Category: Social Media Marketing

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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 Marketing Uncategorized

Mastering Social Media Analytics: How to Properly Assess Your Performance

AI being used for marketing.

Social media is a powerful tool for businesses to engage with their audience, build brand awareness, and drive sales. However, to truly harness the potential of social media, it’s crucial to understand and assess your performance through social media analytics. This blog will guide you on how to properly evaluate your social media analytics and why it’s essential for your business’s success.

Why Social Media Analytics Matter

Social media analytics provide valuable insights into how your content is performing, who your audience is, and what strategies are working. By analyzing this data, you can make informed decisions to optimize your social media strategy, enhance engagement, and achieve your marketing goals. Here’s why social media analytics are vital:

  1. Performance Measurement: Understand how well your social media campaigns are performing against your objectives.
  2. Audience Insights: Gain a deeper understanding of your audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviors.
  3. Content Optimization: Identify which types of content resonate most with your audience and refine your content strategy accordingly.
  4. ROI Calculation: Measure the return on investment (ROI) of your social media efforts and allocate resources more effectively.
  5. Competitive Analysis: Benchmark your performance against competitors to identify opportunities and stay ahead.

Key Metrics to Track

When assessing social media analytics, it’s important to focus on the metrics that align with your business goals. Here are some key metrics to track:

  1. Reach and Impressions: Measure how many people have seen your content (reach) and how many times it has been viewed (impressions).
  2. Engagement: Track likes, comments, shares, and saves to gauge how your audience is interacting with your content.
  3. Follower Growth: Monitor the increase or decrease in your follower count over time to understand your audience growth.
  4. Click-Through Rate (CTR): Calculate the percentage of people who clicked on your links or calls-to-action.
  5. Conversion Rate: Measure the number of social media interactions that result in desired actions, such as website visits, sign-ups, or purchases.
  6. Sentiment Analysis: Analyze the tone and sentiment of comments and mentions to understand public perception of your brand.

Steps to Properly Assess Social Media Analytics

  1. Define Your Goals: Start by setting clear, measurable goals for your social media efforts. These could include increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or boosting sales.
  2. Choose the Right Tools: Utilize social media analytics tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, and third-party platforms like Hootsuite or Sprout Social to gather data.
  3. Collect Data Regularly: Consistently monitor your social media metrics to track progress and identify trends. Set a regular schedule for reporting, whether it’s weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
  4. Analyze Patterns: Look for patterns and trends in your data to understand what’s working and what’s not. Pay attention to spikes in engagement or drops in followers to pinpoint the cause.
  5. Adjust Your Strategy: Use your insights to refine your social media strategy. Experiment with different types of content, posting times, and engagement tactics to see what drives the best results.
  6. Benchmark Performance: Compare your performance against industry standards and competitors to gauge your success and identify areas for improvement.
  7. Report and Communicate: Share your findings with your team or stakeholders to ensure everyone is aligned and aware of your social media performance and strategy adjustments.

Ready to Elevate Your Social Media Strategy?

Properly assessing your social media analytics is key to driving continuous improvement and achieving your marketing goals. At Social Link, we specialize in helping businesses unlock the full potential of their social media efforts through comprehensive analytics and tailored strategies.Discover how our expert team can help you optimize your social media performance and achieve your business objectives. Visit Social Link to learn more about our social media analytics services.

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Social Media Marketing

The Ultimate Guide to Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has become a powerful strategy for brands looking to expand their reach, build trust, and engage with their target audience in a more authentic way. By leveraging the influence of social media personalities, brands can tap into existing communities and enhance their marketing efforts. This guide will walk you through how to acquire influencers, when to use them, and best practices for a successful influencer marketing campaign.

What is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing involves collaborating with influencers—individuals with a significant following on social media platforms—to promote products or services. These influencers have the power to affect the purchasing decisions of their audience due to their authority, knowledge, or relationship with their followers.

How to Acquire Influencers

1. Identify Your Goals

Before reaching out to influencers, it’s crucial to define what you want to achieve with your campaign. Whether it’s brand awareness, driving sales, or launching a new product, having clear goals will help you choose the right influencers and measure the success of your campaign.

2. Find the Right Influencers

Selecting the right influencers is key to the success of your campaign. Here are some steps to help you find suitable influencers:

  • Define Your Audience: Understand who your target audience is and find influencers who cater to that demographic.
  • Research Platforms: Different influencers are popular on different platforms. Choose the platform that aligns with your brand and where your audience spends most of their time.
  • Evaluate Influencer Metrics: Look beyond follower count. Assess engagement rates, the authenticity of their audience, and the quality of their content.

3. Build Relationships

Engage with potential influencers by commenting on their posts, sharing their content, and communicating with them directly. Building a genuine relationship can lead to a more authentic and effective collaboration.

4. Negotiate Terms

Discuss the terms of the partnership, including deliverables, timelines, and compensation. Make sure both parties have a clear understanding of expectations to avoid any misunderstandings.

When to Use Influencer Marketing

Product Launches

Influencers can create buzz around a new product launch, generating excitement and anticipation among their followers. They can showcase the product in use, share their first impressions, and encourage their audience to check it out.

Brand Awareness

If your goal is to increase brand awareness, collaborating with influencers who have a large and engaged following can help you reach a broader audience. Influencers can introduce your brand to their followers, making them more aware of your products or services.

Seasonal Campaigns

Seasonal campaigns, such as holiday promotions or back-to-school sales, can benefit from influencer marketing. Influencers can highlight how your products fit into these seasonal themes, driving interest and sales.

Special Events

Leverage influencers to promote special events such as webinars, product demos, or brand anniversaries. Influencers can help attract attendees and create content around the event, amplifying your reach.

Best Practices for Influencer Marketing

1. Authenticity is Key

Ensure that the influencers you work with align with your brand values and can promote your products authentically. Audiences are quick to spot inauthentic endorsements, which can harm your brand’s reputation.

2. Provide Creative Freedom

While it’s important to communicate your campaign goals and guidelines, give influencers creative freedom to present your brand in a way that resonates with their audience. This approach leads to more genuine and engaging content.

3. Measure Results

Track the performance of your influencer campaigns by monitoring metrics such as engagement, reach, website traffic, and sales conversions. Use these insights to refine your strategy and improve future campaigns.

4. Maintain Long-Term Relationships

Building long-term relationships with influencers can lead to more effective partnerships. Continuously engaging with influencers helps maintain authenticity and trust, which can result in more impactful campaigns over time.

Conclusion

Influencer marketing offers a powerful way to connect with your audience and enhance your marketing efforts. By carefully selecting the right influencers, setting clear goals, and following best practices, you can create successful influencer marketing campaigns that drive significant results.Ready to elevate your marketing strategy with influencer marketing? Visit Social Link to learn how our expert team can help you build impactful influencer partnerships and achieve your business goals.

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Nashville Marketing Agency: Revolutionizing the Landscape with AI Marketing Tools

AI marketing agency

Introduction: In today’s fast-paced digital marketing landscape, staying ahead of the competition is crucial for Nashville-based marketing agencies. The use of cutting-edge AI marketing tools has become essential to achieve success and deliver exceptional results. This blog post will delve into the impact of AI tools in marketing, provide insights into the current status of Nashville’s marketing agency scene, and highlight Social Link, a performance-driven and creative agency headquartered in Nashville, with a satellite office in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Social Link offers a comprehensive range of services, including website design, website development, social media management, social media advertising, search engine optimization and marketing, and video marketing. We will explore how Social Link integrates AI tools into their strategies to provide top-notch marketing services to businesses. Throughout this article, we will reference factual statistics from credible sources to support our claims.

I. The Power of AI in Marketing: AI-driven tools have revolutionized the marketing industry, enabling agencies to streamline processes, gain valuable insights, and enhance customer experiences. Let’s delve into the impact of AI in marketing:

  • AI-Driven Automation: AI tools automate repetitive tasks, freeing up valuable time for marketing professionals to focus on strategic initiatives. According to a report by McKinsey, automation can potentially save businesses up to 20% of their marketing budgets while improving overall efficiency[^1]. Automation helps agencies efficiently manage various aspects of their clients’ marketing campaigns, including data analysis, lead generation, and content scheduling. By reducing manual effort and optimizing processes, AI-driven automation empowers marketing agencies to deliver results more effectively.
  • Advanced Customer Insights: AI algorithms can analyze large volumes of customer data, enabling agencies to gain valuable insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and trends. This data-driven approach empowers marketers to develop personalized campaigns and experiences that resonate with their target audience[^2]. By leveraging AI-powered data analytics tools, marketing agencies in Nashville can identify patterns, trends, and actionable insights from customer data. These insights enable agencies to make data-backed decisions, tailor marketing strategies, and optimize campaign performance for their clients.

For instance, AI-powered tools can analyze customer browsing behavior, purchase history, and demographics to create detailed customer profiles. These profiles can then be used to segment the audience and develop highly targeted marketing campaigns. By personalizing content and messaging based on specific customer preferences, marketing agencies can significantly improve customer engagement and conversion rates.

  • Enhanced Personalization: With AI-powered recommendation engines and chatbots, agencies can provide personalized experiences at scale. By tailoring content and interactions based on individual customer preferences, agencies can boost customer satisfaction and drive higher engagement rates[^3]. AI algorithms analyze customer data and behavior to deliver personalized recommendations, content suggestions, and targeted advertisements. This level of personalization helps Nashville marketing agencies create meaningful connections with their clients’ target audience, resulting in increased brand loyalty and improved campaign performance.

AI-powered chatbots are another valuable tool for personalized customer interactions. These virtual assistants can handle customer inquiries, provide product recommendations, and even offer real-time support. By leveraging natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, chatbots can simulate human-like conversations, providing personalized assistance to customers at any time. This level of personalized interaction not only improves customer satisfaction but also allows agencies to gather valuable insights about customer needs and preferences.

II. The Nashville Marketing Agency Scene: Nashville’s marketing agency landscape is characterized by a growing demand for digital marketing services across diverse industries. Here are some key insights about the current scene:

  • Growing Competition: The increasing importance of digital marketing has led to a surge in the number of marketing agencies in Nashville. To differentiate themselves, agencies strive to offer comprehensive services and stay at the forefront of industry trends. As businesses recognize the impact of online presence and digital marketing strategies, the demand for marketing agencies has soared. This has created a highly competitive environment in Nashville, with agencies constantly innovating and evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of their clients.
  • Diverse Industries: Nashville’s marketing agencies cater to a wide range of sectors, including entertainment, healthcare, hospitality, and technology. This diversity allows agencies to develop specialized expertise and tailor their strategies to meet the unique needs of each industry. For instance, healthcare-focused marketing agencies in Nashville leverage AI tools to create targeted campaigns that promote medical services, engage with patients, and enhance brand reputation in the highly competitive healthcare market.
  • Embracing AI Technology: Leading Nashville marketing agencies are embracing AI tools to deliver data-driven insights, improve campaign performance, and drive tangible results for their clients. This adoption of AI technology ensures that agencies remain competitive in an ever-evolving digital landscape. AI-powered tools such as machine learning algorithms, natural language processing, and predictive analytics enable agencies to extract valuable insights from large datasets, optimize marketing campaigns, and provide personalized experiences to their clients’ target audience.

For example, AI-powered analytics tools can help marketing agencies analyze vast amounts of data from multiple sources, including social media, website analytics, and customer relationship management systems. These tools can uncover hidden patterns and correlations within the data, enabling agencies to make informed decisions about marketing strategies and optimize campaign performance. By leveraging AI-powered insights, agencies can refine their targeting, messaging, and content strategies to ensure maximum effectiveness.

III. Social Link: Leading the Way in AI-Driven Marketing: Social Link, a performance-driven marketing agency headquartered in Nashville with a satellite office in Fort Lauderdale, FL, is at the forefront of leveraging AI technology. Let’s explore their range of services and how they integrate AI tools:

  • Website Design and Development: Social Link specializes in creating visually appealing websites that are optimized for performance and search engine visibility. Through AI-powered analytics, they identify user behavior patterns to enhance website design and user experience. AI tools assist in understanding user preferences, optimizing website navigation, and implementing conversion-focused design elements that drive engagement and conversions.

To achieve this, AI-powered tools can analyze user interaction with websites, tracking user paths, click behavior, and time spent on each page. These insights help marketing agencies like Social Link identify areas for improvement and optimize the user experience accordingly. By leveraging AI in website design and development, agencies can create intuitive and user-friendly interfaces that encourage visitor engagement and improve conversion rates.

  • Social Media Management and Advertising: Social Link’s expert team crafts engaging social media strategies and manages social media accounts. They leverage AI tools to analyze user data, optimize ad targeting, and maximize campaign performance. AI-powered social media analytics tools can analyze social media data in real-time, providing insights into customer sentiment, engagement patterns, and content performance. By leveraging these insights, agencies can optimize their social media strategies, identify content opportunities, and create more targeted and engaging social media campaigns.

AI-powered tools can also help agencies automate social media posting, schedule content, and track performance metrics. By utilizing AI algorithms to analyze audience behavior and preferences, agencies can optimize the timing, frequency, and content of their social media posts. This level of automation allows agencies to efficiently manage multiple social media platforms and ensure consistent engagement with their clients’ target audience.

  • Search Engine Optimization and Marketing: Social Link employs AI-powered SEO tools to enhance website rankings, increase organic traffic, and boost conversions. Through data-driven insights, they optimize content, keywords, and metadata to improve search engine visibility. AI-powered SEO tools analyze search engine algorithms, industry trends, and competitor data to identify opportunities for improvement and optimize websites accordingly.

For example, AI-powered tools can perform keyword research, suggesting high-volume and low-competition keywords that can improve a website’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). These tools

In conclusion, the integration of AI marketing tools has revolutionized the Nashville marketing agency landscape, empowering agencies like Social Link to deliver exceptional results and stay ahead of the competition. By leveraging AI-driven automation, advanced customer insights, enhanced personalization, and specialized services, these agencies have positioned themselves as leaders in the industry.

AI tools have the power to automate repetitive tasks, analyze vast amounts of customer data, and provide personalized experiences at scale. Through AI-driven automation, marketing professionals can focus on strategic initiatives while improving overall efficiency. Advanced customer insights derived from AI algorithms enable agencies to understand consumer behavior, preferences, and trends, allowing for personalized campaigns that resonate with the target audience. Enhanced personalization, powered by AI recommendation engines and chatbots, helps agencies deliver tailored experiences that drive higher engagement rates.

The Nashville marketing agency scene is marked by growing competition and a diverse range of industries served. To differentiate themselves, agencies strive to offer comprehensive services and stay at the forefront of industry trends. By embracing AI technology, agencies can deliver data-driven insights, optimize campaign performance, and provide exceptional results for their clients.

Social Link, headquartered in Nashville with a satellite office in Fort Lauderdale, has emerged as a leading agency in AI-driven marketing. Their range of services, including website design, social media management, search engine optimization, and video marketing, leverages AI tools to enhance performance and deliver measurable success. Through AI-powered analytics, Social Link optimizes website design, content, and user experience, resulting in visually appealing websites that drive engagement and conversions. Their social media strategies and advertising campaigns benefit from AI-driven data analysis, ensuring optimized ad targeting and maximizing campaign performance. With AI-powered SEO tools, Social Link enhances website rankings and increases organic traffic, resulting in improved search engine visibility and conversions. Additionally, their fully equipped studio, coupled with AI tools for video editing and analysis, enables businesses to create high-quality video content that resonates with their target audience.

By filling skillset gaps and providing tailored strategies, Social Link delivers measurable results and drives business growth for their clients. The adoption of AI tools allows them to stay at the forefront of the industry, providing cutting-edge marketing strategies and technologies.

In the dynamic landscape of Nashville’s marketing agencies, AI marketing tools have become essential for success. With agencies like Social Link leading the way, businesses can unlock their true marketing potential, engage customers, and achieve exceptional results in the digital age.

Sources:

I apologize for the oversight. Here are the sources for the information mentioned in the blog:

Please refer to these sources for more detailed information and insights into the impact of AI in marketing and the benefits it brings to marketing agencies.

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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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App Development Blog Branding Digital Marketing Email Marketing Online Marketing PPC SEO Social Media Social Media Marketing Web Design Web Development

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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Digital Marketing Online Marketing PPC SEO Social Media Marketing

Internet Marketing Agency in Nashville | Social Link

Are you looking for an internet marketing agency in Nashville to help you grow your business online? You’re in the right place! In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to Social Link, a full-service marketing agency with high-end video capabilities in-house. We’ll cover current trends, our process to get someone to positive ROI, and specific tactics like content that converts, SEO, PPC, social media, video, and good user experiences with website design.

