Category: Internet Marketing

Microsoft on the future of advertising and conversational AI

Microsoft is reviewing different ways to implement conversational AI within the Microsoft advertising platform, Kya Sainsbury-Carter, corporate vice president of Microsoft advertising, told Greg Finn yesterday at SMX Advanced.

That’s one thing we learned yesterday from the keynote, which explored how conversational AI might radically change search marketing.

From higher CTRs to increased ROIs to conversational AI making an appearance in ads for the first time, Bing Chat has been specifically designed to tackle universal problems experienced with traditional search, according to Sainsbury-Carter.

Here’s a recap of the wide-ranging SMX Advanced keynote interview.

Tackling traditional search issues

The new Bing, unveiled in February, was designed to succeed where traditional search results can sometimes fail.

  • “The universal problem with traditional search is that billions of searches fall short of the mark. It can be hard at times to find the information that people are seeking, and so we launched Bing Chat to bring better search results and answers to complex questions,” Sainsbury-Carter said.

Microsoft has worked on solving historic search issues by combining the power of large language models like open AIs with its own search index.

  • “This is to ensure we’re delivering results that are current, that are cited and, as I said, that are conversational,” Sainsbury-Carter said.

The new Bing for advertisers: ‘so far, so good’

While it may be early days, Microsoft has confirmed that there have already been more than half a billion Bing Chat conversations since its launch, with more than 70% thumbs up for the answers it serves.

In addition, people have created more than 200 million pictures with Bing Image Creator.

Early data indicates great news for advertisers too, as Microsoft’s conversational AI is driving a higher click-through rate than traditional search, which is subsequently leading to increased conversions.

  • “It’s because the user journey is shortened, so there is a faster path to conversions. So far, so good, would be the summary here,” Sainsbury-Carter said.

Sainsbury-Carter did not reveal any specific numbers. But she did reveal that increased CTR applies to both search results and ads, which is promising news for search marketers.

In more good news for advertisers: Microsoft is working on more opportunities for advertisers to further boost user engagement, which could again result in an uplift in conversions.

Conversational AI comes to Microsoft Ads

Sainsbury-Carter stressed that the company was committed to investing in integrating chat AI, noting that Bing Chat is “stronger than ever”. She added:

  • “We’re doing a lot of work to understand how we can use Chat to drive internal efficiencies to make sure our people are working on the highest valued, most complex work. So you know there’s the platform aspect of it and there’s the internal aspect of it – both of which we think are very meaningful.”

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From keywords to topics

Microsoft has suggested that advertisers can expect traditional keyword targeting to shift towards a topic-centric approach with conversational AI. Explaining the change, Sainsbury-Carter said:

  • “If I’m trying to find a dress for a wedding in Chicago in July and I type in a traditional search query, I’m likely to get results for dresses for weddings – and for Chicago. But if I put that same query into Chat, Chat can put together something that says, OK, it’s hot and humid in July in that part of the country and therefore show me a sleeveless flowy dress and a lightweight fabric.
  • “What’s happening is we’re expanding our understanding of intent…rather than just matching answers to keywords and so it definitely turns the idea of keyword bids on its head. We think this offers a tremendous opportunity for ads to match the conversation better and will lead to better ROI.”

Rethinking traditional ads

Sainsbury-Carter explained that Microsoft is taking a new approach when it comes to ads, the user experience and ROI scenarios:

  • “We’re being more thoughtful about monetization within the experience. So, for example, in Chat mode, when you see sources cited, those citations will be a mix of algorithmic results, like you would see in traditional search, as well as some ad placements.”

Visual ads

Visual ads are another major newer feature that should be of interest to marketers, according to visual ads.

  • “The ads we’re running in the new Bing Chat experience include both text ads that appear upon hover, and then more visual ads served in line with the conversation, such as a multimedia vertical pr product ad.”

Microsoft is making visual ads a huge priority and has already been trialing this feature for hotel ads. Next, it’s planning to roll out this experience for travel and real estate verticals.

Although the spotlight is currently on conversational AI, Sainsbury-Carter said this isn’t the end of traditional search:

  • “Traditional search isn’t going away and there are good reasons to continue using it. That’s why we’re also focusing on delivering more visual and immersive experiences, as well as new vertical ad experience that you can’t find on any other platform.”

