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Tools to Help with Scheduling Your Social Media Posts

social-media-toolsSocial media is a necessary part of marketing these days. Having a strong brand presence on social media is of great importance.

As a business owner or a marketer, you probably have a lot of on your plate and maintaining a constant social media presence can be difficult.  To make the process easier, the best thing you can do is to use a social media scheduling service. Even if you’re stuck in a meeting, you can still keep your status updates and tweets flowing.

Here are 4 tools for auto-scheduling your social media posts.

Sprout social

Price: $59 per month

Sprout Social is an engagement and management tool for social media.  It gives you a clear overview of response rates and follower demographics.

You can also use this tool to schedule and post updates to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+. Sprout Social provides a 30-day free trial. But if you wish to continue using it, you’ll have to pay a whopping $59 a month.

Hootsuite

Price: Free; Pro version – $8.99 a month

Hootsuite is a big player in social media management. It schedules your posts based on your previous social history so you’ll reach the largest number of followers. You can also edit the times and days before they go live.

Hootsuite lets you to schedule posts for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare and Google +. However, free users are only allowed to add up to 3 social networks. The Pro version, which starts at $8.99 a month, allows users to schedule up to 350 updates at once and add up to 100 social accounts.

Buffer

Price: Individual account – free; Business plan – $50 per month

Buffer lets you schedule 10 social updates all at once. This tool will spread your content throughout the day or week, making sure you have a solid social media presence even if you don’t spend much time in front of the computer.

As a bonus, Buffer also provides analytics from your social media posts. It works with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Timely

Price: Free

Timely allows you to choose the number of posts you’d like to auto schedule per day. Add to that, it also reviews responses from your previous tweets to determine your most optimal posting times. Timely only posts to Facebook or Twitter.

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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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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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Secrets to Highly Effective SEO Keywords

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People are looking for information, products and services on a daily basis. When a person wants to find something online, they go to search engines like Google or Bing and start by typing keywords or phrase. Thanks to these keywords, it becomes a lot easier for us to find the content we’re looking for.

An SEO keyword is the heart and soul of your SEO efforts. Choosing an effective keyword for your site is both a science and an art. It’s about striking the perfect balance between the number of people searching for a particular keyword and how much competition you have.

Here are a few tips for choosing highly effective SEO keywords.

Focus on what you’re writing about

If you want to get a high ranking on a keyword, it would be best to focus on something that you frequently write about. If you only intend to write about it once, then you are less likely to succeed.

Before you decide on a keyword, take a look at the contents and articles that you have written in the past. Now, make a list of the keywords and phrases that are commonly used by people to find businesses like yours.

Avoid items that are too broad

Strike a balance between broad and specific. Make sure that the keyword you choose is broad enough that a lot of people would search for it; while specific enough that you have a decent chance of attracting potential customers.

Single-word terms are usually a poor choice for optimizing. For instance, the word “Internet” is too broad. It’s not going to be very useful for getting the results you want. Keywords with 2 to 3 words are your best option.

Do your research

To make sure that you come up with the best keyword, you have to do your research. Start by typing some of the keywords on your list on search engines and see if Google will fill in the rest of the search for you. Based on these suggestions, you can see which phrases are most commonly searched.

You can also use other Google tools like Google Insight for Search or AdWords Keyword Estimator.

 

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Choosing the Right Channels to Reach the Right Market

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Choosing the right channels to reach your target market is a crucial decision. It is important that you know where your prospects and customers are spending their time online.

With Twitter, Instagram and Facebook leading the pack, most businesses are tempted to use more channels and to have a presence on multiple social media platforms. Of course, the more social media sites you use, the more customers you can reach. But it also increases cost. If building presence in multiple channels does not bring about extra sales, then you’ll end up spending more for little or no benefit.

Here’s a quick set of considerations as you select the right social networks to reach the right market.

Twitter

You should use this channel if are looking to reach younger men and women. Since Twitter appeals to information junkies, it is also a great choice if your business lends itself to the provision of timely insights or topic-based news.  It is also a two-way platform wherein you can engage and interact with your followers.

LinkedIn

If you are seeking to make business connections or are in B2B and you wish to provide useful insights to people thinking about their work, then LinkedIn is right for you.

