5-Step Strategy To Improve Your Facebook Engagement & Growth

Thanks to numerous Facebook changes recently, many businesses are thinking about dropping Facebook entirely. Engagement is in the toilet, and the page just isn’t growing.

Before you do, it pays to take a fresh, close look at your Facebook strategy. Often the problem lies there and has absolutely nothing to do with algorithm changes.

Here is a sneak peek at part of my evaluation processes to identify where the disconnect lies.

1. Figure Out Who Your End Buyer Is

 

When a business doesn’t really know who actually makes the purchase decision for their product or service, they don’t know who their audience is.

Without understanding that audience, odds are slim that the content being posted will resonate with them. If the target customer isn’t something a company can rattle off the top of their head, then it’s important to do a quick analysis of who has purchased their product and why.

If I am working with a security company, for example, here are the types of questions I might ask:

• Do you sell commercial or residential solutions?
• Residential -> Are most of your buyers men or women?
• Women -> Do you know what triggered their decision to improve security?
• If you were to set aside the fear tactics so common to the security industry, what kinds of things would interest them? Engage them? Build a relationship with them?

Questions that dig into buyers and their purchase decision make the foundation of your social media strategy. They tell you who you are talking to, what concerns they have, and what brought them into your sphere of influence. It gives you a basic foundation to begin understanding who your prospects might be.

Once you understand the largest segment, you can branch out into looking at smaller segments.  Then, you can start being creative with how to reach them because you understand who these people are and what motivates them.

In keeping with the security company as an example, I might create a Facebook presence around a fake “thief” that posts  stories of his/her activities.

Targeting women? Maybe it’s a cat burgler that is actually feline. Furry fun to entertain and trigger laughter while educating.

I’d use Fiverr or (preferably) a local illustrator to create some custom images with captions, if the budget allowed. Or perhaps we would create a sexy fake Sean Connery-styled James Bond who does residential burglary and corporate espionage. Have fun with it! Don’t be scary, be interesting.
(Note: These ideas are my intellectual property. Don’t steal them unless you hire me and have my permission.) 

You can’t be successful on Facebook without understanding your customers and prospects.
Once you understand who they are, you can put on your thinking cap to focus on what might interest and motivate them. It’s important to keep the niche narrow – don’t try to sell everything to everyone.
Then, forget about marketing. Start conversations. Tell stories. Fit your activity to your audience.

2. Realize They Just Don’t Care

 

Other than current customers, who make up the bulk of fans for most Facebook pages, understand that the general population doesn’t care about your brand, product or service. They care about their own needs and interests.

Most people follow very few brand pages, so giving them a compelling reason to stick around is critical.

What can you give them that they can’t find anywhere else? Education? Entertainment? Emotional reactions?

Get over any ego and assumptions that make you think they are innately interested. Your customers might care because you’ve already proven your value – which is why Facebook is a wonderful customer retention and customer service platform – but prospects? They. Just. Don’t. Care.
How are you making them care?

3. Do an Audit of Your Facebook Page

 

Now that you understand the buyer and target audience, look at your existing Facebook page. Would it appeal to them? Why or why not? Are you giving them reason to engage? Are you promoting too much and acting in YOUR interests, instead of theirs?

That’s common. Entrepreneurs and marketing professionals that think of social media as a marketing tool often lose sight of what matters. Remember: It’s not about you, it’s about being a part of your community and providing value.

Take an honest look at your page from an outsider’s perspective. Consider asking your customers/prospects what they like and don’t like about it and take their recommendations into account as you re-vamp your Page.

4. Define Your Marketing Objectives and Customer Acquisition Goals, Then Map Them to Your Facebook Strategy

 

Understanding your audience is essential because it helps you build community and engagement. But what good is that if it doesn’t lead to revenue, website traffic, or other marketing objectives? Be clear about what you are trying to accomplish. Common objectives include leads, traffic, reach, and sales.

Back to the security company. Say we decided the primary target audience is women homeowners purchasing residential alarm solutions. If the marketing objective is website traffic, how can your posts trigger click-throughs? If your marketing objective is building your email database, how are you giving them incentive to subscribe?

I follow the 80/20 rule – eighty percent of social media activity is entertaining, conversational and/or educational, and twenty percent is marketing about the company/product/service. All of it works to build the brand, but in different ways and always being careful not to over-promote.
After all, this is social media, not advertising.

5. Define Your Brand Attributes, Then Make Sure Your Posts Fit Them

 

Brand attributes aren’t the graphic standards you use – they are the attributes you want your company, product, or service to be known for.

What do you want to build your reputation around? Is it complicated installs? Knowledge of iPad integration? Complex computer security? Inspiring women to put safety first?

Posts should connect with these attributes and tie in with your marketing objective. It’s part of what makes you different. Unique. Worthy of interest and connection.

Identify your top 3-4 brand attributes, then connect them to your activity. Showcase these brand attributes in everything you do: your cover image, your tabs, and every post you make. Make it smack-upside-the-head obvious, so page visitors and fans don’t have to guess.

You can also include product or service attributes. These are your key differentiators on a product or service level, instead of a company level. Are you different due to uber simple control panels when everyone else offers a hot mess of complicated computers? Or your panel is a crazy simple smartphone app? Or your installation service is faster and cleaner? Then your Facebook posts would speak to those specific attributes and create conversation about it. Know what makes you different and build on it so your audience has something to connect to.

As you start integrating your attributes, some will interest your audience more than others, so don’t forget to try new ideas for your page! Make sure they fit your audience, objectives and attributes, but constantly test new ideas and monitor the results using Facebook Insights.

Putting It All Together

This is just a quick, down, and dirty overview of my basic process, but I urge you to give it a try before you delete your Facebook page.

Map out these strategies in a spreadsheet or Word document that you can refer to often and you may be able to identify a major gap that is killing your success.

5 Essential Marketing Skills Every Person Should Know

Anyone involved in a business has a role to play in marketing. In today’s highly competitive world, marketing sits across every function of a business, and it’s not just down to ‘The Marketing Department.’ If you work for yourself or run a small business, sales and marketing will be as much a part of your working day as everything else that has to be done to make a profit.

