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Comparing private paid email services like Proton Mail and free services like Gmail, for those concerned about privacy and disturbed by Google’s giant database of deeply personal information, are private email services worth the money?
What Free Email Services Do With Your Email Encrypted Email vs. Private EmailEncryption is one feature you’ll want to look for, but it’s not the same as private email. Technically, a cleartext email server with no encryption could be called “private,” provided they protect their users’ privacy and don’t dig into their email messages. But those messages could be easily read by anyone else with access to the files. Encrypted emails, on the other hand, are secure behind a cryptographic lock and key. Modern encryption algorithms used by such sites are immune to modern decrypting strategies.
Signatures are another component of a secure email chain, and that’s not just the sign-off at the bottom of your email. The signature is a cryptographic tag uniquely associated with the sender, confirming that the email was authentically sent by the named sender and that the message wasn’t changed between composition and receipt. Services that send encrypted emails can’t be read by third parties, even if your emails do fall into devious hands.
Why Private Email Services Are Worth Paying ForPrivate email services are worth spending money on because paid services are the most private. With free services, companies are encouraged to make money by selling the users data. In fact, it’s often the only sensible way for such a service to make money. As a result, companies like Google cannot be trusted to keep your best interests at heart because their interest by definition runs counter to your interest in privacy. And as good as their intentions may be, companies will always act in the best interest of themselves and their investors.
When you pay for a service, you remove that incentive. No longer is it important for the company to try and make money with your data. You’re paying them; you’re the one they want to keep happy. As a result, you know that your interests and their interests are aligned. That alignment of commercial interest is essential for a relationship you can believe in over the long term.
Furthermore, private email services are typically situated outside of Five Eyes countries, meaning they’re less vulnerable to snooping by government agencies. Not only are they more private by design, they’re legally less vulnerable to interception than companies located in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
What About Self-Hosting?Self-hosting a server is always the most private option. This way, no service can see your data at all. However, that doesn’t make self-hosting the best option for all privacy-concerned users. Running an email server is a major commitment, requiring consistent uptime and careful monitoring of security patches to avoid losing your data to attackers. There’s a reason that government officials aren’t supposed to run private email servers: it offers another point of vulnerability, and they’re rarely as well-secured as commercial operations. If you’re not certain you’re up to the task of administering your own server, you’ll want to consider a private email service.
Private Emails Services that Are Worth the MoneyA good private email service will have strong data privacy policies and a viable business plan. Services that offer free “private” email services can’t be trusted to do the right thing with their unbridled access to your data. Encryption is also a must, since it protects your data from access by anyone, regardless of their intentions. Like with any software purchase, seek out services with good reviews, apps on multiple devices, and a track record of protecting their users whenever possible. We’ve considered all those attributes in selecting the email services listed below.
Here are three private email services that are worth trusting.
Proton Mail provides secure communications through a web interface and the ProtonMail mobile app. All emails are encrypted using end-to-end encryption, ensuring that any message in your inbox can only be read by you. Only paid users can send encrypted emails to external sources, but every tier locks down all messages on the ProtonMail server, preventing both third- and first-party snooping for any reason. And since those servers are located in Switzerland, the U.S. government cannot compel the service to release information. Swiss companies are not subject to the U.S. justice system in the same way that U.S.-based tech companies are. There’s even a free tier for you to give the service a test drive.
HushMail is as close as you can get to encrypted Gmail. The interface for both the mobile and desktop apps are strikingly similar. The service is highly secured, meeting standards like privacy standards for healthcare providers and law enforcement. Hushmail includes email alongside secure web forms, making them a great choice for small business with a single point of contact and a need for collecting and storing data securely. There’s a fourteen-day free trial you can use to get started with the service.
CounterMail supports IMAP, so you can use your own email client instead of a web app. But it offers limited storage space and can’t send encrypted emails to non-users. Servers are based in Sweden, putting them outside the reach of Five Eyes law enforcement organizations. But even if they were in their jurisdiction, CounterMail doesn’t even store emails on the server, instead storing them on removable storage.
Back to you, do you think private email services are worth the money?
Alexander Fox
Alexander Fox is a tech and science writer based in Philadelphia, PA with one cat, three Macs and more USB cables than he could ever use.
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10 Best Disposable Email Services
Each time you come across something useful on the internet, it will require your email ID to grab it.
In case you require to use some service on a trial basis, you might need one temporary, throwaway email address for signing in without giving out your credentials.
You will just have to initially sign up for a temporary user account and then forget about that completely.
Today I am going to enlist the 10 best disposable email services for avoiding spam, or temporarily correspond with someone.
