The right social media platform for your SMB
Facebook leads all social media platforms in terms of daily active users, audience reach, and cultural impact, but is it the best fit for your business? Every business has a unique audience, so what works for one business may not work for another. With all the available social media platforms to choose from, small- and medium-sized businesses should examine their options before they decide which is the best match for them. Facebook Research shows that 77% of consumers in the US have social media profiles and that Facebook is the most utilized social media platform by users younger than 50 years old. With over two billion users, Facebook offers the biggest audience and is the perfect place for companies that are looking to increase their brand awareness. Apart from the huge user base, Facebook also increases customers’ trust by lending otherwise stiff businesses a human touch. Although you don’t have to invest heavily in this platform, you should at least create a basic page. Setting up your company’s page takes only a few minutes and not having one could affect your reputation. YouTube YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world with over 1.9 billion registered users. When properly utilized, it can bring in new customers and help you retain old ones. To increase your brand visibility and help viewers to get to know your company better, create a channel with videos about the products or services that you’re offering. You can also encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel so they’ll be in the loop every time you upload a new video. Another huge advantage of using YouTube is that Google owns it, and videos from the site are more likely to appear on the first page of search results than other organic content. Instagram Launched in 2010, Instagram is one of the fastest growing social media platforms today. It boasts one billion registered users, mostly on the younger end of the scale (18-24 years old). Instagram is primarily for sharing photos and short videos, but it recently launched IGTV, an in-app tool for users and businesses to upload long-form videos. Keep in mind that most users prefer to use Instagram for fun and creative content. The platform is known for beautiful photos, so choose aesthetic content over standoffish or corporate content. To hit two birds with one stone, integrate your Instagram account with your Facebook page so every new picture or video on your profile will automatically post to your Facebook page. Snapchat Another trendy social media platform is Snapchat, which allows its 300+ million monthly users to share photos and videos that disappear within 24 hours. Businesses can use this platform to reach younger audiences through Snap ads, sponsored geofilters, and sponsored lenses. Snap ads are 10-second full-screen videos with embedded links and calls to action that will appear on the timelines of targeted viewers. Sponsored geofilters and sponsored lenses, meanwhile, are custom filters that may contain elements relating to one’s brand. All these marketing options are available through AdManager, the app’s advertising platform. Twitter Twitter has 328 million active daily users. This number may be small compared to the other social media platforms on this list, but that’s precisely its charm: it gives users the feeling of security and coziness that comes from chatting with businesses directly and publicly. In fact, a whopping 85% of SMBs have Twitter accounts that they use to engage with current and potential customers. And because Twitter only allows up to 280 characters per tweet (excluding links), conversations between parties are straight to the point and results-oriented. If you have more questions about social media platforms and how to use them strategically, contact us today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Don’t let negative reviews ruin your brand
Negative reviews on sites like Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Ripoff Report will damage your brand’s online presence . So how can you protect your company from defamatory and false reviews that show up on search results for your business? Here’s the best strategy. Don’t engage site or users directly Don’t send emails demanding to have the content removed or engage with the person who posted the content in an attempt to resolve the issue. The main reason: both users and content posted are not verified. There have been reports of users posting fake reviews in an attempt to solicit money from businesses they criticize. A few of these sites also claim to offer paid services to remove bad reviews but business owners should be extremely wary of any site offering to remove or edit a review in exchange for cash. Get on social media If one of these negative reviews makes its way onto the first page of Google’s search results, create social media profiles to bury it. Not only do active and relevant social media profiles outrank negative reviews, they also provide your past, present, and future clients with better information. Even if you already have a Facebook and Twitter account, don’t be afraid to expand beyond that to Instagram, LinkedIn, and even Quora. It’s also a good idea to get on Foursquare, Google+, and any other sites where reviews are verified by real users and not nameless people who don’t have to be accountable for what they say. Remember to update these regularly to ensure they stay at or near the