It is optimal for industry-specific information and peer networking since most users are in work mode on LinkedIn. Given the educational levels and high income of the average LinkedIn users, this channel offers a distinct audience worth targeting.

Facebook

If you are looking to reach as broad a network as possible or wish to build a community presence, then Facebook is right for you.

Despite the introduction of new social media sites, Facebook is still one of the most popular sites, with more than 70% of online adults actively participating. However, since most people use this platform to connect with their family and friends, it may not be the best channel to reach your target market.

Instagram

If you have a visual aspect to what you do and what your customers are interested in, then Instagram is the right channel for you. Given its popularity among urbanites and its appeal to specific ethnic segments, Instagram can also be a good choice for certain market targets.

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Reasons Why You Should Use Infographics in Your Content Marketing

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Living in the digital world, there seems to be a surplus of information on the web. On average, we create 1.5 billion pieces of content, 2 million videos and 140 million tweets every day. The web is cluttered and the competition is tough.

If you are a digital marketer or a business owner, it is very easy for your content to get lost in the jungle, making it extremely difficult for your target audience to find you. If you want to break through the clutter and capture the attention of your target audience, you’ll have to create contents that are memorable, attractive and of high quality.

Here are some of the reasons why you should include infographics in your content marketing.

Easier to process

Visual content is a great way to make your content stand out online. This is because our brain processes visual content 60,000 times faster as compared to the time it takes to decode written contents. Plus, people are more likely to retain information that is presented in infographics.

Attention-grabbing

Humans are visual creatures. We are easily attracted to visual contents, facts and stats. Infographics presents a lot of contents, and these facts are attention-grabbing. In fact, views can jump up by as much as 48% if contents include photos and videos.

By combining well-written texts with visual elements, it can be a powerful tool that will help your content cut through the noise and into the brains of your target audience.

Positions you as an expert

Infographics are often presented in charts, graphs and tables to present the content in an easily understandable manner. A great deal of research has to be done before compiling the information into a one-page document. This highlights how knowledgeable the creator is in this particular niche.

By publishing useful and relevant infographics that educate and offer value to your target audience, it positions you as an expert in your niche.

Increase brand awareness

Infographics should include relevant information about the creator like company logo, email address, and website URL. This helps brand your business, and if used properly, it can increase your traffic by at least 12%.

 

 

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High Arousal Emotions That Make Your Content Go Viral

If you have asked Google a few years back, “What makes things go viral?” you’ll most likely get a simple answer: luck. While it seems like a great theory, it is not entirely true.

If your content activates a high-arousal emotion, then there’s a great chance that people will be sharing and talking about your content.

A high arousal emotion can either be positive or negative. Mind you, activating these emotions is not a walk in the park. You really need to consider which emotion you want to target and hit it perfectly.

Passion/Lust

To tap on this emotion successfully, you’ll have to tease people and pique on their interest. You can do this by teasing them with food, sex or products/services that create an anticipation of pleasure.
People’s passion quickly run dry so there’s a need for constant adaptation and creativity.

Fear

Fear is one of the biggest motivators on earth. When motivated with fear, people are forced to take action.
People want to avoid problems. You can tap on this emotion, define the consequences and inspire a fast action.

Anger

When you piss off people, they’ll most likely do something prove you wrong or attain justice. They may want to talk about it on their blog, on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.
Keep in mind, though, that pissing someone off for fun is not a good marketing strategy. So, might want to skip on this altogether.

Awe

Create something that people will find remarkable and people will surely comment on it.

Joy

Positive contents are more viral than the negative ones. There are a lot of things that can make people happy. It can be something inspiring, funny or anything that’s positively uplifting.

When you’re looking to increase traffic to your site, don’t just write content for the sake of writing content. Instead, think about these emotions and hit them well. This way, you can be sure that your content will get shared.

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Annoying Social Media Habits You Need to Stop Doing

No one is perfect. And sometimes, we have bad habits that we would like to get rid of. But while you’re trying to change how you do things and get too occupied, falling back into these old habits happens sooner than you might have expected. While some of these habits do not have an overall impact, some may have a negative impact, especially on your business.

There’s a good chance that you have visited a page that has done some of the things listed below. Make it a mission not to repeat them.

