Your Social Media Toolbox: Software Your Social Media Needs

19Jul

Social media marketers need technology to succeed. No surprise, right? While a majority of the work day is spent on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the other platforms, we cannot be truly effective without a little help from third-party tools.

There are new products popping up on the internet and App Store all the time. Some are terrible, some make our lives much easier. The world of social media is face-paced and demanding, so having some tools to help is much appreciated. Here are some of the newest helpers social media professionals are integrating into their workflow:

Crowdfire- Twitter can be effective, but very competitive. Marketers need to keep a sharp eye on their followers. Crowdfire will do just that. This website will help you find new followers based on other leaders of the industry. You will also be able to weed through your followers and get rid of inactive accounts.

One Tab- Researching content is a major part of social media. Whether you are finding new content to share or you are checking your facts, you will find your browser window bursting with tabs. One Tab will combine them for easy access, allowing some space to breathe.

PicPlayPost- Looking for a new way to bring life to your Instagram page? Check out PicPlayPost. It’s an app that allows you to add pictures and video to unique collage template.

RiteTag- Hashtags make the world go round in social media. You got to use them! But how can you find the best tags that pertain to a specific subject? RiteTag is the answer. With a helpful browser extension, you will be able to find trending hashtags in a snap!

There are many new social media sidekicks out there and many more on the way. The above four have proven to be very helpful for businesses. Content curation, sharing, and organization can get a whole lot of easier. You just need the right tools!

What do you think of these programs? Comment below!

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How To Be A Google+ Genius

By Christopher Tompkins

17Jul

Google+, Social Media

In 2011, Google replaced its first attempt at a social media network, Google Buzz, with Google+. However, during its run the website seems to be underappreciated by the general populace. Of the top social media networks in the US, Google+ is one that is often overlooked. This is a shame since it really does have some interesting approaches to the social side of the internet and very effective tools for perfecting your marketing. In November 2015, it underwent a facelift in an attempt to attract new life to the platform and new users may be wondering just how to use the website.

One of the most powerful features of Google+ is its ability to improve one’s SEO. Since Google is the king of search engines, this may seem obvious for the uninformed but when you take into consideration that Facebook posts do not appear in Google’s search results, this automatically puts Google+ in a more preferable light, doesn’t it? On top of SEO, it indexes every piece of content you share through your Google account and comes up in search. This alone proves Google+’s worth.

Now, if you have a Google+ account, there is a very good chance you have Facebook and Twitter as well. This means you have already written content refined for social media that isn’t coming up on a Google search. By simply reposting your content onto your Google+ account, you will be doing your social media marketing a favor. However, there is more to this social media platform than search engine optimization.

While Twitter has their Lists, Google+ has Circles. Circles essentially perform the same function as Lists, however, you can use them to filter the content on your news feed as well. You can choose to only see posts from a specific Circle, which can help social media marketers refine content searches.

Google+ also gives you the room for writing long form articles, and helps spread your original content quickly. However, we would not recommend using a Google+ page solely for blogging purposes, but rather publish a snippet and then link to your actual blog.

As you can see, Google+ has a place in the social media marketing world, despite Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram’s growing domination. By having a Google+ page you will show that you are serious about social media and its effectivity, as well as spreading your word through the web. To truly develop a powerful page, you will need some background in social media marketing. We have seen professionals really benefit from its features and we have the know- how to help you succeed in this new frontier.

What do you think of Google+? Comment below!

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What Social Media Marketers Can Learn From Pokemon Go

By Christopher Tompkins

What-Social-Media-Managers-Can-Learn-From-Pokemon-Go-200x300

12Jul

Advertising, Facebook, Local Marketing, Marketing, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Uncategorized

Do you remember the hit game Pokemon from the 1990s? While there have been several versions since Nintendo’s original incarnation, it’s popularity returned in a big way recently by tapping into the smartphone world where Pokemon Go, a completely new game, is available for free.

Not even Nintendo itself expected its new video game to take over the world as quickly as it did. Less than 24 hours after its release, Pokemon Go’s servers began to crash due to overpopulation on their digital frontier. Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store both proudly house the massively popular game and at the time of writing this article, there are well over a million players trying to “catch ‘em all”.

Yes, it’s obvious that video games are popular. Yet by tapping into the mobile app market for the very first time, Nintendo has proven itself to understand the current trends in their field. However, there’s much more at work here than an app. From a marketing standpoint, they just accomplished a beautiful act.

Without getting into too many details, Pokemon’s popularity hit American shores in 1995 when their first two games debuted on Game Boy, the premier mobile gaming platform at the time. Children ate it up like it was the end of the world. Merchandising exploded. A TV show, a card game, action figures, stuffed toys, candy, clothing, themed stores, and much more took the world by storm. It was a marketer’s dream. Now, those children are in their mid-twenties and early thirties and have put the Game Boy down in place of an iPhone or Android device. Nintendo adapted perfectly to their original audience. Best of all, they made a majority of game play for free.