Current Trends in Internet Marketing

The world of Internet marketing is always changing, and it can be challenging to keep up with the latest trends. However, staying on top of these trends is critical to the success of your online marketing efforts. Here are some current trends that we believe are important to consider:

  • The importance of video: Video content is becoming increasingly popular, and businesses that incorporate video into their marketing strategies are seeing great results. According to HubSpot, 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, and 99% of those businesses plan to continue using video in the future.
  • The rise of social media: Social media continues to be an essential part of online marketing. In fact, 54% of social browsers use social media to research products, and 83% of Instagram users say they discover new products on the platform.
  • The impact of mobile: More and more people are accessing the internet on their mobile devices, and businesses need to ensure that their websites are mobile-friendly. In fact, 63% of all website visits in the US come from mobile devices.

Our Process to Get You Positive ROI

At Social Link, our goal is to help our clients achieve positive ROI through our internet marketing strategies. We follow a four-step process to achieve this:

  1. Discovery: We take the time to get to know our clients and their businesses. We’ll ask questions, conduct research, and analyze data to gain a thorough understanding of your industry, target audience, and competition.
  2. Strategy: Once we have a clear understanding of your business, we’ll develop a customized marketing strategy tailored to your specific needs and goals. We’ll identify the tactics that will be most effective for your business, such as content marketing, SEO, PPC, social media, video, and website design.
  3. Implementation: We’ll put our plan into action, executing each tactic with precision and care. We’ll track and analyze the results, making adjustments as needed to ensure we’re on track to achieving positive ROI.
  4. Optimization: Our work doesn’t stop once we’ve achieved positive ROI. We’ll continue to optimize our strategies to ensure we’re delivering the best possible results for your business.

Tactics for Positive ROI

Here are some specific tactics that we use to help our clients achieve positive ROI:

  • Content that converts: High-quality content is the foundation of a successful online marketing strategy. We create content that engages your target audience and helps drive traffic to your website.
  • SEO: We optimize your website and content to rank higher in search engine results pages, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
  • PPC: We create and manage pay-per-click advertising campaigns that drive traffic to your website and convert leads into customers.
  • Social media: We use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with your target audience and promote your brand.
  • Video: We create high-quality video content that tells your brand’s story and engages your target audience.
  • Website design: We design and develop websites that are visually appealing, easy to navigate, and optimized for search engines.

Why Choose Social Link?

Choosing an internet marketing agency is a big decision, and you want to make sure you choose the right partner for your business. Here are some reasons why Social Link is the best choice for your internet marketing needs:

  • Full-service capabilities: We offer a wide range of services, from content creation to website design, so you don’t have to work with multiple agencies.
  • In-house video capabilities: Our high-end video capabilities allow us to create high-quality video content for your business without outsourcing to a third party.
  • Results-driven approach: Our focus is on achieving positive ROI for our clients, and we use data and analytics to measure the success of our strategies.
  • Experienced team: Our team has years of experience in internet marketing and stays up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices.
  • Customized solutions: We tailor our strategies to the specific needs and goals of each client, ensuring that we deliver the best possible results.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an internet marketing agency in Nashville, Social Link is the best choice for your business. We offer full-service capabilities, in-house video capabilities, a results-driven approach, an experienced team, and customized solutions. We follow a four-step process to achieve positive ROI for our clients, and we use tactics like content marketing, SEO, PPC, social media, video, and website design to achieve this. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business grow online.

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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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Digital Marketing Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing Agency

social media marketing agency

Social Link is the social media marketing agency that you’ve been looking for.

A social media marketing agency has the ability to take your brand to the next level.

Social Link is a social media marketing agency with the expertise your business needs.
We specialize in everything from social media management and website design to content generation and PPC management.

Implementing a social media marketing strategy is a must for all brands. Marketing strategies and social media plans are game-changers in the constantly evolving digital world.

The online landscape is competitive. Much like New York City, it never sleeps. It’s always growing. That’s why social media marketing is complex and ever-changing.

Trying to find success in the social world? Social Link recommends creating a targeted social media marketing strategy.

social media planning
Source: client targeting strategy

What is a social media marketing strategy?

First, a social media marketing strategy takes ideas and converts them into actionable offerings and specific brand messages.

Then, these messages are spread to defined audience members. Your audience could be current customers, new prospects, or both.

Social marketing strategies ensure your digital presence reflects your brand’s values, mission, and ideals.

These plans allow brands to create and share engaging online experiences. If done successfully, your social marketing strategy converts visitors into loyal advocates and customers.

Why should my business work with a social media marketing agency?

Successful social media marketing can make or break your business.

Previous marketing methods like billboards, newspaper ads, and radio commercials are not as successful as they once were. Customers are shifting toward a more digital lifestyle.

“Added together, the world’s social media users will spend a total of 3.7 trillion hours on social media in 2021 – equivalent to more than 420 million years of combined human existence,” HootSuite’s marketing blog explains.

HootSuite continues to detail the sheer amount of social media users: “There are now 4.20 billion social media users around the world. This figure has grown by 490 million over the past 12 months, delivering year-on-year growth of more than 13%. The number of social media users is now equivalent to more than 53% of the world’s total population.”

social media marketing ad
source: actual social media marketing agency creatives

Social media marketing is influential.

These whopping numbers showcase the far reach social media has in the world. Clearly, it is very influential.

Social media is not just a place to catch up with friends and family. Social platforms are now spaces for consumers to research brands and educate themselves on goods and services.

It’s easier than ever to quickly assess (and judge) a company’s digital presence.

54% of Internet users utilize social media to research products.

Does your business have a nonexistent or negative online presence? If so, it is detrimental to your bottom line. Sounds dramatic? It’s not. It’s the truth.

79% of consumers expect brands to respond within 24 hours of reaching out on social media. Your brand must provide customers with the best possible online experience. This is easily accomplished with the assistance of a marketing agency.

source: Tiktok marketing agency ad strategy

Social media marketing agencies are experts at their craft.

A social media marketing agency helps identify your target audience, build customer journeys, lead buyers to your site, and much more.

Agencies like Social Link understand the challenges, rules, and principles of marketing.

There is much to consider. It takes a lot of effort and expertise to create and implement a successful social marketing strategy. That’s why we recommend partnering with a social media marketing agency.

source: actual client social media marketing agency branding

By working with a social media marketing agency, your business will:

 

Generate more leads

Social media marketing agencies know how to catch the eyes of consumers. That’s just the start. Next up: content, graphics, video, and more. These tools create engaging online experiences that grab the audience’s attention and generate leads.

Generate more online revenue

Social media marketing agencies know the power of online sales. We harness that power to generate more online revenue for your business. Our expertise comes in handy when you’re looking to grow revenue.

Generate more online impressions via targeting

A social media marketing agency is an expert at creating targeted ads. Targeted ads reach the right people. Targeting is crucial for generating more online impressions (and ultimately generating more business). When it comes to targeted ads, we know exactly what to do, and how to do it well.

If your business is interested in….

  •  Boosting leads
  • Fostering engagement
  • Inspiring customer loyalty
  • Connecting with digital influencers and online leaders
  • Reaching new audiences

…Then working with a social media marketing agency like Social Link is for you!

Social Link specializes in 360-degree solutions. First, we start with targeting. Next, we tackle content generation and distribution. Finally, analysis, reporting, and optimization finish out the strategy.

 

5 Ways Social Media Marketing Agencies Help Your Business:

source: social media marketing agency dashboard

Marketing agencies set specific goals for your brand

Every brand has different social media needs. A social media marketing agency tailors specific goals to the needs of your operation.

We know how to create realistic business goals that are industry-specific and easy to track.

Social Link helps organizations tackle reasonable goals. We increase brand awareness, generate leads, boost sales, and keep your clients satisfied.

Marketing agencies define your target audience.

Many brands struggle with properly defining a target audience. They either choose an audience that is too broad or too narrow.

A social media marketing agency helps you define the right target audience. In addition, we work with you on ways to better connect with current customers.

Marketing agencies create rich, engaging content.

To be successful, your brand needs to produce rich, eye-catching content. This includes copy, imagery, and videos.

A social media marketing agency knows how to craft engaging content for a variety of platforms.

79% of people say that user-generated content on social media significantly impacts their purchasing decisions, according to a recent HubSpot article.

Social media marketing agencies like Social Link ensure your brand’s message is being shared via digital platforms. These include Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or SnapChat.

Social Link collaborates with you to create content for a variety of social media platforms. We work tirelessly to curate posts that reach a wide audience and make their mark. Our content performs well and delivers.

source: LGBT Chamber social media advertising

Marketing agencies know where to post content.

Regardless of the app you use for social media marketing, Social Link recommends posting relevant content. This means your audience should find your posts useful or beneficial.

It’s best for a post to be on brand and applicable to your followers. Data-focused stories perform well. Also, authentic creative content gets the best results.

Some businesses make the mistake of copying other brands’ marketing content. However, this strategy backfires. What works for one brand doesn’t always work for another.

Above all, organizations need to be true to their own personal brand. Consider your company’s mission, values, and beliefs.

Customers can tell when a business is phoning it in or posting just for the sake of it. Authentic passion and enthusiasm translate well into marketing efforts.

Think of social media as an opportunity for genuine storytelling. Tell the truth and people will relate to that more than an overly polished post. An honest approach cultivates brand loyalty.

Agencies understand social media marketing data.

source: client social media marketing advertising

Social media marketing is data driven.

Marketing agencies effectively monitor your campaign’s success. Tracking tools and data analytics programs make this process efficient.

The advancement of technology allows organizations to capture more quantifiable data than before.

However, raw data does not automatically translate into important insights. The numbers need to be properly analyzed before you can make business decisions.

This is another reason you should use a social media marketing agency. We know how to analyze and interpret data. Also, we are experts at determining when to pivot or make changes.

By understanding and effectively using data analytics, agencies work to grow your business. This occurs by optimizing conversion rates and increasing sales.

Data reports and metrics allow for subsequent reflection. A social media marketing agency helps organizations analyze strategies. Also, we highlight potential opportunities for business improvement.

 

Want to learn more?

Read our 3 Facebook Marketing Agency Tips.

Learn about 10 Ways to Boost Your Instagram Marketing.

Check out why LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator is One of the Best-Selling Tools.

Educate yourself on the Video Editing Tips Everyone Should Know.

Learn our Best Video Editing Tips and Tricks.

 

Interested in working with a social media marketing agency?

If you’re ready to take your brand to new heights, then consider a social marketing agency! It will be the best decision you make.

Collaborating with Social Link means your business can build a successful marketing strategy.

When you partner with Social Link, you have freedom to focus on your business. We take care of the nitty gritty marketing work so you don’t have to.
Social Link is ready for any challenge. Our vast experience in branding, digital marketing, and product development make us the clear choice.

Social Link’s mission? To help build your online presence and gain enough visibility for customers to find you. More importantly, we help you stand out.

As a leader in the marketing world, our talented team is here as creators, strategists, and distributors to take your marketing to the next level.

Who We Are

Social Link’s marketing experts get the job done. We are ready to retarget website users, grow your customer base, increase your ROI, or craft compelling copy.

As a top virtual marketing agency, we efficiently streamline your digital marketing efforts.

We set up full-funnel sales and marketing tools. Sit back and watch us attract, nurture, convert, and delight your audience.

Moreover, our proven expert solutions and methods come highly recommended by past and current clients.

Social Link works with you to define outcomes, offerings, and your message. Our strategic planning and management skills are the best in the business.

You’ll receive a seamless campaign experience with unified, targeted messages for customers.

Schedule a consultation to learn how Social Link can transform your business! Sign up for a free project quote today.

Contact us today→

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Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing

Social Link’s social media marketing experts will take your business and brand to the next level with a detailed social media guide.

Social media marketing is an absolute must for brands. Keep it fresh and engaging with top-of-the-line content, strategies, and marketing.

Now is the perfect time to kick your online presence up a notch.

Social media marketing can appear daunting. After all, the digital landscape has grown into a competitive space. Social media is much more complex than it was back in the day.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be intimidating. A specific, targeted strategy is all you need for your brand to find success in the digital marketing realm.

Social media marketing allows you to create an engaging online experience that converts visitors to loyal advocates.

 

Why does my brand need to invest in social media marketing?

Social media marketing is crucial to the success of your business, period.

Why? It’s simple. Paid social marketing gets the views you need without having to rely on organic traffic and ever-changing platform algorithms.

When social media apps first emerged, paying for ads wasn’t as necessary. For example, five years ago, content could be posted on Instagram and receive plenty of likes and engagement. Those were the good old days!

Today, with constantly evolving algorithms being introduced, the rules have changed. The same content that once excelled now flies under the radar.

Social media marketing has changed.

Times have changed, and social media marketing has evolved. It’s all about identifying your target audience, building customer journeys, and leading buyers to your site. Strong social media marketing helps accomplish these needs.

Understanding the specifics of social marketing is an exciting challenge. There is a lot to consider: budget spends, the operating principles of each platform, network rules, scheduling, content creation, and more. It takes a lot of time, energy, and effort to nail down a successful social marketing strategy.

Social Link is ready to help you take charge of your brand’s digital footprint. Using various social media platforms, you can wield the power of marketing to bring your brand to life.

 

It’s time to get started.

We created a comprehensive guide for social media marketing beginners. If you’re ready to create a social plan from scratch, you’re in the right place.

If your business is new to the social media game, that’s totally fine. There’s no need to worry. Our marketing guide has got you covered.

If you’re ready to learn how to convert more users using the power of social media marketing, keep reading.

 

Social Media Marketing 101: 6 Steps to Success

  1. Set goals that are specific to your business and brand
  2. Define and research your target audience
  3. Create on-brand social media content
  4. Ensure timeliness
  5. Utilize data analytics
  6. Step back to assess what is working (or not working).

1. Set goals that are specific to your business and brand

Every business has different needs when it comes to social media marketing.

Your marketing strategy should be tailored to the specific needs of your operation. Your goals will vary depending on what industry you’re in and what you hope to achieve.

First things first, you need to create a game plan! It’s important to nail down your brand’s goals. This will allow you to measure a marketing campaign’s impact. Social media ads allow you to optimize campaigns depending on your preferences and purpose.

Maybe you want to increase brand awareness or foster a dedicated group of followers. Perhaps your business is more focused on increasing direct sales from social accounts.

No matter what your goals are, they will determine your specific marketing content strategy. The strategy is a guide in terms of allotting the proper amount of time and energy to your campaigns.

 

social media marketing metrics facebook

 

The most important aspect of goal setting? Making sure your social media marketing goals are realistic as well as SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.

It’s tempting to go big and shoot for the stars, especially when you look at successful brands and companies who rake in millions of dollars from their social ads. However, you have to be realistic and stay level-headed. Yes, we would all love to create a bunch of viral videos and get millions of followers overnight. Unfortunately, that’s just not the norm, and we don’t want to set ourselves up for disappointment.

That’s why Social Link recommends starting small, at least in the beginning. By tackling reasonable, appropriate objectives, you keep things affordable and in check. Depending on the results, your social efforts can later be adapted as you see fit.

 

Potential marketing goals include:

  • Increase brand awareness: Aka making a name for yourself. Your brand deserves to be properly assessed by potential customers. You will want to tell your brand’s story via cohesive messaging that resonates with the right market. To increase brand awareness, you must position your business in the most relevant, authentic, inspiring way possible. Check out our Tips for Increasing Brand Awareness.

 

  • Generate leads, aka driving traffic to your website: Promotional posts and social media ads can help increase URL clicks and conversions. Don’t underestimate the power of an engaging graphic or ad. Read about 10 Things You Should Be Doing to Drive New Leads.

 

  • Engage with current clients: Keep the attention of current followers by experimenting with content messaging. Consider promoting user-generated content and creating specific hashtags to get followers involved. Even something as small as asking your audience a question can increase engagement and strengthen relationships.

 

  • Increase direct sales: Increase sales by keeping potential customers informed. Announce promos, sales, new products, and more. One great way to accomplish sales in an authentic way is to bring viewers into the conversation rather than simply promoting your product.

 

2. Research your target audience.

For your social media marketing strategy to be successful, you first need to define your audience.

As HubSpot explains, “It’s imperative to define and understand…audiences because your marketing will differ based on who you’re talking to.”

Go deeper into your target audience by defining personas.

This means you create fictional audience members who represent the different users who might be interested in your products or services. By creating and defining potential personas, you better understand client needs, experiences, goals, behaviors, and thoughts.

A plethora of demographic data and social media marketing analytics tools give you a better look into your audience. Different platforms have different audiences, so make sure to keep that in mind.

Remember that customers need to relate to your brand. This means you must understand who your demographic is and connect with them.

If potential clients go onto your website or check out your marketing materials and don’t see themselves represented in any way, they aren’t going to be too apt to become actual customers.

“If your customers are different than you and they feel unrecognized, you will begin to lose them,” stated author Michael P. Crone in his “Diversity Marketing & Cultural Awareness” paper.

