Using Facebook for Business – 3 Things To Plan For

Literally … anyone can create a Facebook Page. Sure, it appears to be easy, fill in the fields, add a few images, invite a few friends to like the page … WRONG.


The Power of the Facebook Bio

Yes, that is easy, but have you taken the time to build a robust profile filled with rich story contained with keywords, demographic and solving pains for your ideal clients?  Chances are, you probably aren’t aware of the power of the sections contained in Facebook, keyword options to make you searchable or the impact of a professionally written bio.

The Power of a Facebook Strategy

There are many ways to cultivate activity on Facebook through updates and a variety of paid campaigns.  Do you truly know which options are best for your budget and reach?  I hear frequently statements like, “I hate Facebook because I put in my credit card and they didn’t charge me what I agreed to” or “I received zero new Followers through boosting” or “I tried ads and they gave me zero activity:.

Developing the right strategies can make or break your campaigns. Being prepared for budgeting for campaigns is key.

Monitor Frequently and Set Up Notifications

Facebook recently updates notification options for engagement on your Pages.  Check out your settings and make sure you select to receive notifications for all engagement activity. Ironically, 4 out of over 20+ pages we are monitoring have received consistent SPAM from fake accounts recently.  It is best to BAN the accounts (which will keep them from further posting to your page under that account name).  We saved ourselves a lot of branding headaches with these newer push notifications!

What not to do in Facebook

Don’t add a credit card (tied to your business bank account) to your account!  You are making yourself vulnerable to mistakes and surprise bills!  Set your budget, purchase a Visa gift card and plan accordingly.  Your account will remain uncompromised and your bank account will be free from surprises. 

If we aren’t having fun, we are doing it wrong!  #BeAwesome

If you would like to learn how to use Facebook for Business, our next Webinar can be found at: http://thesocialpro.eventbrite.com

 

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don’t get left behind ~ 

Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a “Be Awesome” Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them. Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

The Power of Using Tools to Manage Social Media

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There are so many activities that surround management of relationships and brands in Social Media, it would be virtually impossible to effectively maintain consistency without the use of Tools to help you to schedule and provide you with a Dashboard to Moderate.
One of my favorite tools is HootSuite.  It is affordable, flexible and allows you to post to most of the popular social media platforms.  It even has the ability to integrate over 70 apps to make your life even easier.
I have a testimonial that was shared with me about HootSuitefrom a brand manager we trained recently.  She words for a small Dental Office here in Colorado and struggled to remember each day to post something to Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.  She actually had a time span of 2 months where she neglected to post anything because it was just too inconvenient to dedicate her self to a specific window of time each day.
She was also getting stuck in a negative loop of dry ideas and lost the ability to come up with any original content.  Frustrated, we sat down for training and she realized there were tools she could use to overcome these obstacles.
Here are my Top 3 Tools right now:

-> HootSuite
For the ease of the dashboard and consistent schedule abilities

-> Buffer
For the Suggested Content Ideas and the integration of Pinterest scheduling options!

-> Commun.it
For helping me communicate more effectively with my twitter audience

People ask me all of the time why I feel scheduling is so important.  My theory is simple.  When I am actively doing my work, I’m not thinking about what to post at 9am.  If I take the time to effectively put together a good editorial calendar and get updates out, I can respond better “real time” to engagement and not always have to feel “on” to generate new content.  Some days I run dry, other days I am free flowing with thought, ideas and creativity.  I have found that if I maximize my creative time as much as possible, the brand won’t be lacking when my juice is spent.
Additionally, I believe that there should be “real time” posts woven through the scheduled posts as well.  Examples could be: a moment just happened, attending an event, news or trends are current and relate to something in our day; these are things that should be shared “real time”, as often as possible.
Every single SMM (Social Media Manager) will tell you how “they” like to do it.  Neither is right, neither is wrong, both types of processes set you up for success if that is a method that works for you.  That is the most important thing to take away.  Find a tool that works for you, use it, own it, learn from it and make it fun.
If we aren’t having fun, we are doing it wrong!  #BeAwesome

If you would like to learn how to use HootSuite, our next Webinar can be found at: http://thesocialpro.eventbrite.com

 

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don’t get left behind ~ 


Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a “Be Awesome” Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Conent Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them. Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

http://www.socialpowerprogram.com/

Curious on whether your social brand is built properly?  Get your Social Media Analysis today. 
 

http://www.thesocialmediaadvisor.com/Social_Media_Analysis.html

3 Steps to Make Your Blogs Standout

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With over 2 million Blogs posted each day on the Internet, your visibility can be widely reached if you format your Blogs properly.  Have you struggled with posting Blogs and never getting traction from them? Here are a few tried and true tips that will help your Blogs get better visibility on the web.


