Tag : social media 101

How Can Online Communities Help Your Brand?

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5Feb

They say it takes a village to raise a baby, but what about a brand? After all, it takes a significant number of customers and a ton of marketing effort to make a brand successful. The good news is that there are plenty of online communities out there on a wide variety of platforms to help you spread the word about your amazing business. But how do you begin?If you aren’t very involved in the world of social media yet, you might be surprised that people develop brand new relationships with both people and brands every day. How is this possible? Well, if people can find their true love on the internet, you can certainly promote your brand online.

So, how do you spread the word in these virtual worlds? It all depends on which platform you are using. Whether you’re logged into Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, there are specific rules, tools, and features at your disposal. Of course, some platforms are better to build up a community than others, so let’s break down the best “community building” places on the web:

1. Linkedin – Of all the social media platforms, LinkedIn perhaps has the strongest sense of online community. LinkedIn Groups is an innovative way to connect with prospects, colleagues, and new avenues of growth. But marketers, beware! LinkedIn is NOT the place to post a ton of ads.

2. Facebook – There are millions of Facebook groups out there where people meet, converse, and learn about new products. But groups is just the beginning for the biggest social media platform on the world wide web.

Hashtags will help those who are interested in your service via specialized keywords. Facebook advertising proves its worth time and time again with its various forms of outreach. Finally, Facebook’s “checking in” feature is huge for local markets. When one of your customers check in, they’re letting everyone know that they stopped by and liked their experience enough to tell their friends about it. It seems like a marketer’s dream, doesn’t it?

3. Twitter and Instagram – While Twitter and Instagram are significantly different in purpose, features, and user tools, these two reach out to communities in similar ways. Hashtags are essential on both of these platforms, as they allow people to find exactly what they’re looking for.

While comment sections are used in all platforms, comments on Twitter and Instagram end up being big discussion boards where people can have whole conversation thanks to the tagging feature.

Finally, one thing that marketers need to notice about these two is that they offer, at least compared to Facebook standards, even playing fields. Yes, they both have algorithms that steer user’s feeds towards what they think they will enjoy, but your content has a good fighting chance of standing above the rest by using good old fashioned content creation.

Ready to meet your new fan base? Social media has the potential to connect you with untold masses. With millions of people logging in every day, you just need to put in the time, effort, and creativity to make your brand stand out!

Contact us today to get the social media marketing pros’ help!

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What LinkedIn’s New Engagement Insights Means For Marketing

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4Feb

LinkedIn, in partnership with DataSift, is leveraging user data to enhance marketer techniques for consumer engagement in a more personalized way.

PYLON for LinkedIn Engagement Insights allows globally positioned marketers access to site user data to improve engagement and ROI on Linkedin.

LinkedIn wants marketers to have the ability to learn about potential prospects on the platform before beginning formal communications.

The platform is replete with members’ personal information from hobbies, career and educational goals to professional skills. Marketers can use these insights to innovate campaigns.

LinkedIn is aiming to take the guesswork out of ad optimization and media planning. With Engagement Insights, marketers are able to to take in-depth information and transform it into enhanced marketing campaigns and efficiently reach premium audiences through LinkedIn.

Engagement Insights help marketers map types of content and topics appealing most to certain audiences. This provides the “insights” that help marketers formulate a plan to enhance audience reach.

Marketers can then use the insights to further narrow down target audiences into niche groups and then engage the prospect in a 1 on 1 fashion. This will personalize the relationship between the marketer and the prospect.

With Engagement Insights, marketers can filter searches with specific topics like industry or job function. This allows the marketer to gauge how their brand compares against the competition.

By utilizing elements of data from a prospect profile, the marketer can help generate a conversation void of work topics. A little bit of small talk could go a very long way.

Successfully selling your service or product on LinkedIn can be accomplished by locating, engaging, and constructing a personalized 1 on 1 relationship with prospects. Personalization is key to finding success LinkedIn.

Contact us today to learn how we can create an effective social media strategy for you!

