Here are some tips from a Georgetown SEO agency on how to boost your ranking in local search results and increase your business.

How Much Should You Pay For Local Georgetown SEO?

According to a quick Google search, the average SEO agency charges between $75 and $150 per hour and between $1,500 and $3,000 per month. That is a substantial sum of money.
However, you must take into account the time and effort necessary to establish an SEO plan. Before you sneer at the fees, consider the potential costs to your business if you do not hire a Georgetown SEO consultant.

SEO v/s Local SEO: Are They Really Different?

Similar to real estate SEO, but focusing on specific locations rather than the entire Internet. This increases the effectiveness of local SEO dramatically for real estate agents, teams, and offices. In 2016, it was as simple as prefixing a search word with a location.

• Real estate is a non-local SEO search phrase.
• Search phrase for local SEO: Georgetown texas real estate.

Since 2016, Google has seen a 92% spike in searches for “best real estate agent” (source: google data, United States, 2018 versus 2017) and a 61% increase in searches for “homes for sale near me.”

This is comparable to real estate SEO, except that it is more targeted at specific locations rather than the entire web. This increases the effectiveness of local SEO dramatically for real estate agents, teams, and offices. Since 2016, Google has seen a 92% increase in searches for “best real estate agent” and a 61% increase in searches for “homes for sale near me.” (internal Google data for 2018 vs. 2017)

What Role Does Quora Play in Georgetown SEO and Digital Marketing?

As a Georgetown SEO company, we use a variety of tactics to optimise our customers’ websites. Google Search Console is a very useful and beneficial tool. When it comes to tracking results, these technologies significantly simplify the process. Do not be frightened to begin utilising them immediately. If you have the marketing budget, determining if it makes sense to invest in marketing methods other than SEO is an important element of the future of digital marketing for Georgetown small businesses. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and, in particular, social media marketing may assist you in growing your digital presence. Additionally, you could consider creating links on Quora and other sites.

Why Local Marketing Is Beneficial for Restaurants

Local SEO operations can be quite beneficial for food and beverage companies. With a well-thought-out approach and interesting content, local search engine optimization for food and beverage businesses may transform your business and assist you in determining the direction you want to take. Consider the following reasons why local SEO for food businesses is so effective:

What is Local Search Engine Optimization?

If you’re new to search engine optimization, have read a few books on the subject, and have some hands-on experience with your own website, you may be ready to seek assistance. The earliest phases focus on content creation, technical SEO on-page, and some local mentions. This is usually sufficient to rank most firms, but with some foresight, you can build some quality backlinks as well as some nofollow links.

SEO frequently takes three to four months to provide results. The first step should be to conduct keyword research. Create content centred on certain keywords. Resolve any current page issues. Conduct fundamental on-page SEO. Enhance the website’s performance. Complete any remaining on-page optimizations from the first month. Produce additional material. Create citations and backlinks. Consider the ranks. Consider ways to improve things.

The food and beverage business will undergo a revolution in 2021. Due to the considerable impact of Covid 19 limits on the foodservice industry, businesses are being compelled to diversify and reinvent themselves. While trade restrictions and a lack of foot traffic are undoubtedly negative to many businesses, the new world in which we find ourselves also affords an abundance of opportunities. Food and beverage businesses, as well as entertainment venues, are reorganising their operations in order to remain relevant in their areas, and one critical tool is supporting them: local SEO.

Why Do Local Georgetown SEO Benefit Food Businesses?

If you operate an offline B2B food business, the vast majority of your clientele will live within a certain radius of your location. This means that your target market is close by, which makes choosing one location over another much easier. Online food businesses may also benefit from local SEO, regardless of whether they have a physical location where customers may visit. According to studies, an increasing proportion of consumers are conducting online research before contacting a business.

Online food businesses may also benefit from local SEO, regardless of whether they have a physical location where customers may visit. According to studies, an increasing proportion of people are conducting research on a business’s website prior to contacting it. Potential interaction is determined by their online presence, which may include customer reviews or prominent content. Hubspot reports that searches for “near me” have increased by 900 percent in only two years. This highlights how critical location is to individuals, even when conducting an internet search for a business. While it is typical to believe that a well-designed website is sufficient to ensure the success of an online business, this is not true.

Local SEO is crucial for food and beverage companies who want their products to become the impulse purchase product of choice. Perhaps you own a pub in a bustling city or a restaurant in a rural haven. Perhaps you manufacture thirst-quenching soft drinks that are sold in coolers around the country, or you manufacture protein-packed snacks that are great for consumption on the go. Whatever product you present to the market, consumers must be aware of it in order to join your customer base.

Now is the time to reap the benefits of local SEO.

Excellent keyword selection is critical to getting local SEO off to a solid start. Numerous techniques exist for conducting keyword research for your blog. Consider first using keyword research tools such as Google Ads, Ahrefs, or Semrush. These produce some of the most amazing results. They offer keyword suggestions in addition to statistics for each word or phrase.

Certain types of businesses are more suited for local SEO than others. For example, plumbing and roofing services are better provided locally than by a national e-commerce corporation. We propose developing a local SEO strategy prior to commencing a nationwide SEO effort. Keep in mind that ranking locally is easier for a new firm than ranking nationally.

The most effective strategy for acquiring links to your website and expanding your local SEO presence is to contribute fresh and compelling content to other websites. Individuals, on the whole, do not wish to link to a business or service; rather, they wish to link to compelling content that they believe their audience will like reading or find valuable. Simple listings are difficult to link to. You must alter your mindset.

How To Rank in Google NOW: Factors Affecting Search Engine Ranking

Google’s search algorithm and ranking algorithms have undergone numerous changes in the past. In 2016, it announced the “Possum” upgrade, which improved local discoveries. Prior to it, there was an update to “Pigeon.” You could spend an eternity sifting through the details.

Three functions are served by search engines such as Google. These functions include crawling, indexing, and ranking. As a website owner, you are responsible for tracking the number of submitted websites that are indexed by search engines. If you’re unsure of the keywords that drive traffic to your website, you may register a free Google Search Console account to watch your SEO keywords.

The current state of the search engine optimization landscape is a result of Google’s algorithm being altered on a regular basis. Apart from the modifications to the search results page. For example, there are more advertisements near the top of Google. There are no compelling reasons to believe that this trend will not continue in 2021. Although the current SERPs continue to display 10 organic search results, Google has increased the usage of snippet codes to highlight the response boxes and “People also ask” areas of the page. Most significantly, competition for organic Google first page rankings has intensified.

Google ranks web pages based on millions of little signals. According to Moz, the most critical indications for establishing a good local SEO strategy are Google My Business signals. These are the signals linked with your Google My Business profile that, when optimised and configured properly, have a substantial impact on your business’s Google ranking. Before we get into the ranking factors, let’s take a closer look at GMB, or Google My Business.

If you haven’t signed up for Google My Business yet, you should do so immediately. To get started, click on this link and establish an account. Following that, you should be directed to a form in which you may enter all of your company’s information. Bear in mind that you should provide the same information (name, address, and phone number) that you did on your website and that you should pay particular attention to the category section at the bottom.

Ascertain that your company’s name, address, and phone number are prominently displayed on your website, preferably in outline format. Verify that your name tag matches your company listing.

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Terminology is everything. Marketing, Sales, Product, Service — virtually every function in a business relies on some common terminology to do their best work. One area where alignment on terminology is essential is goal setting.

Whether you use the OKR model, the KPI framework, the Golden Circle, or another methodology, everyone in the company should understand the difference between a goal and an objective. Without this shared knowledge, teams could risk wasting time on irrelevant activities, at best, or working against a common purpose, at worst.

“Goals” and “Objectives” often seem like two interchangeable phrases on the surface. “We have ambitious goals for 2019,” you might tell your marketing team, following up with, “Our objectives are aggressive but entirely possible.”

To make your strategy crystal clear and gain alignment, it’s vital that your employees are up-to-date on the two most-used terms when outlining your quarterly and yearly strategy.

Here, we’ll explain the difference between goals and objectives and discuss some of the most effective goal-setting frameworks used by marketing professionals today. You’ll also find measurement tactics to track your progress. By the end of this post, you can wave goodbye to ambiguity when it comes to your long-term and short-term marketing plans.

Goals are undoubtedly critical to your business’s success. Ultimately, your company’s goals should align with your vision and mission in order for employees to best guide their own actions and decisions.

For instance, let’s say this year your leadership team has outlined three broad goals for your company:

1. Create a more inclusive workplace culture
2. Grow international brand awareness
3. Increase customer retention by 40%

Great…now what?

Here’s where objectives come into play — objectives are essentially the measurable actions you can take to achieve your overall goals. Typically, you’d use the S.M.A.R.T. criteria to define and measure specific objectives.