top of the search result rankings. Encourage positive reviews You need to encourage customers to post positive reviews on verified review sites. Like social media profiles, positive reviews from credible review sites will outrank negative reviews from defamation sites. Depending on what your business does, sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Foursquare, Angie’s List, or even Facebook are great places to have satisfied customers leave reviews. Of course, getting them to do that can be difficult. Consider offering a discount to customers who post a review of your business on any of these sites. Doing this will help you climb up in search rankings while increasing customer loyalty. Combine efforts with an SEO strategy To optimize your brand’s search results, you will have to create positive content that is search engine optimized. Aside from social media profiles and good reviews on verified sites, optimizing search results for your brand start with its website. Promote a positive message about your brand with benefits and customer reviews. Strengthen your website with regular content such as newsletters, case studies, and blog articles. Content is about building consumer trust by being helpful. An informative blog is the best way to start. Avoid “selling” your brand on every piece of content. The best practice is keep this down to 20% of your overall content, or two out of ten blog articles. Try posting helpful videos on your company’s YouTube and be active on all your social media. It also won’t hurt to partner with influencers on social media platforms such as Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram to spread positive comments about your brand. These are just a few strategies companies use to manage their online presence. For more ways to get positive search results, call our team of experts today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
6 tips for SMB Facebook pages
Facebook isn’t worth over $480 billion because people use it for just selfies and political rants. Businesses of all sizes and from all industries are using it to attract and engage customers, and yours should too. Aside from purchasing targeted advertisements, there are a host of free strategies to generate business with your SMB’s Facebook page. Focus on getting comments In the beginning of 2018, Facebook announced broad changes to what it shows to users. Notably, the social platform now prioritizes posts from friends and family over those from businesses. Zuckerberg says the aim is for users to engage with their connections more often, and going forward, the number of comments a post has will be the biggest factor in how many newsfeeds it shows up in. Posts from businesses lost a lot of visibility, but the ones that generated the most conversation weren’t hit as hard. Facebook-only promos Another great strategy for boosting user engagement is to offer product or service discounts that are only available through Facebook. You want users to see value in your page, so avoid copying and pasting a special, such as a discount code, from another marketing channel. One popular option is to promise the release of a new promotion in your next live video broadcast. Announce the details during the broadcast and tell viewers to leave a comment if they want to be included. Then, you can send them a direct message with a confirmation and a thank you. Facebook CTAs: Update them often Businesses have several text options for the ‘call to action’ button on their Facebook page. Would ‘Contact Us’ get more clicks than ‘Learn More’ for your page? Experiment with the different options and where they link to until you find the most successful combination. You probably spent more than a few minutes working on the CTAs for your website — why wouldn’t you do the same on Facebook? Don’t just post about yourself If a user has already liked your page, they know you exist and they have a decent idea of what you sell. Occasionally take a break from posting links to your site and include news and information that relates to your products or services. Remember, Facebook places the most value on social posts, and limiting yourself to company updates and promotions will bore your followers. Pin posts to the top of your page When a post generates lots of engagement and holds users’ attentions for a long time, don’t let it get buried underneath less popular posts. Click the arrow in the upper-right corner of the post and select Pin to Top to make it one of the first things people see when they visit your page. Be personal Most importantly, always look for ways to make your company’s Facebook page more personal. Stiff and formal posts are a dime a dozen and rarely catch anyone’s attention. If you share fun, behind-the-scenes photos of your business, respond to comments in a conversational tone, and make jokes, your page will stand out from the rest. A Facebook business profile may be free, but generating engagement will take some effort. We can help by installing and supporting communication and customer relationship management solutions that simplify the engagement process. Contact us today to find out more. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
7 ways to more retweets
