Four Straightforward Strategies to Win at Social in 2019

Four Straightforward Strategies to Win at Social in 2019

Have you evaluated your marketing strategies for social media in 2019? If not, you are not alone. The fact is that 2018 was a hectic year, especially with all the issues swirling around Facebook. Regardless, some brands took bold steps, launching socially conscious and sometimes controversial campaigns.  

Regardless, it is time to update your strategies for social media, incorporating the latest trends. In this article, we are reviewing the top trends and shifts based on our internal data and insights.

1. Increase Audio and Video Content - Generally speaking, online users are spending dramatically more time watching videos and listening to podcasts than engaging with written content. Of course, this trend is impacting different industries and markets at different levels. Nevertheless, audio and video are dominating social media. 

2. Begin Marketing in the Now - Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms are rewarding brands that live-stream with increased organic reach. The big trend marketers have known about for years is being seen as authentic. Live video is a way to highlight the people behind your brand, becoming more authentic and personal.

3. Become Responsive - Consumers and potential customers have an expectation that they can reach out to brand on social media. As a result, they will go visit a social channel to ask questions before a website or dialing a phone number. It is critical to check your Facebook Inbox and Twitter Direct Messages regularly and respond in a timely manner.

4. Evaluate Your Data - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social platforms are providing a treasure trove of data to measure your impact and success. Take the time to look closely and analyze your data. You will discover which posts attract the most views and engagement, new followers, and website visitors.

Strategies for social media in 2019 must line up with your overall marketing strategy and also be measured against your overall business performance. That said, effective utilizing social media is necessary for long-term success and attracting new customers.

What haven't we covered yet that is important to you? If you would like more strategies for social media in 2019, or to discuss a related topic, please contact us.

3 Questions You Need To Ask Before Choosing Your Social Media Platform

If you're a business, then you already know that getting onto social media is one of the smartest things you can do. It gives you the potential to reach millions of eyes, it takes a relatively small amount of time, and best of all it's free! With that said, though, it's important to ask which social media site (or sites, if you have the time and energy to build up multiple platforms) is right for you?

Unfortunately there is no one, right answer to that question. But there are some questions you can ask to narrow the field, and to figure out which platform is best for you, and your business.

Question #1: Who Is Your Target Audience?

The first thing you need to ask is who is your target audience, and where are you most likely to reach them?

As a for instance, say you are primarily marketing yourself to other businesses, or to professionals. The best platform to reach the people who will be interested in picking up what you're laying down is likely LinkedIn, even if other social media websites may be more popular, or larger in scope. As WP Curve points out, if you only have the resources to build up a single social media platform then it's better to focus on your sights in a place where you'll get more engagement, even if it is from a smaller population.

Question #2: What Kind of Content Will You Be Sharing?

While you can share all kinds of content on all kinds of social media sites, the sort of content you'll be sharing most will affect your chances of success.

For example, is your business very visual? If you're going to be primarily sharing pictures, then you might find more success on Instagram or Pinterest than you would on Facebook, even though Facebook will let you post images as surely as anything else. On the other hand, if you're going to be making videos then it's important to ask if YouTube or Vimeo will serve you better, even though such sites may not be strictly considered social media by some people's definition. The purpose of the site you're on, and how well that meshes with your goals and what you'll be providing can make a huge difference, as Vertical Response tells us.

Question #3: Which Is Most Visible?

While it might seem like it contradicts the first question, it is important to consider the sheer size and connectivity of the social media site you're planning on using, in addition to the interaction you can get from it, according to Medium.

As an example, compare MeWe with Facebook. Both of these sites allow you to join themed groups, post content, and to reach other users organically. However, Facebook is by far the larger of these two options, with bigger tools, more groups, and additional options. While MeWe may still provide you with engagement, and allow you to reach people who are interested in the products or services you're providing, it simply can't compete with Facebook in terms of ROI. Additionally, because of Facebook's sheer size and track record, it's a website that everyone knows about. While it's possible some folks may be aware of MeWe (largely due to Google + shutting down and the groups there looking for a new home to migrate to), it simply isn't going to be as well known.

