff frustration and boredom while doing these menial tasks.

Challenges To Implementing AI

However, companies face certain obstacles to benefiting from these services fully. Firstly, it can be challenging for firms to effectively implement AI because they may lack the technical IT skills, expertise, or knowledge. So, it’s worth considering investing in relevant qualifications like a Databricks engineering certificate. 

Furthermore, companies can lack the investment capital to set it up, or data can just be too complex to make sense of.

Nevertheless, recent advances in AI technology, the increasing savings it can make, competitive pressures, and the need to satisfy supply issues and environmental concerns are encouraging companies to turn to AI.

Read on to find out the fantastic potential for your business.

8 Ways AI Enhances ERP

The bottom line is that it makes your business smarter, more cost-effective, and thus more competitive. Here’s how:

1. Better Quality Data Handling

One major issue today is coping with the growing volume of data being collected and making intelligent and accurate insights into it, like reducing complex business systems. This is possibly the most important factor in how AI can help improve ERP, making companies active rather than reactive.

AI offers integrated analytics that can collect enormous amounts of data. It can then produce more detailed reports than traditional ERP systems, allowing more accurate predictions and ensuring that business solutions are correct. Other features include maximizing process efficiency by analyzing processes and workflows to save time significantly and increase productivity. Any data collected this way is accessible and tailored to business needs to increase ROI.

Furthermore, AI can provide algorithms that permit companies to notice trends that might have otherwise gone undetected by mining data and searching for complex patterns. Such activities make it operate in a similarly fluid way as the human brain. Such data analysis assists with planning, problem-solving, strategy, and organization.

2. Automate Repetitive Tasks

Boosting automation has always been a way for companies to increase productivity, saving time and thus increasing competitiveness. For instance, manual data entry used to take up a huge amount of time and money and was also subject to human error. Automated data collection is not only more accurate but improves operational effectiveness on these essential, menial tasks.

For example, your HR department can save time on repetitive data entry and can even use automation in the recruiting process. This frees them up to concentrate on things like employee training programs or compensation and rewards for exemplary staff.  

While this does present issues regarding reducing the amount of work people can do, these kinds of jobs are usually considered boring and prevent your talent from engaging in more fruitful activities that they enjoy. That’s why, according to IBM, 30% of companies say they are already saving time thanks to AI.

3. Advanced Forecasting Models

AI’s ability to constantly collect data is the most effective and accurate way to make predictions. For example, it can make supply chain and warehouse management run more smoothly by keeping real-time figures, enabling warehouse managers to better prepare for spikes in demand or potential disruption. This is especially important in the light of the Covid pandemic and changing geopolitical situations.

One common criticism of traditional ERPs is that they are too slow to adapt to change, yet changes to the supply system happen daily, presenting a huge challenge to businesses. AI constantly predicts and measures past, present and future data to enable more measured responses to current conditions. 

The increase in the amount of data analyzed ensures that predictions are accurate, closing the gap between them and the reality of the future, be this accounting, customer trends, or research and development.

Image sourced from Gartner

4. Better Problem Solving

By analyzing data, AI can detect workflow issues before they occur. For instance, manufacturing systems can be monitored closely to develop a better understanding of when maintenance is required, reducing the potential for a break in production.

This can be further enhanced by self-learning algorithms, based on past data, that predict incidents before they occur, for instance, within hardware or even software. Some software solutions contain a database framework that can be integral to core ERP processes. This is why high-tech industries often use AI to prevent expensive errors and faults from occurring. 

This creates more agile companies, especially as staff can focus on complex problems rather than maintenance unless it’s necessary.

5. Better Accounting

AI is capable of spotting common issues like irregular or suspicious payments or data entry mistakes. It can also aid in more complex tasks like creating financial documents or preparing for auditing.

Furthermore, when assessing financial risks, AI can help run diagnostics and other reports, allowing finance departments to produce more accurate forecasts. The graph below shows how finance teams are planning to invest in emerging technologies, such as AI and cloud-based ERP, to streamline their operations. 

