3 Social Media Marketing Tips For Finally Getting Started

Getting started with social media marketing shouldn't be confusing or difficult. It's all about how you approach it, how much work and time you are willing to put into it, and what your final goal is. These tips will help you gain control of your social media profiles and amp up your engagement.

Have a plan. Nobody walks into a challenge without a plan. If you have your own business, more than likely you drew out a business plan to outline exactly what your goals are and where you want to end up. It's the same with social media. While each platform is different in their own way, you'll still need a good strategy to pull in potential leads.

Know your audience. This ties into the previous tip; based on your goals, who is your audience? For example, if you own a salon or spa, gear your services towards those who are interested in the beauty industry.  Make sure that your social media platforms are advertised properly for whatever industry you are in; do research and pay attention to what people want.  

Once you begin building that relationship with other people, your audience will grow and eventually you will get leads.

Choose your main platform. Most businesses have more than one social media platform, but it's always wise to use one as your main strategy. The most popular one is Facebook; you can create a page for your business or website, go live to talk about what's happening, and you can create engagement by sharing your posts on other feeds.

Choosing your platform will again depend on your specific goals and final outcome. Local and large businesses tend to use Facebook and LinkedIn. Twitter and Instagram are great if you're just starting out and want to test the waters.

If you need help building a social media strategy, feel free to contact us today.

3 Tips on Getting The Most Out of LinkedIn

LinkedIn is typically thought of as a social media network where job seekers and employers come together. While that's certainly one of the purposes the site was designed for, it's also quite useful as a marketing tool. However, LinkedIn has its own set of rules, and its own way of doing things. So, before you decide to start splashing around and hoping to get results, keep the following tips in mind.

Tip #1: Make It Visually Pop

A picture is worth a thousand words, as the old saying goes, and this is more true than ever before in the social media age. If you're going to put up content on LinkedIn, then that content needs to be truly eye-catching. The best way to do that is to include lots of visual elements, according to Social Media Examiner. Rich photos, attention-grabbing video, charts, etc. can all work... just make sure that it draws the eye, and makes viewers want to know more.

Tip #2: Use The Advanced Applications

If you go to your LinkedIn profile page, you'll see an option labeled applications. Click it, and look around at all the options you have. Not all of them will apply to you and your marketing needs, but they represent a wide variety of tools you might be able to make use of, as Lewis Howes points out. Anything that get your message in front of your potential audience is a tool you can't afford to overlook.

Tip #3: Optimize Your Company Page (To Show Up In More Searches)

You might be the best there is in the business, but people still need to be able to find you. That's why LinkedIn recommends you make your page as search-friendly as possible. That means you should have appropriate keywords in your descriptions and titles, that you regularly post content targeted to your industry, and most importantly that you have all your contact information front and center (including a link to your business's home page). The louder you declare who you are and what you do, the more likely you are to be approached.

These are just a few, simple things you can do to increase your results from LinkedIn. For more social media advice, simply contact us today!

3 Considerations When Choosing Your Social Media Marketing Agency

Business survival is incredibly dependent on the power of social media in today's digital time. Keeping up the balance of small business growth and social media marketing can often be a tough challenge, but it can make all the difference. The right social media marketing strategy can catapult your business to new heights, and really help you gain the right exposure.

If balancing social media marketing with your other responsibilities is getting tough, why not outsource it? The right social media marketing agency is able to revamp your strategy, help you target growth, and really work with you to make your small business successful.

When choosing a social media marketing agency, here are three top considerations to keep in mind during the evaluation process:

1) Can they show impact?

During the evaluation process, impact reigns supreme. For each agency you are considering, ask them about their results. They should be more than happy to point you towards case studies, references, and other resources that show their impact.

Agencies that shy away from this, or do not seem willing to show you their results are probably not the best fit. If they cannot promote themselves well, how will they promote your business?

2) Do they understand the right medium for your business?

No business is the same, and having a one-size-fits-all strategy in place will not yield the right results. Look for agencies that understand your business (or are willing to learn more) andwhat the right fit is for you.

Some businesses are better suited to an Instagram-focused marketing campaign, while others will do better on Twitter. Is the agency able to explain their choices, and articulate what the best fit is for your unique business? If so, they are the right fit.

3) Do they have the right technology?

