Author: Complete Controller

The world of digital content has grown multi-fold, thanks to video marketing. Video streaming is utilized by brands everywhere as interactive content that keeps the audience engaged and interactively delivers the message. In the 21st century, where brands compete for their share of top-of-the-mind recall, nearly every brand uses some moving visuals in its content strategy.

How Can Video Marketing Help Businesses? 

Besides being aesthetically pleasing and quick to watch, videos have many benefits that have helped marketers everywhere. It is an effective way to bring your content and brand to life.

1. Build connectivity with your audience

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a video is worth a thousand connections.  Video content also provides life and color to your marketing strategy. Brands need to evolve to grow and stay abreast of competition while breaking the clutter, and video allows them to compete on all fronts. A video has been shown to create with customers by telling a story they feel connected to. Once your customers start associating with your brand, they also become loyal to you.

2. Brand awareness

The easiest way to spread the word about your brand is to generate buzz. And this is only possible if people know what your brand is, what it offers, and why they should choose you amidst heavy competition. Video marketing gives you the chance to communicate your narrative, share your values, and show your customers you are there for them.

3. Enjoy better conversion rates

A landing page that opens with a video is likely to capture and increase the conversion rate by 80%. Social media reports have shown that people expect engagement from a brand by viewing video content on their social media handles or web pages. Short, engaging videos such as gifs, pre-rolls, et cetera will get customers to consider your messaging among the rest.

4. Increased return on investment (ROI)

Return on investment is a primary KPI with most brands regardless of their industry. All businesses want to know that their spending money will bring them positive results. Video content has driven much more engagement and interaction from audiences, leading to better statistics and viewership and a higher return on investment.

5. Video content speaks for itself

The benefit videos have over static text, and words is that you can say multiple things in the exact second to view each piece of content. You can either visually show people the benefits of using a particular product or list the benefits one by one. Of course, you can already guess what content will perform better.

6. Improve search engine ranking

While videos will not directly place you on the first spot on the search results page, they can help businesses gain the top ranks of a search engine when appropriately handled by an SEO expert; placing a video on your website increases conversion rate and hence the opportunity to keep the customers coming back again and again. This phenomenon is the dwell time and is a critical ranking measure by Google. Video marketing also reduces the bounce rate of a website by capturing the users’ attention.

Tips for Efficient Video Content

Although video marketing is primarily popular with the audience, its content must also be meaningful. Of course, no one will watch a 15-minute video that talks about your brand value. On the contrary, a 15-second quick ThruPlay effectively delivers your message to your relevant audience. To create impactful content, make sure you follow some tips as mentioned below.

1. Keep it short – Focus on the video’s primary goal and keep all extra details out of the frame. Suppose you are talking about your company values. In that case, it is highly impractical to talk about a recent sales campaign you are running unless there is a connection between the two.
2. The first 10 seconds are crucial – You have 10 seconds to sell your idea to the audience. Ensure you put the essential part of your messaging in these 10 seconds to avoid being dismissed if your audience loses interest.
3. SEO is important – Your video is essential to optimizing your content. Ensure that the transcripts, tags, and descriptions are all carefully thought through before they are finalized.
4. Show genuineness – Be sure you sell what you make. You can’t talk about the purity of your ingredients if they are all synthetic. You can focus on other benefits, but contradictory messaging pushes your audience to the south.
5. Closed captions are your best friends – Most Facebook videos are viewed without sound. Because people usually scroll through social media when they are on the move, they use closed captions to keep getting distracted because of the sound.

Video marketing should be an integral part of your marketing because of its ability to help the audience differentiate between you and your competition. Brands should stay genuine and concise when they converse with their customers while trying to achieve their targets. The deeper your audience’s association with your brand, the more authentic their loyalty and connection with you.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Starting a new business is both a challenging and exciting task. After determining your goals, target market, and business plan, it is essential to understand the legalities of launching a business to have a strong foundation and continuous cash flow in the long run.

Companies controlled by inexpert people unfamiliar with legal requirements are usually inclined toward failure. It is essential to jump into the competitive field with enough research to cover legal bases. Otherwise, your competitors take no time to use it against your brand’s success.

Don’t step into the business field without preparing yourself. When starting a new business, ensure you have fulfilled all the legal obligations. There is a range of legalities for new business. Make sure your startup complies with the requirements so that you can only put time and effort into planning the strategies to grow your business.

Protection of Assets

When entering the business world, the most important thing to consider is protecting your assets. No entrepreneur wants to think of failure, but the business world’s reality is that many new businesses strive to earn profit and collapse. Even those with stable businesses sometimes face lawsuits that waste their energy, time, and money. 

