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!

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!

The Top 5 Holiday Content Marketing Tips You Need To Know

By Christopher Tompkins

120919 The Top Holiday Content Marketing Tips You Need To Know

9Dec

Content Creation

Content marketers and designers love the holiday season. Unlike the lazy days of summer, there is more than enough inspiration to go around for email marketing, social media, blogging, and any other form of content marketing you can think of.

There’s just one catch – there are just so many great ideas out there, there’s not enough time to do them all. Fortunately, we have you covered and we’re exploring the best ideas right here.

Updated festive visuals
Add a Santa hat to your profile pic, a menorah to your cover image, flashing lights to your Snapchat Story. Above all, make sure your holiday-themed contenthas imagery.
Flash sale
Have you looked at the calendar lately? It’s a bit too late to do a “12 days of deals” type deal. However, it’s still fair game for quick “limited time” social-media-exclusive sales. These do surprisingly well, especially as many of us procrastinate. Make sure the sale is worth people opening up their wallets for them because a lot of “wish lists” are complete.
Season’s greetings
Email marketing is a fantastic avenue to send out holiday wishes to your loyal customer base. As always with E-blasts, it is important to send out content that isn’t 100% pushy promotions. A holiday greeting email will do just the trick to make your readers smile and make sure they’re thinking about you when the time to make a purchase comes around.
Pics from the team
Whether you post (not embarrassing) pictures from your Christmas party or your team reaching out to the community for a volunteer event, this idea adds a healthy dose of humanity to any marketing campaign. This type of content, above all else, should be promo-free.
Content your audience will share
Cut out some of the promo posts in your content calendar and make room for some wholesome holiday fun. Take the time to write and design content that your audience members will want to share with their friends and family. Festive videos, recipes, craft and party tips are just a few ideas that can generate engagement.

Maybe the holiday season snuck up on you this year, or you’ve been grasping at straws for what to publish. Either way, the above ideas will help you finish your holiday season content marketing on a high note so you can focus on the new year!

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.

The Ultimate Monthly Checklist for Growing Your YouTube Channel

By Christopher Tompkins

26Jun

Social Media, YouTube

So, do you feel like an official YouTuber yet? You’ve been consistently filming new videos, are checking your analytics every now and then, and are even sharing your content on your other social media platforms—go you! But let’s not forget about one thing: The work doesn’t stop here. A YouTube channel doesn’t get successful overnight, and it won’t continue to be successful if it’s not given the TLC it needs. So, how can you ensure you’ll keep a steady trend of growth on your channel? By making sure you hit these checkpoints every month:

1. Formulate a new content strategy.
No one watches the same video over and over again forever, so why would you keep your content strategy the same every month? It’s always best to switch things up! But let’s get one thing clear—you shouldn’t switch up your content strategy “just because”. Don’t throw some adorable puppies into your video “just because” it’s popular on YouTube. Think back to your analytics; see what your audience is responding to and how you can get them to keep coming back.

For example, if my company, The Go! Agency, was going to upload a new video, I would consider what my audience is already responding to. If my “3 Steps for Successful Copywriting” video was a hit last month, I might consider breaking that down into an entire series. It all depends on what my audience is engaging with.

Furthermore, when it comes to creating a content strategy, it’s important to actually block out some time where you’ll be able to get creative. Add the exact date and time to your Google calendar, write it down in your notebook, or do whatever else you find will help you remember to come up with a strategy for the month.

2. Curate relevant content.
Remember how I mentioned that it’s a good idea to curate videos from other channels to add to your playlists (so long as they suit your overall brand)? Well, curating this content shouldn’t just be done on a whim—there should be a strategy for how you select videos for each playlist.

First, you’ll need to start by subscribing to other channels that create similar content to yours. From here, you might want to set aside an hour or two at the beginning of each week where you watch a few of these videos and then select the best ones to add to your playlists. Remember not to check this task off of your list too quickly—you’ll want to take your time curating only the best content.

3. Engage with your subscribers.
Your audience doesn’t just want you to talk TO them; they want you to talk WITH them. People want to feel like they are a part of an online community. So, help them experience this! Engage with your subscribers by asking them what video content they want to see next, liking and responding to their comments, and giving them shout-outs in your videos when necessary. The more they feel like they know your brand, the more they’ll want to stick around.

