Tag Archives: Marketing

Marketing

You Can Pay For Ads on Twitter and Instagram, But Content Is Still King

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Since the beginning of blogs and independent news websites, content has been king. The value being offered by the author of articles and the administrator of websites always attracted real followers, subscriptions, and even customers. Today with social media marketing, the same strategy can still be applied to Twitter and Instagram, and to an extent Facebook, which still brings a return on investment from content, despite the change in algorithms which now makes organic growth difficult. Social media experts are beginning to push the idea of spending money on advertisements for Twitter and Instagram, yet those two platforms differ greatly from Facebook which does indeed force small business owners and bloggers to advertise to reach their target markets.

Why does content have a different effect for Twitter and Instagram than it does for Facebook? Twitter and Instagram achieve the same goal, but the type of content that is being shared can differ. Both platforms give the user much more freedom than Facebook when it comes to creating a following and attracting customers. By posting a tweet or Instagram picture and properly using hashtags, hundreds if not thousands of people are being reached organically, which means free exposure.

Creating a following on these platforms is seamless, and the user can mold his or her following in anyway they desire based on the content they’re posting and who they’re engaging with who also share similar content. Exotic car owners are the perfect example for growing a massive following on Instagram, as high resolution photos are an art form that gets a lot of engagement. That’s what Instagram was intended for. Photographers would share their photos to promote their skills and share their talent. Fast forward almost four years and Instagram can now be used in the same way that photographers, athletes, and actors use it, benefitting both you and your business.

Twitter is essentially an open forum where there are hundreds of thousands of different conversations going on simultaneously. Whether you’re self branding or using Twitter for your business, becoming a part of these conversations is key to succeeding on Twitter. Growing a large following takes time and a lot of work, but unlike with Instagram, you’re building a reputation and credibility through the content you’re posting, whether that be articles or tweets. Having influence in your market is very important as you become a leader in your field. While Twitter is ideal for the individual who is trying to shape and change an industry, small businesses that have physical locations can still benefit from being active and engaging with people in their local area.

When you take a step back and look at Twitter and Instagram for what they are, paying for ad campaigns is unnecessary. Organic growth outweighs paying for followers, as dedicating time and effort on both platforms will yield a much higher return on investment, and the money you’re saving could go towards more meaningful and effective marketing tools. Content is still king, and until Instagram and Twitter change their algorithms, which has been unsuccessful as users disapproved of the changes, articles, posts, and pictures will grab the attention of consumers that you want to reach. Put in time and energy, not money, and you’ll see your hard work pay off in the end.

Marketing

Twitter – The Most Misused Social Media Platform

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When you think of Twitter, a 140 character limit, a constant refreshing newsfeed, and the ability to post as many tweets a day without spamming your followers probably comes to mind. However, 95% of users, including social media marketing experts, have completely misused the platform despite growing a large following. For some, the user’s name immediately draws in followers such as household brands, athletes, and hollywood stars. Yet, for those who are trying to build their own brand from essentially nothing, their course of action on Twitter must be different from people who have been in the game for years who have transferred their followers and customers over from other platforms.

Twitter, much like Facebook and Instagram, is often looked at as a self promotion platform where wannabe influencers in any market try building their credibility through promoting their blog articles and YouTube videos. It’s the attitude of social media marketing experts that have completely distorted the minds of their followers, and have shaped them into believing that what worked for the expert will work for the individual who’s looking to build a large following. But when you look at the people who are succeeding on Twitter, there is a different approach they use to grow a following; brand reinforcement.

Brand reinforcement for you or your business on Twitter starts with retweeting, favoriting, and following others in your niche market. Forget about self promotion; it’s almost as bad as hard selling, except you’re hard selling yourself, and if no one is listing to what you have to say, you’re not going to grow a following that will engage with you or your blog posts. Social media experts get away with nonstop self promotion because they make a living off individuals who don’t know where to start on social media platforms, and as a result, they’ll mirror those who they deem to be credible or reliable.

Your business and or your personal brand’s growth on Twitter, will require a different path because you need to stand out from your competition. Twitter has evolved into an alternative news source, and if you can get ahead of your competition by becoming the “reporter” or lead blogger in your field, you’ll be worth far more than anyone else offering the same services or selling similar products in your market.

Maybe you’re a personal trainer or an experienced weightlifter looking to grow a following so you can share your expertise to become a credible source of information on social media. Twitter is the perfect platform, as you can retweet others who share similar philosophies on training while you’re posting your own tweets. Those articles you’re retweeting are reinforcing your position on weightlifting. Combining that with your own content, whether that be articles on your own blog or YouTube videos that you produce, your voice and insight will carry much more weight (no pun intended) and add to your credibility.