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5 Facebook Changes That Will Rock 2017

5 Facebook Changes That Will Rock 2017
2Feb
Every day, technology impacts the ways in which we communicate with each other and the world. The rapidly evolving realm of social media is creating new avenues of social engagement, and revenue generation that marketers have never seen before. Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms, but it’s also the one that changes the most often. As you can imagine, this requires social media marketers to stay on their toes.
As a social media marketer, it is in your best interest to stay up-to-date with the latest in the evolution of Facebook and Facebook marketing. Here are 5 predictions set to reshape marketing efforts and strategies 2017:
1. Facebook groups will now see paid ads. Facebook will begin reducing the reach of pages and introduce paid ads to groups. We’ve noticed many people are more inclined to engage within a group of peers with similar interests versus pages on Facebook.
2.  Stories via Messenger will be available to publish on timelines.The success of Snapchat is influencing Facebook to create a similar functionality in Messenger. Embellishing videos with text, filters, and drawings is currently only in use for direct messages, but all of that will change in 2017. This advancement will allow users to create Snapchat-esqe videos and post them directly to their page. As the function evolves, expect more professional grade studio editing and post production offerings available to the app and desktop platforms. You may even begin to see Facebook Live appearing next to Netflix and Hulu on your television screen.
3.  End-to-end sales communication will be developed for Messenger.  Products will be created to enhance instant communication between you and your (potential) customers. B2C instant communication is slowly becoming mainstream within Facebook. Often these conversations are inexpensive in acquirement and are a catalyst to a rapid escalation in customer-building progress. Since these innovative chats start in a flash, you will be able to begin a new relationship with your audience quickly.
4. We may see Facebook as a cable TV Network. In 2017, Facebook has peaked regarding news feed creativity. Diversity of new media means the introduction of original content programming for Facebook Live. Some believe the social media leader will start a major television network or perhaps buy an existing one. Would you watch a Facebook channel on your TV?
5.  Video analytics will become crucial marketing tools on Facebook. Demand for transparency surrounding Facebook Live and video analytics will become forceful in 2017. Brands are paying big dollars to produce, advertise and distribute video. Agencies, publishers, platforms and influencers will be expected to start sharing data.
Educating prospects on the new touchstones of Facebook communication and having the ability to overcome objections will ultimately decide the winners and losers of the social media marketing landscape.
When Facebook changes their system, it’s both a blessing and a curse for social media marketer. They will have new features and tools to utilize, but they must adapt and learn. Take heed and create a social media strategy reflective of the 2017 technological landscape.
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5 Tips To Boost Your Social Media Advertising

5 Tips To Boost Your Social Media Advertising
1Feb
Executing the right social media marketing plan can be the acceleration your business needs. However, even though social media at its most basic and free level is effective, you can really reach untapped masses by investing in social media advertising.
When it comes to advertising on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms, it takes some expertise. It’s not as easy as writing a post and clicking “post.” Analytics, budgeting, demographics, and targeting are heavily involved. Check out these helpful tips as you begin your journey through social media advertising:

1. Utilize Reduced Advertising Costs in Q1
Using social media platforms to advertise in Q4 can be extremely costly. E-commerce stores and retail giants push hard to get the limited amount of inventory for holiday promotion.  Q1 is less competitive and easy on your budget.
2.  Update Your Copy and Visuals
Your social ads are begging for new copy, video, and images in 2017!  Ask yourself: What grabbed the most attention? What was click-worthy? Analyze the creative properties you used in 2016, take and iterate what worked best.
3. Test the Waters of a New Platform 
By discovering and trying a new platform, you are allowing yourself to engage new prospects and learning new ways to interact with older clients. There are endless means to reach your end of engagement. You can run mobile app install campaigns in Pinterest, which is a new and exciting feature. What about Snapchat? Did you know you can send users to your site or store? Don’t get left behind, I am sure you’re a smart person who likes to read. So start now! Research new social media platforms and venture into unknown territories. You may find your pot of gold at the end rainbow.
4. Keep Track of Targets 
Your campaign is useless without targeting the right consumer base. When you are prospecting, keep your customer exclusion lists up-to-date. In doing so, you are preventing yourself from wasting time by targeting current customers. Hopefully, your Q4 was a home run in terms if your business. If so, it is essential to retool your custom audiences for targeting methods.
5. Create Your 2017 Playbook
2017 can be your year to shine, but first, you must plan and do it well! Spend time putting into focus the tests you want to incorporate, the new and exciting platforms in which you will use and other social media marketing objectives, strategies and plans.