Featured Resource: Free SMART Goal Template

Download this Template for Free

“Create a more inclusive workplace culture” is an admirable and important goal to have, but it’s vague and too broad to measure. Does “more inclusive” mean one diversity and inclusion panel discussion, or does it mean a 10% increase in women in leadership positions?

Ultimately, your objectives will help your employees understand exactly what you expect from them.

In another example, let’s say you inform your marketing department that your overall goal is to “grow international brand awareness”.

Now, when your social media marketing manager is crafting her quarterly video campaign, she’ll think to herself — Hmm. How can I increase international brand awareness?

She can cater her objectives to fit company goals, as well as her own personal vision. Perhaps she decides, “To demonstrate my success at increasing international brand awareness, my objectives for my video marketing campaign will be a) 10% of all form submissions come from outside the U.S., and b) an increase in engagement from Spanish-speaking Facebook fans by 5%.”

Your social media marketing manager can then use her unique objectives to measure whether or not she’s contributing to the larger company goal of increasing international brand awareness.

As you can see, objectives can be uniquely tailored to fit each departments’ needs, and allow for a large amount of autonomy. By instilling clear and firm company goals, you can feel confident that your employees are all working in the same direction, but taking largely different steps (e.g. objectives) to end up at the same finish line.

There’s one more term differentiation you need to know — objectives versus strategy.

Referencing our example above, let’s say your social media marketing manager decides one of her objectives will be “an increase in engagement from Spanish-speaking Facebook fans by 5%”.

This is aligned with your company’s goal to increase international brand awareness.

A strategy, then, tells your employee or team how she can accomplish her objectives. For instance, your social media marketing manager might decide to focus her paid efforts on Spanish-speaking countries, using Facebook’s location targeting features. Alternatively, maybe she decides to cultivate partnerships with international companies and posts videos in Spanish on Facebook specifically highlighting the work of those international organizations.

Both of these options are examples of strategies.

Her strategy might change over time. She might decide her paid efforts aren’t working, and try something else. Ultimately, however, her objective (increase engagement from Spanish-speaking Facebook fans by 5%) should remain the same.

Types of Goals

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to communicating goals. There are many things businesses want to measure, especially from a marketing perspective, so it’s important to have several types of goals to choose from when setting the course for the year ahead.

Time-Based Goals

The first type of goal that businesses use to set a strategic direction is the time-based goal. This goal type provides a high-level explanation for what teams or individuals should be striving toward within a certain timeframe. Time-based goals can be short-term or long-term depending on the needs of your organization.

Time-based goals help teams and individuals plan and execute urgent tasks. Some goals are time-sensitive and the primary outcome of achieving these types of goals is that they’re completed on time.

An example of a time-based goal might be “Increase revenue by 10% to qualify for the best-in-class awards ceremony in August.” Because the award’s ceremony has a fixed date and the action stated in the goal is a requirement of the ceremony, this goal should be time-bound to increase the likelihood of reaching it.

Outcome-Oriented Goals

Outcome-oriented goals are independent of a specific timeframe and typically outline what the business is aiming to achieve at some point in the future. The objectives for outcome-oriented goals provide more context around when this goal should be completed and how to measure the success of the goal.

For big picture changes, leadership transitions, and other types of major business milestones, outcome-oriented goals are used to communicate a new vision and era within a company. Objectives for this type of goal communicate actionable changes for employees, and therefore, pair well with process-oriented goals which we talk about next.

Process-Oriented Goals

If your business is aiming to set the direction for new workflows and processes, a process-oriented goal is the best choice. A process-oriented goal does not explain what outcome is being achieved. Instead, this goal type is prescriptive and explains what the team is responsible for doing in order to achieve an outcome.

Objectives that are process-oriented can provide the tactical guidance employees need to do their day-to-day work. This goal and objective type works well during transition periods where change management is underway in a company. Process-oriented goals may be short-term or even temporary because once they’ve been achieved, the new and improved processes can be put into action on a regular basis.

How to Measure Goals

Measurement is a key component of any S.M.A.R.T. goal, but how exactly do you measure one? There are a few ways to determine if your actions yielded the desired outcome of your goals. Let’s take a look at them below.

Ask a Closed-Ended Question

First, the simplest way to measure a goal is by asking whether or not you met it. If your goal was written clearly, this should be fairly simple. Process-oriented goals are the easiest to measure in this way because they’re usually yes or no answers.

For example, if your goal is to hold a quarterly alignment meeting between your department and another, you can answer “yes, the two teams had a quarterly alignment meeting” or “no, the quarterly alignment meeting didn’t happen.” For goals that weren’t met, be sure to note the reason why so that you can revisit the goal at your next planning session and determine if it’s worth trying again in the future.

Use a Points System

Multi-faceted goals can be difficult to measure, but if you have a guideline to follow when writing the goal, you can use that same guideline to measure it. For example, if your goal is to launch a new website by quarter three, you can split this goal into two measurable parts: the action and the deadline. If the team launches the website on time, the goal can be measured by awarding it two points — one for the action, and one for completing the action on time. If the website was launched late, the goal can be measured by awarding it only one point for completing the action and none for the deadline.

The points system should be specific to your organization and align with a larger measurement system that is connected to performance or revenue. Don’t forget to communicate the points system before you begin planning goals so that everyone is aware of how the goals will be measured.

Follow a Rubric

Qualitative goals and goals without strict deadlines are difficult to measure because there are fewer numbers involved. In this case, you may find a rubric system useful when measuring these types of goals. With a rubric, you’ll have an opportunity to evaluate the context surrounding the goal and adjust the way it is measured.

For instance, your team was working toward a process-oriented goal that, unfortunately, didn’t make the process easier. Instead, the team has reported longer workflows and more bottlenecks than they had before. In this case, a rubric can help determine what you expected the outcome of this goal to be and document what actually happened in order to report this goal as unsuccessful.

How to Measure Objectives

Because objectives are more specific than goals, they’re more straightforward to measure. To measure objectives, you can use one of the following concepts.

Measure Attainment

Most objectives will feature quantitative data like units, numbers, and figures. This means you can measure the progress you’ve made toward the outcome you expected to achieve.

Let’s say your team wanted to generate 500 leads from a marketing campaign, and they managed to get 475. The attainment of that original 500-lead goal is 95%.

(475/500*100) = 95% Goal Attainment

As with any measurement, your organization can determine what is below average, average, and exceptional attainment which may differ by team or department.

Measure Qualitative Data with Surveys

For objectives that aim to change behavior or are affected by people in another way, quantitative measurements may not tell the full story of whether or not you met your objective. Surveys, focus groups, and other behavior measurements can provide the data you need to measure success.

In HR functions, the team may want to improve employee satisfaction within the sales team. There isn’t a sole quantitative metric that can be used to measure this objective. Surveys like the eNPS can be a great way to measure a shift in culture that leads to changes in the company culture.

Measure Past Performance vs. Current Performance

Can you name a company that doesn’t want to improve its brand awareness? Neither can I. This is one of the most common objectives to measure on marketing teams, but it’s also one of the most difficult to measure. Everyone tracks it differently, so how do you know for sure if you’re measuring it correctly? How do you know if someone is aware of your brand now compared to a month ago without asking every single person in your target audience?

For objectives like this that hold valuable insight, you’ll have to get creative and define your own metrics to measure. In this example about brand awareness, one way to measure it is by comparing how many direct searches or branded search terms you’re receiving now compared to a point in time in the past. Sure, it’s not perfect, but it is constant — that means you’ll have a fixed number to compare against. As long as your stakeholders agree on what metrics and numbers to compare, you’ll find that measuring these types of objectives isn’t so hard after all.

Examples of Goals and Objectives

Scenario 1: A Milestone Goal

Goal: Open a new company HQ in Phoenix, AZ by Q4.

Objective: Obtain all licensing and permit documents by Q2.

In order to open a new HQ, you’ll need to do a lot of planning before Q4 to achieve the goal. Objectives will help keep you on track so that every step of the way is accounted for.

How to Measure a Milestone Goal

To measure the goal and objective in this example, you can use either the “closed-ended question” framework or the “points” framework. Did you open the new HQ? If so, you’ve met the goal according to the “closed-ended question” measurement. Did you open the new HQ on time? If not, award yourself one point for completing the activity and zero points for completing it late.

By the end of Q4, each objective will have been built upon one another to reach the overall goal of opening the new HQ.

Scenario 2: A Growth Goal

Goal: Increase company market share by 10%.

Objective: Grow customer base by 22% month-over-month for the next 12 months.

We see that the goal and the objective are dependent on one another, and one way to grow market share is to acquire new customers.

