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The Importance of Mobile Marketing

It is no secret that today’s consumers are constantly in sync with their mobile phones. The traffic on mobile Smartphones is constantly increasing; and there is no reason it will slow down any time soon.   As a marketer, you want to be where your consumers are.

How does your website look on a mobile phone? Most websites are not compatible with a smaller screen, and they may be difficult to use. Make sure that your website is optimized for mobile, or establish a mobile friendly application. Do not underestimate what your consumers may be using their smartphones for – it is best to assume your company website falls into that realm. So, make it easy on your consumers.

Reading email is one of the most common activities that take place on a Smartphone. Make sure that any email you send to a client is ultimately designed for a small screen. This means use larger fonts, large images, and concise content. Make sure the subject lines are attention grabbing and do not appear as spam.

Constant access to the Internet means that consumers may be researching your company while they are physically in your store. Embrace this information. Focus on the quality of not only your product, but your customer service as well.

Mobile marketing is all about convenience on the go. Use this to your advantage to reach your consumers. Evaluate the mobile interaction with your company from your client’s perspective

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Are You Loosing Twitter Followers?

You’ve been building your Twitter presence and you feel good about it. It is great to increase that number, but it is equally important to maintain that number. Use these tips to find out what may be behind your declining follower base.

Are you delivering the content you promised you would? If you own a clothing boutique, your followers are likely expecting you to tweet about fashion trends, clothing tips, store deals, etc. If your tweets are about your political opinions, or the new frozen yogurt place you tried yesterday then your followers are not getting what they signed up for by following you. Make sure that any personal opinion tweets go to your personal account and not your business account.

Are your tweets original? If you are abusing the retweet button, that may be why you are loosing followers. The retweet feature is wonderful for sharing content, but when you retweet something you should add your own opinion. Use a few words to share why you decided to retweet something. Your followers connected with you on Twitter to hear what YOU have to say – give that to them.

Do you use Twitter solely for promotion? Remember that Twitter is a social media platform. People join to be social – they do not check their twitter solely to read promotional messages. If you are doing some promotion tweeting, be sure to provide a value to your followers. If you are promoting something on Twitter, make sure your followers get a benefit from reading that tweet. For example don’t tweet “Buy our new perfume…” instead consider tweeting, “Mention this tweet for 10% off our new perfume.”

Do you respond? If your followers ask you a question, or reply to your tweets they probably want a response back.  Being responsive on your account assures users that they are tweeting to a real person, and not a pre-scheduled system. Twitter is about building relationships. If you are not building a relationship with your followers, they are not going to stick around to build one with you.

 

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Why You Might Be Loosing Twitter Followers

You’ve been building your Twitter presence and you feel good about it. It is great to increase that number, but it is equally important to maintain that number. If you have been loosing followers lately, there are a few things to consider that might be behind it.

Are you delivering the content you promised you would? If you own a clothing boutique, your followers are likely expecting you to tweet about fashion trends, clothing tips, store deals, etc. If your tweets are about your political opinions, or the new frozen yogurt place you tried yesterday then your followers are not getting what they signed up for by following you. Make sure that any personal opinion tweets go to your personal account and not your business account.

Do you respond? If your followers ask you a question, or reply to your tweets they probably want a response back.  Being responsive on your account assures users that they are tweeting to a real person, and not a pre-scheduled system. Twitter is about building relationships. If you are not building a relationship with your followers, they are not going to stick around to build one with you.

Do you use Twitter solely for promotion? Remember that Twitter is a social media platform. People join to be social – they do not check their twitter solely to read promotional messages. If you are doing some promotion tweeting, be sure to provide a value to your followers. If you are promoting something on Twitter, make sure your followers get a benefit from reading that tweet. For example don’t tweet “Buy our new perfume…” instead consider tweeting, “Mention this tweet for 10% off our new perfume.”

Are your tweets original? If you are abusing the retweet button, that may be why you are loosing followers. The retweet feature is wonderful for sharing content, but when you retweet something you should add your own opinion. Use a few words to share why you decided to retweet something. Your followers connected with you on Twitter to hear what YOU have to say – give that to them.

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Use Your Employees As A Social Media Resource

Say you are in the market for a new car. Who do you consult for car buying advice? It is likely you go to a family member or friend that is auto-savy. They can tell you everything they know about car companies, makes, and models. Inadvertently, your friend is a brand advocate for the car they end up recommending. This is more powerful than any advertising campaign because your friend or family member is a source you believe is trusted and credible.

Brand advocates are essential to success. Who is advocating for your brand? Advocates give their friends, families, and colleagues advice. Companies should always be looking for brand advocates.  Often, the most obvious brand advocate gets overlooked – the company’s employees. Recall in the scenario above you went to your auto-savy friend for car buying advice because they are knowledgeable about the field and you trust them. In the same sense, it is likely your employees know more about the company and the brand than anybody else. In other words, your employees are credible sources and experts in the field. Whether you sell shampoo, vitamins or windows, use their knowledge. Position yourself on social media as an expert in your field, where friends and followers can come to for useful information about your product or service in general (not just specifically about what you are selling).

