There’s a myriad of digital tools and artificial intelligence sneaking their way into our lives. Many businesses fear that without dedicating significant (human) time to their marketing, these tools and AI will compromise your brand personality and ethics.  We’re here to tell you that you can use automation and AI tools WITHOUT sacrificing your unique brand voice, personality, and business ethics and values. Keep reading to learn how. What is marketing optimization? Marketing optimization helps you ensure every step in your sales funnel (from attraction to purchase and beyond) is optimis ..read more

“Why isn’t my website showing up on Google!”  It’s something we hear from businesses all the time. Google is a powerful tool, but we still need to give it some help to ensure it finds our website content and knows when to show it in search results.  In this article, we will give you a quick primer on the free Google Search Console tool and how it can help boost your SEO strategy on Google.  But first, a quick SERPs tutorial Before we go further, it’s important to understand how Google finds and includes your website in Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). Here is the quick versi ..read more

About ARSC – Acne Action  Acne Action is a website created by The Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada (ARSC), a national, not-for-profit organization led by Canadian dermatologists. They share reputable information to help people dealing with acne. This site delivers articles to help users understand their skin conditions and provides support by sharing personal stories of people’s experiences with acne. Issues with the old Acne Action website, which was built over a decade ago, were causing a barrier to users accessing the site’s valuable information. To resolve these issues, ARSC reache ..read more

Arbourside Court is an independent retirement living residence in Surrey, BC. Their dedicated staff provides supportive services to help residents enjoy retirement to its fullest.  We started working with Arbourside over ten years ago, in 2011, making them one of Out-Smarts’ longest clients. Since then, we have worked with them on all aspects of their digital marketing, including SEO, social media, technical support and more. We love to share success stories about big projects being completed, like our recent website redevelopment or accessibility redesign. Our success story today is a l ..read more

Have you noticed how your Twitter feed (now known as X) has gone downhill recently? Even before Twitter was bought by Elon Musk in 2022, the platform seems to have lost its value (in our opinion).  We attribute this to the quality (or lack of quality) of the content being posted by many brands and companies. Have you fallen into the “just post everything to Twitter” trap?  It’s OK because we will share our top 11 tips to fix your X (Twitter) App.  1. Listen and respond If someone retweets one of your posts, have the decency to thank them or at least acknowledge the Tweet. Your ..read more

Are you struggling to get inspired to write your next blog post? Publishing a regular weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly blog can cause you to experience “blog writers’ fatigue.” It’s common but something we’ve got some tips to help you overcome.  Blog writer’s fatigue is similar to writers’ block and it gets us all from time to time: you wake up one morning and you have no inspiration – can’t think of what to write and can’t be bothered.  When writer’s fatigue hits you and you have to write a business blog, the effect of not publishing your next post could be devastating to your busines ..read more

Have you ever received a bad review of your business? If you’ve put your heart and soul into your business, receiving a negative review on Google Reviews can feel like a punch in the gut. It can also hurt your brand reputation! Good Google reviews are super important. When people Google your business, the first thing they will likely see is your Google Business Profile (formerly known as “Google My Business”). Your Google Business Profile is free to make. It creates a good SEO opportunity for you to share your business’s particulars and collect reviews from clients and customers. If you have ..read more

The online world has opened up many new opportunities for digital marketers, but not all businesses use it honestly or ethically. When it comes to marketing your business, doing it ethically and responsibly can earn you the respect of your customers and prospects and has the potential to earn you more clients and increased revenue. Unethical digital marketing is deceptive and can send the wrong message to your customers. This can result in ruined reputations and loss of customers and revenue.  Keep reading to learn how to plan and execute an ethical digital marketing strategy. What is et ..read more

Summer is all about soaking up the sun while reading a good book. Why not make it a book that ignites your entrepreneurial spirit? In 2019, we created a summer reading list for entrepreneurs, and we’re back to share more reading inspiration for this upcoming summer. We reached out to our network to find out what business books they have been enjoying lately. Read on and discover your new favourite book for entrepreneurs. The Widest Net, by Pamela Slim Suggested by Karley Cunningham of Big Bold Brand “There are always three to five business books I keep on a shelf within arms-length of my desk ..read more

If your website isn’t easy to use, you’re not only frustrating your potential and current customers. Google and other search engines are likely to use it as a strike against you when determining search engine rankings for your content.  You want your website to be easy to navigate and find information no matter the ability of your visitors. Google’s complex algorithms can pick up on certain website accessibility features (which we’ll discuss in this article). If these features contribute to a positive user experience, they can help you rank higher in search results.  In this article ..read more