Social Media Writer’s Block? Try These 20 Inspirational Post Prompts

26Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Tailwind, Twitter, Uncategorized

Many writers know the pain that comes with a blank page. Social media writers aren’t any better. Whenever that update field is blank, or there are still 140 characters remaining for a tweet, there’s a gut-twisting feeling.

Sometimes, marketers need a little push in the right direction. Well, consider this a shove. These 20 post prompts are helpful tools that will get your marketing mind moving!

1. Host a Q & A Session.

2. Explain why customers go to YOU and not THEM.

3. What is your “bread and butter” product?

4. What is your NEW product?

5. Incorporate a lesser-known holiday into your brand. (Trust us, every single day is a holiday, you just need to research.)

6. What did you do this time last year?

7. Host a flash sale.

8. Host a contest.

9. Offer free advice.

10. Incorporate a current event or trending topic.

11. Provide a snippet of the company’s history.

12. Promote a real life event hosted by your company or partner.

13. Provide preventative or helpful tips.

14. Showcase a new employee.

15. What will the upcoming season bring to your company?

16. Describe your company’s ethics.

17. Post something light-hearted / entertaining. (As long as it’s in good taste.)

18. Share news related to your industry.

19. Share your company’s support for a charity or cause.

20. Share a success story of a satisfied customer / client.

Did that get your brain spinning? The best part of social media marketing is the diversity the form allows. It’s so great to be able to share a wide variety of content with your following. Try a few of these prompts and the rest of your strategy will come along quickly.

What type of content has worked best for your company? Comment below!

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Social Media Show Business: How To Wow The Internet

By Christopher Tompkins

25Oct

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

In many respects, social media is the new Hollywood. Many people attempt to be a star, only now it’s online fame they seek. I’m not just talking about YouTubers trying to make it big on the small screen. This also goes for companies attempting to market.

Just like an aspiring actress seeing that Hollywood sign for the first time, you’re going to need these three traits to make it.

Perseverance. If you send one tweet out a week, no one is going to notice you. To say social media is fast-paced is a severe understatement. You need to keep hitting your audience with engaging content so you stay prominent in their news feeds.

Creativity. Many people use social media for entertainment. With that in mind, marketers need to make their content fun, attractive, and unique. To do that, you will need an imagination. A business’s graphic designers, creative copywriters, and other content experts need to know how to create enticing and exciting posts.

Networking Skills. Like everyone says, it’s about who you know. Social media doesn’t necessarily break that rule, but rather it bends it in a particular fashion. Your brand has the power to reach out to professionals, colleagues, leads, and customers through a wide variety of different avenues.

It’s show time! With nearly 2 billion people logging into Facebook, and hundreds of millions using Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest, it’s obvious for marketers to go where the audience is.

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#Boo! 5 Ways To Spook Up Your Social Media Marketing

By Christopher Tompkins

24Oct

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

It’s October, and you know what that means! Ghosts, goblins, and poorly chosen Halloween costumes. But this spooky season isn’t just for trick or treaters. Marketers have a gold mine of marketing potential just waiting to be utilized. Here are the best ways to have hauntingly good engagement:

1. Frightening fun. All Halloween festivities aside, it’s a very busy time of year. The school year is in full swing, people are preparing for the big holiday season to hit in just a month, and business ramps up quickly. A dose of fun may be enough to make your followers smile and drum up engagement. Whether it’s DIY decor, costumes, or party ideas, you can’t go wrong!

2. Spooky sales. Like Christmas, Independence Day, Columbus Day, Mother’s Day, and Groundhog Day, companies’ default response to a holiday is a sale. But with social media, you can liven things up. Change the sale’s focus every day, utilize flash sales, make social media exclusive offers, etc. Keep in mind that you should be posting at least twice a day, so use that to your advantage.

3. Show off your monsters. Did your employees dress up for the holiday? Take lots of pics and upload them to your favorite social media platforms. It’s a great way to add some humanity to your business (even if they are dressed as monsters).

4. Horror Hashtags. Of course, #HappyHalloween will be at the top of the charts on the 31st. But don’t just stick with the obvious. Sometimes, unique hashtags are more effective. Do your research and see what’s trending this year. This may be the time for some “in the moment” posting as opposed to scheduling.

5. Ghostly Imagery. I don’t mean you should share a pic from Ghost Hunters. Instead, be sure to incorporate holiday-themed visuals. If your graphic designer is handy, you can even add a bit of Halloween flair to your logo or profile picture.

It’s not only easy to get into the spirit, it’s smart too. Social media marketers love huge holidays like Halloween because a massive amount of people are celebrating, which means they’re looking for content. Dive in… if you dare!

