Scandalous Social Media! How To Stay Away From Controversy

23Aug

There’s no doubt about it – people love gossip, controversy, and scandal. It’s these spicy little tidbits that keep the internet alive and thriving. Whenever a celebrity or politician says something wrong, we eat it up as quickly as possible. While this is entirely true, it could be a road block for social media marketers.

While the best social media content taps into current events, it’s best to ignore certain red flag headlines completely. Trying to figure out which topics to integrate into your marketing can be a delicate situation and requires a good amount of discernment from your team.

This is imperative to keep in mind as we get even deeper into this election year. Everyone has their opinions about the Presidential candidates, but should your business have one? Sure, if you want to alienate or offend those customers who disagree. It isn’t a business’ role to provide commentary about politics, religion, or other sensitive subjects. We are all human, we all have beliefs and stances, but when someone represents a business, they become a part of a larger brand. If your company’s marketing team makes this mistake, you will surely get the wrong type of attention. “Any publicity is good publicity” isn’t the case when you join in a controversy.

So, how exactly can you tell the difference between controversial issues and positive current events? When in doubt, stay positive! From light-hearted holidays to positive news like a local team winning the big game, there are plenty of news stories to incorporate into social media content.

Additionally, focus on industry-relevant news that will attract the right people. Once again, though, be careful. As you could imagine, there are controversial subjects in every field of work. Medical professionals, stay away from malpractice stories. Auto Repair shops, steer clear of drunk driver headlines. Retail stores, don’t create a controversy by badmouthing your competitors.

It’s simple, really. Provide informative, educational information, that’s relevant to what’s happening now, but there’s no need to explore heavy subjects. As we have seen in the past, a controversy can spread very quickly, and social media is all about communication. As always, act professionally, courteously, and stick to your business!

How do you stay relevant, but not controversial? Share your thoughts below!

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Leave It To The Pros! The Benefits Of Outsourcing Social Media

By Christopher Tompkins

16Aug

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

We’re at the last part of our series focused on preparing your 2017 budget for social media marketing. After going through a variety of subjects including advertising, analytics, reachability, and training for employees, you may find your head spinning a bit. That’s entirely understandable as social media marketing can be a complex subject. One last item to consider for your 2017 budget is… to erase the previous three. What exactly am I talking about? The final option is outsourcing your social media to a professional marketing firm so they can handle everything that comes with online marketing!

Handing your social media over to specialists comes with a wide variety of benefits. While it is one more thing to incorporate into your marketing budget, the perks of hiring a company that works with Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms every day are very substantial. Here are the top reasons to consider outsourcing:

Experience and professionalism – Online marketers like us at The Go! Agency have been around the block once or twice. We understand how Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and even Google+ work. As you could imagine, it’s easier said than done.

Adaptability – There’s only one rock-solid law about social media and this is “everything changes”. With every new algorithm change Facebook instills or new restriction Twitter implements, social media marketers have to come up with ways to use it to their advantage.

Quality – Let’s face it. Your marketing team is already swamped with a million other aspects of promotion. Social media marketing is the main element of The Go! Agency’s wheelhouse, and we take pride in creating captivating content that entices engagement.

There are many reasons why hiring specialists like The Go! Agency could benefit your company. Social media is more important now than ever for a brand’s reach, credibility, and customer relations.

If you have any questions about anything that was covered in this series, or would like to speak with us about social media marketing, please feel free to contact us at any time!

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4 Elements Of Social Media That Need Your Attention

By Christopher Tompkins

14Aug

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

When companies create a budget, they want to make sure they are paying for the most efficient tools, products, and services available. Companies are gradually starting to realize that social media fits into these categories. Unfortunately, you can’t just buy a box labeled “Social Media Marketing” once a year and call it a day. There are many facets to this industry, some that must be considered when budgeting for the coming year.

Our previous article covered the advertising side of social media, so today we are talking about four additional major elements to social media marketing. Whether you are just clicking “Sign Up” or you are a social media veteran, these areas require constant attention. Luckily, there’s also helpful resources just a few clicks away. Here are some areas of social media marketing that will be benefited by some paid services:

Scheduling – Unless you want to create a team of 24/7 vigilant workers that stare at Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all day and night, you will need help with scheduling. You have the ability to write posts for the week ahead and schedule accordingly. Several sites can help with this, but we recommend Hootsuite. This handy tool is a fantastic, multi-layered solution that helps marketers set up content for the coming days. However, it doesn’t work for every social media platform. You will be able to schedule Instagram posts via Onlypult, and Tailwind can schedule your pins on Pinterest.

Analytics – A majority of the above schedulers also offer data analysis features so you can study how your social media is working. This is crucial to your online marketing success so you can see what posts, publishing times, subject matter, and platforms are working better than others so you can fine-tune your approach. There are many companies offering tools that help you track this data on a regular basis. A simple Google search will bring back relevant results to get you started.