Also read: How To Remove Yourself From True People Search
Now let us explore10 of the best disposable email services to fight spam.
This service tops the list as you can always keep modifying your email with some coveted name and you can continue using it as and when required.
Temp mail provides you free disposable email service where you need not register. You will just have to visit the website or open your mobile app and use the temporary service.
Every time you open Tempmail you will fresh, ready-to-use email ID with the inbox right in the center of the main page.
As long as you keep the web page open the email ID that is randomly allocated remains active as Tempmail does not have the self-destruct timer.
This is another best throwaway email service that is completely free. You may use this service to send and receive emails using the disposable ID.
You are allowed to customize the domain and username if the temporary address you are using.
You will also get a mobile app for enjoying this service on your mobile phones and check the messages directly.
This is an exclusive premier site that helps you avoid spam and protects your inline privacy.
It is a free and simple service that creates temporary emails in just two steps.
It is thus preferred by the professional all around the globe. This disposable email service provides you a temporary, anonymous email account that you may use by signing up.
The unique feature of this service is that you may recover the email address even after you delete them.
The service keeps wiping the servers periodically and the time limit for your emails to stay in the inbox is not specific either.
In the premium service provided you will get multiple throwaway emails providing access to some exclusive domains.
You will get all the emails forwarded to your primary mail address from the assigned alias.
For having multiple aliases, you will have to choose the premium service as being a free user you will be provided only one single alias.
With E4ward you can enjoy more cloud space for storing your emails. You may also get your email customized by adding your domain to [email protected].
To receive mail, you may use an alias at Mailanator. You will get the mails in the public domain and the alias can be used by others too but with the premium plan, you will be getting your alias.
Besides these, the emails will get self-detected after few hours. You will be able to access all the messages through API or Web interface.
It is a really good service that is capable to handle any kind of message. And you may add SMS to your private domain for SMS workflow testing.
Mohmal is in Arabic and it means Junk Mails. You will be getting multiple language support with this temporary, throwaway email service. If you want some disposable emails that work, you may try this service.
The email that you create will get scrapped within 45 minutes and you will have to go for the periodical refreshment process for preventing deletion.
You are also allowed to create your alias and choose your coveted domain name.
You will get a unique disposable email ID at ThrowMail that you may use for signing up or receiving other emails.
The validity is for 48 hours and for making it a permanent email address you will have to visit the email page within 48 hours.
Ensure that the cookies are active for the smooth performance of the service.
This service is fast and consists of Firefox and chrome browser extensions.
The messages sent to the address get forwarded to your specified email ID and it also prevents the sender from getting your real email ID.
After installing the extension, Burner Mail is going to display the burning envelope.
You will get both the fee and the paid version where you can send as well as receive messages with the help of the burner addresses. But make sure this service gathers some usage data.
This is a quick best throwaway email service that you will need. This service is really simple to use one of the safety features is that other users do not have access to your email account.
When you visit the site you will get an email address with a timer clock ticking.
But remember you cannot send an email and this service gathers usage data.
This is another best throwaway email service that is completely free. This service renders a fast and superb service to protect your spam and the mains.
Instead of your real mailing address you may use the disposable mail service.
You need no registration, no password and the inbox are auto-generated and your messages will be kept for 8 days but you may also make an effort to remove them.
But remember you will not be able to send messages.
Hope the list of the 10 best disposable email services will help you to seek the suitable temporary email address service to serve your purpose.
Feel free to shoot us a mail with your ideas or suggestions. We always look forward to hearing back from you.
How Hard Conversations With The Private Sector Are Giving Ex
Would you employ this ex-prisoner? Tony Layh can show you why you should.
When Tony Layh – general manager of Prison Industries at the Department of Justice and Community Services (Victoria) – had the idea of up-skilling ex-offenders and working with external organisations to fill an employment need – the reaction of most companies was: “You want us to employ who?”
But Layh’s drive to bring a shared-value solutions to prisoners and businesses, especially in light of the worker shortage now facing many industries, was relentless.
Recidivism – or the likelihood of former prisoners to reoffend – is a widespread problem in the corrections system. Ex-offenders have a 40% chance of returning to prison. The reasons as to why are complex and can include: a lack of housing, low employment opportunities and a lack of social connection.
“The sad fact is that the majority [of ex-prisoners] who return to jail are unemployed,” Layh told the recent Sharing Value APAC Summit. “Getting a job is a crucial factor in getting these people to turn their lives around – but most importantly, it helps to ensure that there are fewer victims of crime.”
Layh’s vision was a hard sell. He avoided taking his idea to the Department of Justice’s (Victoria) legal team – too much paperwork and talk of KPIs. Instead, he eventually worked with the prison’s procurement department.