When avoiding these uncertain situations that end your finances and business, you must guard your assets by establishing an LLC (a limited liability company). As the name depicts, LLC means your new business is limited to accountability for customers’ reimbursements. Thus, once you have protected your assets, a customer won’t touch your finances if unsatisfied with your product or services.

Don’t Skimp on General Liability Insurance

If you think a worker’s compensation claim is the only factor you need insurance for, it is wise to consider it. It is the most beneficial insurance coverage every new business must have to keep themselves safe from broad claims and wrongdoings.

Suppose a customer is walking around your store’s corridors, suddenly slipping and incurring a back injury. In that case, your general liability insurance protects you if they sue you for an uncertain incident. To simplify, if one of your products is defective and harms the user, general liability insurance guarantees that your business’s doors remain open. At the same time, you improve the manufacturing and logistics process.

Ensure You Are Not Violating Trademarks

Copyright and trademark violations are something you should not overlook when building a new business. Take time and ensure that the name you have chosen for your business isn’t already in use and is unique. Suppose you start your new business’s advertising without paying attention to the company name.

After some time, you may notice that the name you chose, without any research, was already in use, and you just violated the trademark. In that case, you could receive a message of ceasing. The best way is to collect information about your competitors. After selecting a name, register it formally if you want to see your business grow.

Not to Overlook Federal Taxes

Now that you have a certified name permit for your new business, it is essential to investigate how you will pay federal taxes before opening your business doors. Applying for an employer identification number is better before any authority knocks on your door. Handling all these issues before you start running your business is beneficial.

Licensing

Specialization is the key to success in the marketplace. Specific fields require a license before starting a new business. Be wise, and don’t think you can make your business flourish without making any effort. When keeping your business safe from circumstances, checking the industries’ list that requires licensing is best.

Other than this, make sure you have up-to-date documents. If any situation occurs where you must show your documents, you must have all the papers in your hand to avoid significant legal trouble. An engineering firm, medical institute, and other ‘sensitive’ businesses must now skip this step and give attention to their licensing requirements.

Support of a Good Lawyer

Lastly, every business, a startup or a well-established firm, needs a good lawyer. To call upon when things are out of control. It is only a matter of time until you have to deal with lawsuits, and in these situations, a solid legal advisor is a genuine need. Lawyers are the best choice for managing all your legal activities for your new business.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

There must be a balance between work and personal life, which helps your business succeed. If you start a business, you must maintain a balance in your life. For that, here are some points to maintain a work-life balance.

Is Work-life Balance Necessary to Be a Good Entrepreneur?

An overall cliché that typifies the term entrepreneur is a determined person who makes efforts round the clock to keep their business afloat. We wonder about them seeming after each feature of their business to ensure that each operation runs effectively. In the entire scheme of things, entrepreneurs’ personal life looks to be missing from our fantasy.

People generally do not imagine a business leader successfully handling personal and professional life without a concession. Since they are in a powerful position with much responsibility, entrepreneurs barely come around family-oriented people or prefer to socialize.

Though, that is many ways far from the truth. In reality, there are numerous examples of a successful business tycoon who has managed to lead a stable life without getting overcome by either. However, it could look hard. First, it is possible to accomplish a work-life balance as an entrepreneur.

Let’s discover how business owners could lead a successful personal or professional life by searching for a middle ground to provide equal significance to both.

Set a Prioritized Routine

As an entrepreneur, it could be hard to retain each detail in your life and still take some time out for yourself. Maintaining track and setting some time aside for each task and on one’s lifestyle is mandatory. Entrepreneurs could develop a plan for all projects at work and stick to the same and at home.

Time management plays a vital role in leading a stress-free lifestyle. Therefore, enterprises could set schedules permitting them to plan their day accordingly. It is sensible to set some schedule aside for work—some for family and friends, and most significantly, sometimes for self to recharge.

Establish Boundaries

To achieve a balance between personal and professional life, you must maintain clear boundaries between them to avoid disruption. It is accurate that both could become requests, some simultaneously. One might have to send a curial email, have an urgent call when home, or deal with a family emergency at work.

These things are a part of life, and how we deal with these situations could have a lasting effect. However, both are significant. Entrepreneurs must try to evade non-emergent work while spending valuable time with a loved one, and at the same time, advise their friends and families to set values on what might be considered an emergency.

Learn to Switch Off

Recently, it is not easy to visualize living a lifestyle that doesn’t include technology in some form or other. People have come to realize it is a mandatory part of life. Also, entrepreneurs have adopted innovative technology in their work and lives as it has helped them grow effectively.

However, these advantages could also become frequent breaks and add to the issues of an entrepreneur. Access to innovative technology is excellent, but it must be mentioned that it is unnecessary. Rather than continuously interacting with one another, entrepreneurs and business associates must know when to stop and be concerned about valuing private moments with their loved ones. Business deals could occur anytime, and some special memories could be built only once.

