10 Traits Your Social Media Marketing Needs

5Dec

Advertising, Business, Content Creation, Copywriting, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized

Social media is all about establishing online credibility and brand awareness. Whether you want to build up your business as an industry influencer or just bring more attention to your growing startup, these two goals are both essential. However, nobody is going to be able to do anything with poor content or conduct.

It’s time to shape up! You need the following ten traits to truly succeed online.

1. Focus. Your content should be specifically relevant to your industry and type of work. This doesn’t mean every post should be about your business. Instead, post articles and interesting posts that your followers will enjoy.

2. Passion. How are people supposed to be interested in your company if you’re bored with it? Trust me, your lackluster effort will show in your content. Get pumped up! You should be proud and passionate about your brand.

3. Professionalism. Social media is about casual communication, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a professional. Keep it classy, fellow marketers.

4. Authenticity. People can spot a scam a mile away. The internet is already full of cheesy marketing tactics and empty promises. Make sure you stay honest and true to your brand.

5.Consistency. You never want an excessive amount of time to go by without sending out a post. A day is understandable. Two, you’re going to start to suffer. A week, and you will need to wipe away the digital dust. Keep your publishing schedule consistent and reliable.

6.Communication. When a customer, client, follower, or fan contacts your company, you have to abide by three things. Friendliness, timely responses, and a satisfactory answer to their inquiry. Make sure you stick to the basics of customer service and communicate with a cyber smile.

7. Positivity. There’s enough bad news in the world, in particular on the internet. Make someone’s day by spreading some joy through a post. Whether it’s a quote, tasty recipe, or a fun image, your social media content should make do some form of good.

8. Integrity.Don’t take advantage of bad news for marketing gains. Don’t post inappropriate or controversial content. Don’t curse. Don’t fight with dissatisfied customers. Once again, keep it classy.

9. Entertainment.One of the defining factors of social media is that people use these platforms for FUN. Make sure people actually enjoy seeing your tweets, posts, and pins by studying what is trending and most engaging.

10. Patience.This trait combines a bit of everything. You need to be consistent, have a focus, stay positive, and use your exceptional communication skills. All the while, it may take time, but don’t let the quality dwindle. Don’t forget that social media takes time. Do not give up!

There are plenty of businesses who have all ten of these traits. There are also MANY who have none of them. Make sure you keep these in mind when you pursue your marketing ventures. If you do this, online credibility and brand awareness will be yours!

Contact us today to learn more about the best strategies for social media for your business and how you can implement them!

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Is Your Business A Social Media Snob?

By Christopher Tompkins

4Dec

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

It’s no secret – social media marketing is about brand awareness and promotion. It is, after all, marketing. However, marketers may suffer from sticking to certain practices that cause their businesses to become overly promotional, sales-driven, and exclusive. There is such a thing as a social media snob, and it’s easy to spot these brands. Obviously, this is a derogatory title, but what are these huge red flags to look out for?

The following is the “social media snob checklist.”

– Do you only post promotions?

– Do you refuse to share or engage with other people or company’s content?

– Do you post content that can only be accessible through payment?

– Do you have an “exclusive” feel?”

– Do you have a poor customer response rate?

– Do you only post content about your brand?

– Do you refuse to acknowledge current events, holidays, or relevant news?

– Do you bash your competitors?

– Do you lack any personality or creativity?

– Do you stay away from fun content?

Social media is a different type of marketing. Coming off as elitist, a stick in the mud, or shut off from the rest of the internet world will come back to bite you. Make sure your company has an approachable vibe and perhaps most importantly, add a variety of content into your schedule that includes a bit of fun!

Is your social media marketing strategy a drag? Contact us! We will add new life to your online presence!

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#HoHoHo! The Top 5 Social Media Holiday Posts

By Christopher Tompkins

1Dec

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

It’s coming. The garland, the elves, the Santa hats, the dreidels, the festive candles, snowmen, and food. It’s coming and in full force. Social media is no exception. The “holiday eruption” has already begun thanks to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There’s no more time to wait.The holiday season is a surefire way to grab some audience engagement. But to truly succeed, you need to create the content your audience craves. Check out the top post categories that do particularly well during these days.1. Gift Ideas- Whether you run an auto shop or dental office, there are gift ideas that cater to your ideal audience and industry. People search for these types of suggestions for the whole month of December, so publish these early!

2. Recipes- What would the holidays be without food? Take a break from promotions and post your favorite festive dish, whether it’s pie, turkey, or egg nog.

