Tag : online marketing

The Role of PR in Your Online Marketing Strategy

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.

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The Ultimate Social Media Questionnaire

The Ultimate Social Media Questionnaire
13Jan

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!

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How to Make the Best Holiday Unboxing Video

Unboxing videos have gained popularity because something about seeing a product opened for the very first time gets customers excited!
28Oct

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!

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How to Get More for Less With Your Holiday Ad Spend

How to Get More for Less With Your Holiday Adspend
14Oct

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.

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Looking Forward: What Will Online Marketing Be Like 10 Years from Now?

Looking Forward_ What Will Online Marketing Be Like 10 Years from Now_
23Sep

With the year 2020 right around the corner, you’re probably wondering “How much more can online marketing really evolve?” While of course there’s no definitive answer to this, you know from my latest blog, “Blast from The Past: A Look at the Digital World 10 Years Ago“, that online marketing is only going to continue to grow in value as the years go on. But where exactly? Here are my thoughts.

A Breakthrough of Content
If you think you’ve seen an increase of content in 2019, just wait until 2020. And no, I’m not talking about a few more YouTube videos here and there. I’m talking about businesses truly using online content to empower their sales.

This includes an influx of user-generated content, live video, and of course more of a presence on popular social media platforms. I’d even say that many businesses will pay closer attention to the non-traditional side of the search engine world, AKA voice search. It’s predicted that 50% of all online searches will be voice searches by 2020.

So, why do I say all of this?

One word: engagement. Businesses have now caught onto the fact that online marketing is a must, and in 2020 it will be no different. In order for them to reach their customers and engage with them, they’ll need to prioritize creating relevant and quality content.

Also, let’s not forget about advertising! After all, it’s predicted that mobile ad spending will represent 43% of the total media ad spending within the U.S. While this doesn’t mean the immediate downfall of T.V. ads, it sure does put things into perspective. Brands aren’t going to continue spending money on platforms where their consumers don’t live.

A New Vehicle to Share Content 
So, where are brands going to spend their money in 2020? On influencer marketing! You’ve seen a million influencers online this past year; those people with thousands or millions of followers and subscribers. They’re considered to be knowledgeable in their field and have a large, loyal audience.

With that being said, businesses will use these influencer-audience relationships to their advantage. By working out brand deals and sponsorships with relevant influencers, even the largest of corporations will take the chance to share their products or services with an extremely targeted audience.

But that’s not even the best part. Influencer marketing content is found to deliver 11 times higher ROI than traditional forms of marketing. Talk about a great way to promote your brand and actually make an investment! I can’t see businesses saying no to that.

A Bonus for Consumers
With all of these predictions for what online marketing will look like in 2020, I can only see these changes benefiting both businesses and consumers. Not only will businesses get the exposure they need, but consumers will have greater access to what they need. Businesses will no longer have to guess what their target audience needs and how they can promote it to them; through the power of content and influencer marketing, businesses will be able to connect with their audience in a new and convenient way.

So, what are your online marketing predictions for 2020? Share in the comments below!

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Blast from the Past: A Look at the Digital World 10 Years Ago

Blast from the Past_ A Look at the Digital World 10 Years Ago
11Sep

Remember what the digital world was like in 2009? It might not feel that long ago, but 10 years have passed! With all of the forward-thinking technology that’s made its way into our lives and the constant changes of the online marketing landscape, there’s a lot to reflect on.

So, where do we start?

Let’s dive right in and take a look back at some of the biggest trends and predictions from 2009.

Apps, Androids, and More 
There’s no doubt that 2009 was the year that the tech world was booming—and for good reasons. For starters, Apple was paving their own way with the rising popularity of the App Store, which first came to life in 2008. With the release of the iPhone 3GS, mobile users were also introduced to in-app purchases which allow developers to still offer their app for free.

And let’s not forget the steady competition that Apple now faced with Android. Mobile devices with this operating system were—and in some ways, still are—cheaper alternatives to the Apple products. Users also got to experience Google’s own version of the app store.

But…which app really made a difference in peoples’ lives?

Would you be shocked if I told you that it was turn-by-turn auto navigation? Yep—the iPhone started to give GPS companies a run for their money by providing mobile users an app offered by TomTom. The catch was that you needed to pay $100 for the app, which if you think about it, isn’t awful considering you would be paying that same price or higher for a GPS device on its own. Although, in the distance, you could hear Android users rejoice at the fact that a similar software was being offered on their phones for free.

In addition to the new wave of smartphones and apps came the steady rise in sales of netbooks, Amazon’s Kindle, and tons of other tech products that seemed to make life just a little bit easier.

Predictions For the Future of Digital and Online Marketing 
You’re probably thinking, “Wow, we’ve sure come a long way in the past 10 years.” And, you know what, you’re right! At the time, these technological advances were no doubt next-level. Even though consumers had access to the best products yet, there was still hope that both the tech and online worlds would evolve into something even better when 2010 came around. That’s where a few key predictions were made.