Ads quality over quantity

Bing Chat launched with ads and the plan is to ensure that they remain an integrated part of the chat experience – just as they are with traditional search. However, Microsoft is focusing on improving the ad experience by making sure that ads served are relevant and meet user intent.

  • “It’s less about how many people are seeing the ads and more about the questions people are asking the new Bing, and how we respond to those queries. That’s how we’re thinking about it – not so much about numbers but in terms of matching queries,” added Sainsbury-Carter.
Advertising

Huge opportunities for small businesses

Conversational AI is resulting in people running queries 3x the length seen on average in traditional search, meaning that they are giving more details. This extra information is helping bots to better understand user intent and so they are able to serve more detailed responses.

  • “We do see a big opportunity here for small businesses. They need that extra details because they’re not looking to cover the entire world…so that opportunity to get more detailed is key.”

Small local businesses looking to improve their SERP rankings have also been advised to ensure they have Bing maps on their website. “It’s not required for ads,” said Sainsbury-Carter. “But it does help!”

Driving traffic to news publishers

Microsoft has introduced a chat API, which is going to be made available to news publishers that want to implement chatbot technology in their websites.

Whether publishers source their AI chat experiences from Microsoft or not, Microsoft Advertising can help them to monetize their services by serving relevant ads designed specifically for the chat experience.

  • “This solution gives publishers and app companies flexibility and control over the user experience – because nobody knows their audience better than they do,” added Sainsbury-Carter. “They can choose the ad formats they believe are best for their audience and integrate that in a way that feels most natural to their native experience. We’re super excited about bringing that out into the market more broadly.”

Dig deeper: Microsoft’s vision for a prosperous content ecosystem in a generative AI world

Bing Chat isn’t perfect – but Microsoft is learning ‘very quickly’

Sainsbury-Carter acknowledged that safety and privacy concerns have been a huge talking point for search marketers. She stressed that addressing these issues has been a priority for Microsoft.

She pointed out that Bing Chat has been designed in partnership with AI experts and is in line with Microsoft’s Responsible AI Principles.

  • “We made sure we were leveraging the expertise of Microsoft to ensure that we weren’t reinventing the wheel with this. And we are continuing to learn lessons from real world experiences and real world testing,” Sainsbury-Carter said.

Microsoft has taken many steps to prevent the abuse of its technology, such as limiting the number of sequential chats per session and limiting the total number of chats per day.

However, while Bing Chat has been developed to Microsoft’s highest standards, Carter admitted that they are expecting teething issues.

  • “We didn’t bring the product out and say it’s perfect or that you should use it in every instantiation of every interaction and it is going to be perfect. We are learning, but we’re learning very quickly so that we can continue to evolve our approach.”

The post Microsoft on the future of advertising and conversational AI appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/microsoft-conversational-ai-advertising-428289

Major Looker Studio GA4 connector update adds 170 new fields

Looker Studio has rolled out a major update to its system, unveiling 170 new fields for reporting. In order to access the new data, users must refresh their GA4 data sources.

Why we care: You can now create more in-depth, detailed Looker Studio reports because they will have access to data that previously wasn’t available. Advertisers are particularly excited as they’ll have insights into landing page, user conversion, page location and session conversion rates by event data, which will help them to make more informed decisions with regards to ad placements and campaigns moving forward.

What are the new fields: An impressive 170 new fields have been implemented – so we’ve just highlighted some of personal favourites here:

  • Ads clicks & cost
  • Average session duration
  • Landing page
  • Page location
  • Page referrer
  • Session & user conversion rate
  • Session conversion rate by event name
  • Time dimensions like hour or week

How do you get the new fields? To get access to Looker Studio’s new fields, follow these step-by-step instructions:

  • Click on ‘Data Sources’ in their Looker Studio account.
  • Select the GA4 source you wish to update and select the ‘Refresh Fields’ button in the bottom left corner.
  • A new window will then pop up on your screen with all 170 new fields listed.
  • Click on ‘Apply’.
  • All the new fields should then appear in your existing reports.
  • You’re all set!

Some marketers may not have access to all 170 new fields right away. The number of new fields your account has access to will depends on how many conversion events you have.