So, as social media marketers, what can we learn from this rising phenomenon? For one thing, watch internet trends closely. No surprise #PokemonGo was one of the top hashtags for quite some time. Brands that were able to somehow pull Pokemon Go into their social media posts received a nice spike of engagement. All over Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, there were tons of Pokemon-related posts. Keep in mind that all of this publicity is free. Nintendo hardly advertised this app at all!

Social media marketers should also take note on just how ingenious Nintendo was to tap into their original market. Surely, today’s children could probably borrow their parents’ phones and play, but the numbers are coming in and it’s not a surprise to anyone that the most downloads are from those same people who played the original version. Nostalgia, it is one heck of a marketing tool.

Pokemon Go would not have been as much of a success without social media and you can take advantage of the firepower of these platforms just as easily.

What are your thoughts on Pokemon Go’s quickly rising popularity? Comment below!

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Facebook Goes Global: How Their New Translator Will Change Everything

By Christopher Tompkins

6Jul

Advertising, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Social networking, Uncategorized

Facebook has been on a roll lately and one can only assume it’s all building up to world domination. Their new tool in the works might make you wonder just how true that is. They have begun developing a content translator that will be able to work with 44 languages.

While Mark Zuckerberg may or may not have plans to take over the world, his team has provided an innovative way to communicate for the 1.5 billion users that do not speak English. As you could imagine, there are quite a few.

Of course, Facebook isn’t alone in trying to solve an age-old problem. Google has offered translation services for years and Microsoft has also been developing new technology to allow communication amongst the world’s residents via Skype. However, Facebook’s translator will be native to their website and we will be able to see posts rewritten into our native tongue. Before we get into the business side of it, just imagine the opportunities this presents to families and friends. We have always had trouble connecting to those who spoke a different language. However, that may change.

We have seen translators fail in the past. Yet with each step forward, automatic translation software is becoming increasingly accurate. You could imagine the opportunity this raises for companies who already utilize social media. Before this groundbreaking update, Facebook updates were restricted to those who could read the language it was originally written in, unless users endured the hassle of looking up a third party translator. Now, however, the tools will be right on Facebook and the language barrier will begin to fade.

What do you think about Facebook’s attempt to unite the world? Comment below!

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Social Media: The Front Lines Of Customer Communication

By Christopher Tompkins

5Jul

Advertising, Email Marketing, Instagram, Local Marketing, Marketing, Our Work, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized

Customers are the lifeforce of a business. For multiple reasons, a business simply cannot thrive without a substantial customer base. Social media marketing isn’t any different. Without followers, a business is just talking to itself. Our customers are the reason we have the marketing industry in the first place, and we take that concept a step further with social media. Each post written should be catered to a business’ audience and adhere to their wants. However, this new avenue of communication does much more than that. We are able to converse with our audience in new and exciting ways that could benefit any company. Here are the best ways that a customer can receive “above and beyond” customer service.

Since communication is one of the key parts of social media, a business page should perfect their responses and reply time. Like every action a company’s representative takes, activity online needs to be professional, friendly, and proofread. However, you will also want to be quick about it. A fast response, typically less than 24 hours, will be required to keep up a good online rapport. This will also show your company’s reactivity to negative comments or reviews. Keep smiling, stay positive, and do not confront them, even if they are acting hostile.

Are you unsure about how a product is doing? Good news! Your audience is right there, waiting to be asked. Since polls are easy to complete, they are a great way to engage your audience and to receive insightful knowledge. You will be surprised how many followers will participate in a poll that is embedded in a post. You can use this to tweak current services and products or to discover what your customers want next! Wouldn’t it be great if all companies offered this?

Consumers want to buy from a company that keeps giving and social media is the way to do that. We are able to provide customers and followers with new means of communications, but you can also deliver interesting content that may not land you an instant sale, but will attract new eyes to your brand.

How do you use social media for customer service? Share your thoughts with us!

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5 Reasons Social Media Marketing Has Become Essential

By Christopher Tompkins

21Jun

Social Media

Even before the internet took over everything, marketers had a duty to adapt the brand they represented to current trends. Whether the fashionable thing to do was to send out a thick catalog in the mail or to put up flashy billboards downtown, those in charge of promotions always had to keep contemporary. Today’s brands needs social media. If you think it is a fad, think again. If the marketing gurus of “Mad Men” worked today as opposed to decades prior, they would all be social media managers! Need more convincing that this is key to today’s business world? Here are the top five reasons that you need social media in your utility belt:

Your customers are already there. The main purpose of marketing is to have your message positioned where your audience congregates. It was the same when we put ads in magazines and commercials in prime time television shows. Now, we need to be on their computers, smartphones, and tablet screens via social media marketing. Facebook, Twitter, and the rest of the platforms have millions upon millions of users. If implemented correctly, your businesses can be on many screens.

