The Role of PR in Your Online Marketing Strategy

3Sep

In these challenging times, every company has been forced to pivot, create a plan B, and be as scrappy as possible when it comes to their marketing and sales approach. This is especially true when it comes to the world of online marketing.

One classic marketing tool, public relations (PR), has been one that many companies are turning to to increase their online, and offline, footprint.

When thinking about PR, some business owners tend to think of only Crisis PR. While this is great when you have to get an urgent message out – the value of public relations is much larger than sending a press release announcement or explaining problems away.

Did you know that the classic public relations methods, tactics, and theories can be easily applied to your online marketing plan? Just think about it: the same target market that is reading magazines and newspapers are also receiving their information through social media channels, email, podcasts, YouTube videos, and more!

Show your followers what happens “Behind the Curtain”

As a business owner, if you aren’t talking about your own company…you can’t expect anyone else to. This concept can prove to be very tricky for some, as you may be afraid of coming across as “boastful” or “braggy”. But good online public relations, especially via social media, works best when you are being authentic, and showing different aspects of your business that everyone may not be privy to.

If you are going the traditional PR route and targeting print, television, and radio – you may not be able to curate earned media placements right away. Public relations via social media though, is instant.

Like I was saying above, you don’t need to be releasing press releases every day on social media – rather you should be sharing the different sides, and nuances, of your business.

Share about your employees and what they are doing to make a difference.
Share about how you strive to fulfill the mission and values of your company.
Share testimonials from your clients.
Share how your business is taking part in community events, charities, or fundraisers.
Show a Zoom screenshot from your monthly marketing and sales meeting.

There is so much you can do to give others insight into your brand. Let’s say you earn an article placement or press release – be sure to share it on each of your social media sites appropriately, add a link to it on a media page on your website, email it to your subscribers in your weekly newsletter, mention it on your next podcast episode, etc.! Once you’ve published it EVERYWHERE – be sure to tell your sales team too. Letting them know that your CEO was just interviewed in Forbes Magazine can help them too.

Continuing on with this concept, share positive news about your business with your followers AND potential leads online. While you can post about article features on your social media platforms, you can do the same on B2B platforms such as LinkedIn.

Speaking of LinkedIn, the playing field is more unique than the other social media sites. With LinkedIn, the vibe is of an online networking hub. So it presents itself as the perfect platform to share your accomplishments, position yourself as an expert, and gain amazing amounts of local, national, and even international exposure.

For example, if you are utilizing LinkedIn to connect with professionals within your industry by having meaningful conversations with them, mentioning your latest article placement could leverage your ability to move that lead further into your sales funnel.

Ask clients for reviews

Everyone knows that customer feedback is important. Many of us simply rely on reviews in order to make our decision of whether or not we want to invest in a product or service. So when we get that ONE bad review, it can throw us for a loop. But there is something you can do to improve your odds: YOU HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY ASK FOR REVIEWS.

It may seem counterintuitive, but positivity can always outshine negativity.

Seriously, any time someone has an exchange with your company, put them into a system immediately, and set a delay so that way they’re emailed at an appropriate time to give your company/product/service feedback.

If you are able to showcase some of your best reviews on social media, in your emails, or in advertisements, it’s a win for your businesses. And, all of this visibility and social proof has an amazing impact on your public relations campaign.

Learn from the competitors

If you’re stuck for ideas about how to maintain a strong PR strategy in your industry, see what your competition is doing. Here are some questions you could ask yourself:

Do they put out press releases?
Are they partnering with other local businesses or events?
What trade publications have they been featured in?
Have they been in the local news?
What other brands are talking about them?

If you take the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, you may see that many local businesses have donated masks, cleaning supplies, or other materials for schools and hospitals, and guess what? They got it covered in the media, or tried to anyway. If you’re looking to generate ideas on ways you could make the news (in a good way) spy on your competitors’ websites, social media, etc.

Bonus tip: set up a Google Alert for every single one of your competitors so you’ll be one of the first to know every time they’re in the news.

Ready…set…invest in PR

Getting your business to be recognized as credible is important, and one of the best ways you can accomplish this is by following a solid PR strategy. It may be a lot of work, but it is worth it to be considered one of the best.

The Ultimate Social Media Questionnaire

By Christopher Tompkins

13Jan

Social Media

Are you ready to market your brand on social media? Before you set up your first profile, you need to ask yourself some questions. Social media marketing is more than just spreading the word: it’s about connecting with your customers. You must carefully consider your approach We’ve gathered the top twenty questions you need to answer before your brand’s social media debut.

