Category: Social Media

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LGBT Marketing Agency Helping Brands Connect Authentically With the LGBTQ+ Community

Pride flag in Nashville, TN.
Social Link is the top LGBT marketing agency

Build campaigns that are inclusive, data‑driven, and built to convert

Social Link is a full‑service LGBT marketing agency certified with the NGCC that helps brands earn real connection with LGBTQ+ audiences year‑round — not just in June. We combine inclusive brand strategy, creative production, social and search expertise, media buying, influencer partnerships, email, and analytics to deliver campaigns that feel true, look beautiful, and move the needle.

Primary CTA: Book Your Free Strategy Call

Secondary CTA: Get a Custom LGBTQ+ Growth Plan

About Social Link — A Full‑Service LGBT Marketing Partner

Inclusive marketing is more than a rainbow logo. It’s an ongoing commitment to representation, cultural intelligence, and measurable outcomes. At Social Link, we partner with you from first brief to ongoing optimization, blending authentic storytelling with hard‑working performance marketing. Our team includes strategists, creatives, producers, media buyers, SEOs, analysts, and project managers who specialize in building programs that resonate with LGBTQ+ communities while advancing your brand and business goals.

We’ve spent years crafting scalable systems for multi‑channel growth: content frameworks that travel across platforms, design systems built for accessibility, and reporting that isolates what’s working (and what isn’t) so you can invest with confidence. Our approach is collaborative, transparent, and relentlessly focused on outcomes — awareness, engagement, qualified traffic, and revenue.

Credibility matters. Social Link operates as a full‑service agency with strategy, creative, launch, and optimization capabilities under one roof, supported by monthly dashboards, weekly ad results, and ongoing R&D and A/B testing.

Our LGBT Marketing Services

Below is the core stack we deploy for LGBTQ+ initiatives. Everything is modular; we’ll design the right combination for your brand, industry, and goals.

Inclusive Brand Strategy & Positioning

  • Audience research, persona development, and cultural landscape analysis
  • Messaging playbooks, tone‑of‑voice, and inclusive language guidance
  • Brand identity alignment and creative direction that centers representation
  • Campaign architecture and KPI mapping to keep creative tied to outcomes

Website Design & Development

  • Information architecture, wireframes, and high‑fidelity design
  • Accessibility‑minded UI/UX (mobile‑first, fast, and readable)
  • Landing pages aligned to LGBTQ+ search intent (Pride campaigns, inclusive services)
  • SEO‑ready builds with schema, clean markup, and analytics baked in

Web design and development are part of Social Link’s full‑service creation offering, alongside landing page development and ongoing maintenance/hosting.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

  • Keyword research targeting terms like “LGBT marketing agency,” “LGBTQ+ marketing services,” “inclusive branding,” and long‑tail city queries
  • On‑page optimization: titles, headers, internal links, and content refreshes
  • Technical SEO: crawl budget, Core Web Vitals, structured data, and localization
  • Ethical link development and digital PR with LGBTQ+ publications and partners

SEO optimization is a core Launch/Reporting pillar in Social Link’s offering.

Pay‑Per‑Click (PPC) & Paid Social

  • Google Ads and YouTube campaigns aligned to LGBTQ+ intent
  • Paid social on Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and X — creative and copy that matches community tone
  • Full‑funnel structure (awareness, consideration, conversion) with audience testing
  • Weekly optimization and budget reallocation to proven winners

Ads campaigns (lead gen) and media buying/paid placements are standard components.

Social Media Management & Community

  • Channel strategy, content calendars, and publishing
  • In‑house creative (short‑form video, design, motion) crafted for platform norms
  • Community management and social listening to inform creative and product feedback
  • Custom dashboards to visualize reach, engagement, share of voice, and sentiment

Social Link’s social services include strategy, content & campaigns, video/photo/design, paid social management, channel management, measurement, dashboards, community management, social listening, and influencer strategy/management.

Content Creation (Photo, Video, Design, Copy)

  • Studio and on‑location production for campaigns and evergreen brand assets
  • Story‑led scripts, UGC‑style creative, and micro‑content packages
  • Graphic design for ads, emails, landing pages, and out‑of‑home
  • Editorial: blogs, guides, and case studies optimized for search and shareability

In‑house photography and creative production capabilities support this end‑to‑end.

Email Marketing & Marketing Automation

  • Platform setup and integration with CRM and ecommerce
  • Segmentation, personalization, and lifecycle flows (welcome, nurture, promo, re‑engagement)
  • A/B testing, deliverability, and compliance (GDPR, CAN‑SPAM)
  • Live dashboards and monthly reporting

Social Link’s email service spans strategy workshops, templates, automation, compliance, testing, and performance tuning.

Influencer & Creator Partnerships

  • Talent sourcing (priority to LGBTQ+ creators with authentic fit)
  • Briefs, contracts, and content QA for brand safety
  • Paid amplification and whitelisting to scale proven posts
  • Integration with PR, events, and retail moments

Influencer strategy and management are included in Social Link’s social services suite.

PR, Sponsorships & Events

  • Press releases, pitches, and media list curation (LGBTQ+ outlets + mainstream)
  • Pride sponsorship planning, experiential activations, and measurement
  • Community partnerships and cause marketing that reflect long‑term support

Community building/sponsorships are part of the Launch layer.

Hosting, Maintenance & Ongoing Optimization

  • Site care, updates, and security
  • Conversion rate optimization (CRO) and heatmapping
  • Quarterly testing roadmaps across ad creative, landing pages, and email flows

Ongoing optimization and constant A/B testing are core deliverables.

What Makes Our LGBT Marketing Agency Different

Authenticity over tokenism

We prioritize real representation and lived experience, grounding every decision in cultural awareness and respect.

Creative built for platforms

Short‑form vertical video, carousels, creator‑led storylines, and static design that actually stops the scroll.

Performance discipline

From bid strategies to content clustering, we connect creative to KPIs, not vanity metrics.

Full‑funnel measurement

We architect reporting to show contribution at each layer — awareness, engagement, qualified traffic, and revenue — so you can scale with clarity.

A single accountable partner

Strategy, creation, launch, reporting, and optimization under one roof. (No finger‑pointing between vendors.)

Our Process for LGBTQ+ Marketing Success

  1. Discovery & Alignment We align on goals, define target segments, and review previous learnings. We’ll identify product/market fit signals inside LGBTQ+ audiences and set success metrics.
  2. Research & Cultural Intelligence We analyze search behavior, social conversations, competitor/creative gaps, and community sentiment. Insights turn into a hypothesis roadmap and messaging angles.
  3. Strategy & Planning We define campaign architecture, channel mix, budget allocations, and testing plans. We specify creative needs (assets, formats, hooks) and set the reporting cadence.
  4. Creative Production Our studio produces content that fits the platforms and feels natural to the communities you want to reach — including creator collaborations and UGC.
  5. Launch & Scale We stand up ads, landers, and emails; enable pixels and events; and deploy full‑funnel targeting. As signals accumulate, we reallocate budget to winners.
  6. Measure, Learn, Optimize We monitor dashboards, run structured experiments, and report what moved KPIs. Every cycle informs the next.

Expect monthly dashboards/KPIs and weekly ad/conversion results as standard.

Sample Impact (Illustrative)

  • Retail Pride Activation: +300% social engagement YoY, 22% MoM sales uplift during campaign window
  • Travel & Hospitality: Creator‑led city guides drove +41% increase in qualified organic sessions and double‑digit booking growth
  • Tech Startup Launch: LGBTQ+ audience reach up 75% in 90 days; CAC down 28% via creative iteration and funnel cleanup

Industries We Serve

We’ve partnered across categories where inclusive storytelling and precise performance matter most:

  • Fashion & Apparel
  • Beauty & Personal Care
  • Travel & Hospitality
  • Technology & SaaS
  • Food & Beverage / CPG
  • Health & Wellness, Education, Nonprofit

Where We Operate

We run campaigns across the U.S. and globally, tailoring creative and media to local culture and norms. We’ve supported work in markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, London, Paris, São Paulo, and Sydney, among others — and we localize language, influencers, and media buys accordingly.

Proof You Can Trust

  • Full‑service lifecycle capabilities (Strategy → Creation → Launch → Reporting → Optimization) are a documented part of how Social Link operates.
  • Our social offering includes strategy, content & creative, video/photo/design, paid social management, channel management, analytics, dashboards, community management, listening, and influencer programs — all in one place.
  • We maintain in‑house creative production (photography/video) to keep quality high and timelines tight.

FAQs — LGBT Marketing Agency

What does an LGBT marketing agency actually do?

We help brands reach LGBTQ+ audiences with culturally aware strategy, inclusive creative, precise media buying, community management, and end‑to‑end analytics — all designed to drive measurable outcomes (traffic, conversions, revenue).

How is this different from general “diversity marketing”?

“Diversity” is broad; LGBTQ+ marketing demands specific cultural context, language, and representation. We build with — not just for — the community, partnering with queer creators, media, and organizations.

Is LGBTQ+ marketing only relevant during Pride Month?

No. Pride is a moment, not a strategy. Year‑round consistency builds trust and lifts lifetime value. We’ll plan tentpole content for June, but we anchor in ongoing storytelling and performance.

How do you measure success?

We define KPIs up front (reach, engagement rate, CTR, AOV, CAC, ROAS, subscriber growth, etc.), install tracking, and report weekly/monthly. We also monitor brand safety and sentiment.

Will you help us avoid tokenism?

Yes. Our cultural review process and creator partnerships ensure representation is accurate and respectful. We also advise on internal language guidelines and inclusive imagery.

What if we’ve never marketed to LGBTQ+ audiences before?

Great — we’ll start with discovery, research, and a pilot. We’ll test creative angles, refine messaging, and scale what performs.

Do you work with LGBTQ‑owned businesses and ally brands?

Both. We prioritize brands committed to genuine inclusion and long‑term community support.

What services do you offer beyond campaigns?

Full‑stack support: brand strategy, web design/development, SEO, PPC, social/content, photo/video, email, PR/sponsorships, hosting, and ongoing optimization with dashboards and testing.

How fast will we see results?

Timelines vary by channel. Paid media often impacts awareness immediately and conversions within weeks; SEO compounds steadily over months. We’ll map a plan that balances quick wins and durable growth.

Can you integrate with our existing tech stack?

Yes. We regularly work with CRMs, ecommerce platforms, and email tools (e.g., HubSpot, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign) and set up compliant data flows, automations, and dashboards.

Ready to Build an Inclusive Growth Engine?

If you’re looking for an LGBT marketing agency that pairs authentic creative with performance discipline, you’re in the right place. Let’s build something real — and scalable.

CTA: Book Your Free Strategy Call

Alternate CTA: See How We’d Grow Your LGBTQ+ Audience

(Optional) Add‑Ons That Accelerate Results

  • Local SEO & Landing Hubs: City‑specific pages that rank for “[city] LGBT marketing” and related queries
  • Creator Content Labs: Monthly packages of creator‑made shorts for paid + organic
  • Lead Gen + Email Engine: Offer hooks, gated content, and lifecycle flows to convert new traffic
  • Attribution & MMM Lite: Cross‑channel models to understand contribution beyond last‑click
  • Quarterly Insight Reports: What the LGBTQ+ conversation is doing across platforms and categories

How We’ll Work Together

  • Ownership & Transparency: You own the accounts, data, and creative.
  • Clear Milestones: Strategy sign‑off, creative approvals, launch gates, and reporting cycles.
  • Right‑Sized Team: Dedicated lead + specialists; we scale resources to match scope and seasonality.
  • Flexible Engagements: Project‑based, retainers, or hybrid — designed around your objectives.

Final Notes for SEO

  • We’ve placed “LGBT marketing agency” prominently in the H1, early body copy, and multiple H2s/H3s.
  • Semantic variations appear naturally: LGBTQ+ marketing services, inclusive brand strategy, Pride campaign marketing, LGBTQ influencer marketing, queer creators, inclusive design, LGBTQ community marketing.
  • Internal links you can add: case studies, service detail pages (SEO, PPC, Social, Email, Creative), About, and Contact.
  • Don’t forget descriptive alt text on imagery (e.g., “LGBT marketing agency creative team producing Pride campaign video”).

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Social Media

Social Media Marketing for Law Firms: Platforms, Policies, and Practices

Images of social media apps on a phone
Images of social media apps on a phone

Introduction: Importance of Social Media in Legal Marketing

Social media has become an indispensable tool for connecting with potential clients, building brand awareness, and establishing thought leadership in the legal industry. An effective social media strategy enables law firms to engage directly with their community, offer insights into their services, and demonstrate their expertise. This guide will explore how law firms can utilize social media platforms to enhance their marketing efforts effectively.

