Tag : instagram for business

The Worst Facebook Page In The World: Cover and Profile Pictures

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4Apr

Today I’m going to introduce you to The Worst Facebook Page In The World. If you’re sitting there right now thinking, “Uh oh, I hope it’s not my page” then don’t worry. I made this page myself just to illustrate some social media failings.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to go through The Worst Facebook Page In The World, section by section, to show you common social media mistakes and how to overcome them by using the correct practices.

This week, I’m going to focus on the profile photo and cover image.

Let’s take a look:

Now you know what they say; you only get one chance to make a first impression and straight away my first impression of the page is, “BLEURGH”.

Facebook Profile Pictures

When any new person comes to a Facebook page, the first thing that they’ll see is your cover image and profile picture. So if they stink, your whole page stinks! Immediately we can see the issue with the page.

For starters, their profile photo has nothing to do with the business. (We can’t even tell if they are a business!) It’s a blurry, out of focus shot of somebody’s face. Maybe it’s the owner? Who knows.

The quality of the photo is an issue, but even more of an issue is the content. A business can live or die based on its branding, and it seems this business has no logo. Or an owner that didn’t think to place their logo on their website.

What about some good examples, though? Well, what do you know! The Go! Agency has a perfect profile picture.

We’ve chosen to use our logo as it pops out on the page and is well connected to our brand. The great thing about using your logo as a profile picture is that it will get peppered around your page, but also on other pages when you leave a comment, or somebody shares one of your posts. A good logo will pop out from the page and be instantly recognizable.

 

Facebook Cover Images

Next up we have the cover image.

Having a branded, clear cover image is important just for the simple fact that it takes up 1/3rd of a visitor’s screen. Think of it as a virtual store front.

In this case, the owner has decided to put up a random photo of feet and hands, which tells us nothing. It doesn’t inform visitors of what the business is, it doesn’t stir any emotions and worst of all, the photo is blurry and bad quality. Going back to that idea of the store front – how would a customer react in real life if this was plastered over the store window? Probably with bewilderment.

By this point, I’d imagine a good amount of visitors would have left the Facebook page. Two terrible photos are all it takes sometimes. We’re often told to “Never judge a book by its cover, ” but we all do it.

In this case, most people would judge that this business doesn’t care too much about their Facebook page, which kind of leads us to assume they don’t care about their business either.  It doesn’t make you believe in them as a legitimate business.

The most annoying thing about this is that this first impression relayed no information about the business at all. None. Can you tell me what the business even does? It’s impossible to tell at first glance, which is how new visitors would feel.

Now here’s a cover image used by one of our clients:

It hits the mark well because it instantly tells the visitor what this business does, where it’s located and also features a relevant photo that puts forward positive emotions. Most important of all though, it looks good. (Probably because we had our graphic designer make it…)

You’re probably thinking, “Well duh! We’re not that stupid.” But we’ve seen these basic rules broken time and again. Sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know!

In my next post about the World’s Worst Facebook Page, I’ll be showing you why it’s important to keep your page up-to-date and some good practices for dealing with negative reviews.

Until then, you can sign up for our newsletter below!

 

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6 Ways Marketers Gather Feedback On Social Media

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29Mar

“We value your opinion!” We’ve all heard that one before. Sometimes, we just don’t have time to bother with providing feedback to companies. Thankfully, social media allows some convenient and even fun ways for consumers to give their opinion. Check out these ways you can gather tons of info to analyze.

1. Polls. There’s no easier way to get the feedback your team is looking for than to ask for it! Whether the options in the poll are “Yes,” “No,” “Maybe” or options “A,” “B,” or “C,” many marketers feel this is one of the most efficient routes.

2. Contests. Of course, incentives go a long way. You can ask for some feedback, and in turn, they are entering for a chance to win a prize. The prize doesn’t even need to be extravagant, but perhaps one of your products or gift cards to a service your company provides.

3. Inquiries. Once your following starts to grow, you can publish posts that will drum up conversations. After all, we are trying to create engagement, and someone needs to break the ice first!

4. Announcements. As always, there is always the ever-popular comment section. When you make an announcement, whether it’s a new product or change in policy, check out people’s reactions through comments, likes, rants, cheers, emojis, etc.

5. Live Video Q & A’s. Lately, businesses have been getting a lot of feedback by hosting Q&A sections via live video services such as Facebook Live, Periscope, and YouTube Live. As your broadcast goes on, you can read what everyone is saying in the comment section.

6. Custom Hashtags. Hashtags are still an excellent way to hone in on specific information. People will use hashtags for everything they’re talking about even if it’s in a negative light. If you want people to talk about your product, provide a hashtag that corresponds with your brand.