The post Major Looker Studio GA4 connector update adds 170 new fields appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/looker-studio-new-fields-update-428345

Why Companies Struggle with Employee Retention and How to Fix It

Home Business Magazine Online

By Izzy Galicia, President and CEO – Incito Consulting Group, San Francisco, California

It’s time to change the way the world does business. Thankfully, many businesses over the world are starting to wake up to and recognize this reality. Part of the reason why it’s becoming more common now is that they realize they’ve been hemorrhaging talent for years.

Fixing a company’s staffing problems will require some major shifts within its corporate culture, but this change will benefit everyone, increasing employees’ well-being and productivity.

Why companies struggle to retain talent

Many business leaders and C-Suite executives wonder why their efforts to attract and keep employees continue to fail. They launch initiative after initiative, aiming to solve this persistent problem, and yet none of it seems to work.

That’s because these palliatives don’t address the root of the problem. The main reason companies lose talent is due to leadership not responding proactively or handling negative feedback well. The result is a pervasive corporate culture of employee passivity, obedience, and disengagement. In short, employees learn that honest feedback won’t be handled properly, so they stop giving it, quietly check out, and start revising their resumes.

In my experience, many C-Suite executives attempt to embrace and communicate an employee-first, upward “feedforward” culture. However, deeds can speak louder than words, and their “I know better” persona continues to dissuade truthful but negative feedback.

Ending this kind of toxic culture requires explicit intervention.

Fixing the underlying issue

To start solving this problem, first understand that negative feedback from employees is a gift. In fact, problems within the organization are more prone to arise when employees don’t give it.

With this shift in mindset, organizations can break the cycle of suppressing negative information and create a culture where truth-tellers are welcomed. Employees who are willing to provide negative feedback draw attention to problems, which are really just new opportunities in disguise.

By understanding the value of negative feedback, business leaders can start creating an environment that allows employees to push back when it would be advantageous for the company. Toward that end, C-Suite executives should embrace lean leadership behaviors, which cultivate a corporate culture in which contrarian opinions are embraced.

Business leaders’ mental and emotional states have been shown to spread quickly throughout their enterprises, so this transformation can only happen from the top down. High-level executives have the power to squelch dissent, but they can also demonstrate the forbearance, good humor, humility, and curiosity that signal a truly open mind.

How companies benefit

The advantages of this approach are many. First of all, when employees feel free to discuss their concerns, leadership gains a better understanding of the reality their organization faces. Listening to staff members at all levels enables executives to develop a thorough picture of their company and make better decisions.

Second, when employees point out problems, managers gain the ability to address them. If people with a wide range of perspectives can share freely, then the business will be maximally protected. Moreover, seizing the opportunities inherent in these problems also opens up the possibility of creative problem-solving and innovation. This approach also promotes a growth mindset that has been associated with happier employees and greater innovation.

Finally, healthy corporate cultures have been associated with increased productivity and profitability. Employees tend to feel more valued, be more engaged, and demonstrate heightened motivation in these environments. They also tend to stay in their positions, rather than leave for a competitor.

Executives need to stand tall, welcome criticism as a learning experience, and apply negative feedback in a way that grows the company. As soon as they adopt this new perspective, they’ll start seeing positive results and easily retain employees.

The post Why Companies Struggle with Employee Retention and How to Fix It appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Original source: https://homebusinessmag.com/management/employees/companies-struggle-employee-retention-fix/

Best Ways to Travel in Business

Home Business Magazine Online

When you have a business, chances are you might deal with some high profile clients. These can bring in a lot of new money for your company, but in order to get them on board (or keep them) they might require a fair amount of schmoozing. You want to show that you mean business and are high profile enough to take them on board, particularly if you work in the luxury field. If you are looking to give a luxurious experience and really impress, there are a few things you can do. Here we have rounded up a few ways to impress your clients.

Think about how you transport them to your destination

If you are meeting a high profile client and want them to come to you, or if you are meeting them in another location, you need to consider how you will transport them around. Instead of picking them up from the airport in an old cab, or having them fly in economy, why not go one step further? You could book them a Private Jet via JetApp which is an effortless and easy way to book them a plane that is guaranteed to go above and beyond. You could then pick them up from the airport in a chauffeur driven car or limousine.