Choosing the Right Platforms

Not all social media platforms are created equal, especially when it comes to professional services like legal assistance. Selecting the right platforms is crucial to reaching your target audience efficiently.

LinkedIn

  • Ideal for Professional Networking: Share detailed articles, firm updates, and industry news. Engage with other legal professionals and potential B2B clients.
  • Content Strategy: Focus on showcasing case studies, professional achievements, and expert insights.

Facebook

  • Broader Reach for Community Engagement: Useful for connecting with the local community. Share updates about your firm, informational posts about common legal issues, and participate in community discussions.
  • Content Strategy: Host live Q&A sessions, share client testimonials, and provide useful tips that address common legal concerns.

Twitter

  • Real-Time Updates and Quick Tips: Excellent for sharing quick legal insights, news updates, and links to more detailed content.
  • Content Strategy: Engage in trending legal discussions, use relevant hashtags to increase visibility, and provide timely responses to national or local news.

Content Strategies for Social Media

Creating engaging content that resonates with your audience is key to a successful social media strategy.

What to Post and When to Post It

  • Educational Content: Explain complex legal terms or processes in simple language.
  • Engagement Content: Polls, questions, or discussion prompts that encourage interaction.
  • Timely Posts: Align your content with current events or legal changes that may impact your audience.

Engagement Techniques

  • Regular Interaction: Respond to comments and messages promptly.
  • User-Generated Content: Encourage clients to share their own stories (with respect to privacy and confidentiality).
  • Contests and Giveaways: Host contests that encourage participation and sharing, such as offering a free consultation session.

Navigating Legal Advertising Rules

Adhering to advertising regulations is crucial for law firms to maintain their professional integrity and compliance.

Understanding Compliance and Ethics

  • Transparency: Always disclose when posts are promotional.
  • Privacy: Be mindful of client confidentiality in any shared content.
  • Truthfulness: Avoid making promises or guarantees about outcomes.

Ava Gottschlich, Social Media Manager at Social Link, remarks, “Navigating the legal advertising rules on social media can be tricky, but maintaining transparency and ethical standards is key to building lasting trust with your audience.”

Monitoring and Enhancing Engagement

Utilizing tools and strategies to monitor your firm’s social media performance will help refine your approach and improve results.

Tools for Managing Social Media

  • Social Media Management Tools: Platforms like Hootsuite or Buffer can help schedule posts, track engagement, and manage multiple accounts from one dashboard.
  • Analytics: Use platform-specific tools (like Facebook Insights or LinkedIn Analytics) to track which types of content perform best and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Gottschlich emphasizes, “Consistent monitoring and engagement are crucial. We use analytics to understand what resonates with our audience, which helps in crafting more effective strategies moving forward.”

Conclusion: Integrating Social Media into Overall Marketing Strategy

Social media is a dynamic component of modern legal marketing that requires continuous attention and adaptation. It allows law firms to establish a direct connection with their audience, enhancing both their visibility and accessibility.

For law firms looking to optimize their social media presence without diverting focus from their core activities, partnering with a specialized marketing agency like Social Link can be particularly beneficial. We have the expertise to craft and manage effective social media strategies that align with legal standards and marketing goals. Contact us to learn how we can help expand your firm’s digital footprint and connect with clients in meaningful ways.

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Nashville’s Premier Marketing Agency: Unleashing Success

Introduction:

In the fast-paced and competitive business world, a robust marketing strategy is essential for achieving success. However, navigating the intricacies of marketing can be daunting, especially for small businesses and startups. This is where Social Link, Nashville’s leading marketing agency, comes into play. In this blog post, we will explore the power of partnering with Social Link, a full-service agency and creative studio, offering exceptional services such as social media marketing, website development, paid ad services and high-end video marketing services. Discover how Social Link can unlock the full potential of your business in Nashville’s thriving marketing landscape.

  • Understanding the Role of Social Link: Your Strategic Partner

Social Link is more than just a marketing agency. They serve as a strategic partner, offering a comprehensive range of services designed to elevate your business’s marketing efforts. As a full-service agency, Social Link provides expertise, creativity, and strategic guidance across multiple areas, ensuring your brand stands out in the crowded marketplace. With a strong focus on social media marketing, website development, and high-end video marketing, Social Link is committed to driving your business forward.

  • Why Choose Social Link in Nashville?

2.1 Thriving Business Environment:

Nashville, known for its vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, offers a flourishing business environment. Social Link harnesses the energy and opportunities present in this city, leveraging local market insights and connections to propel your business to new heights. By partnering with Social Link, you can tap into Nashville’s dynamic ecosystem and gain a competitive edge.

2.2 Expertise in Social Media Marketing:

Social media has become a vital platform for businesses to engage with their target audience effectively. Social Link excels in social media marketing, helping your brand build a strong online presence, connect with customers, and drive conversions. With their in-depth knowledge of the ever-evolving social media landscape, Social Link ensures that your social media strategies are innovative, tailored, and impactful.

2.3 Website Development and Optimization:

In the digital age, a visually appealing and user-friendly website is crucial for business success. Social Link’s team of expert web developers and designers create stunning websites that captivate visitors and convert them into loyal customers. By focusing on user experience and incorporating cutting-edge technologies, Social Link enhances your online presence, elevating your brand’s credibility and visibility.

2.4 High-End Video Marketing Services:

Video marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for storytelling and engaging with audiences. Social Link’s high-end video marketing services help your brand communicate its message effectively, leaving a lasting impact on viewers. From concept development and scriptwriting to production and editing, Social Link delivers captivating videos that captivate and inspire, driving brand awareness and customer engagement. Push your message to the market with HULU ads, Youtube, Netflix and other mainstream channels. 

  • The Services Offered by Social Link:

Social Link’s comprehensive services include:

3.1 Social Media Marketing:

Social Link creates and executes data-driven social media strategies, leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok. RedIt and LinkedIn to amplify your brand’s reach, engage with your target audience, and drive measurable results.

3.2 Website Development:

Social Link designs and develops custom websites that are visually stunning, user-friendly, and optimized for search engines. They ensure your website showcases your brand identity, offers a seamless user experience, and helps convert visitors into customers.

3.3 Full-Service Agency:

As a full-service agency, Social Link offers a wide range of marketing services, including market research, branding, content creation, search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, email marketing, and more. Their holistic approach ensures all aspects of your marketing strategy work seamlessly together.

3.4 Creative Studio:

Social Link’s creative studio brings ideas to life through innovative and captivating visuals. Their team of designers, writers, photographers, videographers and artists collaborates to create compelling branding materials, eye-catching graphics, engaging videos, and powerful copy that resonates with your target audience.

  • Success Stories: Social Link’s Impact

To illustrate the impact of Social Link’s services, let’s explore a few success stories:

4.1 Case Study 1: Local Restaurant A:

Social Link partnered with a local restaurant to revamp its social media presence. Through targeted social media campaigns, captivating visuals, and strategic content creation, Social Link helped the restaurant increase its online visibility, engage with customers, and boost reservations by 40%.

4.2 Case Study 2: E-commerce Store B:

E-commerce Store B sought Social Link’s expertise in website development and optimization. Social Link designed a visually stunning and user-friendly website, incorporating seamless navigation and an intuitive shopping experience. As a result, the store’s online sales increased by 60% within six months.

  • Choosing Social Link: Your Partner for Success

When selecting a marketing agency, consider the following advantages of partnering with Social Link:

5.1 Extensive Experience and Track Record:

Social Link brings years of experience and a proven track record of success in helping businesses across various industries achieve their marketing goals. Their portfolio and client testimonials demonstrate their ability to deliver exceptional results.

5.2 Collaboration and Communication:

Social Link prioritizes collaboration and maintains open lines of communication throughout your partnership. Their team works closely with you, understanding your goals, and providing regular updates on campaign progress, ensuring a seamless working relationship.

5.3 Cultural Alignment:

Social Link values align with your brand’s vision, mission, and values. They take the time to understand your business, ensuring their strategies and creative solutions are tailored to meet your unique needs.

Conclusion:

Social Link, Nashville’s premier marketing agency and creative studio, offers a comprehensive suite of services, including social media marketing, website development, and high-end video marketing. By partnering with Social Link, your business can tap into Nashville’s thriving business environment, leverage their expertise, and unlock your brand’s full potential. With a focus on innovative strategies and cutting-edge solutions, Social Link ensures your brand stands out in the competitive marketplace. So, choose Social Link as your strategic partner and unleash your business’s success in Nashville and beyond.

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Social Link – Full Service Digital Marketing Agency Nashville

In today’s highly competitive business landscape, it’s more important than ever to have a strong digital marketing strategy in place. With the majority of consumers now turning to the internet to find and research products and services, businesses need to be able to connect with their target audience online in order to succeed. This is where a digital marketing agency comes in – a team of experts who can help businesses navigate the complex world of online marketing and create a strategy that works for them.

At Social Link, we’re proud to be a full-service digital marketing agency based in Nashville, TN. We offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to help businesses of all sizes succeed in the digital age, including web design, SEO, social media management, PPC advertising, and more. What sets us apart, however, is our high-end video capabilities. With a full studio in-house and access to the best talent in Nashville, we’re able to create compelling video content that captures your brand’s unique voice and resonates with your target audience.

In this blog post, we’ll be discussing the importance of partnering with a digital marketing agency like Social Link, as well as the key components of a successful digital marketing strategy. We’ll also be looking to the future of digital marketing and discussing some of the trends and technologies that businesses should be aware of in order to stay ahead of the competition.

Why Partner with a Digital Marketing Agency?

Before we dive into the specifics of what makes a successful digital marketing strategy, let’s take a step back and discuss why businesses should consider partnering with a digital marketing agency in the first place. Here are just a few of the key benefits:

Expertise and Experience: Digital marketing agencies are made up of experts who have years of experience working in the industry. They understand the ins and outs of online marketing and are able to create a strategy that’s tailored to your business’s specific needs and goals.

Cost-Effective: Hiring an in-house marketing team can be expensive, particularly for small businesses. Partnering with a digital marketing agency allows you to access the expertise you need without the high overhead costs.

Time-Saving: Building and implementing a successful digital marketing strategy takes time and effort. By partnering with an agency, you can free up your own time and focus on running your business while the agency handles your online marketing.

Access to the Latest Tools and Technologies: Digital marketing is a rapidly evolving field, and it can be difficult for businesses to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. By partnering with an agency, you can access the latest tools and technologies without having to invest in them yourself.

Key Components of a Successful Digital Marketing Strategy

Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of partnering with a digital marketing agency, let’s dive into the key components of a successful digital marketing strategy. At Social Link, we believe that a successful digital marketing strategy should include the following components:

Web Design and Development: Your website is often the first impression that potential customers will have of your business. A well-designed and user-friendly website can help to establish your brand’s credibility and make it easy for customers to find the information they need.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO is the process of optimizing your website and content in order to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). A strong SEO strategy can help to increase your website’s visibility and drive more traffic to your site.

Social Media ManagementSocial media has become an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. By creating and maintaining a strong presence on social media platforms, businesses can connect with their target audience, build brand awareness, and drive traffic to their website.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: PPC advertising allows businesses to place ads on search engine results pages and social media platforms, targeting specific keywords or demographics. This can be an effective way to quickly drive traffic to your website and generate leads.

Content Marketing: Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content with the aim of attracting and retaining a clearly defined audience. This can include blog posts, videos, infographics, and more. A strong content marketing strategy can help to establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry and drive traffic to your website.

Email Marketing: Email marketing involves sending targeted emails to your subscribers with the aim of promoting your products or services, building brand loyalty, and driving traffic to your website. A well-executed email marketing campaign can help to generate leads and increase sales.

The Future of Digital Marketing

As we look to the future of digital marketing, there are a few trends and technologies that businesses should be aware of in order to stay ahead of the competition. Here are a few key areas to watch:

Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is already being used in digital marketing to automate tasks like lead scoring, content creation, and customer service. As the technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more use cases for AI in marketing.

Voice Search: With the rise of smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home, voice search is becoming an increasingly popular way for consumers to find information online. Businesses should consider optimizing their content for voice search in order to stay competitive.

Video Marketing: As we mentioned earlier, video marketing is a key component of our digital marketing strategy at Social Link. Video content is becoming increasingly popular, and businesses that can create compelling video content will have a competitive advantage.

Conclusion

In today’s digital age, businesses need to have a strong online presence in order to succeed. By partnering with a digital marketing agency like Social Link, businesses can access the expertise they need to create and implement a successful online marketing strategy. Whether you’re looking to improve your website’s design and SEO, build a strong social media presence, or run a PPC advertising campaign, we’re here to help. And as we look to the future of digital marketing, we’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries and helping our clients stay ahead of the curve.