Image sourced from Gartner

AI can achieve this by analyzing data it has mined about a company, such as past financial performance, current backlog, purchase rates, and market opportunities. A potential setback is its inability to control commodity prices, macroeconomics, and supply chain surprises.

6. Better Marketing

AI in ERP helps departments explore new business opportunities that they might not have noticed. By analyzing more client information, businesses can deploy a more bespoke marketing campaign that reaches the right people. The optimization of business data can lead to a significant rise in profit margins.

7. Enhances User Experience

By connecting AI with ERP, customer behaviors and demographics can be more closely monitored. AI assistance can analyze customer feedback in real time, increasing trust and profits as well as improving the all-important customer experience. Additionally, AI can quickly identify bugs, mistakes, or gaps in your user experience to help provide the best service. According to the IBM report, companies have witnessed a 48% increase in user experience satisfaction thanks to AI.

8. Improved Customer Service

Any successful customer service team requires data. Not just any data. Good data. Better than simply sending customers to FAQs, they can engage with chatbots that are more geared up to answer individual requests with up to 79% accuracy. This gives customers the agency they desire to get things resolved.

Not only are your agents freed up from automated tasks, they have easy access to data to help them deal with potential buyers effectively.

The Takeaway

AI can have a hugely positive impact on many areas of a business, including managing data, forecasts, company departments, and increasing automation. Such improvements improve the user experience and customer service, improving loyalty to a company and driving sales. This all boils down to a company that is more competitive and productive in a fast-paced market. While a lack of training and money may be an initial barrier, implementing AI in ERP can enhance any enterprise.

How to Protect Your Business’s Assets on a Cloud Network

Posted on by Eleanor Hecks

Cloud networks are the wave of the future. The ability to access your business assets anywhere is attractive to many companies—especially those with a remote team. However, protecting digital assets requires sophisticated knowledge and foresight. 

The cloud services market is a $266.4 billion industry and growing yearly. As with anything online, though, cybercriminals will try to find ways to access personal information or take systems down. Protecting your business’s assets is a vital step in ensuring your customer and business data stays safe. 

Cloud security is often a concern of small-business owners. Some may even shy away from cloud computing due to fears of exposing trade secrets or customer lists. That said, you can take steps to protect your business’s assets while reaping the benefits.

1. Choose the Right Provider

Your first step should involve choosing your cloud provider wisely. What steps do they take to ensure secure digital assets? Top cloud-based hosting companies have the best security software imaginable. Because they represent numerous clients, they can invest more in world-class protection.

Ask how they back up information. What happens if a hack does occur? Find out how frequently they update their security systems and what they do to identify and quarantine potential threats.

2. Match Specialties

Some cloud providers specialize in working with particular industries. A company that already has clients in your sector better understands your specific security needs. Cloud migration can take endless hours of moving databases to a new setup. It helps to know which system you want and why. 

Find a provider willing to move information over for you in a secure environment so you start the process with less risk.

3. Secure Your Wi-Fi

blue wi-fi strength indicator for cloud security

It doesn’t matter who your provider is if the devices used to access data are compromised. Make sure company Wi-Fi is secure so that non-authorized people can’t log in and watch what your employees are doing. Instead, set up a guest Wi-Fi if you want to provide convenient Wi-Fi connectivity to on-premises visitors.

The Covid-19 pandemic showed us that remote work environments are effective. Your IT department should pay particular attention to security concerns for employees working off-premises. If remote staff needs to access information from the main office, set up a secure VPN network that’s resistant to cyber-attacks.

4. Require Regular Password Resets

Require your workers to reset their passwords for logging into the office network every 45 days or so. Set complexity rules around the types they can create, don’t allow repeated passwords, and ask them to protect their current login information. Multi-factor authentication, where users receive a secondary verification code on a trusted mobile phone, is a must.

Although not as common as some other attack vectors, there have been occasions when someone works at a coffee shop and a nearby table notes their login and steals it to access a company website.

Identity Theft Resource Center infographic depicting Q1 2023 data compromise statistics.