Do you have the holiday blues? Don’t let another holiday season go by without the right social media strategy. Jump on board before it’s too late!

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Avoid These 10 Social Media Media Marketing Poisons

By Christopher Tompkins

23Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Email Marketing, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Live Video, Marketing, Pinterest, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized

We all know what poison is. In a nutshell, it’s a substance that causes harm to someone or something. Unfortunately, poison isn’t always marked with a giant skull and crossbones, nor is it an oozing green substance from fairy tales. Sometimes, such danger isn’t so obvious. This is especially true for social media marketing poison.

For social media, poison can be an “easy way out” or a seemingly innocent mistake. But marketers should beware! Check out the following social media dangers to avoid:

1. Inconsistency. The best way to make people forget about your brand and move onto a competitor is to be inconsistent with publishing posts. Huge gaps of time or sporadic scheduling will cause unfortunate consequences.

2. Plagiarism. Looking for some legal trouble? Then plagiarize away! There’s absolutely no reason to copy someone’s work without giving credit. Social media marketing offers us perfectly acceptable tools such as retweeting, sharing, repinning, etc. to curate content that fits your feel.

3. Unprofessionalism. Just like your personal social media profiles, there is etiquette to abide by. No cursing, no trash talking competition, no personal pictures, no using “I”. Don’t forget about the business you’re representing.

4. Veering off course. Remember your industry! While sharing interesting articles and engaging content is crucial to social media marketing success, don’t post things that are totally in left field. Keep things as relevant and centered around your field as possible.

5. No visuals. No pictures, videos, or GIFs? Boring! You will kill your social media profile by just looking unappealing. People are 80% more likely to check your content if you use imagery.

6. Ignoring customer outreach. Check your messages multiple times a day. Make sure your response time is less than 24 hours for everything that customers throw your way.

7. Living in a bubble. In it’s most primordial definition, social media is about community. Share others’ content, engage with followers, and start conversations by sharing polls, prompts, contents and more. Don’t isolate yourself from the community you’re trying to build. Talk it up!

8. Using personal opinion. Let’s be clear. Unless your company is by nature religious, political, or handles controversial subjects, it should NOT share an opinion. There will be someone out there that get’s offended.

9. Over-promoting. Even if you’re 100% using social media to boost sales, it can’t just be about promotional posts. No one will pay attention to a barrage of sales. Incorporate interesting articles, community-building exercises, quotes, etc.

10. Spam. People have a tendency to spot scams, spam, and junk a mile away. It’s in the writing and approach. Never spam. Even if your business is legit, you will look like a slimeball. We’ve all been pestered by scam artists one way or another, your business is better than that, right?

Your company needs social media, but your social media needs you to stay away from these deadly acts. What’s the panacea to this poison? Experienced, professional, and creative marketers who know their way around the internet.

Contact us today to get a jump start on social media marketing!

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The 5 Lists That Every Social Media Marketer Needs

By Christopher Tompkins

20Oct

Advertising, Business, Copywriting, Email Marketing, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Periscope, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Uncategorized

Lists are great, aren’t they? They help us keep track of what to do, what to buy, where to go, what to avoid, and which events to remember. Every aspect of our lives improves with well-developed lists. A social media marketer’s strategy is no exception.

Since social media marketing has multiple aspects to it, a successful marketer will need multiple lists. Take some time out and compose the following sets of material!

1. Competitors. Which businesses are your competition? Is it just locals or are there national brands to watch out for? Start writing down these companies so you can monitor their social media marketing activity.

2. Leads. It’s time to do some research. Compose a list of businesses or consumers that would potentially utilize your services or products. Follow them and open up the avenues of communication. This is a major part of a social media marketer’s position.

3. Industry Influencers. Who are the BIG names in your industry? Whether it’s a hugely successful company or it’s an influential individual, you should not only know who these people are, but you should follow them and study their strategy.

4. Reliable Sources. The best marketers share relevant, newsworthy, and engaging content with their social media following. Don’t go searching every time you’re writing a set of updates. Make a list of the best places to find news and articles.

5. Buzzwords. Some words are bland and tasteless while others jump off the page and pull in the reader. Each industry has their own unique and diverse vocabulary. Set up your list of buzzwords so your arsenal of engaging copy is handy!

Get to writing! These five lists are invaluable tools that will help you when you’re stuck with marketing.

Did you know we make these lists for each of our clients? We specially craft every single social media marketing campaign so it reaches maximum potential. Contact us today to learn more!