Social media marketing is continually changing, and agencies need to be dedicated to understanding these changes and navigating them well. Do not be afraid to ask what sort of technologies and systems they have in place for social media marketing, how they implement their strategy, as well as how updated they are in terms of latest development from these platforms.

Social media marketing is all about timeliness, and your agency must ensure that they are able to adapt quickly to new situations.

We pride our reputation on ensuring that all three of these considerations are met and that each client is able to scale their business using social media marketing. Our experience and dedication mean that each client gets tailored advice that is hyper-focused on driving long-term success, so contact us today to learn more.

How to Grow your Modern Auto Dealership

I was talking today with one of my most progressive dealers and talking about the future.   We talked about how we can grow using the customers data and having someone that would be in-house that could really maximize that data for their customers to close the missing gaps, and bottom line… make more MONEY!

I thought to myself that this is the future of the modern dealership… using social media, digital ads, and traditional ads to get them into the dealership and then capitalizing on the data of our visitors as well as truly focusing on our current customers data to move them along through the process.

It’s about to get interested 😉

How Social Media Marketing Can Increase Sales

Whether you love or hate it, social media is here to stay and it's on the rise. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are just a few of the more popular social media platforms that have changed the way we communicate and connect with people everywhere. Although social media has been around for years now, businesses still are just beginning to fully grasp the power of it and realize how much these platforms could potentially help them grow and connect with potential customers unlike ever before.

Even if you don't have a Facebook account or you've never watched a YouTube video, you're most likely aware of what each platform is about. For anyone who isn't aware, social media is a method of networking and sharing content (videos, photos, etc) on the internet. Anyone can set up an account, complete their profile, add a picture and start connecting with old friends (or new ones) just with the click of a mouse. Since millions of people continue to connect on these platforms, businesses have followed suit and continue to create and maintain a presence where their customers are, utilizing various social media marketing tactics. Business and marketing both have forever changed due to this increasing trend.

SOCIAL MEDIA BASICS

You can separate the different types of social media into categories based on the different characteristics of how each platform is used and the types of content shared on each. Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr tend to be used for sharing somewhat more personal content, similar to blogs, although each can also be used for business marketing purposes. YouTube and Vimeo are used to store and distribute video content directly or shared to other social platforms with a link back. Pinterest and Instagram mainly focus on sharing visuals/photos and can also be a great way to link to other social platforms. LinkedIn is unique in that it specifically is geared towards career and business-related content.

There are new types and platforms of social media introduced every day, while at the same time once popular platforms lose popularity with the public. Regardless of the platform, the overall concept of social media marketing can change the game for you and your business if effectively executed.

BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

For those just starting out with social media marketing, you will be shocked at how it can cost nothing to execute while simultaneously effectively boosting your traffic and sales metrics. Using social media is a very simple way to get people talking about your business and what it is you do. Word of mouth advertising and buzz can happen in a matter of seconds without costing a dime or taking weeks and weeks. As a result, social media can drastically improve your ROI and build your business and brand awareness much faster than more traditional marketing methods.

These changes in marketing within the area of social media have made it much easier to keep customers engaged and updated regularly. Where print media formats sent through the mail used to take weeks and require a heavy monetary investment to distribute, social marketing material can be dispersed in seconds and cost pennies on the dollar to produce! Social media has changed the way businesses engage with their customers and resolve an issue that used to take days to fix. Now, they can be addressed within minutes on platforms like Twitter with 120 characters or less.

For entrepreneurs and new businesses, social media marketing can have tremendous results because you no longer need a ton of financial investments to get your name out to the public. You can build up a fan base with a minimal budget and have total control over the whole process. Getting your products and services out to your customers can be simple, due to the ease of distribution digitally.

Hopefully, you can now see the potential benefits in social media for your business's marketing strategy. The next step for you will be to dive into the specifics of each platform and find the one(s) best suited for your needs. Check out more social media strategy tips here.