Marketing can be a very complex subject, but anyone can develop a few of the core skills and see the results of their efforts. You may feel it’s something best left to the experts, but there are some essential marketing skills that can make a huge difference to your success in business.

The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule)

1. Understand the 80/20 Rule

Everyone’s heard of the 80/20 Rule, but you may not realise how important it is in the world of marketing. Also known as Pareto’s Principle, in business the rule tells us that eighty percent of your sales come from twenty percent of your customers. The actual percentages may vary, but essentially it means that you have to recognise where your profits come from and specifically target those customers. Your marketing and advertising budget should take account of this, or you will be wasting time and effort.

2. Customer Segmentation

Taking the 80/20 Rule a step further, you should understand the different types of customers you deal with and tailor your approach to them. There are hundreds of ways you can segment customers, and only you can decide which is right for your business. For example, you could segment customers based on their age, how they trade with you, their average monthly order, or even their geographical location. Once you have segmented your customers into groups, you can develop strategies for the best way to deal with them.

3. Marketing Communications

Communication is everything in marketing. If you can’t get your messages out to an audience, your business will shrivel and die. Marketing communications is about understanding the needs of your audience and finding the best way to talk to them. It may be a mix of face to face visits, email marketing, newsletters and press advertising, or it could be something far more simple. Good marketing communications tell a story and use emotion and personal examples to stimulate interest.

4. How to Make Your Company Stand Out

Most markets are saturated with similar products and services, and the way to beat the competition is to make your company stand out. A very small difference could put you streets ahead. The obvious approach is to be the cheapest, but customers are more sophisticated nowadays, and other strategies can work better. Take a look at successful companies like Apple, and consider what makes them stand out from the competition.

5. Social Media Marketing

Just a couple of years ago social media marketing was seen as a passing fad. Sites and services like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are now part daily life, and they are incredibly powerful marketing tools if used in the right way. Social media can be used to identify and market to very specific customer groups for very little cost. Sites like Facebook allow you to develop conversations with customers and prospects, and you can capture feedback and ideas in an instant. Social media allow you to develop your company’s brand and to establish yourself as an expert in unique and interesting ways.

Technology and the way we do business has changed beyond recognition over the past decade, and marketing has had to adapt at a rapid pace. Traditional marketing skills still have value, but the modern marketer has to develop new skills to respond to change.

Three tricks get out of the social weeds

Q1 is such a great time of year for me. I am so full of energy. Ready to tackle new challenges. I am full of hopes of new customers, plans to connect with them and strategies to engage with them. So hopeful. So hopeful, indeed. It isn’t until about midway through Q1 that I start to notice that as a group, we tend to get mired in the weeds and details. Sifting through content calendars, blog posts, social updates and Twitter responses. We became very busy with how things are worded and legal approvals. And before the smell of spring is in the air, we are so standing so close to the proverbial tree, staring so intently that we are getting a bark imprint on our face.
It is so hard to not get mired down in the weeds of all of the details of marketing a product or service. We have goals and directives to meet. Lead generation campaigns to launch, marketing automation branches to define. Emails to write. But we will never meet any of our directives or goals if we are standing right up on top of the tree.
We need to remember the forest of customers. It is the customer that makes achieving those goals and directives possible. Because when we step away from the tree and the minutia of delivering marketing, we are able to see better where we can add value to the customer AND meet our goals. The bark of the tree is your brand. The forest is where your brand answers a consumer need and if we are busy with the tree all the time, we will miss the opportunities of the forest.
So, here are three ways for you to step away from the bark:

Hear her.

While you are busy reading posts about your brand, it is very easy to only hear your brand name. When you read it again, remove your brand from the comment and really hear her. What is she saying? Does she need answers? Is she comparing you to others? When you really hear her without the burdens of your brand, you can begin to form an understanding what she needs. When you hear her and understand her, you can give her information and tools to be successful. That is if you have those tools or that information. If you don’t, you now know what you need to do to help her and make her an advocate for you.

Stop marketing…just for a second.

Marketing is selling, really. Maybe soft selling, but it is part of the funnel. And when we are our most honest, we admit, people do not like being sold to very much. When we are in the weeds, we are focused on driving sales, or leads, or engagement. Basically, we are trying to get other people to do something they would not naturally do. And when you’re in the weeds, that’s what it is, but, when you stop marketing for a second, you can see the forest for the opportunity it holds and can see ways you might be able to add value. Adding value is selling today and it works. When you’re in the weeds, stop marketing and start looking for ways to be a helpful resource to her. People like helpful. They buy from helpful.

Take off your brand hat

When I am in the weeds with some marketing project and I am totally stuck, I ask myself would I do/use/buy/click/register? If the answer is “no”, I need to revisit the strategy as a person, not a marketer. I think about what I would need in this product and how I would use it and what I would pay for it. It is a good starting point, but in order to do this, you have to remove your brand hat because that clouds the judgment a little. If you are unable to do this, call your best friend or mom and ask them. They can give you some insights that you might not otherwise get.
Too frequently we are so close to the brand tree bark that we forget that we need to meet a consumer need and if we are not meeting that need, the brand will languish. Being a nimble marketer is important and if you can remember to get out of the weeds every now and then, we will see greater success for our brands.

Is 2014 the Year of Google+?

We’re not the sort of people to ever suggest placing all your eggs in one basket; however we will hedge our bets and suggest Google+ is going to be bigger than it’s ever been in 2014.
With the arrival of Hummingbird many believe that 2014 is going to be the year that content marketing comes truly alive and will be the pivotal part of the marketing equation. Something we believe should be of note is that Google+ is going to be there every step of the way.

Google+ may have seemed a little underwhelming until now; however all is not as it seems. With over 340m active monthly users the site is far from a blip in the social media ocean – in fact it’s the second largest social media network. In fact, it’s potentially a huge wave – no Google pun intended – and 2014 may be its big year.
So, what do we base this on and what should we prepare to expect?