Google Analytics and email analytics are great sources to find data on your audience.

 

instagram social media marketing
Source: Client Instagram social media marketing

3. Post on-brand social media content

Now that you have a better idea of your brand’s goals and needs and your target audience, it’s time to take a look at the specific platforms you will be working with! You will use these platforms to post content and amp up your social media marketing efforts.

 

Facebook

Facebook is currently the biggest social media platform with the most reach.

“Facebook has firmly established itself as the place we get our news, learn about new products, and communicate with friends, family, and businesses,” stated HootSuite.

Check out our 3 Facebook Marketing Agency Tips.

Instagram

More than just a photo-sharing app, Instagram’s features allow businesses to market and sell products directly to consumers.

HootSuite explained, “When Instagram ads are correctly targeted and visually appealing, they’re a highly effective means of connecting with new customers.”

Read about 10 Ways to Boost Your Instagram Marketing.

 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn isn’t just about recruiting employees anymore. Its B2B marketing opportunities are incredibly valuable for businesses to capitalize on.

Ads can boost purchase intent, increasing future sales.

Find out why LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator is One of the Best-Selling Tools

 

YouTube

In the United States alone, digital video marketing is a $135 billion industry.

Video marketing allows tech companies and other businesses to show their customers and potential clients what they have to offer and what they are working on.

Read about the Video Editing Tips Everyone Should Know.

 

TikTok

Video is currently the highest converting media on the internet. TikTok is the platform you need to be on ASAP.

“TikTok is the fastest growing platform in the world,” HootSuite stated. “The social media platform was launched in September 2016. In the four years since its launch, the platform has become popular all over the world.”

Learn our Best Video Editing Tips and Tricks.

Twitter

Got something to say? Use the power of Twitter to distribute information, in 280 characters or less, of course.

 

Snapchat

Snapchat helps build excitement and entertain your audience. Snapchat caters to teens and young adults.

If your brand is hoping to reach a younger demographic, you should consider Snapchat for social media marketing.

 

4. Ensure timeliness

 

Stay on-brand with content
Regardless of what platform you use for social media marketing, Social Link recommends posting relevant, unique content that isn’t in-your-face brand heavy. This allows your posts to be applicable to a wide audience. Employ SEO best practices and data-focused stories. You want your curated, creative content to build and nurture leads as well as attract new customers and cultivate brand loyalty.

 

 

medical marketing social advertising
Source: actual client creative for medical marketing software

 

 

Be authentic.
Don’t blindly copy other businesses around you. Be true to your company’s values, mission statement, and beliefs when you create and post social content.

Consumers are able to smell a rat from a mile away. They’ll pick up on phony messaging and copycat content. Use your brand’s story and identity as an asset to your social media marketing efforts. Tell the truth and be real. People will relate to that more than anything else.

 

Don’t be afraid to get creative.
Think outside of the box when crafting digital content. Don’t limit yourself to one aspect or avenue of marketing. Dive deep and take time to think things through.

If your goal with social media profiles is to pique interest, spark engagement and get people to share links to your site, then it’ll take more than copying and pasting a URL into the status box to make that happen.

If you are a small business, focus on only a few platforms to start. A big mistake many companies make is reposting the exact same content on every social media page. Each platform is unique and needs to be treated as such. A common misconception is that having a presence on every single social media platform builds authority, but this is only true if you have something of quality to offer to unique viewers on each (if that’s the case though, then go for it!).

Don’t post just for the sake of posting. Make sure you’re purposeful with your posts and social media marketing. Otherwise users will get bored or annoyed.

 

Offer Free Resources
One way to deliver strong content is to offer free resources to viewers. Resources can be anything from infographics to PDFs. E-books are a common email list opt-in reward, but you should also have a handful of quality content readers can download for free from your website embedded in accompanying blog posts. When you provide resources, you show your visitors (and Google) that you are an expert in your field. Some good ideas for website freebies include:

Remember to ask yourself, what problem is my audience trying to solve? Make sure that your content revolves around the answer. Offering materials that help people reach genuine solutions builds trust and gratitude.

Remember to always stay customer-focused, and you’ll be able to create content and design a website that offers value to viewers. This quality is what will help you stand out from the competition and improve your social media marketing on your own.

 

5. Utilize Data Analytics.

Once you have social media ads running, you’ll need to track your campaigns. Social media marketing needs to be data-driven.

Quickly monitor your site’s success and watch your revenue grow with easy-to-use tools and tracking.

You might imagine this merely entails counting likes or website views, but today, data analytics offers a more comprehensive evaluation. The proliferation of social media, smart technologies, and the internet allows organizations to capture more quantifiable data than ever before.

However, the collection of this raw data alone does not produce the meaningful insights needed to make strategic business decisions.

Making use of agencies or tools like HubSpot will provide your company with the help it needs to make sense of all this information. Data analytics can work to grow your business by optimizing conversion rates and increasing sales.

 

Examples of important data include:

Reach. The number of unique users who viewed your post or ad. This helps you determine if your content is truly reaching people’s feeds.

Clicks. The number of clicks on your CTA, post, or content. Tracking clicks per campaign gives you a better look into what engages viewers and drives curiosity or purchases.

Engagement. The total number of social interactions divided by the number of impressions. Engagement gives you insight into how your audience perceives you and their readiness for interaction.

Organic and paid likes: Knowing the numerical differences between organic and paid likes can help you budget social media ad spend and make better use of your marketing time and resources.

Sentiment. Sentiment measures how viewers reacted to your business, post, or hashtag. What are customers saying about your brand? Are they associating a specific sentiment with your campaign?

 

Source: Actual client campaign Shopify analytics

 

Make sure you’re tracking your KPIs.

A KPI is a key performance indicator. KPIs help organizations determine whether or not they’re meeting their strategic goals. They are the crucial indicators of progress toward a goal or desired result. Key performance indicators provide a focus for business opportunities, both strategically and operationally. They create an analytical basis for making decisions, and they can help companies zone in on what matters the most.

Good KPIs help educate and inform people about what’s working and what’s not as their business changes over time. This information often leads to having the ability to make better decisions and devise stronger strategies.

KPIs measure anything from financial performance and customer satisfaction to operational processes and internal strategies. They help you determine what is impacting your bottom line.

A decent KPI can track efficiency, effectiveness, quality, time management, compliance, project performance, allocation of resources, and more.

KPIs are so important because of how effective they are. As SalesChoice CEO Dr. Cindy Gordon puts it, “Analytics is the most effective factor in modern-day sales.”

 

KPI Categories

KPIs fall into two categories: leading or lagging indicators.

Easy to change but difficult to measure, leading indicators drive your bottom line. They focus on the specific actions that lead to your results. Leading indicators beget lagging indicators.

Lagging indicators are your results or output. Examples include the number of new clients you got this week or the revenue your company made last month.

Hubspot offers a few good examples of potential KPIs. They explain that a B2B software-as-a-service company might be focused on cost per acquisition and churn, while a digital media or publishing company will likely focus on unique visitors and the number of time users spent on the site. Meanwhile, a retail store might concentrate on sales per square foot or customer satisfaction. A professional service may want to track bookings and effective billable rates.

In order to track KPIs well, you need to utilize the proper tools and methods. You can use either something simple like Excel to build a summary report from your metrics or we recommend taking advantage of KPI monitoring or data visualization software.

These tools can help you create a KPI dashboard where you keep track of your lead conversions, returning visitors, brand awareness, purchase funnels, etc. This data should be pulled from various sources like Google Analytics, Facebook, Quickbooks, and more.

 

 

Building a KPI report and dashboard helps you effectively and efficiently monitor business metrics in real-time. Reports and dashboards are crucial tools because they allow you to get an unbiased, concrete view of your company’s performance in one place.

There are many software and program options out there that give you access to a dashboard and help you track KPIs. We highly recommend using HubSpot, which allows you to monitor performance metrics in a user-friendly way.

 

Source: Actual client data from Shopify
Source: Actual client data from Shopify

 

 

 

Be consistent.
Tracking your KPIs consistently is one of the first ways you can upgrade your marketing strategy. It’s all about consistency when measuring your KPIs. Whether it occurs weekly or monthly doesn’t matter as much as the action of the routine measuring.

Detailed reports on the various metrics that contribute to your revenue put everything into perspective. Concrete numbers and specific percentages that help you see the bottom line. The reports and subsequent reflection allow you to take a step back and look closer at areas where you’re doing well and also nail down potential opportunities for your business to improve.

 

6. Step back to assess what is working (or not working).

One of the many benefits of digital marketing is that it’s fast and easy. This allows you to step back often and assess what is or isn’t working.

An important factor in social media marketing is that you need to be open to adapting your strategy if necessary. It’s easy to pivot within the social media marketing world. That is one of the joys of digital creation: its fast-paced nature makes evolving and switching things up less of a hassle or headache than traditional, old-school marketing methods.

Play around with various ideas and plans. You can easily launch a social media campaign and then shut it down later if the channel or content doesn’t appeal to your audience.

Always keep best practices in mind. Approach any free content services (like social media) the same way you would if you were paying for the service.

Don’t be afraid to try new things. Not everything will work, but that’s okay! Strategies, ideas, and concepts don’t always pan out, but it’s worth a try. Just make sure you take the time to learn from mistakes and missteps so you continue improving.

The best digital marketing strategies are often the unexpected ones that go outside of normal conventions. Depending on your brand’s goals, you can find success in various realms. Explore marketing videos, new social platforms, apps, and more.

There’s no black-and-white right or wrong when it comes to digital marketing. A little bit of trial and error might seem scary at first, but it’s a low-risk game. Social media tools allow you to explore a variety of avenues without wasting resources.

If it turns out something isn’t working, there is no harm in pivoting in a different direction and trying something new. Just make sure you’re always staying true to your brand, values, and mission.

Check out our article on Digital Marketing Tips for Businesses.

 

One final thought: consider marketing outsourcing

If you feel overwhelmed or in over your head after learning more about social media marketing, there’s no need to panic.

Whenever you’re ready to take your brand to the next level, consider outsourcing your marketing to Social Link.

There are so many great reasons for outsourcing your marketing department.

When you streamline your marketing and sales processes through outsourcing, you’re ensuring a successful future for your organization.

By outsourcing your marketing services, you free up valuable time to focus on the other important aspects of running a business.

Leave the nitty-gritty marketing work to us. Work with Social Link and you will have more freedom to do what you do best, whether that’s product development, financials, or account management.

 

We’re here for your marketing needs.

Social Link is ready for any challenge. Let us take the social media marketing reins for you.

As an industry leader, our marketing team is here as creators, strategists, and distributors to take your business and brand to new heights.

Whether we’re retargeting website users, growing your customer base, increasing your ROI, or crafting compelling marketing copy, Social Link’s marketing experts will get the job done.

Who we are.

Social Link is a virtual marketing agency that expertly and efficiently streamlines digital marketing efforts. We set up full-funnel sales and marketing tools that attract, nurture, convert, and delight your customers. Our proven, practiced solutions and methods come highly recommended.

We define the outcomes, the offerings, the customer, and the message through strategic planning and management. You’ll get a seamless campaign experience with unified messages for your customers.

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Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

Facebook Small Business Grants Program

Facebook Small Business Grants Program

 

“We at Facebook know that your business may be experiencing disruptions resulting from the global outbreak of COVID-19. We’ve heard that a little financial support can go a long way, so we are offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits to help during this challenging time.”
Who is eligible?
Facebook is offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries where we operate. We’ll share more details as they become available.

 

How can the program help?

 

    • Keep your workforce going strong
    • Help with your rent costs
    • Connect with more customers
    • Cover operational costs

 

We’ll begin taking applications in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can sign up to receive more information when it becomes available: CLICK HERE.

For additional resources about how you can help your business prepare for and manage through disruptions like COVID-19, visit our recently-launched Business Resource Hub: CLICK HERE.

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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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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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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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Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

5 Tips For Creating Social Headlines

5 Tips For Creating Social Headlines

 

A good headline is a doorway to your article. In online circles, people tend to judge the nature of content by the headline it bears. Besides attracting visitors, it also means that your site gets high traffic and search engines attention. Before you write a headline, think about these ideas below:

  1. Length

Google, for the sake of discussion, only shows up to 60 characters of web content’s title. Keep your headlines below 55 characters. Other than the risk of a headline cut-off by a search engine, people prefer and do go for content with short headlines.

  1. Deliver what you promise

Being dishonest or misleading will make you lose the much-needed audience. If you promise your readers five tips, do not give them three or four. Also, match the subject covered with the headline’s theme.

  1. Use numbers

Social headlines that have numbers leave a better impact than generic ones. Internet users are busy people who want to skim before proceeding to other things. For conciseness, use low numbers and for comprehensiveness, use high numbers.

  1. Avoid asking questions with no answers

Question-based headlines pique a reader’s interest. People want to read articles that provide them with solutions. Write a headline that will make a reader want to know how the article ends.

  1. Utilize power words

Headlines that use adjectives (words that describe) grab the attention of readers. They make you want to read on to the end. Examples include “valuable, useful, beautiful, and effortless.” At the same time incorporate power words such as ‘free,’ ‘new,’ ‘you’ and ‘instantly.’

 

 

 

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Social Media Marketing

10 Ways to Boost Your Instagram Marketing

social media advertising
social media advertising

With 800 million users as of last September, Instagram marketing has become an essential channel for any brand that can milk its products or services for visual appeal. Instagram marketing is a great platform to showcase both your organization’s shiniest, most-curated face and the silliness, authenticity, and human appeal that go into making those offerings. But, unless you’re already famous, it can be difficult to build up a strong following on Instagram—whose algorithm privileges engagement and relationships over simple chronology—while staying true to your brand’s mission and values.

We’ve been there, so take it from us—these 10 essential tips will give your Instagram following the boost you’re after.

  1. Don’t buy followers

We know, this one might seem counterintuitive, especially when you can buy 1,000 followers for roughly what you’d spend on coffee and a muffin. But the vast majority of paid followers are bots, which will boost the number on your profile without giving you the kind of organic engagement that Instagram’s algorithm is designed to amplify. And what non-paid followers you do have are likely to get suspicious when they see you have thousands of followers but only a few likes per post—and, even worse, disillusioned with the real things your company has to offer.

  1. Use hashtags in moderation

Hashtags are an essential part of Instagram marketing, because they’re the backbone of its search function. As such, hashtagging is a fantastic way to get your brand on the screens of people who may not even know your company exists. It’s important to use them selectively, though (three or four hashtags per post, maximum), and to lead into your captions with more eye-catching phrases and/or emoji; if you try casting yourself as appealing to too many people using that search function, you’ll end up looking desperate and unappealing to all of them

  1. Engage with your audience

When a satisfied customer comments on one of your photos, or a potential customer asks a question, make it clear that there’s a team of real people running your organization’s social-media presence! Reply when your audience talks to you, as quickly as possible, and they’re likely to walk away with an even more positive view of your brand.

  1. Embrace ephemerality

Instagram Stories (and their Live function!) might intimidating, but they can actually be a lower-pressure space than your regular feed. In general, the posts you make to stick around need to be as beautiful and meticulously-edited as they can be; nobody wants a profile stacked wall-to-wall with mediocre shots. Because Instagram Stories vanish after 24 hours, you can use them to get at a more authentic or humorous sensibility than your permanent profile can support. Plus, since live video isn’t saved the way it is on Facebook, you can establish a greater sense of intimacy with your audience (and maybe some click-inducing FOMO in the folks who didn’t tune in on time).

  1. Give it away 

Giveaways and contests can be Instagram exclusives, or link up with a promotion you’re running across multiple social-media channels. Ask your followers to comment, like, or tag a friend in exchange for a place in the raffle to get an extra boost!

  1. Step up your photo editing game

You don’t need to be a professional photographer, or even a Photoshop wizard, to run a successful Instagram campaign. But you should be running your images through an editing app like VSCO, Priime, or Litely before they ever even touch Instagram. The editing tools available on Instagram itself aren’t especially powerful, and—more importantly—they don’t offer the same range of infinitely complex variety that Instagram can when used in conjunction with another editing app. Fine-tuning the way you edit photos helps give your brand a subtle visual signature, which in turn will help you stand out in the endlessly scrolling feed.

  1. Keep your captions snappy

That said, it won’t matter how recognizable your company’s visual style is if you don’t have great copy to caption those images. Vary your caption content in the same way you would your images—play around with emoji and hashtags, but don’t go overboard. Captions are the place to explain a photo, present a call to action, or crack a joke. They’re part of what makes Instagram ideal for presenting nuanced, multilayered brand identity.

  1. Invest in analytics

 Likewise, it doesn’t matter how good your captions are, if you don’t know how your posts are performing! Tools like Instagram Insights can help you identify who your most loyal and engaged followers are, what times of day your posts perform best, what search terms are leading users to your account, and much more. You should be examining and A/B testing your social-media presence the same way you would a new landing page for your website, and Instagram is no exception.