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Elevate Your Business with Social Link: A Top Marketing Agency in Nashville

nashville marketing agency office
nashville marketing agency office

Are you looking for a marketing partner that can help take your business to the next level? Look no further than Social Link, a leading marketing agency in Nashville that offers a range of services to help businesses build their brand and reach new customers.

At Social Link, we believe that every business deserves a marketing strategy that is tailored to their unique needs and goals. That’s why we offer a full suite of services, including branding, web design, SEO, social media marketing, and more. Our team of experts has years of experience working with businesses across industries, from healthcare to finance to hospitality, and we’ve helped our clients achieve measurable results and sustainable growth.

What sets Social Link apart from other marketing agencies in Nashville? Here are just a few reasons why we’re the right choice for your business:

  1. We take a data-driven approach to marketing. At Social Link, we don’t believe in guesswork. Instead, we rely on data and analytics to inform our marketing strategies and ensure that we’re delivering measurable results for our clients.
  2. We’re committed to collaboration and communication. We know that effective marketing requires open communication and collaboration between our team and our clients. That’s why we prioritize transparency, regular reporting, and ongoing communication throughout the marketing process.
  3. We offer a range of services to meet your needs. Whether you’re looking to build your brand, increase your online visibility, or drive more leads and sales, Social Link has the expertise and resources to help you achieve your goals.

Our Services

At Social Link, we offer a wide range of services to help businesses of all sizes and industries succeed in the digital age. Here are just a few of the ways we can help elevate your business:

  1. Branding: Your brand is the foundation of your business. At Social Link, we can help you develop a strong brand identity that resonates with your target audience and sets you apart from your competition.
  2. Web Design: Your website is your online storefront, and it’s often the first impression that potential customers will have of your business. We can help you design a website that is visually appealing, user-friendly, and optimized for search engines.
  3. SEO: Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for businesses that want to improve their online visibility and attract more traffic to their website. Our team of SEO experts can help you develop a customized strategy that includes keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and more.
  4. Social Media Marketing: Social media is a powerful tool for building your brand and engaging with your target audience. Our social media marketing services can help you develop a strong presence on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and leverage these channels to drive traffic and sales.
  5. PPC Advertising: Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can be an effective way to reach new customers and generate leads and sales. Our PPC experts can help you develop and manage campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads, ensuring that you get the most bang for your buck.

Why Choose Social Link?

When it comes to choosing a marketing agency in Nashville, there are many options to choose from. Here are just a few reasons why Social Link stands out from the crowd:

  1. Experience: Our team of marketing experts has years of experience working with businesses across industries. We’ve seen it all, and we know what it takes to help businesses succeed in today’s competitive digital landscape.
  2. Results: At Social Link, we don’t just talk the talk. We walk the walk. Our team is dedicated to delivering measurable results for our clients, and we have the track record to prove it.
  3. Collaboration: We believe that the best marketing strategies are developed through collaboration and communication. That’s why we work closely with our clients throughout the marketing process, ensuring that we understand their unique needs and goals and can tailor our services to meet them.
  1. Transparency: We believe in transparency and honesty in everything we do. That means providing regular reporting and updates, being upfront about costs and timelines, and always being available to answer any questions or concerns.
  2. Customization: At Social Link, we know that every business is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing. That’s why we offer customized solutions tailored to each client’s specific needs and goals.

If you’re looking for a marketing agency in Nashville that can help take your business to the next level, look no further than Social Link. Our team of experts has the knowledge, experience, and dedication to help you achieve your marketing goals and grow your business. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you succeed.

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Social Media Agency Nashville: Why Social Link is the Best

Social Link Video Production Company
Social Link Video Production Company

Are you looking for a social media agency in Nashville? Look no further than Social Link. We are the premier social media agency in the area, providing top-notch services to businesses of all sizes and industries. With our experience, expertise, and dedication to our clients, we are the best choice for any business looking to take their social media marketing to the next level.

Our History

Social Link was founded in 2008 as a social media agency. We recognized early on the power and potential of social media as a marketing tool and wanted to help businesses harness that power to reach their goals. Over the years, we have grown and expanded our services to include all aspects of digital marketing, but social media remains at the heart of what we do. We have a deep understanding of the social media landscape and the strategies and tactics that work best for businesses looking to build their brand, engage with customers, and drive results.

Our Studio

At Social Link, we have a state-of-the-art studio located in downtown Nashville. We have invested in top-of-the-line video and photography equipment to help our clients create compelling, high-quality content that engages their audience and tells their brand’s story. Whether you need photos, videos, or other multimedia content, we have the expertise and tools to create it for you. Our studio is a hub of creativity and innovation, and we are always pushing ourselves to come up with new and exciting ways to help our clients stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Our Talent

We are proud to hire the best creative talent that Nashville has to offer. Our team is made up of skilled and experienced professionals who are passionate about social media marketing and dedicated to helping our clients achieve their goals. From social media strategists to content creators to graphic designers, we have the expertise and talent to deliver top-notch services to our clients. We believe that our team is what sets us apart from other social media agencies in Nashville, and we are committed to providing ongoing training and development to ensure that our team stays on the cutting edge of social media marketing.

Our Approach

At Social Link, we believe in putting our clients’ goals first. We work closely with our clients to understand their unique needs and challenges, and we develop customized strategies that are tailored to their specific goals and target audience. We believe that every business is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to social media marketing. That’s why we take the time to get to know our clients and their business so that we can create a plan that is right for them.

Our Services

As a full-service social media agency, we offer a wide range of services to help our clients succeed. Our services include:

  • Social media strategy: We work with our clients to develop a comprehensive social media strategy that aligns with their goals and target audience.
  • Content creation: We create compelling and engaging content that tells our clients’ brand story and resonates with their audience.
  • Social media management: We manage our clients’ social media accounts, ensuring that they are active and engaging with their audience on a regular basis.
  • Social media advertising: We create and manage social media advertising campaigns that help our clients reach their target audience and drive results.
  • Analytics and reporting: We provide regular reporting and analytics to help our clients understand the impact of their social media marketing and make informed decisions about their strategy.

Why Choose Social Link?

There are many social media agencies in Nashville, but none can match the experience, expertise, and dedication of Social Link. Here are just a few reasons why we are the best choice for businesses looking to take their social media marketing to the next level:

Experience: We have been providing social media marketing services since 2008, and we have a deep understanding of the social media landscape and how it has evolved over the years. When we started offering social media services, platforms like Facebook and Twitter were just beginning to gain traction, and businesses were still trying to figure out how to use them effectively.

Over the years, we have stayed up-to-date with the latest social media trends and best practices, and we have adapted our strategies to stay ahead of the curve. We have seen the rise of new platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, and we have helped our clients navigate these new channels and leverage them to reach their target audience.

In addition, we have worked with a wide range of clients across various industries, from small startups to large corporations. This has given us a wealth of experience and knowledge that we can apply to help our clients achieve their unique social media marketing goals.

At Social Link, we believe that our experience sets us apart from other social media agencies in Nashville. We have a deep understanding of the social media landscape and how to use it to drive business results. If you’re looking for a social media agency that can deliver results and help your business succeed, contact us today to learn more about our services.

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Social Media Social Media Marketing Uncategorized

Why you need a Social Media Manager

Whether you are an individual or a business trying to boost your digital marketing strategy, hiring a social media manager has many benefits. With millions of businesses actively advertising on online platforms, it is essential to have a plan in place to strengthen your online marketing game. A social media manager can go a long way to firmly establish your business and provide valuable content to market your brand efficiently. 

Business owners have to wear many hats to keep their businesses afloat. So even if you deeply understand organic social media growth, you may not have the time to manage it on your own. Fortunately, you can rely on the expertise of a social media manager to assist you in bringing your brand name to the masses through the power of social media. 

Who is a Social Media Manager?

A social media manager is responsible for managing and maintaining the social media accounts of a company. They oversee many processes, including strategizing, posting content, customer engagement, and more. Their ultimate goal is to boost a company’s social media presence using the right tools and provide online content that aligns with its objectives. 

Benefits of Hiring a Social Media Manager

Save Time

The first thing you will notice after hiring a social media manager is how much time you are saving by delegating your tasks to professionals. When running a business, staying on top of every aspect of your venture can take a lot of work. A social media manager can oversee everything from creating posts to planning strategies and following trends so that you can steer your focus toward more critical tasks. 

As important as catering to every aspect of your business is, it is equally important to manage your time wisely. A social media manager can streamline your marketing tactics, giving you more time to give to other elements of your business. 

Boost Brand Recognition

Every niche comes with its set of limitations and competition. However, you might be surprised that specific industries sport rather fierce competition. Hiring a social media manager is a no-brainer if you are involved with such niches and would like to boost the appeal of your business. 

Social media managers will ensure to depict your brand’s image in the right light, and that other people recognize the true essence of your company. They are not just responsible for creating engaging content for your business but also monitor the response from other people and fine-tune your marketing strategies accordingly. 

Create Engaging Content

Consistency is the key to succeeding in any online market. For your business to stay afloat in this competitive era, it is imperative to keep pushing fresh and engaging content to your followers. However, it becomes challenging to grow followers if you are not engaging with them regularly. 

Outsourcing your social media management duties to a professional team allows you to steer your focus away from content curation and toward more pressing tasks. It is also worth noting that publishing low-quality content can dissipate your audience’s interest. A social media manager can help you avoid such a situation by updating your account optimally. 

Manage Customers in Real-Time

It is hard to overstate the importance of good customer service. No matter your niche, the likelihood of customers returning is higher after a positive experience with your company. Good customer service can go a long way to strengthening the foundation of a business. 

With a social media manager taking care of your company’s best interest, you do not have to fuss about responding to customer comments, complaints, or requests. They can boost your brand’s appeal in simple but effective ways, such as by cutting down customer wait times and resolving their queries promptly. 

Reporting and Tracking

Hiring a social media manager is a great way to improve your existing campaign and fine-tune your online content to align with your company’s values. They can keep your brand agile – by switching strategies, outlining long-term goals, and boosting engagement with followers – and provide real-time reports on your campaign. 

Based on feedback from visitors, they will mold your marketing campaign to reflect your services/products and values better. At the end of the day, their efforts will provide tremendous value to your business and root out underperforming strategies. 

While you may be capable of envisioning the right path for your company’s online profile, having someone contribute their 100% to your brand’s image and objectives can yield much better results in the long run. If you are unsure where to start, consider working with a marketing agency like Social Link, which can help you implement the right marketing strategies on social media platforms. We offer the best-in-class social media marketing services to help your business grow sustainably. Contact us today to learn more or get started. 

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Online Marketing Social Media Tips and Tricks Uncategorized

How to Create Sharable Instagram Content

How Do You Create Shareable Content On Instagram?

With over one billion monthly active users, there’s no doubt that Instagram is a popular social media platform. Instagram is constantly changing, which means your content has to be adaptable. If you have been on Instagram lately, you may notice that the like count is not as important as it once was. Recently, the more shares you receive on a post is much more valuable than a like. A massive way for your content to stay relevant is by creating highly shareable content. Your content marketing strategy should resonate with your audience so much that they want to share your post on their platform. Sharing posts on Instagram is the most efficient form of advertising for your business. The more shares you have on an Instagram post, the more exposure and growth you will get.

The content you post is valuable, but only if it is shareable. In this blog post, we’ll share some tips for creating content that will be engaging for your followers and help to promote your brand. Creating shareable content is essential for any business that wants to succeed on social media, and these tips will help get you started.

Ten Proven Tips to Create Shareable Content

1. Know Your Target Audience

By understanding your target audience, you can ensure that your Instagram strategy is always on point. According to Shannon Shipman’s blog, creating content for Instagram is the best way to expand your reach, having your audience share your content is invaluable. It is essential to know who you are trying to reach with your content. It would be best if you first took the time to understand your target audience. Only then will you be able to create content that resonates with them and gets them to take action.

To start, take a look at who is already following you and assess what types of posts they tend to engage with the most. Look at the demographics of your followers and try to identify any common interests or characteristics. By understanding your target audience, you can produce content that appeals to their interests. Remember that your target audience may change over time, so it’s essential to regularly assess who they are and what they’re interested in. 

2. Visually Appealing Content

When it comes to creating visually appealing content for Instagram, there are a few key things to keep in mind. First, consider the overall aesthetic of your feed. Is it cohesive and pleasing to the eye? Make sure that the colors and styles of your photos complement each other. You should also pay attention to the composition of your photos. Frame your shots thoughtfully, and experiment with different angles and perspectives. Also, don’t be afraid to get creative with filters and editing tools. A little tweaking can go a long way towards making your photos pop. By following these tips, you can create visually appealing content that will stand out on Instagram.