The question people need to ask themselves before they become influencers is, “Where do I start”? Brand building is a very long process, which is why before promotion, you need to reinforce who you are and what you’re offering. Anyone can create an account and start spewing every ounce of information they’ve retained over the years, but without having any credibility or brand to promote, your insight will fall on deaf ears.

Marketing

Facebook Page For Your Business Unattended? That’s Detrimental

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Most small businesses, especially those that have been around before the social media era, rely heavily on newspaper ads, their static website, and word of mouth to get customers. These same small businesses have created Facebook pages for their companies, but stopped posting after a month or two when they didn’t see growth in followers and or customers coming from social media. Now with the Millennials becoming the second largest consumer group in the United States, those unattended Facebook pages could prove to be detrimental to small businesses’ marketing efforts.

When searching for small businesses in the local area, their websites are usually the first or second link on the first page of Google. Beneath the website is a link to the business’ Facebook page. On a side note, which I’ll discuss later, Facebook is an amazing tool because if you’re a small business owner, you didn’t pay for SEO. In this day and age, consumers will take a look at businesses’ social media pages because they offer more information about the company besides the website’s “About us” and “Home” pages. A Facebook page that includes pictures and recent posts, showing to potential customers that your company is still in business, could very well be what persuades customers to visit your store or choose you if your company is serviced based.

Since small businesses rarely update their websites, Facebook pages are the most cost effective tool as campaigns and boosting posts to get “Likes” and expand the overall reach of content posted, which in turn gives the owner or social media marketing manager the ability to update their customers in real time. Facebook’s pages are a game changer for many reasons as web traffic can be generated, instant messaging which allows customers to get in direct contact with the small business without having to call or visit a physical location to get answers, and potential to see large growth in a very short period of time if your market correctly.

Combining these key points, along with Facebook’s free SEO that puts small businesses’ pages directly beneath their website’s link on Google, should definitely be enough to make small business owners have a sense of urgency to start effectively using and marketing on social media. Use that to your advantage, because when I see small businesses have a Yelp page, but not a Facebook page that is constantly updated, you’re giving bad reviewers credibility and legitimacy as the lack of content and engagement on your Facebook page will give credence to their words.

We now live in a time where customers judge a business by how may followers and likes they have, and how often they post rather than reputation. Without content, consistent ads, and boost posts you’re actually hurting your business in the long run. Yes, word of mouth and newspaper ads can be effective, but there’s a large percentage of potential customers you aren’t reaching, and at the end of the day, that will make the difference between whether your sales remain the same, or grow.

Marketing

Unless Your Employee Is A Social Media Guru, Never Go In-House

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One of the biggest mistakes a small business can do is go in-house on their social media marketing. Unless that employee or you, the business owner, knows the ins and outs of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you should always hire either a contractor or a recent college graduate who majored in marketing and has extensive knowledge in SMM. Too often, employees who are sales representatives are at the helm of Facebook accounts, and as a result you get hard selling content that’s annoying and doesn’t get much engagement. With the lack of engagement and growing number of followers, you’ll inevitably give up on social media like so many other small businesses.

The reason many companies go in-house is because they feel that their expertise in the industry is enough to get sales. However, you’re just one voice of millions, and without proper promotions and advertising, your words will fall on deaf ears. Do you know the best time to post content, how often, and who you’re targeting? Are you using hashtags, following, and reaching out to potential customers who will be interested in the products or services you sell? These are the questions you have to ask yourself and the person you have running your social media accounts.

There are small businesses who have 5 star satisfaction ratings with many customers posting long and in-depth reviews on Yelp and Google. These small businesses need to leverage that. Clearly they’re doing something right, and without social media marketing, there are many potential customers out there who don’t know of their existence. What’s more interesting is that some of these small businesses are still advertising on Angie’s List and Yellow Pages, which in 2016, might as well be considered the telegraph as those have become old-school methods in reaching out to customers.

You have to ask yourself, “Where do my customers spend the most time”? Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are the primary platforms where people post and view content, so why aren’t you taking part and being a member of the conversation? Most small businesses could easily find ways to post content three to five times a week, and by combining your knowledge with the social media marketer’s ability to effectively reach customers, your business could see a massive growth in likes and followers, which will eventually result in an increase of sales.

