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4 Ways to Use Facebook Groups for Your Business

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Since business owners have discovered that they could make fans through their Facebook page and market through a broader group of consumers, many of them have slowly abandoned the Facebook groups and focused their time on managing their page.

With so many changes taking place on the said platform, business owners have assumed that groups are no longer effective. But as soon as they abandoned the groups, they seem to forget about the “social” in social media. They focused on paid advertisement, limiting the interaction between the company and it audience.

So how do you use Facebook groups for your business? Here are 4 ways.

Exchange ideas with group members

When thinking of creating a group, one of the main reasons should be to keep in touch with your audience.

While a business page allows a company to broadcast new products, services or content, Facebook groups is a good place to ask questions or start a conversation with actual customers without posting a sales pitch.

Gather people of like interest

We do like to converse with people with the same interest as ours, right?

Through Facebook groups, you can gather people of like interest together. Here, you can ask questions, tell stories and offer advice to others. As the conversation evolves and as you start building a relationship with the group members, they might consider inviting some of their friends to the group.

Provide customer support

For small businesses that are still not capable of hiring people and offer customer support round-the-clock, having an active Facebook group is advantageous as it gives customers a place to share, collaborate and connect with others. Here, people can offer support and advice to fellow customers, even if you’re not online.

Create a secret group

A secret group provides you the chance to interact with your loyal customers. Here, you can give them exclusive updates to your newest products or services. Plus, it gives an incentive to customers who have supported your company through the years.

 

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SEO Practices For 2015

SEO has been changing rapidly over the past couple of years and Google and other search engines are getting smarter. For 2015, it is important to stay on top of knowing what search engines want and how to optimize your quality of the content and overall experience of your site to better your business. Here are some of the SEO essentials for 2015:Search Engine Optimization - Magnifying Glass

Considering the goals of Search Engine companies is a good place to start when thinking about your SEO strategy. The two most important things to consider are making sure that your site has the best quality content for keywords relevant to your site and making sure that Google and other search engines are aware of this. Over the past few years, Google and other search engines have become smarter in understanding both website content and user experience.

Making sure your site is free of spam, malware, and other problems is crucial to making sure that your site is reputable. Excessive ads, pages filled with nothing but links, and any deceptive practices are signs that your site is not reputable. If you sign up for notifications in Google Webmaster tools they will tell you if they detect any issues on your site. The fastness of your site is also a huge factor in ensuring quality experience for your users. Studies have shown that just a one-second delay in page load time results in a 7% decline in sales. Alexa Site Audit is a tool that can help detect your sites slowest pages to make sure your performance is optimized. Alexa Site Audit also helps monitor your site for broken links.

It is also important to be aware of the “freshness factor” when it comes to the quality of your site. A site that hasn’t been updated in months or years is most likely lower quality. With out of date content, this also probably means the site hasn’t earned any new inbound links. Without fresh content on your site, search engines will most likely pass over your site for newer, more current content.

Quality content that is original, clearly written, and relevant is integral for your website and business overall. Making sure that your content is effective in making the connection between what people are searching for and the pages of your website is crucial. The pages of your site should be more focused on individual topics rather than individual keywords. But, choosing the right keywords for your content is one of the most important parts of SEO. When choosing keyword phrases for your content, it is important to keep track of which ones drive traffic to your site, which ones drive traffic to your competitors sites, and how often people search for certain keyword phrases. The Alexa keyword tool, which is part of the Alexa Advanced subscription, can help you find keywords driving traffic to your competitors’ sites.

SEO has grown tremendously over the past couple of years and Google and other search engines are getting smarter and smarter. Staying on top of the current changes and changes in SEO is crucial in deepening our understanding of how to use it to our advantage. I the world of internet marketing, SEO is the key to understanding our customers’ needs and making sure you’ve got it.

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4 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Website

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Most business owners dream of driving relevant traffic to their site. Unfortunately, dreaming about it won’t get your there. You need hard work, consistent effort and high quality content to give yourself a boost.

Let’s take a look at some effective ways for generating high quality, organic search traffic to your website.

Content is king

Search engines are rewarding businesses that are generating high-quality consistent content.

To make your content appealing to different kinds of readers, it would help to vary the format and length of your articles. List blog posts also get more traffic than any other kind of post.