Reach Optimization – Social media is all about reach. For Twitter, this is particularly important. You need to make sure you have lots of people following you, but you also need to reciprocate so your brand is active in the community. To do this, there are certain tools like Crowdfire that have the potential to deliver amazing results. With programs like this, you can connect with those who follow your industry’s leaders, which will raise brand awareness. You will also be able to switch between accounts quickly if such a case arises. All this can be done with just a few clicks given the right software. As you plan for the coming year, consider these services.

Creative Software – Anyone who spends more than a few minutes on social media will run into eye-catching imagery, captivating videos, and enjoyable GIFs. Since it’s only natural for the eye to gravitate towards attractive visuals, social media marketers need to keep this in mind when creating content. Even the most powerful writing can only do so much. Unfortunately, the power to be an artist isn’t typically free. Adobe Photoshop, video editing software, and creative apps all offer premium services either in the form of one-time fees or subscriptions that will pay off once you start incorporating them into your content.

Social media marketing is most certainly a multifunctional machine. There are many cogs and gears needed to be maintained, so it moves along smoothly. However, as you can see, you don’t go in without assistance. There are many programs, apps, and services that will bring your marketing to a whole new level.

Which programs do you use for your social media content? Share below!

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How To Heat Up Your Hashtag Game

By Christopher Tompkins

11Aug

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

One of the most important elements of social media marketing is to spread your content as far as possible. To achieve this goal, we have hashtags as handy tools. These little guys allow our posts to appear when someone searches for that hashtag. They’re basically the advanced version of a keyword. Simple, right? Hashtags are easy to learn, but can take some finesse to master. Here are the best ways to make the famous internet tool work for you!

Know your platform’s limits. Do you think all the social media platforms are the same? Think again. The way each site uses hashtags is completely different. You should not use more than three for Facebook. There isn’t a limit for Twitter, but you still have that 140 character limit hanging over your head. LinkedIn and Pinterest don’t use hashtags at all, rather utilize keywords. Instagram, on the other hand, is the king of hashtags. Be professional, but 10-15 hashtags max is recommended.

Do your research. A hashtag will only do its job if someone is actually looking for it. You need to figure out what is trending. Luckily, you have tools. Ritetag and Hashtagify are both third party websites that allow you to see what the market is talking about. Facebook and Twitter both have trending sections that allow you to see what all the buzz is about at the time.

Don’t be too specific. #FacebookSocialMediaMarketing may not get as many hits as #Facebook, #SocialMedia, #SocialMediaMarketing and #Marketing. You want to make sure that people are searching that exact phrase, otherwise your content won’t come up.

Don’t be too broad. On the opposite side of things, you want to make sure your hashtag isn’t going to drown in a sea of the same. #California may work, but if you are trying to get San Diego residents to pay attention, #SanDiego will work better. Otherwise, people who are looking for things pertaining to San Francisco may also see your post and it will be a waste.

You need a little bit of imagination, research, and common sense to master hashtags. The symbol that used to be called the pound symbol is now your best friend in the social media world, but you need to know how to use them!

How do you use hashtags? Share below!

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Why Your Social Media Content Is Flopping

By Christopher Tompkins

2Aug

Copywriting, Social Media

Is social media an artform? We would certainly like to think so. Sure, we may not be dealing with paint or pottery, but it is a very creative industry. Whether you agree with that statement or not, it undoubtedly shares the subjectivity of the art world and like paintings, music, and sculptures, there will be some mistakes made. This ambiguity is why practicing, and tweaking your method is essential to becoming a social media master!

Certain tactics work amazingly well for some users, while the same will flop for others’ business pages. Additionally, a particular type of post could produce substantial engagement once, and it could gain little to no attention at another point in time. Like all marketing, social media campaigns require time, effort, and critical analysis to succeed.

For those just getting started in social media, well, welcome to the 21st century! Yet regardless if you are just starting out or trying to fine tune your content, this type of marketing can be daunting. Social media trends are reflective of users’ wants, concerns, and current interests. Because of this, strategizing can be intimidating, albeit necessary. It’s time to experiment a little bit, see what hits home to your audience. You need to generate creative, bold, and attractive content that is going to get your page noticed. After all, practice makes perfect, and nobody is going to visit your page if it’s empty.

To get the most out of social media, you should ask yourself these three questions:

What is the message I want to send out?
Who do I want to read it?
How do I want to convey it?

You need to be able to answer these questions without breaking a sweat. Your content, whether they are news articles, promotions, quizzes, or blogs, should abide by your goals. You are going to need some PR tactics to score big on social media, which means you will have to spin content in your favor.