Part I. Your Brand
1. What is the tone of your brand?
2. What products or services are you trying to promote?
3. What products or services form the core of your brand?

Part II. Your Customers
4. Who are your ideal customers?
5. What problems do your ideal customers face?
6. How does your company help solve those problems?
7. Where are your customers geographically?

Part III. Your Social Media Presence
8. What are your ultimate goals for social media?
9. Which social media platforms work best for your company?
10. How can you incorporate compelling content into your brand’s message?
11. What are the most important keywords for your industry?
12. How does your online presence compare to that of your competitors?
13. How much time can you invest into social media?
14. How often should you post during the week? During the day?
15. Which scheduling software is right for you?

Part IV. Your Content
16. When is the best time to post your content?
17. What content do your customers find most appealing?
18. Who are your industry’s top social media and online influencers?
19. What types of original content can you create?
20. What visuals should you incorporate into your content?

Do you have all of the answers? If not, it’s time to get to work!

The Go! Agency team can help you answer these questions and get started with one of the most effective avenues of marketing available today! We are dedicated to spreading your message and have worked with clients from a wide variety of industries, customizing and optimizing hundreds of social media campaigns.

Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help your business level up!

Your Marketing Checklist for January 2020

By Christopher Tompkins

23Dec

Marketing

There’s a lot going on at the start of a new year! When January rolls around, you’ll probably still be recovering from the holidays, which puts you in a bad position for kicking off your 2020 social media marketing. That’s why I’m here!

I’m sharing my marketing checklist that’s going to get your business off to a great start in January. If you want to improve your 2020 marketing and stay ahead of your competitors, check it out!

The Checklist:

1. Evaluate your 2019 marketing results to identify areas in need of improvement.
Look back at how your social media campaigns performed in 2019. Most likely, some of them were more successful than others. If you want to improve those results in 2020, look for trends. Maybe your blog content performed well, but users weren’t as engaged with your ads. This tells you what to improve in the new year!

2. See how you compare to your competitors.
Spying on your competition is a key skill for any marketer, but it’s especially important at the start of the year. What’s working for them? What areas are they missing that you can fill? Figuring this out early is going to be a key part of creating a 2020 digital marketing strategy.

3. Create S.M.A.R.T. marketing goals that align with overall business goals.
S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. This means they’re things that you can track and check on throughout the year. Otherwise, you’d just wait until next December to find that you hadn’t reached them! They should also tie into your larger business goals. If your business goal is to increase sales, then a marketing goal could be to increase traffic to your catalogue page by February.

4. Determine if your 2019 target audience is still accurate.
Did your business undergo some changes last year? If so, it’s a good idea to make sure that you’re still appealing to the right audience. Even if you just expanded your offerings, that could open you up to a new market that you should be targeting!

5. Consult with a social media expert to create a strategy for 2020.
You don’t want to take chances with next year’s marketing strategy, so talk to someone who knows what they’re doing. Once you’ve gathered all your information, talk to an industry professional who can give you real, actionable advice on how to achieve your marketing goals in 2020.

6. Create a content calendar to better plan out your strategy for the year.
After you have goals and your plan outlined, assign everything specific dates! Laying out a plan for the year is a great way to make sure that your strategy is cohesive. Each month should flow into the next. When you take the time to make a content calendar, it makes the rest of the year so much easier!

7. Double-check that you’re on the same social media platforms as your target audience.
Social media platforms come and go, and so do their audiences. Whether you didn’t check this last year or your audience could have migrated, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re still on the optimal sites. The last thing you want is to be marketing on Facebook when your audience decided they preferred Twitter!

8. Share your social media channels on your website.
This one is a no-brainer, but you wouldn’t believe how often I see people who don’t have their social media on their website! It’s not that hard, so just link to each of your channels on your “Contact” page. Otherwise, you’re making it too easy for people to ignore your social media presence!

Plan Ahead
If your social media strategy doesn’t get a great start, it’s going to be harder to see the results you want. So get moving! Use this checklist to make the most of January! By following the above steps, I’m sure you’ll be able to create a strategy that serves your business’ goals and sets you up for success in 2020.

Do you want some individualized help with your social media marketing? Just set up a free consultation with The Go! Agency!