Book them in to a fancy hotel

When you are sorting out the accommodation for your client, don’t put them up in any old chain hotel. Instead think of something that is guaranteed to impress. You could have them stay in a hotel with a view that is sure to take their breath away. Or why not find somewhere totally unique? There are a host of great hotels you can find that you can book in for them. It can be a good idea to find somewhere with a restaurant or nice bar too as you could meet here for a meeting.

Give them something that is branded for them

If you are looking to onboard them as a client of your business, why not put their branding on one of your products, or on something they will find really useful? You could get them a tablet or iPad that you put their and your branding on. Or why not create a prototype of the product you are pitching so you can show it to them in the flesh? Going above and beyond in your presentation and showing a product can really give you the edge against any competition you might have.

These are just a few examples of how you can work with high-profile clients and how you can impress them. If you have the budget to really go above and beyond, there are some amazing things you can do to introduce new clients and elevate your own company to the next level. Have you got some high profile client meetings coming up? If so, what are some things you’re going to do to try and impress? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.

The post Best Ways to Travel in Business appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Original source: https://homebusinessmag.com/lifestyles/travel/best-ways-travel-business/

Philanthropists James Dooley & Karl Hudson Invest in EEAT SEO Agency with Alpha Digital Group Ltd

Home Business Magazine Online

James Dooley is a major name in various industries within the UK, as is the name of Karl Hudson. Together, the two entrepreneurs have invested in the EEAT SEO agency, sparking some major changes and improvements for the group.

But why is this notable, and who are these two investors that you have probably heard the names of multiple times before?

Whether you are familiar with them or not, it is important to understand who these two figures are. Chances are they have at least some connection to your life, whether that is them investing in a service you use or owning a company that you have relied on in the past.

Who are James Dooley and Karl Hudson?

While both of these major figures came from completely different backgrounds, the pair have built up their own presence in the world with completely different methods.

James Dooley is a major digital landlord and investor in the UK, having influenced countless online platforms and businesses while also marketing himself as a business expert. A serial investor, he has been a core part of many businesses finding success, using his expertise to pick out companies that are likely to succeed.

Karl Hudson is another digital landlord with over twenty years of SEO and digital marketing experience. Not only does he own his own digital marketing and link building agencies, but he constantly works to grow even more companies under his ownership.

Why are they investing together?

Dooley and Hudson have invested in the same businesses multiple times in the past and cultivated networks of partners and contacts that have helped them find their current success. It is only natural to see them both investing in the same businesses – after all, they are both experienced at identifying investment opportunities.

The pair have created their own investment business with Alpha Digital Group and have invested in a range of new businesses across various different industries. EEAT SEO is only one of many stories of them investing in a business that they see potential in, and it is hard to doubt their expertise on that fact.

What do these investments mean?

In realistic terms, these investments in EAAT SEO are mostly for the company’s benefit. Like a lot of the SEO businesses that the pair have invested in prior (either on their own or as a pair), it is only going to push EEAT SEO into stronger working relationships and a more stable position.

Investments from names like these often mean that they see potential in a business and are willing to invest in order to guide it towards that potential. For people relying on those companies already, you can expect services to get better and the business itself to improve.

Of course, investment is never without risk. There is always a chance that James Dooley and Karl Hudson may be wrong about a company or that their investments will take longer than expected to pay off. What’s important is that these investments, whether smart or risky, cause a change in both the business and the whole market or industry.

The post Philanthropists James Dooley & Karl Hudson Invest in EEAT SEO Agency with Alpha Digital Group Ltd appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Original source: https://homebusinessmag.com/businesses/business-spotlights/philanthropists-james-dooley-karl-hudson-invests-eeat-seo-agency-alpha-digital-group-ltd/

Google Marketing Live 2023: Reactions from the experts

Google Marketing Live 2023 made it clear that AI is going to change the role of digital marketing in a big way. At SMX Advanced, Julia Friedman, owner of PPC consultancy Neptune Moon, discussed how advertisers can both prepare for and thrive in the AI revolution, with fellow industry experts:

  • Gil Gildner, co-founder of PPC agency Disco Sloth
  • Julia Vyse, West Coast digital director for iProspect Canada
  • Melissa Liu, associate director of California ad agency RPA.

The AI revolution has arrived – with huge perks!

The SMX panel was in agreement that AI is going to make life easier for digital marketers in many ways. Gill noted that smaller businesses in particular that perhaps do not have the budget to hire human contractors would benefit from using AI tools.

