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Posts Tagged ‘Audience’

As I meet new businesses, I often hear, social media does not work. With that statement, I usually ask, how often are you posting? What topics is your audience interested in? And, how does social media fit in with your “traditional” marketing efforts?

Many businesses open social accounts because they “know they need to”, but, then abandon them, or, don’t create a solid marketing plan to integrate the activity alongside their other marketing (like print ads, flyers and email).

If you want to see success using social media marketing, follow these 3 tips:

1. Get your Fans into your Sales Funnel. This is where you drive people to your ordering path, such as, getting them opted into email where they can start to hear about your specials and offers on a regular basis. Drive people back to your OWN website whenever possible. Use your blog to write great content that you can link to and make sure you have a way to capture anyone who visits your web site with a “sign up for emails” box.
2. Post Good Content. Make sure you are posting what your audience is interested in. Be sure to deliver great information and yes, you can “sell” to them as well. But, most often, Facebook (for example) is a great tool for reinforcing your brand. You may not make as many “direct sales” from someone clicking on a link. But, you are staying top of mind when they are ready to purchase. And, it’s GREAT to build your list here by posting about upcoming events you are holding or FREE seminars they can “share” with others and opt into your list. You never know where someone is in their buying cycle or what post you make is the one they need at just the right time.
3. Ask for What you Want. Your audience already likes you, which is why they are a Fan! All you need to do is tell them what you want them to do. Ask them to “like”, “comment” and “share” and they will. Plus, give specific “calls to action” that provide urgency. “Order by Friday and get 10% off – please share with your friends” and give a link and a code to get the discount.

Marketing is a continuous effort not a one shot deal and there is no silver bullet in any marketing campaign. But, it is just that, a campaign, filled with many efforts that keep you in front of your customer, lead and target marketing so that you are there with the right offer at the right time when they are ready to buy.

(Image credit clickz)

Why is a blog so important in online marketing? Because of its ability to “pull” leads and customers to you!

When you think of typical marketing, it’s generally “pushed” out to the audience. You send out direct mail and email, you post Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn content, you hand out flyers, you place print ads…. push, push, push.

With 70 million people conducting daily searches on the internet, smart business owners are using their Blog to “PULL” potential customers to them! People are conducting online search for a solution to their problem. If you Blog about the right topics, YOUR web site can come up as the solution!

How to Pull People to Your Blog?

• Put the Keyword into the Title as soon as Possible: Search engines give more weight to the 1st 3 words of a title.
• Use Keywords throughout the Article: Use the phrase in the 1st sentence or 2, then 1 or 2 other times in the post. Hyperlink them back to the most relevant page of your own website or blog.
• Get Links to your Blog: Start with links from your own website, your own Facebook and Twitter sites, and then branch out and make friends online to get links from OTHER peoples websites.

Keywords are the key and you must use them in your content in the right places and also receive inbound links to your content on your important keywords. There are many elements that effect Search Engine Optimization and your ability to pull people to your content. Call us if you have any questions on how to blog effectively for your business.

On Leap Day February 29, Facebook announced 4 major changes to your Facebook Business Page that will occur on March 30th. These changes will dramatically affect the success of your business! Here’s what you need to know.

1. Timeline for Pages: Pages are getting those big, glossy cover photos and full-width media highlights which changes how we think about the identity of a business. “Welcome” pages / tabs will no longer be options as a landing page. You can still add the pages, but, they will reside under the cover photo as avatars (with a hotlink under it). Also, Facebook will NOT allow Pages to include “calls to action” or overtly promotional text in their cover photos. Your Page CAN include a logo or an image of your location or your staff in the cover photo, but it cannot say something like “Get 40% off today only” or “See more at our website.” The timeline cover size is: 850 pixels x 320 pixels.Here’s some new business Cover Story photos to help you get ideas:
   https://www.facebook.com/CouponMintMag
   http://www.facebook.com/cocacola
   https://www.facebook.com/mortgageconsultant
   http://www.facebook.com/Starbucks
   https://www.facebook.com/umbro
2. Getting More Customers: There will be a “friends-focused” approach to reaching and growing your audience. Instead of just seeing a wall of information or updates, you’ll first notice how many friends of yours already like the Page. You’ll also see highlighted activity from your friends that’s relevant to the Page, whether it’s a check-in or a story about the brand. It’s this type of activity that will lead to higher engagement with your business page. You can immediately connect with a brand much more personally. This will help pre-sell visitors on your company so you can get more “Likes” and turn those fans into customers!
3. New Admin Panel: The admin panel will appear at the top of any Pages you manage, and it will act as an activity snapshot for notifications, post performance and stats. Page administrators are also getting messaging capabilities so they can respond to messages from everyday users (a first for businesses on Facebook). In addition to stats and notifications, admins also now have the ability to cherry pick “pinned posts,” which will appear at the top of the Page’s Timeline for up to seven days. You can also add past “business milestones” to the page (even if they occurred before you Business Facebook page was created.)
4. Measurement: There will be an all-new dashboard for analytics where Admins can keep track of the activity on their page, respond to people who have commented on their timeline, and view page analytics. The admin panel will display any new likes, notifications, post performance statistics, and messages.