Write articles frequently

The longer you are in business and producing quality content online, the more likely are you to succeed. This will also increase your chances of showing up in search results.

Be sure to post articles on a regular basis so your readers know when to expect new content. Also, add fresh content a few times a week to keep your readers coming back for more.

Work on your headlines

Headlines are the most important parts of your content. When your blog posts are shared via social media, they are typically the first thing readers see. That said, it is important to create a headline that would pique the interest of your target audience. An effective headline would get you more views and shares than usual and will definitely drive traffic to your website.

Be social

It’s not enough to share your content across different social channels; you also need to participate actively in the community. Mind you, social media is actually intended to interact with your followers. So be sure to engage with your readers and respond to their questions and comments. Nothing turns people off faster than using social media merely as an advertising channel.

 

 

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SEO Myths and Assumptions

For the past 7 years, SEO has been changing rapidly. Now that 2015 is among us, it is important for marketers to stay on top of the shifts in SEO including what’s outdated and what will be a waste of effort. Understanding these common myths and assumptions about SEO will ensure that you’re up to date for this year and that none of your efforts will be put to waste. Below are a few of the most common myths about SEO:untitled

Myth 1: Google Authorship is a necessity.

For years, marketers have been stressing the importance of getting Google Authorship set up on their blogs, but as of 2015, this no longer needs to be a concern because it no longer exists! Recently, in June 2014, Google removed Authorship photos from search engine results page. This was the first step that eventually led to completely getting rid of the Authorship program in August 2014. All byline information disappeared from Google’s search results, and with the dismantling of the program , that gives us one less thing to worry about in 2015.

Myth 2: The more links, the better.

“Quality over quantity” is a great mindset to have this year in SEO. Many businesses often hire someone for link building, but this often leads to a focus on the number and links and not the content. Focusing on relevant and diverse sources that link to relevant pages is so much more important than the quantity of links. Investing in someone to write content for 2015 is a steer in the right direction and will ensure that all content types will bring more links with them over time. Focusing on the number of links will only end up being a waste of effort and investment in the long run.

Myth 3: Keyword optimization is THE key to SEO

In the world of SEO, using keywords to communicate is crucial. With that being said, realizing that Google is no longer trying to match the keywords you type in to search engines to the keywords of a web page is very important. Google has been getting smarter and smarter every year and is now able to understand the internet behind the keywords you type in and match it to relevant, high quality content. So, for this year, it is important to keep in mind that overusing keywords is more of a waste of time than underusing them.

Myth 4: My homepage should have a lot of content.

Your homepage should be thought of as the “face” to your business. Put yourself in the shoes of whoever is visiting your homepage and visualize how you can make it clear and simple for them to get around. Not only is your homepage a change to make a first impression and convey what you’re all about, but it’s also a place where you can help make things easier for your visitors so they are not feeling overwhelmed. You can keep your homepage simple and easy to get around while also getting all the information you need on there. Clarifying who you are, what you do, where you’re located, your value proposition, and what you’re visitors should do next is all the content you need.

 Myth 5: SEO is not a usability issue

SEO is so much more than optimizing for search engines. Ensuring that your website is easy for visitors to use will lead to more contacts and customers overtime, helping your business grow. To keep visitors on your site, ensure you’re publishing content that’s personalized and relevant. You should also make sure your website is intuitive and easy to browse. Don’t make customers look for what the need to do next by providing clear and simple navigation on your website.

 

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4 Ways to Grow Your Email Marketing List

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While email marketing is an old, unsexy technology, the savviest of entrepreneurs have no intention of giving it up anytime soon. This is because email marketing provides a direct line of communication and has a tendency to turn leads into sales.

Contacts are the lifeblood of any email marketing campaign. That said, growing your mailing list should be a priority.

In this article, we’ll walk you through what you need to do to build a quality email list. Read on and start building a list of people who will want to hear from you.

Make your sign-up forms easy to find

You can use your website to generate more contacts by adding a subscription form where your visitors can sign up. Be sure to place the form at the top of the page to make it easier for people sign up. Survey revealed that sites that place sign up boxes as part of their top banner perform better as compared to those located at the footer area.

Social network

Another way to build your list is by using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Due to the viral nature of Facebook, it pays to add a subscription form on your page. Be sure to include a sign up link to your email list on the “About” section of your page. For an added boost, you can also add it on your personal account and tell your family and friends about it.