Liu also pointed out that AI will relieve advertisers from time-consuming tasks such as generating ad copy. However, she stressed that it was important for marketers to not become complacent: “As a search marketers, I now need to think about how I can shift my role to be more strategic. I also need to think about what new skills I need to learn to better myself.”

The role of digital marketers is changing

All three guest speakers as well as the panel’s host were in agreement that the role of PPC advertisers is evolving – and that it is a “concern” for the industry. Explaining how his agency is going to adapt to the AI revolution, Gill said:

  • “We’re going to go super strategic. It’s inevitable that it soon wont matter as much what buttons we’re clicking. There will be a lot of strategy and tactics and, honestly, client education and shepherding that we’re going to have to do. It’s inevitable that our roles are going to change and it will be important to stay on top of that.”

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Should marketers question their optimism around AI?

Vyse was hugely excited about the changes Google discussed for digital marketers. She also spoke about her appreciation for being told in advance about how the industry would be evolving.

  • “It’s nice to get a bit of a head up as opposed to have something dropped on us in the middle of the year,” she joked.

However, Vyse added that while AI is going to help advertisers, the industry should also prepare itself for unexpected issues.

  • “There’s a lot of optimism around AI, but perhaps that’s something we should question,” she added.

New AI tools will help ‘smaller brands’

Google Marketing Live unveiled a number of new tools for digital marketers, such as Product Studio, which Gill noted would be hugely beneficial for small and medium-sized businesses:

  • “Some smaller brands don’t have the budget to do professional photoshoots for every single product – even though it’s massively valuable. We see an uplift every time we have good media for a client whether it’s a TV commercial or product listing.
  • “So Product Studio is huge for e-commerce agencies. It will allow smaller brands to have better creative control. I don’t think it’ll help bigger brands that much but definitely mid size to smaller brands.”

Concerns around AI generated content

After Google unveiled new tools to help marketers write ad copy, Liu admitted she was excited but keen to learn what the editorial quality would be.

  • “Writing ad copy require a deep understanding of your customer and what your unique selling position is. I’m curious to see if AI will give me and my competitors similar copy or will AI copy be tailored to my unique brand?” she said.

Liu voiced her concerns over the loss of originality and a brand’s tone of voice if the industry relies too heavily on AI-generated copy. However, she stressed that it will fall on the shoulders of digital advertisers to to ensure this problem doesn’t impact their brands. Explaining how she intends to address this issue, she said:

  • “One idea that resonates is quality of input and how I, as a search marketer, can better input into the system to differentiate myself against my competitors. Yes, our roles are changing, but how do we put that human touch to best guide AI to perform better for us?”
Alphabet Inc.

Issues around AI imagery

Liu was also excited about Google’s launch of AI tools that can create unique images. However, when she was watching the demonstration of the search engine’s new tools, she had some concerns:

  • “There were automatically generated images using pictures taken from your website as well as stock photos. One concern I have is that if me and my competitor have very similar product offerings and want to communicate the same benefits, will AI give us similar stock images? Because that will pose a problem,” Liu said.

Exciting news for retail – not so much for finance

For digital marketers working on retail campaigns, Vyse pointed out that the AI generative properties and front-end user experience changes unveiled by Google are exciting news. She said:

  • “I work with a lot of retail businesses and restaurants, so I’m interested in footfall traffic, and how people interact with their map. When you’re experiencing what is to get directions and go somewhere, such as a retailer who I support, I’m really interested in what that’s going to look like for customers.”

Discussing the new backend generative features, Vyse added:

  • “All the stuff they’re doing to change how we build and measure campaigns is going to be great and not so great. For my retailers and restaurant clients, it’s going to be fantastic. Everything is going to be much simpler with a lot more thought leadership and strategy from us as opposed to button pressing. But on the other hand, for anyone who works in a highly regulated industry like finance, there might be some challenges.”

Searchers are changing their behaviours

After watching the Google Marketing Live discussion, Liu noted how the way searches are conducted online have also changed dramatically.

In 2011, she noted that consumers consulted 10 or more sources before making a purchases. Fast-forward to 2023, and people tend to consult just five sources online.