3. Contests- Everyone could use a win, especially now that their bank accounts are a little smaller. Make a holiday-themed contest that will get people actively engaging with your page.

4. Nostalgia- With holidays come memories. Consider #ThrowbackThursday and #FlashbackFriday your friends throughout the holiday season. Post videos, images, GIFs and more that tug at people’s hearts with a flash to the past. You can also ask your audience what their favorite holiday memory, movie, song, dish, book, or tradition is! Time to get people talking about what they’re already thinking about.

5. Holiday wishes- Last but certainly not least, on the actual day of Christmas, New Years, the first day of Hannukah, etc., wish your customers a very happy day. Keep it simple and promo free.

Tis the season to be filled with joy. Tis also the season to be a smart marketer. Don’t forget to create plenty of festive and fun content for everyone to enjoy. Your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other accounts will most certainly benefit.

It’s still early in the holiday season, but you need to act NOW! Contact us today to create an engaging and holiday-filled social media strategy!

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The Power Of Fun And Social Media Marketing

By Christopher Tompkins

30Nov

Social Media

Someone once asked my team what we do for work, and we explained a broad overview of our work as social media marketing professionals. Then, they asked us what we do for fun, and well, it was almost the same answer. It occurred to me that this is one major reason why social media marketing works. It incorporates fun into marketing.

When talking about social media ads, we often say “if it’s targeted correctly, it’s not an ad at all, but rather more engaging content for users to enjoy.” The reason for this is because when we create Facebook ads, Twitter promoted posts and other forms of advertisements, we have the opportunity to specifically narrow our focus towards social media users who are interested in or require your type of work. The reason why this is so important is that social media does NOT mean spam. It’s content people actually enjoy.

The fun aspect of social media marketing is also why it’s not advisable to only publish promotional content. Otherwise, you may have a “used car salesmen” vibe by mistake. Instead, post relatable articles, quotes, contests, recipes, etc.

What’s always interesting to us is that people choose to go on social media for fun. They do not go on there to work (well, most people, anyway). Because of this, our marketing efforts already have an advantage. Traditional marketing can only compete with this only so far. Is it time people actually enjoy your message?

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Don’t Wait Until 2017 To Try These 3 Social Media Marketing Ventures

By Christopher Tompkins

Dont-Wait-Until-2017-To-Try-These-3-Social-Media-Marketing-200x300

29Nov

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

Right now, social media is on fire. The holiday season has a tendency to wake everyone up and get them searching their preferred platforms for the best holiday ideas, sales, trends, recipes, gift ideas and more. Do not pass this up! Social media marketing has been known to make this time of year a smash hit for businesses of any shape or manner.Are you a little behind the times? Try one of these three ideas to kick start your online marketing efforts!1. Create a new account on a new platform. Most of you probably have a Facebook or Twitter, but could Instagram be a good fit for your business? Maybe Pinterest? Maybe a brand new YouTube or Snapchat channel? It’s time to try something new and exciting.

2. Try Live Video. If you’re well-established on social media, this would be the perfect time to take it a step further and try live video. Facebook Live, Periscope, and YouTube Live will rocket your engagement rates to new heights. Act now, because these platforms are heavily promoting their live services and hence, giving broadcasts extra boosts of attention.

3. Begin a blog. A blog is one of the most powerful avenues to promote an original article and establish yourself as an expert in the industry. Now, there are new ways to blog such as Medium and Flipboard that allow people to promote their writing in innovate ways.

If you’re like many businesses, the pressure is on to create a powerful and lasting marketing effort. Don’t wait until next year! The holiday season is when people pay the most attention to online activity and you don’t want to be left out!

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6 Inexpensive Visual Tools For Your Social Media Marketing

By Christopher Tompkins

28Nov

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

For a long time, Adobe Photoshop had a tight grasp on the graphic design world. While it’s a very helpful tool that’s equipped with tons of features, it costs a fortune – often times way too much for businesses to afford. While Photoshop is still a dominant force, companies do not need to spend hundreds of dollars for this software. Thankfully, there is new software that anyone can use at a fraction of the price.

We’ve tried the following tools and they’re quite impressive! As you create imagery for your social media marketing, try the following tools available at little to no cost:

Piktochart– Infographics are all the rage these days. They are simple and creative solutions for dishing out a ton of information into fun, digestible chunks. Piktochart is a great tool to help you make your own stylish infographics, complete with fun vector illustrations.

