by Amber Miller | Dec 10, 2016 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media
Cliff Notes for Social Media – Part 2
Welcome to part two out of three for our Cliff Notes for Social Media series! Today we are going to discuss the 12 dumbest mistakes you can avoid when using social media for business. Read below and let us know if you’re guilty of doing any of these things. Don’t worry, no judgement here… We’ve all been new to social media before and it took a bit for us to figure it out too.
The 12 Dumbest Mistakes to Avoid In Social Media
- Posting long, messy, nasty URLs. Use a URL shortener like bit.ly.
- Posting too often. Rein this in by posting only when you actually have something to say.
- Not spacing your posts. Sending 20 posts in 10 minutes and then not posting the rest of the day is – well – dumb.
- Not making sense. Posting, “ARGGHHH” with no other information just annoys people. Post complete thoughts that actually mean something.
- Too much personal stuff. You’re doing social media to promote your business or service, right? Then keep it 90+% business and less than 10% personal.
- No picture. Yes, you need a profile picture. And yes, it should be a good one. If need be, pay to get your portrait taken – it’s worth it.
- Wrong picture. Your profile picture needs to be of YOU, not a puppy or a cheerleader (unless the puppy or cheerleader is you.)
- Not giving credit or attributing the wrong source. Give credit where credit is properly due. Always.
- Being wrong. Again, check your facts if you’re unsure.
- Being a jerk. No matter how much you disagree, the other person is never an idiot, a moron or a jack*. Remember, once you put it on the net, you can NEVER take it back.
- Getting political. You’re entitled to your own politics, but they have no business mixing with your business. Keep them 100% separate at all times.
- Ignoring shares and RT’s. Someone retweets or shares something of yours, what do you do? If the answer is nothing, you lose. Instead, THANK them for sharing your content and start a conversation.
Are you simply having a hard time getting a handle of it all? Did you know we provide full service social media management services? Let us handle all the crazy for you. Contact us today to get started.
Part 1
Part 3 (coming soon)
by Amber Miller | Dec 2, 2016 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media
Remember Cliffs Notes? They’re summaries of longer work, designed to get a student up to speed quickly without having to read the entire book. Sort of a cheat, you might say, but a very effective cheat at that.
There are volumes written about how to succeed dramatically and radically with social media. And then there’s our own version of social media notes, designed to help you become a social media savant in no time.
Ready? Here are the cliff notes presented in a three part series. Below is the first, The 15 Rules of Social Media. The other two will be posted throughout the month of December so make sure to check back for updates!
Remember, these are short but exceedingly powerful. Ignoring any one of them may be perilous to your bottom line.
The 15 Rules of Social Media Marketing:
- Help others often, eagerly and without thought of benefit to yourself.
- Be patient with others. Remember, you were once new to social media, too.
- Share great content.
- Forward great content and credit generously.
- Thank often and thank liberally.
- Be yourself, not a cardboard cutout. Show your personality.
- If you don’t have a personality, grow one and then show it.
- Blog often and intelligently.
- If you don’t know something, say so. Then find out and get back to them.
- Don’t just talk – have real conversations. Remember, these are real people, not just avatars and photos.
- Find the time for social media. Schedule it in and then just do it.
- Use tools to schedule posts and monitor mentions. Social media is one facet of your marketing campaign – it’s not your life.
- Don’t automate the whole process. Be there. Reach out and interact. Find the balance between automation and the personal touch.
- Laugh at yourself. Tell tales on yourself. Show your human side – people aren’t friends with Superman, they’re friends real people who have real challenges and real faults and can laugh at themselves.
- Admit your own mistakes and then move on. The mistakes make you human, but dwelling on them makes you annoying.
Still not sure if what you’re doing is right? Contact us today for a detailed analysis of your social media account and recommendations on how you can get the most out of your social media marketing efforts.
by Amber Miller | Nov 14, 2016 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media
Do you have a social media game plan for 2017?
Are you looking to have a competitive edge when it comes to your business? If you don’t have a written social media game plan then it is easy to allow this part of your marketing to fall to the wayside. You need to figure out the right balance of informative, advertising, and conversational posts when it comes to utilizing this power marketing strategy.