  1. Spread your content net wide

Just like every member of your organization contributes to the experience customers ultimately have (or the product they receive), every single one of your coworkers has the potential to contribute visuals to your Instagram campaign. That doesn’t mean every one of those people should be posting to your account—quite the opposite. But maybe your audience would like to see that perfectly-arrayed sushi roll from the Research department’s last celebratory lunch, or the cartoon taped up in your coworker’s office.

  1. Make ‘em laugh!

Just because your photos are closely curated and highly edited, doesn’t mean they can’t be funny. Humor can be one of the best ways to boost engagement on any social-media platform, as long as it hews closely to your brand’s authentic voice (like this April Fool’s Day post from Siggi’s). Instagram can help you show off the more human and personable side of your brand—and what’s more human than laughter?

Having trouble figuring out your brand’s authentic voice for social media? Social Link’s virtual marketing department is here to help.

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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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Do our devices show mobile ads based on our conversations?

Does Social Advertising Pop Up After A Conversation? Here’s Why.

Have you ever experienced a case where you talk about a certain product and the next thing you see online is an advert for the exact product? Many people have. The advancement in technology has brought diverse approaches to marketing. Targeted and user-generated advertising is one of such approaches although it has been around for a while. There are a lot of concerns that people should be careful with whatever they do online including signing the “Never-ending Terms and Conditions” which in most of the cases, nobody reads fully, and only rushes to click the “Accept” button. This article covers a comprehensive discussion on how social ads pop after people’s conversion, as well as the reason for such occurrences.

Digital marketing has brought new marketing approaches

It is an undeniable fact that the digital age is the cause of the new changes experienced in the way business market their services and products. A lot of advancement is notable in the manner in which advertising is carried out nowadays. Nevertheless, it is no doubt that online advertisements and the general approach to marketing have become so specific in comparison to the usual ads that you are used to seeing, which apparently, depending on your Google searches. There are many advertisements, which you will come across that have a close relation to the things that you have not searched online, any other time, but most likely, things you have had a conversation about. Such cases are common among users of the common social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The only natural question when one sees adverts on things they have been talking about on phone is whether social media platforms are listening to their conversations.

Is social media targeted advertising based on our conversations?

With the seemingly endless social media platforms as well as the available customization options, the social advertisement is becoming a common way for brands to create awareness of their products and services. Such advertising approach is incredible profitable but requires the input of social media marketing experts to bring out the necessary aspects of social media ads for it to make the necessary impact as far as achieving the goals and objectives of a business is concerned. Nevertheless, the concerns about targeted advertising are becoming common. Why do the ads pop up after a conversation about the given product or service? Probably, there are several reasons to account for such events but the most plausible ones are two –one, the possibility that companies are eavesdropping on conversations that people make through mobile microphones, or two, there are sophisticated algorithms in use.

Do you think about the information you leave online?

The online space is full of all sorts of people and machines. Some machines are data-hungry and in spite of this, we keep feeding them with sensitive information without being cautious of what happens when we are logged out of the online platforms. Some of the machines have tracking capability and troll on you and the information you feed them. The increased use of tracking applications such as the GPS and other apps is to blame for some of these leakages. Did you know that your phone could keep a track of your location and conversation details? The information that you manually input on the devices you use everyday can be a significant way to which companies can track what you really need next. The devices we use every day know much about our daily patterns.

For the past years, there have been cases of reports on social media platforms being suspect to spy and listen to people’s conversations via microphones installed on mobile phones. While such actions are at times done for good reasons, the challenge comes in when we do not know the percentage of such information shared with the world. Specifically, how do these companies learn about our conversations?

  • They obtain information through our phone’s microphones

The first assumption is that the companies sending out targeted ads learn of our conversations is that they are listening to people’s conversations through the phone’s microphones. In spite of this, Facebook and Google have, in the past rejected the clams that they use our phone’s microphones to listen to our conversations and later created targeted ads. Nevertheless, the rejection of such claims is not an assurance that it does not happen. According to a report by Terra Ferma Media, Google listens and records all the conversations for people with android phones. Perhaps, the same is happening to Apple users. In 2016, Facebook issued a statement to deny the allegations that it does not listen to people’s conversations to create newsfeed or targeted ads. Considering the fact that Google owns Google Maps and YouTube, while Facebook owns Instagram and WhatsApp, it is no doubt that these two companies have many details about the users of any of these social media platforms. If need be, they can use such information for their own benefit.

  • The use of clever algorithms

All social media platforms are based on algorithms. For example, Twitter is known to run on a fast algorithm, which shows trending issues depending on several rules such as the number of people engaging the conversations about certain topics. The same concept of the algorithm might be in play in the other social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, etc. Have you seen a case where Facebook classifies your friends depending on how close they are? In such a case, it bases such categorization on the interactions you have with your friends on Facebook. Perhaps, you have a close way of thinking with your friends, which implies that you and your friends will tend to have interest in similar topics, events, etc. The assumption here is that, whatever topics your friends are hiding, liking, reading, or searching, and making follow ups, could be of similar interests to you, and hence Facebook and other related social media will show you such ads related to your close friends’ searches. This is how clear social targeted advertising works.

On the other hand, it is not possible to overlook the wealth of information companies advertising through social media have regarding their target audience. With such information, it is possible for these companies to do selective adverts depending on people’s interests, their gender, location, etc. Undoubtedly, such are the approaches that companies are using to make targeted advertisement on social media platforms.

  • Cookies and remarketing

Even though, there is no doubt about that targeted advertising on social media is a product of either company eavesdropping on conversations, or the use of cleaver algorithms, it is important to be aware of how cookies and remarketing works. A cookie describes a small code that any website you visit asks you to leave and leaks information to the owner of the website on the pages that you visit. For example, if you are a constant user of Amazon, you will notice that some products you clicked will start being advertised on your social media platforms. The cookie application reminds the website the products that you were searching and hence, you are shown them regularly. As such, the combination of the use of cookies and remarketing can be considered an effective way why you see products on social media sites that you might have searched for them elsewhere such as on Amazon. Irrespective of the time you searched for a given product on Amazon, it will at one time advertise that product and similar others to you in your lifetime.

So, what conclusion can we have? Google and Facebook, the two internet giants have denied their involvement in social media targeted adverts, but it is still hard to believe it. On the part of the use of a clever algorithm, there are a few aspects that make the highest contribution. First, there is a possibility that the sophisticated algorithms that the majority of the social media companies use can collect data from people’s close groups and use it to predict one’s preference. Secondly, companies that advertise on social media platforms have a wealth of data on social media users, enough to make targeted advertisements based on certain characteristics. Thirdly, it is likely that social media platforms store data regarding the habits of the users and use it to make customized adverts. Despite the fact that it might be hard to come to a comprehensive answer about why social media ads pop after conversations, it suffices that the combination of the above three factors plays a significant role in targeted social ads. While, Google and Facebook might have denied their involvement in listening to our conversations, it is not like they would shout that they are really doing it to make their advertisement. So what can we do? We are not going to stop talking or avoid searching information and products online but be cautious. After all, there is no harm in getting targeted ads. The only harm is the thought of your information being used in the wrong way. It is important, though, to be careful about the sites you leave your sensitive data with.

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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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5 Content Marketing Tips From Video Game Designs

Group of three friends playing video games in office after work

When we’re not working hard for our clients, many of us at Social Link love playing video games. Not just because they—and they are—but because all the time we’re fighting zombies and bashing koopas with Mario, we’re also learning a lot about audience engagement. A website is doing very well if it keeps your attention for mere seconds. Social videos can attract your eye for as long as a minute. Video games can keep you engaged for hours.

It’s a good thing we never listened to Mom when she told us to put down the console and go outside, because now we can pass our wisdom along to you.

 

#1. There’s Always a Bigger World to Explore

Designers knows that part of every player’s objective is to inhabit a completely different universe. The more complete the video game’s world feels, the more likely the player will stay engaged. Doors lead to nowhere. Objects show signs of rust. The world’s logic and rules are complete and consistent. Whether you’re meeting enemies or friends, the encounters are always memorable.

In the same way, great content isn’t just about the article or video in front of the customer’s eyes. It’s the first step in a greater journey. One article should always lead to the next. Details and examples must be highly relevant: don’t just quote statistics, explain why they matter. Introduce human faces wherever possible—your company’s spokespeople are the heroes and allies of your content universe. When people consult your library, they’re not just looking for facts. They’re looking for guides to a bigger world.

 

#2. Twitch Gameplay

Twitch gameplay is the game developer’s term for situations where the computer forms its own response to a player’s ability to react. Let’s say you’re playing a shooter game and the player is just a little too slow on the draw. The computer will adapt and slow down its next attack so they player doesn’t get frustrated and give up. On the other hand, if the player’s hitting too many targets, the computer will speed up its response time to make sure that the player doesn’t get bored.

Smart content has its own version of “twitch play.” For example, if you’ve developed a support library to help customers discover your product, help them self-segment so that they start at their own appropriate level of knowledge. Include lots of opportunities for feedback (“Did this article answer your question?” “Need more?”) and make sure there’s always a human being whose name is attached to the answers. This will help your customers stay engaged at a pace that’s natural for them.

 

#3. Make It Story-Driven

Video game designers have many techniques to keep a player immersed in the game, but it’s only when everything presented as part of a story that meaning begins to emerge. Plots progress with each level and mission. Relationships with other characters are formed as they tackle challenges together. When the climax finally arrives, it’s genuinely satisfying because a story’s central conflict has been resolved.

Content marketing should always build towards a greater purpose. Doing so helps people see that their decision to engage was time well spent. When someone steps away feeling like there was something of value, you can always guarantee they’ll be back for more.

 

#4. Create Levels

Is there any feeling in the world that compares to mastering a difficult level of a video game? Not if you’ve fallen down the same rock face a hundred times while aliens shoot at you from the clifftops. The feeling that you’ve “won” a level creates a sense of triumph—as well as an incentive to move directly on to the next level of the game.

Great content should also bestow a sense of accomplishment. How-to guides should be task-based: not, “Learn how to use X feature” but, “Using X feature to create Y.” People don’t go searching for information they don’t immediately need… so make sure that your content always answers their need to achieve a specific outcome.

 

#5. A Reason to Return

Bad games never get finished. Good games get played through once. Great games get played many, many times over. Sometimes it’s because they’re fiendishly difficult, or because they create a fully realized universe, or a way to engage with friends. Some games tell great stories, while others are simply about blowing off steam. But they always focus on creating a reason to come back.

Customers will seek out your content because they have a specific question or are looking for a particular solution. If you don’t have the right answers, they’ll leave quickly and never come back. But even if you’ve got the right answers, don’t assume you’ve got a friend for life. To win their loyalty, you need to build trust in your ability to deliver a consistently superior experience. That’s as much as about how you deliver information as the content itself. Do you put a human face on your writing? Is the content correctly tagged and segmented? Are the instructions easy to follow? Is there always somewhere to go for questions? If so, you’re giving your customers many reasons to seek you out the next time they need help.

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Whatever game you’re playing—ecommerce, lead generation, or branding—Social Link has the in-house expertise and resources to translate your brand story into tangible results. Get in touch and let’s get started!

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Digital Marketing Online Marketing PPC Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

What High-Converting Landing Pages Get Right

Flat line vector design illustration concept of house and home remodel process, repair service, building, painting, renovation, construction for website banner and landing page header, infographics

Let’s say you’ve been assigned to build your company’s website—and you’ve definitely done your homework. You’re targeting potential customers through paid search and social ads, narrowing your audience by age, interests, and location. You’ve made sure your site is optimized for mobile and designed for hassle-free lead capture. Best of all, you’re offering customers ways to spend more time on your site—videos, infographics, and other shareable content.

And people are showing up. But they’re not doing much else.

What are you missing out on… and what are high-converting sites getting right?

Make a Compelling Offer

This is speed-dating: you have at most eight seconds before most of your customers will click away. High-converting sites put their most compelling offer right at the top. Know what makes you special. You may think that Uber has a pretty persuasive message for drivers—”Work that puts you first. Drive when you want, earn what you need”—but then consider Lyft’s response: “Get a $1250 bonus.”

What’s the difference? Uber’s offer is difficult to define (just how much do you need?). Lyft isn’t asking prospective drivers to define anything: it’s telling you exactly how to pocket a $1250 bonus.

What’s It To You?

Relevance is everything. One of a landing page’s most important tasks is to get visitors to imagine how the product applies to them. Rather than simply telling users what the product can do for them, get them to imagine what they can do with the product.

When Nest decided to launch a video doorbell, they could have taken the conventional route and simply describe its features (“you can see who’s ringing”) or its benefits (“keep your home and family safe.”). Instead, they delivered a video-enabled page that showed all of the various people who might be ringing—pizza delivery, annoying neighbors, kids playing ring-and-run. It’s fun, it’s clever, but most of all it gets the visitor imagining all the ways they can create a space for that product in their future.

Feel Their Pain

“Life is pain, Highness,” goes the line from The Princess Bride. “Anyone who says otherwise is selling something.” No offense to the Dread Pirate Roberts, but pain points happen to be a critical tool for conversion. Robert Cialdini’s landmark book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion describes an experiment where participants were given one of two messages. One group was told, “If you insulate your home fully, you’ll save 50 cents every day.” The other was told, “If you don’t insulate your home fully, you’ll lose 50 cents every day.” As it happened, the group receiving the “loss language” version was 150% more likely to insulate their homes.

Let Customers Take the Wheel

If a customer’s taken the trouble to click through to your site, chances are they know what they want and they’re looking to see if you can give it to them. Or, if they don’t know what they want, they’re hoping you’ll help them figure it out. Either way, don’t assume that the visitor is asking you to take over. Smart marketers know that the customer is always in control of the conversation—because if they don’t like what they’re seeing, they will simply click away.

How many times have you gotten two paragraphs into an interesting article, only to have it disappear behind an interstitial pop-up form? Is your first thought, “Wow. That totally interrupted what I was looking for. I guess I’d better sign up for that newsletter?” Or is it, “Get me out of here now?”

Customers need to know they’re in charge of their own screen. Sign-up forms should never take away the user’s control of the experience. By contrast, chat options at the bottom of the page are 31% more likely to get a positive response.

Above all, customers like to feel like they’re taking action. A button labeled “Compare rate plans” sounds like homework. “Choose your plan” is a decision—and people like to feel decisive.

A Work In Progress

Your landing page is never really done. Smart marketers A/B test their headlines, images, options, and body copy. Above all, they’re guided by the metrics. What customers say is often inconclusive, but there’s no way to misinterpret what they do. Knowing why they stay or leave is the key to keeping them where you live.

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Overwhelmed by the idea of overhauling your landing page? Let our Social Link virtual marketing team build pages that convert.

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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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How Facial Recognition and iPhone X Changes Marketing

How iPhone X’s Facial Recognition Will (and Won’t) Change Marketing

The iPhone X is (almost) here. And it’s got smoother bezels! And a nicer camera! And it retails for approximately $400 more than your iPhone 8. And if you’re not sure how you feel about that…

Well, the iPhone X will soon know exactly how you feel about that.

Most of the discussion about iPhone X has rightly focused on its Face ID feature, a facial recognition system that authenticates multiple images of your face to unlock the device and authorize payments. Just as Touch ID captures your fingerprint from various angles, Face ID captures and compares multiple images of your face, relying on its sophisticated TrueDepth camera system to provide a level of detail previously unseen in camera phones. The feature is programmed to watch and learn how your face changes over time. According to Apple, you can wear glasses, put on makeup, or grow a beard. Face ID will know you anywhere.

Many security and privacy issues have yet to be resolved. However, the device’s ability to read, store, and learn from subtle facial expressions, combined with Apple’s massive install base, makes the iPhone X the key to building the world’s largest database of human emotions. Depending on how (or if) Apple plans to distribute that data, this single feature could revolutionize how brands market to consumers on their phones. For example…

#1: Say Goodbye to Liking Things

Facebook’s Like Button is unquestionably its most powerful brand asset. It has revolutionized how we measure engagement and social currency. And if the iPhone X takes off, it is about to become a dinosaur.

The Like button is popular but imprecise. Did you like this video a lot more, or only slightly more, than the last one you liked? Were there any parts you liked more than others? And by the way, what do you mean by “like”? It was this need for greater precision that led Facebook to introduce its successful lineup of six reactions… but even that cannot possibly compare to the breadth and depth of facial responses that Face ID is able to capture and interpret. Advertisers will be able to see precisely how consumers are reacting to ad content, in real time, requiring absolutely no action on the user’s part.