3. Keep Your Posts Consistent 

If you want to be successful on Instagram, it’s essential to keep your posts consistent. That means posting regularly, using consistent hashtags, and maintaining a consistent overall look and feel to your feed. People will be more likely to share your content if it is aesthetically pleasing and easy to consume. Creating a consistent feed will make your page more visually appealing and increase the likelihood of shares. By keeping your posts consistent, you’ll be able to build a following more efficiently and connect with potential customers. Additionally, consistent posts will help improve your search engine optimization, making it more likely that people will find your business when searching for related terms.

4. Relatable Content

As anyone who’s spent time on Instagram knows, relatable content is key. Whether it’s funny memes, relatable anecdotes or pictures of products they need, people are always drawn to content that speaks to them on a personal level. And there’s no better place to find this kind of content than on Instagram. With its massive user base and a vast array of content creators, Instagram is the perfect platform for finding relatable content that will resonate with your audience. To find relatable content ideas for your Instagram, start by brainstorming what you already post that gets the most engagement. 

What are your most popular posts? What do they have in common? Is there anything you can do to make your other content more relatable? You can also look to other accounts in your industry for inspiration – what kind of relatable content are they posting that’s doing well? Take note of any trends you see and consider how you can put your own personal spin on them. Remember, the best relatable content is all about connecting with your audience on a personal level. 

5. Appeal To Your Audience’s Values

The way to a person’s heart is often through their values. When creating content for Instagram, it’s essential to consider what your audience cares about and how you can speak to those values while also creating content around your values. Your audience is looking for the knowledge that your values and products match their values and beliefs. Connecting their values with content shows them that you care. When you appeal to your audience’s values, you create a connection beyond likes and comments. You create a community of people who share your passions and who will champion your brand.

6. Use Carousels To Make Your Content More Shareable

Carousels are a great way to make complex information more digestible. They are also eye-catching and allow you to include multiple images in one post, which makes them more shareable. When a product or service has been mentioned before or if someone has read the title, it’s likely the caption will help them understand the problem and get results. How can we post a photograph that we’re looking for? Make a carousel and add a graphic if possible for this second image.

7. Create graphics

Everyone loves to share Instagram posts that are quotes or graphics. They can quickly learn your information by simply reading what is posted on the graphic instead of the caption underneath the post. People are more likely to share visually appealing content. Creating graphics is a great way to make your posts stand out and increase the likelihood of shares. 

8. Write Long Captions

 Captions are a great way to engage with your audience and give them more information about your post. The longer the caption, the more likely people are to read and share it. Longer captions are more shareable than shorter ones because they provide more context and information about the post. Writing long captions also allows you to include more keywords, which will help SEO and allow your content to be found by people searching for those terms.

If you’re in business, it’s essential to keep up with social media trends. A social media trend is defined as a topic that gains popularity on social media within a short period of time. Social Media is a powerful communications tool that can help you reach new customers and grow your business. People are more likely to share content that is timely and relevant. Keeping up with trends will ensure that your content is always fresh and shareable. That means posting interesting and engaging content, using the right hashtags, and connecting with other users. By staying up-to-date on the latest Instagram trends, you can ensure that your business is using this powerful platform to its full potential. 

There are a few key ways to keep up with trends. First, follow industry-specific accounts and influencers. They will often be the first to know about new trends and products. Second, use social media listening tools to track specific keywords and hashtags. This way, you can quickly see when something new pops up. By following these steps, you can keep up with the latest trends and ensure that your business is always ahead of the curve.

10. Engage With Your Followers

If you are not active on your account – why should your followers be?

To engage with your audience, you need to understand what they want and how they want to receive information. It is essential to ensure that you are constantly providing relevant and interesting content. This can be achieved by carrying out research beforehand to understand what topics they are interested in and then crafting your messages accordingly. Commenting on and liking other people’s posts will make them more likely to do the same for you. Engaging with your followers will also make them feel appreciated, which will make them more likely to share your content as well. It’s essential to keep in mind that engagement is a two-way street, so be sure to listen to feedback and take it to heart. By engaging with your audience, you will build relationships and loyalty, which can lead to success for you and your audience.

Now that you have the tips for creating shareable content….

Let’s recap! By creating sharable Instagram posts, you need to be relatable, know your audience, and keep up with trends. By following these tips, you can create shareable content that will help you grow your Instagram following and exposure. What have you found to be the most successful strategy for creating sharable content on Instagram?

If you want help creating sharable content, Social Link is here to help. Our social media experts have the experience and knowledge necessary to create content that your followers will share. We can also help you implement some of the tips listed above to make it easier for your followers to share your content. Contact us through our marketing proposal page to get started today! 

Follow our Instagram Page @Sociallinkco too!!

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Blog Featured News Online Marketing PPC Social Media Social Media Marketing

3 Facebook Advertising Agency Tips

All too often as marketers, we hear clients and potential clients say that Facebook Ads don’t work for their business. Maybe they believe that, in their industry, social media isn’t useful or maybe they’re one of the oldschoolers that thinks that social media marketing is a hoax in general. There are a million different things that we hear, but the truth is, they’re all excuses.

Facebook has billions of users. We’ll say it one more time. Facebook has billions of users. There are that many people using the platform on a daily basis and yet, people still have the audacity to say that reaching their target market on Facebook is an impossibility.

The truth is if you haven’t had success using Facebook ads, then you are not constructing effective ad campaigns.

So how do you create you effective Facebook Ads?

We are glad that you asked. There are three different keys to creating an effective Facebook ad campaign: Killer content, killer copywriting, and accurate audience targeting.

“So where do I start?”

Start with content. What’s the first thing that you notice when you are scrolling your Facebook feed? You notice the content! A well-written article or an inspirational quote doesn’t catch your eye. It’s the shocking video or the stunning photo on your feed that catches your eye and then draws you in towards the rest of the advertisement. Make sure that it is both quality and relevant content. Below are two examples of content. One is quality and one is not. Can you guess which one is which?

Okay, we know it’s pretty obvious. But you get the point. Focus on creating content that is consistent with the quality and the message of your brand.

Next…

Focus on quality copywriting. Too many brands and businesses are allowing copywriting to go by the wayside with the focus becoming much more on content creation. Whatever you do, do not underestimate the power of your copy. In the same way that your content creates a first impression for your brand, so does your copywriting.

There are many different tips and tricks to remember in regards to your copywriting, but the most important thing to remember is to evoke emotion in your audience. Rather than just providing a dull, lazy call to action to try and make a quick sale, try to write from the perspective of your audience. What are their fears? What are their insecurities?

If you were writing a headline for a weight-loss supplement, you could write something like this:

“Try Hydroxycut- the number one weight-loss supplement in the world.”

Why would you ever click on that? You wouldn’t. It evokes no emotion and is clearly just a lazy advertisement.

But, what about something like this?:

“Tired of not being able to fit into your jeans from last summer? Try Hydroxycut- the number one weight-loss supplement in the world.”

That is going to be way more effective, because to someone who struggles with their weight, not fitting into their clothes is a giant insecurity of theirs that they will pay to alleviate.

Last, but not least…

Without the proper audience targeting, all of the work above will be useless.

You can have the greatest content and the most phenomenal copywriting in the industry, but without the proper targeting you’re not going to hit the right audience to sell products or services.

For those of you who are new to audience targeting, follow the steps below to create your ideal audience:

You will first see the audience creation dashboard:

Now it’s time to select a gender- Whatever you do, make sure that the gender you select matches the product or service that you are selling!

How old are the members of your audience?

Location, location, location- This is a part of the audience targeting that we constantly see being screwed up. Too many business owners think that the wider the audience, the better their ad will perform, and that’s simply not the case. If you’re are a roofing company in Arizona, why on Earth would you be targeting the entire United States? Think about who you serve and decide what makes sense for you.

Who is your audience?- If you’re just starting off with Facebook ad campaigns, you’re going to want to use interest-based targeting. Target interests that are related to your business, because these are going to essentially target “warm leads” for your business!

Now, put it all together!

We’ve talked about creating killer content, writing killer copy, and now using accurate audience targeting. It’s important to remember that using just one of these strategies will not produce your most effective ad campaigns. You have to put all of them to use in the same ad campaign, and that is where you are going to see the most significant results in running your Facebook advertising campaigns.

We’d also be happy to talk more with you about how to optimize your current Facebook Ad spend. Just shoot us a note!

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Blog Digital Marketing Online Marketing Sales Social Media Tips and Tricks

Content is King: Digital Storytelling Basics

In a rapidly evolving digital environment, producing high-quality content is more important than ever. Good content tells a story, which enables your business to connect with a wider audience, share new ideas, and stand out from the crowd.

 

Make Your Brand into a Story

First things first: your organization needs to tell a story. This simple move can increase brand awareness and add a personal component to your business that resonates with customers. The more familiar someone is with your brand, the more likely they are to trust you and be a returning customer. Your story doesn’t have to be long or complex, but it should answer a few simple questions. How did you get started? What makes your business special? What inspires you and your employees? The answers to these questions can help form an authentic, unique identity and even drive a higher conversion rate.

Make it real, relatable, and honest. Fluffy descriptions and meaningless words will only fall flat. Authenticity is key. According to Ad Week, “91 percent of consumers are likely to reward brands for authenticity and share the brand with friends and family, and 62 percent are likely to purchase from or show greater interest in purchasing from a brand that authentically expresses itself.”

You can be professional without being stuffy. Just be yourself—there’s no need to try to be something you’re not. What works for one company doesn’t necessarily work for another, so while it’s easy to compare yourself to another brand, resist the temptation.

 

Popular Forms of Content

Forbes discovered that people find videos, blogs, and instructional media to be the most valuable forms of content. 54% of consumers want more video content from a brand or business they support. Due to shortened attention spans, internet users are increasingly interested in media that combines images, text, audio, and videos. Depending on your resources, producing multiple forms of content may seem overwhelming. Luckily, it’s easier than ever to add short-form videos or high-resolution photographs to a blog post or landing page. 92% of marketers make videos with assets they already have, so you don’t necessarily need a production team or camera crew to beef up video content. Play around with a variety of strategies to determine what resonates the most with your audience.

 

How to Create Strong Content

To keep engagement levels high, you need to offer simple, straightforward, and succinct content that also provides value, like an educational video or how-to blog article. Content is the most impactful when it’s clear, concise, and purposeful. You want to produce materials on a frequent, consistent basis, but don’t publish something just for the sake of it—quality still beats quantity.

The most important factors to consider are what your audience wants and needs. What will they enjoy consuming, what problems are they trying to solve, and how can you help them? If you have more than one target audience, don’t be afraid of segmentation. By tailoring your content to specific groups, you can forge stronger connections and make more of an impact.

As a final tip, don’t forget that proofreading is imperative. Everything in the digital landscape is so fast paced that it’s easy to overlook a mistake, but nothing derails your content train quite like a simple grammatical error or embarrassing typo.

There’s real power in storytelling. Generating quality content enables you to accomplish marketing goals, reach a wider audience, and increase your digital influence. If you’d like to learn more about how Social Link can help you strategically create a content strategy that converts to revenue drop us a line today to get started.

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App Development Blog Digital Marketing News Sales Social Media

Instagram Launches New ‘@Shop’ Account: What It Means for Retailers

iPhone X sitting on table with screen on
new instagram app @shop

Instagram recently unveiled its latest development in the push toward a more e-commerce oriented platform: @shop. But while the social media giant has released groundbreaking shoppable features in the past, @shop doesn’t appear to be anything revolutionary. That’s because it’s simply an Instagram account (run by the IG team). In this article, we’ll break down what this new account is—and what it means for e-commerce brands.

What is @shop?

Instagram’s new @shop account is an internally managed profile that features a curated collection of up-and-coming brands. The account is primarily focused on products from the fashion, home decor, and beauty categories. Featured brands all share a notable commonality: they’ve been very successful at leveraging IG to promote their company. Instagram has selected these brands to demonstrate the massive e-commerce potential of the social platform.

Community Driven

Another important aspect of the collection is that it’s driven by community trends. In Instagram’s own words:

“@shop is a celebration of small businesses and the creators behind them. The content on this account is inspired by our community of shoppers — you. @shop is a real-time reflection of our community’s interests across top shopping categories like fashion, beauty, home decor and more. ” [Source]

Tagged and shoppable

As the name suggests, @shop is all about shopping. Every image on the @shop account includes a shopping tag, which allows users to browse product collections, view the brand’s IG profile, and visit the company’s website. Shopping tags are a critical piece of Instagram’s ongoing effort to integrate with e-commerce. The tags are a move toward the capability for direct, in-app purchases, blurring the line between social media and online shopping.

What does @shop mean for retailers?