How to Measure a Growth Goal

Because this goal is high-level and slightly vague, you may try to measure it by itself using the “closed-ended question” framework, but I’d suggest you don’t — here’s why. A goal like this can be affected by several other factors that aren’t outlined in your objectives. Those factors may even be outside of your organization’s control.

When Popeye’s launched its chicken sandwich campaign, it didn’t expect to gain market share in the chicken sandwich category so quickly. Due to factors outside of its control, the company met its goal, but that success probably had little to do with the objectives the company originally set to achieve that goal. While it’s not a bad thing that the company achieved its goal, it’s important that your objectives explain why that goal was achieved.

Measuring the objective in this example using the attainment framework will not only give your stakeholders an idea of how closely you met the goal due to activities within your control, it’ll highlight any factors that affected your goal but weren’t included as objectives. This will inform your team on what to include during the next goal planning session.

Scenario 3: A Quantitative Goal

Goal: Reduce donut cost by 18% in the next five years.

Objective: Switch to a lower-cost sugar provider in the next six months.

The goal in this example is outcome-based and time-based while the objective is process-oriented. The goal and objective are closely related to one another, but the two will need to be assessed differently in order to measure success.

How to Measure a Quantitative Goal

Use the attainment framework to measure the goal and the past vs. present metric for the objective. As each objective focuses on lowering the cost of the materials that make up the product referenced in the goal, the closer you’ll be to achieving the goal. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure to compare the new vendor’s price of sugar, in this case, to the previous vendor’s price. At the five-year mark, use measure attainment to the goal of 18% to determine if you met or exceeded the goal.

Set Effective Goals and Objectives For Your Team This Quarter

Goals and objectives are often used interchangeably, but they serve different purposes in business. Using the same language to describe the direction and progress within your organization will keep everyone on the same page and working toward the same outcome.

Although these two terms have specific definitions, don’t get too caught up in the semantics — remember the most important part of goal-setting is getting the work done and showing results. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got you covered. Download the free marketing goal-setting template below to get your team moving in the right direction.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in April 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

What is Sensorineural Hearing Loss?

What Is Sensorineural Hearing Loss? Symptoms And Causes: Unilateral hearing loss may be surgically or non-surgically corrected. Hearing loss that occurs unilaterally is typically addressed with hearing aids or hearing implants such as bone conduction devices. If the inner ear’s cochlea is intact, a cochlear implant can also be utilised to treat unilateral severe sensorineural hearing loss. The severity and hearing loss determine the course of treatment.

Sensorineural hearing loss is typically progressive and progressive. Sensorineural hearing loss is most frequently caused by exposure to loud sounds, followed by the natural ageing process (presbycusis). Sensorineural hearing loss is also known to be caused by some drugs and health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

A tuning fork test may be used as an initial screening tool by a physician. Among the specific tests are the following:

Weber’s examination. A 512 Hz tuning fork is gently struck and placed near the midline of your forehead by the doctor. If the damaged ear is louder than the other, the hearing loss is most likely conductive. If the sound is more robust in the ear that is not affected, you most likely have sensorineural hearing loss.

Sudden hearing loss can be a terrifying and anxiety-inducing event. Hearing loss occurs gradually in the majority of persons. However, if you experience sudden or rapid hearing loss (in one or both ears), this may be a case of sudden sensorineural hearing loss’ (SSH). This is a life-threatening disorder that can affect anyone at any age, regardless of prior hearing problems, and must be addressed as a medical emergency.

Sensorineural hearing loss symptoms

The following is a list of some typical hearing loss symptoms:
Individuals appear to mumble.
They must strain their ears to hear when someone speaks or whispers.
You’re having difficulty hearing a call from behind or from another room; you must pay more attention to the speaker’s lips to follow the dialogue. It is tough to follow a conversation in a gathering of people.
It would help if you increased the volume on the television or radio.

Hearing devices of the modern-day can be customised to address specific hearing loss symptoms. For instance, if you have difficulty hearing high-frequency sounds, a hearing aid can assist you in dialling them in without impairing your ability to hear other frequencies.

How can you know if you have unilateral hearing loss? Individuals with unilateral hearing loss frequently have difficulty localising sounds (hearing where sounds originate) and comprehending speech in noisy or crowded surroundings. If you have difficulty hearing from one side, you may also have unilateral hearing loss.

The incidence of acquired sensorineural hearing loss (snhl) in children in more industrialised countries has decreased during the preceding three to four decades, owing to improved infant care and comprehensive vaccination programmes. A relative increase has matched the overall drop in prevalence in the proportion of hereditary snhl. The contribution of a single gene, gjb2, to the snhl genetic burden has significantly impacted the assessment and care of infants with hearing loss. These improvements in the incidence of snhl have not been found in children living in less developed nations, where consanguinity is prevalent in many places, and both genetic and acquired forms of snhl are more prevalent, particularly among impoverished children.

Sensorineural hearing loss causes

We defined -An defect in the mechanical or neurological transmission of sound waves to the brain, resulting in diminished hearing ability.
-Can be conductive (ear mechanical difficulties), sensorineural (ear nerve ending damage or disability), mixed, or central:
Types of hearing loss -Presbycusis is the most prevalent type of sensorineural hearing loss and is characterised by a gradual loss of hearing in both ears due to ageing.

– Hearing loss due to sensorineural deafness (most people with this syndrome have normal hearing).
– Changes in the pigmentation of the hair, skin, and eyes
– Pale blue eyes or inconsistency in eye colour; occasionally, one eye segment is different in colour. – A white patch in the hair is frequently observed.
Type 2 neurofibromatosis – formation of benign tumours in the neurological system, such as vestibular schwannomas – tumour growth on both sides (both sides of the brain).

Due to the rarity of medical or surgical intervention for sensorineural hearing loss, hearing aids are the primary therapy option. Properly placed hearing aids stimulate the damaged nerves in the inner ear and compensate for the sound gaps experienced by most sufferers. Today’s hearing aid technology can even correct previously untreatable “high frequency” sensorineural hearing impairments. A cochlear implant may be considered in severe cases of hearing loss.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when either the microscopic hair cells in the ear canal or the tiny hair cells in the eardrum die. hair cells (called stereocilia) in the inner ear or the nerve connections from the inner ear to the brain are destroyed. Typically, both ears are involved. Once you’ve been diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss, it is permanent. It can range in severity from low to moderate to severe to profound.

Conductive vs. sensorineural hearing loss

A physical examination can aid in determining the difference between snhl and conductive hearing loss. The doctor will examine the ear for inflammation, fluid or earwax buildup, eardrum damage, and foreign objects.

Because loud noises frequently cause sensorineural hearing loss, we recommend using hearing protection if you are frequently exposed to loud noises. You may have diabetes, it is so important to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. A good diet and regular exercise are critical for preventing the onset of heart disease and other medical problems related to hearing loss. To achieve a healthy lifestyle, a nutritious diet, and the use of properly fitted hearing protection will all contribute to your ability to hear throughout your life.

– Hearing loss, tinnitus, balance issues, and cataracts in one or both eyes, which frequently begin in childhood
Gutter examination
Compares air conduction (ac) to bone conduction (bc) hearing – shows “conductive hearing loss” if the bcac weber test is positive.
Conductive hearing loss: the affected ear is louder. Sensorineural hearing loss: decreased hearing in the affected ear otosclerosis – Sensorineural hearing loss associated with ageing – the most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss in adults.

Around 6% of the world’s population (278 million individuals) are deaf or have hearing difficulties. 80% of deaf and hard of hearing people live in low- and middle-income nations. 70-90.4 per cent of patients with sensorineural hearing loss report experiencing tinnitus. Age-related changes have a significant effect on the hearing condition. Between the ages of 65 and 75, more than 30% to 35% of persons have hearing loss, and this figure jumps to 60% in the over-75 age range.

Sensorineural hearing loss diagnosis

– Intensifying television and radio broadcasts
What causes sensorineural hearing loss? – Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) – Difficulty perceiving high-pitched noises – Requiring others to talk slowly and loudly

Which of the following statements is true?
Inner ear injury – the cochlea is covered with delicate, tiny hairs called stereocilia. They are in charge of turning sound vibrations into neural signals that the brain can perceive. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds or explosions with a decibel level of more than 85 dB erodes the stereocilia. Inefficient transmission of electrical nerve signals to the brain is a result of damaged stereocilia.

Sensorineural hearing loss impairs both the volume and quality of sounds that you hear. Additionally, you may notice a diminished spectrum of pleasant noises. In that instance, soft and regular noises are too quiet, whereas loud sounds soon become excessively loud and might cause significant discomfort. (This is referred to as “amplification” in audiology.)
Sensorineural hearing loss is a condition that can damage any part of the auditory system. However, it is common for persons with age-related hearing loss to develop what is known as high-frequency hearing loss or a diminished ability to hear high-pitched noises.