Pushing it as a Social Media Force

Google spent 2013 trying to push Google+ into the main stream in every which way possible. From switching over the YouTube commenting platform to Google+, to really pushing Authorship among marketers and websites, to even adding Hangouts to its latest version of  Android as an all-inclusive messaging service – Google’s been upping its promotion of the site.
Needless to say we expect more of this pushing and plugging of the site in 2014 as Google tries to place its social network at the fore. Expect, them to use mobile phone search to aid this somewhat in the coming year.

Local SEO AND Mobile

Googles always been quite strong in the local SEO area and has always included it as a component. A lot of Google’s services, including most notably in this example, Google Places or Google+ Local as it’s now known are Google+ orientated.
The reward for inclusion here is obvious – higher rankings in local mobile searches – something that Google has a 90% market share in – far higher than its desktop search portion. As we’re all well aware mobile search user numbers are going nowhere but upwards – so expect this part of Google’s strategy to be increasingly well-honed in the coming year.

Promoted Posts

Google+ is now in the BETA stage of promoted posts and it looks like it’s going to go the way of Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest and begin charging for posting.

Authorship

Authorship has been a factor in the back of marketer’s minds for almost three years now. Over that time Google has constantly amped up the pressure on people to utilise it. We expect to see this focus to increase even further in the coming period.
Google Authorship offers a lot as it allows you to link your content to your profile and your image to sit proudly beside your work. For your content it means a better chance of it being seen and also easier sharing. It also boosts your authority on a specific matter – something that’s in no way any harm.

Community Appeal

One of the big Google+ capacities and one that’s always been a prominent area have been the site’s communities.
Due to the nature of people that tend to use the site and also its close ties with other Google tools, G+ has always had strong communities. The year 2014 looks like a year of strong growth and interaction.
So, if you have a business in a specific niche or on a niche subject matter – the options for growth on Google+ are notable and should certainly be examined.
Google+ may not ever overtake Facebook, or might never have the mass appeal of Twitter, however with each year past it’s gathered steam and also popularity exponentially and it seems in 2014 this expansion will continue – so utilise it and reap the benefits.

3 Smart Ways to Amplify Your Online Customer Service

Customer service is perhaps the most important element of online business because poor human interaction can deter individuals from completing the transaction. The secret to customer service really does come down to treating others with respect, knowing the subject.


For online business owners the real trouble comes when they wish to interact with their customers and leads to provide valuable support. The use of telephone and email simply aren’t enough for the majority of online shoppers, which is why this article presents three options for amplifying the experience through smart online choices.



1. Support Ticket Systems & Help Desks


The software in this category generally provides a variety of helpfulness to the customer:
A knowledge base where customers (and leads) can post questions and receive answers
A ticketing system that can import inquiries from multiple locations and devices
A managerial back end to view reports, performance, and feedback


These items are generally billed per month or by agent (sometimes both), but in terms of costs it’s a very safe bet when it comes to offering robust solutions for online customer service.
2. Remote Access & Support


Remote access software is another fine choice for providing business support. This type of software often includes the ability to hold conference calls via audio and video, which is often used to tutor customers about their new purchase (which, depending on the businesses’ creativity, can apply to any physical or digital product).


Features that make this form of customer service so attractive include:
The low cost of implementation and ease-of-access for users and customers
Remote access to a computer removes the need to fully train the client/customer
Online presentations presents an opportunity to upsell products and services


The ability to take control of the computer, for the user, allows your support specialists get right to the thick of the problem, which not only gets the user well upon their way but doesn’t force them to sit on the phone trying to figure out what the representative meant (when they’re not attuned to technical terminology).
3. Live Chat & Online Video


The third in our list of customer service options is one that shouldn’t be too unfamiliar — live chat. But there may be some developments to this platforms you haven’t quite known about over these last few years.


Newer versions of live chat may now come packaged with:
Multi-user sessions, logging, and file transfer per customer
Online video chat in place of traditional chat messaging
VOIP communication via built-in hardware on both ends of the conversation


There are many inherent benefits of expanding the technological features of live chat. The most visible of these benefits is the fact that having a face-to-face, even if it’s through the use of online video, helps to build trust because the customers are directly interacting with the business.


Live Help also presents an opportunity to increase conversions. A simple coupon code or link to a landing page offering one before the customer leaves (or done so through a follow up call or email pulled from the chat logs and contact information) is an easy way to grab the low hanging fruit for the business.
Conclusion


In all, if you feel your online business is lacking in customer support it may not be your representatives. The issue may be that they aren’t well equipped with the modern resources to provide the best possible experience for those sending inquiries.


Consider the three options for your business. Explore the rich features of a help desk. Implement remote accessing software to aid in tech. Upgrade the outdated live chat system. Don’t miss out on another opportunity to satisfy your customers.


Image Credit: Dell Inc.

14 Top Marketing Pros Give Their Best Tip For 2014

At Firebrand Group, where I work, we consistently meet with prospects and clients ultimately interested in one thing: marketing success.


While we focus on powering marketing success day in and day out, I thought it might be nice to turn to my network of authors, strategists, social media executives, entrepreneurs and ask them one question:


“If you could make just one recommendation to companies to power their marketing success in 2014, what would it be?”


Here’s what they had to say.
1. Dorie Clark (@dorieclark), Strategy Consultant, Author of “Reinventing You”:


It’s time to create targeted content – now. As I’ve written about here and here, in a crowded media environment, companies must draw customers proactively to them. Ads are fine, but the benefit goes away once you stop paying.


The real secret is a robust content marketing strategy. It doesn’t have to be blogging; it could be a podcast or a Pinterest account or even a company song. But it does need to be something.
2. Ryan Holiday (@RyanHoliday), Director of Marketing at American Apparel, Author of Trust Me I’m Lying and Growth Hacker Marketing:


I think 90% of companies would see more “marketing” success if they focused that energy NOT on marketing, but rather on improving the product or the service. There has never been more media than before, so the market for interesting stuff is basically infinite.


Pitching is easy, marketing is easy. Doing something worth talking about is more difficult.
3. Ekaterina Walter (@Ekaterina), Co-founder and CMO of BRANDERATI; Author of WSJ Bestseller “Think Like Zuck”:


Nurture advocacy! And instead of creating marketing campaigns, build movements around your brand.