Build Lifestyle into Your Brand 

Nowadays, numerous people are concerned about having funding, explosive development, and spending too much time, such as 80 hours per week on their business. Although that is all good stuff, it could rapidly lead to burnout and sorrow. Make routine the most significant factor in companies starting, and then develop more happiness and less stress with that principle in mind.

Could you Turn it Off?

Our mobile devices or smartphones are a part of our daily lives, but you have to sleep with them tucked below your pillow as an entrepreneur. Quickly turn off the cell phone and be astonished at how much you could have done. You could even fix it in a workout. You must know when to separate life and work, which initiates everything to take time for yourself. That is why there is a thing known as voice mail.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

When building your business, you must focus on customer retention. While it is feasible to gain new customers constantly, the most successful businesses retain customers. You can build your customer foundation through brand awareness and loyalty once you get customers in the door.

Whether your business is new or has been in business for years, customer retention has to be a constant goal. Here are eight ways to improve customer retention for your business.  

Let Your Unique Purpose Light The Way

You must highlight your product or service once you find what your business will sell. You will use branding to show your unique purpose in the marketplace. This branding is essential to customer retention as many consumers will find a brand they like and stay with it long-term.

Timely and Great Customer Service

You should always provide services on time or early when possible. This focus on service will help build customer loyalty. If you offer a product, you need excellent customer service when interacting with the customer. Delivering timely and excellent customer service goes a long way to building customer loyalty and retaining them long-term.

Think Outside The Clear-Ad Buys

When launching marketing plans, you must think outside the typical advertising methods for maximum customer retention. It would help if you utilized innovative marketing tools to promote your brand and get potential customers excited about your offer.

You will also retain customers through genuine information and honesty. When creating advertising, you can use traditional methods. However, you should also seek out the latest trends and ways to reach your ideal customers.

Make Your Name in the Media

An effective technique for extending brand awareness is receiving media attention. Exposure in the media or social media is a high-performance approach to acquiring exposure, regardless of whether it is an established business or a startup. Start by creating a relationship with ordinary media reporters and stations. They are searching for fascinating stories to speak up. The key is figuring out how people know about your brand story while linking it to an interesting issue.

Ask for Recommendations and Suggestions

Customers will always feel valued if you value their opinions on improving the products or services. If customers feel their voice is heard, they will return and recommend your products or services to other potential customers.

Create A Following With Attractive Content

Grow your brand awareness and engage new clients by setting up your credibility and expertise through content. Make engaging content that can be posted throughout the social media platforms associated with your business. You will want to create a following and extend your range and effect, thereby growing your client base.

Own Your Area Of Knowledge

Increment your brand awareness by claiming your expertise class, sharing your different or unique perspective, and developing a loyal audience. Give your statements a platform for writing or speaking and enhance the effect of that message through utilized channels. You will raise the noise and be viewed as an expert in your class, empowering you to grow an engaged audience of fans and clients rapidly.

Center Messaging Around Your Unique Product or Service

Brand awareness includes reminding your customers what makes you unique. What sets you apart from other businesses that offer similar products and services? You can begin driving loyal customers to your company and keep them there when you address that question.

Conclusion

Customers and their retention have to be your top priority. Without customers, your business will not exist. Once you attract target consumers, you should make it a priority to retain those customers. Customer retention is not challenging if you follow these eight ideas that will help improve customer retention.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Employee satisfaction is the root of success for any firm, big or small. Your employees are your driving force, and as much as you instruct them, you won’t be able to move forward if they do not provide the results you need.

It has been a topic of conversation for many decades now. Maslow presented the hierarchy of needs model in 1943, proving how long this matter has been sustained. The results you achieve, the growth your company experiences, and the revenue it generates are directly proportional to the productivity of your employees.

Maslow introduced a Hierarchy of Needs, a one-size-fits-all type. When you establish yourself at a new job with new people, you first look for fulfilling necessities. We look for our income to accommodate our basic needs, such as food, water, warmth, and shelter, a roof over our heads. Once we achieve that, we grow slightly confident and move forward.

As we move forward, we become more involved in our work environment and seek job security and safety, confirming that you’ll have money coming in every month. You then move on to greater purposes that focus more on your desires and less on your necessities. It enables confidence and an increase in belief in yourself. When that happens, you grow.

Further, healthy emotional health starts playing a role in this evolution because your emotions are now tied to your job. You start developing an attachment to your workplace. Once this happens, you subconsciously rely on it for support since you spend more of your day with your co-workers.

Attachment to a specific something also leads to some form of expectation. Therefore, it becomes the employer’s job to ensure their employees are doing well emotionally.

Emotional Well-Being

Employee Satisfaction is wired with your employee’s mental well-being. If your employee is not performing well, they are not feeling well. For a second, think about why an employee whose production rate is 98% has suddenly dropped to 59%. There is an issue. It is not just a professional issue now; it has become personal.