4. Engage with other YouTube channels.
Yes, the main group of people that you want to engage with are the ones watching your videos. However, it’s important to pay attention to what else your audience is watching. What other YouTube channels are they interested in? Whatever those are, make it a point to like their videos and comment with positive feedback. By doing this, their audience members will be more inclined to engage with your channel since it provides similar content.

5. Spy on your competition.
Keep an eye on perfect content! Look at what your competition is doing right, and get inspired to create similar content for your own channel. While you should NEVER copy anyone else’s idea to a T, you should always try to put your own spin on content that has received a lot of engagement.

Also, it’s crucial that you take a look at how your competition is engaging with their audience. How are they responding to comments? What are they doing that’s different from your current strategy?

6. Pre-film enough videos.
Feeling like you’ll soon need a break from content creation? While you never want to film videos to the point of burnout, you also can’t leave your audience hanging. Every month, make it a point to film 3 to 4 extra videos that you know can be uploaded in case you’re unable to create “new” content. Make sure that these videos are evergreen, as you’ll want to be able to post these at any time.

7. Stick to a regular upload schedule.
Do you ever see those YouTubers whose upload schedules are all over the place? If it annoys you, it definitely annoys the rest of their audience. That’s why you need to stick with a regular upload schedule! But don’t just pull days and times out of thin air; remember to look at your analytics and see when your audience responds to videos best.

Do you need more advice on how to continue growing your YouTube channel? Schedule your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

No Time to Create a YouTube Video? Try This!

By Christopher Tompkins

24Jun

Social Media, YouTube

Are you hitting a wall when it comes to producing new video content? This is typical for many businesses. At the end of the day, producing quality videos takes time – and you need to focus on running your business! So what do you do when you don’t have enough time to create regular video content to keep your YouTube channel engaging for your subscribers?

Let me introduce you to YouTube playlists and the secret to curated video content!

What are YouTube playlists and why are they beneficial?
Playlists are a way of organizing videos on your channel around a specific topic, keyword, service, product, and much more – whichever works best for your brand. For example, if you are in charge of a restaurant’s YouTube channel, you might have your videos organized into the following playlists: How-To’s, Today’s Special, Chef’s Kitchen, and Quick Recipe Tips.

While it is optimal to add your own videos to your playlists, you can also curate videos from other YouTube channels.

Just think about it. You share content on your various social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) and many times you are sharing articles or content that you found online which is from another source. The reason you share it is that not only will your audience enjoy the content and engage with it, but it also helps you keep up with consistently posting to your social media channels.

My top tip is that when looking for videos to curate and add to your playlists, you make sure that these videos already have a high level of engagement and views. This illustrates there is already a proven audience for the video and it may bring a bit more shine to your own channel. The more regularly that you execute this process, the more alive your channel will look. It is the perfect go-to when you don’t have the time to produce your own original content.

The only catch? While you can easily find videos that look like they are suitable for your playlists at first blush, make sure that you watch them from start to finish. They need to be on brand and have a message that dovetails nicely to your own branded voice. Sometimes even the most seemingly perfect video could have some negatives lurking somewhere in the middle or end.

Ok – let’s get you started!

How do you create a YouTube playlist?
Now that you’re aware of all of the benefits of YouTube playlists, it’s time to learn how to put one together. Here’s the breakdown in 3 easy steps:

1. Plan the perfect playlist and name it!
For example, if I was going to do one for our company, The Go! Agency, as we are a digital marketing agency I may focus on the following playlists: Social Media Tips, Website Design Hacks, Organization Tips, Copywriting Handbook, etc. Naming your YouTube playlist “How-to’s” is a fine start, but it’s just not strong enough. Think of how users would find your videos. What topics would they search for? You need to make sure that your playlist name is keyword-rich. Therefore “How-to’s: Cake Decorating” could be a stronger choice.

2. Seek and find suitable, and proven, content.
It’s time to start filling those playlists. Search YouTube for videos that are suitable for the playlists (new or old). For example, if I am going to add a video to the Copywriting Handbook playlist, I would use the search term “copywriting secrets” or “copywriting tips”. Then I would look through the results and choose the videos with the most engagement/views and watch them. If they fit my brand, I would then click the “add to” button underneath the video, and either add it to an existing playlist, or choose “Create new playlist.” Name your playlist accordingly – and you are ready to go and find your next video!