In the age of infobesity, advocacy becomes the most relevant brand marketing filter. And by advocacy, I mean the highest expression of brand love by a brand’s consumers, partners, and employees. What’s more, in the social era, the right form of advocacy becomes true influence.


True influence is not about numbers ; it’s about impacting behavior through passion, relevance, and trust. And genuine, organic love for a brand impacts behavior much more than a paid recommendation.


Only brands that focus deeply on building and nurturing long-term relationships with their true advocates will see sustainable business results.


We are entering an Age of Advocacy in which consumers are no longer buying brands; they are investing in them. Marketers will move from marketing to their fans to marketing with and through them.
4. Christopher S. Penn (@cspenn), Vice President of Marketing Technology at SHIFT Communications, Co-Host, Marketing Over Coffee:


The number one recommendation for companies when it comes to social media and marketing success in 2014 is to realize and understand that your audience is not something you own. At best, you are a temporary steward of your audience, but as countless examples have shown, one PR misstep and you can lose it all.


Your best defense against this is to clearly define your values and what your brand stands for, then rigidly adhere to those values in every aspect of your marketing.
5. Augie Ray (@augieray), Former Forrester Analyst, Finance Social Media Executive:


Focus on customer experience and how you can integrate peer-to-peer social media and recommendations into the product or service experience.


Brands like USAA, Amazon, Apple, and Google don’t succeed in social media because they have better content or social strategies, but because they offer great experiences and let customers do the talking for them.


Social media isn’t a bullhorn for brands; it’s a magnifying glass that takes what you are and the experiences you offer customers and amplifies the good and the bad online.
6. Ted Rubin (@TedRubin), Social Marketing Strategist, Keynote Speaker, Brand Evangelist, and Acting CMO of Brand Innovators:


Empower your employees…and they will power your brand! Every company can benefit enormously by recognizing the fact that social connection is an integral part of all of our lives now.


Remember that in today’s social world, every person has an extended circle of personal influence and an opportunity to build their own personal “brand.”


By helping your employees build that brand rather than squelching individuality, you could build an army of very powerful advocates. Most people, when given the opportunity, will advocate for their brands when they feel good about where they work.
7. Aliza Sherman (@alizasherman), Award-winning Digital Strategist, Author:


Stop doing what you’re doing. Unplug, take a step back, take a breather. Think about what you’ve done online over the last few years and what you’re thinking of doing in the new year.


Change it up. Don’t do “business as usual.” Experiment. Find a way to shake up the status quo. Take time away to look back with fresh eyes and ideas.


Disconnect to reconnect to what is truly important to you and those whom you’re trying to reach and influence.
8. Chris Ee (@RdLessTkn), Integrated Digital Strategist at Bajibot Media:


When it comes to anything involving numbers (think big data, analytics/reports, a/b testing & optimization) – while understanding its implications are important, ensuring the right person who is at the helm is just as important. Not every company needs to have a data scientist on staff, but they do need to be able to communicate their findings in a very succinct and impactful manner.


Data is not just about increased “ROI” per se: it is the key companies rectifying mistakes and identifying new opportunities.
9. Mark Schaefer (@markwschaefer), College Educator, Blogger, Speaker, Best-Selling Author:


Re-evaluate everything. Do you think you know who your customers are, what they need, and how they are getting their information about your products?


There has been a cataclysmic change in buying behavior over the past 18 months and it will continue to change. Businesses simply must continue to evolve quickly in this period of rapid technological revolution.
10. Lauren Hackett, Director, Communications & Social Media, Consumer Reports:


Find the line and walk it! In the age of data mining, social sign-in, and re-marketing, marketers have to be careful that they don’t cross the line and go from friend to stalker. If you’re looking for a one and done, then by all means, infiltrate all pockets.


But savvy brands know that they are forming a relationship with a customer, and that takes some skill and respect.
11. Peg Samuel (@socialdiva), Social Media Expert. Digital Strategist. Keynote Speaker:


Engage with your audience!


Social Media is not just a news broadcasting tool. Engage with your fan base: it is a blessing to have fans and customers, so treat them as such. Social Media is intended to be a two-way conversation, so if someone is reaching out or commenting on a post, comment back.


I’ve seen customers ask a brand about inventory or where an item can be purchased, without a response from that brand. That’s a big opportunity loss in both that potential sale and in building customer relations.
12. Ross Sheingold (@RossSheingold), Chief Strategy Officer at Laundry Service:


Stop talking about your big data and start putting it to use! As soon as possible, put a team in place that will work across departments to integrate your CRM and POS data with your content marketing initiatives across the digital space (social, email, web).


It’s time to take brand storytelling to the next level by using the data at our fingertips as a catalyst for more efficient and personalized marketing.


If you work in this field, you’re a data scientist!
13. Megan Berry (@meganberry), Head of Consumer at RebelMouse:


Just as in the lean product school of thought, marketers should get out minimum viable products and then test, iterate, and retest to improve their campaigns. Social media gives us real time data we can use to learn what resonates with our audience, allowing us to build out bigger campaigns from there.
14. Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld), Tech Blogger; Startup Advisor:


Value. That is my recommendation. Stop self-promoting and start providing value. Stop asking for likes and start giving me a reason to like your brand. Value can be in the form of a blog, video, or any other content, but your marketing strategy should be to provide value consistently.


—-


How many of the above recommendations is your company already following? What changes do you hope to make in the coming year?


Either way, here’s wishing you plenty of fun challenges and even more success in 2014!

Five Unwritten Twitter-for-Business Rules for 2014

If the Justine Sacco case showed us anything, it’s that people are still not fully aware of the potential ramifications of their comments on Twitter. Those using branded accounts or with a company title in their profile can act as de-facto spokespeople for your business, and writing ‘views are my own’ in their description might not negate collateral damage to your brand.


So while we generally know not to post inappropriate content, there are a few unwritten Twitter rules that probably need to be noted, just as a refresher for those with their mouse pointers hovering over that ‘Tweet’ tab, ready to fire off something they’re not 100% sure they should.