When you are stuck for content to post, it is a great idea to use your employees as a social media resource. Ask them how conversations go when they are discussing work with a person they just met.  Is the new person interested in your employee’s profession? What kind of follow up questions do they get about your field? Has your employee encountered any general misconceptions about your field?  The answers to these questions should be shared on social media and used for blog content. Ultimately, share these conversations on your social media sites.

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Who Are Your Brand Advocates?

Let’s say you need to buy a new TV. Who do you consult for TV- buying advice? It is likely you go to a family member or friend that is tech-savy. They can tell you all about the TV they have and why they like it. Inadvertently, your friend is a brand advocate for the company that manufactures their TV. This is more powerful than any advertising campaign because your friend or family member is a source you believe is trusted and credible.

Brand advocates are essential to success. Who is advocating for your brand? Advocates give their friends, families, and colleagues advice. Companies should always be looking for brand advocates.  Often, the most obvious brand advocate gets overlooked – the company’s employees. Recall that in the scenario above you went to your tech-savy friend for TV buying advice because they are knowledgeable about the field and you trust them. In the same sense, it is likely your employees know more about the company and the brand than anybody else. In other words, your employees are credible sources and experts in the field. Whether you sell shampoo, vitamins or windows, use their knowledge. Position yourself on social media as an expert in your field, where friends and followers can come to for useful information about your product or service in general (not just specifically about what you are selling).

When you are stuck for content to post, it is a great idea to use your employees as a social media resource. Ask them how conversations go when they are discussing work with a person they just met.  Is the new person interested in your employee’s profession? What kind of follow up questions do they get about your field? Has your employee encountered any general misconceptions about your field?  The answers to these questions should be shared on social media and used for blog content. Ultimately, share these conversations on your social media sites.

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This Valentine’s Day Social Media Is Not All About The Numbers

They say on February 14th love is in the air. But is it in your social media relationships? This time of year is about love and generosity. Make sure that that love extends to your online network. Take Valentine’s Day as a reminder to the real reason you are on social media in the first place.

This day typically has people evaluating the relationships that are important to them. Use this holiday as a way to show your users that you care and that they are important to you and your company. Share content that would be helpful to somebody today.  Share a romantic idea, a funny love story, singles inspiration – get creative. Let your followers and social media friends in on the love that is in your company. How did your company start? Probably with a passion or love for your product or service – share that.

Managing social media is about long term relationships. Companies and brands are at a point where they are trying to figure out the “secrets” to unlock social media success. In doing so, tools that track metrics are gaining popularity. Although these are important tools, social media is not just all about numbers. It is wonderful to follow users, add friends and get “Liked.” But more than that it is about following through, having meaningful conversations, and building real communities. Make sure that while you are keeping track of data, you are still keeping track of conversation. If your content is not getting reposted, don’t worry. Instead acknowledge the people that did respond. Reply to their comments and continue the conversation by asking another question. The people that comment on your content are users that are actually engaging with your brand – they may be interacting with you for more than just a discount deal or coupon code.

Cherish and nurture the social media connections you already have. Whether your users are married, in a committed relationship, have a crush or are celebrating love with family and friends – Valentine’s Day will is sure to be on their minds.

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It’s Valentine’s Day. Has Your Business Been Showing The Love?

It is February 14th – that means love is in the air. This time of year is about love and generosity. Make sure that that love extends to your online network. Use this Valentine’s Day as a reminder as to the real reason you are on social media in the first place.

When it comes to managing your social media, remember that you are in this for a long-term relationship – not just some fling. Companies and brands are at a point where they are trying to figure out the “keys” to social media. In doing so, tracking metrics has become a measure of success. Although they are important tools, social media is not just all about numbers. It is great to follow users, add friends and get “Liked.” But more than that it is about following through, having meaningful conversations, and building real communities. Make sure that while you are keeping track of data, you are still keeping track of conversation. If your content is not getting reposted, don’t fret. Instead acknowledge the people that did respond. Reply to their comments and continue the conversation by asking another question. The people that comment on your content are users that are actually engaging with your brand – they may be interacting with you for more than just a discount deal or coupon code.

February 14th usually has people evaluating the relationships that are important to them. Use Valentine’s Day as a way to show your users that you care and that they are important to you and your company. Share content that would be helpful to somebody today.  Share a romantic idea, a funny love story, singles inspiration – get creative. Let your followers and social media friends in on the love that is in your company. How did your company start? Probably with a passion or love for your product or service – share that.

Nurture the social media connections you already have. Whether your users are married, in a committed relationship, have a crush or are celebrating love with family and friends – Valentine’s Day will is sure to be on their minds.

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The Hashtag Basics

Hashtags can be a great marketing tool, but it is important to know exactly when, where, and how to use them to help you market.