People love to talk on social media. Whether it’s about a positive or negative experience, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms have become a sounding board for opinions, thoughts, and feedback. Use this to your business’s advantage!

Contact us today to see how we can get you the best possible feedback via social media marketing!

 

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Top 5 Blogging Blunders To Avoid

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29Mar
Look at your online marketing as a multi-layer, albeit unified machine. Your website, email blasts, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and even your Angie’s List page should all work together. But there’s something missing. A blog.

This handy tool will help you speak your mind in a unique and customizable way. Hundreds of millions of writers already found a home on the internet as bloggers, but not everyone has perfected this art form. In fact, there are some downright awful blogs out there.

Does your company have a blog? It should! But before you sign up and start fooling around with your layout, be wary of these 5 BIG mistakes even the most experienced bloggers may find themselves making:

1. Going in blind. One of the greatest sins in the world of blogging is leaving massive gaps of time between posts. It’s the best way to lose all your followers. The most common reason for this is a lack of strategy. You just don’t know what else to write! While that’s understandable, it’s not acceptable. Before you publish that first blog, get a calendar and plot out a few weeks to a month’s worth of content. Don’t run out!

2. Isolating your blog. Remember what I said about your brand’s online marketing being a multi-layer, albeit unified machine? Don’t forget to promote your blog on your other avenues. Post about your new blogs on Facebook and Twitter, have a link on your website and spread the word via email blasts.

3. Being a copycat. Yes, everyone needs a spark of inspiration at times and tends to find it by reading other people’s work. But do NOT plagiarize their info. It’s a good way to get into a whole mess of trouble. If you need to reference another’s article, do so in a courteous and professional fashion.

4. Sloppy writing. I’m not just talking about typos or grammatical errors. (although you should definitely check your work. Have you tried Grammarly yet?)  Before you hit the keyboard, get your thoughts straight. Stick to a solid plan, get your point across, and keep your thoughts in order.

5. Readers won’t learn anything. After reading a blog or article, a person should have taken away something from the experience. Whether it’s a new tip or a grudge against the reader’s opinions, your blogs should have an impact. Share knowledge, tips, tricks, and facts. Data always dominates (but make sure it’s correct). Whether people realize it or not, a blog tends to have an educational element at its core.

Are you ready to start blogging? It’s an integral part to a company’s online presence. Not a big fan of writing? No worries! The Go! Agency’s experience copywriters create powerful and knowledgeable articles for our clients every single day!

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Top Tips For Social Media Pics

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28Mar

With all the content online, how are readers supposed to remember your message? The answer lies in images. When visuals accompany Facebook posts, users retain 65% more of that message for the following three days. Striking imagery allows people to learn and remember information longer than mere words. Here are the best ways to use eye-catching, and memorable images in your social media!

Infographics. Images, texts… why not both? With infographics, you can have the best of both words, as viewers learn information in an understandable and creative way. The internet has turned infographics into a hugely popular form, so don’t miss out on this method!

Colors. Your Facebook posts need to stand out. The images you use need vibrant, noticeable colors. People are 80% more likely to engage with content that has bright colors!

Bold text. If your images incorporate text in any way, make sure it’s big, bold, and readable. Don’t force readers to decipher your words!

Consistency. Because posts with related imagery are 94% more likely to receive engagement and views, you need to be consistent. It has become a new industry standard to add images to every Facebook post to achieve better performance.

This is your chance to create a strong online presence. May it count by incorporating photography, graphics, and infographics into your Facebook content! Here at The Go! Agency, our graphic designers and social media managers work hard to create beautiful and exciting visuals that readers remember!

Does your Facebook page look like a bleak landscape? Contact us to bring new life into your social media marketing!

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5 Pro Tips For Small Business Owners on Social Media

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22Mar

Running a small business can be a daunting task. When you add marketing to your other duties, it almost seems impossible, right? Whether you’re trying to create a business empire from scratch or just trying to maintain the day-to-day, being in charge of a company is not easy!

There’s a good chance that if you’re running your own business, you’re probably trying to maintain your social media accounts on top of everything else. If this is the case, you might not have the time, energy, or resources to promote yourself in the right way. Who has time to bother with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? As tough as it can be to fit social media into a packed schedule, it’s essential for any business to grow. Social media marketing has the strength to bring even a small local shop increased online visibility. How do you start? Check out these steps:

1. Invest in update management software. A busy business owner can’t be bothered with spending several hours crafting content, posting, sharing, and liking. You will need help! A variety of programs will be able to help you master social media marketing. Whether it’s Hootsuite, Buffer, or Onlypult, the right software will help.

2. Engaging content. You need social media marketing, but you need GOOD social media marketing. The right content will attract customers to your page, but the wrong content will repel them.