Sometimes it's a good example to join the social media sites that are the most popular, precisely because they're the ones everyone knows and uses. That means they'll be the first places someone goes looking for your page. For more information on finding the right social media platform for you and your business, simply contact us today!

Understanding Influencer Marketing and Using it to Your Advantage

Many people think that the term "influencer" only applies to people who are really popular, like celebrities. Sure, actors and models might be influencers but there are a number of other influencers out there in different fields. There are bloggers who have large followings, Instapoets who have garnered up to 2.5 million followers and people who have managed to connect with others on the internet on the basis of shared interests. There are people who post about fashion, beauty, parenthood, fitness, interior decoration, art and many other topics.

Influencers Post Written and Visual Data

The influencer's posts might be written; this is usually the case with bloggers. Or the influencer may just put photographs on Instagram or other social media sites. Usually, influencers use a combination of written and visual data. Think about the people you follow on social media or the internet and you'll find that this is true for most of them.

Finding an Influencer You Can Work With

So how do you find an influencer whom you can work with in your business? The first step is to discover these influencers, which can be done with a simple internet search. When you find someone who has a significant number of followers, take a look at their posts. Make sure that this person is posting something that you agree with. For example, if you're selling prints of classical artwork, there's no point in working with a blogger who only likes modern art. So you can't really skip this step. You have to thoroughly understand that influencer's point of view before you approach them.

Approaching and Working with an Influencer

When you approach them, you can do so in various ways. You can ask them to blog for you. Or you can ask them to review your products for their blog. For the first option, of course, you can offer to pay them. But it's not a good idea to pay anyone to review your products on their blog. You can send them the products free of charge and it should be up to them to review them as they see fit.

So start with one or two products and see if the influencer seems to recommend them. If so, then you can develop a relationship with that influencer and send them all your new products in the future.

Contact us for more tips to work with any influencer.

Twitter Is a Prime Platform for Business in 2019

As one of the biggest social media platforms worldwide, Twitter is a remarkable tool to use for anyone looking to market their business to a target audience. Considering the highest percentage of consumers also make up a big portion of the 336 million monthly active users, your Twitter profile may be well worth building. While a successful profile is more than having a memorable handle and a clean, cohesive branding (although, these elements are rather important), the following tips can help make Twitter an optimal marketing channel for your business.

Land more sales.

It's never been so easy to find exactly what your customers are looking for. Twitter is the place your patrons go to express their desires in a few key phrases, followed by a hashtag, or two. This is gold for any commerce that has the product or solution to save the day. Consider the common phrases and keywords your target market may tweet and reuse them to get in on the trending conversation.

Track your success.

Tracking is one of the many resourceful benefits of Twitter, when utilized efficiently. Twitter is full of useful data that can skyrocket your success by simply placing trackable links in valuable places. Suggestions can be your calls-to-action, promotional, or sharable content tweets. Get some customer validations by asking some beta testing questions. Know exactly which tweets and timeframes your followers engage with the most.

Engaging is key.

Twitter can seem difficult to establish at first but one thing to keep in mind is tweet, and then tweet some more. Engage with your audience or expect to fall off the radar. Slowly let them leak throughout the day to keep your viewers' interest. However, a good rule to follow is avoid tweeting a bunch of tweets all at one time. You may consider using a scheduling systemto maintain consistency, so your following knows when to expect you.

Twitter is a prime platform in social media to engage with your following, increase your reach, and share your message or product with the world. Whenever your potential customers are on social media, so are we. Let our team of experts work hard for you!  

Four Instagram Tips For Social Success in 2019

Social business is changing the world, and your business should be a part of it. With a number of platforms to choose from, it's hard to determine which is best to spread your message, sell your product, or showcase your talent. No matter what industry you belong to, Instagram is changing the way businesses communicate with their audience. The following are a few tips to keep in mind when using Instagram as part of your marketing strategy.