How to Create Business New Year’s Resolutions

By Christopher Tompkins

16Dec

Business

A lot of people use the new year as an opportunity to get into some good habits — and that’s great! The only problem is that less than half of those resolutions actually happen. So while I’d like to say that you should set these kinds of resolutions for your business, the truth is that you should only bother if you can actually commit to them.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m going to show you some of the best new year’s resolutions for your business, then I’ll explain what you can do to stick to them. Keep reading if you’re dedicated to improving your business in 2020!

Resolutions:

1. Revamp Your Marketing Strategy
Like anything else, marketing strategies have an expiration date. Don’t carry the same marketing strategy into 2020! Use January to craft a well-thought-out strategy, then implement it throughout the year!

2. Stay Active on Social Media
The number one mistake I see businesses make is not engaging with their social media audience. No amount of strategy or planning will be worth much if you’re not talking with your audience on a regular basis.

3. Delegate Work
At some point, you have to accept that you can’t be responsible for everything. Take a step back! If you have your hands full, assign tasks to people who are qualified to handle them. Why stress yourself out when you could just have an expert handle the task?

Sticking to Your Resolutions
Once you’ve set a goal, you need to make sure it lasts longer than the first couple weeks of January. The only way you’re going to keep up with your goal is if you have steps in place to make it happen!

Regular Check-Ins
Don’t let things get away from you! It’s easy to lose track of your goals when you’re not thinking of them, so the solution is to have set intervals where you check on your progress.

Let’s say my new year’s resolution for my business was to post twice as often on social media. If I’m checking that goal every week, I’m much more likely to stick to it because it’s always on my mind. Without that schedule, I could forget about that goal until mid April, when I’ll be discouraged by my months of slacking.

With the weekly check-ins, even if I do slip up on a day, I can take note of it and get back on track before it becomes a major issue! The lesson here is that, whatever your goal is, establish these checkpoints to make sure you’re where you need to be.

Have a Reason
This goal is for your business, but what is it doing, specifically? Why is this your goal? When you’ve got an answer, keeping it in the front of your mind will make it so much easier to stay focused once the new year excitement has died down.

For example, maybe my goal is to drive more traffic to my company’s website. If I’m focusing on that, it’s going to be easy for me to become uninterested. After all, tracking numbers every month to find ways to boost website traffic isn’t the most fun thing in the world. But if I contextualize it differently in my head, I can make myself more motivated.

Maybe the reason I set my goal is to increase sales, which would mean better margins in 2020. So then, instead of focusing on my goal of increased web traffic, I might focus on my goal of more profit for my business. I don’t know about you, but as a business owner, profit is a pretty good motivator for me!

In short, remember the reason that you chose your goal. Reminding yourself to make your business better is going to be infinitely easier than convincing yourself to do the same repetitive task over and over!

Work Toward Your Goal
Whatever you decide is the right step for your business, your goal is only worthwhile if you can accomplish it. Don’t be like the majority and set a new year’s resolution that you have no intention of following. Make it count! Let the start of the new year be a turning point for your business, and I’m sure you’ll find even more success in 2020!

Do you want some individualized help with your social media marketing? Just set up a free consultation with The Go! Agency!

How to Make the Best Holiday Unboxing Video

By Christopher Tompkins

28Oct

Content Creation, Video

Gifts don’t just go under the tree anymore! Unboxing videos have taken the world by storm, with over one-third of millennials watching. Something about seeing a product opened for the very first time gets customers excited, and it makes it easier for them to imagine purchasing from you!

Once you’ve decided that an unboxing video is right for your organization, you’ll have two options for executing it: in-house or through a brand ambassador. Whichever you choose, you’re going to find some common pitfalls that you’ll want to avoid. That’s why I’m going to look at common pitfalls for both means of production.

Producing In-House:
You’ve decided that you want complete creative control over this project and you’re confident that you can create a high-quality video. That’s a great start, but before you break out the ring lights, you might want to consider how much production needs to go into this.

Part of the appeal of an unboxing video is the intimate, relaxed feel, so the worst thing you could do is overproduce it with complicated editing and unnecessary effects. Instead, stick with the basics: clear, simple lighting and a good camera will go a long way. When writing your script, do it as though you’re talking to a friend about your product, not like you’re trying to sell audiences on features and benefits.

Ironically, the best thing for your video is probably to not put too much effort into it. If you’re spending a fortune on recording equipment or driving yourself crazy with editing the video, then take a step back. Little imperfections will only humanize your brand, and your audience is going to respond to that even more strongly during the holiday season.