Word of mouth

The best marketers for your products or services are the people who are already using them. For subscribers who have been on your list for a very long time, a discount or a small incentive would get them talking. Encourage them to share your list with their family and friends.

Tell subscribers what they’ll get

As a marketer, you need to answer the question most people ask: Why would I subscribe to your email list if I can just follow you on Facebook?

To urge people to subscribe to your newsletters, let them know that you offer subscriber-only content. Also, don’t forget to mention how often they’ll be receiving emails. Setting expectations upfront helps reduce unsubscribe rates.

 

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Things You Shouldn’t Be Doing on Your Company’s Social Media Accounts

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Social media marketing is essential for small businesses, but is considered as a double-edged sword. Use it the right way and you can attract potential clients and grow your business. Use it the wrong way, and it will definitely hurt your business and could easily wind up alienating much of your audience.

If you are running an active campaign for your company on social media, make sure you never do these things.

Yelping back at customers

Every single feedback given by your customers can be of value to your company’s growth and development. If a customer gave you a negative review, you need to deal with it in a professional manner and learn from it.

Of course, it is natural that you want to defend yourself, but make sure to do it calmly. Also, say sorry and admit that you have done something wrong. There has to be some reason why the complaint was made in the first place. Yelping back at customers is definitely a no-no.

Sharing political views

What you share on social media is a reflection of who you are and your business. So, you have to be very careful what you share.

While a bit of controversy may be beneficial for your business, sharing your political views on your company’s profile is a recipe for disaster. Politics tend to stir up controversy rather than discussion.

Borrowing other people’s content

Blogging is a great way to drive traffic to your site, but writing your own content may take time. So you have decided to copy and paste articles from another site.

Search engines know that you have copied someone else’s content, and this can get you in trouble.

Angry statuses or comments

It is never a good idea to write an angry comment or status about someone else. As much as you think that you are entitled to say whatever you want on your own page, remember that people are watching what you write on social media. This can spark a backlash that will surely melt your reputation to a sticky puddle.

 

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Visual Content in Social Media

In today’s technological world, visual marketing is becoming a very popular trend. Marketers have begun to use visual marketing to their advantage through social media. Strengthen your business by catching the eye of your consumer with visual content. Below are a list of the most popular social media platforms for visual marketing and how to use it effectively:

Twitter:

What many people don’t know is that Twitter is not limited to 140 characteristics to get a message across. In fact, you can add up to four images in just one tweet, making Twitter a great platform for using visual content. This is a great way to showcase an event or tell a story that would be difficult to do with only one picture. Using an inforgraphic is also a great way to add visuals to the message you’re trying to get across through twitter. Some tools to create infographics are Visualize, Easel.ly, and Piktochart. Videos are also a great way to catch the attention of your consumer. Time-lapse videos in particular are a great way to tell a story or show a product in just a short amount of time. The Hyperlapse app allows you to create time-lapse videos in a simple manner. Once you’re done with your video, you can upload it to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.images

 

Instagram:

With Instagram, it’s more about the quality of your photos than how many you’re posting. With each Instagram, it is crucial to make sure they are capturing your consumers’ eye in a creative way that will make them want to learn more about your business. The 2014 Social Media Marketing Industry Report by the Social Media Examiner found that over time, marketers with more experience prefer Instagram when it comes to visual content marketing. Using hashtags can have a huge impact on your growth. But, knowing the right words to hashtag is crucial in making sure you’re reaching your target market. There are many tools that help you find the perfect hashtags to use. Webstagram helps you find find the most popular hashtags and with the search feature you can find more relevant hashtags to your post. Also, using Populagram can help you find the popular hashtags, filters and people which you can follow to stay on top of Instagram community.

 

Facebook:

Facebook can be used for visual marketing in a variety of ways. What makes Facebook so great is that you aren’t as limited when posting content as you would be on other social media platforms. A great feature of Facebook is that you can upload video directly to your posts. Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income recently did an experiment comparing views and engagement of natively embedded Facebook video versus embedded YouTube video and he found that Facebook performs better overall. Facebook is also a powerful tool for graphics. You can create a graphic and then upload it to Facebook including the post URL in your caption, or you can share a link directly to Facebook. No matter which way you choose to use it, Facebook is a MUST for businesses who are trying to reach their consumers through visual marketing.