5. Security

Just because news of corporate data compromise no longer dominates the headlines, breaches are still happening. Most in-house IT staff are well-versed in a number of disciplines, but effective data security practices are a moving target.

Consider hiring a 3rd-party cybersecurity expert. The level of creativity and malice of today’s data theft actors is astonishing and they only need to succeed one time. To avoid catastrophe, your security needs to be right every time.

Today’s outsourced cybersecurity firms offer surprisingly inexpensive services to help businesses stop attacks before they occur. 

6. Train Employees

One of the top things you can do is train your employees in cybersecurity. Explain spoofing and phishing and how they can avoid it. Set policies to never request password information in an email. 

Spend time refreshing your staff about how to keep data secure every so often. They should be very careful when working in public locations.

Should you need to terminate an employee, make sure their account credentials are disabled immediately. Otherwise, you open your brand up to vengeance attacks. 

7. Keep Backups

Even if the cloud hosting company you use keeps regular backups, and most do, make sure you keep them as well. In the case of a severe cyberattack, your entire system, website, and online presence may go down.

The best way to get back online fast and avoid revenue loss is with a recent backup. However, it might take days to restore everything if you don’t. Develop a business continuity and disaster recovery plan before a catastrophe happens. In a worst-case scenario, you risk losing some data forever.

8. Keep Sensitive Data Offline

If your company has some truly sensitive data because you work with patients or the government, consider keeping some things off the internet. No matter how much software you install or how robust your security is, there’s always a chance of hacking.

If something is extremely sensitive, you can code it and use that for your online entries or just take that information to your private servers. However, they must also be kept secure.

9. Encrypt at the File Level

Even if your cloud provider uses encryption, add another layer of protection by encrypting before you upload your files. You’ll need something your remote workers can access, but it’s crucial to take that one added step to prevent sensitive data leaks.

Use database sharding to break up sections and store them in different locations to further protect documents. They may breach your network, but they aren’t likely to find the full information they need to steal private information. They’ll only have bits and pieces.

Business Cloud Security

The rate of cyberattacks has grown in the past year. More people are online, and businesses have to be remote-work-friendly. Cybercriminals are taking advantage of this, but you can stop them in their tracks—and protect business assets on the cloud—by following a few of the tips mentioned above.

Think about the different ways you might open yourself up to an attack and take steps to stop it before it happens. Your cloud provider can help by putting protections in place, and you can ramp up security on your end, too.

Why Thought Leadership Is Important for Your Growing Business

Posted on by Gary Viray

In today’s digital day and age, clout is currency—the more you have it, you’ll get more people to trust and do business with you. Industry leadership is the paramount reason why thought leadership is important for businesses, new and old.

Hence, integrating it into your digital marketing strategies is critical to ensure that you acquiring and retaining customers. Through expertly executed thought leadership practices, your growth isn’t limited to search engine optimization. Ultimately, it strengthens your brand presence and asserts your business value in an authoritative, authentic, and trustworthy way.

And, in a digital landscape that has grown tired of half-baked tips, this trust becomes the fuel for accelerating and generating sustainable growth.

Benefits Of Being A Thought Leader

To paint you a better picture of why thought leadership is important, here are some benefits you can look forward to as a growing business owner:

1. Allows you to share your expertise in your field

As a thought leader, you’re given the chance to show how knowledgeable you are in your industry. Then, when you apply your knowledge into must-have solutions for your audience, it becomes a buy-in for customers and encourages them to come back to you for more.

That’s added reach for and better-quality business, all for the effort of a few expert thoughts. So be sure to find every possible opportunity to give value to your audience such as writing guest blogs, guest-speaking at events, and more.

2. It creates an avenue to present your unique way of thinking

Thought leadership is a process of sharing new ideas. Hence, growing business owners like yourself who have a new take on providing relevant solutions can surpass even larger corporations.

There’s no one company that offers the best-fit solutions for each customer. And if you’re coming into the playing field offering something different, then the best way to ring it in is through thought leadership.