  1. Develop a Sexy Title

The title of your Blog is what will entice your viewer to want to open your Blog.  It should provide specific meat as to what you will be discussing, while clearly letting your viewer know what they will learn from it.

Define your topic
You know what you want to tell your audience, so write out your format, your key points and put your heart and experience into your words.  Try to avoid straying from your topic, because goodness … that could be your NEXT Blog! Your title should specifically site what you plan to discuss in your Blog.
Include Something Edgie
What words would be compelling enough to cause your Blog to standout from another?  Consider using words such as “Brilliant”, “Standout” or “Beyond Measure” or something that uses a fun play on words such as “Fill Your Business Belly” (an example used for a Thanksgiving themed post), “Banking on Bucks”, “Mustering Management” or “Linking Logically”.  Having fun with wording can theme your Blog Post or strike an interest from your viewer.

Be Specific and Brief
There is no need to write a Paragraph for your title, be brief and specific and you will gain more traction.  Additionally, search engines and social media platforms will limit the characters for your title and you really don’t want to exceed that length.  I know that as a user, I am less inclined to click on a link in social media if the title is too long or doesn’t provide a compelling reason to click on it.

  1. Provide Value

Give tangible tips, stories or facts your viewer can walk away with
Tips, facts, adding images and relatable stories provide more value than just a rant about a topic that a larger audience may not be interested.  An example of this is a Blog written about a product or service you are selling, if you are just speaking technically about why someone should buy, without providing meat as to a problem that is solved or a use for the item, then the purpose of the Blog will get lost in translation.

Provide detail but don’t write a book
Try to limit your characters (or words) to about a page in Word.  If you exceed that greatly, you will want to consider carving the blog into multiple Blogs.

Give your viewer the opportunity to dive deeper should they want to
Share the problem you want to solve, provide ways to do so and your viewer will feel they have been empowered with tools to navigate that problem and may likely visit again.

  1. Brand Your Blog Appropriately

Your Blog is endorsed by your brand right?
If you aren’t including images from your brand, backlinks (an incoming hyperlink from one web page to another website – as found in Google definitions) within the post, your user will have less opportunity to learn more and less opportunity to direct traffic back to a page on your website or someone else’s site.

Have you provided a signature for your viewer to connect with you deeper?
People like knowing who wrote the post even within a Corporate Brand.  I recommend including an image of the person writing it, their slogan or tagline and ways to contact that person, which could include links to their social media profiles.

Include a Call to Action
What would you like your audience to do now that they took the time to read your Blog?  Give them some sort of an action to take should they want to learn more.  “Visit xyz for more information”, “Connect with us at …”, even suggest another Blog for them to visit.

In all things, be authentic, provide knowledge and remember, if you aren’t having fun, you’re doing it wrong.  #BeAwesome!

Want to learn specific techniques that dive deeper in the techniques of Blog Development?  Want to learn how Social Media can expand your brand to a new level?  Join us at one of our Webinars about Social Media strategies, tools and techniques at: http://www.thesocialpro.eventbrite.com

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don’t get left behind ~ 


Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a “Be Awesome” Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Conent Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , YouTube, Pinterest and the tools to manage them. Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

http://www.socialpowerprogram.com/


Curious on whether your social brand is built properly?  Get your Social Media Analysis today. 
 

http://www.thesocialmediaadvisor.com/Social_Media_Analysis.html

A Pinterest Success Story – 3 Key Take Away Thoughts

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One of the biggest joys I have in doing a Brand Story in Social Media is watching the life cycle of the opportunity.  Starting with a case analysis by measuring clients’ goals, research their competition, discover if their potential clients are present in the platforms they are interested in, then building a strategy around the brand for them.  It’s like wrapping a special gift; you find the perfect solution, build a goal oriented box around it, wrap it in a pretty, robust brand and tie it in a perfect bow.


