Tag: Social Media Marketing

#PlanAhead – How to NOT Run Out of Things to Say in Social Media for Your Business

When I work with small business owners, one of their biggest pain points, for them, is coming up with something to say on their social media channels. They love the idea of building out their brand and becoming consistent on social media, but they just aren’t sure what to post.

Here are our best tips when it comes to never running out of something to say on your social media channels:

Poll Your Audience

One of our favorite ways to find out what your target audience wants is to ask them. Find an online group or community filled with folks that resemble your ideal clients and start asking them questions. Create polls. Build surveys. Start collecting this valuable data as soon as possible because what they tell is will convert into valuable social media marketing content.

Make a List of Frequently Asked Questions

Every business owner finds that there is a handful of questions they get asked on a regular basis. Jot down your Top 10 most asked questions. Addressing these questions by creating social media content will give you several months’ worth of posts and help you spread your message at the same time.

Make a Plan

This one will cause you more upfront but will save you tons of time throughout the year. If you spend a day (or two) just jotting down 12 monthly themes and then 4 bullet points per theme, then you’ll have something to talk about all year long. You’ll have a whole year of already knowing what you will talk about. No more waking up and trying to decide on the fly what to post.

If you are struggling with the twelve monthly themes, then do a search for similar content to get an idea of what other businesses around talking about in regards to your industry or profession.

You can always keep a close eye on what your competition is posting for inspiration purposes, but we find it works better if you have something to say that is unique to you and independent from the other noise online. Your audience and your target market are both valuable resources for finding out what type of content they really want. Plus, setting aside time to make a plan will keep you from just posting whatever random idea you come up with in the moment, allowing you to be more strategize with your online content and social media marketing.

If you are ready to take this off your plate entirely, give our team a call. We specialize in building social media content for your brand and helping you maintain consistently on your online platforms.

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.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.

#BePrepared – How to Create Content in Social Media that Your Audience Loves!

You know what they say: Content is king.

But that’s really only applicable if you’re writing content that your audience loves. Otherwise, your content is relegated to the sidelines. It’s more court jester than king.

Churning out content just for the sake of churning out content will get your business nowhere. If you’re not producing quality material, it’s a waste of time for both you and your audience.

If you want to get noticed in this great big online world, your content has to be quality. It has to answer your audience’s questions, solve their problems, or at least be entertaining. It has to make people take notice.

Are your social media posts hitting the mark? If not, keep reading for a few simple ways to up your online game and write content your audience will love:

  1. Know your customers

We’ve talked before about your ideal customer, or “avatar.” By now, you should know them inside and out:

  • Who are they?
  • What do they do for work?
  • Where do they live?
  • Do they have kids?
  • What are their hobbies?
  • What challenges do they need help with?

Keep that person in mind every single time you write a piece of content – even if it’s just a simple Facebook post – and your chances of success will multiply a hundredfold.

  1. Check out the competition

All of the big-name brands monitor the competition to see what they’re up to. There’s no shame in that game!

If you see another brand in your niche that’s killing it on social media, try to figure out what’s working for them.

Maybe they’re sharing more video than you, or they post a lot of quizzes and polls to encourage interaction. Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to take their tactics and work them into your own strategy!

  1. Be responsive

When a member of the public makes a mention of your brand online, whether the comment is good or bad, respond.

Many business owners make the mistake of ignoring online interactions. They assume that if a comment is good, no further action is necessary, because that person is already a fan. If the comment is bad, they may not want to further aggravate the situation by engaging with the detractor.

But a quick response, either way, shows your audience that you care about customer service and value your clients.

  1. Optimize your posts

Last but not least: Do a little keyword research. Yes, keywords matter – even in social media.

Keywords reveal what people are talking about and what they’re likely to be searching for. Use those words in your posts, your social media ads, or your hashtags to ensure you get in front of the largest audience possible.

Writing great content can take time and effort, but if it gets more eyes on your page, it’s totally worth it.

Still feel lost? Check out our Social Power Program, designed to give business owners all the knowledge they need to succeed online – starting NOW.

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.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.

#BePrepared – How to Repurpose Your Content in Social Media

How long does it take you to write a really compelling blog post? Three hours? Four? More than that?