As effective as unboxing videos are, they’re not commercials airing on primetime TV. Keep the tone casual, speak like a human, and don’t overthink it!

Working With a Brand Ambassador:
You prefer a hands-off approach and see the benefits of working with a creator who already has a loyal following. This is a popular avenue to take! It’s important to bear in mind, however, that you’re not going to be able to control exactly what the personality says. And while there’s something to be said for a natural response, some clear guidelines never hurt anyone.

Make it clear to your brand ambassador exactly what you want to be in the video. Are there any features they should mention? Holiday sales they can tell their audience about? While part of the beauty of a personality is that they have their own distinct voice, it’s important that this unboxing video is still working toward your brand’s goals.

For example, if you’re working with a brand ambassador to create an unboxing video of your headphones, the video has to stay in-line with your other content. You’re marketing them as “sleek” and “innovative,” so it’s safe to say you don’t want the personality to call them “cute” or “classic.”

Communicate your brand’s must-haves for the video, then let your brand ambassador handle the nitty-gritty! They’ve amassed fans because they know how to engage their audience, so with some clear guidelines, they should be set to contribute to your holiday marketing campaign!

Get Moving!
Unboxing videos are one of the hottest ways you can break up the content mix this holiday season, so don’t hesitate to get started now! Remember that opening presents is one of the best things about the season, and you have the opportunity to share that feeling with your audience. Use this information to guide you down whichever production path is right for you, and look forward to having an engaging final product!

Feel like your holiday marketing strategy could use some professional help? Schedule a free consultation with the Go! Agency to get some guidance!

Black Friday or Cyber Monday: Which Should You Choose?

By Christopher Tompkins

21Oct

Advertising, Marketing

In 2018, there was a staggering $13.9 billion on Black Friday and Cyber Monday alone! It’s tempting to dive in and say you’ll make marketing campaigns for each of them, but promoting your business for both of these high-traffic days is just going to set you up to fail. Every business owner knows that trying to do everything usually means you end up doing nothing (successfully, at least).

You’re going to have to commit to one of these sales, and that’s why we’re here today. I’m going to break down who should be marketing for each of these days. From there, you’ll be able to plan your marketing strategy and get a piece of the holiday sales pie!

Who Should Promote Black Friday?
What does Black Friday entail (other than crazed shoppers with huge carts and no remorse)? At its core, the only thing required for Black Friday is to slash your prices for a day. You’ll want to promote it, of course, but the process of preparing for Black Friday is going to be far easier than doing the same for Cyber Monday.

You see, in the best-case scenario, Cyber Monday will mean you need a solidified shipping plan, which can be difficult if you’re solely a brick and mortar store. Add in the hassle of shipping everything and tracking orders all over the country, it’s a headache that can be debilitating unless you have the staff to support it. For this reason, Black Friday has always been the go-to for small-to-mid-sized local businesses.

A sale, of course, is no good for your business if your customers don’t know about it. Black Friday is also ideal for local businesses because you have a much smaller audience to inform. Where Cyber Monday would require you to broadcast your message to a national (or international) audience, local stores only need to connect with people in the immediate area. This is going to be a godsend if your marketing budget isn’t the biggest, because holiday ads aren’t cheap.

The short version? Unless you’ve got a large team and the capital to handle a national ad campaign, dive headfirst into Black Friday and don’t look back!

Who Should Promote Cyber Monday?
While Black Friday is easier to handle, Cyber Monday offers substantial incentives to companies with the resources to pursue it. For one thing, you’re not going to be limited to the X-thousand people in your city. While Black Friday has stayed fairly consistent from year to year, Cyber Monday sales saw a huge increase last year, and are expected to see another bump this November.

If you’re a larger, national business, particularly if you’re used to a lot of online sales throughout the year, Cyber Monday shouldn’t be as jarring for you. You’ll likely already have solidified shipping processes in place, and your social media following should be large and engaged enough to help maximize your ROI for holiday ad spend.

The final sign that Cyber Monday is right for your business? You’re ready to start preparing now. The national competition for ad space means that the right time to finalize your marketing plan was yesterday. A local business only has to compete with its neighbors, but you’ve got to tackle the world! Remember that great risk often means great reward, though, and don’t shy away from Cyber Monday if you can reasonably hold your own in the upcoming marketing battle.

