How To Fight Social Media Marketing Doppelgangers

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29Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Email Marketing, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized

We were asked what to do if someone tries to impersonate your business on social media. While it’s a frightening thought, it’s easily resolved.

Your social media manager poured tons of effort into your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account. They carefully optimized the page with all the ins and outs of your business, posted engaging content, and uploaded professional quality imagery. Then one day, you go online to see another version of your company’s account lurking about.

The profile picture is the same, even the name and profile information match. But it’s not yours. Instead, there are spams and scams and inappropriate content congesting this profile’s news feed. It seems there’s an evil twin of yours online. What is there to do?

The mere existence of this fake account is a threat to your social media marketing efforts. As soon as you discover the account, report it to the authorities immediately. Whether you are on Facebook, Twitter, etc. The powers that be will be able to pursue the perpetrator. While it’s more common to see this in personal profiles, it’s certainly possible for scam artists to copy a business as well. Make sure you have proof that you represent the real business, which will make things go a lot smoother.

In addition to fake accounts, there is always the possibility of someone publishing your content as their own. While this is entirely unnecessary thanks to sharing, retweeting, quote-tweeting, etc., it still happens from time to time. If this happens, prepare to defend your well thought out content.

If you see that this is a real person and not just a spammy account, email them directly before taking more serious action. Politely ask them to remove your content. If they comply, the issue is over. If not, you need to inform the authorities.

Take plenty of screenshots and be sure to include the dates and times of when your original post was published. Contact Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or whatever platform you use. Each site has a comprehensive and responsive team that does not take these situations lightly.

Don’t think that not participating in social media marketing at all is the answer. In fact, you are more susceptible. Having no social media activity means you won’t know if there is a copycat online. Secondly, you will have no real profile to call the real one. Don’t be vulnerable to scams.

Social media marketing provides a new level of online recognition. Every now and again, there will be someone who tries to abuse the system. Luckily, the resolution to this situation is easy and fixable so you can keep on marketing.

Our clients have nothing to worry about. Our attentive social media marketing team scans the internet for any sign of trouble. If it ever occurs, we strike it down immediately. Are you looking for effective and secure social media marketing? Contact us today to see how we can help!

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Build Up Your Flock: 5 Ways To Be The Top Bird On Twitter

By Christopher Tompkins

27Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Social Media, Social networking, Tailwind, Twitter, Uncategorized

Since its incarnation in 2006, Twitter has become a major social media marketing staple. Few businesses use social media for marketing without utilizing the microblogging platform. We call it “microblogging” because it mainly performs the feature of a regular blog, only at a microscopic scale. Are you able to tell your story with 140 characters or less?

Twitter is the place for speed, efficiency, and effectivity. You need to hit your readers hard and don’t let them forget it! Are you looking for the best ways to approach the platform that has over 310 million users?

1. Use an Image – EVERY TIME. Good news! Twitter no longer counts visual media against a tweet’s 140 characters. Because of this new advantage, you have no reason for a bland, image-less tweet. None. Make sure you incorporate eye-catching imagery, so people hone in on your update.

2. Analyze trends. Twitter is the king of current events. As such, incorporate contemporary happenings into your content. While treading controversial waters can leave you burned, there’s plenty of positive, unbiased news you can use.

3. Call Upon Your Team. The beginning of a successful social media marketing campaign is your team’s efforts. Ask them to help your marketers promote their brand with their own following. Their genuine marketing efforts can go a long way.

4. Consistency. There are several social media poisons. Radio silence is one of the worse. NEVER let more than two days go without a post. People will quickly move along to the next best thing.

5. Make Your Tweets Self-Contained. A common trend in the Twitterverse is to tell a longer story in a series of tweets. This is a big no-no. What happens if one of your tweets is read out of context? “(cont’d)We would love to see you there! Make sure to come early so you get a good spot so you can see…” Do you want something like that popping up on your feed? It’s against the laws of Twitter.

6. Promoted and Sponsored Tweets. There are paid options available on Twitter to give your marketing an extra boost. Once you have a grasp on how Twitter works, advertising is the next natural level.

7. Study Data. Don’t be a dodo. Study your current performance and see how you can improve. Is news related content doing better than promos? Maybe videos are getting more attention (they most likely are). You won’t ever know if you don’t look at your data at least once a week.

As you can see, Twitter is a bit like chess – easy to learn, hard to master. At the Go! Agency, our social media experts handle over 100 Twitter accounts for clients. Contact us today to discover how our expertise will land your company on cloud nine!