3. Keep it up kid!
So you have logged into YouTube, curated some videos, added them to playlists (or created new playlists), and you are….eh….done? Nope! You need to do this on a regular basis! I would suggest adding this curation process to your regular marketing schedule and add a specific number of videos to your playlists every week. Only do what you can handle. Be realistic as always. Biting off more than you can chew will definitely cause early burnout!

Curating video content is a great shortcut when it comes to brightening up your YouTube channel. While this does not excuse you from creating your own original content 100%, it gives you a little bit of a buffer to create a more cohesive content mix as well as share content that your audience will be eager to watch and engage with!

Do you still need some extra help when it comes to organizing your YouTube channel? Schedule your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

The Power of YouTube Advertising

By Christopher Tompkins

5Jun

Advertising, Social Media, YouTube

Does your advertising routine feel a little stale?

I find that clients who are only advertising on one platform tend to get pretty sub-par results. Sure, advertising anywhere is much better than no advertising, but it’s definitely worth the investment to expand your efforts every now and then.

I’ve written a lot on the benefits of Facebook ads, but I realized that I haven’t really delved into the power of YouTube advertising. Let’s fix that!

Reaching Your Audience
With over 1 billion users, YouTube is sure to have viewers from your target audience. Obviously you don’t want your local business to market to tweens in Taiwan, which is why YouTube’s targeting options make it easy to get your ad in front of the right audience.

YouTube lets you place your ads based on demographics, location, interests, and viewing device, which gives you a lot of room to get creative. One noteworthy filter is that you can set the times that your ad runs. That means that if my first video ad is getting a lot of traction at 10:00pm and nothing at 6:00am, I know that my next ad needs to run in the evening and not early in the morning. These are the kind of campaign alterations that make YouTube’s targeting so valuable!

And this isn’t even to talk about YouTube’s advanced targeting options. YouTube allows you to create custom affinity audiences, which are audiences made of people who have already shown an interest in your kind of product/service. For example, if you were selling clothes for young women, you’d normally only be able to get as specific as “18-25 year old women making $X per year, etc.” Custom affinity audiences let you zero into the specifics that really make a sale, and you could target that same audience, but this time you could show your ad only to young women who like floral dresses. Yes, it gets that specific, and yes, you should be using it!

Saving Adspend Budget
YouTube is also a great platform for stretching your adspend dollar. While other platforms generally have you pay per click, YouTube only charges you when someone clicks on your ad or watches the entire thing (i.e. doesn’t hit the “skip” button). That means that you’re only paying to put your money in front of people who are engaged with your content and want to see more!

This is especially helpful when it comes to targeting. Yes, YouTube has great targeting options, but getting it 100% right is tricky, especially if you’re not a professional marketer. With these ads, though, even if you accidentally reach a few people who aren’t in your target audience, you won’t end up paying for that view since they’ll just skip your ad and save you the money!

Influencing Buyers
YouTube is one of the most effective platforms for convincing users to make purchases. One YouTube Insights report showed that 66% of beauty product purchasers, 72% of auto-vehicle purchasers, and 62% of smartphone purchasers were influenced by what they saw on YouTube. Why? It helped them “visualize how products fit into their lives.” That’s not something that you can easily replicate on another platform, people!

Compelling copy and engaging visuals are great—nobody is doubting that. But there’s something about seeing a product or service in action for yourself that makes it much more appealing. And sure, other platforms let you advertise with video, but why wouldn’t you skip the middle man and just advertise on the world’s second most popular website?

Add YouTube Ads
I know that nobody is excited by the idea of spending more money, but remember that when YouTube ads are done well, they earn you much more than you spend. So stop waiting! Make a move and use this untapped resource!

Do you need some help planning your YouTube ads? Schedule your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

The Hidden Value of YouTube Marketing

By Christopher Tompkins

3Jun

Social Media, YouTube

I get a lot of questions about Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., but everyone seems strangely quiet on YouTube marketing and I can’t figure out why. It’s the second largest search engine, so why wouldn’t you want to put your brand on there for some easy reach and engagement?

