Tag : blogging

13 Daily Duties Of Social Media Marketers

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10Sep
When you’re working on the internet every day as social media marketers do, you need two essential qualities – the ability to focus and capacity to multitask. Focus is required so we can execute our intricate, multi-faceted jobs without a hitch, despite distractions. After all, we’re dealing with the internet, and funny videos and news stories are all around to slow down progress. You need multitasking because of all the steps needed to have a successful day of online networking. Every account needs daily attention. However, marketers who aren’t internet-savvy may be unaware of everything that needs to be done. Here are thirteen tasks that should be on any marketer’s to-do list:
  1. Address any critical issues outstanding on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. as soon as possible.
  2. Reply to all comments, mentions, emails, shares, complaints etc.
  3. Accept connections and friend requests. Follow back when applicable.
  4. Make sure your scheduled posts were published successfully.
  5. Check what’s trending and utilize these topics in fresh content while conforming it to your brand.
  6.  Begin writing next week’s content.
  7. Add a healthy variety to your writing plan. Keep it alive and exciting!
  8. Create long forms or blogs that reflect your knowledge of the industry.
  9. Retweet, Quote Tweet, share, and comment multiple times a day.
  10. Analyse previously-published posts and their engagement rates.
  11. Study the activity of your boosted posts, advertisements, and your overall budgets.
  12. Adhere to your strategy, but be flexible to what your audience demands.
  13.  Don’t forget to add a healthy dose of fun to your marketing!
These are just a few of many responsibilities social media managers and marketers need to accomplish on a daily basis. Even when you clock out, things are compiling and ready for you when the next day begins. Having a hard time juggling all this? Let us help!
What other responsibility can you think of? Comment below!

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Why You Need To Be A Social Media First Responder

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2Aug

It may not be a surprise to anyone that the world is getting faster. Too bad we still only have 24 hours to complete everything. Social media is no exception to this acceleration as we see articles drop down to the bottom of news feeds faster than a falling brick.  

If you want to present your company as an influential member of your industry, you need to prove you are knowledgeable and in tune with what is happening. Be sure watch relevant subject matters carefully and become a news source by spreading the word. You can retweet, share stories, or write an original article or blog post about what is happening in the world.

Content isn’t the only element of social media that demands quick attention. Account maintenance goes beyond sharing posts and staying relevant. You need a sharp eye on all aspects of your company’s profiles. During this series about how to craft an effective social media marketing campaign, we placed a lot of emphasis on planning. One of the most important pieces of a strategy is to stay attentive and responsive.

Social media is all about communication. Because of this, customers have the ability to reach out to your business through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other platforms. They can inquire, comment, or complain, all for the rest of your audience to see. Pretty scary right? Well, it doesn’t have to be if you have an attentive social media manager watching your page.

Even if a customer goes on a rant against your company, you have the ability to diffuse it in a professional manner by responding. However, you will want to do this quickly. Ignoring a tense situation like this will only make your business look like it is either avoiding conflict or neglecting your social media page.

Whether your customers are mentioning you on Twitter or sending a long message on Facebook, you should respond within 24 hours to everything they throw at you. The sooner the better! After all, social media has become the front lines of customer service. By being quick to reply to any and all engagement, you will show your friends and followers that you care about their satisfaction.

Finally, you must be responsive to website updates. Sure, sometimes the big six (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+) will simply change the color of a graphic or move a menu. However, social media marketers need to watch out for algorithm changes. These will affect how your whole social media strategy works. News feeds can change, websites can take preference to certain posts, etc. It is important for marketers to keep an ear out for when algorithms will take effect and must be prepared to adjust.

It’s clear to see that it’s survival of the swiftest on the internet. You need to be quick and responsive to everything social media presents to your team.

How do you stay on top of things in social media? Comment below! Be sure to look out for Part 4 of our series on achieving effective social media marketing.

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4 Approaches To Educate Your Social Media Audience

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28Jul

A lot of people use social media for entertainment. It’s not hard to find funny pictures, videos, or lighthearted stories all over the internet. But there are still many of us with a thirst for knowledge.  Where do we turn?  Social media.

One of the most significant ways businesses can engage with customers is educating them with important facts and news about their industry. By providing informative content for your followers and fans, you will present yourself and your business in a more professional manner . This is beneficial whether you work for a B2B business or B2C. No matter if your intentions are to connect with customers on Facebook or to network on LinkedIn, educational content is a must. This may be some of the most substantial and rewarding content you send out to cyber space, so it’s important to execute it correctly.