3. Moderate promotions. Small businesses can use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms for many different reasons, but you want to make sure to promote specials, happy hours, sales, and events, etc. That being said, you should add other content into the mix. Don’t make your social media marketing presence solely about sales!

4. Promote in real life. Make sure people know about your online presence when they visit your store. Whether your run a restaurant, retail shop, or another small business, have those “Follow Us!” signs up and offer exclusives found nowhere else than Facebook, Twitter, etc.

5. Advertising. The biggest disadvantage a small business has is well, it’s small. Because of this, it might be a little harder to get the word out about your brand than say, Coca-Cola or Chevrolet. That’s why it’s important that your message stands above the rest by investing some money into Facebook and Twitter advertising. It has become an absolute must for companies trying to increase brand awareness and online visibility. The results are quickly visible, but a thought-out strategy is necessary.

Today’s small businesses have a special edge with social media marketing. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can help strengthen your online presence, professional status, and customer relations.

Are you stumped on social media marketing? Let us take care of it for you!

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Are You Making These 5 Twitter Mistakes?

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22Mar

Twitter was originally intended to send out small clips of people and brand’s everyday news. As a result, words fly fast on this social media platform, and once you press that “Tweet!” button, the “Delete” button will only do so much. Once it’s out, it’s out!

Twitter has the ability to send your business flying high, but you need to make sure you stay on course. Here are some rules that will help you stay out of hot water.

1. Stay away from opinions. You’re a business, not a political commentator. Steer clear of controversial subjects and mentioning hot button issues.

2. Watch what you retweet. Sharing something on your Twitter feed means you’re letting that content speak for you. Make sure you agree with it and it’s relevant to your company. Also, click any links to make sure they are legit.

3. Proofread. Sure, you need to move fast on the internet, but that doesn’t mean you should have sloppy spelling and grammar. Also, ensure your hashtags are correct. Otherwise, they will link to nothing.

4. Don’t hijack hashtags. Have you ever looked up a hashtag only to be greeted by a plethora of irrelevant content? It happens more than you might think. Don’t be those annoying Twitter accounts. Be sure your content relates to your hashtag!

5. Don’t be headstrong. If your strategy isn’t working after some time, then you might want to go back to the drawing board. Don’t keep hammering your audience with unwanted content. Try to add diversity by adding polls, videos, and unique content.

These five rules will help keep any social media manager out of trouble. At The Go! Agency, we follow these rules and many, many more to ensure our clients’ social media accounts are in the limelight and looking right!

Interested in revamping your Twitter marketing? Contact us today!

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The Top 3 Marketing Tips For Targeting Millennials

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21Mar

The generation infamously known as the Millennials is the largest and most educated group in history. That being said, many marketers find themselves going back to the drawing board to cater to these folks. Many traditional forms of marketing just aren’t working for this audience. That’s where social media comes in.

Millennials are quite varied when it comes to culture, interests, and demographics. They are typically drawn to creativity, nostalgia, and trending topics, but most importantly, they love innovation. They grew up in the 90s, and most don’t know life without a screen ready to deliver answers, connections, or entertainment.

Technology has forced brands to constantly compete to be in the limelight. In other words, Millennials were born into a world saturated in marketing. They grew up with advertising being fed to their psyche from all sides. As a result, marketing professionals need a particular approach.

Are you trying to reach out to Millennials? Then you should integrate these three strategy ideas into you social media marketing.

1. Use Instagram and use it often. Millennials like imagery, efficiency, and convenience. How do you deliver all three? Instagram. For those who have never used the popular platform, it’s all about the visuals. Captions and comments are used to add copy, links, and information, but the focus is on the picture or video. Instagram is quick, convenient, and streamlined – just what the Millennials ordered.

2. Create a unique and standalone brand.Millennials have options. Lots of them. This goes beyond the usual Coke or Pepsi, Nike or Adidas, or even Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. EVERY aspect of their life has multiple avenues, choices, options, and most importantly, brands. Successful businesses stand above the rest because they are better than the rest, but also because they offer something that others have failed to do – a good look. Make sure your company has consistent and eye-catching colors, imagery, and a logo. Make sure that there is a clear difference between your company and your competitors. Obviously, this goes beyond reaching for Millennials. Every single business, regardless of their intended audience, should have powerful and iconic visuals.

3. Make sure your reviews are fantastic.Word of mouth and peer review are important for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Obviously, a company’s marketing efforts are going to be as positive as possible and never show any negative side of a company, service, or product. However, reviews are real and raw responses to customer’s experiences. It has been proven that Millennials rely on reviews and user-generated content as a “go to” when trying to decide if a company is right for them.

Millennials truly are the “social media generation.” They grew up with it and now use it as a resource and communication tool when doing business. You need to be at the top of your game when handling social media.