“There continues to be a lot of energy, dollars and government focus put into this space, but the simple fact is that the recidivism rate remains too high. These people are one of the most difficult employment cohorts, as discrimination and stigma are well entrenched.”
Prison Industries works as a social enterprise within Corrections Victoria and aims to give prisoners technical and soft skills to improve their prospects for employment. Layh’s program aimed to take Prison Enterprise outside prison walls, into direct relationships using the social procurement framework.
“It’s shared value in action. The right partners buying into commercial and social outcomes and driving the program onwards and upwards,” he says. “But one of the most common questions was – ‘have you got a case study from somewhere that proves this is going to work?’ Of course, the answer was ‘no’.”
A lot of time and effort went into having “very hard conversations” with potential partners and building trust. Some of the benefits organisations recognised in hiring former prisoners include a simple, accessible recruitment process and potential for greater staff retention. Prison Industries developed partnerships internally, but also externally with The Jobs Bank and the Shared Value Project. So far it has been hugely successful, with commitments made for 225 jobs in the first two years – however there is scope to increase those numbers.
“For prisoners, an outside job provides them with hope that they can aspire to … when they leave prison and to be able to get that critical second chance. It brings the potential to bring meaning and purpose to their sentence when they are in jail as they can strive to build the skills needed to make them a better employee,” Layh says.
“It brings the potential to bring meaning and purpose to their sentence when they are in jail as they can strive to build the skills needed to make them a better employee.”
– Tony Layh
PFD Foods is one of the companies that has engaged with the initiative. Scott Mulholland, PFD Foods group general manager, sales and marketing says he was “definitely one of those people that had a twitch” when it came to the concept of hiring ex-inmates. However, there were three factors that sparked his interest – Layh’s enthusiasm and passion, the need for more employees and his belief in thinking outside the box.
“In order to find new solutions, you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he said. “It yields such a strong benefit to society, to your business commercially as well. We’re now reaping some fruit through that – and we have more resumes coming through – and it’s all the result of having an uncomfortable conversation.”
PFD Foods – a large food services company with 68 branches throughout the country – has broad interests, from warehousing and transportation to food manufacturing and preparation. Many of its areas of operation suit up-skilled, motivated people from diverse backgrounds.
“We see thousands of tenders throughout our organisation every year, and this one was different. Tony’s enthusiasm drove me first and foremost…it was nothing short of inspiring to say the least.
“You also have the backdrop around COVID and the lack of labour and challenges we have in our businesses around transport, warehouse workers, food processers, warehouse processers, seafood processing rooms, sandwich processers etcetera – so straight away he got my attention.”
Mulholland says for the cost of having some awkward, frank discussions, shared value programs like this have the ability to not only improve the lives of ex-prisoners, but also assist companies with worker shortages, and it contributes to lowering recidivism rates.
“There was no blueprint, no case study with what we were doing and we were ok with that. We genuinely believe that – and if you read the stats about re-offenders and the fact that valuable employment can be the catalyst for them to…lead a fruitful life in society – that it ticked a lot of boxes from an employment perspective for us too.”
Breaking the stereotypesAnderson – a speaker at the Shared Value APAC Summit – was sentenced to two years and nine months non-parole for drug trafficking in 2023. When he left prison, he was told by fellow inmates he would have little to no hope of gaining employment. Despite this, he persisted, and finally secured employment a few months after leaving prison.
“What a lot of people don’t realise … is that if you do secure employment and you are able to pay the bills – a big part of coming back into society is loneliness. You do need to segregate yourself from a lot of your previous support networks or social circles. It becomes quite isolating and extremely mentally taxing and you need to engage with a lot more support, probably even more so than when you were addressing your offending behaviour.”
While there is a lot of scope for employment opportunities for former-inmates, Anderson says having the right conversations with people with “lived experience” is a crucial part of making an arrangement work.
“A lot of organisations are a lot closer to be able to help people with their transitional employment pathways, and you can find out how close you are to it by just starting a conversation with somebody, such as myself, who has been there before,” Anderson says.
What Are Standard Peo Services?
Managing your business’s human resources (HR) needs can be an enormous task, and it is often too much for one individual to do on their own. What’s worse, if you don’t have an experienced HR professional or team of professionals handling your HR, you are at a greater risk of violating labor and employment laws. If this sounds like you, you may want to consider outsourcing your HR functions to a professional employer organization – also known as a PEO.
What is a PEO?A PEO provides HR and payroll services to businesses of all sizes. Through co-employment, a PEO becomes the manager of record for tax purposes and provides employee benefits packages under its own tax identification numbers. HR services that PEOs can provide include managing payroll and payroll taxes, administering health insurance benefits, managing workers’ compensation insurance, allocating retirement packages – like 401(k) plans – establishing employee handbooks and HR policies, training and developing employees, and managing risk and compliance.