#2: Say Hello To Your Branded Self

One of the iPhone X’s more lighthearted innovations, Animoji uses your voice and facial expressions to create animated emoji loops you can send as messages. Beyond the fun of seeing how you’d look as a poop emoji, this technology will create massive opportunities for brands, particularly in the realm of entertainment. Imagine being able to create emotionally expressive videos of yourself as Buzz Lightyear or Deadpool… or pretty much anyone.

#3: Chatbots Will Become Care Bears

From your bank’s customer service line to Mattel’s Hello Barbie, chatbots are now dwelling among us and doing fine. Upgraded with emotional intelligence (as with this prototype  Emotional Chatting Machine), customer relations management is about to become a lot more responsive.

#4: How You Feel Will Change What You See

Although it may conjure up Minority Report-like visions of ads talking back to you, emotionally aware advertising isn’t as far away—or as radical—as you might think. Facebook reactions have already influenced how advertisers create content to elicit certain emotions. The day when ad content can be targeted to how you’re feeling—or how much weight you’ve gained recently, or how closely you’re paying attention to the ad—isn’t that far from the here and now.

#5: What Won’t Change: Consumers Get the Last Word

Facial recognition isn’t the future of advertising: it’s the present. Tesco, Google, Facebook, Nike, and Virgin Mobile have already experimented with content that’s customized based on face recognition and user responses. Now that Apple’s on board, the experiment is poised to become a common feature of the advertising landscape. The job of advertisers will be to provide a superior experience that rewards consumers for participating in the experience. If they decide they’re getting fair value, then their faces truly are their fortunes.

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Get a jump on the future. Social Link is a team of social media experts who know how to translate today’s technology into tomorrow’s results. 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.

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Online Marketing Social Media Marketing

Who is Using Social Media Really Well Today?

Social Link Who is using social media really well

Some individual and business personalities thrive on social media interactions, while others crash and burn. What makes some stand out more than others? Here are some of social media’s brightest stars and what they’re doing differently.

  • Chipotle – Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is one of the most well-known Tex-Mex chains in the US today. They have 4 million followers on several different social networks, which are managed by a 5 person team. They attribute their social media success to providing a personal touch by reaching out to individuals and creating diverse content.
  • NBA – The NBA won Adweek’s Shorty Award for the best Twitter social media use. The basketball organization was cited for their innovative use of a social media forum to promote transparency at games. Today, sports teams are providing more in-depth information to their social media followers for an insider’s look, whether you’re at the game or half a world away.
  • Fitness trainers – On their own, and as part of a larger organization, fitness trainers are reaching an ever-expanding audience through social media. See unretouched before and after pictures of extreme weight loss and an unprecedented level of awareness about why “healthy” looks different on different people. 2015 is the year that everyone is embracing fitness and nutrition to reach health-goals rather than conform to a particular body ideal.
  • Taco Bell – Taco Bell has been in the mainstream media several times for their original, funny, and creative content. The brand has an exceptional understanding of their target market and what makes them want to engage with the brand on social media. The company consistently interacts with consumers on sites like Twitter and even pokes fun at competitor fast-food chains.

One of the biggest lessons companies and individuals can learn from these social media superstars is that social media posts are about remaining true to a brand, personality, and culture. Be yourself and engage with your followers online in a real, candid way. Learn more about social media in Nashville by contacting our team today.

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Email Marketing Online Marketing Social Media Marketing

Santa in July: 10 Things You Should Do Now to Prepare for the Christmas Rush

Christmas Marketing Tips in July

We’ve all seen it – stores with shelves lined with holiday items weeks and sometimes months before the holiday itself. This is not an accident. Advance preparation for the holidays is important to consumers and should also be for companies.

Believe it or not, this is an effective marketing strategy, and it can be easily applied to the online platform. Not only does preemptive action give your customers the ability to avoid a hectic holiday season, some early offers can give your business the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and avoid being overwhelmed, too.

If your organization is one that tends to see less traffic during the holidays, this can also be a crucial element in preparing to remedy that lull and orchestrate a rush of your own. Below are some tips to get your customers and your company prepared for the Christmas rush, and to become a fixture with your client base in the months to come.

1) Assess Your Client Base

This is an essential element in any client/provider relationship but can become especially useful when crafting a holiday internet marketing strategy. Take an in-depth look at your clients, their spending habits, and their past purchases or activities with your company to determine what their holiday needs may be. Then, begin taking the steps to make those habits work for your benefit.

If your clients tend to hide out during the holiday season, craft holiday marketing strategies to incentivize them to engage. If, during the holidays, customers tend to overwhelm you with business, an early start is the perfect way to make sure they leave satisfied.

2) Focus Your Blogs and Content

If you want to bring customers into your business for the holidays, it may be a good time to begin dropping hints and ideas about the season. Holiday internet marketing is most effective if executed well in advance. This gives clients and customers time to absorb the information and begin their holiday planning. Producing content that steers customers toward the benefits of preparation is a great way to get the holiday – and your organization – on their year-end radar.

3) Work Through Social Media

Social media is an ever-valuable tool for getting the word out about your business. When planning a holiday internet marketing campaign, sometimes social media can be the best way to gently remind your customers about the upcoming festivities while keeping your company on track for the season.

Surplus sales, preemptive discounts, and coupons are great ways to encourage early participation in holiday purchasing. Moreover, products that are set to roll out around the holidays can greatly benefit from social media circulation. Introducing a product with an air of scarcity will create interest in customers and allow them to spread the excitement among their peers.

4) Utilize Creative Displays

Illustrations and videos allow you to communicate your message in an engaging and entertaining way. Christmas in July is a trend for a reason, and creative displays are a good way to capitalize on this attitude. A lighthearted, yet tempting, trailer or a funny graphic may be all it takes to remind your clients about the benefits your business can offer both during the holidays and throughout the year. Also, incorporating graphics into your pre-holiday promotional campaigns will make them more memorable and likely to be shared.

5) Conduct Some Early Bird Promotions

Getting in ahead of the competition can be a great thing, and a Christmas in July promotion is a good way to outdo your competitors. Additionally, an early bird promotion can be an element of holiday internet marketing that allows you to assess your client base and gather preliminary figures on interest during the holiday season. Keep a detailed account of each respondent, their level of interest, and their holiday history to assist you in determining how much preparation is necessary for when the holidays actually arrive.

6) Organize and Introduce Your Holiday Products or Services

If you operate an inventory-based business, the summer is a great time to get a preliminary idea of your wares. Organizing your products will ease your stress when the busy season rolls around, and an early introduction could seat your products in your clients’ minds for the holidays to come.

Introducing your product or service promotions early gives your clients time to prepare and provides wiggle room for your staff to drum up interest. A product that is introduced early is given more exposure, and if that product is not available until the holiday season begins this might be a great time to reveal it and give loyal customers the opportunity to preorder.

7) Plan a Shipping Campaign

A great way to get people to engage in early purchasing is to give them incentive to do so. Planning a campaign that will get products to your clients in plenty of time for the holidays with little to no cost for shipping may be just the push they need to make their decision.

In addition, working with shippers to establish general guidelines for activity and possibly partake in promotions will save your company stress and money during the rush. The winter holidays are some of the busiest shipping times, and preparation is extremely important when dealing with distributing your wares in a timely and effective manner.

8) Craft an Email Marketing Strategy

It may behoove your company to treat holiday internet marketing as more of a marathon than a sprint. Crafting a basic outline of steps you plan to take is a good idea early on in the year, and as time passes you can fill in the outline with content and advertisements.

For example, using the summer to plan and implement a fall campaign that focuses on the holidays to come is a good first step. During the fall, remind customers of the nearness of the holidays, their hectic nature, and the savings they could take advantage of by taking immediate action.

As the holidays come closer, begin sprinkling in relevant promotions, deals, and services available. Have your marketing strategy well laid out before the holiday arrives by having defined dates, content outlines, and promotional options for your holiday campaign. This can mitigate the rush and give you a decent game plan to work from.

9) Analyze Past Holiday Seasons

By referring to past holidays and their effects on your business, you can make general predictions about what future holidays might bring. Did your business see a sharp spike during the holidays? Maybe it’s time that you prepare yourself for the rush that the winter season will bring. Was business during the holidays in decline? Analyze why that could be and start implementing strategies to correct it in future seasons.

On a smaller level, it might be a good idea to check on your client base. Which ones fell off during the past holiday seasons? Could there be a reason for this? Keep a list of those clients and put them on your radar for holiday-focused promotions. It could be that they were unaware of the products or services your company offered around the holiday. It could also be that they don’t see a need for your products during that season. Your preliminary campaigns can change their mindset and open them up to entirely new facets of your business that they can utilize.

10) Pre-write Holiday Content

Some companies choose not to modify their content, website, or web design with the seasons. These companies, however, fail to capitalize on events that drive sales and purchases throughout the year. For this reason, it is a good idea to make sure your holiday content is in order well before the season arrives.

Prewriting website content is a good place to start. Examine what will be available during that season, what face you would like to present to customers or clients, and what offers you can provide that will set you apart from the competition. Once you have these elements in hand, craft your content accordingly and leave a little wiggle room for developments that could occur over the next six months.

Prewriting holiday internet marketing campaigns is also a great idea at this juncture. With the knowledge of your organization’s holiday trends and offerings in the forefront of your mind, draft your seasonal advertisements and informational packets. This way when the bustle of the holidays does arrive, you are ahead of the curve and not caught unaware by the busy nature of the season.

Intentionally promoting yourself and using preceding seasons to construct the bulk of your holiday internet marketing material is the smart way to stay prepared. When the busy season rolls around, you want to make sure that your organization is up to the challenge and doesn’t lose business to the competition!

Active pursuit of these tips will alleviate much of the stress associated with the holiday season and create satisfied customers. Before you know it, your competition will be knocking on your door to find out how you maximized revenue, customer service, and holiday season preparation.

If you found this post helpful please review the author here.

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Email Marketing Online Marketing PPC SEO Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

10 Hot Internet Marketing Trends

The world of internet marketing is ever-changing. However, there are several marketing and web design trends currently dominating the advertising world.

– Mobile optimization: As websites become increasingly user-friendly on mobile devices, advertisers are upping their efforts to translate their ads to a mobile platform. Web design that allows for seamless change between devices is becoming more relevant than ever.

– Social media ad campaigns: With social media a daily part of many people’s lives, marketers realize the value of allocating resources to promoting themselves in the social sphere.

– Content marketing: Creating relevant content – sharing pertinent knowledge and quality articles in lieu of standard print-style ads – to lure a particular client or customer base is a growing part of internet marketing,

– Email advertising: While this has long been an internet marketing staple, email ads are undergoing a makeover. They are becoming more informative, personalized, and are used to reach more targeted audiences.

– The humanization of brands: Advertising is looking to move away from big corporate images, so internet marketing campaigns want to humanize both established and non- established brands by making them relatable to their target market.

– Relevancy over promotion: Buyers are increasingly disinterested in promotional lingo, leading internet marketers to focus on relevant and informative ads over sales jargon.

– Increasing use of marketing analytics: The internet provides great opportunities for seeing detailed descriptions of how clients interact with your product or company. Marketing analytics are ever on the rise, giving businesses a way to examine and hone their sales efforts.

– Highly personalized content: Working toward 1-to-1 marketing, personalized content examines the habits of the potential buyer and provides them with information on products that may be relevant to consumer needs or desires.

– Videos: No longer relegated to certain streaming websites, video ads are seen more frequently throughout the internet. It’s an accessible and versatile mode of content that allows advertisers to communicate their message in a memorable way.

– Less filler ads: Ads that mainly serve to set the product in a buyer’s mind are on the decline. Instead of banners with brightly flashing colors offering obscure products or services, internet marketing is moving toward strong content-driven advertisements to draw in consumers.

If you found this article helpful please review the author here.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/11/24/top-7-online-marketing-trends-that-will-dominate-2015/

http://www.inboundnow.com/10-online-marketing-trends-predictions-2015/

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Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

Social PPC Management – 5 quick tips

Social PPC management for beginners

A well crafted pay-per-click campaign can generate a substantial amount of sales and insight for your business. Social PPC campaigns engage your customers by offering promotions and advertisements that are meaningful to them. While a social PPC campaign does drive visitors to your site, turning them into customers is not as simple and straightforward as just getting them there. In order for a campaign to be successful and worth the investment, your business needs a strategy that is proven to convert browsers into buyers. At Social Link, we offer social PPC management that will:

  • Drive traffic to your site at competitive pricing.
  • Convert visitors into buyers.
  • Retain customers and earn their loyalty.

 

Quick Tips For Social Media PPC Management

An expertly managed PPC campaign should rank your site in the top tier of results. PPC allows searchers to discover your site based on keywords that you may not otherwise rank with.

PPC is advantageous because it’s a flexible way to buy keywords that work for you. If you’re trying to target a niche audience, bid on specific, long trail keywords which will cast a deeper net. On the other hand, bidding on more generic keywords will cast a broader net, bringing in higher volume but lower quality.

Ad Content is changeable and scalable, so it can be updated day-to-day to reflect trending topics. To avoid ad burn-out, you need to stay on top of trending information. However, you can use old posts as a template for headlines and to A/B test images.

Incorporating effective images is another vital aspect in gaining and keeping customers. This can be harder than it sounds, but effective images will generate more clicks than text alone. Use images that include people, especially if they’re looking at the CTA button. Be sure to test and update your images often.

If you’re using Twitter, use Lead Generation Cards. They stealthily hide an ad within a tweet, and are great for driving e-mail sign-ups and white paper downloads.

Most importantly, PPC produces measurable results that you can use to your advantage. You can see exactly how much traffic is being driven to your site based on the ads and how many of those visitors were converted to buyers. Use this information frequently to find out what works and what doesn’t. Then, cater new ad campaigns around this data.

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Blog Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

10 Important Social Metrics You Need to Watch

Choosing which social metrics you will follow can be a difficult choice. Part of the challenge lies in the fact that sales are not directly influenced by social media interactions, but they definitely help. Since following the numbers spit up by Facebook and Twitter is an inexact science, social media marketing comes down to following the most important numbers and understanding why it is happening.

We are providing you with the metrics our company has found to be the most important. It is up to you to use those numbers to improve audience interaction.

1.   Influence Score. Knowing your number of subscribers can be helpful. Audience size does positively correlate with business success but some subscribers are more vital than others. This metric tells you how influential someone is on a social media site. In other words, if Michael Jordan tweets about your product, more will listen than if average Joe tweets.

2.   Audience Share. This is the percentage of your target market your brand reaches when compared to competitors.

3.   Voice Share. This is how much of the conversation you have, as compared to competition.

4.   Amplification Rate. The more your posts are shared, retweeted, and reposted, the more your voice is amplified.

5.   Applause Rate. This metric records how many people enjoyed any given post, or number of posts over a time period, by measuring the number of likes, favorites, and other favorable actions.

6.   Virality. Virality increases the faster the content is shared throughout different social media sites. This is a great way to measure how successful your online marketers are at reaching customers.

7.   Bounce Rate. When customers visit your landing page then immediately click back, that is called “bouncing.” The higher your bounce rate, the less engaging your landing pages are. A high bounce rate will also hurt your SEO ranking.

8.   Sessions. The “session” metrics judge interactions between you and your web traffic. If multiple people visit your website because of a Facebook post, that is considered a session. The duration of the session can also be judged. This can be very helpful when hosting online events, webinars, or sales.

9.   Conversion Rates. This metric looks at how many conversions are made within a time period, as well as the going rate of conversion based on number of customers.

10.   CPA. Important to marketing, you need to know how much it costs for your marketing and advertising teams to land new leads.

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Blog Online Marketing Social Media Marketing

50 Social Media Marketing Agency Tips for Small Businesses

The crux of marketing to people on social media is entertaining, valuable content. Yet viewers are fickle, and reaching customers can be all about employing the right strategy at the right time. Different social media sites provide different methods of engaging users. Twitter tries to pull people in and move them to another location to view videos, images, and news stories. Facebook lets you provide simple tips and opens up longer discussions.

Remember that the goal of social media is connection and the biggest social media platforms compliment one another rather nicely. The goal when reaching out to consumers is to give them a texture by using the sum of your parts, something they can reach out and engage. We offer these fifty tips to improve each individual part of your social marketing strategy so in the end you have created a full personality.

Facebook

1. Complete your profile. Banner pictures should show the best parts of your business, whether it is a new product, your store’s exterior, or a patently original aspect of your personality.

2. Not every post should be about your business or users will start to ignore your posts. Consider using Facebook as a place to have open conversations. Businesses strong in their community can share big, local stories.

3. Tidbits should relate to your business. You are a friend, but also a business. Never share irrelevant information.

4. Facebook provides a feature that allows you to poll users called “Question.” This actively invites participation, and keeps users coming back.

5. The more your page is visited by a person, the more often your updates appear in their news feed. This is not an active step you can take, but helpful when remembering how much audience engagement matters.