Social media is a dedication of time and effort, so why divert your employees’ attention from what they do best, to try marketing which is out of their skill set? Your job as a manager or business owner is to put your employees in a position to succeed, and you also have an obligation to yourself, to put all your energy in running the business instead of fretting over weeks of no engagement on social media platforms. That’s why hiring a social media manager is very important. You know your business and industry, but not so much marketing, and that is what’s holding your company back.

Your business’ success in 2016 is dependent upon a strong social media marketing strategy and presence. By not being there when a potential customer is searching for someone like you who can provide them with the best service or products, you open the door to a mediocre company taking that customer away from you because they just happened to post an Instagram photo or Facebook post that enticed the individual. Not being on social media is a very dangerous game to play, and with growing numbers of small businesses joining social media everyday, you will be at a disadvantage when customers search for businesses who can solve their problems, provide great products, or the best value and customer service in your area.

Uncategorized

The Power Of Memes In Social Media Marketing

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What if I told you that memes are the most undervalued, misused, and overlooked marketing tool for businesses both big and small? A picture with a funny caption, motivational quote, or words that create pride for a certain group can be the most powerful use of communication between companies and customers, and the social media manager and the followers who like or follow the page. Memes are often looked at as non-professional in the business world, but the companies who effectively use them, could very well see a strengthening bond between them and their consumers.

If you’re on Facebook, you’ll see your friends post memes. Often these pictures have a theme that makes the poster prideful in what he or she believes or what they consume and own. I often engage with the local car scene being a car enthusiast. Owners of Honda Civics will post all the content they can find that assures them they have the best car. The same goes for Mustang owners and any other car brand you can think of. So why aren’t businesses doing the same?

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Taking a jab at Chevrolet, a Ford pickup truck owner created a meme that shows a Chevy pickup getting pulled out by the more dominant Ford. While at the corporate level, Ford’s official social media accounts probably wouldn’t post such a picture, not only to save face, but getting into a Twitter war, or Facebook feud, would come across as very childish and unprofessional. But for a Ford dealership, creating a similar post that may not be as straightforward, might be a good way to pry potential Chevrolet owners away from buying a Silverado, and instead seriously consider a Ford F-150.

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Who doesn’t love Oreos? By far the best cookie on the market, and as the meme suggests, you simply cannot have just one Oreo, it’s impossible. While Oreos are in a class of their own, companies can learn from the loyalty many buyers have towards the brand. There’s a pride in the cookie and those who consume them. You may eat Chips A-Hoy chocolate chip cookies, but everyone knows Oreos is the most satisfying cookie, especially with milk.

What we are seeing in marketing, is the growing loyalty and love for certain products and brands. These memes re-inforce the belief of consumers that what they have is the best. Memes aren’t just for products but also activities. People often post pictures with captions that make them feel superior for participating in a certain hobby, while others are looked down upon for not taking part.

The bond between companies and customers is beginning to get more intimate. Not in terms of romance, but a friendship and loyalty is starting to develop, and it can only get stronger with more customers joining the ranks of Facebook pages and sharing their love for a product or hobby. This is making it easier on businesses to acquire repeat customers, especially with the help from those business’ social media accounts who actively engage with their followers.

Business, Economy

Is Boston Becoming A Center For Wealth?

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Since the economic recession in 2008, Boston and Eastern Massachusetts as a whole has come out stronger and better than most parts of the United States. Boston has recently experienced a building boom in multiple sections of the city, including the Financial and Seaport districts that’s not only attracting corporations, but individuals with wealth. General Electric recently announced that they’re moving their headquarters to Boston, for reasons including the growing market of technology companies in the northeast and the number of certified tech talent. GE no longer wants to be recognized as a industrial company of the last century, but wants to be known as a leader in tech.

Another indicator of a wealth shift is the type of stores that are popping up in the area, especially those in the automotive sector. McLaren of Boston, located in Norwell, Massachusetts, recently opened their dealership near the end of 2015. Prior to their arrival, the closest McLaren dealership was in Greenwich, Connecticut. In a 30 mile radius of Boston, there’s three Maserati dealerships, one Lamborghini dealership, one Ferrari dealership, and now McLaren. These places aren’t just here to attract window shoppers, but are tailoring to a growing market of wealthy individuals.

Economists are always fear mongering on the economy and constantly spreading the awareness of another recession, starting with retail. On any given weekend, malls such as Burlington, Natick, and Framingham are packed with shoppers. Parking lots are full as if it’s still the holiday season, and even during the height of the recession, local malls really didn’t seem to be affected. Furthermore, retail stores continue to pop up in many cities and towns throughout the commonwealth, signifying a strong local economy.