Social media should be used to generate leads and drive traffic to your website and/or offers. It is very clear that businesses achieve greater results and satisfaction when they take a more comprehensive approach to social media. Every action you take on social media needs to be a part of a larger social media strategy. That means every update, tweet, reply and comment should be part of an overall strategy that drives towards a pre-determined goal. This can seem a little complicated and daunting but if you take the time to create a written plan the rest of your social media efforts will fall into place.
Here are a few steps that you can take today to create your social media strategy for the coming year:
Step 1: Conduct an audit of your current social media strategy
Prior to creating your social marketing game plan you need to do an assessment of what your current social media marketing efforts are and how they are performing for you. Are they creating a larger following? Are they achieving your overall goals for your business? Are they helping to get your message out in a way that is cohesive across all platforms?
Step 2: Create or optimize your social media accounts
Once you have done a complete audit of your social media accounts it is time to drill down your online presence. You need to determine which social media platforms best meets your social media goals. If you need to create additional social media profiles on the platforms you are not already on then this is the time to create those profiles. If you do have profiles on your ideal social media platforms then this is the time to optimize your profiles so they best meet your business and audience needs.
Step 3: Create your social media goals and objectives
The first step in any plan is to sit down and establish clear, defined goals for your and your business. When you have these goals this will allow you to determine if your actions are moving you towards the end results you are hoping to achieve. If your efforts aren’t accomplishing your goals you can make tweaks along the way until they are.
A simple way to start your plan is to map out three goals your want for your social media efforts. You need to make sure you ask yourself what your goal will look like when completed and you need to determine what you will use to track your progress.
For example:
For Pinterest, we will share photos to communicate our company culture. We do this by posting three photos a week to achieve 30 shares and at least five comments.
Step 4: Get some inspiration
This step is designed to give you some inspiration that supports your social media goals. You can turn to industry leaders, your competitors, clients, industry publications and blogs. There is a wealth of knowledge already available to you that you can integrate into your social media marketing plan. This is great when trying to find out what type of content and information to share via all social media platforms. You need to determine how to give that information your voice which allows you to stand out and separate yourself from your competitors.
Step 5: Create your social media marketing game plan
Your social media marketing game plan is going to be essential to succeeding at social media. Your game plan should consist of strategies for content creation and content curation as well as a calendar for posting.
Your game plan should answer the following questions:
How often will you post your content?
Who will create or source your content?
How will you promote the content?
Who is your intended target audience for each type of content?
What types of content do you intend to post and promote?
Your editorial calendar will list the dates and times you intend to post content to your blogs and social media platforms. Create the calendar and schedule out your content in advance. Planning can be done on a weekly or monthly basis.
Step 6: Monitor, test and adjust your social media marketing plan
To determine if your social media efforts are obtaining the goals your have set forth in earlier steps you will need to be constantly monitoring and testing. You will need to build testing capabilities into every action you take on your social media platforms. You can track your links by utilizing url shortener’s and track your page visits by utilizing Google Analytics. Record and analyze your successes and failures and adjust your plan accordingly.
The most important thing to remember when it comes to social media marketing is its’ ever-changing nature. Sooner or later, you may realize newer platforms may better suit your needs than the ones you are currently using. Don’t forget that you can add networks if you think they will perform better and remove networks if they are not performing like you thought they would. As you grow you might need to grow your social media efforts as well. This type of marketing plan is meant to change so be flexible and open to new ideas and trends.
The team at Smart to Finish can help you to determine what your social media game plan should look like. We can help assess where your current strategies are, what needs to be optimized, and whether or not your current plan is obtaining the over goals you have set forth for your business. Contact us today to get started.
by Amber Miller | Aug 25, 2016 | Blog, Social Media
Let’s be honest here… Using Facebook to market and grow your business has become incredibly challenging over the past couple of years. Most of the time, if you don’t pay to boost your posts, only those who like or engage with your content on daily basis will see posts going forward. Facebook has done an excellent job at cutting out a lot of business socialization on the timeline. Bleh.