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Social Media Writer’s Block? Try These 20 Inspirational Post Prompts

By Christopher Tompkins

26Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Tailwind, Twitter, Uncategorized

Many writers know the pain that comes with a blank page. Social media writers aren’t any better. Whenever that update field is blank, or there are still 140 characters remaining for a tweet, there’s a gut-twisting feeling.

Sometimes, marketers need a little push in the right direction. Well, consider this a shove. These 20 post prompts are helpful tools that will get your marketing mind moving!

1. Host a Q & A Session.

2. Explain why customers go to YOU and not THEM.

3. What is your “bread and butter” product?

4. What is your NEW product?

5. Incorporate a lesser-known holiday into your brand. (Trust us, every single day is a holiday, you just need to research.)

6. What did you do this time last year?

7. Host a flash sale.

8. Host a contest.

9. Offer free advice.

10. Incorporate a current event or trending topic.

11. Provide a snippet of the company’s history.

12. Promote a real life event hosted by your company or partner.

13. Provide preventative or helpful tips.

14. Showcase a new employee.

15. What will the upcoming season bring to your company?

16. Describe your company’s ethics.

17. Post something light-hearted / entertaining. (As long as it’s in good taste.)

18. Share news related to your industry.

19. Share your company’s support for a charity or cause.

20. Share a success story of a satisfied customer / client.

Did that get your brain spinning? The best part of social media marketing is the diversity the form allows. It’s so great to be able to share a wide variety of content with your following. Try a few of these prompts and the rest of your strategy will come along quickly.

What type of content has worked best for your company? Comment below!

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Social Media Show Business: How To Wow The Internet

By Christopher Tompkins

25Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Marketing, Pinterest, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized

In many respects, social media is the new Hollywood. Many people attempt to be a star, only now it’s online fame they seek. I’m not just talking about YouTubers trying to make it big on the small screen. This also goes for companies attempting to market.

Just like an aspiring actress seeing that Hollywood sign for the first time, you’re going to need these three traits to make it.

Perseverance. If you send one tweet out a week, no one is going to notice you. To say social media is fast-paced is a severe understatement. You need to keep hitting your audience with engaging content so you stay prominent in their news feeds.

Creativity. Many people use social media for entertainment. With that in mind, marketers need to make their content fun, attractive, and unique. To do that, you will need an imagination. A business’s graphic designers, creative copywriters, and other content experts need to know how to create enticing and exciting posts.

Networking Skills. Like everyone says, it’s about who you know. Social media doesn’t necessarily break that rule, but rather it bends it in a particular fashion. Your brand has the power to reach out to professionals, colleagues, leads, and customers through a wide variety of different avenues.

It’s show time! With nearly 2 billion people logging into Facebook, and hundreds of millions using Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest, it’s obvious for marketers to go where the audience is.

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#Boo! 5 Ways To Spook Up Your Social Media Marketing

By Christopher Tompkins

24Oct

Advertising, Business, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Social networking, Uncategorized

It’s October, and you know what that means! Ghosts, goblins, and poorly chosen Halloween costumes. But this spooky season isn’t just for trick or treaters. Marketers have a gold mine of marketing potential just waiting to be utilized. Here are the best ways to have hauntingly good engagement:

1. Frightening fun. All Halloween festivities aside, it’s a very busy time of year. The school year is in full swing, people are preparing for the big holiday season to hit in just a month, and business ramps up quickly. A dose of fun may be enough to make your followers smile and drum up engagement. Whether it’s DIY decor, costumes, or party ideas, you can’t go wrong!

2. Spooky sales. Like Christmas, Independence Day, Columbus Day, Mother’s Day, and Groundhog Day, companies’ default response to a holiday is a sale. But with social media, you can liven things up. Change the sale’s focus every day, utilize flash sales, make social media exclusive offers, etc. Keep in mind that you should be posting at least twice a day, so use that to your advantage.

3. Show off your monsters. Did your employees dress up for the holiday? Take lots of pics and upload them to your favorite social media platforms. It’s a great way to add some humanity to your business (even if they are dressed as monsters).

4. Horror Hashtags. Of course, #HappyHalloween will be at the top of the charts on the 31st. But don’t just stick with the obvious. Sometimes, unique hashtags are more effective. Do your research and see what’s trending this year. This may be the time for some “in the moment” posting as opposed to scheduling.

5. Ghostly Imagery. I don’t mean you should share a pic from Ghost Hunters. Instead, be sure to incorporate holiday-themed visuals. If your graphic designer is handy, you can even add a bit of Halloween flair to your logo or profile picture.