Editor’s note: Looking for the right PEO for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.
FYI
Finding a great PEO service calls for an evaluation of your business’s size, needs, strengths and weaknesses. Understanding your company’s needs can make choosing the right PEO service an easy decision.
Did You Know?
More small and midsize businesses than ever are looking to offer top employee benefits – like quality health insurance – as a way to help attract talent.
Did You Know?
Willful violations of the FLSA may result in criminal prosecution, and you could be fined up to $10,000.
8. Employee training and developmentPEOs can also help you stay legally compliant by offering required employee training courses – like those on harassment, or health and safety. Additionally, many PEOs offer in-person and online courses to help employees develop professionally. For example, they may offer e-learning courses about leadership, management, communication or teamwork.
What are PEO do’s and don’ts?PEOs can manage numerous HR tasks for your business that an in-house HR department might handle in a larger business. Here are some things that PEOs do and what they don’t do.
PEOs do provide these services:
HR and recruiting services
Access to legal counsel
Employee benefits
Workplace compliance tools
Health and safety policies
Payroll services
Employee training
PEOs don’t help you in these aspects:
Functioning as an independent company or separate business entity
Intervening and disassociating your business from its corporate responsibilities
Retaining all liability for the various services you agreed for them to manage
Working exclusively with your business, as they have large clienteles
What are the best PEO services?There are several highly rated PEO services available, but the best one for your business will depend on a variety of factors – like how many employees you have, what services you need and the size of your budget. Some PEOs offer their services a la carte, while others bundle them into one package. Keep in mind that some PEOs also have employee minimums, typically requiring you to have at least five employees. Here are some of the top PEOs to consider:
Justworks: If technology is key to your business, Justworks is a great PEO partner. The cloud-hosted platform is simple to use, and the company offers HR consultants who can provide tailored guidance. Justworks is one of the few PEOs we reviewed that lists its pricing online. This can be beneficial for a strict budget. Read our Justworks review to learn more.
Rippling: Companies looking for a PEO that can easily scale will want to check out Rippling. You can access Rippling’s regular workforce platform, or you can pair it with Rippling’s PEO model for a comprehensive co-employment service. The cloud-hosted platform is ideal for both in-office and remote employees. Read our Rippling PEO review to learn more.
TriNet: This PEO specializes in a variety of industries, so it is ideal for those who want a tailored solution. In addition to a great PEO plan, TriNet clients can access a user-friendly mobile app, which is ideal for businesses that have employees on the go. Read our TriNet review for more information.
How much do PEOs cost?In many cases, outsourcing these tasks to a PEO is more cost-effective than hiring an in-house HR representative. If you have 10 employees, you would pay $15,000 annually at most for weekly PEO services. For comparison, human resources specialists make an average annual salary of $69,430 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. HR assistants make upward of $43,000 annually, and will still cost more to hire them to work in house.
Even if you have more than 10 employees, PEO costs may still fall well within your budget. PEO companies may even discount their rates based on how many employees you have. For instance, instead of paying $1,500 annually for each employee, you may pay $1,000 per employee if you have more than 20 full-time staff members. The PEO may also allow you to enter a month-to-month contract with the option to freeze services when you don’t need them.
FYI
PEOs typically charge a per-employee fee or a percentage of your total monthly payroll.
Always shop around for PEO services. It’s not unusual to find one provider that charges $50 a month per employee and another that charges more than $100 a month for each staff member. When comparing costs, determine if one provider offers more services than the other to gauge your return on investment.
What’s the difference between a PEO and an HRO?Both a PEO and an HRO provide centralized HR services. When you partner with a PEO, you sign a co-employment agreement. An HRO doesn’t act as a co-employer.
“For companies that prefer to keep some HR functions in-house, partnering with an HRO to handle a few distinct services, like payroll, makes sense,” Stefan said. “A company looking for a single-source provider to assume the vast majority of HR responsibilities will typically go with a PEO.”
Since PEOs have a stake in your business, they play a major role in establishing employee training requirements, safety protocols and other onboarding functions. HROs, however, don’t take over all HR functions of your business and don’t become involved in company policy.
HRO services provide flexibility, because you can choose the services you wish to assign to the independent company while remaining the decision-maker in HR management. Larger businesses tend to use this type of HR solution, since a human resources department is often already established and only needs help with some of the more tedious tasks.
PEOs assume all HR responsibilities and act as an extension of your business, requiring you to release all your HR data to the PEO. If you can’t afford an in-house HR department you can benefit from the comprehensive offerings of a PEO, making it a better option than hiring an HRO.