Your employee comes into work every morning at nine and leaves 9 hours later, generating you revenue every minute that they are there. A low performance occasionally is typical; however, if your employee’s emotional health affects their work rate, it becomes a grave issue. Your employees are not just people working for you; they are your responsibility, making employee satisfaction a part of your job specification.

Kirsty Jagielka from Cigna writes, ‘With emotional well-being concerns often lasting for many years, early intervention is vital. The right support at the right time can help your employees to achieve positive emotional well-being and enable them to remain productive members of the workforce.’ Your employees breed results; they can either raise you from the ashes or drive you into the ground.

Avoiding Burnout

Burnout can also drive people to quit their jobs. Reaching a point of burnout indicates you have been overworked for a while now, and it has eventually reached a point of no return. It also shows how your employers might have ignored it for it to get such a point.

It takes a toll on an employee’s emotional well-being, making them question their place in the firm. Burnout suggests you are giving more than receiving, which can impact how one views their firm. 

It can lead to employees quitting their jobs. It can be incredibly detrimental to the firm’s health because they are losing an employee and a trained employee who knows the ropes of the system. The firm must now invest time and energy into training someone else. That is not the only result they will have suffered. The situation can get worse when the reason an employee left gets out.

Conclusion

Your employees are your responsibility. You can tell yourself as an employer that there are more significant matters to prioritize, but you need to realize that if you prioritize your employee’s emotional well-being, you will not need to prioritize anything else; they will do that for you.

Richard Branson once said, “Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your business.” Your employees are your firm’s greatest assets, and you realize that is your greatest asset. When you consider an interviewee for your firm, you know they can handle it. It then also becomes your job to take care of them.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

When you launch your business, you must ensure your data is backed up somewhere. That ‘somewhere’ should be a place you are familiar with, such as cloud storage. Before you start using the cloud for data storage, there are many security measures you need to consider. 

All data must be backed up, from your staff’s personal information to the data you receive from your clients, payments, and much more. That’s why knowing the security measures is necessary before selecting the application to save your data. Cloud storage is the safest place to back up your data.

Cloud storage is a form of data storage where digital information is saved in logical pools, not in a physical hard drive. Many companies use cloud storage as it gives a new level of reassurance. Your business data on the cloud, such as important documents, videos, and images, won’t be lost once saved on the cloud.

Another thing about cloud storage is that anyone in the company (authorized personnel) can access it anywhere. They only need an internet connection and authorization to access cloud storage anywhere.

Here are the best cloud services:

• Google Cloud platform
• Microsoft Azure
• Dropbox
• iCloud
• Amazon Drive
• Nextcloud

Now, there are two types of clouds: private cloud and public cloud.

Public cloud – Operated by a third party. You will pay for the service, and the host will be responsible for storing the data.

Private cloud – You are responsible for operating, saving, and opening the data.

Benefits of Business Data on the Cloud

Scalability and flexibility – With the help of the cloud, you can quickly increase your business storage according to your needs. You can also decrease it. In the cloud, the solution can soon adapt according to preferences.

Remote collaboration – With your business on the cloud, you can easily access your data. You can also control who can access it.

Automatic backup – When you save your business data on the cloud, the data gets automatically backed up.

Reduced costs – With your data on the cloud, you can save sufficient money.

So, these were the benefits of saving your business data on the cloud. The fundamental question remains whether backing up your business data on the cloud is safe. The answer is yes; it’s safe to back your business data on the cloud.

The data you have saved on the cloud is safer than the data stored on your computer. It has more protection layers than any other system and can keep the data secure on your cloud if something happens to the computer.

Event Logging

Whenever someone opens your data on the cloud, it will notice the logging and keep a list. For example, if someone in your company opened it on Monday at 3 p.m. and Tuesday at noon, there will be a record of every time someone accessed it. This way, it evaluates the threat and keeps your business data on the cloud safe.

AI Tools

A few cloud servers use artificial intelligence to secure the business data saved on them. With the help of these artificial intelligence tools, a defense layer forms so that the professionals stay focused on the threats.

Firewalls

When you save business data on the cloud, it remains safe due to the firewalls. There are two types of firewalls: internal and advanced. These walls ensure that the direct traffic goes through a series of security defenses.

Redundancy

This point refers to the several copies of business data on the cloud backed up. If the computer goes through any failure, there will be a backup of your data on the cloud, and you won’t have to worry about losing it.

Third-Party Security Checking

Many companies that provide cloud services check up on other security companies to see if their program has the same level of security. This way, the cloud service company will be on its toes to ensure your data is perfectly safe.