  • “In a culture where we’re research obsessed, I’m surprised it’s dropped so much. I wonder if it’s because people are getting information fatigue of if we’re just getting much better at researching and so less sources are needed to make that decision. With AI becoming an integral part of our lives, I’m curious to see if that number will change in the next couple of years,” Liu said.

What’s next for Google Ads?

Gil said he expects the industry to change significantly in the near future:

  • “I wouldn’t be surprised if Google Ads is entirely different in a year or two. There are always trends, but I was surprised at seeing all the tools Google is launching. I think it may actually be changing this time.”

Although he is anticipating huge changes to the industry, Gill stressed that as long as the experience is still good for both the searcher and the client, then the AI revolution will be positive. But there will undoubtedly be teething issues and the industry will simply need to adapt.

The post Google Marketing Live 2023: Reactions from the experts appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/google-marketing-live-smx-expert-reactions-428197

Twitter will start paying verified content creators in coming weeks, says Elon Musk

Twitter is going to start paying its verified content creators for adverts served in their replies over the next few weeks. Elon Musk, who has owned the social networking site since October 2022, announced that the first block payment totals $5 million – however, he has set some conditions.

What’s new: Under Musk’s new rules, content creators will receive cash for ads in their replies, but only if they are verified. In addition, the billionaire added “only ads served to verified users count”.

Why we care: This news means that advertisers will have another potential stream of revenue on Twitter.

Why now? Musk’s announcement comes as advertising guru Linda Yaccarino prepares to join Twitter as its new CEO. It is hoped that her leadership will help restore trust in the platform after ad revenue plummeted following some of Musk’s restructuring decisions – including laying off almost half of Twitter’s 7,50-strong workforce.

Prompting concern around ad placement, ad spend took a huge hit and was down roughly 20% year on year, according to research from Sensor Tower and Insider Intelligence.

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What has Twitter said? Musk wrote on Twitter:

  • “In a few weeks, X/Twitter will start paying creators for ads served in their replies. First block payment totals $5M. Note, the creator must be verified and only ads served to verified users count.”

In March, Musk opened up about his high hopes for the future of Twitter’s ad sales despite its recent challenges. Taking to Twitter, he revealed his target of increasing the platform’s current 5 to 6 cents per hour of user attention to 15 or more cents. The billionaire explained he aims to achieve this through more relevant and timely ads.

Further details are expected to follow shortly.

Timeline:

  • October 2022 – Musk buys Twitter for approximately $44 billion after months of negotiations.
  • October 2022 – A number of Twitter’s top bosses are reportedly laid off, including CEO Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal, chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde and general counsel Sam Edgett.
  • November 2022 – Musk begins the biggest lay-off of staff in Twitter’s history by initiating talks to axe almost half of its staff around the globe.
  • November 2022 – Twitter turns it blue tick verification system into a paid for service at a cost of $8 per month. Public figures from Beyonce to Cristian Ronaldo lose their blue ticks over night, resulting in a surge of fake profiles impersonating public figures.
  • February 2023 – Post frequency dives by 20% on Twitter.
  • April 2023 – Twitter is dropped from Microsoft’s Ad platform.
  • April 2023 – Musk enforces mandatory verification on advertisers.
  • May 2023 – Linda Yaccarino is announced as the new CEO of Twitter.
  • June 2023 – Twitter’s US ad revenue drop 59%.
  • June 2023 – Musk announced Twitter will begin paying verified content creators for ads served in their replies.

The post Twitter will start paying verified content creators in coming weeks, says Elon Musk appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/twitter-pay-verified-content-creators-elon-musk-428170

Make cash renting out your driveway

Do you live in a particularly prime transport location? Do you have a garage or driveway sitting unoccupied and begging to be used? Why not turn it into a money-spinner by renting it out?

Thousands of people in the UK rent out parking spaces and if you live in a big city or near an airport you could make as much as £17,000 a year! Who wouldn’t want that? We here to help you figure out if it’s the way to go for you:

What’s the deal?

Make cash renting out your driveway or garage

Don’t ignore the possibilities of other people parking on your land, especially if you live close to a station or in a busy, urban area with little parking but lots of businesses.

If you have a garage but no car, you could potentially rent it out for others to park in. For many people who live in popular, big-city destinations, demand for parking can be huge meaning you’ll never be short of people looking to use your driveway or garage.