What’s the difference between a PEO and a staffing agency?It’s common to associate staffing agencies with PEOs, but they are nothing like PEOs. A staffing agency provides businesses with temporary employees, while a PEO does not supply labor to employers. PEOs supply services and benefits to businesses and their existing workforce. A staffing agency leases new workers on a temporary or project-specific basis. After their work is completed, the leased workers return to the staffing agency for reassignment.
In terms of functionality, a staffing agency may or may not operate like a PEO, according to Brian Cairns, founder of ProStrategix Consulting.
“A staffing agency will likely have its own health insurance and HR plans,” he said. “However, by using a staffing agency, they do not automatically cover all your employees, just those who are staffed by the agency. If you have any employees of your own, they are not covered by the staffing agency’s HR plans, unless you enter a co-employment agreement with the agency.”
PEOs usually offer more comprehensive services than staffing agencies, and incorporate performance tracking, grievances and disciplinaries. It ultimately depends on your business structure and needs.
What’s the difference between a PEO and an EOR?An employer of record (EOR) is the sole legal employer of employees, whereas a PEO operates through a co-employment model. This means that, while a PEO shares ownership and liabilities, the EOR assumes all liabilities for the workers.
An EOR oversees all timekeeping, payroll, workers’ compensation, unemployment claims, and employee benefits administration. With a PEO, you may have your choice of insurance coverage, but with an EOR, your employees would be covered under the EOR’s insurance.
Another difference is in hiring. With a PEO, you retain a lot of rights and responsibilities over who you hire and how. An EOR, on the other hand, takes full responsibility for hiring workers. An EOR is often provided by staffing agencies.
Skye Schooley contributed to the writing and reporting in this article. Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.
Here Are The 7 Best Live Streaming Tv Services
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
In the era of streaming TV, services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus have become popular ways for people to “cut the cord.” However, those services offer movies and TV shows (mostly) on demand. There is still an audience that wants to watch live television, particularly for sports, news, and other major live events. For those users, live streaming TV services are the way to go.
Here are the best live streaming services that are currently available. As you can see, they all have very different lineups of channels, prices, and features.
Best live streaming TV services
Editor’s note: We’ll be updating this list of the best live streaming TV services regularly as new ones launch.
Comparing the services
Sling TV has two main plans to choose from, and each costs just $35 a month.
It also offers lots of add-ons for extra channels, along with free cloud DVR.
The Sling Blue plan has over 50 cable TV channels for live streaming TV, which includes local Fox and NBC channels in select markets. It costs $35 a month. Sling Orange has over 30 different channels, including three ESPN sports cable channels. It also costs $35 a month. If you get both Sling Blue and Sling Orange plans, you pay $50 a month.
There are also extra plans that you can add to Sling Blue and Orange plans. The Sling Sports Extras plans cost $10 a month and add a number of sports cable channels to Blue and Orange. There are also Comedy, Kids, News, Lifestyle, and other plans you can add for $5 a month each. In addition, there are tons of other ala cart channels you can add to the plans, including most of the major pay cable movie channels (with the exception of HBO).
Sling TV includes 10 hours of free Cloud DVR storage which can be expanded to 50 hours for an extra $5 a month. There are also tons of free live tv streaming movies and TV shows available on-demand, and even more than you can rent online.
Why you should buy
Lots of channels available for Sling Blue
Tons of choices for add-on channels
Free content on demand
Why you should pass
Only 10 hours of Cloud DVR for free
No HBO option
No local CBS or ABC stations
Only one profile
Hulu has lots of on-demand current movies and shows with a solid amount of live TV channels and most local stations.
Its Cloud DVR features have 50 hours of space at no extra charge.
Why you should buy
Tons of live TV channels
Lots of current movies and shows on demand
Generous amount of free cloud DVR
Includes Disney Plus and Hulu
Why you should pass
It’s on the high side of price ranges
YouTube TV has over 85 channels for the price of $65 a month.
It also has a 14-day free trial and unlimited DVR storage.
Why you should buy
Tons of live TV channels for a reasonable price tag
Free 14-day trial
Unlimited DVR storage
Why you should pass
You can’t keep your DVR recordings forever
4K streams require an extra fee
DirecTV Stream offers free access to the Max streaming service with its Premier plans.
It also supports up to 20 devices on one account and you can get unlimited DVR storage.
Why you should buy
Free HBO/Max on its Premier plan
Unlimited cloud storage with an extra fee
Stream up to 20 devices at home
Regional sports channels included with most plans
Why you should pass
The basic Plus plan has a high price for what you are getting
Some local channels in some markets are not included
Fubo TV is made for the major sports TV fan although it also has lots of other channels to choose from.