By using the tips of the trade above, you can efficiently launch or continue a successful social media campaign accompanied by a booming business.

Contact us today for social media marketing guidance and more!
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Creating A Podcast In A Few Simple Steps

Creating A Podcast In A Few Simple Step
31Jan
Do you have a lot to say and want to try a hot new platform?
There are many useful platforms available for you to reach your audience. However, if you’re not effectively communicating your insight on a topic, all of your hard work will get lost in the fray.
In 2016, podcasting exploded and 2017 is expected to be another boom year.  21 percent of Americans in 2016 said they had previously listened to a podcast in the last month and that rate has been steadily rising since 2013.
This vocal content format can be easily used while doing almost anything. Think about it – you can listen to a thought provoking podcast while you’re cooking dinner, doing homework, stuck in traffic or even taking a shower. The possibilities are endless as is the number of people you can reach with a carefully crafted podcast.
A podcast is an efficient way to become a part of your audience’s private life. Your listeners can hear you tell them about all the happenings in your particular field while completing the day’s tasks. This is an excellent way to create a meaningful connection with your listeners.
1. Being thorough is key. Contemplate your objectives and create calls to actions you can utilize in your podcast. Also, choose your style. Do you enjoy and have a knack for interviewing? Do you need a second host to enhance your ideas? Pick a style that reflects you well.
Organization comes in handy when producing a podcast. Create a schedule that keeps track of your shows and set a specific time limit. Be sure you’re thoroughly researching your topic. The easiest way to lose listeners is a lack of credibility regarding the information you’re promoting as truth.
Give yourself plenty of time for recording and editing. Record jingles and intros separately. Another helpful hint is to find informative perspectives and differing viewpoints on your subjects for promotion on your podcast. This will allow your work to stand out in the crowd.
2. Market your new show. Give it a memorable name and image. The point is to attract as many listeners as possible. Spend time thinking of clever marketing ideas, and you will not be let down. Create eye-catching content provoking folks to stop and take a listen. A mailing list is a valuable asset in building buzz, and perhaps you could get early-on listener testimonials to add in your promotional packaging.
3.  You will Need a Few Tools to Get Started:
  • Microphone
  • Quiet space to record
  • Headphones
  • Sound Shield
  • Computer
Podcasting is an engaging and innovative addition to your online marketing wheelhouse. Alongside your social media marketing, blog, website, and other avenues to brand awareness, this tool can really get people listening!
Contact us today for essential social media marketing guidance!
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Your Small Business Needs Facebook Social Media Marketing

Your Business Needs Facebook Social Media Marketing
30Jan
If you feel social media is a daunting task and you don’t really need it, you could very well be closing the door on many prospects. To be successful, one must move with the flows of social media evolution.
If you haven’t made a Facebook page for your business, do it now! This is a critical step.
Often, a Facebook business page will be the first listing your customers land on after a Google search. Ensure all of your digital information is correct. This includes the website, contact information and social links.
Try a Facebook contest to engage your audience. Contests provide an easy-going way for you to grow your base. An exciting prize and a fun theme can give your business the spark it has been missing.
Highlight new happenings within your business images. Change your Facebook cover photo to reflect current or upcoming contest, giveaways or new promos.
Pin a post to the top of your Facebook news feed. After sharing new content like a blog post, product, video, etc. Put it right on top, so everyone who visits your page will see your new post first.
Videos! Videos! Videos! In the near future, you and the rest of the world will see a surge in video placement and consumption on Facebook. Being that video production is not as costly as in prior years, many successful businesses are turning to video to usher in old and new visitors to their pages. Don’t fall behind and start once the market is saturated. Written copy is great, but a simple video will create more audience engagement thus leading to more sales of your services or products.
You can also do this with Facebook Live. Many big brands are choosing this format over all others. Anything can happen with live video, and your audience knows it. Give them a look into a big event you and your team have worked so hard to produce or an inside view into the exciting life you live as an entrepreneur. Really anything you find intriguing- record it and post it!
Keep your updates concise and to the point. You don’t need to write a four paragraph diatribe on why customers love your product or services so much. Research indicates longer posts are void of the amount of readership a quick, snappy post can generate.
Take a great quote from your blog and post it on Facebook. A piece of interesting data or a thought provoking fact may have your audience clicking away to read your blog thus promoting action from the readers.
Don’t let Facebook be a burden. Find exciting ways to unleash your content to your audiences. Track all that you do regarding social media tactics. Build on what works and scrap what doesn’t!
Questions? Contact us today for essential social media guidance!
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Are You Guilty Of These Big Blogging Blunders?