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Habits of Successful Social Media Managers

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The number of tasks a social media manager is expected to do can be quite overwhelming. Not only are they expected to engage with current and new followers, they also update several social media profiles everyday, monitor the effectiveness of their social media campaign and more.

While every social media manager would approach his or her job differently, successful social media managers share a few habits. Focus on these habits to reach new levels of social media success.

Reciprocate

Genuinely strive to help others succeed on social media. This attitude will help you build camaraderie, it will also help you stay on top of the game.

When you like or follow someone, they are more likely to reciprocate the gesture and like or follow you back as well. Alternatively, when someone shares your content, do the same for them.

Work with your team

As much as you would like to handle things on your own, you can’t do it alone. Do yourself a favor and build a team consisting of loyal and trustworthy people.

Collaborate with your team and harness a relationship that encourages partnership. This will help you build a strong social media presence and reach your business goals.

Prioritize

Prioritize your week’s plan based on priority rather than urgency.

Every business needs leads, traffic and sales in order to thrive. While having thousands of twitter followers can be beneficial to your brand, it would be a good idea to start by creating a webpage where you can create leads and connect it with your social media account.

Quick on your feet

A lot of things are happening on social media. Most of the time, it is happening pretty fast. Here, you have to be quick on your feet as you are not always given the luxury to take your time.

Negative comments, for instance, requires some quick, critical thinking. You should act quickly and know how to address the issue in order to avoid any negative repercussions.

Unplug

Some social media managers run ragged in an attempt to keep up with the “always on” medium. That said, you need to give your mind a break from time to time.

This may sound counterintuitive, considering that you don’t want to be inactive on your accounts for too long. However, unplugging at least once a week can help you recharge your social media spirit.

 

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Staying On Top of Your Social Media Marketing Plan This Holiday Season

The holiday season is among us again which means we all feel the urge to kick back and relax with our families, get cozy by the fire, and wind down from the hard work we put in this year. But, while it may be difficult to stay focused around this time, the social media world is busier than ever! Now is the time to crack down and strengthen your business, reach more consumers, and get your name out there. With over 1 billion monthly active Facebook users and 255 million active Twitter users, the holiday consumers are turning towards social media platforms for information and incentives on what they plan to purchase this season. That is why right NOW is the time for you to steer your efforts toward creating a strategic holiday marketing plan for social media. Below are some tips on how your business can make the most out of this holiday season:

1. Develop A Campaign Strategy:coffeemug

If you’ve been using social media for your business, chances are you’ve been focusing more on getting the straight facts about your business out there and less on creativity. The holiday season is a perfect time for you to transform your campaign in to something that can grasp your audience. Incorporating some creativity into your business campaign will ensure that your posts are getting noticed by your market and are staying fresh and relevant. Each season offers new ideas and trends, especially this season, and it is important to stay on top of that with switching up your campaign for this next month. Since now is the time for your business to be in the social media spotlight, incorporating creativity into your marketing strategy will strengthen your image and grasp your consumer’s attention.

2. Make Customer Service a Priority:

One in three social media users now prefer to contact brands using social media rather than the phone. Especially during the holidays, questions will be rolling in about your products, prices, shipping, etc., and it is crucial to be ready and available to your customers. Ensuring that your consumer is satisfied should be your top priority this time of year. Twitter is a great example of a social media platform that makes it easy to address your customer’s needs. Use Twitter to invite people to ask any questions they have regarding your business and products. Also make sure you are paying close attention to what people are saying about your products and how frequently they are talking. Doing this not only benchmarks progress for the 2015 holidays, but it also provides insight that can help shape your strategy in the new year.

3. Host Contests and Sweepstakes:

Creating a contest or a sweepstakes on your social media platforms is a great way to spread awareness about your brand and to engage your audience. People love to win prizes around the holidays, so why not take advantage of this season with a contest or sweepstakes? This is also the busiest time of year and people are pressed for time, so ensure that there is a valuable prize for your contestants so that they don’t feel their time is being wasted. Selecting a prize that is relevant to your target market is crucial to make sure you are attracting the right people. Asking participants to upload photos, videos, or text-based entries are a fast, fun, and easy way for people to get involved with your contest or sweepstakes. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are great platforms for your participants to get creative and take part in your contest.

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