Are you ready to have the pros take care of your social media? Contact us today!

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How You Can Add Quality To Your Social Media Marketing

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15Mar

Is your brand behind on social media marketing? Do you feel overwhelmed or poorly-trained when trying to promote your company through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? Are you just trying to sharpen your message?

Social media is an imperative tool for having a successful business in 2017. All of it can be a bit unsettling at first, but these five starter tips will be great for you and your company’s visibility:

1. Analyze past content to improve future posts. Use tools like BuzzSumo and others to analyze data. Dump what’s not working and improve the content that’s creating engagement.

2. Use links to optimize visual content. Visual content may serve as a gateway to more valuable content. Using a link is a great way to drive traffic to your website.

3. Switch up your content formats.Create videos, images, snippets of your content or think about combining your articles into an ebook. There are varying routes you can take to reach your audience.

4. Deliver content on a consistent basis. Being consistent helps you to be relevant in the eyes of your audience. If needed, you can schedule your content delivery. If growing your business is your main concern, there is no excuse for being a “social media absentee.”

5. Use your social media updates to create blog posts. Take your most popular tweets and posts to create informative and compelling blog posts. This gives your audience more to chew on while you build credibility as a leader in your field.

If you’re still wary of your social media marketing skills or lack there of, contact us today! We’re here to help you hit your targets.

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The 5 Laws of Social Media Marketing Credibility

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15Mar

Social media is a great way for your business to look credible… or a mess if you don’t do it right. We’re dealing with a powerful online force that can spread your word to an untapped market. You should make sure that word makes you look legit.

Your online presence has the ability to make your brand shine and reach a new audience (and new customers). How do you do this? You need to achieve the following traits in your content, approach, and communications.

1. Communication. You don’t want to be a “mute brand.” Yes, you’re sending out content multiple times a day, but if a customer responds to you, it’s vital there you respond quickly. Remember the 3 “P’s” when you are talking with your customers – positive, prompt, and productive. 

2. Influence. Take time to find online influencers in your market with quality audiences who would be interested in your products or services. Connect and build relationships with those individuals. By doing so, you are branding yourself as an authority in your respective market. 

3. Quality connections. Quality or quantity? It’s better to have quality, focused content versus thousands of online connections, reading your content just once, then disappearing. On the other side of this, you need to be a quality connection yourself by sending out worthwhile content.

4. Consistency.  Don’t create a few batches of amazing content and then disappear. This means constantly publishing content and participating in online conversations. Your followers need reasons to stay by your side. Give them what they want.

5. Branding.Show off your marketing skills with consistent branding, color, tone, messages, and mission. This is absolutely necessary as you expand your voice across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and much more.

Are you less than confident in your approach to social media marketing? You don’t have to be, contact us today! We’re here to help you make your mark and hit your targets.

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5 Social Media Marketing Lessons For New Marketers

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14Mar

What lessons would you pass on to your younger selves if you could? I was once asked this during an interview and I had to smile as I thought about our past experiences. As social media marketing experts, my team and I have seen both the good and bad on social media. But more importantly, we have learned so much about what works and what doesn’t, whether it’s first hand or advising another business.

If we were able to speak to our younger selves, we would have to choose our words very carefully. After all, back then there was no Instagram, Snapchat, or even memes if you could believe it. We would have to go to the very building blocks of social media, which is the perfect place to start.

These are the five things I would stress to a younger self and in the same respect,  fledgling social media marketers.

1. Hashtags can be overused.  Back when hashtags first came out, people were writing whole updates with every word as a tag. Some people STILL do this, unfortunately. For Facebook and Twitter, stick to a limit of two tags per post. For LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest, use none. Instagram – go crazy!

2. Take your time.  Social media is not an instant hit. It’s so much more gratifying and rewarding than that. Social media managers have the responsibility to grow and engage an audience that will prove to be loyal customers.

3. Spread the word. Don’t just stick to one platform. Use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and others to reach different areas and levels of audiences. You will have the opportunity to reach a broader and more talkative audience if you manage multiple accounts.

4. Communicate. Don’t expect your audience to share your content and talk about you if you’re not doing the same for them. Spend time on social media focused on sharing and talking about content others have published. As we always say, it is SOCIAL media!

5. Don’t stop. There may be times when the engagement just doesn’t come. This just means you have to push harder, restrategize, rewrite, redesign, and reschedule. There’s no room for giving up. Also, if things are going good, do not let your audience forget you by missing a month, week, or even a day of content.

We’re excited to imagine what our even older selves would tell us about the future of social media. With live video, temporary content tools, and new platforms coming soon, the future is looking bright.

Are you finally ready to let the pros take over your social media? Contact us today!

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Bulletproof Marketer