How can you construct educational content within the constraints of social media?

You don’t need to be a professor to figure it out. There’s no reason to be intimidated about writing more in-depth and sophisticated writing, but you cannot go into it blind. Here are the top 4 ways to turn your social media accounts into digital classrooms:

Blogs- If you are reading this, you most likely know the effectivity of a blog. Long form writing is the traditional “go to” for educating your audience. Obviously, we have pursued knowledge through reading since our earliest of years, and blogging is the next step in text-based learning. This is also one of the earliest forms of internet-based communication and still holds strong now in 2016.

Podcasts- Also known as audio blogs, podcasts are once again spiking in popularity. Nowadays, you can easily create your own digital radio show and relay your message. Whether it is yourself or a hired narrator doing the talking, you can educate your audience in a wide variety of subjects. Podcasters also have the ability to make notes so listeners have access to relevant links and information. Think of it as your audience’s homework.

Live Video- With the rise of platforms such as Snapchat, Periscope, and Facebook Live, we are given the opportunity to address the world’s masses instantly. With live video we can make seminars, presentations, and product unveilings as well as covering live events. We have seen many businesses already beginning to incorporate live video into their social media strategy and its potential is just beginning to be revealed.

Quick Videos- If you have found a home on Instagram or other platforms that allow for short videos, you can utilize third-party apps such as Ripl to add information accompanied with fun animations. These are popular on Facebook and Twitter as well and can catch your audience’s attention quickly.

No matter what avenue you choose to make educational posts, be sure to advertise them heavily on all your accounts, especially if you have created a blog or podcast on your website. After all, you need to spread the wealth of knowledge as quickly as possible!

What ways do you promote educational content? Comment below!

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You Published A Blog! Now What?

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29Jun

We are here at the end of our blogging for business series and you should be ready to post some great content on your new blog! After you hit that publish button, thousands of fans are guaranteed to visit your site in just hours, right? Not so true. While SEO is an important tool in promoting a blog, you will need a little more help getting noticed in the overly crowded internet landscape.

Your blog is not meant to replace your social media marketing. Quite the opposite, actually. Both of these internet-based tools are meant to work symbiotically together. You should be proud of your new blog post and as such, you will want to promote it on every social media account you have! On your website, where your blog hopefully lives via a link on the menu, you should have the links to your social media pages. All of this is your material and as such it should complement itself through internal promotion.

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You can also publish your newly-crafted article on Facebook Notes and LinkedIn to share with your followers. LinkedIn is particularly effective at this as it has the ability to share your writing with fifty groups. Talk about publicity!

You will also be able to use your blog article’s copy in your newsletters and email blasts. Original material is precious so you should take advantage of the writing you now own and broadcast it through all avenues.

We hope you enjoyed our series about blogging for business. Now let’s see what kind of awesome blog posts you come up with! If you ever have any questions about blogging or social media marketing in general, please feel free to contact The Go! Agency team!

Do you have any thoughts on how to share your blog? Comment below!

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Avoid These 3 Blogging Mistakes

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28Jun

When you begin your blogging adventure, you will find that like all forms of writing, it takes time to master. Do not give up! If you find yourself with a small audience (or none at all) there may be some room for improvement. Like social media, it will not happen overnight. Be patient with yourself, but stay consistent. Yet as you try to improve your content, there will be a few pitfalls to steer clear from. Here are the top three blogger crimes to be vigilant of:

  1. Overly-Promotional Posts- Let’s face it. If your audience wants to read a piece of advertising, they will pick up a brochure. You do not want your articles and subject matter to be all promotional material. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, you are missing the point of a blog. It isn’t about posting ads. It is rather supposed to be a professional piece of writing that entices your target audience and hopefully invokes engagement along the way. Second of all, nobody is going to read your posts if they read like an infomercial. As a concept, a blog has a certain reputation to uphold and if readers discover that your writing is just ads, they will back out quickly. Lastly, you are going to come off as pompous. If all you talk about is your own product, then perhaps you need to conduct more research into your industry.
  2. Grammar and Spelling Errors- Nothing looks more unprofessional than a glaring typo on a blog. You want to be sure to skim over your work multiple times. Also, a second pair of eyes such as a proofreader is a priceless member of a writing team. Try to have the piece as perfect as possible before sending it out to the scrutinizing world wide web. In addition to grammar and spelling, fact check. You will cause a firestorm of criticism if you post half-truths or unreliable information. Be sure to be as professional as possible and do your research.
  3. Inconsistent Publishing- Because a blog places your most recent posts “above the fold” on the screen, an old date will stick out like a sore thumb. People like reliable and consistently new content on their favorite blogs, so be sure to deliver and often.