It also has a 7-day free trial and up to 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage.
Fubo TV started out as a live streaming TV sports service only. However, it has since evolved into a more mainstream streaming live TV service. Its Starter package costs $65 a month and has over 100 channels, including many local and international sports channels. It also includes 30 hours of cloud DVR storage and support for up to two streams at one time. The Pro plan costs $70 a month, and boosts the cloud DVR space to 500 hours, plus three streams at once, with unlimited streams while at home. For $80 a month, you can access the Elite plan, with over 150 channels, along with up to 1,000 hours of DVR storage. There are also lots of other channel lineups that you can add for additional fees.
Just recently, Fubo TV added the popular ESPN channels, which makes it even better for live sports viewing. Normally it has a 7-day free trial but as of this writing you can get two weeks to try it for free if you are a new subscriber.
Why you should buy
Great service for sports fans
Lots of channels for the money
Up to 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage
Why you should pass
Not as many platforms supported compared to others
Not all local channels available in some markets
Philo TV has 65 channels for the low price of $25 a month.
It also has a 7-day free trial, unlimited DVR storage, and up to 10 profiles per account.
Philo TV is the definition of a bare-bones live streaming TV service. For just $25 a month, you get 61 live cable TV channels. You also get a seven-day free trial and a whopping 10 profiles per account. You can also stream on up to three devices at once. There’s also unlimited cloud DVR storage, although your recording will disappear after 30 days. Recently, the service added access to two movie channels, Epix and Starz. Both are available as add-on channels to Philo TV’s service.
Platforms for the service include Android, iOS, Android TV, Roku sticks, boxes, and TVs, and Amazon Fire TV sticks and TVs. It’s also available for the Apple TV box, Windows and Mac PCs.
Why you should buy
Lots of channels for one low price
Up to 10 profiles per account
Unlimited cloud DVR storage
Why you should pass
DVR recordings disappear after 30 days
No local channels
No live sports
Frndly TV – Lowest price for a live TV serviceFrndly
What makes it “the best”
Frndly TV is a highly curated live streaming TV service made for family-friendly viewing.
Plans begin at just $7 a month.
This is a very unusual live streaming TV service. Frndly TV is made specifically for family-friendly television watching. It includes channels like the many Hallmark cable TV outlets, along with UpTV and other channels that don’t offer more adult content. The basic plan costs just $6.99 a month for 37 channels, with a feature that automatically records shows up to 72 hours in the past. You can get unlimited DVR storage for 3 months for the $8.99 a month Classic plan. There’s also a $10.99 a month Premium plan that boosts the storage time to 9 months.
Why you should buy
Ultra-cheap
Unlimited cloud DVR storage for Classic and Premium plans
Why you should pass
Limited channel selection
HD resolution only on the Classic and Premium plans
Only one stream at a time on the basic plan.
15+ Marketing Strategies For Small Businesses Worth Your Time & Money
As a small business owner, you don’t have time or money to waste on marketing strategies that aren’t suited to your needs, so let’s take a look at options that can (and can’t) get you the most bang for your buck.
Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses on Google 1. Get a WebsiteWith 63% of consumers choosing to find or engage with brands via their website, and with around 70,000 searches per second per day on Google, your business website is the means by which you leverage the power of Google to grow your small business.
In order to make the most of your Google-related marketing efforts, you need to make sure your website can scale up with your business growth and easily adapt to changes in Google’s algorithm. At the end of the day, Google favors websites that its users favor, so make sure it satisfies and engages your ideal customers.
To get a return on the investment of time and money you put into your website:
Track page metrics to gather intel about your ideal customers. (Find out the top marketing metrics you should be tracking.)
Make the most important information available immediately to reduce bounce rate.
Create seamless navigation to increase time on page.
Make it easy to contact your business.
Educate site visitors about all of your offerings.
Read more about what an effective website needs to have here.
Want to know how your website performs? Try our website grader to get your online presence grade.
2. Search Engine-Optimize Your WebsiteImage Source
The goal of SEO is to get your website to show up for searches your potential customers are performing, related to your products, services, and industry.
An effective SEO strategy for your website involves:
Publishing trustworthy, useful content that’s relevant to your target audience (and uses the right keywords).
Placing keywords in strategic spots on your webpages to help Google identify, categorize, and retrieve them more easily for relevant searches.
Maximizing the quality of that content so Google will rank you higher in search results and put you in front of a larger audience.
