So it has finally come to this. You have no choice but to close your business and wait out the COVID-19 crisis. All is not lost, this is just temporary.

Shutting down a business temporarily is a process. You need to make sure you do it the right way so that when things get better you can bounce right back.

Administration and Human Capital

1 Inform Your Workers of Leave Policy

Review your payment and leave policies for consistency with public health guidance and compliance with the legal requirements around the quarantine. Explain these policies to your workers and inform them of the payments and benefits that they should expect. Communication is very important; these are hard times for all of us.

2 Check for Business Interruption Clause in Your Insurance Contract

Does your insurance include a business interruption clause in it? Not sure? Knowing insurance companies, they are not going to call you. It’s up to you to find out. Right now, anything you can get to cover losses suffered is welcome.

3 Seek Waivers and Rent Abatement

Again, communication is very vital. Don’t just get up and leave. Avoid conflict and talk to your landlord. Request a waiver of these lease provisions or rent abatement officially. As the saying goes, ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get’.

4 Talk to Your Suppliers

Most supplier contracts include the so-called “force majeure” that can relieve either party of performance of the contract for unforeseeable circumstances and the COVID-19 pandemic definitely qualifies for that.

5 I Know I’ve Said this But Please Communicate

You and everyone around your business are not only worried about what’s going to happen financially but also are worried about their lives, health, and the well-being of their loved ones. Don’t make promises you can’t keep but also don’t keep anyone guessing. Make your plans clear.

Your Physical Place of Business

6 Inspect Everything Before You Close

Inspect your sales floor thoroughly including your service area and cash register. Storage, the toilet, etc. You do not want to come back to realize that the little leakage that you never noticed has turned your business place into a water reservoir. Water damage can be devastating.

7 Do a Deep Clean

Do some serious cleaning before you close. Think about it; you want to come back to a fresh start. Reduce the chance of spending the first day of your comeback cleaning instead of making money.

8 Be Ready to Open Tomorrow

Set your sales floor as though you could reopen the next day. You may not know when you will be back but those who are prepared will be in a better position to bounce back faster.

9 Give Special Attention to Your Store Room

You must reorganize your storage room so it is neat and workable during your grand reopening:

• fill in shelves, 
• set new end features, 
• add new signing, and 
• update your speed bump displays 

Yes sir, when you reopen your store is ready to fly off the blocks.

10 Don’t Forget to Turn off the Lights

Turn off all electronics that will not be used while you are closed. Here are some common electronics you need to consider:

• computers, 
• cash registers, 
• Radios,
•  Televisions,
• electronic vendor displays,

11 Keep it Safe 

Test your security alarm, fire alarm, and sprinkler system. Notify your security contractor that you are shutting down, so they are sure there is no chance of false alarm. If it is triggered it is probably not you.

12 Adjust the Temperature

Adjust your business place’s thermostat to a safe level. Make sure the temperature is just right to prevent freezing, mold, and to protect sensitive merchandise.

13 Be Smart with Your Door Sign

A sign that just says ‘closed’ is not as impactful as a well-thought-of note that briefly explains that you are closing due to the COVID-19 threat but will be back to serve them again soon when it is all-over. The latter creates an emotional bond.

Prepare to Make Up for Lost Time

14 Talk to Us and Prepare to Roll Back Smoothly

This whole article has been about bouncing back quickly when the all-clear is given. We sincerely want to help your small business. Our free advertising campaign offer for small businesses targeting Muslim audiences is still open.

Advertising may feel out of place right now, so you don’t have to commit. You can talk to us at Muslim Ad Network and we will get back to you when you are ready and here is why you should; when all is well again:

• You will need to attract as many customers as  soon as possible
• People will be looking for offers and you need to reach them easily
• The online shopping trend will continue due to newly discovered convenience and you don’t want to miss out
• People will be excited to be able to go out again and your restaurant, shop, or hair salon will be a good excuse for them to do so, but they need to see you when they are browsing the internet

The post 14 Tips When Shutting Down Your Business Due to the COVID-19 Crisis for a Quick Bounce Back appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

Display Ads are a great way to get your brand in front of millions of potential customers. There’s just one thing you need to remember. Unlike search ads, your display ads are seen by users who are not actively looking for your product or service. Display Ads are designed to distract users from their intended activity and get them to click through to your website. On top of that, you are competing with other display ads from direct and indirect competitors. 

This is why you need to have your game on. Luckily we have 7 simple and yet extremely effective Display Ads ideas that will help you stand out in the crowd.

Are you ready to beat the competition? Let’s go!

Display Ad Idea #1: Become One With The Platform

Have you ever wondered why native ads do so well? You already know the answer to that: they don’t look like ads. You need to consider the platform that you are planning to have your ads show and make sure your ads are relevant contextually but still grab the attention of the readers. Not to mention they need to blend in design-wise.