One story I wanted to share with you is a fitness based client who happened to be male. Contrary to popular belief, Pinterest isn’t a platform just intended for women.  Although, 70 percent of users are women, they search for different things and (generally) have different interests.  You can see some statistics referenced in this great article http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/pinterest-stats/ which not only lists 90 statistics, but will show you a handful of great demographic stats which may really benefit your brand.  We followed a step by step process to achieve his goals and he maximized them to achieve his best results.


(1) Know Your Audience

If you don’t know what your niche is, it is best for you to consult with a Business Coach and/or Brand Consultant.  Define it, own it and make it you. It is your brand after all and surely you wouldn’t want to market to “anyone who has hair” or “anyone who has skin” (which are popular phrases I have heard from folks who haven’t found their sweet spot yet.  Where skin may be important to the make-up consultant, defining an age group, specific service offering or technique may be better ways to approach the “anyone with skin” conversation.  I digress.  We searched Pinterest for 3 specific targets.  The client didn’t believe that his target market would be in this platform, but the best rule of thumb is; “if your target is talking about the service they need … that you have … changes are, this is a really good fit” – Hollie Clere our CEO.

Do you know what we found?  Over 1,000 Pins in Pinterest that fit his target demographic.

(2) Build and Effective Story Rich Brand that will Showcase Your Personality and Specialty

A social media friend of mine once described to me the idea of Pinterest and I have held onto it because it is sound advice and a perspective from an active Pinterest user.  To summarize without quoting (as it has been too long to do her words justice), think of how you search and what you would want to see in a brand.

  1. Show off your personality.  No one wants to look at a series of boards just about “business”.  They want to get to know you.  Remember, Like, Know, Trust is the most important aspect to sales and social media conversations.  People will buy from people they Trust, not just a brand just because it is a brand.  Showcasing your interests are perfectly acceptable in this platform.
  2. Pin influencers and other folks that have solid information shared.  Sharing original content is good, but building a following and subscribing to others is even better.  How else do you start to have social interactions without giving praise to others when they have a successful solution?  Why reinvent the wheel?
  3. Don’t build empty boards.  You took the time to create it and if it reflects you and the board is nearly empty, what does it say about your brand?  Fill it up!  You wouldn’t turn in an executive report without all of the information right?  You wouldn’t tell a story without getting to the punch line … it will leave your viewer a lacking sense of what you were trying to accomplish.

We established goals, built full, robust boards and he maintained the deliverables we set forth.  He wasn’t spammy (just promoting his material), he was engaging and put thought into each item he chose to share with each pin (giving credit where credit was do).  You know what was great about that?  People appreciated the mentions, took notice of his acknowledgements and he was well on his way to building a reputation in Pinterest.

(3) Maintain Consistency and Engage

You will hear Social Media folks talk continually about consistency and engagement. It’s true if you think about it.  You can’t build a great relationship with a client unless you get to know them, remain in front of them and nurture the relationship. Our client did just this.  He developed a schedule daily to Pin, Re-Pin, Comment and Reply to things he chose to post to his boards.  The routine was solid and he developed relationships that turned into business.  

I have always said, it is better to create a brand and presence in platforms that will drive traffic to your website and have the potential for you to grow relationships which eventually will turn into sales.

Check it out, search, do research and only then will you know if this is a platform that will work well for you.  Consider taking classes or workshops that will give you tools to optimize each and every Pin.

Cheers to your success!

If you are interested in learning some strategies to optimize Pinterest for your Business, we have a workshop that may be a good fit for you!  View the schedule at: http://thesocialpro.eventbrite.com

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don’t get left behind ~ 


Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a “Be Awesome” Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Conent Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , YouTube, Pinterest and the tools to manage them. Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

http://www.socialpowerprogram.com/


Curious on whether your social brand is built properly?  Get your Social Media Analysis today. 
 

http://www.thesocialmediaadvisor.com/Social_Media_Analysis.html

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