"Facebook is a platform where your clients want to engage with you. The biggest no-brainer is offering creative content that your followers can share. For example, we make sure to post inspirational quotes and fun content mixed with industry related news. It’s simple: your followers will want to engage with you on things that interest them the most. "
"Offer a special discount or offer to your email list. Create a custom audience on Facebook that contains your email list members, and then run Facebook ads that align with the messages of your email offers. Reinforce the value of the offer by being in multiple places for your targeted list."
"Facebook groups exist for just about everything, including finding better services around local areas. I like to monitor Facebook groups that are active in my area for the kind of information that can mean leads. Our construction company, for example, can really take advantage of a home improvement group attracting people who want to remodel."
"Host a competition where your participants post photos of themselves with your product or utilizing your service. Not only will potential new customers learn more about your product, you'll show them that you genuinely care about your current clients and are willing to feature them — something all social enthusiasts enjoy."
"You can get your customers to write reviews on your Facebook page. These reviews work and potential customers want to read about your business before they try it out, especially from their peers or others they trust. Leverage these reviews by making positive ones into status updates and thanking the reviewer personally."
"I've run campaigns in previous businesses, giving away small prizes to people who engaged with our products in a quick and easy challenge. Create an easy contest that anyone can do and offer prizes like gift cards. Watch in shock at what it can do if you have a big enough network on your Facebook page. We saw traffic to our websites grow up to 10 times in a month from this strategy."
"Facebook Audience Insights can be used to segment out a hyper-targeted audience and then served ads for customer acquisition. You can utilize the tool's Affinity and Relevance scores to hone in on a sample set of Facebook users that are more likely to be acquired as customers based on user interest data. Your ads will have a lower cost per click (CPC) and a higher engagement rate."
"Last fall Facebook released lead ads, which allow mobile users to request more information from advertisers without taking the user off Facebook. It's a seamless and intuitive method of capturing leads, and one that caters to an increasingly mobile user base. Marketers may also test their ad in a variety of formats (video, carousel, etc.) to see which is most effective for their audience."
"Facebook is a retargeting gold mine. Add a retargeting pixel on your site and then boost your Facebook posts to folks who have visited your site in the last 90 days. We increased our engagement by over 332 percent by leveraging small boosts to our retargeted audience."
"Customers like to be acknowledged, and you can showcase a different customer each week on Facebook. Think about what motivates your customers most. Is it how your product makes them look or feel? Use that knowledge to devise a program that promotes your best customers in ways that will motivate others to give you a try."
"You want to make sure you’re posting enough relevant content that your followers are noticing, but not posting too often. It can get spammy and lead followers to hit that "unlike" or "unfollow" button. I know I have unfollowed brands before that simply posted too much. "
"Many businesses make the mistake of using social media purely as a megaphone. Companies should use social media to listen to their followers, fans and customers. Get feedback and engage in conversations or questions that result in constructive dialogue. Make it personal. Seeing larger organizations respond to individuals on social media in a meaningful way is a powerful message."
"You should never outsource your social media strategy to someone outside your own country. I even like to have it be someone within my own state. This keeps the language, tone and overall vision of the company on the same page, especially when communicating with the outside world."
"Broadcasting your awesomeness is lame. Ever been on a coffee date when all the other person did was share their awesomeness? Did you want to go to dinner and drinks? Of course not. Instead, use social media to amplify the heart and soul of your organization and celebrate your customers' victories."
"All of the most popular social channels are visual platforms. Ignoring the importance of high-quality graphics and images will derail your strategy before it even begins. Roll your visual strategy into your overall social media planning discussions, as it's often more important than any text or words you write on social. Visuals must grab attention, then quickly align with your overall strategy."
"Follower counts look good, but they're rarely a useful indication of the success of a social media strategy. Like all marketing efforts, the aim of social media is to ultimately make sales. You can have 100,000 followers, but if none of them convert, you're wasting money. Social media sharing should leverage marketing personas and targeted content to build a valuable audience, not just any audience."