But the utility doesn’t stop there, particularly if you have a garage. What about letting bands use it as a rehearsal room? Who knows, you might be one of the first to discover the next Coldplay or The 1975.

How do you do it?

Make cash renting out your driveway or garage

There are many ways to go about renting out a space. You can let your garage through a property-letting agent, particularly in major cities where hiring a garage can cost the same as a small flat! For Londoners, there are also websites like London Garages that deal solely in garage rental if you want to work through an agent.

Renting out your driveway is even simpler. You might think it sounds archaic but you can put ads in local papers, in the local newsagent or even on your front gate to bring in customers. If you live near a station, see if they will let you put a notice up there then see how much the station car park charges per day and try to undercut them: legitimate but crafty!

Renting out your driveway is even simpler. Put ads in local papers or in the local newsagent or even on your front gate. If you live near a station, see if they will let you put a notice up there. Then see how much the station car park charges per day and try to undercut them – crafty!

Even better, register with sites such as Park Let or JustPark and let thousands of people know about your available space. Various websites offer you the chance to advertise your space for free but these are two of the most established sites and both offer a comprehensive service. Compare various websites below if you want to advertise online.

Alternatively, you can cut out online agents by putting an ad on Gumtree but remember that you’ll have to do a lot of the legwork yourself including working out contracts and payments.

Plus, make money renting out your electricity

Anyone I know who has an electric car, or has hired one, complains bitterly about how difficult it is to charge it. Apparently there can be miles and miles between charging stations, many of them don’t work and if they do you have to have the right app to use them. Nightmare!

However, if you have an electric car, and therefore have an EV charging point in your drive, you could make thousands over the year by renting it out to other electric vehicle owners. There are over 780,000 fully electric cars on the road in the UK, according to ZapMap, which means that there are a lot of other drivers looking for charging points as they travel.

Typically, an electric vehicle only need charging twice a week, depending on how often you use it, so that means the charging point is free for most of the time. According to LeaseElectricCar.co.uk, it costs, on average, £17 to charge an electric vehicle from ‘empty’ to 100pc at home. The rest of the time that charging point is sitting there not being used. However, if you rent the parking space (with charger) out to two motorists a week for £25 you could make £2,600 a year.

You can offer your EV charging space through Just Park and also at CoCharger and Book My Charge.

A closer look at the parking sites

JustPark: It’s free to advertise your space, but they do charge a 3% commission on every successful booking. Also, be aware that for longer bookings (more than two months), they deduct 20% from your first month’s payment, but after that it goes back to 3%.

Their service includes a professionally drafted contract to download (there are actually six to choose from) and a completely flexible rental arrangement – you decide exactly when and for how long you rent your space for.

EasyParking: This app hooks up parking spaces with those looking for them. Payment is made upfront so you receive payment for the space before your buyer has even arrived. They charge 10% commission on each of your bookings.

Renters can book a space with just a couple of clicks, so it’s a straightforward process for both you and the buyer.

Park Let: This is the most restrictive option as it deals only with five or seven-day contracts. While it’s free to advertise your space, they do charge a 20% commission on your monthly rental earnings as well as an additional admin fee of £25 (+ VAT) for the first month.

Again, however, for this price they deal with all the contracts and processing payments and put in the extra work by negotiating with tenants on your behalf, collecting all monthly rental amounts using Direct Debit and helping out should any problems arise during the tenancy period, which makes life just that little bit easier.

YourParkingSpace: Renting out your driveway on this site is absolutely free and you won’t have to pay a service fee, as a 20% charge is added to your price automatically. They also provide users with places to park by the hour, rather than for the extended periods Park Let offer.

Make cash renting out your driveway or garage

How much can you make?

Depending on where you live, you can earn from £40 to £350 a month.

I know, amazing right? Aside from the costs of advertising (if you’ve taken out an ad, or used one of the parking websites that charges commission), and perhaps new locks and some extra keys, there should be few other costs or burden on your time.

How much you can earn will depend on both the location and the length of time you’re renting out spaces for.

JustPark says that most people letting out their driveway can expect to earn around £30 a week. However, if you live near major public transport route or in a city centre you could make over £3,000 a year and if you only want to rent out your space every now and then and you’re near a popular sports or entertainment venue your space could be worth £10 per day!