Improving your website SEO is technically free, but it does require time, effort, and expertise. There’s a lot that goes into SEO – both onsite and offsite in the front and back ends of your website to keep up with Google’s changing algorithm. Nevertheless, when done properly, it is arguably one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies out there.
3. Search Engine-Optimize Your Directory ListingsYour website isn’t the only online media that you can optimize for Google. With search results pages becoming richer and richer with answer snippets, drop-down boxes of related questions, and even answers directly in the search suggestions, it’s important to optimize your information in the online directories from which Google pulls to provide such convenient information.
Google provides answers before you can even press enter in a search.
Your listing optimization strategy for Google should include:
Getting registered on free business listing sites like Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor, and Angie’s List…
…but most importantly, on Google My Business (see below).
Filling out all fields for each of these sites.
Selecting a category for your business (to help you get found for non-branded searches).
Making sure your information is identical across platforms.
Updating your hours and contact information to stay accurate.
Collecting positive online reviews.
4. Optimize Your Google Business ProfileGoogle search results can provide the information your potential customers are seeking – before they even get to your website. The more quickly it can grab information and the more it can trust that information, the higher you can rank in search results.
That being said, it only makes sense that you optimize your information on one of Google’s own sources: Google Business Profile.
Your Google Business Profile allows your business to appear in three different search results.
The first is Google Maps:
The second is the local results section for regular Google Search:
And the third is the Knowledge Panel, which shows up on the right-hand side of search results for branded searches:
Use our free business listings grader to see how your Google Business Profile and other listings really look.
5. Invest in Google Ads Lead Generation & Brand Awareness Marketing Strategies for Small BusinessesThese marketing strategies can help your small business get in front of new audiences and build your brand. They require an investment on your part, but with the right marketing partner, you can bundle this into a marketing strategy that works for your small business — and your marketing budget.
6. Facebook Advertising 7. Referral MarketingTurn your current customers into your brand evangelists with referral marketing. A referral program can be highly effective in attracting more customers to your business. Offer existing customers a discount, reward, or other special promotions in exchange for bringing new customers to your business. You could offer a smaller incentive for those who get the word out via email or social media and then a larger incentive for those who actually bring in new customers.
8. Retargeting AdsRetargeting is an effective marketing strategy for small businesses because it helps bring people back to your website who have already expressed interest, increasing the chances that they will convert and also improving the amount of relevant traffic going to your website.
9. Email MarketingJust about everyone has an email address, and just about everyone checks their email regularly. Until further notice, email marketing should always be a part of your small business marketing mix. Regular communication keeps you in front of your customers and top of mind so the next time they’re in the market for what you’ve got, they’ll head your way.
GIF Source
To get the highest return on investment into your email marketing campaigns,
Segment your mailing list and target your messages appropriately. (This is easy with targeted email marketing.)
Keep your content diverse while remaining consistent in your language and formatting.
Avoid abusing your list. Too many emails can lead to unsubscribes.
Email marketing helps with brand awareness, lead nurturing, and website traffic, while also helping to build your brand voice and a community around your business.
Free & Worthwhile Content Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses 10. Reputation ManagementCollecting online reviews is already mentioned above as an important part of optimizing your Google My Business and other directory listings. However, it’s worth mentioning again as a small business marketing strategy that yields returns.
As it turns out, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a recommendation from a friend, and 74% of consumers say that a positive review makes them trust a brand more. With more and more consumers conducting thorough research before making purchases, online reviews have become a crucial marketing strategy for small businesses.
To get online reviews to work for your business:
Ask for reviews. Start with loyal customers. Then try polls, email campaigns, and website calls to action.
Make it easy for customers to leave reviews such as by generating a Google review link.
Respond to all of your reviews, even the positive ones. Here are some examples.
Resolve negative reviews. It shows you care about your customers — and you can even turn some negative reviews into positive ones!
Taking the time to get a cadence of online reviews going is important and will have long-lasting effects on your business growth.
11. BloggingTo make blogging a worthwhile marketing strategy for your small business, populate your business blog with evergreen content that your potential customers are seeking. By providing free, useful information that they can come across on their own, you enable your target audience to build a relationship with your business over time. The more they see your blog posts as a resource, the more familiar with your brand they can get, the more they will learn to trust you, and the more likely they are to turn to you when they need your product or service.
Blogging also plays into your website SEO strategy since your blog posts can help you to get found on Google and increase traffic to your website. You can also leverage your blog traffic by inserting calls to action for offers that might move interested readers through your funnel.
12. Ebooks & WhitepapersSpeaking of…check out our guides and ebooks here.
13. Social Media MarketingWith its many users and the variety of media it supports, social media remains one of the most effective and free small business marketing channels. It’s also an ideal place to show off your brand’s personality. Be careful not to post the same thing across your social media profiles all the time, otherwise, your followers will know what to expect and not feel the need to visit all of your pages.
