#EducationMatters – Simplify Your Social Media With Tools

This month is all about #EducationMatters. Social Media can be a major time-suck but it doesn’t have to be that way. We’ve listed our top Social Media Tools to help keep you organized, stay on track, and, best of all, save you time so you can focus on other aspects of your business.
  1. Canva: Incredibly easy social media imaging tool that takes the guesswork out of image sizes. With over 50 templates available for various social media sites (From Facebook to YouTube channel art), Canva can deliver high quality productions with a wide variety of image and font choices, making it easy to #BeAwesome. Their price range for images are from $0-$1, but you can always upload your own into the template for free. It’s also available as an app for iPad and iPhone. Android users need not worry. There’s a Canva app on the way for you as well!
  2. Hashtracking: Have you ever wondered if a hashtag you use is a relevant one? Or what a popular hashtag would be for a certain product or service? Hashtracking.com takes the guesswork out of hashtags for social media campaigns and events. If you’re not willing to pay for ongoing report options, they offer free social media snapshot reports without a subscription. You simply need to log in to your Twitter or Instagram account to use the service. This is a one-time log-in.
  3. Feedly: Have all your content curation in one spot. Feedly is an RSS aggregator. This RSS reader can gather feeds from multiple sites based on your preferences, add feeds from publications, blogs, podcasts, and even YouTube channels. It works well with Google Alerts as well as a multitude of other apps. The best part of the service is that you can organize all your feeds into collections that make them more accessible in the future. One of its biggest pluses is the integration it has with another social media tool, Buffer. 
  4. Buffer: Posting your social-media content across multiple social-media services just got a lot easier. With Buffer you can schedule Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+ pages all it once. To use Pinterest, you’ll need to pay for their service, but the others are free. Please note that you’ll need a mobile device to push out your Instagram posts, but that’s an Instagram requirement, rather than a limitation to Buffer. 
  5. Hootsuite: Another option for social media content scheduling and sharing is Hootsuite. Hootsuite can connect to Twitter, WordPress, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. Please note that their free version limits you to three social media accounts. Their pro version is $9.99 a month and allows you to have real-time analytics and 50 social profiles. Like Buffer, you’ll need to use a mobile device to push out your Instagram posts.
  6. Commun.it: For businesses that find Twitter especially valuable, this tool helps the user to manage their engagement and presence on the platform. This relationship management tool allows users to monitor and respond automatically with potential leads on the site. It will also track and monitor accounts you have expressed interest in and report their daily activities to you. As with most of the tools mentioned, there are both free and paid versions that offer different features.
  7. Trello: This website exists as an online program management tool with a free option. Users create lists and cards to organize their projects. For businesses with team member, it is simple to assign different individuals to various cards as an indication for team assignments. 
  8. Google Drive & Dropbox: Both of these sites are excellent (and FREE) options for cloud storage that can be easily shared with clients and team. Dropbox is more for just storing the files themselves, while Google Drive is an online document center allowing individuals and team to work within files right on the site. 
This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Social Media Tools. Is there a place where you struggle with time? If so, let us know in comments and we might be able to direct you to just the right tool to help you #BeAwesome at what you do!
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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” 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.

#SocialProof – Building Know, Like & Trust With Your Social Media

We’ve talked a lot about #SocialProof and how it affects client/customer trust, but we’ve only briefly touched on the Social Media aspect of building it.
There are three things you want to instill in your clients and customers through social media: Know, Like, and Trust.
Getting Known

Did you know that your audience will grow in proportion to the quality of content you create and deliver?
Develop quality, engaging content on your social mediachannels. This will help you build a reputation as a subject matter expert within your niche. Use content, evidence, and case studies alongside your ideas and labels to create more impact.
Create content that is accurate. Make sure you research your topic (or the articles you share). Ask questions. Develop relationships with key influencers in your market. Don’t be shameless about it, however. Keep it professional.
Follow these key points, and your clients and customers will rely on you for knowledge.
Build Likability

Likeability is a cornerstone in customer and brand loyalty. It’s not as hard to create as you might think.
Start with authenticity. Be real, and express your voicethrough your content. Share your stories and get personal, but keep your focus on the positive. There is a fine line between showcasing your personality and becoming overly personal. There is no need to broadcast private aspects of your personal life to your audience.  Just be real and people will respond to that.
Don’t badmouth others or create flame wars. That type of negativity will reflect poorly your company. Be helpful and responsive to comments.
Most of all, make your future clients and customers feel like they’re important to you. As you build likes and shares, don’t forget to leverage that social proof to gain a larger audience. Remember, social proof is a snowball effect. Once you get it rolling, it builds momentum all on its own.
Gain Trust
Quality. Quality. Quality. There is no bigger factor than providing quality content and work that keeps your audience engaged. Case studies, testimonials, services, webinars, even free products. Whatever you deliver, make sure it’s your best work. Guarantees go a long way here when you’re talking about products and/or services.
Don’t. Steal. Plagiarism is one of the most effective ways to destroy trust. Second only to lying. This goes back to Likeability and being authentic. If you make a mistake, admit it and apologize. Don’t ignore it or lie about it.
Keep the language approachable. If you talk down to your clients and customers, you’ll be treated with the same contempt you show them. There are enough alternatives out there that you’ll be passed by without a second thought. Keep your brand at the front of your mind whenever you are interacting with people.