8 Top Tips For Powerful Social Media Writing

By Christopher Tompkins

13Oct

Copywriting, Social Media

What would Shakespeare or Hemmingway say about Twitter? What would Dickens’ or Tolkien’s opinions be about hashtags, likes, and character count?

I think the literary greats would be amazing at writing for social media marketing, albeit with some heavy-duty training. Social media marketing requires creativity, but writers and marketers may have to rewire how they work. The following tips are excellent starting points to become a social media writer.

1. Ultimate efficiency. Even if you aren’t writing for a platform with a character count such as Twitter, you want to be as sharp, precise, and “to the point” as possible. Sorry, there’s no room for a prologue. You need to hit your audience with your message with as little words as possible.

2. Hashtags. What words or phrases do people use to find content such as yours? Do your research. Discover what’s trending and take advantage of the hashtag system with moderation.

3. Buzzwords. Hashtags aren’t the only important words in your social media composition. Make sure you use relevant, searchable words. Try not to be too wordy but rather add words with strength and potential. Each business has different verbiage that should be incorporated. Their industry, location, time of year, subject matter, and type of content will determine which work and which don’t.

4. Hyperlinks. Always leave room for hyperlinks. Your social media updates should be a gateway to more information. I suggest using Hootsuite’s ow.ly links so you can study their effectivity through analytics.

5. Add imagery. Writing for social media marketing isn’t just about words. Your well-crafted sentences need to compliment a piece of imagery. Whether you add a video, picture, GIF, or a simple emoji, you need visuals.

6. Speak in the “we.” A good rule of thumb for Facebook, Twitter, and other updates is never to use “I.” You are, after all, representing your team and brand. This isn’t your story to tell, but rather the business’s that you represent.

7. Have energy. Having energy doesn’t mean you have to be super perky and happy. Instead, make your updates pack a punch with visceral vocabulary. Use exclamation points, question marks and colons. Avoid ending an update with a period as much as possible.

8. Utilize the power of blogging. Does your heart long for a longer format? Your answer is blogging. A company blog can significantly benefit from a blog. There, you’ll be able to post longer pieces of writing, just be sure to promote them with a social media post.

Do you have writer’s block? Our team of copywriters creates expertly-crafted social media posts every day. Contact us today to see how professional writing can help you.

How Online Marketers Can Hit The Bullseye

By Christopher Tompkins

10Oct

Social Media

It’s easy to miss the mark with social media marketing. Every now and again, your analytics may show low points in which your content just didn’t attract a crowd. Every marketer can appreciate the frustration when their efforts are fruitless. Online marketing, especially social media marketing, gives us a significant advantage to help us hit the mark.

Every week, gather up your social media marketing team to study your analytics. Whether you use Hootsuite, Buffer, or just analyze the native numbers on the platform of choice, you need to review your data.

Your company’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other accounts should have a decent amount of posts to study. Which ones rocked and which flopped? Did a particular hashtag gather in the readers? Did a picture or video get people talking? What advertising efforts really struck a cord? All of these questions need to be answered. Since most successful social media marketers write for the upcoming week, you have the opportunity to change your formula ahead of time to make things work.

Every month, look at the past several weeks and study your marketing efforts at a macro level. How have your numbers risen or fallen? This data should help you set up goals for the next month, and reveal areas you need to improve. It’s important to work on things when you notice them, don’t push them off. Additionally, look at the present trending topics and what is coming up, so you can take advantage of contemporary topics.

Does your team know how to study analytics and data metrics? We do! We can help your business hit the spot on social media.

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The 20 Most Important Social Media Marketing Terms

By Christopher Tompkins

9Oct

Social Media

Like every industry, social media has exclusive terms. Unlike every industry, however, those not in involved should know them as well. That’s one of the things that makes social media different – it’s for everyone. For you to promote your business the right way on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or other platforms, you should know the following terms. Get ready to spice up your vocabulary!

Avatar – Also known as a profile picture, avatars are the main images that represent you. Make sure it’s a good one and consistent from profile to profile.

Bio – A short, but detailed description about yourself or your company. No social media profile is complete without one!

Blog – Short for “web log”, a blog is where a company posts longer articles centered around their industry (like this). These are vital to any business’s website to look professional and knowledgeable about the field they work in.

Clickbait – A slang term for an eye-catching, but possibly misleading title. For example, “You won’t believe how this man lost 50 pounds!”

Direct Message – A private message to or from a Twitter profile. The Twitter equivalent of an email. Every platform has their version of direct messaging. Facebook’s is simply called Messages and has its own smartphone app.

Engagement – This is the ultimate goal of social media. Engagement is people interacting with your brand and its content. Comments, shares, likes, etc.

