Tips for Brainstorming Blog Topics for Your Company
December 19, 2013
Writing blogs on a consistent basis is something you know your company needs to do but it can sometimes be difficult coming up with ideas, especially ones that are fresh, new and exciting. We came up with some tips to help you be creative and original when writing blogs for your company. Read on to learn more!
Tip 1: Our first tip is to ask your customers what they want to know more about. Since they are your target, it’s important to write your blog towards them and their needs. They can give you a lot of ideas of what they want to hear about and this is a simple and effective way to get your blog on the fast track. This tip is also important because it shows your readers and customers you care about them.
Tip 2: The second tip is to write a blog about a recent news story that relates to your company. It can be something that interests you personally, something that might affect your customers or just the latest industry news. This keeps your clients updated and informed with what’s happening in your world.
Tip 3: Interviews are a great way to add depth to your blog. Interviewing people in the industry or company can give people an inside look into what is going on behind closed doors. People want to trust you and your company, so by being open and sharing stories with them they will automatically feel connected to you.
Tip 4: Another way to come up with blog ideas is to read the customer review section on your website. People love to complain so this gives you an opportunity to address some of their concerns and show a solution. This will also allow your customers to feel as if you know what they need and want. It’s not only important to look at your website but also to check your competitors website out and see what people are complaining about. Then you can write about the common issue people have and give a solution to the problem.
Tip 5: Our last tip for you is to keep a journal. The journal can be a place where you can write ideas you come up with everyday as well as ideas your customers and readers want to hear about. If you keep the journal you will be surprised by how many ideas will come to you. While writing a blog you may get 10 other ideas that relate to the blog you’re writing that would be perfect to one day write about. Blogs are about connecting and sharing what you know, so don’t be shy about being creative.
Staying Social in the Summer
May 20, 2013
We may be nearing the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, but you want to make sure you don’t get too lazy when it comes to maintaining your social media presence.
While people may spend less time on social media during the summer months, it’s important to stay consistent with your business’s online presence. For example, if you want to post on Facebook three times a week instead of daily, decide when you will begin and end the summer schedule and stick with it.
Be mindful of special offers you want to promote and coincide them with events like graduation time and the holidays (Memorial Day and July 4 for example) when there is likely to be increased online traffic. Similarly, if there is a big news or sporting event, you’ll want to post on that day when people are likely to go online for information.
Think about what is important to your audience in the summer (traveling, vacationing, seasonal interests) and target your content accordingly. Depending on your business, there are many ways to be creative with your posts.
People also take a lot of photos during the summer, so it’s the perfect time to ask them to post pictures on your page. A Realtor could ask readers to post pictures of their favorite neighborhoods or a massage therapist could ask clients to post pictures of themselves relaxing on vacation.
Because people are usually more laid back and less hurried during the summer, this is a great time to run surveys, contests or events that encourage interaction and participation.
Think about your own online habits in the summer. Chances are your current and potential clients are adopting similar summer social media patterns.
Take Back Control of Your Time on Social Media
April 2, 2013
How do you turn 10 minutes into two hours? Go on Facebook. What may sound like a silly joke is actually a scary reality for many people who have fallen victim to the social media time suck. Facebook, in particular, has been known to turn even the most disciplined person into a Facebook-aholic.
Not you, huh? Let’s see about that. Do any of these comments sound familiar?
“I go on to take a quick look at my newsfeed and the next thing I know I am liking everybody’s posts, watching videos of cats, and I’ve been on for an hour.”
Or…
“Whenever I post a new status, I spend the next couple of hours constantly checking in to see how many likes and comments I got.”
How about…
“I have more than 3,000 online friends but I spend my Friday nights at home commenting on the movie I just watched…alone.”
If you can relate even a little, then you need to take back control of your time on social media. Don’t worry; a full-blown intervention isn’t necessary. Just follow a few simple steps and you’ll have your life back in no time.
- Set aside a specific time of day that you will spend on your social media instead of going on every time you have a free minute or in between other tasks.
- Once you’ve decided when you will schedule social media into your day, determine the amount of time you want to spend on it and stick to it. If you don’t trust yourself, set a timer and when it goes off, you log off!
- Set goals for what you want to accomplish. Are you looking at competitors’ pages? Expanding your network? Writing a blog post? Knowing exactly what you want to achieve will help you make the most of your time online.
- Make a list of the things you could be doing or stopped doing because you are spending too much online. Have you neglected your exercise routine? Do you grab fast food instead of cooking a meal? Are you staying up at all hours of the night instead of getting the proper amount of sleep? Put the list on your computer as a constant reminder.
- Remember that you are in control. Don’t let distractions get you off course.
Get Your Business In Tip Top Shape For Spring
March 19, 2013
It’s that time of year again… Spring-Cleaning. But this doesn’t just apply to your home anymore! Check out or three simple tips to have your business up to par just as you start to feel the sense of Spring excitement in the air.