In humans, hearing loss is the most prevalent sensory deficiency. It affects one in every 500 infants and half of all octogenarians, totalling 360 million people globally. Identifying more than 120 genes has resulted in dramatic breakthroughs in our understanding of the biology of hearing and deafness. Due to this genetic variability, comprehensive genetic screening with targeted genomic enrichment and massively parallel sequencing became necessary for molecular diagnostics to minimise labour, cost, and turnaround time. We developed otoscope, a next-generation sequencing platform, in our lab.

Symptoms of sensorineural (sensorineural) hearing loss
Adult deafness.

Sensorineural hearing loss prognosis

Sensorineural hearing loss impairs both the volume and quality of sounds that you hear. Additionally, you may notice a diminished spectrum of pleasant noises. While quiet and typical noises are excessively soft, loud sounds quickly become excessively loud and can be extremely distressing. (This is referred to in audiology as “attitude”).
Numerous individuals with sensorineural hearing loss report being able to hear but having trouble understanding speech. This is especially true with background noise, and dealing with it can be irritating and draining.

Sensorineural hearing loss is fairly frequent and may explain why you can hear a pin drop but are unable to understand your companion. In your inner ear, you are born with tiny hairs called cilia that move in response to sound waves. Nerves convert the movement of these microscopic hairs into information that is transmitted to the brain, where it is perceived as various sounds and frequencies.

-In the combined hearing loss, a conductive hearing loss and a sensorineural hearing loss are combined. -in central hearing loss, the brainstem responses are distorted or absent. Risk factor
-Thickening, retraction, scarring or perforation of the tympanic membrane.
Sensorineural hearing loss Causes
-Short-term exposure to loud noise (more than 90 dB)
-Drug intoxication
-impairment of the cochlea or auditory nerve
-Infectious diseases
-loss of hair cells and nerve fibres in the cochlea.

Causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Additionally, you may have a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. For instance, you could have cilia damage in your ear and an obstruction in the ear canal. A hearing test can assist your hearing care specialist to determine the most effective treatment strategy for your hearing loss and restoration of your quality of life.

Chronic ear infections or middle ear fluid are treated with antibiotics or antifungal medicines. Typically, tumours require surgery. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (sshl), believed to be viral in origin, is a medical emergency treated with corticosteroids. Additionally, corticosteroids can be administered to alleviate swelling and inflammation of the hair cells in the cochlea following exposure to loud noise. Sensorineural hearing loss can be induced by head trauma or abrupt changes in air pressure (e.g., as an aircraft descends), rupturing or leaking the inner ear fluid chamber, posing a toxic risk to the inner ear.

Sensorineural hearing loss typically happens due to damage to the inner ear, cochlea, or nerve connections connecting the ear and brain. Sensorineural hearing loss can be caused by over a hundred different factors, and in some cases, the cause may never be identified. Possible causes of sensorineural hearing loss include the following:
Inner ear deformity
Trauma or injury to the head
Issues with the ear’s tiny bones.

Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by inner ear disorders or damage to the inner ear’s hair cells or nerves. To hear correctly, these hair cells and nerves must analyse and transmit sound to the brain. After then, the brain interprets what we “hear.” “Sensorineural hearing loss” occurs when the hair cells or nerves in the ears are destroyed and cannot transmit the necessary information to the brain. Sensorineural hearing loss is typically irreversible. Thus, treatment entails the use of gadgets to assist the youngster in hearing as much as feasible.

Additionally, sudden hearing loss in one ear is possible. Then it is a case of sudden unilateral hearing loss, a hearing loss. If you get hearing loss in one ear, you should consult a physician immediately. The sooner treatment begins, the greater the likelihood of recovery.

Sensorineural hearing loss can be caused by head trauma or abrupt changes in air pressure (e.g., during an aircraft’s descent), resulting in inner ear fluid rupture or leakage, which can be toxic to the inner ear. When this occurs, emergency surgery has various degrees of success. Bilateral progressive hearing loss over several months, commonly referred to as autoimmune inner ear disease, is medically treated with long-term corticosteroids and, in some cases, pharmacological therapy. Autoimmune inner ear disease occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the inner ear structures, as a result, that portion of the body suffers harm.

Head trauma
Otolaryngology
Conductive hearing loss manifests as difficulties hearing others talk and symptoms associated with an ear infection, such as pain, extra earwax, tumour growth, and abnormal growth inside the ear, which results in hearing loss. The primary distinction between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss is the location of the hearing impairment. Conductive hearing loss is a middle ear disorder, whereas sensorineural hearing loss is a condition that affects the inner ear. However, the damage is the primary cause of hearing loss in both types.

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After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Johnny Boufarhat was no longer able to leave the house—let alone go to in-person events—and was looking for a better way to connect with others. In 2019, Boufarhat founded Hopin to bring meaningful connections to virtual and hybrid experiences.

Hopin—one of the fastest-growing companies—is a virtual experiences platform redefining how people around the world connect through immersive video experiences. Hopin’s founding product was a virtual event platform that mirrors the interactive nature of in-person events, conferences, and meetups.

By early 2020, Hopin had over 20,000 event organizers on the waiting list. Today, Hopin employs a fully remote workforce of over 550 people in 42 countries, has over 95,000 event organizers using its platform, and has secured $565 million in Series A-C funding. The company has also impressively reached $80M ARR.

Its exponential growth is fueled by its remote-first workforce and customer-centered acquisition strategy. Hopin has extended its vision to create more engaging video experiences into three new verticals through multiple strategic acquisitions with a product portfolio that spans events, live streaming, content hosting, and team-based collaboration.

An Industry Propelled by the Pandemic

In 2019, the virtual events market was valued at $77.98 billion. But in-person events were still the norm. From scientific conferences to sales summits, job fairs, and networking events to concerts, virtual events weren’t yet commonplace.

But by March of 2020, as lockdowns and travel regulations began, organizations were at risk of event cancellations. Event organizers had two choices: they could either cancel events entirely or adapt and pivot online. In response, the virtual events industry skyrocketed overnight.

As a company focused on recreating the in-person experience online, Hopin was well-positioned for the task at hand. Hopin is an event management software company allowing individuals and organizations to build and host virtual and hybrid conferences, trade shows, career fairs, and more. The company is committed to driving authentic human connections and replicating the in-person experience online with video and integrated tech tools like virtual whiteboards and live polls.

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Hopin uses subscriptions for event organizers to access the event software. Meeting multiple price points and customer needs, Hopin offers different subscription tiers, with the starter option beginning at $99/month. Business and enterprise options give customized packages and subscriptions for larger organizations.

Subscriptions create a sustainable revenue model for Hopin, bringing some income predictability to the company. Hopin brings in additional income through ticketed events on Hopin Explore—a platform similar to Eventbrite helping users discover events—with a 7% commission fee on ticket purchases.

Forward-thinking and perceptive, founder Johnny Boufarhat continues to uncover customer needs and prepare Hopin for the new generation of events. What started as a response to his diagnosis evolved into a hybrid platform that completely revolutionized the virtual event space.

Even as vaccines roll out and travel restrictions adjust, the virtual events market is expected to keep growing at a rate of 23.2% and reach $404 billion in the next six years. Hopin is here to stay.

Launching 6 Months Early with a Fully Remote Workforce

In early 2020, Hopin had 12 employees. The original plan was to launch in the fall of 2020, allowing Johnny time to focus on raising funds and developing the company’s suite of services. However, spurred on by in-person event cancellations in March, Johnny and his then small team decided at midnight on a Friday to launch for a conference at risk of cancellation the following Monday.

Hopin could have waited to launch until everything was “ready,” but if ever there was a moment to launch a platform that mirrored in-person interactions and connections, now was the time. Johnny and team stepped in when thousands of event organizers so desperately needed the help.

At this point, no completely remote company had grown so quickly and exponentially. There was no roadmap to follow. No go-to-market strategy. The company had launched in such a short amount of time with a fully remote, growing workforce. It was full speed ahead and growing at an astonishing pace.

Johnny Boufarhat, CEO and Founder of Hopin said:

“Speed has become one of Hopin’s superpowers both in scaling our multi-product platform and incredible, fully-remote workforce. At Hopin we prioritize impact measured by the success of our customers. Our mission is to provide the best possible platform for organizers to create meaningful experiences so the world feels smaller and more connected.”

 

Early on, the majority of Hopin employees came through referrals from other employees. Johnny attributes Hopin’s success to his hiring strategy and leadership philosophy: providing flexibility and autonomy for a fully remote workforce.