My best guess is that people just don’t realize what a massive impact YouTube can have on their social media marketing, so I’m going to fix that! For all of you who need convincing, here’s why YouTube can add a ton of marketing value to your campaigns!

Building Brand Awareness
Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t just funny content that succeeds on YouTube. Your content has to be engaging, but you can see real results with videos that are informational rather than comedic. That means that how-to videos and other informational content are great ways to build your online following!

Going Viral
YouTube first became famous as the home of viral videos. When a video gets millions of views, it’s a safe bet that YouTube is the platform earning it all of that attention. YouTube also integrates well with sites like Facebook and Instagram, so you can post branded videos then easily promote them across platforms. Directing people to your YouTube video is one of the most effective ways to take advantage of YouTube’s massive audience while utilizing your existing social channels!

Tracking Metrics
While you can track video metrics on Facebook and Instagram, YouTube certainly gives you many more options. Where you can normally only view metrics such as likes, comments, etc., YouTube tracks when people stopped watching your videos, which can be invaluable when looking to improve your online content. That isn’t even to mention the specific demographic information, traffic sources, and a lot more!

Boosting SEO
Since Google bought YouTube in 2006, YouTube has enjoyed a high ranking with Google’s SEO that makes video content on the platform more likely to land on Google’s front page. But this isn’t just about coasting ahead of your competitors—it’s about staying relevant. Projections show that by 2021, 80% of all internet traffic will be video. If you’re not starting now and working out the kinks, you’re going to fall behind!

Saving Marketing Budget
YouTube doesn’t charge a dime to post as many videos as you want—that’s an opportunity worth taking advantage of! Traditional ad campaigns can be costly, but this is a way to get your video content in front of millions without wasting money on boosting your videos. Don’t misunderstand me though. This is not an excuse to treat YouTube like a cheap side project, and the money you save should be going back into increasing your video production quality!

Earning ROI
Don’t think that these just sound good in theory, either. Like any marketing venture, YouTube is only worth it if you can see a positive ROI. Good news: 78% of marketers get good ROI from video marketing. And as a marketer, I can confidently say that the other 22% aren’t doing it right!

Give YouTube the Attention It Deserves
I know it’s a popular opinion that YouTube marketing is optional, but the data just doesn’t support that conclusion. It’s time to take a serious look at what your business stands to gain with YouTube marketing. Make a move now, before your competitors beat you to the punch!

You know why YouTube marketing is valuable, but how do you act on that? We’ll discuss it during your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

The Worst Status Updates Ever and How to Write Better Ones

By Christopher Tompkins

8May

Social Media

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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Social Spring Cleaning: Throwing Out Your Old Content Mix

By Christopher Tompkins

3Apr

Content Creation

I can’t tell you how often I see businesses posting regularly to social media but not posting anything that their audience cares about! If you’re experiencing low engagement or a drop off in your page’s followers, then I’m probably talking about you.

Please, for both your business and my sanity, take the time to improve your content mix. I know it can seem challenging, but that’s what I’m here for! I’ll walk you through how to create a content mix that works toward your business’ goals.

Post What People Care About
When I ask new clients about what they’ve been posting, the answer I usually get is, “I don’t know man, we just post stuff about the business.”

Not a great sign. Before you try to improve your content mix, figure out what you’re already sharing.

Let’s say you’re posting one message every day on your brewery’s Facebook. In a week, half of your content is about dark ales, one quarter is about brewing techniques, and one quarter is about IPAs. Is that a good content mix? Well, it depends on what people in your area are interested in.

Keeping the brewery example, let’s say you distribute within a 50-mile radius in central Georgia. To determine whether or not you’ve got a good content mix, look at what people are searching for in Google. Look for specific keyword searches by location, then compare those results to your content mix. If people are searching for information about IPAs twice as much as they’re looking at dark ales, then your content mix probably needs to be adjusted.

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It Isn’t All About You
No matter how much someone loves your hypothetical brewery, I can promise you that they’re not liking your Facebook page so they can hear about how great you are every single day. They want you to share relevant content that they can enjoy! And I’ll tell you something for nothing—if you’re not keeping them interested, your competitor will.