People are always looking for new solutions to old problems in their niche. When you show that you can deliver these, you become authoritative, carving a new path that’s easily recognizable in your industry.

3. Puts a spotlight on your business and unique brand value

By creating thought leadership content, you brand your business as an authority, telling audiences “My brand is exactly what you need.” 

As a result, more people will start valuing your work and, eventually, what your business is selling. If you continue doing so, you’ll soon find yourself not just the owner of a growing business, but a successful and influential one, too.

4. Allows you to foster connections with industry peers

Collaboration is a key facet of marketing that opens doors for all constituents. For thought leadership, in particular, it is necessary to build relationships with industry peers. 

Because the digital public relations process requires reaching out and, in turn, being open to outreach efforts you are able to build and nurture connections in your field. This fosters trust through the act of creating beneficial guest content for one another and, incidentally, each other’s audiences.

This collaborative process in thought leadership affords you opportunities to:

  • publish on various platforms
  • access a wider, newer audience
  • establish your brand as a pillar in the industry

But collaboration doesn’t just end in the creation of content. Once your peers recognize the value of your business and perspectives, it can potentially open the floodgates for higher-value and meaningful partnerships.

How To Build A Successful Thought Leadership Strategy

Now that you know the benefits of being a thought leader, these steps will help you become one today:

1. Set clear and realistic goals

Success is attained through small, consistent steps every day – not one giant leap forward. That’s why you have to create goals that impact your business, but are still doable with the available resources at hand.

In the case of thought leadership, you can pin down the following goals as a measure of success:

  • Reach. Is the amount of people you are able to talk to through your content – on websites, or others. Publishing these outside of your website and on the websites of peers and/or media helps you boost this metric not just in quantity but in quality, as well.
  • Traffic. Is fundamental to generating conversions and improving search rankings. Unlike reach, traffic is closer to an engagement metric as audiences click and find their way to your website.

Improving this through thought leadership is a trust signal to search engines and gives you more opportunities to capture leads.

  • Domain authority. Is a metric that signals the strength and authoritativeness of your websites. Measure through Moz’s MozBar, it’s a rough estimate of how trustworthy your website is.

This metric improves the more you contribute guest blogs to high-authority websites which, in turn, helps you rank better on search engines.

  • Engagement. Engagement tracking means you’re looking for people interacting with your content. If your audience continuously reacts, comments, or shares your content, then it means you delivered something useful for them.
  • Conversion. Finally, conversions mean if your audience does exactly what you want them to do. 

Conversions could mean a lot of things such as buying your product or service or downloading your e-book. Whatever the case, conversions show that all your efforts have convinced your audience to take a chance on your brand.

With these metrics tracked, you can better understand how well (or not) your thought leadership efforts are faring from different angles – something impossible to do when only viewing success as one whole picture.

2. Establish a powerful brand message

With your goals pinned down, it’s time to communicate and achieve them. To create a unique brand voice for your content, focus on creating content that speaks directly to the target audience’s needs and aspirations.

By doing so, you’ll learn how to ensure every piece of content you publish makes your audience feel heard. After all, your main goal is to give them solutions that can help them with their ongoing struggles.

Once you do this, watch as ordinary visitors transform into life-long fans of your content and brand.

3. Conduct thorough keyword research

Finding the keywords and publications your target audiences use allows you to make your business’ presence be known – increasing your chances of finding more avid supporters.

To conduct keyword research, be sure to follow these steps:

List down keywords related to your brand and business.

  1. Identify matching terms and related keywords you want to write content about.
  2. Establish which websites are linking to content produced around these keywords.
  3. Determine which websites are linking to content produced around these keywords.
  4. Develop topics based on the target website you want to pitch to, and the content gap identified for their audiences.

Now that you know how to do keyword research, you’re now ready to pitch your content.

4. Ready your pitches

Prepare suggested outlines and titles for the content you want to offer your targeted website publishers. By doing so, you’re effectively selling your content to the publisher, increasing the content’s chance of getting posted on the website.