Johnny is more concerned about hiring the right people over hiring people from a certain timezone. Having remote talent allows you to bring in the BEST of the best—and find the right culture fit—instead of needing headquarters in a certain country or city to get the right talent. Remote gives you a massive talent pool to build an effective team.

So how does Hopin continue to attract a global pool of top product and engineering employees? With its company culture. Between its very own Vibe Team, active Slack channels, and twice-a-month game nights called ConnectFest, Hopin fosters connectedness for its employees, too.

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For Hopin, business norms aren’t necessary. Working across time zones means employees have flexible schedules. The where, how, and when of working doesn’t matter to Johnny; there’s no digital shoulder-tapping or micromanaging. Hopin’s leadership is mostly concerned about serving the customer, not wondering whether employees sit in their desk chairs between designated hours.

Instead of fearing a loss of control over the business, Johnny places trust in his team. Giving them autonomy and empowering them to take responsibility/ownership. Hopin’s success demonstrates the power of trusting in your remote workforce. With a commitment to remote-first forever and employee autonomy, Hopin draws top talent from across the globe.

Invest in Ecosystem Partners

Using integrated technology, Hopin aims to foster lasting connections among its users. Over the course of one year, Hopin has rapidly built an infrastructure to prepare for the future including an aggressive acquisition strategy to become a multi-product platform leading the way in hybrid events.

As part of its multi-product strategy, Hopin acquired mobile app development company Topi in 2020 as well as video streaming company StreamYard, adding StreamYard’s 3.6 million video content creators to its base.

In early 2021, Hopin acquired video hosting provider Streamable as well as video technology company Jamm. Furthering its mission to become the leading hybrid event platform, Hopin acquired event management company Boomset this June.

Johnny’s merger and acquisition strategy is helping Hopin create a digital ecosystem; a collection of interconnected technology to serve its customers. Rather than operating in silos—or having customers lean on multiple platforms that don’t necessarily communicate well with each other—Hopin makes every component of event planning, execution, and attending, easier.

Having an ecosystem is critical for software growth, as the integrated technologies function together to create a seamless experience for customers.

Hopin’s M&A strategy is twofold: increasing its capacity and improving its brand awareness. Through acquisitions, Hopin’s grows its capacity to serve customers with new tools while introducing a new audience to Hopin’s platform.

Like Hopin, companies need to weigh the financial and opportunity costs of acquisitions. What’s the cost of developing technology on your own? What’s the cost of waiting to bring your customers what they need right now? How much of an audience will the new company bring in?

Johnny knows the value of deciding and acting quickly—the faster he provides a better solution for his customers, the bigger the moat he creates around Hopin.

Hopin’s acquisition approach is to serve the virtual and hybrid event market from every angle and entry point, leveraging technology to help users connect with each other, experience global events together, and build lasting relationships across the world.

Growth During a Time of Economic Uncertainty

Johnny recognized the need for virtual and hybrid events well before the pandemic. As a trailblazing business owner, he didn’t let the murky waters of last year stop him from growing Hopin’s impact.

The company quickly positioned itself as THE virtual and hybrid events platform. Johnny leads Hopin to continuously improve its product suite and provide a memorable experience to expand Hopin’s brand awareness. With the backing of his investments in talent and acquisitions, Johnny carved a new moat in the events marketplace.

Hopin continues to establish its moat by refining and expanding its products. What sets Hopin apart is its emphasis on mirroring the dynamic, interactive nature of in-person events and bringing those experiences online as well as investing in technology to lead in the future of hybrid events.

With 1:1 networking, digital reception lobbies, expos, and even coordinating virtual swag bags, Hopin considers every piece of the event production process to provide memorable and interactive experiences for organizers and attendees alike.

Last spring, when The Atlantic searched for a platform for its festival, the company knew it needed something that wouldn’t cripple under the weight of thousands of attendees. Hopin’s platform can handle 100,000+, making the product an easy choice for event organizers with a significant number of attendees.

Its tech capabilities have made all the difference: leading to quick customer acquisition and expansion. The Wall Street Journal hosted its first virtual event on Hopin last year. So did the United Nations. Hopin has taken SEO rankings by storm with extensive backlinks from reputable sites, every event driving visitors and leads to Hopin’s website:

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When big-name organizations flocked to one platform, the market paid attention. Small and large organizations across sectors now depend on Hopin to host virtual and hybrid events, including Poshmark, TechCrunch, WeTransfer, and many others. In March 2021 alone, the company saw active event organizers grow from 85K to 90K.

One thing is certain: new moats aren’t impenetrable. Once business owners create a new position in the market, the work isn’t done. Companies need to anticipate the changing tides, rather than waiting for inevitable shifts. Where are there gaps in your product or service offerings? How can your company go above and beyond for its customers?

Even now, Hopin is preparing for the world to go back to normal by expanding its products and services to execute hybrid events—blending in-person and virtual elements to serve a wider audience.

Johnny shows us the importance of understanding every facet of your market; he aims to meet needs and exceed expectations for event organizers AND event attendees alike. Hopin notices what’s missing in the market and brings every piece of the event puzzle together as the one-stop shop for a full-service video event platform.

Leading the Next Generation of Events

At first, catapulted by the pandemic, virtual events were used out of necessity. But now, event organizers see the opportunity in hybrid events: serving a wider audience and making a bigger impact. Founder Johnny Boufarhat aims to make events more accessible and create an environment for connections as natural as an in-person. He’s bringing in the next generation of events through three key strategies:

1. Committing to remote-first.

Hopin isn’t concerned about when, where, or how team members complete their work. The company fully leans into remote-first, allowing flexibility and autonomy for every employee. Above all else, Boufarhat trusts his team to take ownership and do what it takes to get the job done.

2. Investing in strategic M&A.

When it comes to mergers and acquisitions for Hopin, there’s no ego involved. More than anything, Hopin is focused on solving customers’ problems and frustrations—finding innovative solutions to help customers create meaningful experiences and make the world feel smaller.

3. Carving and expanding a new moat.

Hopin didn’t stop at creating a new position in the market. The company is committed to continuously discovering new ways to fill gaps in service and expanding its product offerings to meet customer needs in one place.

Through strategic acquisitions and investments, Johnny Boufarhat demonstrates his careful consideration of customer frustrations, combined with his ability to anticipate future possibilities and act quickly. Rather than waiting for customers’ needs to show themselves, Boufarhat goes beyond what’s in front of him and anticipates the bend in the road ahead: hybrid events that promote scalability and greater access.

Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a new blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of Black business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success.

Leadership is comprised of a combination of skills business leaders leverage to lead entire companies.

Whether you’re the VP of Marketing or informally viewed as a leader within your team, it’s vital as a leader that you know how to help others achieve a common goal.

Here, we asked Black business leaders across a variety of industries what they’ve learned about leading a Black-owned business. Keep reading to learn what they had to say.

1. Know Your Numbers

“Know your numbers,” says Kimberly Bryant (@6Gems), Founder & CEO of Black Girls Code, whose mission centers around a very big number: Empowering 1 million young women of color, ages 7-17, “to become innovators in STEM fields”, by 2040.

Knowing your numbers is key to measuring the growth of your business and securing investments.

Bryant recommends “[understand] your reach, customer conversion metrics, revenues, and expenses front to back.”

Hiring a professional is also highly recommended, but doesn’t negate a business leader’s responsibility to “understand the intricacies of your business finances. This will help you lead and drive your organization forward through storms and triumphs.”

2. Strengthen Emotional Intelligence

During the growing pains of any business, it becomes increasingly important for leaders to manage their emotions.

“Emotional intelligence will make or break your leadership journey with your team and clients,” says Sherrell Dorsey (@sherrell_dorsey), founder of TP Insights, a newsletter on Black founders and innovations that has grown into investigating and reporting on Black tech trends, stories, and breaking news.

Black business owners are subject to harsh and even humiliating experiences fueled by racism and sexism on top of the everyday challenges of building a business.

When the work gets frustrating and tempers run hot, Dorsey cautions, “It’s a life-long journey to learn the art of mastering ourselves to navigate challenging times and lead when we feel the weight of the world, but exercising that EQ muscle will shape our forward trajectories when we invest in it frequently and ruthlessly.”

The Harvard Business review backs this up, with emotional intelligence accounting for “nearly 90 percent of what sets high performers apart from peers with similar technical skills and knowledge.”

3. Practice Self-Care

One way to build emotional intelligence is through self-care — as the common saying goes, “Always put on your own oxygen mask first.”

As a long-time serial entrepreneur and industry leader, Wayne Sutton (@WayneSutton), founder of The Icon Project — a company that addresses mental health and professional development needs for Black & Brown men in the tech industry — says, “You need to practice self-care to be emotionally prepared to lead others,” says Sutton.