So, these were the points about cloud security. If you are running your business, you should consider saving your company’s data on the cloud so that it remains secure and nobody outside the company can hack into it.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

When you think of investing in a business, we are sure you wouldn’t have ever considered investing in trees. Isn’t that so? Well, nobody would have thought of that. Even saying that sounds so foreign, like a strange combination of words rolling off your tongue.

But no matter how odd it may sound, many people invest in the Timber market, and they know it’s the best decision they have ever made in their life (apart from their spouses if they are reading it beside you!)

We know lumber is a commodity used for furniture, paper, and burning. But why would you invest in something that is used for burning? That’s the beauty of this investment. Here are five reasons you should invest in the timber market.

Steadiness and Reliability

As you enter the timber market, you will realize how steady and reliable this business is. There are many other businesses that you can invest in, but it’s a rollercoaster ride with them. Why take the risk when you have a much more reliable investment option?

Even in 2020, many businesses lost money due to the pandemic. Like that, other businesses are not that steady, and if you aren’t a fan of uncertainty, you should invest in the timber market. It’s a stable and reliable business.

Once you see it, you will understand how you earn money through this business. It’s not like stocks and bonds. You will get a paper, and you will have to assume that there’s a legit company behind it.

When individuals think of investing in the timber market, they check out the timberland themselves. You should know before investing that old trees cost more than young trees. And it would help if you kept hold of young trees for them to grow old.

Easy Investment

When you invest in the timber market, you invest in the timberland. All you have to do is sign the papers; the land will be yours. If you aren’t willing to invest in the timber market directly, you don’t need to worry because you can invest without involving the direct ownership of the land. But how?

You can invest indirectly through a real estate investment trust (REIT). REITs are trusts investing in real estate. You can easily invest in the timber market for as much money as you wish through timber-focused REITs.

It’s Convenient

When you invest in the timber market, you don’t have to do anything. You sign the papers, hold the timberland, and other things will get simple for you. Either you lease the land or sell the trees to someone, and the investment will eventually pay off in large sums. Also, if you are saving the forest project called reforestation, the income can come in significant ways.

Many invest in the timber market, hoping to pass it down to their grandkids.

A Hedge Against Inflation

This investment saves the investors from significant losses when there is a fluctuation in the currency. Some people opt for gold because it’s an asset that can keep you when the country’s economy is down. But if you wish to save yourself from the game of insurance, wild swings, and holding fees, you should invest in the timber market.

It’s proven to be one of the effective ways to save investors money when the value of a country’s currency begins to decline. 

Good Land is Valuable

Investing in the timer market means investing in a good, profitable land. When there’s land with older trees, the profit will come through harvesting. The investment won’t go in vain when there are younger trees because you will be living licenses to the anglers and hunters.

Investing in the Timber market won’t make you regret it because the volume of trees keeps increasing, which adds value no matter the situation of the state’s currency. Even if timber prices aren’t in favor, the timber stock can be saved up and grow until the prices are in favor again. Investing in the timber market rather than stocks, gold, and bonds is better. You can enjoy while owning timberland without worrying about losing money in stock or bonds.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

By: Jennifer Brazer

Jennifer is the author of From Cubicle to Cloud and Founder/CEO of Complete Controller, a pioneering financial services firm that helps entrepreneurs break free of traditional constraints and scale their businesses to new heights.

Fact Checked By: Brittany McMillen

Amazon Affiliate Marketing: Turn Your Product Knowledge Into Extra Income

I remember the first $83 I made from affiliate marketing—it wasn’t much, but it lit a fire. I was promoting a Bluetooth speaker, wrote a genuine review, and included my Amazon link. Two days later, a sale. That’s when I realized affiliate marketing isn’t about selling—it’s about connecting the right product to the right person.

If you’re an Amazon seller, you’re sitting on gold you haven’t mined yet. Affiliate marketing isn’t just for influencers or bloggers. As a seller, you’re already in the ecosystem. You know the products. You understand the trends. Now it’s time to turn that inside knowledge into another income stream.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a commission-based model where you earn a percentage every time someone buys a product through your custom link. The average affiliate marketer earns $8,038 per month, according to recent data from Authority Hacker. That’s not pocket change—that’s serious income potential.

The global affiliate marketing industry was valued at over $18.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $31.7 billion by 2031, with an 8% compound annual growth rate. This makes it one of the fastest-growing income opportunities online.

Amazon’s program, called Amazon Associates, is one of the most accessible platforms out there. You promote products, share links with your audience (via blog, social, email, YouTube), and Amazon sends you a cut when those links lead to a sale. For those wanting to learn more, affiliate marketing for beginners resources can provide a deeper background.

What makes it perfect for Amazon sellers? You’re already plugged into products that sell. You speak the language. That gives you an edge most affiliates only wish they had.