Behold, the power of a collective group. 

In a recent interview about Instagram, co-founder Kevin Systrom tells TIME, "The next decade, at least on Instagram, will be the decade where we realize the power of a collective group of people capturing the world in real time through their phones". This realization is powerful for businesses to consider. Imagine a campaign that creates a collective group of people through use of specialized hashtags, trending challenges or photo contests. Let your message speak for itself through the power of your collective group. 

Three C's to keep to keep your brand cohesive:  

·  Consistent – Time and aesthetics are a major factor of success when it comes to posting on Instagram, and being consistent in these areas is vital to building a strong following. Use analytics to determine the best posting times, and create a uniformed look with your content.

·  Creative – Instagram has several routes, on one platform, to creatively get information to your market. Reveal highlights leaked in stories, maintain engagement with advertising, or gain more followers organically with live streaming.

·  Content – The only way Instagram works is if you keep putting out content. Plan your content in advance and use scheduling apps to post for you. Your goal is to keep your followers' interest by maintaining a consistency of output.

Let influencers tell your story.

The spread of influencer marketing should come at no surprise, with results doubling after just a year. Consumers are done being sold to, and influencers show viewers how your brand stands out amongst competition, rather than selling to them. Influencers already have wide reach and following that trusts them. There are several tools available to help find the right personality for your business. 

Still not sure Instagram is the right fit for your business strategy? Contact us and our team of seasoned specialists will help create effective content.

3 Social Media Trends Taking Over 2019

At this point, it may seem as if it's all been done before when it comes to marketing strategy and ways to stay ahead of the game. Truth is, this is an incredible time to be in business because marketing has reached a whole new level with the advances taking place in social media. The following are a few social media trends guaranteed to dominate in 2019.

Video kills the television ad.

Video consumption will undoubtedly increase in the coming year, surpassing the reach of ads seen on TV. Staying on top of this trend goes beyond the simple understanding that you need to turn your phone horizontal while taking videos for proper format on most mobile devices. Video streaming lends you a sure chance to gain customer approval by becoming more transparent, engaging through compelling storytelling. Keep in mind, the average attention span on social media is decreasing, so it's imperative you use the first few seconds wisely, reeling viewers in with a hook, line, and sink.

Personalization offers relative content.

Personalization is a marketing strategy that collects audience analysis and data to customize the information users see based on interest, demographics, and features such as buyer history. A users experience is enhanced when they are being fed content relevant to their personal wants and needs. Personalization is a perfect filter to ensure your target audience is being reached and your message is properly communicated. No matter your industry, personalization is a trend that must be part of your marketing strategy in 2019.

Chatbots are your friend.

 Human-to-human contact will always rule over robots, but Chatbots are a form of artificial intelligence that any modern marketer should be using to leverage their business. Chatbots are a program designed to send and receive messages in form of text with the ability to offer more one-on-one interaction with customers than human interactions. Chatbots offer 24/7 customer service appealing to both brands and consumers, with information instantaneously becoming user accessible. With the expansion of customer engagement, Chatbots become an essential social media tool being used in 2019.

The final year of the decade is here and if you're not incorporating social media into your marketing campaign, you're already way behind. These trends are only a few of many that can make your business the topic of conversation in 2019. Be sure to contact us to get started.

Influencer Marketing: A Powerful Word-of-Mouth Strategy

Influencer Marketing is one of the hottest trends in marketing strategy and it doesn't look to be fading out any time soon. More and more we see businesses turning to this tactic in validation of their product, and it seems to be working.

"Says who?"

This two-word rebuttal can shut down some of the best arguments in regard to which product is best. Word-of-mouth has been the most powerful and effective marketing strategy since the beginning of time. People trust the opinions of people, and with the rapid growth of social media use, Influencer Marketing hasn't skipped a beat. In fact, Instagram doubled its use of Influencer Marketing in 2017 and doesn't show any signs of slowing. There's no surprise since building relationships is what fuels a successful brand and that's exactly what Influencer Marketing is all about.