It’s not only easy to get into the spirit, it’s smart too. Social media marketers love huge holidays like Halloween because a massive amount of people are celebrating, which means they’re looking for content. Dive in… if you dare!

Do you have the holiday blues? Don’t let another holiday season go by without the right social media strategy. Jump on board before it’s too late!

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Avoid These 10 Social Media Media Marketing Poisons

By Christopher Tompkins

23Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Email Marketing, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Live Video, Marketing, Pinterest, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized

We all know what poison is. In a nutshell, it’s a substance that causes harm to someone or something. Unfortunately, poison isn’t always marked with a giant skull and crossbones, nor is it an oozing green substance from fairy tales. Sometimes, such danger isn’t so obvious. This is especially true for social media marketing poison.

For social media, poison can be an “easy way out” or a seemingly innocent mistake. But marketers should beware! Check out the following social media dangers to avoid:

1. Inconsistency. The best way to make people forget about your brand and move onto a competitor is to be inconsistent with publishing posts. Huge gaps of time or sporadic scheduling will cause unfortunate consequences.

2. Plagiarism. Looking for some legal trouble? Then plagiarize away! There’s absolutely no reason to copy someone’s work without giving credit. Social media marketing offers us perfectly acceptable tools such as retweeting, sharing, repinning, etc. to curate content that fits your feel.

3. Unprofessionalism. Just like your personal social media profiles, there is etiquette to abide by. No cursing, no trash talking competition, no personal pictures, no using “I”. Don’t forget about the business you’re representing.

4. Veering off course. Remember your industry! While sharing interesting articles and engaging content is crucial to social media marketing success, don’t post things that are totally in left field. Keep things as relevant and centered around your field as possible.

5. No visuals. No pictures, videos, or GIFs? Boring! You will kill your social media profile by just looking unappealing. People are 80% more likely to check your content if you use imagery.

6. Ignoring customer outreach. Check your messages multiple times a day. Make sure your response time is less than 24 hours for everything that customers throw your way.

7. Living in a bubble. In it’s most primordial definition, social media is about community. Share others’ content, engage with followers, and start conversations by sharing polls, prompts, contents and more. Don’t isolate yourself from the community you’re trying to build. Talk it up!

8. Using personal opinion. Let’s be clear. Unless your company is by nature religious, political, or handles controversial subjects, it should NOT share an opinion. There will be someone out there that get’s offended.

9. Over-promoting. Even if you’re 100% using social media to boost sales, it can’t just be about promotional posts. No one will pay attention to a barrage of sales. Incorporate interesting articles, community-building exercises, quotes, etc.

10. Spam. People have a tendency to spot scams, spam, and junk a mile away. It’s in the writing and approach. Never spam. Even if your business is legit, you will look like a slimeball. We’ve all been pestered by scam artists one way or another, your business is better than that, right?

Your company needs social media, but your social media needs you to stay away from these deadly acts. What’s the panacea to this poison? Experienced, professional, and creative marketers who know their way around the internet.

Contact us today to get a jump start on social media marketing!

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The Top 5 Social Media Marketing Strategies For B2B Businesses

By Christopher Tompkins

22Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Marketing, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized, Website Design

B2B Business professionals know they need a special approach to marketing. Their companies are often quite serious in tone. After all, their target demographic is other professionals. But that doesn’t mean social media marketing isn’t for them. Over 50 million businesses now promote themselves via social media marketing, many of these are B2B. Find out how your company can gain new leads, talent, and visibility through these methods!

1. LinkedIn. The social media platform specifically for professionals is ideal for B2B. Of all sites your marketing team should spend time on, it’s LinkedIn. But what makes LinkedIn truly effective at spreading the word is LinkedIn Groups. You have the ability to connect, network, and moderately promote through fifty individual communities.

2. Community Outreach. While other businesses are your primary focus, you also want to have a positive tone and consumer reach. Mix in updates that are community-centered. This will promote your office’s work culture and can show your potential clients that you care about their end goal as well. This type of marketing can be done on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat. Don’t forget these platforms!

3. Set Clear, Achievable Goals. Whether you’re marketing through LinkedIn, Facebook, or even Snpachat, discuss with your team what exactly your goals are. It also helps if these are quantifiable via data analytics.

4. Blogging. Blogging is important in B2C industries, but they’re particularly useful for B2Bs. Prove you know what you sell by showcasing original articles centered around your field. Then, promote them through all the previously stated avenues.