3 Social Media Trends You Should Still Consider in 2018

Typically, social media marketers make adjustments to their strategy at the beginning of each calendar year. But, with algorithm changes being implemented and new social media products being introduced all the time, it may be prudent to make adjustments to your strategy throughout the year. With that idea in mind, here are 3 social media trends you should consider as you contemplate your mid-year adjustments:

1. Ephemeral content delivers the best engagement rate.

Ephemeral content is that which is viewable for up to 24 hours. It could be said that Snapchat is the mother of ephemeral content, though recent changes have enabled users to keep content visible for longer. Now, because of its popularity, other social platforms have climbed aboard the ephemeral content train. That popularity is forcing marketers to get on board too. While using ephemeral content as a marketing tool may seem counter-intuitive, the reason it's effective is people's fear of missing out. If something is only available for a few hours, it forces people to make a decision right now.

2. Readers like content that engages them on a personal level.

Most millennials don't trust traditional marketing content that's written from the seller's point of view. The archaic mindset that "everyone needs this product" leads to generic content that few people respond to anymore. Instead, marketing content that is written with specific personas in mind is more likely to be read and shared. By marketing to personas, you know exactly what your audience wants and will respond to rather than being generic and casting too wide a net.

3. Interactive broadcasting will be the next big thing.

You're probably aware of Facebook live, and may even be using it as a passive marketing tool - likes and comments don't count here. The logical next step in live streaming is the interactive broadcasting model. According to Small Business Trends, "Interactive broadcasting, where individuals and companies use their smartphone to host public video sessions that anyone can join, has become a major new communications medium." Marketers who get ahead of this trend will also leap ahead of their competition.

If you want to get ahead of the curve, consider making some mid-year adjustments to your social media marketing strategy. Even if you act on just one of the trends we've outlined here, you'll be ahead of the game. Meanwhile, contact us today for more help with your social media strategy.

Influencer Marketing And Becoming A Trusted Expert

Establishing yourself as an expert within your business's niche has always been an important part of achieving lasting success. Public relations, or PR, was once considered a type of black art that required the assistance of a seasoned professional to be done right. Now, influencer marketing is taking over, and you are more than capable of handling the task yourself. Read on....

A Social Sphere

Social media has changed the way we conduct business and engage in all types of relationship building online. Influencer marketing takes advantage of the vast audience we can reach using social platforms, and customers and associates alike expect you to be an active contributor within online communities. The power you hold within your hands is stronger than ever, and if you use it correctly, your reputation amongst consumers and peers will be solid and help you to achieve success.

How Do You Know What To Do?

Achieving results from influence marketing takes a steady hand. You must understand your own strengths and weaknesses before asserting yourself as an expert, and you will need to understand what types of things your audience is looking for from professionals in your arena.

Take the time to reflect on what makes you unique in your specific niche, and then find all of the content you already have that offers value to your market, and study it! You can use existing content to generate interesting spins on topics; sometimes you already have information that can help you to establish yourself as an expert.

Once you begin to utilize all of your existing information in an influential way, you will naturally discover other topics to focus on, and you'll be able to generate additional content. Influencing your audience becomes second nature once you receive feedback from the people paying attention, and you'll be on your way to impressing your existing crowds, while gaining additional fans.

Q&A

Being able to assist people is what it all boils down to. When people know that they can look to you for answers to important questions, you are on the right path.

Believing in your power is important, but all things take time. If you want to master influencer marketing, you will need to dedicate yourself to the task of becoming influential. Taking a humble approach to asserting your power is the best way that you can teach, while being taught.

We hope that we've got your mind stirred and exited, contact us and we'll dig deeper into the topic of influencer marketing.

Pinterest: A Different Way to Utilize Social Media Marketing

Known as the underdog in social media behind Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest is gaining muscle in the world of social media marketing.

Coming on to the scene in 2009, Pinterest is a photo sharing website that allows users to create pinboards to organize their photos based on specific themes such as food, clothing and do-it-yourself activities.

With the right tools, Pinterest can be an extremely useful and profitable marketing tool for businesses as a lot of referral traffic can be obtained through the site.

The Selling Point of Pinterest

People are visual creatures and they like to see beautiful and interesting photos. People will post photos of things they find interesting and will share these images with their friends via pinboards. They key with this is to share captivating photos and allow them to be shared by many people very often. Each photo is a link to the source of the image -- i.e. the business website thus leading potential customers directly to the site.

Build A Following & Keep Them Coming Back

Again, people enjoy attractive images. The first step in gaining followers on Pinterest is to create an attractive account. People tend to be more inclined to follow an individual versus a business as an individual tends to be more believable unless the brand is well-known.