It’s hard to show up for others when you’re struggling to show up for yourself. All too often, this can lead to stress, exhaustion and burnout. Take the time for yourself in order to excel as a leader.

4. Be Relentless … With Your Calendar

André Blackman (@mindofandre), is the Founder & CEO of Onboard Health, a specialized executive search and talent advisory firm dedicated to building an equitable future of health. Backman encourages being “relentless with your calendar around creating buffer/space for thinking.”

Time is a precious resource we can never keep or replenish. Which is why it’s important to know where your time is going and to make time for yourself. To make sound decisions, leaders need space for reflection and deep thinking. That’s hard to do on a full schedule.

“While tackling fires, writing emails, and providing customer or client results are sometimes necessary, having time for yourself to process and look ahead is essential,” urges Blackman.

5. Ask Big, Bold & Expansive Questions

Tony Robbins once said, “The quality of your questions determine the quality of your life and business.” This quote rings true for Felecia Hatcher (@FeleciaHatcher), co-founder of the Center for Black Innovation, a research think tank building equitable pathways to rid Black communities of innovation deserts.

Hatcher is no stranger to both asking and receiving big, bold questions. This is why she encourages Black business leaders to get into the habit of doing the same with their team — and themselves.

“We must ask big, bold and expansive questions to ourselves and the people around us.” From these questions can emerge “insights [that] will help inform your best next moves.”

You may be the leader, but you don’t have all the answers. By asking “big, bold, and expansive questions”, you can find the possibilities with your team.

Leadership starts with taking care of yourself, your team, and the business as a whole. The lessons in leadership these Black-owned business leaders have shared is just the tip of the iceberg and a great starting point for others to apply right now. Practicing these tips now can improve your leadership for the long run.

Nowadays, Instagram is often someone’s initial contact with a brand, and nearly half of its users
shop on the platform each week. If it’s the entryway for half of your potential sales, don’t you want your profile to look clean and inviting?

Taking the time to create an engaging Instagram feed aesthetic is one of the most effective ways to persuade someone to follow your business’s Instagram account or peruse your posts. You only have one chance to make a good first impression — so it’s critical that you put effort into your Instagram feed.

Finding the perfect place to start is tough — where do you find inspiration? What color scheme should you use? How do you organize your posts so they look like a unit?

We know you enjoy learning by example, so we’ve compiled the answers to all of these questions in a list of stunning Instagram themes. We hope these inspire your own feed’s transformation. But beware, these feeds are so desirable, you’ll have a hard time choosing just one.

Tools to Create Your Own Instagram Theme

Creating a theme on your own requires a keen eye for detail. When you’re editing several posts a week that follow the same theme, you’ll want to have a design tool handy to make that workflow easier. Pre-set filters, color palettes, and graphic elements are just a few of the features these tools use, but if you have a sophisticated theme to maintain, a few of these tools include advanced features like video editing and layout previews. Here are our top five favorite tools to use when editing photos for an Instagram theme.

1. VSCO

Creators look to VSCO when they want to achieve the most unique photo edits. This app is one of the top-ranked photo editing tools among photographers because it includes advanced editing features without needing to pull out all the stops in Photoshop. If you’re in a hurry and want to create an Instagram theme quickly, use one of the 200+ VSCO presets including name-brand designs by Kodak, Agfa, and Ilford. If you’ll be including video as part of your content lineup on Instagram, you can use the same presets from the images so every square of content blends seamlessly into the next no matter what format it’s in.

2. FaceTune2

FaceTune2 is a powerful photo editing app that can be downloaded on the App Store or Google Play. The free version of the app includes all the basic editing features like brightness, lighting, cropping, and filters. The pro version gives you more detailed control over retouching and background editing. For video snippets, use FaceTune Video to make detailed adjustments right from your mobile device — you’ll just need to download the app separately for that capability. If you’re starting to test whether an Instagram theme is right for your brand, FaceTune2 is an affordable tool worth trying.

3. Canva

You know Canva as a user-friendly and free option to create graphics, but it can be a powerful photo editing tool to curate your Instagram theme. For more abstract themes that mix imagery with graphic art, you can add shapes, textures, and text to your images. Using the photo editor, you can import your image and adjust the levels, add filters, and apply unique effects to give each piece of content a look that’s unique to your brand.

4. Adobe Illustrator

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Have you ever used Adobe Illustrator to create interesting overlays and tints for images? You can do the same thing to develop your Instagram theme. Traditionally, Adobe Illustrator is the go-to tool to create vectors and logos, but this software has some pretty handy features for creating photo filters and designs. Moreover, you can layout your artboards in an Instagram-style grid to see exactly how each image will appear in your feed.

5. Photoshop

Photoshop is the most well-known photo editing software, and it works especially well for creating Instagram themes. If you have the capacity to pull out all the stops and tweak every detail, Photoshop will get the job done. Not only are the editing, filter, and adjustment options virtually limitless, Photoshop is great for batch processing the same edits across several images in a matter of seconds. You’ll also optimize your workflow by using photoshop to edit the composition, alter the background, and remove any unwanted components of an image without switching to another editing software to add your filter. With Photoshop, you have complete control over your theme which means you won’t have to worry about your profile looking exactly like someone else’s.

1. Transition

If you aren’t set on one specific Instagram theme, consider the transition theme. With this aesthetic, you can experiment with merging colors every couple of images. For example, you could start with a black theme and include beige accents in every image. From there, gradually introduce the next color, in this case, blue. Eventually, you’ll find that your Instagram feed will seamlessly transition between the colors you choose which keeps things interesting without straying from a cohesive look and feel.

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2. Black and White

A polished black and white theme is a good choice to evoke a sense of sophistication. The lack of color draws you into the photo’s main subject and suggests a timeless element to your business. @Lisedesmet’s black and white feed, for instance, focuses the user’s gaze on the image’s subject, like the black sneakers or white balloon.

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3. Bright Colors

If your company’s brand is meant to imply playfulness or fun, there’s probably no better way than to create a feed full of bright colors. Bright colors are attention-grabbing and lighthearted, which could be ideal for attracting a younger audience. @Aww.sam’s feed, for instance, showcases someone who doesn’t take herself too seriously.

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4. Minimalist

For an artsier edge, consider taking a minimalist approach to your feed, like @emwng does. The images are inviting and slightly whimsical in their simplicity, and cultivate feelings of serenity and stability. The pup pics only add wholesomeness to this minimalist theme. Plus, minimalist feeds are less distracting by nature, so it can be easier to get a true sense of the brand from the feed alone, without clicking on individual posts.

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5. One Color

One of the easiest ways to pick a theme for your feed is to choose one color and stick to it — this can help steer your creative direction, and looks clean and cohesive from afar. It’s particularly appealing if you choose an aesthetically pleasing and calm color, like the soft pink used in the popular hashtag #blackwomeninpink.

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6. Two Colors

If you’re interested in creating a highly cohesive feed but don’t want to stick to the one-color theme, consider trying two. Two colors can help your feed look organized and clean — plus, if you choose branded colors, it can help you create cohesion between your other social media sites the website itself. I recommend choosing two contrasting colors for a punchy look like the one shown in @Dreaming_outloud’s profile.

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7. Pastels

Similar to the one-color idea, it might be useful to choose one color palette for your feed, like @creativekipi’s use of pastels. Pastels, in particular, often used for Easter eggs or cupcake decorations, appear childlike and cheerful. Plus, they’re captivating and unexpected.

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8. One Subject

As evident from @mustdoflorida’s feed (and username), it’s possible to focus your feed on one singular object or idea — like beach-related objects and activities in Florida. If you’re aiming to showcase your creativity or photography skills, it could be compelling to create a feed where each post follows one theme.

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9. Puzzle

Creating a puzzle out of your feed is complicated and takes some planning, but can reap big rewards in terms of uniqueness and engaging an audience. @Juniperoats’ posts, for instance, make the most sense when you look at it from the feed, rather than individual posts. It’s hard not to be both impressed and enthralled by the final result, and if you post puzzle piece pictures individually, you can evoke serious curiosity from your followers.

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10. Unique Angles

Displaying everyday items and activities from unexpected angles is sure to draw attention to your Instagram feed. Similar to the way lines create a theme, angles use direction to create interest. Taking an image of different subjects from similar angles can unite even the most uncommon photos into a consistent theme.

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11. Text Only

A picture is worth a thousand words, but how many pictures is a well-designed quote worth? Confident Woman Co. breaks the rules of Instagram that say images should have a face in them to get the best engagement. Not so with this Instagram theme.

The bright colors and highlighted text make this layout aesthetically pleasing both in the Instagram grid format and as a one-off post on the feed. Even within this strict text-only theme, there’s still room to break up the monotony with a type-treated font and textured background like the last image does in the middle row.