Both online video advertising and video streams were thought to increase in the next year along with the rise of digital ad spending. In addition, it was predicted that many brands would start utilizing more targeted ads in the future to really aim themselves at the right customer; although, more consumers were predicted to utilize ad-blocking software.

With the rise of mobile usage and apps, it’s no surprise that many social networking sites and apps were predicted to only get bigger and better in 2010. For example, Twitter was thought to continue building its audience as one of the “newer” social media channels. Spotify had also just begun to climb the ladder as an audio streaming service, and Netflix was teaming up with electronic companies to bring video streaming straight to consumers’ TVs. Many believed that streaming services like these would become dominant within the average home.

Flash forward to 2019, and many of these predictions have come to life. It’s no secret that as time goes on, the tech world continues to evolve and improve. Reflecting on everything that’s been accomplished in 2009—and now in 2019—makes me excited to see what’s next in the future!

What do you think the next trends will be in the future?  Let me know in the comments below!

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A Week in the Life of a Social Media Manager

A Week in the Life of a Social Media Manager (1)
15Jul

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!

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You Can’t Do It Alone: Building the Ideal Team

Go Blog 091218
8Jul

When it comes to sorting out your social media marketing campaign, working with a knowledgable marketing strategist is an absolute must. They should be experienced and well-versed enough to provide you with the inside track on what you need to be doing, so that you can efficiently execute your plans and quickly achieve your goals.

Or will you?

One of the downsides of getting a robust and forward-thinking plan from an expert is that you still need a certain level of skill in order to execute that plan. I know, it seems like a catch-22: you get a plan from an expert because you are not an expert, but expert plans are best executed by experts. Even with the perfect plan there are hundreds of pitfalls that need to be avoided. 

In my experience, I find companies that use a team to execute their social media marketing strategies tend to be the most successful. I have trained teams ranging from 100 to 2, and the common factor to success is simple: each team member knows the roles and knows who will be in charge of that role’s duties. 

Don’t worry about getting new staff for each role: one person can be in charge of multiple roles, as long as that one person is skilled in each. Not everything is trainable, especially on the fly. Social media marketing is an investment into your online future, so you want to make sure that you trust the leaders of your team. Your reputation will be on the line. Here are the six main roles that you should be thinking about when you are getting ready to execute your social media marketing strategy. 

  1. Project Manager: This person is key, as they will be in charge of, well, managing the project itself. Project Managers ensure that team members meet all objectives and hold everyone accountable to deadlines and budgets. 
  2. Copywriter: What is social media all about? Content! If you do not have the time or the skills to create quality content, you need to enlist a copywriter. Grammar, punctuation, and attention to detail are a must. 
  3. Graphic Designer: How do you make sure that your brand looks consistent across the board? Visuals, my friend. Whether your visuals consist of images, videos, slideshows, or channel branding, you’ll need a pro (if only to ensure that your graphics don’t look like they were designed by an intern). 
  4. Advertising Specialist: Do you know how to utilize social media advertising platforms? If you don’t then you need to hire someone who does. Of course, you could always wing it and risk losing tons of time and money with little to no results. 
  5. Analytics Specialist: Are you successful? What is working for your brand and what isn’t? If you have no idea, then you need someone who revels in tracking data. This role should extend beyond social media and into your website itself!
  6. Website Designer: If you hired a website designer to create the perfect website (perhaps at a substantial investment) without making arrangements for ongoing maintenance, you’ve made a mistake. Having a support person on hand is necessary in today’s digitally-driven world! This is especially true if your objectives are sales, conversions, email signups, and similar goals via your company website. If your website isn’t working, then neither will your marketing efforts on social media, or anywhere else, for that matter. 

So there you go! These roles will form the basis of a nice, well-rounded team. Although I have seen all of these roles filled by as few as two people, most teams will need more. This goes back to what I said earlier: you must make sure that anyone filling any of these roles–especially employees who fill two or more roles–is qualified, professional, and actually has the time! Remember: you are only as strong as your team!

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The Worst Status Updates Ever and How to Write Better Ones

050819 Repub_ The Worst Status Updates Ever and How to Write Better Ones
8May

Status updates are the backbone of any social media account. A page can have an amazing profile photo, the best cover image in the universe and hundreds of positive reviews, but the bulk of content that people will see are the status updates. Mess them up, and it can destroy your good work in other areas.

If you’ve read the other posts in this series, you’ll be unsurprised to find out that the page we created as “The Worst Facebook Page In The World,” doesn’t do very well when it comes to their status updates.

I’m going to go through a few of their updates now and show you their issues, along with the best practices that could be used to make improvements.

Status Updates With Bad Writing

Let’s start off with the easiest issue to solve, but also the one my team and I see most often: terrible spelling and grammar.

In this day and age where every phone and computer has spell check, there’s simply no excuse to misspell anything.

Here at The Go! Agency, when my team writes status updates for clients, they use software to help check spelling and grammar. From there, the copy is proofed by another team member to make sure there aren’t any leftover errors.

While this process may be a bit too much for a small business, there’s still no excuse for not doing a quick check yourself before you hit “Publish.”