There are several faux pas to avoid, but these three big baddies should never be done on a professional blog. If you steer clear of “salesy” posts, grammar and spelling errors, and big time gaps between posts, your blog will be better for it and you will have internet success.

What other blogging mistakes can you think of? Comment below!

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5 Things You Need to Know Before you Start Blogging

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27Jun

A blog is a powerful tool for a business to have in its utility belt. It can significantly improve your internet presence and, if done correctly, your peers will soon flock to you for your insights! However, one must learn to crawl before they can run, and one needs to learn how to blog before you become an internet sensation.

Consider this segment of our blogging for business series a crash course. These are the 5 essential elements you need to consider before you begin to publish posts. We all had to take our time to learn the basics and now it is your turn!

  • Platforms. First of all, you will want to figure out what website you want for the blog’s home. There are many platforms to consider, however we have found that WordPress is one of the most effective and comprehensive. They offer mobile applications so you can blog on the go and is comprised of an interface that is easy to use, no matter what level of experience a user has. There are other well-known sites such as Blogger and Tumblr, which have proven themselves as useful. Tumblr specializes in microblogging and has a more of a social media  feel to it. While it was once very popular, more serious bloggers currently flock to WordPress and Blogger.
  • SEO. Search Engine Optimization is a complex beast. In its simplest form, it is a tool to help articles reach the front page of search engine results based off of their keywords. However, it can be considerably more intricate than that. Luckily, WordPress incorporates a simple SEO field so you can master Google and others with ease.

  • Your Audience– Now that we have the technicalities down, you need to figure out who will be reading your blog! Will it be potential customers, your peers, or simply avid readers? By figuring this out, you will make the next two elements easy as pie.
  • Topics- Now that you have figured out who will read your writing, you need to figure out what they like. Business 2 Business blogs like to center around practices in the industry or current events and policies that affect your work. Those who want their customer base to read their posts would benefit from tips, tricks, and ideas that would essentially incorporate their product. Sure, you could make every article a sales post, but you will not get many readers that way.
  • How to Write- You need to figure out the tone that will work for your audience and subject matter. Is it a strictly professional piece of writing or does it have a conversational feel? Regardless, make it unique! You will want to be sure that there is a reason readers are going onto your website as opposed to others’.

Do you feel ready to write now? Once you have these five elements down, you should be able to rock the blog world, no problem!

What do you think about these five essential elements? Comment below!

 

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Why Your Business Needs a Blog

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26Jun

A blog, or weblog, has been an internet staple for quite some time, preceding our beloved social media platforms by decades. The medium has withstood the test of time and continues to help countless internet users get their word out. Blogs are a bit like chess, easy to learn and hard to master. Well, consider us the Bobby Fischer of the blog world and get ready for our series about blogging for business.

So, first of all, what is a blog? Most of us have heard of the concept, but clarification can always be helpful. Basically, it is a website that presents articles in a reverse order of publication, so the newest posts are always the first pieces of content visitors see. Look at it as a journal on steroids, if you will. Yet a blog can go far beyond recording someone’s thoughts. It can be a priceless tool for businesses that want to reap the rewards of an online presence. It is a great addition to a website and can be a helpful resource for updates once you have a few posts published. Now, you might be thinking that since you aren’t a journalist, how could this kind of tool be useful?

Essentially, blogging is a wonderful way to keep contemporary information on your website and a way to bring attention to your brand. No matter what your industry is, you will be able to write articles about some aspect of your work. We have seen auto shops, self-storage businesses, and even dentists benefit from blogs. Even if you think your work is boring, trust us, there is an audience for it. Many of your fellow professionals scan the internet for articles relevant to their field and with a little help from your website of choice, your articles will be popping up on search engines all over the world.

Essentially, blogs allow business owners to voice their opinion and stance on certain issues or practices. Nothing new happening in your field? No problem! You can spotlight a certain element of your work every post.