Tip # 1: How To Help Your Customers Springtime Needs – Of course your business has their own services or products of value to offer to your customers, but how can they relate to the springtime needs of your customer? You want to ensure that what you offer is exactly what your target market needs during the springtime and create a constant state of need for your products/services in direct relation to the spring season. For example, offer residential cleaning or landscaping services as a “Spring Cleaning” campaign. Musical entertainment or catering can easily be turned into a “Spring Wedding/Event” marketing campaign. Some businesses might have a harder time with this than others, but there is always something to expand on and create a solid marketing campaign with a springtime relation.
Tip #2: What’s The Best Way To Market Your Springtime Offer? The beautiful weather that accompanies the Spring season typically boasts many outdoor community festivals and events. This is the perfect opportunity to spread the word about your business through the celebration of the Spring season. Other options are spring themed sales events, email marketing campaigns, or advertisements in the local paper, magazine or brochures to be placed in local restaurants or B&Bs. Try to tailor these various marketing avenues to best benefit your business and make use of them to create a successful and profitable marketing campaign for your business.
Tip #3: Incorporate Springtime Tips & Advice – While using sales oriented pitches to get the word out about your business you can also capitalize on this time to create business value with your customers. Incorporating specific “spring themed” tips and advice into your campaign that is centered around your industry allows you to offer something free and clear that can be used in your customers’ daily lives and goes beyond providing a service or product. Customers find more value in businesses that offer more than one-dimensional marketing and advertising campaigns that center exclusively on the business rather than the customer.
Spring is in the air and we certainly hope the warming temperatures and blooming flowers are creating as much of an exciting buzz in your office as it is in ours. Remember; contact Social Marketing Solutions, LLC with all of your social media marketing needs!
Do Not Disturb: Privacy in Social Media
February 19, 2013
There’s no doubt that privacy in social media is a hot topic. In fact, a Google search of those four words—“privacy in social media”—will get you more than three billion results. Wow! That’s a lot of information, and it could be scary. It’s understandable that business owners may be wary of engaging in social networking. While some are concerned about compromising their own privacy, others believe that their business’s presence on social media is walking too fine a line between marketing and invading their customers’ privacy.
It is, however, possible to be safe and secure while using social media as an effective marketing tool for your business.
The first step is to understand the various types of social media available and which ones will best meet your business needs. Knowing the focus of a specific social platform and how it works will increase your confidence about being an active participant.
The second step is to know what privacy controls are in place. It’s always a good idea to check the social site’s privacy policy. Most can be found online, and I have provided the links to the privacy policies for Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter below. These are not the most exciting documents you will read, but familiarizing yourself with them is time well spent.
You also want to make sure your privacy settings align with your comfort level. You can control certain aspects of your exposure, so it’s important to know what you want and how to manage your settings. If you’re uncertain, discuss your needs with a social media professional who can help you determine the right settings for you and your business. You may also want to talk to other business owners who are successfully using social media for their input and advice.
It is possible to strike a balance between successfully leveraging social media for your business and being comfortable with your level of exposure.
Privacy Policies:
Click here for Facebook
Click here for Twitter
Click here for LinkedIn
Let Your Presence be Known!
January 23, 2013
You’re on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and perhaps a few other social media sites. Your posts offer great information about your industry and company, but no one knows you are there.
Too often companies forget about the importance of letting their current and potential clients know that they are active on social media. As with any type of advertising or marketing, a message is only effective if people see it.
Here are a few things you can do spread the word about your standing in the social media world.
This is an easy one to remember: cross-reference your presence. Tweet a link to your Facebook page, ask your Facebook fans to follow you on Twitter, and push people to your LinkedIn site to see recommendations.
You hand out business cards, right? In addition to your phone number and location, include the icons for the social media platforms you use.
Add your social media website addresses to your email signature.
If you have a storefront, put a sign in your window or at the register counter to remind people where they can find you in cyberspace. Do the same on your company vehicle.
Offer special discounts to your social media fans. For example, a local frozen yogurt store offers a 10-percent discount to those who show on their cell phones that they follow them on Twitter or “Like” their Facebook page.
Once you’re on social media remember to stay visible and offer value, meaning post regularly and offer information that is of value to those you value—your customers.
Facing Your Social Media Fears
January 14, 2013
If you’re afraid of social media, you’re not alone. Many people fear what having an online presence can mean for them and their company for a variety of reasons.
For business owners, the biggest fears stem from not understanding enough about social media, not having the time to manage it, and not knowing what type of content to post. Luckily, there are a lot of resources and information available to help business owners get the education they need to get online. If you’re unsure or have questions, get help!
Then there’s the issue of privacy. People often ask, “If my business is out there in the social media world does that mean my personal life is too?” The answer is no. Many businesses are effective and successful with social media without having a personal online presence.
Another big concern for business owners is the possibility of negative feedback. The truth is, negative feedback is a possibility whether or not a business uses social media. In some cases, social media can be an asset if your company is going through a rough patch or needs to explain an undesirable situation.
The bottom line is that you want to be where your customers are, and chances are that a good number them are on social media. So it’s time to face your fears head on and get in the social media game. The first step is to do your homework to get a basic understanding of the various types of platforms out there and what each one has to offer. Then you can decide which ones are best for you and your business.
Author
- Kelly Jones
Social Media Manager