5. UGC. User-generated content (UGC) is excellent for a business focused on other professionals. Whether it’s a review, testimonial, or even success story, incorporate your pre-existing clientele into your marketing strategy.

Your ideal customer base is already online. Make sure your business is properly represented on the world’s most popular communication sites!

We’re proud that many of our clients are B2B companies. We help these professionals gain new leads, referrals, and customers! Contact us today to see how your business can also benefit.

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The 5 Lists That Every Social Media Marketer Needs

By Christopher Tompkins

20Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Email Marketing, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Periscope, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Uncategorized

Lists are great, aren’t they? They help us keep track of what to do, what to buy, where to go, what to avoid, and which events to remember. Every aspect of our lives improves with well-developed lists. A social media marketer’s strategy is no exception.

Since social media marketing has multiple aspects to it, a successful marketer will need multiple lists. Take some time out and compose the following sets of material!

1. Competitors. Which businesses are your competition? Is it just locals or are there national brands to watch out for? Start writing down these companies so you can monitor their social media marketing activity.

2. Leads. It’s time to do some research. Compose a list of businesses or consumers that would potentially utilize your services or products. Follow them and open up the avenues of communication. This is a major part of a social media marketer’s position.

3. Industry Influencers. Who are the BIG names in your industry? Whether it’s a hugely successful company or it’s an influential individual, you should not only know who these people are, but you should follow them and study their strategy.

4. Reliable Sources. The best marketers share relevant, newsworthy, and engaging content with their social media following. Don’t go searching every time you’re writing a set of updates. Make a list of the best places to find news and articles.

5. Buzzwords. Some words are bland and tasteless while others jump off the page and pull in the reader. Each industry has their own unique and diverse vocabulary. Set up your list of buzzwords so your arsenal of engaging copy is handy!

Get to writing! These five lists are invaluable tools that will help you when you’re stuck with marketing.

Did you know we make these lists for each of our clients? We specially craft every single social media marketing campaign so it reaches maximum potential. Contact us today to learn more!

Why Social Media Marketing’s Adaptability Makes It Last

By Christopher Tompkins

19Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Email Marketing, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Periscope, Politics, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized, YouTube

Every now and again someone will say “social media is a fad” and we have to smile. Sure, the statement is understandable, albeit unfounded. Yes, there is a certain sense of “fad” like quality to the internet as a whole because it hasn’t been around as long as the newspaper. But social media marketing has something that the newspaper, radio, television, and all the other mediums lack: adaptability.

Adaptability is why businesses need to pay attention to social media. It’s also how they should be marketing. Thankfully, social media isn’t exclusive to one site. We don’t log onto socialmedia.com to post our latest updates. This is a VERY good thing. Instead of a monopolized website, we have independent platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, Reddit, and more.

While the ever-popular Facebook has been around for over 10 years and is still unyielding, social media marketers know better than to think it’s eternal. That’s why we learn how to perform online marketing as a whole, learn to be versatile, and use the current internet climate as an advantage.

Take Instagram and Snapchat for example. For a while, these two were not taken very seriously. Now, there are millions of users enjoying these platforms. They have become real powerhouses and significant game-changers. With them came the importance of video. Now, marketers understand that trends are leaning towards a high-volume of imagery, both still and moving.

It’s this level of perception that makes social media marketing able to handle the shifting winds of consumer ideas.

At The Go! Agency, we’re able to study and adapt to the trends, movements, and significant changes. Let us help your business have the same adaptability!

Look Legit with Social Media Marketing

By Christopher Tompkins

18Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Live Video, Marketing, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized

Let’s try an exercise. Open up a new window and go to Facebook or Twitter. Write down a list of 10-15 popular brands. It can be Coca-Cola, Apple, Disney, Chevrolet, GAP, Shell, or even the US Government itself. Now, try and search for them on the platform. You found them, didn’t you? A mass majority of top brands use social media to connect with their customers, but also to look legitimate.

Having a professional Facebook and Twitter page along with a few other platforms has become an essential for businesses. It’s hard to find a company that doesn’t have at least one account.

Social media provides the following elements of legitimacy:

– Substantial online representation

– Open customer communication

– It makes the brand relevant and modern

– The ability to share professional material

– Widespread brand recognition

– Brand development

So, since all these top companies have begun to incorporate social media marketing into their brand, why isn’t your company? You need to take social media marketing seriously so others will flock to your brand and know you’re the real deal.

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