Social Marketing Solutions Podcasts with Fractal Recording!
December 31, 2014
The day after Christmas, Social Marketing Solutions, LLC founder and owner, Kelly Jones, had the pleasure of sitting down and recording her first podcast with Chris Curran of Fractal Recording, located in Parsippany, New Jersey! Chris and Kelly had an awesome time discussing social media trends and focuses for the new year. This experience allowed SMS employees to understand the importance of podcasts and the benefit of podcasts in regard to online marketing efforts. We are so pleased to share the end result with you all, so take a look by clicking the links below.
You can listen to the podcast at FractalRecording.com, also available on ITunes and Stitcher! Or just click the player below! Feel free to let us know what you think by commenting below. Thanks again for your constant support and interest in Social Marketing Solutions. As we enter into the new year we are so appreciative of you all, and we wish you all the absolute best in 2015!
Wrapping up 2014 and Preparing Your Social Media for the New Year!
December 24, 2014
How influential was your online presence in 2014? As the year comes to a close, it is a good time to reflect on and review your social media presence, evaluate what has and hasn’t worked, and begin planning your social networking strategies for 2015. Here are a few tips to remember while planning your social media marketing efforts for the new year:
- Remember the importance of visuals- The importance of visual content is on the rise, as photos and video clips become increasingly popular online. Studies have shown that postings on social media that include a visual get many, many more views than postings that consist of only text. As you plan out your 2015 online marketing, find where visuals can factor into your postings. You can do such things as posting photos of your employees, to making short videos that highlight your services. Also consider using such social media platforms as Pinterest and Instagram to highlight products and broaden your online presence. The possibilities are endless!
- Communication goes both ways- This has been stressed many times, but people aren't online just to see you consistently throw traditional marketing (such as constant talk of how wonderful your company is, advertising and business statistics) in their faces. People want to relate to businesses, and bringing personalization and conversation to the table is key to social media success. Ask your customers what they want and need from you. Respond to any criticisms with offers to fix the problem. It is crucial to think like the consumer and respond while remembering the consumers position. You want your audience to engage in conversation with you.
- What to expect in the New Year- The “larger” social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter will remain important to connect with others, but there will continue to be new sites, and edits to our current social media sites that expand our social media reach. There will be new apps, tools, and updates that increase the social networking possibilities. There will be an increase in the demand of mobile platforms as more people continue to rely on smartphones. The importance of staying ahead of the curve in regards to mobile marking will be important for success in 2015.
Reviewing and revising your current marketing plan for the new year is a must. You can only achieve success if you consistently monitor and evaluate your current and future strategies, as social media is constantly evolving . Make sure you're getting the most out of your social media efforts. If you need help evaluating your current efforts or putting them into place for the New Year don’t hesitate to give us a call! Social Marketing Solutions is happy to help enhance your online identity, and get you seen throughout the new year.
‘Tis the Season! Holiday Website Promotions
December 13, 2014
As a business, you know there are many ways to promote yourself during the holidays. These range from email blasts to circulars to television ads to social media and more. But what are you doing with your website to promote your business during holiday season? By now you also know the importance of keeping your website constantly updated with fresh and relevant information, both to entice fans and to keep yourself high in the SEO rankings. That means that updating your website during this season is one of the most important things you can do! Here are some great things to remember during this busy time.
Timing is everything. It's not just Christmas that's currently going on – there's Hanukkah and other holidays too. And each holiday starts on a different date. Make sure that any sales or promotions you might be offering for a particular holiday are timed to coincide at least a couple of weeks in advance of said holiday (if not earlier, depending on how early you like to spread your holiday cheer!). Make people aware in advance that a particular item is going to be discounted on a particular day, on your website, by sending out email blasts and sharing the news on social media.
Keep your customers up to date. Keep your customers up to date on your website by creating new web pages specifically for certain sales and promotions. For example, if you're a toy store that will be hugely discounting Barbies on December 20th, why not make a new web page listing all the Barbie deals so people don't have to search through your site to find them? This makes things easier on your customers, which could result in more sales for you!
Consider video. Nothing says “holiday” like nostalgia. If you have a restaurant, for example, capitalize on guests’ holiday memories at your restaurant through videos on your web site. Encourage guests to submit their own videos to your Facebook or YouTube page, then post them to your site. Also think about doing a holiday video card – you can do anything from filming a simple holiday greeting from your team members to something more elaborate like a holiday sketch and post it to the front page of your website.
Give thanks. 'Tis the season to be grateful, so thank your clients for their years of loyalty! This can be anything from a simple and elegant "Thank you" message on your front page to a page dedicated to listing your most loyal clients' names and/or businesses. Not only will you make people feel appreciated but this makes your brand more approachable, more open and more down to earth.
Do a giveaway to gather more clients. Want a way to reach more clientele? Run a giveaway on your website that has the option for people to opt-in to your newsletters. This promotion is one of the most simple and effective!
There are so many wonderful ways to use your website to promote your business this holiday and these ways can often be overlooked in favor of ways like social media. Don't get us wrong, social media is essential! But your website is your home, your storefront. It's where people get to really know you. So don't forget about it this holiday season! And while we've got you here, sign up over there on the right for our mailing list that's full of the latest social media and online marketing tips and news!
Why You Should Send Newsletters and Tips to Get You Started
December 3, 2014
Newsletters are a very cost effective way to market your business. Sending out a newsletter creates awareness of your business and all that you offer. It also keeps you in the mind of your current clientele.
Newsletters give you the opportunity to promote products as well as your business. If you are introducing a great new product, it is important that you also send out a newsletter about it for people who may not regularly check your website or other social media forums. Make sure that your newsletter is worth reading by adding in special deals or discounts for loyal clients. When you add value to your newsletter it makes people want to keep reading it!
More content ideas for newsletters include:
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A message from the CEO or President of the Business (Owner)
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Human interest stories (ex. a feature on a special client of yours)
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New products
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Employees (employee of the month and a little about them or achievements )
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News relating to your business (local and National)
Make sure you pick a timeline and stick to it. Whether you choose to do weekly, monthly or bi monthly newsletters make sure you stay with your schedule. Your customers will be expecting an update, so make sure you are prompt and on time with it.
These are just a few reasons why email marketing is definitely one of the best ways to market! Need more help? Call or email us today! We can help you get started with your newsletter campaign or if you find email marketing is taking up too much of your time, we can do the hard work for you while you sit back and reap the benefits!
Author
- Kelly Jones
Social Media Manager