Go Forth and Sell, Sell, Sell!
These are two of the biggest sales days of the year, so pick your target and take the shot. Decide if you want a localized Black Friday campaign or are going to get the word out about your upcoming Cyber Monday sale, then get going! Thanksgiving will be done and gone before you know it, and your business has a lot of work to do before then!

Think your Black Friday or Cyber Monday strategy could use some expert input? Set up your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

How to Get More for Less With Your Holiday Ad Spend

By Christopher Tompkins

14Oct

Advertising, Marketing

Without fail, social media ad spend skyrockets during the holiday season. So, why do marketers throw their hats into that ring every year?

Because people are buying.

Sadly, knowing that people are spending money doesn’t magically increase your advertising budget.

That’s why I’m here! I’m going to show you how to stretch your holiday ad spend dollar whether you’re a nationally-known business or a local store.

Timing Is Everything for Online Advertising

When you’re marketing on the day of a holiday, your cost-per-click (CPC) goes up dramatically. Why? Because everyone is bidding for the same virtual ad space.

While on any given Tuesday it might be just you and a (comparatively) small handful of other businesses, online advertising on Black Friday is going to pit you against retailers like Walmart and Target. By the time you finally win a bid, you’ll likely spend more on ads than you’ll ever see in ROI.

So, what do you do?

For National Brands:

If your organization is big enough, you may actually stand a chance at competing with larger companies for ad space on a major holiday. Still, it’s worth considering whether or not this is the best move for you. Take into account how many of your clicks regularly turn into leads, then how many of those leads turn into conversions.

From there, you can work out how much money each of those ad clicks is going to earn in your customer’s lifetime. When running these calculations, remember that holiday shoppers are less likely to become lifelong customers.

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Once you’ve got your number for how much profit each click will generate for you, based on past experience, find a margin that works for you. How much can you pay for clicks and still get an exciting ROI? Find that number, and don’t bid a penny over it. It’s unfortunate if you can’t get holiday ad space, but it’ll be worse to lose money on those same ads because of increased holiday ad spend.

For Local Businesses:

Don’t even think about throwing your hat into that ring. The amount of traffic your local business is going to get is almost certainly not going to cover how much you’ll end up sending on clicks. Unless you’re the one local business in the world with an ad budget to rival a worldwide retailer, don’t waste your time bidding on ad space that you can’t afford to support. You might look at holiday content marketing or other strategies, instead.

For Both:

If you find that it just isn’t feasible for you to run ads on a holiday, that’s completely fine! You can still get your share of holiday revenue. Just pick a day around the holiday to target.

You probably don’t want to skip Cyber Monday just to do the day before, where the bidding landscape will be almost identical. But what about the day after? In many ways, the day following a holiday is an overlooked hotbed of potential sales.

Immediately after a major retail holiday is exactly when all the bargain hunters come out. This is where you can shine! The ad spend market won’t be nearly as saturated with bids, and there will still be plenty of online shoppers for you to draw in.

Place your lower bids, and watch as you get prime ad space for a fraction of what it would’ve cost you 24 hours earlier.

Spend Wisely

You’re working with a limited ad budget in a competitive market, so choose your investments carefully! Take this information and make a name for your brand without spending every last penny on holiday ad space.

Does your holiday marketing plan still need some work? Set up your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

Editor’s Note: This blog has been updated and republished to reflect current information. The article was cleaned up, recommendations were reassessed, and references refreshed.

How to Tie the Holidays Into Your Social Media Posts

By Christopher Tompkins

7Oct

Business, Content Creation

You know the holiday season is right around the corner, but what does that actually mean for your social media strategy?

Well, I could tell you to do steps X, Y, and Z to update your social media plans and all your woes will vanish! Christmas shoppers will rush to your website and the garland around your tree will be made of shredded $100 bills!

But that isn’t how this works.

I can’t tell you what’s going to work perfectly for your business in your unique situation. What I can tell you, though, is that Marketing Dive found that 80% of shoppers are planning to spend at least as much on holiday shopping as they did last year. The holidays are simply too lucrative not to plan for them.

So how do you learn what you need to do? You study the best. I’m going to show you some of the most successful holiday campaigns, explain exactly what made them such hits with their audiences, and give you some tips on how you can replicate those results.

1. STARBUCKS
Starbucks’ holiday cups have earned them a lot of attention over the years, and the 2017 holiday season was no different. The face of coffee let their customers design their own holiday cups and have a chance for their work to be shared by Starbucks by using the #GiveGood hashtag.