The five rules go like this:


1. Thou shalt refrain from using thy brand profile to Tweet personal updates. Use your personal profile for that – or better yet, your personal Facebook profile with relevant privacy settings in place. Don’t share news about your favourite sports team or your son’s first word, this is the place for business updates and information relevant to your business followers - always keep the audience in mind. Social media is about establishing connections to foster ongoing relationships, spamming your followers with content they have no interest in is not likely to endear them to your brand. Also, if you’re in the public eye, or your personal profile has alignment to your brand, maybe avoid using Twitter to send questionable content.


Cautionary tale: Anthony Weiner’s recreational activities


2. Thou shalt reconsider tweeting uponst consuming too much ale – We’re all on social media all the time - your iPhone’s right there in your pocket, waiting to be checked, but sometimes you do need to disconnect. Sure, most people can handle their drink and it’s generally not a problem, but just a consideration for those with access to a brand Twitter account.


Cautionary tale: American Red Cross ‘#gettngslizzerd’ Tweet


3. Thou shalt confirm thou art logged out of thy brand profile before tweeting – Have you ever sent out an e-mail then noticed that you’d CC’d a person or group you really didn’t mean to? I imagine that feeling is similar to the one you get after sending out a personal message from your brand Twitter account. It’s been blamed for a raft of Twitter fails over the years, including Microsoft’s Ann Coultercontroversy. Make sure you double-check where you’re sending from before pressing ‘Tweet’, it could spare you a world of pain.


Cautionary tale: KitchenAid ‘Obama’s Grandma’ Tweet


4. Thou shalt maintain thy awareness of world events and trending topics – An ill-timed Tweet can become a major PR disaster. There’s no way to 100% protect against this, but worth checking the trending topics, and what the actual story is behind it, and paying attention to news events to avoid potential mis-associations with your content.


Cautionary tale: Celeb Boutique’s ‘Aurora’ mis-understanding


5. Thou shalt eliminate negativity from thine Tweets. This is no joke, and one which we should attempt to apply as widely as possible. You remember how your parents used to say ‘if you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all?’ Yep, that. There’s no reason for, or benefit to, negativity on Twitter. You don’t like want someone’s saying, you stop following them. Don’t engage in any bashing of competitors or making critical comments. Your brand Twitter profile should remain positive and focussed on your company strategy. Sometimes you may have to respond to an unhappy client, but keep in mind that Twitter is a public forum, everything you or your representatives Tweet is out there for the world to see. If an exchange is at risk of getting heated, advise the client that you will connect with them in a more private forum.


In a broader sense, social media is a new world, in relative terms, and the ethical boundaries of it have not yet been set. By working to eliminate negativity, we can create a new normal, through weight of majority, where negative comments are simply not acceptable practice. You can never take back something that’s been said in person, but you can re-read a Tweet before sending. No negativity on Twitter. No place for it. Let’s make that a goal for the new year.


(Twitter rules / shutterstock)

5 Creative Ways To Gather Facebook Leads, FREE!

We’ve all heard the saying “the best things in life are free”. But surely you have to pay to play on Facebook to get leads, right?

I’m here to answer that very question and show you 5 creative ways you can gather Facebook leads on your fan page for free!

5 Creative Ways To Gather Facebook Leads, FREE!

1) Pin a post to the top of your Facebook fan page

One of the most overlooked features on a Facebook fanpage is the “pin” button. This feature allows you to pin a post to the top of your timeline for a period of 7 days. When a post is pinned, an orange ribbon is displayed in the top right hand corner of the post, and it remains pushed to the top of your Facebook timeline.

We know that most users engage via the Facebook newsfeed. However, you don’t want to ignore the people directly visiting your fanpage. This is traffic you could be leaving on the table.

How can you capitalize on this?

The first post a fan is going to see will be the one pinned to the top. This is the perfect opportunity to pin those lead capturing posts to the top of the timeline. These can be competitions, latest blog posts, deals or a link to subscribe to your email list.  The best part is if you want the post to appear on the page for more than 7 days simply re-pin the post to the top after the current 7 days pass! So what are you waiting for? Get pinning!

2) Create a call to action in your cover image

We have all heard the news that Facebook now allows for more than 20% text in cover images and that users are now allowed to include calls to action and link to their channels or websites. So, how do you turn this opportunity into a lead I hear you ask?

As well as creating eye catching designs, a great way to attract leads is to use a call to action. This can be done in two ways:

1. Create a call to action text on the cover image itself.
2. Add a description to your cover photo telling users about your business, services or updates; and the most important part include a link.

By adopting these techniques you now have two extra chances to capture leads. First, by drawing fans in through the eye catching cover image, and second by giving them more information via the cover image description and link. You can always track the URL placed in this description to help give you an idea about traffic and conversions.  Haven’t got a cover image description? Give it a go today!

3) Include a URL in your about section

To clear up any confusion, there are two parts the Facebook about section. The first is a short description that is displayed just under your Facebook profile image and is 255 characters in length. It’s important to remember the text in this area also helps users find your profile via graph search. The second is a longer description which appears to allow over 30,000 characters and is the perfect place for you to tell your fans more about your business.

Short description: When creating your short description it is important to include keywords related to your business to help people find your page via graph search.  A trick here is to ensure your URL is also included to help drive traffic back to your site, email opt-in or contest.

To edit this section simply click on Edit page > Update info at the top of your admin panel.  You will then see a section labelled “Short description”, where you can edit your 155 characters.

Long description: When creating your long description, it is important to realize that all the content here is indexed by Google. You want to make sure you let your fans know more about your business in this section. Share more about what your business is about and how it can help others.

Some tips on what to write in this section include client testimonials, accomplishments, business milestones, your page guidelines (for example rules on SPAM) and even the products you have to offer.

To edit this section simply click on Edit page > Update info at the top of your admin panel.  You will then see a section labelled “Long description” where you will be able to enter your information. What are you waiting for? If you haven’t updated this section there is no time like the present. Google will thank you for it!

4) Highlight posts that promote your offer

Another feature you can access from your Facebook timeline is the “highlight post” feature.

The highlight post feature can be found by hovering over any post on your timeline, clicking the downward facing arrow in the top right hand corner of the post, then selecting highlight post.

