Tag Archives: Web content

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, 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.

Blogging, Business, Marketing

Lack Of Value Given In Blog Posts By Companies Is Absolutely Shocking

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Blogging was once used exclusively by many people to get their voices heard and to give their 2 cents on any subject, business, product or sports team. Today with the continuous evolution of social media and the Internet, businesses of all sorts have hopped online to start distributing content of their own to either reach out to customers or inform them about the company, product, or industry news. What’s surprising is that 15 years into the new millennium, businesses of all shapes and sizes are still not putting out content that adds value to the consumer, nor does it draw them into buying the product they’re selling.

On numerous occasions I’ve seen company’s blogs either being used as a voice for an individual who works for the company, or they use blogs as a platform to distribute content that would have once been in a magazine that no one ever read. I might be coming across as harsh, but this is business, and without valuable and informative content that draws interest from consumers, there are no sales.

It’s shocking to see content being posted that is completely irrelevant to the current product these companies are selling. One article could have easily been written by an independent blogger, but I highly doubt they would have wasted the time to put out content that wouldn’t drive any sales, views, or subscribers. That’s what is so dangerous about lackluster content from all platforms by these companies. As a consumer, I see no value, and therefore I skim over it and continue scrolling down my Twitter or Facebook timeline.

Most people think it’s just Facebook ads, Google Adwords, or throwing money into some other Internet marketing tool that drives sales. In today’s economy people want something with substance, information they can believe in and trust, that assures them that they are making the right decision. It’s amazing to see that the leaders who oversee the distribution of content by these companies don’t see that. Independent bloggers who are close to the product, the company, or have a passion for the industry the business is in, are more likely to post quality content that brings value, than if these companies found somebody in-house. They may also know more about the product in some cases.

Whether it’s Facebook statuses, tweets, or blog posts, businesses and stores need to start putting out better content. Most are doing a great job, but in some industries there aren’t many who are outshining the competition. It would also be wise for these companies to start following and building some form of a relationship with the bloggers who are in someway driving sales and traffic to their websites. These bloggers have an extensive knowledge of these products, and their reviews and content that go along with that knowledge is invaluable.

Also in the age of social media, blogs and the influence that they have on their followers could lead to sales directly to the company because they’ve built trust. Businesses have a harder time building that trust, whereas content from fellow consumers is easier to believe and sympathize with.

It’s 2015. It’s time to start marketing and distributing content like the year we’re living in.

Business, Economy, Marketing

Content Marketing: Necessity vs Want

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Ferrari 458 Italia
Philipp Lücke / Foter / CC BY-NC

In any retail industry, marketers and advertisers can go one of two ways; market necessity or market want and desire. The two strategies can either lead to the same outcome or have drastic endings depending on the industry and product. Sears can promote a more expensive washer and dryer that goes above and beyond the call of duty, but if the average consumer only needs the basic models that cleans and dries the clothes and the price tag is within their means, they’ll pick that 9 out of 10 times. This is where businesses, informative blogs that help consumers make buying decisions, and magazines can either lose their customers or have an entire readership of clients of window shoppers who can’t buy the eye candy.

The automotive industry has this same problem, and with no help from car magazines and blogs, the dealership and consumer lose out. When you read your favorite car magazine, what are the cars they usually test drive? BMW’s, Mercedes Benz, Maserati’s, Ferrari’s and Porsche’s. While the magazine is creating eye appeal similar to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, it’s not being much help to the reader in the long run. Yes, for a moment in time they’ll be dreaming of driving that car, but there is no long-term value for the consumer, and instead of making the transition of reading to buying, they just read and dream.

I’ve always held Cars.com to a high standard as they promoted cars you can actually drive and buy, but even they fell into the trap of showing off the eye candy. It was interesting to see the features the BMW i8 comes with. But with a starting price of $135,000, how many of the thousands of readers will actually visit their local BMW dealer, test drive it, and buy it? Maybe 1-2% at best.

This has become the growing problem in the retail world since the early 2000’s. Some companies promote want over necessity. But if a majority of consumers live within their means, they’ll buy necessity products that are usually cheaper, but the number of sales will be drastically increased. It’s the same argument as going basic or premium. Most consumers will lean more towards basic models of a product more than the premium, unless they see long-term value.

In the summertime, people are more apt to buy an air conditioner with more features because they believe it will bring them more value and a cooler house. If you decide to promote want over necessity, you have to distinguish the difference in products. Unlike candy or tickets to a concert or sporting event, cars, washers and driers, air conditioners, TV’s, and laptops are products you have to live with for a while, they’re not just a one-time, one day event.

Always market value. The consumer will make the purchasing decision that best fits what they need, but if you persuade them to go premium, you have to complete the sale and be prepared for the multitude of possible questions they may ask. Long-term value is what it all comes down to, and as marketers and advertisers, you must show them that they do just that. Car salesmen try this tactic, but if the buyer sees that the basic car meets the demand and need while also giving them value, they’ll not pay extra for the car with leather and heated seats. There is no question that they want it, but do they need it? When it comes to cars, most consumers will stick within their means, smaller items and products on the other hand that are much more affordable and don’t require monthly payments could entice the buyer to go with want over necessity.

At the end of the day, if you promote and advertise premium and want, make sure they provide the best value for the consumer. Of course, your target market will certainly decide what route you take. But if your target audience is broad with different income levels, be prepared to sell hard on both, while also making sure each individual buyer is satisfied, whether they buy necessity or want.

Business, Marketing

When Is Subscription Based Content Really Necessary?

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RSS Subscribe button
Scott Monty / Foter / CC BY-NC

If you’re a blogger, entrepreneur, or experienced professional in your niche market, when is it the right time to implement opt-in forms and pop up subscription ads to grow your following base? This question is brought up by a lot of novices, and even people who’ve blogged for a while want to know how to gain an upper hand on competition, or as Gary Vaynerchuck says, they’re looking for the right hook.

Being a follower of entrepreneurs and fellow marketers, how I subscribed to their content were all different. For some, it was through word of mouth and being recommended by friends or family to read articles from people who provided invaluable insight. Others, such as Gary Vaynerchuk, had such great content that they were willing to share without forcing readers to give e-mail addresses. This certainly made a lasting impression, as the quality of their content is what kept me coming back for more, and not because there was exclusive content offered. For the remaining few, I subscribed because there would be no other way to view their full content and insight.

I’m personally a believer in the idea of posting quality content that attracts readers and followers, and with that quality content, those readers voluntarily subscribe. As a reader who is hungry for knowledge, I’m turned off by the pop up opt-in forms, which is one of the reasons why I don’t go subscription based at this point in time with my own blogs. Anyone can add an opt-in form to their site, but very few are able to post content that is valuable to the consumer of that content. It’s one thing to get views, but it’s quite another to have that viewer continuely come back over a period of days, weeks, and months. It’s safe to say that a loyal follower who visits your site every day won’t need a subscription to learn of new content, unless you’re exclusively on YouTube.

Social media has certainly played a role in how people learn about a blogger or entrepreneur, as Facebook and Twitter have become the extended arm of a subscription button. While it’s nice that you have thousands of e-mail addresses on a subscription list, how many of those e-mail subscribers are opening and reading them?

This is why I’m more focused on quality content. The quality of my work is what’s going to drive traffic to my sites and social media accounts, and while I post on WordPress, the subscription tab is always there for people to voluntarily sign up for updates.

In the final analysis, I feel that the people who play the subscription card too much come across as a pushy marketer that consumers can’t stand. If you have insightful and quality content on your sites, you’ll have a more meaningful group of followers who are willing to interact, share, and recommend your content to their friends and family.