Target Your Audience

With the tools and software available to find the right creative talent who can sway your target audience, there's no reason not to give this marketing strategy a try. Your audience already follows and trusts personalities who are the perfect fit for your industry. These influencers can show the value of your product, reaching a wide range of people, building a strong network. Influencers are the bridge to connect you with your target audience.

Trackable

Choosing the right platform that is pertinent to your niche will allow for easy tracking of the impact your Influencer has on your audience. Finding the right personality combined with creative content is a powerful weapon for any brand. Influencer Marketing gives brands the ability to track the interest level of their target audience, traffic data, engagement, consumer reactions, demographics and so much more.

We've reached a new era in marketing and strong personalities are at the core of success. Influencer Marketing is on the rise and ready to take your brand with it! Contact us for more information on how we can assist you on getting the results you're after.

How to get started Promoting Your Brand With Social Media Influencers

You've almost checked off all of the items on your list. You have a product, you've tested it and it's ready to go. You have just one more mountain to climb. How do you get your name out there? Social media influencers can be an amazing resource to promote your brand.

When reaching out to influencers, you want to do your research. Get to known them and what they are interested in. If you are trying to push a tech product, a beauty influencer probably isn't going to provide what you are looking for. Once you've found your target audience, check their stats. How many followers do they have? Is there much communication between the influencer and their fans? The ideal candidate would be focused on building relationships with their audience as well. Look at some of their posts and read the comments. If they are actively having positive conversations with their followers, that's a good sign. Their audience needs to like their content, but they need to trust the influencer as well.

Now that you have your list of influencers to approach, decide what you are going to offer them. Are you going to offer them money in return for posting about your product? You can pay an influencer to write a post about your product, ask their followers to go like and follow your brand and even share upcoming launches and promotions. This could potentially get you a lot of views. Another approach would be to offer them free products. In addition to just saying nice things about your brand, they can also test it and post about their experience. The benefit to this approach is that if the influencer tries and likes your product, their followers are likely to want it for themselves.

It's important to build and maintain a good relationship with your influencers. If you are launching a new product, let them know. Ask them to follow you on social media and share their posts that are relevant to you. The purpose of finding these influencers is to build a lasting, working relationship. You aren't looking for just one post from them. Host a promotion or giveaway on your brand's social media account and ask your influencers to share the event. Your ultimate goal is for the influencer to be excited about your relationship. The way that they feel about you and your brand will be conveyed in what they post.

Regardless if your product has just launched or if you have been selling it for years, social media influencers have the potential to bring a wealth of new clients to your brand. Don't hesitate to contact us today to find out more ways to grow your business.

Influencer Marketing Trends that Will Dominate in 2019

Influencer marketing has grabbed all the attention during this year. Being aware of its dominance in the world of marketing, marketers are patiently waiting and predicting the influencer marketing trends for the upcoming year.

Following their steps, we have spotted some of the biggest trends that will take over in 2019. If you want to know what influencer marketing has in store for us, just keep reading.

Instagram is to Keep the Crown

There is no doubt that Instagram has ruled over the past year. The following graph by Statista clearly shows how the network reached a milestone of 1 billion monthly users in June.

Source: Statista

In the following year, the numbers will just keep on growing. Instagram is the platform that is to be leading for brand-influencer cooperation.

The reason why is because the business relationship between the brands and influencers is now established and they have both realized how to make the best use out of the platform.

Facebook will also keep its position as a predominant platform, yet the focus will still remain on Instagram.

Establishing Lasting Relationship with the Influencers

As a part of a holistic strategy, the brands will contain to establish long-term relationships with the influencers.

Brands and influencers now have enough experience to recognize a good opportunity. Having that in mind, if a certain relationship is progressive and fruitful they will both thrive to keep it running.