We would recommend posting a blog article at least every few weeks. You want to keep it relevant and consistently updated. More is better on this side of the internet. Blogging is a lot like social media in the sense that you don’t want your site to gather dust.  

Look out for the next few segments on our series about business blogging!

How does your company utilize blogging? Comment below!

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Why Isn’t Anyone Reading My Blog? Here’s How to Get Your Customers Interested

28Aug

So you have created a blog.  A wonderful, action packed blog.  You have poured much time, effort and probably a bit of cash in it to take it live.  So now you sit back and wait for the traffic to flood in, right?  “Build it and they will come” and all that.

Unfortunately not.

Well, that isn’t always the case.  Especially if you are a SUPER high profile person or company, some of the traffic you have built into your brand.  But like many of us, that is not the case and we need to build this traffic from scratch.

What is the first step?  Make sure that you have a killer product (aka blog).

  • Is the design easy to navigate?
  • Is your content valuable and well-written?
  • Are you using pictures to flesh out your ideas?
  • Are you using links in each article and keywords?

These four questions will truly help you understand if you need to do any retooling.  Remember, you want a sporty dependable vehicle not a Porsche.  Although Porsches look nice, they can be expensive and a luxury…not a necessity.

Now promotion.  Like any new product or service, you need to create a promotional strategy for your blog.  How do you do it?  Well think about how you market your company.  What marketing channels do you use?  Did you create a launch campaign for your product or service?  When thinking about promoting your blog, this is the train of thought you need to jump onto.

Remember: it takes work to earn readers….that’s right, I said EARN readers.

With that in mind, let’s share some tips to getting people to read your blog!

  • Email Blast:  Send an announcement to your database of contacts telling them about your blog.  Then whenever you send out email blasts to this database add a link to your blog or to the RSS feed so they can easily subscribe.
  • Email Signature:  Make sure that you have a link to your blog and/or the RSS feed in your email signature.  If you have other employees, make sure that it appears on their signatures as well.
  • Blog Tour: Choose a handful of blogs of people whom you respect and of whom you share a common audience.  Subscribe to their RSS feeds and every morning leave a comment on one of their articles.  When you do this, make sure to share the link to your blog.  Note: always make your comments meaningful, sharing your expertise.  It works a heck of a lot better than just agreeing with them.
  • Social Media Profiles:  Make sure that your blog appears prominently in all of your social media presences (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc).
  • Social Media Groups and Pages:  LinkedIn in particular has the option of joining/creating groups.  Make sure to share links to your articles in relevant groups from time to time (not everyday) and when commenting, mention or reference a blog article your wrote (if relevant and adds value).
  • Exchange Links:  Another great way to build traffic is to exchange links with those whom you admire.  My only advice is to not take part in “link farming” and only ask those whom you could benefit from linking with.
  • Google Adwords:  This is a “worst case scenario” in terms of blog promotion, but if your blog is out to make money from advertising or product sales, these highly visible Pay Per Click campaigns can bring you new traffic you wouldn’t receive elsewhere.  Make sure to read through the guidelines to ensure you create the perfect ad.

This is a good starter list to get you on your way.  But remember, there are many other different methods that you can use from advertising to direct mail.

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Blog Building 101: It is More Than Just Opening a WordPress Account

22Aug

As we have all seen over the past few years, business blogs are popping up everywhere!   Everyone from the famous Hilton Hotel chain to the local business around the corner from you are launching their own piece of the online marketplace.

Why are they doing it?  Well for many reasons, but the ones you are probably interested in is the fact that they are top credibility and customer relationship builders for businesses and create many new opportunities to grow your business.  Not to mention that they drive that all important traffic to your website!

So, let’s get down to basics…and I do mean basics (anyone familiar with the blogging platform – avert your eyes now).

A blog is basically an online diary where you can share your opinions, expertise, favorite videos, relevant pictures…basically anything that you want to communicate to your target market of readers.  What makes it different from your commerce website, is that the language is more conversational and should inspire comment and conversation with your readers.

As a business person, think about a blog as a conversation starter with your customer.  Every time you write to your customer (by posting a note or article on your blog) you are blogging.  As you are the author of your blog postings, you are considered a blogger.  I share this with you because sometimes the above “blogging lingo” can over complicate such a simple concept, so it is best to understand these terms before you dive in.

