#GetOrganized – Adding Video to Your LinkedIn Updates

Without a doubt 2017 was the year of video on social media. In fact, by the end of last year, video accounted for 74% of all online traffic. If you need more evidence just look at your own Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feed. There’s a good chance that you’ll see at least one video close to the top.

There’s a good reason for the push toward video. Success on social media is all about engagement and study after study has shown that when you use video, you hold users’ attention longer, get more shares, and ultimately more sales. When the product is you, video is just as important. That’s where LinkedIn comes in.

LinkedIn may not come to mind when you think of social media, but if you want to take the next step in your career orto simply find a new job, it could be your strongest tool. Using LinkedIn has long been recognized as one of the best ways to get the word out about your professional capabilities. Until recently, however, you were limited to posting comments, joining groups, and engaging with potential employers the traditional way. Now, however, you can showcase your talents and capabilities using video.

While it was a bit late to the party, LinkedIn has been working hard to catch up with other social media platforms when it comes to video. Late last year LinkedIn reinvigorated its video capabilities, and it has been running at full throttle to introduce its members to the benefits of using video in their updates.

Recording a video is simple, download the mobile app and record directly from there or you can upload a video that you’ve already recorded. Of course, it’s best to have a plan for what you want to say before you start recording, but the process is simple. Once you’re satisfied with your video, just upload it to your profile. You’ll be able to monitor whose looking and what they’re saying. Best of all, you’ll be able to set yourself apart.

LinkedIn may be relatively new to the video game, but it’s coming on strong. For now, it’s a resource only available for individuals, but it should be open for companies soon. In the meantime, make the most of it in helping to get the word out about your skills and abilities, even if you aren’t looking for a job.

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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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#MarketingTrends2018 – Using Facebook Boosting and Facebook Ads

 

It might surprise you to hear that Facebook ended 2017 with 2 billion monthly active users and is still growing. That’s a lot of people. So it’s no wonder that 93% of social media advertisers use Facebook advertising. That’s not even close to the next most popular platform for ads, Instagram (owned by Facebook) which weighs in at 24%.
 
If you are a social media marketer with an advertising budget, you are probably already on Facebook. But are you meeting your goals? If not, maybe you aren’t focusing on the right tool to get your Facebook content seen and, even better, converting.
 
When it comes to advertising on Facebook you have two choices—news feed ads or boosted Facebook posts. Understanding the difference between the two can be a little tricky, but it’s SO important to choose the right type of advertising!
 
Knowing which route is best for your business objectives means you’re using your money wisely, and your advertising is in front of the right people.
 
What’s the Difference?
Simply put, a boosted Facebook post is a type of ad that takes content that you have developed for your news feed and shares it with a larger audience. Status updates, photos and videos, and special offers are all popular types of content that people choose to boost. When you boost, you are paying to have the content you posted show up in people’s news feeds. You go through Facebook’s ad manager to do this and you have the option of selecting the audience you want to target.
 
Facebook ads work the same way except you have more options for narrowing down or expanding your audience. You also have the ability to include a call to action. Depending on your goals you can have users “Like” your page, visit your website, or take some other action. Since you can target users by very distinct characteristics such as age, gender, and hobbies, ads can be more effective than boosted posts for a planned campaign with well-defined goals.
 
A key difference between boosting a post and placing an ad is that with boosting, you can only focus on visits and engagements. If your objective is simply to build a greater awareness for your brand, then boosts may be just what you need. If, however, you hope to do more than that, your investment will be put to better use with ads.
 
For most social media managers, developing a plan that incorporates both boosting and ads is the way to go.  But if you are trying to accomplish something a bit more specific, like sell a certain product or push the audience toward engagement with your page, then your dollars will work harder with ads. The exact combination will depend on your objectives and your business but both have a part to play.
 
Much like traditional advertising, Facebook is a sandbox where – if you haven’t built up a loyal community yet – you’re going to need to pay to play. Thankfully, Facebook ads are affordable and their targeting system so refined that, if done properly, the financial investment is worth it.

If you want help navigating Facebook ads, or simply want to hand the process over to an expert, schedule a Discovery Session call with me at hollieclere.youcanbook.me.
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.

#AuthenticallyAuthentic – How to Develop Authentic Messaging for Your Brand



As small business owners, we spend a lot of time and energy building our businesses and building our brands. When developing a persona for our business, we can get caught up in the process and overlook many of the reasons we started a company in the first place. Businesses forget to be authentic and true to their roots and mission. Customers buy from people they trust, not brick and mortar establishments. This is why authenticity is so essential as a branding strategy. Understanding this concept is not the same as putting it into action, so we’ve created a simply step-by-step process for building authentic messaging.
What Is Your Message?
This goes beyond a mission statement and a plague on the wall. In order to be trustworthy, you have to really understand your purpose and be able to share that with others. What is your reason for existence? If it’s only to make money – your clients will sense that and move on to another business with a greater purpose and reason for existence. This goes back to providing solutions to problems and resolving pain points instead of simply meeting a bottom line.
Understand Your Value
Where many solopreneurs go wrong is by not determining, and then focusing on, their own value. Stop pushing the product or service so hard that you forget to showcase what you really bring to the table. There is no way to convince a potential client of your worth if you do not own your own value. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will either.
Understand Your Competition
Get a feel for your competition, their online presence and what they are offering to your audience. More than just price or packages, what really motivates clients to work with them? What makes them stand out, makes them different? Then make sure, coming from a place of authenticity and being true to your purpose, that you are speaking to the same audience in a way that resonates for both you and for them. Mirroring the work of another isn’t genuine in any way and people will be more likely to respond to a fresh approach and story that resounds. Than a carbon copy of someone else’s ideas.
Draft Your Story
Got a handle on your purpose? Think you truly understand the value of what you offer? Found a way to stand out from your competitors? Then it’s time to draft the story of your work. Storytelling is an immensely powerful marketing technique. Without drifting away from who you are and what you stand for, create stories around your work, your brand and your leadership and then promote them as often as possible. Weave your story into your online presence and be prepared to share it over and over again with those willing to listen. Your clients buy into your story, not just your product or service. That story has to resonate with readers. Make it a compelling one (and don’t forget your calls to action)!
Build a Community
Those who hear your story and are drawn to your authenticity and messaging will want to find ways to work with you, and to share your message with the people they know. Make it easy for them to do so. Find a way to build a community around your tribe, your power partners, your clients and your cheerleaders.  Regardless of format, make sure to share your successes, and struggles, your calls to action and your stories so that they too can share your message with others.
Be Consistent
“Your words should match your actions and you should always endeavour to do what you say.”
Declan Mulkeen
Human beings have a variety of facets. Nothing is ever truly black and white. However, be very aware of remaining consistent with your message and your story. While there are many different aspects to your personality, straying too far from the path you have created could confuse your audience and drive them to other brands that have a clear, concise message to share.

Learn to wear the persona of your company in an authentic way and you have mastered the art of effectively sharing your message with the world.

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.

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