It can be discouraging for any business to post a thoughtful tweet in the morning just to see that it barely has any retweets by the end of the day. To maximize your tweets’ exposure, consider these 7 ways to increase your retweets. Schedule your tweets There is absolutely no point in tweeting out any content if your audience isn’t even awake for it. That’s why it’s important for you to tweet at the right time to get the most retweets. Most people are likely to retweet between 2pm and 6pm. However, if your followers live in different time zones and countries, the time you should be tweeting may vary. Twitter tools like Tweriod track down the geographical distribution of your audience and pinpoints the optimal time you should be tweeting to get the most retweets. Use links The next time you tweet out something, try embedding a link in your post. Whether it’s news, sports, or celebrity updates, people will put some effort in staying up to date with their interests. Studies have also shown that links to instructional posts get the most amount of retweets as well. The problem is, 140 characters is not enough content for your followers. So by satisfying your audience’s curiosity, you motivate them to pay you back by sharing your tweet out to their friends. Ask for retweets This is perhaps the most obvious tactic to get some retweets. Using call to action phrases such as “please retweet” significantly increases your chances of a retweet. Of course, you probably aren’t the only one asking for retweets. Adding something to sweeten deal, like a prize for one lucky person who retweets you, gives people incentive to do so. Use visuals Intriguing images can inspire retweets. Images are a great way to convey a lot of information in a short amount of time, and social media users love that. Some have found that using colorful images and infographics in their tweets significantly increased their engagement rates and led to more followers retweeting their content. It’s probably because there’s just more content to engage with compared to a brief 140 character thought. Use retweetable words Research has shown that some words are more retweetable than others. Words like you, twitter, please, retweet, post, blog, social, free, media, help are the top 10 most retweetable words. However common-use words in any conversation such as “lol, haha, work, sleep or watching” are less likely to get retweeted. Unless you’re someone incredibly famous, it’s best to avoid using conversation filler words and stick to the buzzwords that encourage people to share your tweets out to everyone they know. Use quotes Quotes express a lot in one simple line, making it perfect for any Twitter posts. Depending on your audience, a thoughtful quote can really move their fingers to click that retweet button. The next time you’re running out of ideas for tweets, dig up some good quotes relevant to your topic to get those retweets going. However, don’t continuously plug in quotes into your tweets. The trick is to do it occasionally, so you don’t risk people tuning out of your tweets. #Hashtag You’ll notice that the more popular tweets tend to have at least one hashtag. Using hashtags on keywords helps categorize your tweets with similar ones, giving your posts a bit more reach and, hopefully, more retweets. Just make sure you don’t overdo it as #thiscanbequiteannoying. We get that small business may find it tough getting their name discovered among so many social media accounts. But if you consider some or all of these Twitter tactics, you have a better chance of getting more eyes on your tweets. If you want to learn more about useful Twitter tactics to increase your exposure and engagement, give us a call today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
5 ways you could blow your online reputation
As a small business owner, you’ve probably used social media to establish a connection with your customers and share stories that will shine a positive light on your brand. While social media is a great tool to foster your business name, if used incorrectly it could just shatter your online reputation. Here are some common mistakes you should avoid when implementing social media marketing in your business. Your online reputation will not take care of itself Assuming that your enterprise doesn’t need an online reputation management (ORM) strategy is the most common ORM mistake business owners should avoid and, probably the first one as well. Just because your business’s reviews were positive today, doesn’t mean they will be tomorrow. Your online reputation can change in an instant. Think about it: The key to protecting your business from the harmful bad reviews is a good ORM strategy. In short – this is a process that could make or break your reputation, and you should be extra careful. The more work you put in ORM, the more control you have over what appears in search engines for your products or services. Expressing your personal opinion You’re making a big mistake if you let your emotions get in the way when posting content on your business’s social media profiles. Discussing religion, politics, or other controversial issues may turn off people who matter to your business. Unless they’re relevant to the nature of your business, avoid mentioning sensitive topics. Instead, try to keep a neutral tone, since the goal of your social media efforts is to appeal to everyone. Ignoring or responding aggressively to negative comments Negative feedback can be painful to hear but, if you can put aside your pride, it is a real opportunity for improvement. When customers post a negative comment, ignoring it can make things go from bad to worse. Customers may think that you’re not taking