What’s their secret?
Starbucks has a huge fanbase of active, loyal customers. When they were given the chance to create content for a company they love, there was no hesitation. This influx of user-generated content (UGC) got Starbucks a lot of positive attention and plenty of fresh content for advertising, all without paying a dime!

#GiveGood was also a key part of their success. It showed users that Starbucks wasn’t thinking about themselves, but was instead focusing on the spirit of giving. That brought in a human element for customers to relate to, so suddenly they were getting into the holiday spirit and not just buying coffee from one of the largest corporations in the world.

What’s the lesson?
UGC is almost always going to endear you in the eyes of your audience. It’s also important to remember that, as the holidays come closer, you can’t beg your customers to buy from you. Show them your human side and let them be naturally excited about your brand.

2. UPS
UPS started a #WishesDelivered campaign to share real, touching stories from their customers of how UPS made a difference in their lives. Every time users shared or submitted stories with the hashtag, UPS donated a dollar to one of three charities.

What’s their secret?
The short version: people love stories. Everyone wants to feel good, and #WishesDelivered gave people a reason to spread the word about what a difference UPS was making. Combining easy charity donations with the chance to spread positive, holiday-themed news made this campaign an instant success.

What’s the lesson?
Tell your customers how you’re helping them! Even if you can’t afford a huge donation to charity right now, let your customers interact with your brand by telling stories of how you did right by them. Hashtag campaigns can work wonders for spreading your message.

3. HOTELTONIGHT
Nobody said the holidays were all exchanging gifts and kissing reindeer. HotelTonight’s holiday campaign acknowledged that sometimes the holidays just suck, especially when family is involved! They posted jarring (in a good way) caricatures of unpleasant family members, and encouraged users to share their worst stories of staying with relatives.

What’s their secret?
HotelTonight was simultaneously funny and reminded its customers why they needed to book hotels over the holidays. It’s hard to say “I’ll just bunk with mom” when you’re thinking about your great-aunt Muriel’s Scrabble tournament!

What’s the lesson?
Holiday marketing doesn’t have to be happy. If your brand’s personality isn’t one that cares about Santa and eggnog, that’s fine! This is also a lesson that you should be establishing empathy with your customers wherever you can. Show them that you know what they’re going through, and they’ll flock to you!

You don’t want to copy these brands, but you should take the ideas behind each success story and make them your own! The holidays are a chance for your business to score some big victories, so don’t waste this opportunity with tired marketing strategies! Now get out there and show your customers why they need you this holiday season!

Did you find this advice helpful and want to see how else you can improve your marketing strategy? Reach out to The Go! Agency today for a free consultation!

Why You Need a Professional Writer

By Christopher Tompkins

22Jul

Copywriting

You probably haven’t thought about how much web copy you see online, but take a minute to think on it. Every line of text you scroll past was written by someone, and if what you’re reading seems well-written, there’s a good chance it was written by a professional.

Between the copy you don’t think about and the long-form content you read, there are a lot of words that need to be crafted in just the right way, and that’s where writers come in. I’m going to explain why, contrary to what your ego may tell you, you absolutely need a professional writer on your team.

It’s a Lot
You probably don’t think your business needs a lot of writing done, but trust me, it does. Website copy will pile up before you know it. This includes things like product descriptions, “About Us” sections; everything that’s small individually but comes together to build your perfect website.

That’s before you get into the world of ad writing, creating content, and crafting social media updates. You might be able to hang on for awhile if you’re the least busy business owner in the world, but otherwise, you’ll be much better served by leaving it to the professionals.

It’s More Complicated Than You Think
You can write! You’ve written papers, text messages, and that one love letter in eighth grade—so why can’t you handle your business’ writing?

Because it’s hard.

It isn’t just writing one social media update or the single product description for your new launch. It’s creating and adhering to a tone that fits your company’s branding and values, it’s refreshing old copy to keep up with the changes of your business, and it’s researching industry trends to keep the conversation going with your audience. No matter how tight your budget is, you simply can’t skimp by without a professional writer.

Grammar Is Tricky
Knowing the difference between “your” and “you’re” isn’t enough to create great digital content or copy. Not only are there a lot of grammar rules for you to master, but they’re not going to be the same everywhere. Your professional writer will work with you to find and stick to a specific style so that your business’ writing can be consistent and clear across all channels.