But alas, there are still a number of things you can do on Facebook to ensure growth and engagement in a multitude of ways. Here are five to start…
Use your header image as a virtual billboard!
Many people think the header image is there to showcase your company… Why not use it to showcase your sales, products, and promotions? You can update your header as often as you like – use it. Just make sure you use a professional graphic designer or use a Facebook header image template so you don’t block any important content with your profile image or contact tabs!
Completely fill out that about section you lazy bum!
When you set up a business page on Facebook, you’re given a lot of opportunities to add A LOT of information about your business. Take the time and actually fill it out! This means writing up a great summary of your business, adding your phone number, address, website, setting up your custom URL (don’t stick with what Facebook gives you!), etc! Not only will this information help customers learn more about you, but you will show up in searches more often.
Don’t post boring stuff about your company or products all the time!
Do you follow a company that posts nothing but information on their products and services? Get’s kinda boring doesn’t it? Yeah… Make sure to have a healthy mix of quality information on your products, services, industry news, inspirational quotes, and more! You need a good joke every once in a while right? So do your customers.
Don’t rely JUST on Facebook to grow followers!
Did you know it’s super easy to add Facebook widgets and apps to your website? These widgets allow customers to follow you directly from your own website AND share your business with the world – all with just the click of a button.
Spend a lil’ money and increase engagement!
One of the best ways to spread the word about your business on Facebook is by using Paid Ads. They are a great way to showcase new products, services, industry news, and can also be used to build email marketing list and direct customers to landing pages.
Now that you know how to take advantage of Facebook, get on out there and get social! And never forget, if you need any help getting started or just need some advice on what you’re already doing, shoot us an email. We love talking to people about social media management. 🙂
by Amber Miller | Aug 3, 2016 | Blog, Social Media
Instagram is fast becoming a mecca for businesses to gain new subscribers and build awareness for their brand. As of April 2016, there are a recorded 400 million users on Instagram across the globe! That’s a huge group of potential customers; right at the tip of your fingers! So… how do you create a strong brand image amongst all those other businesses trying to compete for the same 400 million people? Below are four tips and tricks to get you started…
Create compelling content that is worthy of sharing (don’t forget the video!)
We all know the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”… It’s true and you always need to make sure your brand is conveying the right ones! Be CLEAR about your brand and create content that your customers want to see. Not sure what to post? Take a look at what your competitors are posting, check out niche blogs and other websites to see what popular topics consumers are talking about, and take advantage of the many tools already available to you on social media i.e. insights and analytics. Always double check your work to see what’s working and what’s not!
Don’t forget the video. Instagram offers up to 15 seconds of video recording… All the time you need to get your point across 🙂 Here are some quick tips and ideas on how to utilize videos on Instagram:
- Answer FAQs
- Showcase Your Company Culture and Style (Get employees involved!)
- Use videos to engage followers to submit videos for contests, events, and more! (Don’t forget the hashtags)
- Create a video portfolio of your work
- Showcase special offers and sales
Use your Instagram bio to convert followers into subscribers
Unfortunately, you only have one opportunity to have a clickable link on Instagram… and that’s in your bio. Use this opportunity to link to targeted pages or your company website. Since there’s no cap on how often you can update your bio, you can use this link for targeted marketing campaigns to sell products or grow your subscription list. Don’t be pushy; make sure to create a bio that’s interesting, unique from other bios, keyword optimized, and includes your company name and what you do.
Balance fun images with pictures from your business
Your followers really don’t want to sift through your images and see nothing but self-promoting, salesy product images. ZzzzZzZZzzzZz Share other items like quotes, facts about materials or ingredients you use, cute puppies (if your niche calls for it lol), whatever… don’t always share pictures of your company and products.
Follow your followers back (sometimes)
You’ve got some die hard fans? You should absolutely follow those people back… maybe. While it’s important to show your biggest customers just how much you care by reaching out to them on social media, their presence might not always be beneficial to you. Make sure to stick with users who post content that is appropriate and relevant to your business (for the most part). In addition, make sure to follow other people who share relevant information and interest you, partners and business associates, and others in your industry who use Instagram and learn from them (watch what they do, what works, what doesn’t?). Get yourself out there and engage with others – that’s the only way you’ll be heard!