Once this has been selected, two things will happen. One, your post will now expand in size to take up the full width of the timeline. Two, your post will now be featured on your timeline in the highlights section making it easier for users to find your post as they scroll down through your fan page.  To un-highlight the post simply click on the downward arrow in the top right hand corner of the post and select “remove from highlights”.

This is a great opportunity to showcase your lead generating posts with an eye catching large image, a link or a call to action. Images that are highlighted are 843 x 403 pixels.  What are you waiting for? Share your creativity!

Here is a great example of the highlight feature by camera company Nikon on how they have used a great eye catching visual to promote a photographer’s work

5) Make use of Facebook apps 

Facebook apps are often a key ingredient for a successful Facebook fan page, yet they are often over looked. We understand that the majority of content is absorbed via the Facebook newsfeed. However, by not capitalizing on the users who visit your fan page directly, you are missing out on free traffic.

A great way to grab your fans attention and generate more leads for your business is to utilize Facebook apps. Facebook apps provide many benefits as they allow you to:

• Grow your email list
• Promote your business through competitions
• Offer promotions to your audience
• Engage on your other channels

When creating a Facebook app, Facebook allows you to create a custom thumbnail and custom app name. The dimensions for a custom Facebook app thumbnail are 111 x 74 pixels. It is important to include a call to action in this thumbnail to help draw attention and drive traffic to your app. Here is an example by Go Creative Go who used a Facebook app, with custom app thumbnail and name. to highlight their black Friday promotion.

One key point to remember with Facebook apps is they are not mobile compatible unless you have a smart URL link. A smart URL link is one that most Facebook app creators will provide you and allows your app to be viewed via mobile. Without this link your fans can only see your app content via their desktop.  A lot of these apps are free to setup, with paid options for more advanced features.  The only thing left to do now is get creative!

With Facebook pushing paid posts, I hope this article has shown you that there are still some free ways you can get leads for your business.

How many of these creative techniques have you tried on your page? Comment below and let me know 

A Subtle Way to Make Your Facebook Images Pop on the News Feed

Every good marketer knows that the way Facebook users scan their News Feeds doesn't leave a lot of time to catch the eye - and further interest - of a potential customer. Posting compelling images is an essential part of the strategy, but here's one subtle tip to help your images stand out even more.



As you can see above, the technique involves using a large block of contrasting colour in the background of one of your Facebook posts, but, crucially, leaving a portion white at the top. Thiscreates the illusion of your image popping "out" of the screen against the blank Facebook background.



In this second example, I have added an arrow to enhance the effect further, and draw people's eyes to my message in the status update.

Although the effect is very subtle, in the context of all the other "flat" images on a busy News Feed, it really does catch the eye. Try experimenting with this method using different images and colours to see what works best for you.

Have you given this tip a go? Let me know in the comments below as I'd love to see!

AVOID A SOCIAL CRISIS WITH ONE SIMPLE QUESTION

There is so much fear wrapped up in social media for brands. Fear from legal, compliance, leadership, sales, marketing, technology, you name it and they are all a little scared of it in some way. And I have found through so many conversations with people who want to do a good job at social that the fear is all around making a mistake. Brands are terrified of becoming the next <insert latest brand who messed up in social>. Fear in humans causes insulin to pump through our bodies and produces fight or flight. We react in dramatic ways to fear. We can dodge fists or throw them ourselves. But, fear in brands causes paralysis. And in social, paralysis might be worse than making a gaffe. Brands want a social safety net. It is the #1 reason real time marketing isn’t adopted en mass today. There is no fail-safe. But then I realized, I have the answer.

Before I get there, you should know, in my personal and professional life I have a rather famous retort for people who say dumb, offensive, racist, sexist, or generally tacky stuff to me. It’s called “The Out-Loud Voice”. It goes like this: “Tracey, those glasses look terrible on you.” Me: “Oh, I’m sorry, but maybe you didn’t know. That was your out-loud voice.” It is shockingly effective in getting people to realize they should have considered an internal monologue for such thoughts. Because sometimes not everything that passes through the brain pan needs to be expressed externally. And as evidenced by years of experience using this retort, it totally works. And I realized, with the help of Nichole and Falls, that this should be a concept employed by social media community managers everywhere. Let’s call it: The “Out-Loud Voice” litmus test. And with that, a social media fail-safe is born!

In real time, the Out-Loud Voice litmus test it is a quick affirmation that could be the last check before something is posted online. And let’s be honest, what you post on social as a brand is very much out loud even if it is only written word. And without a doubt, most branded social media gaffes could have been prevented with this test. If the last person to read a post before it was approved and went live, took a look and said; “Hmmm, if I said this out loud in the middle of Manhattan (Kansas), would I offend a segment of the population?” If the answer is “Yes. Yes it would offend a segment of Manhattan, Kansas.” Or even if it is a “It is possible that if I said this out loud a segment of the population would be offended.” Then, it doesn’t go live.

It is a simple test. Takes 30 seconds to implement and can save lives! OK, maybe not lives, but it could certainly save jobs! The Onion, Home Depot, Kenneth Cole…the list goes on and on, but, had any of these brands applied the out-loud voice test, they may have saved hours of time apologizing for their poor taste and the damage to the brand. Not to mention the countless blog posts calling them out on a large-scale #fail.

OUT-LOUD VOICE TEST PRIMER

When to apply the “Out-Loud Voice” test:

All. The. Time. You should apply this test to any update, response to a customer, blog post, tweet, email, LinkedIn group comment. Basically, it is the old American Express slogan of social media posts. “The Out-Loud Voice test, don’t use social without it.”

How to apply the “Out-Loud Voice” test:

You see, as more and more brands adopt real-time marketing; the out-loud voice litmus test is an incredibly valuable tool. For example: You’re a community manager. You see something that is happening in pop culture and it might be begging for a quippy, even snarky social media post. You craft a post. Then, you re-read the post and ask: “If this were in my out-loud voice, would I offend a wide swath of our customers?” And then post accordingly.

Who should use the “Out-Loud Voice” test:

Everyone. Community managers, leaders, interns, customer service and agencies should all be using this test to manage their communications with customers. Basically, the entire world could benefit from this short test. Let’s be honest, this is not just good for brands, it is good for people too. I would be very happy to never, ever read another insane rant from someone I went to high school with, but I digress. The point is the Out-Loud Voice test is good for everyone and would make social media a better place.