@shop represents Instagram’s ever-increasing e-commerce potential. The platform is extremely influential and has already facilitated the explosive growth of countless new brands. This trend isn’t showing any signs of slowing down—and will continue to present huge opportunities for retailers.

A familiar place

Part of Instagram’s appeal lies in its familiarity. Like Amazon, Instagram has become a “comfort zone” for internet users. With this familiarity already in place, IG is poised to become a trusted e-commerce hub. And since Instagram is a primary source for product discovery, the increased emphasis on e-commerce creates a more holistic shopping experience (from discovery to purchase).

Looking forward…

If trends continue, people will eventually view Instagram as an easy, convenient shopping platform. Purchasing will become more seamless, enabling businesses to reach potential customers where they’re already spending time—and without disrupting them.

Capitalizing on Instagram: How to Get Started

E-commerce brands with a lackluster Instagram strategy are missing out. Failing to keep up with the “Instagram wave” will leave money on the table and allow competitors to gain the upper hand. If you haven’t already, consider the following:

1) Recognize. Small companies in the e-commerce space are achieving huge success on social media. See this, acknowledge it, and ask yourself what your company can be doing get more out of Instagram (regardless of company size).

2) Stay in-the-know. Familiarize yourself with the latest Instagram developments. Use the platform regularly and pay special attention to e-commerce brands and shopping features.

3) Experiment. Digital marketing is a never-ending process of experimentation. Test new features, try new strategies, and analyze the results. Your customers are spending a lot of time on Instagram…it’s up to you to figure out the best way to reach them there.

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App Development Digital Marketing Email Marketing Online Marketing Social Media Social Media Marketing

Social Link Named a Top 25 Website Design Company by DesignRush

In recognition of our commitment to superior website design, Social Link has been named a Top Website Design Company on DesignRush. As a comprehensive directory for digital agencies, DesignRush has the ability to assess thousands of web design companies. Their analysis placed Social Link among the best in the business, earning a spot on their recent list, “Top 25 Website Design Companies.”

What makes Social Link a top web design company?

Social Link is an all-in-one website design agency. We provide best-in-class web design services which include all the features necessary for success. Social Link clients receive:

  • Fully customized websites. Templates are limiting. Our custom coding ensures websites are tailored to the unique businesses they’re intended for.
  • Adaptive content management. Spend time creating—not publishing. With our content management solutions, publishing your content has never been easier.
  • Mobile-friendly design. In today’s mobile-centric world, having a mobile-friendly website is essential—which is why all Social Link websites are optimized for a seamless mobile experience.
  • Powerful e-commerce. If a website is selling products, it needs to be fully optimized for e-commerce. At Social Link, we’re experts in creating websites that drive purchases.
  • In-depth analytics. Data provides critical insights. With dashboard analytics, you’ll be able to easily monitor your website and make smarter decisions.
  • Installation and training. We don’t just build websites—we make sure our clients succeed. Social Link provides training to ensure our client’s teams are up-to-speed with the new site.

At Social Link, we pursue excellence relentlessly—and it shows. Our award-winning agency has received many accolades over the years, which continue to motivate and inspire us. We’re proud to announce our inclusion on DesignRush’s “Top 25 Website Design Companies” list…and we plan to stay on top.

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Thank You from a VirtualAF CEO

“You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.”

As Social Link grows and drives forward with a beta launch of its first software product since the beginning in 2009, it seems like now is a good time to revisit our vision as Jobs brought to light in this video.

The obvious customer? Our business clients. Without them we would not been able grow and learn how to adapt to a variety of industries in 27 states and four countries. They’ve taught us to be disciplined, remain humble, and keep us sharp. For that we thank you!

The not so obvious customer? Our team. They’ve taught me about loyalty, growth, and unity. Without their support and alignment in Social Link’s vision, none of this would be possible. Thank you (current and past) for being the best VirtualAF team I could ask for. Your dedication and commitment is what gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me up at night.

Social Link is focused on changing the way people work. We look to provide the tools and resources to employees for freedom to do what they love from anywhere there is an internet connection…and to clients for accessibility to their marketing team and business assets whenever needed.

Join us today and try the desktop version of our beta platform at https://app.sociallink.com. Look for it in your mobile app store in just a couple of weeks.

Brady O’Rourke

VirtualAF CEO

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Online Marketing Social Media Social Media Marketing

Social Advertising: Why Instagram Is Beating Facebook

social media advertising
social media advertising

Why Instagram Is Beating Facebook

Despite the prevalence of social media advertising, the most popular platforms never seem to get the best reputation, even amongst their avid users. Twitter is viewed with skepticism. YouTube is the wild west of the comments sections. And Facebook is in the business of making people feel horrible about their lives.

However, there’s one platform that never get lumped in this category and that’s Instagram.

Unlike Facebook, people don’t go through periods of needing an ‘Instagram break’ or feel the need to unfollow a bunch of people so they’re only seeing pictures of their real friends.

In fact, on the whole, Instagram users tend to feel pretty positive about the photo-sharing platform and as a result, it’s steadily been increasing in popularity, particularly with the key demographic of millennials.

So how is it that Instagram is beating all the rest, especially Facebook as the social media platform of choice? Let’s look at three key features:

  1. Protected space vs. open space

Unlike Facebook, only Instagram users can add to their own pages, giving them total control and ownership over the content posted on their own page. The activity of others is restricted to commenting in a small section to the side of liking the photo. This means that you don’t get the endless happy birthday wishes from middle school friends and relatives you barely know, or the panic that sets in when Mom doesn’t accidentally sees a post from your drunk friend.

What this tells us is that millennials are looking for a balance between being able to be active on social media whilst also preferring to feel a degree of privacy and a strong sense of content control.

  1. Photos vs. network

Since Instagram is all about photos and videos instead of building connections, it tends to be viewed as a platform of positive content and not one of judgment. The structure of the interface doesn’t allow much room for lengthy posts about how great your life is and it’s almost impossible to have a heated political debate on Instagram.

Facebook users, on the other hand, often report feeling like it’s a social competition and that there is significant pressure to post content that increases their worth to others. The fact that millennials are moving away from the traditional networking forms of social media platform tells us that they’re actively seeking out opportunities for positive, low-pressure interactions, even if it means fewer connections and interactions with others.

  1. Ad content

Where Facebook tends to be limited to personal connections and interactions, Instagram users happily take advantage of the fact that they can follow companies, celebrities, museums, artists, travel sites, fashion gurus, fitness experts, and just about anything else they want to see on a daily basis. Because people tend to follow the things they really like, the ad content can look carefully curated for those people’s social interests. This means that there is a higher watch rate for ads that people get on Instagram and therefore high sales conversions. While Facebook has similar ad targeting capabilities, the content usually has to be really good in order to get people’s attention and tends to only result in successful sales conversions when a professional marketing company is behind the design.

Right now, with its positivity and capabilities for curation and control, Instagram is poised to be the social media platform of choice for the most coveted marketing demographic today.

But just before you start to feel sorry for Facebook, remember that in April of 2012, they bought Instagram for $1 billion. Recognizing its value, Facebook decline to integrate Instagram features into the parent company and have let it develop an as independent platform. It’s a great lesson in recognizing the value of an acquisition and when to leave a good thing alone.

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Social Media Video Marketing

4 Brands Using Social Media Marketing Video

As social media marketing evolves to include engaging video, brands are jumping at the opportunity to create new ways to interact with customers on platforms like Vine and Instagram.

Using video in social media marketing increases content consumption and share rates, which results in increased brand awareness and higher levels of engagement. Take a look at four brands using video well.

  • Levi’s. Instagram provided Levi’s with the perfect platform to launch their 9-day campaign, which reached nearly 8 million people.
  • Burberry. With the use of Vine, Burberry effectively engages their audience with visually stunning videos highlighting new product lines.
  • Samsung. The use of Vine video has provided Samsung with a creative outlet in which to communicate their brand’s value.

Does your brand use video in social media posts?

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Digital Marketing Online Marketing Social Media Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

Six Marketing Lessons from Social Media Influencers

All brands and marketing companies can learn something from the current generation of social media influencers. To most, they may just be just YouTubers or Instastars. But in the world of marketing, social media influencers are savvy, entrepreneurial individuals who are capitalizing on the opportunities afforded to them in the digital age.

  1. Target one primary demographic. The Eh Bee Family makes family-friendly videos and posts. Pew Die Pie corners gaming enthusiasts. When social media influences gear their content to one particular demographic, they establish brand positioning and create a mini-community out of their followers.
  2. It’s easier to sell when not everything is a sell. Juanpa Zurita gave his dad his dream car (a Mini Cooper) for his birthday. Despite being a promotional post, it felt seamless because Juanpa Zurita had integrated his strong familial relationships in his social media content. The promotion was just a part of a larger story.
  3. Frequency, frequency, frequency. Social media influencers know the fine balance between producing enough content to maintain engagement with fans, but not so much that their audience gets saturated. Many have a policy of posting once or twice a week. The content is rarely extensive, usually either a short video or photo, satisfying their fans’ needs but giving them enough room so they want to come back for more.
  4. Authenticity is key. Despite the fact that so much of the internet is littered with spam and bots, there is nothing more valuable than authentic content. Audiences want something to believe in and social media influencers are experts when it comes to capitalizing on this. Social media influencer let people in on their lives. If fans and followers discover it’s fake, they will feel cheated and quickly move on.
  5. Transparency is the best policy. Fans who make some kind of investment in a project value transparency in how their dollars are put to use. A great example is Love Army, the social media charity organization started by Jerome Jarre. When Love Army asked for donations to help the relief efforts after the famine in Somalia, they posted real-time videos and pictures showing people where their dollars were going, including things like how much it cost to fix a broken water pipe. Every donation goal they’ve set for subsequent relief efforts since then has been met and then some.
  6. Positivity attracts more attention than negativity. Sure, the internet has a reputation for being a mean, inhospitable place. But when it comes to gaining popularity as a social media influencer, positivity beats out negativity every time. In fact, when entire platforms are perceived as negative, they begin to struggle, especially with younger consumers. The most popular platforms such as Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram are all celebrated as places where positivity reigns supreme.

The key to social media influencers is in the title itself – influence, which gains far more traction than the sell. The days of using subliminal messaging and pop psychology to drive marketing efforts are long gone. Companies looking for the competitive advantage need to be open to new marketing methods and strategies if they want their message to be heard by millions like social media influencers are able to do. Change is already here. Now it’s time to embrace it

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Digital Marketing Online Marketing SEO Social Media Social Media Marketing

How New Musicians Can Benefit from Inbound Marketing

New musicians are in a vicious cycle. They can’t get people to listen to their music because it’s not being promoted, and nobody will promote their music because it’s not being listened to.

However, there’s no reason to despair and hang up the six strings just yet. One of the most popular ways new musicians can develop traction is through inbound marketing.

Inbound marketing is a relatively new form of marketing that utilizes multiple platforms, channels and media outlets to get your message to the people who need to hear it most.

Here are just a few ways new musicians can benefit from inbound marketing:

  • Establishes professionalism early. Most new musicians start by posting their content on YouTube and SoundCloud, where it’s all too easy to get lost in the crowd. Inbound marketing creates a strong, cohesive brand and image that not only communicates professionalism, but strengthens the chances of getting a musician’s message heard by the early adopters who create a following by spreading the word to their friends.
  • Better connection with fans. Inbound marketing allows new musicians to keep fans updated, obtain feedback, and gain a sense of what they like and what they don’t. The feedback is more reliable than the likes or comments of social media channels as it’s coming directly from fans whose primary interest is in the music itself, instead of promoting their own social media pages and content.
  • Maximize content visibility. While it’s always good to create a lot of content for fans, inbound marketing makes sure that the content that has already been created gets maximum visibility. A gig announcement in an email will be more effective than hoping people see it posted on the Facebook page. Websites can be used to generate anticipation for new releases. Email lists with high numbers show producers and promoters the potential for your music’s profitability.

New musicians ready to take a step up in the industry should be looking into inbound marketing methods to get their music heard by the right people.

Companies like Social Link are experienced in helping new musicians increase visibility and establish themselves in the industry through inbound marketing. To learn more about our effective and affordable options, visit our home page.

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Digital Marketing PPC Social Media Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

Your Brand’s Many Voices: Adapting Your Brand Message to Various Marketing Channels

Make Your Brand Standout

It’s not exactly news that your website’s users spend more time than ever before on smartphones and tablets, and that companies are responding by investing ever-bigger chunks of their digital marketing budgets on mobile advertising. Bluntly, if you haven’t optimized your company’s website for use across multiple devices—not to mention established that crucial social media presence—by now, you’re behind.