Make sure your content is also valuable to your host publisher by following this step-by-step process:

  1. Offer something unique that the publisher’s many writers haven’t addressed in their content yet.
  2. Provide the editor with a list of topics you want to write about to make their selection process easier.  
  3. Be professional whenever you’re communicating to the publisher by being brief with your emails. However, ensure that these emails have all the essential details about your pitch.
  4. Have a clear CTA at the end of your message that encourages the editor to respond to your pitches.
  5. Email as many publishers as you can to increase your chances of getting a guest content spot – this is still a numbers game, after all.

By following these steps, you can create guest content that resonates that would surely catch the publisher’s eye.

5. Devise an outreach strategy

Good thought leaders devise outreach strategies that know how to effectively catch the attention of publishers and experts. 

Here’s how you do it:

  1. Ready an outreach list of the websites you want to get featured on.
  2. Reach out as an authority by expressing interest to contribute to the website as a leader in your organization.
  3. Develop a decision-making process for which pitches to pursue or drop (see the image below).

6. Create the content

To be a true thought leader, you must master various content creation skills like writing, doing research, public speaking, and more. You’ll develop these skills when you follow this flowchart:

When you consistently follow this flowchart, you’re slowly building your skillset towards that of an effective thought leader – so keep on practicing! 

7. Choose your platforms

The great thing about the internet is that there are endless possibilities to share your brand’s message. Whether it’s a blog through your own site, TikTok or YouTube videos, or through tweets, your message can reach so many people today.

To help you get the best results, here are some ideas you could use for different social media platforms:

  • Twitter. A great way to be a thought leader on this platform is by leveraging Twitter Spaces or creating concise threads detailing a specific topic. These efforts would result in more eyes on your Twitter page since you’re giving so much content.
  • YouTube/video-capable social media platforms. For YouTube or any other platforms with video, such as Facebook, you may opt to create long or short-form webinars. This works because these platforms’ users learn while watching. 
  • Instagram. Instagram, on the other hand, encourages you to create must-know industry infographics so that your target audience are always on the loop on the latest trends.
  • TikTok. A great way to get eyes on TikTok as a thought leader is by getting the highlights from your best-performing videos and uploading them on the platform. Doing so allows you to whet TikTok user’s appetite for your content as you give them something short and sweet. 

8. Measure and monitor your content performance

With your strong brand message now shared throughout different online platforms, it’s time to see if any of your plans worked. 

Here are some must-have tools to do this:

  • Referral traffic. Using Google Analytics, you can view how effective your guest blogs are at acquiring audiences by looking at referral traffic. High referral traffic from sites you knowingly submitted articles is a good sign that your content has resonated with your collaborator’s audience.
  • Backlinks. This specific metric can be viewed through Ahrefs’ Backlink Audit feature. It allows you to perform an analysis of the links that lead back to your website. Don’t just look at the number of links you acquire, but look at the quality, too.

Low-quality links (usually under 30 in domain rating) can pull down your domain authority and website health versus higher quality ones (domain rating of 30 and above).

Monitoring these metrics accordingly will help you better understand what works and what doesn’t for your thought leadership efforts.

Thought Leadership in Action

Now that you know the facts, it’s time you knew what effective thought leadership looked like in action:

  • Propelrr. We at Propelrr dabble in writing guest blogs to help us become an authoritative digital marketing company. In this article, we talk about how impactful doing survey experiments to achieve a brand’s bottom line. 

Additionally, we’ve done guest blogging for big media like Rappler, did guesting in podcasts like ‘A Better Normal’ by PumaPodcast, and other blog publications of related businesses. These efforts resulted in higher referral traffic to our site.

  • Jay Shetty. Jay Shetty is a life coach who shares many of his teachings through his YouTube channel, podcast, live guest speaking, and several books he authored. 

As a result, his YouTube channel has 4.67 million subscribers, his podcast, On Purpose, has 937,000 listeners, and his book, Think Like a Monk, is a constant bestseller. 

  • Deloitte. Professional services firm, Deloitte, shares its tech expertise and more on a free podcast called On Cloud. 