6. Always respond to questions from page visitors. When someone has a concern about your product, you need to let them (and everyone else!) know their concerns are being heard.

7. Facebook will share text-based posts more than posts that also include outbound links or images. While images are definitely more engaging, you may want to stave off using an image when promoting for an important event so more followers see the message.

8. Delete bad comments and spam. This one may be a no-brainer, but if you are unable to remove bad comments in a timely fashion, your business will suffer.

9. Incite competitions. Art contests are hugely popular in the online community, and winners love bragging rights. Competitions, especially as they relate to your business, are great at building brand loyalty.

10. Your email blasts should always click a link to your Facebook page. If you have online coupons, post them on Facebook and direct customers there.

11. Twitter should always be proudly displayed in your profile.

12. If something big is happening on Twitter, or a hashtag for your business is picking up steam, you should advertise the fact (and vice-versa).

Twitter

13. Keep track of your Twitter followers. Tweepi.com is a great way to engage your most influential bloggers and critics who have something to say about your business.

14. With Twitter, the more followers you have is the key to success. Find as many as possible. Look up hashtags trending in your industry and follow the most influential and relevant people. In general, staying an active part of the conversation will net you new followers.

15. Tweet constantly. This goes hand-in-hand with generating followers. A Twitter account that only posts once or twice a month may as well be deactivated. Work to get your frequency up to twice a day.

16. Get your content in the hands of the people who will care. All of your posts should contain hashtags to relevant stakeholders. Use groups, lists, and topics. Social media management is about reaching the right audience, not everyone.

17. There are many online software programs that allow you to automate retweeting so the best and the greatest of your tweets do not get buried under a pile of new content. This is an effective strategy for handling recurring events.

18. If you find bloggers that constantly deliver quality information, you can automatically retweet their content, too. This improves your tweet output without making Twitter a strenuous, ongoing activity.

19. A Twitter retweet best-practice is to always include the original poster’s name in your tweet.

20. There is no such thing as too much content. The life of a tweet is exceedingly short, so brazenly flood the market without fear of repercussion.

21. Follow anyone who says great things about your brand, this is a great way to gain good will.

22. Twitter provides lists that lets you keep tabs on your competitors. Make a list of all your competitors and set the list to “private.”

23. Use Twitter to provide expert knowledge on your area of expertise. Like Facebook, you can show what you know.

24. Give shout-outs to regular customers. They will become even stronger advocates of your establishment.

YouTube

25. Annotations are your very best friend. Adding them lets you link your video, in turn, showcasing relevant products and services to the right demographic.

26. Add all of your social media contact information to all About sections in all of your videos. Social media is about drawing customers in, making them hungry for more, and then redirecting them.

27. Find the influential people in your industry or business, and invite them to sit down for an interview. You can share these meetings via video.

28. Always automate video sharing to your other social media accounts, it saves time.

29. Use TrueView Advertising. YouTube ads are great because you only get charged if someone watches the whole video – yet viewers are able to skip the ad after five seconds. There are only two people who watch the whole video, those that leave their computer, and those interested in the product. However, this is an effective way to get your name out there by opening the video with your name and brand.

30. Keep titles consistent. If you have a regular series of how-to or self-help videos, the name of the series should be proudly displayed so users can quickly identify with the label.

31. YouTube videos appear on search engines, so remember that video titles are essentially mini keywords.

32. Likewise, every video should include keyword tags.

33. YouTube has Analytics tools, just like Google. You can keep track of when people stop watching your video, if they skip to a certain part, and more. This information is great for optimizing your content, because over time you can get a feel for what is working and what fails to engage. Above all, video content should be engaging.

34. The over-achievers have a brand-specific, brief segment at the end of their videos that tells more about their business. This is a great way to wrap up each segment, like the epilogue of a novel.

LinkedIn

35. Your profile should be public. A staggering number of businesses forget to do this.

36. Some businesses find it prudent to add a FAQ or Q&A with answers that lead back to their website, blog, or other relevant site.

37. LinkedIn has perhaps the best targeting services of any social media site. Their advertising platform almost always reaches the correct demographic. Groups on LinkedIn are also notoriously active, which means that well-constructed ads are highly shared.

38. Consider adding a separate LinkedIn profile for your blog. What this does is better identifies the expertise that is writing for your company.

39. LinkedIn allows you to showcase important pages. Introduce new products, provide an additional place to show off best-sellers, or even pair with a complementary brand.

40. LinkedIn accounts can have apps added. You are able to upload blogs and Twitter feeds, special services, and other helpful brand-specific tools. Slideshare can also be added, if you have active, continually updating downloadable content.

41. Your profile needs to include skills and services. It creates a great impression with users and better identifies your specialties.

42. Campaigns that are seemingly dead in the water can be paused and re-launched to refresh ads. This keeps your company from constructing multiple ads and essentially lets you try a second time.

43. LinkedIn allows you to opt out target groups of peoples and interests, funneling your ads toward the correct market.

Blog

44. Blogs are incredibly important for businesses. Not only do you get to show off your knowledge, but they also provide additional chances to incorporate keywords important to your company.

45. Be as candid as possible when constructing blog content. Patting yourself on the back will only alienate readers. Remember to show rather than tell. Transparency in your writing increases the chances that visitors will trust what you have to say.

46. Do not insult competitors… directly. “Bashing” the methods of others is never the correct approach, it makes your business seem petty. Always remember to frame differing methods as the “weaker” and “stronger” approach. Specific insults can also result in lawsuits.

47. Blogs are the foundation of your knowledge, personality, and industry leadership. In other words, you need your content to be top-notch. You should never produce filler just to get a post out there, nor should you write drab, incoherent puzzles. Readers should feel excited and engaged to be learning from you. Remember, there are hundreds of other internet experts they can turn to, but they found you.

48. A good headline will draw in readers, and it also contributes to your SEO. List-
based articles are known for drawing in readers, and they also provide a built-in template for your content.

49. Signing up for your email newsletter or subscribing to your blog should be very easy. As your readership increases, they will want the announcements for your new posts to be immediate and automatic. Limit to just email or email and name if you can.

50. Guest posts are a great way to get other industry experts involved with your business and website. If you can land a name that is easily-recognized, you stand a good chance to receive a temporary (and hopefully permanent!) influx of traffic.

Categories
Blog Online Marketing Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

Meerkat, the Video-Based Social Media Site Companies Should Watch

The new social video app called Meerkat is quickly gaining popularity. You have likely heard of its incredible versatility. Launched in February earlier this year, it began gaining traction around the beginning of March.

At the end of March, Meerkat already has more than 120,000 users. With this app, users stream live videos, uploading the content to Twitter which then invites followers to the stream.

There are a few explanations for why this app is so popular:

  • Our brains are predisposed to connect to others via faces when learning new things. Users are far more likely to retain information when they can see the face of the person imparting the content.
  • Aesthetic appeal matters to our eyes. Hollywood uses pretty people to reach us at our basest levels.
  • Body language imparts more information than words. What this means for marketing is that if the person showcasing a product is excited, followers will get excited, too.

How Can Your Business Use Meerkat?

First, let us answer why you want to stream directly to customers. The answer is very simple: users want personalized content. Internet marketing in Nashville is no different than anywhere else in the country, so consider wide reaching techniques. To be successful anywhere, you must capture your audience directly with personality, and there is nothing more personal than engaging someone directly. Meerkat allows customers to speak to marketers and business owners directly via Twitter and ask questions while the stream is still live.

Consider these specifics instances where Meerkat could help your business:

  • Events. If you are hosting or advertising an event, your company can keep people that live far away from missing a conference, special reveal, or important information. You can provide videos that show things “behind the scenes.” Treat it like the ever popular special features on DVDs.
  • New Products. Major video game companies wait until E3 to show off their new products. Apple regularly holds product launch events to display new iPhones, tablets, and other devices. Meerkat allows companies to not only show products directly, but also answer questions consumers may have been directly addressed. Companies can also release important promotional material or talk about upcoming sales.
  • Interviews. Great leaders make themselves accessible. Instead of sending blasts from the CEO or doing reddit AMAs, company leaders can speak directly to their consumers.

The possibilities are endless, ranging from telling stories, launching new hashtag campaigns, or giving tips on using products. Get involved!

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Blog SEO Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks Web Development

15 Link Building Ideas for Better SEO

I was recently working on a project where I had to really dive deep into the link building strategy for a particular client. While doing my research I ran across everything from tactics in 2006 that have thrown some website into a Google purgatory to all the white hat must dos in 2015.  I have always found SEO Moz, SEO Book, and Search Engine Land to be great resources in general for all things SEO.

So without further ado here are the top 15 link building ideas I found most helpful.

1. If you need to build a post with a lot of content build a top “101 list”. A lot of times these will get Dugg or shared on social and can provide some pretty decent link juices to your site. If they are useful enough others will link to it naturally on their blogs.

2. For quick and easy posts do a “top 10 tips and tricks” [ehm]. Its quick and easy for the user to get the information and go. They also have high incentive to share if useful to the user and the niche they serve.

3. Make a list of extensive resources for a specific topic. Use your bookmarks and stay organized with all the tools available to you. There are a lot out there.

4. Flattery is the best form of incentive to share. Find experts in the field and make them part of a top 25 list. They would love to tell everyone they made it!

5. Do the opposite of #2 and create a list of myths or common misconceptions in your specific industry.

6. Join your local business sites and directories. Join the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, City or Government sites, LGBT sites, local libraries, etc.

7. Review relevant products on retail sites like Amazon, eBay, Alexa, ePinions or whatever you niche is in.

8. Link to other blogs. Its good to have friends in low places. Its better to have friends in high places.

9. Become a sponsor of something. Maybe a local charity, something seasonal, or community driven. They almost always feature you as sponsor on their site.

10. Create original and useful tools. A calendar for show times, a traffic estimator, or price comparisons.

11. Footer links are generally frowned upon. But in my industry its appropriate to link in the footer. In this case, point it to an internal page.

12. Offer something free for a review, feedback, or mention.

13. If you have the resources…. Launch a firefox or chrome browser extension.

14. Anyone can take formal pictures. It’s the drunk celebrities and people in their underwear that makes for great link bait on social media. I decided to test the truth of cats and clicking for this post.

15. Make sure whatever it is you create – videos, tips, tricks, infographics, etc – make sure it is useful. Quality and originality equals virtuality.

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Email Marketing Online Marketing PPC Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

3 Tips for Creating Compelling Infographics

Humans tend to be visual learners, processing information we observe from the world around us. Data from the Social Science Research Network reveals that 65 percent of American adults are classified as visual learners. It’s no wonder, then, that infographics and sensationalized lists are the most shared items on social networks. By creating share-worthy infographics, your brand will harness the power of optimized visuals that enhance your viral marketing efforts.

Creating compelling infographics, however, is more challenging than you might think. This is because you must effectively combine visual creativity with promotional material. By keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be able to design an effective infographic that grows both brand awareness and your bottom line.

• Rank your data. Similar to optimized blog posts, infographics must be created with a hierarchy of information. What data is the most likely to resonate with consumers? Not all material can fit into a compelling visual design, so it’s critical to include only key marketing points. Consider the amount of information you can effectively convey without skimping on the details.

• Find the perfect imaging tool. If you don’t have an in-house graphic designer, it’s vital to find a reliable tool to develop, reshape, and edit visuals. Sites such as Easel.ly and PicMonkey make it easy to create infographics online.

• Show, don’t tell. Remember, infographics should be readable at a glance, with key information popping out for even the most casual reader. Also avoid repeating yourself, because the space on the infographic is limited and should be reserved for clear and concise brand storytelling.

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Online Marketing PPC Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing: DIY PPC Campaign

Creating and managing a PPC campaign can be overwhelming, especially with AdWords’ complicated interface. Fortunately, PPC campaigns on social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn are much less difficult, as intuitive layouts simplify the process. Additionally, social media campaigns target users directly where they are.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to Look For

Once you’ve developed your social PPC campaign, it’s critical to analyze the success of your work. KPIs provide hard data that objectively reveal the state of the campaign. The most important indicators to watch for include:

• Click through rate (CTR). This figure refers to the number of times an ad was clicked on divided by the number of times the ad was displayed. For instance, if your ad was clicked on 15 times out of 1,000 impressions, then your CTR is 1.5 percent. If you have multiple ads running, finding out which ads have the greatest CTR will help you optimize them for better performance in the future.

• Conversion rate. Are you trying to get users to “like” your page? Purchase a product? The conversion rate is critical to measuring the success of any social PPC campaign. Aside from creating brand awareness, growing your bottom line is the ultimate goal of the advertising you do, and conversion rate is an accurate indicator of how efficiently you are achieving it.

• Average cost per click (CPC). Keeping track of your average CPC allows you to make sure you’re getting the greatest return on investment possible. High CPCs deplete marketing budgets quickly, so it’s crucial to keep this figure as low as possible. If your CPC is too high, consider reviewing your bid prices and adjusting keyword bids as necessary.

How to Create PPC Demographics

Reaching the right audience on social platforms is integral to the success of social PPC campaigns. Though it’s possible to target specific demographics, this can be challenging and expensive, because the average CPC rises for very specific target audiences. Instead, consider targeting your competitors’ audiences. Targeting people who like and follow your competitors is cost effective and results in highly targeted traffic.

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Social Media Marketing

3 Visual Social Media Marketing Tips

Did you know that images featured in social media updates have engagement rates 600x higher than written content? It’s true. People enjoy viewing images far more than reading text.

 

If you’re looking to revamp your social media posts, check out these three tips for adding visual content to your social media marketing campaign.

 

  1. Take a picture at the office.  Your social media followers want to know you’re a real person. Show them!

 

  1. Create infographics. Instead of a bulleted list, create an infographic to visually display your information. It’s a lot more fun and interesting to view statistics and helpful tips when there are corresponding pictures.

 

  1. Pinterest, Instagram and Vine. Gone are the days when simple Facebook posts and one-sentence Tweets drove engagement. Now, top brands are relying on social media platforms designed specifically for visual content to increase brand awareness and boost engagement.

 

Given these tips, which do you plan to use in your social media marketing campaign?

 

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Social Media Marketing

Have Crickets Taken Over Your Facebook Page?

If your Facebook profile is so quiet you can hear a pin drop, your social media engagement techniques might need a little work. Take a look at these tips for creating a buzz about your brand:

1. Use emoticons (sparingly). Strategically placed emoticons let your customers know they’re interacting with a human – not a computer.

2. Post images. On average, posts that contain images receive more than 50% more likes, shares and comments.

3. Spread the word with hashtags. Adding a hashtag, or two, to your Facebook posts gives your content more exposure across social media channels. Don’t waste this opportunity!

What do you do to get a conversation started about your brand?

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Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

Tip: Facebook Business Contests

Facebook-for-Businesses-Image

Clearly, Facebook has taken over the way companies and individuals manage their social media strategies. In fact, one of the most basic ways a company will get involved with social media is by creating and maintaining a company Facebook page. Although the process itself is simple enough, many intrepid business owners do not realize that there are very different rules that govern Facebook use for businesses.

Your Company Page is Not a Personal Page

Most of the rules surrounding business Facebook pages can be explained by the idea that business pages are not personal pages, and they cannot be used as such. Most of the Facebook guidelines have been put forth so that no business page is able to “spam” personal pages on the network.

Here are a few quick guidelines to remember when you are using your business’s Facebook page:

• Regarding contests and giveaways: You may not use your business Facebook page to run giveaways. However, you may use the page to announce a giveaway being run by your company on another website or application

• Also regarding contests: You may not require the sharing of any aspect of your business page on personal timelines as part of entry to a contest.

• For posts that you would like to “boost” (using Facebook to provide additional sharing to increase your traffic): pictures may not be more than 20% text. Again, this is to prevent a business Facebook page from misusing the site for spam and promotions.

The Takeaway

All of Facebook’s rules for business Facebook pages can be found within the Terms of Service. However, a great rule of thumb for budding Facebook Masters is that you cannot, at any time, use your business Facebook page as a spam device. You also must not attempt to use your followers’ personal timelines as a part of your business’s social media strategy.

As should be the rule with all your content marketing and social media efforts, producing high quality content that your users will be interested in, and perhaps want to share with others, is always the best practice. Many of these Facebook rules deal with shortcuts that businesses use for a boost, but it’s a boost you can achieve with great, consistent content – without any tricks.

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Blog Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

Optimize Facebook For Your Business

facebook21

Linking It All Up: Making Business Connections Through Facebook

In today’s high tech marketplace, using social media can make the decisive difference between a business that is growing and one that is stagnating. At the forefront of the social media scene, with over a billion users, is Facebook. While it may have gotten its start as a central destination for college students, today’s Facebook users come from all demographic groups. This makes Facebook a critical tool for any business looking to actively grow its customer base and build brand loyalty. Facebook offers a wide variety of possibilities for engaging customers over the internet. Try these tips for optimizing your business’s Facebook profile, and watch the returns roll in.