To make the most of the time and you put into social media marketing, be sure to:
Establish a presence only on the platforms that will appeal to your target audience.
Use location-based and other relevant hashtags to expand your reach.
Offer value: promote your useful blog posts and special offers.
Save time and effort with user-generated content.
Create groups where you can answer questions, invite feedback and opinions, and share newsworthy information on their common interests.
Like and share your followers’ posts, and ask them to like and share your posts as well.
Use chatbots to connect with users via messenger apps, give automatic responses to FAQ’s, or even help someone make a purchase.
Social media can support your SEO and website initiatives, as an active presence on these platforms drives traffic to your website and sends positive signals to Google.
14. Case Studies & Customer TestimonialsCase studies and customer testimonials are an especially effective marketing tool when your services are diverse or hard to explain. Outline a client’s problem, your business’s solution, and the results. The best case studies tell a story so that they are easy to follow and remember. They also use quantifiable results whenever possible to highlight the value your business brings to your clients.
Here’s an example of a case study for one of our clients.
Each of the above small business marketing strategies is free in terms of dollars spent, but they do require an investment of your time. If you create a content calendar and implementation plan around these strategies and allocate time each week to them, you can prevent yourself from spending hours on content and start seeing your efforts pay off.
Traditional Marketing StrategiesEven though it may feel like the majority of us are online all the time — there are times when we’re actually not. So, your business needs a way to reach people when they’re spending time offline. That’s where these traditional marketing strategies come in.
15. Print AdvertisingGIF Source
Make sure your contact information is visible so customers can contact you.
Read More: How Print Ads Can Complement Your Digital Marketing Strategy
16. Events & ActivitiesHosting an event doesn’t have to be a huge production and can really draw a crowd — especially if you’re in a high foot traffic area. If you’re looking to host an event on the low-key end, choose a fun holiday that coincides with your business (for instance, the third Thursday of every month is National Get to Know Your Customers Day), and set up a table outside your shop enticing passersby’s to stop in.
If you’re up for something more substantial, coordinate with complementary businesses in the area to host a joint event. Each business benefits from access to one another’s customers, you share the costs, and you create a fun activity for your clients helping to strengthen their loyalty to your brand.
With such varied options to throw into your marketing mix, you’re sure to find the perfect combination to suit your business, budget, and goals.
How to Get the Most Out of These Marketing Strategies for Small BusinessesSo which of the above channels are the right ones for you? They vary from business to business and will be a mix of paid and free strategies. The right strategies for your small business are those that yield a return on your investment.
Here’s how to ensure the strategies you choose for your business are worth your time and money.
Target Your MarketingYou may think that casting a wide net and marketing to anyone is your best bet, as it’s sure to bring in customers. But at what cost? Marketing like this will only waste your marketing dollars, and you’ll be racking your brain trying to come up with messaging that appeals to everyone. If you want to get the biggest bang for your buck with your marketing, you need to make sure you’re targeting the right people at the right time, on the right devices, and with the right content.
When you target your marketing, you can:
Refine your content to have maximum impact.
Gather accurate data as to what strategies are working best.
Ensure your time and money are being used wisely.
Increase the chances of getting a return on your investment.
Related: Get creative digital marketing ideas that work for your audience.
How to Effectively Target Your AudienceTo appropriately target your audience with your marketing strategies, you must gather both demographic and psychographic information on your ideal customers.
Demographics describe the facts about your audience such as:
Age
Gender
Household Income
Location
Ethnicity
Family Size
Occupation
Psychographics, on the other hand, describe the behaviors and preferences of your audience, such as:
Shopping Habits
Preferred Websites & Devices
Interests & Hobbies
You might be targeting dual-income households with new parents who are working from home.
With both demographic and psychographic data, you’ll deepen your understanding of what is important to your target audience, what motivates them to buy, and what messages will resonate with them best — enabling you to enhance the impact of the time and money you spend on your marketing strategies.
When implementing your marketing strategies, ask these questions about your target audience:
Who is your target audience?
Where are they looking for your product or service?
What problems does your product or service solve?
What needs does your product or service meet?
Plan & Track Your Marketing Prioritize Local SEOGoogle is only getting more powerful in its ability to connect consumers with the specific products and services they’re seeking, closest to them. It’s imperative that you optimize your online properties to show up as high as possible in local search results for relevant searches. Thoroughly optimizing your website and listings and maintaining an active presence across the web will help you to align with Google and therefore with potential customers.
Get even more ideas for how to market your business here.
Kristen McCormickOther posts by Kristen McCormick
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