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12. Checkerboard

If you’re not a big fan of horizontal or vertical lines, you might try a checkerboard theme. Similar to horizontal lines, this theme allows you to alternate between content and images or colors as seen in @thefemalehustlers’ feed.

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13. Black or White Borders

While it is a bit jarring to have black or white borders outlining every image, it definitely sets your feed apart from everyone else’s. @Beautifulandyummy, for instance, uses black borders to draw attention to her images, and the finished feed looks both polished and sophisticated. This theme will likely be more successful if you’re aiming to sell fashion products or want to evoke an edgier feel for your brand.

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14. Same Filter

If you prefer uniformity, you’ll probably like this Instagram theme, which focuses on using the same filter (or set of filters) for every post. From close up, this doesn’t make much difference on your images, but from afar, it definitely makes the feed appear more cohesive. @marianna_hewitt, for example, is able to make her posts of hair, drinks, and fashion seem more refined and professional, simply by using the same filter for all her posts.

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15. Flatlays

If your primary goal with Instagram is to showcase your products, you might want a Flatlay theme. Flatlay is an effective way to tell a story simply by arranging objects in an image a certain way and makes it easier to direct viewers’ attention to a product. As seen in @thedailyedited’s feed, a flatlay theme looks fresh and modern.

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16. Vintage

If it aligns with your brand, vintage is a creative and striking aesthetic that looks both artsy and laid-back. And, while “vintage” might sound a little bit vague, it’s easy to conjure. Simply try a filter like Slumber or Aden (built into Instagram), or play around with a third-party editing tool to find a soft, hazy filter that makes your photos look like they were taken from an old polaroid camera.

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17. Repetition

In @girleatworld’s Instagram account, you can count on one thing to remain consistent throughout her feed: she’s always holding up food in her hand. This type of repetition looks clean and engaging, and as a follower, it means I always recognize one of her posts as I’m scrolling through my own feed. Consider how you might evoke similar repetition in your own posts to create a brand image all your own.

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18. Mix-and-match Horizontal and Vertical Borders

While this admittedly requires some planning, the resulting feed is incredibly eye-catching and unique. Simply use the Preview app and choose two different white borders, Vela and Sole, to alternate between horizontal and vertical borders. The resulting feed will look spaced out and clean.

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19. Quotes

If you’re a writer or content creator, you might consider creating an entire feed of quotes, like @thegoodquote feed, which showcases quotes on different mediums, ranging from paperback books to Tweets. Consider typing your quotes and changing up the color of the background, or handwriting your quotes and placing them near interesting objects like flowers or a coffee mug.

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20. Dark Colors

@JackHarding‘s nature photos are nothing short of spectacular, and he highlights their beauty by filtering with a dark overtone. To do this, consider desaturating your content and using filters with cooler colors, like greens and blues, rather than warm ones. The resulting feed looks clean, sleek, and professional.

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21. Rainbow

One way to introduce color into your feed? Try creating a rainbow by slowly progressing your posts through the colors of the rainbow, starting at red and ending at purple (and then, starting all over again). The resulting feed is stunning.

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22. Doodle

Most people on Instagram stick to photos and filters, so to stand out, you might consider adding drawings or cartoon doodles on top of (or replacing) regular photo posts. This is a good idea if you’re an artist or a web designer and want to draw attention to your artistic abilities — plus, it’s sure to get a smile from your followers, like these adorable doodles shown below by @josie.doodles.

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23. Content Elements

Similar elements in your photos can create an enticing Instagram theme. In this example by The Container Store Custom Closets, the theme uses shelves or clothes in each image to visually bring the feed together. Rather than each photo appearing as a separate room, they all combine to create a smooth layout that displays The Container Store’s products in a way that feels natural to the viewer.

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24. Structural Lines

Something about this Instagram feed feels different, doesn’t it? Aside from the content focusing on skyscrapers, the lines of the buildings in each image turn this layout into a unique theme. If your brand isn’t in the business of building skyscrapers, you can still implement a theme like this by looking for straight or curved lines in the photos your capture. The key to creating crisp lines from the subjects in your photos is to snap them in great lighting and find symmetry in the image wherever possible.

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25. Horizontal Lines

If your brand does well with aligning photography with content, you might consider organizing your posts in a thoughtful way — for instance, creating either horizontal or vertical lines, with your rows alternating between colors, text, or even subject distance. @mariahb.makeup employs this tactic, and her feed looks clean and intriguing as a result.

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How to Create an Instagram Theme

1. Choose a consistent color palette.

One major factor of any Instagram theme is consistency. For instance, you wouldn’t want to regularly change your theme from black-and-white to rainbow — this could confuse your followers and damage your brand image. Of course, a complete company rebrand might require you to shift your Instagram strategy, but for the most part, you want to stay consistent with the types of visual content you post on Instagram.

For this reason, you’ll need to choose a color palette to adhere to when creating an Instagram theme. Perhaps you choose to use brand colors. HubSpot’s Instagram, for instance, primarily uses blues, oranges, and teal, three colors prominently displayed on HubSpot’s website and products.

Alternatively, maybe you choose one of the themes listed above, such as black-and-white. Whatever the case, to create an Instagram theme, it’s critical you stick to a few colors throughout all of your content.

2. Use the same filter for each post, or edit each post similarly.

As noted above, consistency is a critical element in any Instagram theme, so you’ll want to find your favorite one or two filters and use them for each of your posts. You can use Instagram’s built-in filters, or try an editing app like VSCO or Snapseed. Alternatively, if you’re going for a minimalist look, you might skip filters entirely and simply use a few editing features, like contrast and exposure.

Whatever you choose, though, you’ll want to continue to edit each of your posts similarly to create a cohesive feed.

3. Use a visual feed planner to plan posts far in advance.

It’s vital that you plan your Instagram posts ahead of time for a few different reasons, including ensuring you post a good variety of content and that you post it during a good time of day.

Additionally, when creating an Instagram theme, you’ll need to plan posts in advance to figure out how they fit together — like puzzle pieces, your individual pieces of content need to reinforce your theme as a whole. To plan posts far in advance and visualize how they reinforce your theme, you’ll want to use a visual Instagram planner like Later or Planoly. Best of all, you can use these apps to preview your feed and ensure your theme is looking the way you want it to look before you press “Publish” on any of your posts.

4. Don’t lock yourself into a theme you can’t enjoy for the long haul.

In middle school, I often liked to change my “look” — one day I aimed for preppy, and the next I chose a more athletic look. Of course, as I got older, I began to understand what style I could stick with for the long haul and started shopping for clothes that fit my authentic style so I wasn’t constantly purchasing new clothes and getting sick of them a few weeks later.

Similarly, you don’t want to choose an Instagram theme you can’t live with for a long time. Your Instagram theme should be an accurate reflection of your brand, and if it isn’t, it probably won’t last. Just because rainbow colors sound interesting at the get-go doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for your company’s social media aesthetic as a whole.

When in doubt, choose a more simple theme that provides you the opportunity to get creative and experiment without straying too far off-theme.

How to Use an Instagram Theme on Your Profile

1. Choose what photos you want to post before choosing your theme.

When you start an Instagram theme, there are so many options to choose from. Filters, colors, styles, angles — the choices are endless. But it’s important to keep in mind that these things won’t make your theme stand out. The content is still the star of the show. If the images aren’t balanced on the feed, your theme will look like a photo dump that happens to have the same filter on it.

To curate the perfect Instagram theme, choose what photos you plan to post before choosing a theme. I highly recommend laying these photos out in a nine-square grid as well so you can see how the photos blend together.

2. Don’t forget the captions.

Sure, no one is going to see the captions of your Instagram photos when they’re looking at your theme in the grid-view, but they will see them when you post each photo individually. There will be times when an image you post may be of something abstract, like the corner of a building, an empty suitcase, or a pair of sunglasses. On their own, these things might not be so interesting, but a thoughtful caption that ties the image to your overall theme can help keep your followers engaged when they might otherwise check out and keep scrolling past your profile.

If you’re having a bit of writer’s block, check out these 201 Instagram captions for every type of post.

3. Switch up your theme with color blocks.

Earlier, we talked about choosing a theme that you can commit to for the long haul. But there’s an exception to that rule — color transitions. Some of the best themes aren’t based on a specific color at all. Rather than using the same color palette throughout the Instagram feed, you can have colors blend into one another with each photo. This way, you can include a larger variety of photos without limiting yourself to specific hues.