How to Choose the Right Affiliate Programs on Amazon

Start with commission rates, then look at buyer demand. Research from Authority Hacker shows that experienced affiliate marketers (those with 3+ years of experience) earn 9.45 times more than beginners. This gap comes largely from knowing which programs to promote.

Top-performing Amazon affiliate categories include:

• Amazon Games → 20% commission
• Luxury Beauty → 10%
• Luxury Stores Beauty → 10%
• Furniture & Home Improvement → Up to 8%

Don’t just chase the percentage. A $10 product at 20% gives you $2. A $300 item at 5% gives you $15. Do that math every time before you commit. For a detailed breakdown of how these payments work, check out affiliate commissions explained.

Use tools like Google Trends and Amazon Best Sellers to check if people are actively buying in the niche. These insights can be combined with proven strategies for affiliate marketing success to maximize your returns.

📌 Real-world example: A friend of mine switched from promoting low-cost fashion to Amazon Games. With fewer clicks, she doubled her monthly earnings during the holiday season by creating strategic content around trending game releases.

Creating Content That Converts

Your job is not to “sell.” It’s to help people buy the right thing. Nearly 70% of successful affiliate marketers use SEO to drive organic traffic, according to AffiliateWP. This shows the importance of creating content that both ranks and converts.

The content that earns affiliate dollars follows a simple formula:

1. Clear headline (Example: “Top 5 Air Fryers That Won’t Waste Your Time”)
2. Honest opinions based on personal insight
3. Feature + benefit breakdown
4. Clear calls to action (Use buttons or anchor text like “Check today’s price on Amazon”)

The formats that work best:

• Product reviews with side-by-side comparisons
• “Best X for Y” roundups (e.g., best pet cameras for busy dog owners)
• Deep dives based on FAQs (e.g., Can I use this dehumidifier in basements?)

Video content increases conversion rates by 49%, making it a crucial addition to your content strategy. Implementing these best affiliate marketing tips can help you create content that both engages readers and generates sales.

⚡ Pro tip: People skim. Use bold headers, bullet points, and product images. Guide their eyes down the page toward the affiliate link, not away from it.

Strategies to Increase Affiliate Sales

You want to maximize your clicks—and more importantly, your conversions. Here’s how:

• Capitalize on seasonal shopping windows: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime Day. These periods often include boosted commission rates and red-hot buyer intent.

• Optimize your SEO: Use long-tail keywords like “best beginner wireless earbuds under $50” in your H2s and introduction.

• Improve page speed and mobile optimization: You lose trust (and sales) with a slow site.

• Use internal linking: Keep users engaged by linking related posts, keeping readers within your content ecosystem longer.

For those just starting out, check out our guide on affiliate marketing for beginners to build a strong foundation.

And remember—make your affiliate disclosures clear and compliant. This builds trust and protects your reputation. Being transparent about your affiliate relationships is not just ethical, it’s required.

Building Trust With Your Audience

Nothing kills affiliate performance faster than broken trust. The most successful affiliate marketers understand that long-term relationships with readers far outweigh short-term commissions.

Here’s how you keep it real:

• Be ultra-transparent (“I may earn a commission if you buy through my link—at no cost to you.”)

• Only recommend products you’ve used, tested, or would recommend to your own family.

• Add a comment section or feedback form for two-way interaction.

• Maintain consistency in brand voice—whether you’re blogging, tweeting, or shooting YouTube videos.

Following affiliate marketing best practices from authorities like the FTC ensures you’re building trust the right way. The goal? To build a reputation where people follow your links because they trust your opinion—not because you’re shouting the loudest.

Scaling with Tools and Platforms

Once you’re earning consistent income, it’s time to scale:

• Use Geniuslink to localize your Amazon links (it ensures buyers in Canada or the UK are sent to the right storefront)

• Create evergreen content like “Best USB-C Chargers for 2025” to drive long-term passive clicks

• Pair your blog content with short YouTube explainer videos (Google is showing video in more search results than ever)

• Build an email list – A simple weekly newsletter (“Deals I’m loving”) can drive substantial, compounding clicks over time.

• Join other affiliate networks to test non-Amazon products—diversify when it makes sense

With these tools and approaches, even a small audience can generate significant affiliate income. It’s about quality connections, not just the quantity of followers.

Conclusion: From Product Knowledge to Passive Income

Affiliate marketing isn’t hard—but it does reward strategy, honesty, and consistency. You don’t need a massive audience. You just need the right offer in front of the right person at the right time.

As an Amazon seller, you already have product instincts and a grasp of the market. Affiliate marketing just adds a second lane to your revenue highway. You’re not starting from scratch—you’re building on what you already know.

Want help leveling up your online marketing strategy and scaling profitably? Head over to Complete Controller for expert guidance built for results. We help entrepreneurs manage their finances so they can focus on growing their businesses—including new revenue streams like affiliate marketing.