Display Ad Idea #2: Divide and Conquer

One of my favorite things about display advertising is the ability it gives you to segment your audience based on their demographic details. So why not make use of this powerful feature and create ads that will catch the eye of each segment of your target audience? In your case, if you are targeting Muslims, you already know how diverse Muslims are and how ethnicity and culture play a huge role in that diversity. Plus, even under the same ethnicity flag, you have different demographics that need catering to. It sounds like a huge task but here at Muslim Ad Network, we can help you. Take a look at our product and targeting capabilities.

Display Ad Idea #3: Keep Everyone in Mind

This one is specific to the Muslim audience. When using any kind of image and video ads, make sure that you keep everyone in mind. You do not want to use ads that may be considered inappropriate by a segment of your audience. Remember, you are trying to attract them, not repel them. As we mentioned in the previous tip, Muslims come in all shapes and sizes and a healthy dose of moderation will make all the difference.

Display Ad Idea #4: Trigger Emotions

It is very important to leverage emotional triggers in your ad copy. This is how you connect with your audience effectively. Don’t be the guy that writes: Buy Eid Gifts Here. We Have Everything”. Be the guy who writes:” Surprise Your Loved Ones With Something Special This Eid”. Put yourself in their shoes; or even better, go back to your buyer persona and imagine what would trigger their emotions. If you don’t have one yet, have a look at how to create a buyer persona really quickly (link to tool included).

Display Ad Idea #5: Make Them Laugh

One way to stand out in a noisy and crowded place is by using humor. You do not have to be a comedian. You just need to know the culture of the people you are addressing. Get your colleague who always seems to make everyone laugh and ask her to take part in the brainstorming session for upcoming ads regardless of whether she is a marketer or a receptionist.

Display Ad Idea #6: Be Helpful

I am a strong believer in the marketing philosophy: ‘help’ and not ‘hype’. You can implement this by creating display ads that link to highly relevant content within your niche. So for example, if you own a vegan restaurant, you can offer a free vegan burger recipe. This approach is actually in many instances better than linking to a product page. You have to remember that your display ads are not targeting ready-to-buy audiences. You are trying to create brand awareness and build your subscription list more than anything. Of course, there are exceptions. Think of seasonal offers for example like Ramadan discounts. By the way, if you are an advertiser get in touch with us for our early bird Ramadan discounts.

Display Ad Idea #7: Try ‘Shockvertising’ Every Once in a While

This is a highly effective way to break through the clutter. Just do not overdo it. The term ‘shockvertise’ stands for using audacious images to produce a reaction from viewers. You can consider it one or two levels above display ad idea #4 as it evokes strong feelings among viewers, making them more likely to engage with it and even remember it.

This list is not even close to being exhaustive. There’s so much you can do and the sky is the limit if you are not scared to take a risk – “nothing ventured nothing gained”. Be creative and have fun with your display ads as long as you manage expectations and don’t go beyond the boundaries. 

Did I get your advertising mojo going? You can start here.

The post 7 Simple But Extremely Effective Display Ad Ideas appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

Without technological adaptation, no company can maintain its competitive advantage. Moreover, no company has time to lose in the face of this rapid transformation. Every day we witness the birth of a new digital platform and device. Generation Y and Generation Z can not only anticipate the needs of the generation and determine their needs, but also create the need to keep up with the pace of change. In order to understand the impact of technological developments on consumer behavior and predict the changes that this change will bring across the entire value chain, companies need to focus on the issue of digital transformation. At this point, companies have to develop comprehensive digital strategies and restructure their businesses.

In an environment where customers discover, compare and buy products without leaving home where customers shop with multiple digital devices, companies will be doomed to disappear in this rapid transformation unless new business models can be established where interaction between customers, suppliers, employees and investors can be established.

The point of technological developments in our age is spreading information much faster than in the past and the response time to this new information is getting shorter. In fact, at this point, it is mentioned that technology trends have started to spread out of linearity and exponentially. In other words, a new technology that is emerging immediately reaches maturity and is rapidly beginning to disappear in the face of the destructive effects of another new technology.

Digital Demolition, Continuous Innovation, and Valuable Brands 

When we look at the common points in the success of names such as Jeff Bezos, Larry Page, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk, we see that they are all names that have quickly brought up companies and brands they have established in the last decade. When we look at the world’s most valuable brands today, it is no coincidence that Google and Amazon are at the top of the list.

According to Diamandis and Kotler, the concept of exponential entrepreneurship lies at the heart of this success. Kotler argues that the way to achieve exponential entrepreneurial spirit is to understand the growth cycles of exponential technologies. Kotler and Diamandis also call this cycle of 6 phases a digital destruction cycle. 