Social Media Resize Tool – One annoying aspect of social media marketing is that every platform requires different image dimensions. If you don’t pay attention to this, an important part of your graphic, logo, or cover image may get cropped. This handy program will adjust your imagery to fit the platform you’re currently using.

Make A GIF– Are you looking to make unique and engaging GIFs? It can be trickier than you think. This new program makes it easy and provides a simple layout and toolbox full of creative goodies.

Smush.it– You want to use high-resolution images so your blog, Facebook, and website appears crisp, clear, and professional. However, with high resolution comes huge files. With huge files, comes slow load times. With slow load times, come impatient customers. Smush.it is your answer. It will compress images in a way that doesn’t take away quality.

Paint.net– Ah, remember when Windows 95 came out and we were all blown away from the Paint program? You could doodle on that thing for days! Go back to the basics with this free download that has the simplicity the old Microsoft Paint used to have, albeit with a touch of advanced options.

Recite– I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – a perfect social media post needs a balance of text and imagery. Now, you can take that balance even further with Recite, a quick and easy program that allows you to make awesome visuals that incorporates quotes or other bodies of copy into the design.

You need visuals in your social media marketing. It’s just a fact. But, you don’t have to break the bank in order to achieve creative greatness. Try these programs today!

Are you lacking the creative gene? Our graphic designers can create eye-catching visuals for our clients every day! Contact us today to get on board.

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How Social Media Helps Brick And Mortar Stores Compete With Online Giants

By Christopher Tompkins

how-social-media-helps-brick-and-morta-stores-compete-200x300

27Nov

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

It’s not easy to have a traditional, “brick and mortar” store these days. The power of Amazon, eBay, and the other online giants are almost too much to compete with. But there is hope. While the internet seems to be the enemy, it’s just a tool. And if those big guys can use it, so can you.

Social media marketing has the power to level the playing field a bit. Millions upon millions of people use these platforms every single day and are fed content in the forms of updates and advertisements. Your business can harness the power of the internet’s popularity for its own marketing.

Regularly post content that advertises your inventory, sales, and giveaways. Be as active as possible and explain why your customers should choose your store over the online guys or your other competitors.

Inside your store, your employees should promote your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages and let your customers know about social media-exclusive deals that they can use in store. They can even present it on their smartphone at that minute!

Testimonials and user-generated content are always huge. Ask your customers to give you 5-stars on Facebook or a positive mention on Twitter. The more engagement, the better!

Finally, the big guns. Invest in social media advertising, and you can narrow your scope to the geographical region your store is located in. There’s no need for people across the country to see the ad, so sharpen your focus and promote with boosted posts, “page like” campaigns, and more. Need help with advertising? Contact us!

The world is becoming more technology-driven, there’s no denying it. But instead of fighting it, you can take advantage of this opportunity and promote your store through social media marketing. Your store can stand up to the online giants with no problem!

Did you know The Go! Agency offers consultation packages for professionals who are just starting out on social media? Contact us today to begin your journey!

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5 Social Media Marketing “Grinch-worthy” Acts

By Christopher Tompkins

26Nov

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

It’s time for your social media marketing A-game. Everyone is flocking to their closest screen for the latest deals, sales, and holiday goodness. Your brand will receive a lot more attention simply because more people are roaming the internet and social media platforms.

Making sure your content is on point is essential. This is not the time to make silly mistakes and hope no one will notice. If it’s true that nothing ever dies on the internet, then make sure your brand avoids these errors!

1. Broken links. Just imagine. Your business posts an incredible holiday season sale. All your customers have to do is click a link, and a new gift will be under the tree in no time. Only, they get hit with a giant “Page not found!” roadblock. Or, they are taken to a far off and obscure page of your website that has nothing to do with the sale. It happens more than you might think. Make sure you take a note from Santa – make a link and check it twice!

2. Click Bait. “Your holiday won’t be complete without this deal! Click here to find out what it is.” No, no, no. Be transparent. Don’t make people follow you down a rabbit hole only to be disappointed. That’s a surefire way to lose fans.

3. Controversy. Yes, 2016 has been full of controversy. But it isn’t your place to comment on touchy subjects. You’re representing your brand, not an ideal. Even when the clock counts down, and you post “The Year In Review” content, don’t mention things people would rather forget.

4. Typos. “Mary Chistmass” is cute when your toddler writes a card, but not for your marketing efforts. Read over everything and ensure that there are no problems at the most fundamental level.