Instead of posting 100% promos, break up the monotony with new forms of content. We have a list of solutions that we go to when we need to break up a client’s promos and create value for their audience:

Industry tips
Quotes
News articles
Live posts about current events

These are just a few ideas to get you started, but customize it to your audience! There isn’t a perfect rule that says to use X promos, Y news articles, etc. But if you experiment and track your metrics, you can find a great content mix that your audience is eager to engage with.

Get Active Within Your Community
For local businesses, the best way to get organic reach and engagement on your posts is to be an active player within your community. That means posting about local events, showing customers how your business positively affects the community, and tagging whenever possible!

When your audience sees you playing an active role in the community, they’re much more likely to have a positive view of your business. Not only does that make your existing customers more likely to buy from you, but it can be a great way to reach a new audience. If you’re tagging local brands, they’re likely to tag you back in future posts and send traffic to your website!

For this reason, I recommend working in posts about local goings-on whenever possible. Your customers will love it, and that’s how you’re going to keep them around and buying from your business!

Content Mix Things Up
In the world of social media marketing, boring your audience is a death sentence. I don’t want you to fall into that trap! If you’re willing to invest in your business’ success, use this article to make a relevant content mix that your followers will love!

Could you use some expert advice for your new content mix? Schedule your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

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How to Stick With Your Social Media Goals

By Christopher Tompkins

11Feb

Social Media

Now that you’re determined to keep up with your social media goals, how do you actually do that? Deciding to stick with social media is a great first step, but it doesn’t necessarily position you to meet your goals.

That’s why I’m going to explain how, exactly, you can make sure that you’re reaching your social media goals. With these tips, you’ll be able to work toward your social media goals and track your progress along the way!

Identify a Specific Goal
The best way to stick with your goals is see how you’re progressing toward them. Sure, it’s frustrating that you aren’t raking in the dough yet, but you can keep your motivation high by seeing how you’re advancing toward that goal!

You may have more than one social media goal, so be sure to take them one at a time. Additionally, you want to be specific. “I want to make more money” isn’t a social media goal, but “I want more people to visit my business’ product pages” is. Below, I’ll list the most common social media goals and how you can track them!

Goal 1: Generate New Leads
If you’re looking to get people started down your sales funnel, then this is the goal you should be pursuing. But how do you track your success?

Google Analytics is a great tool for tracking lead generation. Once you’ve set your goal (say, 100 leads through Facebook), you can set up pixels that track users going from your social media to your website. Some alternative methods to track are how many people gave personal information via social media (e.g. by signing up for your emails), clicked on your lead-generating posts, or downloaded content from social media that required them to give you personal information.

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Goal 2: Drive Website Traffic
Looking for more clicks to your site? Then you want to track web traffic from social media.

Once again, Google Analytics is a great tool here. By displaying how many clicks you’re getting from social media to your website, it tells you a few things. First, the base number of how many people you’re attracting from social media, which can give you valuable insight into how your content mix is working.

Beyond that, you can also see what percentage of your overall web traffic comes from social media. So if you wanted a lot more traffic than you’re getting, but social media is still accounting for 80% of your clicks, then you know that your social media efforts are on the right track!

You’ll also be able to track bounce rates, meaning you’ll know if someone clicked then immediately left or actually spent time on your site!

Goal 3: Grow Revenue
The one that everyone cares about: revenue! If you’ve got a shorter sales process, you can directly track how much social media is contributing to your sales.

Using Google Analytics you can track how much revenue comes from each of your social media sales, both by dollar amount and number of sales. This way, your sales from social media aren’t being confused with overall sales, and it’s much easier to see how social media is directly impacting your bottom line. This ensures that if you notice more sales than usual, you’ll be able to directly track how social media played a role in that number!

Give Them Time
Just because your week-old social media campaign hasn’t paid back in dividends doesn’t mean that social media isn’t worth your time; just be patient. You can look into changing practices as you go, but I find that most people just need to let the campaign play itself out. Track your goals and you’ll find that it’s much easier to stick with them when you know that progress is being made!

Do you want to discuss your social media goals and how to make them happen even faster? Schedule your free consultation with The Go! Agency!

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