Amanda Sparks, digital marketer and author of Top Down Writer explains, “We need to get used to seeing some Influencers as ambassadors of certain brands since the benefits work both ways.”

Influencers are gaining a stable business relationship accompanied by a stable income. On the other hand, if the brand is able to retain a faithful partner, the audience will gain more confidence in their products.

Take Revolve for example. They have partnered up with several influencers with whom they cooperate for years and they have certainly got the attention of all their followers.

Claudia Sulewski, a Youtuber, influencer, and actress for Revolve

More Professional Approach to Influencers

As groups of new influencers rise as well as the number of deals that one company makes with influencers, the approach that the brands take will change.

Brands will have to get in touch with the influencers more often if they want to keep up with the trends and gain a new audience.

This means that they no longer want to depend on just one or two influencers and their followers.

In fact, content on social media will get more sophisticated and an entire agency can be involved in its production.

For example, Chinese multichannel network Papitube has signed more than 60 video bloggers. They create content on a professional regular basis though it might look like a business of one to their audience.

The Need for Originality Will Grow

People are overwhelmed with traditional ads so the demand for authenticity and transparency will rise.

“Influencers have already been struggling with producing an original content due to the growing number of influencers. In 2019, the competition will be even higher and they will all need to step up the game,” says Stephen Larson, a social media specialist and editor at TopAustraliaWriters.

In order to publish authentic content, some influencers will even resort to professional writing services to perfect their captions. The examples of writing services and tools they could use are Grammarly, Canada Writers, HemingwayApp, GetGoodGrade.com, etc.

There would be no room for mistakes so their approach will become more thoughtful and professional.

The Competition Will Rise

As newcomers step into the market, the struggle for the audience will increase among influencers and brands as well.

Hellen Lewis, social media marketer at Best Writers Canada shares her thoughts on this topics, “New faces will face bigger barriers. It means that they will need to find a way to attract the attention of the other party.”

It is not just about the competition among influencers. New brands also want to make the most of influencer marketing and find the right source of promotion for their brand in order to get their name heard.

For unknown brands, cooperating with the popular influencers has almost the same level of difficulty as reaching to world famous celebrities. They will need to get creative and offer good deals and quality products if they want to score the big deals.

Some Final Thoughts

The story behind the success of influencer marketing is that it offers a human-to-human connection. The audience will certainly correlate more easily with someone who is living a seemingly ordinary life but still has that touch of glam in its life.

Keeping track with dominating and upcoming trends in influencer marketing has become crucial, especially for the marketing departments. Finding the best way to approach the audience and win them over with authentic content will be a challenge but those who succeed will most definitely be rewarded.

3 Social Media Marketing Tips For Finally Getting Started

Getting started with social media marketing shouldn't be confusing or difficult. It's all about how you approach it, how much work and time you are willing to put into it, and what your final goal is. These tips will help you gain control of your social media profiles and amp up your engagement.

Have a plan. Nobody walks into a challenge without a plan. If you have your own business, more than likely you drew out a business plan to outline exactly what your goals are and where you want to end up. It's the same with social media. While each platform is different in their own way, you'll still need a good strategy to pull in potential leads.

Know your audience. This ties into the previous tip; based on your goals, who is your audience? For example, if you own a salon or spa, gear your services towards those who are interested in the beauty industry.  Make sure that your social media platforms are advertised properly for whatever industry you are in; do research and pay attention to what people want.  

Once you begin building that relationship with other people, your audience will grow and eventually you will get leads.

Choose your main platform. Most businesses have more than one social media platform, but it's always wise to use one as your main strategy. The most popular one is Facebook; you can create a page for your business or website, go live to talk about what's happening, and you can create engagement by sharing your posts on other feeds.

Choosing your platform will again depend on your specific goals and final outcome. Local and large businesses tend to use Facebook and LinkedIn. Twitter and Instagram are great if you're just starting out and want to test the waters.

If you need help building a social media strategy, feel free to contact us today.