Social media provides an opportunity to engage with your audience on a more personal level. How you use it will determine your effective social proof. Those individuals who trust you will share your content, provide word of mouth referrals, and become brand ambassadors for your business. There’s just no better way to #BeAwesome with your social media than to develop #SocialProof with your followers.

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!
Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” 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.

#SocialProof – Why Social Proof Matters

Did you know that *92% of consumers read online reviews before trying a new business, product or service? 40% of them will form an opinion after reading three or less of those reviews. Online reviews are one of the many ways #SocialProof matters to your clients and consumers. Your business information is available for everyone to see. In a world of information overload, having no information or proof of worth at all is unsettling.
Think about the way you shop. We all have particular stores and brands we prefer, but have you ever wondered why? You buy from brands and companies you trust because you know they’ll deliver what you pay for. Testimonials, word of mouth, reviews, and more can be used to spark emotional triggers to influence you toward purchases and new-to-you businesses. 
This makes sense. You don’t want to spend your time and hard-earned money on something that may not be worth it. 
The same is true for your future clients and customers. They want to feel reassured that you can provide the service/product that you promise. 
Well how did companies and businesses gain customers before the internet? Ads. Word of mouth. Scarcity. Social Proof has always been used to bridge the gap between consumer and product. Experiments on this phenomenon occurred as early as 1935 and continue today.
Social proof is a comfort to your future clients and customers. You want to invite them into your world and let them know that you’ll take care of their concerns by delivering what you, and your social proof, promise.

Besides, the Internet is inundated with information, sales pages, and businesses that are promising the same results you are. How do you even begin, as a consumer, to differentiate between similar options without social proof? Social proof is what we look for when we begin researching an individual, a location, a company, information or just about anything else online. 

Gaining social proof takes time and effort, but the effects will be worth it. Remember, the more positive and solid your customer/client base, the easier it will be to leverage your social proof.
*(Reference Bright Local’s annual Consumer Review Survey, 2015:  https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/local-consumer-review-survey/)

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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” 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.

#SocialProof – How to Build Social Proof

We’ve talked about #SocialProof before. It’s the “psychological preference for doing what other people are doing, because if other people are doing it, it proves that it must be worthwhile”. It’s what gives power to celebrity brand endorsements and phrases like “Limited Edition”.
So how do you build an influence wave of social proof? 
First of all, you need to understand that it is far easier to jump from 20,000 YouTube subscribers, Facebook Likes, etc. to 50,000 than it is to go from 0 to 1,500. This is called a growth curve. You will need to grind to build your social proof from scratch.
Secondly, you must leverage the numbers that provide the most impact. If a brand new food blogger has 18k Pinterest followers on their niche boards, there must be something going on that they need to analyze and figure out how to capitalize on.
Here are thirteen types of social proof and tips on how to get started: 
1. Raw Quantity: The number of people engaging or interacting with you. Gather these numbers immediately. For physical/digital products, how many sales have you made? Blog or podcast: how many countries do people listen or read from? Social media presence: number of followers and number of posts fall into this category. 
2. Celebrity and Expert Endorsements: This could take up a post all its own. When you’re first building your social proof, the likelihood of a celebrity endorsement is slim. Experts in your field, however, are much easier to approach. These are called influencers and influencer marketing is its own niche.
3. Testimonials and Quotes: Authors use other author or industry professional’s quotes on their covers. Testimonials are a fantastic way to build social proof. 
4. Featured locations: Did you show up on a podcast? Have you been featured in a popular or industry standard publication? If not, why not contact larger publications for guest posting? They are often starved for online content, so take the time to target your niche. 
5. Certifications: completely self-explanatory. If you have any that can be used as social proof, display them proudly.
6. Referrals: the #1 trusted source of advertising as proven by numerous case studies. Start by creating a referral program where a referring customer receives a discount for their loyalty. 
7. Gazing: Use photos and images to draw the reader’s eye to your call to action.
8. Ratings and Reviews: One of the most important parts of your Online Reputation and also the fastest growing part of social proof in our mobile market. Encourage your customers to leave reviews, but be careful if you offer perks. This can seem scammy and have the opposite effect you’d intended.
9. Case Studies and Proof of Concept: Lead by example in using yourself as a case study or use other people’s transformation studies as proof. 
10. Limited Time Offer or The Fear of Missing Out: Give a deadline, and stick to it. Create exclusivity. Both of these combine to make a very strong case for social proof.
11. Social (Media) Proof: This is really difficult from the beginning. You can start by creating a hashtag that represents you and your business. Use it and encourage your clients and customers to use it as well.
12. Rankings: New product launch? Use a product launch site. Food blogger? Try to get on Food Gawker. Almost every industry has submission sites that can get your brand noticed and give you the ranking you need to jump to the top.
13. Integration and Platforms: If your product or service is used or integrated with others, show it. 
14.   SEO: The higher your rank on Google, the more automatic credibility you give your brand and your business. 
How are your doing with your social proof? Any questions? Tell us in comments and we’ll tackle them in a future post.

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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” 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.

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