5. Ignoring the holidays. Perhaps one of the biggest Grinch-worthy crimes you can commit on social media is to ignore the holidays altogether. Sure, your business may not be the most festive, especially if you’re in a B2B industry, but you should at least post something. After all, social media is your way of communicating with your customers. Send out good tidings!

Remember, everyone is watching! Make sure your marketing efforts are cranked up to eleven and that even the “non-holiday” content is professionally crafted.

It’s not too late to jump on board with social media marketing for this holiday season. Contact us today to learn how to be festive and effective online!

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The 5 Social Media Marketing Pros You Need

By Christopher Tompkins

23Nov

Advertising, Copywriting, Facebook, Google+, Graphic Design, Instagram, LinkedIn, Marketing, Periscope, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized, YouTube

To get the job done, your business is going to need a social media marketing team of experts. Just like in those heist movies, each member of your team will play a certain role, each one equally as vital as the others.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms need special planning and a certain set of skills. These are the pros that are right for the job:

-The Writer.Of course, the basis of most posts is a written message. You need a creative copywriter with the know-how, imagination, and experience to create one-of-a-kind copy.

– The Artist.Just like a creative copywriter, an artist is needed to breathe life into each post. Whether they create images, videos, GIFs or even memes, you’ll need this creative employee to rock your social media profiles.

– The Analyst.The brains of the operation. Someone needs to study the numbers and see which posts rock and which flop. Without studying your marketing strategy’s data, you’ll be flying blind.

– The PR Rep.Every team needs a people person, someone who converses with clients or customers and they do it fast. Did you know that Facebook rates your business on the amount of time it takes to respond to a post? That’s why you need to have genuine and positive responses.

– The Spy.What is your competition doing online? Your social media managers need to study what at least 3-5 competitors are doing. How are they handling holiday seasons, sales, etc.? Your “spies” should have easy access to this information thanks to social media.

As you can see, some people in your company can wear multiple of these hats at once. Regardless each role must be fulfilled and approached in a unique fashion as opposed to treating it like traditional marketing. So what are you waiting for? Gather up your team and score marketing gold!

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A Tale Of Testimonials And Social Media Marketing

By Christopher Tompkins

22Nov

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

Starting a business isn’t easy. A fancy Facebook page is essential, but without backing from your local customers, you’re in trouble. It’s similar to the age old dilemma, how do you get experience when no one hires anyone without experience? We’ll let’s find out how Rachel Wilson did it…A few years ago, Rachel founded Wilson & Friends Bakery in Richmond VA, where she sold organic and all-natural baked goods. From croissants to cupcakes, each pastry or pie was handcrafted and made with love. Rachel was smart and knew to really succeed, she was going to need an online presence.First, she hired someone to make a website. A streaming carousel showcased pictures of all the baked goods available at her location. Still, everything seemed a bit stagnant online. A very wise friend told her to look into social media marketing, and she was amazed at how well small businesses like hers did on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

But how would she begin? The glaring sign of “0 likes” (or rather “2 likes after she and her husband liked it) seemed to drag the whole thing down. So, she decided to go after that engagement proactively.

She decided to post exclusive deals and contests on her Facebook. Since everything was homemade and organic, she posted the upcoming treats her growing customer base could purchase on that day. Her menu changed every day, which brought a new sense of life to her page. Since her following in Richmond was getting larger, she asked her regulars to give her 5-star reviews, like her page, share her posts, and check-in when they visited. Since most of them already frequented Facebook on a daily basis, they were happy to do it.

She knew she finally figured out this Facebook thing once good ratings started popping up on a regular basis. Not long after, she pursued the worlds of Twitter and Instagram.

Rachel is now opening up her third location in Virginia, and she attributes a majority of her success to social media marketing. Now, she posts her daily specials on Instagram Stories, and people wait outside her door before the open time.

Now that she has three stores to juggle, Rachel needs a team of professionals to bring her social media to new levels. That’s why she contacted us. We work hand in hand with Rachel’s growing team to ensure her story and brands are presented on social media in the best possible fashion. There’s only one problem… her pictures make us so hungry!

After studying Wilson & Friends Bakery’s social media history, it’s obvious that her growth was largely thanks to real testimonials from her customers. Even when there was a sour apple now and again that threw a 1 or 2-star rating, the 5-star ratings, likes, and wall posts outweighed any negativity.

Rachel’s success is one of those stories that makes us smile. It exemplifies the power of brand recognition and social media marketing’s effectivity.

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Tag : how to share content on social media