Hashtags are the words, or sometimes just jumble of letters that you see following the # sign. Hashtags are not essential, or appropriate for every tweet. Before going hashtag crazy, it is important to know how they can help your business. Hashtags work for categorizing content. Adding a hashtag into your tweet makes it easier for other users to find. This can be extremely useful when discussing a topic other Twitter users may be discussing as well. For example, during the Superbowl you could search #Superbowl on Twitter and a display of Superbowl related tweets would be the result.

As a marketer, you can use hashtags to create buzz around your product or service. For example, say you are the owner of a shoe boutique and you are having a sale on winter boots.  Tweet something about the sale, and then use the hashtag #winterboots. This is a broad category, and someone in the market for winter boots is likely to search “#winterboots.” By incorporating the hashtag into your tweet, your tweet will show up in the search results. It is important to keep the hashtag brief and easy to read. If you use the hashtag #WinterBootsAreHalfOffAtTheShoeBoutique it is not only hard to read, but it is also likely that nobody will search for that hashtag – and your tweet will not appear in any searches.   Your tweets are already limited to 140 characters, so use those characters wisely! Hashtags should be used to get your point across, yet still remain brief.

For hashtag success, be consistent. There is no point in using a hashtag if you do not keep using it. If you do not repeat the hashtag, your tweet may go unseen by potential customers. Make sure to use your hashtags. Be sure your hashtags are relevant and easy to understand. Twitter is about simplicity – so be nice and do not confuse your Twitter followers with a confusing hashtag.

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The 411 On Hashtags

Have you been using hashtags in your tweets? If you have not jumped on the hashtag train, you have no doubt seen them on Twitter.  Hashtags are the words, or sometimes just jumble of letters that you see following the # sign. Hashtags are not essential, or appropriate for every tweet. Before going hashtag crazy, it is important to know how they can help your business, and when they are actually useful.

Hashtags work for categorizing content. Adding a hashtag into your tweet makes it easier for other users to find. This can be extremely useful when discussing a topic other Twitter users may be discussing as well. For example, during the Superbowl you could search #Superbowl on Twitter and a display of Superbowl related tweets would be the result.

From a marketing standpoint, hashtags can also help to create some buzz around your product or business. For example, say you are the owner of a shoe boutique and you are having a sale on winter boots.  Tweet something about the sale, and then use the hashtag #winterboots. This is a broad category, and someone in the market for winter boots is likely to search “#winterboots.” By incorporating the hashtag into your tweet, your tweet will show up in the search results.

Keep the hashtag brief and easy to read. If you use the hashtag #WinterBootsAreHalfOffAtTheShoeBoutique it is not only hard to read, but it is also likely that nobody will search for that hashtag – and your tweet will not appear in any searches.   Your tweets are already limited to 140 characters, so use them wisely! Use hashtags to get your point across but still remain brief.

Remember there is no point in using a hashtag if you do not keep using it. In other words, be consistent with your hashtags. If you do not repeat the hashtag, your tweet may go unseen by potential customers. Make sure to use your hashtags. Last but not least, be sure your hashtags are relevant and easy to understand.  Twitter is about simplicity – so do not confuse your Twitter followers with a confusing hashtag.

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How To Generate Traffic To Your YouTube Channel

How do you get more people to watch your YouTube videos? One way to generate traffic is to use the power of Pinterest. To boost your business and increase your subscribers, link your YouTube channel with your Pinterest account. If you already have both a YouTube and a Pinterest account, you may as well leverage the influence of both these social media platforms.  Remember, your YouTube videos cannot help your business if they are not seen!  Here’s how to get started:

If you do not use Google Chrome, download it now (it will make this much easier. Google Chrome offers a “Pin It” button that lets you take an image from any site and put it to your boards.  Once in chrome, to get the “Pin It” button go to http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/ – then simply drag the “Pin It” link to your bookmarks bar.

Before you do any official linking between your YouTube channel and Pinterest, you must make sure your YouTube channel is fully optimized to your brand. Anything in your YouTube description box must have a URL/link back to your blog or company website. This is usually where viewers look to get more information. You also want to ensure that your YouTube profile is fully developed – add a personal photo or company logo, and keep your description short and sweet (all of this will help to leverage all of your traffic from Pinterest).

Let’s go back to the “Pin It’ button you downloaded earlier. Simply click the button to Pin the video you want to share. Create a board that is dedicated to your YouTube channel.  When coming up with a board name, remember to focus on keywords. Pinterest not only generates traffic from its own community, but also from Google Search. So it is very important to consider search engine optimization.

Now that you have pinned your video, it is time to add keywords to your pin description.  Whatever you do, do not leave this box empty. It is also a good idea to add the complete URL to your company site inside the description box. This makes it easy for viewers to get back to your page.

Since you have pinned your video from your YouTube channel, users who click will automatically be taken back to your channel. In linking your YouTube channel, Pinterest account, and company blog you are generating more traffic to all three of your marketing platforms. Remember to pin all of your videos!

 

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