Overcompensating for inactivity

When you’re just starting and you don’t have someone to manage all your online accounts, your page may remain inactive for a few days. That in itself is a problem. However, some people make the mistake of overcompensating for being off the radar for a few days by posting numerous updates in one day.

While inactivity is not a good thing, keep in mind that there are only a few people who would choose to unfollow you due to lack of activity. However, if you bombard them with numerous updates and tweets, which is quite annoying, they are more likely to unfollow you.

Hashtag overload

Hashtags are a great way of categorizing content, providing context and curating information to help you reach your target audience. However, some people tend to abuse it by using like a dozen hashtags in a single tweet.

Depending on the platform, 2 to 4 hashtags are acceptable: 2 for twitter and a maximum of 4 for Instagram.

Asking for shares or retweets

Not only does it come across as demanding, it’s not also engaging. As a result, it does nothing for your cause.

If you post something like this, the only people who are going to enthusiastically oblige are your family and close friends. Everyone else will most likely ignore your post. Even if people did share it, it’s not because they believe in what you’re saying, but because you begged them to do so.

Posting only about your company

Social media may be comparable to phone conversation – it has to go both ways.

Creating great content for your page is important, but you also have to talk about something else other than your business. Find ways to engage with your audience and interact with them.

Make sure to share a variety of content from time to time. This would capture the attention of your audience and keep in them interested. Share inspirational quotes and images, updates from online sources or contents from fans.

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Resources for Bloggers Who Don’t Know What to Write About

There’s nothing more frustrating than a writer’s block. You stare at your screen and the cursor just taunts at you maniacally. For those times of desperation, content creators are in need of a more forthright solution.

If you are struggling to come up with new articles for your blog and keep your audience engaged, here is a list of some of the most tried and tested resources that you can turn to when word drought sets in.

Yahoo Answers

Yahoo Answers is probably one of the most underrated resources for blog topic generation. This site mostly serves a resource for people who are in search for answers. Creating contents that responds to the challenges that these people are facing will not only boost your credibility, you are also guaranteed that people will return to your site the next time they are looking for an answer.

Google trends

There’s no better way of generating a blog topic idea than using phrases and keywords that are performing well in terms of search volume. Those are the topics that you want to write about, and Google trends can help you bring those topics to light.
The Top Searches option allows users to view the top searches that Google conducted. These searches are sorted into different categories like Sports, Entertainment, Business etc. The Hot Searches option, on the other hand, gives you an opportunity to view the top searches by day.

Blog comments

Content writers fail to realize the importance of blog comments for generating a new entry for their blog. Believe it or not, your next blog entry lies in a small bit of reader feedback. That being said, we suggest going through your old blog posts, especially the most popular ones, and take time to read the comments.

Make a list of all the questions and suggestions that you see and feel free to use it as a resource the next time you find yourself staring at a blinking cursor.

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Resources for Bloggers Who Don’t Know What to Write About

There’s nothing more frustrating than a writer’s block. You stare at your screen and the cursor just taunts at you maniacally. For those times of desperation, content creators are in need of a more forthright solution.

If you are struggling to come up with new articles for your blog and keep your audience engaged, here is a list of some of the most tried and tested resources that you can turn to when word drought sets in.

Yahoo Answers

Yahoo Answers is probably one of the most underrated resources for blog topic generation. This site mostly serves a resource for people who are in search for answers. Creating contents that responds to the challenges that these people are facing will not only boost your credibility, you are also guaranteed that people will return to your site the next time they are looking for an answer.

Google trends

There’s no better way of generating a blog topic idea than using phrases and keywords that are performing well in terms of search volume. Those are the topics that you want to write about, and Google trends can help you bring those topics to light.

The Top Searches option allows users to view the top searches that Google conducted. These searches are sorted into different categories like Sports, Entertainment, Business etc. The Hot Searches option, on the other hand, gives you an opportunity to view the top searches by day.

Blog comments

Content writers fail to realize the importance of blog comments for generating a new entry for their blog. Believe it or not, your next blog entry lies in a small bit of reader feedback. That being said, we suggest going through your old blog posts, especially the most popular ones, and take time to read the comments.

Make a list of all the questions and suggestions that you see and feel free to use it as a resource the next time you find yourself staring at a blinking cursor.

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