Because of the podcast’s accessibility, it’s one of the most highly rated tech podcasts out there, receiving a 4.7 out of 5 reviews on Apple Podcasts, and currently, has a 216-episode count.

Key Takeaways

To be a true thought leader, you must develop a voice that can never be drowned by others in today’s saturated digital landscape. With it, you’d become an authoritative presence among thousands in your industry. 

To do so, remember the lessons:

  • Be unique. Read, watch, or listen to as much business-related content as possible so you can offer unique insights to your audience.
  • Try different approaches. Take part in different activities like podcasting and guest blogging to build authority and reputation among multiple channels.
  • Keep on improving yourself. Improve your knowledge and skills to give your audience relevant solutions to their current problems. 

Finding the will to overcome the many challenges of being a thought leader is no easy feat. When you do, however, you’d be rewarded with the attention of your growing audience base.

Striven Earns #1 Ranking On G2’s ERP ‘Best Results’ List For Spring ’23

Posted on by Scott Hammer

Lumberton, NJ (March 31st, 2023)-  G2, the leading provider of business software reviews, has named Striven as the #1 ERP software solution on their Spring 2023 ‘Best Results’ list.

What criteria is the ‘Best Results’ list based off of?

The G2 ‘Best Results’ list takes into account 5 specific areas of feedback provided by customers:

• Likelihood to Recommend
• Meets Requirements
• Estimated ROI
• Time To Go Live
• Average User Adoption

Striven’s ranking as the ERP system with the ‘Best Results’ for Spring ’23 underscores a growing trend that has continued to gain prevalence in the business world within the last several years—growing businesses are continuing to turn to all-in-one software solutions to save time, increase revenue, and streamline overall business operations.

Striven is ranked above other notable ERP software products including Sage Intacct, Odoo ERP, Acumatica, NetSuite, and Quickbooks Enterprise.

In addition to receiving the #1 ‘Best Results’ ranking, Striven was also named #2 on G2’s Spring ’23 ‘Momentum Leader’ report, as well as #5 in the ‘Small Business Leader’ Spring ’23 category.

Feedback From Users

G2’s rankings are directly sourced from real customer feedback. Here are some things that users recently had to say about Striven:

“Love the product. Recommend to many companies. What I like best about Striven is that it’s an all-in-one platform that includes financials to replace Quickbooks.” – Jeff S, Business Owner

“We use Striven extensively for client, staff and project tracking; we have found it to be a seamless solution. I especially like the ability to design surveys, assessments and reports on the fly for up-to-the minute information.” – Lil D, Customer Experience Director

“Striven is great for our growing business. It’s very user-friendly and, being internet based, it is accessible from anywhere! The way it is laid out makes it easy to edit and add information. Cannot beat the quality for the price and customer service has been great!” – Jenna H, Office Manager

To learn more about Striven and read about customer experiences using the platform, visit the company’s ratings and review page.

About Striven
Striven is an all in one ERP software for small and growing businesses that want to expand, simplify, and reduce costs. Striven combines all of the features for accounting, projects, sales, inventory, operations, reporting, and more into a single streamlined system.

Why Mentorship Should Be the Foundation of Your Business Management Strategy

Posted on by Eleanor Hecks

Small business leaders know that effective management is essential to the success of their enterprise. Part of their business management strategy is to build a team that is motivated, skilled and committed to achieving business goals.

Yet, how can you ensure your employees are growing and developing while maintaining a productive and positive workplace culture? The answer lies in mentorship. Discover why mentorship should be the foundation of your business management strategy and how it will benefit your business for years.

The Benefits of Mentorship

One of the key benefits of mentorship is its ability to build a substantial team. Employees with a mentor invested in their success are more likely to feel valued and engaged in their work. In turn, this leads to increased job satisfaction, employee retention and a more positive workplace culture.

Additionally, mentorship has the power to foster diversity, leading underrepresented employees to achieve their career goals. By providing minorities and LGBTQ+ employees with mentors, they can navigate the unique challenges they face in the workplace.

On the other hand, businesses can cultivate a more inclusive and equitable organizational culture. While mentorship benefits individuals, companies can build more diversity and innovation as a whole.