Once you assess your content using these three questions, ask yourself three more:

Which types of posts are the most engaging?

Where do you see the most response? (Facebook? Twitter? Instagram?)

When are people reading your posts? (Sunday mornings? Tuesday nights?)

Your content should never contradict any of the answers to these questions, and the answers should never contradict your business’ mission statement. These are the elements of social media marketing that will either make or break a company’s online presence. Many companies don’t understand the importance of crafting a thought out strategy. Some will just continuously spit out the same type of content carelessly. Others will just use their Facebook, Twitter, or other profiles as sounding boards for sales and only sales. As you might guess, people aren’t going to flock to an “ad only” page. There are many pitfalls to avoid when trying to create quality posts.

So, why are your posts flopping? It might be time to sit down and reassess your approach. By answering these six questions and understanding where your social media posts stand, you may find the source of the problem. During your journey of internet introspection, specifically look out for inconsistencies of tone, irregular posting times, grammar errors, typos, and irrelevant content. Once you straighten out the kinks in your plan, stick to it and be patient! Social media is not typically an overnight success, so you need to keep on top of things and observe your growth attentively. Like the great artist of history, social media marketers should step back and stare at their canvas to formulate a detail-oriented plan. This was the first in a series about how to effectively succeed at social media marketing and what to avoid. Be sure to watch out for more to follow!

Share your thoughts below about how you approach social media!

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Why You Need A Dedicated Social Media Manager

By Christopher Tompkins

23Jul

Social Media

Millions of businesses are now reaping the benefits of social media. Yet just how serious are they taking this venture? We have seen many companies assigning social media duties as an afterthought to their marketing team or part-time intern. After these employees work on traditional marketing all day long they hardly have the energy to invest into their company’s Facebook, Twitter, etc. We can’t tell you just how wrong this approach is! A successful social media marketing campaign requires attention every single day. Some of the worse types of accounts are those that are either stagnant or sparsely contributed to and that’s what this answer to social media generates.

Now that social media marketing has become a necessity for business, many managers feel obligated to create accounts. However not many fully understand the work that goes into its success.

Depending on exactly what sites your business has accounts on, a social media marketer needs to perform unique duties. Maintenance of Facebook pages is time consuming as there are many intricate steps to take and areas of the site to follow. Twitter marketers must retweet and quote retweet to make sure there is a constant stream of engaging content on the company’s news feed throughout the day. They also must fix the balance of followers and non-followers to the benefit of the page. If LinkedIn is involved, networking with an account’s fifty groups is needed during the workweek.

Amongst all this, analysis of data is critical. Statistics are available either through native analytics or third-party applications so social media managers can see what posts generated engagement and which didn’t. As the internet landscape is quite fickle, it’s our job to study trends and stay on top of what is happening today and not yesterday. The moment is vital in social media marketing, and we appreciate how missing an important event can spin a whole campaign out of control.

Some businesses still may not want to waste an employee’s time with social media. Others may not have a team member that is privy to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other websites’ intricacies. That’s where outsourcing to professionals like The Go! Agency can be very beneficial to your company. Your online accounts will receive comprehensive work, writing, and support which is priceless when creating an effective online presence. It’s more than understandable for all the work a social media campaign requires to be a bit over a business owner’s head. After all, you are a professional in your field, not online marketing.

If you have any questions about how outsourcing can help your company, please contact us!

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How Social Media Can Rock Your Company’s Events

By Christopher Tompkins

20Jul

Social Media

Who says social media is confined to the digital world? While we do not have a physical leather-bound book called Facebook, or tiny blue birds sending out messages out to our favorite people, the digital world often visits reality through several avenues.

One of the biggest ways businesses can use social media is to cover a live event. We see this during big unveilings like Apple’s press releases. Soon enough, we will see the social media platforms exploding when iPhone 7 is announced. However, it doesn’t have to be as monumental as Apple’s releases. It can simply be a get-together or your team attending a local charity event. Here are the best ways to cover an event through your social media channels.

Live Video- With the advent of Facebook Live, Periscope, and Snapchat, people all around the world can attend your event with just the tap of a button. By providing a live broadcast of your event, customers from all over will be able to join in the fun, or could benefit from the knowledge your event is providing.
Tweeting- Twitter is perfect for live events. Reporters use Twitter to unveil news stories as they happen, minute by minute. It offers an alternative method of covering live events as opposed to live video, since you can read the tweets at your own pace.
Checking In- Facebook’s popular feature that allows people to check into a location is great to advertise your event. Be sure to remind all attendees to check in on their individual Facebook accounts so the word can spread quickly.
Event Pages- You can also use Facebook and Google+ as a way to invite your friends, family, and colleagues to your event. They can let you know if they plan on attending and, through notifications, will be reminded that a fun time is on the horizon.
Ongoing Promotion- A post saying what a good time you had will be a great closer to the event. Posting pictures, tagging your fellow attendees, and an invitation to the next event are all great ways to keep people invested, even months after the actual event.