The Out-Loud Voice test: Love it. Use it. Live it.

5 Steps To Reach Customers Through Social Media

Half of the world’s population has registered themselves on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Furthermore, there are desktop and mobile based chat applications such as WhatsApp, Google Talk, Facebook Messenger, Skype, etc., which also share the same population of registered users as compared to social networking sites. Therefore, connecting your business through social media sites with the customers could be a productive idea, which is expected to deliver lucrative results as well as separates your business from the competitors.

Here are the three steps that help in locating the customers on social media sites.

Step 1: Ask your customers directly

Asking consumers for their particular likes, dislikes and demands related to the products and services has been the most profitable idea adapted by all business-entities. As a result, several companies have set up their own customer care department to resolve queries and get reviews from the consumers through calls, chat, and emails.

So, reach the consumers through above-mentioned mediums and ask whether they use social media channels or not. If the answer is yes, then ask whether they will mind if you connect with them on such networking sites. Also, ask them about the channel(s) on which they spend most of their time. Is it Facebook, Pinterest, or LinkedIn?

Following this step helps in advertising products and services directly to the consumers. In addition, the customers also get the feel as if they are valued and like to share their thoughts, information and demands related to products or services provided by the company.

Step 2: Use alert services to know frequently used social media channel

There are various alert services available online. However, Google Alert is one of the reputed and reliable services used by several users around the globe. Google Alerts could be a beneficial idea to know about the media channels highly used by the consumers. For example, set up a Google Alert and choose the ‘topic or subject’ as a search query on the alert. The results will show articles, blogs and news, which are relevant to your business. In addition, you will also come to know about the channels frequently used by the customers.

This step helps in knowing the consumers’ demands and choices as well as informs which social networking sites require more focus.

Step 3: Deep dive into social media search

Search consumers on specific channels using its inbuilt search function. Every media channel has its own search bar where users type-in the names or email addresses to find someone. So, you can also take the advantage of search function available on a social networking website to find users. Pull up a short list of existing customers from the database and search them on various media channels such as Facebook, Pinterest, etc. This strategy helps in discovering customers’ interests related to the products through their timeline (if mentioned).

Today, the latest Google + Communities Search, LinkedIn Search, Twitter’s Advanced Search and newly developed Facebook Graph Search will help you search consumers within specific geographical locations easily.

Step 4: Develop or use the social apps

The emerging technology has given several types of chat apps that are automatically available to the social groups, industries or markets. The businesses can develop their own apps or can use the existing apps for communicating with their customers. From a school going kid to an old age citizen, everyone uses the smartphones and tablets. They are curious to know about any new development-taking place in the market. Calling or inquiring about the latest products or services might be a tedious procedure for the users. So, better invite the customers to have a web based chat, which is handy and simple.

Step 5: Create videos for social networking sites

Human mind picks up 67% of the instructions easily if provided with a video, and 23% of instructions if provided with images and pictures, and rest through the content. Therefore, if the businesses start sharing their videos related to their products and services, it will have a positive impact on the target audience. Moreover, the comments and likings marked on the videos will help you notice the customers’ likes and dislikes.

Well! All the above-steps might seem quite easy to follow, but if someone tries them alone, then the solutions achieved might not provide complete satisfaction. Hence, many of the companies have begun to invest in social media marketing. It is one of the most fruitful ways to obtain lucrative results from the market. This helps companies connect with the customers on personal grounds and deeply analyses their demands and requirements.

The expert social media marketing consultants provide various solutions that help in building brand reputation, enhancing online visibility, diverting more traffic to the website, and lastly deliver better revenue.

Therefore, your business should not be restricted or programmed to just manufacturing quality products or to provide reliable services to the customers. You have to reach consumers personally and ask them how they feel about the products and services you provide, as well as their future expectations from your company.

The SEO Power Of Social Media Sites

Facebook is the largest site in the world, or it ties with Google as the most visited site, and people spend much longer on the former than the latter.

The majority of people play games and chat with their friends, but they also follow all the celebrities and public figures who they care enough to watch.

Social media is the way people connect with other people, and you can easily send a tweet or a message to almost anyone you want, or to a TV show, company, or small business through social media.

Almost everyone has a Facebook page, but what you may not have thought about is that Google loves ranking the pages on Google so that people can easily find it, and this works not just for brand names and names of celebrities, but any phrase you like.

After having done some testing, I've worked out that it's easier to rank a Facebook page from scratch when compared to a WordPress website on a new domain given all the same back links, but one of the most important things is to get internal links within the site.

Building Internal Links Inside Facebook
The easiest and most obvious way of building links is through the number of likes you have.
People like your page and often a publicly visible link appears on their profile to yours.
This is a high page rank do follow cross link inside the site, and it's one of the main ways Google determines which pages are important enough to rank.

Another way you can build links is to comment on other pages with a @ symbol followed by the name of your page, which leaves a public link from another page to yours.

You can also create other pages and while using Facebook as that page, like your own page, and this creates a permanent link on the timeline to your page.

Engagement figures are important as well, Google takes into account all the same things that Facebook's Edgerank algorithms take into account, and a lot more.

The general idea is that if you make a quality page with lots of content on each part of it, add a few apps like Just Redirect and Static HTML: iFrame Tabs, get lots of likes, make cross links from relevant pages, (without spamming), and also build quality back links, your page will rank for a medium competition Google search.

If it doesn't, then you need to build more layers to the link pyramid using only the highest authority sites, seek guest posting opportunities, publish posts more regularly, add photos to photo albums with relevant text in the descriptions, get more likes, and build more cross links.

You will get there if you already have an idea of how to rank sites, and it depends on how big the search is as to whether it will be worth it.

Some would say that it's better to rank a site as you have more freedom to do anything you want, and to publish multiple pages on a blog.

The Facebook page is just one click away from the site, and you can have all the same important things on your page like Pay Pal buttons, videos, subscriber forms etc.