their issue seriously, and could resort to posting complaints on all sorts of platforms, which quickly become impossible to control. Also, don’t let things get out of hand – reply in a timely manner and try to solve problems as best you can, not by posting abusive rants or sending back angry emails to authors of bad feedback. Posting fake reviews (both negative and positive) Another online reputation mistake is to post negative reviews on your competitors’ website to dampen their credibility. This underhanded strategy is ethically wrong. On the other hand, influential websites like Google have algorithms in place to help weed out false customer feedback, so making the mistake of posting fake client reviews to boost your business is such a waste of time and effort. Instead, focus on delivering high-quality products and services to generate authentic customer reviews, which can really pay off in the long run. Being inconsistent To build a good online reputation, you need to be consistent. Your social media fans followed your page for a reason – they have certain expectations that you will post regular and interesting content. Updating social media with ten posts one day, followed by complete silence for the following few weeks, is a bad example of consistency. Don’t disappear for days or weeks on end. Try to schedule a routine and interact with your audience on a regular basis. A credible online reputation is an important part of your business’s public image. If you want to discuss how to establish an online presence and a strong ORM, contact us today and we can give insights from experts. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Why fewer teenagers choose Facebook
Facebook’s 13-to-17-year-old users are declining despite the overall growth of the social media giant’s subscribers. A new survey by Pew Research Center found that only 51% of US teens are using Facebook, compared with Snapchat (69%), Instagram (72%), and YouTube (85%). Reasons for user demographic shift The same survey found that only 10% of US teens use Facebook most frequently, unlike other platforms like Instagram (15%), YouTube (32%), and Snapchat (35%). There are two main reasons why Facebook is no longer the first social media choice for US teenagers: visual content and control. #1. Visual Content The current youth demographic group favors visually appealing posts. As a result, teens prefer platforms like Instagram and Snapchat that allow them to beautify their photos and instantly share them with their friends. This is unlike Facebook where users can only upload, share, read, and like curated posts, which is deemed “uncool” by teenagers. #2. Control Youngsters are known to be highly expressive, but this is impossible to do if they’re friends with their mom, dad, or other adults on social media. Snapchat and Instagram solve this by allowing teens to control who’s able to see their posts. What’s more, Snapchat and Instagram stories allow users to send time-limited messages. Unlike regular Instagram posts, Instagram stories allow users to share images or videos on their app immediately. These images and videos will then be removed from the platform after 24 hours, similar to how Snapchat works. These two features mean users can upload more “adult-oriented” posts without worrying that their parents will see them. Users can also get peace of mind knowing their uploaded photos or videos will be removed from the app after a period of time (usually 24 hours). The next steps for SMB marketing It’s crucial for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that have a limited marketing budget to understand which platforms reach which demographics. For example, SMBs targeting customers aged 13 to 17 years should rethink their marketing strategies if they’ve invested mainly in Facebook ads. They should consider reallocating their advertising funds to Snapchat, Instagram, or YouTube where their target customers are most active. Is this the end for Facebook ads? This doesn’t mean companies that have invested in Facebook marketing won’t see any more benefits. The survey discovered that 70% of US teens from lower-income households use Facebook, a much higher figure than those from middle income families or wealthy families. But if you do decide to move your Facebook ad spending to other platforms, keep in mind the different preferences based on gender. More girls (42%) identified Snapchat as their go-to platform compared with boys (29%). On the other hand, more boys (39%) identified YouTube as the platform they used most frequently compared with girls (25%). It is highly recommended that businesses of any size use more than one type of marketing channel to attract customers. Not only will your company’s search engine rankings increase naturally, but having more than one approach can also help you reach more of your target demographics and compete better with similar companies. We help SMBs make the best of their marketing funds by tailoring marketing strategies that reach the most teenagers, so if you’re interested in social media marketing, send us a message today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Get your business noticed using social media