Your competition is already there. If you think your business doesn’t belong on social media, think again. It isn’t just for tech-based companies. We’ve seen those in industries ranging from dentistry to real estate, to assisted living facilities to churches benefit from using these communication tools. Don’t think it’s true? Your competition does. Go onto Facebook or Twitter and you might be surprised to see that many of your fellow professionals are already there.

The companies you use are already there. Look around your house or office and inspect the packaging of your most used items. There is a good chance you will see at least a little Facebook or Twitter logo, which indicates that brand’s involvement on the internet. The big brands have already wised up to social media’s power. This should show you that this movement isn’t going away anytime soon, nor should it. It has allowed countless customers to connect with companies they trust in new ways.

You want to seem invested- Because of just how popular social media has become, you need to show that you care about your customer base by participating. You can do this by delivering engaging posts via the avenue of communication your audience prefers. In essence, it is the same as community outreach which, as all professionals know, is amazing for PR.

You want to keep in the know. Social media has become so much more than “connecting with friends”. Many people now use these platforms to network and promote themselves, but also to learn about their industry. Industry leaders post articles and news stories that are relevant to their work everyday.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to jump onto social media. So what are you waiting for? Start posting today!

Why do you go on social media? Comment below!

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4 Ways to Get Your Updates Visible (And Fast!)

By Christopher Tompkins

16Jun

Advertising, Instagram, Marketing, Social Media, Social networking, Uncategorized

Social media marketing is all about promoting yourself in a new, intuitive way and reaching out to your customer base in places they check every day. The only thing is, there are millions of people posting alongside you. At this point, news feeds tend to look like Wall Street with everyone screaming at the top of their lungs for the sake of their company. It can be overwhelming for the consumers, let alone the marketers. Because of this, advertising has a whole new level of challenges. A plethora of content is out there that floods everyone’s news feeds. How can you make your content stand above the rest?

Social media provides us with helpful options so that your important posts can be noticed amongst the swarming masses. Here are some of the most effective tools businesses can take advantage of:

Boosting Posts- Our beloved Facebook has some complex algorithms inside its machinery. At times, it can really impede social media marketers’ attempts at spreading the word. However, they do provide a way out and with no surprise, it is not free. By boosting a post, you are rapidly increasing your content’s visibility and also allowing for more engagement. It bypasses certain unspoken laws Facebook has into play inside its coding that would otherwise impede a perfect post’s promotional power.

Pinned Posts- Let’s say you have a big event coming up, or you really want to push a certain product, or something is time sensitive. The big social media platforms allow you to pin a post so that it is at the top of your page for all to see. This will be the first thing a follower sees. Instead of continuously posting about a subject, pinning a post will make it the star of your profile. This social media tactic will also allow you to give some extra publicity to posts that have done particularly well. It can be really great for content that is already catching a lot of attention. Pinning posts is free, so you will be able to pin away without consulting your budget!

Advertising- Each one of these platforms have offer the opportunity for self-promotion. Facebook’s advertising allows you to push your branding through advertisements via users’ experience. Twitter offers a “promoted posts” feature so your tweets will pop up on users’ feeds even if they don’t follow you (yet!). Even Pinterest has “Rich Pins” in which you will be able to reap the benefits of being on many new boards.

Verification- For Facebook, a fantastic way to bring attention to yourself is to verify your page. It is a process, that is for sure, but by having that blue check mark near your name, you will be able to have access to special features such as branded content. This will allow profiles to have a post with both a company and a personal profile attached.

All of these are very effective routes you can take to reach social media stardom. Yes, many have price tags, but this is exactly what these websites want. They want business professionals to invest in their advertising, and they will be sure to reward those who do with a whole new pathway of publicity.
Which of these methods have worked great for you? Comment below!

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New and Old Audiences of Social Media

By Christopher Tompkins

14Jun

Advertising, Facebook, Instagram, Marketing, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized

Back in the day, social media was intended for teenagers and young adults to roam and cause ruckus. Mark Zuckerberg’s technological wonder, Facebook, was originally designed just for college students. In fact, in its early days you needed a “.edu” email address to sign up. However, things have begun to change– the grown-ups are now checking out social media.

This has been a curious event that has transpired over the past few years. A large majority of adults over 50 are flocking to social media, more specifically to Facebook. Why is this, exactly? Technology has changed the world and Generation X and the Baby Boomers — and sometimes even older– have noticed. The prime suspect is Facebook, seeing as how it is a primary source of communication for many people. Here, they can see their old friends from years ago or check on their kids.

