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HashTags: Why You Need Them and How to Use Them

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0
17Jun
Facebook, Twitter, Uncategorized

I’m sure that you have heard about Hashtags before in social media, and maybe even know what they look like or have tried your hand at using them yourself.  But do you know why you need them and how to use them?

If you do not know how to use hashtags, it is time to sit up and take notice.  The reason being is that hashtags are now being used by Facebook (at the time of this writing, they are slowly being rolled out to Facebook users worldwide).  This should be a game changer for many online marketers as before this news, if the company did not use Twitter, they figured that there was no sense in learning how to properly use Hashtags.

But this has all changed now.

Let’s dive right in and discover exactly what a hashtag is.  A hashtag looks like this: #.  The hashtag becomes activated when it is paired with a keyword like so: #environment.  Let’s break this down further.  The “#” sign before the word environment signifies it as a hashtag and the word environment is the keyword used to identify which conversations on Twitter or Facebook to link your update to.  Why does this matter?  This will pop your tweet or update into a category of people talking about the subject #environment.  You see, after you create your hashtag and send a tweet or update, it will become hyperlinked.  If you click the hyperlink, it will take you to the stream of EVERYBODY site-wide speaking about #environment.  Talk about exposure, eh?

So, how do you create your own?  Simply add the # sign in front of the keyword that you would like to use to enter your update into a stream of conversation.  If you want to use a phrase, don’t use spaces.  For example: #socialmedia instead of #social media.  For the second one “social” will be the only phrase that is associated with that hashtag.

Why use them?  You would be surprised about the extra exposure that you will receive.

First, as stated above, when you use a hashtag you are being connected to other conversations on Twitter and Facebook where people are talking about the same topic – so obviously a fantastic way to get in front of not only a targeted market, but a targeted topic and conversation.

Going above and beyond this fact, posts with hashtags are proven to get two times the amount of exposure!

So that is Hashtag 101 – go out there and create your first one and share it with the team and I @thegoagency using the hashtag #myfirsthashtag.

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5 Ways to Effectively Manage Your LinkedIn Group

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30May
LinkedIn, Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized

In my last post I discussed how to setup your own custom LinkedIn Group in order to market your business effectively.  Hopefully by now you have used the step-by-step instructions to get your very own LinkedIn Group off the ground.

But now what?

You’ve probably started some discussions, sent out a few invitations…but isn’t there more to it?

There sure is!

Here are the top 5 things you need to know to effectively manage your LinkedIn Group to foster growth and engagement:

1.  Check in Daily.  Log into your group once a day and click on the Manage tab.  Take a look at the Submission Queue, Moderation Queue and Requests to Join.  If you have your Group settings configured in such a way that you have to approve all new members, comments, discussions, promotions, etc (which I highly recommend) it is important to check in consistently in order to keep the conversation going and your audience interested.

2.  Use Your Templates.  In the Manage section, look on the left hand side and click on the Templates link.  This page will help you create, manage and automatically send custom messages to people interested in your group when they ask to join and once they are approved!  Make sure to add your other social media links, weblinks and maybe even a special offer to your templates to increase your visibility.

3.  Set the Rules.  In the Manage page, you will also see the Group Rules link.  It is important to set the rules of your group in order to best suit your market.  For example, if you do not want people hocking their wares or posting job vacancies all the time – set this in stone by stating this in your Group Rules.

4.  Send Announcements!  One of the most under utilized tools in LinkedIn  Groups is Announcements.  As a Group Manager will have the ability to send announcements once a week (or every 7 days).  Make sure that they are group related: either a promotion, discussion or an update that you feel is important.  Remember, if you abuse this people will leave the group just as they would opt-out of an email blast that turns spammy.

5.  Keep Track of Your Statistics.  Conveniently hidden and hard to find, the LinkedIn Group statistics page is very helpful in terms of you getting more familiar with the demographics of your custom Group.  When in your Group, click on the “More…” tab and select “Group Statistics” from the drop-down menu.  You will see helpful items such as Summary, Demographics, Growth and Activity.  By monitoring these trends you can see how you can improve your group, enhance engagement and attract better quality members.

Now your homework is to login to LinkedIn and explore these items in your LinkedIn Group today.  Write some templates, send an announcement and check out your statistics.  These 5 items will help you get that extra benefit from LinkedIn Groups that many don’t take advantage of.  Let me know how you get on!

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How to Create Your Own Custom LinkedIn Group

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1
24May
LinkedIn, Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized

When you are marketing your business (or yourself) on LinkedIn, there are numerous outlets for you to utilize: your profile, your updates, your connections and your groups to name a few.