FAQ

How do I join the Amazon Affiliate program?

Sign up at affiliate-program.amazon.com with your website, blog, or qualifying social media account. You’ll need to provide details about your content and how you plan to drive traffic. Amazon will review your application within 24 hours in most cases.

What are the highest commission rates on Amazon Associates?

Amazon Games tops the list with a 20% commission rate. Other high-performers include Luxury Beauty and Luxury Stores Beauty at 10%, and Furniture & Home Improvement at up to 8%. Commission rates can change, so always check the current rates before selecting categories.

Can I promote my own Amazon products as an affiliate?

No, Amazon’s terms prohibit you from earning affiliate commissions on your own products. However, you can promote complementary products that work well with items you sell, creating a complete ecosystem for your customers.

How long does it take to start earning significant affiliate income?

Most successful affiliates see meaningful results within 6-12 months. Remember that experienced marketers earn 9.45 times more than beginners, so patience and persistence are key. Focus on creating quality content consistently rather than expecting overnight success.

What happens if Amazon rejects my affiliate application?

Amazon may reject applications for incomplete information, lack of content, or policy violations. If rejected, review Amazon’s feedback, improve your site or content strategy, and reapply after addressing the issues. Sometimes simply adding more content or clarifying your promotion methods is enough to get approved on a second attempt.

Sources

• Authority Hacker. (2025). 136 Affiliate Marketing Statistics in 2025. https://www.authorityhacker.com/affiliate-marketing-statistics/
• Wix.com. (2025). Affiliate Marketing Statistics and Facts for 2025. https://www.wix.com/blog/affiliate-marketing-statistics
• AffiliateWP. (2025). 40+ Affiliate Marketing Statistics for 2025. https://affiliatewp.com/affiliate-marketing-statistics/
• Hostinger. (2025). Affiliate Marketing Statistics 2025: Key Trends and Industry Growth. https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/affiliate-marketing-statistics
• Complete Controller. (n.d.). 5 Essential Marketing Strategies to Help Grow Your Business. https://www.completecontroller.com/5-essential-marketing-strategies-to-help-grow-your-business/
• Complete Controller. (n.d.). How to Use Content to Set Yourself Up as a Thought Leader. https://www.completecontroller.com/how-to-use-content-to-set-yourself-up-as-a-thought-leader/
• Complete Controller. (n.d.). Startup Marketing Success. https://www.completecontroller.com/startup-marketing-success/
• Wikipedia. Affiliate Marketing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affiliate_marketing
• Investopedia. Affiliate Marketing. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/affiliate-marketing.asp
• Federal Trade Commission. (n.d.). FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking. https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking
• Amazon Associates Program. https://affiliate-program.amazon.com
• Shopify. Amazon Affiliate Marketing Guide.
• Publift. Top Performing Affiliate Strategies.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Repaying a mortgage is a critical financial decision requiring much thought before execution. People commonly think paying off the mortgage is a good thing. If you have saved money and have some financial sense, you must decide whether to pay off your mortgage or use that savings to invest and grow your money.

Mortgages are one of the most common types of loans. Suppose you have some savings and consider paying off part of the mortgage in advance. In that case, you must consider many variables and assess the better use of your savings, paying off the mortgage, or investing. 

To make a good decision, you must first know the most important thing: nothing but understanding what repaying a mortgage is and when you can do it. There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to paying off your mortgage early. 

What is the Mortgage Repayment?

Repaying a mortgage is paying extra money on your real estate loan to reduce the monthly payment or shorten the loan duration. You can partially repay the loan amount and shorten the length of the loan. The partial repayment of the entire loan is generally more feasible, given that few people save enough to cancel the mortgage loan altogether.

The average amount of a mortgage loan in the US is approximately $150,000, with a repayment term of between 25 and 30 years. If you pay a monthly installment of $1,000 without considering the fluctuations of the interest rates, you could reduce your mortgage by $12,000 a year, with less interest and expenses.

But if to the monthly installments, you add an extraordinary $10,000 as repayment. You would reduce your loan considerably in one cut. In that case, you have two options: reduce the amount of your monthly liability or reduce the life of the loan.

When is it Good to Cancel Your Mortgage Early?

Is it better to use savings to pay off early canceled mortgages, or is it better to use that money to invest? The answer is somewhat complex, and there are four factors that you should keep in mind:

• When did you sign the mortgage contract?
• The interest on the mortgage?
• Your knowledge of investment products?
• Your risk tolerance?

Should You Pay Off the Mortgage?

You have several legal assumptions regarding repayment, the most important being that you bought the property before 2013. So, you can deduct a maximum limit of $9,040 annually if you are the sole owner or $18,080 if you share the loan ownership and declare taxes separately.