Facebook is providing a LOT of advanced notice. Admins will have ample time to craft, prune, and curate the Timelines and highlighted stories so that the organization’s message is told powerfully and visually.

Here’s my last installment of notes from the Social Media Success Summit webinar. These are great social media marketing tips from two top bloggers. Blogging is so important to getting your keywords found online and having a social media marketing strategy in place BEFORE you begin your social media efforts in Facebook, Twitter and your blog will help you achieve your business goals.

“Making Your Blog a Social Media Destination”
There are 1.8 billion people online which equals 26% of the world population. You’ve got to be found online and dominate search results for your keywords. So, what can a blog do for you? Technorati’s “State of the Blogosphere” reports these numbers about blogging:
71% = Blogging provides greater visibility for your company
63% = It gets clients to purchase
56% = Helps you be regarded as a thought leader
40% = Makes you more visible so you are asked to speak at conferences on your product/service

If that’s not enough, here are more reasons why you should blog: Enhances reputation, Establishes your brand, Builds credibility, Helps you get traffic (SEO), Helps you build your list and most importantly, it Brings you more business! Be sure to create great content, use your keywords, and tap into what your readers want. Via @denisewakeman

“Easily Integrate Social Media Into Your Marketing Mix”

Some people are just broadcasting in social media spaces and not responsive to customer service and replying to people. Don’t create a social media account unless you have a strategy in place to support it. Social media is about the pre-sale and relationship building. Once they love you, they will refer. Find out what your audience is interested in and give it to them in the way they want it. Talk to people about their problems then direct them to your articles that solve that problem. Network with those people who influence your audience for a bigger reach. Via @chrisgarrett

I love learning more and more about the dynamic, ever changing landscape of social media marketing. As it is still a relatively new industry, keeping current on what other companies are doing is essential to building your own strategy. Here’s some additional notes I’ve complied from the recent Social Media Success Summit #SMSS10 webinar series that can help you with your social media marketing efforts.

“Facebook Engagement – Building a Loyal Fan Base”
You have 420 characters to add compelling content to your Facebook page that adds value to your readers. Mix up the media of your content by using: blogs, articles, podcasts, videos, photos, interviews or slide shows. Post tips, questions, How-To Tutorials, polls, quotes and info on events. You can even post other people’s content. Make use of the FBML app and add a custom Welcome Page to your site. You could see a 45% improvement in conversion! The new “Like” app adds the element of social proof and when someone clicks it, it pushes out into their news feed. Very powerful marketing! Via @marismith

“Using Social News Sites to Grow Your Audience and SEO”
Using social bookmarking sites, such as the largest one, Digg.com with 350 million users, can support your SEO efforts when you publish content that gets shared. The top 50 users there provide 41% of the content. To participate in this space, you need to research the community you are interested in and become part of the subculture. Your headline should include a number, an adjective and a keyword for the best success. You should plan to build a relationship with a top user in Digg to have them post your content. Do your homework. Approach them with what they are interested in. Via @msaleem

“Twitter Power Panel”
@problogger @copyblogger @chrisbrogan Shared their strategies for using Twitter. Great stat: 44% of twitter users are the 1st to buy or try a new product before others. Build relationships before asking for the sale: send @ messages to people, get involved in the conversation. Twitter is a great tool for: promotion, info sourcing, conducting search, listening, promoting others, finding business opportunities, building your brand, building trust and authority, driving traffic! Make your posts useful, personal, relational and regular.