Using correct spelling and grammar isn’t going to win you any new customers, but it does ensure you look professional. Status updates filled with errors can turn customers off because they make you look sloppy and lazy.

Do you need to be the Ernest Hemingway of status updates? No. But do you need to make sure you’re not posting typos and spelling mistakes? Yes.

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Status Updates With Unappealing Photos

Your business might be in a shack in the middle of a parking lot. It could be in an unappealing strip mall with a dull storefront, or it could be the size of a postage stamp.

Many business owners don’t have the perfect location and have to do the best with what they’ve got. A lot succeed despite these weaknesses.

But showcasing those weaknesses on social media can only hurt your business.

Before you post photos from your business location, ask yourself how potential customers will respond. Sure, maybe your location isn’t the best, but do you really want to highlight that? Remember that you’re in control of how your photos look and what they show, so only show your best side.

That run-down shack might look delightful inside.

Behind that dull storefront might be a sleek, modern restaurant.

That postage-stamp-sized business might be cozy and warm inside.

You decide what people see, which means you can (and should) hide the less great parts of your business.

Which brings us to our next failure:

Status Updates With Bad Quality Photos

You can probably see a theme here: If a visual isn’t the best quality you can possibly make it, don’t post it. Remember the old quote that goes, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt”? The same rule applies with social media.

If you can’t post something of a high quality, don’t post anything. Sure you won’t be making progress toward your marketing goals, but you at least won’t be making things worse, either.

Unfiltered Status Updates

For everyday users, Facebook is a great place to share opinions. People get used to that free space to say whatever comes to mind, and they think that it’s okay to use their business page as their personal soapbox.

It’s not okay.

Your business doesn’t get to have opinions on controversial topics. It’s great to post content that your followers enjoy, but if it even comes close to the realms of politics or overly personal subjects, do yourself a favor and avoid it like the plague.

Don’t Settle for So-So Statuses

You’ll only get one chance to make a good first impression, so make sure your statuses are up to the occasion. Use our “Worst Facebook Page in the World” as an example so you can avoid these common pitfalls!

Need a little extra guidance on your Facebook updates? Schedule your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

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Why You NEED to Fix Your Facebook Target Audiences

050119 Why You NEED to Fix Your Facebook Target Audiences
1May

Picture this: You own a bakery in Tampa, FL. You decide to promote your budding brand online through social media marketing with an emphasis on Facebook advertising. But here’s the issue—once you log into your Business Manager to set up your audience, you see a plethora of options ranging from target demographics to specific zip codes to everything else that makes your head spin.

How do you know you are targeting the right people? It’s a valid concern. If you get it wrong, you could end up wasting your entire advertising budget trying to reach people who were never going to be interested in your bakery anyway.

When is it time to consider a change in advertising audience? Here are three scenarios that I see all the time:

  • You received a large number of engagements and conversions with your first ad, but saw a significant decrease in the next batch.
  • Customers are complaining they are seeing your ads too much.
  • You’re getting inquiries for areas your business does not serve.

If you’re seeing any of the above, you need to step up your audience targeting game. You can’t get those hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars back just because you chose to target the wrong audience, but you can move forward and adjust your scope.

Do yourself a favor and step away from your business for a moment. Look at your customer base with fresh eyes. You may be interacting with these people on a weekly or even daily basis, but you might not have really looked at who they are.

Sure Marge is a sweet lady who buys your gourmet cupcakes at every holiday, but what makes her tick? What does she want, what interests her, and most importantly, how would you sell your bakery’s goods to a woman just like Marge?

Your goal is to boil down your ideal customer by looking at the categories your current customers fit into.

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You should ask yourself the following questions:

1. What age range does my brand appeal to?
Does your business cater to a younger demographic or older adults? Maybe you sell products aimed at children, but remember that you’re really marketing to their parents. Or maybe you manage a senior living community, whose audience is not the potential residents, but rather their caregivers, who are in the 35-55 age range.

2. What location does my ideal customer live in?
Are you trying to appeal to someone in a specific city, like you would if you ran a bakery in Tampa? Or do you need to compile a list of zip codes to tackle a whole region, like say a business that wants to appeal to the Philadelphia/New York region? Regardless, location is an important factor. You may need to adjust your settings so that you don’t oversaturate your market as well, which would actually do damage to your brand as people get sick of seeing your ads.

3. What is the income of your ideal customer?
I once worked with a client who owned a luxury home renovation business. They would do amazing work on homes that were worth at least $650K+. Yet before they came to us, they tried to advertise on their own and failed to specify income in their target audiences. Needless to say, they had a lot of calls, but they were dead leads since nobody who saw the ad could afford their services. Once my team targeted people with higher incomes, we narrowed their reach and brought them real results.

There’s nothing to be done about it: You have to target the right audience. It may be challenging, but that doesn’t make it any less necessary. You need to be sure the people who see your ads will actually be interested in your business!

Are you still a little fuzzy on how to optimize your Facebook ad target audiences? Let’s discuss it during your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

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Bulletproof Marketer