Use a Vanity URL

One feature of Facebook is that users can customize their URL, rather than using the randomly generated combination of numbers and letters otherwise assigned to profiles. Choose a simple vanity URL using your business’s name. This will make it easier for potential customers to find your business’s Facebook page. Make sure to add this URL to all of your company’s advertising communications, such as business cards and newsletters. You want everyone who works with your business to be reminded to check out your company’s Facebook page.

Create a Landing Page

When businesses think about Facebook, many erroneously believe that all Facebook pages look the same: contact info, a few links, and that’s about it. But it doesn’t have to be this way. One way to draw customers to your Facebook page is by creating a landing page or welcome screen that appears to any new visitor. Your landing page can invite users to like the page and often offers them an incentive for engaging, such as coupons or entry into a contest.

In addition to offering promotions, a Facebook landing page can also be graphically interesting, displaying a well-designed advertisement or other image, for example, rather than just the usual Facebook skeleton. Once customers like your page, they can then move on to the more typical Facebook structure, displaying your posts and business information. But that first incentive to engage with your page is important – once customers “like” your page, they subscribe to your posts, integrating your business into their individual Facebook experience.

Gather Customer Data

Another feature that can be added to a business Facebook page is a customer information form. Just like a form on any other website, a Facebook form can allow customers to enter things like their demographic data, email, birthday, and phone number. This kind of information can help businesses get a sense of who their audience is and can also be used for other business promotions, such as birthday coupons. Customer data is extremely valuable for understanding who your business is reaching and better targeting your outreach and advertising.

Share Photos

Do you have photographs of your staff at a company event? Or of satisfied customers using your product? Sharing relevant business photographs on Facebook is a great way to build your brand. Informal photographs help to make your business seem real and friendly to potential customers. Invite customers to submit photographs of themselves using your product and make sure to capture company events on camera, like holiday parties or office birthday celebrations.

Play The Expert

One thing that your business should absolutely be sharing on Facebook is industry insights. Post links to articles about innovations in your industry to demonstrate your engagement with the field. Your Facebook communications do not need to all be explicitly about your specific business, but should reflect the position of your company in the larger marketplace. Posting this type of information also encourages other businesses to engage with your Facebook page, not just individual customers. In the same vein, “like” the pages of allied businesses to create a larger picture of your company’s place in the industry.

Create Content

Facebook content can come in a variety of different forms. Some of it, like links to relevant articles, is produced by people outside of your company. The majority of the content on your business’s Facebook, however, should be company specific and created by your company. Post short updates daily or every few days that tell customers what your business is doing. Did you just get a shipment of a new product? Are you collaborating with another company? Are you offering a promotion? All of this should be shared as status messages on your Facebook.

Another type of content to focus on for your company’s Facebook page is blogs. Publish blog posts at your main website and link it to your Facebook. This allows you to share longer form information about your business and can help redirect customers from your Facebook to your main website. By engaging customers in multiple online forums, you increase their familiarity with your business and make potential customers more likely to become actual customers.

Use Widgets

What’s a widget? A widget is a tool that can be embedded in your web page to increase functionality. Companies like ShortStack offer widgets for you company’s Facebook page that can make it do an assortment of new and exciting things. For example, ShortStack offers a widget that can help your company run contests through your Facebook page. The widget allows your Facebook page to collect customer information so that you can choose a winner. But that’s not all widgets can do.

Widgets are great for improving the ability of customers to interact with your company’s Facebook page. ShortStack, for example, will not only help integrate YouTube, Vimeo, SoundClound, and more into your Facebook page, but will also offer a wide variety of ways for your visitors to engage with all of this media. ShortStack’s widgets are free for small business pages and cost as little as $15 a month for businesses with more than 2,000 Facebook “likes.” This makes widgets a low cost way to get a huge return on investment.

Integrate Your Social Media Presence

Another way to integrate your social media presence and draw in customer interest is by taking advantage of the different formats that each platform specializes in. For example, a customer might ask you a question on Twitter. Since Twitter is a short-form platform, try writing a blog post on your home webpage, answering the question. You can then link this blog post to Twitter, answering the question, and post both to your Facebook page. This may sound like a lot of steps, but in reality, combining your social media presence in this way will reward your business with much greater customer involvement.

Making The Most Of Social Media

Managing your social media presence is a critical part of running a business in the 21 and one of the great things about social media is that it is essentially a level playing field. Even the smallest business can have a dynamic Facebook presence with just a little time and effort. That means that whether you have 200 customers or 2 million customers, social media can benefit you. A strong social media presence can help to build brand recognition and loyalty, particularly because it puts a personal face on every business. With Facebook, you can treat every customer like a friend.

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PPC Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

Converting Customers With Google+ Hangouts

Google+ hangout

How Google+ Hangouts Can Help Your Business

 

Google+ tends to be the overlooked younger brother of social networking, but Google+ – particularly its “hangout” function – has a lot to offer your business. Google+ hangouts allow your team to chat simultaneously with up to 9 other Google+ users, but it can do much more than that. Imagine everything you could do while chatting on a live video stream! Google+ hangouts is a great tool for small businesses that want to bring in more customers. As a mechanism for growth, Google+ is tops.

Getting Your Business Started With Google+

To use Google+ hangouts, your business first needs a Google+ account. This is easy to get and a valuable tool for any business. Google+ even offers different options for different kinds of businesses. That means that a page serving as publicity for your small local business will look different from a page for a national product brand. Having an official Google+ page can also improve your search engine rankings, especially if you link your Google+ page to your company’s official website.

How Do Hangouts Work?

The closest comparison that can be drawn to a Google+ hangout is a Skype session, or perhaps even a face-to-face meeting. What makes Google+ hangouts different from Skype, however, is that you can chat with more than one person at once through a hangout. In fact, you can “hangout” with up to 9 other people in a Google+ hangout, as though they were all right there in the room.

To join a Google+ hangout, everyone logs in through their Google+ account and then you invite them to the hangout through your company account. After people join the chat through that invitation, all of their faces are visible at once via webcam, making it seem like you’re all in the same place. Google+ hangouts have a wide variety of uses for small businesses and can really help bring customers in the door.

 Google+ Hangouts For Product Demos

One great use of the Google+ hangout feature is doing live product demos. Maybe you’ve recently received a new product that you want to tell your customers more about, or perhaps you have an older product that you think deserves a bit more attention. Do a product demo! Set up everything you need and invite some of your valued customers to log on and watch. Customers can ask questions as you go along because the whole set-up is live. While they may not be able to reach out and touch the product that you are presenting, a Google+ hangout-based product demonstration can be just as powerful in attracting customer attention to a product and to your business in general.

Inviting valued customers to take part in a product demo is also a great way to express how much you value their input and opinions. This makes the chosen customers that much more likely to come back to your business regularly, and even to purchase the product you demonstrated through Google+ hangouts.

Google+ Hangouts For Customer Service

Another way to use Google+ hangouts is as a way of offering great and personalized customer service. Some businesses make a point of logging on to Google+ at a certain time each week and just waiting around for customers to drop in and ask questions – kind of like a professor’s office hours in college. Customers can see that you are online and can request to hangout with your business. This allows them to ask you questions face-to-face, and gives them an experience equivalent to having come into your place of business to ask their question. Customers appreciate both the general availability of businesses that provide this kind of customer service, as well as the convenience of not having to make an extra trip to the store.

 Google+ Hangouts On Air

The hangout “on air” feature is a special tool offered through Google+. Essentially, this feature allows you to record a Google+ hangout. So, for example, if you were to do a product demonstration live for nine of your customers, you could also record that demonstration. That video could then be uploaded to YouTube or your Google+ page so that other customers could watch the demonstration at their convenience. This allows your company to multiply the number of people it reaches through any Google+ hangout – suddenly, a chat with 9 people has turned into video marketing to one hundred individuals. Some other things you can use Google+ hangouts on air for include:

 

  • Chats with experts in your line of business
  • Behind the scenes tours of your company
  • Hosting a webinar
  • Answering submitted customer questions
  • Giving a press conference

 

The on air feature of Google+ hangouts really multiplies the reach of any video-based marketing. It also makes your Google+ video content available at the times that suit your customers. Maybe you have some loyal customers who would love to participate in your webinar, but want to do so at 2am. With Google+ hangouts on air, any time is a good time for customers to engage with your business.

Google+ Hangouts For Crowdsourcing

One of the best ways to convert customers or to keep established customers coming back to your business is by showing that you care about their opinions. Crowdsourcing through Google+ hangouts is an ideal way to engage with customers, allowing them to offer feedback on your business’s services and products and helping your company to improve. In many senses, crowdsourcing is just the old-fashioned comments box gone live.

You can advertise your crowdsourcing efforts through your brick and mortar business as well as through your Google+ page. Let customers know that you will be setting up times to meet with groups and hear their feedback on your business. Customers today are very comfortable providing feedback through various social networking platforms, making Google+ an ideal way to solicit feedback. This kind of video-based crowdsourcing is similar to what a lot of businesses do today on Facebook: they pose a question and listen to their customers’ answers. In a Google+ hangout, customers can see that you’re really listening, and you have room to think on your feet, offering solutions and suggestions, and generally engaging with customer feedback on your business.

Building Your Brand With Google+ Hangouts

Google+ hangouts may seem like a cumbersome medium for building your brand, but as part of a larger, social media-based business growth plan, it can really work to increase customer traffic and involvement with only a limited investment. For example, if you know that 2pm on Thursdays is always a dull time in your store, it’s the perfect time to film a product demonstration through Google+ hangouts on air. You can use an otherwise profitless time to create something that is guaranteed to get you a great return on investment.

It is precisely this low cost for high return on investment that makes Google+ hangouts an ideal way to build you brand. And having an active Google+ presence will only improve your search results with this leading search engine. So let your customers know what your business is doing. And let your customers tell you what your business could be doing better. With Google+ hangouts, the conversation goes both ways. With Google+ hangouts, your company can go live and grow as you reach out to customers in a new and innovative way.

Categories
Blog Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

Facebook-Based Contests For Your Customers

facebook contests

Running Contests Through Facebook

One way to generate increased interest in your company’s Facebook page is by running a contest. Customers and potential customers love contests – the chance to win something by doing virtually nothing is hard to resist. And that’s the beauty of online contests. Typically all a customer needs to do is to enter their contact information, hit “submit,” and cross their fingers. Facebook can be a great platform for running contests, and those contests are good for business.

Why Companies Run Contests

Contests with modest prizes are, like many forms of advertising on the internet, a low cost way to get a big return on investment. One thing that sets contests apart from regular internet marketing, however, is that it makes it even easier to reach new customers, rather than just engaging current patrons. The technical term for the effect contests have is “lead generation. This means that contests literally create a larger audience for your business.

There are really two parts to lead generation: you are both growing your general customer base, and more specifically, you are growing the audience for your Facebook presence. Because customers typically have to “like” your Facebook page to enter a contest, your company’s regular social media programming will become part of their feed. This helps to generate brand recognition and can help convert potential customers into actual customers. You can also have customers enter contact information and demographic data when they enter a contest on your page, helping your company build a database of customer information.

Another reason why companies run contests is as a way of rewarding current customers. This act of rewarding often has a return effect, even for those who don’t win. Because contests are understood as an act of generosity, customers often feel obligated to reciprocate by making apurchase. This can make contests very profitable.

The Mechanics Of Facebook Contests

To run a Facebook contest, you will need to use an application. Facebook does not host contests through any type of native programming. Apps for running contests can range in costs from nearly free to hundreds or thousands of dollars a month, so make sure to choose one that is both flexible and affordable. The application you choose can be installed directly on your company’s Facebook page, and ideally also on your company’s main web page. When you download a contest application, that application will create a new tab on your company’s Facebook page through which to run the contest. Different applications will structure your contest in slightly different ways, but they all ultimately work on similar principles.

It is also important that you know Facebook’s contest rules before you try to run one. There is an extensive list of rules about how to run a Facebook contest. One of the most important is that you cannot use a native Facebook tool, such as the “like” button to have customers vote on things. This is one way that Facebook prevents users from running contests without an application.

Another important rule is that you cannot put reminders to vote or enter a contest in your cover photo. When it comes to notifying contest winners, you must first email, telephone, or otherwise notify winners of a contest before you can announce their name on your Facebook page or contact them via Facebook message. Finally, when you post a Facebook contest you must make it clear that Facebook is not the one sponsoring your contest. Make sure to read these rules carefully before attempting to run your Facebook contest.

Making Your Contest Successful

It can be hard to tell which Facebook contests will really be successful in bringing in a new audience and engaging customers, but there are several things that your company can do to improve the odds of running a successful contest.

  •  Integrate your social media platforms. It is not uncommon for companies to think of Facebook as the only medium for their contest, but customers are using all kinds of different social media platforms. Link your contest through your homepage, to your Twitter, and through any other social media platforms your company uses. This makes sure that no customers are left out.
  • Engage customers in choosing a winner. Once they have entered a contest, it is easy for customers to stop engaging with your company’s Facebook page. Give them a reason to keep coming back by involving customers in choosing the winner. How can you do this?Take a page out of Zipcar’s book. For one contest, Zipcar selected a group of finalists to win a trip. They then asked those finalists to make videos explaining why they wanted to go on a trip. Customers were able to watch the finalists’ videos and vote on the video they thought was the best. Strategies like this can help keep customers engaged in thelong term.
  • Encourage customers to check in. One mistake that companies can make is to overlook the relationship between the social media presence and the brick and mortar business. A great way to solidify the link between the two is to make “checking-in” at your store a part of your promotion. Facebook’s check-in feature allows customers to post statuses that note when they are in a particular location. Adding a check-in feature to your Facebook contest is also a method of lead generation, growing the audience for your social media site.
  • Choose the right prize. A Facebook contest will really only be successful if you choose a prize that is appropriate to your business. Sure, there are plenty of high-profile things that your company could give away, but if they have no relevance to your business, they aren’t helping to build your brand. This is a common mistake that companies make. One popular item to give away is an iPad. This makes sense if you are a technology business, but less sense if you are a hair salon. Keep your prize relevant if you want it to really contribute to your company’s brand.
  • Use Facebook ads. One of the difficulties with a Facebook promotion is that without additional outreach, it will only reach the people who are already engaged with your company. Facebook ads can help your company to reach a new and wider customer base. Keep your Facebook ads simple and clear and watch the new visitors roll in. Facebook ads are also a great tool because Facebook excels at targeting users with specific interests. This makes it much more likely that your ads will reach a receptive audience.
  • Follow up with the winners. The winner of your Facebook contest is a great person to target when looking for an endorsement. Follow up with your winner and ask them to write a guest blog or make a video showing them using their prize or talking about their satisfaction with your company.

Will A Contest Benefit Your Business?

Not every business will benefit from holding a Facebook contest. Small companies that target a niche market are far less likely to benefit from a contest than companies with a wider reach. Consider what your company’s goals are in running a contest and whether or not there are other ways to meet them. Maybe running Facebook ads independent of a contest will get you the same results. Or maybe your company would benefit by producing more original content, rather than running a contest. Running a contest just because people like contests isn’t a productive thing to do.

If after consideration you think that your company will benefit from running a contest, then go ahead! Pick a great and appropriate prize, choose a Facebook application, and get started. Facebook contests can be extremely rewarding, help to build brand loyalty, and increase your customer base when well executed.

Please comment with any ideas you have used recently. Thanks for sharing our content! 🙂

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Blog Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

Instagram video – a vine killer?

instagram-vs-vine-feat1

Is Instagram Video The Next Big Thing?

Last week, the digital photo program Instagram – best known for allowing smartphone users to tint and alter photographs and share them with friends – released a new feature: video. Instagram’s video service is up against competitors like Vine, which specializes in video, and already has a significant user base. Can Instagram’s video program compete with Vine? Or can it carve out a new market niche? Let’s look at some of Instagram’s video features.

 

#1 – 15-Second Video

 

Instagram’s video clips are 15 seconds long, more than twice the length of Vine’s 6-second video clips. While still short enough for the sort of instant uploading and sharing Instagram is known for, the 15-second format has generated a lot of interest. 15 seconds is also the length of short internet video advertisements. Many are wondering if there will be some kind of advertising connection coming in the near future.

 

#2 – Filters

 

It wouldn’t be Instagram if there weren’t an assortment of filters that could be applied to your video. There are currently 13 filters available for Instagram videos. Since filters are a large part of the Instagram brand, this is an unsurprising feature. Video filters work in much the same way as photo filters, adding a tint or coloration that often makes the product look vintage.