But, when you’re faced with what seems like a blanket imperative to get all your content and every angle of your brand message on every channel that you can, it’s all too easy to forget that each way of reaching your potential customers has its own strengths, weaknesses, and audience. And it’s important to adapt your strategy accordingly. What boosts conversion rates on your tablet website won’t always be the same thing as what makes your Facebook presence tick—and having a unified brand doesn’t mean that you can’t change things up to exploit those differences.

Dig deep into your buyer personas

To understand what makes each of the channels you’re using (Facebook ads, your company’s blog, email blasts, even QR codes if you’re working in a brick-and-mortar context) effective, check in with the buyer personas you’re dealing with: who’s consuming this? Where are they coming from, and what are they looking to get out of it? What’s their demographic, what will put them off your product or service, and what are their unique pain points?

One user might arrive at your company’s website through a Google search for the specific product or service they’re looking for; another might get there through an aimless scroll down a social feed that brought them to your eye-catching video. Understanding who your users are, by using what your analytics can tell you to build a set of detailed buyer personas, can help you produce channel-specific content that’s tailored to the needs of the people most likely to use them.

Remember, too, that your brand’s message can (and should!) be versionalized to fit the distinct personas your campaign is aimed at. If, for instance, you work for a company that makes electric scooters for seniors, your potential customers include both the people who will be using the scooters and at their adult children, who might be scooter-shopping out of concern for a parent’s welfare.

That senior isn’t likely to feel motivated by an ad that depicts them as someone who can’t manage on their own. They might even find it offensive. And likewise, an adult child looking for care solutions isn’t going to be as jazzed about an ad billing scooters as a means to achieving increased independence, as they are about one that presents the same item as a tool for easing an aging parent’s circumstances and giving them some peace of mind.

By applying classic inbound techniques to create highly-targeted content based on buyer personas and specific to the channels users arrive at your site through, your marketing department can make adapting your brand’s message a snap.

Channel Surfing

It’s also important to consider, not just who’s using each channel your organization markets itself through, but what users come to those channels for in the first place. On LinkedIn, which connects businesses with other businesses, the tone skews corporate; your potential customers go there to look for work, professional connections, or content that can make the jobs they already have easier. Facebook works by forming informal social connections—users go there to hear about their friends’ lives, and are looking for more casual, informative content that forges links between businesses and consumers. And Twitter runs on its users’ desires to stay up to date and connect with people and institutions (celebrities, government representatives, and industry trend-makers) that they might not have much contact with in their physical lives.

A good marketing department can retool the messaging your organization uses on each of these channels so that it fits in with their overall function in users’ lives, while maintaining a consistent sense of the brand’s essence.

Make sure you have the basics covered

It seems like a no-brainer, but make sure your website is optimized across all types of devices: desktop and laptop computers, smartphones, and tablets. If your company has its own app, keep that running smoothly.

Same goes for the many types of content that your company provides. Is the type on that blog post too small to read on a smartphone screen? Does the graphic you’ve painstakingly crafted to showcase your brand stubbornly refuse to load in an email? Are you losing traffic by directing users from every channel to the same landing page, which doesn’t necessarily cater to all their needs?

Don’t choose form over function

As important (and exciting!) as it is to put the specialized tools each channel can give you into action, don’t forget that there is a unified plan and message behind all of them. Every channel you operate through should feature inbound marketing at its best. Educate users with valuable content, rather than just pushing a sales pitch!

And, no matter what channel you’re working through, ask yourself: what do users need to be able to do here—place an order? learn something new? get on your mailing list?—and can they accomplish those things easily? Tools like closed-loop analytics, which measure which channels are most effective, which ones influence other channels and how, and which ones aren’t doing your company any favors, can help you figure out what strategies are working to convey your brand’s voice, and what can go the way of the dinosaurs.    

Having trouble getting started adapting your brand’s message to fit the channels it’s coming through? Your virtual marketing department at SocialLink can help.

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Virtual Marketing Departments Are the Future. Here’s Why.

What comes to your mind when someone mentions a market? Of course, you will visualize a place where suppliers have brought their wares for sale and consumers flock to pick and buy what they need. That is as far as a non-specialist would go. From a professional marketing perspective, the marketplace involves more than buying and selling. A marketer should not only know their product and target consumers but also be able to outsmart the competition. Marketers of the future must be well conversant with emerging trends, changing cultures, working without barriers and this is the point where virtual marketing enters the foray.

Why are these departments the future of advertising? Below are the specifics.

Independent thinkers not constrained by space

People who work independent of in-house marketing departments have better thinking and problem-solving ability. Their exposure to working with different clients helps them develop an unusual understanding of concepts. Working from a remote location enables you to use your mind without barriers or constraints. You do not get stuck in a cubicle sitting and waiting for instructions. Besides, sitting in surroundings that inspire creativity yields more fruits than one would ordinarily expect when working from an office. Virtual marketing departments helps a professional touch base with marketplaces and interact with technology that makes it happen.

Fearless and open-minded risk takers

Established companies are now adopting the approach of harboring virtual marketing departments where no employee needs to come to the office. Remotely working people are productive since:

  • They have more exposure than their indoor peers
  • They can take risks without fear
  • Work in a stress-free environment
  • They are an open-minded lot

Look at in-house marketers, do they have time for learning about the latest brand promotion, content curation, SEO or social media interaction? You bet they do not. How can they when there are mountains of daily tasks that leave them with little room to evolve, change and grow?

Massive investment in trending and current tools

On the contrary, virtual marketing deparments allows agencies the opportunity to invest their time and monetary resources in learning about trends, technologies and existing options. They have endless learning opportunities and do not charge you anything extra for this. Recall that at the onset, we mentioned something to do with working remotely. Not having a physical office helps channel the resultant savings to clients.

No fretting over marketers’ salaries and benefits

Looking at marketing from a cost perspective, marketing professionals do not come cheap. If you decide to hire a fully-fledged team here’s a sneak peek of what you might need:

  • Web designer
  • SEO marketer
  • Graphic designer
  • Marketing manager
  • Social media manager
  • Content writer

If you decide to pay these professionals a salary, you cough up to between $300,000 and $400,000 a year. Mark you, these are only the basic emoluments. There are other staffing costs such as training, paid vacation and health care. Hey, do not forget days where you lose productivity when employees call in sick and those that go on maternal leave. Virtual marketing department professionals do not cost this much. Instead, an agency will negotiate a retainer or stick with agency commission.

Tapping into the hitherto discovered internet potential

Much of brand promotion these days takes place online; that is an undeniable fact. Here then comes the problem; the internet is home to billions of websites and a similar number of information-hungry consumers. How do you draw their attention? Some of the tactics you need include:

  • Newsletters
  • Posting key-word optimized blogs
  • Banner Ads
  • Running online events to gauge customer interest
  • Creating content that links your URL
  • Converting leads to sales

The result is that you not only get traffic but you also need to use it valuably and quickly. In-house marketers may find it overwhelming since they must keep shunting from strategy to monitoring and evaluation. However, leave this task to a virtual team, and you will be surprised at the results.

Virtual marketers as a one-stop shop

For any campaign to succeed, you cannot separate marketing and strategy. A virtual marketing department offers you:

  1. Top-notch Communication

If you want to grow your customer base and increase sales, you must keep differentiating your value. Sadly, if customers are unaware of the added benefit, they remain adamant. Assume that you are in the soft drinks industry and would like to offer your product in a slightly higher quantity but at the same price. Your target consumers need to know this, and it can only come from a carefully executed strategy.

  1. Analysis of the market

To understand your market, you must go out of your way and conduct market research. Part of it involves interviews, questionnaires and brand activations. If done intensely, the feedback helps in understanding what customers want. Moreover, you can use this information in tailoring your strategy in future.

  1. Development of advertising tools

One of the principles of marketing is to keep bombarding your prospects with brand images and information. You could use print or TV ads, digital signage, billboards and online banners. As the people on the ground, virtual marketing departments help you create content that targets your niche or audience explicitly.

  1. Search engine optimization (SEO)

Building a website is a step in the right direction. However, you should not sit comfortably thinking that you have now hit a goldmine. The site needs optimizing, i.e. getting the consumer to find it in an online search. Marketing professionals use different approaches for this, but the most basic is by use of keywords.

  1. Management of advertising budgets

Usually, businesses set aside enormous budgets for marketing purposes. Unfortunately, much of this ends up getting wasted owing to poor strategy, using unnecessary media and targeting the wrong people. However, virtual marketing departments help cut you the slack by devising well-researched and meaningful advertisement. You may have good ideas but fail to capture the right channels. Part of the dilemma could be:

  • How do you get your ad to run on TV?
  • Must the advertisement be on TV, why not radio?
  • Is internet a better option than other channels?
  • Would a billboard do any better?

To answer these questions, professional marketers have in their stable media managers, planners, executives and buyers. Since they engage with media platform owners on a day-to-day basis, they can expertly identify what serves you best. Besides, you stand to benefit from discounted rates and well-placed ads where target audiences will see them. Such an approach saves you money and yields better returns on investment.

Independent contractors, reduced operating costs

With a virtual marketing agency running your advertisement needs, you save a great deal of business operating costs. First, there are no full-time employees to keep in mind. Second, you do not have to worry about salaries, medical care and other benefits. Running an advertising campaign involves other costs like the use of graphic design software, shooting a TV commercial, photography and so on. Marketing agencies either have these resources or know where to find them cost-effectively. Since they engage these services on a large-scale basis, you do not spend much money as compared to what you could have paid if you went out solo.

Wrap-up

The fact that virtual marketing departments are the future of advertising is not in dispute. Remotely working marketers are free-minded people who are not held back by rigid rules in an organization. They are free to brainstorm and try different things before finding out what works. At the same time, they are not afraid of taking risks. You have nothing to lose here since you are a recipient of the final product.

The future of marketing belongs to those entrepreneurs that have invested in the right tools that have kept up with the present times. Moreover, rental office space can be costly and inconvenient. Virtual marketers are flexible enough and can work from anywhere if they have laptops and fast internet connectivity.

Regarding remuneration, marketers command high rates. Hiring your in-house team is costly and could pose an organizational challenge. However, with an independent group for your assistance, it is none of your business how they manage their affairs. All you care about is that they deliver on the agreed objectives.

The internet remains mostly untapped. From where you sit as a business owner, there are areas you have never ventured into and perhaps, never will. A virtual marketing department brings together talented individuals who are at the top of their game. Each one is a specialist in SEO, social media, graphic design, ad placement, analytics and so on.

Besides, these professionals are like a one-stop shop where you get everything you need under one roof. Once you hire them, you not only enjoy economies of scale but also stand to benefit from a wealth of experience in a cost affordable way.

You can, therefore, see why virtual marketing departments are the future. Advertising is dynamic such that what works today may not be viable tomorrow. You need people that keep adapting to change and innovation. Of primary concern is getting value for money without spending more than you had initially budgeted.

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8 Reasons To Hire A Virtual Marketing Agency

Running business operations requires much effort and time. It could leave you exhausted and at times, you end up with little or no enthusiasm. To avoid burning out just when you badly need results, you need to outsource some of the critical functions. Presently, everyone has embraced digital technology, and if your entity is not in line, you may end up lagging behind in your line of business. However, computer-driven media does not necessarily mean ditching the old platforms such as print media. Nonetheless, marketing can take many forms, but it is the digital ones that have a high potential for results.

How virtual agencies work

As the name suggests, virtual marketing agencies do not operate from a brick and mortar office. Every professional hired by the entity works remotely, but they are all interconnected online. If one has got internet linked via back office software, the workflow does not get interrupted. However, from time to time, the team needs to, and they do indeed meet up to map out their clients’ strategies. Their meeting place can be anywhere from your boardroom to a coffee break at an eatery.

Remain relevant

Whether you have any marketing background or not, you don’t need to be told that you must carry out intensive industry research. Launching a campaign of any magnitude without studying consumer behavior can have a severe backlash. You must understand the industry. Take for instance the print magazine that people used to love. Most of them have now stopped publishing hard copies and have moved their publications online. If you are in this sector, it would be detrimental to continue churning out volumes of papers and taking them to newsstands. Few people will buy them, but there are millions of readers online. Marketing agencies know about these developments and can guide you on the right strategies to adopt.

Does this leave you feeling scared of losing out in the competition? If so, there are compelling reasons for you to hire a virtual marketing agency.