As a startup business owner, you may think social media isn’t worth the effort because no one knows about your business. You may have dabbled in Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn and seen minimal (if any) results. What can a business owner with a new brand/product do? Well, it turns out quite a lot. And to prove it, here are tips everyone can learn from. #1 Prove you’re an expert It’s important to know everything there is about your product/brand, and often it’s a good idea to know even everything beyond it. According to PR firm founder Heather DeSantis of Publicity For Good, one needs to “transition from being a business owner and someone selling a product to a thought leader. You have to have actionable tips that other small-business owners can take action on”. #2 Establish profiles on major social media sites Take time to figure out which social media sites your target customers frequent. Then set up pages or profiles on those sites — and post content regularly, at least once a week. To post to multiple social media platforms at a time, consider using a service such as Hootsuite. Once profiles are up and running, don’t let them fall behind. Outdated profiles are almost as bad as nonexistent ones. #3 Create fresh, shareable content Google loves original and valuable content. By creating informative articles, people will share links to your site and you’ll notice a difference in Google’s search results. Just remember: Write for your target audience, not for Google. #4 Adopt a multi-platform approach You can create a Facebook ad; you can build on Twitter by following and retweeting key people in your industry; you can also even use paid search marketing like Google AdWords, or even do a Facebook Live session to promote. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you’re also gently nudging people to turn their interest into a visit to your website. Getting the word out about your business can be tough, particularly if you don’t know how to effectively reach out and then keep the momentum going once you get some coverage. How do you get the word out online, without having to spend thousands of dollars on advertising or PR? Just call us today for a quick chat with one of our social media experts who can help you out. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
How HIPAA Impacts Social Media Usage
Social Media can be an effective tool for sharing experiences, building professional connections, and broadcasting conventional healthcare announcements to the public. However, careless posts that have client or patient-specific information could ruin the reputation of any healthcare organization. On April 14, 2003, the “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act” (HIPAA) became law with the goal of protecting the privacy of patient medical records, hospitals, doctors, and health plans. The regulations set forth by this legislation allowed patients to freely access their medical records and gave them more control over the disclosure and use of their private health information. Billions of people consume Social Media content every day, and over 30% of healthcare professionals use the same platforms to build and expand their professional network. There are advantages to utilizing Social Media in the medical field, such as notifications about new services, and interacting with patients. However, there is a possibility that using this platform the wrong way will lead to violations in patient privacy and HIPAA regulations. What actions on Social Media violate HIPAA rules? According to HIPAA regulations, a violation or breach is unauthorized use or disclosure under the Privacy Rule which exposes the privacy or security of Protected Health Information (PHI). Examples of common violations include: Sharing pictures (like a team lunch in the workplace) with patient information visible in the background. Sharing any form of PHI (such as images) without the patient’s written consent. Posting “gossip” about a patient to those who are not concerned, even if the name is not mentioned. How much do HIPAA violations cost? People in the healthcare industry cannot treat HIPAA lightly. If an employee were found guilty of violating a HIPAA rule, that person could face a fine between $100 and $1,500,000. Depending on the severity of the violation, the employee might face a 10-year jail sentence, lawsuits, termination from the job, and the loss of medical license. How can healthcare organizations prevent violations? It is a good idea to have employees undergo training on HIPAA Security and HIPAA Privacy procedures and policies when they are hired. Topics that should be discussed include workstation use, workstation security, and bringing personal devices into the workplace. These procedures are crucial to making sure that employees comply with HIPAA rules and are protecting patient information, whether it be electronic, written or oral. Do you work in the healthcare industry and need help managing IT and privacy issues? Feel free to give us a call today! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
3 ways to ensure your FB data is private