6 D Model in Digital Transformation 

6D Model in Digital Transformation (Diamandis & Kotler, 2016) 

1. Digitization: No idea or technological innovation enters the exponential expansion trend without being digitally expressed. The rate of spread of everything digitized from music to biotechnology is much faster than that of the non-digitized.

2. Deception: Technological trends are not exponentially propagated at a linear rate. Although the diffusion rates of exponential technologies are not noticed at the beginning depending on their usage rates, the destructive effects of these new technologies, which are becoming more and more popular day by day, are in proportion to the diffusion rates.

3. Disruption: New technologies begin to spread and rapidly replace their predecessors. One of the best examples of this could be the devastation that DVD technology inflicts on the VHS market.

4. Demonetization: A large part of the industry starts to use the new technology and it is getting cheaper to produce/develop.

5. Dematerialization: Technologies are made easier to achieve physically.

6. Democratization: Technology is increasingly cheap and accessible to everyone. It can completely disappear under the destructive effect of a new technology.

Although Kotler and Diamandis have defined the digital destruction cycle as 6 phases, we should also know that this cycle starts and ends very quickly. At this point, the reasons for the failure of brands that make successful brands even more successful or are exposed to destruction and disappearance meet in a common area. The most important reason that makes brands valuable and successful is to understand the importance of providing continuous innovation and continuous innovation. If Amazon, which is an undisputed success, remained only as an online selling website, would it be possible to reach this point? By constantly improving its service, Amazon Prime has changed people’s understanding of shopping, and thanks to the technologies it uses, it has revolutionized the creation and use of Big Data. With the data she collected, she was able to analyze consumer behaviors in detail and produced entertaining technologies that would lead the consumer to buy again. Last but not least, Dash Button and Alexa have been developed by Amazon, giving the consumer the message that they already know what they need and this adds stability to the brand loyalty of Amazon users.

Winners and Losers in Continuous Innovation

Behind the success of Google, which became the second most valuable company of 2019, similar to Amazon’s success secrets are available. When we consider each of its products, such as Google Chrome, a browser designed to be fast enough for a mobile application or the modern web, we see that Google takes into account the speed of each new product. In fact, Google’s main strategy is to make things even faster. Every new technology is used brutally, quickly digests and the new masses waiting for the new audience to meet the different needs, satisfying the different problems, the fastest way to introduce the market, quickly update and market again better. In short, it has realized the speed of the digital transformation and has no problems at the point of fitting.

Most Valuable Brands List of 2019 (Forbes,2019)

The opposite of Google and Amazon success examples, which we can look at an example of failure, which is the sad story of how Kodak ended in 2012. Although Kodak invented the digital camera in 1975, it did not invest enough in new developing technologies, or it was too late for these investments. Although Kodak developed a digital camera in 1975, the first of its kind, the product was dropped for fear it would threaten Kodak’s photographic film business. In the 1990s, Kodak planned a decade-long journey to move to digital technology. Kodak continued its traditional camera and film production with a sweaty strategy. However, Kodak didn’t realize the answers to the question of why people take photographs changed. Indeed, people did not take photographs just like they used to save memories for themselves and their loved ones. People took pictures of themselves to show people what they are doing, how they spend time and how they enjoy life. There was a new medium called social media, and now people were using their cameras unrestrained to see and be liked. The most ironic part of this story was that Kodak invented the digital camera, but didn’t take his hand quickly and took no risks to complete the whole digital transformation process for their brand. In short, Kodak has always tried to be an innovative company, but has not been able to take the necessary steps fearlessly and timely, taking into account the speed of digital transformation.

In short, in a world where customers buy image, reputation, service quality, speed and lifestyle rather than just products and services, Muslim companies have to put the issue of digitalization at the top of their agenda in order to build closer relationships with their customers and achieve higher profitability. Companies should understand the importance of digitization, develop new business models, follow new technologies and implement them at full speed, and Muslim business owners should be aware of this necessity. Otherwise, they will lose their competitive advantages and will be sentenced to be deleted from the market by being far behind their competitors who are rapidly adapting to this new order.

As known, digital advertising and marketing are two of the most significant components of recent digital transformation. In this digital transformation age, people are always online and it makes digital advertising tools much more crucial than before. In other words, as part of the digital transformation, Muslim business owners need to use digital advertising and marketing tools to reach their target audiences and let them know their product, brand or services because of higher competition and fast-paced environment in Muslim consumer market just like other markets. Muslim Ad Network helps Muslim business owners attract and keep their customers with a holistic suite of advertising solutions service. By partnering with Muslim Ad Network, you will be provided an opportunity for your digital advertising to reach the highly coveted Muslim online consumer and to adapt to this era of digital transformation 

Go ahead and contact us to reach a wider range of Muslim audiences. 