Create unique board names such as "Tomato Gardens" "Strawberry Gardens" and "Lettuce Gardens" as opposed to just "Gardens." When someone is searching for information in relation to a specific type of garden, the more specific information will populate thus leading to more pins and traffic to the business website.

Quality Matters

Using only high quality photos is vital to capturing customers. The image should appear professional with lighting to highlight the subject in the photo. The size of the image is also important because the image needs to be easily accessible by potential customers. Keep the resolution around 800 x 1000 pixels.

With millions of users on Pinterest every day, it is not that difficult to get a business name out there despite the high volume of pinned images. Keep in mind that people are on Pinterest to discover and learn new things. Take advantage of this and make this wonderful marketing tool work for your business.

Contact us today to learn how we can help you with your social media marketing campaign.

Three Tips For Small Business SEO And Social Media Marketing

As a small business owner, keeping up with the rapid changes in SEO and social media marketing can be overwhelming. Unfortunately, if you don't keep up with it, your company is likely to lose footing in a heavily saturated social media environment. Here are a few of the things that you should be aware of as you start to shift your marketing focus to the social media platform.

Maximize Your Mobile Efforts

With the intense schedules and busy lifestyles that most consumers lead now, mobile access has become the primary way that many people find businesses and products. Mobile sites are key for research, and social media platforms have become the go-to means for many consumers to stay in touch with their favorite brands and businesses. As a result, it is essential that your company's website is optimized for mobile access, or you have a site that's designed specifically for mobile users. Incorporating an app for smartphone users is also hugely beneficial for marketing. Further, make sure that anything you share on social media, including your photos and videos, is optimized for mobile users.

Use Social Media For Marketing

Living in a social media society means focusing some of your marketing efforts to those platforms. With so much consumer data being mined and stored by social media platforms, you have the ability to refine and target your ad campaigns to the precise customer base that you want to reach.

To do this successfully, start by assessing the demographics of your existing customer base, including those that interact with your social media profile. Use the business tools provided by each platform to determine what your target consumers are looking for. Then, you can build targeted advertisements for each sector of the audience.

Test New Campaigns Before They Launch

Avoid launching any marketing campaigns without testing them thoroughly. Few things cause greater frustration than responding to an ad campaign and finding out that the link the company used is no good.

In addition, thorough evaluation and testing will also help you catch any potentially overlooked problems with wording or perception in the images. Remember that viral social media posts are great for business, but not if they are going viral for the wrong reasons. Make sure everything is evaluated by an in-house team of multiple people before things go live.

For more help with your social media marketing and SEO efforts, contact us today.

Social Media Advertising - Don't Be Blind

Digital marketing strategies offer brands the ability to create, monitor, and modify campaigns with the greatest of ease, but many still doubt the effectiveness of a true digital strategy. It should be said that a full spectrum approach utilizing all available ad platforms will yield the most positive results, and if you want to succeed within the digital landscape, social media marketing needs to play a part in your success. The truth is, social media advertising is about much more than simply creating some ads, you need to understand the importance of trust and leadership before embarking on a social selling journey. Read on...

Follow The Leader

Building trust and establishing yourself as a leader within your brand's niche is first and foremost the most important piece of the social puzzle. Your company needs to offer value to its audience. You'll need to create high quality content that is engaging and relevant, and you need to have eyes on your social presence before you consider launching a well structured paid advertising campaign.

Gaining followers within communities on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn requires dedication and hard work. Knowing your audience and providing them with tangible proof for why they should pay attention to your brand is a must. When you are aware of your own image within social platforms, you will be able to more effectively create campaigns that work.

The Tools

The analytic tools available to marketing professionals within digital platforms are robust, and can provide insight into a campaigns effectiveness, while also allowing for the creation of several tactics that can help you acquire followers, leads, sales, and additional traffic to any of your digital properties. Working with people who understand the marketing tools available well is a no brainer.

Understanding demographic data, key performance indicators, and campaign testing results are all necessary skills that will be utilized within any successful social media advertising campaign; don't allow yourself to be blind to the big picture, there's a lot to look at.

Go For It

Moving forward with your social strategy is important, and we're here to help. Hopefully, you'll consider the topics we've covered and contact us as soon as you are ready to see success.