Do you, as a new or even a very experienced business owner, know how to take advantage of social media exposure, especially if no one has any idea what your new business is all about? The truth is, this is one of the best uses of social media that I can think of. Even you can succeed with social media, even if you have what could be perceived as a small, newbie brand. Read on to learn more. #1 Prove you’re an expert It’s important to know everything there is about your product/brand, and often it's a good idea to know even everything beyond it. According to PR firm founder Heather DeSantis of Publicity For Good, one needs to “transition from being a business owner and someone selling a product to a thought leader. You have to have actionable tips that other small-business owners can take action on”. #2 Establish profiles on major social media sites Take time to figure out which social media sites your target customers frequent. Then set up pages or profiles on those sites -- and post content regularly, at least once a week. To post to multiple social media platforms at a time, consider using a service such as Hootsuite. Once profiles are up and running, don't let them fall behind. Outdated profiles are almost as bad as nonexistent ones. #3 Create fresh, shareable content Google loves original and valuable content. By creating informative articles, people will share links to your site and you'll notice a difference in Google's search results. Just remember: Write for yo ... [Read More]
5 tips for effective social media posts
Regardless of your company's size, social media marketing is a fickle tool you can't afford to ignore, especially if your business targets Generation Z customers. Read on to discover five simple tips to create effective social media posts and some ways to get the most out of your social media posts. 1. Choose the right platform Between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn to choose from, you may be tempted to sign up for more social media accounts than you’re ready to manage. It may not seem like much at first, but you'd be surprised by how quickly you can be overwhelmed by statuses, commenting on existing posts, and answering inquiries on every platform, which is why it’s better to adopt only a few platforms that can effectively attract your target customers. Ask yourself these questions before deciding which platform to use: Who is my target customer and what channels do they use? What do I hope to gain by opening a social media account? What kind of content do I want to share and create? How much time can I devote to social media management? 2. Know when to update Are most of your customers online at 8am or 8pm? With a better understanding of your target users' habits, you can schedule your posts so they create more traffic, increase brand engagement and, eventually, generate new leads and customers. Depending on which platform you choose to invest in, you should post a new update during these times for maximum engagement: Fa ... [Read More]
How Facebook’s News Feed Tweaks Affect You
Facebook’s newest action can mean bad news to businesses. The company had announced its decision to screen its News Feed to include less content from publishers and businesses and more from your loved ones. This comes after the allegations of how social media has unconsciously shaped people’s opinion and mental well-being. Potential Outcome for Facebook One of the main sources of revenue for the social media giant is from its advertising program. But with the changes set to take place, there’s a high possibility that users will spend less time on its platform. This would mean comparatively less effective advertising than before, thus fewer advertisement signups from businesses. While they do admit this move may potentially hurt profitability, Facebook hopes this change will improve user experience, which in the long-run may translate into higher profits. Reason for News Feed Change Users enjoy learning about what’s happening in their social circles. Whether what's shared is as mundane as what someone recently baked, or as momentous as a wedding, every day millions of users like and comment about each other's lives. For this reason, Facebook has decided to spotlight images and videos that are more meaningful to people on a personal level. Such posts have greater power to deepen human bonds. Weighing the Pros and Cons of the News Feed Change However, research has found that constant use of Facebook can cause people to feel alienated and inadequate, reducing people’ ... [Read More]
WordPress Maintenance Checklist
WordPress is one of the most powerful blogging and content management systems (CMS) to date. Since it powers approximately 27% of all websites, there’s no room for sluggish load times, potential security vulnerabilities, or search engine delistings. To avoid these problems altogether, sticking to the following this WordPress Maintenance checklist will help. Make Frequent Backups It’s crucial that you perform a daily offsite backup of your WordPress files and database. This ensures data security in the event of a network breach or natural disaster and facilitates the resumption of your business's regular operations. Although there are plugins like BackUpWordPress that help to automate the backup process, you should still perform manual backups. It is important to find a hosting partner that offers frequent backups or even Managed WordPress Hosting. Verify your Backups Not only should you be making backups, you should also be verifying them. By doing so, you are making sure that the backed up files are going where they are supposed to, and backups are being restored. The last thing you need is a failed backup strategy on the day you need it most! Daily Security Reports If you ask any cybersecurity expert, “Is it crucial to maintain a daily network security report?” the answer will be a resounding YES. While you might not have enough time to carry out thorough inspections and create these reports yourself, you can rely on security monitoring services like Delaney Computer ... [Read More]
Some Social Media Options You May Have Overlooked
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have changed the way we interpret the word social. Whereas it used to mean just catching up with a friend over tea, being social online now has blurred the lines between friends and customers. But far beyond the “big three” lies dozens of untapped social networks. If you’re hoping to get into some of the biggest rising stars in online marketing, you’ve come to exactly the right place. Having great content on your site is the magnet that attracts visitors. However, when there is too much competition on the most popular platforms, it's hard for your social media reputation management to deliver the results you expect. To reap nominal rewards from social media marketing, you need to devise new methods to stand out from the crowd. Meetup For people with similar interests, Meetup is a great site to plan face-to-face meetings. Does your company sell hiking, camping, and backpacking products? Organize a meetup for the people in your community to go on a hike. You really can’t get a better customer interaction than engaging them in the activities they love. Eventbrite If you’re looking for a more formal event platform, Eventbrite helps you to organize, plan, and market your event so you can ensure its success. Another way it differs from Meetup is its recruitment potential. You can easily market yourself as an expert in an industry to either attract freelancers or educate potential customers about the problems you aim to solve for them. Town ... [Read More]