A Cohesive Instagram Theme At Your Fingertips

Instagram marketing is more than numbers. As the most visual social media platform today, what you post and how it looks directly affects engagement, followers, and how your brand shows up online. A cohesive Instagram theme can help your brand convey a value proposition, promote a product, or execute a campaign. Colors and filters make beautiful themes, but there are several additional ways to stop your followers mid-scroll with a fun, unified aesthetic.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Whether your customers are shopping for tennis shoes or a marketing automation tool, they care about your product’s features. Features (along with price and design) are one of the main factors people consider when comparing products. 

Would you buy a computer without knowing how much storage it has? Or a pair of yoga pants without knowing whether they stretch? 

Despite their importance, many brands fail to make their product’s features clear on their websites—and that could cause revenue to drop. 

Your product’s features are massive selling points, so they need to be clear and compelling. Here’s how to get your product features right. 

What Is a Product Feature?

A product feature is a characteristic of your product that differentiates it from other products in the market. It could be how it looks (a design feature), how you can use it (a functional feature) or what it comes with (an added-value feature).

Let’s take running shoes as an example. The material of the shoe is a feature, so is the technology in the shoe. Both are highlighted in this example by Nike. 

What about a software product? 

Features typically center on the product’s functionality (what you can do with it), but they can also include integrations or data security. Slack’s feature page below highlights these types of features: 

Features don’t have to be unique to your product, though. As design, technology, and manufacturing processes evolve, some features become standard. You’d be hard-pressed to buy a smartphone without a touchscreen, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a feature brands can talk about.

Whether your product comes with ten features or two, you need to be talking about them across your website including your product descriptions, landing page, and even your homepage. 

Make your product features clear so customers can easily compare you to your competitors. It’s even more important if your product boasts the best features in the industry. The more you shout about them, the more likely consumers are to take notice—and maybe make a purchase. 

7 Strategies for Highlighting Product Features

You know what features are, and you know why they’re important to include on your site. Now let’s look at seven ways e-commerce stores and SaaS tools can effectively leverage them. 

Include Social Proof

Talking about how great your features are is nice, but every other company does the same thing. Even if your product features are superior, customers may not believe you. After all, only one-third of customers trust the brands they buy from. 

You need social proof to convince them your product delivers. Add quotes and testimonials from your customers or trusted third parties that mention your product features to relevant pages. Better yet, include images and videos of them using your product.

Featuring real people showing off your product’s features instantly makes them more credible and makes it much more likely consumers will trust your brand.

UK maternity brand Isabella Oliver does a great job of this, including a quote from Vogue in the product description of a maternity tank dress.

Speak to Your Target Audience

You need to understand your target audience to write about your product features effectively. If you have buyer personas, make sure to refer to them while writing. This will help you prioritize which features your customers care about most.

Start by looking at reviews for your product and those of your competitors—G2 is a great place to start for software companies and Amazon for e-commerce brands. Identify the top features customers talk about and prioritize them.  

Be wary of trying to target everyone. This is particularly important for SaaS products that can have a dozen different use cases. Each target customer should have a dedicated landing page where you speak exclusively about relevant product features. If you try to speak to everyone on one landing page, you’ll end up not targeting any audience well. 

Everlane is an example of a brand who knows their target audience and what they care about. Each product description includes a link to the factory it’s made in and other information related to sustainability.

Focus on the Benefits

Consumers only care so much about what makes your product special. What they really care about is how it benefits them.

Talk about a benefit whenever you mention a feature.

Writing about benefits requires a bit more effort and creativity. Your product’s features are fairly obvious, especially to you. What isn’t so obvious is how the user benefits from them. Think about your customer personas and spend some time reading product reviews. These will help you get into your customers’ minds and focus on the benefits they care about. 

If you really want to do a good job, interview your customers to find out exactly how they benefit from your product. It takes a little more effort, but this is hands-down the best way to tease out the benefits of your product.

One of Hootsuite’s most popular features is the ability to track social media mentions on their dashboard–but that’s not how the brand sells the feature to its users. Instead, they focus on the benefit: finding out what customers really think. They even follow this up with another user-generated benefit of the feature.

Draw Attention to the Important Details

There are some features you’ll want customers to take note of more than others. That’s why it’s important to create a hierarchy of features and look for ways to draw attention to the features consumers care most about. 

To do this, break your page into sections and devote each section to a specific feature. Use a bold heading to grab your reader’s attention and back this up with short, sharp copy and eye-catching imagery. 

Google takes this to the extreme by letting each feature take up all of the screen’s real estate. There’s no way to miss them: 

Another is to remove the navigation menu from your landing page. With no way to move away from the page, users are forced to focus on your sales copy and read about your product’s features. Don’t get carried away using this tactic, however. Most customers won’t be happy with you removing the navigation bar, especially if you’re an e-commerce site. 

Make Information Scannable

Your customers are busy, and most aren’t going to read every word on your page. Instead, they’re going to scan it for key bits of information. It’s your job to make your product features as scannable as possible while still getting across the core message. 

Bullet points are an excellent tool because huge chunks of text are a massive turn-off for readers—especially if you want to share a lot of information. 

Target includes a bullet list of each product’s features on their listing page, so you don’t even have to click them individually to get the need-to-know information.

Use Video and Images

Words aren’t the only way to get across your product features. Images and videos are usually a much better way to get across exactly what your product can do. 

Images are an easy way to show customers how key features look and work. They are particularly powerful for design-focused features and most e-commerce products in general. Bonus points if you include user-generated photos in your descriptions.

UK furniture brand Made did a great job of including user-generated images in their product listings. Potential customers can see exactly what each sofa will look like in a range of settings. 

Videos take a little more work, but they can be even more effective. For example, you could create an explainer video that highlights your product’s core features, or a separate video for each feature.  

Your feature-led videos can also be used as part of your onboarding process and by your sales team during client calls. They can even boost your search rankings, especially if you host them on YouTube. 

Write Blog Posts and Emails

If you have a SaaS product, blog posts, emails, and other forms of content marketing are one of the best ways to highlight your product features—particularly if those features come in the form of new software releases.

Make sure your blog posts talk about the benefits that users can gain from the new features and don’t just talk about the features alone. Plenty of screenshots are also a good idea, so is a video if you can create one.

Unlike other forms of content marketing, there’s no need to post these articles regularly. Writing them when you have a new feature to describe is enough.

Email updates should also be sent sparingly. Only email when you have a new feature to announce and keep your email succinct. Only include the key details in the email and link to a more in-depth blog post if necessary.

Existing users will learn about the new features when using the software, so it may be wise to only send an email about features that may re-engage lost customers.

Asana’s blog is filled with feature-focused blog posts. Note that many don’t focus on individual features. Rather they cluster feature releases around a particular topic and write about that instead.

3 Examples of Product Feature Highlights

If the examples above weren’t enough for you, I’ve got three more examples of brands that do a great job highlighting their product features.

Apple

Few companies are better than Apple at creating buzz about their products. There aren’t many better at highlighting their product’s benefits, either. 

Apple makes a point of creating a new banner for every feature, pairs each with a user benefit, and includes high-quality images and graphics. Even if you already have an iPhone, reading their product pages makes you want to upgrade.

Amazon

Amazon is famous for its in-depth product listings, but those listings are also great at highlighting each product’s most important features. 

The clear layout makes it easy for customers to skim the product description, and bullet points highlight the most important features. There’s even a video showcasing the product in detail. 

Tesla

Tesla combines several of the tactics mentioned above to highlight the key features of the Model 3. Each feature is given a hierarchy—security is first—and takes up the entire page. They also use graphics to illustrate points and annotations to draw attention to specific features.

Frequently Asked Questions About Product Features

What are product features?

Your product features are any characteristic of your product that makes it stand out and separates it from your competitors. It can include the look and design of the product, how it’s made, or what you can do with it.

What are examples of product features?

For an e-commerce product, the material the product is made with can be a feature—if it’s made from recycled plastic, for example. For SaaS products, features include the functionality of the product. The ability to instantly message colleagues is a feature of Slack, for instance.

What’s the difference between a product feature and a benefit?

A feature is a characteristic of your product. A benefit is how a customer can use that characteristic to overcome a pain point.

How can I highlight the features of my SaaS product?

A sales page is an excellent way to highlight all of the features of your SaaS products. Blog posts, videos, and demos are also great ways to highlight SaaS features.

How can I highlight the features of my e-commerce product?

Your product description is the best place to highlight the features of your e-commerce product. Make sure they are easy to read and stand out from the rest of your copy.

The Conclusion of My Product Features Guide

Showcasing your product features is a hugely underrated tactic. Marketers and salespeople will tell you to focus on the benefits of your product rather than the features. While benefits are important, they rely on explaining your features clearly first. Features are also one of the most common ways potential customers compare your product with your competitors. 

Take time to determine which features are most important and get opinions from current customers if you can. Then use the seven tactics I’ve listed above to make them as clear as possible on your site.

Which features of your product are you most proud of?