Facebook Live – Facebook’s live video streaming service. It’s already integrated into the website and app.

GIF – A looping animated picture that is typically soundless. You will find these on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr the most.

Handle – @TheGoAgency is our company’s handle. It’s our username, but also how you can tag someone in a post on several platforms. A handle isn’t complete without the “@.”

Impression – A unit of measurement for social media advertising that analyses an ads’ reflectivity.

LinkedIn Groups – Groups are communities on LinkedIn where like-minded professionals can connect and share their work.

Meme – A popular running joke on the internet using familiar visuals. You will often see these with captions that incorporate the pre-existing joke into someone’s own message.

Native content – Original content that you upload directly to the platform.

Periscope – Twitter’s live video broadcasting app.

Pins – Pinterest’s signature feature. It’s their version of updates. However, you can also “pin” content to relevant boards.

Retweets – Twitter’s sharing feature. You can share someone else’s post onto your Twitter feed.

Stories – Snapchat and Instagram both have this feature, which allows you to view the recent posts from your friends or followers.

Tag – A way to incorporate someone into a post. You can do this on a majority of platforms.

User-generated content – Content that your followers, fans, and friends can share that involves your brand. Whether the content is reviews, posts, check-ins, etc., it’s still all about your brand!

Viral – Viral, or “going viral” is a term which means a piece of content reached extremely high engagement.

As you can see, social media is a very different world. That’s why a dedicated social media marketing team is so valuable. We know the ins and outs of this industry and can make your business shine.

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How To Navigate The Chaotic Internet Landscape

By Christopher Tompkins

6Oct

Advertising, Business, Email Marketing, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Marketing, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized, YouTube

There’s a reason my colleagues and myself call the internet the Wild Wild Web. Sure, there are some rules, but there’s quite a bit of anarchy out there. Social media both deters and exacerbates this chaos. Yes, everyone’s comments, spam, ads, and sharing are all contained within the walls of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc., but there are so many people who break the rules of netiquette, it seems like it’s non-existent. Your brand is above all that, right?

The disorder of the internet is both a blessing and a curse for social media marketers. For one thing, it won’t take much for someone to have a professional look. However, you will soon be overwhelmed with the amount of spam, unprofessional business pages, and trolling out there.

Here are the top ways to stay on top amongst all the lawlessness:

– Keep your chin up and stay classy. If you find yourself getting bombarded with a slew of fake messages or negativity, don’t forget the brand you represent! Be sure to approach everything with a delicate nature.

– Don’t add to the chaos. Here at The Go! Agency, we understand “netiquette,” and we apply the unspoken rules of the internet to our client’s accounts. No spamming, just good, honest marketing.

– Have a schedule. Stick to a dependable regiment, and stay consistent when posting. Being a reliable source of interesting content will have your followers looking forward to your next post.

– Add eye-catching content. Make sure your posts stand out with compelling copy, imagery, and subject matter. People recognize quality posts, make sure yours can be spotted!

– Stay focused. Don’t forget, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are not the fun sites you love to browse while you’re marketing. They are tools of the trade. Don’t get sucked into all the cool stuff popping up on your feed. Power through it for the sake of your brand!

Are you ready to face the internet? You’re not alone! We can handle this online marketing thing together! With our years of experience, you will stay on top of the chaos with ease!

How Can Attorneys Use Social Media?

By Christopher Tompkins

5Oct

Advertising, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Marketing, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized, Video, YouTube

For some professionals, social media marketing just doesn’t seem like a useful tool. Legal professionals took a bit of time to get on board. After all, it almost seemed unethical to be on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Their whole career is about privacy and confidentiality after all. Well, now a mass majority of lawyers represent themselves on social media profiles. What exactly do they share with their audience?

These are the best activities attorneys and lawyers can hope to accomplish:

– Educate. One of the most effective hats an attorney can wear on social media is that of an educator. Depending on your specialty, you can write long-form articles and explain an element of the law to your readers.

– Advise. With a healthy dose of fine print and disclaimers, you can provide suggestions and tips for those who seek advice online. Always make sure you’re suggesting to get the real help by seeing you in person!

– Network. Attorneys need to market. We advise you to connect with other professionals through LinkedIn, and invest a bit into Facebook advertising to spread the word about your firm.

– Redirect. You’ve already created a website with a hefty amount of information about you and your firm. Promote its various pages and blog on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

As you can see, even attorneys can find a home on social media. It provides many opportunities to present yourself as a professional, but also an excellent way to drum up prospective clients and connections.

Are you an attorney with a lack of social media representation! Contact us! We will make you and your brand shine!

Tag : social media