As a resident of Eastern Massachusetts all my life, I’ve never seen Boston and the surrounding suburbs thrive like they have over the past 3-5 years. Sure, the strong economic climate in the early 2000’s was prominent, but not at the level we’re experiencing today. Million dollar homes are being built and people are moving in almost immediately, older two and three family houses are being renovated into condos and being re-sold for more than $500,000 and consumers are buying them, and Boston has had multiple luxury high rise apartment buildings with waiting lists for tenants to move in.

In terms of vehicles most local residents own, Mercedes Benz, Audis, and BMWs are becoming all too common. It’s almost become desensitizing seeing Bentley’s, Maserati’s, and Porsche’s everywhere you go, and cars exceeding $100,000 are certainly not rare to find roaming the streets. Fifteen to twenty years ago, this wasn’t the norm, in fact, it was a treat to catch a glimpse of a new BMW, now it requires a bit more to get notoriety.

No one really knows where the economic climate is heading, whether positive or negative. One thing is for sure, Boston is becoming a new center for wealth for corporations, consumers, and entrepreneurs. Because people from outside the region are moving into Boston, the city has attracted some big name events, such as the Olympics which plans ultimately fell through, and a IndyCar race which is still scheduled to take place in the Seaport district during Labor Day weekend.

It’s safe to say that we’ve been very blessed as of late to not really be impacted by any economic adversity. Now of course, there’s always cities that will be affected, and some being very close to the city of Boston, primarily because they were former industrial hubs. When the factories closed, the middle class moved out and haven’t returned since. These cities aren’t attracting technology companies or businesses in sectors that are very strong and likely won’t anytime soon. The opportunities are certainly there, but the wrong stores are moving in with low paying wages, which won’t accelerate the local economy or put money in residents’ pockets.

So far all signs are pointing up for the city of Boston and surrounding suburbs in 2016, and we can only hope that this continues. With the strong local economy, the city’s skyline is beginning to change and evolve, showcasing the progress and economic environment the city is currently in. It’s going to be exciting to see the further transformation of this great city as some new high rises and skyscrapers are in the works, with some already breaking ground.

Business, Economy, Marketing

Instagram Has Become A Consumer-Friendly Platform: Which Is Good News

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Three years ago, what was Instagram and Pinterest? What value did they bring to the consumer, and were they worth the devoted attention by marketers? Some would argue that Facebook was and is currently the primary focus, and that it should be. However, has Facebook reached a point where not only the advertising has lost its effectiveness, but that, combined with Facebook’s evolution to becoming the platform to discuss social, political, and religious issues has pushed consumers to other platforms? Absolutely. There has been a major shift to Twitter and Instagram, and with that brings bigger and better marketing opportunities for businesses both big and small.

What makes Instagram so different is that the picture is what draws people in, not the written text below. Hard selling is very difficult as putting out quality, native content is a number one priority that will make more of an impact due to great visual posts. On Instagram, the consumers come to you. By effectively using hashtags, you’re drawing customers in, but the ball is in their court, not yours. They have the power to choose whether they’ll follow and consume what you sell, and they’re the ones that are engaging with you, rather than you engaging with them. Facebook has become a push platform, where Instagram is at it’s best when you’re attracting customers.

Companies are now promoting their products with the use of great content, and in-turn, are now getting inquiries about prices and services by serious consumers. On Facebook, it’s become rare to see customers engage with companies in such an open manner, unless those companies are very friendly, open, and direct through the use of their content. Small businesses ranging from selling t-shirts to car services, are seeing results through the content they share. Visualization is key. The better the picture, the more engagement.

Instagram is also a platform where it’s a must to update on a regular basis; four, five, sometimes even six pictures a day aren’t enough. But it should be noted that you have a clear strategy when it comes to the distribution of your content as certain hours of the day work better than others. To some degree, Pinterest has a lot to do with Instagram’s growth and maturity as a social media marketing platform. Pinterest is essentially the visualized version of eBay and Amazon, and through that, a great quality of content has now shifted to Instagram.

Consumers have a desire to become “friends” with companies, and build a connection through the use of content. At the rate Facebook is going, advertisements along with boring content is repelling customers, which may eventually lead to Facebook becoming valueless to businesses in terms of selling products in mass volumes. Right now Instagram is one of the hottest social media platforms out there, and it would be a mistake to not use it to your company’s advantage.

Prepare to put out great content and engage with your followers. Social media is changing, and Instagram’s current setup is the direction social media marketing is heading. Visualization will be key to selling anything, so it’s time to make the switch and focus on other platforms that aren’t named Facebook.