I’ve written before about the power of LinkedIn Groups to enhance your credibility and visibility on LinkedIn.  They truly are powerhouses for not only getting hits to your website, but also for you to directly connect with influential people and potential customers.

But you don’t have to simply join someone else’s group – you can start your own!

If you have opened and completed your LinkedIn profile, you have the ability to create your own membership group, branded to your niche with you in the driver’s seat.

Where do you start and how do you do it?

Here are some straight-forward tips on how to create the perfect LinkedIn Group for your business, quickly and efficiently:

1. Your Group and Your Purpose.  You should create your LinkedIn Group around the subject matter of your business and topics your target consumer would be interested in.  For example, we have The Go! Healthcare Marketing Insider (you can join here).  One of the sectors we service at The Go! Agency is the healthcare market.  So we created the group to interest healthcare organizations by sharing discussions related directly to using marketing to build their business online.

2.  Create a Name and Logo.  All LinkedIn Groups have a name and logo, so you will need to create one.  There are many free logo services available, just Google them.  Make sure your logo has the same look and feel as your company logo and the Group name reflects both your company and the Group itself.  Make sure not to use your own company name as the name of the Group  as it will confuse people.  They may think this a company related membership Group?

3.  Register Your Group.  Go into LinkedIn and click on the Groups tab.  On the next screen you will see a link to “Create a Group”.  Click on this and fill out the form supplied.   Make sure to fill it in completely and use as many keywords as you can.  This will enable you to be found when someone is searching for a group with your subject matter.

4.  Post Discussions.  To get the ball rolling, post three or four discussions.  Get your other co-workers to start a few as well.  The more content that you add to your Group   initially will enhance the amount of conversion once you begin to invite people to join.

5.  Start Inviting!  When you click on your Group, click next on the “Manage” tab.  On the left hand side you will see “Send Invitations”.  This will enable you to send invitations in batches to your LinkedIn connections.  Want to promote via Facebook, Twitter or the main LinkedIn feed?  Click the “Share” button on the top right of your group at any time.

And you are off!  Now you have your own LinkedIn membership Group which will enable you to market in many new ways.  In the next post I’ll explain how you can effectively market and manage your group for the best results possible!

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“I Have Enough Sales – I Don’t Need Social Media” – Why Social Media Marketing is Not All About Sales

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0
23May
Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized

One thing I hear again and again at trade shows, speaking engagements, consultations and even on sales calls is the statement “I have enough sales, I don’t need social media.”

This statement is one that I completely understand.  If the sales were pouring in using traditional marketing methods, why would you go for social media marketing? But in many cases when I ask a few more questions I find out that these companies are relying 100% on word-of-mouth and have a very minimal online presence (many times without even a website).

When I hear this, my first thought is that they are missing the power of having a website to stake their online territory.  This creates a strong sense of credibility and can be used to convert those on the fence who may think that you are a fly-by-night operation.  People are strongly influenced by the online marketplace, so not being there at all leaves you without an influence.

Oh, and by the way, over 60% of US consumers go online for information when ready to purchase.

But let’s go beyond that and focus on social media marketing.

As the sales and marketing world evolves, online conversations using social media will be more and more influential – especially if you are interested in having your company be competitive in 10 years time.

If you are still using only one marketing method, which isn’t online, your business could be at risk in the next decade.

Social media marketing is not all about sales, as many people think or choose to focus on.  There are many opportunities that social media presents that are crucial and influential to not only business development, but also effective marketing.

Here are just 5 outcomes that are generated through social media that will be beneficial to your business:

1.  Branding. Customers like to touch and feel a company that they are deciding which company to choose and social media lets them understand the nuances of your company.  This includes your imagery, your logo, your mission statement, your….you!  Social media also brands you as cutting-edge, especially if you are in an industry that is a late adopter to the social media realm.

2.  Customer Service.  Now repeat after me: bad comments are not the end of the world.  If you are not using social media to see what your consumers are saying and managing those conversations you are missing a MAJOR customer service function.  Saying that you don’t care or just deleting their comments may work now, but in the near future you may not be able to do this.  Negative comments can be turned into powerful public relations opportunities.

3.  Media Coverage and Community Exposure.  No matter where you are located and what your market is, odds are that you local media and local community associations are involved in some way with social media.  This will give you access to local and national media outlets as well as other influential local sources (such as Chambers of Commerce, etc).

4.  Competitive Edge. By looking at your market on social, you will see competitors and what they are doing.  And guess what – if they are there and you are not, then they are scooping up your online market share.