The post Why Should Muslim Business Owners Adapt to Digital Transformation? appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

Considering the advertising budget, digital advertising is quite economical compared to advertising channels such as television and radio and is a very efficient marketing method having the power to reach the masses. Therefore, in terms of marketing, digital advertising enables the product, brand or service to be promoted saving both time and money. For these reasons, advertisers began to prefer the internet medium more.  Furthermore, the budget allocated to internet advertisements now surpasses the TV advertising budget.

According to research carried out by IAB and PwC, the market share of internet advertising increased by 21.8% between 2017 and 2018 and reached $107.5 billion in the US market.

In addition, this change in the preferences of advertisers was also reflected in the distribution of advertising revenue according to the type of media, and the internet advertising revenues reached the $28.4 billion limit with a huge increase since 2015. Digital revenue for Q1 2019 estimates rose 18% over Q1 2018 at $23.9 billion and maintain the year-over-year growth trend.

The continued growth of digital advertising spend indicates that it has increasing credibility and the ability to help brands and advertisers reach consumers and build stronger one-to-one customer relationships.

As previously mentioned, digital advertising is able to reach a wider audience with a lower cost compared to traditional advertising channels.  It provides brands with quick and easy promotions to boost brand awareness and desire which creates a rapid balance of demand and sales. Generally, internet advertising is much more advantageous in terms of different features. 

Advantages of Digital Advertising

Measurability

Internet advertising is miles ahead compared to traditional advertising methods in terms of measurability and ease to track conversion rates. There are many analytics tools such as Google Analytics to measure online advertising campaigns’ effectiveness accurately. These tools help get a clear picture regarding who viewed ads, who clicked, the number of leads generated and the amount of money spent so far for internet advertising activities.

Wider Ad Coverage

Online advertising can assist with reaching a much wider target audience and higher global coverage which leads to getting better results through online advertising campaigns. It also gives the ability to specify the range of advertisement coverage with internet advertising, which increases the efficiency of the online advertising campaign.

Affordability

One of the most significant advantages of online advertising is affordability when compared with traditional advertising costs. Advertisers can reach a wider range of audiences in different geographical locations with a much lesser cost. Furthermore, it gives more control over digital advertising budget spending for digital advertising strategies.

It is Fast

Internet advertising is faster than any of the traditional advertising tools where one can launch their online campaign whenever. Considering the time spent to initiate online and traditional campaigns to reach any audience, it is clear that online advertising has a time advantage.

Payments are Flexible

Payment flexibility is another important advantage of online advertising. For the traditional methods,  the full amount needs to be paid to the advertising agency to launch the campaign in addition to huge amount of agency fees. However, online advertising has the advantage of flexible payment opportunity to only pay for qualified leads, clicks or impressions. This helps to manage ad budgets in an efficient way.

Messages are More Informative

In internet advertising, the advertiser is able to provide more detailed messages about the product or services to the audience. Most of the online advertising campaigns are composed of a clickable link to a specific landing page, where users get more information about the product mentioned in the ad. Once the visitor reaches the landing page, they will get a clear picture of the product or services and decide whether to purchase it or not.

Hıgher Return on Investment (ROI)

As mentioned above, internet advertising has the main focus on performance-based payment and this provides a higher return on investment (ROI) compared to offline advertising. Since it is easy to track, analyze and adjust the performance of online advertisements, it also improves the ROI. Following the right strategies for online advertising, there is a better ROI.

Easier and Better Audience Engagement

Online advertising enables have easy engagement with the target audience. Online advertisement platforms make it easy for the audience to engage with ads or products. By online advertising, advertisers are able to get more feedback from the audience and thereby improve the quality of their ads going forward. Based on the engagement levels advertisers can take necessary actions and update their online advertising campaigns.

Re-marketing

Today, 87% of consumers search the internet before buying a product. Re-marketing offers the opportunity to reach users who have already entered a site again. Remarketing can be used to promote a specific product or offering, or to achieve a certain conversion goal such as lead generation. In eCommerce, for example, remarketing ads can be used to recover an abandoned cart by displaying the product the user added to the cart but left the site without purchasing which increases the ROI of each online campaign.

All the advantages listed above are also the reasons why advertisers should use online advertising methods to promote their brands. By partnering with an internet advertising platform, such as Muslim Ad Network (MAN), it provides Muslim advertisers an opportunity to reach the highly coveted Muslim online consumer. By working with MAN, you can take advantage of the following features and benefits including:

• Display ads of all standard sizes, including rich media, video, and banners
• Opt-in email advertising
• Maintain control over where your ad gets displayed. Full geotargeting capabilities (by zip code, city, country, or region)
• Complete visibility of publishers in network
• Reach new customers and increase the overall impact of your media dollars
• Quality Reporting. MAN offers full reporting and analysis ensuring optimum return on investment

Go ahead and contact us to reach a wider range of Muslim audiences.

The post The Inevitable Rise of Digital Advertising Continues appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.