Are You Guilt of These Blogging Blunders
29Jan

Does your company have a blog? If not, there’s a hole in your online marketing strategy. Look at your online presence as a multi-layered, but a unified machine. Just like a real machine, there are cogs, gears, engines, and more that all contribute to one working system. Your website, email blasts, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and even your Angie’s List page should all work together. But if you don’t have a blog, you’re missing a huge professional piece.

If you’re about to jump into the blogging world for the first time, you need to realize that this just like social media, there are some rules to consider. Many bloggers fail because those who manage them make critical errors. Here are the biggest blogging blunders you should avoid:

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

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

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

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

5. No “take away.”  What do your readers get out of reading your blog? Don’t waste their time with meaningless blogs. Share knowledge, tips, tricks, and facts. Data always dominates (but make sure it’s correct). Whether people realize it or not, a blog tends to have an educational element at its core.

Are you ready to start blogging now? It’s an integral part to a company’s online presence and can give your brand a professional and influential appearance in your industry’s community.

Not a big fan of writing? No worries! The Go! Agency’s experienced copywriters create powerful and knowledgeable articles for our clients every single day!

 

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The Worst Way To Write Social Media

The Worst Way To Write Social Media Content
28Jan

There are tons of articles out there about how to write a good social media post. But what makes a terrible post? We all know them when we see them, but sometimes we just can’t put our finger on what’s wrong. Whether they look to be a scam or spam, it’s easy to spot a lack of quality.

Some of this cyber garbage seems so ridiculous that no one would fall for it. Well, sure enough, there is someone out there that is really proud of that content and is waiting for the engagement to come flooding in. Is your content sabotaging your brand due to poor quality?

There are two facets to a social media post and both of them can be done wrong.

First, wording and phrasing. Copywriters try their hardest to sound as organic and professional as possible. By being overly enthusiastic, making wild promises and claims, and showing fantastic results without evidence are the top ways. That being said, even an overabundance of exclamation points could ruin an update. You need a copywriter with subtlety. Think about your own experiences with junk mail and advertisements. What immediately turned you away? Whatever it was, you should veer away from that as well.

Secondly, imagery. Please, for the sake of the internet, stay away from corny pictures. There’s already so much out there. If there is an overabundance of text on static pictures, they look overly promotional. On a side note, text-heavy photos will not be allowed to be used for Facebook advertising so steer clear. You should also be sure your images or videos are high-quality. If your visuals are blurry, pixilated, and distorted, people will not take you seriously.

Creating junk is easier than you think. Social media marketing is about quality. Perfect your content strategy, make it look legit, organic, and engaging, and the followers will come!Contact us today to learn how we can create you an effective social media strategy!

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Up Next In Social Media Marketing…

Up Next In Social Media Marketing
26Jan

To put it lightly, 2016 was interesting. This is especially true in the world of social media. We’ve seen its power demonstrated by spreading the word of movements, charities, and new businesses. Without social media, some companies wouldn’t have been able to make it. Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest “movers and shakers” of this busy year was Facebook. What’s in store for the social media giant’s future?

Facebook continued to revolutionize itself and reshape its structure to appease the needs and wants of the users – just like the marketers that use the platform should do. Becuase of these changes, 2017 will most certainly be an exciting year for the site.  These are the biggest changes we will see next year.