But beyond the social side of this movement, it is no coincidence that once businesses started getting heavily involved in social media, so did these older users. It went beyond posting updates and pictures and took the marketing side of things more seriously. Many of these users utilize Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for business purposes. They take advantage of these services to spread their brand in the wild internet frontier. It may be different from traditional marketing, but a majority of them see its impact and have stuck with it.

After Facebook, older adults have flocked to Twitter and LinkedIn next. Both of these are heavily involved in the business world. We’ve even seen Twittter affect the Presidential Election this year. It is great for instant news that keeps on updating. LinkedIn is where it gets considerably more serious. Here, professionals of any industry can connect without the frills of other platforms. They’re able to use LinkedIn for business ventures and networking in ways that only conferences could provide prior to the internet.

So, move over Millennials. There are new users in town. Don’t worry though, you still have Instagram and Snapchat primarily to yourself.

Why do you think there is an influx of older users on Facebook and other platforms? Comment below!

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4 Steps to Keep ALL Your Social Media Accounts Consistent

By Christopher Tompkins

11Jun

Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Marketing, Periscope, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized

To really make it in the social media universe, you need to establish yourself on the most popular platforms. Becoming a user of many accounts is a great idea, but easier said than done. To truly take care of social media, your business will need one of the following:

– Facebook

– Twitter

– LinkedIn

– Instagram

– Twitter

– YouTube

Google+, Snapchat, Periscope, and more are helpful additions, but when you’re starting out, I’d try to tackle social media’s “Big 6” first. Take our word for it- it’ll be more work than you think. At first glance, you’ll want each of these accounts to be as unique as a snowflake. Well, first of all, you’ll turn social media into a round-the-clock gig if you do that. Second of all, your branding will become an absolute mess. While you want each post to be consistent, you don’t want each account to be unrecognizable from each other. Here are some of the best ways to keep your many profiles consistent with branding.

Pictures– Even if you have a large portfolio of headshots, and many versions of your logo, you need to stick with one for your profiles. You don’t want people guessing if it really is you. They want something familiar when trying to follow you!

Adapted Updates- When you’re writing your posts, you’ll typically want to make two versions. One will be for your Facebook, Google+, etc. The second one will be to conform to Twitter’s 140 character limit. For the Twitter version, you’ll also be able to mention other Twitter accounts with their twitter handle. For example, you can say “Congrats @JasonTodd for closing on your new house!”

Long Forms- When you’ve written an article based around your profession, you can share it on Facebook’s Notes feature, LinkedIn, and of course post it to your own blog. Social media is an exception to the “duplicate content” rule for websites. People who use social media tend to understand that these posts are yours and you should spread it through all avenues.

Keeping Info Straight- Have multiple website domains? What about phone numbers? Social media isn’t the place for inconsistencies. You want to keep things clear and concise for your followers. Don’t make it so they have to guess what phone number to call.

You want your social media to be unique, but you don’t want it to be a “mishmash” of content. Keep things correct, clear, and constant so your customers and followers will know what they’re dealing with!

What are your thoughts on keeping things straight? Comment below!

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The New Age of Silent Films is On Facebook

By Christopher Tompkins

29May

Facebook, Social Media, Video

Have you ever watched a video on Facebook? Chances are you have. Did you watch it with your sound turned on? According to a Digiday article, chances are you haven’t. The article states that an overwhelming 85% of Facebook videos are watched on mute. It seems a little odd to watch videos, meant to be listened to, without the volume cranked up. However, Facebook users, and apparently a lot of them, make it work.

This seems particularly helpful for those checking their Facebook timeline at work or places where sound would be inappropriate. Sometimes you just have to get a few cat videos or recipe “how to’s” in while at the water cooler. Yet how can they get any enjoyment out of it? Digiday explains that through subtitles and a strong lean towards the visual as opposed to audio, filmmakers are starting to work around this challenge. We’re seeing big bold captions on the top or bottom of videos lately. Some will add text commentary as well. These videos need to hold a viewer’s attention for a minimum of three seconds for it to count as a view, so they better have something stimulating on the screen right away. This is even more true with Facebook’s app and how all the videos on one’s newsfeed comes right after the other like a television channel. This means that there are lots of things to skip, which makes it as important than ever to be eye catching. Since viewers are watching and not listening, marketers and businesses need to take this into consideration. Yet you don’t need to be Spielberg to succeed. Making videos accessible to those who won’t or can’t have their speakers cranked up is a simple step in sending out your videos.

For more info, check out Digiday’s article here: http://ow.ly/xfx7300pGPF

How do you think videos fare when they’re on mute? Let us know your thoughts on this subject!

Tag : facebook marketing