People feel comfortable within Facebook, it's a user-friendly environment that people are used to, and a like is very valuable, similar to an email subscriber, because you can continue to sell to, or rather engage your fans for life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7878421

10 Ways Google+ Will Improve Your SEO

There are still people that argue for a wait and see strategy before using Google Plus. They will often point to lower numbers of people using Google Plus. These people fundamentally misunderstand the nature of Google Plus and the way it can improve your SEO results, even if none of your clients actually use Google Plus itself.
There are ten ways that Google Plus will improve your SEO:

1. Google Plus content is treated by Google just like any other page on the web. Google Plus content will be efficiently indexed by Google, it will gain page rank and appear in Google’s search results.  With two thirds of searches in the US taking place on Google you want your content indexed and searchable in this way.
2. Your Google Plus posts allow you capture SERP real estate as they appear on Google search page results, thus your audience may find your Google Plus content through a standard Google search.
3. Google Plus content stays around, gains page rank, gives page rank and appears in search results over a long period. It appears Google Plus posts can retain ranking indefinitely with some posts over a year old still top of search result pages. Compare this to the 14 minutes of life a standard tweet is estimated to have.
4. Google Plus authorship provides you with a higher visual profile in search results.  By validating your Google Plus profile with sites where you publish, you will enable your image to appear next to the search results and attract greater visual attention on search pages.
5. The use of Google authorship is closely tied to content authority. Google is keen to give a higher profile to authoritative content in search results. If an author posts interesting content which is shared and receives plus ones, this will potentially lead to higher authority. There is growing evidence that Google+ authorship improves your authority and search performance. Mark Traphagen argues that “over a broad sample of bloggers with G+ profiles, those who use Google authorship tend to average a full Page Rank higher than those who do not.”
6. Google Plus authorship and the Google Plus social layer provides a wide range of social signals that may improve the social media optimisation (SMO) of your content and SEO. This is not as simple as the number of followers, people in your circles or number of Plus Ones. What appears to be far more important is the interaction between you and your content and others of a high authority. Thus if a high authority person shares your content this will improve your own authority.
7. Social signals from platforms such as Google Plus will become more important in determining search results. Joshua Berg has called this the social media optimisation (SMO) of SEO. He has explained that “social signals provide a much better way of filtering out the noise and improving the quality of search results” and “this is a trend that will continue because it is a much better way of understanding what people really want, which is one of Google’s founding principles.”
8. The featured link in a Google Plus post will pass page rank to the page to which it links. Note there is a no follow for links included in the body of a Google Plus post, you must use the featured link. If you connect a Google Plus page to your website this will increase the relevancy of your website content and support your search ranking
9. Links from regular websites to Google Plus content can also pass page rank authority in the other direction back to your Google Plus posts and pages.
10. Finally, the use of hashtags in Google Plus connects every post to a search on the platform.

You are simply losing out in terms of SEO if you are not using Google Plus effectively. Hopefully, the ten reasons outlined above will make you look again at Google Plus and reconsider your social media optimisation strategies for SEO.

10 Useful Twitter Tools for Your Twitter Toolkit

1. Nearby Tweets - nearbytweets.com
This is a nice twitter tool that lets you see tweets that are in your area. You can choose any location though - but the biggest feature is you can search for certain keywords in that area. So you can find people who are tweeting about what your business does.

2. Qwitter - useqwitter.com
Qwitter is a service that lets you see who unfollowed you on Twitter. It will send you an email at the end of each week telling you who unfollowed you.

3. TweetDeck - tweetdeck.com
TweetDeck is an application you install in Windows that will give you a wide overview of all the things you can do in Twitter. It's divided into columns that feature live feeds of what the people you are following are doing, direct messages, active tweets and columns for searching keywords. You can have a column setup to monitor certain twitter keywords and hashtags that are happening in all of Twitter and reply directly to them.

4. WeFollow - wefollow.com
This is a good site to see the top people to follow in your industry. You can search by keywords, industry or hashtags. This is a great place to find relevant people in your area who are in your industry, you can also sort by location so you can find people and businesses close to you.

5. LocalTweeps - localtweeps.com
While this one sort of overlaps a few of the others listed, it is useful because you can search for users that are near or in your city. So it may be helpful if you're a business who want to follow local people to see what they say and get them to follow you.

6. ExecTweets - twitter.com/exectweets
While not quite a tool, this is a Twitter account that retweets top executives in multiple industries. This can be good to get business insights from various top players in your field or just see what the top competition is up to.

7. PollDaddy - polldaddy.com
Another one that's not quite a tool for Twitter, PollDaddy let's you send out customizable polls that you can use to glean info from your followers. It's build by the same people who created WordPress, so it's a great tool.

8. Google URL Shortener - goo.gl
There are a bunch of URL shorteners out there, but I've been using Google's since it's easy and I already have a Google account. You can track how many clicks you get too.

9. Twitter Advanced Search - twitter.com/search-advanced
Twitter has an advanced search feature where you can search by many different criteria. It's more "advanced" than the basic search and can come in handy when you need more control over what you're looking for.

10. WordPress Twitter Tools - wordpress.org/plugins/twitter-tools/
Very handy if you have a WordPress blog and want instant tweets when you post a new one and much deeper integration with Twitter.

These twitter tools are just the tip of the iceberg. They are just the ones that I find useful. If you have any must have Twitter Tools that you use please share & let me know in the comments!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7804886

Twitter Adds Cards to Help Brands Register Emails

Twitter just took another step towards helping brands generate revenues from the social network.

The company announced a new feature on Wednesday called the Lead Generation card, which gives businesses a way to register users and their emails for promotions or memberships directly within a tweet.

When you click to expand the tweet, you'll see an option to sign up with your Twitter handle and connected email already filled out.

"The Lead Generation Card makes it easy for users to express interest in what your brand offers," Mitali Pattnaik, Twitter's product manager for revenue, wrote in a blog post. "Users can easily and securely share their email address with a business without leaving Twitter or having to fill out a cumbersome form."

The new Twitter card has been tested with a handful of brands, including New Relic and Priceline. Twitter plans to make the card available to small businesses globally in the future.

In recent months, Twitter has introduced a range of new Twitter cards to enhance the in-stream experience for users and businesses, including app cards, product cards and gallery cards.

Image by Mashable