5.  Credibility.  Social media enables you to brand yourself and your company as an expert or thought-leader in your industry. Credibility is so important no matter what you do, so by developing your company as a source of valuable information you will not only be winning favor in the long run, but also business.

So as you can see, social media marketing is about more than just selling.  You can generate a wide array of marketing outcomes that will not only help your business continue to be competitive, but set you up for continued online success.

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My Social Media Company Did What?! 10 Questions to Ask a Social Media Marketing Company Before You Hire Them

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0
22May
Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Pinterest, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized

Yesterday something happened that spurred me on to write this article and help protect other businesses.  I had a sales call scheduled with the owner of a beauty company.  They reached out to us, gave us some initial information and we decided via email it would be best to connect “live” to learn more about what they wanted.

Before the call, as always, I did my due diligence in order to have some specific ideas for the client about how we can help them use social media marketing more effectively.  I noticed that the owner was not clearly visible on the social media sites provided, but thought nothing of it and just wrote it down as something to discuss during the call.

So I rang in and asked to speak with my contact regarding a social media marketing campaign for the company.  The secretary I spoke with instantly sounded confused and told me that the person I was asking for was their social media manager, not the owner.

Ok, maybe there was some breakdown in the communication, right?

No.  She then told me that my contact was the social media marketing firm that they were OUTSOURCING their social media marketing campaign to.

My thought?  “So let me get this straight.  You are outsourcing your social media marketing campaign to a “social media marketing company” who in effect is saying that they are the owner of your business and actively searching for a social media marketing provider to outsource to?”

As you can imagine, this sent the real owner of the business into a tailspin, trying to piece the story together.  But in the end he found out the truth. He was getting mismanaged and swindled.

This makes me sick to my stomach as these types of individuals and companies sully our industry and make social media marketers look like we earned our business acumen in a back alley and all work out of our bedrooms.

I share this story not to scare you, but to wake you up.  You need to protect your business’s reputation and in order to do so, here are a few questions to ask your potential social media marketing partner.

  1. Do you do all of the work in-house, or do you work with partners during the delivery process?
  2. How much of the marketing work on the accounts is automated?  Can you give me a percentage?
  3. How many people will be working on my account and have access to my passwords?
  4. Will you be monitoring my brand through the social media channels you are using?
  5. Do you have heads of department to oversee different elements (head of campaign, head of SEO, etc)?
  6. How much time per day/week will you be working on my account?
  7. Are all of your workers in one location?
  8. Are your team members full-time or part-time?
  9. In your opinion, what sets your company apart from other social media marketing firms?
  10. Can I have 3-5 past/current clients that I can speak with about your service?

These questions should get you off to a great start.  Obviously you want to also ask questions about the campaigns (and how they work), but the questions above should enable you figure out how credible they are.  Remember – go with your gut.  Go with someone you trust or have a good feeling about.  If you have distinct reservations, beware.

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How To: Connect Twitter to Facebook and LinkedIn

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0
17May
Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized

Social Media Marketing has become a must for almost every business. One of the most crucial factors of successful social media marketing is consistency, but consistency takes time. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on linking your Twitter account to your Facebook and LinkedIn accounts so that you can triple the exposure you get with a single post – thereby saving you a few precious minutes each day.

Remember, syncing your accounts means that everyone that follows you will get the same message. Although you may have different followers on each platform, you may have several crossovers – people that follow you on two or more accounts. With that said, be aware of this, and sync your posts accordingly. All three platforms are very different, so be sure that your message is applicable and appropriate for each audience.

Connecting Twitter with Facebook

  • Have your login information for both Twitter and Facebook in front of you.
  • Login to Facebook.com.
  • Type a search in the search bar at the top “Twitter Application”.
  • Click the yellow banner “Go to your Twitter Profile Settings to start”.
  • Click the blue banner at the bottom “Connect to Facebook”.
  • Then, allow and authorize access for Twitter and Facebook.
  • Enter your Twitter login information and select the option to update your Facebook status.
  • Choose your preferred settings and click “Allow.”

Connecting Twitter with LinkedIn

  • Have your login information for both Twitter and LinkedIn in front of you.
  • Login to LinkedIn.com.
  • Move your cursor over your name in the top right of your home page and then click Settings.
  • Click the Profile section.
  • Click the Manage your Twitter settings link.
  • Check the boxes next to the settings you want.
  • Click Save changes.