Furthermore, mentorship encourages professional growth, allowing employees to learn new skills. Mentorship is a powerful tool for businesses and their employees because it contributes to their growth and success. By investing in your teams, you ensure they are constantly improving and adapting to new challenges.

Implementing Mentorship in Your Business Management Strategy

Enforcing mentorship in your business management strategy is a crucial step toward building a strong and successful team. Here are some steps to consider when developing a mentorship program in your small business:

  • Define your goals: Identifying your goals and how mentorship will help you achieve them before implementing a mentorship program is important. Whether you’re looking to increase employee retention or foster a more inclusive workplace, ensure you clearly define your goals.
  • Identify mentors: Once you’ve established your goals, you can start determining those who fit the mentor role. Consider looking for employees with the skills and experience necessary to provide valuable guidance and support to their mentees.
  • Encourage participation: Ensure your employees understand the benefits of mentorship and encourage them to participate. You can achieve this by having one-on-one conversations and informational meetings.
  • Establish guidelines: Ensure your mentorship program is effective by establishing clear procedures for mentors and mentees. This can include setting goals, establishing communication channels and outlining expectations.
  • Provide support: As the program progresses, it’s imperative that you provide support for your mentors and team members. This can include training, ongoing feedback and resources to help them achieve their goals.

By following these steps, you can create a mentorship program that meets your business’s and its employees’ needs. Plus, the right program will allow you to foster a culture of learning and growth that will benefit your business for years to come.

The Challenges of Implementing Mentorship

While mentorship can provide immense benefits to small businesses, implementing them can also come with its own set of challenges. For instance, organizing a mentorship program may require changing your company’s operations.

As with any business that intends to make changes, some employees may be reluctant to be open to them. However, you can address this obstacle by communicating what they get from the program. Also, consider involving them in the development process so they understand the benefits behind it.

Additionally, mentorship programs require time, effort and money to build effectively. Ultimately, this can be a challenge for small businesses with limited resources. Companies can overcome this by partnering with an external organization or leveraging technology to streamline the process.

Finally, without intentional effort, mentorship programs can inadvertently exclude underrepresented groups. This can limit the benefits of the agenda for the business overall. Nevertheless, you can defeat this by intentionally seeking diverse mentors and mentees. From there, you should train mentors on how to support individuals from different backgrounds.

Examples of Successful Mentorship Programs

Plenty of mentorship programs succeed in businesses today. One example of a company includes Microsoft.

One of the tech giant’s mentorship programs emphasizes diversity and inclusion with the APAC Enabler Mentorship Program. Essentially, it aims to connect people with disabilities, nonprofits and businesses in nine countries with mentors, career coaching and job matching. As a result of this program, Microsoft has increased employee retention and job satisfaction.

Another example is Starbucks — a coffee company highly known for its excellent customer service and employee benefits. One of the ways Starbucks invests in its employees is through its mentoring program — designed to develop store managers’ leadership skills.

The program pairs store managers with experienced mentors who provide one-on-one coaching and support. The mentors are typically senior-level Starbucks employees who deeply understand the company’s culture and values. However, one of the unique features of its program is that it’s tailored to each individual’s needs. 

Mentors work with their mentees to identify areas for development and create personalized plans to help them achieve their goals. The program has been successful in its store managers’ career growth and has significantly increased its performance and customer satisfaction levels.

These examples demonstrate the wide range of mentoring programs that can be successful in businesses. By tailoring mentorship to the specific needs of their employees and business goals, organizations can see significant benefits in employee development, retention and overall success.

Make Mentorship the Foundation of Your Business Management Strategy

Mentorship should be the foundation of every business management strategy. Doing so enables organizations to build a more robust, inclusive culture, increase employee satisfaction and improve overall performance.

Therefore, it’s essential for business leaders to recognize the value of mentorship and invest in programs that provide employees with support and guidance. With mentorship at the forefront of business management strategies, companies can create a more vibrant and productive workplace that benefits everyone involved.