Blogs allow your customers and prospective customers to learn more about you and your business as well interact in real time, through commenting on your posts.  The by-product is that when you share your expertise with the masses, you build your credibility in your industry.  And best of all…it can work as a direct funnel of pre-qualified leads directly to your website.

These are the steps to get started:

  • Sign up for a free blog on either WordPress or Blogger (two most used FREE blog sites….I prefer WordPress)
  • Using their ready-made design templates, choose a suitable layout for your blog (make sure to use one that fits your message and topic….so no puppies spilling out of baskets if you are a chain of funeral homes)
  • And then start posting!

Ok, simple enough.  But what the heck do you write about?  The simple answer: anything that is related to your business or area of expertise.  If you are an economist, write about some of the recent advances in economic policy.  If you own a computer software company, share ten tips to a faster desktop computer.

A great way to easily generate activity on your blog is to look at every piece of information that you have written in the past (articles, ebooks, marketing materials, brochures, company bios, etc) and see if you can recycle it!  Post it on your blog and you have instant content!

Now that you have a site, design and content…it is time to let people know it exists.  Let everyone know about your little piece of heaven on:

  • Your email signature
  • Your company website
  • Social Media Networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest)
  • Use Digg and Technorati to share your stories
  • Market your blogs through article marketing sites
  • Send out an email blast to your database
  • Anytime you write an article for anything online, make sure to add the link to your blog…even in discussion rooms and message boards

Now that you have people coming, make sure that you write new blog postings packed with useful information at LEAST twice a week.  The trick to effective blogging is not to do 100 posts a week, but to pick a number and hit it consistently.  Once a week all you can spare, that’s fine if you make sure to do it every week.

Blogging does not create instant results, but as your audience of followers grow, so will the number of business opportunities.  In my opinion, blogging is one of the crucial marketing mediums that every company and individual should not ignore.

Top Tip: If you do not have the time or expertise to get a blog started quickly, it is absolutely acceptable to outsource this to a company who specializes in this.

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5 Reasons Why You Need to Be Blogging

19Aug

Ok, I admit it.  I really enjoy blogs and blogging.  I love diving into the information, perspective and then sharing what I have learned and enjoyed with my friends.  Hey…I am writing this to you on our blog after all!

Although I am passionate about blogging, many marketers out there are still not clear as to what the benefits a business can reap from blogging.  Aside from building a following and strengthening relationships, here are the top 5 reasons why you need a blog and need to get blogging:

1. A Blog Positions You as an Expert:

When you consistently write and share your professional insight, you will be positioning yourself as a thought leader in your industry, which brings instant credibility to you and your business.

2. They are Key Relationship Builders:

The copy written in your blog will not be “call to action” oriented and be loaded with salesly verbiage. Blog posts are focused on valuable information that you are sharing to answer questions, solve problems, educate and entertain. This allows you to build a human and honest relationship with the people who read your posts (and some of these will no doubt be prospective or current customers!). Blogs allow your customers’ to comment and start discussions, ask you questions and open the door for further straightforward communication.

3. SEO Goldmine:

Not only are blogs updated regularly, but they tend to be linked to other sites as well as having many inbound links (which result from your social media marketing campaign). Since your blog is updated often, search engines such as Google will be a fan of your site and as a result rank it higher.  Also, if you incorporate this into your social media strategy, it can become a viral sensation!

4. Instant Marketing Research:

Blogs, like many other social media tools, allow you to start conversations where you can find out what your prospective consumers are interested in. Try out new ideas, ask their opinions and feedback….and don’t hesitate to ask them to do a quick survey. The result is instant feedback that is easy to use and plug instantly into your marketing and development strategy.

5. PR! PR! PR!

What better way to enhance your online credibility and trust factor than having an online porthole to your thoughts, expertise and caring disposition?  Also, once you get a loyal following, the media will take interest and read what you say. Which in the traditional public relations world is no small feat! If you simply send a journalist a press release they may never see it… they can receive thousands of per day!

And that is just the beginning! There are numerous benefits to having a blog AND consistently blogging.  My top tip to get started is to first identify at least 5 blogs related to your industry and begin following them.  Once you get a feel for how these sites are using blogs to reach their target market, you can throw your hat in the ring.

Of course, if you need help with any of this – give us a shout!

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