 

You tap into the endless creativity

Virtual marketers can be a weird lot. If you have never met them, you should walk into their offices one day. They are the type of guys that come to work dressed in rugged jeans and t-shirts. You hardly see creatives adorning in suits and ties. However, you should not mistake this for a fun club since these are some of the most talented people you could ever meet. Their diversity regarding education and work experience makes them the go-to persons. Furthermore, their technological know-how and innovation in solving problems are second to none. Their teams come fully equipped with:

  • Creative directors
  • Skilled graphic designers
  • Copywriters
  • Media buyers
  • Media planners
  • Office assistants

 

Competitor evaluation

Virtual marketing agencies have an in-depth knowledge of the market where businesses operate. They know the approaches that work as well as those that do not. Following an intensive interaction with different clients, they can quickly adopt strategies that can easily turn around your fortunes. Take for instance campaigns that target millennials. Placing print ads for such a group might result in their getting ignored. However, buying media on online social platforms will get the attention of these youngsters. Only an outsourced agency can evaluate and know this. The marketers will:

  • Help identify where your target audience hangs out
  • Determine the most appealing content
  • Streamline your campaigns on social media
  • They research on keywords, analytics and search management

 

No staffing headaches

To succeed in your marketing efforts, you must be consistent. An employee who suddenly falls ill when you are running a crucial campaign can ruin everything. That person who takes leave of absence for unavoidable circumstances could be the best that you have. For example, he or she might be the only one who understands how to curate content and optimize blogs. Besides, the timing of their leave could coincide with an important festive season when you had hoped to cash in on consumer spending. With a marketing agency, such worries do not exist.

  • No need to carry out recruitment, the agency hires its team
  • Agencies have their way of dealing with staffing issues
  • If one of their employees falls sick or goes on leave, that becomes none of your concerns
  • With a virtual agency by your side, none of the matters affecting employees can bring your campaigns to a halt. You expect them to deliver come rain or shine

 

Data analysis, monitoring and research

Following the emergence of internet platforms, there is a high potential for gathering data and analyzing it to your advantage. An in-house team may not be of much help here. However, digital marketing agencies go out of their way to study and gather market information. They finance or procure data on consumer behavior. Out of the results, they identify trends that help in understanding why people opt for product B as compared to C or the other way around. With such feedback, virtual marketing agencies, can restructure your web content and ensure that prospective clients visit and engage your company by buying your product or service.

  • All you need is develop key performance indicators and share them with the marketers
  • They then figure out performance against your measures
  • Agencies identify metrics that they can monitor in different channels
  • They provide you with reports on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis

 

No training needed

Agencies come fully equipped with a team of content writers, web developers, marketers, media monitors, graphic designers, SEO professionals, you name it. If you were to hire all these yourself, it could end up being a huge gamble or counterproductive. Moreover, such people may take time to fit into your organization’s culture. This is not the case with an outsourced marketing agency. They come fully loaded with a skilled team that is passionate about what they do. You do not need to take them for seminars or hire people to train them. On the contrary, they are always ready and raring to go; all you need is to give them a little shove by way of a briefing.

  • You save money that could have gone to staff training
  • The company saves time that could have gone towards arranging for seminars
  • There is no need to invest in software

 

The aspect of an outside perspective

Employees working inside an organization may not have a wide knowledge of what goes on outside. On the other hand, someone could be having brilliant ideas but holds them for fear of making his or her bosses look bad. Marketing agencies consist of people who brainstorm consistently and come up with solutions on how best to achieve results. They approach your problems from the outside view; a consumer’s eye. It might be difficult for you to ‘step out’ of your organization for a while and look at it from the other side. Virtual marketers are your best bet.

  • You eliminate bias and promote out-of-the-box thinking
  • People no longer remain frozen in the notion that they can keep doing things the same way as before
  • An outsider sees things differently since they do not know you or any of your employees

 

Helps you focus your energy where needed

Running successful online marketing campaigns requires hiring an experienced and deeply motivated team. Plus, you need to re-focus your attention towards ensuring that the new hires understand what you do on a day-to-day basis. All this takes time and you could spend much money on in-house training. Your efforts could result in strained resources and reduced profits. Why not let a virtual agency take the burden? The resources you could have spent can go a long way towards growing other aspects of your business. With an outsourced marketer, you only must appraise them on your needs, objectives and timelines. You need not train or manage anyone.

  • Running a business requires your commitment, time, and energy
  • Agencies have all the time to run marketing aspects on your behalf since that is their area of specialization.
  • They take time to understand your business and deploy measures for the right marketing tactics

 

Reduces costs significantly

When faced with the prospect of outsourcing or grooming an in-house team, many organizations make comparisons and opt for the latter. However, you eventually realize that a virtual agency is less costly. Do you know why? Part of the reason is that these agencies do not have physical offices. Their employees work from home most of the time. They can even meet at a coffee house and develop a strategy in no time. As a result, they charge you a retainer or commission that is much lower than what you would have paid your internal team. Another cost aspect is that you need not subscribe to marketing tools available online. Most agencies already have them.

  • Virtual agents do not have to work from an office
  • They pay no rent for use of premises
  • No need for them to buy furniture or office equipment
  • Every team member works from the comfort of their home or wherever they feel most productive
  • Part of their cost comes from internet subscriptions or online coordination tools
  • They pass these benefits over to their clients through reduced fees

 

In a nutshell

Many companies prefer to hire in-house marketers, and with good reasons. Part of this stems from the fact that insiders know the brand better than others. Besides, they live, breath and eat the organization’s culture which makes it hard for outsiders to match these aspects. However, having an external point of view helps expand your vision. The level of expertise found in virtual marketers is unmatchable. These are people drawn from the best pool of professionals in the industry. They bring with them unrestricted passion and the desire for results.

At the same time, outsourced agencies are more in touch with reality. They view your business from an outsider’s point of view and with no bias. Ordinarily, your in-house team may feel constrained by the fear of making you feel disappointed. Also, every so often, an employee will fall sick or take leave, and you cannot deny them this. It will be a massive setback if the person who goes away is the one you highly depend on to drive the advertising strategy.

Agencies have their unique way of procuring data from their peers or carrying out their research. They use an array of tools that would be expensive if you were doing it alone. Fortunately, they can leverage this by offering you up to date statistics that are measured and found to work. Hiring your team also means that you must take them through training and induction. Virtual marketers need none of this as they come fully equipped and only need a briefing on your expectations.

Running a business requires focus with no room for distraction. In-house marketers can divert your attention, and by the time you come around, you will have lost much ground to competitors. Agencies take and bear the burden for you. Someone else receives the beating and fights to get you ahead. In the meantime, you are more than happy to concentrate on your area of specialization. You only begin to see results trickling in as if by magic.

Every organization worries about cost minimization versus revenue maximization. Here, a virtual marketing agency is your best bet. Outsourcing your marketing work can significantly reduce your running costs. Since these professionals save money by way of not having a physical office, they pass these benefits to your company.

Lastly, by their position in the market, virtual agencies are more in touch with reality than you. They keep up with the current trends and are also on the lookout for emerging ones. Reputable agencies will tell you what strategies can work well in the present. They bring new perspectives into things you were doing before but yielding little or no results. They can determine where to find your audience and target it correctly. In the end, your brand remains relevant.

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Nashville HubSpot Partners: Hire A Virtual Inbound Marketing Agency

As technology changes, so does the efficiency in the approach that many businesses use to attract and engage with their clients. In the past, the only way to attract as well as engage with customers was using sign hanged in strategic places where passers-by would see it. If one customer was satisfied with the results and services, they would recommend their friends and family members, and that is how businesses survived before the technology era. However, a lot has changed following the introduction of the digital era; nowadays, a sign in front of your office or store is not going to attract customers to you. Your online presence can play a significant role in breaking or making your business.

With better inbound marketing strategies, you can grow your online presence tremendously. What is inbound marketing? Inbound is the practice of using social media, SEO, events, blogs, and content marketing among others to pull marketing, create awareness of  a certain brand, as well as attract new clients. It differs from outbound marketing in that in the case of outbound marketing, the marketers are the one who looks for new business, while in inbound marketing customers are attracted to your business by having solutions to the problems they are experiencing. Nowadays, inbound marketing has become a significant aspect of any business’s success, which makes hiring a virtual inbound marketing agency an important decision for any organization –small or large.

Factors to consider when hiring a HubSpot partner agency

During the initial periods following the launch of the HubSpot partner program, finding a partner agency with the necessary qualification was challenging for customers. The fact that the number of certified partner agencies was low implies that there were only a few options to way when choosing which agency to hire. Things have changed as there are numerous agencies to choose who have diverse qualifications. Nevertheless, such a change has seen the growth of the partnership program including the incorporation of great inbound marketing agencies which bring in the need to be more considerate when choosing the agency to hire.

Here are a few factors to consider when hiring a Hubspot partner:

HubSpot and Inbound Expertise: Does the agency have any certifications from HubSpot? Agencies certified by HubSpot have the appropriate level of training to assure you exceptional inbound marketing services. Are there any accomplishments the agency has as a partner of HubSpot? In addition, how can you rate their inbound marketing knowledge? The best agency to hire for inbound marketing should have a full commitment to inbound as the core focus of their services.

Capabilities: One of the first things that you should consider when considering the services of an inbound marketing agency is your goals and objectives. The capability of the agency to achieve your marketing goals and objectives is what should drive your decision to hire any agency. What is the agency able to achieve? Depending on your marketing needs, you can consider an agency specializing in planning and research, SEO analysis and execution, ability to plan and develop content, designing and developing websites, etc.

The team: It is important that you have clear information about the team you will be working with after you hire any agency. Meeting the team beforehand gives you the option of evaluating their suitability for your needs. Do they have the necessary experience and expertise –how are their resumes? It is advisable that you evaluate the experience and skills of the individuals prior to engaging any agency since to avoid tasking the wrong team.

Agency’s business processes: Each inbound marketing agency seems to have diverse approaches to marketing. In most of the cases, marketing agencies work hard to improve their processes to ensure efficiency in serving their customers. Nevertheless, not every business process you will be introduced to has gone through the necessary vetting. As such, it is important to interrogate the agency’s processes to be sure that they have the ability to support the services you are looking for. The best agency for your needs should have the ability and experience dealing with clients with needs like yours.

Relevant success: The best way to evaluate an agency’s capability is to review their past work –does it have a track record of success? Look at any case studies the agency has and review whether the services they offered and the results align with what you want. Do not be convinced by just looking at one case study –you need a lot from a marketing agency and their ability to deliver should be reflected in their success stories.

Technologies and tools: The tools and technologies that any marketing agency uses are an important factor to consider when choosing the suitability of an agency for your needs. You need to evaluate such tools against their ability to help you achieve your marketing goals and objectives. For example, an agency that uses the HubSpot software stands a better chance to provide inbound marketing services in comparison to another that does not. The reason for this is that HubSpot integrates different marketing tools for effective management of all online marketing campaigns.

Benefits of hiring Hubspot certified virtual inbound marketing agency

Now that you have a glimpse of what it takes to hire the best inbound marketing agency, what benefits should you expect from a HubSpot certified virtual inbound marketing agency?

Cost savings: Maintaining an in-house team of employees is expensive. You have a lot of overhead costs to take care of, as opposed to engaging a virtual marketing agency.

Diversity of expertise: A virtual inbound marketing agency brings in a team of experts in different aspects of marketing. Such diversity is an added advantage when it comes to the management of different marketing tasks such as social media, SEO, blogging, web design, etc,.

Cutting edge technologies and tools: HubSpot is an integrated software that offers different tools and applications for the management of diverse marketing campaigns and needs.

Inbound marketing has become a relevant marketing strategy in the phase of the increasing competition. It helps businesses create content that aims at solving certain problems faced by customers. If done appropriately, inbound marketing stands a better chance of improving businesses’ ROI. Hiring a Nashville HubSpot certified partner gives you a better platform to boost your sales. However, it is important to take time to review and evaluate the available agencies before hiring any.

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Virtual Marketing Agency: Get The Talent – Not The Price Tag

Whether you are operating as an individual, or a company, one of the important goals you might have is to get clients worthy of your time and service. As such, sitting in your office or any other workstation and doing nothing will not guarantee you such clients –you need to look for the right clients. Effective marketing requires the input of different marketing strategies tied to the objectives of the given company. While the best strategies are costly, it is a relief to most companies since they are assured of better services and the achievement of their set goals. Virtual marketing departments has become a significant way through which companies and individuals spread awareness about their products and services to the right audience. It is essential to get the best virtual marketing agency for your business. Effective marketing will ensure your clients get your services, increase your sales and also ensure you have a high return on investment. This article provides an in-depth review of the importance of focusing on talent, and not the price, when hiring virtual marketing agencies.

Hiring a talented virtual marketer is beneficial for any organization

The advancement in technology, despite having brought better approaches in marketing, has created avenues for competition. While competition is healthy for any business, it is important to put a lot of emphasis on the type of marketing experts they will engage. Virtual marketing relies heavily on talent and expertise to get the required results in an organization. Apart from its flexibility, virtual marketing has several other benefits including low overhead since the virtual agency will not ask for a physical office in your organization. With or without an office room, what matters most for any marketing agency is service delivery. Helping clients grow their businesses and make more sales is the goal of every marketing agency.