Clean Air Zones

If you live near a ‘Clean Air Zone’, you could potentially make £1,000 a year.

Those living near a proposed Clean Air Zone, where certain vehicles will pay a penalty charge to enter, could earn more than £1,000 per year by renting out their driveways as parking spaces for drivers looking to avoid the daily driving charge.

Birmingham will have one of the first Clear Air Zones in 2020, but other cities under discussion include Edinburgh, Cambridge and Aberdeen, with 60 local authorities having either considered, or considering, clean air measures.

According to YourParkingSpace, many of the areas being considered are already rented driveway parking hotspots, so the new zones will only add to the value of your driveway.

On top of that, renting out your driveway helps the environment by reducing the need for cars to drive around looking for empty parking spaces.

Is it for me?

This is an easy and non-intrusive way of making some regular money.

The best thing about this money-maker is that you decide how flexible you want to be – if you don’t want to rent out your driveway or garage all the time, there’s no obligation to do so. On most of the sites, there are availability calendars so you can simply select the times your space is available whether it’s half an hour here and there, or a whole year!

However, you could find that having someone else’s car in your driveway causes too much noise, dirt and nuisance in the long-term. For band rehearsals, you would obviously have to have fairly distant neighbours and be able to put up with it yourself.

Check your insurance

You will need to check with your home insurance provider to ensure that renting out your driveway or garage doesn’t affect your policy, and any extra cash you make must be declared to the Inland Revenue on your tax return.

If you like the sound of renting out your driveway or garage, we think you’ll love our articles Rent a room for tax-free cash and Your home as a film set.

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PDF Editors for Researchers: Annotate, Cite, and Organize Effortlessly

Home Business Magazine Online

The modern era of research is characterized by an incessant flow of information, primarily in digital form. Among these, the Portable Document Format (PDF) has emerged as a universal standard, often serving as the preferred mode of information exchange in the research community. As a researcher, you might find yourself constantly dealing with PDFs — journals, articles, reports, and the like. This calls for a tool that transcends the typical role of a document viewer. Enter the realm of PDF editing, a transformative concept that can significantly streamline your research process.

More Than Just Underlining

Imagine a tool that allows you to highlight text, add comments, draw shapes, or even insert multimedia elements right into your PDF document. Efficient annotation is about creating a dynamic interaction with your documents. Instead of passive reading, you’re engaging, noting down thoughts, queries, and ideas that spring up as you comb through complex research material. This active engagement can be incredibly useful, helping you grasp complex concepts, remember crucial points, and create valuable summaries.

Citation Management: The Heart of Academic Integrity

Any seasoned researcher knows the importance of citations. They are crucial not just for acknowledging the original work but also for the integrity and credibility of your own research. Advanced PDF editors can provide functionalities to manage and organize citations directly within the PDF. This means you can insert, format, and manage your citations without leaving your document. Such a feature can save a lot of time and effort that would otherwise be spent juggling between your document and citation tools.

Organizational Capabilities: Streamline Your Research Journey

A key challenge for researchers is the organization of their vast troves of information. Imagine being able to tag your PDFs, create customized folders, and have a search functionality within your PDF library! These tools can significantly enhance your productivity, saving time wasted on searching for documents or specific information within them. By efficiently organizing your resources, you can have a seamless research journey, with all necessary information at your fingertips when needed.

Concluding Remarks: Choosing Your PDF Editor Wisely

While the market is flooded with PDF editors boasting various features, choosing one that aligns with your research needs can be a daunting task. But the key is to remember your core requirements. Are you looking for in-depth annotation features or a sophisticated citation manager? Maybe you want superior organization functionalities? Or perhaps a combination of all three?

Remember that the best PDF editing software for you is one that simplifies and enhances your research process. So, whether you are embarking on a new research project or are in the midst of one, consider exploring the transformative power of PDF editors. It could be the tool that makes your research journey not only more manageable but also more enjoyable.

In the rapidly evolving digital era, researchers need to leverage the right tools to keep up with the pace. And as this article suggests, a robust PDF editor could be just that — your perfect partner in the intricate world of research.

The post PDF Editors for Researchers: Annotate, Cite, and Organize Effortlessly appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Original source: https://homebusinessmag.com/businesses/success-tips/pdf-editors-researchers-annotate-cite-organize-effortlessly/