"Never allow your social media strategy to be linear across all platforms. Different users, demographics and strategies must be used for every social platform separately. Do not allow the same content to be shared on all platforms in the same manner. Hire people who understand how to manage each, rather than one person to run all of them. "
"Your social media schedule should not be completely pre-determined. A few anchor items and an overarching theme are great, but your strategy should be based on producing quality content based on how your brand can add value to what's going on at the time. The best strategy for social media is to listen and adapt."
"When creating a social media strategy, many companies flood their audiences with promotional content that is designed to sell. This can be overwhelming for some users who casually use social media. Always remember to mix in creative and informative content with your hard-sell content for the best results. Businesses that post informative content generally reach a much larger audience."
I’m a strong believer in the power of business dinners and enjoy organizing them in my own city. However, rather than limit them to my hometown, I realized I could extend them to every city I visited. With a little advance planning, I now organize dinners wherever my travels take me. These dinners are not only a wonderful way to reconnect with contacts, but also a fun opportunity for the local guests to meet each other. Here are my steps to creating the perfect networking dinner:
Nothing can compare to the deep and powerful connections made breaking bread together, and these connections can even happen even outside of your hometown. Now, whenever you have a business trip, consider hosting a networking dinner to bring together like-minded people.
]]>Serving before you sell is important, yes. But going to extremes should really only be reserved for people who you know feel comfortable receiving such favors. That said, there are plenty of ways to work your network so you can make your network work for you — without making anyone feel remotely uncomfortable.
Most likely, everyone in your network does not know everyone else in your personal network. It’s also highly likely that the people who don’t know each other could benefit from meeting. Making those introductions is a great way to become known as a connector and someone who’s readily willing to help out (without creating any feelings of unease or discomfort).
The introductions might turn into something productive, and they might not. That’s not the point as much as it is staying top-of-mind as an influential member of other peoples’ networks.
You probably already use a CRM to manage your lists of customers, potential customers, leads, etc. And you should continue to do so. But most CRMs have a setting where you can add a contact and set how often you want to be in touch with that person. For most people in your network, especially if you want to make sure that you’ll stay top-of-mind, it’s a good idea to keep in touch once every 30 days. Have your CRM notify you if and when you’re overdue.
In a world where being ignored — even by a complete stranger — hurts our self-esteem, being noticed is a huge boost that helps us feel important and worthwhile.
Once you’ve had a great conversation with someone important, don’t let them forget who you are. In general, once everyone has left an event, they’re going to have a huge stack of business cards. I know I have a hard time remembering who each business card belongs to, and what conversation we had. That’s why on my business cards, I have a headshot and a few words describing what my company does.
As simple as this may sound, it’s paid huge dividends for me and has helped me land deals that otherwise wouldn’t have happened.
If you’re at an event where you don’t know many people, ask one or two people in the room you do know for an introduction. The people you already know will make sure it’s someone that actually makes sense for you to talk to. You’d be surprised how much people are willing to help if you just ask them sincerely. I’ve had people introduce me to CXO-level executives of Fortune 500 companies just because I asked them nicely.
Sending someone in your network a gift is a gesture that goes far and beyond a typed-out “thanks” on LinkedIn. It catches people off guard. Books, flowers, or relatively inexpensive food delivery are all good options.
When you do something truly unexpected, you’ll be remembered no matter what. But when you do something that’s both unexpected and provides value to the person, you’ll be remembered in only the most positive light, and they’ll look to repay the favor from a place of kindness rather than obligation.
If you’re in the software business like myself, you’re rarely dealing with anything physically tangible, so getting something I can touch really stands out. I’ve had companies who have tried winning me over as a customer send me handwritten notes, t-shirts, boxes of energy drinks for the team, coffee, etc. And each time it puts a smile on my face. As a result, I feel much more connected to that company, leading to a much higher chance of me working with them because I know they’re willing to go above and beyond for their customers.
There’s a fair amount of networking advice that tells you to plan your exits before you even start talking to people so you can work the room and get your business cards out to as many people as possible. And while you might have to plan your exit so you can make a quick escape if you get caught talking to someone unhelpful, this piece of advice is best if forgotten — especially if you’re the kind of person who wants the people you meet to remember you for a long time.