Why does this matter? It might not seem like much, but readers are going to notice when your blogs alternate on using the oxford comma or use “gray” and “grey” interchangeably. They’ll catch on, and their impression is going to be that your business is sloppy and amateurish, and neither of those are words that you want floating around your brand!

Keeping It Fresh Is Tough
There’s more to writing than creating content—there’s also creating a content mix. That means posting more than the same promo with a slightly skewed wording. It’s sharing news, tips, and things that your audience is going to enjoy beyond calls to buy from your brand.

That extends beyond your social media updates, too. Your website copy will need to be updated as you roll out new products and just generally find better layouts. Staff changes will also call for writing new bios, and nothing will ruin your team’s credibility faster than flat, unimaginative bios!

So even if you had the time to dedicate to all of these writing tasks, you’d quickly find yourself struggling to create new, compelling content that wasn’t just a rehashing of the previous week’s work. In short, you can rest assured that your writer will have plenty to keep them busy and justify your investment in them!

Do the Write Thing
It’s normal to want to cut corners by not hiring a writer, but that doesn’t make it a good impulse. Instead, invest the extra resources in having a qualified writer handle your online presence. You’ll be glad you did when you’re not spending every waking moment juggling writing with your other responsibilities!

You might not be completely sold on the benefits of hiring a professional writer. Schedule your free consultation with the Go! Agency and we’ll talk about it!

A Week in the Life of a Social Media Manager

By Christopher Tompkins

15Jul

Social Media

Nobody said being a social media manager was easy! You’ve got a lot of responsibility, and it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks if you’re not careful!

That’s why I’m here. I’ve got a simple, usable checklist that you can use every week to make sure everything gets done. Across social media, these are the steps you’ll need to take for a thriving campaign!

Facebook

Check Notifications: Make sure there’s nothing happening on your page that you need to handle!
Check Reviews: Thank positive reviewers and give thoughtful comments/questions to negative reviewers.
Check Check-Ins: Are people visiting your brick and mortar store? Be aware of who’s telling people about you and what they have to say!
Respond to Comments: Good or bad, every comment needs to get a response.
Check That Posts Are Correct: Always double check that your posts were published without errors!
Invite Engaged Users: If someone likes a post, invite them to like the page!
Respond to Messages: The faster, the better!

Twitter

Respond to Replies: They’re a great source of audience engagement. Continue the engagement!
Respond to Mentions: Have a hand in any conversations about your brand!
Check & Respond to Messages: The last thing you want is to ignore a potential customer.
Like Relevant Posts: This will show your audience that your business is engaged with the goings-on in your field.
Retweet Useful Posts: Not every post can be about your brand. Share content that creates value for your audience!
Pin Featured Tweets: Is there something important you want potential followers to see? Pin it!

Instagram

Like Relevant Posts: Get involved with your community by liking their posts and news in your industry!
Respond to Comments: If your followers have thoughts on something you posted, strike up a conversation! You’ll improve their sense of brand loyalty!
Check That Posts Are Correct: Did your caption format correctly? Is the image sized the way you wanted it? Double check!
Check Follower Growth: How much has your following grown? Consider your latest content and how that may have played a role. You’ll improve your overall strategy this way!
Spy on Competitors: See what your competition is posting and how their followers are responding. If the followers love a style of content, recreate it! If they hate another type of post, avoid it!
Respond to Messages: Don’t use generic responses like “Thanks!” or a thumbs up. Respond with something meaningful to the people who took the time to reach out!

LinkedIn

Join Groups: LinkedIn groups are one of the best places to make professional connections.
Send Connection Requests: The more connections you have, the more credible you’ll look. If there’s someone you want to engage with, you’re more likely to get a response with mutual connections! Search for people by location or job title and connect with them!
Check Posts Are Correct: Professional sites like LinkedIn are especially unforgiving of bad formatting and grammatical errors.
Respond to Comments: If your content is getting attention, capitalize on that by responding to commenters.
Respond to Messages: LinkedIn messages could lead to a business opportunity, so always respond as quickly as possible!

Wash, Rinse, Repeat
It’s true that the job of a social media manager is difficult, but that’s no excuse to let things fall by the wayside. Save and print our checklist by clicking on the image below to make sure you’re making the most of your social media following and continuing to grow toward your goals!

Do you want some individualized help with your social media marketing? Just set up a free consultation with The Go! Agency!