Get the Talent – Not The Price Tag

Many factors influence any company’s decision when hiring a virtual marketing agency. One of such factors is the budget. Different marketing agencies have a variety of charges for their services –some are high, others are low. Often, the expertise and level of talent of the marketers determine how much the agency charges for services. Usually, everybody would be willing to get the best deal, which literally translates to low charges. It is not possible to pay low for high quality work –normally the quality of work to expect determines the cost. Companies that charge a high price give you the assurance that their services are top notch and will guarantee you the attainment of the set goals and objectives. If a company charges low on their marketing services, it should sound as a warning that you should expect to get low quality services as well. The implication is that the quality of services to expect and the price tag have a direct proportionality relation. The higher the price tag, the higher the quality of service. As such, it is important to focus majorly on getting a virtual marketing agency that can guarantee you high quality work at whatever cost. After all, cheap is expensive. Getting your projects done shoddily just because it is cheap can have you pay dearly.

What are the benefits of hiring a talented virtual marketing agency?

Talent is an important factor to consider when hiring any virtual marketing agency. What capacities does the agency have to warrant their success in handling different clients’ work? You can get numerous benefits from hiring a virtual marketing agency on the basis of the talent as opposed to the price tag. Here are some of those benefits:

You get the agency that your company needs: did you know there is that company or individual that you need to engage but won’t have them on board if your focus is the price tag? If you overlook the cost, you are assured to hire a marketing agency that has the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet your specific needs and goals of the organization.

You are assured of significant growth in your business: What is the benefit of saving on the price of hiring an experienced marketer only to stagnate in your business? You need an agency that has the right skills to guarantee you the necessary growth.

Benefit from a plethora of talents: marketing agencies comprise of different people with diverse talents and capabilities. It is essential to consider the expertise that virtual marketing agencies will bring to your business to steer it towards the right direction as far as getting clients is concerned. Usually, a large number of virtual marketing agencies combine a variety of marketing approaches like content marketing to achieve your goals and objectives. Content marketing is an excellent marketing strategy for every marketing agency. Optimizing your services for high ranking in the search engines is essential for growing your business.

Talent enhances client acquisition: The goal of every businessperson is to satisfy clients as they offer them excellent services that help them build their business. Would you care about the price you would have to pay to grow and significantly increase your returns? You will probably not. Hiring virtual marketing agencies that have great talent will help you acquire quality leads for your business.

High return on investment: Getting the right kind of virtual agency to market your brand can result in a high return on investment. However, such agencies will have a higher price tag on their services due to the quality of services they will deliver. Nevertheless, when the quality is high, you can rest assured of a higher ROI.

Conclusion

It is an undeniable fact that virtual marketing is driving businesses’ success. While every business individual hopes to get the best from any marketing agency, it is important to note that such services depend on efficient combination of talent and cost. If you are looking for the best services, it is important to focus on the expertise of the marketing expert you are engaging as opposed to how much they are charging. Invest heavily on the talent and you will be assured of better marketing results.

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Nashville-America’s Next Creative Boomtown

Nashville: America’s Next Creative Boomtown

When you work remotely, you can work anywhere that suits you… and one city that suits us fine is Nashville, Tennessee, where Social Link Marketing keeps watch on our teams, strategy, and accounts. You know it as the home of hot chicken, hot records, and hot summers. But it’s also one of the nation’s hottest opportunities for creative capital and tech investment. It’s not just that we like the music (okay, we love the music). We happen to think that Nashville’s seriously happening. Here’s a few reasons to come visit us and see why.

100 People a Day Can’t Be Wrong

Nashville metro saw a 36,667 population increase in 2016. We’re talking net gain. That puts the Music City’s 2% annual growth in the same league as Charlotte (2%), Denver (1.6%), and Atlanta (1.6%).

Investors Love Us

According to CityLab, Nashville ranked No. 22 in the nation for venture capital deals in 2017 and made No. 7 on the Milken Institute’s list for growth in employment opportunities, wages, and technology. Three startup accelerators make their home here. Considering that the rent in San Francisco is 150% higher, we think Nashville’s a better bet for businesses looking to expand.

Smart and Diverse

Forbes ranked Nashville No. 3 in its review of “The Next Biggest Boom Towns in The U.S.” on a number of factors: low housing prices, pro-business environment, rapid growth in educated migrants, and an increasingly diverse population. All of this is great news for tech industries.

Creative Communities

Tech is coming to Nashville, but the creatives were always here. Put them together and we’ll make some magic. Nashville is home to art, theatre, high-fashion design, artisanal food, handcrafted musical instruments, and a thriving community outreach. We know this for a fact—we’ve helped a lot of these businesses build sales close to home and far away.

It’s Sacred Ground

We’re not just talking about the Parthenon replica in Centennial Park, although that’s pretty awesome. The Ryman Auditorium (the “Mother Church” of country music), RCA’s historic Studio B, The Bluebird Cafe, and international songwriting festivals make Nashville a music lover’s Holy Land.

We’ll Feed You

Our food events are more fun (Hot Chicken Festival, anyone?), east side restaurants are taking off, we’re home to multiple craft breweries, and we’ll stake our food trucks against Austin’s any day. And speaking of those guys…

The Next What?

We love Austin, too—but can they claim the best bathroom in America or a forty-foot statue of Athena? Not to mention that WalletHub named us No. 1 for women-owned businesses (Austin’s hating life at No. 72). Maybe that does make Nashville the next Austin… we prefer to think of Austin as the previous us.

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Nashville is just one of many great cities where we’re helping clients build business. Wherever you are, we’ll put your virtual marketing department to work for you. Get in touch and let’s get started!

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Tips on Helping Your Website Visitors To Convert

Building Sites That Convert | Social Link

Is Your Site Converting Sales?

The first generation of business sites was all about building awareness. The second generation was about handling transactions. Tomorrow’s digital marketplace will be dominated by sites that bridge the all-important middle ground between these two ends of the sales funnel: customer conversion. This is where your site truly becomes a working tool for your sales force. Here’s six critical steps to building a site that sells.

#1. Know Who You’re Talking To

Your site doesn’t have to speak to everyone in the same voice. Coordinate your paid search and ad strategy to target customers by profile—geography, age, gender, profession, interests—then build landing pages geared toward their specific needs and interests.

#2. Make It Mobile (But Don’t Diss Desktops)

In spite of the massive growth in mobile usage, only 15% of all sales are made on smartphones. One reason is that many e-commerce sites are simply not optimized for mobile. Is your site truly mobile-adaptive? Are phone numbers set up for tap-to-call? Are payment methods, forms, and product displays simplified for mobile? Does it have location-based and notification features? If not, it’s time to redesign, because there’s one thing an app can do that a desktop can’t: it follows your customer everywhere… even when they’re in your competitors’ stores.

#3. Upgrade Your Content

Your sales force relies on good content just as much as your customers. Videos, blogs, infographics, and social posts are a great way to show your product’s benefits… they’re a great conversation-starters for sales calls… and they’re much more SEO-friendly. Small wonder that content marketing generates more than three times as many leads as outbound marketing (with a conversion rate that’s six times as high).

#4. Go For Relevant

With inbound marketing, the path is as important as the destination. Is your keyword strategy geared to your customer’s immediate needs and interests? Are you clearly showing the difference that your product makes in your customer’s lives? Is your promoted content appropriate to the space it’s filling in your customer’s day? Your site is only effective if your advertising is relevant enough to motivate action.

#5. Make Offers, Not Monologues

Outbound marketing announces; inbound marketing invites. To be effective, every piece of content on your site needs to offer something of value to the customer, and invite an interaction in return. This can take the form of shareable content, an email sign-up, product upsells, or loyalty premiums. Don’t settle for explanations. Start conversations.

#6. Keep Them Talking

One of the oldest rules of selling is still valid: the longer you keep the conversation going, the more likely you are to make a sale. With sophisticated email marketing, cart abandonment doesn’t have to be the end of the road. You can pinpoint the timing and content of emails to your customer’s buying patterns, make special offers, and guide them back to more relevant content.

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We build sites (and campaigns) that build sales! One call is all it takes to put your virtual marketing department to work for you. Get in touch and let’s get started!

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10 Nashville Internet Marketing Trends

Nashville internet marketing trends

With Nashville’s tourism market at an all-time high, we thought it might be worth noting 10 Nashville internet marketing trends to watch. Getting involved in current internet marketing trends could mean the difference between your business making a profit and going into the red. Up your game by looking out for these 10 internet marketing trends:

1) Video Marketing

With the number of tech businesses in Nashville steadily climbing, it makes sense for business owners to include video in their marketing strategy. As business leader Angus Andrew says, “The play button is becoming the most compelling call-to-action on the web.” Why is this? Experts believe that video marketing content is more appealing to people than written content, because of its entertainment value. It also allows tech companies and other businesses to show their customers, and potential customers, what they have to offer and what they are working on to build excitement. It’s a common misconception that video marketing is out of reach for small businesses; the fact is, it’s easier now than ever to create videos for the web with apps such as Magisto and Vimeo.

2) Social Networking Tools

Social networking sites are invaluable marketing tools, because they enable professionals to connect with each other worldwide. Networking sites, such as LinkedIn, give Nashville employers the opportunity to connect with people who could be potential candidates for a job. It’s important for small businesses to take part in social networking sites to spread the word about their growing company. If a business makes dozens of professional connections online, it will increase word-of-mouth and consequently, sales.

3) Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have become leaders of current marketing trends, and the numbers don’t seem to be going down any time soon. The reason is simple: Customers like to be treated like people. Social media sites enable businesses to connect with the customers on a personal level. People are sick of in-your-face advertisements and pushy calls-to-action – they want to see that your business has a human behind it, and jumping on board with social media platforms is the perfect way to show that.

4) Facebook Pay Per Click (PPC)

More than 1 billion people are currently active on Facebook. With those kinds of numbers, it’s no wonder Nashville business owners have begun to take advantage of the Facebook Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign. PPC is an internet advertising model used on websites. It’s different from other advertising campaigns because PPC advertisers only pay their host when their ad is clicked. More and more people are turning toward Facebook PPC because it allows business owners to keep track of how much they want to spend on advertising on a day-to-day basis.

5) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Every small business should be concerned with their market’s SEO. For those who haven’t heard of it, search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of getting website traffic through “natural” or “organic” results that have been earned by the website in real time. Payment isn’t involved, unlike paid search ads, so SEO cannot be changed based on a business’ budget. There are many reasons your small business should invest in SEO – it promotes readability, user-friendliness, and the overall success of your website.

6) Mobile Optimization

People are spending more and more time on mobile devices each year. Studies have shown that mobile media time has exceeded desktop and other media time. Ensuring that you take full advantage of the booming mobile optimization market can be a key factor in the success of your business. Mobile optimization is applied to your business’s website to ensure its design, page layout, download speed, and other factors are all working to their fullest extent. In today’s world, a business whose website doesn’t translate well onto a mobile device signals to customers that the business may be behind the times.

7) Blogs

What is commonly referred to in the digital realm as the “blogosphere” is an important internet marketing trend to be a part of in Nashville. Blogging promotes an up-to-date, progressive feel for your business’s website and allows customers to be notified continuously about what your business is currently promoting, selling, studying, etc. The best business blogs, such as the popular blog for the Owner Media Group, focus on informing their customers based on what interests them. Blogs are meant to show your customers that your small business is interested in its customers and that your business is relevant.

 

8) Content Marketing

If you haven’t already, now is the time to jump on the content-marketing bandwagon. Small businesses have seen a generous upsurge in business after paying more attention to the content of their web pages. It may seem obvious, but with better content comes more readers. Websites that offer smart, engaging content and valuable information, like the ever-popular how-to articles, get an increase in website traffic, which of course leads to more business. Gone are the days when a business website can be business only – it’s time to embrace an age of truly interesting content.

9) Email Marketing

Email marketing is making a significant comeback – in the last few years, small businesses have wised up to the fact that people don’t read redundant emails. Instead, businesses are sending emails that are full of content that their customers actually want to read. Much like content marketing, email marketing is becoming more about connecting with customers, not just another sales pitch.

 

10) Wearable Technology

Places like Nashville’s Entrepreneur Center are promoting a sense of technological growth throughout the local business sphere. In this era of tech growth, the Number 1 most predicted trend for 2016 is wearable technology. This includes devices such as the Apple watch and Xiaomi, which allow the user to wear the device they’re using. Wearable technology has been on the upswing due to easy of use, a heightened sense of fashion, and being able to combine technological devices to be more productive.