Establishing a solid, meaningful relationship with just one person is better than having a mini pitch-fest with 10 different people who won’t care about you two days from now.
Trying too hard to provide value to someone you’ve just met upfront is off-putting. People appreciate help. But if you’re overly eager, it will raise suspicion and make them wonder what the catch is. So instead of going too far out of your way (which would take up a ton of your time and energy anyway), try these approaches to become remembered as a connector, a value provider, and an influencer.
]]>"Dedicate a few people from your team to start taping customer testimonials. Throw those testimonials on YouTube and share them on social media. From there, dedicate time every week to developing a short (5-10 minutes) video episode for internal use where you interview employees and offer company updates. This way, your employee engagement will go through the roof."
"Video can often be one-way. A brand tells its fans what the company is up to, or gives them a behind-the-scenes look at the business. Crowdcast is a startup that provides dead-simple webinars. You can use their platforms to actually have a dialogue with your fans. Best of all, you can capture all of the live content and save it on your site for future visitors!"
"Snapchat isn't content with simply offering videos through its "Discover" feature. It wants to give users a reason to keep coming back. If they plan to let users subscribe to Discover channels, you want your company to be the first mover. Snapchat is poised to record a huge growth this year."
"Short, live video platforms like Vine are great for showing off something that doesn't come across well in just images. Mixing videos with products pages, such that buyers can see them being handled and used live, is something I expect to see a lot more of very soon."
"We've found great success by facilitating an industry panel of experts. Pick a current trend or controversial topic to be discussed. With nine people on the panel and one moderator, each participant will share their own views, which makes for an educational session full of lively discussion. Upload a copy to YouTube for those who missed the live recording."
"Ask the experts in your industry about certain topics on a weekly basis, and use their answers to create a video. The expert doesn't have to be present -- just an individual reading off advice and shouting out the expert's name, company, Twitter handle and more. This is a great way to boost connections, views and shares, and will be very appreciated by those who take part!"
"The dream of live streaming from your mobile phone is finally here, and companies can now give a firsthand look at what's happening behind the scenes. Media and entertainment companies can capitalize on this by Periscoping from events and giving personality to the brand in real time. Our travel company builds community through Periscope all the time."
"Not only does this help standardize what new employees and existing staff hear about the company and its culture, but it also helps create a more efficient and engaging process for the organization and those involved in getting this information. Typically, these processes are paper-based and boring, but video adds interest and offers a way to make the information stick."
"More people than ever are using their smartphones to do research and shopping, and they love to watch videos. It makes sense to include a visually engaging platform in your mobile marketing strategy. You can include videos on social media marketing sites, your website and in mobile ads, since video ad campaigns or insightful product or service videos are shared more than other content."
"I'd love to see a sales staff on live video helping customers who can't make it to the store. Some service work can also be done with video connections. There are millions of "How I did this simple task" videos on YouTube. I'm waiting for more companies to take advantage of video to provide real value to customers, rather than bleep out more negligible marketing clips."
What’s the best way to use the Instagram Story tool for your brand? The most important thing is to just dive in and give it a try. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? It disappears in 24 hours, right?
Here are a few pointers to get you started. Always remember that every brand and account is different. Analyze your own data (views and clicks) to see what content resonates with your audience the most, and adjust your digital strategy accordingly.
Instagram Stories have already proven to be such an incredible tool for our clients, and this is only the beginning. Imagine where it will be in the next few months! I’m highly anticipating what tools are going to be released next, as each one will inspire us all with an endless list of new ideas on how to better connect with and monetize a digital audience.
]]>With statistics like these, I’m surprised you haven’t stopped reading this article and started filming. As an agency CEO, I often hear that many business owners aren’t sure what to film or they simply do not have the time. Therefore, I’ve created a list of five different video ideas and ways to incorporate them into your own marketing strategy. Bonus: They won’t take up hours and hours of your time.