And what happens once you’ve posted it? Does it just sit there and languish, all of that effort wasted?

Wouldn’t it be great if you could take that content and repurpose it in other ways? Maybe get it in front of a different audience?

Well . . . why can’t you?

When you write a stellar blog post and you KNOW that it’s useful to your audience, why not share it across the board?

Keep reading for our favorite ways to take those old blog posts and repurpose them for social media, so you can get the most bang for your online marketing buck!

  1. Create graphics. Take short snippets of useful information from blog posts and turn them into quote graphics or take a list and turn it into an infographic. It’s a fun new way to display the same content and (as an added bonus) visual content often drives higher engagement than text alone.
  2. Build a social campaign. If you have a blog that includes a TON of useful information, you can easily break it down into parts and share each one as a separate social media post. Let your audience know that there is more to come and share a new tip or snippet each day. It will get them hooked and keep them coming back for more.
  3. Utilize your newsletter. It would be nice if everyone in your audience always logged on to read your new blogs, but that’s just not the case. Use your newsletter to get in front of fresh eyes by including links to your blog, writing up summaries of new content, or even sending out a “Top 10” curated list of your favorite posts.
  4. Get ‘em hooked on Twitter. Love a good one-liner? Consider Twitter. There, you can take the most impactful quotes, statistics, and facts from your blog posts and share them as punchy little snippets. Phrase them in a way that leaves your audience dying for more and, of course, link back to the original content.

You put a lot of time and effort into your blog posts. It seems silly to just slap them up on your website and then ignore them. By repurposing your content for social media and other outlets, you can gain a new audience and improve your ROI.

If you need help with brand engagement or building a presence on social media, consider our Social Power Program. We’ll give you all the strategies you need to get your business started on the road to online success.

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.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.

#BePrepared – Who is Your Client Avatar in Social Media?

You already know that your business needs an online presence, right?

EVERYTHING happens on the Internet these days. Without a blog or social media, your audience will never even know you exist.

But simply churning out new blogs and social media posts isn’t enough. You could share something new every single day, and people still might not know that you exist.

Why? Because if you’re not targeting the right audience, no one will ever look at your content.

The key to online success lies in identifying and understanding your ideal customer. That person – your ‘avatar’ – should be the only person you speak to.

Every single piece of content you create should be geared directly towards them. It should answer their questions, solve their challenges, and address their problems.

So, who is this person and how do you find them? Keep reading to find out how to build your own avatar and attract the right audience!

What is an avatar?

A client avatar is simply another way to describe your “ideal client.”  If you’re unfamiliar with the term, an avatar is a visual representation of a person. For example, you may have an avatar that represents you in online games or on your email.

Your client avatar gives you a visual of exactly who your ideal client is: What they like, where they work, how old they are, if they have children, and much more. The more detailed your avatar is, the better!

How to create a client avatar

When it comes down to it, creating a client avatar is really about research. Does it take time? Yes. Is it worth it? Also, yes.

Start simple with a list of demographic traits, such as:

  • Gender
  • Age
  • Marital Status
  • Location
  • Education Level
  • Career Type
  • Salary

Once you have the basics figured out, dig a little deeper into their psychographic traits such as:

  • Pain Points
  • Fears
  • Challenges
  • Goals
  • Values

(Hint: Digging around a little on social media, in groups and forums, and even on competitor websites can help you answer a lot of these questions!)

A lot of business owners start out thinking they don’t have a true “ideal client.” They’ll say something like, “But we work with all kinds of clients! ANYONE can use our product!”

Our guess is that once you ask yourself the above questions and do a bit of research, you’ll find that there are a few common threads between all of the different people you work with.

A new idea being floated around in the marketing communities is that your ideal client will look a lot like…. YOU. Don’t be afraid to dig deep or get specific, as choosing a target audience and creating an ideal client does not mean that you are eliminating prospects. Honing in on a type of person makes it easier for them to find you and for you to find them. If that person believes you are talking directly to or about them, you’ve got their attention. You can’t speak to a broad audience and have that same impact.

Not sure how to begin? Our Social Power program can help get you started on the path to online success. Reach out today to learn how we can help you determine your ideal client – and much more.

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.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.

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