The public went into a frenzy when reports surfaced that Cambridge Analytica, a UK-based data analytics firm, retrieved millions of Facebook users’ private information without their knowledge. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it, and here are 3 ways to guarantee your data remains private. Download your Facebook data The thought of a complete stranger going through your account is pretty disturbing. Yet, you’re probably curious about the amount of information you uploaded to your social media sites over the years. Fortunately, Facebook allows you to download a copy of all your data. You simply have to log in to its web version and… On the site’s main navigation, click on the down button right next to the Quick Help icon A menu will pop up and you’ll find Settings right above the Log Out option Click on Settings and you’ll automatically be redirected to General Within the General page, press Download a copy of your Facebook Data It will redirect you to a different page where you’ll need to press Start My Archive button to proceed with the download process Once that’s done, you’ll be able to see an archive of all your Facebook activity, such as the statuses you’ve posted, messages you’ve sent, and ads you’ve clicked on. Change your privacy settings After going through all your data, you might realize that everything you shared is harmless. But, that doesn’t mean it won’t end up in the hands of cybercriminals who can use it against you. We suggest going back to the Settings page and clicking on Privacy. That’s where you can modify whether you want your posts to be seen by the public or only by your friends. You can even control who’s allowed to send you friend requests, view your friends list, and most importantly, decide whether search engines are allowed to link to your profile. Check or delete apps You know those personality quizzes that you and your friends always had a ball answering? Apparently, Cambridge Analytica gathered all the responses from one of those app developers. Luckily, you can stop them from further accessing your profile. In Settings, click on Apps to see all the apps linked to your profile. Beside each one, you can choose Edit Settings to review its authorizations or click Remove to completely get rid of it. Your recent love-hate relationship with Facebook has you second-guessing. If you want to take data security up a notch, we can always provide more tips and tools, and even assess your current level of security. Just give us a call and we’ll take care of your privacy so you don’t wind up breaking up with your favorite social media site. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
5 social media marketing tips
Nearly everyone uses social media. And whether you run a small- or medium-sized business (SMB) or multinational conglomerate, social media platforms are great for their broad audiences, low costs, and high returns. But without careful planning, marketing in these communities can do more harm than good. Here are five tips on how to use your social media effectively. #1. Choose the right platform Between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn to choose from, you may be tempted to sign up for more social media accounts than you’re ready to manage. It may not seem like much at first, but you’d be surprised by how quickly you can be overwhelmed by statuses, commenting on existing posts, and answering inquiries on every platform, which is why it’s better to adopt only a few platforms that can effectively attract your target customers. Ask yourself these questions before deciding which platform to use: Who is my target customer and what channels do they use? What do I hope to gain by opening a social media account? What kind of content do I want to share and create? How much time can I devote to social media management? #2. Know when to update Are most of your customers online at 8am or 8pm? With a better understanding of your target users’ habits, you can schedule your posts so they create more traffic, increase brand engagement and, eventually, generate new leads and customers. Depending on which platform you choose to invest in, you should post a new update during these times for maximum engagement: Facebook: 1pm – 3pm on Thursday and Friday Twitter: 3pm – 8pm, Monday – Friday for B2B, & Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for B2C organizations YouTube: 12pm – 3pm, Thursday – Sunday LinkedIn: 8am – 5pm, Monday – Friday #3. Use attractive, professional-looking visuals One of the simplest ways to get followers to share your posts is by uploading high-quality photos, videos, and reliable infographics along with your messages. Studies have shown that Facebook posts with images result in 39% more engagement while tweets with images or videos create 200% more engagement. #4. Engage with your followers It’s important for businesses to maintain a healthy back-and-forth on social media. This means beyond sharing useful content, you should also respond to their comments and private messages as quickly as possible. You can build stronger relationships with customers by writing thank you comments to anyone who shared positive experiences with your business, and by addressing negative comments with personalized and helpful responses. #5. Pump the brakes on promotional materials With social media becoming important tools for customers and businesses to connect and interact, it is important not to muddy the water with too many promotional posts. A rule of thumb for social media promotions is that 80% of your posts should be shareable and interactive content, while the remaining 20% should be about your business. This will result in more engagement, a more consistent brand image, and a healthier bottom line. Social media can help your business succeed, but only if it’s used correctly and effectively. If you’re interested in adopting the right social media platform to increase engagement and create a stronger brand reputation, contact us today and we’ll help you get started. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.