I actually find creating video blogs can be more time-efficient than writing them. This gives business owners the opportunity to share their knowledge on film. My suggestion is to write out the five most common questions you get from your customers and create one video per question. The videos do not have to be long; they simply have to answer the question at hand.
Film six or 10 questions at a time (maybe even more). This way, you can schedule a video blog once a week and you won’t have to film so often. (Hint: Just make sure to bring a change of clothes so it doesn’t look like you wear the same thing every day!)
Make sure to upload all of your videos on your business YouTube channel. Include a headline, a detailed description and tagged keywords. This will assist with your SEO efforts. Additionally, when posting on Facebook, be sure to include captions on your videos. Eighty-five percent of videos viewed on Facebook are watched without sound. In order to add captions, you need to make an SRT file and upload the file to your video. Facebook provides an easy-to-use tutorial for this.
You’ve probably heard about Facebook Live. It’s exactly what it sounds like — a live video on Facebook. This is a great platform to showcase your business in an authentic light.
Prepare ahead of time. Before going live, think about your goals. What do you want to accomplish with this video? What do you hope your followers will take from it? A restaurant owner, for example, might showcase a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into prepping meals. In this case, it’d be important to discuss the details of the recipe and provide viewers a tour of the kitchen.
Additionally, to increase video traffic and engagement, make sure to communicate with your audience when you’ll be going live. Set a date and time so that followers can watch as the video is being broadcasted.
Instagram stories allow you to share moments throughout your day and can be done with both video and photos. Using your creativity, add video snippets and/or photos to your existing story throughout the day. As a business owner, this is a great opportunity to showcase the day in the life of you. Show us behind the scenes of what makes your company so great. Because Instagram stories disappear after 24 hours and won’t show up in your profile or in the general feed, you don’t have to worry about overposting.
Christmas came early: Facebook recently released the ability to change your static cover photo to video. The Facebook cover page is the most viewed area on your page. Therefore, this is a great opportunity to showcase your business.
Some things to keep in mind:
The feature is in its early stages but is expected to roll out to a wider audience soon.
This requires a little more time and effort but the results are worth it: Get your team together and brainstorm ways you can showcase your business in an entertaining light.
For example, think about parodies, music videos, car karaoke, or what’s trending to get ideas flowing. There is no such thing as a bad idea.
One of our dentist clients did a music video to the song “Can’t Feel My Face.” The video received over 150,000 views and hundreds of comments from people saying how they hated the dentist but wanted to go to this one because they seemed so fun.
Start small with one of these ideas and slowly grow to include other video options. By incorporating video, you will see an increase in click-throughs, shares and retention. Lights, camera, action!
]]>In a word: everything. Professional social media management is a serious game for both agencies and clients, and clients should beware of the pitfalls that come with poor choices. We’ve seen countless examples of prospects who come to us too late — when what they really need is crisis management, not social media management. Almost always, if the client or its agency had prepared for situations that arise when you open your brand up to public conversation on social networks, the issue could have been prevented. With that in mind, here are four crucial ways to secure your social media marketing and defend against both cyber security and brand integrity dangers:
One unfortunate phrase we hear from prospects is, “We don’t want to be on social media because people can say negative things about us for everyone to see.” The truth is, people are going to say negative things about you and your brand, anyway: You may as well be there to guide the conversation with a competent and effective social media marketing team. Ultimately, social media marketing and native advertising are vital parts of any comprehensive marketing strategy today, and there are still opportunities to be a first-mover in many industries. Plan carefully, and be sure to participate in the conversation.
]]>"Many, many more people are willing to give reviews than will actually bother to leave them. Asking nicely for them, usually in a follow-up email after service has been completed, works surprisingly well for generating reviews. No one is going to fault you for asking, and every new one is worth its weight in gold."
"Ask your customer the ultimate question: "From a scale of 0 to 10, How likely is it that you would recommend our company to a colleague or friend?" Followed by: "Why did you rate us that way?" It does not waste your or your customers' time and it is measurable, actionable and allows you to compare how you do over time."