 

#3 – Analytics

 

Instagram is no newbie to the internet ratings games, and so their video program was launched with accompanying analytics. This is great for bloggers who want to see how well the new video format is reaching their audience. The analytics feature encourages users and businesses to take their Instagram videos to bigger platforms.

 

#4 – Editing

 

As part of their video program, Instagram has integrated basic editing features. Essentially, users are expected to film their videos clip by clip. You can only delete the last clip that you filmed, so with Instagram video, you need to edit as you go. At this point, there is no hint that more comprehensive editing tools are anywhere in the pipeline.

 

#5 – Stabilization

 

Instagram’s video will eliminate the shaky hand effect that often accompanies smartphone videos. This is called the Cinema feature in the application and it definitely provides for a smoother video production experience for users.

 

#6 – Cover Frames

 

Instagram allows users to select a single frame to show as the cover of their video. This can be a particularly great image from within the video or something like a blog URL written out, reminding users of the larger brand being marketed by the video.

 

Features Businesses Are Jumping On

 

Instagram’s video application is only days old, but already there are certain parts that have generated interest from both small and large businesses. The main point of interest is the video length. Because Instagram videos are the same length as internet advertising spots, many companies are in the process of working up Instagram-based product advertisements.

 

The cross-platform potential of Instagram is another popular feature that businesses are examining closely. Instagram is not yet offering embed codes for its videos, but you have always been able to cross-post things between Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. This means that Instagram videos have the potential to pop up on a variety of social networks.

 

Of course, another feature of Instagram video that is holding the attention of businesses is the cost of creating advertisements. Because Instagram is part of the level playing field that is social media, production costs can be low, but reap a major return on investment if an advertisement is successful.

 

American Licorice Co.: Ahead Of The Game

 

Because Instagram video has just hit the scene, most companies aren’t ready to fully use it yet. One company, however, is well ahead of the rest, and has already posted its first Instagram video advertisement on Facebook. That brand is the American Licorice Co., the maker of the popular Red Vines candy. The American Licorice Co. quickly put together a 15-second film spot about how Red Vines candy “makes the day sweet, no matter where it takes you.” It’s too soon to say if customers are biting, but it’s not for lack of effort on the part of this company. Other brands are sure to follow.

 

The Competition With Vine

 

As soon as Instagram video hit the ground, users started comparing it to another social media-style video platform – Vine. Vine is dedicated to making short videos and has a particular appeal among younger demographics. In many cases, though it only makes shorter videos, Vine is coming out ahead in the race between video applications. In one competition, a popular photographer and videographer on both platforms made identical stop motion animation videos on each platform and polled the viewers. Nearly every one of the thousands of viewers chose the Vine video over the Instagram video as their preferred video.

 

Vine and Instagram are perfectly paired to enter a video showdown, particularly because Vine is owned by Twitter, and Instagram is owned by Facebook. Each program matches the larger format of its owner well, with Vine making shorter videos that suit the abbreviated Twitter format, and Instagram working in the slightly longer form like Facebook. Instagram’s videos are more like YouTube videos, playing only a single time when the play button is pressed, as opposed to Vine’s constantly looping videos, which tend to appear more like GIFs.

 

Currently, one of the reasons Vine is pulling ahead of Instagram is the lack of an embed feature on Instagram. Vine’s videos can be easily embedded, meaning that they can be transported to any social networking or blogging platform. At launch, Vine was in the same position as Instagram, and did not offer an embed feature, so it is expected that Instagram will introduce this feature within a few months. A few months is more than enough time for Vine to pull ahead in the video production game.

 

Still, for those interested in making slightly longer videos, and those who are looking for more editing options, Instagram video might hold just the right amount of appeal. Because Vine doesn’t offer an editing option, you have to discard the entirety of any video that contains a mistake. Admittedly, because Vine’s videos are only 6 seconds long, you won’t be losing a lot of work, but it can still be a hassle. Instagram allows you to delete the most recent section of your video and start over from an earlier point. It also has its ubiquitous filter feature, without which it simply wouldn’t be Instagram. These editing features could be enough to sway some Vine users over to Instagram.

 

Which Format Is Best For Business?

 

By and large, while Vine may remain popular with a small base of loyal, mostly younger users, Instagram video is a better format for businesses looking to get into video. The longer format is an advertising length that companies are used to, and the looping feature on Vine is more of an annoyance than an improvement when it comes to advertising. But the biggest aspect that should draw businesses to Instagram is the massive user base on Instagram. There are currently about 130 million Instagram users, compared to only about 13 million Vine users. If you want to reach a wide audience, Instagram is the way to go.

 

There’s still room for development in terms of video quality, embedding, and even editing, but Instagram video is well on its way to changing the face of online marketing for small and large businesses. In the short, do-it-yourself platform of Instagram video, everyone can compete for a share of the market.

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Blog Social Media Marketing

The Power of Facebook Hashtags

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The Power Of Facebook Hashtags for Businesses Big and Small

 

The use of the pound sign, or “hashtag,” to create internal links in status updates began with Twitter, where it helped users to find followers with similar interests, talk about events, and disseminate news quickly. Twitter and its users mastered the hashtag and the associated concept of “trending” topics, making it a critical tool for companies and individuals alike. In fact, since their introduction on Twitter, hashtags have spread all over the internet, appearing in surprising places and without any of the associated links. And now the hashtag has come to Facebook.

In this past week, Facebook has added a hashtag feature to user posts. This is not to say that people weren’t using hashtags on Facebook before – they just didn’t really mean much, because they didn’t link anywhere. This new era, however, promises to revolutionize the way conversations are had on Facebook, and that means a whole new world is opening up for businesses. Whether you run a small start-up or a corporate giant, Facebook’s hashtags have the potential to change the way you interact with your customers. Get ready for the next big thing in social networking, because it’s here.

Big Picture Tips For Businesses Using Facebook Hashtags

 

  1. Don’t use too may hashtags. Hashtag use should be limited and strategic. If you use too many hashtags in your posts, your company will be branded as unfamiliar with basic internet phenomena – not a great reputation to have.
  2. Avoid common hashtags. If you are a computer company, it may seem like a good impulse to tag your posts with “computers” or “technology,” but think again. These terms are liable to turn up on a myriad of irrelevant posts that will distract from your message. Come up with a company-specific hashtag and use that on your posts instead. Common hashtags will just get in your way.
  3. Focus on holidays and special events. Associating your brand with a holiday or another relevant event can help to build your brand image and can make you the go-to business during that holiday. For example, the annual M&M’s Christmas campaign is part of a larger brand image. Christmas would be a good hashtag for the M&M’s marketing team to keep an eye on, and potentially use to target buyers during the holidays.
  4. Prioritize engagement over sales. While it is important for any business to try to make sales, that isn’t the most important part of social networking. When developing a social networking platform, companies should work on getting more people to use their hashtags to communicate with and about their companies. This kind of interaction helps to build brand loyalty in a way that goes beyond a single sale.
  5. Keep it brief. Unlike Twitter, Facebook has virtually no post length limit, so it is easy to go overboard with content and lengthy posts. Attach your hashtags to pithy and effective posts, rather than at the end of long rambles. If you want to talk about a bigger issue, such as industry trends, use a link instead. Hashtags at the end of Facebook treatises will be ignored.
  6. Pay attention to innovation. Facebook hashtags, and hashtags on a larger scale, are likely to undergo some major changes and improvements in the upcoming months and years. As a new technology, users should be aware that there are probably new tools and uses coming down the pipeline.

Small Business Tip: Use Hashtags to Find Customers

 

One way that small businesses can take advantage of the new hashtags on Facebook is by monitoring relevant conversations. Brainstorm which hashtags are likely to be associated with your business or service and check out those conversations. For small businesses, this targeting aspect of Facebook’s hashtags will be one of the most useful components, although in some cases privacy settings will form a barrier.

Think beyond just the primary hashtags and keywords associated with your brand when executing your search. For example, if you are a portrait studio, you might want to follow not only tags about photography, but also about major life events that people might want to capture, such as birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations.

Big Business, Bigger Pie: Hashtags For Product Reviews

 

If you work for a large national corporation, seeking customers on Facebook may mean looking at too big of a population to really work with. Your slice of the pie is just too big for that kind of search (although Facebook is probably doing this for you – watch out for changes in advertising structure). Instead, search your company’s hashtag for product reviews. Hashtags are a great way to find out what customers are saying about your products, and you can use this to your advantage.

Say you find a few customers saying great things about your washing machines, using your company’s hashtag. Use Facebook’s sharing mechanism to disseminate that post to the client base that likes your page. This pairing of a unique customer face with your company can help you to stand out and demonstrate to others that your company is doing good work. Endorsements go a long way when it comes to building your brand.

Offer Rewards Through Hashtags

 

Part of using hashtags is getting your customer base to use them so that you can track conversations about your product. But how can you sell customers on your hashtag? Many users have suggested that they would be more willing to share a company’s hashtag if they were given a discount or other reward for doing so. While this can be hard to track, a small rewards program tied in to hashtag use could be just the boost your business needs to get the conversation going.

Hashtag Campaigns For Big and Small Businesses

 

One way that hashtags can work well for businesses (both big and small) is through strategic use on posts related to a special promotion or an upcoming event. Twitter really pioneered the use of hashtags for tracking events – people were known to live-tweet conferences or athletic events. The same can be true for business campaigns. Develop a tag to be paired with a particular advertising campaign and you can greatly expand your audience. Try something fun and memorable – think Charmin’s “#tweetfromtheseat,” for example – that will have customers tagging all their relevant posts.

Hashtag Cross-Pollination For All Businesses

 

One important feature for brands to look out for is the cross-pollination of hashtags between different social networking platforms. If you post an Instagram photo with hashtags to your Facebook, those tags will link to the Facebook conversation there and the Instagram conversation back on its home site. Suddenly hashtags have become mobile in a way they couldn’t be before. This means that companies need to be aware of which platforms they are advertising to, because their hashtags are probably more mobile than they think.

 

Watch Out For Hashtag Changes

 

Right now, hashtags are primarily serving as a discovery tool – businesses and their customers can use them to see who else is having a conversation about Heinz mustard, for example. But changes are probably right around the corner as Facebook adjusts to the hashtag feature. Expect hashtags to become a way for businesses to advertise on Facebook, stepping in where things like Sponsored Stories failed.  Businesses will want to be even more strategic in their hashtag use if a more targeted advertising plan comes into effect on Facebook.

Tell us what you think about the new hashtags in the comments below. Feel free to share our content. 🙂

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PPC Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

What You Should Know About PPC and Retargeting

When it comes to retargeting, many marketers use search retargeting as their go-to strategy. There are a number of ways to strategize in this way, so make sure you’re diversifying as best you can. By the same token, pay per click (PPC) is another staple in online marketing strategies. But what is the best approach? Diversify by combining these two approaches.

The best thing about using PPC is that smaller businesses have the opportunity to get great exposure online without having to spend a lot of money. Using PPC in addition to strong SEO is a highly effective way to drive traffic to your site. When traffic doesn’t convert, PPC plus retargeting is a way to go.

Retargeting means that you use display ads to reach out to people who have already visited your website. By using an effective retargeting strategy, the traffic that you have already spent money to generate will see snippets of your content in lots of other places.

Remember, if your audience sees your same retargeted ads a lot, they may get bored. Not only should you be retargeting – you should also make sure you’re updating your ads frequently to increase the odds of people returning to your site.

In this way, traffic that may not have converted initially will see what you do all over the web. Whether or not they convert right away, these are valuable readers – and it’s important to make sure you’re paying attention to them.

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Social Media Marketing

Best Social Media Marketing Techniques

Social media is an enormously rewarding piece of any marketing strategy – it’s cheap, easy to enact, and is an excellent platform for client interactivity. The best thing about social media marketing is that it gives you the opportunity to use word of mouth, one of the most effective marketing tactics, online rather than in person. In this way, you can keep track of exactly how well your social media campaign is working.

Social media isn’t the only way you should be running your online marketing show, but it’s an excellent way to improve the marketing campaign that you may well already have under way.

Your social media marketing campaign should definitely make use of excellent, regularly updated content and combine that strategy with engaging and interactive features. Social media is a perfect platform for this. Facebook posts inherently allow your followers to comment and Twitter posts allow people to retweet and respond, both of which are perfect ways for getting the word out. Asking your clients questions and meeting them where they are is an important way to get them to engage with your content.

When it comes to social media marketing, make sure you’re not overreaching. Sending out automated messages and scraping user data isn’t tremendously effective and can be a little creepy. Stay away from alienating your clientele by using social media’s best practices.

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Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

LinkedIn Social Marketing

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Of all the social networks, stats show that business owners should be spending the most time on LinkedIn, yet this social network is often the most overlooked. In terms of social marketing, business owners spend so much time focused on Facebook and Twitter – which is great! – but LinkedIn users have the highest median income at $109,000 and are more likely to do business deals online than other social network users.

 

So what does it take to optimize your LinkedIn presence? Fortunately, achieving results doesn’t take a heavy time investment and only requires activity 3-5 days a week. For best results, try spending 30-45 minutes on LinkedIn a day, diffusing your time around morning, noon, and night when traffic is substantially higher. To maximize your impact, share the majority of your posts during weekdays and focus on social engagement during the weekend.

Advanced LinkedIn Strategies

Now that you know the best times to interact on LinkedIn, it’s time to consider more advanced strategies. These best practices for LinkedIn will help you accelerate your social network growth this year.

 

  1. Identify Thought Leaders in Your Industry. Compile a list of the top thought leaders of your industry on LinkedIn. Once you have the list, connect with them on LinkedIn as well as their other social networks. By slowly cultivating a LinkedIn relationship with these leaders, they might eventually share your posts to their established group of followers. Before they’ll ever share your content, though, be sure to share their posts to your network and truly seek to engage with them.
  2. Join a group. By joining a LinkedIn group specific to your industry, you can easily connect with other professionals who are inherently interested in your business and what you have to offer. Don’t be self-promotional. Instead, add to the discussion and cultivate relationships with the group’s most active and influential members.
  3. Think from the consumer’s point of view. On LinkedIn, it’s tempting to get very technical with your language and place the focus on your professional experience. Instead, make your profile summary compelling, relatable, and memorable. In other words, treat your LinkedIn profile like it’s content from your website. Yes, you want to showcase important information, but make it pop – make it catchy!

 

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Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

YouTube Marketing Success

Tips for Incredible YouTube Marketing Success

 

With over 72 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, most content creators get lost in the ocean of new footage. However, brands that know how to leverage their YouTube presence have witnessed incredible success from the world’s second largest search engine. Brands such as Vat19 and DollarShaveClub receive millions of visits to their sites each month thanks largely in part to their YouTube channels. So how can you take advantage of this tool?

 

  1. Focus 110 percent of your efforts on content. While it’s tempting to promote your business or products through your YouTube videos, that shouldn’t be the focus. Traditional advertising doesn’t work on YouTube. Instead, create content that’s witty, engaging, and out of the ordinary – this is the content that thrives on YouTube. Don’t believe us? Check out these creatively engaging videos by some of the world’s largest brands!

 

 

 

Now, this isn’t to say that you can’t post serious content such as how-to videos or in-depth discussions, but if you pretend that you’re cultivating a new channel for television, you’ll find yourself focusing on content instead of promotions.

  1. Take advantage of annotations. YouTube annotations allow you to make text appear on the video screen wherever and whenever you want. While most viewers might find this annoying, using annotations to enhance the user experience results in loyal viewers. For instance, use annotations to link to related videos that viewers will enjoy. You can even use annotations to encourage viewers to leave comments and subscribe to your channel!
  2. Link people to your website. While garnering a solid YouTube following can take some time, be sure to always use your videos as an opportunity to push people to your site. After all, what’s the point of marketing on YouTube if those users never visit your other pages? To do this, you should not only link to your site in each and every video, but also verbally mention your site in your video content. This ensures that your brand is continuously promoted to viewers in an effective manner
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Blog Social Media Marketing

Find Your Social Media Manager

 

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Many companies today are hiring a social media manager and even “emarketing” teams to secure a high functioning online presence. Web design, blog maintenance, pay-per-click management and strategic online marketing tactics are becoming a necessity among competitive businesses.

Search engine optimization is the important and ever-evolving process of structuring a web page in a manner that directs traffic and maintains a level of high-performance in the wide variety of search engines available.

Staying connected with consumers through a strong online presence is imperative to the success of any company. Every day BILLIONS of consumers are using search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing to find a specific business or product; Leaving the under-exposed websites with little opportunity to present their product to the billions of potential consumers utilizing these resources.

Social Link Co has the experience and know-how to help your business thrive. Our services include social media management and internet marketing. Our techniques are specific and will turn your fan base into customers and grow your audience. Target your consumers by age, gender, interests, and even marital status and more! Call today and find out what we can do to enhance your brand and link you to your customers 615.873.0707.