By connecting your accounts, you’ll be able to triple the exposure of each post, saving you time. But don’t just set it, and forget it – be sure to visit each account frequently to see what activity your posts have generated, and/or adjust your settings on each profile so that you get email notifications when people comment, retweet, direct message, like, or share your comments, and thank or respond to them!

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Social Media 101: 8 Steps to Social Media Marketing Success

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1
17May
Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized

Social media has taken the world by storm over the last few years. It not only serves as a great form of public relations for any organization, but as a wonderful way to network, measure your efforts as a business, see what the competition, your peers, and industry leaders are doing. It is a tool to constantly find ways to improve the delivery of services and care you give your clients.

As someone who specializes in the online marketing arena, I meet and chat with people everyday who are interested in using social media to promote their business. But surprisingly many of these people have a major problem in that: they don’t know how to start!

So in this article I want to provide you with a fool- proof step-by-step 101 list to get your social media marketing campaign underway in no time flat!

Step 1: Write Down Your Objectives

The first thing you’ll want to do is identify what you are trying to achieve through using social media to market your company. Keep in mind that more leads or followers is not your only goal. The types of objectives you should be looking at include engaging your current customers/clients, offering better customer service, learning about new services and governmental issues, building brand recognition and getting more local exposure.

Step 2: Know Your Target Market

A social media marketing campaign that is laser focused has the ability to reap better results than a broad shoot campaign. Make a list of 5-10 target markets that you want to hit and keep it handy throughout your campaign. Having this list will help you keep your “eye on the prize”.

Step 3: Look at What Your Competition is Doing on Social Media

Many of us do a competitive analysis when we put together a traditional marketing plan….so be sure to do the same when developing a social media marketing strategy. Usually the easiest way to begin this exercise is to go to the competition’s website and follow their social media links. If you can’t find the links on their website, login to sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and search for their company name. Are they getting lots of comments? Do they use lots of graphics and design elements? Are they posting often? Taking a look at these items can give you good solid ideas of what you need to do.

Step 4: What Are You Going to Say?

This is one of the trickiest things to come by as many organizations don’t have a wealth of available info to share. Make sure you are able to come up with content that is timely, engaging, entertaining, thought provoking and educational. Think out of the box! If I was a healthcare organization, I would go to the website for the medical association that is within my niche and share some of their updates and tips, as they would be relevant and interesting to my audience. Sharing is caring….not stealing! But content is king. People write blogs and post information online so it can be shared!

Step 5: Choose Your Sites

Once Steps 1 through 5 are complete, it is time to choose the social media sites you want to start using in your marketing campaign. Every business is different and some will find success quicker on one site than another. There isn’t a hard/fast rule on this. All sites are evolving and making it easier for businesses to get involved. The playing field has changed greatly over the past years (and even months) and there is a spot for everyone on all social media sites. One thing we suggest that you do today, if you haven’t already, is log on to the ‘Big 3’ – Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (and while you’re at it create accounts with Google+, YouTube, and Pinterest – collectively the ‘Big 6’) and stake your username and piece of ‘online real estate’ before your competition does. (Note – this happens often!)

Step 6: Find a Good Support Site

Search and find a site to help you manage your accounts. There are free sites out there such as HootSuite, TweetDeck, SocialOomph, IFTTT and others that allow you to track, search and even schedule profile updates on the fly. When you create your plan, these sites will make it easier for you to manage your overall campaign.

Step 7: Create a Daily Plan to Ensure Consistency

This strategy is key to a successful social media marketing campaign. Your daily plan should contain a combination of Steps 1-6 and have daily time constraints attached. Make sure you identify who will be the touchpoint for the communications you get as a result of the campaign. For example, if you have a marketing team of 5, decide beforehand who will be in charge of delegation and qualification of the leads, information requests, comments, etc. If you’re doing it alone – start with 20 minutes, using a site you’re comfortable with, say Facebook. When you’ve developed a comfort level on one site, gradually add another.
Step 7A – When you’re on social media sites – remember it’s called ‘social’ for a reason. Act the same way you would at a ‘real-time’ networking event or cocktail party. Show up with a goal of connecting with people who can help your business. Reach out and introduce yourself to people and companies that may be within that target audience. Remember there are wallflowers online too! Just as at a party – know that people like to hear about themselves before they hear about you, be sure to comment on their posts, articles, or blogs and make sure to thank them if they comment on yours! Your goal is to take the conversation offline (away from the party) where you can develop a closer and more synergistic relationship.