"Ask often and in the right places. Remind customers about the ability to leave reviews across multiple platforms and at a variety of times during their client experience. For example, we send convenient email reminders for feedback after each tutoring session. "
"This is an obvious option, but it's often overlooked in favor of more contemporary approaches such as social media. Since the customer is communicating one-on-one, they're less likely to put on a show (as they would on social media) and are more likely to give quality feedback."
"Every one of the 4,000-plus people who have travelled with us received a survey at the end of their trip. It's easy to fill out and explicitly asks them what was we did well, but also what we did not do well. Especially as a founder, it can be hard to ask people what they don't like about your company. But you absolutely must, because you'll learn the most from the tough love."
"We are an IT company and ask our clients to leave feedback on third party sites like Clutch.co, Greatagencies.com, Upwork.com, and Appfutura.com. These sites call or email clients and get a thorough feedback and publish it online. They ensure that feedback is authentic and high quality. Once published online, our prospective clients can read it. In addition, we get video testimonials."
"Conduct both focus groups and one-on-one executive briefings for your key customers. We host ours over lunch so we can build enough trust and dialogue to cut through superficial feedback and really understand how to serve them better."
"We tend to shy away from social media for user feedback. It doesn't give us the metrics we're desiring to improve our business operations, and it can be an easy outlet for customers whom are vocal, but not necessarily constructive or helpful. Using surveys to ask specific questions has greatly improved our feedback loop and allowed us to improve our customer experience with much greater accuracy."
"It's important to get honest and helpful feedback from customers, but you have to pose the right questions. It's important to know what you're doing right as well as what you could be doing better. You can ask pointed questions in emails, phone conversations and on social media. You may have to prompt customers. Ask what they do or don't like about specific products/services."
"We train our customer service team to have an open dialogue on incoming calls with customers. This allows us to get raw, unfiltered feedback that helps us improve our product."
"Everyone seems driven by the idea that their page should be filled with hilarious content to drive visitors. While I’m on a company’s Facebook page most of the time, I go there because I want to know more about the company and its practices. The right way to do it would be to use your Facebook page to show the personal side of your company. Work-in-progress pics are a great addition."
"I never leave my political views on my business or personal Facebook page. I think it's is a big mistake if you do. It can upset your friends, employees or clients. Social media is for personal fun or building brand -- not for your political views. Also, a word of caution: Many apps and companies have access to your Facebook data who can then misuse it. Stay apolitical on Facebook."
"Your company's Facebook page is not an outlet to simply make announcements. You have the opportunity to engage your community by asking questions and learning more about your customers and fans. This extends beyond just answering comments or messages. Go further. Ask happy users how they're using your product. Ask unhappy users what you can do better. People will see that you care."
"I'm still surprised to see many businesses and organizations creating a text post without an accompanying photo or video. Your company page must experiment with and include various types of photos and videos to improve reach and engagement on your Facebook page. In particular, Facebook native video receives higher reach than photos."
"On your personal page, you're sharing too much of who you are as an individual. The minute you opened for business, social sites became a platform for your business, and injecting personal views into your posts became off-limits. It may be a sad truth to deal with, but you cannot simply be yourself anymore -- not if you want to be successful and attract a wide range of consumers."
"The worst thing you can do is neglect the activity of others on your company page. Set a response time for comments on your posts, whether positive or negative. A quick response time has been shown to increase general trustworthiness. It adds an element of accessibility which translates to comfort with your company."
"While Google is more of a shopping mall, and Facebook a cocktail party, posting still needs to have an end goal of making the sale. Plan your content to offer value, but be focused on what you are eventually going to sell by using posts to identify problems, strategies for solutions, celebrations of customers, and special offers to those who are engaged on your page."
"Make sure your website, phone number or email is easily accessible on your Facebook page so prospects can find you. Pro tip: Include it in the banner image on your page -- don't just bury it in your description or hope that customers will Google you, because they won't."
"Keep your personal Facebook page separate from your company page. A company Facebook page should be dedicated solely to your business, and only relevant and promotional content should be posted. Make your company page easy for clients to navigate by keeping personal posts to a minimum."