Oh, and one more tip for the road…. HASHTAGS! HASHTAGS! HASHTAGS! You are allowed to use 30 hashtags on Instagram, take total advantage of it. (Click here to download a FREE infographic on how to post on Instagram)
While these four tips and tricks will definitely give you a strong starting point; there are countless other ways businesses can utilize Instagram to make the most out of the social network. Contact us if you would like to talk about a customized approach for your business and how we can help you make it happen.
by Amber Miller | May 13, 2016 | Social Media
If your small business hasn’t taken the social media plunge and started a social media marketing campaign, now is the best time to jump in. Marketing is all about engaging in conversations with customers, problem solving, promotion of your products or services and educating your customers. Social media can help you generate new leads as well as establish a client base that encourages them to purchase from you again and again. What better way to engage your customers than through social media outlets?
Here is a short list of reasons to take that social media plunge:
- Create a “buzz” about your products or services. Buzz marketing allows a business to increase awareness about their product by growing online traffic. Get consumers talking about your products, services or company by utilizing social media marketing campaigns. Create an event to promote your products or services then have customers share experiences or engage in conversations. Examples of this would be to start contests on Facebook or Twitter that give followers a chance to win prizes. You can also ask consumers to follow you on Twitter and re-tweet a specific tweet to be eligible for a contest.
- Build your brand. Social media makes it easy to build your brands identity and increase brand awareness. You can successfully establish your brand and make it relatable to a specific demographic.
- Social networking with current clients and prospects. Personal conversations can be held with customers by using social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
- Create traffic. A study by Balihoo indicates that, “91% of local searches use Facebook to find local businesses online.” Being active on social media will help you increase the quantity of traffic that your website receives. Successful social media campaigns will likely improve the amount of traffic referrals your website receives, playing a role in business sales.
- Communicate with customers. Social media gives a business the opportunity to interact with and receive valuable information from customers. In addition to a customer service email or phone number, social media is another way to monitor and be part of the dialogue about your product or service. This platform makes it possible for a business to provide tips and solutions in real time. In other words, social media gives small businesses an opportunity to host the conversation about their product or service and gives them the power to mediate and correct issues that may occur.
- Move up in search engines. Social media’s importance in a website’s SEO ranking continues to increase with the current popularity of social media. If you company is being talked about on social media, chances are Google will consider your website to be authentic, helping your SEO ranking. It is important to use high-quality content and links on your website. This information is evaluated and used as part of an algorithm by Google, contributing to your site’s ranking in the search engine chain.
- Social media helps increase trust in your business or brand. Customers can become overwhelmed by the number of choices they have for certain products and services. Customers want some type of indication that your business is authentic before making that first contact. Having an active social media presence helps fill an impending trust that indicates you care about your customers and that you can easily be contacted.
- Target a specific niche. Your business can use social media advertising to target by specific demographics, zip code, keyword, demographics, etc. Twitter is an excellent site to start reaching your niche market. Hash tags and lists are used to help you generate leads. Linkedin and Facebook also offer ways to connect to people with the same or similar interest groups.
Developing successful social media marketing campaigns has become an important tool for small businesses, and it should be utilized for all of its benefits. It provides a cost-effective way to build a community, that can potentially enhance the experience for both client and business owner. The trend of social media is still going strong and there is no indication that it will be halting in existence any time soon. Is your business missing out on this incredible opportunity?
If you and your staff are too busy or uncomfortable with the process of social media marketing, you can hire us to be your social media expert!
Sources
Pingler. Creating A Buzz With Social Media. July 9, 2011. Retrieved from https://pingler.com/blog/creating-a-buzz-with-social-media/ on September 15, 2015.
Forbes. Jacquelyn Smith. How to Use Social Media to Make Sales. January 10, 2014. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2014/01/10/how-to-use-social-media-to-make-sales-2014/ on September 15, 2015.
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