1. Continued e-commerce integration. Thanks to chatbots and interactive ads, people have the opportunity to begin and complete a transaction entirely inside Facebook. This is ideal for marketers and a company as a whole because it brings a new level of convenience to the site and online shopping. The new and innovative tools will allow people to see a wide catalog of available products and handpicked just for them based on their browsing history and interests. It just got even easier to sell online.

2. Video. As any online market analyst can tell you, social media’s video aspect is booming and is only projected to become even stronger. Facebook Live and Facebook 360 are two ways that the site will continue to develop the medium into their format. However, we may see even more extensive changes such as timeline shifts towards video and added editing tools. In 2016, we saw Snapchat dominate on the mobile side of social media. Facebook took notice and already copied a few features from their competitor via Instagram and Facebook Live. Get ready for a video war!

3. Marketplace. Recently, Facebook released the Marketplace, which is meant to compete with eBay, Craigslist, and LetGo. Users have been widely receptive, and we predict further developments of this new side of Facebook.

4. Facebook-native content. It’s no secret to anyone who is involved in the social media marketing industry that Facebook likes for its users to stay inside its walls. That’s why uploaded videos take precedence over YouTube links and Instant Articles appear more prominently over links to news articles and blogs. We will certainly see more of this, and a smart marketer knows his or her way around this.

For a long time, Facebook was the undisputed king of social media. Now, they have quite a bit of competiiton. Regardless, they aren’t going down anytime soon, and these updates prove they are willing to go the extra mile for their users.

Don’t wait! Contact us TODAY to create an effective and engaging Facebook marketing strategy!

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5 Steps To Becoming A Twitter Marketing Master

5 steps to becoming a twitter master
25Jan

Twitter has always been about RIGHT NOW. When businesses have press releases, we see journalists tweet every time there’s something noteworthy happening. If a celebrity does something stupid, it’s all over the Twitter-verse in a matter of moments. Even if there’s a new movie trailer, news spreads like wildfire. Twitter has truly become a HUB for online news.

Those in charge of the social media giant understand that they manage the go-to spot for what’s happening right now. They’ve taken advantage of this with their recent smartphone feature, Explore. It’s the ultimate “trending hub.” What are people excited about? What are people complaining about? What are people ready to riot over? You can find all that in the Explore tab.

With more people using Twitter every day, social media marketers can now use the Explore tool to learn which content will raise their engagement levels. But finding out WHAT to write about is only half the battle. You need to harness trending topics and craft compelling content for your company. Here are some of the most efficient steps to becoming a Twitter pro:

1. Stay away from opinions. With the new Explore tab, you’ll be sure to see tons of political and controversial topics. Stop right there and step away. You’re a business, not a political commentator. Steer clear of controversial subjects and mentioning hot button issues that will cause an angry mob to attack your brand online.

2. Watch what you retweet. Thanks to Explore, you’re now going to see lots of interesting topics. But they’re not all relevant to your message- or in line with your code of ethics. Sharing something on your Twitter feed means you’re letting that content speak for you. Make sure you agree with it, and it actually makes sense for your brand to talk about. This is the time for common sense. Finally, before retweeting you should click any links to make sure they aren’t promoting a competitor.

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

4. Don’t hijack hashtags. Have you ever looked up a hashtag only to be greeted by a plethora of irrelevant content? It happens more than you might think. Don’t be one of those annoying Twitter accounts. If you use a hashtag, make sure it relates to your content. For example, you might find through Explore that the Super Bowl is trending. Well, you don’t want to use #SuperBowl and promote something completely unrelated like a conference. Instead, craft your content around trends, so it’s still appropriately utilized. The best way to do this is to reflect trends’ impact on your industry or line of work.

5. Don’t be headstrong. If your strategy isn’t working after some time, then you might want to go back to the drawing board. Don’t keep hammering your audience with unwanted content. Try to add diversity by adding polls, videos, and unique content.As Explore helps us find the best content to use, these five rules will help keep any social media manager at the top of their game.

At The Go! Agency, we follow these rules and many, many more to ensure our clients’ social media accounts are in the limelight and looking right!

Interested in revamping your Twitter marketing? Contact us today!

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