As you can see, social media is made to promote your real life party, meeting, or conference. It seems that the internet and the “brick and mortar” world aren’t so separate after all!

How do you use social media to promote your event? Comment below!

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The 5 Types Of Posts Your Social Media Needs!

By Christopher Tompkins

18Jul

Copywriting, Social Media

There’s nothing more terrifying to a writer than a blank document. That flashing cursor staring back at you… it gives you shivers! The same goes for social media marketers as well. At times, inspiration just won’t come, and you have to get those posts out there! The business is counting on you, after all. There are plenty of ways to brainstorm, but sometimes it can do wonders to go back to basics. We do not mean you have to start a brand new Facebook or Twitter account, but rather examining the fundamentals of social media marketing. One of the most important questions someone in this industry has to ask is “What kind of posts should I write?”

While there are millions upon millions of posts out there, most of them can fall into 5 overarching categories. As you progress through the world of social media, you may find yourself doing the very important task of laying out an outline of posts that you want to write. It is crucial to add variety to your social media content and as such, you will want to learn the following “areas” social media can cover:

Articles- If you spend more than five minutes on any of the social sites, you will run into one of these popular posts. “Articles” is a broad term, of course. Whether the content covers a news piece, a recipe, tips to accomplish a certain task, or a piece of history, articles are without a doubt the most common types of content out there on the internet.

Promotional- As a marketer for a company, you may find yourself being tempted to use promotional posts more often than others. While sales-oriented content can be effective, you do not want to oversaturate your followers with promotions. It is common to see a company crash and burn online because all they want to do is sell as opposed to connecting to the community. That being said, sales posts do have a place in your overall content mix. If shared in moderation and written with subtleness, sales posts could work.

Events- Whether it is Christmas Day or your company’s annual picnic, posting about an event or utilizing your preferred platform’s invitation tools can attract a lot of attention to your page.

Entertainment- While we primarily use social media for business purposes, many people head over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others for entertainment. Join in the fun! Just because you have a business page doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t post fun and interesting posts every now and again. Providing some interesting and enjoyable content is a part of the job!

Native- Above all else, native–or original content– is pure gold. Whether they are photos, videos, graphics, text, or events, they are valuable. Of course, visuals are more eye-catching than text-only posts so be sure to create your own graphics, logos, flyers, and more whenever possible.

Depending on the week you are writing for, content should be ordered in a unique and inventive way. No two articles, promos, or events should be right next to each other on your content timeline. These posts are the bread and butter of your campaign so you will need to spend time on them.

Which of these posts do you find the most effective? Share 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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Hashtag Your Holiday! Why The Calendar Is Your Social Media Friend

By Christopher Tompkins

4Jul

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

Happy Fourth of July! As Americans celebrate their Independence Day, fireworks will set off, hot dogs will be grilled, and beer will be slurped all throughout the fifty states. Meanwhile, our fun moments will be documented online via social media. These are the kind of days social media was made for! We will see tweets upon tweets of firework videos and Facebook status updates wishing America a Happy Birthday in the coming hours. Guess what? Your business needs to join in the fun.

Social media marketing rocks holidays. They bring inspiration to the writers, deliver a massive amount of content, and by using appropriate hashtags, your posts will show up on a whole lot more screens than traditional content. By acknowledging a special time which customers are most likely participating in, you will be showing the humanity of your company which is a key goal in social media marketing. You want to be involved in the community you are reaching out to.

Of course, Independence Day isn’t the only holiday and each festive time brings its unique array of content curation ideas. When December rolls around, you are in for some holiday overload so a nice balance of holiday-centric posts and business-centric updates will give your audience room to breathe. You should not ignore a holiday, even if you are a bit of a Scrooge. Every year, Google catches heat for not acknowledging Easter Sunday with their Google Doodles. You don’t want that kind of publicity.

There are also holidays beyond those that the Post Office acknowledges. Each industry has awareness months and niche holidays that pertain to its demographic. They can range from events like Breast Cancer Awareness Month (which is October) and National Ice Cream Day (which is coming up on the 17th! Get your scoopers ready). No joke, every single day is a holiday, sometimes two or three of them on the same day. A little bit of research will give you a plethora of things to celebrate.

From a strict business sense, you should use social media marketing to take advantage of holiday shopping rushes. Between Black Friday specials to Back to School sales, the Sunday Paper inserts have nothing on a boosted Facebook post. So, get your Santa hat on and light those sparklers, because your business will benefit from participating in these special fun days.
What holiday posting techniques does your business utilize? Comment below!

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