In those cases, the Treasury returns 15% of the amount contributed by investment in habitual residence.

However, there are some assumptions in which you can deduct the amortization of your mortgage as indicated in the 2018 Income Practical Manual for the 2020 campaign, published by the Tax Agency.

Amortize Mortgage by Interest

An essential factor to consider is your interest rate for your fixed or variable mortgage. Since the great financial crisis at the end of the last decade, central banks have embarked on policies to lower interest rates, which impacted the cost of mortgages.

Today, it is normal to find mortgages that pay 2% or even less. Against this information, it is wise to analyze whether you must pay a loan that costs 2% per year or invest in the stock market or equities that offer an average of 10% each year.

Faced with a low-interest rate scenario, we should evaluate the possibility of investing the money to gain from the interest rate differential. It is a risk, but you can earn a little money in that operation. In addition, you can always withdraw the money from the investments and pay off the mortgage if the Federal Reserve decides to raise interest rates.

Your Knowledge About Investing

Suppose you do not know much about the product you will invest in and are interested in paying your debts as soon as possible. In that case, the decision is straightforward, and amortizing the most money is your thing. This way, you will leave the mortgage as soon as possible.

How Tolerant You are to Risk

If you know about investments and you like risk, the option you could consider would not be to reduce the time of your mortgage through early repayment but to invest that money saved. In the stock market, you can make an average of between 5 and 10% per year, while you pay about 2% in a mortgage.

If you have a conservative risk profile and a low level of risk, it would be best to pay off the mortgage. On the other hand, if you have a moderate or aggressive risk profile, you may find it more profitable to allocate the savings to investment products.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Going by what the statistics suggest, COVID-19 affected small and large businesses. The global market went down in its operations, and economies of the world had to face the brunt of all such inconveniences. The outbreak posed severe challenges to the strategists to devise strategies to help businesses continue their operations.

The circumstances had more extraordinary minds brainstorm ideas where experts could devise plans to cope with the aftermaths of the outbreak. According to statistics, FTSE witnessed a 14.3% drop in 2020. It was by far the worst performance since 2008. Because of this, several countries’ stock markets cut down their interest rates, which helped economies grow as it encouraged consumers spending power.

On the other hand, the past year was difficult for job seekers. Most businesses halted their operations, and most employees lost their jobs. The proportion escalated to 8.9% in the United States, as explained by the International Monetary Fund. The tourism industry also halted its operations as the world went into lockdown.

The IMF puts the global economy squeezed by 4.4% in 2020. This decline is considered the worst since the Great Depression that hit the world in the 1930s. That said, considering the world closed down its hospitality sectors, millions of employees lost their jobs, and companies went bankrupt. As a result, the global tourism industry crumbled into bits and pieces.

The tourism industry lost billions of dollars last year. The entire world is said to struggle with the same condition till 2025. However, according to forecasters, 2021 is when things can go to their former state. Let’s discuss how the pandemic turned the global market local again.

Airline Services Going Down All Around the Globe

As already discussed earlier, airline services went down last year. With hospitality shutting its doors worldwide, millions of people couldn’t get the chance to travel. Millions of people died last year and were buried without getting goodbyes from their loved ones, which is why the year was one of the saddest years in history.

The shutdown in the airline services had companies operating internationally to start their functions locally. Instead of halting their routine operations completely, they cut down their frequency of operations and resorted to running their operations on small scales.

Online Sessions 

Schools, colleges, universities, educational institutes, and companies worldwide operated from online platforms during the pandemic. Students took their classes online, and most world giants conducted meetings and sessions online as a precautionary measure to stay healthy and well and save employees from contracting the virus. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that these online platforms were a reason; most companies could come out of such repercussions.

From platforms like Zoom, experts in their respective fields decided to conduct their business-related strategies to develop solutions to the problems. Platforms like this generated robust returns and made larger-than-life profits. As a result, continuing with routine business operations didn’t become a hassle for them. 

Companies Operating Digitally

Considering how the world’s giant fell, companies resorted to online platforms. Companies and consumers decided to look for brands with online channels. According to surveys, about 80% of customers interact with brands through digital media during the pandemic. Since then, the situation hasn’t changed one bit.

As a result, companies have adopted new and better platforms and have taken on programs to develop strategies that improve their operations and help them become stronger after the pandemic’s aftermaths start to fade.

Advantages of Operating on Small-Scales During the Pandemic 

Some of the repercussions the pandemic brought were closed operations and businesses going bankrupt, employee turnover, and many more. However, new strategies also took the front seat, and companies found ways to operate even in such conditions.

Out of such strategies, one strategy that sold the deal for many companies operating locally generated substantial results. It helped the companies continue their operations locally, following precautionary measures to ensure every customer’s health is prioritized in their utmost capacity.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.