Step 8: Create a Form of Measurement

This is tricky, so I would suggest waiting until after your first month of social media marketing. At this point you will be able to see what sorts of results come in: website hits, likes, comments, messages, leads, etc. In social media, we like to look at the acronym R.O.I. as ‘Return Of Influence’ rather than ‘Return On Investment’ – as this IS P.R., just as a billboard, tradeshow, or TV commercial – all are difficult to equate the initial outlay to the number of new sales/clients, however with social media you have the results of your influence (likes, comments, shares, etc).     Once you get a handle on this, you will begin to understand what generates the best results. Create a quick spreadsheet and track these measurements on a weekly basis. As all of the sites have wonderful archives, it makes it a cinch to go back through the week’s activity to find what you need. If you are going to use your website to track effectiveness, make sure you have an analytics program installed that can monitor where your traffic comes from. If you don’t, Google Analytics is a free and easy option to use (and the results are carefully tracked).

Now you are on your way! The best part about social media marketing is it is an organic process that can change from time to time. Don’t forget to audit your campaign monthly to see if any of your measures or activities need changing or updating. Staying consistent, organized and informed will help you not only launch effectively, but promote your company and business successfully.

“I don’t have time to do this!” you say. That’s where a social media marketing firm may be of assistance. Spending the time doing it yourself does take away from what you do best. Having an entry level person do it can be tricky, as it IS your reputation they’re handling. Dedicating a higher level person or marketing manager may take them away from other marketing and sales opportunities. Although social media works in conjunction with your operations and marketing team, having them do the day-to-day activities may be more costly than outsourcing.

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Healthcare Tweeting: How to Promote Your Healthcare Organization Using Twitter

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0
17May
Healthcare Marketing, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized

It seems we can’t even watch the local evening news without someone asking us to “Follow Them on Twitter”. So where does your healthcare business fit into the messy, fast and furious Twitter-verse?

Finding your way on Twitter takes time, research and a good solid plan of action. You will need to log on to Twitter.com and create an account before you start. You can then send messages via your computer or smart phone. But once you have these crucial elements in place a new question arises: How often should I tweet?

Some believe that it has to be based on time, others based on topic. While both of these are good points, especially for targeting purposes, they really don’t answer the question “how many”.

I believe a consistent plan is crucial to a successful Twitter campaign. With every plan, there should be a good mixture of activity so all of your bases are covered. Twitter gives you a few options in terms of activity/interaction and I want to focus on the main venues here: tweets, mentions, direct messages and re-tweets.

There are several ways that you can communicate with others on Twitter.

First, think about how much time you will be able to dedicate to marketing on Twitter everyday. Maybe you have a couple of hours or maybe just 20-30 minutes a day. Using this time frame, consider how many actions that you will be able to complete during this time and create a daily plan.

While this is a bit more practiced and could be labeled “not spontaneous”, when you are a busy person you need to tick things off your daily list with great speed. If you don’t, then things probably slip away from you and end up in the dreaded “Ah, tomorrow’s another day” pile.

As your starting point for a daily action plan here’s a sample of how many “tweets” and other Twitter activities I would suggest you execute on a given day with a little description of the importance of the activity:

Tweets (2 messages): These come directly from you/your organization and will contain content that is engaging, entertaining and/or educational. Share links, photos, videos, quotes or news pertaining directly to items that your target market will enjoy reading and be eager to share.

DMs/Direct Messages (2-5 messages): These messages are sent privately between two Twitter users. If you have a relatively small number of followers, these do not come in fast and furious. They will once you begin to amass followers on a daily basis. Take 2-5 of the DMs that you receive and send a personal response to the Twitter user. This will help you get in front of your followers yet again and add that “personal touch” that many miss on Twitter.

RTs/Retweets (2 messages): These are tweets from another Twitter user that you are sharing with YOUR followers with the click of a button. I suggest finding two influential Twitter users in your product/service category and RT (share) their tweet with your followers. This is a great way of getting in front of that influential person while also sharing good solid information with your followers.

@replies/Mentions (2 messages): When you type @ in front of a Twitter user’s name, your tweet will be shared within their main Twitter stream. Choose two influential people and tweet them about something that they have shared, or even something that you have seen in the media outside of Twitter – anything on topic. This is a great way to connect with influential people in your niche and will help you connect with more quality members of your target audience.

My total for the 20-30 minute Twitter user is a consistent 8-10 per day. As your Twitter following begins to grow, you will need to spend more time as you receive more mentions, RTs and DMs. By the time this happens, you will be in a groove and will be able to handle everything that comes your way. When you do this everyday, you will hit your stride and after the first month won’t even need to worry about the number of Tweets that you put out. It will become second nature and the whole process will become organic.

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